Music Analysis: Die Young
Makayla Chambers 1/20

     “Die Young,” the final track on Grandson’s “a modern day tragedy, vol. 3,”, is the political protest of music. Die Young’s bass line and electric guitar creates a sense of paranoia that encapsulates Grandson’s angry and confrontational lyrics. Grandson has been known to comment on the state of the government, but his writing gets increasingly bold as he blatantly and unapologetically says “my president's a neo-nazi” within the first 30 seconds of the song. His politically-targeting masterpiece highlights the failure of the government in telling the truth. 
     Grandson uses this song to further point out that the government is not only lying to us, but stopping us from finding the truth for ourselves. The lyrics “They want to block us from the truth” make you question how they’d be able to stop you from gaining information in the modern age, but Grandson makes it abundantly clear when he later says, “if you try to talk they make you disappear.” Grandson showcases his unflinching personality by making the song a warning of sorts. 
     While Grandson is very confrontational and forthright with his lyrics, he does show some subtlety in his remarks. In one line he says, “When they hear the truth, then they tell you that it’s fake.” While not as brash as “my presidents a neo nazi” he’s still expressing his opinions on current U.S. president Donald Trump, by referring to the “fake news” the president often uses as an excuse to protect his own agendas. 
     "Die Young" sounds angry, yet it sounds like a revelation of sorts, like Grandson’s been enlightened about the current situation of the American government and is trying to warn others. The song "It" has a very distinct vibe to it and stands out from his other music. The song feels like the cool cousin of heavy metal. It has a clarity and conscious voice we often see in rappers like J.Cole, Logic, and Damian Marley. 
     Overall, I would recommend this song on his album 
a modern day tragedy, vol.3," especially if you’re a fan of Nirvana’s "In Bloom" and find yourself gravitating to the aforementioned artists. Grandson's political rock is truly unique and is something I think anyone who likes messages in their music would truly enjoy listening to it.

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Supporting Literacy Outside the Classroom
Yesira Delgado 3/20

    An article published in Teaching Young Children magazine, entitled “Using a Village to Raise a Reader,” Vol. 13, No. 1, by Donna C. Celano and Susan B. Neuman highlights the importance of supporting literacy inside and outside the classroom. The article grabbed my attention because I remember how difficult it was to try and teach my younger sister how to read. Although she was a very curious child and loved to learn she still had trouble remembering key words, but when the teacher suggested that we read to her every night, we immediately saw a change in her literacy skills. Reading this article made me realize how much the environment and the people in a child’s life can help them learn. 
     The article mentions how the key components of early literacy stem from daily routines in childhood. In the classroom, early childhood educators reinforce early forms of literacy known as oral language, alphabet knowledge, concepts of print, and books. The article briefly mentions how the families play an important part in reinforcing the stages of early literacy. Any stimulating environment can be beneficial for a child especially during their early stages of development; going to museums and zoos are good opportunities for children to explore new vocabulary and most importantly keep them curious. The physical environment can have a big impact for children to spark conversations, thus practicing their oral language. 
     I really enjoyed that the article also included how some children in under-resourced communities are not always getting the proper tools to reinforce the early stages of literacy. I learned that children in under-resourced communities are referred to as living “book deserts.” Fortunately, these communities have been working to bring literacy into more common areas so that these children are being exposed to not only learning but to playing with other kids. The article presented an amazing alternative of having literacy be provided in laundromats. I thought that was a really unique and practical idea for all children to experience forms of literacy. Having literacy in laundromats could be highly beneficial because I remember when I was child I would spend many hours at a laundromat with my mother. This could be a new way for children to experience learning and play, which I would have benefited from if it had been available to me. 
     This article could be useful not only for early childhood educators but also for parents in under-resourced communities. The information provided could be helpful so that educators and parents know how to bring literacy into the classroom and into their homes. This article would be beneficial for the teacher and the parents to read together so that they can gain an understanding on the importance of having literacy being taught in more than just the classroom. It could possibly be a turning point for classrooms everywhere if people  read the article and apply what they learn about how much they can build a reader by just providing a resourceful environment. 

Work Cited 
Celeano, Donna C, and Susan B Neuman. “Using the Village to Raise a Reader.” NAEYC, Oct. 2019, www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/oct2019/using-village-raise-a-reader.

​Valuing Cultural Diversity in the Classroom
Yesira Delgado 3/20

      An article published in Teaching Young Children magazine, entitled “Valuing Diversity: Developing a Deeper Understanding of All Young Children’s Behavior,” Vol. 13, No. 2, by Barbara Kaiser and Judy Sklar Rasminsky highlights the importance of accepting and applying cultural diversity in an early childhood classroom. The article immediately grabbed my attention, because of how much the conversation of culture and diversity has been circulating about early childhood classrooms. I think that it is important that teachers value and respect relationships between families and their children, and respect their languages and cultures, and keep a focus on incorporating them into the classroom. I believe that this article provides clear points as to why classrooms should be accepting of every culture and exactly how to accomplish bringing culture into education. 
      The article gives insight on what teachers should be doing in their classrooms, as far as how they can incorporate multiple cultures into their daily activities and classroom environment. It also touches on the idea of how young children are bringing their culture into the classroom and how they begin to develop their self-concept from how others see them. The article gives examples of how a teacher can recognize if they are appropriately incorporating or not incorporating all of the students' cultures into the classroom. 
       Most importantly, it highlights the difference between “equitable” and “equal;” which happened to be the biggest and most important takeaway for me. I, myself, didn’t really understand the differences between equitable and equal in a classroom, which made me realize how much this concept is often overlooked in classrooms on a daily basis. The difference between the two is simple: equal is just making sure there is equality in the classroom, while equitable is recognizing each individual child for their strengths and helping them reach their potential. The example given in the article by Yale University professor Walter Gilliam stating that “young African American boys are subject to higher rates of suspension and expulsion than their White European American peers,” only further confirmed that schools are not grasping the concept of equitable and equal in a classroom. This really stood out to me because I see this occurring daily in my high school, and how gravely this phenomenon affects the students. 
      This article would be beneficial for every person in the education field to read so that they can understand how truly important it is to accept culture and diversities in a classroom, especially for those who are unsure about how to accept and apply culture to education. It would be insightful for them to read about how much culture and diversity shapes the psychological and social-emotional development of students. More specifically, this article should be targeted to more public schools in low-income areas, which is where there is the most culture and diversity. Oftentimes, these are the schools that don’t have enough cultural representation in the staff, which can often be discouraging for students. I think that this article could be eye-opening for schools to fully grasp the deeper meaning of how celebrating different cultures in the classroom can positively affect students' development. 


​Joker Movie Review
Jason Sanchez 11/19

     I have never felt so much excitement about seeing a movie in my life before. No other movie has made me feel the way “Joker” made me feel. As a connoisseur of superhero media, I was extremely excited when the trailer for this film was released, not to mention that all the controversy surrounding this film enticed me to see it.
     I went to the theater with my girlfriend, eager to find our seats. For people who don't know, the Joker is one of Batman's greatest nemeses and one of the most popular villains of all time. Joker’s origin has never really been touched upon; this is the first time his origins are shown in film. This made the movie more interesting to me. I entered the theater all excited and left the theater shaking with fear and anxiety. The filmmakers did an amazing job showcasing how a man with a mental illness was bullied by society and manifested into a chaotic monster. 
     I strongly recommend you see this movie as it reflects the world we live in today, but be mindful that this movie tackles heavy topics and shows disturbing images. This movie is nothing less than beautifully tragic.