Notes

Hey Mr.Huff-
I feel a bit unsettled, I didn't answer your question fully or comprehensibly during class yesterday and I'd like to clarify what I meant. You asked me if I would rather go to Deerfield High School or Westinghouse High School. I responded with something along the lines of I don't care. This was vague and imprecise, I apologize for this as it was not my intention. Voicing my opinions, especially ones that are close to me is difficult for me and I sort of froze up. The answer I think you were looking for was Deerfield because its "safer" and has better education and Westinghouse High School is considered dangerous and has lower education. When I stated that I did not care you brought up being scared in your own school, but my experience is that if you are raised in this community or ones like it, then you aren't scared 24/7. You adapt, it becomes the norm. The first 12 years of my life I moved 7 times to military bases and towns outside of them. These towns do not have a strong education and here would definitely be looked at as dangerous and terrifying. For example, when I lived in upstate New York, the family across the street were arrested for cooking meth, my little brother and I walked home crossing streets to avoid fistfights going on in people's front yards on Fridays after school. Sure the moments in which I witnessed those events were scary but I was not afraid of the places I lived, it was my normal. Deerfield is unlike any place I have ever lived, ironically the people are meaner, the standards are higher, anxiety and depression rates are unbelievable. So I believe in a way Deerfield is unsafe too. It is argued in our class, regularly, that places like Deerfield give you opportunities. Though I believe places like this help, I would argue that you give yourself opportunities. Without getting into too much detail- my dad was a teen dad, put himself through community college, didn't get good grades, joined the military, after those ten years he applied to North Western University and got in. He now works in the Sears Tower. He was a 19-year-old kid with a new family, no job, and no money that ended up being very successful. It was not his home life, the town he lived in, the school he went to that gave him those opportunities, it was his hard work and open mind that allowed him these opportunities. So I believe if you want something badly enough you are the only thing stopping yourself. I did not move here for the education, I simply moved here because my family is here, Northwestern was a train ride away, education was a benefit but not the sole reason. So what I meant by "I don't care" was that I care less, I'm not scared and education is not my first priority. I hope this cleared up my statement.