Bookmarked by Bri

 The Other Wes Moore (Chapters 4-6)     Music played a special role in Wes Moore's life, particularly hip hop music. He felt that it wasn't just music and lyrics, it was also validating for him. As Wes was balancing two lives, his life in the Bronx and his academic life at school, hip hop music was a way that connected him with kids in the neighborhood and kept him credible. Hip hop music was always a window into Wes's life that his classmates at school could understand. We had felt that hip hop was demonstrated the voice of his generation working through all of their fear, anxieties, success, failures, revolutions, and wealth. Music was an outlook for Wes and he was able to find validation for his feelings and understanding.      Music is so influential and comforting to many people. There are so many different genres of music, and each band or artist is able to tell their story or send a message that many individuals can relate to. Music in my life is soc...

 The Other Wes Moore (Intro - Chapter 3)      "The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his." - Wes Moore      Wes Moore explains that the other Wes Moore's life is different because he made different decisions when it came to life choices. All decisions we make can easily alter our life paths. Something as simple as taking a different route to work, or the types of courses you enroll in, can all change the direction our lives take. In my experience, I believe that the choices and decisions I have made lead me to exactly where I need to be. I think all of our decisions have the power to alter our life, but I also feel that we ultimately end up where we need to be. I don't regret any of the choices I have made, maybe in another life I am doing something different as a result of other choices, but speaking for this life I am content with where I have ended up, and continue to go.   ...

  Are We Products of Our Environment or Products of Our Expectations?      It has been heavily debated whether people are influenced by nature versus nurture, meaning, how much of a person's character is formed by "nature", innate biological factors (commonly genetics), or "nurture", generally referring to one's upbringing or life experiences. After viewing Wes Moore speak at the Aspen Idea's Festival Afternoon of Conversation in 2011, a similar question is asked, are we products of our environment or products of our expectations?     Wes Moore delivered a very eloquent speech where he addressed a variety of topics. He begins his speech discussing his childhood and upbringing, how his mother raised him and how he idolized  his father and the impact his father's death had on him since he passed away when Wes was just three years old. Wes Moore explains how there was a time in his childhood where he got caught hitting his sister when they were playing ...

  Is Higher Education Worth the Price?   In American society, high school students are encouraged to attend a four-year college or university upon graduating. For most students, thinking about colleges begins in their sophomore year. They are beginning to think about what they want to study, taking the right courses in high school so it will look good for college ap plications, taking SAT prep courses, etc. Junior year they are refining their GPA’s because as we all have been told, junior year is the one that colleges look at the most. Senior year is when students are applying to the colleges, they have spent previous years visiting and researching . A higher education degree is something that is almost engrained in our society today. But there is one significant difference between college education now, and college education in years past, and that is the cost. I have read articles and viewed documentaries on the topic , is higher education worth the price?   In the...

  Is Fast Food the New Tobacco?   Obesity is a national epidemic in America. In recent decades the number of obese individuals has only risen, including children, adolescents, and adults. It wasn’t always this way. The fast-food industry in America includes hig h-calorie, fat-packed foods, and it brings the question is fast food, the new tobacco, to light. After studying different articles, documentaries, and remarks from Michelle Obama, I am prepared to answer this question.    In the article What You Eat Is Your Business, author Radley Balko explains th at the government should not be getting involved in the choices consumers make regarding their food , and that obesity is not a matter of public health but should be held to personal responsibility .  We are all aware that food choices are healthy and unhealthy. If an individual chooses to consume unhealthy foods, that is their choice and not a matter of public health. The consumer should be held responsib...