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Analysis Of Harper High School, Part One By Englewood

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The narrative (auto)biographical podcast “Harper High School, Part One” by This American Life vocalizes the story of staff, students, and parents at the high school and the neighborhood of Englewood through three different acts. In the first act, it is delineated that Englewood is overrun with an abundance of gangs that are affiliated with their respective streets. However, there is no initiation to get into a gang, instead, students are automatically considered part of a gang based on where they live. “Rules” are created as a result of the violence amongst the gangs and in the general community. As a continuation, the second act deals with a social worker, Crystal Smith, and a student named Devonte who accidentally fired a gun, which killed …show more content…

In the first act of the podcast, an adolescent from the Englewood neighborhood advises participating in school to be able to stay away from home. This shows the importance of how a school can serve as a safe place for a multitude of students. This sense of security allows students at the school to have a sense of normalcy and allows them to experience regular teenage opportunities. Furthermore, the high school being a secure place grants the students of Harper High School to receive an education that allows them to develop their identities and interests. The school is a convenient resource, which is seen in Devonte’s case as he gains the benefit of counseling offered by the school. He can learn more about his emotions towards his younger brother and is equipped with tools to tackle his guilt. Harper High School as a school with its astounding education not only tries to instill normalcy and livelihood into its students in preparation for the future but also combats the aftermath of the violence happening in the community in the present. My high school served as a place of socialization with other teenagers my age. My parents were strict with me so I could not go outside with friends often, and it was during the COVID-19 pandemic that I realized how fundamental connecting physically with others was. In the present tense, I appreciate that my high school not only offered an education but allowed me to socialize with others, serving as a vehicle for experiencing different

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