An Escalade Nation

      Everyone has heard of the Cadillac Escalade. It's an icon of the hip hop culture and as a symbol of high socioeconomic status. The Escalade is an example of how America abandoned old values and instead has adopted new values such as materialism. self importance.

      People care more about their own personal prestige than they used to. In the old days, people weren’t as materialistic in their values. Of course family values and such are both evident now-a-days as in the past, however the main point is that there used to be less of an emphasis of appearance of material things than there is now. A good example to show this would be looking at older versions of Cadillacs and comparing them to newer versions.

      In the beginning, Cadillac cars were compact. They were considered a "luxury" vehicle company that was well known for it's reliability and quality. Beginning in the post-war era, Cadillac began to sell their cars to wealthier clients. However, Cadillac made attempts to sell to those of a lower economic bracket. In fact, the company tried to sell a car known as the Cimmaron, but it failed. After the fall, Cadillac became an icon of the wealthy because everyone knew that the company was only marketing to those of higher socioeconomic status (ex. Escalade).

       With a V-8 engine (originally pioneered by Cadillac) the vehicle was monstrous and now a symbol of status for wealthier America who value what Cadillac had marketed throughout their company history: wealth and self importance. Cars that large say something about the ego of a person. Either their ego is too large, or they are overcompensating. In both cases, people use the Escalade to prove, to the world and sometimes themselves, that they are the elite in American society.

      Either way Cadallic, specifically the Escalade shows how materialistic and self important America has come to be. Many people struggle to afford their mortgages but have these massive vehicles just to show-boat it around. Americans need to save themselves by ceasing to compare themselves to others, and just stop being materialistic and haughty.

WORD COUNT: 350

Status over Practicality

    We can all agree that cars, especially the use for cars, has changed tremendously within the past few decades. The change throughout these years has shown how people in the world have changed; becoming more lazy and self absorbed.
     In the beginning cars were a luxury. Most people were too poor to afford them, and those who couldn't afford them worked in the factories they were mass produced in. Everyone knows which car I'm talking about: the model T.
     After technology boomed, different modifications on the basic style emerged and eventually there were trucks, vans, SUVs, etc. All of these were again, basic models, and they were used for the basic purpose of getting people from point A to point B. Nowadays having a car is still a luxury, but everyone has one. There are cheaper models for those on the lower end of the income scale. However, the majority of the population with motor vehicles are spoiled with its features.
      Cars in the 21st century have built in GPS systems, wireless phones, seat warmers, V-8 engines, etc. Bottom line; the cars are packed with extraneous things that are completely wasteful. Teenagers even have cars. Think about it, sixteen year olds having their own cars, sometimes even multiple cars.
       Why does someone need a larger car, like an SUV, to haul family, equipment, pets, etc. when a smaller car can do the same thing just as well, if not better? Larger cars generally show status, because they tend to cost more in regard to gas prices. Back in the day people were more practical and made due with what they had.
       The point that I'm trying to prove is that by looking at cars and how they've changed, in general, over the past fifty years or so, we can see how society has changed. People care more about their own personal prestige about how the world views them rather than practicality and rely more on their vehicles to do simple tasks, and therefore are more lazy.



WORD COUNT- 336

I am a recovering Wallflower

     As a child reading wasn't exactly my favorite leisurely activity. I would rather jump in a stream and dig holes in the mud. Unfortunately, reading was required every year. There were several novels required every year, and they even made me read over the summer. As a result of this buzz kill, I hated reading.
     In tenth grade it all changed. I remember sitting in my 10th grade GT English class with Ms. Yencsik. To my right was Katie Horner, soon to be my reading mentor. As the friendship between us blossomed, she began to recommend books. First was Burned by Ellen Hopkins, I liked it, which encouraged me to read more. But the one book that really changed my perspective on reading was The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It was easy to relateto. Not to mention the fact that it was pure, the novel was beautifully written. It changed my life and I recommend it to everyone in the world!
       My favorite quote from the novel is something I live my life by. It ia as follows:
 "I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons, and maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still change where we go from there."
     From the moment I finished this book, I knew that I was a "Charlie." I was a recovering Wallflower.

Fearless

    When I was younger I was fearless. I was a tomboy, one of the girls that made a valiant effort to truly prove that girls could do anything boys could do. In fact, I wanted to prove that we could do it better.
     I remember one time in particular, my friends (Josh and Thomas) and I decided we were gonna have a tree jumping contest. The point was to see who could jump out of this tree from the highest point and remain "unbroken". Well, as stupid as this idea sounds now, it was an amazing chance to prove my superiority at the time.
     Thomas went first. He went up to the fourth highest branch. Success. I remember thinking, "Pshh, piece of cake". Josh was next. As he climbed to the 5th branch I got a little worried. He stuck the landing like Nastia Liuken at Worlds. Now I was under some serious pressure.
      After a gold medal performance like that, I needed to come up with a plan B. So I decided upon a more ambitious act. I decided to take a leap of faith from about 10 feet in the air into mother nature's malicious trap; the thorn bush. Ouch.
      However, after extensive medical care, I returned to my friends. They started saying how "cool" I was, which temporarily alleviated the pain that radiated my body.
      Our friend Danny walked over soon thereafter and was told the tale. He looked at me with a surprise and said "OMG! Kati... You're fearless!"
       From that moment on, I knew there wasn't anything that I couldn't do if I put my mind to it.

                             From that moment on, I was forever..."FEARLESS".

Who Am I?

     I'm Katlin Burley. Psychology major (B.S. track). I was born in Baltimore. I have a twin sister (Sammie- 18), Cortney (20) and two older half sisters (Kristin -24 and Heather- 27). Parents are divorced. I live with my friend and her family. I've been through hell and back in my life which I think helps to define who I am now.
     My best friends from home all attend different colleges, which makes us closer. Friends + Family = FOUNDATION. I'm a sporty/outdoors-y kind of girl. I enjoy new experiences and welcome life and all it has to offer. I'm still discovering who I am, and I'm pretty sure I won't know the final product for a while...which, at the moment, is alright by me.