When people find out I am from New Orleans, one of their first question is always “so, do you go to Mardi Gras?” I always answer with “of course” and then we usually start talking about how much fun it is. Most people have the complete wrong idea about what Mardi Gras really is. They think it is just a wild, crazy party in the streets, which it is but they never know about the Mardi Gras balls, parades, floats, or the crews of the parades. Each parade has a different theme and a different crew. There is a king and queen of every crew which are elected by members of the parish that the crew belongs to. It is an honor to be the king or queen of a parade. My family belongs to a crew called Olympia. My sister and I were both maids on the crew in our senior year of high school. Each maid is presented with our father as our escort at the ball. The year following our first year as a maid we have to return to the ball as returning maids so that we can present the new maids. Mardi Gras is not all fun and games; it actually takes a lot of preparation.
When I went home for Mardi Gras last week, I brought 2 friends from school with me. They were so excited to go on Bourbon Street and see all of the crazy people but they had no clue what a parade actually was. Being from New Orleans, I don’t usually go to Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras because it is so crowded and full of tourists. I usually stay uptown and watch the parades because I know so many people on all of the crews. I did not get to see one parade this year. My friends didn’t think the parades would be fun because they didn’t know anyone. This is understandable but I just wish they could have seen the other side of Mardi Gras. Where we were the whole time was not the true experience of Mardi Gras, it was just the fun and games part.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Comment on Meghan's Blog about SMU Greek Life
I commented on Meghan's blog about the SMU Greek Life and how there are so many stereotypes placed on people because the the sorority/fraternity they are in. Check it out here
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Comment on Value from Capitalization of Innovation's Blog
I commented on Value from Capitalization of Innovation's blog about Miz Alice's view on education and how high school teachers can use different methods of teaching, check it out here
Miz Alice's View on Poverty
Miz Alice’s response to Heat-Moon’s question about the cause of poverty on her island: “We have no poor except those who choose to be – those that would be poor as a gar broth anywhere, the ones who work only so they can quit. No, the cause is education. Not enough of the proper kind at the right time” also shows how highly she views education, and shows similarity between Smith Island and other places. No matter where you go, there will always be people suffering from poverty. I agree that some people bring poverty upon themselves.
But why do so many people choose to be poor?
I have always wondered this myself. A lot of times, poverty is a choice, so why do so many chose to live in it? With all the government grants, educational opportunities, and other government programs out there, why do so many choose to do so little? I think that unless you are physically or mentally disabled, there is truly no excuse for being poor. There are a lot of people who choose to live very simply because "things" just don't mean that much to them. Many poor people say they do not choose to be poor and that they were born poor. I think that if anyone tries, no matter how many generations of their family have been poor, anyone can work their way out of poverty. I agree that education at a young age helps children realize how they should be living. If children never see anything different than their poor surroundings, they will never know the difference. This can relate to the fact that Miz Alice has never seen anywhere other than Smith Island. If poor people see nothing but poor surroundings, they never know the difference. Just like Miz Alice has seen nothing but her surroundings on Smith Island, and she expects it to never change. If Miz Alice were to travel to a big city, I think she would have a completely different view on modernization.
But why do so many people choose to be poor?
I have always wondered this myself. A lot of times, poverty is a choice, so why do so many chose to live in it? With all the government grants, educational opportunities, and other government programs out there, why do so many choose to do so little? I think that unless you are physically or mentally disabled, there is truly no excuse for being poor. There are a lot of people who choose to live very simply because "things" just don't mean that much to them. Many poor people say they do not choose to be poor and that they were born poor. I think that if anyone tries, no matter how many generations of their family have been poor, anyone can work their way out of poverty. I agree that education at a young age helps children realize how they should be living. If children never see anything different than their poor surroundings, they will never know the difference. This can relate to the fact that Miz Alice has never seen anywhere other than Smith Island. If poor people see nothing but poor surroundings, they never know the difference. Just like Miz Alice has seen nothing but her surroundings on Smith Island, and she expects it to never change. If Miz Alice were to travel to a big city, I think she would have a completely different view on modernization.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I Commented on Small Town Girl's Blog
I just made a comment on Small Town Girls blog about how I think Miz Alice will impact Heat-Moon throughout the rest of his journey. Check it out here.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Miz Alice's View On Education
Have you ever sat through a class a felt that your teacher’s opinions were superseding the facts? I have. I have even been given a worse grade than I deserved because my opinions did not match those of my teacher. I think that it is incredibly unprofessional for a teacher to treat a student differently because they have a different opinion. Teachers should present the information and let their students form their own opinions. Miz Alice presents this same idea in Heat-Moon’s story.
A member of my discussion board pointed out a quote from Miz Alice referring to children that says, “there is only one place they can get an education- in the school of thought.” I think she means that young children should need around and understand their surroundings and the beauty of the world. Anyone can tell a child to memorize equations and rules, but this that not truly useful education. She also says, “Once your eyeballs start working, then you can see what’s around, you can see history isn’t a thing of the past” and “education is thinking, and thinking is looking for yourself and seeing what's there, not what you got told was there." I think that education today places too much importance on core subjects and not enough focus on "real-life" subjects. Of course, it is important to learn America's history and algebra, but it is also essential for someone to learn through personal experience. People can only learn so much from textbooks. Heat-Moon benefits himself through his journey because he is diving into real-life experiences you cannot get from sitting in a class room.
A member of my discussion board pointed out a quote from Miz Alice referring to children that says, “there is only one place they can get an education- in the school of thought.” I think she means that young children should need around and understand their surroundings and the beauty of the world. Anyone can tell a child to memorize equations and rules, but this that not truly useful education. She also says, “Once your eyeballs start working, then you can see what’s around, you can see history isn’t a thing of the past” and “education is thinking, and thinking is looking for yourself and seeing what's there, not what you got told was there." I think that education today places too much importance on core subjects and not enough focus on "real-life" subjects. Of course, it is important to learn America's history and algebra, but it is also essential for someone to learn through personal experience. People can only learn so much from textbooks. Heat-Moon benefits himself through his journey because he is diving into real-life experiences you cannot get from sitting in a class room.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Should I Live Alone?
Living by yourself in college would have its advantages and disadvantages. One of its advantages is having your own space. You could decorate the any way you like. You would not have to worry about getting home late because you would know that there is no one waiting for you. And as far as visitors go, you could invite anyone over that you wanted without having to wonder whether or not my roommate liked them, and you could entertain guests for the weekend without having them get in my roommate's way.
I know I’ll look for any excuse not to work, and if someone else is there, I have someone to talk to and a reason to stop my work. Having a single would give me fewer ways to procrastinate. Freshman year, I had to make the long cold trek to the library; with a single, my room is always a cozy study space with all of my creature comforts around me.
Sleep at college is very important. You’ll be working furiously hard most of the time, and when you’re not, you’ll want to sleep. With a single, you can go to bed at 4am without having to work with a flashlight under the sheets because your roommate wants to get to bed at nine, and you don’t have to wake up at 5am to the sound of your early-rising roommate’s alarm.
Living alone could be quite a challenge too. Although you would have an undisturbed sleep, you would not get immediate help when needed. If you were running late, no one would help you prepare your things. It also feels empty not to have someone when you go home. However, this is a matter of choice and circumstances. In order to be happy with what you have, you should learn to appreciate the things that you can do. For some people, the idea of living alone seems boring and uneventful, while others like their privacy.
I know I’ll look for any excuse not to work, and if someone else is there, I have someone to talk to and a reason to stop my work. Having a single would give me fewer ways to procrastinate. Freshman year, I had to make the long cold trek to the library; with a single, my room is always a cozy study space with all of my creature comforts around me.
Sleep at college is very important. You’ll be working furiously hard most of the time, and when you’re not, you’ll want to sleep. With a single, you can go to bed at 4am without having to work with a flashlight under the sheets because your roommate wants to get to bed at nine, and you don’t have to wake up at 5am to the sound of your early-rising roommate’s alarm.
Living alone could be quite a challenge too. Although you would have an undisturbed sleep, you would not get immediate help when needed. If you were running late, no one would help you prepare your things. It also feels empty not to have someone when you go home. However, this is a matter of choice and circumstances. In order to be happy with what you have, you should learn to appreciate the things that you can do. For some people, the idea of living alone seems boring and uneventful, while others like their privacy.
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