IWP #2

Concerns and Questions on Adulthood

            Every day since I was a young child, I wondered how it would be like if I were an adult. Living alone, not having help from your parents- all those responsibilities. I always wanted to live away from my mom and dad, and do anything I wanted to. But come to think about it, it will be extremely hard. I think of all these quesions:

-          Will I have enough money to eat good food every day?

-          Where will I live and how will I find a place?

-          Who will I talk to when I have problems?

-          How will I organize trips?

-          How will I manage my money?

-          How will I fix broken things in the house?

-          How will I pay bills?

-          How will I manage my time?

-          Will I think about marriage?

-          How hard will it be to find a job?

-          Who will stop me from doing the wrong decisions?

All these questions make me feel one thing- as much as I want to leave my family and live in my own house, I have so much to learn still. Being able to live alone and get a job is for people who have gone through all stages of education, and there is a reason for that. So I am grateful for still living with my parents. But I also have concerns about High School. How much homework will I get each night? What happens if my grades go down? Will I get in the right college and most of all what career will I pick!?! Hopefully my middle school 8^th grade teachers have taught me well enough for the transaction, and I will find myself to be very happy in High school! 

IWP #1

Middle School Timeline

            When I started middle school, I lived in Munich Germany. The change from elementary school to middle school wasn’t drastic, since both schools were in the same building. But a big positive change was how I started making many friends not just in my class, but in the whole grade. I started becoming very independent, and was allowed to go out with my friends, something I rarely did previously. For example I really enjoyed going to the Oktoberfest, or the National Beer Festival, a place where there were many roller-coasters and fun rides. On the other hand I enjoyed staying home, doing pleasant activities such as cooking, something I did at least once a week. Another highlight in my early middle school life was skiing. The Alps were an hour away so I would frequently go there to ski. It was a lot of fun. But unfortunately, my father lived in New York while we lived in Germany for eight months, so it was very difficult.

            As 6^th grade came to an end, a huge change I had to face was the move from Munich to New York. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone, but it was great to be back in New York. What really got me excited when I first came to 51 was the outdoor lunch. As a 12 year old, to be able to go and eat at restaurants and have that much freedom was great. I really enjoyed 51- I had many great teachers and had a lot of fun. Sadly, people cannot be happy forever. In mid fall I came to the dentist’s office, and she said the monstrous words that I hoped would never have to hear- “You need braces”. Fortunately after a month I got used to them! An accomplishment I appreciated in my 7^th grade was in the middle of the year when I got into the Honors Society. My parents were proud so that was a highlight.

            The beginning of 8^th grade was very stressful. Visiting and reading about High Schools, studying for the SHSAT, learning about AP classes… But 8^th grade just flew by and fortunately towards the middle/end of the year I got accepted into Midwood, which was a huge achievement. I was so glad to know that I was going to spend the next 4 years in the school I wanted to be.              8^th grade had many ups and downs. Most of the projects, units we learned were very fun, and there were many great teachers. There also were some tough times for example with my chorus teacher and my science teacher. But overall 8^th grade went so quick and I can’t believe we only have two weeks of school left as I write this essay. An exciting thing that happened outside of school, was me joining a track team. It played a large role in my 8^th grade helping me manage time, and at the same time keep me healthy. I plan on doing track of course at Midwood. Towards the end of the year my parents unfortunately separated, and that was hard, since they were together even before I was born.

All in all Middle School was a really big part of my life, which I will never forget!

EDITED R&J FINAL ASSIGNMENT

Romeo and Juliet Final Assignment

Question 3- How does the character (Romeo) develop and change in the story? What theme or message is shown through these changes?

            Sometimes love changes us and makes us into a different person we once were. This was the case in William Shakespeare’s play- Romeo and Juliet written in the 16^th century. Romeo, one of the main characters, meets his soul mate Juliet, and instantly transforms into a new person. He was gloomy at the beginning of the book, but as he met Juliet he suddenly became elated and peaceful. When Juliet “dies” Romeo becomes angry, furious and of course sad. Romeo develops throughout the story going from heart broken and in grief, to happy and joyful, to finally devastated as he could no longer see his love until the day she “passes away”.

            Romeo started off being troubled, heartbroken and even depressed. At the time he loved Rosaline who rejected him, which left poor Romeo abandoned and unloved. Romeo would walk around the streets as hours felt long. He felt that no other girl could replace Rosaline’s beauty and he would be alone for the rest of his life. Romeo confesses to Benvolio, “A sick man in sadness makes his will- / A word ill urged to one that is so ill. / In sadness, cousin, I do love a women.” (1.1. 210-213). The text evidence shows that Romeo feels like a “sick man in sadness”. He is so depressed that he feels ill because of the woman he loves.

            After his sad period, Romeo has a sudden change of heart when he meets Juliet, the love of his life. When Romeo saw Juliet and she saw him, it was love at first sight. They were made for each other. For example, as soon as Romeo saw Juliet he professes, “If I profane with my unworthiest hand / This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: / My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand / To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.” (1.5. 93-96) This quotation expresses how Romeo came to the Capulet’s party sad, and as soon as he saw Juliet brightness just filled Romeo’s head. Romeo spontaneously forgets his sad emotions and becomes the happiest man alive. He becomes joyful and peppy as he found his soul mate and marries her. For example Romeo says, “Amen, amen. But come what sorrow can, / It cannot countervail the exchange of joy / That one short minute gives me in her sight.” (2.6. 3-5). Romeo is so deeply in love with Juliet that in one short minute he gets so much happiness and joy from just looking at her. He would do anything in the world to stay forever with Juliet.

            Finally towards the end of the play, Romeo gets banished from Verona, therefore unable to see his loved one. Already he feels troubled because of that. But on top, when Balthasar comes to Romeo and tells him Juliet is dead (Romeo was unaware that Juliet was alive but paralyzed with a potion- faking her death) Romeo become furious, angry and sad at the same time. He is devastated with the situation. The one girl that made him joyful is no longer alive. Romeo transforms into something more than sadness- revenge. For example when Romeo just finds out about Juliet’s situation, he screams at Balthasar, “Is it e’en so?- Then I defy you, stars!- / Thou knowest my lodging. Get me ink and paper, / And hire post-horses. I will hence tonight.”(5.1. 25-27). This clearly states that Romeo is mad at the world, for taking Juliet. It also shows that Romeo wants to avenge Juliet’s death, therefore leading to senseless actions like killing himself but also Paris. Because Juliet is dead, Romeo feels the need to die as consequence.

            Romeo changes extremely throughout the story. At first he is somber because Rosaline does not accept is love. Then Romeo meets Juliet and immediately becomes happy and excited with the world. Every minute he sees Juliet is the best in his life. But like they say every day has its dark, and after Romeo is banished and thinks Juliet is dead he becomes sad, angry and ferocious towards the world. Romeo should have cried out when Balthasar told him and waited a bit before doing anything irrational, but if you find a soul mate perhaps feelings get more attached. Romeo finally feels complete when he sees Juliet compared to Rosaline. But Romeo should have done a more mature decision like learn to control himself. At their young age, Romeo and Juliet should have slowed things out before rushing into marriage, but possibly early marriage was common at the time. Romeo was sad, happy, and angry but how did Romeo feel just before death?

EXTRA CREDIT POEM

EC Poem on Romeo

Oh Rosaline my dear why can’t it be?

Thou denies my love and it's so obscene

I am so sad like fish in the Dead Sea,

Forget her I must go to a party,

And get my mind off such tomfoolery.

(At Capulets Party)

Who is that beauty dancing like a queen

Eyes like the sea- purely unique

Her love is tender like the shiny moon,

I must go talk to her- step out of my cocoon

For I have been blinded from beauty before seeing this

I think I love her- I need a kiss. 

Romeo and Juliet Final Assignment 4/30/13

Romeo and Juliet Final Assignment

Question 3- How does the character (Romeo) develop and change in the story? What theme or message is shown through these changes?

            Sometimes love changes us and makes us into a different person we once were. This was the case in William Shakespeare’s play- Romeo and Juliet written in the 16^th century. Romeo, one of the main characters, meets his soul mate Juliet, and instantly transforms into a new person. He was gloomy at the beginning of the book, but as he met Juliet he suddenly became elated and peaceful. When Julia “died” Romeo becomes angry, furious and of course sad. Romeo develops throughout the story going from heart broken and in grief, to happy and joyful, to finally devastated as he could no longer see his love until the day she “passes away”.

            Romeo started off being troubled, heartbroken and even depressed. At the time he loved Rosaline who rejected him, which left poor Romeo abandoned and unloved. Romeo would wonder around the streets as hours felt long. He felt that no other girl could replace Rosaline’s beauty and he would be alone for the rest of his life. Romeo quotes- “A sick man in sadness makes his will- / A word ill urged to one that is so ill. / In sadness, cousin, [To Benvolio] I do love a women.” (Shakespeare 1.1. 210-213). The text evidence shows that Romeo feels like a “sick man in sadness”. He is so depressed that he feels ill, because of the women he loves.

            After his sad period, Romeo has a sudden change of heart when he meets Juliet, the love of his life. When Romeo saw Juliet and she saw him, it was love at first sight. They were made for each other. Romeo spontaneously forgets his sad emotions and becomes the happiest man alive. He becomes joyful and peppy as he found his soul mate and marries her. For example in Romeo and Juliet, Romeo says, “Amen, amen. But come what sorrow can, / It cannot countervail the exchange of joy / That one short minute gives me in her sight.” (Shakespeare 2.6. 3-5). Romeo is so deeply in love with Juliet that in one short minute he gets so much happiness and joy from just looking at her. The fact that he can marry and touch her makes Romeo so festive.

            Finally towards the end of the play, Romeo gets banished from Verona, therefore unable to see his love one. Already he feels troubled because of that. But on top, when Balthasar comes to Romeo and tells him Juliet is dead (Romeo was unaware that Juliet was alive but paralyzed with a potion- faking her death) Romeo become furious, angry and sad at the same time. He is devastated with the situation. The one girl that made him joyful is no longer alive. Romeo transforms into something more than sadness- revenge. For example when Romeo just finds out about Juliet’s situation, he quotes- “Is it e’en so?- Then I defy you, stars!- / Thou knowest my lodging. Get me [To Balthasar] ink and paper, / And hire post-horses. I will hence tonight.”(Shakespeare 5.1. 25-27). This clearly states that Romeo is mad at the world, for taking Juliet. It also shows that Romeo wants to hence Juliet’s death. Because Juliet is dead Romeo feels the need to die as consequence.

            Romeo changes extremely throughout the story. At first he is somber because Rosaline does not accept is love. Then Romeo meets Juliet and immediately becomes happy and excited with the world. Every minute he sees Juliet is the best in his life. But like they say every day has its dark, and after Romeo is banished and thinks Juliet is dead he becomes sad, angry and ferocious towards the world. Romeo should have cried out when Balthasar told him and waited a bit before doing anything idiotic, but if you find a soul mate perhaps feelings get more attached. But at their young age, Romeo and Juliet should have slowed things out before straight love and marriage, but maybe people did that back in the day. Romeo was sad, happy, and angry but how did Romeo feel just before death?

Introduction:

a. Romeo changes  from being sad and devastated, to happy and in love, to dead.
b.Romeo and Juliet , written by William Shakespeare, written 16th Century.
c. Romeo started of by being sad, then he met Juliet and would do anything in the world for her.

Body 1:

-The focus of this paragraph is introducing Romeo. What family, what town, the rivalry of Montegue's vs Capulets.
-"Tybalt: What art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? Turn thee, Benvolio; look upon thy death (to Benvolio)
-This shows that that both households despise each other and the rivalry has been on for a while.


Body 2:
- This paragraph is to show how Romeo becomes deeply in love with Juliet and will do anything for her
-"Heres to my love. O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die."
-This show that Romeo was so in love he would die for Juliet.


Body 3:
- This paragraph is to show when Romeo was banished, how he acted.
-In this part I will write how Romeo cries to Friar Lawrence about his banishment.

Conclusion:
1. If I met a girl, and was deeply in love with her I wouldn't love her that much to die for her. Romeo and Juliet were special. Romeo and Juliet both were each others soul mates, and were in similar situations which made them perfect.
2.The reader should see how Romeo developed from a little innocent bow that's sad, to and Romantic and love-to-death boy, to then  a devastated man who is banished and can't see the girl he loves. 

4/18 POST

     With the playoffs right around the corner, every NBA fan is exited to watch the championship games and hope the best for their favorite team. There have been countless arguments on which teams will go to the finals, and more than 50% of NBA fans seem to think the Miami Heat will come up on top (according to the ESPN survey). I decided to write an essay about the Miami Heat, and if they will be able to get another championship under their name.

     The Miami Heat are the defending playoff champions. They won the 2011/12 playoffs against OKC. Miami has the best current record in the League with 65 wins and only 16 losses. Miami have the 3 time MVP freak of nature- LeBron James. James is 29 years old and is considered to be one of the best all-around player to ever play the game. But LeBron is just one feature of the great Miami Heat. Alongside him is D.Wade, one of the best shooting guards in the league, and Chris Bosh, one of the best centers in the NBA. Together James, Wade and Bosh form the big 3 and are considered to be in the top 10 "big 3s" of ALL TIME. But its not just the "Big 3" that get this team to win- its every player on that team. The team as a whole averages almost 50% FG! That's better than any other team! Everyone in Miami including centers can shoot well all around the court and that makes the Heat extremely hard to defend. And that is one of the reasons why NBA fans think that the heat will automatically go on a trip to the playoff finals- think again.

     The New York Knicks out of their 4 match ups against the Heat, have won 3 times and only lost once. The Knicks are currently seeded 2nd in the playoffs and have a high chance of meeting the Heat in the eastern conference finals. The Knicks have Carmelo Anthony, the 2012/13 scoring champion who has really played a major role in all the wins. If the Heat and Knicks meet in the conference finals, will Miami have what it takes to beat "Melo"  and the New York Knicks?
Another team the Heat have to be aware of is the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers have won 2 out of the 3 games played against Miami. The Pacer's defensive effort and 3 point shooting played a major role in the win. The Heat were unable to attack and get good looks. If the Pacers beat the Knicks in the semi finals, they will go against the Heat and Miami will have to be extremely careful.

     In conclusion, LeBron and the Heat can easily beat any team in the east apart from New York and Indiana. If Miami wants to have a shot at gaining another title, they have to beat those to team and only then will they have a shot.

RR 3.21.13

Michael Jordan vs LeBron James- http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1530945-the-great-debate-michael-jordan-vs-lebron-james


Ever since "King" James has won his first championship, people have started to argue who is better. The legendary "Air" Jordan or The chosen one. Michael Jordan has won 5 MVPs and has 6 rings. LeBron has 3 MVPs but 1 ring only [so far]. But James has not yet finished his career. On bleachreport.com Jake Westrich gives us details on the career of both stars.

Michael Jordan is considered one of the best players to play the game because he was a winner. Jordan was the man taking those 4th quarter pressure buzzer beaters. Jordan did things nobody could ever imagine him doing. He could change his shot in mid air, but then change it again. He could dunk on anyone that stood in his way. But most of all he had the spirit to get his team to win. With the bulls Michael managed to win 6 championships! Jordan would destroy any team that came in his way.

James on the other hand is a great overall player. He can dribble, shoot pretty well and is one of the most athletic players in the nba. He has statistically one of the best stats ever in basketball history. But LeBron lacks that winning mind that Jordan had. LeBron in his 10th season in the nba and has only 1 ring on this finger. If James would even to be compared to Michael were if he had at least 4 rings or 5 MVPs. LeBron is a great player, but not the greatEST.

In conclusion, Michael Jordan has had an incredible career that suppresses James's so far, but who knows maybe in a few years James will have more rings and awards.

Thursdays post 7th

How do you think Darren shawn feels about leaving his family and never seeing them again?

Darren has made the a big decision in life and has decided to become a vampire assistant to save his friend Steve from dying. To do this he cannot live a normal life . He cannot be with his friends and family because when you are a vampire you need blood to survive, and that can be extremely dangerous. So Darren decided to leave his family forever. I can't even imagine leaving my family. Even for like a couple of months. I need my family to feed and take care of me. For Darren on top of leaving his family he had to fake his death and watch his family in deep pain as they see there son or relative due. That must be really hard to watch. Seeing your family get hurt so much. But he loves them so much he leaves them for protection. He knows that they would get hurt if he were to stay.

NonFiction RR 2/28

Lebron james vs Kobe Bryant- who is better and will have a better career?

Espn.com Link:http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-130117/nba-kobe-bryant-vs-lebron-james

Kobe Bryant, the big time LA player. He has won 5 championships and holds 1 MVP award. He lead the league in scoring for 5 years and still today in the top 5. Kobe is one of the best shooters in the history of the NBA.
On the other hand "King" Lebron James is "the chosen one". He has won 3 straight MVP awards and 1 championship in 2012 season.
Will Lebron James finish with a better career than Kobe?

The article on ESPN really shows that looking at Lebron and Kobe's overall career, Kobe is superior. He has won 4 more championships than James. He has been starting in the all star game for 14 straight years. Kobe has just dominated with his team and proved he is an all time hall of famer that can get him team to earn Ws and win championships. " Kobe Bryant. He's got five now, four more than LeBron. That's an awful lot of ground to cover. Even if LeBron finishes one or two short, there's no shame in that. I've always felt LeBron has to win at least two titles to truly validate his legendary status." says Wallace in the ESPN Kobe VS Lebron article. This shows that Lebron may win one or two more championships, but he will most likely not win as many as Kobe.

But on the other hand, Lebron James has won 3 straight MVP awards and might win his 4th! No one since Bob Petite back in the 60s has ever had that! He almost averages a triple double and is extremely unselfish- always tries to give opportunities to his teammates. In 2012 Lebron and his team won the NBA playoffs against OKC. But Kevin Durant this season is playing extremely well and will Lebron get to put another ring on his finger?

In conclusion i think that this season Lebron is playing better with his team than Kobe, but Kobe will have a better career than Lebron. Lebron will be a hall of famer, but Kobe will be a Legend. Unless Lebron get 5 or more championships.

READING RESPONSE 2/13/13

Reading response on Cirque Du Freak


How do you think Darren changed as a person from before he saw Cirque Du Freak, and after?

Darren before he experienced the show, always liked looking at horror stories. He liked watching those types of scary movies. But he never thought that monsters, vampires and all of that nonsense was actually real. He was with his friend Steven, and the minute they walked in, it was already a shocking experience. Darren was a confident boy. He didn't have any mental problems, and he was pretty healthy. But after seeing werewolfs  biting peoples hands off and monsters that killed animals and stuff, Darren was shocked. He would probably be frightened, and paranoid all his life. But on top of all those horrible things, Darren's friends Steven asked to be a vampire! He wanted to be a vampire and get his blood sucked! Darren could never live a normal life again after seeing all that, especially at a young age.

RR 31st Jan

Underage Drinking- Pros and Cons

The United States of America is one of the few countries where alcohol is illegal until 21, and people argue weather it should be lowered to 18 like many European countries, or should stay at 21. But people arguing both want to achieve the same goal; children have to be healthy, drink responsibly and be educated of the matter. Kids who don't know their limits can drink so much they get alcohol poisoned! 

     Dr.David Hanson believes that the legal age for drinking should be pushed even higher than it is now! He says that fewer adults drink in this century, but when they do they tend to drink a lot more. Researchers suggest that drinking should be kept at 21 because the brain doesn't finish maturing before 25, but then should the legal drinking age not also be pushed in that case? 

      But if you can join the army, and you can vote, then why cant you have a beer? European countries such as France, Spain, Portugal and Italy all have the drinking age at 18, and "there is no evidence that it harms them intellectually or behaviorally" (Ogilvie, 2). The problem is not the age it becomes legal, it's that people are uneducated about how alcohol harms the body.

     James Fell seems to think that 21 is a reasonable age for legalizing alcohol. Drinking in 10th and 12th grade has gone down ever since the drinking age was raised to 21. "There's no reason to fix what isn't broken" (Ogilvie, 2). The drinking age at 21 saves lives period.

After reading the article, I wondered what my opinion on the subject was. I was really intrigued when the author writes about how the drinking age should be kept to 21. The writer had evidence to back up her statements, and really persuaded me. For example "In the 1970s, a number of states lowered the drinking age from 21 to 18, we saw an increase in alcohol consumption by youth. When it was raised back to 21 in 1984, we saw lower consumption of alcohol, and we've kept those low rates." (Ogilvie, 2) 

But the author shows bias when talking about the legal age lowering again to 18. She states that if you pretty much become an adult at 18, you should be able to grab a beer.

After reading this article, my opinion is that kids these days don't know enough about drinking and what it does to your body. I think neither 18 nor 21 is a good age for drinking if you know not enough about alcohol poisoning. Knowledge can help the rates of youths drinking, not a legal age. 

RR 1/17

     Reading Response on: Will Grayson.

Will Grayson has pretty much one friend. He was in a group of friends previously but he "quit" and "joined" the only person that would hang with him- Tiny. Tiny was tall and and pretty cool. The only problem with him was that he didn't care what anyone thought of him- AT ALL! He would sing his heart out in a really high pitch... IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HALL!!! And in class he would shout out and express his love for one of his many boyfriends.Everyone could hear and they all laughed. Then after class all the students would come up to me and be like- so hows your gay lover going or other stuff. Will would just ignore, because he was my only friend.
For me just starting to read the few pages of the book really made me think of what was going to happen in the book! So the conflict was either stick with the only person that will ever hang out and do things with you or just get humiliated and embarrassed in public constantly! For me I would actually be better than the main character for the first time! I would go and defend my best friend, but Will seems to have a lot of issues going on. It wouldn't surprise me if further in the story their friendship gets rough...

The Lorax

How does this text make you think about justice in the world?

     After Reading the Lorax by Dr Seuss, I was kind of confused. The Once-ler had come to this land for a small business, and after time he had completely ruined the environment. The once-ler came to a beautiful land were everybody was happy, and when he left, there was not one truffula tree left standing. He had taken them all, and destroyed them for the material. All the animals left that were all once happy. The air was filled with gas.

After Reading that I immediately thought to my self- this is horrible. Everyone was living happy before he came, and killed the land. When everyone was gone, The Once-ler was the only one left, in the miserable land that had been destroyed.

This reminded me of the outside world. How people come to amazing lands like rainforests and destroy the forest just to make buildings/businesses. What about the people who lived in that forest? Or the animals that lived there happily. And the smell of the freshest air for the land was filled with trees.

People destroy millions of homes, and do it greedily for themselves.

Ned Vizzini Beginning of book response

Are there groups you belong to in this text? What do they look like here? If your own groups are missing, what would they say if they were in the book?

            I just started reading the auto biography by Ned Vizzini, and at one point in the story, he writes about all the different groups there are at his school. For example, there are the geeks, the drug addicts, the preppies and all sorts of funny groups. I think then one group that I belong to in his classification would be preppie. Ned Vizzini says that preppies wore okay clothes, didn't smell bad, all recognized each other from the first day of school and always seemed to be doing something. I admit, when I came to this school from Europe, I didn't recognize anyone at all for obvious reasons. But every time I join a club, or go to a camp, there are always a bunch of people I know, and we just hang out. We are always playing basketball or chatting-we always have something to do. But in the book, preppies seem kind of anti-social with people they don’t know. They also seem really posh, not really my style.                                                                                                             

If preppies weren't included in the book, I definitely think it wouldn't really change anything because the characteristics they have are definitely included in other types of groups.  For example, geeks always hang together and never socialize with other people like the preppies.

            

social awareness

Emile Beniflah 811 11/26/12

Social Awareness Writing Project

Part 5- Write an original literature piece responding to social problem

People die, all the time

Work to stay alive-

What a crime.

People get sick, trying to put up with it

They all work and cry, until they die

If they could get the medicine and pills, they need

Then they wouldn’t be left alone, to bleed

Why in the world can people not have it

Healthcare is something everybody needs,

The medicine is what can answer your plea

So why can people not get it for free-

That is my question

Response to Song

                    I started off by thinking- what is a problem in this country that affects thousands of people, and that our government (at the moment) is treating poorly. As I was brainstorming, it came to me immediately: health. Healthcare is incredibly expensive and so many people cannot afford to buy the medicines they need to keep themselves healthy. It is unfair. I did some research and found that (estimated by Harvard) 45,000 people die without health care insurance. That immediately gave me the urge to write that in the first lines of my song, so the reader wants to learn more, because he/she is shocked. And then I tried to come up with words like bloody to make my song seem more dramatic. The end is supposed to make the reader understand that these people want and need healthcare, but they cannot get it, just because they do not have the money.

Social awareness

Emile Beniflah 811 11/26/12

Social Awareness Writing Project

Part 3- Find a true story about someone who changes the world every day

Interview with Ms. Demeo

Do you personally think you change the world by teaching?

            “I think that I do in a small way, but honestly if you have ever lived on this planet, you have changed the world. Everyone changes the world in one way”

Why did you choose to teach? Was it something you wanted to do young?         

            “Ever since I was small, it is something I wanted to do. It started at my High School where one of my teachers changed my life, and ever since I really enjoyed teaching”

Do you ever hate your job, and just want to stay home?

            “I think that hate is a very strong word. If you hate something, you should move on. No one should ever feel stuck. If I hated my job, I wouldn’t still be here. Sure it is very tough to deal with children and teachers sometimes, but I don’t hate my job”

If you got 1 million dollars, would you quit your job?

            “At this point in my career, I probably would, because I’m already thinking about retirement, but if it was when I was younger, I think I would have still worked”

Are things in your life that you saw wrong, and that you tried to fix?                   “I think that foreign language is not treated seriously at all in this country, and I try to get students to be interested in this subject”

Response

Ms. Demeo is an admirable person because she dedicated her whole life to teach students, even through hard times. She took foreign languages, a weakness the United States has, which she felt was important, and spent her career trying to fix that problem.

Social Awareness project 1

Emile Beniflah 811 11/26/12

Social Awareness Writing Project

Part 2- Observe your surroundings

List-

·         Having to wake up early every morning, feeling dull and not always focused or alert in my morning classes. Performance decreases in morning especially when taking tests.

·         Public schools have a tiny budget which results in having barely any decent material! I know we’re in debt, but come on!

·         My cleaning lady pays more taxes than my family.

·         Because healthcare is so expensive, millions of people are left without it, and when they get sick they can’t do anything about it. This should be changed.

·         People are left uneducated therefore not able to get decent jobs leaving them poor. Everyone needs education- a chance.

Having to wake up in the morning might seem like a tiny problem in life, but for us teenagers, it could alter our future in a dramatic way! We are in an extremely important stage in our lives, and sleep could be the reason we go to a good High School or College!

Scientific evidence supports that the average teenager needs 8 ½ -9 ¼ hours of sleep a day, and studies show that teenagers tend to go to bed later, therefore waking up later. They can go to bed as late as they want, but they can’t wake up whenever they want! A survey from CBS News asked children from 12-15 years old how many hours of sleep they got, and the results were stunning! The average student got about 6-7 hours of sleep a night (not really shocking to me though…). That means that we (teenagers) lose about 2 hours of sleep a night!!! This has a huge impact in our daily performance in school, especially the morning classes. As we get less sleep, we “zone out” more in class and fall asleep. 6 or 7 hours of sleep might not seem like a big deal, but we could end up with sleep deficit, and that could harm us.

 So why are most schools starting as early as 7:30 -8:30, forcing us students to wake up at about 6 or 7 am? In order to meet the healthy sleep hours, we should then go to bed at about 9, which cannot happen to most teens because their brain hormone melatonin is produced later at night than adults and kids. Why not start school for example at 9:30? This could help students to concentrate throughout the day, but still leave room for extracurricular activities and family time.

After Reading Mause, a graphic novel written by Art Spiegelman the feeling that anyone should feel, is shock, but also terror. Many people are very uneducated about WW2 and what actually happened, but after reading this novel, you can really feel what a Jew at that time period would. A Nazi giving small Jewish children a bomb to play with, and all the children dying, is one example of the shocking things in this book the writer expresses.

Vladek, the main character, tries to hide himeself with his family, from under a garbage disposal, to behind the walls of an attic. These so called bunkers, where Jews would hide in the war, could be as small as a school bathroom, for as many as three families! At one point in the novel, Vladeks former best friend sells him out and tells the Germans where he hid, just for three loaves of bread and a piece of cake. But as Art Spiegelman says in the novel- "it didn't matter if you were best friends with the wealthiest man in poland- when the Germans caught you, and send you to a concentration camp, you were on your own..."

Jews had to find ways to find these bunkers, because many poles would tell Germans if Jews tried to hide near their houses. People did not think of jews as fellow humans, they thought of Jews as animals or filthy creatures. Hitler quoted- "The Jews are undoubtedly a race, but they are not human" .  People would think that Jews would come and haunt them or kill them at night, and people started writing stories about them!!! It was terrifying.

Hurricane Sandy

     Everyone in New York City knows that hurricane sandy was a terrific storm that destroyed thousands of house,(which made thousands of people homeless...) and flooded almost all of lower Manhattan, which lead to lack of power. The city was destroyed, and that cost millions of dollars! Hurricane Sandy is one of the most major storms we have had in a long time. But the question that lots of New Yorkers wrangle about is- could this storm have been more prepared?

     One major problem New York City, Long Island along with New Jersey and many more places faced, is the flooding. The flooding was the major issue that destroyed houses, and made thousands of people homeless. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said that the state should consider levee systems (a natural embankment beside water, often use to prevent water from passing the embankment in case of flooding...) and face up to inadequacy of existing protections. He also quotes- "The construction of this city did not anticipate these kind of situations. We are only a few feet above sea level". Because of climate change and global warming, scientists predict that storms like Sandy will come up to 3 times a year, and we need to be prepared. What happened with Sandy can't happen twice. This must be taken extremely seriously.

     But a problem of course in every situation that has ever happened, is the money of course. For Park Slopers and many other neighbourhoods that lay in the high parts of New York City, Sandy was a small problem. But it destroyed many families lives, and to give you an idea of the damage, the rebuilding could cost up to $10 000,000,000!!! This is how much the storm has affected the East Coast! And thus marks the arguement that people dont want to spend EVEN MORE than those 10 billion dollars they already have to pay off!!!


    Never the less, after this harsh experience, at least we have learned that another storm is going to come, and we have to be ready, cause the storm always is.