Citizen 110

Citizen 110 Hunger Games was an interesting class that I enjoyed. Throughout the semester, the class discussed the Hunger Games Trilogy as it relates to social issues that exist in our modern world. I read the trilogy back in high school but never had a chance really hear and talk about the perspectives my classmates explored during class discussions. I enjoyed the insights my fellow classmates offered because they expanded my horizons and perspectives.

Professor Beach helped me developed sound reasoning for my own academic arguments by giving very pointed constructive feedback on my papers, class work and speeches. She gave me the opportunity to succeed by letting me explore the Hunger Games Trilogy in an academic and open setting.

This class helped developed my ability to form scholarly arguments and think about how the world is connected through cause and effect. I feel I was better prepared to take Comm 101, Public Speaking, because of Citizen 110 taught me how to make a central claim with supporting ideas.

Below is my final speech outline that I had to present at the end of the semester. I worked hard to prepare and practice this speech so that when I presented, my words were meaningful. It is my goal to use this form of expression throughout my education. I l learned how to be clear, use evidence based reasoning and prepare a statement that made a sound scholarly claim.

Title: Poverty Robs Our Country’s Youth of a Quality Education

 Introduction: Poverty directly affects a person’s Liberty and inalienable right to access the public school education and resources needed to pursue happiness and live their life equally to those more fortunate. (1 minute and 15 seconds)

  •  Liberty according to the Declaration of Independence  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”(Jefferson)
  • The Liberties afforded to the most fortunate United States citizens is not the same as what is provided for our most vulnerable, low-income students who often have to fight harsh circumstances just to access a less than equal learning environment. 
  • Similarly to the Hunger Games, written by Susan Collins, the Districts technically have the same chance of winning the Hunger Games Battle Royale of Tributes yet the opportunity to gain the skills needed to survive are only afforded to Tributes from the higher leveled District. One week of training right before the competition is similar to a less than quality public school education given to low income Americans. 
  • United States Department of Education States: every citizen is entitled to an equal education:

“Our mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access(U.S. Department of Education)”

  • Quote: Across the country, the U.S. spends approximately 7 percent — or $1,000 — less per pupil on students educated in our nation’s highest poverty districts than those educated in the wealthiest. Again for a school district with 5,000 students, this totals to a $5 million short changing for our students who already have less“(in the journal Strength and Comprehensiveness of School Wellness Policies in Southeastern Us School Districts(2016) Cox). This highlights that education in districts has a correlation with school performance and funding.
  • THESIS: Public schools are supposed to serve all students equally and provide equal opportunity for our Nation’s youth; however, often times lack of funding, violence, domestic unrest, the achievement gap and ability to attend college denies low income students the Liberty to access the education needed to live life to the fullest.
  1.     Body
  2.   1)Low income school districts have a much higher rate of violence, dropouts, and difficulties at home, which all affects the students ability to learn and thus violate children’s Liberty and right to a quality education. (1 minute and 24 seconds)
  • Domestic unrest causes learning distractions for students from low-income households. Access to food on a consistent basis = need for free and reduced lunch, Substance abuse, neglect, involvement in criminal justice system and community violence are on the front of many low income students’ minds when they sit in a classroom trying to learn.
  • Poverty is also associated with higher rates of alcoholism and other substance abuse in the home; greater incidence of child abuse and neglect; and heightened family involvement in the criminal justice system.(in the book volume “America’s Mediocre Test Scores:
  •      Education Crisis or Poverty Crisis?”(2016) Petrilli and Wright,46-47) This distracts from the learning and prevents low-income students from having the Liberty, and inalienable right, to a stable learning environment that opens doors of opportunity for them to live their life free from obstacles that restrict their life.
  • Community violence, gangs, crime rate and ability to even get to school further negatively affects a student’s ability to access a quality public school education that opens doors to their future. 
  • Transition:The Liberty and inalienable right to access a safe learning environment at home and at school is often nearly impossible to provide students from low income districts.  Equal opportunity to earn a quality education restricts students who have the same drive and desire to live an educated, healthy and productive life. How can students control their happiness if they are denied the educational opportunities necessary to leverage their skills, talents and passions?

Transition

  1. B.     Low Income school districts have lower performances on national standardised tests and do not provide students with equal access to the quality education given to students from high income districts.  (1 minute and 24 seconds) 
  • Drastically worse on standardized tests that measure the quality of the education learned by students across the country.  
  • Quote: “children are living in poverty, which is a startling figure for one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. The information shows places and students who are poor do drastically worse in standardized test and get a much reduced education than those who are wealthy.(in the book volume “A Developing Theology of Poverty and Health Applied to Nursing Education. 2015” Cone)
  • Quote: Rich/poor achievement gap evidence- Specifically, low-income students score 1.25 standard deviations lower on standardized tests than high-income students. This income achievement gap is significantly larger than the well-known black-white achievement gap and is 40 percent larger than it was in the 1970s when it first began to widen. (. The widening income achievement gap. E-book,Faces of Poverty,2013 Reardon)
  • These test score discrepancies prove capable and talented students in low income districts are not provided with access to equal education. They are robbed of the Liberty to pursue happiness and live their life to the fullest the first day they enter a school building.  
  • Transition:. The baggage resulting from being educationally underserved hinders a student’s capability to succeed beyond high school. The cycle of denied access to the Liberties afforded more affluent Americans repeats itself to and throughout college.  
  1.   Low income school districts rate of college acceptance, college enrollment and graduation rate. (1 minute and 24 seconds) 

The few students who are accepted into college have the odds of being successful and completing schooling stacked against their favor.

  • Quote: Acceptance
  • Enrollment: “In terms of enrollment immediately after high school graduation, 54 percent of students from lower-income schools entered college compared to 69 percent of higher-income students (in the journal artica Tinto, Vincent “Student Retention and Graduation: Facing the Truth, Living with the Consequences.”2004.PDF.)
  • Graduation:  While 60 percent of the wealthiest students complete their studies and graduate, only about 16 percent of low-income college students graduate, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.( in the artical “Moving Beyond Access: College Success for Low-Income, First-Generation Students.” (2008)Engle )
  • Transition: College acceptance rate, graduation rate and success rate are all indications that our nation’s education policy does not work for all students equally. Our country is in violation of the Constitution for not respecting the Liberties and inalienable right to a quality public school education to all citizens equally. 

                                            III.      Conclusion (1 minute and 20 seconds)

  • The disadvantage to students in education is similar to the Hunger Games as the richer Districts, such as District 1, 2 and 4, have a higher likelihood of winning the Hunger Games than poorer Districts,such as 11 and 12.  Also, since there are so many more Victors in Districts 1, 2 and 4, they have the advantage of learning from the positive example of how to succeed rather than focusing on how to survive for as long as possible. 
  • Like in the Hunger Games, our government feels as though every young person/competitor has an equal chance of succeeding in life and winning the games but in reality, the less fortunate students are denied access to the resources needed to learn  to succeed. How can students have hope of a life of happiness if they cannot get out of the arena alive? 
  • The US Constitution and Department of Education state everyone is entitled to equal rights and opportunities but are they?
  •  We can see how a Tribute’s District places them at an automatic advantage or disadvantage in the Hunger Games. Our country is not serving all students equally when we deny access to the same education and that sparks a young person’s potential and awesome contribution to our world.                          

 

Works Cited 

Cone, Pamela M. H. “A Developing Theology of Poverty and Health Applied to Nursing Education.” Christian Higher Education, vol. 14, no. 3, 2015, pp. 158–160.

Cox, Melissa J, et al. “Strength and Comprehensiveness of School Wellness Policies in Southeastern Us School Districts”. Journal of School Health, vol. 86, no. 9, 2016, pp. 631–632.

Engle, Jennifer. “Moving Beyond Access: College Success for Low-Income, First-Generation Students.” 2008. PDF.

Jefferson, Thomas. “Declaration Of Independence”. Monticello, www.monticello.org/declaration/?gclid=CjwKCAiA_MPuBRB5EiwAHTTvMUDy5hsNv-LAF7-MCRzZBgyO2Ci9jKPg72nEh wH0hoZLACbc u4XxoC6iMQAvD_BwE. Accessed 17 Nov. 2019. 

Petrilli, Michael J, and Brandon L Wright. “America’s Mediocre Test Scores:

     Education Crisis or Poverty Crisis?”. Education Next, Vol. 16, No. 1, 2016,

  1. 46–47.

Reardon, Sean F. The widening income achievement gap. E-book, Faces of Poverty, 2013.

Tinto, Vincent “Student Retention and Graduation: Facing the Truth, Living with the Consequences.”2004.PDF.

 U.S. Department of Education, U.S Department of Education, n.d.ww.ed.gov/. Accessed. 17 Nov. 2019.