• "In responding to the reading from Sampson, challenge yourself to apply his notions of the importance of place to your own neighborhoods. If it seems that the neighborhood you live in consists of total strangers, explain why. Also, what then are your real communities? To what groups do you really, passionately belong? Why?"
• I grew up in the small town of Ivins, Utah, just outside St. George and about 20 minutes away from the college. Ivins has only about 7,000 citizens and still has a "small-town" feel to it. One of the benefits of growing up in such a small town is that you knew almost everyone in town, or at least those within the half-mile or so surrounding your neighborhood. That being said, the neighborhood was pretty close-knit and mostly everyone knew each other and would help if needed. Add to that the fact that Utah has a high LDS population, and the fact that the majority of our neighbors all went to the same church and activities together, and we had a very close neighborhood, although it was probably smaller than what most people are used to.
• The real communities/groups that I belong to today would still be considered my old neighborhood, among other places. One of the things about my old neighborhood is that most people still live there, and when we go home we are still known and talk to mostly everyone who is still there. Although there have been a lot of people moving in (especially from California) there is still a feeling of closeness around the neighborhood, and plenty of people who are willing to help one another out. Another one of the groups that I belong to is Dixie State football. While I have only been here since December, it is very easy to join a group and feel very much a part of it especially when it involves some type of athletic group or club where multiple members are working towards a common goal. Add to that the fact that communities could be considered "football fans," "college football players," "college students," "students at DSU," etc., and it is very easy to see how one person could be connected to many different groups or at least easily assimilate into a group simply based on mutual interests.