gallo.ara



= My name is Ara Gallo and I a currently, at least for a few more weeks, teach Theory of Knowledge and Economics at the American School of Tegucigalpa. I live here in Tegus with my wife and our schnauzer named Zelie. In our spare time, what little of it we have lately, we like to spend our time travelling, or reading. Lately, over the past couple of years, we have found ourselves to be spending more and more time at home, and less and less time in an airplane seat. We hope to get travelling again soon when we move to Lahore, Pakistan, in August. =

= Assignment one- = = I think a course about peaceable schools and conflict resolution should focus on two areas. How to make schools a non threatening place where everyone feels welcome and valued. Theoretically making conflict end before it even starts. A course on peaceable schools and conflict resolution would represent all stakeholders equally in the experiment. I would think that a class such as this would be based on a community wide approach that would involve students, teachers, administrators, and community figures. To me the idea behind a class like this will involve not only the people in the school, but also the community around the school, as all parties can benefit from s peaceable school. =

= Some topics that I would like to see covered are- = = Ways in which the community and school can work together = = Strategies to use in the classroom without involving administrators and the like = = Solutions to common problems in a school = = Innovative solutions that are different from the norm = = A class that looks at real world situations in the classroom, not just a general glance =

= Assignment two- = = One thing that really struck me about American History X, was the exploration of the role of nature v nurture in the film. While I had seen it before, this was my first time watching it with a specific purpose in mind. After my wife and I watched the film, we had a discussion on several things that we had seen. = = In the film, it is made quickly apparent that the young boy looks up to his brother Derek, and gets most of his ideas about race from him. In fact, the opening scene, where he turns in a paper based on Mein Kampf, is totally based on his love and adoration from his brother. As the film moves on the use of flashbacks give us glimpses into the lives of the Vinyard family. = = We learn, or at least think we learn, the the roots of Derek's rage, and that of his brother, is the result of the shooting of their father by a gang member while he was responding to a call in what is termed "the ghetto". The shooting tore the picturesque California family apart, and by the time Derek is released from prison, has reduced them to poverty. = = Its not till later in the film that another flashback gives even more insight into the nature v nurture debate. In the flashback, while the family is having dinner, Derek, who seems like a well adjusted, non shaven headed human being, talks about his new teacher, Dr Sweeney and their unit on Afro-American lit. While the father's reaction is not overt racism, he does not use the N word for example, he still uses euphemisms for white power and racial pride that any viewer of the film would recognize. = = Along with his family (nurture) there are huge influences, positive and negative from the environment (nature) that surround the two boys. The first, and earliest influence would be Cameron, the local white power idiot. It is obvious from the start that he takes over as a father figure for Derek soon after the death of his father. Derek's views, voiced in the TV interview after his dad is killed, are given credence by Cameron who in turn makes Derek his lick-spittle, leading other disaffected youth into the loving arms of National Socialism. = = After Derek's incarceration, Cameron transfers his love to the younger brother. He quickly realizes that he is more intelligent than the average local yokel (see Fat Seth) and starts to groom him in the same way as his brother. = = Along with Cameron, the aforementioned Dr Sweeney also gains traction as a part of the nature debate. As part of the environment surrounding both Derek and his brother, he becomes central to the change brought about in both young men. It is obvious from the flashbacks, see above, that Derek both liked and respected the teacher, even as we was sitting in the can. After the rape, Derek is visited by Sweeney who begins to change Derek's mind about the entire white power BS that he has been spouting. Derek reads more, keeps his head down, and obviously begins to formulate a plan of escape at this time. = = Sweeney also becomes a bigger part of the younger brothers life at school as well. From the first scene, where Murray and Sweeney are discussing what to do about the Mein Kampf paper, and Sweeney says that he will not give up on the child, to the central theme of his paper, which is carried all through the film, Sweeney works to change the mind of the younger brother as he did with Derek. His alternative assignment allows the young man to explore the history not of America, but his family, and to work to find the roots of his rage. = = There are many other people that exist in the film as mentors in some way or another. Murray has a small role to play in trying to bring some civility to Derek's views in the dinner scene, while the mother plays a small, and limited part in the overall scheme of things. Surprisingly, the mother does not really figure into the whole idea of mentorship except during the dinner episode. = = For me, one of the biggest mentors says pretty much nothing, and that is the black guy who convinces the younger black guy to shoot the younger brother in the closing scene. Sure, the impact that Derek had on his family, trying to be the father figure, doing what was right, at least in his mind, and totally warping his younger brothers head was rough, but what about the gang banger? He provided the gun, drove that young, stupid boy past the apartment, and basically acted like an idiot, all because the younger kid got some smoke blown in his face. What a bunch of idiots. =

= Assignment three- = = Journal entry two = = What would a peaceable school or community look like? = = A peaceable school or community would be a welcoming place. It would be diverse, filled with different kinds of people. All stakeholders in the community would have a voice in how things are run. The school and community would be bright, filled with colour and natural light, with an absence of straight lines and doors. There would be a system of inclusion where all people would be welcomed. = = A truly peaceable school or community would not look at skin colour, religious affiliation, or any other outward marker of a person. Each person would be free to embrace his or her own culture without interference, or even notice, of other people. =

= What elements of communication would be included? = = In a system like this many elements of communication would need to be used. Everything from tech based communication like emails, texts, and social media, to billboards, common sense, and talking. Communication would be a free exchange of ideas where everyone's input is considered valid and important. =

= What would be tolerated and what would not be tolerated? = = Well in this mythical society everything, within reason, would have to be tolerated. If we are talking about inclusion, letting everyone be themselves ect, you would have to allow almost anything to happen that did not threaten the safety of a person in the community. While obviously you cannot have racism, violence, and hatred constantly on display, all of this could be interpreted as letting people explore for themselves. = = Personally I think a much better question to ask would be what kind of people would be tolerated-To me it makes more sense, again in this fairy world, for like minded people to be with like minded people. For example, as a good left leaning democrat, I would find it difficult to live in a community filled with Rand Paul supporters. (I would like to stress that I do not mean this in the racial sense, but more in lifestyle choice) =

= What would the rules be? = = Well if you are going to have a peaceable school, in our fantasy world, you would have to have rules regarding behavior, civility, decorum and common courtesy. In our inclusive perfect world, we would be unable to have arguments as that might lead to confrontation. We would not be allowed to raise our voices, that would also lead to hurt feelings. = = I think it would be much better to not have any rules at all, but instead guidelines. We, as humans, have emotions, and there is almost no person on earth who does not let their emotions get the best of them. We as humans will fight, we will argue, we will commit violent acts, that is just the way that we are, there really is no way to make rules to keep that sort of behavior out of our lives realistically. = = Instead of rules, guidelines would be in place. You can yell at someone, within reason. There would be cooling off places and times. Safe words, constructive criticism, and even outlets for violence like sports and physical activities. We cannot limit our human activity, but we can make it more productive. =

= Would would the expectations be? = = To me the expectations would be reflective on the group rather than the individual. Personally I think that expectations are much more important than rules. If people are living up to expectations, than rules become superfluous. In a community like this, everyone would share equally in all things. Instead of waiting for someone else to do something, the expectation would be that you do it. Do not lecture others about child rearing, litter, and education. If you see a need, or something lacking, the expectation is that you step up and do it. = = As an example-if you see some kids playing baseball, and they cannot throw the ball, step in and help. This is actually an example from my own life. When I was young, growing up without a father, a local guy, whose name I cannot even remember, watched me playing catch with my buddy. I remember him watching us, and wondering what he was doing, and thinking it was odd, and even more odd when he caught the ball and walked over to us. After about ten minutes of work, I was throwing the ball harder, straighter, and faster than ever before, this was when I was six. After four years of lettering in baseball in high school, playing am legion ball, babe ruth ball, ect, and falling in love with my favourite sport, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to this guy, who took the time to do what was expected, to help out the younger, the weaker, and the picked on. =

= What would the responsibilities be? = = The responsibilities in this mythical community would be few. Empathy, respect, a work ethic, and an ability to work as hard as you can to improve the lives of the people around you whether they are rich or poor, fat or thin, ugly or pretty, or black or brown. =

=B. Do a web search for Oscar Arias (use a minimum of two sites other than wikipedia) = = [|__https://www.peacejam.org/laureates/Oscar-Arias-9.aspx__] = = [|__http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1987/arias-facts.html__] = = [|__http://www.humanrights.com/voices-for-human-rights/oscar-arias.html__] =

=Journal entry 3 =

= Well as it currently stands, I do not think that Hank would see my current classroom/school, as a very peaceable community right now. Currently most of the staff are on edge due to a serious of incidents involving our senior class, that were rather unpleasant to all involved. There have also been several high profile cases where the administration has not backed up teachers, leading to even more bad blood. Of course all of this has filtered down to the student body, combined with the excitement and turmoil of the end of the year, and the heat of late May, has led to some pretty uncomfortable situations here in our little corner of paradise. = = Despite all of this though there have been elements of a peaceable community scattered here and there. A group that I am an advisor for, The Honduras Project, through no fault of mine, saw fit to organize a food drive and get about a thousand pounds of food donated to help a small village wiped out be a tidal surge a few weeks ago. They organized it themselves, collected all the food, and then arranged a personal vehicle to take it all to the affected area. = = Another of our clubs just went and visited the local cancer and burn wards of the local children's hospital. They have been doing this for years, but I have always felt that it is a really nice gesture on the part of the students to go and play with these kids. = = My wife who is a fourth grade teacher, took her kids to a local TV studio on a field trip. I actually felt that this was really cool. A local business took time out of their day to take a bunch of fourth graders and show them all around a TV studio. They got to get on film, make a couple of promo videos, and play with the green screen. On those same lines, our non IB seniors do an internship the last few weeks of school where a local person, takes a student under their wing and shows them the ropes of a skill or trade. One of the kids I supervised did his time in a dentist office where he was learning a ton of stuff. = = After the student prank incident, our principal and director called an assembly where we were given the chance to say a few words and have some "closure". I guess if you were not directly affected by the whole thing, and were just looking on it would seem like an example of something a peaceable community would have, but to me it just felt fake, and only served to justify the lack of punishment given to the students involved. = = I do not think that Hank would see a whole lot of evidence around our school of a peaceable community. I think, again as an outside observer, everything would seem alright, but that would be a potemkin village. Hank would see our students walking, talking, being all friendly with each other, but if he looked closer, other things would become apparent. The teachers stay in their rooms, emerging only to eat, or run some critical errand. There is little communication, no one really knows what is going on. Our vice principal, a saint, is running around doing his coordinator job as well as his other duties. Our main principle is rarely in school before eight, and leaves early, she almost never leaves her office, and takes huge numbers of personal days. = = In going over the speech by Oscar Arias, and in my readings, I realized that in my classroom I can actually promote peace more than conflict. As a social science teacher, my curriculum is almost always slanted to the side of conflict. We talk about the Second World War, the holocaust, Vietnam, and so on. We brush over the League of Nations, calling it a failed organization, while in fact it actually gave root to the modern UN. We talk about the Cold War, but we do not discuss the SALT treaties, the list is endless. Even when we do not talk about conflict specifically the language that we use in our subjects is tied to it-the Scramble for Africa, the Great Game, the Age of Empire, and so on, we just simply do not teach peace. =

Combine service into my lessons
= Teach my students real world skills =

Assignment four- Journal entry four *The entry to the Monkkenen article links to a website without a search function, so I read some articles about him and his research into crime.

Why do you think the rate of homicide violence has gone down in the last 800 years? Well first of all I think that you should take statistics like this with a grain of salt. Now I could get around the idea of records going back that far, I have a degree in history! But tracking something like homicide violence is a little daunting for our brothers back in 1300, with all the other things that were going on. But, the basic premise is true, violent crime rates have gone done. But why is that? I think that there are many causes for a decrease in violent homicide-

1-A decrease in available weapons. Over time, especially in the countries surveyed, weapon ownership has decreased significantly. While I am not the fool who believes that all guns are banned in commie loving Europe, I do know that LEGAL ownership is difficult, and ammunition is much more expensive and harder to come by, ensuring that they are less available guns to fall into the wrong hands. Of course this does not count illegal weapons, see Charlie Hedbo this year, but less total weapons in the marketplace, and stronger regulation, has obviously had an effect.

2-An increase in trade and communication. Again, focusing on the countries in the table, you have a serious of wealthy countries that share, at least some, common values, and a common lingua franca. As trade grows, relationships form, and people become more open and accepting of others. While there will always be an undercurrent of crime, and criminals, most people do not like to harm those like them, who walk, talk, and act like them.

3-More diversity. Again, see above. All countries on the list have had large influxes of immigrants from either former colonies, or as refugee harbours (see Iraqi and Eritrean communities in Sweden). More immigrants means more diversity, means more tolerance of all people. Of course occasionally you have racism or something similar rearing its ugly head but usually things are pretty tame.

4-More education-Again, smarter people are, typically, nicer people. Educated people have access to other, non-violent strategies to solve problems.

5-A decrease (at least in some places) of religious intolerance and violence.

2. Did you over or underestimate violence in the United States? I had thought that the rate of violent crime had remained mostly constant for the past thirty years.

3. What did your 4 subject colleagues think about violence in general? The four others that I interviewed all felt that violence had actually grown in the past thirty years in the US. The subjects agreed that they thought that there was more violence because of the media culture that surrounds us. Subjects thought that even though they felt the world was more violent, upon further reflection, they all felt that it appeared more violent thanks to being bombarded by information 24/7. Most commented on the fact that there seem to be very few positive things on the news, while Twitter and Facebook are filled with sensationalism. They felt that the media glorifies, and relishes violence, while skimming over positive accomplishments.

4. Why? As noted above, all of the people had misconceptions about violence based on things that they have seen or heard in the media. As an example, here in Honduras, the front pages of the local papers are filled with pictures of blood and broken bodies. Seeing this reinforces the idea that Honduras is this incredibly dangerous place, and this is true, in places, but most of Honduras is actually as violent as any big city in the US.

5. What did you think about this lesson. I thought that it was interesting to see our misconceptions taken apart, and it appealed to me to think about the reasons why. I felt that the lesson would have been better if the link to the article actually worked.

Assignment five Part one- Amygdala- The amygdalae (singular: amygdala; [|__/__] [|__əˈmɪɡdələ__] [|__/__] ; also corpus amygdaloideum; [|Latin] , from [|Greek]  ἀμυγδαλή, amygdalē, 'almond', 'tonsil' [|[1]] ), listed in [|Gray's Anatomy]  as the nucleus amygdalæ, are two almond-shaped groups of [|nuclei]  located deep and [|medially]  within the [|temporal lobes]  of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans. [|[2]]  Shown in research to perform a primary role in the processing of [|memory] , [|decision-making] , and [|emotional reactions] , the amygdalae are considered part of the [|limbic system] . [|[3]]

So when I was much younger, in the mid nineties, I made some bad choices and to quote the cliche “began to run with the wrong crowd”. We had a lot of fun, and were mostly fueled with substances abused by many college students. One of the girls that I worked with and hung out with a lot ended up having a lot of her life ruled by her amygdala. She was a real nice girl, very pretty, with long brown hair. She was not going to ever be a brain surgeon, but she had a good life ahead of her. Well, to make a long story much shorter, this girl really fell off the deep end. Unlike the rest of us who resurfaced a few years later with our lives mostly intact, Angela spent her time hopping from house to house and from bed to bed. After awhile, she went her own way, and I went mine as she fell in with a much worse crowd than I did. A few months later I ran into her somewhere and was shocked by her appearance. Her hair, which had always been luxurious and long, was matted and ratty, her glasses were broken, and her skin was a shambles. She lived in a series of essentially crack houses with a progression of men, and you can guess where all that went. I few years later I met Angie again (we still keep in touch, and see each other every summer) and was again shocked at the change in her. Back was the girl that I knew ten years ago, while she had put on some weight (who hasn’t!), she looked great. She had a job, and was about to become a homeowner. Her brain was still hijacked, but it was not drugs, it was a result of those choices she made. She had gotten pregnant under some pretty bad circumstances, and despite all the drugs, and managed to clean herself up, and have the baby. During her time strung out, Angie was ruled by her emotions. You could also argue that her brain was run by physical addiction, but I would say that there is a distinction. She made bad choices because her emotions were overcome by her addiction. She slept around, did not bathe, and had no home out of choice, out of her brain being run by her emotions. Later, after she got clean, she became totally wrapped up in the life of her daughter. Now my opinion of whether that is good is neither here nor there, but the fact remains that everything she does is out of the love, the emotion, of her daughter.

Part two- Journal entry five After watching the Ted Talk by Amy Cuddy I shared it with my wife and we watched it together on the couch. As we watched the film, I observed my wife's body language. As we watched the film together I noticed that my wife began to actually model the poses that were shown in the Ted Talk. When Ms. Cuddy was talking about, and showing the different poses, I noticed that my wife imitated them, almost subconsciously. As I watched the video the second time I also realized that many things that I do body language wise could be considered maybe not threatening, but not exactly warm either. Another thing I noticed about the video, is how common body language really is. Watching the video actually brought me back to my classroom as I watched all the facets of body language that were shown. I quickly realized, that I and my students, model almost everything that I saw on a daily basis. I could really use this information to my advantage in the classroom. Using what I learned from the video I can find out when the best time to call a break is, or shift a lesson. I can see who gets the material, and notice who is struggling all without doing an assessment.

Journal entry 6
What is a conflict? A conflict is a disagreement about information. Typically conflicts involve more than one person, group, country, ect, but also conflicts can be internal. Conflicts arise because of a difference of opinion, fact, or interpretation.

What is conflict resolution? Conflict resolution is when two sides come to an agreement that is either mutually beneficial or an agreement that both sides can live with. Conflict resolution can take a variety of forms, negotiation, dialogue, bargaining, yelling, or violence. It is up to the party, or parties involved, to decide which method works best for them. Sometimes this can be trial and error, and sometimes the method of resolution can be violent. Obviously the best type of conflict resolution is a non-violent agreement/discussion, that benefits both sides equally.

Conflict analysis-
Like many married couples, my wife and I are known to have an argument or two every now and then, and like most arguments, they can escalate rather fast. I would not like to dwell on one particular one, but rather what happens. Keep in mind, my wife and I spend a lot of time together, more than most other couples, due to the nature of our work. > > > >
 * 1)  One of us gets angry at the other for one of several reasons-lack of help around the house, lack of alone time, or lack of attention
 * 1)  The argument starts out with subtle jabs at each other that quickly get personal, and angry
 * 1)  Harsh words are exchanged, sometimes pretty hurtful
 * 1)  We make up

And that is about it. In my opinion, the amygdala were working to make the argument much worse than it should have been Usually Rue and I fight about pretty stupid stuff, but it gets hurtful very fast, as one, or both of us, let our emotions get the better of us. You can really see this when you look at our body language and spoken language during an argument. Both of us get incredibly defensive, and say some pretty bad things, things that are totally based on emotion. Emotion, the name calling, hijacks almost everyone of our arguments, as common sense goes out the window. Letting our emotions get the better of us has led to some spectacular arguments. Even when we make up, our body language is so negative that we usually have another mini fight.

Question: Do the involvement of emotions and the Amygdala always hinder conflict resolution? No, I don’t think that they always hinder conflict resolution, but they always affect it. I think the question supposes a negative connotation for the whole emotional thing but I think that emotions can have a positive impact on conflict resolution. For example emotions of relief, happiness, joy, ect, can all help a conflict to be resolved. I think this is especially important as you are not talking about positive resolutions, but just resolutions. Conflict can be solved many ways.

Assignment -7 Identify and deliver 3 - I Messages (1 correction or negative "Imessage & 2 positive or Rewarding messages)

Correction, or negative message > Positive, or rewarding messages > >
 * 1)  When I see your toys scattered about, I get frustrated, and have to do more work.
 * 1)  When you put your toys away, I am pleased that you have learned to be responsible
 * 1)  If you do the extra credit fully, you will get more points on your exam, and I will feel more confident in giving you a better grade.

Journal entry 7 = On your wiki page give Gigi and "Imessage" to help her change her behavior. = = and = = After she changes her behavior give her another "IMessage" to reinforce her behavior change. = = Your assignment is two final "I Messages" One corrective and one positive! =

> >
 * 1)  Gigi, when you go through my things, I feel violated, and I distrust you even more.
 * 1)  Gigi, thanks for coming to me and asking to borrow some eggs rather than just taking them, it makes me feel happy to help you.

Assignment 8- Journal entry 8-

Behaviour/Education contract

25.5.15

This contract is between [|__Kirby Puckett__] (Student) and Ara Gallo (Teacher) to address behaviour and academic excellence at the school.

Goals > > > >
 * Student will have no late assignments this week (25 May-1 June, 2015).
 * Student will not be sent out of class this week
 * Student will not be asked to change seats during class
 * Student will be on time for class this week

Your daily progress will be measured in the following sheet that the student will keep in their note book. When an infraction is made, the student will make a check in the appropriate box, and the teacher will sign it. At the end of the week we will add up the scores.


 * || Late Work || Tardy || Change of seat || Office ||
 * Monday ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Tuesday ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Wednesday ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Thursday ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Friday ||  ||   ||   ||   ||

> > > > >
 * 0-2 checks Kirby will be get a choice between a homework pass, a free reading hour, or ten late points taken from his grade
 * 3-4 checks Kirby will get to choose where to sit for the day or to get the comfy chair for the day
 * 5-6 checks Kirby will choose between staying in at recess or staying in at lunch
 * 7-8 checks Kirby will get to choose to clean the room after school or have quiet homework time for an hour after school
 * More than nine checks, Kirby will schedule and attend a meeting with his mom, he and the teacher

Discussion- I do not think that it is always necessary for parents to sign off on the behaviour contracts. Of course, if the behaviour is really bad, or there are over factors at play, parents need to be involved, but for the contract above, I do not think that it is necessary. The contract is between you, and the student, it actually is building a relationship with the student which I learned about in the article that I read with this assignment. By giving the student a contract between he and I, we become more connected, and I think the child has a better chance of success. After all, if the child feels threatened at home by the parent, and at school by the teacher, the pressure could really cause the contract to backfire.

Motivation- I think that every teacher uses extrinsic motivation way to much, but it is just so easy. A piece of candy, five extra credit points here and there, it's easy, and gives a tangible reward, but I do not think it is the right way to go about things. For example in our elementary school it is commonplace to give a class a pizza party when they meet some sort of goal, like a book drive. However, the kids are now saying that since they have so many pizza parties, they are now essentially pointless, and they would rather have something else. Of course we would like to motivate our students with intrinsic motivation but it is really tough when students are taught at a young age that anything positive that they do will be rewarded with something tangible.

Assignment 9- Journal entry 9-

I do not know if I disagree, or agree with the results, as they seemed very middle of the road. When I first looked at my results, I was surprised to see that I had scored so well in creative problem solving. I would have felt that my strengths would have been in learned expert, but that was not even second, time managment was. I knew that I would score lower in the people person category, but I was actually surprised to see the score as high as it was. I have always felt that I enjoy being more alone, and working alone, so I was kind amazed to see that I scored a 22 on it. The reason that I am very much in the middle of the road on this is that when I read the descriptions of the traits, and their pro’s and con’s, I felt that I fit most of the matrix. My wife on the other hand who I gave the test to, felt that her results were very similar to what she personally believes. For example, she scored higher as a people person and creative problem solver, and lower as a learned expert and time manager, both traits that she feels she does not exemplify.

Assignment 10- The role of nurture by the families of the two main characters, Derrick and Homer-

While there are similarities in the upbringing of both Derrick and Homer, there are also huge differences as well. In Derrick’s family, the father is only with the family a very short time, as he is killed in the line of duty. When he is there, in the one scene that we see, you can sense that not only does Derek look up to him and want his approval, he is also starting to influence his way of thinking. As an example, when Derrick was talking about his course on African American Lit, his dad kept hammering at the idea that it was somehow not appropriate, and wondered “what happened to all the old books, where they no good anymore?” At the end of the conversation you could see that Derrick had deflated and he was being swayed by his father's point of view. On the other hand, Homer’s father was a strong, central presence in his life in the entire film, in fact it is the main source of conflict in the piece. Where we get a brief, fleeting glimpse of Derrick's father, Homers is omnipresent. In fact, he is a constant hindrance to Homer's pursuit of rocketry. He does everything to discourage him that he can, from not letting him launch on mine property, to throwing away all of his equipment. In fact, as Homer becomes more successful, and the town goes from mocking him to comeing out to watch the launch, his father seems more and more reluctant to abandon his dream of Homer taking his job in the mine, and ends up launching the final rocket. While the strong father in Homer's family made all the decisions and dominated family life, Derrick quickly assumed the father role on his dads death. While Homer’s father ruled with an iron fist, Derrick tried to become the leader of the family but not only influencing his younger brother, but also controlling his mother's life (the relationship with Murray), and his sisters. While Homer had a strong, decent role model to follow if he chose, Derrick was forced to go the wrong way, and easily fell prey to the white supremacist ideology.

The role of the mother in the development of each of the two main characters Derrick and Homer-

Both of the mothers shared strong similarities. Each women was easily dominated by the men in her life. For Homer's mom it was her husband who controlled the entire family. He made all the decisions, and what he said went. You could tell that the mother wanted to help guide Homer on his journey, but she was dominated by the father. It was not till the end of the film, when she told her husband she would leave him if he did not support Homer, that she began to assert herself.

Derrick's mother on the other hand, never seemed to assertive herself at all. You could see that she was influenced time after time by the men in her life, like her husband during the flashback scene, Murray in the dinner scene, and Derrick throughout the film as he tries to take on the breadwinner role. While each of the mothers obviously cared for their sons, they were easily dominated by other factors in their lives.

The role of the teacher Murray in Derrick’s life and the role of Miss Reilly in Homer’s life.

The role of Murray in Derrick's life was pretty negligible, Doctor Sweeney for example had much more influence on Derrick's life. We really only see Murray in the start of the film, where he shows Sweeney the Mein Kampf paper, and introduces Danny to Sweeney, and the fabled dinner scene. In the dinner scene, Murray and Derrick get into a discussion about race that quickly escalates into a full blown argument. In the scene Derrick is finally able to come out as the father figure/family leader that he dreams of being, bending the family to his will and making his racism known to all as he comes out on the porch and gives the Nazi salute. Of course, Murray is a conflict figure for Derrick as he is actually dating (seeing?) his mother, something that makes Derrick seethe with anger. Miss Reilly in October Sky, takes an entirely different approach with Homer. Instead of being confrontational with the parents, or Homer, she only encourages him. She tells him about the science fair, and convinces he, and his group of friends to join in. When they are messing around with the rocket at lunch and the principal comes over to take it, Ms Rielly comes to their defense.

The role of the two principals in the lives of Derrick and Homer

The role of principals in Derrick and Homer’s lives are very similar to the role of the teachers discussed above except the roles are reversed. In Homer’s world, the principal, at least until the end of the movie when he comes around and helps get Homer to Indianapolis, is adamant that what Homer and the boys are doing is not appropriate, and he throws up obstacles at every turn. On the other hand, Dr. Sweeney is heavily involved in Derrick’s life. We first learn about how Derrick feels about Sweeney when Danny tells him about their run in over Mien Kampf, and Derrick tells Danny that he “could learn a lot from Sweeney”. Later we learn that the relationship that Danny and Sweeney had started much younger, in fact before Danny took up with Cameron. At the dinner with his father, Danny talks about how much he likes Sweeney and how much he is learning in his class. After Derrick is sent to prison, it is Sweeney who he seems to have contact with, more so than his family. Sweeney is able to visit him in the hospital, after the rape, and brings Derrick books, at this point, Derrick also shows his only “weakness” of the film as he breaks down crying as Sweeney comforts him. After Derrick gets out from prison, you can see Sweeney’s role expanding. He seems to be moving beyond a normal high school principals as he seems to be some sort of liaison between the police and Derrick, and tries to convince Derrick to do the right thing. Personally I think that Sweeney is the first positive role model that Derrick has had.

The role of the community in the lives of Derrick and Homer The community Homer came from was much more supportive than Derricks. In Homer’s company town, he initially had to deal with some teasing, but it was very vanilla. I mean he got called “rocket boy”. After the first part of the film, people started to really get behind him. For example, the guy at the machine shop made him a rocket body, while another man from town help with advice about welding. When they began to launch their rockets at the old slag heap, the crowds kept getting bigger as more and more people came out to see the spectacle. By the time he won the national science fair, he was a local hero. Danny on the other hand did not seem to have positive support in the community. His community was much more divided, and diverse. For example, Homer had a lily white, small community, where everyone knew everyone else. On the other hand, Derrick came from Venice Beach, where there seemed to be a huge racial divide. The community also made Derrick into what he became, a racist killer. Danny needed something to belong, and a group of people who he could lead, and thanks to Cameron, he got both of those. The community gave Danny people to lead, his family, thanks to the death of his father and the marginalizing of Murray, and the disenfranchised youth that Derrick gets to rampage through a grocery store. Cameron however is the biggest community influence on Derrick's life. In Cameron, the skinhead community is represented by a powerful force who convinces the “community” that hate is the order of the day. Without Cameron in the community around Derrick, I do not think that his life would have turned out the way that it did.

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