Should Rainbows Have The Right?

One of the biggest issues of the world; should gays be allowed to marry? Is it right? Or is it wrong to society to go against nature?

Some states in the United States have passed laws saying same sexes can marry or cannot marry. In the US, fourteen states allow marriages of the same sex, and I support that 100%. Michigan though, is not on the list. The reason why I am not sure but we should pass the law. A recent incident brought this to my attention; In Cape Town, South Africa two men were arrested for trying to put on a gay wedding ceremony and were arrested on the spot. They have received fourteen years in jail for trying to make an official day of when two humans decided to spend the rest of their lives with each other. I don’t think that’s right at all, people should have the freedom to be with whoever they want whether or not they are male or female with the same partners. This article from newser has terrible statements; “After telling the men that he wished to protect the public from ‘people like you,’ the judge gave the maximum sentence possible for unnatural acts and gross indecency.” The judge does not have the right to talk to the men like that, whether it’s a law or not there is such thing as common courtesy to others. If I was there to witness, my statement would be, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all.”

The olden days

We all remember growing up with those cartoons on Nickelodeon and all of those old shows we used to love, but they don’t play any more sadly. Everyday coming home from elementary school, I would turn it on to watch with my little sister, and the shows that would come on were things like, Hey Arnold!, The Wild Thornberrys, The Rugrats, Catdog, PowerPuff Girls, Pinky and the Brain, ect., I could go on for a while but the point is, we all loved these shows and we have no idea why they stopped playing.

Some shows get cancelled because no one watches them anymore and their ratings suck, but these shows everyone loved! They had no reason to stop playing them, because they were the reason I wouldn’t go outside and play. Honestly they are probably the blame for child obesity now a days. Not in an offensive way but it’s probably true. Anyway back to my point. These shows always were a hit and were around for so long that it’s a tragedy that they stopped, who cares if other shows came along? They are never as good as the old ones. Like Fan Boy and Chum Chum? That show is so annoying and stupid. So is Flapjack, it’s about a boy and some….thing…that lives in a talking whale. How much more stupid can you get?

Now don’t get me wrong some shows are pretty good, like iCarly, and the classic SpongeBob. They are good and focus to more than just the young and immature ages. ICarly is really funny and a lot of people that I know love that show, and were in high school! What does that tell you? That they are smart people that use humor in a sense that all ages can understand and it doesn’t make jokes that the young could not understand. So therefore the show is good.

My ending point is that I think that Nickelodeon should have one reunion year where they have to play all the old shows again so the kids born within the years 1990-2000 could enjoy for a little while. Most of the people I have asked about it agree with me and they think that it would be a great idea for just a year. Maybe if we write a letter with this idea in it and explain to them what we want and hopefully they would consider it!

South Africa

South Africa agrees with what America is doing and fully agrees with them sending soldiers in. I am allies with America but we also care about everyone elses safty and we don't want the Taliban going around with Pakistans nuclear weapons risking peoples lives. No matter if they say they have everything under watch and control, people who want to be bad things always, always, always find ways to get what they want. They could get a hold of the weapons if they try hard enough, and that is NOT what any country wants to happen. So America sending in troops to watch over everything is a very good idea.

Simun!

Simun was an amazing experience, like nothing I have ever done in my life before. It was thrilling because I was always on the edge of my seat because my mind was ALWAYS racing for what I wanted to say; agree with them or not? Who should I side with? What could my country really do in this situation? I knew that my country wasn’t very wealthy and I could never really give as much aid or money or help to the extent that I wanted to but I knew I could suggest ideas and ask others to do what I couldn’t. The way that everyone in my group worked together to solve solutions was amazing, considering that most of us knew who everyone else was. I knew about half of the other people in my group, and my older friends defiantly helped me a lot in what I should do and how I should react to things. Most of the other freshmen seemed to have the same thought in their heads “what should I do?”

I honestly think I did pretty well, compared to how much I speak up in class; I really did participate in everything. I think I really handled the first scenario; it was focused right on my country and also Zimbabwe and as soon as I read it all I could think was “this is exactly what I didn’t want”. But I think I handled it pretty well.

By preparing I knew who I would be caucusing with and who I would be mostly agreeing with because they were my allies. Then I also knew all the information for when they were focusing on my country and I could answer all the questions I needed to. When all the other countries would confront me with questions or comments or ask me why I made that decision I could back myself up because I prepared. I searched things for hours at a time on official websites like bbc.com and I actually had fun learning about a different country and their back round. I found it all really interesting after a while and I compared all their information to what I knew about America’s information.

Next year I will for sure search a little bit more about my own country but also about others countries because I think if I knew more about them, I could compare myself more and know who exactly to talk to in certain situations.

Does my head look big in this?

Muslim: a believer in or follower of Islam. Amal Mohamed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakim: sixteen year old girl, living in the modern age, wearing a hijab in the perkiest prep school in Australia.

Amal is a different but normal at the same time; she prays five times a day, but is obsessed with Cosmo, she believes in no physical relations, no boyfriends, no dating, but she has a huge crush on the class hottie Adam. She is a strict believer in her religion and strives to do more, so she decided on her own to start wearing the hijab full time. And in the Muslim, that is a big step for women. The hijab is a spiritual scarf that Muslim women wear around their head to cover their hair and neck, only leaving the face visible. They are mostly supposed to show as little skin as possible as well, but the exception is you are allowed to take it off around family and when there are no men around. In American culture we don’t have any rules like that, we don’t have anything special that were supposed to show and what we’re not supposed to show…well for the most extent. Strong believers in the Muslim world pray so many times and so long because they believe strongly in Allah and his powers.

For a teenage girl to decide to wear the headdress full time is a big religious thing, and Amal is proud to make this choice of wearing it all by herself. Her parents actually doubted her wearing it because her school has a “strict dress code with their uniforms”. She fought for her scarf to be an exception with the principal and won. Now everyday she wears it in different colors and fabrics and still faces her challenges as a junior in high school.

Strategies.

One bright, bright sunny Friday, I was on my way home from school in my new, clean, blue green 2009 Charger. Windows down, sunglasses on, radio blaring and the rush of warm air screaming through my hair. Life was good.
I had a good ten, twenty minutes before I would be home; depending on the traffic. So I tried to enjoy myself after a stressful day of learning, and focused on the “me” time I had while I did. Just as I leaned back into my seat and relaxed, one of my favorite songs came onto the radio and-even though I couldn’t see my face-I knew it lit up in joy. I reached over to the knob and turned it up almost as high as it could go. Ignoring the smug glances and cursing looks; I had a mile wide smile. Cruising down the road one hand on the wheel, I let my cares fly out the window along with any thoughts of ever stopping this car.
I merged onto I-96 and took quick glances around before I distressed again. I leaned back and listened to the radio hosts debate about something that had no interest to me. Completely mellow and calm I started to day dream, thinking about my weekend and my plans and my friends. I noticed something out of the corner of my rearview mirror and snapped out of it. I looked; nothing there. Getting a weird look on my face, I looked forward again. Then I heard tires squealing and whipping my head around I saw a car speeding towards me. Gasping for air I attempted to wheel my car out of the way so I wouldn’t get hit. But it was too late. An old, rusty, white car slammed into my bumper. Crushing his whole front side, and sending me flying down the high way and collapsing into my driving wheel after knocking my head and arms around a few times. Barley conscious, the last thing I remember seeing before blacking out is two more cars swirling towards me; one coming at me from the side hitting my back seat, and the other coming at me straight dead on, throwing the opportunity at me to dance with the devil and fight for my life. Then, darkness.
I couldn’t move. I was weak. I felt cold and I had the sensation of floating. Then I heard my mothers’ voice and realized I was being pushed around on one of those body carts. I was at the hospital. I thought I was dreaming that this was a figment of my imagination. Then I remembered my crash; intense and terrifying. I tried to open my eyes and the lights burned, everything was fuzzy.

Morning wake up facts.

I wish there was more time in the morning before school. All though, every kid does. We all once in our lives say, “why can’t school start at 2:00 and end at 2:10?” I wish it was true, because I get up way too early for a person like me that gets as much sleep as I do. I maybe get about five hours or less of sleep every night, because I’m either up to my nose in homework or I have practice or chores, or something like that, and I never get to sleep. And then I’m completely dead in the morning while I sit on my floor in front of my mirror straightening my hair. I stare at myself waiting for it to heat up and I wonder, “Why am I up right now? Oh yeah, school, that.” Then I sigh and start on my half an hour worth hair, randomly grab something to wear and hope it matches while I pull it on walking down the hallway to go down stairs and brush my teeth.

Another big problem; I never have time to eat in the morning. An article from dietblog.com says that, “According to a recent study of 2000 teens, those who skipped breakfast weighed an average of 5 lbs more than those who ate breakfast.” Now I’m not worried about my weight or anything but I find it interesting, that kids weigh less because they eat. I am guilty for not eating and I bet if I got up maybe five minutes earlier I could, but that’s not going to happen. I already get up at six; you’re not catching me any earlier. But listen to these other facts that are on this website, it’ll blow your mind;

-The breakfast eaters, despite being leaner consumed more calories throughout the day
Breakfast eaters were also more active. "While they ate more calories, they did more to burn those off, and that may be because those who ate breakfast did not feel so lethargic." Said Mark Pereira - Author of the study.

-Around 25% of the group studied regularly missed breakfast - this was particularly problematic for adolescent females.

-"They (females) skip breakfast because they worry about weight gain - and it's ironic that the ones who aren't worried and eat in the mornings are the ones who keep their weight down." Pereira

It’s funny that only girls really never eat breakfast. All though it kind of makes sense because we spend so much time on our hair and makeup and clothes but still, we should eat, I would think it’s first thing to do because we complain so much you would think we would but I guess not. Some girls choose not to eat, but me, when I don’t eat-which is pretty much every day-I don’t because I don’t have time and I’m running out the door.

So ladies, think about these facts, and go look at some others ones, and next time in the morning while you’re waiting on your bus or your mom in the kitchen and you see that apple and think, “I won’t finish it in time or I’m not that hungry.” Or something like that, think about those little five pounds that are going to show up during swimming in gym class. ;)

Recess to the max.

One May moist day, back in the days of elementary, class was letting out for recess. The loud high-pitched voices of little children rummaging out the doors to hopscotch and first come first serve soccer balls. I was part of the last bunch out, along with my friends; Hannah, Drew, and Lucie. We made our way slowly and taking our sweet time to the track around the playground to start walking and gossip about totally useless things.
“My guess is Hunter only acts that way just to get attention from you.” Says Lucie. “I think he is just shy.” Hannah debates. “Well Drew, don’t take it too seriously,” I told her,” He still is a good friend.” As Drew shakes her head in agreement she kicks an acorn down the path and puts her hands in her shorts pockets, “you’re right.” When she looks up to add another comment another acorn comes straight down onto the top of her head from the tree above. “Ow!” She cried, “What was that?” She rubs her head and looks to the underdeveloped seed. “That acorn doesn’t like you very much.” Lucie laughed. “How could that have fallen off the tree, it’s so small and it’s not even brown yet?” Hannah asked to no one in particular.
Drew picked it up and threw it to the side. Just then, three more acorns fell and one onto my jacket sleeve. I pinched it between my fingers to take a look, and I saw claw marks down the side. With a puzzled look I glanced up at my friends. A drizzle of acorns were now falling from the old tree and a state of panic was starting from Hannah and the others. We ran to duck and cover to the monkey bars, with acorns flying at our heads.
Once we reached safety, or so we thought, Hannah breathed “What’s going on?” I searched for an answer just as Drew pointed to the top of the tree, “Look!” We all glanced and saw squirrels running around the branches chucking acorns in our direction. “Are those squirrels?” I emphasized. Hannah replied, “Yeah and they are trying to kill us with acorns, what did we ever do to them?”
Then the attack stopped, the thumping of amo hitting the ground went silent, and the little rats stood still. One squirrel started its way down the tree and about seven feet away from us stood his ground. We looked at each other with confusion and the same thought in our heads, what will happen next? The animal cleared his throat, “Pardon me, but did you say, ‘What did you ever do to us?’” Our mouths hit the ground. “Did it just talk?” Lucie asked. “Yes,” It replied, “I did. And I’m not an ‘it’, I am a him. My name is Chuck and you have destroyed our bait! That’s what you did to us!”
After a good full five minutes of Chuck explaining how the acorn Drew kicked before hand was a special flavored but poisoned acorn that Chuck and his clan of “Tree Huggers” were using to lure in the opposite squirrel clan of the Roosevelt park; “The nutcases”. They have been fighting for years over rights to the forest in the park, and this was supposed to be the Tree Huggers year. Feeling pity for the little animals, my friends and I discussed we would help them win the generational battle.
We supplied Chuck and his clan with little armor and weapons for a surprise ambush to their homes. They devised a plan to capture the other leader; Woody, and force him to surrender. “Thank you kind female humans, we owe you the gratitude of a thousand acorns.” He bowed to us. “No, no that’s okay; just let us know tomorrow how it went.” I said to him handing off the last of the walnut shell shields.
The bell rang, we went back inside. The sun set and rose again and once again, recess was let out. Today us four girls were the first to race to the playground and to the tree were yesterday we encountered our new friends. “Hello?” Hannah shouted. We waited impatiently, until finally we saw Chuck emerge into the sunlight. Our faces glowed with curiosity and excitement to find out how the battle went. He climbed down the tree and rested at our feet while we squatted down to hear the news. “How do you do ladies, I am guessing you want to hear what happened.” We shook our heads in agreement. “Well….we are now announced owners of the forest and forever shall be!” We all jumped up and down in happiness and screamed in joy. For the rest of recess we all sat around the big tree and listened to Chuck tell the tale of the historic battle.
After all of recess was over and the bell rang, we all stood up and looked at Chuck. “Will we see you again?” Lucie asked him. “Don’t worry dear friends,” He answered, “you will always see us around.” After the much needed reassurance we raced back into the school building happy as little school girls, well, we were little school girls but you get the point. So from that day on Hannah, Drew, Lucie and I always made sure to watch our step whenever there were acorns around. The end.

Haiti's angel; Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton is an international hero, while going to Haiti and helping them pull together and survive.

In one day, Bill Clinton, the former president, has raised $2.6 million dollars from 30,000 donors, not counting donations from text messages. That’s just proof of how he can work his magic to get people to listen and actually care for Haiti and go out of their way to save those miserable lives. The response he is giving to this tragedy and the effort he is putting into raising money is astonishing considering he isn’t president anymore, but he continues to make his mark in the world.

He is giving all the power he has to raise money for food, water, shelter, and first aid supplies for the poor people of Haiti hugely affected by this tragic act of god. “He has promised to hand deliver the cash donated for Haiti through his foundation.” Says Bill Clinton and Haiti from the UN DISPATCH. He is also being a huge leader in the Flash Appeal through the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, where they ask donor countries to contribute funds quickly to an emergency. Over and all, without Mr. Clinton, there is no picture of where Haiti would be right now-probably still in a panic and uproar-he has cared so much and people of the world recite “God bless Bill Clinton.”

In One Ear and Out the Other...

Over this semester coarse, Mr. Fielder has taught me many great things that I will actually use in life, unlike some of my other classes.


The first two to my list of five things is the movies we watched and my reactions to them.


1-Rabbit Proof Fence
When I was sitting, watching children being taken away from their families for just what color their skin is was a terrible thing to watch. But watching the little girls escape and find their way back, It was moving and inspiring, it makes me want to do something amazing just like them, and they were years younger than me when they ran away. It’s amazing how they survived out in the desert for how long they did.


2-The Power of One
In my opinion, The Power of One was much better then Rabbit Proof Fence because it was actually a story that was real, but very interesting at the same time. He was around the same age as us, and all of these things kept on happening to him because he was English during the WWII time period and no one at his school wanted anything to do with him. But then later in life he developed a loving care for the ones who were treated without respect at all just because they were African, and he wanted to go next to all odds, to break the law, and teach them what they should have a right to know.


The third thing on my list is going to be the wonderful time I had practicing margin noting.


3-Articles
From beginning to end, every week Matt Fielder found his way around to find our freshman class the most confusing articles to read and attempt to understand. He gave us articles on Iran, Iraq, China, Obama, and many more, and each time he gave us a new one, it was more and more challenging each time. But I guess you could credit that as a good thing, because now whenever I read something online or in the newspaper, I always ask myself questions about it or seem to be making comments that only Mr. Fielder students would understand.


Second to last, all those (not so) short stories we had.


4-Dirk the Protector
There are always those stories about the kids and the bullies and how the victims faced their fears or something like that, and we always seem to swoon and pity an “awh” for the happy ending. But this story was different, it was about a kid who wasn’t a nerd or geek, a normal kid with a buggy big boy who had nothing better to do with his life, but they way he faced his problem was he found a body guard…….well actually……..the body guard found him, a mean street dog. It was a facinating story. Had me thinking a lot, and I enjoyed it.....a lot.



Last thing, Paragraph responces.

5-Ethos and Pathos

I seemed to use pathos more, the emotional one, because I like to make up stories a lot, so I do it well. But I can also get everyones trust very fast also.

Where would I be?

When comparing the United States, Australia, Rwanda, and South Africa I would want to live in the United States.
If I was in America as a native during all of this, then I would just be forced out of my country and my life wouldn’t be in danger. Like for example, in Rwanda people were killing each other. In Australia people that lived got brutally forced off their lands. In South Africa depending on what color you were you were killed or moved. And mostly the people doing all of these terrible things in these different countries around the world were the Europeans.
Also I would want to be in America just in case I wasn’t forced off my land, I would have so much more freedom than any other country that I listed above. I would be able to have a say in government if I wanted to, even if I didn’t, it was still there for my taking as an option. And I have all my options of the kinds of rights; freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, freedom of the press, ect. You get where I’m going with this don’t you? All the laws in America that are only in America because it’s a free country, and it’s the country that everyone who lives in it loves.

Most of my information I recived from my dear friend Dan.