In unit 3, Apotheosis, we looked into the endurance of survivors. We examined their experiences and used them as inspiration for our own life missions. The main people we learned about was an African man who was a child soldier and Elie Wiesel, author of Night. For our FE this unit, we were tasked to come up with and design our own based around a fear or our missions. I ended up basing mine off of my mission and went to interview two Chicago police officers to get better insight on what to expect when I join the force. For the action project we were to write a survival guide about our life's future goals. This, for me, is the process of becoming apart of the CPD discussing what I will need to be prepared, a potential timeline, and a back up plan if the worst case scenario were to happen while pursuing our missions. Overall, this was relatively straightforward as I, mostly, know what my life will look like in the next three years. However, it was slightly troublesome writing the timeline past that since I do not know when my number will be called to start the academy, so I had to put down my educated guess for that date and those past it. Doing this project really helped me figure out some kinks in my plans for the future giving me a clearer vision for what needs to be done. This was a great way to end my last humanities class before moving onto my next stage in life. I hope you enjoy my survival guide below.
Showing posts with label Humanities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Humanities. Show all posts
Friday, June 2, 2017
Monday, May 15, 2017
Entering 12 Hours
In unit 2, Katabasis, we learned about a part of the hero's journey where the hero "dives into the underworld". This is where the hero finds themselves in a strange land and begin to explore the unknown. Here they start to face the true dangers and challenges of their journey. We really looked into some journeys of endurers who are infamous. The main two people we studied were David Blaine, a magician who trained to hold his breath for 17 minutes, and Laura Dekker, a fourteen year old who sailed around the world by herself. We analysed their processes (the planning and the preparations) in achieving the goals in their lives. For our action project we were tasked with a 12 hour challenge that would bring us one step closer to reaching our goals and document the whole process. I chose to practice shooting different types of handguns so this way I will have experience and know which style handgun suits me best. There had been multiple obstacles I faced when doing the challenge. First had been just deciding on a challenge itself because there are only so many things you can do to prepare to become a police officer. The others had been fatigue and accuracy. I really enjoyed this project because it taught me what I need to be ready for as I continue down this path, and that it won't be an easy journey. Please enjoy the video of my process below.
Monday, May 1, 2017
Beginnings of a Journey
In unit 1, Morpheus, we learned about different people and groups who have had to endure harsh physical and mental challenge and how these trials helped them evolve. This unit really focused on finding our own dreams and our journey in getting there. As a class we have even done some endurance challenges of our own. The first being to sit silently, with no distractions, for fifteen minutes straight. The second task was to hold an ice cube in our hands for one minute, we did this twice. For our FE we went to a dojo to do boot camp training, pushing ourselves to the physical and mental limits. The action project consisted of writing an autobiography in the perspective of ourselves thirty years in the future. We will “look back" on our journeys that have lead us to our chosen goals and dreams. I struggled with deciding on which dream I wanted to go with, and after some deliberating I decided to go with the future of being a Chicago Police Officer. I enjoyed being able to do this because it gave me a real chance to think of how I want to achieve my dreams and what I really want to do in the future. Please enjoy my autobiography below.
______________________________________________________________________________
My existence is a miracle. Not only was I an accident, but also had been an emergency C section--being strangled by the thing that kept me alive for nine months, the umbilical cord. It was discovered that the cord wrapped itself around my neck four times which is rarer than rare. This trend seemed to continue as I grew up, I have constantly surprised people with my resilience. Whenever someone would tell me I couldn’t do something, I would prove them wrong. Due to this, I developed the skill to learn things quickly. I have been put into a multitude of activities over the years, always managing to awe people at the feats I was able to accomplish. One activity I did in my spare time was solving any type of puzzle. When my parents saw this, they would play crime shows on the television for me during Sunday mornings. I was hooked from then on, becoming infatuated with spies and detectives. My favorite was, by far, Batman. I had always had a love of reading, but this new interest in crime shows caused me to start reading all sorts of mystery novels. I especially loved the Nancy Drew series.
My home life was never a stable, happy one with my parents seemingly having perpetual fights and moving all around the United States. Because of this, I took on more responsibilities and acted older than I was. Other people would repeatedly tell me that I had an old soul and that I was wise beyond my years. Their words did not make sense to me until I was in my preteens. I just figured that all children dealt with issues like these. As the years passed by, I soon realized that this was not how families should act; mine was one filled with domestic violence, both emotional and physical. Being the older sibling, I took it upon myself to shield my little brother from the hate filled violence that plagued our home. I did not want him to become jaded at an early age like I had been. My desire for him was to live as carefree as possible for as long as he could. At this moment, unbenounced to me until later in life, I discovered my life’s mission: to help and protect others. When I entered grammar school, many of my friends were being bullied. Every time I saw this, I would stand up for them. I have always had a strong sense of justice and a good feeling for what was right and what was wrong, so if I saw something that I believed was bad or wrong, I would do my best to stop or fix it. I had never thought anything of it, I was just helping a friend out in their time of need the same way that I trusted they would help me when I needed them. I later found that the trust I felt had no merit as I was left behind in my time of need.
I was around ten years old when I truly discovered my mission and aspired to become just like my fictional heroes. I began reading all sorts of finished case files that were posted and easily accessible. I studied famous and infamous (well known & lesser known) serial killers that were caught or never found. The library was my second home and my face was buried in more books than ever before. Ultimately, I noticed that during shows I would subconsciously piece together the clues, figuring out things most people would not think of until much later or what would happen next. This was not limited to crime shows, but comedies, dramas, and horror as well. This went as far as to branch out to events I witnessed in real life, from me walking down the street to being in the classroom. I was continuously analysing my surroundings and the people in it, without being conscious that I was doing it. When I discovered that my family was good friends with another family whose dad was an agent for the FBI, you can only imagine how ecstatic I was. He was the first official person I had met that was the physical embodiment of the characters I grew to idolize. Whenever I could I asked him questions about what was going on and what it was like being apart of a government agency. This man gave me a true goal to work towards in the future that felt realistic and bigger than a simple detective, he pointed me towards the future of being an FBI agent.
By the time I entered high school I was extremely jaded, having laid witness to too much and being used as an outlet for my parents rage towards each other. At this point they were in their third year of their divorce and, being the eldest, I was held responsible for my brothers mistakes and was visualised as either my mom or dad, depending on who I was with, due to having picked up traits from both of them over the past fourteen years. Now, despite appearing healthy, I noticed that something was apparently wrong by reason of the fact that I started to actually struggle in multiple aspects of my life. In order to ascertain if I had a legitimate problem I went to my mom’s psychologist and got diagnosed with ADHD. This explained the extreme difference in my grades compared to grammar school, and why I struggled to remain on task with work I found uninteresting. Despite this hindrance as a freshman, I was still aiming to become an FBI field agent. It was not until sophomore year where I started to question my dream. This was the year where I had been informed of my severe depression. My already low grades dropped along with my GPA. I began doubting whether or not I would be able to make it into any good schools and/or programs that the FBI highly recognized, so I decided to pursue the military path (preferably the Coast Guard or Marines). However, right before junior year I figured the military wasn’t for me and I ended up changing it to do something with history because of a couple of reasons, one being that I’m good at it. The other reason is that I strongly believe in the words George Santayana once said: “ Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” Half way through the year I learned that being a history major required writing a lot of essays, and since I knew I wasn’t a strong writer I switched to wanting to be a psychologist. I thought that I could help a lot of people, especially because it’s hard to find good psychologists that truly help those who have mental disabilities; most just prescribe medication as the solution. When I entered senior year, the pressure of the commencement of applying to colleges and basically figure out what I planned on doing with my life was on. From the start of my last year I knew I needed a break from school, but I did not know where to go from there. In October a friend told me that the Chicago Police Department test was coming out again and, because I was eighteen, I was eligible to apply. I knew that inside I still wanted to be apart of the law force, so I finally chose to take the test and move towards becoming a police officer. Despite the constant changes to what I wanted to become there was one common trend, my mission that I have had since young childhood -- the need and action of helping people.
Subsequently after applying to the CPD I needed to prepare for the tests. There were three main parts that I was required to pass before being given a number that would tell me when I would start at the academy. First the written test, then the physical test, and lastly the interview. I knew that the written test would be rather simple, but I’ve always struggled with self-doubt and, add that to my anxiety, it was difficult to think I’d pass. The POWER test, physical fitness exam, was by far the most challenging and taxing. Due to my small size, no taller than five feet two inches and weighing one-hundred and ten pounds, I’ve had to do intense workouts for longer periods of time to have a chance at being able to keep up with the other, larger candidates. There were numerous exercises that had to be completed in either a certain amount of time or by reaching a specific number minimum. These tasks had been doing sit-ups for a minute, bench pressing half your weight, push-ups, and a mile and a half run. Not only was I hindered by my stature but by past injuries from accidents and activities. The run ended up proving the most demanding, with me barely finishing in the expected time for my age bracket, because of my bad knees from years of softball, volleyball, and track/cross-country. I was very surprised to find out that I passed the test and received a date for the interview. I was a nervous wreck and feared that on account of my poor mental health, which totaled up to three disorders, I would be deemed unfit for the job. Luckily this ended up not being the case.
Reflecting on the road I have taken and the opposition faced, I think of these two great people: Demi Lovato and J.K. Rowling. Both of them have strained relations with their fathers, suffer from sever depression, and lived in a home that had some form of domestic violence. However, despite these adversities they each did/do something grand. Rowling went on to write the Harry Potter series while Lovato continued to create music and wrote a book, Staying Strong, about her daily affirmations. They had both overcome their own ordeals when they were at their lowest points, in the end making them stronger than they were previously. That is all that I did. At my lowest point there were only two options left: give up on everything, or claw my way back up. I used these two women as inspiration to keep me going knowing that they have dealt with similar trials in their youth and early adulthood as I have, yet became successful and achieved their goals.
Many believed that I would have amounted to nothing. I used to believe them, but now that I see where I am and how far I've come, I know I always chose the best path for me. Being a police officer has given me so much purpose in life. Regardless of the crap the news and people say about cops, and the overall assumption that we are corrupt, I love what I do. Working on a much smaller level than the FBI has allowed me to get closer to my community and help more citizens rather than the government. It has become painstakingly clear to me over the past few decades that I don’t possess the ability to change everything or help everyone. Although, in spite of not being able to change the world, I can change someone’s world. As Mother Teresa once said “Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.”
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 1: Against All Odds
 |
| TS. Red Cross Training. 2015. |
My existence is a miracle. Not only was I an accident, but also had been an emergency C section--being strangled by the thing that kept me alive for nine months, the umbilical cord. It was discovered that the cord wrapped itself around my neck four times which is rarer than rare. This trend seemed to continue as I grew up, I have constantly surprised people with my resilience. Whenever someone would tell me I couldn’t do something, I would prove them wrong. Due to this, I developed the skill to learn things quickly. I have been put into a multitude of activities over the years, always managing to awe people at the feats I was able to accomplish. One activity I did in my spare time was solving any type of puzzle. When my parents saw this, they would play crime shows on the television for me during Sunday mornings. I was hooked from then on, becoming infatuated with spies and detectives. My favorite was, by far, Batman. I had always had a love of reading, but this new interest in crime shows caused me to start reading all sorts of mystery novels. I especially loved the Nancy Drew series.
My home life was never a stable, happy one with my parents seemingly having perpetual fights and moving all around the United States. Because of this, I took on more responsibilities and acted older than I was. Other people would repeatedly tell me that I had an old soul and that I was wise beyond my years. Their words did not make sense to me until I was in my preteens. I just figured that all children dealt with issues like these. As the years passed by, I soon realized that this was not how families should act; mine was one filled with domestic violence, both emotional and physical. Being the older sibling, I took it upon myself to shield my little brother from the hate filled violence that plagued our home. I did not want him to become jaded at an early age like I had been. My desire for him was to live as carefree as possible for as long as he could. At this moment, unbenounced to me until later in life, I discovered my life’s mission: to help and protect others. When I entered grammar school, many of my friends were being bullied. Every time I saw this, I would stand up for them. I have always had a strong sense of justice and a good feeling for what was right and what was wrong, so if I saw something that I believed was bad or wrong, I would do my best to stop or fix it. I had never thought anything of it, I was just helping a friend out in their time of need the same way that I trusted they would help me when I needed them. I later found that the trust I felt had no merit as I was left behind in my time of need.
I was around ten years old when I truly discovered my mission and aspired to become just like my fictional heroes. I began reading all sorts of finished case files that were posted and easily accessible. I studied famous and infamous (well known & lesser known) serial killers that were caught or never found. The library was my second home and my face was buried in more books than ever before. Ultimately, I noticed that during shows I would subconsciously piece together the clues, figuring out things most people would not think of until much later or what would happen next. This was not limited to crime shows, but comedies, dramas, and horror as well. This went as far as to branch out to events I witnessed in real life, from me walking down the street to being in the classroom. I was continuously analysing my surroundings and the people in it, without being conscious that I was doing it. When I discovered that my family was good friends with another family whose dad was an agent for the FBI, you can only imagine how ecstatic I was. He was the first official person I had met that was the physical embodiment of the characters I grew to idolize. Whenever I could I asked him questions about what was going on and what it was like being apart of a government agency. This man gave me a true goal to work towards in the future that felt realistic and bigger than a simple detective, he pointed me towards the future of being an FBI agent.
By the time I entered high school I was extremely jaded, having laid witness to too much and being used as an outlet for my parents rage towards each other. At this point they were in their third year of their divorce and, being the eldest, I was held responsible for my brothers mistakes and was visualised as either my mom or dad, depending on who I was with, due to having picked up traits from both of them over the past fourteen years. Now, despite appearing healthy, I noticed that something was apparently wrong by reason of the fact that I started to actually struggle in multiple aspects of my life. In order to ascertain if I had a legitimate problem I went to my mom’s psychologist and got diagnosed with ADHD. This explained the extreme difference in my grades compared to grammar school, and why I struggled to remain on task with work I found uninteresting. Despite this hindrance as a freshman, I was still aiming to become an FBI field agent. It was not until sophomore year where I started to question my dream. This was the year where I had been informed of my severe depression. My already low grades dropped along with my GPA. I began doubting whether or not I would be able to make it into any good schools and/or programs that the FBI highly recognized, so I decided to pursue the military path (preferably the Coast Guard or Marines). However, right before junior year I figured the military wasn’t for me and I ended up changing it to do something with history because of a couple of reasons, one being that I’m good at it. The other reason is that I strongly believe in the words George Santayana once said: “ Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” Half way through the year I learned that being a history major required writing a lot of essays, and since I knew I wasn’t a strong writer I switched to wanting to be a psychologist. I thought that I could help a lot of people, especially because it’s hard to find good psychologists that truly help those who have mental disabilities; most just prescribe medication as the solution. When I entered senior year, the pressure of the commencement of applying to colleges and basically figure out what I planned on doing with my life was on. From the start of my last year I knew I needed a break from school, but I did not know where to go from there. In October a friend told me that the Chicago Police Department test was coming out again and, because I was eighteen, I was eligible to apply. I knew that inside I still wanted to be apart of the law force, so I finally chose to take the test and move towards becoming a police officer. Despite the constant changes to what I wanted to become there was one common trend, my mission that I have had since young childhood -- the need and action of helping people.
Subsequently after applying to the CPD I needed to prepare for the tests. There were three main parts that I was required to pass before being given a number that would tell me when I would start at the academy. First the written test, then the physical test, and lastly the interview. I knew that the written test would be rather simple, but I’ve always struggled with self-doubt and, add that to my anxiety, it was difficult to think I’d pass. The POWER test, physical fitness exam, was by far the most challenging and taxing. Due to my small size, no taller than five feet two inches and weighing one-hundred and ten pounds, I’ve had to do intense workouts for longer periods of time to have a chance at being able to keep up with the other, larger candidates. There were numerous exercises that had to be completed in either a certain amount of time or by reaching a specific number minimum. These tasks had been doing sit-ups for a minute, bench pressing half your weight, push-ups, and a mile and a half run. Not only was I hindered by my stature but by past injuries from accidents and activities. The run ended up proving the most demanding, with me barely finishing in the expected time for my age bracket, because of my bad knees from years of softball, volleyball, and track/cross-country. I was very surprised to find out that I passed the test and received a date for the interview. I was a nervous wreck and feared that on account of my poor mental health, which totaled up to three disorders, I would be deemed unfit for the job. Luckily this ended up not being the case.
Reflecting on the road I have taken and the opposition faced, I think of these two great people: Demi Lovato and J.K. Rowling. Both of them have strained relations with their fathers, suffer from sever depression, and lived in a home that had some form of domestic violence. However, despite these adversities they each did/do something grand. Rowling went on to write the Harry Potter series while Lovato continued to create music and wrote a book, Staying Strong, about her daily affirmations. They had both overcome their own ordeals when they were at their lowest points, in the end making them stronger than they were previously. That is all that I did. At my lowest point there were only two options left: give up on everything, or claw my way back up. I used these two women as inspiration to keep me going knowing that they have dealt with similar trials in their youth and early adulthood as I have, yet became successful and achieved their goals.
Many believed that I would have amounted to nothing. I used to believe them, but now that I see where I am and how far I've come, I know I always chose the best path for me. Being a police officer has given me so much purpose in life. Regardless of the crap the news and people say about cops, and the overall assumption that we are corrupt, I love what I do. Working on a much smaller level than the FBI has allowed me to get closer to my community and help more citizens rather than the government. It has become painstakingly clear to me over the past few decades that I don’t possess the ability to change everything or help everyone. Although, in spite of not being able to change the world, I can change someone’s world. As Mother Teresa once said “Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.”
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Playlist for the World
In Mixtapes we learned about music through its cultural origins. Our primary focus had been on Jazz and the Blues, and how they had inspired future genres. Another learning opportunity we were given was the chance to learn new instruments. When we did this, we were completely unprepared for what lay ahead, none of us were ready to hold a new instrument that we may have never thought of playing before, but it ended up being fun. We also got to participate in “Daily DJ” where we each got to bring in music for a day and talk about it with the rest of the class. For our AP we were told to pick five songs for a playlist we thought would work for the Pitchfork Music Festival. I really enjoyed this project because it allowed me to delve into songs I already loved. I also like that I get to share my music and my opinion about the world with my peers. At first, I found it difficult to find a theme to work with. I got past this problem by picking songs that I felt complimented each other before really linking them together with a theme or idea. Please enjoy my playlist below.
______________________________________________________________________________
1. Melanie Martinez - Dollhouse
2. Icon For Hire - Think I'm Sick
3. Lindsey Stirling - Crystallize
4. Fireflight - Unbreakable
5. Walk Off The Earth - Rule The World
______________________________________________________________________________
1. Melanie Martinez - Dollhouse
2. Icon For Hire - Think I'm Sick
3. Lindsey Stirling - Crystallize
4. Fireflight - Unbreakable
5. Walk Off The Earth - Rule The World
Friday, February 24, 2017
Equality for All
In unit 2, Herstory, we learned about the issues of gender, race, and class that plague our society. We looked at how the feminist movement of the 1970s helped change and shape the fight for equality. For our action project we had to look at society one hundred years into the future and create a time capsule. The capsule is suppose to contain a multitude of documents that show a possible event of equality. I struggled coming up with the toy that related to my topic without being offensive. However, I enjoyed thinking about what the future could possibly look like and the events that might happen. Please enjoy my time capsule below.
Today marks the day where America finally pushes aside its differences. There is over one hundred years of distrust and hate due to the fear of terrorism looking like someone of Muslim heritage, Muslims have been viewed as civilizations threat and menace. The most current name for this is Islamophobia, but this has only been since 2001, before it there was orientalism where, through cultural and historical lenses, the United States perceived the east, especially the Middle East. However, despite the prejudice, President Omar Mustafa has become the first Muslim to be sworn into office in the United States. He was also the first president to not swear under god.
Born in Chicago, Illinois President Mustafa was raised by his grandparents who, according to him, are the reason he decided to become a politician. They went through many hardships, but had always supported his dreams and encouraged him to make a change. Now, forty-seven years later, he is making many reforms to this country. New laws that benefit everyone in the United States no matter your race, gender, or class. The number of people in poverty is at a record low with more people being able to get well paying, stable jobs. The large gap between the poor and rich has closed significantly; the middle class is now the largest group. His campaign slogan of “A New America”, where he promised equality and the abolishment of discrimination, has shown true.
Many had been afraid that, due to President Mustafa being a highly religious Muslim, church and state would be combined. When confronted about this all he had to say was, “I am the same as any president that was before me. Just because I am Muslim instead of Christian will not change how this country is run. The only factor of the way I will hold my presidency is that of equality for all American Citizens.”
With so many changes already happening we can only hope this trend will continue across his four year term.
Dear Editor,
Voting for President Mustafa was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It is great to finally have someone in office that wasn’t of Christian or Catholic faith. As a person who is Muslim I never thought I would live to see the day where I wasn’t looked at with fear or being assumed to be a terrorist. People might accuse me of voting for him because he is a Muslim. Despite this being one of the factors, it is not the only one. President Mustafa is highly qualified. He was the Mayor of Chicago, Governor of Illinois, and a senator. Not to mention he speaks three languages and has a degree in both political science and law. Even if he had been a different race, I would have still voted for him because I believe in him and his policies. After taking oath, President Mustafa has changed so much for people of all races. Trying to have people accept one another with different programs, activities, and toys. He especially focuses on the children because they are the future and if we can teach them to not be racist America will be better for it. President Mustafa is a role model for the races that have faced prejudice. His presidency proves that no matter where you come from or what the color of your skin is, you can do anything you put your mind to.
Thank you for publishing my letter,
Aaleyah Yasin
Dear Editor,
The United States is going downhill fast. How could we allow a Muslim to President? He will drive this country into the ground. Mustafa needs to go back from where he came from before he lets more terrorists into America. His people beat and rape their women! this cannot happen here America is for the free. For him to not pledge to God is a sign of the horrors to come. It is one nation under God, not Allah!
Sincerely,
David Smith
This doll has a button that changes skin tone and comes with traditional garments from multiple countries around the world. It will teach children acceptance of others and their heritage. The goal is to eventually eradicate discrimination of others based off of what they look like or where they come from.
Chicago Tribune February 21, 2117
America Regains Its Freedom
Born in Chicago, Illinois President Mustafa was raised by his grandparents who, according to him, are the reason he decided to become a politician. They went through many hardships, but had always supported his dreams and encouraged him to make a change. Now, forty-seven years later, he is making many reforms to this country. New laws that benefit everyone in the United States no matter your race, gender, or class. The number of people in poverty is at a record low with more people being able to get well paying, stable jobs. The large gap between the poor and rich has closed significantly; the middle class is now the largest group. His campaign slogan of “A New America”, where he promised equality and the abolishment of discrimination, has shown true.
Many had been afraid that, due to President Mustafa being a highly religious Muslim, church and state would be combined. When confronted about this all he had to say was, “I am the same as any president that was before me. Just because I am Muslim instead of Christian will not change how this country is run. The only factor of the way I will hold my presidency is that of equality for all American Citizens.”
With so many changes already happening we can only hope this trend will continue across his four year term.
Dear Editor,
Voting for President Mustafa was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It is great to finally have someone in office that wasn’t of Christian or Catholic faith. As a person who is Muslim I never thought I would live to see the day where I wasn’t looked at with fear or being assumed to be a terrorist. People might accuse me of voting for him because he is a Muslim. Despite this being one of the factors, it is not the only one. President Mustafa is highly qualified. He was the Mayor of Chicago, Governor of Illinois, and a senator. Not to mention he speaks three languages and has a degree in both political science and law. Even if he had been a different race, I would have still voted for him because I believe in him and his policies. After taking oath, President Mustafa has changed so much for people of all races. Trying to have people accept one another with different programs, activities, and toys. He especially focuses on the children because they are the future and if we can teach them to not be racist America will be better for it. President Mustafa is a role model for the races that have faced prejudice. His presidency proves that no matter where you come from or what the color of your skin is, you can do anything you put your mind to.
Thank you for publishing my letter,
Aaleyah Yasin
Dear Editor,
The United States is going downhill fast. How could we allow a Muslim to President? He will drive this country into the ground. Mustafa needs to go back from where he came from before he lets more terrorists into America. His people beat and rape their women! this cannot happen here America is for the free. For him to not pledge to God is a sign of the horrors to come. It is one nation under God, not Allah!
Sincerely,
David Smith
This doll has a button that changes skin tone and comes with traditional garments from multiple countries around the world. It will teach children acceptance of others and their heritage. The goal is to eventually eradicate discrimination of others based off of what they look like or where they come from.
Friday, February 3, 2017
The Great Recession vs. Everyone
In unit 1, History, of Equality we learned about issues revolving around race, gender, and class. For our action project we wrote a history chapter about a major event from the past twenty years. The catch was that it needed to be written in the point of view of a marginalized voice. The event I ended up choosing the Great Recession in 2008 because we as a country are still recovering from it nine years later. The specific voices I chose were those of business owners, college graduates, and construction workers and I interviewed someone from each category. We also needed to include three educational devices to make it both support my writing and appear as an actual chapter in a history textbook. I really enjoyed researching more about this topic because my family was greatly impacted by this event. However, I ran into many problems the main one being who to interview. I had to ask my teacher who the marginalized voice would be during the Great Recession. Please enjoy my history chapter below.
Friday, October 21, 2016
Authors That Touch Your Soul
In unit 2, Sound, of Journalism we learned about how radio and voice is used to connect and share with people. We studied different podcasts and learned how to formulate one so that the words flow. By watching Ira Glass videos we saw what it is that makes a good story. For our FE, we went to the Journalism Department of Columbia College, where they do tv and radio broadcasting and write for the school newspaper. For our action project we chose a voice that represents the 20th century, and tell their story, and create a podcast about them. I chose J.K. Rowling because, despite her being an author and not hearing her voice, I fell in love with her and her series. People don’t realize who Rowling really is and I wanted to show them that in the podcast. It was really challenging shortening down some videos I found of her because I thought all of it was so amazing. Though, with some help, I was able to shorten the clips to the best parts and I am very proud of how I told J.K. Rowling’s story. Please enjoy my podcast and transcript below.
WHEN
|
WHO/HOW
|
WHAT
|
0:00
0:02
0:17
0:20
0:32
0:58
1:10
1:15
1:17
1:35
1:50
1:52
2:09
2:26
2:47
3:10
3:29
3:45
3:51
4:05
4:08
4:26
4:57
5:10
|
TS
Background Music Starts (“Hedwing’s Theme” by John Williams)
J.K. Rowling
Music Fades Out
J.K. Rowling
TS
SV as Krystal Sim
Background Music (“Dumbledore’s Army” by Nicholas Hooper)
Lily Potter
TS Music Fades Out
SV as CathrynWaller
MN
TS
Sai as Cassandra J
J.K. Rowling
TS
J.K. Rowling
Background Music (“Harry and Hermione” by Nicholas Hooper)
SV as Charlotte Howle
Music Fades Out
J.K. Rowling
TS
J.K. Rowling
THE END
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From GCE Chicago High School, this is TS. I’d like to talk about J.K. Rowling, a famous and influential author.
My parents, both of whom came from impoverished backgrounds and neither of whom had been to college, took the view that my overactive imagination was an amusing personal quirk that would never pay a mortgage or secure a pension.
I would like to make it clear that I do not blame my parents for their point of view. They had been poor themselves and I have since been poor. Poverty entails fear and stress and sometimes depression. It means a thousand petty humiliations and hardships. Climbing out of poverty by your own efforts that is something on which to pride yourself.
When Rowling was six months into creating the first book of Harry Potter her mother had passed away. This influenced Harry’s relationship with his mother; her becoming his refuge during times of real stress.
I remember staying up to read it through the night and ending up in floods of tears as Lily Potter said to Harry: “You’ve been so brave.” Those are the kind of words you long to hear when you’ve lost a parent. These stories hit you where you live sometimes, in the most beautiful way.
You’ve been so brave.
Rowling started suffering from clinical depression after her mother died. She felt cold and numb during this time, like she would never be happy again, this later inspired her idea of dementors.
When I was 9 my best friend died. I was depressed for the next two years, but this summer I started reading and watching the Harry Potter series. I found out Harry’s tragic story and I learned that love will get you through anything and that there will always be someone for you, In a book or in real life.
J.K. Rowling’s books are what inspired me to fall in love with reading and what made me want to become a writer. Because I wanted to have people to talk to about all of the books I loved I found an online community, and I have become friends with people all over the globe that I never would’ve met otherwise.
People all over the world know and love the characters from the Harry Potter series. These characters have helped to empower and bring together communities like never before. Her story as well as her series is well known, and she shows people that success can only be achieved through repeated failure.
I wrote a paper on Jo for my English class, the subject being ‘people that inspire us the most’. My English teacher didn’t like it that much, which really frustrated me, because I worked very hard on it, but I kept trying, and I didn’t let it discourage me because I knew it’s what Jo would want me to do. I mean look at her, she was put down by, what was it, 9 publishers? But did that stop her? No!
A mere seven years after my graduation day I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short lived marriage had imploded and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain without being homeless.
Rowling’s success did not come immediately. She had to work hard and persevere in order to even be published. She points out how we worry about failure, but without it we cannot continue to fight to bigger, better, things.
It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not lived at all. In which case you fail by default.
My therapist told me to think of a person who was non-judgmental and imagine what they would say to me when I was feeling particularly down on myself or anxious. “I thought of Luna Lovegood. She saved my life, without a doubt. I always think of her when I’m down and no matter what, she brings a smile to my face and makes me realize that it’s OK not to be perfect, as long as I’m myself.
I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. I was set free because my greatest fear was realized and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter who I adored, and I had an old type writer, and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.
Authors motivate people to continue living the life they want to live. J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter gave people a chance to see that no matter where you come from you can do amazing things.
We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have the power to imagine better.
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Sunday, October 2, 2016
Life is C Between B and D
In Unit 1, Image, of Journalism we learned what it is to be a journalist. There are many different types of journalism out there, but the main one we studied was photojournalism. This is where an image will tell a story. During class we looked at famous images and had to come up with the meaning behind each image. For our FE we went to a gallery to view an exhibit called "Killing Season Chicago" which showed the places where 172 homicides took place in Chicago over the summer of 2010. It is true what they say an image really does say 1000 words because when looking at these places to know the meaning behind it is a real eye opener. Regarding our first action project, we were tasked with interviewing someone on what they believed the meaning of life to be, and to take a photo representing that meaning. I found it very difficult to take a photo of them since I wanted an action shot and many of mine turned out blurry, but the last one I took turned out clear and looked good. I enjoyed this project because my best friend and I talk about things like this all the time, but we had never brought up the meaning of life in our random, late night chats. Please enjoy my interview and picture below.
_________________________________________________________________
Life gives meaning to life, at least in the book Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, a children's novel written by Wendy Mass in 2006. Despite it being meant for children, there are thoughts that all ages can take away from this book. One such person this book influenced was my best friend, SV. He believes the meaning of life is “to live life not just live through it, but to experience it and push its limits”.
This book actually changed his view that the meaning of life was to make an impact or leave your mark on the world. This book helped him realize that not everyone can be famous or have a legacy, and it wouldn’t make sense if only a select few people had a meaning to their lives. So while reading, he thought about what the meaning of life truly is, and realized that just by experiencing what life has to offer that your life has meaning. “Kids in the 1970s and 1980s had it right, they would go ride their bikes or do hobbies that they enjoyed”. However, he feels that people now are not living. Everyone is constantly on their phones or computers and when they do go outside or do something, anything, it turns into a photo op. When you go to a concert you see most of the crowds phones or tablets out recording. Being too absorbed in social media causes us to miss the things around us. At home people are finding the best lighting to show off their looks. Now, that's not to say technology’s completely bad; it’s there for a reason. “Hell, I use my phone all the time but I rarely use it for pictures; if all you do is stare at the world through a phone's camera you will never see the world”.
“As long as I can remember I’ve been going to plays and when I moved to Chicago we started going to plays up in Wisconsin. Where this theatre company performed was an area where they tried not to destroy the surroundings; meaning that there is no cell service. I love it. Instead of looking around to find people on their phones I see that they are all sparkle eyed enjoying the plays”. Being in the moment brings more joy to future you than the picture you’re showing off. It’s nice to have memories to flip through that you can see, but we don’t often look at the photos in our phones. When we scroll through our accounts we see what other people are doing and think “oh haha I’m better than you, or oh no you’re better than me”. This causes us to feel like we need to strive to be better or that we need to be just like them, then we’re not living our lives but trying to live someone elses.
It’s impossible to have every person be one-hundred percent unique and there are many people who live very similar lives, but you still are your own person. Once you start trying to be someone you’re not, that’s when your meaning of life becomes clouded. As long as you are living your own life and experiencing it the way you want to, you will have your own meaning. However this meaning can change as you grow older and experiencing different things can influence the meaning. “The way I view the meaning of life is similar to what others think of as destiny in the sense that there is some place you are going to end up, but you can take any road you want to get there”. People have their own way of doing things and their lives can be packed with plans for the future, or taking it easy and going with the flow. A quote that he brought up perfectly explained this concept. “What is life? They say it’s from B to D. From Birth to Death, but what’s between B and D? It’s a C so what is a C? It is a choice. Our life is a matter of choices, live well and it will never go wrong” (Jean-Paul Sartre). The only time that a person is not living their own life is when either they are striving to be someone else or someone is trying to live their dreams through them.
Photographers are not included in this vast majority of photo opportunities, in fact they are some of the people whose life has so much meaning. When they look through a camera, not a phone's camera, but an actual camera they see so much more and are able to share how they see the world. Others just post pictures on social media to show off, not to show the world in a different way.
In this photo, SV is explaining the scene in our ongoing role playing game. As you can see, we’re sitting outside and he is referring to an actual book instead of a PDF on a laptop or tablet. When we get together with our friends for this weekly game, we enter a no cell phone zone. Anyone who pulls out a phone, unless it’s an emergency, has to give him their phone for the rest of the game. I like how in this photo, there’s a bit of a glare at the top and it isn’t very dark in general. I like the light because it represents how we are not trying to hide who we are to meet the status quo.
Other than making sure the photo had good lighting, I didn’t alter the picture at all. I didn’t want to add in changes due to aperture, shutter speed, or focus because I felt it would take away from the natural life of the photo. This is the same reason I decided to go with an objective photo instead of a subjective one. If I had staged the photo at all, it would’ve taken away from the idea that he is simply living life, not trying to be seen in any certain way.
I took many photos of him over the course of the week from him dancing to him playing video games, one of his passions, but either they came out too blurry, didn’t give off the right feel or he noticed the camera and his demeanor changed. When I took this one we were in the middle of our role playing game, and he was so into it he didn’t even notice me taking the picture. He just looked like he was in his element and like he was really enjoying life. During dance I couldn’t get a clear picture since he was almost constantly moving, and while playing video games he started to get upset with the game because he kept dying and it didn’t give off the feeling of someone just living life. Being relaxed and having fun with friends in an environment where everyone could be themselves really showed off his meaning of life.
_________________________________________________________________
Life gives meaning to life, at least in the book Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, a children's novel written by Wendy Mass in 2006. Despite it being meant for children, there are thoughts that all ages can take away from this book. One such person this book influenced was my best friend, SV. He believes the meaning of life is “to live life not just live through it, but to experience it and push its limits”.
This book actually changed his view that the meaning of life was to make an impact or leave your mark on the world. This book helped him realize that not everyone can be famous or have a legacy, and it wouldn’t make sense if only a select few people had a meaning to their lives. So while reading, he thought about what the meaning of life truly is, and realized that just by experiencing what life has to offer that your life has meaning. “Kids in the 1970s and 1980s had it right, they would go ride their bikes or do hobbies that they enjoyed”. However, he feels that people now are not living. Everyone is constantly on their phones or computers and when they do go outside or do something, anything, it turns into a photo op. When you go to a concert you see most of the crowds phones or tablets out recording. Being too absorbed in social media causes us to miss the things around us. At home people are finding the best lighting to show off their looks. Now, that's not to say technology’s completely bad; it’s there for a reason. “Hell, I use my phone all the time but I rarely use it for pictures; if all you do is stare at the world through a phone's camera you will never see the world”.
“As long as I can remember I’ve been going to plays and when I moved to Chicago we started going to plays up in Wisconsin. Where this theatre company performed was an area where they tried not to destroy the surroundings; meaning that there is no cell service. I love it. Instead of looking around to find people on their phones I see that they are all sparkle eyed enjoying the plays”. Being in the moment brings more joy to future you than the picture you’re showing off. It’s nice to have memories to flip through that you can see, but we don’t often look at the photos in our phones. When we scroll through our accounts we see what other people are doing and think “oh haha I’m better than you, or oh no you’re better than me”. This causes us to feel like we need to strive to be better or that we need to be just like them, then we’re not living our lives but trying to live someone elses.
It’s impossible to have every person be one-hundred percent unique and there are many people who live very similar lives, but you still are your own person. Once you start trying to be someone you’re not, that’s when your meaning of life becomes clouded. As long as you are living your own life and experiencing it the way you want to, you will have your own meaning. However this meaning can change as you grow older and experiencing different things can influence the meaning. “The way I view the meaning of life is similar to what others think of as destiny in the sense that there is some place you are going to end up, but you can take any road you want to get there”. People have their own way of doing things and their lives can be packed with plans for the future, or taking it easy and going with the flow. A quote that he brought up perfectly explained this concept. “What is life? They say it’s from B to D. From Birth to Death, but what’s between B and D? It’s a C so what is a C? It is a choice. Our life is a matter of choices, live well and it will never go wrong” (Jean-Paul Sartre). The only time that a person is not living their own life is when either they are striving to be someone else or someone is trying to live their dreams through them.
Photographers are not included in this vast majority of photo opportunities, in fact they are some of the people whose life has so much meaning. When they look through a camera, not a phone's camera, but an actual camera they see so much more and are able to share how they see the world. Others just post pictures on social media to show off, not to show the world in a different way.
 |
| TS "DMing" (2016) Chicago |
Other than making sure the photo had good lighting, I didn’t alter the picture at all. I didn’t want to add in changes due to aperture, shutter speed, or focus because I felt it would take away from the natural life of the photo. This is the same reason I decided to go with an objective photo instead of a subjective one. If I had staged the photo at all, it would’ve taken away from the idea that he is simply living life, not trying to be seen in any certain way.
I took many photos of him over the course of the week from him dancing to him playing video games, one of his passions, but either they came out too blurry, didn’t give off the right feel or he noticed the camera and his demeanor changed. When I took this one we were in the middle of our role playing game, and he was so into it he didn’t even notice me taking the picture. He just looked like he was in his element and like he was really enjoying life. During dance I couldn’t get a clear picture since he was almost constantly moving, and while playing video games he started to get upset with the game because he kept dying and it didn’t give off the feeling of someone just living life. Being relaxed and having fun with friends in an environment where everyone could be themselves really showed off his meaning of life.
Friday, May 27, 2016
Money Doesn't Make Equality
In unit 3, Judge, of Policy we learned about the judicial branch, their roles in the checks and balances, and the different levels of court. We went from the Circuit Courts, which primarily focused on state laws and minor criminal offenses, to our main focus, the Supreme Court, which handles all cases that challenge the constitution as well as federal crimes. We not only reviewed what the Supreme Court does, but also some of the most major Supreme Court cases along with the impact they had in American history. For our final action project we were asked to choose a Supreme Court case and present it. I ended up choosing Gideon v. Wainwright (1962), which dealt with a violation of the sixth amendment. I chose to focus on this case because I believe everyone deserves a fair chance in life and especially in court. This court case ensured just that. It had been difficult settling on just one case because I found so many interesting ones that are extremely relevant in today's society. I did enjoy looking in depth at a case that I am interested in and not one that was designated to me. Please enjoy my Prezi below.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
To War or Not To War
In Unit 2, Execute, of Policy we learned all about the Executive Branch, from the people involved to the powers it holds. We also learned about the Vietnam War and the policies the United States had made that caused this war to be unjust. Leading us to our FE to the Veteran's Art Museum which showcased "The Things They Carried" exhibit which is based off of the book Tim O'Brien wrote. For our action project we needed to research a war the United States was apart of and a policy involved with it, then we had to decide if that war was just or unjust. I chose the first Persian Gulf War because it is an interesting war that one of my family members took part in as a United States Marine. I definitely enjoyed learning more about the war and how quick it was. Though it had been very difficult finding a policy that was involved with the war considering it did not last long and involved 39 nations. Please enjoy my essay on the Persian Gulf War below.
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The first Persian Gulf War was fought in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia starting in August of 1990 and ending in February of 1991. This war was between Iraq and 39 allied countries, the largest being the United States, Great Britain, Egypt, France, and Saudi Arabia. This was one of the first wars that used pre guided missiles (PGM’s) which were “smart-bombs” that had laser guided targeting systems to help them hit their target. This war also had the appearance of the F-117 stealth fighter-bombers that were made to be undetectable by Iraqi radar, and Tomahawk cruise missiles that were made to launch farther than conventional missiles. This war was started by Iraq invading Kuwait on August 2, 1990. Saddam Hussein aimed to take over Kuwait’s large oil reserves and cancel Iraq’s debt to Kuwait. Not only did Iraq want to get their hands on the oil in Kuwait, but Kuwait had also refused to cancel Iraq’s war debts to them. This war was just because nations involved tried to solve the conflict peacefully and it could have had large economic effects.
On August 7, 1990, President George H. W. Bush ordered operation Desert Shield to start. This also signifies the beginning of the United State’s involvement in the first Persian Gulf war. The U.S. got involved because we believed that there was an immediate threat to Saudi Arabia which was, not only the world's largest producer and exporter of oil, but also an ally to the U.S. Operation Desert Shield placed 500,000 Americans in Saudi Arabia to ensure that Iraq did not end up controlling one fifth of the world’s oil supply. Democrats first brought the sanctions resolution to congress, suggesting that the U.S. to rely on economic sanctions instead of using force. This resolution was rejected in both the senate with a vote of 53 to 46 and in the house with a vote of 250 to 183. When the idea of the U.S. going to war was brought to congress, the senate adopted it 52 to 47 and the house agreed voting 250 to 183. This was congress's most explicit authorization of war since the Tonkin Gulf Resolution in 1964. This decision also stood out because it was the narrowest margin in the Senate’s votes since the War of 1812. Congress encouraged the President to start with a massive airstrike against Iraq and use everything short of nuclear weapons.
During this war, Resolutions 660-678 were put into place. The main ones were 660, 661, and 678. Resolution 660 demanded that Iraq immediately withdraw from Kuwait. Resolution 661 imposed economic sanctions. Resolution 678 established the United Nations Special Commision (UNSCOM) to inspect Iraq’s suspected chemical and biological weapons capabilities. The U.S. mainly used these resolutions to remove Iraq from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia without necessarily starting a war. Resolution 661 made it so that America could prevent imports from, the sale of weapons and military weapons to, and the availability of funds and financial resources to either Iraq or Kuwait.
The governments of the world interpreted these resolutions exactly as they were meant to be interpreted. They were a way to remove Iraq from Kuwait. To the U.S. however, they were somewhat of an excuse to retrieve the chemical weapons that they gave to Iraq during the Cold War. The way it was applied to the situation was justified. The multiple resolutions were warnings being sent to Iraq to let them know that if they didn’t remove themselves from Kuwait, we’d have no choice but to do it forcefully. Iraq, however, ignored the resolutions for the most part, so a war did break out in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The resolutions did manage to remove some of the chemical weapons and advanced war machines from Iraq, as well as cut off military funding from other countries.
The United State’s involvement in this war was justified. America did what needed to be done to prevent Iraq from gaining control over one fifth of the world’s oil supply. Iraq’s intentions once in possession of the oil was unknown, so the economical effects were also unknown and possibly very problematic. Iraq received many warnings in the form of the resolutions and even attended the vote for Resolution 661 but chose to ignore them anyway. One unjust part of this war was the number of Iraqi civilians that were killed during the war, but civilian deaths are an unavoidable part of any war. All in all, the methods used were effective. The real fighting only lasted a month before Iraq agreed to a cease-fire after losing large numbers of their troops.
Citino, Robert. "Technology in the Persian Gulf War of 1991." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2016.
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| Staff Sgt. Vance. "Marines In The Persian Gulf War." (1991) |
The first Persian Gulf War was fought in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia starting in August of 1990 and ending in February of 1991. This war was between Iraq and 39 allied countries, the largest being the United States, Great Britain, Egypt, France, and Saudi Arabia. This was one of the first wars that used pre guided missiles (PGM’s) which were “smart-bombs” that had laser guided targeting systems to help them hit their target. This war also had the appearance of the F-117 stealth fighter-bombers that were made to be undetectable by Iraqi radar, and Tomahawk cruise missiles that were made to launch farther than conventional missiles. This war was started by Iraq invading Kuwait on August 2, 1990. Saddam Hussein aimed to take over Kuwait’s large oil reserves and cancel Iraq’s debt to Kuwait. Not only did Iraq want to get their hands on the oil in Kuwait, but Kuwait had also refused to cancel Iraq’s war debts to them. This war was just because nations involved tried to solve the conflict peacefully and it could have had large economic effects.
On August 7, 1990, President George H. W. Bush ordered operation Desert Shield to start. This also signifies the beginning of the United State’s involvement in the first Persian Gulf war. The U.S. got involved because we believed that there was an immediate threat to Saudi Arabia which was, not only the world's largest producer and exporter of oil, but also an ally to the U.S. Operation Desert Shield placed 500,000 Americans in Saudi Arabia to ensure that Iraq did not end up controlling one fifth of the world’s oil supply. Democrats first brought the sanctions resolution to congress, suggesting that the U.S. to rely on economic sanctions instead of using force. This resolution was rejected in both the senate with a vote of 53 to 46 and in the house with a vote of 250 to 183. When the idea of the U.S. going to war was brought to congress, the senate adopted it 52 to 47 and the house agreed voting 250 to 183. This was congress's most explicit authorization of war since the Tonkin Gulf Resolution in 1964. This decision also stood out because it was the narrowest margin in the Senate’s votes since the War of 1812. Congress encouraged the President to start with a massive airstrike against Iraq and use everything short of nuclear weapons.
During this war, Resolutions 660-678 were put into place. The main ones were 660, 661, and 678. Resolution 660 demanded that Iraq immediately withdraw from Kuwait. Resolution 661 imposed economic sanctions. Resolution 678 established the United Nations Special Commision (UNSCOM) to inspect Iraq’s suspected chemical and biological weapons capabilities. The U.S. mainly used these resolutions to remove Iraq from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia without necessarily starting a war. Resolution 661 made it so that America could prevent imports from, the sale of weapons and military weapons to, and the availability of funds and financial resources to either Iraq or Kuwait.
The governments of the world interpreted these resolutions exactly as they were meant to be interpreted. They were a way to remove Iraq from Kuwait. To the U.S. however, they were somewhat of an excuse to retrieve the chemical weapons that they gave to Iraq during the Cold War. The way it was applied to the situation was justified. The multiple resolutions were warnings being sent to Iraq to let them know that if they didn’t remove themselves from Kuwait, we’d have no choice but to do it forcefully. Iraq, however, ignored the resolutions for the most part, so a war did break out in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The resolutions did manage to remove some of the chemical weapons and advanced war machines from Iraq, as well as cut off military funding from other countries.
The United State’s involvement in this war was justified. America did what needed to be done to prevent Iraq from gaining control over one fifth of the world’s oil supply. Iraq’s intentions once in possession of the oil was unknown, so the economical effects were also unknown and possibly very problematic. Iraq received many warnings in the form of the resolutions and even attended the vote for Resolution 661 but chose to ignore them anyway. One unjust part of this war was the number of Iraqi civilians that were killed during the war, but civilian deaths are an unavoidable part of any war. All in all, the methods used were effective. The real fighting only lasted a month before Iraq agreed to a cease-fire after losing large numbers of their troops.
References:
Fritz, Sara, and Wiiliam J. Eaton. "Congress Authorizes Gulf War : Historic Act: The Vote in Both Houses, Supporting Bush and Freeing Troops to Attack Iraq, Is Decisive and Bipartisan. It Is the Strongest Move since Tonkin Gulf." Congress Authorizes Gulf War. Los Angeles Times, 1991. Web. 14 May 2016.
United States. Resolution 660 (1990). New York: UN, 1990. Print.
United States. Resolution 660 (1990). New York: UN, 1990. Print.
"The Gulf War, 1991." Milestones: 1989–1992. United States Department of State, n.d. Web. 14 May 2016.
United Nations. Resolution 660 (1990). New York: UN, 1990. Prin
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. "Persian Gulf Wars." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Persian Gulf War." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.
"Operation Desert Storm." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.
United Nations. Resolution 660 (1990). New York: UN, 1990. Prin
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. "Persian Gulf Wars." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Persian Gulf War." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.
"Operation Desert Storm." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.
Sunday, May 1, 2016
The Three Percent
In the first unit of Policy we learned about the Legislative Branch and the role they play in making the nations policies. For our FE we went to a city council meeting where the mayor and fifty alderman discuss the problems facing the neighborhoods in Chicago. In order to show our understanding of laws and affect people have in making them we needed to create a letter to send to a government official(s) regarding an issue we found important. The topic I chose was water, more specifically about the problems facing our nation in the matters of clean water, and decided to send it to President Obama since this is a problem throughout our whole country. It had been difficult writing the letter due to my troubles of formal writing, but I enjoyed the opportunity to have my voice heard. Enjoy my letter below.
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May 1, 2016
President Barack Obama
May 1, 2016
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Barack Obama,
We only have three percent, no more but there most definitely will be less. Our nation is careless about taking care of our water supplies just because we have always had a seemingly infinite amount of it. We will run out, one of our states already has, California is going into its fourth year of serious drought. Flint, Michigan has been having a major water crisis for two years now where the citizens are being poisoned and having serious side effects from their water. These two places are not the only ones. So many states, cities, and towns are having problems getting access to water. The most atrocious example is in Pennsylvania, where 8.5 percent of the children tested were found to have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Not only is lead a dangerous element to have in your bloodstream, but children are still developing and are more vulnerable to the problems associated with lead poisoning. Also adding to this point is an analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data in the Washington Post, which said the data revealed that “about 350 schools and day-care centers failed lead tests a total of about 470 times from 2012 through 2015.” This shows that hundreds of kids are seriously at risk due to the problems with our water. I myself am lucky being a person who lives in Chicago which is located next to Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes that make up twenty-one percent of the world's fresh water. However I have family and friends across the nation who do not have as easy access to water as I do. Even people who are in my own state have trouble getting clean water. Without clean water people get sick, they die, and their children can develop physical or mental illnesses.
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Barack Obama,
We only have three percent, no more but there most definitely will be less. Our nation is careless about taking care of our water supplies just because we have always had a seemingly infinite amount of it. We will run out, one of our states already has, California is going into its fourth year of serious drought. Flint, Michigan has been having a major water crisis for two years now where the citizens are being poisoned and having serious side effects from their water. These two places are not the only ones. So many states, cities, and towns are having problems getting access to water. The most atrocious example is in Pennsylvania, where 8.5 percent of the children tested were found to have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Not only is lead a dangerous element to have in your bloodstream, but children are still developing and are more vulnerable to the problems associated with lead poisoning. Also adding to this point is an analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data in the Washington Post, which said the data revealed that “about 350 schools and day-care centers failed lead tests a total of about 470 times from 2012 through 2015.” This shows that hundreds of kids are seriously at risk due to the problems with our water. I myself am lucky being a person who lives in Chicago which is located next to Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes that make up twenty-one percent of the world's fresh water. However I have family and friends across the nation who do not have as easy access to water as I do. Even people who are in my own state have trouble getting clean water. Without clean water people get sick, they die, and their children can develop physical or mental illnesses.
To prevent further damage to our society I propose a policy in which there is a stricter use of water and the complete stopping of dumping waste into rivers, lakes, et cetera. The use of water should be monitored in order to prevent overuse. We should set a limit for how much water houses and businesses can use a week. This may seem impractical now, but it will make a big difference in the future. Dumping toxic waste or garbage into our supplies leads to disease and disease leads to death or major illness.
I understand that money is a huge factor, but there has to be discretionary spending we can cut back on, such as the money spent for our military. We are currently spending around 597.5 billion dollars, that’s 451.7 billion more than China, the next country below us for military spending.
In the United States there are states suffering from drought, heavily contaminated water, and lead poisoning. These are all preventable problems, but like everything else, the solutions require a bit of work and money. If these problems are not approached and dealt with, our water situation will get worse, as will our chances of survival. The Earth will rid us from it’s surface the way a body would to a virus.
I understand that money is a huge factor, but there has to be discretionary spending we can cut back on, such as the money spent for our military. We are currently spending around 597.5 billion dollars, that’s 451.7 billion more than China, the next country below us for military spending.
In the United States there are states suffering from drought, heavily contaminated water, and lead poisoning. These are all preventable problems, but like everything else, the solutions require a bit of work and money. If these problems are not approached and dealt with, our water situation will get worse, as will our chances of survival. The Earth will rid us from it’s surface the way a body would to a virus.
Sincerely,
TS
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Whose Body, Whose Choice
In unit 3 of A Nation’s Argument we learned how to find a compromise between two opposing arguments. We studied the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which helped to resolve the contradictions of discrimination in our nation, mainly racism. This lead us to our final action project: to choose a position on a topic, find a contradiction within it, and come to an agreement between the two opposing sides. The topic I chose is abortion--the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate. While working on this project, I found it had been extremely difficult finding synthesis between the two perspectives, a child’s life cannot be split in half or divided in a way that will fully satisfy either position. Despite this challenge, it was interesting understanding the viewpoint of pro-lifers, and yet still have my pro-choice beliefs. Please enjoy my post below.
Thesis:
Abortion has been a hot topic among politicians for decades, with members of all parties taking sides in the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate. As a nation of free people, I believe we should respect women’s decisions when it comes to their bodies, even if they are pregnant. We already have great organizations in place, such as Planned Parenthood, that help these women who may chose not to have their child. Although many people and politicians are petitioning to get rid of these resources and make abortion illegal, I argue it should remain legal. We need to have better support, services, and education. We may not be saving a fetus, but we could possibly be saving a child from a horrendous life.
Evidence:
The government believes they have the power to decide what is right for the individual, born and unborn. People themselves have the right to decide what they want to do with their lives. Women should also have that right when it comes to their child because it is their responsibility, which should mean that it’s their choice. Teen mom's make up a significant percentage of women who abort. “Eighteen percent of all U.S. abortions are from teenagers”, because not all teens are in a safe environment, or are not ready to give birth mentally or physically. There is also the possibility that parents won’t allow their daughter to have a kid and she could get kick out of her home. I know a person who lived in a small town, where there is not a Planned Parenthood clinic, who was pregnant at seventeen but was unable to support a child and was not in good health. The clinic we went to reminded me more of a factory's assembly line where when they call your number you go in pregnant and come out not pregnant. This is only one example--most healthy women who have the ability to take care of their child would want to keep their child. Some who do abort either don’t meet these criteria or don’t want the child because they wouldn’t enjoy raising a kid. Women who didn’t want a child at all who don’t abort and don’t give the child up for adoption, usually end up with the child having hate-filled lives. They could be blamed for mistakes because the parent(s) don’t want them, leading them to have high depression and anxiety, possible suicidal tendencies, gang activity, or drugs. Additionally, if a pregnant woman ends up being sick or the child is ill for whatever reason, it could cause an unsafe birth where both the mother and child could die, even if the child survives, the mother may not. If it ends up being that the mother survives, the devastation of losing her child would last a lifetime. (Jones, Finer,& Singh, “Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients”).
Support for my thesis below:
Antithesis:
The main argument that pro-lifers use is that abortion unjustly takes a life of a defenseless human being, and that, similar to one of my arguments, no one besides the child has the right to decide what happens to the child’s body. One big pro-life supporter was former Surgeon General of the U.S., Dr. C. Everett Koop. He claimed that not only had he never encountered a moment where a child had to be aborted to save a mother’s life, but also that “Abortion [killing infants before birth], infanticide [killing infants after birth], and euthanasia [killing adults] stand before us like dominoes; the first to fall has been abortion on demand.” This is him comparing murder to abortion showing that hey are at the same level of severity.
Synthesis:
Since a life is unable to be split into two, the only comprise these two greatly opposing sides can agree on is devising better ways to inform women before they make the decision to get an abortion. Both sides can agree that more awareness and education about other options should be made available, without pressure or coercion, inside and outside abortion clinics. Clinics should provide informational classes about what abortion entails to women before they decide to go through with it. People who support pro-life and pro-choice should be on the Board together in order to make official decisions on what the women would learn in the class.
This synthesis would satisfy both sides to some degree and focuses on women, who in the end are the carriers of the baby. I’d present my idea to Congress and major pro-life leaders to collaborate on improving abortion facilities, education, and to create a federal law that would help the process of making life easier and safer for everyone. Nonetheless, it is the woman’s choice to decide whether to get an abortion or not because it is up to them what happens to their own body.
Question(s) for opposition(s):
What makes the criminalization of abortion worth so much to the harm of women who would get it performed illegally?
Question(s) for opposition(s) to me:
If a child is considered a part of the woman's body, why is it that the fetus has its own genetic code and heartbeat?
"Abortion Information | What Are Your Options?" Abortion Information | What Are Your Options? Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
C. Everett Koop, M. D., as told to Dick Bohrer, in "Moody Monthly," May, 1980.
Culp-Ressler, Tara. "Female Senators Introduce Pro-Choice Bill To ‘Fight Back Against Those Who Miss The Mad Men Era’." ThinkProgress RSS. N.p., 05 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
Jones RK, Finer LB and Singh S, Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients, 2008, New York: Guttmacher Institute, 2010.
"Pro Life vs Pro-Choice Facts and Arguments." Pro Life vs Pro-Choice Arguments. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
Tenebra. ""I Was An Unwanted Child"" I Was An Unwanted Child : I Was An Unwanted Child Story & Experience. N.p., 1 Sept. 2009. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
Thesis:
Abortion has been a hot topic among politicians for decades, with members of all parties taking sides in the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate. As a nation of free people, I believe we should respect women’s decisions when it comes to their bodies, even if they are pregnant. We already have great organizations in place, such as Planned Parenthood, that help these women who may chose not to have their child. Although many people and politicians are petitioning to get rid of these resources and make abortion illegal, I argue it should remain legal. We need to have better support, services, and education. We may not be saving a fetus, but we could possibly be saving a child from a horrendous life.
Evidence:
The government believes they have the power to decide what is right for the individual, born and unborn. People themselves have the right to decide what they want to do with their lives. Women should also have that right when it comes to their child because it is their responsibility, which should mean that it’s their choice. Teen mom's make up a significant percentage of women who abort. “Eighteen percent of all U.S. abortions are from teenagers”, because not all teens are in a safe environment, or are not ready to give birth mentally or physically. There is also the possibility that parents won’t allow their daughter to have a kid and she could get kick out of her home. I know a person who lived in a small town, where there is not a Planned Parenthood clinic, who was pregnant at seventeen but was unable to support a child and was not in good health. The clinic we went to reminded me more of a factory's assembly line where when they call your number you go in pregnant and come out not pregnant. This is only one example--most healthy women who have the ability to take care of their child would want to keep their child. Some who do abort either don’t meet these criteria or don’t want the child because they wouldn’t enjoy raising a kid. Women who didn’t want a child at all who don’t abort and don’t give the child up for adoption, usually end up with the child having hate-filled lives. They could be blamed for mistakes because the parent(s) don’t want them, leading them to have high depression and anxiety, possible suicidal tendencies, gang activity, or drugs. Additionally, if a pregnant woman ends up being sick or the child is ill for whatever reason, it could cause an unsafe birth where both the mother and child could die, even if the child survives, the mother may not. If it ends up being that the mother survives, the devastation of losing her child would last a lifetime. (Jones, Finer,& Singh, “Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients”).
Support for my thesis below:
“Only you can decide what is best for you. But we are here to help. A staff member at your local Planned Parenthood health center can discuss abortion and all of your options with you and help you find the services you need.”
-Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc.;
“Abortion”;
plannedparenthood.org
“The new “21st Century Women’s Health Act” — sponsored by Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) — seeks to build on the recent progress under the Affordable Care Act by ensuring that all women have the maternity coverage, family planning services, and rape crisis tools they need. The legislation is endorsed by Planned Parenthood”
-Tara Culp-Ressler;
“Female Senators Introduce Pro-Choice Bill To ‘Fight Back Against Those Who Miss The Mad Men Era’”;
Thinkprogress.org; Mar. 5, 2015
“Growing up, I was surrounded by people who adored me and were there to fulfill my every wish, although I don't quite remember my mother in the whole picture. She was never there for me, not when I was going through hell in my life, fighting addiction, suicidal tendencies and mental breakdowns - she simply didn't know what to do with me.”
-Tenebra;
“I Was An Unwanted Child”;
experienceproject.com; Sep. 1, 2009
Antithesis:
The main argument that pro-lifers use is that abortion unjustly takes a life of a defenseless human being, and that, similar to one of my arguments, no one besides the child has the right to decide what happens to the child’s body. One big pro-life supporter was former Surgeon General of the U.S., Dr. C. Everett Koop. He claimed that not only had he never encountered a moment where a child had to be aborted to save a mother’s life, but also that “Abortion [killing infants before birth], infanticide [killing infants after birth], and euthanasia [killing adults] stand before us like dominoes; the first to fall has been abortion on demand.” This is him comparing murder to abortion showing that hey are at the same level of severity.
Synthesis:
Since a life is unable to be split into two, the only comprise these two greatly opposing sides can agree on is devising better ways to inform women before they make the decision to get an abortion. Both sides can agree that more awareness and education about other options should be made available, without pressure or coercion, inside and outside abortion clinics. Clinics should provide informational classes about what abortion entails to women before they decide to go through with it. People who support pro-life and pro-choice should be on the Board together in order to make official decisions on what the women would learn in the class.
This synthesis would satisfy both sides to some degree and focuses on women, who in the end are the carriers of the baby. I’d present my idea to Congress and major pro-life leaders to collaborate on improving abortion facilities, education, and to create a federal law that would help the process of making life easier and safer for everyone. Nonetheless, it is the woman’s choice to decide whether to get an abortion or not because it is up to them what happens to their own body.
Question(s) for opposition(s):
What makes the criminalization of abortion worth so much to the harm of women who would get it performed illegally?
If a child is considered a part of the woman's body, why is it that the fetus has its own genetic code and heartbeat?
Works Cited:
C. Everett Koop, M. D., as told to Dick Bohrer, in "Moody Monthly," May, 1980.
Culp-Ressler, Tara. "Female Senators Introduce Pro-Choice Bill To ‘Fight Back Against Those Who Miss The Mad Men Era’." ThinkProgress RSS. N.p., 05 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
Jones RK, Finer LB and Singh S, Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients, 2008, New York: Guttmacher Institute, 2010.
"Pro Life vs Pro-Choice Facts and Arguments." Pro Life vs Pro-Choice Arguments. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
Tenebra. ""I Was An Unwanted Child"" I Was An Unwanted Child : I Was An Unwanted Child Story & Experience. N.p., 1 Sept. 2009. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
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