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Gentrification

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  Gentrification   North Philadelphia reminded Wes of the Baltimore neighborhood he had just left. The check-cashing stores instead of banks, the rows of beauty salons, liquor stores, laundromats, funeral homes, and their graffiti-laced walls were the universal streetscape of poverty. The hood was the hood, no matter what city you were in. But just blocks away from their uncle’s house, scattered evidence of gentrification—driven by the looming presence of Temple University—had started to manifest. Their uncle’s block, where half of the homes sat abandoned and burnt out, represented what the neighborhood had become. Blocks away, where newly built mixed-income homes sat next to picturesque buildings like the gothic Church of the Advocate, built in 1887, was the direction the neighborhood wanted to go. But even that dynamic wasn’t unique; the same thing was happening in Wes’s neighborhood, where Hopkins was the driving force of change, aimed at improving the quality of life for students a
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Coming of age (Bildungsroman)

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  Coming of age (Bildungsroman )  The other Wes Moore is a story about the power of expectations; the type of expectations other human beings have on us and the expectations we have ourselves. However, this story is also about the loss of innocence of two kids. Although at one point or another we must all transition from childhood to adulthood, some people’s transitions are harsher or come sooner than the rest. In this portion of the text, the author exemplifies some ways and where he lost his innocence in an unconventional way. There are some connections that can be made between this novel and J.D Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.  There is a part in a text in which Wes candidly discusses how he came to learn about the world. He states, “I learned about girls getting their periods not from biology class but from my friend Paris. I learned the realities of gang violence not from after-school specials but when my boy Mark got jumped and beaten down for wearing the wrong color jacke
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Expectations

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  Expectations  “Expectation is the root of all heartache”- William Shakespeare When giving the introduction to his famous book, The Other Wes Moore , Wes More highlights that the reason why the other Wes Moore and him ended up in different paths was not because one looked up to their expectations and the other did not but because they both did. One recognized his humble upbringing but wanted to prosper and improve his lifestyle. The other recognized his humble upbringing but embraced it to the point where he settled and almost welcomed it.  Wes Moore There are many things that could have completely changed the way Wes’ life turned out. One of the biggest things that had a big impact in his life was having a father figure. Wes remembers a time his father explained to him the importance of treating women with respect. Wes explains, “That is one of only two memories I have of my father. The other was when I watched him die”(p.11). Wes witnessed how his father died as he suffocated to d
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Is Higher Education Worth the Price?

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  What is Higher Education? Higher education, also called secondary school, is defined as a voluntary study beyond high school. This usually includes a college, university, community college or technical school. There are different versions of college. There are online degrees, degrees you obtain by going to in person classes, part time classes, full time classes, or a mix between online and in person classes. Most programs average to 4 years, depending on the vocation however, some take 2 years or less. The important part is that it is catered to the individual.  How much does tuition cost? In the U.S the average cost to attend college is $35,720 per student per year.  The average of in state tuition is $9,580 while out of state tuition is $27,437. The cost of a private university is $53,949.  Annual Cost of College Public Institutions Cost of Tuition Additional Expenses* Cost of Attendance 4-Year In-State $9,580 $16,284 $25,864 4-Year Out-of-State $27,437 $16,284 $43,721 2-Year In-St
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Financial Literacy

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 Financial Literacy Due to the recent economic state of the world, many people have turned to analyzing finances. The truth is that something as simple keeping a budget has proven to increase the chances of a person eventually reaching financial security. But what truly is financial literacy and what are some tips to reach financial security. What is Financial Literacy? The term financial literacy is defined as, " the ability to use knowledge and skills to manage financial resources effectively for a lifetime of financial well-being."  (200 8 Annual Report to the President ) Skills take time to learn and master. Therefore, financial literacy involves more than simply memorizing information. It involves a "long term vision and planning for the future"(PBS).  This includes basic information such as taxes, interest, loans, credit, budgets among many others. Financial literacy can range from very simple to very complex topics but if practiced constantly good results ar
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Is Fast Food the New Tobacco?

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Is fast food the new tobacco? In recent years, public attention has shifted to a variety of issues, among them the obesity epidemic that currently exists in the U.S. According to the CDC, “From 1999 –2000 through 2017 –2018, US obesity prevalence increased from 30.5% to 42.4%.”  This is only accounting for adult obesity rates. The CDC adds, “The prevalence of obesity was 19.3% and affected about 14.4 million children and adolescents. Obesity prevalence was 13.4% among 2- to 5-year-olds, 20.3% among 6- to 11-year-olds, and 21.2% among 12- to 19-year-olds.” Due to these alarming statistics many have asked themselves, what can be done and whose responsibility is it to determine what foods can be consumed at school, the prices at the supermarket, or the healthy food vs fast food ratio of establishments in neighborhoods?  Numbers don’t lie  Obesity rates are correlated with conditions such as type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Medication to manage these
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