Essay Work: Sophomores

 

Step One: 

 

Question:

                                    Why should we spend a term in upstate Maine?

 

Step Two:

 

                  Talk

                                    Cold

                                    Away from family and non-school friends

                                    More in nature

                                    Pulled away

 

Step Three:

 

                  Freewrite

 

                  If the sophomore class were to spend a term in northern Maine, a lot would change.  First off, in far northern Maine, there would be no cell service.  They could still call home on land lines, but texting and personal web browsing would be out.  Further, they would be without all of the family and other school friends.  One of the big problems in current school is a lack of community.  Putting everyone in one, distant place would force the sophomores to get to know one another.  There may be more fights but thre would be more unity afterwards.  Further, rural Maine is far from their usual drug connections.  Students with substance abuse issues would become apparent.  Obviously, some drugs and some alcohol would gt through, but the bottle neck will be much smaller.

 

Step Four

 

                  Outline

 

 

                  Rural Maine

 

                  Introduction

 

                                    Out of civilization

                                                      Drugs

                                                      Phones

                                                     

                                    Out of family

                                                      No more jobs

                                                      No more support

                                                      More self-reliance

 

                                    Out of community

                                                      No out of school friends

                                                      Build in school friendships.
                                   

Step Five

 

                  First Draft

 

                  (Out of civilization)

 

                  First, the PHS sophomores would find themselves far away from the civilization they know.  No more Burger King for Lunch, no more Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.  No doubt the students would find new fast food places to eat at, but they wouldnąt be in the usual pattern.  Of more concern, they would be unlikely to get cell-phone reception.  Texting and phones would lose their effectiveness.  Hopefully, this would lead to less peer pressure and more note writing.  Finally, students would find themselves beyond the reach of their usual drug and alcohol suppliers.  As a result, many students with substance issues would come out of the woodwork.  However, with alcohol gone from social lives, care would have to be brought so that social lives can still be active, free, and vibrant.  Administrators would especially have to be aware of this as upper Maine is very cold and desolate.

 

(Out of Family)

 

Second, the PHS sophomores would be separated from their families.  Doubtless, many of the students will find this to be a blessing.