Non for profit organizations(BA 15)

I would like to explore more about non for profit groups/organizations around the Chicago land area. I belong to a non for profit organization and we do a lot of volunteer work in the comunity. But I want to help these orgs reach out to get the support they need in order to continue to help their organization flourish. A lot of small unrecognizable groups need funds and donations to keep hte group alive. i just wanna go out there and help them search to get the things that small communitygroups are not able to get or recieve like the larger more well known groups.

Role Role Role your boat..(BA14)

As for me I really dont like working in groups because everyone can be confused about the role in which they chose to take. I myself personally if not the leader of course I would most defintely be the supporter or the faciliator. When working in groups doesnt matter the project, you have to make sure that everyone is clear on the topic and what they have to do. Some people tend to be lazy an not do there part when they know that every one in the group will be recieving the same grade, so at that point it is left up to the leader/problemitizer to pull the strings a make sure everyone is doing thier part to recieve a better grade.

When  I work with a group, before we even come up with a topic I like to brainstorm n the ideas and see who mainly into that topic and fromt hat point you can pretty much determine who will lead, support , facilitate and become the problemitizer. I myself depending on the topic and how knowledgeable I am on it will take the lead role and facilitate as well but if its something that I have little interest in I will support and facilitate...I dont think there is a role that I ever wanted and wasnt appointed for it or just didnt get. As long as I have a part in the group I think everything will fall together.

My biggest concerns is finding topics that everyone can agree on and are willing to actually come together and take the time to meet and do their part. You have the person who never has time to meet with the group, always email their ideas instead of meeting with the group, the one who waits until the last minute to get involved after everything has been put together.

I think that as long as everyone can decide on a topic together an agree this is what they want to work on everything will be fine. Dont just allow others to forcefully chose a topic tht your really not interested in because it will just be a one persons topic and not a group topic..

Wikipedia from my point of view about My Community (BA #13)

Austin, Chicago is located on the westside of Chicago, Il., with Oak Park neighboring to the west and Humboldt Park to the east. Austin stretches south from just north of North Ave to Roosevelt Road. Its is the largest community by population, with 90% African American demographic. Naturally the charateristics associated with Austin corresponds with its history of large number of natives.
1.Transportation
There are several CTA buses that serves this community...
   1.1 Cta Elevated Train System (the L)
   1.2 Cta Bus System
   1.3 Surway Livery Service
2. Education
3. Community News Paper
   3.1 Austin Weekly
   3.2 The Austin Voice
Transportation
   The Chicago Transit Authority Elevated Train (Green Line L) runs from Harlem and Lake Ave., downtown
Loop to Chicagos SouthSide 63rd Street Station. You also have CTA' (Blue Line L) that operates from
Des Plaine Ave, downtown Loop to Chicago's Ohare airport.

    There are several 10 CTA bus routes that serve this community as well...#70 Division, #66 Chicago,
#126 Jackson and #20 Madison all are west bound from Austin Ave., to downtown Chicago. You also
have  #54 Cicero, #57 Laramie, #85 Central and the #91 Austin routes are north/south to and past Harrison
street. The # 72 North Ave west from Narragansett to downtown Chicago and the #7 Harrison operates
from Cicero/Harrison to downtown Chicago.
   
     Sureway Livery Service is a neighborhood cab service that serves the Austin area and other areas as well
for a small fee.

Education

     This community is a Chicago Public School District.

Community Media
  
     Austin Weekly and The Austin Voice are the communities news paper which are published biweekly.

  

Who really has control over thier communities...B.A.#11

Humboldt Park was another communtiy that I did a little research on, becasue like my community (Austin) we have one majot thing in common... GANGS! I am curious and interested in learning more about this community that I live in. One because it the largest communtiy of all communititesand two I have little to no  knowledge about the things that  happens around me in this community if its not associated/affiliate with gangs. What really amazed me was that this community is 90% African American which was a total shock to me! When you mention the "Austin Area"one never stop to think about how highly populated of the african american race, you think this is a nice community and a great place to live. Bording Oak Park you automatically think this is a great place to live. I have been living in this community for almost ten years and I am embarrassed to say again that my knowledge of thing that happens here and I have a clue as to the culture aspect it which it represents.
Its sad to say that the people who influence this community are the gang members. Even known politicians(aldermen/and beat members) are or have been controlled by such a thing. The gang leaders intrigue me because they have so much power over just about anything in the community. It stop and make one think, is this what our community/generation has come too? And why has nothing been done or being done to stop it? Its amazing how the drug members can take over city blocks and even neighborhood stores.
We as a community often argue how the police  are suppose to serve and protect. Where is the protection when the MOST of the drug members work for the police? This community  is highly stereotyped on the fact  that its population is 90% black and because of the many stereotypes that we as African Americas face( lazy, loud, nasty, disrespectful, always looking for a handout, thieves and  drug dealers) is a major controversy.
Breaking this community down would be somewhat fairly easy. North of Harrison Ave back to North Ave back to Central Ave would be the breakdown  of this vastly large community. These are mainly highly general gang affiliated areas, with abandon buildings on almost every blocks gangs mainly control this community. As a hardworking woman, seeing how gangs are taking over or running this area, who do we really respect...the politicians, policemen or the gang members?

Another interesting Community Beside Mine (Austin Area) B.A.#10

Humboldt Park is another communtiy that I happen to be semi surrounded by and i find it quite interesting. Here is what http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Humboldt-Park-Chicago-IL.html had to say about H.P. It si considered and area that is predominately Puerto Rican. Actually, today there are just as many African Americans as Puerto Ricans and a small percentage of others.

Know for Puerto Rican influence as celebration. Houses resturants of multiple ethnicities such as Mexican, Chinese, Columbian and Danish. And its name sake park is scattered with statues of famous German, Scandinavians and Poles(polish). http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/617.html

I think Wikipedia should incoporate more cultural influences outside of the well know Puerto Rican community, instead it seems to focus more on community organizations (gangs)

Austin Area where everything is not as it seems

Well of course I would choose my OWN community, because I think its a great one!  The Austin community is in the heart of Chicago westsides. According to the U.S. Census in 2000 w http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=86000US60624&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US17%7C05000US17031&_street=&_county=&_cityTown=&_state=04000US17&_zip=60624&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=DEC_2000_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry  were know as the largest communty with a population of 117, 527, with almost 90% of that is african american.Austin has several landmarks designed by great architects Fredrick Schock and Frank Lloyd Wright. You can view some of Wrights beautifully designed homes in the Oak Park one of the surrounding suburbs in this area.

Austin Town Hall Park fieldhouse was modeled after Independence Hall in Phildelphia, where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution was adapted, which is very beautiful if I may say so myself. And during the summer months they have so many events to keep the children occupied. My favorite is movies in the park. They get this HUGE screen and play all different types of movies while the sun is setting over the park, which is a very beautiful site.

The Austin Community is a great area to live, everything is conviently located via bus or the "L" (green line). We have a variety of supermarkets  and several shopping center and hardware stores and we also recently opened a movie theater on Central and Grand ave, not short from our district police station.

Besides the daily activites of crimes (drug related, domestic or just your everyday fight), and really what neighborhood doesnt experience at least one of these, its a wonderful community. You should stop by and pay us a visit.

Strict enough to be Nice..(blog 7)

The Strict Father Model to me as Lakoff explains would be the "ONLY ONE" who is providing for the family..the ALPHA DOG so to speak...this model makes sure his family is well taking care of and things are done the way "HE" want them . His view is that of once you leave home your own your on no coming back. I was raised in the south by BOTH my grandparents and my grandfathers was very strict about everything, he told me one time what to do how to do it and I better had  had it done that way or all hell broke loose. My grand dad taught me how to sew, cook ,clean, garden, and work on cars...he told me that he never wanted me to depend on a man for anything if i didn't have too, and because of this I am the strong independent woman I am today... In his famous words " I am he ALPHA and OMEGA around here...lmao (may his soul rest in paradise)

Now on the other hand, the NURTURER Model  family which consists of both parents (which I was raised by both) who are involves more in the children lives. My grandfather was the strict model and my grand mom was the nurturer. Both of them was concerned about my well being but in two totally different ways, my grandmother always made sure I had lunch for school, made sure I had money in my pocket and that I was enjoying the things that I did...my grandfather NO..he didn't care if my day was great or not as long as the things he wanted done were done. I had no friends when i moved to the south so my grand mom tried her best to make sure that i was comfortable and had the things that I needed just like the rest of the other kids...she always told me i was pretty and that i could achieve or be anything I wanted to be...after a crazy day of dealing with the wild world with my grandfather, she would always say that my grand dad is hard on me because he dont want me to have to depend on anyone for anything. She would always have a bowl of peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream for me after hanging around my grandfather all day because she knew it was my favorite and she love to see the smile on my face.

Murder for hire...blog 6 pt2

I actually read the same story but from two different articles. What surprised me was the press came up with the topics for the same story, and how one article was three pages and the other was a mere half of page covering the exact same thing. The first article was “6 y/o in Minnesota find parents, sitter dead” (http://news.yahoo.com/6-old-minnesota-finds-parents-sitter-dead-221337825.html) and the second article, “Oakdale deaths are double murder suicide” (http://www.startribune.com/local/east/129996443.html). As stated in the first article when reading it I thought wow! , what puzzled me was the fact that one article(yahoo news) was unclear if the other 2 siblings were home and the other article (star tribune) states that the 3 y/o  was in the home when the shooting occurred while the other son was outside when the sister discovered the bodies. Now in my opinion how is it that both young boys are at the home when this happens, one allegedly in the home at the time the murders took place, but they wait until the sister arrives and the bodies are discovered by her. Why didn’t the boys run for help? Why did it take for the sister to come home and say they were dead before the young boys realized it? Makes the reader think was this a murder/ suicide or a cover up? How do we know that 8 y/o didn’t have anything to do with it?

Also, the Star Tribune seemed to have stretched the story a little bit to me by adding more details that gives the reading  a more in depth sight of what really happen, which doesn’t seem to make since.  Could it been that the they wanted people to think that possibly the 8 y/o could have done this, or because this was such a nice family have the readers feel sorry for them and the children?

How anyone could began to see this as something of the norm, not unless they live in an area where something like this happens all the time. Three children, one of whom was in the house when the murder/suicide occurred are far from the norm. These kids are going to have psychological problems for the rest of their lives.

My view (comment) on other blogs...

The firs blog comment on is Mari Ortiz....as I read your blog about work it reminded me of the values that my grandparent ingrained in me, and how hard work always pays off. As a young child my grandfather (raising 2 teenage girls, me being a tomboi was the easiest) always taught me different things (work ethnics) how to change oil in a car, how to kill, cook and clean yard birds and how to drive a stick shift shift(tractor) in the event that i decided to stay in the south, so whne it was time for me to do these things I would already know what and how to do. (the southern way) And I also agree that different cultures view work so totally different. Living in the city is way different from the south...we both have the same views and feeling because of the things that our parent ingrained in us...it also helps me to focus and strive for the best of the best jobs by continuing to further my education as well.

My second blog comment is  Jessica Patterson....work should be something that you enjoy...and even though we call it work its does not always have to feel like a job. Ive been on my current job for 15 years and the past 2 years I have just beaun to view my job as something I want and like to do and it has become more easier and less stressful. I dont agree with the statement that  as Americans we are the laziest workers..in my opinion when others come to our country they (some)  have it made, no taxes for 6/7 years, they get grants easier, everything that we (Americans) who have been here all our lives have to work hard for is given to them easily because we are in debt to thier (some) countries. We (Americans) work just as hard if not harder as the next and the reason we complain because its easily given to the next person (immigrant).

Either your with us or against us...

After readibg 2 of several articles on politics, is crazy how society makes yu pick and choose who you decide YOU want to see in office..of the two articles the framing is with the GOP Debate and election...agin of all the several candidates SOCIETY narrowed it down for us, to Perry and Romney.
In these articles they are going head to head and toe to toe with each other in a debate of DEMOCRATIC vs REPUBLIC.
The different framing of the 2, is clealy the fact that one is with and the other is against what both are saying, which further leads to politics as a battle.
The power tht is being displayed is really not amongst the 2 candidates, its the fact that the medai is focused on these two candiates and no other candidates matter.

OOPS, We forgot to add that! (Blog3)

I think that the editiing of this interview was totally wrong. Portraying a 4 year old boy as a wanna be gun carrying killer. Why? this is how mainstream America veiw young poor African American men. After watching and listening to th interview, the reporter clearly did some editing of his own because right after the little boy said he wasnt scared of anything, the reporter was "Damn " your not afraid of anything huh? Wy as an adult would you say this to a young child whose parent was no where around.

As a BLACK woman, our race has always been know to be lazy, ignorant, disrespectful and so forth. But with interview its typically stating that this young child is growing up in a neighborhood of drug dealers, gang banger and killers, and its ok to follow in their footsteps, on the cut verson of the interview. But on the uncut version it shows a brave young boy not afraid to admit at a age as young as 4, that he is not scared of anything, and the reason he wants to have a gun is to be a police officer, which the child knows that the police are doing some kind of good with their guns and not just killing off the young black men.

I would like everyone to just take a moment and think to themselves, first why is this reporter questioning these children about an issue such as a gun?, knowing the situation which occured prior to the interview. Also, the fact that this child stated that he wanted to become a police offiecer when he got older is a sign that kids have other dreams beside being  drug dealer or gang banger.

You cant believe everything you hear and/or see because the media will take your words/image right out of your mouth and turn it into a situation that makes the media looks good and the people of certain neighborhoods look bad. Always seek out the truth for yourself because the media will portray you as the bad guy each and every single time.

Work is just that work...(blog assignment #2)

When I  think of the term or meaning of work I get a little upset. I began working at the mere age of 13  acting as if i was a legal age of 18. Working at this young age was bascially a choice for me and the fun part was actually getting away with working with grown ups and i was a child. The work was easy and the money was great! Work is just that work. How you do it or apply it is up to the individual. I am greatful that I was shown at an early age the values and meaning of work. Being raised in the south working in the hot country fields just to sell a bushel of peas for five bucks was no where as good as working a nine to five and recieveing a full paycheck. Sometimes much more than others. As i got older and realized that working was not for fun anymore, it is to pay bills nd put food on the table. So now my feelings about this thing they call work has drastically changed alot. But I am still greatful that i know what a good hard days work is like. When i close my eyes and picture someone working  there are diffent images that comes to mind because im thinking about those whom I know that have jobs. My cousin, who works for the airline, i see here feuling the planes and complaing about smelling like jet fuel. Myself for instance, driving the fortklift loading and unloading the trucks so that people can get their mail on time, its makes me feel good to know that my hardwork is keeping a smile on somebody else face. Every day life situtaions we are faced with the feeling of working too much or thinking why do we have to work so much, because society has driven us to have these type of feeelings and emotions. If you dont work you dont eat that a common phrase that my granddad used and the more he said it the more i believed it.

Without work, how will we survive/ A particular thing has to be done, whtever that thing is its still a from of working. If you do this, for this than that can be done but only for a significnt amout of something. ie..money, clothes, food  and possbily shelter for the poverish person who have yet to aquire a stable life form. Again work is work, whatever you put in you hope to benefit from it.

People look at work differently...some work harder than others just to keep a roof over thier heads when you have others who are hardly working doing nothing and they have any and everything they can get thier hands on. Society plays a huge factor in the way our social classes differ and view work. All classes are taught diferently and there are different categories in which they are viewed. You have people in the south who tends to farms and live stock working hard from sun up to sun down and gets a little abouve minimium wage if that, and turn around you have the bankers and brokers ans real estate agents putting in the same hours and getting three figures a year.

Again, work to me is just that work. The only more productive way of thinking work can change is to become your own boss and make your on rules while having others work for you.

The Hidden Curriculum of Work

Being raised in the south at the age of 8 and 4/5th grade when I left Chicago was something noticeably different. The work was harder and the teacher were mean and more strict. I can recall as a 3rd grader being bullied by 2 of my classmates and the teachers did nothing. They sat the three of us in the principal's office until it school was over...on the other hand when you have verbal confrontation your being suspended from school and had to return with your parents. I feel that schools in the south were so much more strict than city schools.

As I continue to read the article about the different types of schools, of course most of us would probably choose the executive elite schooling, in this type of schooling its like the kids have their own sense of freedom to do as they so please without the teacher on their back. It gives the child more control over what and how they feel about learning the material. to me this type of schooling enables a child to become responsible if they can do things the way they want when they want to and pretty much nothing is going to be done about it. Me, i think i would have preferred Middle class schooling. The teacher seemed to have paid attention to the student and made surer that they took their time at getting the students to understand their work, whereas the working class just seem to not care at all if the kids learned or not. The middle class teachers made sure that if the kids didn't understand they insisted that they do the work until they did...(this appears to be true as well for southern teachers/schools).the teachers interact more with the students by asking questions, listening to the kids responses and letting them know if the answers they chose were correct, which made them even more eager to do home work assignments.

I think that my past teachers kind of hindered the way i view school today period! We had tons and tons of work that had to be done by the next day in class, and sometime we would spend so much time on one problem/situation just to realized that it took five to ten minutes to solve a two minute question because I had to read and write so much in high school its really something that i do not desire at this present time. I appreciate my past teachers for taking the time to teach me and make sure i learned the things that i was suppose to in a feasible amount of time to help better my education.

In my opinion the different types of schooling is designed to still classify and put people into the different classes or levels that were are divided in...upper class(executive elite/affluent professional), middle class, lower classs, and in some cases no class because of the poverty level. Society will help with these statistics. Its like robbing from the poor to keep the rich rich!and i some cases its make it even worse on our children when they realize what class they are apart if.

After reading this article i would say that i grew up in a working/middle class environment. I have family who are in the elite/professional class and they feel that if your not on the same level with them you are beneath them and they don't want to be around that class of people, and as I knew that in order t make it any where n this world you have to learn to adapt to any situation that life throws at you. as far a schooling experiences, I  think I was taught to fit in to the middle/lower class group, only because of my history of my grandparents. Only given enough to make me feel like i was able to move up a class but comfortable being categorized as middle class.

Never Blogged Before

Hey this blogging thing is new to me...what do I do or what is there to say..even where do I begin..I am curious too... now that I have finally got it this blog account set up I can go and begin my homework assignment for which this blog account is needed..thank you all for taking the time out to read this...happy blogging! SMOOCHES