Bishop Carroll High School
Wichita, Kansas
Teacher: Angie Etheredge

Communities: People In It
by Evan Bradfield
9th grade

In a community, people live and work together.  In the pioneer days, people had to stick together for safety.  Because they were together, they were able to help each other with everyday things.  As more people came to the small community, it became a town.  The town is an important type of community.  People in towns rely on one another, and especially so in prairie towns. The banker, the shopkeeper, and the mayor helped the people of the town.  The banker took care of their financial needs; the shopkeeper sold them items they could not produce themselves, and the mayor kept the town running smoothly.

However, a community is not only a town.  It can be much more widespread than a small town.  For instance, take a look at the world community.  I can see the community of the world in the Olympics, space exploration, and tragedies, such as the tsunami. During the Olympics, everyone gets together to compete with each other in the spirit of the ancient Greeks.  At the Olympics, the world is nice to each other, except when competing, of course.  Another area I see the world community is in the field of space exploration.  At the International Space Station, the people from different countries have to get along, so they can further the world’s knowledge of the vast universe.  An additional time the world may possibly feel a sense of community is during a tragedy.  When the tsunami hit India, many people died.  Yet, this brought the world closer together as a whole. 

During a tragedy is a major time when people help each other out.  This is because the key part in a community is helping your fellow people.  When a calamity occurs, one needs help from their neighbors.  A time this really shone through was during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  I know a person who cared for a survivor while they were searching for a new home.  However, disasters are not the only time we could feel national community.  One could also feel this community on the Fourth of July or by watching the television.  The Fourth of July is a time when the United States celebrates the founding of our country.  Everyone across the nation is celebrating, above all, by setting off fireworks. When the nation together is partying at the same time for the same reason, one feels as a part of one enormous community.  Besides the Fourth of July, I feel national community by watching T.V.  I feel community here because, once again, I know people all across the nation are watching T.V. as well.

Not only is there community on larger scales, but also on a smaller scale.  One might find community in their own town, or even within their family.  In my hometown of Wichita, Kansas, there is a strong feeling of community during the Wichita River Festival.  This is a week during in May where the whole city gets together and goes to concerts, watches a parade, eats carnival food, and gets to see a fireworks display.  When much of the city is in one place and are having a good time, I think this arouses a strong feeling of community.  Going down to the even smaller communities, my family, my friends, and all the sports and clubs I am involved in are very community-like.  My family is very close.  My mom and dad always support what my sister and I do.  I think family community is felt when we sit down at our table and eat dinner together.  One of the strongest communities I feel is the bond I have with my friends.  We all help each other out, and when it gets tough, we are always there for one another, and usually with a sense of humor.  Through the sports and activities I do, I have made many friends.  Some of the people I know only through the activities I do with them, so that makes the relationship I share with them very cool.  We would always have something to talk about.  Yet another community I feel very strongly is the Catholic community. When one goes to Mass and hear hundreds of people singing praise to God, one feels a very strong sense of togetherness.

I feel much community in all the different activities I am involved in.  In my marching band, we all work together and that is exactly what community is about.  Without the conductor and drum majors, we would not be able to put on as good a show than if we all work together.  Without the melody, the song would be pointless, but with the entire band, it meshes together to make a great show.  I think all groups, not just musical or cities have community in them.  Without community, nothing would work out, because no one would be helping one another.

As I draw to a close, a community can be big or small.  It can be felt in numerous ways.  A community is important, no matter who or where one is. It is the nature of people to be together.  This is what makes communities strong.  A community is not the location or reason or time, but the people who are in it.

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