Service To Others

The People's Resource Center in Wheaton mission is simple, their goal is to be able to be "Meeting our community's needs - neighbor to neighbor". Last year the People's Resource Center distributed 2.6 million pounds of food in the DuPage county area including over 9,000 families. Since 1975, they have been bringing neighbors together to respond to hunger and poverty. The People's Resource Center provides other services such as food pantry, clothes closet, social services, and job assistance, among others. For example, their clothes closet provided 1,635 households with clothing for their family and in addition, 158 people found jobs through their services.

On March 25 from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., I served at the People's Resource Center food pantry in Wheaton. I, along with my fellow volunteers/workers were able to help out with handing out food to the families as well as packaging the food and placing them on the shelves. I greeted the families as they passed by and helped them grab their food. As I helped out these families, they were very grateful and it would often bring a smile to their faces. They would say thank you and I would move on to the next people in line. Even though I wasn't the one that provided these foods, I felt proud that I was able to bring happiness to these families just by handing them out.

The feeling of giving one of the basic necessities of life to these families in need is something that I would definitely want to experience again. I am curious about how other food pantries are around the country. Depending on where it is, they might have a different way of distributing food because of their location. I am also curious to see if there are any other facilities such as food pantries around the world that help those in need. All in all, I learned that not every family out there is as fortunate as the rest of us. Some can't even afford the basic foods to keep a family alive. By doing this service I was able to experience hands on how our resource centers work and how they are able to help so many people in need.  

Paraphrase x3

“11 Facts about Food Deserts.” DoSomething.org. n.p. 23 Feb. 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2015

"Food deserts are geographic areas where access to affordable, healthy food options is limited or non existent because grocery stores are too far away."

A food desert is defined as a place of minimal nutritionally benefiting food options because there are little to no supermarkets in the area.

A food desert is a nutritionally deficient area because of the fact that there is a shortage of stores that sell healthy food options.

Food deserts can be defined as a place where a shortage of healthy food options exist because the appropriate supermarkets are not within the area.

“A Look Inside Food Deserts.” CDC.gov. n.p. 24 Sept. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

"Many scientific studies have suggested that food deserts may negatively affect health outcomes, but more research is needed to determine how access influences the types of foods consumers purchase and eat."

Research shows that food deserts have a bad affect to health, but extra research is required to determine how access to different types of foods change to way consumers eat and buy food.

Even though research shows that food deserts negatively affect one's health, more studies are needed to determine how access to various food options change the way one eats and buys food.

Several studies have shown that food deserts are detrimental to one's health and well being, however more extensive research is needed in order to determine how access to different food options change the way customers buy and eat food.

Food deserts are very dangerous and have a bad influence on society. Food deserts can be defined as a place where a shortage of healthy food options exist because the appropriate supermarkets and not within the area (11 Facts about Food Deserts). Living in a food desert can be very bad for one's health. According to the Center for Disease Control several studies have shown that food deserts are detrimental to one's health and well being, however more extensive research is needed in order to determine how access to different food options change the way customers buy and eat food (A Look Inside Food Deserts). Because those in food deserts are being deprived of several key nutrients, they are more susceptible to diseases.

 

Connecting Sources

Weatherspoon, Dave, et al. "Fresh Vegetable Demand Behaviour in an Urban Food

     Desert." Urban Studies 52.5 (2014): 960-979. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. 

This source defines food deserts as "a location where there are few to no supermarkets or other retailers that offer fresh fruits and vegetables or other healthy food products" which is pretty identical throughout all of my other sources. However, their hypothesis for the emergence of these food deserts makes it stand out. The other sources do not give possible reasons for the emergence of food deserts. It says that food retailers don't place supermarkets at food deserts because those areas are typically low income residents. Healthy foods tend to be more expensive so those residents would not be able to afford buying from those supermarkets. Therefore, it would be a bad business move to have a supermarket in a food desert. This source helps me to better understand my other sources because of their hypothesis. It helps explain some of the studies done on food deserts in my other sources. I would introduce this source and use it as my main source for my research paper. It has a lot of combined information not included in my other sources.      

Annotated Bibliography

Adams, Anthony Troy, et al. "A Call for Applied Sociology: Food Deserts." Journal of Applied

Social Science 4.2 (Sept. 2010): 58-62. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. 

            In this article from the Journal of Applied Social Science, it talks about the limitations of food deserts and how it is a potentially new wave of diet related and life threatening issues. Diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension are just a few example that they list as a result of poor nutrition associated with food deserts. Other research from outside fields such as sociology, economics, marketing, and agriculture were also brought in as references to help provide facts and information. Factors such as race, poverty, and lack of access are some of the contributors to this epidemic. Over the last twenty years, a lack of access to food environments such as supermarkets and grocery stores have impacted shopping habits and therefore nutritional habits.

            The authors of this article are Anthony Troy Adams, Monika J. Ulrich, and Amanda Coleman. All of them are respected professors at Arkansas State University. The main subject of the text is about food deserts and they are a new and potentially deadly nutrition based disease. Supporting text also includes explanations of the arrival and growth of food deserts. The intended audience of this text is towards those looking to learn what a food desert is and its causes and effects. It is written in a scholarly way with the intention that their audience would use the text for formal research.

            I intend to use this source in order to give a brief introduction and description of food deserts, as well as what causes food deserts and its effects. I don’t plan on relying heavily on this source simply because it does not provide as much information and data as the other sources. I think that this source is good for providing definitions, but it does not provide much statistical data from a numbers standpoint. It is was great source, however to get started on my topic and to become more familiar with it.

Sullivan, Daniel Monroe. "From Food Desert to Food Mirage: Race, Social Class, and Food

Shopping in a Gentrifying Neighborhood." Advances in Applied Sociology 4.1 (2014):

30-35. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. 

This article from the Advances in Applied Sociology journal mainly focuses on a study done in Oregon about a new supermarket that opened in an area that has long been considered a food desert. The area had recently been going through a large increase in residents with a college degree and a higher median income with whites being more likely to own their home and live closer to the supermarket. The study focuses on the importance of race and how more whites tend to use the new supermarket than non-whites. The findings of the study show that supermarkets need to promote healthy living and environmental conditions in a way to be sensitive to racial and economic barriers. This leads to what the text calls “food mirages” by limiting access to poor and minority residents.

The author, Daniel Monroe Sullivan, works in the Department of Sociology at Portland State University. The main subject of this text is the study conducted that shows the importance of race when it comes to the building of supermarkets in food deserts. It gives a warning to be careful and sensitive towards “racial and socioeconomic barriers” that may create “food mirages” by not allowing access to everyone in the food desert in need of these supermarkets. This article, along with the study, was meant to inform and to educate about the importance of giving everybody an equal opportunity to better themselves in a food desert type environment.

This source provides a great study with plenty of data that I plan on using in my research paper. As opposed to some of my other sources, this one mainly talks about trying to solve the issue of food deserts. While the other sources just simply define and give the causes and effects of food deserts, I would be able to use this source for its statistics and study on how to properly solve the issue of food deserts.

Weatherspoon, Dave, et al. "Fresh Vegetable Demand Behaviour in an Urban Food

Desert." Urban Studies 52.5 (2014): 960-979. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. 

This article from the Urban Studies journal starts off by defining a food desert as a location where there are few to no supermarkets or other retailers that offer fresh fruits and vegetables or other healthy foods. It then goes on to analyze food desert residents in Detroit and their purchasing behavior from a non-profit grocer. The evidence shows that access problems and low income limit their consumption of healthy foods. One hypothesis that they give for this is because food retailers avoid food deserts because those areas with low income have a low demand for healthy, and typically more expensive food.

Dave Weatherspoon, James Oehmke, Assa Dembele, and Lorraine Weatherspoon are all professors at Michigan State University. They focus mainly on the food deserts in Detroit, which they say is the oldest and largest food desert in America. They talk about how the low incomes of the area just are not sufficient enough to eat healthier, which is evident in the data that they show where the amount of healthy foods bought is very low. The intended audience for this article would be those who are looking to learn more about food deserts and its causes through the use of a study.

I plan on using this source for its statistical data and conclusions from their study. Their study was very well done, organized, and specific. I think that this source can fit in well with my paper when I start to talk about examples of food deserts. It also provides a few hypothesis as to the emergence of food deserts.

“11 Facts about Food Deserts.” DoSomething.org. n.p. 23 Feb. 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

            This webpage lists 11 very interesting facts about food deserts. For example, about 2.3 million people (2.2% of all US households) live in low-income, rural areas that are more than 10 miles from a supermarket. Also, white neighborhoods have on average, four times as many supermarkets as black ones. First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to fight childhood obesity has a goal of eliminating food deserts by the year 2017. They also provide a link to a food desert locator map.

            All of the 11 facts that DoSomething.org provides come with cited sources. Its main goal was to educate others about the growing problem of food deserts. It also gives different ways and opportunities to help towards the cause.

            I plan on using this source for its facts and statistical data. I think it would do well towards the introduction of my paper as an attention grabber. It would also provide information that the readers may not know about food deserts.

“A Look Inside Food Deserts.” CDC.gov. n.p. 24 Sept. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

            This webpage starts off by defining and explaining what a food desert is. It then goes on to talk about a report in the July 2009 issue of Preventing Chronic Disease that suggest that food desert do in fact exist in the United States. Other studies and research also shows that food desert have been known to affect one’s health, but further research is needed. They then describe how one can tell if they live in a food desert and gives steps to improve their diet such as following the simple food pyramid.

            The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the leading public health institute in the United States. In this webpage, they offer tips towards living in a food desert environment. It also discusses that there are food desert here in the United States and that it can affect one’s health which should lead to an increased concern by the public.

            I plan to use this source as a supplement to my other sources because it basically has a little of what all my other sources has to offer. It provides definitions and explanations, statistical data, effects on one’s health, and steps to take if one lives in a food desert environment. 

  

               

Research Project Proposal

            For my research project I have decided to do it about food deserts. To start off, I plan on defining and explaining what a food desert is including its causes and effects. Then I will introduce my thesis: even though food deserts are a nutritional nuisance that is detrimental to the health of some communities, there is little to no chance that the issue with ever become resolved.

            To start my body paragraphs I plan on introducing statistical data and research from my sources. For example, about 2.3 million people (2.2% of all US households) live in low-income, rural areas that are more than 10 miles from a supermarket. Another one is a possible explanation as to why there is a very small chance that the issue of food deserts will get resolved. The hypothesis that they give for this is because food retailers avoid food deserts because those areas with low income have a low demand for healthy, and typically more expensive food.

            Throughout my research paper I plan to answer these three questions. How did food deserts first start to develop, in other words was there a significant event such as the Great Depression that may have triggered it? What is the long term outlook for current food desert communities as well as possible developments of other food deserts in the United States and around the world? What steps are there that we could possibly take in order to help out and improve the conditions of food deserts? I hope to answer all of these questions through my sources and possibly develop and answer more questions along the way.

Sources For Research Paper

Adams, Anthony Troy, et al. "A Call for Applied Sociology: Food Deserts." Journal of Applied
     Social Science 4.2 (Sept. 2010): 58-62. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. 

Sullivan, Daniel Monroe. "From Food Desert to Food Mirage: Race, Social Class, and Food
     Shopping in a Gentrifying Neighborhood." Advances in Applied Sociology 4.1 (2014): 30-35.Web.
     23 Mar. 2015. 

Weatherspoon, Dave, et al. "Fresh Vegetable Demand Behaviour in an Urban Food Desert." Urban
     Studies 52.5 (2014): 960-979. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. 

Rhetorical Analysis of a Space

The various doors and entrances allow for Charlie's Place to be easily accessible. With one entrance at the front and another one connected to the academic science building, many students can enter at most convenient place. And when first walking through one of the two main entrances at Charlie's Place, one will notice the mass quantity and variety of seating there is available. Seats such as booths, small round tables, and larger rectangular tables provide several options depending on the preferences and sizes of the groups dining at Charlie's. The smell of various foods and the sound of silverware hitting plates will stimulate your hunger and appetite. The colorful low lighting makes it a more warm and inviting environment, and along with the four large TV's and decorative pictures, also makes it student friendly. The main seating area is carpeted, while the outside border is linoleum making it a good path to walk and navigate the area. Overall, the way that Charlie's Place is structured and the details within it makes it a very inviting and comfortable and inviting environment for its consumers.    

Ad For Rhetorical Analysis Essay

"Magical Black Man" Response

When I was a little kid, my grandma wanted me to follow in the footsteps of my mom and become a nurse. At that time of my life I had given some thought to that idea. She wanted me to be able to take care of them as they got older and I thought it was a good idea. At the same time, my passion for aviation was just taking off. I knew deep down that I wanted to become a pilot, and I had to give up the idea of becoming a nurse. By giving up that thought, I haven't looked back since and now I am completely set on pursuing my dream of having a career as a pilot.

E-mail Examples

Good E-mail:

Dr. Walts, 

I wanted to inform you that I will not be able to make it to class this Friday due to a family emergency. I have asked Adam to get an extra copy of any handouts and to take the necessary notes for me. I would like to meet with you during your office hours on Monday in order to discuss what I missed in class. 

Thanks, 

Raymond Sanchez 

Bad E-mail: 

Yo Dawn i aint gonna be to coming to class today. im not feelin so hot and i dont wanna hurl in ur class. 

your main man,

rayray 

Passage-Based Focused Freewrite for MLK's "Letter from Birmingham Jail"

"You may well ask, "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches, etc.? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are exactly right in your call for negotiation. Indeed, this is the purpose for direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue"(Letter from Birmingham Jail).

I believe that this passage basically sums up Martin Luther King, Jr. He was an advocate for freedom and equality without the use of violence. Even though many violent and injustice acts were forced upon MLK and the African American community, MLK did not want to retaliate with acts of his own. He wanted equality through peace and that was one of the many things that people admired about him. He showed to everyone that it doesn't take violence in order to achieve what it necessary.  

Examples From Declaration of Independence

Simple Sentence: He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power (Declaration of Independence).

Compound Sentence: He has erected a multitude of New offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance (Declaration of Independence).

Complex Sentence: He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good (Declaration of Independence).

Compound-Complex Sentence: He has forbidden his Governors to pass laws immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them (Declaration of Independence).

Final Research Paper

Aviation: A Rising Field

Today, flying is an ordinary part of society, but when the first flights were taken, the first airplanes built, the first airlines founded, they all shared a common goal: to take aviation to new heights that it has never been before. Improvements to our society has made it easier than ever to make like the birds and fly. The world of aviation is ever growing, soaring to new heights each and every day through the dedication, passion, hard work, and technological advancements of our time therefore making it a great field of work to get involved in.   

A pilot’s mission? “To provide a safe, comfortable flight that stays on schedule” (Bruno). Ever since I was a child, I have always been intrigued by the world of aviation and I had decided that I wanted to become a commercial pilot when I grew up. Becoming a pilot was my ultimate life goal and it was all I ever dreamed of. Similarly, Dr. Randal J. DeMik, director of Lewis University’s master’s program in aviation and transportation studies, also shared the same passion and enthusiasm for aviation that I had as a kid. DeMik’s father was a private pilot who owned his own airplane which caused him to become exposed to the joy of flying early on in his life. At a very young age, “[he] began flying with him...and knew that by the time [he] was 12 years old that [he] wanted to have a career as a pilot” (DeMik). Dr. DeMik was later able to fulfill his childhood dream by becoming a captain for United Airlines. Dr. DeMik has been a key element in the backbone of aviation for many years, and someday I will become a part of this new era of aviators, ready to represent the new faces of flight.

Although pursuing a career as a pilot may have its turbulent moments, it will pay off in the future. A major deterrent when students look into how to become a pilot is the cost. With a total price tag of about $60,000 needed to complete all of the necessary certificates to become a professional pilot, many see it as a waste of both time and money. Another obstacle all pilots have to get through is passing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first class medical certificate and completing initial training at their respective airlines. These are things that can be so intricate that “even experienced pilots find that they fail the standards of many airlines” (DeMik). This is one of the reasons that we have seen less people want to get involved in aviation and therefore leading to a lack of pilots in the industry today. On the bright side, however, a captain at a major airline can earn well over $200,000 a year (DeMik). One year’s salary can easily pay back all training expenses and is also enough to support a family. If money isn’t enough, there are also a lot of benefits that go along with the job. They include, but are not limited to, medical insurance, retirement plans, and of course free travel, but not just for yourself, pass travel can be given out by the airline to the family of the pilot as well (DeMik). When thinking long term, the positive gains a pilot earns later on in his or her career greatly outweighs the sacrifices that they may have to make in the beginning.          

The current trend shows statistics that “point to a pilot shortage that will dwarf those [shortages] that came before it” (Lee). According to the Boeing Company’s recently published 2010-2029 World Market Outlook for pilots, it shows a movement that will lead to a huge pilot shortage in the coming years. Boeing has been the standard in the industry for studies such as these and have been well known for its “accuracy in projecting commercial air service demand” (Lee). Boeing has also concluded that the cause for the increased need in air transport can be attributed to today’s economic activity level. They project that activity will continue to increase at an average rate of 3.2% per year over the next 20 years. Consequently, air and passenger travel will also experience an average growth of 5.3% per year. The escalation of the need for commercial travel then creates a loop directly connecting itself back to the aviation industry. In order to meet these demands, “the number of airplanes in the worldwide fleet will [have to] grow at an annual rate of 3.2%, almost doubling from approximately 19,000 airplanes today to more than 36,000 in 2029” (Lee). And in another domino effect, more engineers will be needed to help design the planes, more factory workers needed to build the planes, and most importantly, more pilots to fly them. Boeing projects that “466,650 trained pilots and 596,500 maintenance technicians will be needed to fly and maintain the growing worldwide fleet” (Lee). One day, I hope to be a part of those statistics.

The first step in becoming a pilot is just like that of any other profession - training and education. After completing a flight program and/or college (most airlines require a college degree) a student will typically earn their certified flight instructor (CFI) certificate. The progression for flight majors in college is pretty much a standard and is uniform throughout. After obtaining their CFI, one can find an introductory level job as a flight instructor while still in college or shortly after graduation. A flight instructor will then usually work for one to two years before getting recruited by regional airlines or corporate companies. Young pilots will fly with these airlines for about two to five more years. Flying for a regional or corporate airline is almost equivalent to playing in the minor leagues for baseball. Aspiring baseball players are first sent to the minor leagues to polish their skills and gain experience and when they are ready, they are called up to the major leagues. It is at this point many pilots will accomplish their dream of flying for a major carrier (DeMik).      

When people hear the word pilot, they often think about the person in control of the airplane they fly on their business trips or family vacations, but what most people don’t realize is that there are several different kinds of pilots out there. They can do more than just transport masses of people and cargo. Some pilots choose to fly in the military, others “work on fire and rescue missions or agricultural projects, such as crop dusting” (Larson). There are also pilots that are specifically hired to test out airplanes that come fresh out of the assembly line and make sure that they meet the standards that go into certifying a new aircraft. For example, at Boeing, test pilots are assigned to “[fly] new planes through rigorous flight conditions to prove that they are airworthy and safe” (Larson). Every system on the aircraft must be tested, from the engines to the flight control software and to the entire electrical system. This type of pilot job is appealing to some people because as an airline pilot they typically only fly one to three different types of aircraft and they become experts with it. They earn ratings based on the type of aircraft they are certified to fly “such as single-engine or multi-engine and then the type of plane, such as the Boeing 737 or 747” (Bruno). Conversely, as a test pilot, one gets to be one of the first (if not the first) pilots to take the plane to the sky and they get to do it with a variety of different aircraft as well.

Aviation isn’t all about the pilots, however. There are so many under the radar jobs and workers that cooperate behind the scenes and go into making of a successful flight with each and every one of them crucial to the making of a successful flight. From takeoff to landing, employees are needed to direct aircraft traffic, to plan their schedule, maintain aircraft, manage airports, and many more. With each of those providing employment opportunity, it is just another reason why aviation is such a great field to get in. Especially with the technological age that we live in, everybody is looking for new ways to ease the stress and workload on pilots and to make aircraft more efficient. Some even say that we are advancing so fast that someday pilots won’t be needed at all and that all aircraft will soon be fully automated making them “accident proof”, which then erases the need for air traffic controllers as well. Eventually, mechanics and factory workers will also no longer be needed with robots taking their place. I disagree with this way of thinking because technology can always fail and produce unwanted side effects and only humans are capable of fixing what they made. Presently, “airliners don’t yet fly themselves (and the public doesn’t yet support the idea), qualified pilots will be needed to fly all those new airplanes” (Lee). If this still isn’t convincing, let me ask this simple question: would you be 100% comfortable stepping onto an aircraft knowing that there is no human being controlling it and that there is no one else on board that knows how to fly? Flight is considered to be one of man’s greatest technological achievements so it would make sense that technology can only continue to improve it, but at the same time, because it started as a man-made marvel, they should always have the final discretion when decisions need to be made.          

As a child, I thought that I knew everything that there was to know about aviation. However, it wasn’t until I was in high school that it really hit me - aviation isn’t all about flying planes. It really is a diverse and expanding field and a great one to get in to. I wasn’t just excited about someday having my dream job, but also optimistic about working in an industry that has such a bright future.

Someone who also shares my excitement about the growth and future of aviation is Kip Blakely, the president of Guilford Technical Community College Foundation, Inc. He has also been the vice-president of TIMCO, a leading company that provides fully integrated aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul. At a recent TedTalk he participated in at Greensboro, North Carolina, he gives an illustration where three kids are playing outside when they notice a plane flying up above them. The first child points out the beautiful piece of machinery and says, “I want to design that plane”. The second child sees the engineering marvel and says, “I want to build that plane”. And the third child glances at the soaring masterpiece and says, “I want to fly that plane”. Aviation continues to grow because “we can capture the minds of these students, and the parents, and the counselors, and the teachers of what a great career opportunity students can have. Aviation can take them anywhere in the world, and it will” (Blakely). This is the future of flight.         

 Works Cited

Blakely, Kip. “From First in Flight to the Future of Flight: Kip Blakely at TEDx Greensboro.” Online Video Clip. YouTube, 31 May 2013. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.   

Bruno, Lisa Doll. “Job Hunt/Airline Pilot: [All Editions].” Newsday (1998) F10. Web.

DeMik, Dr. Randal J. Personal Interview. 6 Nov. 2014.

Larson, Heather. “Fly High”. Career World 37.2 (2008): 12-15. Web,

Lee, Marc C. “Pilot Outlook 2010-2029: A Shortage Looms.” Plane and Pilot 47.4 (2011):  32-35 Web.