Shipler Reading Assignment Response #10 - Ch.11

The thing that struck me most was how unimportant the government run programs seem to be to the government! For example, the Head Start program for younger children who may not have the same educational oppurtuinites as most kids. I was very surprised to find out how low the teachers wages were. Since they were government jobs I expected them to earn a pretty decent wage. I am not a big believer in governement assistance to people who do not deserve it. But I do believe that any kid who does not have the same oppurtunity to build a bright future for him or herslef, as say a kid who lives 10 minutes away in a nicer neighborhiood, should be helped out in some way. I feel that because that child's parents did not take the initiative to give their child a good life, they should not be punished by not having the same oppurtunities as other children.

Shipler Reading Assignment Response #9 - Ch. 10

This Chapter was very inspriational to me because I love to see people turn their lives around for the better. I believe that everybody deserves a 2nd or 3rd chance at having a good, productive life, even if they've messed up a few times. Leary Brock for example had hit rock bottom before making the decision to change the way she lived her life. The title of this chapter, Work Works, was very fitting becasue this chapter shows us that if people want to get their life together and work hard it really makes a difference and the can greatly improve their lives.

Scavenger Hunt

1. Krystal



2.



3.



4.



5. Many people have, I'm sure i have a few times



6.



7. Anthony P.



8.



9. Anthony N.



10. Gayle

* I commented on Gayle's blog, the Ch. 10 response

Shipler Reading Assignment Response #8 - Ch.9

The thing I liked about Ch. 9 was that it was very relevent to me, being I just graduated high school in '08. Although most of what Shipler sais about parent-student relationships, and how that transfers to students performances seems to be the case, it is not always true.
I have always had a great relationship with my parents and they were very involved in my education growing up. They always made sure I was on track and getting my work done, and usually attended parent-teacher conferences. Throughout elementary and middle school, I was always a good student. But when I got to high school, I started to become unmotivated and I really did not want to put in the work. I felt that a lot of stuff we had to do was pointless, and I definitely became lazy. My grades gradually went down every year and I really did not care. Although I was not a good student for a period of time, I have matured and grown up a lot the last few years and have realized how important my education is. So even though I may be feeling unmotivated/lazy sometimes, I am making sure that I get all of my work done and force myself to study for tests and exams.
Another example is I have is a few friends that I have. It's sad to say but they haven't grown up in the best environment with the best parents. Really, it seems like their parents could not care less about their kids performance in school and overall life. Because of this, they do not do well in school, they don't live the healthiest lives, and they do not have a plan for the future. So in this example, what Shipler sais about good parents produce well-performing kids, and poor parents produce the opposite, does apply.
If you do not feel like reading the whole response, my point is basically saying that parents play a huge role in their childrens lives, but no matter what the parents do the kid still has to make his or her own decisions and choose whether or not the way they perform in school and other aspects of life is important to them.

Shipler Reading Assignment Response #7 - Ch. 7

Ron Hillier

Professor Wetzl

College Writing I

3 November 2009

Shipler Reading Assignment Response #7 – Ch. 7

Chapter 7’s main idea was that the people Shipler is writing about are not completely alone. Although they may not have a steady job earning lots of money, a nice big house, or an expensive convertible in the drive way, they still have their family. I can relate to this because I have a very large, loving family that is always there for each other. My parents divorced when I was very young, but thanks to all of the help from the rest of my family my mom was not alone. I think Kara and Tom are a couple that inspire many people. Although they did not have the financial means to give their kids everything they wanted, they still supported them with much love. And they did whatever they could to provide their kids with everything they could, even sucking up their pride to accept donations. On the other hand, Ann chose not to work so she could spend more time with her kids. This is respectable in some sense because it’s great that she wanted to be a part of her kids lives, but I think she definitely should have done more to support them financially.

Shipler Reading Assignment Response #6 - Ch. 6

Ron Hillier

Professor Wetzl

College Writing I

3 November 2009

Shipler Reading Assignment Response #6 – Ch. 6

Chapter 6 was obviously not the most fun chapter to read from the Working Poor. Although it was full of statistics, It was probably the most shocking, depressing, and disheartening chapter to date. Within the first few minutes of reading I learned that 12 out of 13 of those girls were sexually assaulted, that is unbelievable. Another stat Shipler gives us is that one in five women in America will be raped…are you serious? Not only is this shocking it is also sickening. This chapter really made me open my eyes to this problem. Everybody knows that sexual assaults and abuses happen, but until it is thrown in our face, not many people think of it on a day to day basis. Most people have the idea that “it won’t happen to them.” This is common and somewhat reasonable, but these stats clearly tell us a different story. We know that the victims of these attacks face many negative emotional factors for the rest of their lives, and I cannot imagine what that would be like. I don’t know how I could truly trust anyone ever again, and I don’t know how I could ever life a happy, fulfilled life with a spouse. These numbers are ridiculous, and I think the American people need to come together to put a stop to this issue. We need to raise public awareness to start, and secondly

Shipler Reading Assignment Response #5 - Ch. 4

Ron Hillier

Professor Wetzl

College Writing I

3 November 2009

Shipler Reading Response #5 – Ch. 4

Chapter 4 was a very enjoyable read for me. I’ve always had some sympathy for illegal immigrants, not only because of their misfortunes, but also because of the fact that they really do help create the foundation of America. So reading about these farms, camps, or whatever you want to call them was a good learning experience for me. They were extremely dirty and uncomfortable, one was even known as the “Inferno.” The thing that struck me most from this chapter though was the kindness of Jimmy. He was considerate enough the supply his workers with means of shelter and transportation. He also had a realistic mindset when he said “nobody works for you because they love you,” and he paid his laborers a decent wage. So not only was this chapter informative, it was enjoyable for me to read because I felt that I could connect with Jimmy.