Drawing: Alyssa Travis
Drawing: Grace Law
Drawing: Rachel Clendenning
Kids’ views: MLK and Obama
Students at Ray Elementary School illustrate themes of compassion and change through essays, drawings.
Ella Christoph, a second-year English major, is also Junior Director of Southside Scribblers, a group of University students which teaches creative writing to elementary school students in Hyde Park. Here, Ella shares the work of Ray Elementary School students who took on a special project for Martin Luther King Day and the inauguration. Their assignment was to reflect on compassion and change—in their lives, their neighborhood, and their country.
I never got to meet my grandfather because he died when my mommy was a kid. I am really sad about that because I really wish I could have met him. He would have been my third grandpapa but I didn’t get to meet him because somebody cut his life short. I was sure he was a good man.
Other people feel the way I feel because their life gets taken away from them and bring the family misery, all because people join gangs and accidentally shoot an innocent person so they run. It’s a horrible thing what people can do to people. The human being is its own enemy, but the human being is its own best friend.
In order I would make guns illegal and send every person that is involved in defending their country to search every person and house in the USA. —Alyssa Travis
“Best Friend Moved Away in the Summer of 2008”
In the summer of 2008 my best friend named Sunday moved to Minnesota with her family. I was very sad and I cried a lot. Even when I went to the first day of school, being with my old classmates made me cry. I felt very bad and I felt it was unfair that she had to move away.
Luckily, my mom had sympathy for me, because she knew how hard it must have been for me. My dad had empathy, though, because when he was nine, one of his friends moved away, to Texas! I don’t know if it was his BEST friend, like it was for me. I am still very sad about it, although I have gotten over it a little bit. It helped when I started to kind of make friends with some people I didn’t know in third grade. I still miss Sunday. —Rachel Clendenning
“Why Some People Move”
Lots of people move. They move for different reasons. One reason is maybe they aren’t getting enough money and they can’t afford food and other things like that that are important for you to stay alive. Another thing is that maybe you graduated from a certain school, like law school, and you were going to be a lawyer but you couldn’t find the job in your neighborhood or near you. Then you would have to move away from all your friends! One other reason is maybe you weren’t close enough to your school, job, etc. etc. Then you might have to move. These are all reasons why people might have to move. —Rachel Clendenning
“Ways People Could Change This”
One thing is you could give higher payments to the workers who work in some places who don’t have enough money. People could help that by buying from different places so ALL the stores have enough money to hire people. Another thing is you could open up more stores and lawyer offices, hospitals, stores, etc. etc. That way a lot of people would have jobs where they live instead of having to move. People who don’t have jobs could help these places by going to college (if they need to) and then getting a job to help the businesses open and have enough money. These are some ways to help that you can do to! —Rachel Clendenning
My grandad is in a wheelchair and had several strokes so I know how it feels to be in a wheelchair. But every day he would run 100 miles. Some people might not believe that but that’s the reason he’s still here today. (I am thankful for that). Because then none of my grandfathers that I know would be dead. My grandfather is very special to me.
People are in wheelchairs because maybe they were in an accident or sickness or other things. But you might not know how they feel. Think about it, if they won a ticket for a movie but there was only stairs. How would you feel, “Sad, mad, upset.” I would feel like crying. If you still need help, just say that you want something. But if your mom says no, how does that feel? They might have a different life but we are humans.
If people were kinder and helpful to the handicapped and special needs people the world would be a little better. A man lives on my granddad’s block. These kids throw rocks. I go over to his house and help. You just need to be helpful and kind and better! —Grace Law
Two years ago, when I had to handle with a little boy I was frustrated. When you handle with youth it is extremely ROUGH!
I told him to stop being mean to a little girl but he continued to misbehave. I was FURIOUS! Then at that summer time, I went to Korea.
I had millions of sleepovers with my friend, Jung In. Jung In told me she is so disappointed having the same room with her little brother (Unfortunately, I do not know her little brother’s name). Jung In told me she is annoyed, furious, and frustrated from having to deal with his mischief and misbehavement. I told her, “I know how you feel, Jung In. I have a short temper. Once a person who is young annoys so badly you can be very, very, very furious.” She said that whenever he misbehaves she will never forgive when he is older and be mature enough to give an apology.
Babies, when they are crying in the middle of the night, how can you get them to stop? Pacificers, to pacify the crying and pacify the fear of the baby. When the babies stop crying, the guardian of course will be relieved.
What would you do if there were no one to control your kids? Control management classes. You can go online and find them. —Cherie Pack
