ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

The following questions address the major themes and thinking points of this podcast. You can use the questions to help you journal, take notes, or think about what you hear in this podcast.

Part 1:

1. What are the lasting effects of gun violence on a community and on individuals?

2. How does guilt manifest itself, physically and mentally?

3. Besides academics, what is important in defining a high school experience?

Part 2:

1. How does tragedy and nostalgia shape a person’s legacy, especially if that legacy was cut short due to violence?

2. How should school prioritize their budgets, what should they spend money on?

3. What lengths would you go to in order to feel safe?

Episode summary

Part 1: Harper High, a school in Chicago has had 29 students shot in 1 year. This episode looks at the different ways this affects a school community.

Act 1: “Rules to Live By”: An introduction the different gangs and why they exist.

Act 2: “A Tiny Office on the Second Floor”: We meet the social workers who help the students deal with the trauma. We also meet a boy who is dealing with the guilt of accidentally killing his younger brother in a gun accident.

Act 3: “Game Day”: on homecoming weekend, a shooting occurs and the school must decide if they should cancel the game and dance in fear of retaliation and more violence.

Part 2:

Prologue: We learn about homecoming and the decisions the administration makes.

Act 1: “Eyewitness”: a story about a junior named Thomas who has witnessed two friends murdered and countless other acts of violence.

Act 2: “Your Name Written on me”: the story of Terrance Cree, a popular teen who was murdered 3 years ago and whose legacy is still strong. In this act we see how the events of his death are still debated between his family and his gang.

Act 3: “Get your Gun”: teens at Harper High explore how easy it is to get a gun.

Act 4: “Devonte Part 2”: we revisit Devonte who we met last episode and look at how his life has continued in a downward spiral.

Act 5: “Reverse, Turnaround Backflip”: the principal of Harper High reveals what the school will look like when the grant money runs out and daydreams about what she would do if she had unlimited funds to fix the school.

Act 6: “We are Harper High”: voices of principals around the country share the losses their school has had due to gun and gang violence.

EVEN More!

If you liked this episode, and want to read or listen to more about the topics addressed, check out these resources.

Read

A Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Listen

Watch

America to Me (2018), 10-part documentary series on Starz