Ariella Aghalarian
The articles “Is Google Making Us Stupid” and “The Internet Is No Substitute for the Dying Newspaper Industry” both have opposite views about how the internet, and technology in general, affects not only us, but the world around us today. The first article, about Google talks about how the internet has made it more difficult to, basically, live without the web, and the other article talks about how the internet has nothing to do with the decrease of newspaper use, for example.
One of the main points in “Is Google Making Us Stupid” is that the internet has taken away our ability to do the things we would do in ease during the pre-technology era such as: reading actual texts (books, etc.) and actually being able to find something without having to use a search engine. “It’s becoming our map and our clock, our printing press and our typewriter, our calculator and our telephone, and our radio and TV.” I can’t even think of a time where, for example, I needed directions to some place and my first instinct was to ask for directions instead of going to MapQuest, and don’t we always check online first if we missed an episode of our favorite shows? I know I do. It’s become like the internet is our fist choice to find things because it’s faster and easier and, in my opinion, our generation is one that has become less patient than the ones before us and we want everything available to us- fast. It has, as mentioned, made it harder for us, as students, to focus when reading actual text (as I have even experienced while doing this homework) because the usual “internet text” is shorter and easier- we wouldn’t want that to change again. Often times, when doing work on the computer, which in recent years it is as if there is no other way to function, there a myriad of websites we are able to visit in the process that makes us lose track of what were doing and aids procrastination. Almost everything we do involves technology and even our learning has been affected. No more do we need to actually know our grammar rules and how to spell –spell check can do that for us. No more dictionaries- we have dictionary.com and know more books needed to find things because everything lives in Google. Now there’s no need to be smarter, the computer will be smart for us. I’ve noticed that I cannot go one day without having an internet- connected computer available because almost everything I am required to do – whether academically or socially, is involved with the computer. Quite frankly, I do feel much stupider because of the technology around us. My math skills are non-existent without a calculator, my essays would be full of grammatical errors if it weren’t for Google to tell me the rules and where do you think I turn to when I just want a summary of the reading because I’m too lazy to read the whole book? Google. I would be much smarter as the people that lived pre- technology were. “As we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence” because we don’t need to push ourselves to the extra step anymore- our intelligence is based (mostly) on how much we choose the old-fashioned methods versus the new.
In “The Internet Is No Substitute for the Dying Newspaper Industry” the author seems to try and emphasize that the blame of the decline in newspapers is not because of the internet but because of the people and our “loss of civic and public responsibility on the part of much of our entrepreneurial class and the intellectual poverty of our post-literate world, a world where information is conveyed primarily through rapidly moving images rather than print.” It seems to be blaming the decline more on our tendency to look on the news channel rather than on the newspaper. This, in my opinion is not true, because there are many people that use both sources to find out more information. The internet too. If it wasn’t for the bolded headlines on AOL for example, I would not even be what was going on in politics around me today. It may be true that “Those who rely on the Internet gravitate to sites that reinforce their beliefs” but if it wasn’t for the newspaper, many of the pe-interet era would not be able to access this information and even though we may gravitate to one side- at least we’re somewhat informed enough to do so. Neither the internet nor the newspaper could take the place of the other because we live in a time were there are many with different capabilities and one cannot be deprived. The internet is not destroying the newspaper- it is helping it. The same goes the other way around.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Ariella Aghalarian
There are many articles on “The Onion” that caught my attention; however, the two most amusing to me had to do with politics. The first one was titled “DHS Sets Security Alert Level to Green for 8 Seconds” and the second one was “Congress Deadlocked Over How to Not Provide Health Care.” The first one, I find funny because it’s implying the sudden alert we feel as a country recently. That we take everything so seriously and feel so unsafe after events such as September 11th occurred. They are mocking the idea that our government takes things so seriously and prefer to be on the “safe side” by making sure we are always prepared if such events were to happen again. They are achieving their goal by implying that such a thing as our country not being threatened by terrorism can never happen for long and; therefore, its funny that something like that would happen for even as long as eight seconds because, right now, every little thing can be assumed as an act of terrorism. With the other article, it is obvious that they are mocking the current health care issue and how our government is not providing us with proper health care. The title itself tells you how they are showing that it is as if our government looks for reasons not to give health care. This is funny because right now it does seem that way when no one understands the reasoning behind our government’s actions or issues. The writers took the big concept of not being provided health care and made it as if the government is deliberately doing it, which achieves the piece’s purpose because many people may feel that way.
There are many articles on “The Onion” that caught my attention; however, the two most amusing to me had to do with politics. The first one was titled “DHS Sets Security Alert Level to Green for 8 Seconds” and the second one was “Congress Deadlocked Over How to Not Provide Health Care.” The first one, I find funny because it’s implying the sudden alert we feel as a country recently. That we take everything so seriously and feel so unsafe after events such as September 11th occurred. They are mocking the idea that our government takes things so seriously and prefer to be on the “safe side” by making sure we are always prepared if such events were to happen again. They are achieving their goal by implying that such a thing as our country not being threatened by terrorism can never happen for long and; therefore, its funny that something like that would happen for even as long as eight seconds because, right now, every little thing can be assumed as an act of terrorism. With the other article, it is obvious that they are mocking the current health care issue and how our government is not providing us with proper health care. The title itself tells you how they are showing that it is as if our government looks for reasons not to give health care. This is funny because right now it does seem that way when no one understands the reasoning behind our government’s actions or issues. The writers took the big concept of not being provided health care and made it as if the government is deliberately doing it, which achieves the piece’s purpose because many people may feel that way.
6- year old Hasidic boy convinces Anti-Semitic extremist his views are wrong.
By Ariella Aghalarian
September, 2009
New York- On Friday, September 25, 2009, an extremist fundamentalist church from Topeka, Kansas, called The Westboro Baptist Church, and led by Rev. Fred Phelps and composed largely of his family members, staged an Anti- Semitic protest in various places in Great Neck. They planned these protests without predicting that 6- year old Menachem- Mendel Lieberman would change there minds.
“I just showed them that Jewish people are good” said Menachem- Mendel when asked how he did it. He was not able to elaborate after emphasizing that “people will be good if you are good”. Apparently, the young boy helped Rev. Phelps after he tripped over one of his “GOD HATES JEWS, FAGS AND AMERICA” signs. “It was like I had an epiphany that I was wrong all this time” said Phelps while his arm was around Menachem’s shoulder. Phelps has even gone far enough to change their automated telephone greeting featuring a pleasant, Southern-accented female voice who advises if you are a “Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, or “C”-rejecting Jew,” that “God hates you all,” and recommends visiting the church’s website where more information is available to the same woman saying “All types of people out there, g-d loves you all, visit our website to learn more.” “Who knew a little boy could do so much,” witnesses proclaimed.
(Some information taken from the Jewish World website)
Fred Phelps, the founder of the Westboro Baptist Church hate group, based in Topeka, KS. Says he’s “so happy we can finally be peaceful protesters.”
Menachem- Mendel Lieberman of Great Neck is excited that he “changed the world”
By Ariella Aghalarian
September, 2009
New York- On Friday, September 25, 2009, an extremist fundamentalist church from Topeka, Kansas, called The Westboro Baptist Church, and led by Rev. Fred Phelps and composed largely of his family members, staged an Anti- Semitic protest in various places in Great Neck. They planned these protests without predicting that 6- year old Menachem- Mendel Lieberman would change there minds.
“I just showed them that Jewish people are good” said Menachem- Mendel when asked how he did it. He was not able to elaborate after emphasizing that “people will be good if you are good”. Apparently, the young boy helped Rev. Phelps after he tripped over one of his “GOD HATES JEWS, FAGS AND AMERICA” signs. “It was like I had an epiphany that I was wrong all this time” said Phelps while his arm was around Menachem’s shoulder. Phelps has even gone far enough to change their automated telephone greeting featuring a pleasant, Southern-accented female voice who advises if you are a “Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, or “C”-rejecting Jew,” that “God hates you all,” and recommends visiting the church’s website where more information is available to the same woman saying “All types of people out there, g-d loves you all, visit our website to learn more.” “Who knew a little boy could do so much,” witnesses proclaimed.
(Some information taken from the Jewish World website)
Fred Phelps, the founder of the Westboro Baptist Church hate group, based in Topeka, KS. Says he’s “so happy we can finally be peaceful protesters.”
Menachem- Mendel Lieberman of Great Neck is excited that he “changed the world”
Friday, September 18, 2009
Personal story turned news article
Who would have ever thought that writing about “what defines me” would be so difficult. Who am I? Honestly, I don’t know. I know that I’m a modern orthodox, Jewish, Persian girl that lives in Great Neck. I know who and what others think. How they define me. I’m “the triplet”, “the studyhollic”, “smiley”. But that’s what I am, not who I am. Sure, I study a lot, just to do well in school to get somewhere in life. Sure, I’m a triplet, but it’s not something I made myself. And I may smile a lot, but doesn’t everyone “put on a face” in front of others? I’m not saying that I don’t have things to smile about, but really, can someone truly be happy all the time? I walk down the streets and see people looking at me. But they don’t see… me. They see a girl that limps, and tries to do well in school to “make up for it”. They don’t realize that this girl could not care less to “make up” for anything and I am not embarrassed of anything. I work to do well in school because I want to. I’ve been doing karate for the past five years not because I want to prove myself. I do it because I love it. I do it because it’s the only place that I’m not limited because of what I can’t do; rather, I am pushed to do more than what I can. Just because I looked helpless doesn’t mean that I would let those boys in middle school just push me to the lockers, call me a “handicapped Jew” and get away with it.
I was in the eighth grade, just walking down the hall to get to class, when they spotted me. Those two boys that thought everyone was scared of them thought they can do and say whatever they want and not be reprimanded for it. Walking passed them, my eyes averted as to not have to meet theirs. I was not scared of them, and did not intend to show it, but apparently they were searching for vulnerability and found it.
I’ll never forget the feeling of Brandon’s big, heavy hands on my shoulder as he was shoving my body into the blue metal lockers that stood next to the red brick walls. I’ll never forget the sound of his voice, full of hatred, as he hissed out “get out of my way, you handicapped Jew”.
As I walked on and turned back in disbelief of what had just happened, I realized that I was not angry enough at him at that moment to retaliate. Instead, I felt bad for him. I knew that no person would do what he did if they were not in need of attention. But, as moments went on and I realized how much pain my shoulder was actually in, I realized that letting him be reprimanded for what he did might actually end up helping him. After [English] class, I walked up to my teacher, who was actually the dean of the school at the time, and told him what had happened. He asked me to tell who the boys were and I told him I knew one of them, but not the other. Luckily, he knew exactly the two boys I was talking about. They “were partners in crime.”
He then explained to me that these were the two most troublemakers in the school and that they needed just one more reason to be sent where they needed to go. I was the reason. A meeting was arranged between the boys, their parents and school officials (I opted to stay out of it- I didn’t need the drama). Within three days I got news that both boys were sent to a boarding school and were not allowed in the school district again for quite sometime. The fact that they had actually caused the dislocation of my left shoulder was just another “push “.
He’s gone now. He’s been gone. But the fact that he actually lives just four houses down from me and I am forced to remember that day every time I pass by does not help. At least I was able to “prove” one thing that actually needed proving.
Great Neck Student Fights Back
NEW YORK- Tuesday morning, at approximately 10:30 A.M., Great Neck North High School student, Ariella Aghalarian, was shoved into the lockers of the school’s hallways by a fellow male classmate, who is to remain nameless for legal reasons.
“He called me a handicapped Jew as he was pushing me”, Ms. Aghalarian told reporters when asked about specifics on how it happened. “I was not going to let them get away with it because if they did it to me, they would do it to a lot of other people too.”
Apparently, there was more than one boy involved even though only one of them came in contact with the student. School officials began working with Ms. Aghalarian, the male classmates and their parents to resolve the issue. “It was not the first time that these boys committed such acts, nor would it have been the last” said School Dean and Aghalarian’s English teacher Mr. Ron Levine. Levine was the first school official to be informed of what has happened.
Ms. Aghalarian was experiencing shoulder pains because of the impact with the lockers. That was taken into consideration as officials decided it was best for the boys to be sent to a boarding school that would be more efficient for them. These boys were found to not just be bullies but were associated with drugs and alcohol and were sent to a facility that would help them with these issues at well. Although Aghalarian has opted not to come in direct contact with the young men, they have sent her a note of apology and realization of their actions. There is no indication of the school’s plans on ensuring the rarity of these events, but they “are sure that things will change”, according to Levine.
I was in the eighth grade, just walking down the hall to get to class, when they spotted me. Those two boys that thought everyone was scared of them thought they can do and say whatever they want and not be reprimanded for it. Walking passed them, my eyes averted as to not have to meet theirs. I was not scared of them, and did not intend to show it, but apparently they were searching for vulnerability and found it.
I’ll never forget the feeling of Brandon’s big, heavy hands on my shoulder as he was shoving my body into the blue metal lockers that stood next to the red brick walls. I’ll never forget the sound of his voice, full of hatred, as he hissed out “get out of my way, you handicapped Jew”.
As I walked on and turned back in disbelief of what had just happened, I realized that I was not angry enough at him at that moment to retaliate. Instead, I felt bad for him. I knew that no person would do what he did if they were not in need of attention. But, as moments went on and I realized how much pain my shoulder was actually in, I realized that letting him be reprimanded for what he did might actually end up helping him. After [English] class, I walked up to my teacher, who was actually the dean of the school at the time, and told him what had happened. He asked me to tell who the boys were and I told him I knew one of them, but not the other. Luckily, he knew exactly the two boys I was talking about. They “were partners in crime.”
He then explained to me that these were the two most troublemakers in the school and that they needed just one more reason to be sent where they needed to go. I was the reason. A meeting was arranged between the boys, their parents and school officials (I opted to stay out of it- I didn’t need the drama). Within three days I got news that both boys were sent to a boarding school and were not allowed in the school district again for quite sometime. The fact that they had actually caused the dislocation of my left shoulder was just another “push “.
He’s gone now. He’s been gone. But the fact that he actually lives just four houses down from me and I am forced to remember that day every time I pass by does not help. At least I was able to “prove” one thing that actually needed proving.
Great Neck Student Fights Back
NEW YORK- Tuesday morning, at approximately 10:30 A.M., Great Neck North High School student, Ariella Aghalarian, was shoved into the lockers of the school’s hallways by a fellow male classmate, who is to remain nameless for legal reasons.
“He called me a handicapped Jew as he was pushing me”, Ms. Aghalarian told reporters when asked about specifics on how it happened. “I was not going to let them get away with it because if they did it to me, they would do it to a lot of other people too.”
Apparently, there was more than one boy involved even though only one of them came in contact with the student. School officials began working with Ms. Aghalarian, the male classmates and their parents to resolve the issue. “It was not the first time that these boys committed such acts, nor would it have been the last” said School Dean and Aghalarian’s English teacher Mr. Ron Levine. Levine was the first school official to be informed of what has happened.
Ms. Aghalarian was experiencing shoulder pains because of the impact with the lockers. That was taken into consideration as officials decided it was best for the boys to be sent to a boarding school that would be more efficient for them. These boys were found to not just be bullies but were associated with drugs and alcohol and were sent to a facility that would help them with these issues at well. Although Aghalarian has opted not to come in direct contact with the young men, they have sent her a note of apology and realization of their actions. There is no indication of the school’s plans on ensuring the rarity of these events, but they “are sure that things will change”, according to Levine.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Ariella Aghalarian
Michael Skube starts his article by implying that bloggers are opinionated people that use writing on the internet as a venting method. That blogging is the new way for people to write for free (because in the past people would only write if they were getting paid). Bloggers are like reporters without obligations. They get o write about whatever they want; whenever they want about whomever they want with any restrictions (by editors and publishers for example). Blogging is like a check on the media, according to Moulitsas, because with the comments that people are able to make, reporters know they have to stay fairly honest in order to not get bashed by the public’s (bloggers’) opinion. Blogging is like the new journalism. It’s journalism that makes a difference rather than just stating facts, as Skube feels many bloggers believe. Blogging, according to Skube’s article, has much to do with politics. It’s a form of journalism that bloggers are using because they want to make a difference with their writings and, he shows, that they want to use blogging to sway opinions to a more democratic view where debate and public controversy will push the country to where it needs to be because without the debated there would be no lead towards knowing what has to be done. Skube shows that he believes that blogging has become a new form of reporting, but he does not believe that blogging is real journalism.
In Andrew Sullivan’s piece entitled “The Blogging Revolution”, Sullivan emphasized that this use of technology to expose and give opinions on original fiction, or news in general, (otherwise referred to as blogging) is changing everything. It’s changing how the media works and journalism in general. Just as Skube implies it is used as a check on the media, so does Sullivan. Sullivan also agrees with Skube in that blogging is a way of writing what you want for free and without restrictions allowing bloggers to be much more extreme. One big difference; however, between Sullivan and Skube’s views on blogging is that Sullivan views it as a form of relatable reporting while Skube seems to view it as a form of reporting that includes brainwashing. Skube seems to think that that bloggers all try to sway the public away from republican views (“stay away from right-wing..”) and “democratize” everyone. Instead of viewing it as people just putting their opinions out there, he seems to see it just as uncensored journalism which is wrong. Blogging is simply a way to get our feelings across about different issues. It allows people to get their voices out when they feel they can’t do it in person. It allows for the idea that America has the freedom of speech to actually be true. Sure, people are commenting on topics they might not know so much about, but if it weren’t for these people, how would we ever know what’s true and what’s not? Sure, blogging and technology in general doesn’t put restrictions on anything, but isn’t there enough censorship everywhere else? And, blogging is one form of technology that is changing everything, but if it wasn’t for change, we would not have gotten as far as we have today, because, in the end, these bloggers are the one’s we trust more than the news reporters as Sullivan implies, because we can relate to them. If there wasn’t something to relate to when it came to being involved in what affects our lives, who knows what we would let happen.
Michael Skube starts his article by implying that bloggers are opinionated people that use writing on the internet as a venting method. That blogging is the new way for people to write for free (because in the past people would only write if they were getting paid). Bloggers are like reporters without obligations. They get o write about whatever they want; whenever they want about whomever they want with any restrictions (by editors and publishers for example). Blogging is like a check on the media, according to Moulitsas, because with the comments that people are able to make, reporters know they have to stay fairly honest in order to not get bashed by the public’s (bloggers’) opinion. Blogging is like the new journalism. It’s journalism that makes a difference rather than just stating facts, as Skube feels many bloggers believe. Blogging, according to Skube’s article, has much to do with politics. It’s a form of journalism that bloggers are using because they want to make a difference with their writings and, he shows, that they want to use blogging to sway opinions to a more democratic view where debate and public controversy will push the country to where it needs to be because without the debated there would be no lead towards knowing what has to be done. Skube shows that he believes that blogging has become a new form of reporting, but he does not believe that blogging is real journalism.
In Andrew Sullivan’s piece entitled “The Blogging Revolution”, Sullivan emphasized that this use of technology to expose and give opinions on original fiction, or news in general, (otherwise referred to as blogging) is changing everything. It’s changing how the media works and journalism in general. Just as Skube implies it is used as a check on the media, so does Sullivan. Sullivan also agrees with Skube in that blogging is a way of writing what you want for free and without restrictions allowing bloggers to be much more extreme. One big difference; however, between Sullivan and Skube’s views on blogging is that Sullivan views it as a form of relatable reporting while Skube seems to view it as a form of reporting that includes brainwashing. Skube seems to think that that bloggers all try to sway the public away from republican views (“stay away from right-wing..”) and “democratize” everyone. Instead of viewing it as people just putting their opinions out there, he seems to see it just as uncensored journalism which is wrong. Blogging is simply a way to get our feelings across about different issues. It allows people to get their voices out when they feel they can’t do it in person. It allows for the idea that America has the freedom of speech to actually be true. Sure, people are commenting on topics they might not know so much about, but if it weren’t for these people, how would we ever know what’s true and what’s not? Sure, blogging and technology in general doesn’t put restrictions on anything, but isn’t there enough censorship everywhere else? And, blogging is one form of technology that is changing everything, but if it wasn’t for change, we would not have gotten as far as we have today, because, in the end, these bloggers are the one’s we trust more than the news reporters as Sullivan implies, because we can relate to them. If there wasn’t something to relate to when it came to being involved in what affects our lives, who knows what we would let happen.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Prove What?
Ariella Aghalarian
English 110
Professor Schwartz
Who am I?
Who would have ever thought that writing about “what defines me” would be so difficult. Who am I? Honestly, I don’t know. I know that I’m a modern orthodox, Jewish, Persian girl that lives in Great Neck. I know who and what others think. How they define me. I’m “the triplet”, “the studyhollic”, “smiley”. But that’s what I am, not who I am. Sure, I study a lot, just to do well in school to get somewhere in life. Sure, I’m a triplet, but it’s not something I made myself. And I may smile a lot, but doesn’t everyone “put on a face” in front of others? I’m not saying that I don’t have things to smile about, but really, can someone truly be happy all the time? I walk down the streets and see people looking at me. But they don’t see… me. They see a girl that limps, and tries to do well in school to “make up for it”. They don’t realize that this girl could not care less to “make up” for anything and I am not embarrassed of anything. I work to do well in school because I want to. I’ve been doing karate for the past five years not because I want to prove myself. I do it because I love it. I do it because it’s the only place that I’m not limited because of what I can’t do; rather, I am pushed to do more than what I can. Just because I looked helpless doesn’t mean that I would let those boys in middle school just push me to the lockers, call me a “handicapped Jew” and get away with it.
I was in the eighth grade, just walking down the hall to get to class, when they spotted me. Those two boys that thought everyone was scared of them thought they can do and say whatever they want and not be reprimanded for it. Walking passed them, my eyes averted as to not have to meet theirs. I was not scared of them, and did not intend to show it, but apparently they were searching for vulnerability and found it.
I’ll never forget the feeling of Brandon’s big, heavy hands on my shoulder as he was shoving my body into the blue metal lockers that stood next to the red brick walls. I’ll never forget the sound of his voice, full of hatred, as he hissed out “get out of my way, you handicapped Jew”.
As I walked on and turned back in disbelief of what had just happened, I realized that I was not angry enough at him at that moment to retaliate. Instead, I felt bad for him. I knew that no person would do what he did if they were not in need of attention. But, as moments went on and I realized how much pain my shoulder was actually in, I realized that letting him be reprimanded for what he did might actually end up helping him. After [English] class, I walked up to my teacher, who was actually the dean of the school at the time, and told him what had happened. He asked me to tell who the boys were and I told him I knew one of them, but not the other. Luckily, he knew exactly the two boys I was talking about. They “were partners in crime.”
He then explained to me that these were the two most troublemakers in the school and that they needed just one more reason to be sent where they needed to go. I was the reason. A meeting was arranged between the boys, their parents and school officials (I opted to stay out of it- I didn’t need the drama). Within three days I got news that both boys were sent to a boarding school and were not allowed in the school district again for quite sometime. The fact that they had actually caused the dislocation of my left shoulder was just another “push “.
He’s gone now. He’s been gone. But the fact that he actually lives just four houses down from me and I am forced to remember that day every time I pass by does not help. At least I was able to “prove” one thing that actually needed proving.
English 110
Professor Schwartz
Who am I?
Who would have ever thought that writing about “what defines me” would be so difficult. Who am I? Honestly, I don’t know. I know that I’m a modern orthodox, Jewish, Persian girl that lives in Great Neck. I know who and what others think. How they define me. I’m “the triplet”, “the studyhollic”, “smiley”. But that’s what I am, not who I am. Sure, I study a lot, just to do well in school to get somewhere in life. Sure, I’m a triplet, but it’s not something I made myself. And I may smile a lot, but doesn’t everyone “put on a face” in front of others? I’m not saying that I don’t have things to smile about, but really, can someone truly be happy all the time? I walk down the streets and see people looking at me. But they don’t see… me. They see a girl that limps, and tries to do well in school to “make up for it”. They don’t realize that this girl could not care less to “make up” for anything and I am not embarrassed of anything. I work to do well in school because I want to. I’ve been doing karate for the past five years not because I want to prove myself. I do it because I love it. I do it because it’s the only place that I’m not limited because of what I can’t do; rather, I am pushed to do more than what I can. Just because I looked helpless doesn’t mean that I would let those boys in middle school just push me to the lockers, call me a “handicapped Jew” and get away with it.
I was in the eighth grade, just walking down the hall to get to class, when they spotted me. Those two boys that thought everyone was scared of them thought they can do and say whatever they want and not be reprimanded for it. Walking passed them, my eyes averted as to not have to meet theirs. I was not scared of them, and did not intend to show it, but apparently they were searching for vulnerability and found it.
I’ll never forget the feeling of Brandon’s big, heavy hands on my shoulder as he was shoving my body into the blue metal lockers that stood next to the red brick walls. I’ll never forget the sound of his voice, full of hatred, as he hissed out “get out of my way, you handicapped Jew”.
As I walked on and turned back in disbelief of what had just happened, I realized that I was not angry enough at him at that moment to retaliate. Instead, I felt bad for him. I knew that no person would do what he did if they were not in need of attention. But, as moments went on and I realized how much pain my shoulder was actually in, I realized that letting him be reprimanded for what he did might actually end up helping him. After [English] class, I walked up to my teacher, who was actually the dean of the school at the time, and told him what had happened. He asked me to tell who the boys were and I told him I knew one of them, but not the other. Luckily, he knew exactly the two boys I was talking about. They “were partners in crime.”
He then explained to me that these were the two most troublemakers in the school and that they needed just one more reason to be sent where they needed to go. I was the reason. A meeting was arranged between the boys, their parents and school officials (I opted to stay out of it- I didn’t need the drama). Within three days I got news that both boys were sent to a boarding school and were not allowed in the school district again for quite sometime. The fact that they had actually caused the dislocation of my left shoulder was just another “push “.
He’s gone now. He’s been gone. But the fact that he actually lives just four houses down from me and I am forced to remember that day every time I pass by does not help. At least I was able to “prove” one thing that actually needed proving.
Monday, September 7, 2009
"The Great Neck Idea"
Ariella Aghalarian
English 110
Professor Schwartz
“The Great Neck idea”
The “Great Neck” idea
“So, where are you from?” asked the young African American who was guiding me through the subway system. With much embarrassment because of my lack of knowledge of this apparently well known system I replied “Great Neck”. Knowing that his response would involve his disbelief in my lack of this knowledge and comments on what he has heard about how “Great Necker’s” live.
To my surprise, I was not offended when he said that the spectrum of our knowledge on public transportation included: The LIRR, a private taxi and the bus by the village school which “only our housekeepers take”. Not to mention that our other means of transportation were by car (which most of us demand by the time we turn sixteen and can barely afford).
With all of this happening within seconds of my first subway ride (ever), I finally get on the subway and I notice myself instantly tense up at the site of all these different faces and I wonder why I have been living in a huge bubble my entire life. I'm thinking that living in the "real world" is the same as living in Great Neck, but it's not. Here, the worst thing we've witnessed was a few robberies when who knows what's happened everywhere else. I mean, the closest that some residents ever got to what they think is the “ghetto” is steamboat road (which is even put in the same category because the majority of it is occupied by “non-white” Americans who had the brains to buy houses and cars they can actually afford), and the closest some (including me) ever got to even taking a bus was when we had to think about how to commute to and from college. Because of course we would rather take a bus than have to drive in something other than a Range Rover that our parents put all their savings towards and we are limiting ourselves to affordable colleges for.
Oh, and as far as school is concerned, for the past six years, after I left yeshiva, I have not gone to a school farther than walking distance from my house. I went to Great Neck North Middle/ High school. These two public schools were populated with so many white, predominately Jewish, people that many were amazed when a few African American kids started walking through our hallways. We were so pampered that even when some kid (who was conveniently of Spanish decent) brought a knife to school (which may be a daily occurrence for some), we all had assemblies and “counseling if needed” for the next three days. I couldn't understand what had this kid so much against my brother that he would resort to threatening him with a knife. Each student had their own parking by the time we were able to drive. There was a “designated smoker’s” section. And the guy at the deli near school even knew everyone who went there by their first names because they’d spend between forty-five minutes to an hour there everyday. Thinking that only “North Students” are like that? Think again. There’s been a “rivalry” between North and South students since the beginning of time (for no apparent reason), and most of us didn’t even know where south was. The worst part of it all was, with all this going on at North and South schools we still all always thought that only “messed up” kids go to the Village School, when it was really just a different school for more artistically expressive kids.
What do we do when we’re not being pampered in school? Go to town. EVERYTHING is there. Whether it be going to the movies, out to one of the very many restaurants there are here or just walking around and shopping in overpriced clothing stores- mostly everything we need is right around the corner. Or even just go to king’s point just to drool over the billions of houses you wish you had, but you can’t afford. Don’t get me wrong, we are normal people living normal lives, we’re just suffering society’s thoughts about what’s socially acceptable and what’s not. After all, once you go Great Neck, you can’t go back.
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