Parley 2014

Foreword

Poverty: Why Should We Care?

REGINA A. LEWIS, Ph.D. PPCC Faculty

& SHIXIA FANG

PPCC Student

Through the years, organizations have recognized the need to codify and protect the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people. Since Lyndon Johnson’s proposed legislation on poverty in 1964, organizations and movements have formed to promote, educate, and support our under resourced population. Their strugi

gles accentuate the universality of the movement to fight poverty in America and form a central part of the 2014 Pikes Peak Community College Multicultural Awareness Conference theme.

Beyond recognizing and celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the war on poverty, Pikes Peak Community College believes fully in the path towards high quality educational opportunities accessible to all.

Since the early 1600s, our country came from a culture steeped in an atmosphere that fostered fundamental principles. These philosophies encompassed values of integrity, morality, and ethics by which our settlers began our nation. Many of these pioneers were living in poverty, but became the foundation upon which our country prospered. As they implemented their values, they built a strong base for education in the disciplines of reading, writing, and arithmetic. This enabled them to developed into a higher status creating a highii

er standard for themselves and those that followed.

The United States of America is rooted in an educational system that reveals to its students the need for learning and bears the responsibility in assisting its populace in rising above the depths of illiteracy and poverty. Pikes Peak Community College along with all educational institutions have a moral obligation to systemize education to help everyone, including those who are impacted by the limitations of poverty. We help those who are struggling and provide them with a means to counter the state they find themselves embroiled in and bullied by.

There is a stigma and a phenomenon associated with being at the poverty level. It affects one’s social and economic freedom, yet eventually lessons of the hidden rules and behaviors of the above classes and education influence our underserved to become contributors to their

environment rather than dependents of our government-embodied programs. This sensation extends beyond the interchange of responsibility to decreased judgment and increased understanding.

“No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.”

- James Comer Judgment impacts the way we think which impacts the way we act. Our actions then are a direct reflection of our mental models. Often unexamined, these views can interfere with learning and lower our preparation for society. Therefore we are charged with being culturally responsive to all differences -- be it ethnic backgrounds or social class. We begin through relationships with the explicit knowledge that we have not walked in the shoes of our peers and that their experiences and perspectives enlighten our own.

“Human relationship is a sledgehammer that obliterates every societal difference.”

–Robert Sapolsky The interdependency of our system affords not only the faculty, but also all members, including students, the opportunity to assist each enrolled participant in a field of endeavor. Our interdependence brings awareness that when all are valued our learning experience is enhanced. … Caring is the issue, helping is the method, producing strong students, strong community.

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ELIZABETH BOUCHER

Choosing to Survive

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HANNAH WILSEY

Robert Olivet

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LAURA WHITT

Urban Decay Wild Bill

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ELI HARRIS

I Do What I Can

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11

CLAUDIA JIMENEZ Some Work More Downstream Than Others

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BEBE DUCOMMUN

Untitled

27 THERESA RANDALL The Long Arms Of Consumerism

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TANYA GOSE

Please Need Help

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CHRISTIAN OTT

Storytelling

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KATELYN BENNETT

Gambit

37 MICLAN QUORPENCETTA Lullaby for Lorca

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SUSAN BREWER

Poverty

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LOIS OSBORN

Coming of Age

CASSANDRA SLAVEN

First Mission Trip

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SUSAN BREWER

DAVID DUGUID

Life-long Povery and the Myth of Equal Opportunity

Hunger

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ROBERT JONES

Redefining Work

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67

HANNAH FISER

Occupational Therapy

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LYNN BRICKELL

LAUREN BEHAN

Belonging and Success

Coffee Break

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THOMAS HOFFLAND

COURTNEY GONZALEZ

Poverty: One Man’s View

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ELISABETH NEWTON

The Abandoned

Walking Alone

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IAN K. CHAPMAN

Poverty From a Soldier’s Perspective vii

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CHRISTY SMITH

Travelin’ Man

SAMUEL TITUS

A Christmas Fallacy

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LAUREN BEHAN

KAELA BECKER

Honored Guest

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JANICE NAPILA

Winter Whispers

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The Face of Povery

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SUZANNE BURKE Cycle of Poverty — Fact or Fiction?

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SARAH KADLEC

PATRICK RILEY

Mixed Media Poverty

On The Streets

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AZIZA SIMMONS

Go East

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LACIE MCKINDLE

Manitou Boy and Dog

Exit Poverty

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JASON THORNTON

HEATHER CODY Borrowing ix

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KEVIN GONZALEZ

The Act of Being Poor

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133 The Disease

AARON RASCO

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KIMBERLY BAKER

Please Excuse Me

141 CHRISTY SMITH

Final Resting Place

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AMBER SCHUMACHER A Memory

142 Traveling

BELINDA DEMARIO

“Untitled” Chrisy Smith

Christy Smith is a proud graduate of PPCC and a Journalism major at CSU-Pueblo.

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Choosing to

Survive r e h c h Bou

t e b a z Eli

Elizabeth Boucher is a twentyone-year-old PPCC student in her penultimate semester on the way to her Associate of Arts, just one step to achieving her many life goals. She wanted to write about the homeless and survival in Colorado Springs because she’s always had an interest in the people she both saw and knew in high school. She wanted to share her view on these wonderful people with others.

WALKING THROUGH DOWNTOWN COLORADO SPRINGS, IF YOU JUST LOOK AROUND YOU WILL SEE SEVERAL DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE. THERE ARE THE KIDS FROM PALMER, BUSINESS MEN AND WOMEN, COLLEGE STUDENTS, BUS COMMUTERS, AND THE HOMELESS. JUST LOOKING AROUND YOU CAN USUALLY TELL WHO IS WHO, BUT NOT ALWAYS.

The homeless are the most challenging, and half the time you will not know that they are truly homeless. The difference is the attitude.

Willie is a man who looks to be in his forties. He grew up in Alabama and came to Colorado Springs in 1989. He is a parolee and a veteran, but he lives out of a backpack. He became homeless after getting out of prison. He was told that his parole officer would set him up with a hotel because he had nowhere else to go. Instead his PO told him he was misinformed, and that the state only gives housing allowances and aid to sex offenders. He has no family here and he wouldn’t ask them for aid even if he could. Willie had nowhere else to turn, and he was forced onto the street. His philosophy is that you can either choose to live this life, a life without cares or worries but without substance, or you can choose to try to move forward. Willie spends his days, not panhandling or begging or even wandering back and forth aimlessly across the city, but instead reading at the library, working on veteran’s assistance or even looking for a job. He does something to stay active, stay sane, and stay humane. He wants a job that will help him to be independent, to have a house he can call his very own, and to have

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his cats back. This is his goal.

Willie is one man who refuses to give up on the world.

Brad is a 19 year old boy forced to live on the streets due to his past. In Indiana, he committed some small crimes and was allowed to choose between jail and leaving the state, he chose to leave. He came out here and lived with his family until Mother’s Day when he was kicked out. Brad’s own family forced him to live on the streets.

Like Willie, Brad has a positive outlook on life. He reads all the time as a way to occupy his mind and keep sharp. One of Brad’s favorite reads is the fifth Harry Potter novel. He loves to just get lost in a wonderful imaginary world. He is trying to get back into school and find a job. He just wants to better his life and do something to become self-reliant.

These two men are great examples of members of the homeless community who have 3

decided that they are not content with the way things are. Many homeless people will just shy away from talking about their lives. They are the ones who feel things are hopeless, or they have resigned themselves to their life.

These are the people that will turn down something as simple as silent company. They have given up hope of living a life other than the one they have come to know. Everything in life comes down to a choice. You can choose to give up, go hungry, sit around all day, wallow, do drugs or alcohol, and be content with being homeless, or you can choose to move forward, find a job, stay clean, be sober, and survive.

There are many positive stories of people who have improved their lives by making positive choices. A teacher at Pike’s Peak Community College, Regina Lewis PhD, is one of these special people. Lewis comes from a military family. She was born in Puerto Rico. She moved to Baltimore, Taiwan and then to

Colorado Springs by the time she was 7. As a young woman, Lewis made some poor choices. She would commit herself entirely to relationships that would encourage her to overspend and not think of her future. She was so invested in these relationships that when they inevitably ended she lost absolutely everything.

Lewis existed in poverty her entire life. Her family comes from generational poverty, and so her situation was familiar. At one point her choices nudged her onto the streets, but her time there was short; she had plans to improve her situation. She had a dream of being an important person one day, walking down a hallway and being respected. She worked hard, made plans, and moved forward. Lewis now has a doctorate and is a very respected and loved member of the community. Her dream really did come true.

Interactions with other people influence what kind

of life view the homeless have.

These interactions can be with other homeless members, charities, or simply people walking on the street. Every time you are told you are worthless, disgusting and unwelcome it cuts you to the bone. Most people feel downtrodden after being told these things no matter the situation or life experience they have. Imagine for a moment just walking down the street, not paying any mind to anyone, just getting from point A to point B. Someone sees you and then goes out of their way to avoid you as if they are completely terrified.

This happens on a daily basis for most of the homeless.

Willie tells a story about how he was walking when a woman saw him and backtracked all the way around her car to avoid him. He also says that when any homeless person speaks, even if it is a simple hello, almost every person will ignore them and shy away. Brad has had similar experiences. When he does get spo4

ken to, it is to tell him that he has to leave. Most of the time people will just ignore him or pretend he is not there. He says that he thinks this behavior really shows how self-absorbed everyone is.

They cannot bear to think about anyone else or anyone that they deem to be less of a worthy person than themselves.

if you treat him like the human being he is, that is worth everything. Brad says that soon after he became homeless there was a young man who would come and sit and talk to him for a few hours every day. This is his best experience, companionship. Being treated like you are really worth something can go a long way.

Not all experiences are bad though. Sometimes the most random of happenstances can make someone’s day. Lewis remembers a time when she was walking through a King Soopers parking lot, and a random woman walked up to her and gave her $20. She said God had told her to give it to Lewis. Acts of kindness like this can go a long way.

According to Willie though, the best kind of charity you can give is simply a kind word or a smile.

Being told to have a great day can brighten the entire world.

Willie doesn’t panhandle or beg “because unless you have a job to give me, you don’t have what I want.” He truly believes that

Not every story is positive though. Some homeless choose to survive purely due to a strong character. Joe is now 23 and lives in a house with friends, but when he was 16 he lost his job and was kicked out of his house. He lived in Dunnellon, Florida, and there were not very many places to go.

He walked through the woods all day and night to get to Ocala.

For the next two months he lived under a bridge at the edge of the woods just hoping he would not have a visitor of any kind in the night. His first interaction as a homeless man was not a good one. He asked to mow the lawn of a church in exchange for a little bit of food because he had not

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eaten in three days. The church told him no, that their massive food pantry was NOT for the homeless. He was told to get lost by a church. Eventually, Joe did find other churches and business who would give him food for work. This was the only form of aid Joe ever received.

In the depths of their poverty, a strong culture emerged Joe was under 18, and as such he could not use soup kitchens, the Salvation Army, or stay in any shelters. Though he was actually emancipated from his family at this time, his removal from his house had been so sudden he had no paperwork. There was no way for him to receive aid without being arrested. You are not considered homeless if you are under 18; you are a runaway.

Joe was determined that he would not be homeless forever.

The best thing he could hope for was to survive until he turned 18 and then join the Army. In the meantime he ended up stealing a set of nice clothes and interviewing for a job at Taco Bell. No one there knew he was homeless, but every night he slept behind the dumpsters so he would never be late for a shift. He didn’t have any support, but through determination he made his way to the life he wanted.

There is one very particular point in the life of someone who is homeless that may not have been a choice. This is the point at which a person becomes homeless. Those such as Willie and Brad are thrust onto the streets through situations that are mostly out of their control. Earlier decisions may have changed the course of lives, and at this point their situations allowed for only one option. Willie talks about the harm that can be done by the simple word “no.�

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Left: “Willie�

When there is nowhere else to turn and you need help, the most heartbreaking thing can be your family or friends turning you away. Lewis knows exactly how this feels. When she was at her lowest point she sought help from her family. They told her no and turned her away. She says that being betrayed by her family was the most painful thing she has ever felt. Having the door slammed in your face by the ones you trust is just the start of a long downward slope.

Having the determination and drive to survive and thrive is one thing, actually doing so is another. There are many, many charities and organizations willing to help the poor and homeless. Many of these are church driven, but some are private organizations. Some families or individuals are also devoted to helping those in need. According to Willie there is absolutely no

need to go hungry. He is right.

The Marion House soup kitchen, churches, missions, Care and Share, and many others charities are there to help. Some families bring burritos and other food downtown every once and a while. If you know where to look, there is food available. Brad says his girlfriend brings him food when she can, but he does go to Marion House when he wakes up in time or he uses food stamps.

His usual fare is a burrito and a cup of hot chocolate every day.

Unless you actively choose to starve, you won’t.

Finding places to sleep is a lot harder. Springs Rescue Mission and the Lighthouse open their doors, but there is not enough space to accommodate everyone. Usually a lottery type list is made to decide who gets to sleep in a certain location.

The homeless that have severe mental problems are on the list almost every night. This means that there are less spots and more people who have to find a 8

place just to lie down out of the wind, snow, and rain.

Another important aspect of surviving is hygiene. The importance of this comes down to the outlook of the individual.

Those who are not giving up, who are actively looking for jobs, keep themselves presentable. Lewis works with a group called “Bridges out of Poverty” which works to help those in poverty. Getting a toothbrush and toothpaste is not too hard. Some steal them if they want to take care of their teeth. Finding clean clothes is not too hard either because most shelters and charities have clothing banks as well as food. Showers, on the other hand, are less common. Lewis explains that the worst part of being homeless was being without a shower. Hygiene was important to her. The Colorado Springs Ecumenical Social Ministries has showers available to those that want them. They even include soap, shampoo, and a towel.

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Physical needs aside; a large part of a homeless person’s survival is maintaining humanity. Willie says that it’s actually the most important part. He is a very spiritual man, and he has been sober ever since he got out of prison. Staying sober is a hard thing for him because he spent most of his prior life drunk and high on multiple drugs. The world is very different through sober eyes he says. He maintains his sobriety through simple dedication. It has gotten easier for him to deny his temptation because he has gotten stronger in his resolutions. Other homeless are not so clear-eyed. Many spend a great deal of their day drunk or high. It makes the world easier; they don’t have to face it straight on. Again, survival comes down to a choice to either die, survive, or thrive.

For everyone who is not homeless or who is in a better place in life, please help when you can. You do not have to do much. While walking through

downtown, say hello with a smile to the people that make that area their home. If you have a little extra time, sit down and talk to someone. They often have great stories to tell, and just having someone who is willing to sit next to them can be uplifting. If you can spare a dime then give it away to someone who has nothing. If you can’t spare anything at least look at the person and say you can’t, the eye contact is what counts. Our lives are intertwined, the homeless are humans just like everyone else and only want the same considerations we give our neighbors, friends, teachers, and coworkers.

Works Cited Brad. Personal interview. 16 Feb. 2014.

“Ecumenical Social Ministries.” Ecumenical Social Ministries. Ecumenical Social Ministries, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.

“Homeless Health Center + Mobile Van.” Peak Vista Community Health Centers. Peak Vista Community Health Centers, n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

“Interfaith Hospitality Network of Colorado Springs.” Interfaith Hospitality Network. IHN of Colorado Springs, n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

Lewis, Regina. Personal interview. 10 Mar. 2014.

“Live United.” Live United. Ed. Pikes Peak United Way. Pikes Peak United Way, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.

“Marion House.” Catholic Charities of Colorado. Ed. Catholic Charities of Colorado. Catholic Charities of Colorado, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.

Medchi, Joe. Personal interview. 16 Feb. 2014.

“Springs Rescue Mission.” Springs Rescue Mission. Springs Rescue Mission, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.

Willie. Personal interview. 16 Feb. 2014.

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Hannah Wilsey, at eighteenyears-old, attends PPCC full-time and majors in English with the intent to transfer to UCCS and earn a teaching certificate. She hopes someday to be a published author and teach English at the secondary and post-secondary levels. Hannah wrote this piece to highlight that living in poverty does not always mean being homeless, especially in this economy.

Robert Olivet always thought his name was too pretentious given his lot in life.

Sure, were he living in his father’s world, dripping in whatever it was that made high-class people so high-class, the name would sound lovely. But no, he would never be Robert Olivet valedictorian of Harvard.

robert

olivet HANNAH WILSEY 11

His mother had done her best for him but it was hard to make it as a single parent. Everything was just too expensive, so, when he turned five, she got him a library card. For years she would take him every day and they would read and enjoy the warmth together.

Whenever his mother was working, he was at the library.

Robert Olivet truly loved reading – the heated air and good books were almost always enough to make him forget his hunger. The old librarian didn’t like that he was usually dirty, she could never understand why anyone would let a child look like that, but it bothered her more that his name sounded so well-to-do. Nobody liked a poor kid with a name like Robert Olivet.

And so he changed it.

Robert Olivet was ten when his mother married a man name Ezra Thompson then suddenly died. Ezra had always wanted a son of his own but it was not until his wife died that he got what he wanted. Robert Olivet was eleven when Ezra adopted him and changed his name. Oliver Thompson was the name they had agreed on. The adoption hadn’t changed much; Oliver Thompson was still hungry and dressed rather shabby

but he had an identity he was happy with.

Ezra moved his new son to a new city not long after. Oliver Thompson spent even more of his time at the new library reading – the heat in their apartment did not work well and they still didn’t have much money for food – because he didn’t like to be alone, which he almost always was because Ezra was working so many jobs. He quickly accelerated to the top of his class in all his subjects because of his avid reading, but science was his favorite.

The years passed by slowly and nothing really changed. Ezra continued his hard work, always hoping for a pay raise that never came; Oliver grew, in both intelligence and height, and started working his own job. Try as they might, they couldn’t find an escape out of poverty. Whenever things got better life quickly put them back in their place, but they never gave up. They always moved forward.

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Oliver Thompson was fourteen when they finally caught their break and Ezra found a job that would pay enough for neither of them to have to start and end each day cold and hungry.

They bought a new house on the other side of town, in a neighborhood that was safe. Their wildest dreams had come true and all was well.

It was exactly a year later that Oliver and Ezra Thompson were found dead in their dream home by the hands of a group of vagrants looking for food. Unknown to the vagrants, had they asked, the food they so desired would have been happily given.

It would have been given because Oliver and Ezra understood.

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“Urban Decay Wild Bill” Laura Whitt

Laura Whitt is a fifty-year-old student with a passion for photography since the age of fifteen. She took the photograph of “Wild Bill” for a photo assignment titled “Urban Decay.”

While architecture was the category for the assignment, the “urban decay of society” could not be dismissed with the addition of the human element.

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some than

downstream

work others

more CLAUDIA JIMENEZ

Claudia Jimenez is a twentyseven-year-old mother of three who is attending Pikes Peak for her Associate of Applied Science. Growing up in a working class family and seeing her father, brothers, and father-in-law experience debilitating injuries, and even death, due to their line of work, Claudia was inspired to research and write about safety on job sites.

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I used to have this foolish belief that cancer would never be an issue in my personal life, that is until two 2011, when my husband and I first learned that my father-in-law was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was estimated to live for at most six months. The entire family was quick to blame his cancer on the

type of work he did for almost 40 years. He worked as a dry cleaner for the majority of his life, and since this was the closest to an “unhealthy life style” he ever had, their suppositions seemed reasonable. He died in 2012, and, among other emotional feelings, he left me to doubt whether his occupation really had anything to do with his cancer. The family had a theory that has turned out to be surprisingly accurate.

It was recently that I received some type of confirmation and direction for a new and evolved question towards the family loss through the writing of Jim Tarter in “Some Live More Downstream than Others.”

I began to question whether laws and regulations are enough to protect workers from hazardous and even deadly work environments. In his essay, Tarter raises the possibility that industrial plants pollute the environment causing serious diseases, such as cancer, to the residents who live in surrounding neighbor-

hoods. Tarter’s writing is a fresh approach towards cancer in our country. He suggests a new point of attack on cancer by inviting everyone to stop focusing so much on the cure and to redirect our attention towards finding the cause, a cause he claims to be linked to the environment.

Although Tarter’s essay contains important information that could help solve the puzzle cancer has become, his concern for human health never goes past the people who live next to these plants. He leaves the people working inside these plants in the dark, and readers like me wonder how much harm these workers are exposed to. If industrial plants are polluting our environment and causing cancer to those outside of them, then in some cases, it may mean that it is far worse for the people working inside. The reality is danger at work exists anywhere, but there are some occupations that are hazardous and even life threatening. For example, coal miners face the threat of pneumoconio16

sis, a disease of the lungs due to dust inhalation (Laney 279), ceramic workers are at high risk of developing respiratory problems (Saad-Hussein 886), construction workers have higher rates of injury and death at the worksites (Roelofs 1), and drycleaners face a biological exposure that can cause some types of cancers, like the one my father-in-law died from (McKernan 1).

Laws and regulations exist to protect workers, but what happens when they are not enforced by the employers and/ or the workers themselves disregard them. In order for these laws and regulations to accomplish their purpose of protecting the workers, both employers and employees have to play their roles; however, studies prove that safety in the work environment depends on more than a regulation or a law.

There are many factors that play into the dangers to human safety both outside and 17

inside the job. Some people, like the ones seen in the film The Last Mountain, believe that stronger laws and regulations are the solution to environment pollution. The film documents a group of environmentalists and residents of a small town that blame a coal mine on top of a neighboring mountain for the deaths and illnesses of locals.

They believe that the mine has polluted their water and air and, as a result, damaged their health (The Last...). The locals are seen fighting for better and new laws that will eliminate the problem.

The truth is, laws and regulations are broken everyday by the enforcers, and this is the same with safety in the work place.

My father-in-law was a good example of this dependency gone wrong. According to McKernan et al., tetrachloroethyline is a chemical used in the dry cleaning industry as a solvent cleaner. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has an “8-hour permissible� exposure limit on this chemical

due to its “carcinogenic” effects like cancer (McKernan 2). For economic necessity and lack of knowledge about the chemical, my father-in-law used to work up to twelve hours a day with this chemical. A regulation was set in place to protect him, but it was ignored by both the employer and him. Another source points out this carelessness has become common among workers every day, as seen in an investigation on construction workers, where they admit to be careless on their own simply to make a deadline and save a job (Roelofs 2). Regulations, laws, employers and employees are all some factors in a safer environment; one does not work without the other.

A positive or negative attitude towards safety from a worker, including the management team, can make a great impact on the safety on the job site. A recent investigation led by a group of university scholars was performed with the aim to find out why construction

workers have the higher rates of death and injury at work sites (Roelofs 1). Focus groups were conducted with Hispanic construction workers to get their beliefs on reasons why. The results showed that one of the reasons is because the workers “are subjected to disrespectful attitudes and intimidation” (Roelofs 7).

The workers claim to be disrespected and intimidated at work by their immediate supervisors due to deadlines and bonuses.

According to the authors, when a supervisor beats a deadline he gets a bonus. To accomplish this, he pressures the workers to work faster and, as a result, compromise safety (Roelofs 4).

The workers are threatened to be replaced by the next younger, stronger, and faster worker if they do not beat the deadline.

For fear of losing their job, the workers will disregard their own safety, causing injuries to themselves (Roelofs 5). The investigation on construction workers tells the story of a worker who worked with an injured hand be18

cause he feared getting replaced if he complained. According to the authors, these workers even accept some of the blame for “going along” with unsafe environments for the necessity the job represents (Roelofs 3). This situation is most common with undocumented workers. They will take any job they can get and not complain because they feel that they are not protected by the law due to their immigration status. Some workers will take advantage of their situation and exploit them with little pay and dangerous work. This can only be resolved if the workers are informed about laws that will protect them even if they are here illegally. Workers should never be treated as disposable working machines, respect and care need to exist to reduce these high rates of death and injuries on construction worksites.

Many on-the-job injuries can be prevented if only training was taken more seriously by workers and employers. Work19

ers from the construction site survey admit nothing but scorn if given any training. They also describe it as “unhelpful, irrelevant, and difficult to apply on the site” (Roelofs 4). So what has gone wrong with safety training at work? A study titled “Creating a Safer Workforce” says that culture, education levels, and trust are all key factors that companies are overlooking when giving a safety training presentation (Smith 1). Since “statistics show that Hispanic and foreign-born workers occupy lower-wage and higher-hazard jobs,” companies need to realize that safety training needs to be customized around the demographics of their employees. Some foreign workers have limited to no English skills, leaving them vulnerable to something as simple as reading a warning sign wrong.

The focus group from the construction workers say that some injuries have happened because some workers did not know how to read a warning sign. In some scenarios, no training is given, as

seen in a study by The Fork Lift Association. The study reveals that “between five to ten workers are killed by forklift trucks” or go through serious injuries such as

I began to question whether laws and regulations are enough to protect workers from hazardous and even deadly work environment. amputation because “fewer than half of them receive the minimum forklift training” (Paton, Nic). Workers and management need to be trained how to operate and maintain the machinery they will be working with so they

can “spot and eliminate risks” (Paton, Nic). Safety and skill training needs to be redefined and taken seriously by workers and companies to reduce injuries and deaths on the worksite.

Employers need to have access to the right resources for the safety of the workers, and the workers need to have some level of education to protect themselves.

After noticing an increase in the numbers of abnormal chest radiographs among coal workers, a “surveillance program” was set in place by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to get an understanding of the spreading and factors of pneumoconiosis among underground coal miners in the U.S. (Laney 279). The results show a greater and more severe number of pneumoconiosis among workers who work in smaller mines. According to the authors, smaller mines have younger workers with “limited knowledge of, and resources for dust reduction 20

and disease elimination� (Laney 281). Smaller mines need to provide the workers with adequate equipment, like masks or filtered ventilation, for dust control. The workers also need to have some level of accountability for their own health by getting informed on the type of diseases they are subjected to with their choice of work and how to reduce or elimi-

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nate the risk. Having this knowledge will enable the workers to make the right choice of work for themselves and to bring up safety issues and demand for proper equipment when needed. Every type of work and worker should have the resources and the education to achieve a safer work environment.

A safe worksite has many factors that need to be acknowledge. We need to realize that laws and regulations can only do so much. Dennis Ryan, author of “Safety Perception Survey,” suggests for companies to “proactively involve employees” in safety procedures and decision making by conducting safety perceptions surveys. It presents other studies that prove successful corporations use performance-enhancing survey and that the idea of safety perception surveys is the same (Ryan 1). By involving the workers with their own safety plans, the company can teach accountability and show them acknowledgement.

The workers will learn to speak up and have some control of their own safety.

The damages of unsafe work environments goes beyond the emotional effects on the individual and the family, they also affect an entire community. With cancer or injuries, health care expenses rise, affecting the tax payers. More often than not, these victims are unable to return to work, and the family goes through a financial struggle. The money that these victims contributed to their community diminishes or stops, affecting the economy of the community. It is in everyone’s interest to contribute to a safer environment. This information came too late for my father in law, but I am hopeful that others will not have the same ending.

Life is precious and sometimes people need to be reminded of this. Cancer, lung disease, injuries and death rates are unacceptably high, but with the right attitude, training, resources, and education, that can change.

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Eli Harris was motivated to write his piece because he has had some negative social interactions at PPCC. He just wanted to write about someone who doesn’t have much. He says, “We never know what other people go home to or what they may be going through, and I think we should all be more cognizant of that.”

i do what i can ELI HARRIS 23

I wake up and get myself ready for school just like you.

When I get to school I brush my teeth in the bathroom. I see the faces you make at me. I know you probably think I’m weird. You pass me in the hallways. I feel your gaze travel up and down, inspecting my clothes. My shoes are old and tattered, my pants may not fit me as well as I’d like them to, and yes, the last time you saw me, I was wearing this exact same shirt. You never make eye contact with me because I guess my existence is bothersome. You can’t imagine what I’m going through. I feel like I shouldn’t be here, but I do what I can. In class you sit as far away from me because my smell offends you. I get to the shelter to take a

shower every two days, but until then, I do what I can. After class I return home to a dim and cold home with no running water. I try to do whatever assignments don’t require a computer or the internet because I don’t have access to either. If I can manage to get to the bus stop early enough

You never make eye contact with me because I guess my existence is bothersome.

or good brand granola bars. That may not seem like a big deal to you, but it’s a small luxury for me. I do what I can. I attend school on Pell Grants and state aid. If I manage to spend as little on books as possible I might get a refund of a couple hundred dollars which will help me get by for a few months. I mind my business and stay quiet. I am here to learn just like you. I do what I can.

I will go to school early to work in the computer lab. I do what I can.

For dinner I don’t have many options, every other day I will eat a packet of tuna and some crackers. On the days in between I’ll have soup and crackers, maybe an apple or banana for dessert.

Sometimes the downtown campus food pantry has noodle cups 24

Untitled

BEBE DUCOMMUN

Brittany “Bebe” Ducommun, 21 years old, grew up in Monument, Colorado. She chose flash-fiction because of her love for short stories. She reveals the dark side of poverty, painted in death, reaching back into her roots to bring her character to life.

I may not know many things, but a few I know for certain. One, I know it is February of 1848 in Boston, Massachusetts, and it’s raining again. My shirt is sticking to my bones, and my teeth clatter together. Two, my name is Brennan Collins. I’m eleven years old, and I’m an immigrant from Ireland. Though the cold does not bother me, the air smells of sickness and filth; death is looming in the air. Disease is rampant in our city, and we can do little to stop it.

It hasn’t been easy for my family since we came here to this enclave. The landlord makes us pay almost $1.50 for rent though we have no water, sanitation, ventilation or daylight. Jobs are scarce here; no one wants to hire

25

the Irish and because of the lack of employment, fights between older men break out at night in the streets. I suppose they are bored or perhaps just scared. I run through the streets of Boston looking for handouts that aren’t coming. After hours with nothing, I scurry home. It’s just

My shirt is sticking to my bones, and my teeth clatter together. my sister, Mother, and myself now. My father died in a rather nasty bar fight, but no one can seem to remember what it was about.

I am restless today, and I feel as if my heart will beat its way out of my chest. My heart has felt odd as of late, but I set aside my thoughts as I walk into our house. My sister has had

better luck today begging, bringing home a few coins. It may be enough for dinner. All we can do is live day by day in this dark city. I realize as the hours pass on this particular evening that I am becoming ill. I’ve started to vomit among other things, but I will spare you the details. Thirst has clenched my throat with an iron fist, and a cold creep crawls up my spine. I look to my mother and sister huddled together, whispering things that can’t quite reach my ears. I take a deep breath and rise from my place on the floor, knowing I must leave and pray that my sickness hasn’t yet touched my family.

Unsanitary conditions were breeding grounds for disease, particularly cholera. Sixty percent of the Irish children born in Boston during this period didn’t live to see their sixth birthday. Adult Irish lived on average just six years after stepping off the boat onto American soil. Currently, cholera affects four million people worldwide.

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Theresa Randall is a sophomore at PPCC, working towards an Associate of Science, and she considers herself a lifelong learner. She loves the idea of tackling big business and media, and she was inspired by her father, Thomas L. Glaser, for his considerations on the subject. Her piece is dedicated to him.

The

Long Arms of

Consumerism

THERESA RANDALL 27

The citizens of the United States spend billions of dollars each year on a multitude of products that “guarantee� to make our lives easier, healthier, happier, and more beautiful.

Christmas alone has become a nonsensical frenzy to please loved ones with the latest purchases. Major retailers and corporations have profited on this wonderful spending power we as a people share, and we have made the retailers enormous from it. Corporations have embedded their messaging into our schools, our sporting events, our personal web browsers, and into our government. It is imperative that we as a culture restrain the power that exists in big business. When shareholders make policies that govern our lives, we

suffer for it. Ironically, we have also given them the money to accomplish it. We can change this.

We have the purchasing power and we can take it away.

The following is a list of suggestions that perhaps can help us to take back our money, and renew its value and our power.

1. Ingest television with objection.

Commercials and product placements are masterful at making us feel inadequate without the newest products, gadgets, and fashions. Instead, be an active viewer. Mute the sound while commercials are on and downsize the amount of advertised television viewed. Ask the question, what are they selling me and why? Ads are placed around the shows we watch based off of computer programs that brilliantly deduce our interests, yet they do not think for us.

2. Define your necessities within your household, what are

really luxuries and what products are necessary. Will this product really bring happiness to my life, or more trash into my home?

Do more cleaning products with different chemicals really change how clean your house is, or do they simply give you more cleaning to do? Does your pet truly understand, or care, if their food is “gourmet” after they have gotten into the garbage? It is difficult for many Americans to truly understand need, and to likewise discern it from the products we are told will make us “better”.

3. Buy used. Many large ticket items, including cars, furniture, and electronics are more than adequate without being new. The automobile industry, specifically, is reliant on our desire for the latest models and styles. The lust for newer and stylish models of technology fuel these products’ short life spans and superficial qualities; ultimately placing them in already overflowing junkyards. Try fixing it up instead of replacing it.

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4. Accept a credit limit appropriate for your individual monetary situation. Too much credit is a severe problem in the United States; the housing market bubble exemplifies this.

Understand that banking companies want to extend to you as much money as possible in order to pay off their own interests.

Knowing your own net worth helps to purchase items and budget in ways that keep this expo-

nentially massive community of debt from growing.

5. Anticipate your spending before you shop. Making lists is a great way to stay focused while shopping and to avoid becoming ensnared by impulse buys. Pay with cash and leave the card at home, in order to keep from overspending your limit. The product placement in stores is proven to get us to want more without necessity.

6. Read labels. Taking the time to read labels on any purchase may sway your decision to invest. Perhaps a product comes from a country of which you believe to have low and dangerous standards for factory workers, or contains elements that could be harmful to humans or habitats.

Many of the advertised products on the shelves are really only produced by a handful of major companies, so although the perception is many varied choices, the truth is a homog-

29

enization of products with labels geared to attract a specific demographic.

7. Eat at home. Fast food companies will be forced to offer healthier and more balanced meals if we commit to drastically reducing our use of them.

It is this kind of “now” impulse and cheaper reasoning that truly induces us to spend more in the long run.

8. Cheaper does not mean better. Many of the large chain retailers advertise lower prices while rarely addressing worth.

Mass productions inherently breed lower quality, such as nutrition in foods, and lessen regulations overseeing the products

we use. Smaller productions allow for more expertise and care. For example, a retailer may offer a pair of work boots for 40$ that may last only over one year. Adversely, a higher quality pair of boots priced at 120$ can last more than five years. It is this kind of “now” impulse and cheaper reasoning that truly induces us to spend more in the long run.

9. Support local business’ that invest in our communities.

Big business monies often get allocated to the top, and rarely are distributed back into our local state economies. Supporting local farmers and business will drive the expectation of quality up. Additionally, this supports ones community, and builds upon the human element; which is lacking from any large-scale business model. Understanding where our products are coming from, and why, is key into demanding ethical business practices worldwide.

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10. Advocate and Communicate. Extend to your local grocers, retailers, and newspapers about the need to support local business and community and then shop there. Talk to your friends and neighbors about the benefits of smaller business, and the wellness that one can achieve from less commercial material goods. Research companies that hold themselves to a higher standard for their employees and for their impact on nature, and support their practices. Write to television networks to address ad campaigns, pressure them about ads geared towards all demographics, especially children demand change.

Spending, making, and trading money is the essence of building economies, and with that comes better living standards, better educations and better qualities of life. We as Americans need to greatly focus how we spend, where, and why. Big business has become an American icon, made from millions of 31

Right: “Please Need Help” Tanya Gose

Tanya Gose is a twenty-fiveyear-old photography and graphic design student at PPCC. She took the “Decay Tub” photos as part of an urban decay assignment in her architecture photography class, showing not only the decay of the building, the parts of the building and the people living with in it.

brands; we must recognize that certain companies have and will do anything it takes to meet the bottom line, including the destruction of natural ecologies, as well as human life. If we are to be proud of ourselves as a human culture, and of the histories we all create, we must appreciate the immense and suffocating hold big business has on us, and then we must break its arm.

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StoryTelling tt O n a i t s i r Ch

Christian A. Ott, a 19 year old student of Pikes Peak Community College, is working on a transferrable degree and has an ultimate goal of travelling the world through school.

Parley was a recommended course and has been an enjoyable and eye-opening experience. Christian’s hobbies include skateboarding, yoga, video games, music, and believes anytime is tea time.

WHEN WE’RE BORN INTO COMFORTABLE SURROUNDINGS, WE TEND TO NOT THINK ABOUT WHAT GOT US THERE. WE ARE CONTENT WITH WHAT WE HAVE, AND MAY NOT REALIZE OUR HUMBLE BEGINNINGS. JUST BECAUSE WE ARE OUTSIDE OF THE POVERTY LINE DOES NOT MEAN OUR ANCESTORS WERE, AND THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD TO WORK REALLY HARD TO GET OUT OF THAT SITUATION.

There is a case of generational poverty exactly like that in my family, and it’s my grandmother. This is her story as told by her. Now, one should keep in mind my primary source is a crazy old woman who spends most of her time arguing with her parrot, so she’s perhaps not the most reliable source for historical accuracy, but this is storytelling, so don’t question it and just enjoy.

My grandmother was born in the 1940’s, during the time that World War II was raging on, and she was a direct result of the persecution during the time period.

Her mother was a French Jew who fled to Mexico. Mexico and South America saw a lot of immigrants during this time period, for they were not as affected by the war. Her father, a Persian Jew, also fled to Mexico.

The details on her father are sketchy, because she never met him, but she does know that he was rich. I mean c’mon, he was a Jew from the Middle East; he was probably in banking. So, despite the fact he had to flee his homeland, he wasn’t entirely uncomfortable. His money made it easy for him to adapt to his new environment. Her mother, on the other hand, not so much. She moved there with nothing but dirt, dirt, and a little more dirt. She would provide “services” for the Persian to make some money here and there. As these “services” continued, 34

she got pregnant. What a surprise. While she was pregnant, my great-grandfather, the Persian, decided that it was a good time to pack his things and leave.

He didn’t tell her where, why, or even when he was going; he just vanished. So that was how it all began, with a Jewish refugee hitit-and-quit-it; classic.

The actual location of my Grandma’s birthplace was Santo Domingo, Mexico. Not the church in Mexico City, but a very small town in Sonora. Since her father left before she was born, all she had to inherit was her mother’s dirt. She does not recall much about her early childhood, except that her mother had two more kids who died, one from a spider bite and the other due to lack of sanitation. Things eventually got better for her though.

She had a sister who survived, her mother began to make money outside of providing “services”, and she gained a sort of adopted family. She was about as Mexican as someone who isn’t 35

at all Mexican can get. She grew into a very attractive teenager (French + Persian = guaranteed attractiveness), so she had suitors lining up to marry her and take her away. She became a “friend-zone” queen, taking advantage of the many guys.

Her troubles were far from over though. Even if she was marginally over the poverty line, growing up in the poorer parts of Mexico had a plethora of problems still. The biggest problem, even at this time, was the gangs and cartels. My grandmother joined many innocent citizens in being a part of it even if she wanted nothing to do with it.

Most of the people she knew were associated with gangs in one way or another, and she considers herself very lucky to not have faced the same things many of the people she cared about had to suffer through. A lot of people from her adopted family were killed in the violence. She had friends abducted and forced into whore houses, and because she

was someone who was not affiliated with gangs, she hid drugs as a non-suspected neutral party.

All of this escalated even more so when her sister became involved with one of the drug mafias. Her sister became one of the main mistresses for a drug lord. This was basically a death sentence for her sister. My grandmother had many offers to join this drug mafia. She could have had enough money to last her a lifetime, but fortunately she decided the risk was too strong and had to detach herself from her own sister. Her sister sealed her own fate, and the lifestyle ended up taking her life.

This was the final straw for my grandmother; something had to change, and it had to change now. She made her way towards the American border, a distant beacon of hope for her. She smuggled her way across the border through some connections in Arizona. She had to throw away her old life and start from

scratch in a country she knew nothing about. My grandmother lucked out though. She “married a white man,” made herself a life in a border town, and started a family. Granted the border town certainly wasn’t the highest quality of life, but it was eons better than what her life would have been if she had stayed in Mexico.

It is weird for me to ask her about this because she has seen so much death and violence in her life, but she talks about it so casually. “Yeah, this person died” or “She became a prostitute, it sucked,” she says in very casual tones. It just shows what enough exposure of those sort of situations does to people. I have experienced periods of poverty though out my own life, but in general I’ve had it comparatively easy. My grandma may have been reduced to a babbling old woman, but she has a come a long way. She decided to leave her entire life behind, not only for her, but for me and my whole family.

I love that crazy old woman.

36

LULLABY

FOR

LORCA

The Robert Burns Poetry Contest winner

Miclan Quorpencetta

I have been a Colorado Springs resident for more than a decade and am currently studying English at PPCC. I enjoy reading and writing, hiking in the mountains, and bhangra music.

Through writing, I try to enter into conversation with authors who have influenced my life.

Why do you not sleep, child?

Now the birds are all asleep.

Moondogs walk the fence line to protect you And the lizards cannot bite a dream.

You rushed all day, breaking your spirit On the sharp corners of the street Now the stars are hushing gently And even the alligator is quiet.

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We all sleep on the earth or in it My grandfather sleeps in the warm dry field And I will bury you in soft blankets.

Our tired bodies soon forget The pain of a fall down the stairs, A mouth all bruised from kisses; The snow of sleep will fall like cut flowers Soothing your fevered veins.

Tomorrow creatures great and small Will dance in each other’s eyes.

Tomorrow insects will be reborn as angels We will wash our dishwater dreams With bright hands and sweet mouths.

Carefree, we will dance with tattooed men Dangerous and disconnected Dance with the dead who are left With no body but the memory of music When they want walls, we carry them Show them their walls made of biting teeth Made by soulless hands and cigarettes Everyone is sleeping now.

In the sky they lay on drifting clouds Like whipped cream pillow beds In this world you must be still now This is rehearsal for your death.

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GAMBIT

KATELYN BENNETT

Katelyn Bennett, a twenty year old full time student, will be transferring to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, to major in Speech and Language Pathology. This is where her inspiration for “Gambit” came from, getting to work with special needs and speech classes her senior year of high school. Working with these students opened her heart and mind to devoting her life to help these kids .

39

Growing up, I always knew I wanted to do something to make a difference in peoples’ lives; so naturally, I dreamed of becoming a teacher. It was my first day of school in fifth grade when my teacher put me in front of the class and introduced me.

Then she called another girl, Cassie, to the front of the class and asked her to get her brother and introduce him to me. It turns out that her brother was autistic, and the teacher wanted her students to be accepting of everyone. As Cassie was describing her brother’s autism to me, I was fascinated. That moment has stuck with me ever since.

During my senior year of high school, I was able to do some tutoring for a class in the state scholarship program offered in many Missouri schools.

The teachers signed up for a tutor, and the students chose the teacher they wanted to work with. Mrs. Jones was on that list for an LD (learning disabilities) study hall. At that moment Cas-

sie’s brother came to my mind, and I thought, “I have to do this.”

Mrs. Jones told me she was very excited that I was going to be her tutoring assistant.

On my first day in the class, Mrs. Jones told me that she had a very special student who might require a little more work than the other students. His name was Gambit, and he had Asperger’s,

Most people think having any kind of disability would be awful, but I think that is what made Gambit special. which is a mild form of autism.

Symptoms of Asperger’s include: lack of empathy, bad social skills, flat voice, and an intense interest on one or very few subjects, and avoidance of eye contact. Most

people think having any kind of disability would be awful, but I think that is what made Gambit special.

Even though Gambit was almost the text book definition of his disability, it was by no means all that he was. Every single day I looked forward to his class. Nothing brought me more joy than hearing his flat, Steve Urkel voice saying “Hello, Miss Katelyn.” He would always have a crazy story he had to tell me, or he would take out his rocks and tell me about them. I felt so blessed to be able to work with him and the truth is, even though I was supposed to be the tutor, he taught me more than any teacher or textbook ever could have.

During the time I was working with Gambit I lived in the Ozarks, which span through southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. This area is home to some of the poorest people in this country. Gambit was defi40

nitely a victim of this sad reality.

He lived in a kind of state–funded community home in town. I didn’t know much about it; I just knew I didn’t like it. Many of my students lived there, and it was less than popular among many of the teachers.

In a private conversation outside of class, Gambit told me that his grandma couldn’t afford to raise both he and his brother.

That was heartbreaking to me, but it was not surprising. Most of the time Gambit’s clothes did not fit him correctly and were obviously old and worn. For Christmas, my Mom bought him lots of new clothes and had them sent to him anonymously. I noticed him wearing the clothes a few times and he looked more comfortable.

Gambit came into class one day later in the year, and he couldn’t wait to talk to Mrs. Jones and me. He told us that he was finally getting to live with his grandma and brother at the 41

end of the school year. As the year progressed, however, he started to worry that it might not actually happen. The end of the year came; I graduated and moved just three days after. I can only hope and pray that this wonderful, inspiring young man was granted his greatest wish: to be with his family. Over time I have come to realize that the people’s lives I hoped to impact have actually made the biggest difference in my own life. Gambit was my inspiration and the reason I decided to be a speech pathologist and spend my life helping students like him.

Right: “Poverty” Susan Brewer

Susan Matusiak Brewer is a retired Navy Commander attending Pikes Peak Community College. She is studying art to pursue a God-given passion to convey emotions and feelings through art; her work can be characterized by color, soul and heart. “Hunger” and “Child” were created to draw attention to the fact that 2.6 million children die each year as a result of hunger-related causes.

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COMING OF

Lois Osborn is exploring her artistic side through PPCC art, writing, and photography courses after having worked as an RN and home educator for many years. Lois has an interest in exploring the foster care system further especially in raising awareness about children aging out of the system and helping to improve their transition to adulthood.

A young man is taken away from his biological family for various reasons and becomes a ward of the state The scenario plays out close to 24,000 times a year across the United States.

The direction of his life defined by the whims of various courts, caseworkers, institutions, and foster families. During his late teens if he has not been adopted he will face aging out of the system and at age eighteen or upon graduation from high school, an

43

AGE LOIS OSBORN

initial examination of the circumstances seems to be the natural course of things. Eighteen year olds are considered adults in our society-they are able to enlist into the military to fight for our country and are free to exercise the right to vote. Many of these young people have no support system outside of their foster parents and assigned caseworker. The reality of the situation is that many young people aging out of the foster care system are

woefully unprepared in many ways to deal with the challenges of adult independent living.

The foster care system in the United States struggles at best to provide for abused, neglected, and abandoned children in both in home placements and group home settings. Establishment of safe, emotionally stable, loving, permanent homes are vital in the lives of foster children of all ages. Older adoptable teens are whiling away formative years in the foster care system while nervously approaching eighteenth birthdays. Turning eighteen for most youth in the United States is an anticipated milestone. However, for foster youth it is a birthday wrought with anxiety and fear. There have been many laudable steps taken in recent years to improve the plight of youth aging out of foster care such as increased federal funding for various state programs, and regulations, however there is more to be done. Community awareness and involve-

ment with these at risk youth will drastically improve their lives and help to break the cycles of homelessness, poverty, crime, and the overwhelming reality of aloneness. A cursory look at the development of the United States foster care system allows better insight into the system today and directions recently taken.

With the earliest immigrants settling in the United States came impoverished children and orphans. Traditionally in most cultures children were taken care of by extended family and neighbors. As immigration caused rapid growth in the Eastern United States, so to came an onslaught of orphaned, abandoned, and abused children in desperate need of care.

According to the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA) the development of a system in the United States to care for our most vulnerable of citizens, has a history based on indentured servitude. Placing a child in need of 44

a home in a servitude situation may have subjected them to exploitation and abuse, however, it was a positive move away from the wretched environment of the English alms homes (National). The NFPA states that during the middle 1800’s the foster home movement was bolstered

by Charles Loring Brace who encouraged families in the west and south to take children from the overrun cities of the east into their homes. Whether for a farm hand or out of benevolence, this came to be known as the orphan train. During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s foster parents began to be supervised, some licensed, and families began to be paid for fostering (National). A shift occurred as the needs of the child were considered in foster placement and biological families received assistance in hopes of returning children home. The development of the foster care system has made progress in placing the needs of children first and has gone through many permutations, however there is much 45

to be accomplished in the lives of children waiting in and aging out of foster care. In more recent history, foster children have come to the attention of law and policy makers with some improvements in fund allocation, and regulations.

Statistics show, according to Charles Williams author of “Mentoring and Social Skills Training: Ensuring Better Outcomes for Youth in Foster Care,” that the foster system has grown tremendously since its inception, caring for nearly 500,000 children annually with close to 24,000 young people aging out of the system each year (60). The numbers are staggering. These young independent minded former foster youth face emancipation head on and many times wind up continuing the cycle that plunged them into foster care in the first place. Williams addresses the negative outcomes that these youth face such as; dropping out of high school, homelessness, poor health, and

crime, a low level of college attendance, poverty, and early parenting (60). Policies have been made and laws passed to attempt to remedy poor outcomes by mandating regulations and financing programs designed to provide assistance and continued services for youth aging out of the foster system. Programs

ucational support services to foster youth between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one.

More recently according to Miriam Krinsky and Theo Liebmann in “Supporting Youth Who Are Aging out of Foster Care,” the “Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act”, more commonly known as

The reality of the situation is that many young people aging out of the foster care system are woefully unprepared in many ways to deal with the challenges of adult independent living. such as the “Chafee Foster Care Independence Program” of 1999 (CFCIP) which, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “Child Welfare Information Gateway”, allows states to provide housing, financial, employment, and ed-

the “FCA” or Fostering Connections Act” of 2008 provides for federal funding to allow states to provide child welfare services through age 21. There are a myriad of other services and support offered if states wish to partake and implement them. Foster care 46

programs in Colorado are state administered and county run.

This allows for more flexibility in local needs, however, also allows for a wide variety of programs and quality of services provided for foster youth across the State.

Transition education for foster youth in El Paso County is initially and ultimately the responsibility of a foster youth’s caseworker. According to Madeline Noleen, Executive Director of Bethany Christian Services, when a youth in foster care is nearing his eighteenth birthday, the caseworker should work with him on attaining the skills needed to become successful in the transition to independent adulthood. Foster youth aging out of the system are to be enrolled in a transition plan ideally by age sixteen but no later than ninety days prior to their eighteenth birthday according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Child Welfare Information Gateway (3). The El Paso County Department of 47

Human Services has assembled a “Foster Youth Resource Workbook� that is fairly comprehensive, containing seven chapters including information on; employment, resume writing, nutrition, transportation, personal safety and self-care, money management, career exploration and education and other community resources. While ideally foster parents are an integral part of this preparation, many times youth are left to navigate the paperwork and independently reach out to available programs.

Young people in the late teen years, removed from biological families and being wards of the state that may or may not have provided well for them, have more emotional baggage to deal with than the normal teen. Because of this it is understandable that without suitable mentoring or other adult supervision and friendships, older foster youth may only want to exit the system that has all but failed them and not self-enroll in helpful existing programs.

As is commonly known, most eighteen year olds are not ill prepared to make life altering decisions such as education or career paths much less set up a household of their own. Yet youth in the child welfare system, according to M. Stein, “ are faced with the prospect of losing all or most of the economic, social, and emotional supports traditionally provided them, given that they are viewed, legally, as adults and, therefore, presumed capable of being able to care for themselves” (qtd. in Williams 61). When former foster youth are faced with these sometimes overwhelming life challenges, there frequently is no one available to step in and lend a guiding hand.

The solution to smoothing the transition for foster youth into adulthood may come from listening to those most affected by the system themselves. Theo Liebmann and Emily Madden assembled a number of accounts from former foster youth in

their article “Hear My Voice-Perspectives of Current and Former Foster Youth,” which gives insight into the hearts and minds of those faced with the prospect of aging out. Some examples of their thoughts on the transition period follow: A former foster youth from California states, “I wish I had someone with me, you know, like a mentor, for my entire life. … I’m fine with all the changes in my social worker but…I never really met someone in the system or someone, [a] mentor that was with me my entire life (qtd. in Liebmann and Madden 256). Others like Tamika Webb share about the lack of support and how the system communicates to them that “‘[We’re] here to help you, we understand you have a hard life.’ But…in the end they aren’t there” (qtd. in Liebmann and Madden 256). The profound sense of aloneness is echoed in this anonymous foster youth’s statement, “I find it sad that once kids in care turn a certain age they are left to fend for themselves. In a family, even 48

once you leave home, you still have a place to return to. You still have support. So why is it that kids like me will no longer have anyone in their life and nowhere to go? It’s just wrong� (qtd. in Liebmann and Madden 257). In sharing their frustration with the system, various young people in the Liebmann and Madden article discuss how they were kicked out immediately after graduation with no place to live over the summer until college began in the fall, and how they have seen other foster kids end up homeless (258). By heading the voices of those who have experienced the foster system firsthand, an urgency and deep empathy emerges and the situation becomes one of a personal nature and not merely about statistics.

Policies, abundant redundant regulations and funding through federal and state venues aimed at remedying the myriad of problems associated with young people aging out of the 49

foster care system are ineffective for many foster youth. The problem, however, cannot be remedied with money or numerous regulations. The problem requires involvement beyond what financial reimbursement can provide, and communities caring for each child in foster care and not merely being content to throw tax dollars at them so that someone else might provide the caring. Promoting adoption of older foster children is of utmost importance, however, support must be available to adoptive families when dealing with the emotional scars that many foster children suffer from. The one common thread that is evident in researching emancipating foster youth, is that they want to know that someone cares and will be available for them. Mentors from all walks of life are needed to step up and become involved in the lives of these vulnerable youth. What a difference a consistent adult role model, friend, supporter, advisor will make.

Merriam-Webster defines men-

tor and someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. It does not say that the mentor must be perfect or a financial success, just someone willing to be available and give help and advice.

This is a call to the local community to assemble caring individuals from all walks of life that will come along side of older foster children and their foster parents. This is a call to religious organizations and churches to assist with encouraging, training and supporting mentors and foster families; individuals to support and become the much needed stability in the lives of foster youth. This is a call to senior citizens who have so much to offer young people, whether their time, expertise, or a steady presence in the life of a young person looking for a lasting connection to someone who cares.

There are so many of us who, if we examine our lives and come to understand the difficulties

that others in our own community are experiencing, do have time to give to a young person in need of a mentor or friend. We have the opportunity to turn the statistics on crime, poverty, and homelessness around for emancipated foster youth. The task of county and state social service organizations is daunting given the number of children these entities care for. Funding does not always trickle down to the neediest programs, but instead are absorbed in bureaucracy thus reducing the possibilities for those on the front lines fighting the daily battle for foster children. There are numerous well intentioned individuals currently involved in caring for our most vulnerable children, including social workers, lawyers, and foster families, that deserve recognition for working in a rewarding albeit challenging career field. To bring awareness to the situation of foster youth aging out of the foster system and the difficulties they face is a first step in becoming involved.

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First

Mission

CASSANDRA SLAVEN

Trip I’m Cassandra Slaven, 21, and studying to be an elementary teacher.

Right now I am taking basic classes at PPCC and transferring to UCCS in next fall. I am part of the editorial board for this year’s Parley. I love to travel especially going on mission trips, since I love Jesus very much.

For spring break in 2012, I went on my first mission trip.

It was my first time out of the country, and I had the privilege of going to the Dominican Republic. It was an amazing expe51

rience, and it opened my eyes to what a third world country is like. It was beautiful yet scary.

The first thing I noticed was the roads. There was no road system that I could tell. You could drive anywhere as long as you didn’t hit anything or anyone. I didn’t see a huge variety of cars like you do here. There were vans, motorcycles and the occasional luxury car. Each motorcycle had more than two people on it. It seemed they were taking full advantage of their resources.

They especially used each and every single structure. While driving to our hotel, there were many buildings that I thought were abandoned or unsafe, but each one housed restaurants, stores and anything else you find in a city.

While we were there, we stayed at a very fancy hotel. We had a gorgeous view of the ocean and the city of Santo Domingo.

There were huge buildings all around. The city was definitely in

a richer part of the country. From our balcony, we saw a soccer field where young Dominicans played.

I felt bad for staying in such a nice place while seeing those in poverty, but in countries like the Dominican Republic, staying in a fancy hotel is safer.

The classrooms were practically bare, and the books were falling apart.

The first job we were given was to help build a playground for a special needs school. The playground equipment was recycled because they were using all their resources. Inside the school, you could see a lack of basic materials. The classrooms were practically bare, and the books were falling apart. There were only a handful of computers in the entire school. The only 52

“Hunger” Susan Brewer

Susan Matusiak Brewer is a retired Navy commander attending PPCC. She’s studying art to pursue her God-given passion to convey emotions and feelings through art; her work can be characterized by color, soul, and heart. She created “Hunger” and “Child” to draw attention to the 2.6 million children who die each year as a result of hunger-related causes.

silver lining was the staff and their love of the children. The principal was amazing; you could hear the passion in her voice and how much she loved her students. She and all her staff were invested in their learning and achievements.

Once we completed the playground, we helped build stairs so an elderly woman and her family would be able to get into their house without trouble. When we finished, she said “Yo uso para no caer yo ya no se caiga,” which translates: I used to fall, now I won’t fall anymore. We then took a walk around the village, and it was scary to see how badly the construction of houses and buildings was. We visited a woman whose house had been helped in the past and could see a huge difference compared to the others. Her house was made of cement and other things that are stronger. Other houses were built of whatever material could be found like scraps of wood or metal.

We went to a construction site where another house was being built. One of the houses you could see from there was so low to the ground only a mouse could fit. There were children who were helping us with the build. We had an assembly line of buckets from the top of the hill to the bottom. Each child helped even though they had no shoes.

They were willing to take the risk of rocks falling on their precious feet to help those in need with the house.

From this experience, I learned that those who have nothing give everything they have to others who need help.

After this trip, I realized that those in poverty are the most gracious people I know. They use all of their resources and do not waste them.

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Life-Long

Poverty and the Equal Opportunity DAVID DUGUID

Myth of David Duguid lives, works, and plays in Colorado Springs along with his wife, Cara, and their friends and family.

A local business owner, David majors in psychology at PPCC to pursue his goal of becoming a licensed counselor. He decided to write about life-long poverty after becoming aware of the factors that divide Americans in poverty from those who are privileged. For the first time, he recognized that, for many Americans, poverty can be fatal.

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As a young boy I was told that I could be president of the United States one day, if I really wanted it. I believed as many Americans do, that any citizen of the United States had the opportunity to become president, accumulate wealth, and achieve anything we set our mind to. In a purely theoretical sense this is quite true, but by the time Americans reach adulthood, they may have recognized that the

idea of equal opportunity for all is a hopeful myth, an American moral ideal that we have not yet reached. In reality, our chance of running the country or becoming successful in any area of achievement is largely determined by our financial background and our education. In fact, the affluence or poverty of our parents has a far greater effect on us than any free-spirited American is likely to realize. Poverty in an objective sense is determined by income, but the U.S. Census Bureau provides us with a scale that identifies life-long poverty and contrasts this condition with situational, or temporary poverty (“Poverty Definitions”). Temporary poverty is a condition with which almost any American is likely to be familiar with. The college student enduring a meager larder, the young parents denying themselves luxuries, or the temporarily unemployed are all examples of individuals who experience a type of poverty, which will not necessarily have long-term negative effects

on their physical health or their chances of future achievement.

In contrast to this, life-long poverty is a self-perpetuating social condition which deeply affects an individual’s opportunities to enjoy success or health, in spite of that individual’s merit or intelligence. It may be morally satisfying to imagine that America is the land of equal opportunity, but the fact that the average SAT score (out of 2400) of students from households with an income below $20,000 is 1322, the average SAT score for students from households with an income above $200,000 is 1722, the percentage by which an unemployed American is likelier to have a heart attack is 35, the percentage by which an American in poverty is likelier to have suffered from depression is 96, and the percentage increase since 2008 in the portion of Americans who call themselves “lower class” is 28, clearly points to the conclusion that we live in a nation where our chances of success are largely dependent not on 56

our individual merit, but instead upon the social class we were born into.

If we accept the fact that “the average SAT score (out of 2400) of students from households with an income below $20,000 is 1322, the average SAT score for students from households with an income above $200,000 is 1722” (“Harper’s Index, Dec. 2012”), then we are forced to the conclusion that some class distinction has its roots in education. In fact, parental income is the one factor that affects SAT scores the most (Ortega). While economics are not the only culprit for lower SAT scores, since “minority and disabled children fall far behind in high stakes tests when compared to white children,” it’s clear that the financial background of a child has the deepest and longest lasting effects on their performance in school (Ortega).

The evidence for this economic disparity is widespread and well-documented, and has prov57

en enough of a problem that some schools are taking action to bridge the gap between underprivileged and affluent students (Gewertz). If low-income families produce lower grades, this creates a self-perpetuating problem; the children of under-educated, low-income parents are likely to remain in the social sphere where they were born, and in turn raise their own children with no more educational opportunity than they themselves were given. Underprivileged parents are left to grapple with the reality that their economic status has an inevitable effect on their children’s chances of future success, educators are left with the overwhelming task of bridging the space between poor and privileged students, and the average American is left to wonder if intelligence or success are merely commodities that the more fortunate among us can afford to purchase for our children. There will always be those who defy the boundaries of their economic status and

reach success, and we are casually familiar with their stories. The less-satisfying truth of the matter may be, however, that these success stories are the exception and not the rule.

Another disturbing trend related to underprivileged Americans is that “the percentage by which an unemployed American is likelier to have a heart attack is 35” (“Harper’s Index, Feb. 2013”). In correlation with this fact, recent research revealed that “those who were disadvantaged as children and adults were 82 percent more likely to develop heart disease than those who were comparatively well off in childhood and adulthood” (Norton). Already well documented as the world’s deadliest health problem, cardiovascular disease is predicted to increase in the future, both in America and internationally (Lee and Carrington 290). A recent study indicated that heart disease increases dramatically in poor neighborhoods where the effects of “smoking,

physical inactivity, and obesity” contribute to ill health overall (291). These studies have allowed researchers to draw the conclusion that has long been intuitively obvious; individuals raised in underprivileged families are more likely to be lifelong users of tobacco and to be candidates for obesity (Norton).

The men and women included in this research were given a “lifelong socioeconomic status,” a kind of rating which included not only their own work, education and health history, but also the educational history of their parents (Norton). In conclusion, the researchers found that the individuals who were raised in poverty and stayed in poverty as adults were far likelier to encounter heart disease (Norton).

Americans and their leaders can hardly be accused of ignoring the health issues experienced

by Americans in poverty; the recent healthcare reforms that are sweeping the nation are a valiant attempt to equalize the disparity that exists between poor and 58

privileged. Healthcare reform, however, leaves many questions unanswered. Does providing universal healthcare really resolve the health concerns of the underprivileged? Will universal healthcare simply perpetuate poverty because it provides a sort of handout to the poor?

However, we answer these questions, the uncomfortable truth remains that the unhealthy habits of those in poverty place them at a disadvantage to middle and upper class Americans, who are, on the whole, educated to care for themselves through diet, lifestyle, and exercise. Perhaps the answer to this issue is still the very old and obvious one — those in poverty must be shown how to care for themselves if the cycle of life-long poverty is to be broken.

Heart disease is not the only health issue that arises from poverty, as shown by the fact that “the percentage by which an American in poverty is likelier to have suffered from 59

depression is 96” (Brown). This statistic springs from a 2012 Gallup poll which confirms many other recent studies, revealing that other health issues such as asthma, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are more likely to be risk for poor Americans. As

The harsh truth shows us that the American child in poverty is likely to stay where he or she is. with other studies, the Gallup poll found “[t]hose in poverty report generally worse health habits than adults who are not in poverty,” which in turn leads to an increased propensity in poor Americans for chronic diseases like depression (Brown).

A recent study also shows that new mothers experiencing pov-

erty are among the worst hit by depression (St. George). Even if these mothers are diagnosed with clinical depression, they are likely to remain untreated, a problem which healthcare providers are working hard to understand and solve (St. George).

At first glance, it is easy to see that severe depression occurring in young mothers is likely to have continuing effects on their children, perhaps throughout their lives. A depressed mother who cannot emotionally nurture her child is not able to stimulate the vital brain development that every baby needs (St. George).

This fact, in turn, leads to the conclusion that a child raised in poverty whose mother is depressed is already disadvantaged at an alarmingly young age. Inadequate brain development at a young age may leave some children incapable of pursuing the education they need to break the cycle of poverty. Depression, in all of its forms, is immobilizing, whether we are poor or privileged. It may not be too far of

a leap to assume that a psychological cause such as depression could perpetuate poverty. If an individual is not motivated to thrive because of unaddressed depression, it is likely that they will be stranded in whatever economic condition they find themselves.

If we begin to explore the possibility that poverty has psychological causes, it is also interesting to note the fact that “the percentage increase since 2008 in the portion of Americans who call themselves ‘lower class’ is 28” (“Harper’s Index, Dec. 2012”).

In fact, one third of Americans think of themselves as poor (Morin and Motel). The “self-defined lower class” is growing, joined in great numbers by individuals under 30 years of age, and half of all Americans no longer believe that their commitment to hard work will bring great achievement (Morin and Motel). Americans have traditionally held the view that their children have the chance to be more success60

ful than themselves, but that is changing, with many lower class Americans worrying that “their children will have a worse standard of living than they do�

(Morin and Motel). This research reveals that Americans, traditionally optimistic and entrepreneurial, may be losing their edge.

Our attitude and our ambition fuel our success, and if lower class Americans have lost the gift of ambition, it seems likely that they will stay where there are. What factors are to blame for this shift in thinking? The values of the majority of Americans, which for so long have been conservative, optimistic and confident, may simply be changing. With so many individuals self-defining themselves as lower class, we are left to wonder if this exodus to poverty is based merely on economics, or if it has roots in widespread postmodern values which may leave the average individual with much less certainty about their existence.

This question again leads us to see a psychological component 61

in the spread of life-long poverty.

These facts and trends taken together are sobering, and form a picture of a nation that is changing and perhaps not for the better. The harsh truth shows us that the American child in poverty is likely to stay where he or she is. As a nation, we may be forced to change the language we have long used, a language and an ideology which assumes that all Americans stand on a level playing field. We are nation that offers equality, but we should not fool ourselves into thinking that our work for equality is completed.

When we face modern day American poverty we are left with more questions than answers. This does not mean that we should not continue to find creative ways to help those in need. It still remains for those who have more than they need to give to those who do not, and legislators should still work hard to build a healthcare system that

provides care for the underprivileged without enabling their poverty. We can learn to recognize the harmful labels we give ourselves and others, and as a society we can try to understand the shift in values that has left some Americans stranded in life-long poverty. Perhaps we can take heart in the fact that in spite of our setbacks as a nation, and in spite of our numerous faults, America still offers the greatest vision of equality that history has yet known.

Works Cited

“Harper’s Index, Feb. 2013.” Harper’s Magazine. February 2013. 15, 41.

Print.

Lee, Geraldine, and Melinda Carrington. "Tackling Heart Disease and Poverty."

Nursing and Health Sciences 9.4 (2007): 290-94. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.

Morin, Rich, and Seth Motel. "A Third of Americans Now Say They Are in the Lower Classes." Pew Social Trends.

Pew Research Center, 10 Sept.

2012. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.

Norton, Amy. "Lifelong Poverty Increases Heart Disease Risks." Reuters.

Thomson Reuters, 27 Mar. 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2013.

Brown, Alyssa. "With Poverty Comes Depression, More than Other Illnesses."

Ortega, Maria. "Parental Parental Income Linked to Students’ Standardized Test

Gallup. Gallup, 30 Oct. 2012. Web. 1 Apr. 2013.

Results." Washington State University.

Washington State University, n.d.

Web. 21 Mar. 2013.

Gewertz, Catherine. "College Board Head to Make Underserved a Priority."

Education Week 32.10 (2012): 7. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.

“Harper’s Index, Dec. 2012.” Harper’s Magazine. December 2012. 15, 86.

Print.

"Poverty Definitions." United States Census Bureau. U.S. Census Bureau, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2013.

St. George, Donna. "Study Links Poverty To Depression Among Mothers."

The Washington Post. Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.

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redefining

work s e n o j obert

r

Robert L. Jones, a thirty –five year old Navy veteran from Colorado Springs, attends Pikes Peak Community College full-time, majoring in computer science with plans to transfer to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Interested in computers from a young age, Robert has finally started to pursue his dream.

AMERICA’S DEFINITION OF WORK IS A JOB THAT BRINGS HOME MONETARY COMPENSATION. THIS BECOMES A CORE PROBLEM FOR A MAJOR DEMOGRAPHIC. THE OTHER PROBLEM WITH THIS DEFINITION OF WORK IS IT LEADS TO COMPARING JOBS BY MONETARY COMPENSATION ALONE.

Thereby making lawyers, professional sports players, and military officers better than teachers, firefighters, and military enlisted. At the core America’s problem is one of economic inequality.

During a TED Talk, Mike Rowe, from Dirty Jobs on Discovery Channel, stated that America no longer has enough people in the pipeline for such basic jobs as pipefitters, electricians, welders, and plumbers.

This in turn makes it impossible for the basic infrastructure of America to be fixed in any sort of way. How did we get here? It’s all due to a lack of parity in the workforce, from a young age we are told “get an education.” This minimizes jobs that are still required for society to continue to function on a daily basis.

America as a whole needs to come to grips with what is true, every able bodied person that has a job, is a productive member of society. We are no longer a caste society like our forebears, no one section of society can prosper without the others. From the food service industry to Wall Street, in order to achieve success everyone is required. We need to accept that at different times of their life, people will have varying jobs; this does not affect their self-worth, nor does it diminish them in society.

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America’s current generation of is one of the armchair czar, where we criticize everything without knowing anything about it. This has been proliferated by the advent of technology in our everyday life, from Twitter to Facebook, instant gratification at its most instant. The more we use these technologies the more likely we are to dismiss those who do not. Twitter is considered a viable means of getting the word out on important issues but even it has its own drawbacks, such as easy online bullying, in the classroom. This looking down upon those without the current technology causes a disparity between the haves and the have-nots even further pushed by those without access to these needed technologies due to a lack

of internet use. America uses the internet by and large for entertainment purposes from online gaming to keeping up with friends, friends who are friends only in status due to Facebook.

In many countries internet access and cellular phone usage is extremely cost prohibitive, in America almost anyone can get this access to internet via prepaid phone technology, or discounted internet access through current internet providers. The gap is still extremely large between the two demographics, mainly due to the next barrier to internet access a viable computer that can access and parse the data in a timely manner, gone are the days where we would wait over 2 days to download something, if an internet user cannot get the

From the food service industry to Wall Street, in order to achieve success everyone is required.

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information they want in a short amount of time, it is assumed to not exist, or even thought to be missing entirely from the internet. Even though technology is one barrier to the existing economic gap, it can also be a bridge.

With the advent of automation, fast internet speeds, and lower cost per unit produced automation can make basic everyday needs cheaper for the average and below average consumer.

When America can replace all blue collar workers with automated drones, which can do the same job more efficiently, safer,

and the obvious bonus as unpaid labor, then this blue versus white collar society will become a much better place to live. Innovation in the field of automation has been highly frowned upon due to the fact of replacing hard working humans, with machines, but the pros outweigh the cons. This also frees up previously blue collar workers to attend college, and then pursue a career that cannot be outsourced to automation.

Many argue against automation due to perceived unemployment effects. Their argument is that those displaced by automation, will not be able to find new jobs

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in this new economy, but to this I say many will find new jobs that do not require repetition or that require human interaction. To those who say that we will eventually outsource all jobs to automation, I say that I cannot wait for the day when no one has to work and can instead spend all their time doing whatever they want. Maybe in the future we will have a new economy that is not run by money and greed, where everyone is truly equal, both in actuality and on paper.

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“Occupational Therapy” Hannah Fiser

Hannah Fiser attends Pikes Peak Community College for general education courses, after which she intends to get a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Hannah’s passion for working with the special needs population has played a huge part in motivating her to pursue an occupation in which helping individuals with mental and physical disabilities is core.

Lynn M. Brickell, a thirty-six year old from Colorado Spring is a wife, mother, and full-time student at Pikes Peak Community College majoring in Nursing. After working in sales for most of her career Lynn made a decision in 2009 to follow her dreams of having a career in which she felt she was making a difference for others and thus began pursuing her Nursing degree. Lynn is dually-enrolled at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs working on her BSN with plans to progress to her MSN and become a Nurse Practitioner.

Belonging

and success LYNN BRICKELL

The article, “School Engagement Predicts Success Later in Life� by Jackson-Webb, summarizes a research study which was completed using data from the Childhood Determination of Adult Health study. The Childhood Determination of Adult Health study collected data from children between the ages of nine and thirteen; data wascollected again 20 years later when the children were grown (Jackson-Webb 1). The study found children who were more engaged with many aspects of school and learning had a 10%

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Left: “Coffee Break” Lauren Behan A twenty-three-year-old artist and native of Colorado Springs, Lauren Behan is pursuing an Associate of Fine Arts at PPCC while receiving support from a loving husband and beautiful daughter. The topic of poverty spoke directly to Lauren due to her personal experience.She was inspired to use coffee as a subject and medium because, similar to social standing, it comes in many different forms.

Children who were interested and engaged in school and who had a sense of belonging had a greater probability of succeeding at higher institutions; they were also more likely to have a professional career (Jackson-Webb).

These children had a sense of self which was formed by a high level of engagement, motivation, participation and sense of belonging in school. This is reiterated in the article, “If students can be engaged by curriculum… this is going to pave the way for achievement in adulthood” (Jackson-Webb 2). In regards 69

greater chance of completing higher education. These students were also more likely to have a professional, semi-professional, or managerial career (JacksonWebb 1).

This paper will analyze the article, “School Engagement Predicts Success Later in Life,” using sociological theories and concepts. The main theoretical perspectives which will be addressed in the paper will be symbolic interactionism and structural functionalism. Other concepts to be discussed are agents of socialization, peers, education and family.

Symbolic interactionism is described by Kimmel and Aronson as “how an individual’s interactions with his or her environment – other people, institutions, ideas – help people develop a sense of ‘self’” (24).

If anyone was to ask the question: “Who am I?,” the definition of sense of self, self-identity, or self-concept would provide an 3

answer; it is the image or perception one has about themselves including their attributes, social roles or personality traits (SimplyPsychology.org). The article, “School Engagement Predicts

Students who enjoyed school, were motivated to learn, and had a sense of belonging stood a greater chance of becoming successful later in life.

Success Later in Life,” addresses how being engaged in school and being motivated to learn can increase the chances of a child becoming successful later in life.

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to social interactionism, Erving Goffman said it well: “… without something to belong to, we have no stable self … (Kimmel and Aronson 24)”. Without enough engagement in school, children run the risk of becoming disengaged, which can lead to school drop-outs, substance abuse, and trouble with the law.

Structural functionalism is also relevant in this article.

The theory of structural functionalism suggests a model in which society has several distinct, yet incorporated levels that allow the world, and those in it, to find stability, order and meaning (Kimmel and Aronson 24). The paradigm of structural functionalism illustrates how society works and how individuals can be socialized into their roles (Kimmel and Aronson 24).

The function of an educational institution is to prepare children for their entry into the working world; this includes instilling social values (Kimmel and Aronson 25). Therefore, children 71

who are interested and engaged in school will become “socialized into theirroles” (Kimmel and Aronson 24) of becoming successful and productive members of society.

Socialization is an integral element in growing up. Kimmel and Aronson define socialization as “the process by which we become aware of ourselves as part of a group, learn how to communicate with others in the group, and learn the behavior expected of us; spoken and unspoken rules of social interaction, how to think, how to feel.” This is especially vital during childhood.

The article, “School Engagement Predicts Success Later in Life,” explains that children who are engaged and motivated learners with parents who promote this engagement in their education are “likely to provide a springboard…for future achievement in school and employment…”

These children have several agents of socialization working in a positive way: family, peers

and education. Kimmel details the role of education in socialization; “…education also has a latent function…that instills social norms, and values…” Education not only provided these children with schooling, but also taught them how to stay motivated and involved throughout adulthood, resulting in successful experiences in college and better jobs.

The study that was referenced in the article, “School Engagement Predicts Success Later in Life,” included data from a comprehensive study of nearly 8,500 participants over the span of 20 years. The data clearly showed that students who enjoyed school, were motivated to learn, and had a sense of belonging stood a greater chance of becoming successful later in life.

The sociological theories symbolic interactionism and structural functionalism, although very different concepts, can both be recognized in the article, mainly in the sense of the

education system and how it can help to form a better sense of self and belonging. This sense of self and belonging also ties into socialization, specifically primary socialization and the agents of socialization: family, education and peers. There is evidence of how disengagement can result in negative outcomes, which clearly shows the importance of keeping children participating in school activities as well as keeping them motivated and engaged.

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PovertY

ONE

MAN’S

THOMAS HOFFLAND

A fifty-two-year-old returning student from Golden, Colorado, Thomas G. Hoffland majors in Criminal Justice at PPCC with plans to transfer to UCCS. The subject of poverty in America is an important issue to him because of his thirty-one years as a police officer.

I am a child of the sixties and considered a baby boomer - barely. I was raised in your average middle class family in a time of prosperity in the United States. My parents were hard working people. My brothers, 73

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sister, and I knew very little about the struggles of others in our country. It was only when I was discharged from the army and started my chosen profession that my eyes were opened to the problem of poverty in America. You see, I am a police officer.

My first experience with the poor in my community was one I was not prepared for. I was just twenty-one years old and in my training period at a city police

department. I was riding along with my Sergeant, who was my training officer, when we were dispatched to a domestic fight in an area he called “The Projects.”

Of course I had heard of the apartment complex, but I only thought of it as what I knew it to be, subsidized housing. When we arrived, the Sergeant knocked on the door, and a crying woman who was bleeding from her nose and mouth answered the door.

When we entered, I saw they had very little: a couple of threadbare chairs, a sofa, and a small older T.V. The bedroom floors had mattresses on them without sheets. The kids’ rooms had sleeping bags on the mattresses, and the adult’s mattress had older blankets and homemade comforters. The children were clean but obviously wearing older and hand-me-down clothes. The kids were playing quietly in another room; the father was nowhere to be found. The woman explained that the fight had happened because her husband had spent his whole paycheck on booze and

drugs. She had no money left to buy food. She also didn’t want her husband arrested because she had no money to get him out of jail. If he was in jail, he couldn’t work and would lose his job. I took the report while the Sergeant played with the kids.

He had them laughing and smiling before we left. When we got back to the patrol car, he started giving me directions to the local churches. As we arrived at each

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one, the pastors greeted him by name and knew what we were there for. When we left, we had a trunk full of food. He then called all of the officers on our shift to donate what they could. After a trip to the supermarket, we went back to that apartment with fresh milk, fruit, and meat, plus all the dry goods we had collected from the churches. My Sergeant told me then that “we should do what we can” and our job was more than cops and robbers; it was to serve our fellow man. It was a lesson I never forgot.

I later found out that I wasn’t immune to the problems of poverty. As a police officer, I didn’t make a huge amount of money. I often had to work many rent-a-cop jobs just to make ends meet. I found myself on food stamps and my children on Medicaid. It was cheaper for my wife not to work than pay for child care. The houses we rented were often old, drafty places, but they were what we could afford, and we made them homes 75

for our children. I struggled to make sure my children had what they needed. I would go without shoes before one of my kids did.

I was also embarrassed because I wasn’t able to support my family as my father had supported me. These were hard lessons for a proud man to learn.

As time moved on and the children grew, so did my economic situation. Through hard work and education, I was able to get promotions, apply for better jobs, and finally entered that middle class I was striving for.

I now work as a Federal Police Officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Colorado Springs. I no longer patrol neighborhoods or do the things a city police officer does. I have found that this does not shield me from the problem of the poor or from poverty. When I drive to work in the mornings, all I have to do is look at Acacia Park. This is where many of the homeless in Colorado Springs gather in

the mornings. The downtown parks are convenient places to meet because of all the charity organizations in the area.

Catholic charities provide clothing and meals, and the Salvation Army has a shelter for the cold nights. Countless others in our

I saw they had very little: a couple of thread-bare chairs, a sofa, and a small older T.V. The bedroom floors had mattresses on them without sheets. city try to reach out and help. I have recently been looking for a new church to attend, and I have found that each one works the soup kitchen at least one week a year. I have watched as not just

the homeless arrive for meal times. Whole families, mothers and fathers with their children, are in those lines. The elderly are in those lines too. Poverty is alive and well and only getting worse.

I now fear for my children’s futures. The economy of the United States is tipping and any sudden move could send us over the edge. The unemployment rate is high, and jobs are few. Three out of four of my children are still living at home, looking for work, trying to go to school, but they are afraid of the student loan debt they will have when they graduate. In an article published in The Nation on September 18, 2013, author Sasha Abramsky states, “Median income has stagnated and, for young people, it is continuing to go down.” In this article, Abramsky’s theory is that the middle class is dying.

What happens if there is no middle class anymore? Are we destined to become a nation of 76

haves and have nots? Hollywood is making millions of dollars with apocalyptic films. Many of these movies envision the world as an over-populated, polluted hell with only two classes: the rich and the poor. A movie from my youth, “Soylent Green,” pictured the future world as an awful place where the rich were eating steak and strawberries and the poor where eating a product made from the dead. I know that this is fiction, but could it happen?

We live in the richest country in the world. Americans are also a giving people. The Los Angeles Times reports that Americans gave an estimated $416.5 billion dollars to charities in 2013, up 12.9% from 2012. So why are people in such bad conditions? Some are because that’s how they want to live. Some because they are mentally ill and unable to know what they need.

Some would rather starve that take help. Fortunately, many in need do take advantage of the 77

Left: “Walking Alone” Courtney Gonzalez

Courtney Gonzalez is a visual and performing artist who is originally from Colorado Springs and currently works as a flight attendant. “Walking Alone” is a reminder that, although she’s been through more than words can express, one set of footprints has always been God carrying her through the unknown, even now.

“Walking Alone” is also a reminder that one footprint has the power to change the world.

help that is out there. We can all do something to help those in need; it is our responsibility to keep giving when we can, volunteer to help when we have no money to give, and support government programs to train those who need it. If we do these things, as a country we can end the cycle of poverty.

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Elisabeth Newton majors in English at Pikes Peak Community College and has enjoyed writing all of her life. With family members and friends adopted from overseas, she is moved by the surreal true stories of the treatment of special needs orphans in many thirdworld countries.

THE

ABANDONED ELISABETH NEWTON

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The misty blue mountain range towers over European buildings of cracked mildewencrusted stone. The owner of a vineyard loves to see clouds congregate at the mountains in the mornings as he stands in his cold stone courtyard with cracked mug of coffee. The woman who sells flowers loves to look up at the peacefulness of the range from the stress-infatuated streets, and an orphanage worker who had to walk a mile to work loves to see the great beauty before she disappears into the dark, depressing orphanage interior.

Inside the orphan home, the atmosphere is much different. No longer is there bustling and street noises. Often, only

one of two sounds ever fills the front hall. The sound of silence or the sound of faint crying from one of the rooms is heard.

The orphanage worker walks into the kitchen and ties a brown-stained apron over her city clothes. She takes a badlycleaned pot from yesterday and sets it on the stove to prepare some formula.

The putrid stench of the formula fills the kitchen. The orphanage worker wrinkles her nose, but is mostly used to the smell. She makes it every day.

Every day she rations it out in bottles. And every day she takes it to the children in the back. She doesn’t get to work with the children in any of the other rooms.

She gets the unwanted, ugly, deformed children in the back.

The worker puts the bottles on a tray, and with a sigh she takes it to the room tucked away in the back of the building. The stench in this room is the most

unbearable. The worker gags and wants only to get out of there, but she doesn’t get paid to leave.

She swallows and sets the tray on a table. The room is a sea of rickety cribs. There are about six

The children are registered for adoption. Some have been for years. No one comes. No one to love these precious children, just as they are. or seven kids. She always forgets which. And the numbers do change. She wishes there weren’t any.

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The worker doesn’t remember the last time she changed their clothing, or washed their hair. They are probably lying in their own filth, and have been for days. She can put it off another day. It won’t hurt.

The children lie flat on their backs in their cribs. They have no other choice. Some chew on their skinny, calloused fingers as a pastime. They stare up at the ceiling, their eyes turning every which way as though they hadn’t any control. The children don’t have much control of anything.

They can’t sit up. When held upright, they can’t hold their heads up for more than two seconds.

The children cannot even fully extend their arms. What muscles they have are contracted and feeble. Their yellow teeth are twisted to horrific extents in their mouths. Their stomachs are hard from swallowing air in their hunger. The worker knows she barely feeds them enough to keep them alive, only partly alive.

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One teenager weighs a single pound for every year she’s lived. Her bones are brittle and tiny from wasting away her entire life.

The children are registered for adoption. Some have been for years. No one comes.

No one to love these precious children, just as they are.

Yet, somehow, they can smile. These priceless flickers of joy frustrate the worker. She doesn’t understand. She may never. She grabs the tray and goes about her mundane business, eyes half closed.

Poverty From A

Soldier’s Perspective

IAN K. CHAPMAN

A twenty-six-year-old married solider from Greely, Colorado, Ian K. Chapman majors in biology at PPCC with plans to transfer to UCCS. The essay on poverty sparked his interest because he grew up seeing what poverty does to people first hand. That and his experiences in Afganistan drew him to write his essay.

Since I was a young man, I have seen poverty through growing up with parents who did their best and worked hard to provide what we needed, nothing more.

Yet some of my very best friends did not. Some of the people that I grew up with and have stayed friends with have seen both sides of poverty and wealth. But why is it that sometimes there just seems to be a never ending trial 82

nity is there to help you escape from poverty and to give your family and yourself a better life.

I have seen this so many times it breaks my heart. A young man or woman comes in with no debt and plenty of support and people with experience with what they have going on in life around to that brings people back into poverty or drives them deeper down into it? To start with, decision making is a key ingredient in this conundrum. People who do not think through their actions will many times end up in poverty, no matter their skill set, no matter their work ethic.

I have experienced poverty first hand, throughout my childhood, and when I joined the United States Army, I continued to see it so much more. We as soldiers have almost everything given to us that we need: food, healthcare, housing or money for housing, and on top of that we have our regular pay. I am not saying that we are rich, by no means are we, but the opportu83

Spend, Spend, Spend, this is what I see on a regular basis. ask. But they do not do this. They avoid asking questions and go on about their day, and they make irrational decisions like buying a fifty thousand dollar car when you make one thousand dollars a month, or spending on the credit card you have until it is maxed out. It’s already your money, right? Spend, Spend, Spend, this is what I see on a regular basis.

This drives our young people into debt and poverty because they have spent more than they have or make, they are struggling and that’s when the next set of bad ideas come out, making them spend more.

Why is it in a country where we have so much available, as far as resources training and expertise, we are so far from where we should be? Simple because the American dream is built on credit, and credit is something that goes away because too much of it, and you are stuck in poverty.

However, I have seen something amazing a few different times.

were learning English, so they might be able to sell us things and make money for themselves and their families. They did not spend money on stuff that they absolutely did not need, they had what they actually needed. Food water and shelter, if they could not eat, people who had extra would feed them, not just give it away. The “rich” helped by hiring the poor, and by providing them

In June of 2009, I deployed to Afghanistan for the first time, my first time outside of the country. During the course of that year, I saw something amazing. These people who were poverty stricken and sickly did not seem to care.

Some of course did, but many of these people did something extraordinary, they tried to better themselves in some way. Many 84

with the extras off of their own plates.

These people showed me something amazing, that when someone is genuinely in trouble, another should help. Humanity at its best, people helping people, not in a perfect utopian society.

But, in a land that has been at war for centuries, why can’t this be what we have here in a nation built to prosper? It is amazing to have seen selflessness and come home to selfishness. If I learned anything other than to shoot back until the other guy stops shooting, it was that people are the reason for how everything is.

You and I can change this all, add to and take away. Those Afghans worked for everything they have, fought tooth and nail for education and everything that they have no matter how simple it is.

What I am saying is that poverty is not something that has to be, if we all give and we all work, no matter how menial the task, food will be there, shel85

Right: “Travelin’ Man” Christy Smith

Christy Smith is a proud graduate of PPCC and a Journalism major at CSU-Pueblo. This is her third year as a contributor in Parley. “Travelin’ Man” was photographed at PPCC’s Downtown campus. The park across the street is a gathering place for those who are on their way from here to there. The man slept on his belongings as curious squirrels and birds watched from a distance.

ter also. Accepting what we all have is something that would allowing those that do not have the money to save for what they want. Credit is not something that this nation and its peoples should have and “need” or want.

It is something the serves to perpetuate poverty and drive those of us whom are not poor into poverty. Work ethic, is what we all need to get out and stay out of this issue facing the world.

Then those of us with that extra should and would give to ensure those without have and not demand or want.

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A

Christ MAS Fallacy

SAMUEL TITUS

At thirty-seven-years-old, Samuel Titus is father of two girls and a devoted husband. A native of Colorado, he enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with his wife and kids. He majors in business to make a significant change to the way business is done here as well as the rest of the country.

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Growing up in a poor home is a hard thing to do. If you were like me, though, you may not have known it. My father worked his ass off trying to make it. It seemed it wasn’t in the stars. If it hadn’t been for that, we may not have had such an interesting childhood.

My mother, the hardest worker of us all, put in her time cooking and sewing to make ends meet. All that I saw was a hard-working, loving mother who wanted us to have good, homemade snacks. She would never let on how hard it was, as my wife can now attest to. She would just smile and say, “I didn’t do anything,” and go about her day.

My sisters would be busy making all kinds of homemade decorations and gifts. Throughout the year, they would save odd little items to make them.

If they found a scrap of paper or a ribbon, they’d save it and use it. My brother and I still crack

up every time we think back. As soon as we would get done with a roll of toilet paper, our sisters would rush in and grab the empty roll. We knew that we would see that toilet paper roll again, in another form, wrapped up in a box, waiting till Christmas day.

I don’t know how they turned all that junk into a real gift or some kind of festive decoration, but they somehow did. Most of their money was spent on glue, tape, color pencils, crayons, and markers. If someone gave them a pen, they’d save it, even if you asked them if they had a pen, they wouldn’t give any of it up until Christmas.

Christmas was the best time of year. My mother would make all kinds of food, and all of us kids helped. Mom would have us peeling, cutting, and opening all kinds of food. We would laugh at dad; he’d make up some crazy lyrics for an old Christmas song, “Clark and Gerald angels sing…”

All of us would scream that those weren’t the right lyrics, and

he’d just smile and say,”Oh hey, how do they go again?” Then we would go about singing the right ones. Every year he’d pretended not to know, and we played along. All we ever saw were great big smiles on our mother and fathers’ faces; therefore, that’s all we had on our faces. My brother and I would be outside cutting

What we did not know, and would not know until we were much older, is that dad was being sneaky. firewood and commencing in the occasional snowball fights. All the while our father was working hard trying to cover the bills and put something under the Christmas tree.

The tree — we never got 88

one at the start of the season like other families. We got ours on Christmas Eve. That may seem weird to you, or at least it did for my friends growing up, but our theory (mostly our father’s theory) was that if we waited, we wouldn’t get needles everywhere, and then the house wouldn’t be cluttered until Christmas Eve. Something we didn’t know, and wouldn’t know until we were much older, is that it was a Christmas Fallacy.

You see trees cost around $20, or at least they did when I was little. This would not break the bank in most budgets, but when you’re poor - really poor $20 can be the world. So as far as any of us knew, the tree was a big deal. We would all pile into the station wagon and go to the store. All of us would spend what seemed like forever picking out the right tree. Dad, with his occasional fit over the price, would let us pick out any tree we wanted, even if it was expensive. Oh, he would make the comments 89

all dads do, “Are you sure that tree will fit?” and “What, do you think I am made of money?” He would scratch his chin and grimace, frown and say, “I guess,” and “Christmas only comes once a year.” In the end, he would go inside, leaving us to tie the tree on. My brother and I would tie it on top of the car and sit and wait for mom and dad to come out of the store. What we did not know, and would not know until we were much older, is that dad was being sneaky.

We could not have known that every year the store allows people of less than median income to acquire a tree at no fee.

Oh my, when we found out about Right: “Honored Guest” Lauren Behan

Honored Guest is an illustration focusing on the Chinese tradition where nobles served Jasmine Tea to their guests. The Tree Frog contrasts with the Pheasant’s color and “grace” to further represent the differences between this particular host and guest while still creating a compassionate atmosphere.

this my youngest sister was just a freshman in college. As it turns out, a well-known grocery store gives away trees to anyone who wants one on Christmas Eve. We were shocked, to say the least, at how had he pulled it off, how he had been so sweet, and how we never knew.

As a man today, I can see how hard it must have been for my father to ask for one of those free trees. It almost breaks my heart to think of all the times, as kids, we didn’t understand why he was so cheap. Turns out he was the most generous man in the world.

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THE FACE OF

Poverty r e k c a Be

Kael

In her final semester at PPCC as a full-time student, Kaela Becker has gained what she considers to be indispensable insight into the world of those striving to improve their lives. She has been able to delve into the realms of social stereotyping and emerge with a passion for equality of representation. Kaela hopes to work to develop highly impoverished communities both in the United States and worldwide.

PERHAPS IT IS ONLY WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE THE PRACTICAL INJUSTICE OF MISREPRESENTATION, THAT YOU DEVELOP A PASSION FOR ACCURATE REPRESENTATION. I COME FROM THE LOWER END OF THE MIDDLE CLASS. I CAN’T REMEMBER A TIME THAT MY PARENTS HAD HEALTH CARE. A STEAK DINNER WAS SUCH A RARITY IN MY FAMILY THAT ITS OCCURRENCE WAS PROCLAIMED UP TO A WEEK IN ADVANCE AS A KIND OF PRONOUNCING OF A MINI-CELEBRATION FOR THE WEEK.

I was allowed to pick out a pair of shoes and a shirt at the beginning of school, but anything beyond these items I had find ways to make money to buy myself. In other words, my family is not rich by any monetary standards; however, we certainly are not poor: At least I never recognized myself as coming from a poor family growing up. It wasn’t until I got my first two ‘real’ jobs, one working as a check-out girl at the shoddy bargain store down the road from my high school and the other at a gourmet catering company my junior year that I got such firsthand views into the world of poverty, class affiliation, and the potent capacity of stereotypes.

The two jobs were polar opposites.

The first, cheap, debased, static, and most of all, poor. The second, ‘high-class’, particular, and always looking to improve in the appearance of opulence. The way I was treated as a check-out girl at the grocery and salvage store was vastly different than the way I was treated at the catering business. As a check-out girl, customers were often surprised by the fact that I was going to school. They were surprised that I didn’t have any kids, and they were surprised that I had aspirations to pursue a career in which I cared for others. I was shocked at having

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this kind of consistent reaction from people. I had never had it before. I soon began to realize that people associated the poor and shoddy standards of the store with my apparent condition. It is astounding, really, how even the association with poverty can provoke false assumptions. Conversely, I distinctly remember my first solo event at the gourmet catering company.

When I asked the event host if she would like me to box up any of the foods for her guests, she pulled me to the side and said that her guests didn’t really understand ‘that kind’ of finery, “they’re not really like that,” she said in a way that insinuated that whatever way they weren’t like I was, and whatever they were like I certainly was not! I remember being almost dumbstruck at the audacity of the woman. Now if Wonderbread could make me a high-school dropout relying on welfare, an array of crudités and pesto bites could also apparently make me the new member of an astute group of social elites.

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If there is one thing I can say from my experiences with these two companies it is that

Now if Wonderbread could make me a high-school dropout relying on welfare, an array of crudités and pesto bites could also apparently make me the new member of an astute group of social elites. the unjust nature of the misrepresentation of the poor is much more deeply seeded than perhaps what would want to be readily admitted. As bell hooks says in her essay, “Seeing and

Making Culture,” “contemporary popular culture in the United States rarely represents the poor in ways that display integrity and dignity” (pg.434). The power of the media is in its ability to inevitably reach into every crevice of society. The audience intended for a specific media message is never the extent that the message reaches. In a reciprocal manner, a message is promoted in society. Society receives (both consciously and unconsciously) the messages of the media, and then it acts on those messages: Thus, further perpetuating the negative message. To say that pop culture and media do not affect us is as ludicrous as if someone were to say that they could sit in a room full of carbon monoxide for hours, days, no, years on end, and be unaffected by the surrounding poison. It is impossible to not be affected by media. So the idea that the misrepresentation of the poor in the media does not affect society is not practical, probable, or even possible.

As Hooks comments in her article on seeing and making culture, “most contemporary films portraying black folks…have as their primary theme the lust of the poor for material plenty and their willingness to do anything to satisfy that lust.” If the point of interest regarding the poor lies within the vice of lust, this is certainly not exclusive to the poor. However, to peg the poor as collectively avaricious and willing to go to any extent to satisfy their lust, than no poor person can escape this negative stereotype. Not like the lustful rich can anyway. Sure there are lustful poor people, but there are also lustful rich people. The media simply promotes the lust of the later class in a very different way than it does the poor.

Another prime example of the misrepresentation of the poor can be found within our very classrooms. What has been required reading in many American classrooms, The Outsiders, explores how class recognition 94

and stereotypes of the poor are not only recognizable in pop-literature but are often the very foundation of it. In The Outsiders, the protagonist, Ponyboy, and his crew are referred to as the greasers, a class term that refers to the young men on the East Side: The poor side of town.

The greasers’ rivals are the Socs, short for Socials, who are the “West-side rich kids” (Hinton).

As inferred by their very name, the greasers are not regarded as societies’ princes. In fact they are seen as grime. This grime is thrown at them through the words of other more ‘elite’ characters. It is further perpetuated, however, by the greasers themselves. As Hooks notes, “If to be poor in this society is everywhere represented in the language we use to talk about the poor, in the mass media, as synonymous with being nothing, then it is understandable that the poor learn to be nihilistic.” (435) Hooks makes a very important point here. If the poor believe the labels given them, whether discreetly or 95

overtly, then to what extent is their motivation to rise up out of poverty disintegrated? What hope do the poor have to rise out of their circumstances when even those living in similar circumstances promote these negative stereotypes? “When materially deprived teenagers kill for tennis shoes or jackets they are not doing so just because they like these items so much. They also hope to escape the stigma of their class by appearing to have the trappings of more privileged classes” (434). If the possession of certain items deems someone as more valuable than those without, whether in actuality or simply in perception, then those items are not just a catalyst to a higher level of physical comfort, they are also the bridge between poverty and a more stable tomorrow. What it comes down to is an intricate game of perceptions.

Perhaps those also slinging the most damage through the form of self-perpetuated stereotypes of the poor, are the poor themselves.

Zygmunt Bauman makes this argument: ‘Because notions of class are deeply embedded in common sense, they are referred to as though they continue to have real explanatory force; and because common sense is intimately related with social practices, the applicability of class categories seems obvious and therefore self-affirming. In other words, the relevance of class becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy…also that institutions cling to class and its associate categories in order to legitimate their authority and underpin their solidarity.’(Nunn) As earlier noted, the poor are perhaps the ones most negatively influenced by the self-perpetuated ideology behind classes; distinctly the separation and submersion of the poor under the rest of the more ‘superior’ classes. As Bauman argues, because notions of class are deeply embedded in common sense, they are referred to as though they continue to have real ex-

planatory force. But it is perhaps the cheapest conclusion of social analysis to say that because something has always been, that is should always be. This view is the view that fed the resistance in just about every major social revolution. The justification that, “to have classes simply makes sense,” is not an ample justification regarding the portrayal of the poor as collectively insignificant. We are surrounded with degrading views of the poor in the form of sloppily molded judgments and generalizations. However, what is done with those views is up to us.

Works Cited Hinton, S.E. “The Outsiders Book Summary.” Web.6 Feb 2014.

Hooks, Bell. “Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor.” From Inquiry to Academic Writing. 2nd edition. New York City: Bedford, 2012. Print.

Nunn, Heather. “The Undeserving Poor.” Lawrence and Wishart. n. page. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.

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Janice Napila, a 19 year old student at Pikes Peak Community College majoring in Radio and Television Communication with plans to transfer to Long beach University in California.

Her life time goal is to write, direct, and produce a movie and work in the film industries, she has an extraordinary imagination and desires to show the world what goes on in Janice Napila’s head.

It’s a beautiful sight to see my little Lana smile in her sleep, slumbering in my arms as if they were a warm comfortable bed, in a warm comfortable home. I stay quiet with the same thoughts from 6 months ago lingering and devouring my sanity. When will the suffering end?

W

INTER

HISPERS

JANICE NAPILA 97

After 9 years of being married to a man I thought I loved, after 5 years of raising a lovely, innocent child in a home with everything a family could need and much more; but, now everything changed almost instantaneously. From cuddling in a king sized bed with the three of us, now it’s just Lana and I cuddling in the

backseat of the closest thing we can call a home; my 1995 Honda civic.

I remember Lana asking day after day, “When is daddy coming home?” It always pained me to lie to my stainless child with deceiving words of hope.

“Daddy will be home soon baby, don’t worry, he’s on a business trip.” I knew he wasn’t coming back, not even for a second.

Today I live in regret, I ran away from my parents in high school after I got pregnant, I thought I was an adult and everything was perfect. Lana is my pride and joy, but, I can’t even provide a decent meal for her.

“Good morning Lana, wake up honey,” I whisper gently in her tiny ear. “It’s time to go for a stroll.”

“Good morning mommy,” Lana smiles at me, then stares at the snowflakes drifting out the car window. “I love the snow even

though it’s cold.” We head out in bundled up clothing, I, searching for a job, Lana, enjoying the socalled stroll, even though I know she is hungry. She doesn’t say a word about it.

Today I live in regret, I ran away from my parents in high school after I got pregnant, I thought I was an adult and everything was perfect.

To my surprise, a stranger approached me handing me a twenty dollar bill. My eyes water while thanking the elderly gentleman. Lana filled with joy, hugged the man, something I 98

would have never expected. After the session of many thanks, Lana and I quickly searched for a nearby restaurant, considering that it has been three days since the last time we both ate.

By nightfall, together we strolled back to the car, but, strangely, the car wasn’t there; similar to my ex-husband, gone without a trace. Feeling hopeless yet again, I lose control and burst into tears as I embraced Lana tightly in my arms.

“Lana, we have to sleep somewhere else tonight, but I’ll figure something out tomorrow, okay? “ I knelt down telling her the bad news.

“It’s okay mommy, home is wherever I’m with you.” Lana said trying to make me smile.

As we wandered around the city looking for a safe place to rest, we discover an abandoned shed.

I remove one of my jackets and wrap it around Lana as she slowly drifted to sleep. The wind howled 99

as the atmosphere became colder and colder. I fell asleep.

The soft, winter sunlight touched my face peering in through a cracked window waking me from my rest. I thought to myself yet again, it’s a beautiful sight to see my little Lana smile in her sleep, slumbering in my arms as if they were a warm comfortable bed, in a warm comfortable home.

I whispered in her tiny ear as I do every morning.

“Good morning Lana, It’s time to go for a stroll,” but this time I didn’t receive a response.

CYCLE

OF POVERTY-

FACT

OR FICTION?

SUZANNE BURKE

Suzanne Burke. Originally from Perth, Australia, now living in Colorado Springs. She is a well travelled military spouse and mother of two. Suzanne is student at Pikes Peak Community College, who is passionate about helping people change their health and prevent disease through nutrition. She is planning on transferring to UCCS Health Science program - Nutrition, to become a RD. I was inspired to write about how media influences our perceptions on poverty.

In the media we are often exposed to the downtrodden lives of those living in poverty within our cities and towns. The characters are struggling to survive and forced to do things the majority of the population would never believe could happen. Hollywood loves to expose this world to us and to shock us with these stories and characters. Is this realistic to what really happens in these communities or is it just a great way to get TV ratings? Like a traffic accident, people can’t resist looking, even if what they see shocks them.

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The Showtime television series “Shameless” delves into the world of a family and community living in poverty. The series gives us some insight into the cycle of poverty and how it can become a generational ‘career.’

Set in the Chicago neighborhood of Canaryville on the south side, you step inside the everyday

They know nothing else and this then creates the cycle of poverty. lives of the dysfunctional Gallagher family. The basic plot, “An alcoholic man lives in a perpetual stupor while his six children with whom he lives cope as best they can”. (IMDb). The family struggles to survive, with the eldest daughter granted guardianship to her five siblings, her father 101

Frank, often ‘MIA’, dropping in and out of the family home, bringing more pain and drama than help or support. The series highlights the ever-present problems within these communities.

Drug and alcohol addiction and mental illness are common. This creates its own sub-culture within a larger culture of poverty, with those around them pushing these families and people to the bottom of the pack.

In many ways what is shown on TV and in the movies is reality to many in poverty, in particular the children of these families. For them this is part of a world that they see and know every day. For them, this is the norm. For them, seeing Daddy or Mommy drunk or high is an every day occurrence. For them, they are lucky to even see their parents, with many fending for themselves and creating their own ‘lord or the flies’ hierarchy.

They know nothing else and this then creates the cycle of poverty.

“Mixed Medium Poverty” Sarah Kadlec

A twenty-two-year-old avid writer and artist from Colorado Springs, Sarah D. Kadlec hopes to become a photojournalist. Her heart is drawn toward poverty and the everyday lives people live in these conditions. Her love of National Geographic magazine has sparked her interest in exploring the world and being a voice for those can’t speak out themselves through both her art and her writing.

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The children in these families start out as victims, being born into this world at the bottom of the heap but soon learn the tricks of the trade and how to work the system. They learn how to survive in this world and many choose to stay in this world because is it is home.

It is what they know and understand. They know nothing else.

They become experts at beating the system and surviving. With so many things against them, why not join the crowd and get what they ‘deserve’.

The latest statistics for Colorado for children in poverty are shocking. The Denver Post writes, “Colorado has the second fastest growing rate of child poverty in the nation.” Colorado’s child poverty rate has almost doubled between 2000 and 2011, with Pueblo and Denver counties reporting the highest rates of child poverty, with Pueblo being the highest in Colorado with a rate of 27.3%. (Steffen) How can we as a community help these 103

children before they harden and lose what we cherish most about children…their vision, hope and dreams for their future. How can we show them that there is an alternative life outside of their world, a world where they can achieve and break out of their chains of poverty?

We need to be aware that it easy to fall into a culture of dependency. In a CNN Report it states, “Under a culture of dependency, poverty becomes a trap, and recipients get stuck. Long-

term welfare recipients lose work habits and job skills and miss out on the marketplace contacts that lead to job opportunities.” (Spalding). Social programs should help not hinder those that need it most. Teaching life skills and giving them the opportunity to work for their benefits and not use the ‘system’ is key to ensuring we break the cycle of generational poverty.

Works Cited Abbott, Paul, prod. Shameless. Showtime: 2011. Television. http://www. sho.com/sho/shameless/home.

IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/title/ tt1586680/ Spalding, Mathew. “Why the U.S. has a culture of dependency.” CNN 21 Sept. 2012. Web. Steffen, Jordan. “Colorado’s child poverty rate almost doubles in 10 years.” The Denver Post 19 Mar. 2013. Web.

Fact or fiction, the media plays an important role in bringing these issues to the general public’s eyes and in some cases, like mine, makes me question in a modern world, how people can be left to survive and in particular, how this affects their children. Putting programs in place to ensure that the cycle of poverty is broken is essential to truly helping those that want a better life. Sadly, there will always be those that are happy living in their world, that don’t want help, for they are trapped in the cycle of poverty and know nothing else.

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Streets

on the

PATRICK RILEY 105

Patrick Riley is an Army veteran originally from Olympia, Washington. He arrived in Colorado Springs in December of 2013. Currently, he’s attending PPCC full-time, majoring in Computer Networking Administration, building on his military telecommunication networking knowledge and skills.

He has started looking to the future for his Bachelor’s degree.

Homelessness has taken many a person and dream in this once great nation. The economy has failed, and possibly, so have our elected leaders and officials.

The economy is, however, recovering slowly, and there are still people living on the streets for many different reasons. For some, it is a choice; for others not so much. Loss of job, home, or both, has led many to the streets and a shelter of some form, just not in the comfort of home or with family. Some people are with their family, from the infant child, the school age son or daughter, and occasionally, the in-laws too. Others like veterans, who bravely served this country, are now cast aside by the country

they served so faithfully. They all seek the refuge of the local shelters hoping to get a warm, dry place to sleep and a hot meal, packing on their backs the basic necessities to make it through the day.

One person, a veteran named Michael, was a sergeant with twelve years of service as of 2004, a wife, and three boys ages 16, 10 and 6, brought home $2367.90 (Defense Finance) a month ($28,414.80 annually, before taxes) to support his family.

This is $532 a month ($6384 annually) above the National Poverty Level of $22,030 (Assistant Secretary) annual pay for a family of five. If thy had they been living off post at the time, he and his family would more than likely have been much closer to the poverty level due to the added expenditures of rent, utilities and the extra gas getting to and from work. They were not that far out of poverty, and there are many more in the military that are at, or below the poverty level,

serving our country and protecting us (U. S. Army).

Michael came home after fifteen years of service in the Army, some of these years in a combat zone or other hostile environment, to an honorable discharge from the military, a divorce, and found civilian life difficult to adapt to. It is hard to deal with people that do not have a strict routine or the uncertainty of which people want to cause you and others harm, where once it was clear. His training and experience became habit --- habits that no longer apply to the life he now has. People do not understand why he thinks and acts the way he does, yet they can understand he was in the military and went in to combat. Is this so difficult to understand? A lot of veterans do not understand why people cannot grasp the concepts; he is used to being shot at, therefore, he thinks and acts certain ways, even though he does not have to anymore. Packing what you need on your back 106

is not a problem; it is second nature to a Veteran.

There are many habits and ways of thinking that need to change, which nobody sees: How does a person drive, or ride in, a vehicle anywhere without looking for people with assault rifles on the roof tops, along bridges or in that broken out window over there? Is that someone hiding in the grass by those trees?

What is that thing in the road?

I hope it does not blow up when I get near. That group of people over there better disperse; don’t they know they are an easy target? There is a noise that sounds like gun fire and the soldier runs towards it without hesitation or thinking, until he realizes it is firecrackers and the Fourth of July is two days away. A sudden loud noise and he dives for cover taking others with him to protect them. Family and friends look at him like he has lost his mind. He has not lost his mind; he is just reacting out of habit.

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He does not have the comfort of the convoy and military brethren with him; all he has now is his training and experiences. There is a loss, a feeling of vulnerability, where once he was fearless. Now there is no one that he can depend on to have his back. There is never a problem jumping in to harm’s way for another, but he cannot do that anymore. It is not acceptable behavior according to society, where once it was. “It is acceptable as long as you don’t do it around me.” “Go back to where you came from?” “What’s wrong with you?” “You’re not at war anymore, Soldier!” are things Michael hears others say. People do not understand that he is “back where you came from” and he knows he is “not at war” (well, most of the time).

Michael was glad to be home after the military, and he hoped to get a little help from family and friends that are still in the area. Instead he found little to no help at all, or got turned

away. If veterans find a job or got one before leaving the service, they then lose it because family and friends turned them away before having the money needed for an apartment. Family and friends do not understand the needs of their veteran. He cannot expect to keep a job if he does not have place to live, and cannot have a place to live without a job. Most veterans understand that things are tough for everyone, but feel lost and hopeless due to the feelings that things will not get better for them, and that people just do not understand. They have had their family and friends turn them away. Thinking they are helping, families send them to the Veterans Administration. Families and friends do not understand all the paperwork there is to do and much of the help is months, or even years, away from being received. There is a fight to get the benefits earned. Some veterans even feel that the Veterans Administration as well as family and friends do not want to help

at all; Vets looked down on because they are homeless, where once these same people looked up to and respected the vets for what they were doing. The support system vets had while in the military is now gone; they are on their own while they wait to get resources and help they earned, and now desperately need.

Michael earned educational benefits that he has ten years from his date of discharge to begin using (United States Dept. of Veterans Affairs. “Education and Training�). Once his GI Bill and school are applied for and all paperwork is submitted to the VA and school, it can take minimum of three to five weeks to see any monetary benefits. Yes, the he is in school, but he does not know when the VA is going to pay the tuition and send the money for the required books and materials. Once enrolled, Michael may have to go without books for the first few weeks of classes. This means that without books, Michael struggles to keep his grades 108

at a passing level; school resources and help from classmates only go so far. He does what he can so he does not have to pay back any financial aid. Poor grades can also mean his enrollment in school is in jeopardy. Once enrolled in school and the money gets to them, things will go much smoother. Monies can be set aside to purchase the books and supplies for the next educational semester/quarter. Michael goes through the waiting game is gone through each semester/ quarter due to submitting paperwork to the VA so they know he is still enrolled, although payments may be quicker than the very first enrollment period.

One of the educational benefits gives veterans like Michael a housing stipend. This stipend is based on the zip code of the veteran or the nearest military installation. It is then calculated each month the soldier is in school, at the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)(Defense Travel) of an E-5 (Enlisted, pay 109

grade 5) without dependents, for the number of days of schooling that month (BAH ÷ 30 × Number of days in school for that month)( United States Dept.

Vets looked down on because they are homeless, where once these same people looked up to and respected the vets for what they were doing. of Veterans Affairs. “How Is…).

Some months this may not be enough for rent or utilities. If not enrolled in school, the veteran does not get the housing stipend, and has to figure out how he is going to pay bills. If the veteran gets enrolled in the

next group of classes, hopefully things can get things in order before classes start. If not, then he will be missing classes trying to keep his housing, thus putting his financial aid and education in jeopardy.

Veterans worry about how they are going to pay the rent and eat while they are in school, if family and friends are not willing to help. If they are homeless, like Michael is, they have to do what everyone else does; hope there is cot in the mission or shelter and eat at the soup kitchen and mission. For a place to sleep, they have to get on the list at the mission and hope they get a cot for the night. If the mission is full, they have to get what is called “a referral” for the Salvation Army shelter. Referrals are handed out at the mission starting at approximately 6:15 pm. They then have walk up the street to the Salvation Army R. J. Montgomery Center, stand in line and hope they are one of the first twenty-five on the “cold

weather” list. Once in, their bed consists of a mat and blanket on the floor, until they can, hopefully, get a bed there. If there are too many people there, they have to walk about two and one half miles to what is called the Lighthouse to (hopefully) have a place to sleep, and have to walk back in the morning to get something to eat.

The list to get in to the Salvation Army is handed out once the Mission calls and lets them know that they are full. Sometimes this call does not happen until 8:00 pm. On average, people on the Cold Weather list do not get in until between 8:15 pm and 9:00 pm. This is extremely rough on people, when for example, it is 7:00pm, the temperature is twenty-five degrees and the wind-chill is in the single digits and the only protection from the wind and cold, is the clothes they are wearing. If a veteran, like Michael, is in school, with or without books, the time spent getting a warm, dry place 110

to sleep, could be spent studying.

This time could be the difference in passing classes and keeping any type of educational benefits, or flunking out of school and having what little hope was had, shattered. No student should have to sacrifice study time for basic survival.

There are resources to help people get what they need, but there are time constraints on these also. If a guy is not at some places between certain hours, he will not receive services and have to come back, if and when they are offered again. Some services are only provided once or twice a month. Services may include showers, laundry facilities, food, clothing, and help finding work or housing. Veterans also have resources through the Veterans Administration (VA); those can also be limited due to the location of the veteran or the VA office that handles what is needed (i.e. veteran is in Colorado Springs and the VA office is in Denver or Pueblo and the veter111

an may not have transportation to get there.). If the veteran is in school or working, getting needed services or benefits becomes that much more difficult. He can get the services he needs at the price of a failing grade on a test (possibly ending in a failing grade in a class) or loss of one day’s pay (which could mean the rent is late because he does not have enough to pay it). If the veteran cannot get to the appointment, due to lack of transportation, the veteran goes without much needed care and medications.

One of the biggest problems the homeless face is transportation. Most of the homeless are downtown, close to where the food and some services are.

Where some services are located is not conducive to helping people. Not everyone has a car. Not everyone can afford a monthly bus pass, let alone a daily one.

This means having to walk, sometimes three to five miles, to get needed services. Veterans and most of the homeless com-

munity do not have a problem with walking, but on a cold windy day, transportation is a definite plus. The lack of transportation compounds problems when they have to worry about getting back downtown to be able to eat during the meal times, and then get the necessary paperwork needed to get a place to sleep if they do not have a bed at the mission or the Salvation Army.

Not everyone qualifies for cash assistance, Social Security Insurance (SSI) or Social Security Disability (SSD). Some people, veterans for example, that have disabilities and are getting payment for what is called Service Connected Disability, may not qualify for SSD. Sad to say, but it is true. Many of the homeless, including veterans, have to lie to get services so that they can meet their basic needs. For Michael, and most other veterans, this is a hard blow to the pride.

Where honesty and integrity were once highly valued, personally and professionally, they are

now given up to get things needed to survive. Yes, he lied; he defrauded the local, state and federal governments that he once worked for and was sworn to protect. Now, unfortunately, he has to do honest work, and hard work it is, to keep what he has and from staying on the streets, or going to jail. It seems to be a never-ending cycle of poverty.

This may be where the hopelessness comes in. How does one expect to get off the streets, with a job and place to live, when he has to lie, cheat and steal, to get it and work his backside off to keep it, and hope to hell he does not get caught in the lies?

Once he has been on the streets and finally achieved something good in his life, he really does not want to go back. Many, however, do go back. They are caught in the lies, the job fell through, and /or rent could not be paid.

The people on the streets do not want special treatment, they want fair treatment and the 112

help they need. Until they get this, they will feel held back and looked down upon by those with the jobs and housing; looked down upon by the only ones who can actually help them. The poverty and hopelessness continue…on the streets.

Work Cited Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Housing and Human Services. 2004 Poverty Level Figures.

Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Housing and Human Services n.d. Web. 25 Feb 2014.

Defense Finance and Accounting System (DFAS). Army Base Pay figures for 2004. DFAS, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. ic Allowance for Housing (BAH). Defense Travel Management Office n.d.

Web. 25 Feb 2014 United States Army. Army Regulation 210-50 Housing Management, U. S. Army 3 Oct. 2005. Web. 25 Feb. 2014 United States Dept. of Veterans Affairs. “Education and Training”. U. S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.

United States Dept. of Veterans Affairs.”How Is My Housing Allowance Paid if I’m Not A Full-time Student”.

Post 9/11 GI Bill. U. S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, 12 Nov. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2014

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Aziza Simmons is a psychology major studying to be a guidence counselor. She’s from a small town which was her inspiration on writing this piece, realizing that even though someone may live differently from someone else joy can still come out of any living situation.

GO

East

AZIZA SIMMONS

There are different forms of poverty everywhere you look, from homeless shelters to the beggar on the corner of WalMart, but there is poverty everywhere. Travel outside of Colorado Springs, go east twenty miles, and you come to a little town called Ellicott. You see a liquor store, a gas station, a rundown fire house, a bank and a general store. It doesn’t look like much to many, but it’s many people’s hometown, where they have spent all of their lives. In Ellicott there are different housing areas.

The well know areas are Webs, Grandview and Oasis, but there are others around that are just not as familiar. In the schools, many children judge each other knowing where you live. Much of the Hispanic community lives

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in Webs, while many Caucasian families live in Grandview.

Grandview and Webs are both trailer parks, but even here people are judged for how they live, for instance if they live in a single wide trailer as opposed to a house or a modular home. The perception of living in these areas is that they can’t afford somewhere else, that if you live in the trailer parks, your family makes less, but many of the modular homes in can range from $50,000 up to $200,000. No one ever asks, “Oh hey how much do your parents make?” that would be rude. Still, children come out of the parks wearing name brand clothes.

A once separated world is rapidly becoming a very connected place.

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If you sit on the bus that picks up children from Webs, you see South Pole and Fubu, baby Phat and other brands. You do a double take:” did these children not just walk outta a trailer park?”You ponder this thought, and you could come to the conclusion that these individuals put value on their appearances and they look good. You can keep thinking about how you might spend your money differently, but what makes some people happy is the knowledge that when they walk out of their home they look good; it doesn’t matter where they live. Looking closer into Webs, you see many different trailers some in better shape than others from a clean manicured lawn to a lawn with children’s toys scattered around the yard. Look this house has a dusty brown truck in the drive way and that house a silver sedan. Hmm, well isn’t this interesting that silver sedan doesn’t look like a cheap hunk of junk.

No, that’s a pretty nice looking car actually. This is interesting

finding this car in a trailer park.

Maybe it’s just a relative coming to visit you might wonder, now before you assume understand living in this trailer park isn’t the sign of poverty. It’s so easy to be judgmental because someone’s living circumstances isn’t like your own. Maybe the house isn’t what they put true value in maybe the value is put in providing quality time with their children.

Its not the house that makes it a “home” but the people and Webs is home to many different families. So next time you drive past a trailer park don’t think poverty think about family don’t think about displaced finances think this is what makes them happy look deeper than a house sitting on cylinder blocks and you’ll see something wonderful you’ll see a caring community.

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Exit

Poverty

JASON THORNTON

Jason Thornton is a twentynine-year-old Colorado Springs native attending Pikes Peak Community College part-time, majoring in Computer Science with the ultimate goal of transferring to UCCS. It is Jason’s staunch belief that, through technology, the blight of poverty can be solved which is the reason he decided to write his essay.

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A once separated world is rapidly becoming a very connected place. Over the past 10 years the cost of developing new ways for people to connect and process information has dropped drastically. As an aspiring student of Computer Science I am excited by the prospect of a world where technology is easily accessible to everyone. Getting emerging technologies into the hands of those who need it with simplified and easy to use software could be the Holy Grail of bridging the educational gap between the upper and lower class.

Internet access has connected the world like never before. Technology proponents argue that access to the internet shouldn’t be seen as a way to make a profit, but instead as a basic human right. A major hurdle to overcome is how the internet is delivered to those who cannot afford it. Technology giant Google has already begun rolling out its answer to that question with its fiber optic internet service.

Google offers paid options for faster speeds but additionally offers a free 5 megabit download 1 megabit upload internet speed. There has also been talk in both local and state government of providing a competing free service. This isn’t good news for companies such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable who make the majority of their profits on selling High Speed Data services to their customers. However, the need is for this type of public service is impossible to deny.

This leads to a healthy compromise where lower income families would apply for free internet

or pay a severely reduced costs, while those needing a higher level of service for entertainment or streaming video would continue to pay for increased speeds. This would allow internet service providers to continue to remain profitable while offering them an incentive to help poorer incomes.

Hardware also comes with the expectation of a high price tag. Desktop computers with all accessories can cost anywhere from $500 to $2000 to much more, which can make ownership an unattainable goal for those struggling to make ends meet. Through open source software like Linux, computer programmers have lowered the initial investment needed to deliver the necessary software people need. With free open source software in place computer hardware is still required, what good is free broadband access and software with nothing to run it on? That call was answered with the creation of cheap micro PCs 118

in the form of the $25.00 PC. This mythical price was often thought to be the point in which mass computing would finally be affordable and everyone wanting a computer could have one.

This dream was realized with the 2012 release of the Raspberry Pi micro PC. With the low investment cost now almost everyone can afford a PC of their own.

These cheap PCs powered by free computer software developed by computer science students and professionals worldwide open countless doors for education and those seeking employment.

With the obstacle of cheap internet access addressed and an affordable entry level PC available for masses. Computer Science majors can now begin working on smart software solutions. Software can be a difficult thing to develop because ease of use is important for those that may not be as experienced with using a computer. Better simpler software can begin to chip away at the unemployment epidemic 119

by giving a more efficient way to seek employment. The majority of employers have moved away from recruiting through job fares or accepting walk in applicants. Instead recruiters look to the internet to bring the applicants to them. With the advanced algorithms of modern search engines like Google or Yahoo! potential employees are

It’s not the house that makes it a “home” able to tailor their queries to better match a job they are qualified for. Another important factor is job location since many people in lower income are unable to travel a long distance to work relying on public transportation or traveling by bike or foot. These highly customizable search engines give them the ability to narrow down which jobs they apply for

by distance from where they live or jobs which hours match up to public transportation schedules which can also be verified online.

These types of advances have been brought about only recently thanks to computer science and will continue to be an invaluable resource for those looking for a solution for sustainable income.

Education throughout history has always had an inherent issue, cost. With the cost of books, facilities, and updated curriculum quality education can quickly price itself out of the hands of the poor. Students are also able to take advantage of the drastic reduction in the cost of technology. Before when a student was absent from school they would rely on another classmate to bring the assignments they missed too them. Now teachers have the ability to send the homework directly to their students ensuring they’re aren’t falling behind and are ready for the next day of class. What is so exciting about the immergence of

technologies like tablets and cellphones is with one initial investment the student has more than just a book these devices are interactive. Jody Lawrence-Turner observed in The Spokesman-Review, “Teachers have seen great things they’ve never seen before, Duchesne said. For example, there is a polling program so teachers can find out the consensus of opinion in the classroom.

This results in participation from all students, not just extroverts.”

(Lawrence-Turner) These types of advancements are things we’ve never seen before. This type forward thinking software gives those who may not even have had a book a higher level of involvement and students who are involved in the learning experience are likely to retain more information.

At the rapid pace the costs of technology continue to fall globally communities everywhere have a great opportunity to raise the standard of living. With improved education 120

employment, and better software to power these devices society is entering into a technological renaissance. This exciting and connected future is only possible with the achievements of the right minds in the computer sciences.

Works Cited Lawrence-Turner, Jody. “Tablets Are Changing The classroom.” Spokesman.com. N.p., 23 Nov. 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.

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Right: “Manitou Boy and Dog” Lacie McKindle

Lacie McKindle is a photography major at PPCC as well as a mother of three and a wife. She was inspired to take her photograph because of the juxtaposition of the young man’s appearance to the sweet expression on his face when the puppy kissed him.

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BORROWING Y D O RC

E H T HEA

Heather Cody is a 35 year old stay-at-home-mother that recently returned to school full-time and plans to transfer to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. A life-long lover of books (and stories in general), Heather plans to earn a degree in Literature with a minor in Creative Writing.

IT’S ALWAYS THERE. EVERY TIME I OPEN MY WALLET, IT’S THERE. GLARING AT ME. CHALLENGING ME. REMINDING ME OF MISTAKES I’VE MADE AND, OCCASIONALLY, PROBLEMS THAT I BROUGHT TO MY OWN PLATE. ITS ROUNDED EDGES PERMANENTLY RESIDE IN A SPACE CLOSE TO MY DRIVER’S LICENSE, GIVING IT AN IMPORTANCE THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD NEVER GRANT TO IT.

I could cast it aside, seeing it makes me feel so awful, but I choose to leave it there. I want the reminder. I need the reminder. I need to be painfully aware of choices I’ve made and the things I’ve had to do, so that I don’t end up there again and again. It’s nothing fancy, that shiny, hard reminder.

It’s a simple, little thing, most often tossed aside once it’s used up. Nothing more than a store gift card to the average person, but, to me, a representation of a place that I don’t want to go back to.

The gift card was given to my daughter years ago. There wasn’t anything very special about it. It carried a decent balance as we had grown accustomed to tight budgets and living frugally. Fifty dollars was put on that card by my mother-in-law as an Easter gift, along with the same amount on other cards for the other kids. I found it to be a bit of a dramatic gift but my motherin-law lives far away and enjoys doing extra-special things for the kids on holidays since she can’t be here to celebrate with us.

Our children have often received gift cards over the years. When our kids were really young, they were unaware of what those little pieces of plastic were and, we assumed, most likely wouldn’t have cared

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less had they been able to understand how they worked. Family members typically gave them for baby showers, birthdays, and at Christmas, always with the stipulation, “This way you can get whatever the kids might need.”

In those days, I took that suggestion seriously and literally.

I remember one Christmas where we loaded up the kids and the gift cards my husband’s father had sent the entire family, and headed to Target on a mission. Each of the kids got to pick one item, reasonably priced, of course, and the remainder of the balances went mostly to diapers and food. We happened to be short on funds that month and wanted to be sure the money went to something we all could use. While I felt guilty doing it that way at times, we could also justify it easily because they were things that we, and our children “needed.” We thought this was a better way to go about it than to use the money to purchase more toys that would just be tossed to 125

the way-side sooner, rather than later.

As the children grew, they eventually gained full control of what their gift cards were spent on. They were their gifts after all, and they were excited to spend them on fun toys and games that they always seem to have their eyes on. Once they got to ages that they could understand how the cards worked, we made sure to set up special days in which we’d take them to spend the money on their cards. They even got math lessons in the process, often keeping track of the amount on the card and the amounts of the items they wanted to purchase with a pencil and paper that we’d brought from home. It always made for a fun trip, as they’d be so excited to use their card at the register and pay for the transactions themselves.

When the Easter gifts arrived that particular April, my husband and I had been having a rough go with money. It had ac-

tually extended beyond that current week and had been plaguing us the entire month. When the cards showed up, however, no thought came to my mind of using the kids’ cards for some necessities that we’d been going without for a short time. We had the kids put the cards in their “piggy banks” and we went about our merry ways.

The following week, as is our luck, we found ourselves amidst a broken-down vehicle crisis, right when we were at a low point with our money situation.

Guiltily, my husband brought up the idea of borrowing one of the kids’ cards to get some basics at the store. I didn’t think it would hurt to ask one of our daughters if she would mind letting us use her card that week, and then pay her back the following week with “dollar bills that you can spend anywhere!” She seemed fine with it, and was even eager to head to the store with me to help pick out the things we needed. After getting through the store with

our items, and heading to the register to check out I pulled the gift card out.

My daughter proceeded to lose her ever-loving mind, right there, in the middle of the checkout lane. Her face dropped at the sight of the card, they all had different pictures on them and she

That sweet, normally wellbehaved daughter of mine proceeded to light into me. spotted hers immediately. Instantly she glared at me and stated, “That’s my card!” I wasn’t sure how to respond. I tried to just hurry the situation along, but she wasn’t having it. As I handed the card to the cashier, that sweet, normally well-behaved daughter of mine proceeded to light into me.

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“Why are you using my card? That’s my Easter gift from Gramma Hopkins! Why are you using mine? Don’t use mine!”

My jaw dropped. She is normally well behaved at the store, but the reality of what was happening had sunk into her four-year-old brain, and she wasn’t absorbing it quietly. “Why are you and Dad using my card? I wanted that!” She began crying, and she didn’t stop until after we’d left the store. The cashier looked like a deer in headlights, as she looked from my husband, to me, then back again, not knowing what to do. Finally, my husband told her to just scan the card. For the first time, we took the empty card back from the cashier, in an attempt to appease our daughter by showing her that we still had “her card,” regardless of if there was even anything left on it. I couldn’t look around at any of the people around us. I knew they were judging us. I didn’t need to see the dirty looks: I could feel them.

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While I was embarrassed by her display that afternoon, more than anything I felt like I’d just landed an award for Mommy-Fail of the Year. I felt like I’d let her down. I knew I’d brought on that entire ordeal by asking to use her card, and then pulling it out in front of her the way I did.

She didn’t really understand the situation, and I had gone along thinking she’d be just fine. All she knew was that the card represented her money that she could spend at the store; she liked the idea of helping mom and dad, but didn’t understand why her gift was being tied into it. It was both a difficult and odd situation.

It’s been a few years since that day, but the gift card is still there. We reimbursed our daughter after my husband’s next pay period, and she was ready to spend it not long after that, using it to purchase her favorite things in the entire world… toy dogs and cats. I keep the card for many reasons, but the main one

is just to remind me to always try harder as a mother and as a person. That card represents, to me, debt I never want to have again, yet sometimes I still do. That little piece of plastic is useless now, but I still keep it there to remind myself that I can always do better and try harder. Sometimes things will work out, other times, we will struggle. For the sake of my kids, regardless of the circumstance, I will always strive to at least try my hardest to raise the odds in my favor. When I’m successful, I shall celebrate.

When I fail, maybe I’ll throw myself a pity party. One thing I won’t do is give up; I haven’t thus far, and failure is not in my plans for the immediate future.

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The

Act of

being poor KEVIN GONZALEZ 129

The word “Poverty” alone can cause emotional, physical and involuntary responses, ranging from a sadness to swelter, to looks of pity or revulsion.

As a child, the word “Poverty” would bring thoughts of raggedly dressed, malnourished faces staring at me from a place I couldn’t relate to, much less imagine. My family was middle income and even though I didn’t get everything, we didn’t go without. The oldest and only son of three, I had a strained relationship with my father at the best of times.

My father drank heavily, which I became the focal point of most “drunken” tirades and all frustrations. I learned to hide and stay “off radar,” but to no avail. At age fourteen, I chose to leave and take on my sheltered view of the world.

It was the 80’s, disco was dead, yuppies rose to power and Phil Collins’ “Land Of Confusion” aired on MTV. The laws still had “loopholes” and I dove thru one. As long as I went to school,

I was obeying the law. I moved to the hill-country smacked-dab between rural and suburban TX. I built a modest home of plywood (liberated from construction sites) and tarps (unwillingly donated by any owner that left them aside). I would hunt, fish and go to school; a beautiful idea in theory.

I remember hunting and my first dinner, a small ground squirrel unlucky enough to be caught, open fire, all good for a bit. Then I remember the police picking me up after teachers at school complained of my “smell” and the expressions of horror and awe that the officers held as I led them to my camp. I was arrested, but as I stated earlier, “loopholes”. Two days in juvie, a once over by the attending physician, and back to camp for me.

As winter came, the game got more and more scarce. One day, two days, no food and the word “Poverty” began reeling in my head. A sudden realization

that I was the one on TV. Over the course of another year or so I ate everything from garbage, squirrels, rabbits, rats, even dogs and cats unlucky enough to stray too far from home. I remember learning the “dump” schedule of fast food restaurants to know which dumpster had what foods at what time. I know eating trash seems appalling, but it’s less horrific than eating someone’s pet, and before you judge, ask yourself, how many days have you gone without food?

I remember one day behind the golden arches, it was raining and I was starved. Well either because the rain or some other unforeseen reason, the evening dump hadn’t been made, so I huddled behind the dumpster. For an eternity I waited, until the sounds of dinner finally came. Once the employee was back in the store I quickly emerged and began to fill my backpack with my score. Tonight had been well worth the wait, and my bag swelled with food I knew 130

would last for days. As I turned to leave I was frozen in my steps as I heard my name called from a car in the drive thru, mesmerized and oblivious to the effects my actions were having to the car’s occupants, I approached a kid I failed to recognize in the back seat. “See I told you it was him….” Followed by laughter and a handful of pennies hitting me from the direction of the front window. “ Thanks” I said, and after picking up the change, I walked away happy in knowing I would live for now, feeling the tears as warm streaks in the cold rain. I told myself if ever given the opportunity, I would never treat a person in my situation like that or allow others in my company to do so. I never quit school, and during the end of my first years, a program was initiated to allow me to eat at school for “free”: I never missed another breakfast or lunch again, at least Monday thru Friday.

I chose the path I took and it led me from a sheltered 131

middle income suburban castle to the darkest depths of that we call poverty where I had nothing, no home, no possessions, and no clue what to do. While my friends worried about Jordan’s and Guess jeans, my daily thoughts were more rudimentary, “What am I going to eat? I’m cold. Am I going to die today?

Does anyone care? If there is a

What am I going to eat? I’m cold. Am I going to die today?

Does anyone care?

God, why doesn’t he help me?”

At this point you either go on or die, and you realize, this is poverty.

To understand the act of being poor, it isn’t necessary to go through the events I did, I would hope not at least. I do understand it a little differently

than most, though. The worst part is the people that walk around thinking, “Am I going to eat today? Does anyone care?”, aren’t the ones reading an article like this. They’re out there trying to just stay alive. So if you have the luxury of not being in a state of “poverty” please realize you’re the only ones that can help. No matter what you do, a donated can at the local food pantry, a dollar to the Red Cross or any other ways you can “Pay It Forward” is and always will be appreciated by those of your peers that may have the unfortunate reality of living in poverty.

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I was homeless on and off since I was 16. I felt like dying was a better alternative at times then to remain so poor. Same clothes for weeks, sleeping in hallways and warm places I could find, and starving. I stayed strong and signed up for school in hopes to change my life for the better. The subject motivated me strongly since I feel like I was myself a victim of poverty.

The

Disease AARON RASCO 133

About 305,579,193 people live in the United States and more than 46 million Americans live in poverty. Costs are constantly going up and they say unemployment is going down at times. That’s probably because they are basing their statistics off a percentage. Our lowest unemployment in United States was 2000-2001 and then in 20062008 it remained balanced, then skyrocketed up. Even in 20062008 it was still 1-2% higher than 2000-2001. Poverty can be based off unwise spending, ignorance, fear, or even a disability.

Homelessness is almost always because of poverty. Many homeless people have a drug

and/or alcohol addiction or they have a mental illness. I believe to help poverty would be to examine their root issues. Most of the root issues, though, are personal issues such as mental illnesses, drug addictions, financial illiteracy, and fears of success or failure. So diagnosing poverty as a whole would be very difficult, since most of the reasons of poverty are personal. Once somebody learns how to properly handle money, then their personal issue of financial illiteracy would be solved.

The CPI (Consumer Price Index) in the textbook Better Business shows where they estimate up to 100% of an average persons spending. Out of a total of 100% they say 42% for housing, 17% for transportation, and 15% food and beverage. The total percentage of your budget is spent in just these 3 categories, so figuring out your own chart is important. Having money is worse than poverty if the handler is careless and irresponsible

with their decisions. They may overcome their personal issue of financial illiteracy, but if handler is not disciplined then he could cause many more problems.

If somebody is physically disabled then there still are possibilities. Helen Keller was deaf and blind, and she left a legacy.

Also in our age of compassion, with physical disabilities, you could receive disability checks. If they are properly budgeted, then a person can have his bare needs.

Mental illnesses are a huge reason for so many setbacks too, but once the person acknowledges the mental illness and how it’s physically affecting them, they can seek help. People with mental illnesses can receive help by medications, counseling and physical activities.

Learn about what your assets, liabilities, income, and expenses are so you can have a better understanding of why you are in poverty, then it’s up to you to make the choice of eliminating 134

certain hobbies and habits. On the expenses column you must add your basic necessities such as food, water, housing, and clothing. Clothing isn’t always going to be in your expense column, but doing laundry can cost money. Housing can take a big chunk of income. If the housing or car column though collapses then it can lead to disaster. Housing and cars are always expenses and in some situations they can be assets and expenses. Unless you have the income, having monthly apartment rent and/or car would be difficult to manage. Majority of the time not paying some type of housing expense leads you to being homeless.

The shelter, transitional housing, jail, prison, dependency off friends and/or family, or physically living outside are all the other possibilities. From those list of possibilities can lead to other possibilities such as drug addictions, prostitution, violence, theft, robbery, criminal mindset and addictions. Mental 135

illnesses from not being able to manage homelessness, physical illness for not being warm and around other homeless, further distractions from even poverty such as getting assaulted, robbed, possibly killed, events

The reasons for poverty are personal. that happened because of homelessness, and events that happened because homelessness led to jails or mental institutions.

Poverty is a vicious cycle that can lead instantly to death or it can take its time and pick you apart through its many ways.

Poverty though is usually a result of negligence of time to figure out what category they need help in or even a negligence of effort to want more for self. Being in America where it’s possible to be a millionaire from homelessness,

the only excuse is that you don’t want it bad enough to find a way.

In America there is so many resources to help people living in poverty, so many government programs, grants, and charity.

We live in the country of compassion so accept the help and learn to budget what you get.

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Kimberly Baker is in her fourth semester at PPCC, where she is majoring in English. From there, she hopes to transfer to UCCS to become a middle school English teacher. She was inspired to this piece because of a homeless man she met at Waffle House. He was one of the most intelligent and beautiful writers she has ever met. All he needed was a word and conversation to remember that he was, indeed, a person and not just a wad of gum on the bottom of a stranger’s shoe.

Please Excuse

ME

KIMBERLY BAKER

Please excuse me; do you have anything to eat? I have not had anything in more than two days and you are the only one to even look me in the eye and not immediately sneer, like I am nothing more than something unsavory on the side of the road, a small unwanted thing or a piece of gum waiting to be stuck to the bottom of someone’s shoe.I am a human being, who only needs hep. I am just like that young girl the other day who gave me a single orange-and oh, how I peeled that orange slowly

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layer by layer

until the succulent fruit opened itself to me. I let the juices soak my fingers then I ate that orange slowly, so slowly! Each and every segment was like heaven to me, a pure and beautiful reality that does not match my own and could never compare to the dirty streets I sleep in or the city that does nothing but detest me when all I ask for is sustenance. Even just a kind word or a story to fill me when food is unattainable and I cannot bear the cruel reality of everything; I wish for the end to all things and yet cling to

single person will take one single moment to peel back my many layers and know that underneath I am not the piece of gum or the unwanted thing, but someone crying out for help in a city filled with people and waiting wanting

needing

I am a human being, who only needs help. my reality no matter how many nights I must sleep cold and sick and not knowing whether I will wake in the morning, no matter how many times I am sneered at or completely ignored, I keep holding on in the hope that one 138

to be heard.

Amber Schumacher: When I was younger, I never honestly thought I would ever go to college. Now I am older and I am so happy I decided to go. I am a military brat who has lived in a few different countries. Some of the motivation from the piece is because it has stuck with me. Also, because it did happen in a different country which helped me realize that poverty happens everywhere.

A

Memory AMBER SCHUMACHER 139

My friend and I were walking downtown. We saw a man sitting on the ground with a very sad, blank stare. He was holding a sign written in German, so I asked my friend to translate it.

Roughly translated, it said “She died in my arms. I’m too scared to commit suicide. I want to hire someone to help me die. Please help.” She read it aloud, and we looked at each other, speechless.

We kept walking.

I felt there was nothing I could do. I didn’t speak German.

I was 17, and in high school.

What could I have done to help this man? I was selfish because I had I wanted to keep my money, and giving him money to help

him kill himself would be wrong.

I had felt the same way once, wanting someone else to end everthing for me so the blame could be on them, though I don’t think he really wanted to place blame elsewhere. I truly believe he was just too scared to do it himself.

She died in my arms. I’m too scared to commit suicide. I want to hire someone to help me die.

Please help.

by reading his sign and seeing the way he looked. I often wonder what happened to him. Did things get better, or did he get the moeny he needed?

Poverty can be hidden in many forms. People usually associate poverty with money, but some people say they feel rich because of the people that surround them in their lives. The man with the sign obviously felt like he had lost everthing because he had lost “her.” He was a victim of poverty in a very different sense.

I will never know who “she” was, but I will never forget the man and his sign. I will never forget the hurt and sadness I saw in his eyes and in the air surrounding him. I felt his pain just 140

Traveling

BELINDA DEMARIO

Right: “Final Resting Place” Chrisy Smith

Christy Smith is a proud graduate of PPCC and a Journalism major at CSU-Pueblo. This is her third year as a contributor in Parley. “Final Resting Place” depicts rural decay in the once booming mine town of Victor, Colo.

The trolley has been in the same spot for many years, and stray animals and weeds have claimed it as their home.

Victor had almost 18,000 residents during the early 1900s, but today, has less than 400.

Belinda DeMario is graduating this year from Pikes Peak with an associate of science in physics. She plans to pursue a career in medicine because of her love of sciences and people. Working with people has always inspired her, and a recent trip to Oaxaca, Mexico inspired her piece on culture in poverty.

Mexico is a country with a diverse, breathtaking geography and a beautiful culture.

Unfortunately, Mexico is also a country with a bad reputation soiled by cartels, violence, and lawlessness. When I told people I was going to Mexico, the overwhelming response was shock and negativity. People told me I was crazy. They told me not to look American and not to get kidnapped, raped, or murdered.

The thing that stuck with me the most was being told how poor Mexico is. I was told that it was dirty and to be prepared for filth and disgust. I should be prepared to live with repulsive bathrooms and other abhorrent conditions.

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I am saddened at the way people chose to look at this unique country. What I saw and experienced was nothing like the waste land people described to me. I am not na誰ve to the fact that there is an extreme drug and poverty problem. I saw starving, disease and flee ridden dogs roaming the streets and people swatting them away without batting an eye because they cannot spare anything for them.

I saw people cook on stone ovens stocked with wood because they could not afford anything more sophisticated. I even saw people sleep in hammocks outside because they did not have beds or bedrooms, only small kitchen areas on their property.

The part of Mexico I experienced was so unlike anything people here in the United States could have imagined. The people in Mexico did not choose their living conditions, but they were able to make something beautiful out of their situation. In the depths of their poverty, a strong 143

culture emerged. This was made even more evident after talking with two people who lived in Mexico for a time.

Historically, Mexico is very centrally focused on Mexico City.

Most of the money for infrastructure has stayed in the capital and never gets to the outlying regions, so those areas are underdeveloped. Sinaloa is an example of one of these underdeveloped states. It is a long, narrow state, just south of the border, so it has become a drug highway to the United States. Because of the port city of Mazatlan, it has become an easy place to bring in drugs and ship them to the US. Robin was a part of a Christian ministry and for a decade, she dedicated her life to helping the impoverished in Mazatlan.

Her ministry had two goals. The first was working with the upper class to plan and create a church and leadership community that would work with the poor. They brought together government

agencies that would network in their own communities on behalf of the marginalized poor.

The second was to work directly with the marginalized poor population. Robin describes the poverty in Mexico as having three components: lack of resources, lack of opportunity, and lack of belief or vision. Infrastructure in Mexico is incomplete because of a lack of resources. Some people have crude cement brick houses, and others have wood structures with corrugated tin roof. They would be happy to have a light hanging off a pole for security reasons.

Robin describes arriving in Mexico with her family in their air-conditioned Volkswagen Jetta. It had to have been at least 100 degrees. She was pregnant, miserable, and pitying her condition when she happened to look over and see a house with a corrugated roof and wood post structure. She peered into the house and saw a woman with her young baby. There were no win-

dows, no screens, no doors, and definitely no air-conditioner to protect the family from the heat.

The woman dipped the baby into a bucket of water to cool him.

Without a high chair, the woman was forced to improvise again.

She had to strap the infant to a chair so she could feed him. That was the moment Robin realized that there are levels of suffering, and what suffering is to us doesn’t even begin to explain what suffering is to other people.

Lack of opportunity comes from a classist system where opportunity to move up is incredibly rare. This is important because it feeds into the lack of belief or vision. The people lack the belief that they can get an education and get out. They become accustomed to not having.

They feel depressed about their lives, yet despite this bleak picture of society, they learn to enjoy the moment. This was the biggest thing both Robin and I learned in Mexico.

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Robin describes a common picture in Mexico, “We had a maid who was having a birthday for her son and invited us. We went to her party, and there was so much food. The whole street was blocked off. All the neighbors were there. There were two or three piñatas and tables out.

Initially, I was kind of like, ‘geez, this is kind of a waste of money,’ but they were so good at creating these moments and experiences where you squeeze the joy out of life. I mean, why else live? They know they’re not going to move from their class to another class.

They’re rather stuck, and so the celebrations end up becoming the reasons for living, especially with children. They’re adored there. Very, very poor families still celebrate with an abundance of food and gifts. God parents help buy wedding rings. It is a culture of including people financially.”

Festivals such as The Day of the Dead would back the freeway up, and cemeteries would 145

be full of people. Balloons, cars, folding chairs, grills, and carts of food would be everywhere. It is a celebration, a joy of remembering people and family, because that is what matters most to people who have nothing else.

Remembering family is not just a once a year event, either. Altars are scattered around Mexico. The people decorate the altars with a picture of the deceased, their favorite saint, favorite food, orother things significant to the person to commemorate them.

The importance of family creates a sense of community, which was another thing that stood out to me.

Bruce is another person who worked in Mexico. He worked with the Mexican military on and off for three or four months, setting up communications along the borders. Each region had its own distinct cultural practices, but he described the community as a whole as close knit. The people would not turn a blind eye to each other’s strug-

gles. They knew their neighbors because they had to go to each other for goods. The Mexican military lacked a logistics system, so they had to rely on locals for parts and food. Nothing was big, and all the stores were in someone’s house. You had to know where to go to get to the tortilla lady. The Mexican military had to go into town daily to get food, and they never purchased inbulk. They only bought enough to get them through the day. Typically, there were no grocery stores or vendors who sold different things. You went to specific places to get specific things.

This sense of community contributed to the lack of a homeless population. Both Robin and Bruce described a lack of a homeless population in the majority of Mexico. When asked to describe the homeless population, Bruce said it was not immediately obvious that anyone was homeless. Homelessness and poverty in Mexico does not look

the same. Clothes are not ripped up and dirty like you might see in America. It is because the people take care of their own.

Robin described the same phe-

I am saddened at the way people chose to look at this unique country.

What I saw and experienced was nothing like the waste land people described to me. nomenon. In a country so deeply entrenched in poverty, there are not a lot of homeless people.

People tend to take care of other people there.

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My own personal experience was in El Venado, Oaxaca, Mexico. My best friend moved there to work on a farm established by an eccentric expatriate.

El Venado is a tiny town with a population of no more than 50 people. It is right on the southern coast of Mexico. Most of the houses are made of wood posts covered with palapa. Palapa is a thatched roof made of palm leaves. It is a very poor town, almost exactly how Robin’s town was. There are no doors, windows, or screens on any houses.

Most people do not even having running water or bathrooms.

The most beautiful cultural thing I witnessed was a local turtle rescue headed by a man named Nemo. It was a community activity where people of all ages came to help release the turtles. Nemo personally handled the background work, but the children and families would come on release days to help place the hatchlings for their race into the ocean. This had a 147

profound impact on me. I was so impressed that, in a town where some people don’t even have running water, they are still able to see something beautiful and worth saving in the world. Robin and Bruce both saw similar mentalities throughout Mexico.

Living in a developing nation has forced these people to consider their priorities,and their amazing choices such as family, culture, and community speak volumes about their character.

Publisher: Robin Schofield

Editorial Board: Katelyn Bennett Elizabeth Boucher

Editor in Chief: Danen Jobe

Interns: Christy Smith Rebekah Artman

Suzanne Burke Belinda DeMario Brittany Ducommun Indianeeska Hicks Robert Jones Christian Ott Jacqueline Paetzke Amber Schumacher Cassandra Slaven

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Creative Director: Adam Curry

Design team: Kerri Bortolutti Allison Corey

Parley Identity design:

Jonathan Fleecs Tanya Gose

Allison Corey

Arch Graham River Halleck January Kint Zoe Magnan Roger Pattison Tremayne Steinhoff James Thomas 149

Get and give help

ELIZABETH BOUCHER

Some of the Organizations in Colorado Springs Bridges out of Poverty Contact: Regina Lewis PhD, can e-mail directly at regina.lewis@ ppcc.edu Contact: Call Pikes Peak Community College at (800) 456-6847 or (719)502-2000 Colorado Springs Ecumenical Social Ministries Hours: Monday – Friday 9a.m.11:30a.m., 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Clients should be here at least 1/2 hour prior to closing time to ensure enough time to meet with a counselor.

Serves zip codes: 80903, 80905, 80906, 80907, 80909, 80910, 80916, 80926 Programs: clothing, prescription medications, personal hygiene items and transportation, utilities program, job program, food pantry, mental health services

Showers: first-come, first-serve, Monday-Friday, 9a.m.-11a.m., 12:30p.m.-2:30p.m.

To volunteer or find out more go to http://www.ecusocmin.org/Default. aspx Contact: 201 N. Weber Street Colorado Springs, CO 80903 (719) 636-1916 Interfaith Hospitality Network Hours: Monday-Friday 8a.m.–4p.m.

Programs: assistance for homeless families with children, short-term transitional housing, case management, counseling, take home technology, referral services To volunteer, donate, or find out more go to http://www.ihn-cos.org/ get/activities.htm Contact: 519 N. Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 (719) 329-1244

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Marion House Soup kitchen: Monday -Saturday 10:30a.m.-1p.m., Sundays, 8:45a.m.-10a.m.

Client services: Monday-Friday 8a.m-4:30p.m. by appointment, walk-ins welcome 10:30a.m.-1p.m. daily

Minor Procedure (appointments only): Thursday 1p.m.-5p.m.

Dental Extractions & Fillings (appointments only): Thursday 8a.m.12p.m., 1p.m.-4p.m.

To enroll or make appointment call (719)471-2789, appointments made in walk in basis, afternoon appointments on Thursdays only

Services: clothing closet, financial literary classes, parenting classes, legal referrals, nutrition support, employment search referrals, housing referrals, and more

Pikes Peak United Way To volunteer or learn about the programs they sponsor go to http:// www.ppunitedway.org/

To volunteer or learn more go to http://ccharitiescc.org/what-we-do/ marion-house

Contact: 518 North Nevada Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80903 (719)632-1543

Contact: 14 W. Bijou St Colorado Springs, CO 80903 (719)475-7314

Springs Rescue Mission Programs: New Life Program, Supportive Family Services, Resource advocate Program (RAP), Family Crisis Center, Family Mentor Alliance, and more

Peak Vista Homeless Health Center Mobile Van Hours: Monday 8a.m.–5p.m., Tuesday–Friday 8a.m.-12p.m. (Friday provider schedule allowing) Woman’s Clinic: First and Third Tuesday of each month 8a.m.12p.m.

Behavioral Health/Substance abuse: Monday-Thursday 8a.m.-5p.m., Friday 8a.m.-12p.m.

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Soup Kitchen: Monday-Saturday 5p.m.

To volunteer or to find out more go to: http://www.springsrescuemission.org/ Contact: 5 W Las Vegas Street Colorado Springs, CO 80903 (719) 632-1822