What Defines Me

What defines a person? His or her actions, breathes, tangible items or intangible moments that seem to be priceless? A person can best be defined by his or her interests; intellectual interests influence our thinking and personal interests influence our actions and choices.

Social Psychology, theories on personality and intelligence are an interest of mine. Fascinated with why people are a certain way, I have a passion for working with people which provides opportunities to analyze their actions, based on age groups and social settings, to better understand and help them. I also have a curiosity in sexuality, gender, social constructs, and normalization in society because of the prevalence of gay rights in the news. My place at such a diverse institution also influences me to learn about my peers and to better understand society as a whole, especially in the means of how concepts are socially constructed and how greatly it influences society.

Children are another a major interest of mine. I have worked with many different types of children in a variety of settings. They are interesting to me because everyone, despite all of our differences as humans, has a childhood and was a child at one point. Being able to influence a child’s up-bringing for the better motivates me.

My passion for creativity, psychology, and children has heavily influenced my career choice of child-life specialization. My personal interest in improving the lives of children in hospitals has influenced my actions. I have volunteered with domestically abused children and raised money for children at John’s Hopkins Children Center.

In combining intellectual and personal interests, I am able to define myself as more than a mere student of Psychology, cheerleader, sister, friend, or other various roles. Rather, the intersectionality of the roles is how I can be defined. 

Word Count: 299

The Inner-City ORCHkids

Reciprocity
Valerie Koury
Word Count: 270

“Not good…We heard gun shots…we had to walk the other way to school…A man died that day,” a second grade response to what is good about Baltimore.
The first time I walked into Lockerman-Bundy Elementary, my schema for an inner-city school was lost. Colorful murals filled the walls. Looks can be deceiving; I did not get my hopes up about the types of students that filled the vibrant school I would be working with. I was nervous about being down town, with flashing blue lights and meandering people. Yet, everyone at the school smiled and greeted me as if they did not notice the setting, mitigating my apprehensions.
I worked with students to complete program evaluations for ORCHkids. ORCHkids is an after-school music program that works with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to teach children to play and to care for instruments, while providing a snack and two extra hours of care beyond the normal school day. My first day was going well, and then I met Desha. Her spirit was remarkable and rejuvenating. She and the other staff and students truly enjoy being at the school and engaging with the music. The program consists of dedicated volunteers and teachers, and hardworking students who want to be successful in music. Though the program is contingent upon limited resources and thoughtful donations of supplies, the enthusiasm for music and education is the key to the program’s success.
I never knew working with a group of inner-city students could be so rewarding and refreshing. “Music is a gift…people can use it to express themselves,” a second grader’s answer to her thoughts on music.

Point: It is important to never judge based on stereotypes; there is good and bad everywhere. Never underestimate the power of a small group’s determinism and dedication, for you may miss out on a school of opportunities and enlightenment.

It was the Best of Learning, it was the Worst of Learning

My school’s math and economics requirements made me tremble, but I had teachers that taught me methods of learning and note taking that compensated for my lack of ability and allowed for my success.               

            Those teachers also could easily identify the area to the students, as well. This sets the class room experience apart from others because a student feels like the subject is worth studying and it is more memorable because they have a concrete example they can relate to. Skilled teachers make the lesson comprehendible, but truly knowledgeable teachers engage the student, making the lesson invaluable.

(Word Count: 98)

            Most teachers strive for the success of their students, but some teachers lack basic skills that allow students to attain such. When a class revolves around reading off of power point slides, talking at me, not to me, and not engaging me at all, the chance of truly learning is lost to boredom.

Curriculums are demanding, however, students will not be successful unless they comprehend the basics before advancing. Thus, teachers should not rush into complex materials before ensuring they have covered the basics. Not taking time to adequately teach material and answer questions puts a damper on the learning experience.

(Word Count: 101)

Intolerance Will Not Be Accepted

Intolerance Will Not Be Accepted

Valerie Koury

Word Count: 298

I was drowning; he was unaware I was gone. I had no idea that the person who would become my best friend was letting me drown at the time. This created a strong friendship. He confided in me his secret sexuality; I confided that I had a homosexual sister. I never stopped accepting him for exactly who he was, but Sam neither accepted himself, nor did he allow others to accept him. He feared rejection and ostracism from his family and peers. It was not fair to me, nor was it fair to Sam that he felt it necessary to end his life because he could not bare the overburdening acts of bullying any longer. I panicked at the thought of Sam’s potential suicide. Would I lose my best friend to the discrimination that society imposes on those who love differently?

With Sam’s life in my hands as motivation, I took an enormous leap of courage and sought help. Without revealing his homosexuality, I informed his mother about the bullying Sam had undergone. Knowing he would be unbelievably upset with me for what seems an act of betrayal and risking our friendship, I attempted to save the world from a tremendous loss.

I lost Sam as a friend that day. But losing someone as a friend is better than losing them as a person. I accepted my moral obligation to help a friend in desperate need; I would not let my friend drown in the murky water he saw as life.  

Tolerance is an objective attitude; acceptance is a fully assenting attitude. “Each person deserves [my] respect. Everyone has the right to their own opinions, but not the right to hurt people and put them down because of who they are” (Nicole King). Intolerance will not be accepted.

Belief: Acceptance.

"Be the change you want to see in the world" (Gandhi): Generation Responsibility

Whether forced or longed for, today’s generation faces great responsibility. Teens are influenced and pressured in areas of responsibility from schooling to changing the world. Craving the freedom of adults, teens pressure their parents into giving them more freedom, in turn, responsibility. Caught up in the responsibilities of their own, it is easy for parents to distribute responsibilities to their still-maturing teenagers.

Our generation engages in the idea of molding an identity amongst our peers, exemplifying the title of responsible. We are maturing more rapidly than ever, showing we can handle the responsibility, whether it is forced or longed for.

"Be the change you want to see in the world" (Gandhi) 

 

Word Count: 100

Two Birds With One Stadium, Blog 5 repost

Black and orange; the colors swam through my blood stream while my mother, an Orioles fanatic, prepared me for my first baseball game. We traveled from Arkansas to Maryland to watch. Fans flock from all over the country to see “The Birds” play at Camden Yards. Thus, the Orioles stadium provides a nostalgic, family-friendly event, and an All-American tradition of watching baseball, in a stadium that has been around for as long as families remember.

You can see the stadium from a mile away; you’ve almost reached “Bird Land.”  Though every person has a different experience, each person shares one thing: walking through the stadium gate that awaits the magic. My mother and I walked through hand-in-hand; the energy was electrifying. This memory, along with countless others created with family and friends, is one reason how the Orioles stadium creates nostalgia. Not only do you remember the game itself, but you recall the path that paved that memory: the journey through the gate.

Camden Yards gathers people from all backgrounds because of the love for an All-American sport. Everyone energetically fills the stadium, feeding off of each other's energy. Camden Yards gives fans of all kinds a place to congregate and enjoy the game together.  

My mother and I rooted the Orioles to victory and we have been cheering ever since. Moments like these shape our lives. With all of the changes that people are challenged with, Camden Yards has remained, creating a sense of stability in an all-changing world.

Word Count: 250

Two Birds with one Stadium

Black and orange; the colors swam through my blood stream while my mother, an Orioles fanatic, prepared me for my first baseball game. We traveled from Arkansas to Maryland to watch. Fans flock from all over the country to see “The Birds” play at Ripken Stadium. Thus, the Orioles stadium provides a nostalgic, family-friendly event, and an All-American tradition of watching baseball, in a stadium that has been around for as long as families remember.

You can see the stadium from a mile away; you’ve almost reached “Bird Land.”  Though every person has a different experience, each person shares one thing: walking through the stadium gate that awaits the magic. This memory, along with countless others created with family and friends, is one reason how the Orioles stadium creates nostalgia. Your spirit heightens as you look for your seat; you look around to see fellow fans all ready to experience the Orioles.

Ripken Stadium gathers people from all backgrounds because of the love for an All-American sport. Toddlers who grow into the elderly that fill the stadium can enjoy a baseball game because the stadium welcomes everyone; giving fans a place to congregate and come together to feel part of the team that represents most fans’ hometown.                

These are important aspects to consider when thinking in terms of preservation because with all of the changes that people are challenged with; the Orioles stadium has always been there, creating a sense of stability in an all-changing world.

Word Count: 246