Hello all,
Next week, we will be starting Gene Luen Yang's graphic novel, American Born Chinese. The main plot-line concerns Jin, a young Chinese American boy, who moves to a new town and tries to fit in with those around him. In order to do this, he undergoes a series of changes, leading him on a journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.
For this week's blog, you are being asked to reflect on a time in your life when you were a newcomer. Describe, in detail, a time in your life when
you've been put into a new situation. How did you deal with it? What, if anything, did you do to fit in? Provide context.
Responses should be at least 300-400 words and are due by 3 p.m. Friday, 2/15.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteA time when I felt out of place was when I went to Boces on February 12,2013. I felt out of place because I had never been there before. I didn't know most of the people at Boces and the place was huge. It's so easy to get lost there since there are different classrooms and programs. I also was confused on what to do. When I first got there, there were a bunch of lines with lots of kids on them. A man, I'm guessing that worked there, helped me find the right line. That made me feel better because then I knew where to stand.
ReplyDeleteThen, when I went to the auto body careers place, I was the only girl there, which made me feel strange. I asked the man in charge questions. I asked him, what the students do during the first year ? He also told me that girls get jobs as secretaries at auto body shops.
Then, when I got to one of my classes, there were more kids that I didn't know. Usually, I'm a talkative person, but when I was in the class, I wasn't as talkative as usual because I didn't the kids and had never been in the room before.
However, what I did to fit in was, I asked questions and participated with the class. There was even a girl in the class that said she had seen me at the Kingdom Hall, which kind of made me feel a little better. It felt good to know that someone is familiar with the Bible and Jehovah. I'm really glad I asked questions because now I know a lot more about the program. I am still nervous about maybe going next year, but I know if I do go people will help and I don't need to be afraid of anybody. Even though I was nervous at Boces, I had a good time.
Brit, this is really good. You're such a sweetheart.
DeleteA time when I felt out of place or somewhere I didn't belong was anytime we do something in school, or even out of school when we need to be in groups with people I don't usually associate with. I felt this way because some of people I've been with, I don't talk too, we don't have the same interests, etc.
ReplyDeleteIn this situation, I usually have mixed feelings throughout the whole thing. I'm not usually a talkative person around people I don't know, or don't talk to on a daily basis. Once everyone has been together for a while, and we start talking, you start to realize that some people might have the same interests as you do. Then it's not such an awkward quiet situation.
I once was put into a situation when I felt left out, and I felt different. When I was about 8 I went to a summer day camp. It was called Sky Lake and is locating in Deposit New York. It lasted for two weeks. i went at 9 in the morning and left at 4 in the afternoon. I thought the camp would be fun until i got there.
ReplyDeleteOnce I got to the camp there were many other kids my age. Some a little older, and some younger. The kids came from all over the state and stayed over night. I didn't like sleepovers yet. I didn't feel left out until I started talking to the kids. I had really long hair at the time and the other kids must not have liked it. I think young girls with long hair are pretty, but these girls didn't. Once I sat down next to some other kids they started to pick on me. I guess they didn't like my long hair, and they wanted me to know. This wasn't very nice and they made me feel different. They made me upset and i felt left out. I never wanted to go to the camp again, and I never did.
That sounds like you had a rough time. I'm sorry, if it makes you feel any better I like long hair.
DeleteOne of the times I felt out of place or where i shouldn't be was on modified when i switched from baseball to track and field. I got picked on for it but i eventually got over it and now i'm one of the fastest kids on the team.
ReplyDeletenow that i have done track for two years i have gotten to know everyone better and i have gotten a lot faster.to fit in with the team i decided to work had and be on the 4X100 relay team. we did really good.all my friends help me out with changing and starting track and field. for all their help i would like to thank them :)
Haha, nice Connor.
DeleteI became a newcomer once I came into the middle school of Deposit Central school. Coming into a bigger school was very different. All of the kids were bigger than me and I wasn't used to it. In the elementary school, us 5th graders were the oldest students in the school. Going from biggest to smallest was a big change.
ReplyDeleteBeing in the middle school made me feel alot different. In order to fit in more in the new big school, I talked to my friends more other than walking alone. Being alone probably made me look more scared and confused. I didn't want that so walking an talking more with my friends made me fit in. I didn't feel left out for long. Once I figured out where all of my classes were, and was comfortable with all the older kids I felt fine. Middle school wasn't so bad after all.
I’m not going to lie; I’m kind of a shy person. If I don’t know you very well I won’t really act myself until I get comfortable with you.
ReplyDeleteA time that I felt out of place would be when I went to softball camp two summers ago. I really wanted to go and learn new stuff because softball is my favorite sport. I had never been to the camp before so I didn't know anyone there. All the girls who were there have gone before, and they knew all of the counselors and each other.
It was an overnight camp that was five days long. In the morning we would eat breakfast and I sat alone, it sucked. Also we would do skills and drills, and we had to have partners. I never knew who to be partners with, so I was always the last one to get a partner. It felt really awkward playing catch with someone that I didn't know. We would just stand there in silence and wait until it was over.
At night we were put on teams and we would play each other. My team knew each other from going to the camp before. I was the only new girl, and I didn't like it one bit. I felt like I wasn't actually part of the team because everyone would go off with each other and talk.
Even though it was kind of uncomfortable at times I’m really glad that I went to camp and got better.
-KYLIE(:
I would have been your partner! Well, if I liked softball. :p
DeleteLast year was one of the only times I can think of that I felt out of place. It was ninth grade basketball.
ReplyDeleteI had always hate basketball before I started playing last year, but I guess that was just because I never tried. I never thought I would be able to dribble a ball up the court and make a basket.
On the first day of basketball practice I felt so out of place, and like everyone was watching me to see if I would mess up. Not a lot of the older players on varsity knew it was my first year playing so some of them weren't as patient as my friends who knew that I had never played before. So, of course, Janai was my partner for the first couple days. She really helped me to feel comfortable around everyone. And when I messed up, we would both laugh about it.
After a few weeks, I finally got the hang of doing layups. I was so excited when I finally learned how to do one. I started getting better, and eventually we had our first home game. I only made one shot the whole entire year, but I'm glad it was my first game.
Since then, I have enjoyed playing basketball outside of practice too. I play with my friends sometimes and even just shoot around by myself at home, too. Last year I went to a basketball clinic with Janai in Binghamton too. It was a fun time.
-Kat. C.
You scored when we played against Afton, too!
DeleteI'm sooooooo glad you played, you improved so much between last year and this year! Love you :* <3
Deletethank you guys! <3
DeleteOne time in my life when I was a newcomer was when I moved to a new school. I have done this a couple of times in my life. When you first move it is the hardest and it gets better over time.
ReplyDeleteI have lived in three locations where I went to school. In all of these places I was a new comer. The first place I lived at was Falls Village, Connecticut. The second place I lived at was Albany, New York. The third place is where I am now, Deposit.
When I moved here I was already used to being a new comer. This was the third time that I had to move to a new school, so I was used to it. The first time I went to a new school I felt like I would never get a friend. I also felt scared that I would never find my class and I would be lost. I was also afraid that the other kids would pick on me.
Another time when I felt out of place was when I moved to my last school. At that school it was not as hard to make friends at first. That was because at lunch I sat at a random table and these kids came up and said that was their table and I was welcome to stay. That gave me a chance to make friends and is also how I made my best friend there. I also made more friends when I started to play soccer.
I hope that this is the last time I move while I am in school, so I do not have to make new friends at a new school and so that I don’t have to feel like a new comer again.
morgan i like how you are use to be a new comer and that you can make friends easy.
DeleteSix years ago, in the month of July, I was a newcomer to a camp I go to. It is called Camp Shankitunk and I was in a totally new environment that I had never experienced before. Going to camp made me nervous I didn't think I would fit in and I also thought that making new friends was going to be super hard. I was put into cabin six. My counselor's name was Sarah. I was so scared and I thought I was going to cry.
ReplyDeleteMy counselor comforted me and told me that she went through the same thing that I was going through. Once I got past the first night I felt much better. The girls in my cabin were so nice. We were all going through the same thing and we had a lot in common. One girl in my cabin came all the way from Georgia just to go to camp. My new friends and I became best friends and hung out all the time. I forgot about what I thought my first day and I had a great time that whole week. The first couple days were the hardest but once I got through them I loved camp and now I can’t get enough of it. The classes that you can take really take your mind off of everything else and let you focus on being you. I took archery, science and nature, drama, and swimming.
Now that I went through that I can relate to the little girls who were even younger than I was. I can comfort them when I become a counselor next year. I can even tell them my story of when I was a newcomer, and hopefully that will make them feel better just like Abby made me feel better.
-Remington Doty :D
One time in my life when I felt like a newcomer is when I got into 6th grade. When I first go into this high school I didn’t feel like I belonged there because everybody was taller than me and knew the high school better than me.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t like having to not know the high schools when I first came her was because they would call us little kids and I didn’t like that because I thought I was bigger than I was in 5th grade. I would always get lost because I didn’t know where my classes were or anything. It was awkward when we had to come over here and eat lunch with the high schoolers. They would stare at us and I didn’t like that because I was a shy person.
I use to walk by myself but then I would start walking with my friends because sometimes we had the same class together and sometimes we didn’t. I would always be late to class because I would forget what class I had and I would have to look at my schedule and find out what class I had. When I learned how to memorize what class I had I wasn’t late anymore and I wouldn’t get written up as much as I did.
I made more friends when I got use to this high school and I would hangout with them at lunch and sit and eat with them. The classes were kinda hard but I got use to them. I didn’t like walking around this school because I thought I wasn’t ready for it but I started to get use to it and I got use to walking around the school. My friends would walk with me to class and I started not to feel like I was a newcomer and I didn’t care what people thought of me even though I was a 6th grader.
A time I felt out of place, was when I was in the parent- teacher meeting today, in school. It was very nerve racking. My hands were really sweaty, my face was red hot it felt like it was going to burn off. Also it was weird because I felt queasy in my stomach it was bad. Even though I was trying to keep calm. I had no clue where it was going either, which made it twice as bad. I couldn’t tell if Mr. Spaulding was going to say something good or bad or good and bad. I wasn’t sure what Mr.Tombasco was going to say either. I was hoping he wouldn’t say much because he was sitting there quietly at first, but then he wasn’t so quiet. He was agreeing with spud on a lot of things like how I could be an honor roll student and I need put my full potential to work. Also Mrs.Rajner added that I am very polite and how I listen and follow directions. By the end of the meeting, I realized that what they just told me was the same things my Dad and step Mom have been telling me. That I need to stop being lazy start doing my work and try, which I have heard more than a few times. After that Mr.Macrabie said a good goal to set would be seventy five in all my classes, as which everyone agreed. Once I reach that goal I’m going to go higher. He also added that I should keep staying after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays for all the extra help like I have been. I am still going to stay after Tuesdays and Thursdays. When I get back to school I am going to have to talk to Mr. Jansen about typing help in his class, so I can pass it. When the meeting was over I was relieved I didn’t get into too much trouble by my Step Mom. My Dad’s not home from work yet (gulp). Over all I’m going to work harder so I can achieve better in life.
ReplyDeleteThe first time when I felt new to something is when I went to a two week long day program at Binghamton University. It was the summer between my seventh and eighth grade year. I was with only one person I knew, Emily Struble. I had to meet a lot of new people and learn to work with them. When Emily and I first got there we were late because the bus had to drop people off at other schools in Binghamton. We first meet in a huge lecture hall where we took a test about our science knowledge. After that Dr. Jones, the instructor, told us about the way everything was going to work and we went off to start our classes. I felt new to this because I knew no one in my first series of chemistry classes, then we all introduced ourselves and worked together on labs.
ReplyDeleteThe first friend I made was Chris who was a funny Korean-American from Johnson City. Chris and I worked together on many projects that involved making light bulbs lighting up by using power from a bicycle and making nylon. After our chemistry class we had lunch where every really got to meet each other. After lunch, everyone was split into groups of four to work on environment- based problems in society. My group had an advantage because our group leader was one of Dr. Jones’ students. In my group I made my best friend from the whole program his name was Dan he was a really funny person that I got along with excellently.
Once we had three days of chemistry class, we switched to engineering class. This class was my favorite because the two instructors were funny and very knowledgeable. In there we tested the objects hardness, how far things could be stretched, and measuring the room with everyday items. After the engineering class, we switched to biology class. In the biology class we took plant leaves to see the effects of pesticides and made E-coli in a special incubator. At the end of the program our groups had to have a poster made with our environment project. My group decided to talk about the pros and cons of paper and plastic bags. We talked about our topic with professors and our parents. After this experience I became used to trying new things.
-Alex
One of the few times I have felt like a newcomer or lonely was my first summer at Upward Bound. Upward Bound is a summer program at Binghamton University where you spend Monday through Friday in the BU dorms, and take half days of school to help prepare you for that coming year's school year.
ReplyDeleteAt UB there are so many other students from other schools. The very first time I walked the main hallway surrounded by people I didn't know, I was nervous as all get out. I actually saw Devin that first day, and he looked as
awkward as I felt. I didn't feel normal until my roommate, the lovely Kristy Capel, joined me.
The one main problem I had that summer was friends. My Deposit UB friends had their own people there, and I knew that they wouldn't be able to be together during the school year, so I was trying to stay away, to not be clingy. I did make friends, of course, like Joe, most of the girls in my TC group, and of course my now-boyfriend, Chris.
The biggest thing was that even if I did have friends, I still felt lonely. I didn't want to overcrowd my friends, and I never got to see my then- boyfriend, and to add to it all, my family was having some big issues.
Well. I survived that summer by talking to some people, like my TC, and to my Grandmother and great friends. I plan on going back this summer, and I'll have much more fun now that I'm comfortable there.
Most people don’t realize how shy I am because when you go to Deposit you know everyone and there’s no reason to be shy, but when I don’t know anyone I get really shy.
ReplyDeleteLast summer I went to a basketball camp at Sacred Heart in Connecticut, and I felt so out of place and it made me nervous. I have gone to other basketball camps before but this one was different. This camp was basically full of rich kids, who were amazing at basketball because their parents could send them to all three sessions at this Division One camp. The one session I went to was $600 dollars by itself and it was only Sunday through Thursday. Most of the girls there already had made groups of friends because they had already been there for two weeks. I basically hung out with my roommate and one of the girls on my team the whole time. It was really hard for me to relate to the other girls because we didn't really have anything in common. They all had summer vacations to the Caribbean and their beach houses. A lot of the girls played on travel teams together or came with a friend.
It was awkward just sitting there while everyone else was talking and having a good time. We would get back at eight at night and everyone would be out in the lounge area watching TV and hanging out and I would just hang out in my room by myself. I really missed my friends.
At camp we were on teams and I didn't play well because everyone there had played with each other before. It was awkward not having my friends on my team. Also we had to have partners for a lot of drills so I usually got stuck being partners with whoever didn't have a partner that time.
It was really challenging making it through camp without any friends, but I was really happy I went and finished it.
I could never imagine you as being shy Janai. :P
DeleteDon't act like you know me Remington Rosalie Doty.
DeleteCamps are always so awkward at first. I hate going alone, but once you go and make friends it is a lot of fun. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :p
DeleteThe summer of my freshman year I went to field hockey camp all by myself. The first couple of days I was there I felt like a loner. I had no friends and I didn’t like my roommate, she was weird. She didn’t talk much and she was very quiet. But of course she didn’t know anyone else either, so when we got into our team I had to be her partner. She was so awkward. plus she was younger than me.
ReplyDeleteMy mom dropped me off and she helped me setup my room. That is when I first met this girl and her parents. Her parents were just as weird as she was. They didn’t say much and the were really awkward just like her. I thought I was going to have a horrible time and be stuck with her 24/7.
When we met the rest of the team I started making friends. We did activities that made us get to know each other. For example, we would pass the ball to someone we didn’t know and they would have to introduce themselves to the team. After the first day I started knowing their names and I started talking to a few girls more.
I think it was the second day I was there we snuck my bag into 2 of the girls on my team’s room and after our coach came around to check on us at night to tell us it was time for bed I slept in the other girl’s room. We had so much fun. One night we had chinese delivered to our room.
There was another weird girl on my team that could make “chicken calls” and we opened the window and had her do her chicken calls and we would say “do you think its against the rules to have chickens in here?”. They people’s reactions were so funny. Then we started singing N’Sync out the window and we got this one girl that was walking down the street to dance and sing, it was too funny.
The last day I was there, there was a talent competition and our team sang Old McDonald. We had the girl that could do the chicken calls to her chicken calls and we made the other noises. Everyone loved it and we won. We won shorts that say Syracuse Hockey. On the last night we stayed up all night and we went outside and when we came back up to the other girl’s room we were locked out. We had to go get my coach, we got in trouble. It was pretty funny though. And then the next morning my came and picked me up.
~Chloe
Hahahah VERY funny! I liked how you said your room mate was weird and her parents were weird. What's that expression? The apple doesn't fall from the tree!
DeleteHaha, chicken calls. :p I'd be scurred
DeleteThe first time that I felt like a newcomer was when I moved to Deposit and kindergarten. To be honest I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to leave all of my friends in New Jersey. Despite my objection to the move, around April 2001, my family moved from West Milford, NJ to Deposit, NY. The whole time, during the move, I was so afraid that no one was going to want to be my friend. I know it seems silly,but I was like five. Okay, so the move wasn’t the thing that I was so afraid of, the truth I had been coming up to Deposit every summer ever since I can remember, but I’d never met any kids my age.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first got to Deposit, everyone was on Easter Break, so I pretty much had a whole week to adjust to living in our new house. So when the first day of school came around, I wasn’t completely sure of what to expect once I got to school. Oh and I almost missed that bus that day,too. Just saying, my luck wasn’t looking up that day. Still worried that I wouldn’t make any friends, I slowly made my way to Mrs. Baxter’s kindergarten class. Once I got there all my worries went away. Within the first twenty minutes of class, I made my first friend, Evaughn. Who is still one of my best friends to this day. Believe it or not, we became friends over baby dolls, if only it was still that easy to make friends. Once I found Evaughn, I felt less afraid and more accepted.
~ Emily
I am not sure if I know exactly how you feel but I know sort of how you feel. That is because I went through the same thing, when I had to go to a new school.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOne time I felt like a newcomer was when I went to BOCES on Febuary 12th. I was interested in the programs CST and CAD. Everyone in CST was snobbish and thought there way was the only way. The people I tried that class with could not wait to leave. We just walked around and looked awkward staring at posters on the wall. This experience was not a fun time.
ReplyDeleteThen in CAD it was a completely different story. I had a great time in this class. The people were nice, the teacher was nice and it just seemed awesome. We learned all about the programs, and one of the students even let us play around with one of the programs, it was a great experience.
Overall I did nothing different to fit in, the people just were friendlier in the class. The teacher seemed to care more about the possible students next year as well, so it all just worked out. In the other class the teacher was like meh and let people just do whatever. I was in a rush just to leave the class, I didnt even enjoy the short visit, I dont wanna go back there.
This was my experience as being an outsider, it was not to great. Unfortunately it was a recent experience aswell. Being an outsider honestly does not feel too great. Anyone that is an outsider should be them self and hope it works out in the end. That seems to be the only solution, being someone your not is not worth it. Just be yourself and youll make friends is what works in my opinion. That is what I personally realized from this experience. I am glad to have this experience, because I learned a valuable life lesson from this entire thing.
-Jon H
Jon I like how you used BOCES as the first time you were a newcomer. I can so you as a good person doing anything computer technology because tou know so much about it.
Delete-Alex