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Brochure for high school students (prospective City Tech students) about services City Tech provides to aid students in academic success.

Deonarine Karan

Professor Carrie Hall

English 1101

April 12, 2019

Can Drake Make a Difference?

              Did you ever give back to the community or donated for a good cause? If you were financially stable would you give back to the people in need? When I outgrew clothes that I can’t wear anymore I would usually gather everyone’s clothes that they don’t wear and donate them to the less fortunate. When I was younger and I didn’t use to finish my food my mom would use to tell me kids in Africa would love to have what you have. At the time I didn’t really know the meaning behind that statement but as time passed I see kids all around the world that is less fortunate than us and don’t really have the opportunities that we take for granted. Many teenagers in this generation care more about materialistic things like name brand clothing and shoes rather than what’s important in life which is happiness. I use to hate when my friends use the phrase “Money can’t buy happiness”, because they would say if you have money you could buy anything in the world that you want. But as I matured and got older it’s true you could buy anything in the world but you can’t buy yourself happiness. I rather be happy than rich because money could take you so far before you realize there’s more in life than just money.

            In Drake’s album Scorpion, two songs stood out to me the first one was “God’s Plan” he had a million dollar budget for his music video rather than him buying fancy clothes, chains, and cars to show off he give back to the community which was a selfless act. Drake video for “God’s Plan” was the most important thing he have ever done in his career. Drake started off the video giving cash to people in the streets, giving toys to kids, surprise a family with a brand new car, and gave a student a scholarship to college. In one scene, he takes a hotel maid on a shopping spree and pays the bill for a store full of people buying groceries. Drake also donates money to a high school, gives a student a full ride to college, and signs a check to a women’s shelter. “Drake himself seems to be part of the gift, with shots of him sneaking up and bringing a fan to immediate tears presented just as lovingly as when he hands the same shocked fan a wad of money”(Lily Puckett 2018), meeting your favorite artist can’t be compared to all the money in the world because they are someone you idolize. On my nephew six birthday we gathered some family members to buy food and refreshments to give out at church and at a elderly homes. Regular six year olds would rather receive money or toys on their birthdays but my nephew had everything you could possibly imagine. So showing him different values by giving back to people and the community you grew up in which would result in having a giving mindset from young. 

            Another song from Drake’s album Scorpion, that stood out to me was “Nice For What”, it was a song for women around the world no matter your size or color. Drake’s “Nice For What” song included Lauryn Hill song Ex-Factor which represents a person that has a strong but unpredictable influence. Drake also included Big Freeda which shows a strong message because she’s a transgender woman that experienced a lot of hatred. The video had strong and independent females like Olivia Wilde, Misty Copeland, Issa Rae, Jourdan Dunn, Tracee Ellis Ross, Tiffany Haddish, Yara Shahidi, Zoe Saldana, Letitia Wright, and Michelle Rodriguez. “Nice For What” supports many women moments like the #MeToo movement which is a movement against sexual harassment and assault. “So for Drake to have not only produced a song about an unbothered woman doing her and living her best life, it’s a shocker, but a welcome one” (Whitney Alese 2018), it always takes one person to make a change in this case it’s Drake showing respect to females and what they deserve. “Workin’ hard, girl, everything paid for; First, last phone bill, car note, cable (Whitney Alese 2018),” showing woman’s work ethic by putting their responsibilities first. “That’s a real one in your reflection, without a follow, without a mention.” showing you don’t care about others opinions by having self appreciation. Especially in a generation where people go straight to social media like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat to get people’s attention.

            Drake releasing “God’s Plan” and “Nice For What” shows growth and change in the world that everyone needs to value and show how to have and treat a female with the respect they deserve. It doesn’t matter how small you contribute to world it all starts somewhere with you. On the other hand, many artists in this generation degrades females rather than lifting them up and putting them on top where they belong. All females around the world should be empowered, after all we all came from a strong and independent women that we admire and love. We need more leaders like Drake to spread the message of giving and equality.

Citations:

Alese, Whitney. “The Deeper Meanings behind Drake’s ‘Nice For What.’” Medium, Medium, 11 Apr. 2018, medium.com/@TheReclaimed/the-deeper-meanings-behind-drakes-nice-for-what-f97a5d979f21.

Puckett, Lily. “5 Religious Leaders Weigh in on Drake’s Version of God’s Plan.” The FADER, The FADER, 27 Feb. 2018, www.thefader.com/2018/02/23/drake-gods-plan-religion-leaders/amp.

For Tuesday, please bring in the first 600 words of your rough draft. Please post online AND PRINT IT OUT. As usual, this is worth 20% of your grade for this unit.

Also, please bring a link to your mentor article!

New Orleans, Louisiana commonly referred to as “NOLA” by many natives of the region; has a rich history that affects the culture to this day. Creole people of NOLA are the result of a melting pot of several cultures. The term “creole” ties its roots to “the sixteenth century to identify descendants of French, Spanish, or Portuguese settlers living in the West Indies and Latin America.” (Countries and their Cultures) The actual genesis of the word “creole” many have Spanish or Portuguese roots. One theory being, “the word Creole comes from the Spanish word, criollo, which roughly translates to native or local. People used this term to describe things that were part of the New World during the time that the Spanish and French controlled Louisiana.” (WiseGeek) However, another possibility is “the term ‘Creole’ derives from the Portuguese word crioulo, which means a slave born in the master’s household.” (Countries and their Cultures)

Another prominent group of people found in Louisiana are the Cajuns. The difference between Creoles and Cajuns revolves around migration history of the two groups. Creoles are essentially the product of the merging of several different cultures as Louisiana was colonized. However, Cajuns are said to have travelled from Canada and settled in Louisiana. Another subtle difference is the language utilized by either group. “Although both types of people use French as a basis for their speech, Creoles rely more heavily on other languages.” (WiseGeek) Additionally, most Cajuns are Catholic; while many Creoles practice Catholicism, elements from influencing cultures are often present. This is evident as “some people… lean toward Native American spirituality, using medicinal healing. Others focus on folk religions from Africa or the Caribbean. In some cases, individuals mix a little bit of everything together, using an eclectic combination of prayer, voodoo, charms, candles and ‘wild’ church services that emphasize being ‘possessed’ by the spirit.” (WiseGeek)

Works Cited:

“Creoles.” Countries and Their Cultures, www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Creoles.html.

Hobby, Jessica, and Bronwyn Harris. “What Is the Difference Between Creole and Cajun?” WiseGEEK, Conjecture Corporation, 4 Feb. 2019, www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-creole-and-cajun.htm.

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1. How do Haitian culture Creoles differ from NOLA Creoles?
2. Is voodoo still a part of Creole culture today?
3. How did Mardi Gras traditions evolve into its current form?

“Hostage”

“Paradise”

“Melanin”

Mulatto- is a word referring to a person who is born to one Black parent and one Caucasian parent.

“EDP”

“Skell”