The End: My Final Blog..

January, 2009:

Hi guys! I'm Jorie and I am a junior (one of the four in Sal's first period class). I wanted to take sociology as a junior because I was really interested in the class, but I knew I wouldn't have time during my senior year. One of the reasons I know I won't have time is because I am a Varsity Cheerleader. Our season is 10 months out of the year, so I'm very busy all the time. I've been on varsity since I was a freshman and its really shaped the person I've become in high school. Before high school I was on an allstar cheerleading team, which was SO different from high school cheer. I was torn when I had to choose between allstar and high school, but I couldn't be more happy on Stevenson Cheer. Since freshman year I've made inseparable bonds with the girls on my team, and they have become some of my best friends. As hard and time consuming as it is, I wouldn't want to have it any other way -- I can't imagine my life without it.
After high school I'm planning on going to college (not sure where yet), and hopefully cheering, depending on where I go. I'm not positive on what I want to do after that, but I'm thinking about going into some kind of journalism, or maybe even being a teacher. Whatever I do, I want to wake up every day and enjoy doing it.
I'm a very outgoing person, and will make friends with anyone.. some of my friends even make fun of me for it :) I think I get that personality from my mom. She is always happy and looking on the bright side of things and it inspires me to be positive in anything and everything I do. One thing she always tells me is that if you're going to do something, you might as well do it 110% and enjoy doing it. I basically live by that - I think that every day you should be happy, and if you're not, something needs to change (even though obviously nothing is perfect). I hope that I can live my whole life this way. Anyway, this is my first time ever blogging and im really excited to try it out.. so enjoy :)

---------------------------------------------------------

May, 2009:

Hey guys, it's Jorie again. But this time, I've changed. Many things have happened in the past 5 months. I've started thinking a lot more about who I am, what makes me, and why, and I owe it all to sociology..well, most of it atleast. I'm still a Junior in high school (almost a senior!!!) and I'm still a cheerleader, and knowing me, probably always will be. But theres something different.. no longer am I a 17 year old, white, jewish, female in the upper-middle class. Obvoiusly I still am those things, but those are not WHO i am. And i hope those are never who I am again. They call America the "melting pot" of the world meaning all cultures, races, classes, everything, mixes together to form one culture. If that is the case then why are things such as discrimination and fear still taking place? It really bothers me after learning about all these things and more in sociology. From now on, I am not that person I mentioned above, i'm all of those things and more - the people I meet is going to be what makes me. If they are black, white, poor, rich, ugly, beautiful, ect., I'm going to accept them and change myself for them. Theres no reason why I should fear people of different races and cultures, avoid them, or not befriend them. If someone proves me wrong and does disobey my trust, then i can deal with that situation individually, but just because a black girl is mean to me doesnt mean all black girls are going to be. That goes along with being open-minded. From now on, no matter what the situation is, I vow to go in wtih an open mind and an open heart, because if I don't I won't get the full potential out of the situation. In general, my number one change is "open-ness." In EVERYTHING I do. No matter what the situation. After the fact, I can reevaluate it and see how I should feel, but before hand, there is no reason to be anything but optimistic and know that everyone is the same and are equal.
I've said this before and i'll say it again... LiFE'S WHAT YOU MAKE iT. :)

Love, Jorie

"This BLOG Is Not Required"

As our last class discussion/lesson, we read a part from the book "This book is Not Required" By Inge Bell. I can honestly say that it was probably my favorite lesson from the entire semester. The reason is not because we learned something new, because we didnt, but just because it really addressed life and our future and I thought it was so cool. Personally, I am one of the worst decision makers EVER. Ask any one of my friends - its so hard for me for some reason. What we read today made me realize, though, that if I am having trouble deciding on something, there is going to be positive and negative things in whichever I choose. It made me think back to when I was in 8th grade and was deciding between staying with Allstar Cheerleading, or doing High School Cheerleading. It doesnt seem like a tough one, but this decision was probably the hardest i have had to make in my life so far. I now realize, looking back, that no matter what I would be happy and sad doing either. If i stayed with my allstar team, I would be happy to compete on spring floor and do much harder skills, but I wouldn't get that "belonging" feel I get on Stevenson cheer. Then again, if i did Stevenson cheer (which i do), I would be invovled, and make some of the best friends I will ever have, yet I do miss that allstar competitive feeling. Either way there are positives and negatives, pros and cons, but either way I am happy. This type of thing goes along with EVERY decision. No matter what it is, I'm going to think about that from now on. The author told us that "you only have to succeed once." So, whatever I decide to do with my life, I know I can always start over... Life Is What You Make It.

Race & CRASH (make up..)

Although its basically 3 weeks since we've watched the movie Crash, every detail about the movie is still with me today. Usually, after watching a movie, even if it is AMAZING, I don't remember everything or get a feeling about it. Crash was different. The movie Crash not only opened my eyes, but made me feel something. Its confusing as to what the feeling is, but I can definitly say that I am so thankful and aware of everything now and forever. Because I am white and middle-upper class, I never stop to think of the little things I do that effect others of different races or classes. I know that if I am walking in the city or somewhere where there are lots of homeless people I will stay close to the people I am with and make no eye contact. Why? I guess its because I've been sociologically taught that "poor people are dangerous" or because of their race I need to stay safe. Its pathetic. I am so mad at myself for being like that for 17 years now. My sister came home from the city the other night and told us how she gave a homeless man money. He was so thankful that he screamed thank you after her even after she was plenty of feet away already. I was so proud of her. She wasn't scared and she knows that they are doing the best they can. Crash allowed me to really realize these types of things. Even though I may have been taugh something does not by any means make it true. Obviously I will still be cautious of things but honestly, to be so scared of a homeless person just shows my ignorance and stupidity, and honestly - my surroundings' as well.

Your Own Kind

(from last week) While watching the video "a girl like me," I first saw the black people sterotyping themselves. They admitted to black girls having big butts, big lips, being loud and obnoxious, ect, and it dawned on me that even they use stereotypes against themselves. It is crazy and sad and sort of out of control to think that people can even discriminate against their own kind! Honestly, a white person would probably deny it if they were discriminated or stereotyped against in someway. I know most of the people that I associate with would. Seeing them do this to themselves put stereotypes in a different point of view for me. Not only did that point of view change, but racism all together did. I used to thikn that only white people were racist towards blacks, blacks to hispanics, muslims to whites, and so on, but I found out through this video that sometimes your own race can be racist to itself, without trying to be of course. The little black girls and boys in the video preferred playing with white dolls over blacks because the whites were nicer, cleaner, prettier, more fun, ect. It is heartbreaking to see this take place, because they honestly just don't know any better. I can't help but to blame the whites, and just hope that it changes for their future..

The Reality of Classes

I would definitly say that me, my family, my friends, and most of my surroundings in life are of the upper middle class. I can spend money without having to worry about not eating, but I dont go out and buy, say, a pair of $300 shoes once a week. I live a normal life. My dad works full time, my mom part time, and even i have a job that i enjoy. I don't HAVE to work, I choose to! When I sit down and think about it though, its crazy to think how lucky I am to have a job I like doing - one that I volunteered myself to do. In the 30 days episode we watched, I saw that men and women who are of lower class than I am have no choice on what job they want. They just take what they can get and do whatever they have to do to make money. For example, Morgan Spurlock, who was being a man of poor class for 30 days, had to work a gardening/yard work job. While doing so, he hurt his wrist badly, yet he had to keep working because if he didnt, he wouldnt be able to pay his rent or get by. Its scary to think that there are so many people out there today that are in pain or suffering from who-knows-what, yet they have to keep suffering because they know that if they dont, they may not eat dinner that night. It pains me to realize this and I feel like our community - the luckier ones - need to see it too and not take everything for granted. I even admit, Im a huge culprit of it! But this episode of 30 days really opened my eyes.

Please Enter Through The Revolving Door -->

This week in class, we focused a lot on jails and crime-committers. We took the time to look at different jails and how the guards treat the inmates. It turns out that the inmates are treated much more harshly than I would have ever imagined. The guards basically dehuminze them. In the video we saw on one jail in West Virginia, the inmates had to be locked up in a "day room" the entire day and then later locked up behind closed doors - not bars, but heavy, thick doors. This way, they were assured they had absolutly no freedom. I have always expected jail to be harsh, but not as bad as what I saw this week in class. I think that the prisoners have a right to be treated with lesser value than they would be if they were free, but I do not think that gives the guards the right to dehuminize them. At first, I felt, well, they committed the crime, they must serve the time. But then we started seeing a patter in jails: the prisoners always come back. It is like a revolving door. Lets say one man got put in jail for drugs for 10 years. He is being treated like an animal those 10 years, just craving to get out and get back to what he is used to. So, after his time has been served, he goes out and just does the same drugs as before. In jail, the inmates arent taught HOW not to go back to old habits and crimes, they are just punished. I feel like if they are going to be serving that time, the guards and police in the jails might as well make it useful and teach them lessons. If jails actually had seminars or classes that helped and educated the prisoners, I think we would see a huge difference in the number of people who return to jail after they have already been imprisoned before.

The Wierd Thing About Deviance

In class, we defined 'deviance' as something that breaks social norms. For example, at school, it would be deviant to be a boy and wear a dress, or talk to yourself as you walk down the halls. Deviance, though, can be thought of in various ways and ranges, depending on the time and place of the action. This weekend, I was downtown seeing a play. After the play was over, mobs of people were outside trying to get taxis to take them to their next destination. Obviously there were way more people than there were taxis, so everyone was in the street trying to be the "next noticed one." As I was waiting for my own taxi along with the hundreds of others doing the same, I noticed a man standing close to the corner, hailing taxis every few minutes. It seemed as though he was with a woman, probably his wife or girlfriend, and they were carless and taxiless as well. The deviant thing about it was, he would hail a taxi and then offer it to another woman or a family. He kept doing this until finally, I suppose he was satisfied. I could tell that everyone watching him was thankful, yet confused. I think most people thought his simple act of kindness was pretty wierd. And, i'm not going to lie, so did i! After thinking about it though, I realized that it truely was just an act of kindness out of his good heart, and this man never meant to be wierd or deviant about his actions at all.