"In class, we discussed how after national capitalism took over, the decline started and jobs started to move out of Trenton. We also discussed how it was very difficult for people stuck in the cycle of poverty to get out of it. I saw this from the way the children talked about their lives at home and all the responsibilities they had to take at an early age. Even in the early stages of my volunteering, I can see that my actual experiences in Trenton mirror that which I learned in class. " - USA 101
"Our classroom discussions also draw parallels to my experiences in Trenton. Despite the children’s low socioeconomic status, the children have dreams for the future. As civil capitalism was swept out by national capitalism, the city of Trenton suffered. This suffering has affected families in Trenton for years. Like we discussed in class, people have a natural inclination to rise in society. The kids at our volunteer site have this desire. Even if they are not aware of their disposition, they want to break out of poverty and go to college or be a professional athlete." - USA 101
"The Learning Lab students and their families are most likely caught in the current. They cannot afford a higher education but are doing the best they can to make sure that their children learn as much as they can. Despite the odds that are against them, the students are able to remain positive and dream about their futures." - USA 101
"One of the children told me that he did not have cable at home, and another told one of my friends that she only goes into swimming pools once or twice in a year. These kinds of stories shocked me. I watch cable television almost every day for hours, and my neighbor has a pool, so it was almost impossible for me to imagine the life that these children live. Moreover, these conversations with the kids made me see how white privilege actually exists. After last night’s reading I did not feel as confident about my understanding of white privilege as I did after today’s day of service." - IDS 100
"I came to this program knowing that the lifestyles and situations of the residents in the area would be different from my own, but I was not expecting to be hit so hard on how strong these differences and privileges are. After my first day of class I began to understand the concepts and reasoning behind the differences. Enlightened by the theories of social stratification, matrix of domination and oppression, I developed a different perspective of Academic Sports Academy." - IDS 100
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