Honors Housing

We tend to be the ones that isolate ourselves. We build walls around ourselves and we don’t let others in. Places and people sometimes divide themselves from the world. Many people, when they hear the word “isolation”, they assume that it is only referring to a social situation, or others just assume it is only referring to a geographical situation. That is far from the truth. Isolation can really be either one, and even more, as the definition of isolation is: cause (a person or place) to remain alone or apart from others. This states that anyone, anything, anyplace, can be isolated. In the novel, “The Giver”, isolation is an idea that is tackled, but is not really

Growing up in Hawaii, the idea of community was always such a fundamental part of who I was. I have never looked at it from the perspective of how it benefited me rather how it benefitted everyone around me. Everything I have done from joining local clubs that enriched the Hawaiian culture to volunteering with the west Hawaii special olympics program have helped me become the person I am today. My family has had a huge role in making sure that I am involved with the community. They passed down their practices in paddling, environmental conservation of Kealakekua Bay and encouraging the people who need it the most.

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the segregated South of the 1930’s. The book is told in the eyes of an eight year old girl, Scout Finch. Her father, Atticus Finch, is an attorney who is struggling to prove the innocence of a black man incorrectly accused of rape. The historical context of the book lets one see the social status of different groups during the civil rights era. The story explores who fits into certain societies, who is respected in the community, written and unwritten rules concerning family, gender, age, and race, expectations of certain people, and what conflicts arise out of tension.

Community in the dictionary means a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. Everyone belongs to a community or considers themselves a part of one, however communities tends to take away individualism. Anna Quindlen, author of “Commencement Speech at Mount Holyoke College”, spoke to the graduating class and delivered a speech on the effects of society on individuals. The purpose of this was to lead and guide the graduates into a happier life. Being true to self can only bring happiness, conforming to mold never designed to fit will only cause discomfort and unhappiness. Anna Quindlen conveyed this message by using metaphors and comparing a backpack to the weight of perfection.

In the past I have helped my local Catholic Church. I did many hours of community service serving out dinner to Catholics, helping set up games for the youth, helping set up and clean up yard sales, and helping anyone in need of assistance. Currently I try to help students around me with homework, notes, and helping them understand a specific subject more. In the future I would love to donate to as much charities as I can. As I would have a stable job, I would be able to help those who are less fortunate by donating. I would also try to be involved with my future community. I will try to help as much as I can to make sure out community will be a safe and healthy

Society is fooled into believing in the applied connection among people. Benedict Anderson’s idea of imagined communities emphasizes that, “… the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion” (5). Members of neighborhoods, cities, states, or countries feel a sense of unity with other members for living in the same place or maybe having the same basic values, but true unity comes from understanding the similarities among each other, considering the impact a person can have on another, and caring about lives. Recognizing the importance of lives being socially intertwined is necessary to sustain a considerate society.

I grew up in a small Texan suburb called Keller. I have lived in this area since I was in the fifth grade and, even though I now attend college in Dallas, I still come back to visit often. My family has recently relocated our residence closer to the Fort Worth area, but Keller remains a five-minute drive away and I still consider myself a Keller resident.

Fellowship, neighbors, and solidarity are just a few of the words that come to mind when thinking about community. Communities thrive on togetherness and support, and the best way to ensure the flourishing of these concepts is to get involved within the neighborhoods, towns, or communities that we live in. In his writing, “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital”, Robert Putnam discusses the connection between social capital and community engagement. Putnam defines social capital as, “…features of social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefits” (Putnam 182). He addresses the idea that community engagement is vital in increasing

Going into this interview project I was curious to learn more about the experiences that immigrants had to go through. My interviewee, Mario, is an 18 year old immigrant that migrated to America from Bolivia at the age of 10. I have known Mario since middle school and we’ve been friends since then. We have grown up around the same area too and now we both attend the University of Maryland. Being a 1.5 generation immigrant myself, I was interested to see if we shared similar experiences growing up in America especially since we’ve grown up around the same area. My interview with Mario has given me deeper understanding of the difficulties and challenges immigrants have to go through in their first few years in America. Through Mario’s experiences,

I was born in America and have grown up in America my entire life. I have never experienced anything similar to what the characters went through in the book, The Book of the Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez. Therefore, I found this book to be very interesting and eye opening. The characters had to pack up all their belongings, leave their comfortable life, and leave family and friends behind to move to a new country. This journey came with lots of challenges. They had to face different cultures, diverse people, strange food, difficult jobs and a different, hard-to-learn language. People all over the world face tough situations and hardships daily, and this book that had a very heartwarming and tear jerking story highlighted the tough

Recently on Tuesday, a very close cheerleading friend of mine named Alana Lyons committed suicide. She drove her car on the train tracked and sat in her car ready to die. I never want anyone to ever feel like they have no one. I remember my freshman year in the Freshman Living and Learning Center, I had the best Community Assistants ever. They were always there for me if I needed to talk or help with homework. I moved to college all alone, and they helped me break out of my shell. They were like a family to me and they still are my FLLC family. I could always count on them for anything. They were a support system. If my friend had a stronger support system, she would be alive today. I want to genuinely help any resident and be there support system. What will help me the most as a Community Assistant and that will help me to succeed is that I will always want to grow and improve. I am very eager to learn and take criticism.

I believe community is an important aspect to all our lives. Community builds character and, in some cases, defines who we are. There are different forms of community, such as “community standards” and “community action”, that ultimately bring individuals together whether they agree or disagree with one another. In his book Our Divided Political Heart, E.J. Dionne discusses what community is and its significance to society. Through my writing, I would like to specifically talk about “community action”, “community standards” and “community policing”.

If I was required to determine just one theme that has been exhibited and exemplified throughout my entire undergraduate career at the University of South Carolina, I would be able to say that it would be community. From my coursework, to the community service that I have been a part of, to the research that I have conducted, I have had a concentrated interest in aiding the Carolina, the South Carolina, and the national and global community when I can. Over the four years that I have been here my dedication to my community has transformed, drastically in certain ways. In the beginning I gave swaths of my time to taking part in volunteer projects across Columbia and the state, but over time and through my experiences I came to the realization

1. What is the nature of community? How do you define neighborhood? What are the differences between community and neighborhood?

Since many teens already have a lot on their plates with homework and extracurricular activities they often put themselves first above helping others. Also, many teens spend their weekends locked up in their rooms or just watching tv all day, they could do something very productive with the time they are wasting. With this in mind, community service not only helps your community but it helps get students out of their houses. Take, for instance,Habitat for humanity a nonprofit agency that builds home for people in poverty. THis agency is mostly run by volunteers and recently added a youthbuild to get children involved and volunteering. For example,in an article by