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MAINE EAST HIGH SCHOOL
Park Ridge, Illinois (USA)
 
Freshman Academy (9th grade)
Instructors: M. Garvy, G. Lundberg, J. Muessle
 
 
ESSAY 1: Farm towns
 
Question:  What do you think life is like in a central Illinois farm town - the good and bad points?
What do you think the people are like who live there?
Which is a better place to live - Chicago or a small farm town?  Why?  (write at least two paragraphs)
 
[ to class 2 essays (below) ]
 
class one (morning)
N.B.  The M and F after each essay refer to the student's gender.   Spelling and grammar have not been corrected, per the teachers' request except in cases where misunderstanding is likely.


1- I don't know what they are like.  I've never been their. Chicago is a better place to live in.

(F who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



2- Well, what I think is that, itës good in a way to live in central Illinois farm town, because there is less violentance, less air pollution, not as many gangs.  you have more room, like a bigger yard.  The bad thing is that you don't have to many friends, because the houses are farther apart from each other.  Also, that its farther away from where you want to get, like if you want to go to the movies or the mall, you can't get there.  I think that the people who live there are probably friendler because they live in a different of illinois and there isn't so much violence.  I think its better to live in chicago because you are closer to every thing that you need, like stores, doctors, friends/family.

(F who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



3- I think that it is better to live in a small farm town because first of all you pretty much don't have to care about things in the big city.  I mean there are no gangs in a small farm town.  Chicago is full of gangs all diffrent kinds.  School is probably better in small farm towns there are not as many students like there is in a Chicago town.  People there are probably more respectful and civilized than they are here.  I actually would rather live in a small town than here in chicago.  Then I would have less things to worry about.  This is what I think.

(F who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



4- The good points are that its nice and quiet, its natural all around you; The bad points are you have to go to school very far away from where you live, it would be lonely there.  The people are probably nice but very quiet.  They are use to not talking.
 I would rather live in Chicago because its nicer.  I know its not quiet but its good to around lots of people and you're not lonely and the schools are close to where you live.

(F who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



5- I think that life in a farm town would be good because you wouldn't go to the mall you wouldn't go to night clubs and there isn't a mall.  I think people who live down there are like used to that not too many streets or malls.
 I think the better place to live would be chicago ëcause you have more education. more communication  more night clubs more gangs and better things.

(F who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



6- The good points is that in a farm town it is quieter than living in a city and the bad point is that it is to quiet for me and maybe several other people to live in such a small town.
 I think Chicago because you can get more freedom and they'll be more people in a large city.

(F who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town))



7- The bad thing living in a central Illinois  farm town is that it is a small place and their is not many things.  I think the people that live their are lonly don't have that many friends.  I think the best place to live in is chicago because their are so many things.  They have so many movie theaters etc.

(F who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



8- I think life in a central Illinois farm town would be boring.  It would be boring because there wouldn't be malls and other interesting places.  I think the people who live there are like country people (farmers).
 Chicago is a better place to stay, interesting people and many things here.  I would choose Chicago over a small farm town anytime.

(F who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



9- Most of the good points in a small town is great!  There really interesting, they have nice little stores & dinners & everyone is friendly.  They really aren't crammed together in apartments or tiny little houses.  They are out in the wide open.  Their air really isn't that polluted & covered with grime [?] from the city.  The summers are beatiful, fall is very dramatic & very colorful, winter is gorgeous & very angelic, the crisp air is unbelievable & very astonishing.  I'll tell you now strait  out & forward I would rather live out on a farm with animals in the wide open, then in a 3-story house with next door neighbors you could see right out your bedroom window like now.
 
 Well, the bad stuff ... well there really isn't any, other than the fact that hospitals are kinda  far & there isn't alot of malls & stuff like that, then you could get bored, but with my imagination & creativity (not to sound self-deluded) you could really do alot for yourself!  So think about would you rather be in some crammed up city with something to do everyday?  Or would you rather live by cornfields & wide open-blue skies where you can create something for everyday.

(F who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



10- The central Illinois farm town is a quiet area where they don't have a lot's of buildings and crowded buildings like in chicago.  There is are lot's of farm's around that area, with crops.  Maby  school is far away from houses.  People won't have work because they usually work in farms because there isn't that much stores.
 The people who live's  in the farmtown maby  likes to have a farm.  They are not vilont like in Chicago.

(F who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



11- Life in a small town I think is somewhere I would not want to live.  Because it's lonely, you see nothing but fields, fields, and more fields.. It's boring, but there is also a little good thing  about it. it's quiet, its not very dangerous you don't have to worry about gangs, driveby etc.  The people who live there I think are old fashioned and like farming.  I would rather live in Chicago, because you always have something to do, it's easy to find a job, you have a lot of people who you can count on.

(F who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



12- Central Illinois - lonely - with hardly any people their to meet - scary - because theirs  no back-up.
 People that live there are probably mean because if your a new comer they might tell you to leave because your  not like them.
 
 Chicago [is where I'd rather live] because this is a city with a lot of people to meet with and have fun to go out at clubs and (etc...)

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



13- I would rather live  in Chicago besides my home land P[...].  Because I love Chicago, There's no want-to-be's.  You will never see a white boy acting all tough.  I would never live in a farm town, It's more ghetto then the southside of Chicago.  To me that is.  Ever since I moved from Chicago to the suburbs it was hard for me to adapt to this want-to-be, pretty boy infested area (white-boys).  And I still can't adopt to it.  Have you ever been in a place where It is nothing like you ever imagened, and all you want to do is leave well that's how I feel here.  There's no good roppers [?] or anything fun to do here.  If I had a chance I would leave this place and move back to Chicago (my second home).

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



14- I think it would be better to live in Chicago.  Chicago is a better place to live because it's has a lot of places to go.  In a farm town you can't go really far and there's not much to do.  In Chicago there is so many things to do.  On a farm town you can't do much.

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



15- No because  It's hard if you have to go to school because you have to go four miles to get to school or something like that.  [the people?] Normal, just like us.  I prefer Chicago because there are better stuff to do and places to go to.
 
(M who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)


16- In central Illinois farm town there might not be alot of appliances or the schools might not be that all good.  I think the people who live there probably have accents and never seen some stuff that we have here.  I think Chicago is better, why?  Because I live there.   someone who lived in a small farm town might say that that's better.

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



17- I don't know how it is in a central farm town But I'll give it a try .  will it most be small and lonely and boring.  And maybe there's no one to play with so you just have to play  with pigs, the cows, and the horses. The people who live in farm town may be nice and kind because there's not that many people there so they might treat us with kindness.  I say Chicago is better to live in because I've been in Chicagofor six years so I'm use to it and I want to have fun not to be bored so I would stay in Chicago.

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



18- What I think life is like in central Illinois is? I don't like living in small towns I like big cities that have alot  of places to go to. like in Chicago the Sears Tower, Navy Pier and lake Michigan.  But in - littl town your very cramped.  like in schools.  grades  k-12.  Just A little cramped.  Schools in Chicago are like k-6 & 7-8 & 9-12 that fine.   Also in Chicago There are many different I mean 1,000's of places to eat.  But down in Illinois you practaly eat at the same place over and over.
 
 What I think people are like down there!  I think the people are like NOT use to the things we have in Chicago like Robberies & murders, like we Are.  Maybe down there they react very differently than we do.
 I think that it would be better to live in Chicago for many reasons.  For example; you have many different places to go and see different things and eat different things.  But down in central Illinois you eat the same restaurant.  In a week I bet already you memorized the menu.  But in Chicago you have space.

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



19- I think that life in a farm is much better than in the city.  In the farm you grow up to be a man not a woosh [?].  In the city you sit your but in a chair and do little work; In the farm to survive you just work and work more.  For exsample if a city man stay in a farm and doesn't know how to work the man wont survive a week.

(M who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



20- The good points of central Illinois it is probally a quiet area, the bad point it is a good place where murders kills quiet area because there are barely anyone around.  The people there are probally nice and kind.
 Chicago of course its awsome  places thing you could do there lots of activities you could join play exspecially in the suburbs its a good area.  friendly.  malls you could go to after school.

(M who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



21- (no response)


22- the good points are that it is quiet and you have lots of space. the bad parts are that there are hardly any stores around. the people who live there would probably Be farmers and thy would be older in thire 40's - 30's.  If I like it quiet I rather live in a small farm town But I like a variety of places to go so I like the city of Chicago.

(M who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



23- I like them both.  I have lived on a BIG farm for about 3 weeks cause it is my cousins farm.  I liked it a lot.  But I have lived in Chicago for all my life and I like the fast paced city life.  It is nice to go to a big farm everyonce and a while but I think this is better.

(M who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



24- Hard and boring because you got to wake up early to go to work on the fields there's not many enjoyable activities or where you can spend time like for example a theater or a park.  The good part of it is that there's no pollution no car's everything is natural.
 
[people] Maybe friendly.
 
[would rather live in] Chicago, althought sometimes you might get bored of the people, cars, noise,  and pollution and might preferred to go live in a small farm town.

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)

class two (afternoon) - Maine East
[ to class one (above) | to main Maine East page ]

Question:  What do you think life is like in a central Illinois farm town - the good and bad points?
What do you think the people are like who live there?
Which is a better place to live - Chicago or a small farm town?  Why?  (write at least two paragraphs)
 
N.B. The M and F after each essay refer to the student's gender.    Spelling and grammar have not been corrected, per the teachers' request except in cases where misunderstanding is likely.



1a- I real don't know.  But I think that I couldn't live their because, anything you do your parents could find out.  Because it's not a city.  In a city you have more freedom to do things.  Like for example. go to the malls, going to see a movie, whenever I please.  So I truely think that living in a city is much better than living in a small country.

(F who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



2a- I think that central Illinois farm town is like boring, because the people have to farm alot and they won't get out.  They dont have clubs, movies, and they don't go out much (I think) But I also think with out them we wouldn't have food  I think the people would be nice. I guess.
 
 I think Chicago would be better because we dont have to farm or milk the cows. We can get a job at the mall.

(F who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



3a- I really dont know but I would like to learn

(F who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



4a- I think the [?] who live in central part of Illinois are kind of greedy.  They have there own farm land and have contests who would grow things the fastest.
 
 Chicago would be a better place to live, because more people, more population.

(F who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



5a- I think the life in Chicago is better then some farm town because there are better things here then on some farm.  I think there are all kinds of people good and bad.

(F who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



6a- I have always loved animals and when I think of a farm, I think lots of animals.  I think of chores and doing lots of things with animals.  Getting chicken eggs, & milking the cow.  I would like to live here [there?] for a while cause I never owned any animals and I love adventure anywhere than where I am now.  My life is the same every day.  On a farm, some thing new could happen.  I can't think of any bad points about a farm.
 I think the people here [there?] stay home and take care of the animals.
I think a farm is a better place to live because all I think about is animals.

(F who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



7a- Dont know?  Maybe real small, and don't have many things.  For example, food, shelter, and many other.

CHICACO [is a better place to live]

(F who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



8a- Therefour good and bad reasons why people who live at Illinois farm town.  First it is good because the town is very quiet and safe.  Secondly, it's not good because the people who live their a conceited and are big shots.  Finally, who ever lives at the farm town will not see alot of different faces and religions.  In my opinion I think people should not live in a town farm because, it is very boring and dull.  The fourth reason, people should live in a farm town because they grow and get their food from farm.  It is better than buying food in a store because, the food in the stores are not that fresh.
 
 There are three reason why people should live in Chicago.  First, their are more places to go and see.  Secondly, you could see different people and the cultures.  Last but not least, it is more intresting and amuzing.

(F - no other information)



9a- I think life in the central Illinois farm town would be good because there probably is no violence there or very many crimes there.  It would be bad because you probably wouldn't have nextdoor neighbors like in big cities.  I think the people who live there are very quiet and hardworking especially if they have a farm.
 I think it would be better to live in a small farm town because my dad lives in a small town in Illinois called Q[...] and it is pretty peaceful there when I am there.

(F who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



10a- I think living in a central Illinois farm town is the good point in living there.  You might can grow thing have fun with the animals and you have to grow your own food.  I think the farm town are pretty nice.  But the bad thing about it is that their are no stores around the place you have to walk everwhere.  But other thing that I think it pretty cool.
 
 Maybe the people are like us But they do differen thing and they probably dress different and do things different from us they probably eat different food and cook them in many different ways.  I think Chicago is a better place to live because you have more things to do and their is more people you can hang around with that way I think Chicago is better.

(F who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



11a- I think central lIllinois is quiet and safe.  I Also think Central Illinois has a low population.  I think people that live there are Hillbillies and have a country sound acent.  I think Chicago is a better place to live because there's more technology, and better buisnesses.

(M who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



12a- I Don't know if it would be good or bad because I've never really been there so I couldn't tell you.  But , I think people are different in some ways like they farm for a living.  They grow crops as their jobs and then sell them.  People may have an Amish like way to them or not.  I would probably say that a small farm town would may be better, because in a small town there is really no violence, no worries, no anything.  They start and end their days the same way everyday doing whatever they may do. Like farming.

(M who ìkinda not reallyî visited a Central Illinois farm town)



13a- I think life in central Illinoise will be pretty interesting.  The good part will be you have fresh air no factory smokes, and etc.  The bad point will be yo don't have good tecnology.
 
 Chicago is a better place to live.  Because you have everything here.  You can communcate almost to any one down here.

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



14a- The good points are small town are great because, there's much better people then big towns.  Bad points are that people will fight allot because, it's a small town.
 
No, there different because it's a small town and not much traffic either.
 
Chicago [is a better place to live] because, it has more people more friends more relatives who live there, that's why I would rather live in chicago.

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



15a- Chicago [is a better place to live] because in the city you can have fun, and have a friends.  But Chicago don't have no field to cut the field.  And the farm town is not good because you don't have no friends at the farm in Chicago.  you have alot of firends Chicago is better.

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



16a- Bad point's - nabors live 1mile away.  They listen to country music and have only two teeth in their whole mouth.

 Chicago [is a better place to live] - we have all the things we need right here.

(M who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



17a- I think that the people down in central Illinois are much more luckier then us that live in the city with a lot of people around us.  Because you have more fun during the summer.  The people are probebly like nice and kind to be able to live together in little friendly groups.  I think that Chicago ës better but if you have money and own a lot of property small farm towns are better because you will make much more money then in Chicago.

(M who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



18a- It is probably very boring.  I think the people there are very quiet.  They probably sit down and do nothing for 24 hours  Chicago is a better place to live because there is more life but also more crime.

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



19a- [good bad points] I don't know.
[people who live there] I don't know.
Of course CHICAGO is better than anything!!

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



20a- I think that its better living in a FARM.   I think it would be awesome living in a farm.

(M who claims to have visited a Central Illinois farm town and crossed out his own name and changed his essay name to "Mr. Rogers")



21a- I think life in central Illinois is boring.  All they do is farm, mik the cows, and raise farm animals.  In the city theres are real jobs not like those farmers.  In the city there are malls, Better school, movie theateres, and dance clubs.  And the farm towns don't And some parts of central Illinois is racist Because there are no black, Hispanic, oriantan, or Asian people that live there.

(M who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)



22a- I think that the life is better in central Illinois because they is more violence here.  I think that the people that live here have more access to things than they do.  Probably the people who live there are nicer than here because many kids over here to alot of bad things.
 
 I would prefer to live in Chicago because I can learn more here about many different things.

(M who has never visited a Central Illinois farm town)



23a- Its very spacious but it seems dull & boring.  they have cool animals not like here.  I would rather live in the city of chicago because I grow up here & feel more comfortable with all my friends & family.  You would be kind of behind every one in a small town & see movies that come out months ago in the citys.

(M who has visited a Central Illinois farm town)


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Last updated: April 5, 1999
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