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GLBT Community

MENS UNITED TO SAVE OUR YOUTH!!!

The organization that i found to be very helpful in my community is a group called mens united to save our youth it is a mens organization in my community that was formed to help create different programs that would help the youth. My father is a member of the group and it is really successful they do alot of charity events and different things for teens to participate in, so they have things to do to keep them off the streets. They also focus on different tactics on making the environment that we live in a better place, they have proved to be a success to me and they have made thir own calender and they have been in the newspaper numerous times, so i believe that this is a very helpful organization built around helping the youth and it is really working.

Broadway Youth Center

One of the community programs/organizations that I have heard about in Chicago is the Broadway Youth Center, and is a branch of Howard Brown and their services. They provide a place for kids to hang out, get help with legal issues and basic heath issues, community outreach programs, counseling, support groups and free testing and safe sex supplies. I learned about this program from one of the people who works there who came to one of my classes here. While I haven't been to the BYC, I couldn't have been more impressed with it after hearing about it. The man who told us about their services was very friendly, informative and seemed to really care about the kids they were helping. 

CMBWN

Searching Chicagoland area organizations, I stumbled across the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network. This organization provides healing by leading public advocacy and public policy efforts, providing education and public awareness of domestic violence, and connecting victims of domestic violence to service providers that can aid them in their time of need. I found that the organization's definition of a domestic violence offender as anyone who "physically assaults (which includes but is not limited to; hitting, choking, kicking, shoving, raping, destruction of personal property), threatens, harasses, exploits, neglects, deprives, intimidates dependents, stalks, or interferes with the personal liberty of another family or household member" (http://www.batteredwomensnetwork.org/id15.html)
This not only covers the physical aspects of abuse, but also the mental and emotional aspects that are equally sufferable.
If I were asked to change anything about the organization, I would make it more broadcasted. Before today I have not heard of this organization, and I'm aware of others who have endured what the SMBWN identifies as domestic violence. These people have swept it under the rug, and thought they have rid themselves about the problem, they still carry the emotional baggage that could have been easily delt with, provided the proper treatment was applied.

Kaitlyn Privett

Citations

Be sure to not copy and paste from websites without citing where the quote came from. Remember it is plagiarism to use someone's words or ideas as your own, even if that wasn't your intent.

Program

One of the programs that I found was Teen Reach (Teen Responsibility, Education, Achievement, Caring and Hope). "It is specifically designed to improve the lives of young people residing in public housing developments through academic enrichment activities, recreation and sports, positive adult mentors and life skills education. The primary purpose of the Teen REACH program is to provide delinquency prevention services to youth and their families. The program itself is structured to help formulate relationships with other neighborhood and community based agencies and institutions in developing structured activities."*

I think that this is a really great program because it is helping those in bad neighborhoods, which are the ones that need it the most. It is also providing these kids with people to look up to and not only things to keep them of the streets. I lived in a very bad neighborhood my entire life, and there weren't any programs like this around. Also our school system wasn't helping children like it should have. I think that if this kind of program was around in my neighborhood many of the kids that I knew growing up could have had a better life and would be in a better place than they are today. I don’t think I would change much about the program. I read that it is only in certain areas, so I would make it available for more children in more towns and areas.

*http://www.whfschicago.org/services/child_family/teen_reach.html

UCYP

A program I found here in Chicago is called the Uptown Community Youth Program. It was founded in 1998 on the north side of the city, using donated spaces at Loyola University and Truman College. It currently has about 100 participants and is staffed by over 120 volunteers. The UCYP offers a variety of opportunities and programs for kids in grades Pre-K to 9th grade. There are programs in Literacy, Tutoring and Mentoring, as well as college and career preparation. They also offer recreational activities such as sports, art & crafts, and field trips. Another attribute of it is their Comprehensive Volunteer Health Clinic. It is located in donated space within Children's Memorial Hospital and run by volunteer physicians. They offer medical services and 24 hour emergency care.
I think this organization sounds like a good place for kids to go and learn, as well as a safe place for them to be. There could be more programs added for more variety, but other than that it seems like it is very successful and working the way it is. There are many volunteer opportunities available as well, if you are interested in getting involved in helping Chicago's youth.
I found this information on their website: http://www.chicagoyouthprograms.org/Programs/UptownCommunityYouthProgram/tabid/78/Default.aspx

Community Programs

A community program that I know of in the suburbs of Chicago is called Kids Klub. Kids Klub is a before/after school "club" that is for children whose parents both work. It is held at whatever elementary school that you currently attend. It gives the children a safe place to go while they are out of their parents supervision. They do activities and games and are supervised by certified babysitters. Kids Klub, however, is only offered through fifth grade. I think in order to be more effective, it should be used in the higher grades as well, with different and more mature activities and games of course. Another fault, is in order to be a part of it, both of your parents have to be working. This is specifically remember, because my friend Helen, would always tell me how much fun she had in Kids Klub, making me want to join. But I couldn't as both of my parents did not work. However, children whose parents both don't work can still be getting in trouble. So I think it should be offered to anyone and everyone.

My mom works at Forest View School, one of the schools the program takes place at. That is how I got my information. I looked for a website but I didn't have any luck.

Blog Post #4: Community Programs

After listening to Ghetto Life 101 and Remorse: The Story of Eric Morse I want you to do some research on community programs in the Chicago area and create a post that details the work the program does.

1. Detail what the program is about.
2. Critique the program. Would you change anything? Why do you think it works? Etc . . .

Due Tuesday 3/10

the world of dance

A sub-culture that I am involved in is the world of Dance. I call this a subculture because it is something I have been apart of pretty much my whole life. The art of dance involves a variety of different things. There are different styles and techniques, which could divide the general subculture into even more smaller ones. I think it is unique because it is something that can be considered a sport or an art form. It depends on who you ask. Though it takes training and stamina, I personally consider it an art form. I believe it is more than just movement, but that it all has meaning and is connected to an emotion.
There are a few misconceptions of dancers. There are stereotypes - like how the common person thinks that all dancers have to be thin and skinny. In some extreme cases and professional levels this may be partly true, but for recreational dance weight does not matter. Its more about how you feel doing it necessarily than how you may look doing it. I love dance because it is personal and something that you can do for yourself. Another common misconception or stereotype is that all male dancers are gay. While this very common, it is not true of all of them. In my life I have known amazing male dancers who have stopped dancing because they were made fun of and accused of being homosexual by other guys. These things are the negative aspects of being apart of the dance world.
One last part of the subculture is that it has its own language. There are the many techniques and styles as well as all of the dance moves. Much of it, especially ballet, is entirely french vocabulary, so you learn some french as an added bonus. I am definitely proud to be apart of this artistic and beautiful sub-culture.

Road America

I belong to many different sub-cultures. Some of which are common among my generation, friends, and peers, but some are not. One of the sub-cultures I'm a part of is that of where I work during the summer. It's a road course style race track two hours north of my home town. It is a weekend thing and one of the best places I know to be in the summer. People usually are in disbelief when they hear that I work there. This is because I am a female who now lives in the city. People think that only guys know stuff about cars and that racing is a guy thing. But it's not. A lot of females work at the track actually and a good number of them deal with the safety team and control tower as well as at the gate selling tickets and in management. We have our own language as well. The jargon we use is not what people usually expect it to be. I confuse my friends and family when I talk about it because they have no idea what I'm talking about. The gate has its own dialect you could say and so does saftey and the control tower and security. However, we all also have a universal language by knowing where things are and what they are called. The turns on the track for example or the different places to eat or park. Everyone that works at the track knows where they all are and what to call them. We are a community as well. The people I work with up there, the spectators, we all share a common bond. A passion for cars and motorcycles and for true racing. This helps us create the sub-culture of race fans, but its more than that. it's family, friends, and to some people, it's a way of life. I was raised with cars and racing. I got this job because of some friends of the family who are the head of safety and work in the control tower doing disbatch to the safety crews. I use to listen to my family talk about racing and became very interested and even though I do not know too much about cars, I know enough to get me by. I also have learned from sitting with people in the control tower and listenin to them on the walkie talkies and how they communicate. I have an understanding of flags, signs, colors and maps that most people wouldn't understand. Racing is the subculture I belong to and I feel completely accepted in it.

subCULTURE

            I was a little unsure what subculture to talk about, because I think I belong to many.  I do think that one kind of over powers the others and that would be the Psychobilly subculture.  I don’t know how to really explain psychobilly to anyone, because it has a million different elements to it.  I looked to wikipedia to sum it all up or me, and I think they did a really good job.  “Psychobilly is a genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is often characterized by lyrical references to science fiction, horror and exploitation films, violence, lurid sexuality, and other topics generally considered taboo, though often presented in a comedic or tongue-in-cheek fashion.”

            It has everything that any other subculture has.  The fashion, which I love, because I’m all about red lipstick and heels.  Then there’s the fact that it takes a lot of influences from old 1940s/ 1950s horror and exploitation films.  These are my favorite kinds of movies and it’s pretty cool that a music culture can incorporate a different medium.  I also like how the scene doesn’t really take it self to seriously and is usually filled with some of the most amazingly funny people with insane talent.  Most importantly there is the music.  It’s hard to describe the exact sound of psychobilly because it has many genres mixed together, but it is usually a rockabilly and punk mix.  My favorite bands in this subculture would be The Cramps and Black Flag.  I mean I know Black Flag is almost purely punk, but I seen interviews were the band says they get a lot of influence for the psychobilly sound.  I like the fact that this subculture really defines everything I like, so I’m glad I’m part of it.

Sub-culture \m/

There are a lot of sub-cultures I belong to. Out of all of them, the one i think is most understood has to be a fan of the music genre known as Heavy Metal. I say it's the most understood because most people who can't understand the lyrics or the mood feel it's a negative message. There is no more of a negative message in this music than there is in any other type.  Aggression is part of life and things will piss everyone off at one point. I deal with it through music. I go to concerts, I play guitar, I write lyrics, and play in a band. Not all of this Heavy metal music is about hurting people or saying how you hate your life. For a lot of these bands, it's about releasing energy and having people that agree with that feeling, come together and rock out. A lot of songs relate to the state that this nation is in or how they feel about certain individuals in office. The feeling isn't just done through the lyrics. The drummer may have a bass drum pattern that sounds like a marching band, with fills to separate the neatness. The guitarist can pull out an awesome solo where he shreds the shit out of the high notes and then goes back to blowing us away with an amazing chorus and verse. When

When people hear Metal, they think of people wearing black and having bleeding mascara and fishnets around their arms and shit. Not everyone is like this, and most people dress this way to feel outside of their normal state. I don't dress up or anything, but when I play, or go to shows, I'm wearing black and throwing up my Metal Horns every chance I get. I get to let loose for three or four hours. It feels great. 

sub.culture.

A subculture that I would say that I belong to is the hardcore/post-hardcore scene subculture. It's the music, the shows, and also what comes with it, the style.
There are definately alot of misconceptions about this subculture. The fact that it's "angry" and "harmful" just because the music is heavy and screaming. A lot people will hear the music and think it's all about killing yourself and hurting people but if they really listened to it they would realize that it has some of the most meaningful lyrics with really powerful messages. Yeah, some of it is about revenge and a big 'fuck you' to those that have betrayed you but it's also about being stronger, being independent, and finding those friends that will always have your back. People also misinterpret the moshing for actual fighting. This is when they classify a person a part of this subculture an angry, pissed off, person who hates themselves and the world, this is partly wrong, yes the hardcore scene consists of alot of kids who are angry and pissed off but no, they do not hate themselves, they hate others. The music and moshing all put together in one definately gets alot of aggression out in a healthy way.
I guess you can say that there's a certain language, there's at least certain terms and rituals. There's the wall of death, circle pit, mosh pit, breakdown and pig squeal. You should know the "rules" of the pit before you go in it. There's usually some kid "running" it, but that's only sometimes.
The music is definately the majority of it. It's not metal or death metal, it's hardcore/post-hardcore just because hardcore is more like the older bands and comes more from the east coast while the post-hardcore are alot of the current bands with a lighter feel and some screaming mixed in with singing. It's a versatile type of music, there's the true hardcore bands like bane, hatebreed, converge, terror, first blood and then there's the newer ones that some can arguer suck alot of ass like heavyheavylowlow, bring me the horizon, a day to remember, august burns red; and then there's always the regional ones which could be a subculture within a subculture so Milwaukee has sleep serapis sleep, with hours waiting, hail archer, we had since by man but they broke up and not quite hardcore but worthy the promise ring. There's also a great number of Christian hardcore bands (underoath, the devil wears prada, attack attack, norma jean, any band on tooth and nail/solid state records) that are respected even though some of the kids that listen to them may be atheist or not believe in the Christian beliefs they're able to put that aside and listen to the music.
Also, like any other subculture, there's the style. The piercings, the tattoos, the tight clothes, but sometimes guys will opt for the baggy gym shorts and a hoodie or just a regular band tee. The stretched ears, sleeves, neck tattoos are very common things. Some people think that with this look brings a mean person but really these people are the nicest people ever and are so accepting of anyone with an open mind and respect. I love being a part of it, going with friends to shows and actually caring about the music and watching our friends in the bands on stage is awesome.