I love that my teasing entry about students stock piling weapons sparked some creative debate amongst my dearest friends.
I tend to agree with tom that the media harps upon the violence of city schools a great deal. I worked at University City High School while they were having all of their problems (including the day that the guy was stabbed on the front steps, that was a good day) and saw how the media acted like... well the media. They ignored the press release we sent about our Anti-Violence day, which cancelled classes for the day to focus on anti-violence programming, but showed up two days later to interview students about two fights that broke out in the lunchroom. (Sidenote: I think that cemented my desire to never go into journalism as a career.) Still I think that the issues (which thank g-d are not "day to day" in my school as amy mentioned) such as fighting and mayhem are one of the reasons why you see city school children set trash cans on fire, but not go on shooting rampages in the building. City children get out their aggression towards the one or two people that piss them off, but the children that make lists and freak out are the ones that bottle it all up. I'm only half saying that with a smirk and a laugh. There might be some truth in that. Middle class suburban repression may in fact manifest itself in strange ways.
Still, I will take my war torn nutty hooligans. They make me laugh as much as they make me want to throw them or myself off a building.
This is going to be a long entry that has nothing to do with the title by the way, I just really like that song.
When I was in high school and for a couple semesters in college, I kept a section of my school notebooks that was just called "notes to self" and in that section I jotted down the weird thoughts that came to me as I observed the world around me. Sometimes these observations came out eloquent enough to make their way into short stories that i wrote, but many just lived in the notebook marking certain days and times. Lately I have been walking and thinking and wishing that I kept my notebook still. I know that logically I could go to a store and buy a cheap notebook to carry while I am on the subway or walking from market to my apartment, but somehow the romance of it seems passe and I know that I wouldn't follow through writing down what i think. But when I sit on a train that is rocking and rolling out of the city I can't help but ponder the rusty abandoned factories, or the rushing overflowing creek that spilled next to the tracks and created a new arm along the SEPTA rails.
On an unrelated note: I love the new foo fighters album.
Since it's been so long since I've written a real entry, I feel as though I should espouse as much I can about as many thoughts as I can. Truth be told though, I really can't think of anything else that needs to be discussed. My life is good. Spring break is rapidly approaching. I am behind on grading, but created a board game about my lit circle books so i feel okay about myself.
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