I think we need a few new message threads, so I am going to start some. I was touched by poor Jo Vega in the movie we saw, The American Dream at Groton.

As I mentioned in class, I hope that she had a much better college experience than she did as a "token" Latina at Groton. Actually, as distraught as she seemed to be, I am surprised that she stayed at Groton, if she was so lacking in emotional support from home!

I was not a minority in my high school, but I was an "unhappy nerd" in a very "cliquish" high school. I found college to be a "freeing" experience, with none of the apparent social stratification that I endured in high school. People associated with others, based on common interests, or proximity - such as people who lived on a common hall in a dorm. Also, in college, there are large numbers of people of a given interest, or ethnic group, even groups for International Students. This is why I thought that Jo Vega would be happy in college, if she made the effort to seek out people who would accept her for who she is.

I did try to find out about Jo Vega on the internet, but I came up empty. There is a Jo Vega as an artist out west, but it didn't seem to be the same person. The alumni part of the Groton website wasn't functioning, and it is probably protected from "outsiders" anyway. The only links that came up, were from various education classes that had viewed the movie, so they were no help!

I did "check out" the other section of the Foundations class that meets in Winston Salem, as Dr. Gayle Turner suggested. They gave me inspiration for a few new threads.