Chicago: "4th Most Miserable City in Country"

When I think of Chicago, I think of the beautiful lake of the East and the bustling shops that line the "Magnificent Mile", the clean streets, and the spectacular restaurants, but According to Forbes However, "Chicago is the 4th most miserable 

city".

Why is it so Miserable? 

Well according to The Chicago Sun-Times,  “Chicago residents must endure long commutes [31 minutes on average], plummeting home prices, brutal winters and high foreclosure rates". I think the criteria of "miserable" is not met here. First, 31 minutes is not that long and with public transportation, the city is very accessible. Next, some people love winter! I could never live in a city that doesn't have a cold winter season because who doesn't love beautiful snow and cuddling next to a fire drinking a warm cup of cocoa? However, Plummeting home prices and foreclosure rates are not a good trait for a city to have. Home values have gone down 37% in the past five years and we have reached an all time high of foreclosure rates of 3.3%.

When looking at cities, one has to think of their personal opinions of what makes a city pleasing. Sure some people hate cold weather, but some people can't stand the scorching sun. I think Overall, the positive things Chicago has to offer out ways the foreclosure rates and dropping home prices making it a great place to live. 

Do you think Chicago deserves to be the "4th Most Miserable City"?

Pledge to Accept: Spread the Word to End the Word

 A few weeks from now is the annual Spread the Word to End the Word pledge to accept day. This day  brings awareness about not using the word retarded (the r-word) when talking about people with mental disabilities and or special needs.

Many people know it is inappropriate to swear in school or call people of color the "N-word", so generally they don't say these words. But the word retarded is used continuously in  day to day lives. You may hear people say,
"this is so retarded" or "you look retarded", but what they don't know is it is just as harsh and cruel as calling someone the "N-word".

Personally, every time I hear this word, it breaks my heart because I have been working with kids and adults with special needs for over six years. Since 2011 I have pledged to never say the "r-word" and to this day I have helped many people become more aware to not say it.


To Pledge Your Support Click Here

Smart Guns

 Since the Sandy Hook shooting back in December, gun control has become a more prominent issue that has been showing up all over the media. A new type of gun may make the risk of deadly shootings a lot less likely to occur, by using a smart gun. Smart Guns "fire only when a certain magnetic ring [our watch] is in contact with the handle. So, if you don't have the ring, you can't shoot the gun".

  So you may be wondering why these type of guns would be beneficial. First, it would prevent the mentally ill and children from taking a family members gun. Also, for police officers, it would prevent their gun being taken and being used against them. 

According to NBC news, each year, "600 people are killed in accidental shootings. Some say putting this technology in the gun won't stop every gun death, but could save lives". Just the fact that some lives could be saved is why this technology for guns should be implemented to prevent future shootings like Sandy Hook from happening again.

For more information, watch the video to above.

Do Public Schools Actually Have a Uniform?

Young Adult Girls wearing similar outfits after school.

Recently in American Studies, we had a conversation about if public schools actually have a "uniform".  Our teacher noticed a few years back, there was an overwhelming majority of kids who wore North Face Jackets to school. Then an even bigger anomaly occurred. I can safely say 95% of girls at our school started wearing Ugg Boots. Why is it that we don't have to dread putting on "the plaid skirt high socks" private school uniform, when we all wear very similar things anyway. The Guardian reports that "the thought of school uniforms makes some people cringe", yet why are public school students wearing similar clothing?

Why do you think kids tend to dress similar to their peers?