First Year Reading Paper

Payton Conway

First Year Reading Paper

LSEM 50

September 30, 2014

In The Other Wes Moore, both characters manage to go through some similar experiences, but eventually their individual decisionsabout whether to be responsible, self-sufficient, or citizen leaders, lead them to very different endings. Their decisions from their past are what molded them to the fates the have andto be the people they are today. This reminds us college students about the importance of making the decision to show those characteristics.

Within the book, “Author Wes” showed personal responsibility when he learned that even at a young age he could easily get into trouble with the law. When he was involved in the graffiti incident with his friend Shea, he learned to take responsibility of his actions. Instead of lying and trying to avoid the consequences of action, he confessed what he had done to the officer. He realized that he had done wrong and that he could potentially go to jail. Most importantly, he realized that there was no one to blame but himself: “In that moment, I became aware of how I had put myself in this unimaginably dire situation—this man now had control of my body…More than that, he had control of my destiny—or at least my immediate fate. And I couldn’t deny that it was my own stupid fault.” (Moore) “Author Wes” knew he couldn’t deny what he had done nor that it was his fault for being in the predicament that he was in. Even though, he would eventually go back to tagging the streets, for a moment, he was remorseful and took responsibility for his actions.

Although it was short-lived, the “Other Wes” showedboth personal responsibility andself-sufficiency through his decision to enter into the Job Corps. By this time, the “Other Wes” had four kids, all of who were being cared for by his mother, due to his work with drug dealing and Cheryl, the mother of his third and fourth kids, becoming an addict. “Other Wes” became aware of the fact that he needed to step up and be a father for his kids. He realized that in order for that to happen, he had to leave drug dealing behind and gain some skills to better provide for his family. By entering in the Job Corps, he gained an education and carpentry skills that would help him better provide for his family, therefore making him take responsibility for taking care of his kids and being a better father. After completing Job Corps, he managed to make a living temporarily with his carpentry skills. Although he didn’t make much, he was able to take care of his family, making him legally self-sufficient for the first time in his life.

“Author Wes” showed citizen leadership through his work at the Valley Forge military school. When he first arrived at Valley Forge, he spent most of his time trying to escape, but after some time he grew to be responsible, he learned the importance of public service, and went above and beyond to become a leader in the school. By the age of eighteen, he was selected to be the regimental commander for the 70th Corps of Cadets. He was personally in charge of the welfare, health, training and success of over seven hundred cadets. I feel that thechange helped him to be a leader. His commanding officers and fellow cadets saw the change that had occurred in him over the years and that change in attitude allowed him to be a citizen leader among his community at the school.

Throughout The Other Wes Moore, both Wes Moores were given multiple opportunities to exhibit the qualities of personal responsibility, self-sufficiency, and citizen leadership. Both had to make the decision to exhibit these qualities, even if they were existent for only a short period of time. As college students, we will be making decisions as to whether we want to exhibit these qualities as well. We will have the choice to go out and party with friends or to show responsibility by staying in for the night and finishing that paper that’s due the next day. We will have the option of carelessly spending our money in one semester or to be self-sufficient and responsible by budgeting our funds and making sure our finances last through the year so we don’t have to ask our parents for money. We will have the desire to sit back and complain about issues in school or our community, but instead we can make the choice to be citizen leaders, whether it is by volunteering, being in a leadership position on campus, or by simply having your voice heard on important issues.

Through these decisions, we shape the outcome and fate of our lives. While the “Other Wes” may have not been afforded the same opportunity to go to military school and become a citizen leader in the same respect as “Author Wes,” he had just the same amount opportunities to be responsible, to be self-sufficient, and to be a citizen leader. He had opportunities to change the fate that he currently had, just as “Author Wes” could have gone back into his old ways after military school. All of those times they decided whether they would be responsible or self-sufficientlead them to the current positions they are in. This is applies to every college student on campus. While all of us did not and will not have the same opportunities in life, we will still have the opportunities to show these qualities and better ourselves. The importance of being responsible, self-sufficient, and a leader is highlighted by the fact that the actions we take to show these qualities will affect the rest of lives.

Works Cited

Moore, Wes. The Other Wes Moore. New York City: Spiegel & Grau, 2010.