Introduction
The overall population of Sentinel City constitutes up to 727,211 people. The gender distribution is relatively equal, with 50,1% of men and 49,9% of women.
Race/Ethnicity Distribution
Four major ethnic groups can be identified in Sentinel City. White citizens comprise the majority of the populace, which amounts to 54,2%. Julia Benjamin in Acer Tech Center and Dwayne Thomas in Industrial Heights are representatives of the white majority. Hispanic people are the second major group, with 29,9% of the total number. Examples of people with Hispanic origin include Charles Cruz in Acer Tech Center and Iracelys Mendez in Lake View. Citizens of African American are fewer featuring no more than 9,2%. For instance, Anna Jordan in the Nightingale Square and Michael Adams in Industrial Heights are African American citizens. The fourth ethnic group is comprised of Asians, who make up 3,7% of the city’s population. Examples of Asians include Zaira Abdallah in Acer Tech Center and The Pham Family that can be seen in Nightingale Square.
Age Ranges
The age distribution of Sentinel City is similar to the American average. Four cohorts are identified: persons under 5 years, children and adolescents under 18 years, people older than 65 years, and those in between. The largest group is comprised of young adults and middle-aged people that amount to 62,6% of the overall number. Rebecca Cook of The Rally Family in Lake View is an example of a young adult, while Brody Dolan in Lake View is a middle-aged man. Adolescents and children between 5 and 18 years constitute the second group, making 19,8%. Duong Pham of The Pham Family is an 8 years old boy, while Andre Rally of The Rally Family is a 16 years old adolescent. Elder people are on the third place, with 11,5% of the populace. Larry Bass in Lake View and Anna Jordan in Nightingale Square are both representatives of the elder generation. The smallest cohort encompassing infants and small children has 6,1%. Examples include Karla Jean Graham of the Graham Family and twin sons of Jeremy Sims in Casper Park District.
Signs of Poverty/Wealth
The major indicator for economic prosperity is median household income. Of the five observed neighborhoods, two are affluent areas – Nightingale Square and Lake View, while the other three are less prosperous – Acer Tech, Casper Park, and Industrial Heights. Nightingale Square is the area with the highest median household income – $159,901.83. Lake View is the second most affluent area – $150,608.76. Starting with Acer Tech, median household income notably plummets down to $76,622.97. It is followed by Casper Park with $75,865.27 and Industrial Heights – $60,067.47.
The major sign of wealth is buildings – all areas have similar looking buildings that appear modern, clean, and well-maintained. Lake View has more physical space, as the majority of its dwellings are actual living houses. However, the same houses are the origin of major economic problem of Sentinel City inhabitants – excessively high costs of living. The city’s authorities actively implement Sentinel City Affordable Housing Project, which is designed to help residents receive a dwelling. Its building can be found in Casper Park, near which The Graham Family is located.
The most evident sign of poverty is the presence of homeless people. For instance, two homeless individuals can be found near Casper Senior Living Center. Both of them are sitting on the ground and appear to be middle-aged people. One of them has a piece of cardboard with “Anything Helps” written on it. Both these persons are indicative of a larger problem of unaffordable housing and the city’s insufficient employment. The fact that the mayor of the city is situated one house away from them is a sign of the authorities’ inability to solve these problems. However, there is also a place where numerous homeless people live together in what looks like a camping. Several tents are located in Casper Park, where people who have nowhere to live can sleep. One of its residents, Gary Johnson, notes that these shelters are overcrowded.
Observations of Residents
The streets are bustling with activity, as cars, bicycles, and motorcycles are used as transportation. Most of the people appear to be single, although several families can be observed. The Pham Family consisting of parents with two children can be found in Nightingale Square. The Rally Family has two parents and three children, and it is located in Lake View. The Graham family that encompasses a single mother and two children are in Casper Park. On several occasions, mothers can be observed walking with baby carriages. For example, in the living area between Sentinel Lake and Home Improvement in Lake View, a woman is taking a walk with her child.
People with physical limitations are another common sight on the streets. Near Gas Service Stop in the Lake City, a man can be observed who has to use a cane to walk. Another elder man with a cane can be seen in Casper Park, near Al’s Check Cashings. Besides, a woman on a wheelchair can be found in Nightingale Square. Not only is Alicia Clark disabled woman, but she is also unemployed. It indicates that people with physical limitations also have difficulties getting employed, further contributing to the economic problems.
Probably, the most surprising group of people were the protesters in Casper Park. Although the fact that citizens are dissatisfied with the overall city’s economy and living conditions is not surprising, their agenda was unexpected. These people are calling for the protection of the environment. The labels on their boards are “Think Globally”, “No Clean Water – No Future”, and “Plastics Are Planetary Parasites”. It is possible that the protesters are concerned with the presence of a plant in the vicinity of Sentinel City. A blast furnace can be seen from the Industrial Heights with smoke rising from it.
Animals
The city has two types of animals on the streets – cats and dogs. A cat can be found in Industrial Heights near the place where road construction efforts are underway. The dogs that are present are both owned and without owners. Most of the owned dogs have leashes attached to them by their owners. For example, a senior citizen can be seen walking with their dog on a leash near Lake View High School. Lake View has a special park for dogs near the Home Improvement store. However, in the vicinity to it, a dog without a leash or a visible owner can be seen standing near the road. Near the lake itself, a woman walks with a dog on a leash. One house to the right of Department of Transportation, a dog without an owner and a leash can be found that eats from the dropped trash can.
Observations of Churches
The major religion practiced in Sentinel City is Christianity, although people that follow Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism can also be found. For example, Hien Pham of The Pham Family in Nightingale Square is a Buddhist, Zaira Abdallah in Acer Tech Center is Muslim, and Julia Benjamin in Acer Tech Center follows Judaism. Raja Kakkam in Industrial Heights is a representative of Hinduists. Most of other people are Christians with three denominations: Catholicism, Baptism, and Jehovah Witness. Gary Johnson in Casper Park and Anna Jordan in Nightingale Square are Baptists. Michael Adams in Industrial Heights and Iracelys Mendez in Lake View are followers of Catholicism. The only church in the city is Christian and it is located in Industrial Heights.
Additional Observation 1
The city’s waste disposal is not adequate in some areas. Specifically, in Casper Park, a trash canister can be found with waste near it. A similar looking canister with trash next to it can be observed near Acertech Business Center. Opposite of Donut Time, incarcerated individuals can be found cleaning the street under the supervision of a police officer. Near Community Soup Kitchen, leaves are lying on the intersection between the road and the pedestrian pathway.
Additional Observation 2
Judging by the city’s outlook, it seems to have criminal issues. Industrial Heights has numerous graffiti drawn on walls of some buildings. Specifically, two words can be distinctly seen: “street” and “bridge”. The reason why this is important is that in some cities, drawing graffiti is an offense. However, there are also more evident signs of physical violence. For example, to the left of Department of Transportation, near the tunnel, a severely damaged car can be observed. Also, a police car can be seen in Industrial Heights near Downtown General Store with polic lines barring entrance to a building, possibly indicating an ongoing investigation.
Target Population
Major Health Concerns
Considering the city’s housing issues, it is reasonable to suggest that adult people between 18 and 65 years old constitute the main vulnerable demographic. Out of 727,211 residents of the city, these adults amount to 62,6%. As a result, any major medical problem will likely affect the majority of the city’s population. The first major health concern affecting the adults is diabetes. The reasoning behind it is the availability of fast food outlets, such as Donut Time, and the alarming statistics of high sugar and fat consumption. For instance, Michael Adams is diagnosed with diabetes, as is Anna Jordan, both of whom consume large amounts of fat and sugar.
The other two health concerns are heart diseases and asthma prevalence. The reasoning behind heart diseases is that out of the city’s total deaths (4,574), 895 were caused by cardiovascular conditions. Larry Bass and Anna Jordan are both at risk of having a heart failure. Asthma was chosen as the third concern because of the presence of the plant that pollutes the air. Furthermore, complaints of some residents include breathing issues, indicative of Asthma. For example, Zaira Abdallah has to carry a rescue inhaler in case of a sudden attack.
SMART Goals
The first objective is to increase the public awareness of diabetes and sugar consumption. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (n.d.) recommends promoting formal diabetes education, which will encourage people to adopt healthy eating habits. The second goal is to help heart attack survivors with rehabilitation, which would prevent them from suffering another obstruction of blood flow (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). The third objective is to reduce air pollution by implementing stricter regulations on the nearby plant and plastic production, thus reducing the number of asthmatics (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). The final goal is to reduce the amount of waste accumulated on streets, thus preventing the spread of infections.
References
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Respiratory Disease.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Increase the proportion of adult heart attack survivors who are referred to a rehabilitation program — HDS‑D03.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Increase the proportion of people with diabetes who get formal diabetes education — D‑06.