Read pages 1 - 61 in the text! Write a response to the 1st 61 pages with this prompt: What is Crenshaw High School like in comparison to Mililani High School? You may write in terms of the community, the layout/environment of the school, and the students/faculty/teachers? This needs to be at least 300 words. You may use quotes from the text to support you.
Crenshaw High School and Mililani High School differ in a countless amount of ways: from location to ethnicity to the personalities of the people and much more.
Crenshaw is located in a multiethnic ghetto called South-Central where 1/3 of their residents “subsist below the national poverty level.” South-Central is a collage of gangs: the Rollin 30s, Rollin 40s, Rollin 60s, Harlem Crips, Georgetown Crips, EastSide 97th Street Crips, Ness Gangster Bloods, Inglewood Family Bloods and so on. Each gang fights for territory anywhere possible – even in the members’ own high school. In Mililani, we don’t really have gangs. If we do, they’re really underground because no gang activity happens here.
The adolescents of South-Central have a somewhat forced destiny thrust upon them. Many students conform to the gang life because their friends join gangs, the people they live by are all one gang. In South-Central, if you’re not in a gang, you don’t have many other people to care for you other than your family. This portion of the United States definitely live at the extremes: they’re either extremely gangster or extremely devoted to making a better life for themselves. In this neighborhood, it is not uncommon to be beat or neglected by a parent or to be a “ward of the state.” Because of the other pressures of life here, the students do poorly when compared to the rest of the nation.
The adolescents of Mililani do not grow up with the same pressures to conform to gang life. There are opportunities to play sports, excel in academics, join Boy Scouts, and do other extra-curricular activities. Residents can walk the streets without the risk of getting shot up on the block by a rival gang and many families are friends. At Mililani High School, academics, sports, and community service is strongly promoted as well as widely accepted – something that cannot be said for Crenshaw. Although the residents here are not as rich as those in Beverly Hills, we still live lives of luxury.
In ethnicity, more than half of the population of South-Central is Latino and most of the rest are black. In Mililani, Asian is the dominant race.
However, there are certain parallels Mililani has with Crenshaw. For example, compared to the nation, Hawaii is not exactly the smartest. Although school is more important to more people here than in South-Central, Hawaii can still be considered as behind the nation. Not to mention, there are select students who truly wish to excel in school in both high schools. The students of the gifted program at Crenshaw are like the students who take AP and GT here at Mililani. We all want to go to college with scholarships, to create the best lives we can for ourselves.
Ari! I like how you compared the two schools! I especially liked your, "destiny is thrust upon them" line. This is a great start!
ReplyDeleteAri,
ReplyDeleteI agree that Mililani folks can walk the streets without the worry of being attacked. I think I wrote something like that in my essay too!
You made good points here, I didn't really think about the ethnicities when I wrote my essay. Also, I forgot that being "smart" was discouraged at Crenshaw because of all the gangs and rivalry. At Mililani, being "smart" is highly accepted (and envied, sometimes, ha).
Good job :].
Ari~
ReplyDeleteYou show a lot of insight in this blog. I really liked how you pointed out the ethnicity difference. I never saw it in that light. I had similar ideas about the community too and how we're very lucky to be living in Mililani and only have to worry about hw and senior project. I mean that's already enough to worry about. :P Good Job though! Your writing is very good! :)
I really like your parallels. Its something I havent thought about.
ReplyDeleteBut when you pointed out ethnicity, do you think that has something to do with the similarites Mililani and Crenshaw share?
Ari,
ReplyDeleteI loved how you elaborated on many different factors that made Crenshaw and Mililani High School different from each other. Your essay showed that you analyzed the text thoroughly and effectively. I was able to see the differences as if I was there. You made it easy to visualize everything and I really enjoyed that. I also liked how you were able to mention many examples throughout your essay. It helped to elaborate on what you were talking about, even though you were very clear on what your point was. Good job! :)
Really great job. I think your describing of the two schools are really well done and I just felt that you did a damn job job at this essay. Everything seemed to flow and I liked your elaboration on this topic. It made it that much easier to understand. ~ JhAY
ReplyDeleteAri!
ReplyDeleteI thought your response was really clear and to the point. I like how you added a lot of examples from the book when you were describing Crenshaw. I also agree with what you said about the contrast between pressures--at Crenshaw, students grow up with the pressure to join the gang scene, while in Mililani the only pressure is to do well and get involved in extracurricular things such as sports and clubs. I also liked the comparison at the ending--I think that the idea that there are students from both schools who strive to succeed is an important idea from the novel.
Amy
ariii :]
ReplyDeleteyou did a greattttt job on this essay! i loved your comparisons! i loved how you used a lot of examples from the book to describe Crenshaw and it flowed very well!
Viv.