The union referred to in the story "Tar Beach" is known as a labor union. A labor union is an organization made up of people who work in the same profession and who have banded together in order to deal as a group with employers. Before the development of labor unions, individual workers often had no influence in determining how they were paid, how long they worked, or what their working conditions were like. Workers formed unions because they had more power as a group than they had as individuals. Today there are unions for teachers, firefighters, and farm workers, as well as many other professionals.
Although Cassie's father helped to build the union building, he and his father before him were not members of the union because it did not accept African Americans or Native Americans as members.
Have you ever wanted to be part of a group of club that wouldn't let certain people join? Did you like being part of the group? Why or Why not? Why didn't you include certain people? How do you think that made them feel? How did you feel?
Chris G Period 7- The closest thing i have come to not being accepted into a group is when i was not tall enough to ride the rides at Hershey Park. When I go older, I did enjoy being able to ride the bigger rides, because they were more fun than the little kiddie rides. Kids were not accepted for safety reasons, they had to be a certain height to go on certain rides. The kids not tall enough are probably sad, just like i was. I sometimes do feel bad for these kids because i could connect to them.
ReplyDeleteSydney M (Period 3)- I've wanted to be apart of a club that all my friends were in, but couldnt because they were only accepting teenagers and I was turning thirteen in two months. When I finally turned thirteen I was finally allowed in to this club and I was able to go on all the trips that were included. I enjoyed being apart of this group because my friends and I could hang out and enjoy new experiences. The kids who couldn't join because they were younger than 13 were probably sad, and I felt bad when I looked back and saw their faces when they werent allowed in.
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ReplyDeleteKiana Comizio Period 7- When I was 12 and my friend was 13 we went to the Bahamas together. There was this "teen club" that we wanted to go to but you needed to have your passports to prove that you were 13 so we couldn't go in. I remember being upset because my friend was only a few months older than me so I was annoyed that I had a late birthday. Looking back on it it's funny because it probably wouldn't have been fun anyway.
ReplyDeleteMike S. (pd. 3) - When I was in elementary school I always would play football with my friends during recess. My friends and I would always start a game right at the beginning of recess. Whoever was there when we picked teams would be the only kids playing. When another kid asked to play with us we would always say no because we had already started our game and made teams. I'm sure that this made all the kids that didn't play sad because they wanted to play with us and be a part of it. Looking back I now know how immature me and my friends were to not let anyone new play with us.
ReplyDeleteMichelle Aguirre (per.3) - When i was younger, I wanted to try softball for the first time. I signed up to play with this team, but there was competition to get time to play on the field, and i was only a beginner, but like any other player, I really wanted to get playing time. Since i was one of the least experienced on the team, i barely got a chance to play, and i felt bad about myself and felt rejected. But it would be unfair for those who can actually play to get their spot taken away from someone who doesn't take it as seriously, so in the end I didn't care anymore.
ReplyDeleteEmily Coash (period 7)
ReplyDeleteWhen i was in middle school my friend and I really enjoyed acting. We decided to audition for a outside school play that was more professional then what we were use to. I was very competitive and we were both hiding the fact that we were so nervous to try out! When i got to the place, there were people older and younger then me and they all had voice trainers and way more expeirence then me. Nerves took over, i messed up my audition completely. The same exact thing happened to my friend too! I was very upset and wanted to never sing or act again but in the end i realized i wasn't half as experienced as the other people there and i just needed to take it one step at a time.
Nicole D'Annibale (period 4) When I was younger, I played rec basketball. Since my birthday is in December, I am younger than most of my friends in my grade. For basketball, there were multiple age groups that divided into teams. My friends were always together in the older group, the birthday cutoff date excluded me from playing with them. I was annoyed and just wanted to be on the same team as them. I felt like I was the only one who couldn't play with their friends but I eventually got over it, then was able to play with my friends when I got older. Looking back, it was still fun to play because I was able to play against my friends and we had a good time.
ReplyDeleteAriel Coonin period 6:
ReplyDeleteWhen I used to go to camp, I was in a group of my age and the year older. I ended up becoming really good friends with the older girls. The next year I went back to camp but the grades were separated this time. All the friends I made were now in the older group. I wanted to be in that group more than anything. I remember thinking how unfair it was that they took away all my friends. I felt so sorry for myself the whole summer but looking back it was not such a terrible experience. I got to make new friends and keep the old ones too.
Jacee C Period 7-
ReplyDeletethe only time I can think of when I wasn't allowed in a "group", was when I was younger and my whole family and I went to Universal Studios. I was really short when i was younger so i wasn't tall enough to go on most of the rides. So i had to sit out while all my older cousin have fun, this really upset me. I think i cried the rest of the day, because one ride after another you had to be 48 inches. The other kids who weren't tall enough probably weren't having fun that day either. i made sure not to step foot in another amusement park until i was at least 49 inches.
Olivia B- Period 7
ReplyDeleteThe only time I remember being left out of a group was a couple of years ago on my ice skating team. The cutoffs for age are July 1st and all my friends were moving up to the older and better team because they were 11, but I was still 10 and couldn't move up even though my birthday was only in a few months. I was allowed to skate the older team, only if I skated the younger team, which meant a lot of time spent on a good team, but also a weak one. The whole year I thought it was a waste of my time to be on the younger team, until we won the national championship title. So in the end, I got to be on a older team with my friends, but also a top team in the country.
Also, I felt bad for kids that were good enough to get on the older team, like me but were forced to stay on the younger team due to age. I see this as unfair, but for me it turned out as a postive experience.
ReplyDeleteKeith Lometti-period 7
ReplyDeleteWhen i was in middle school, My friends would always play football during recess. If you did not make it to the game in time for when they were picking teams, you could not play. Sometimes kids would come too late to be put on a team and they were excluded. This made me feel bad because the kid who got there late was being isolated and left out of the group. I felt bad because I knew even though he wanted to play, he could not because there were already too many people playing. In the end it was wrong because other kids were excluded and their feelings were probably hurt.
Kyle Lometti period 3. In soccer camp in 3rd grade I wanted to get into the advanced group with all of my friends. I tried very hard but did not make it so this made me sad and made me feel like I was being left out. But after that I realized that I was really bad at soccer so I wasn't mad. I didn't try to improve my soccer skills after this because I just felt like soccer was not my sport.
ReplyDeleteHarrison Steins-Period 7-When I was in kindergarden I was in the advanced reading group, I was in the group that would not let in other kids who could not read as well. I think that this selective grouping made people feel bad and hurt their feelings. I liked being in the group because I deserved it because I had worked so hard to learn to read, and I did feel accomplished.
ReplyDeleteScott Bartman-Period 4
ReplyDeleteEvery day before Cross Country me and my friends would play ultimate frisbee. In all honesty I was horrible but I got better as the year progressed. We began after school before practice and if you came after they began you were not able to play. Some days I would come 15 minutes before practice began and I could not play because I ccame after they began. I was bieng excluded from a group and it feels bad not bieng allowed to participate in something you want to participate in.
In the end it did not really matter
Richard Hoffberg period 3-When I was 8, I ate dinner with my family and they used to talk about things I didn't know and wanted to know what they were talking about, but they wouldn't tell me. I wish I knew so I could also be in the conversation, but now I realize that it didn't matter and we talked about other things too.
ReplyDeleteJames Delia- Period 6
ReplyDeleteWhen my friends and I were in fifth grade, we played rec baseball, but my friends were in the 6th grade league and I was in the fifth grade league because I have a late birthday. Ever since that I have never liked baseball as much because I haven't gotten to play in the same league as my friends for the past three years. I have felt left out for the past three years and don't care for baseball as much as I used too.
Tory T period 6-
ReplyDeleteI wanted to be part of a sports club, but only the best players got to be on it. It was not as fun as I had expected because it was a lot of work and everyone was really good. I felt bad for the people who were not allowed to join because they shouldn't give up on their dream just because they didn't make one sports team.
I remember a couple of years ago when I was younger I went to playland with my friends and family, all my friends were really excited about going on one particular ride. When we were about to go on it, I remember that I wasn’t able to ride it because I was too short. This obviously made me feel really excluded from all my friends and sad. For all the kids that are too short to ride on specific rides, I do know how they feel, but I’m glad that I wont have to feel that again since I am now able to go on them.
ReplyDeleteMarianna DeOliveira
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
In 7th grade when I played lacrosse I always felt really excluded because all the other girls were really good and I felt really upset. That made me learn that I shouldn't feel left out because those girls have been playing for a while and they practiced to become good. I also learned not to give up because there are other things that I'm good at.
Max Uretta Period 7- No because i dont like clubs, their kinda boaring. I have been excluded from an acticity that wasnt a club. The thing that i was excluded from was a football game. In 5th grade during recess all of my friends were playing football and when i asked to join they said they hade to many people even though the teams were odd so if they really wanted me to play i could have but instead they excluded me.
ReplyDeleteRebecca O-Period 4:
ReplyDeleteHave you ever wanted to be part of a group of club that wouldn't let certain people join?
Yes I have been part of a group that wouldn't let people "join". A few times the table i sat with in middle school was extremely cliquey and wouldn't let people sit with us, who wanted to sit with us even if one person was friends with them.
Did you like being part of the group?
No I did not like being part of this group because i felt it was extremely rude that we couldn't have people sit with us who were new, or they didn't know.
Why didn't you include certain people?
I don't include certain people because they've been rude to me in the past, or they themselves haven't included me in certain things.
How do you think that made them feel?
I feel that yes they felt discluded, if they excluded me in the past, they felt the same way as i did, and that made them realize not to do that again.
How did you feel?
When i excluded someone, I didn't feel good about it but since they excluded me i didn't feel as bad.
Carlye Uretta Period 4- Mainly the closest time ive ever been apart of a club and couldnt join was not being able to ride the rides at certain parks. I do not feel as if i am classified as a certain group, yes i hang out with certain people but i am friends with many different people not just the people i sit at lunch with. The only reason i wouldnt include certain people is if they are rude or mean to me. They probably feel sad but i would allow them to be my friend if they were nice to me like i am nice to them. When i feel excluded i normally just make a joke out of it because my height is something i always have to deal with and it doesnt really bother me that much so i just make a joke about it.
ReplyDeletePeriod 4- I can never say that I have wanted to join a club because I find them pointless but there have been times in life when i have been excluded. A time when i have been excluded was in 5 grade and i aak if i could sit at one of the lunch tables and they said i couldnt because there werent enough seats when there was one open
ReplyDeleteBrian Ganis Period 3-
ReplyDeleteThere hasn't been times in my lif where i wanted to participate in a specific club. However i have seen the reactions of others when they are excluded from a group, team, club, etc. I feel as if sometimes the person may not be a ble to join because of something they did, but other times people arn't allowed in becasue of something they have no control over. Whether it's being too small for a basketball team. Or not smart enough for the home work club. In the world there are always times where people are discluded, and sometimes... you have to hang in there.
Matthew Miles period 7_ I don't think I have ever been a member of a club because i don't have the time after school to join one. People get excluded from clubs because of who they are friends with, whats their athletic ability and etc... I have never excluded anybody but if I were in their position and i was excluded that would make me vey unhappy.
ReplyDeleteSam O period 6 I have never been part of a group and I don't want to be I think it's important to have your own voice wheather it be expressed through music, art, writing etc. I think if you are part of a group you tend to lose who you are as you tend to follow the crowed. Thats why iof I had a tar beach Id want people of all differnt personallities to be there it make thing more fun. I always feel like Im left out of things mostly because im shorter and younger then everyone.
ReplyDeleteJackie Dalfonso period 6- i think the only time when i was in a group was in 7th grade when i got a recognition award for orchestra. i was not alone. there were other people who got recognition too. but most people were excluded because i guess they were not good enough. I don't think that was fair. i think they should not give out recognition awards; or have honor roll systems, because it makes everyone feel bad.especially if they don't make it. if i was allowed to bring anyone in to recognition awards i certainly would because the system is unfair.
ReplyDeleteGabriella B (period 3) – In a way I have been part of a group that didn’t let certain people join. I dance outside of school at a studio, the studio sections off their classes depending on how well you dance. There are different levels for each type of dance being offered. My level doesn’t let everyone join, if you cant do certain moves, or the teacher doesn’t think youre ready, you cant be part of the level class I am in. I liked being in this group because I was at the same level as everyone else and I work just as hard as the other dancers. I did feel bad for the people who weren’t able to take the classes I take, but that didn’t mean they were bad dancers. The girls who weren’t in my class probably felt upset that they weren’t ready to be at that level. But some girls became more determined to work harder to get into the higher classes for the next year.
ReplyDeleteMelanie Straface period6- When I was younger I went to six flags with my family, but I wasn’t tall enogh to go on most of the rides there. I went back when I was a little older and it was a lot better because I was able to go on the big rides that everyone else did. My little cousin went with us but she was too small and couldn’t go on. I felt really bad for her because I know how it felt to be left out and feel like you arent big enough.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger my mom and dad brought my friends and I to six flags and most of us were not tall enough to go on the rides. When I got older I also got taller and was able to go on the rides. The ride only allowed people over a certain height because you could fall out of the seat if you were and shorter. My friends and I at that time felt really upset that we could not go on the ride.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Quinn period 4- A time when i was excluded was going to amusment parks. Most of my cousins where much younger than me so they couldn't go on the rides and i was the only one. So when going on these rides i felt alone end exculded form the rest of the group. So it was the opposite of the things that people were saying before that they couldn't go on the rides but other people could.
ReplyDeleteDaniella Lagani Period 7- When I was younger I was in a group of friends. That group didn't allow people who were new in school to join. I didn't really like being a part of that group. I felt so sorry for the new kids, who had no friends when they first arrived. The "leader" of our group was very mean and for some reason didn't like new people. I bet the new kids felt sad when they asked to join the group, and the answer was no. All those kids wanted were some friends to hang with. That is why I stopped being a part of that group. I befriended new kids and anyone who asked.
ReplyDeleteNick Nelson pd 6
ReplyDeleteThere hasnt been a time in my life when i wanted to join an exclusive club. However i have seen people who have been excluded from groups, sports etc. I have seen there reactions and they get pretty sad sometimes. Sometimes the people chose that person not to be in the group because they dont like them but sometimes its because their different or not good enough.
Shannon Zuccarelli Period 6 - A time when I was excluded from a group was when I was younger and wanted to join a sports team, but I was too young and didn't have any experience. But when I got better and older, I was allowed to join. This made me feel special to be apart of a group that enjoyed doing the same things I did. They didn't include certain people because they needed to be a certain age, which made them feel superior. But it made me feel bad when I saw a kid being turned away like I once was.
ReplyDeleteAbdullah Ahmad Period 3-The closest thing I have come to not being accepted into a group is not making it on the freshmen basketball team. This made me heart broken when the coach said I didn't make it. They had to make cuts because their was a lot of players playing on the team. The coach even said this is the hardest time to be a coach.
ReplyDeleteRoma S.(pd.4) The only time I have taken part in a specific club or group is right now. I am currently in a dance group that is exclusive to a certain number of people. I like being in this group because I can prove to others that I am able to take numerous challenges that strengthen my endurance, technique, and ability to dance furthermore in a team effort. This group doesn’t include certain people mostly because of how they dance. I think it makes them feel like they are not successful even though many who do not make it are very talented and have much more potential than expected of them. I feel that more people should get the chance to show what they have to offer. Some people (including me at times) get nervous at auditions and tend to cover up what they truly can do. If they had time to practice and felt more comfortable, the judges would see the talented and real side to them.
ReplyDeleteKatie Stevens. Period 4-When i was younger i would not be able to watch most of the movies my older brothers and sisters would be allowed to. I would feel very sad because they would all go to the movies to watch an older kids movie that they would all obsess over, meanwhile i was left to watch a children movie with my mom. Even though i knew i was young and i shouldnt be allowed to see the movies they were watching, i still felt left out. I felt really sad about it, but they did also.
ReplyDeleteNick F. Period 3 - When I was in elementary school at recess me and my friends would go on the playground and play tag or go to the field and play football. When we would play tag we would always make the slowest kid who could never catch anyone be "it" first. My friends did this because they thought it was funny that they could out run the tagger every time. I think he felt sad because he could never tag anyone. I felt bad so I would make believe he caught me sometimes so that I would have to be "it". I didn't like being part of this group but they were the only ones playing tag so I had to play with those kids.
ReplyDeleteKevin alvora- period 6
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in 5th grade I really wanted to join pee wee league for football but my mom signed me up for soccer. Ever since that year I have regretted not being to play football in that year because it would have gave me football experience and possibly made me a better football player. Other people that wanted to play football that year but couldn't also felt like I did about it because It was annoying now being able to play with my friends.
Dominique Loguidice (Period 4)
ReplyDeleteThe only time I have been in a situation where certain people weren't allowed to join was during Softball. I made the team, but others didn't. This was because these people did not have all the skills required to play and had a very hard time trying to do it. I personally loved being part of this group. It was the best year I played ever in my life, and it made me a better player as well as allowed me to meet new people who were much older than me. I think that the people who were not part of this team, probably felt sad because they missed out on something really great. When I saw people get cut from the team, I felt bad for them but it also gave them the opportunity to try something else that they are good at.
Mark Menniti
ReplyDeleteOne time that I can remember that I felt isolated was when I was ten years old, playing Little League.I really didnt get to play because I was benched many times.I can still remember this time because I will never forget how mad I was, because every one else played alot more then I did. Ever since that day i know how it feels to be isolated so I try to help others not to feel the way that I did when they are being isolated.
Amanda Levkoff Period 6: When I used to play soccer I used to feel excluded because all of the other girls were really good. I do not feel that I am in a certain group, I hang out with certain people but I am friends with a lot of different people also, even though I might not hang out with them out of school. Whenever I feel excluded I normally just make it into a joke and go along with it
ReplyDeleteConor McGillicuddy - Period 3 - One instance of being left out of the group is last year when some of my friends invited me to go to Playland and have some fun. I had to decline their invitation because I was grounded. This made me sad that I ccould not go, but I knew that there would always be another chance to go.
ReplyDeleteSabrina Amicucci period 4- when i was little i played travel soccer and i wasn't the best on the team. I was isolated from the rest of the team when no one wanted to be my partner because i wasn't able to kick the ball that far. But when i started gymnastics i was part of something because i was good at the sport.
ReplyDeleteTristan Votta Period 6-
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in elementary school, my friends and I always used to sit at the same table. When a new student came into the school, there wasn't enough room at that specific table, and not everyone wanted him to sit there. He was excluded, and that probably made him feel upset and isolated. I felt wrong that he wasn't able to sit with us but eventually everyone welcomed him to sit at our table.
Federica Balboni Period 4
ReplyDeleteCassie makes her dreams come true by visualizing them, she imagines her dreams as if they are reality. One place I'd imagine as my beach would be my bed room. The colors in my room are bright and fun. I could close my eyes on my bed laying down, feeling like I'm on top of a cloud because my bed is super comfortable. I'd imagine myself on this cloud and picture anything I'd want, mainly a beach because they are fun and you can get tan there. I'd be alone because I like to think and I'm only capable of clearing my thoughts when I am alone
Mike G period 3
ReplyDeleteI have never been really excluded from anything big. However, I have seen people who are excluded from the group and they feel bad. I feel bad for them, but sometimes there is nothing you can do. If they are on a sports team and get cut, maybe it's because they aren't good enough. Also, if you want to be friends with someone, but you don't have the same interests, it might not work out. It doesn't make you feel good to see that these people are isolated, but maybe they are not in the group for a reason, and they should try to do new things and venture out.
Jillian Roos , Period 4
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the year i thought it would be a good idea to participate in a sport so I can become friends with people because i was new to the school. I decided to join volleyball, I've always enjoyed playing volleyball when we would do units on it in gym but i never really got into it. I went to tryouts for one week where they would evaluate you. I realized that everyone was a lot better than me and I kind of felt stupid being there. When the week came to an end I didn't make the team as you probably assumed. I was really upset cause I felt like the girls that made the team thought I was a bad volleyball player and that they were better than me. I soon realized that it wasn't my sport and it was better to start out the year without a sport to create less stress.
Brandon A. per. 3
ReplyDeletewhen i wasi n parsons elementary school everyday at recess me and my friends would shove our lunches down our throat. so we could go play baseball, we only let the people who we like and who were there first. i thinks that the kid must have felt bad. looking back on this i feel terrible for being so immature and mean to the other kids.
marie powell
ReplyDeletei remember in my old school there werent alot of clicks but then when i moved to the harrison public school i would see a group of girls always together talking and i felt like they were the popular group i always wanted to be apart of them to go sit with them and be their friends but they didnt let me in now as i see this i dont care about popularity i love the friends i have
Carly Rutkovsky period 7
ReplyDeleteI wanted to be a part of dance team since middle school. I never made it on to dance team because i thought it would be too much of a commitment as a freshman and wanted to get used to HHS before joining something that would be so time consuming. Although I'm not on the team, I'm still very involved in the dance program at school and I feel very comfortable there. The dance program is a very open and unjudgemental place that can help beginners get on their feet or advanced dancers study and improve their technique.
Sydney Rheingold Period 6-
ReplyDeletePersonally I don't remember an exact time where I have been excluded from something, but i do remember a time when I saw other people excluding people from playing a game. It was in Elementary school, and everyday after we ate lunch, we would go outside and play this game we all have made up. This was an everyday routine we would either play kickball or this tag game. One day this girl goes up to one of the guys and asked them if she could play, she was "different" then everyone else and because of that he wouldn't let her play. I saw this happening and i felt horrible about it. But now I feel even worse that I didn't do something then.
Christian Rizzaro period 6- I have had the experience where i have not been excepted to something. I was trying to play a game with my friends at lunch and they would not let me because i was a boy. This made me feel terrible because i was excluded before i even had a chance to show them that i was experienced enough to play. I have also been on the side where me and my friends have not let people play sports with us in middle school because they were girls. We did not give them a chance to show that they new had to play the game and we were very judgmental. This was wrong of us and i felt bad after doing it. This also made them feel unwanted because they did not get to play basketball with us. In the future i would not do this again and i now realize how wrong of me it was to do because it has happened to me and i know how it feels.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Moran Period 7-
ReplyDeleteIf I can remember a moment that I have felt excluded from somewhere would be when I was younger. My family and I went to an amusement park and there were more teenagers then kids. I wanted to go to all the younger rides but my mom told me we all had to stay together as a group, so my cousins and I didn’t end up going on that many kid rides, but instead we watched all my older cousins having fun and us kids having a miserable time.
Emma LaBarbera- Period 7
ReplyDeleteMe, myself I have never been excluded from a "club" but similar to Brian's response, I have seen the reactions of others when they are excluded from something or from a "club". I believe that the people in the group of whom excluded others, felt good about themselves because they thought that they were better than the others, and by making others feel bad, I believe that this strengthened their confidence. The people who were being excluded in this situation I could tell where uncomfortable and nervous. I often see people be left out of "clubs" or "groups" of different sorts, but I always wonder why they don't find friends that actually do want to be with them, or want them to be apart of something with them. People can always come up with excuses as to why you're not good enough, or you're not strong enough, but the excluded people should always keep in mind that it's what they think of themselves is greater than what others think of them.
Nicolette Forgione Period 3 - I have never been excluded from a club before but like Emma's response, I have seen people get excluded from a club before. The people who were excluded from the club were younger than everyone else and I think that might have been the reason why the leaders of the club decided not to let them join. Just by looking at their faces I could tell that they felt bad about themselves and didn't really know the reason why they were being left out and excluded from the club. I think instead of just sitting there all depressed and helpless they could've make their own club that was a lot better than the older kid's club. They could make it with all of their creative ideas that no one else wanted to listen to.
ReplyDelete