Reflection

Before I first came to High School I always thought that high school was so easy, fun, and relaxing until I came to Parkway West High School. Coming to parkway west changed me it helped me realize that high school is not somewhere where you come to relax and have all fun and no work. High school is the beginning to harder studies to achieve the goal that we make to become someone in life. Watching some of the seniors and how they had to hurry and try to get everything done, pass all classes, and getting research papers done were one of the reasons I stopped and really thought about the point of being in high school, which is to work harder to get where you want to go. Another reason why I realize that high school is not a playground is because of some of the teachers here at Parkway West High School who help me realize that high school is hard but after it will get even harder but all I have to do is try my best and I will succeed into the best. Now I can say that I know the real purpose of being in high school. And because of that lesson I push myself very hard even when I don’t want to do my work or homework. This change that I have experienced is a good change because if I didn’t change I would be relaxing around and not really concentrating on my work and fail all my classes, and would never be able to graduate. But because I have changed in to someone better I am now able to concentrate on my work and work harder to be the best that I can be in the future.

Peek-a-boo Gone Wrong

              Today I read an article called "Child in Washing Machine." This article talked about a father, his girlfriend, and their son at the launder mat. One May 11, 2012 in Camden, N.J a toddler 13 month old was placed in the washing machine by his father with the girlfriend standing by. According to investigators the father was playing peek-a-boo with his son but he didn't know that someone left money in the machine. The door then automatically closed, and the machine began to spin with water fulling up. They both tried to open the door but it wouldn't so the father run to get help. The launder mat employee Kong Ing came to help and cut off the power to unlock the door and take the child out. Happily the child was still alive.
        I believe that this accident was very irresponsible of the father to pay with his child in a washer. I believe that because it could have being worse than that. The child could have died and leave the mother and the other families in pain of their lost.

Love Is Stronger Than Death

         Opal Ruth Prater was a happy married woman and loved her husband so much. Opal and her husband Dusty spent most of their times together farming. Sadly Dusty died from a heart condition at the age of 41. Opal was now so lonely. Days after days she would go to the back of the yard and bury her face into his shirt and cry. Opal said that "my 4 children is the only reason I grew the strength to go on." Opal believed that as long as she is alive her husband's memory will always live in her, no matter if he's not there anymore to laugh with her, read to her while cooking supper, or even to rub her back on till she fell asleep at night, she will never forget him. Opal believes that love is stronger than death.
         I agree with Opal that love is stronger than death because no matter how bad that person died you will always have that one special place in your heart just right for them. That love lives in the children, the grandchildren, the uncles the aunts and a lot more people who will always and still remember him/her no matter what might come in the way. For example when my close cousin died I was very devastated, I cried for days but love is what helped me made it through because I realized that he had a special place in my heart that I would never forget.
     

Diverse Casts

       On April 25, 2012 a article called Broadcasting a World of Whiteness by Jon Caramanica was published. This article talked about a TV- show on HBO called Girls, and how people have a problem with diverse cast. Girls is a show with only white characters which have seen to be a situation to some people. In the article the author said that Girls is not alone in its whiteness other movies such as "Two and a Half Men"or "How I Met Your Mother."
     I believe that no matter the amount of people that have problems with diverse cast member they should put shows on the television that will get the most viewers. The reason why i believe this is because the amount of viewers on the show is what will really help this show to progress to the next level. Many shows on network television do not have a lot of diverse cast because there is not a lot of African American who takes up acting as a career. And there is not a lot of African American in the United States, there are about 15% of African American in the United States.
  

New Fashion

           Today I read an article called, "New Fashion Wrinkle: Stylishly Hiding the Gun, by Matt Richtel. I this article it talked about a clothing company called Woolrich which designs new clothing that have place holders for handguns and other small weapons like knifes an a flashlight, which cost at least 65 dollars. It also said that this fall a vest with a stealth compartment in front that appears to warm your hands while actually gripping a pistol in a waistband holster.
         This idea of making clothing that have a place holder for weapons is very stupid and crazy even though they are making a lot of money from them. This trend in fashion will continue with creating clothes for weapons. American should not be allowed to carry guns because it would cause a lot more violence. For example if a person is confronted, there going to think it's okay to react and pull a gun at them. Another reason why I think that Americans should not have handguns is because carrying around a handgun can be very dangerous to any kids who might be living with them.

Health Fair

             On the 12th of April Parkway West High School had an health day. On this health day two senior girls came to our class and presented a PowerPoint for their senior project. The seniors names are Sierra Blagmon and Shayira Farmer. The two seniors both presented their PowerPoint on the cons of abortion. The girls both shared information about abortion. For example 1.2 million babies are killed a year from abortion, and that 2000 is when it was the highest point of abortion. Also everyday, over 3,300 babies die from abortion in the US, that's 137 per hour. Every 23 seconds a baby is killed by abortion in the US. In Shayira's PowerPoint she talked about how she went to the Youth Empowerment Program which is a good program fro teenagers she said.
           I believe that abortion is evil because u are killing a human for no reason which is very wrong. I also believe that abortion can be very harmful to individual as well emotional and physical, because that person might regret doing something like that that will bother them for a long while.

100 Tornadoes

         Today I read an article called "100 Tornadoes in 24 Hours, but Plenty of Notice"by Manny Fernandez. Based on the article it said that more than 100 tornadoes in 24 hours over a stretch of the Plains states tossed vehicles and ripped through homes. It also said that it drove families to their basements and whipped debris across small towns throughout the Midwest. A few people were killed and injured. There was 29 injured people including children and five deaths. Sam Brownback Governer of Kansas said that after giving out warning for almost two days some people actually took the warnings very seriously and found somewhere to go or went in an low level of their homes.
      I believe that this was a very tragic situation and I am very sorry for the lives that were lost over this accident. But I think that if every one took the warning extremely important there might have bin less people dead and more people alive right now.

5 Arrested for Forcing High School Girls To Be Prostitutes

          Today I read an article called "5 Arrested, Accused of Forcing High School Girls To be Prostitutes" at CNN News. In this article it said that in Northern Virginia On Thursday police arrested a violent gang's ringleader and four others on charges of forcing high school girls to be prostitutes. The ringleader was identified in court documents as Justin Strom, 26, of Lorton, Virginia a suburb of Washington. It also said that Strom and his associates recruited high schools girls to work for them as prostitutes and vowed violence if they tried to leave. After investigating authorities identified that at least 10 high school girls between 16 and 18 year old were recruited.

       I think that these guys need to stay in jail for a long time because what they are doing is not a good thing and they are hurting these young teenage girls by doing this to them. The other reason why I think they should stay in jail is because if they were set free they would go back and do the same thing over again and instead of recruiting 10 they would have a lot more high schools girls. And staying in jail can also help them realize what they had done wrong and change.

Women Under 30 Having Children Outside Marriage

          Today i read an article called "For Women Under 30, Most Births Occur Outside Marriage." The main idea of this article is that the average of women under 30 are having children outside marriage. In the article it said "more than half of births to American women under 30 occur outside marriage. It also said "researchers found out that children born outside of marriage face elevated risks of falling into poverty, falling in school or suffering emotional andy most r behavioral problems." According to the article now figure is that 41 percent- and 53 percent for children born to women under 30, says the Child tends, which analyzed 2009 data from National Center for Health Statistics.

        I believe that the reason why most woman under 30 are having children outside marriage is because some of them are not ready to commit to a real and long-lasting relationship yet. I also believe that many men are not ready to propose to any one yet. I think that having a child before getting married is not a problem because women can take care of their kids along without their father's help.

Preschoolers with Mouthful of Cavities

          Today I read an article called "Preschoolers in Surgery for a Mouthful of Cavities" by Catherine Saint Lou. In this article she started by telling us a story about Devon Koester a 2 1/2 year old boy, getting anesthesia at Seattle Children’s Hospital for Surgery because 11 of his 20 baby teeth had cavities. The main idea of this article is that a lot of Preschoolers are having a lot of cavities because parents usually don't enforce brushing their kids’ teeth, which is not a good thing to do. Catherine Saint Lou said that "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted an increase, the first in 40 years, in the number of preschoolers with cavities in a study five years ago." She also said that, “Dentists nationwide say they are seeing more preschoolers at all income levels with 6 to 10 cavities or more.”

        I believe that brushing Preschoolers teeth is just as important as brushing our own teeth, because Devon’s mother, Melody Koester said “I had a lot on my mind, and brushing his teeth was an extra thing I didn’t think about at night.” This is why I also believe that parents should also enforce that their children brush their teeth because it is a very serious situation.

Facebook Is Using You

        The week I read an article called "Facebook Is Using You" written by Lori Andrews. The main point of Lori Andrew's article is to tell us that for websites like Facebook, Google, Gmail etc. can take our information and use it against us in the future like for people battling for child custody or defending themselves in criminal cases."In the article is said, "The amount of online information Facebook has available about each of us for targeted marketing is stunning." It also goes on to say that, "Hundreds of other companies have also used people's online data by depositing software called"cookies" or other tracking mechanisms on people's computers and in their browsers.

        After reading this article I worry about what it might do to us in the future because it can affect what will happen. For example in the future we might want to apply for a job and those messages might be used against us. I am also concerned about the personal things i might want to write online because it will affect me badly in the future.

Marines Killed In Crash

         Today I read an article called "Midair helicopter collision kills 7 Marines" by Barbara Starr an CNN Pentagon Correspondent. This article was about Seven U.S. Marines who were killed in the midair collision of two U.S. military helicopters along the Arizona-California border. The crash occurred during routine training operations Wednesday night around 10:30 p.m. According to the article the Marines on board were preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. Six of the Marines that died in the crash were based at Camp Pendleton, California, and the other one was from Yuma, Arizona. The article also mention that Gunnery Sgt. Dustin Dunk, a spokesperson for Air Station Yuma, said that two other helicopters were in the immediate area of the collision, so the authorities were investigating but they still have not figured out what happened.

        I think that this accident is very sad. I also think that we shouldn't take our men and women in uniform granted, not only abroad, but on our own soil. They sacrifice and service to the United States of America. It also reminds me that, whether in combat or training, no military mission is ever routine. We must always remember them for the great work they have done and are still doing.

I'm a criminal and so are you

            In today's class i read an article called "I'm a Criminal and so are you," by Michelle Alexander a law professor and once clerked for a U.S Supreme Court Justice. In the article Michelle was talking about how we unfairly take away criminals citizenship because they have committed a crime. She also mentioned that every one has committed a crime and it is not fair. In the article she said, "If everyone were forced to acknowledge their own criminality, maybe we, as a nation, would second-guess our apparent zeal for denying full citizenship to those branded felons."

           I think that Michelle Alexander is right. i agree with the fact that if someone has committed a crime they should not lose their citizenship. The reason why i think that is because it is not fair for someone who have did their time in jail and have changed should lose their citizenship.

Photoshopped Or Not

           In this article it talks about how photographers change the way celebrities and models in fashion, advertisement, and magazines look to make them look thinner, color brighting, stray hair put in place, a pimple healed and a lot more changes than when they first took the picture. According to the article Dr. Farid and Eric Kee, PhD students in computer science at Dartmouth, are proposing a software tool for measuring how much fashion and beauty photos have been altered, from a scale of 1-to-5 that distinguishes the very little from the fantastic. People in the article disagree with the fact that photographers are really editing the way celebrities look. For example Ms. Seymour said, "Readers aren't fooled if you really sculpt the images," she also added, "If you give someone a face-lift you're a fool."

          I think that this is a very interesting article but i do not agree with photographers editing celebrities photos to make them look different. The reason why i do not like it is because that does not really show the person for who they really are.

Apple

I read an article in The New York Times by Charles Duhigg and David Barboza. This article is taking about how iphones, iPads, and other devices that are builded by Apple is often labor in harsh conditions. It also said that the Apple companies work environment are serious, sometimes deadly and has safety problems. For example the article started out with a story of Lai Xiaodong who got scrubbed by heat and violence untill a mat of red and black had replaced his mouth and nose because a fire had started (coming from inside where the products were) at the apple factory that he was working. Lai Xiaodong was lucky but two other workers were immediately die, and dozen other hurt. The article also said that apple is not the only company that has a troubling supply system there are others like Dell, Hewlett-Packard, I.B.M,and a lot more.

I think that this article is very interesting because it talks about the disadvantage of having a apple ipad, ipone and other devices from apple. I also think that this article is a good article for me and other people who will buy devices from apple, and other companies.

Michael Jackson's Ceremony

Michael Jackson’s musical legacy was remembered at the first annual “Michael Jackson Immortalized Day.”  Jackson’s children attended the star-studded event at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. The King of Pop’s three children pressed his famous moonwalk shoes, sequined glove, and their hands into the cement of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Paris Michael’s daughter used the sequined glove from her dad to put into the cement. And the brothers used the shoes to make the foot imprints for the Hollywood Star. There was also an unveiling of a recently discovered cement block with Michael's hand and footprint complete with autograph. This cement memorial will keep the memory of Michael Jackson and his children alive forever. I think that ceremony for Michael Jackson is very important and special because Michael Jackson is the king of pop, and he was very loving, caring, and kind to his children and to his fans. And by doing this ceremony I think that he will always be remembered to everyone in the world.

Joe Paterno

Joe Paterno was an American college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years, from 1966 through 2011. Joe Paterno died Sunday of lung cancer. He was 85 years old. The last few months, a child sex abuse scandal involving a former assistant coach overshadowed his legacy. On Sunday night, thousands of people, nearly all of them students, gathered outside Penn State's administration building in a solemn candlelight vigil. To the students on campus and football members Joe Paterno was a great person and a great coach. For example Mckenzie Wilson one of Joe’s football players said “I think, because we lost not only the best football coach, but he basically built this college. So it's tough.”

Based on what people said about Joe Paterno I think he was a very hard working person and someone who loved his players and his job. I also think that Joe Paterno’s death was very sad, and that he was very dedicated to his work and because of him getting fired he took to heart and died. But because of his love and care Joe Paterno will be remembered as one of the best college football coach for the Nittany Lions at Penn State University.

Cracking Teenagers' Online Codes

In the article named "Cracking Teenagers Online Codes by Pamela Paul it talks about a women by the name of Danah Boyd who research on teenagers. She talks about how parents and more strict and discipline on teenagers than back in the days. She also mentioned that teenagers need to be able to explore the Internet more, because by doing that they are able to talk to an adult or a counselor. According to the article a teenager girl who has been sexually molested by her uncle has nobody she can talk to in her hometown might benefit greatly from communicating with a counselor online.

I think that this article is a very good article because she helps parents to understand that teenagers need to explore the Internet more and they need to be less strict on us. I also think that this article help parents think about the type of world it was before and the type of world it is now, to determine weather are not it has become better or worse. 

Break Ups

The main idea of this article is talking about unhealthy and healthy relationship break up. This article is called Teaching Kids How to Break Up Nicely, by Benoit Denizet-Lewis.

In this article they talked about how people use Facebook and change the status to break up with their partners. For example a 15 year old girl fearned that her girlfriend of two years had dumped her only when she changed her relationship status to single.

I think that breaking up with someone on facebook is very disrespectful and rude. The reason why i think that is because it is not right for some to break up with someone on facebook. Breaking up with someone on facebook is for people who are scared and don't respect their partners or them self.

Osama bin Laden

One of the biggest stories of 2011 is the Death of Osama Bin Laden. Osama Bin Laden was one of the world’s most-wanted terrorists for nearly a decade, ever since a team of his al-Qaida followers carried out the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Bin Laden was shot dead by one of the raiders, and within hours his body was buried at sea.

Osama Bin Laden was long believed to be hiding in caves, bin Laden was tracked down to his hideout not far from a Pakistani military academy.

According to the cbs news President Obama said, "Justice has been done,” in a dramatic announcement at the White House.

I believe that Osama Bin Laden deserve his death because he was one of the most devastating criminal on American soil in modern times and the most hunted man in the world. Another reason why I think he deserved his death is because was running for years and hindered in any meaningful leadership role.