Growing Gap between Classes

The gap between the poor and the rich has been growing rapidly in America, and we can clearly see this through the many families left homeless in Orlando Florida. Nadia Shira Cohen, and Paulo Siqueira began a project called "Motel America," aimed at capturing photographs of families left homeless who resort to living in motels. According to the New York Times Photo Blog, the "idea that financial ruin could devastate a family so quickly was the driving force behind the project." They took the idea that one event could determine a families fate and use photography to expose that to the rest of America.

It is most interesting to me, that the motel at which the photographers are tracking the families is only a few short miles from Disney World. Disney World, an expensive travel destination, is an American symbol for the ideal family life. Only fairly wealthy families are able to make the trip where children are spoiled and treated like princesses and princes for the duration of the trip. There is a stark contrast between the children enjoying themselves at Disney World and the children struggling to live at the motel a few miles away.

The 2nd and 15 photos on the photo blog clearly illustrate this point. In the first photograph we see a 10 year old girl who is a resident of the motel. She is standing alone in a very nice gown in an unorganized, messy motel room. Clothes are strewn over the beds behind her and two washed out paintings lay crooked on the wall. The washed out paintings and messy room help shows how unorganized and dull her life is. She is also alone, and we find out from the caption that her father has just gone through brain surgery.

In the second photograph we see a young girl on what appears to be her fathers shoulders at Disney World onlooking the Cinderella Castle. Like the young girl in the first picture, she is pictured in a gown. However, unlike the young girl in the first photograph, she is pictured with her father and many other people in the background. She is also onlooking a castle which can represent her fantasies and hopes. Both girls aspire to be princesses in gowns, but while the girl in the motel in the first photograph is limited to a dank motel room, the girl in the second photograph is in the bright outdoors onlooking a castle.

Comparing these photographs displays the gap in America. While some families are thriving others are struggling to live. While some children are allowed to have aspirations with intentions to achieve their goals, others never dare to dream of being successful.


What other examples can you think of that show the gap between classes? Do you think it is possible to narrow the gap again? Or will the gap keep growing? What can be done to prevent that?

New Pope Crosses Over

This week, a new Pope was voted in, and he happens to be the first ever Pope from the Americas. This has been a very historical time for the Vatican, as a Pope has not resigned in 500 years, and a non-European has never before been Pope. The new Pope, Francis is from Argentina, and hopefully this is evidence that Catholicism is moving forward.

A cartoon drawn by Patrick Chappatte displays the pope crossing over the oceans from South America to Europe. It appears to be referring to the Bible story of Jesus walking on water. Because the Pope is a symbol of Christianity, along with Jesus, it makes sense for the cartoonist to link the two figures.

However, the photograph also reminds me of the photos of the ice age. I see a very close resemblance between the Pope crossing over from the Americas to Europe as we see in photos of people during the ice age moving over to the Americas. I think this interpretation could show how prehistoric the traditions of the Catholic religion are.

What are your interpretations?

Alternative Options Senior Year

As 2nd semester progresses, I have seen a lot of my senior friends develop "senioritis." Even the hardest working students have begun to slack off in school and stopped doing much of their homework. It seems pretty harmless, but it is interesting to think about how seniors are wasting almost an entire year. While they are going through the motions of high school, many are no longer gaining much from it.

This New York Times article suggests a potential cure. A reader suggests that seniors look for alternatives their senior year. Instead of taking regular high school classes, they could begin college earlier, or they could get a job. I think alternative options senior year are a great idea, as students would be much more productive with their time.

I think senior project senior year is a great example of an alternative option to a traditional 12th year of school. Students can choose to do anything they are interested in and shadow a professional or have an internship, or even do independent research. By doing this, they gain a lot more than they would by slacking off in classes.

What is your opinion on alternative options for seniors?