Kidnapped By His Own Father?

"Police: Boy missing 4 years found hidden in Georgia homePolice: Boy missing 4 years found hidden in Georgia home"
By: Ralph Ellis, Jason Hanna, and Chandler Friedman
Source: CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/29/justice/georgia-missing-child-found/?cid=ob_articlesidebarall&iref=obinsite


 A 13- year old boy was reported missing four years ago. On Saturday, November 29, he was finally reunited with his mother. According to police, he was taken by his father and step mother and was kept behind a false wall in the Atlanta-area home. Neighbors claim that they would have never seen something like this coming. All those that were interviewed stated that the couple (the father and stepmother) were very nice people and that they showed no signs of suspicion. They also stated that the boy did not seem like he was at all under any distress.
 The boy's father, Gregory Jean, 37, and stepmother, Samantha Joy Davis, 42, were arrested and charged with false imprisonment, cruelty to children and obstruction. Three other people were also charged in connection and involvement with the incident.
 Police said they had already visited the house in Jonesboro twice to look for the boy starting Friday night after somebody left them a tip telling them to check the home; the police kept the name anonymous. They were unsuccessful in finding the boy the first time because they did not have enough information about the boy. But for reasons that are unknown to the public, the police officers returned to the home. While visiting the second time, the boy somehow got contact with his mother by phone and she was able to tell the police to look behind the wall which happened to be a false wall. Neighbors were still very shocked and felt guilty because they could have helped this poor boy but were not suspicious or aware enough.

Not Even Government Officials Can Be Trusted..

"Top local cop arrested in missing 43 Mexican students case"
By: Michael Martinez and Shasta Darlington
Source: CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/22/world/americas/mexico-missing-43-students-arrest/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

Cesar Nava Gonzalez from Mexico City was recently arrested for his connections to the disappearance of he 43 college students. Nava was a top local police official and the former deputy director of the Cocula police department. He had been on the run since the disappearance of the students back in September. Nava was allegedly called to the neighboring town of Iguala and helped round up the 43 students. He then allegedly handed them over to a drug dealing gang for them to be massacred. There is no solid evidence to this information. Nava has yet to be apprehended.
On September 26, 2014, the 43 students went missing after they traveled in buses about 77 miles away from their college into Iguala. They were going into this city to protest a speech by the mayor's wife. After arriving, things got violent with the police. Authorities believe that this is when the 43 students were captured by the Iguala police and turned over to a gang only to be executed 14 miles away. The mayor of Iguala was also arrested for six counts of aggravated homicide and one count of attempted homicide.
Overall, 75 people have been arrested for having connections to the disappearance. Federal authorities say they heard confessions from drug traffickers saying that the college students were in fact rounded up on the orders of the Iguala mayor and then delivered to the drug gang to be executed. Families are not accepting this and want actual proof of what happened. On Thursday, tens of thousands of people went to Mexico City to protest against the injustices. These protests ended in violent clashes with police.
The people of Mexico City put their faith and safety in the hands of these police officials and mayor...But not even they can be trusted anymore.

Open Your Eyes

I hear the asphalt crunching under my shoes as my shadow follows me with every step I take. My skin welcomes the sun’s heat as I stroll down the steep hill. After several minutes of walking, I reach my destination. The warm and light breeze result in a sudden shiver, causing goose bumps to rise against my arms and the back of my neck.  The beautiful view I am looking at does not allow me to look away. The short, wet grass brushes against my legs as I stride toward the big rocks placed all around the park. I sit down on the somewhat uncomfortable rock and look into the distance. I smell a faint smell of a Sunday barbeque being cooked somewhere around the neighborhood. The trees in sight all slightly sway to the light breeze; leaves that are slowly changing color litter the park’s grass. The thing that catches my eye the most is the gorgeous sun setting in between the tall trees. The sky looks as if it is painted; going from a light blue, to a bright pinkish red and a yellowish orange. I sit and do nothing but stare. A few dogs run around the park chasing tennis balls and Frisbees. Their owners mingle, laugh loudly, and seem familiar with one another.

The smell of the fresh, crisp air reminds me that my favorite season, autumn, is near. The colorful leaves and “ombred” sky give me a confusing and unknown feeling of happiness and nostalgia. Watching the sun set from this park has always been the perfect escape for me; it gives me a chance to be alone with my own thoughts and also enjoy a snippet of the beautiful world we live in. Every time I walk to this park, “breathe in” my surroundings, I realize that we take this world for granted. We litter and pollute and abuse the Earth, when all it does is show us true beauty; all we need to do is open our eyes once in a while…

Business Partner or Family Murderer?

"'Cold and callous' murders of McStay family solved, authorities say"
By Michael Pearson
Source: CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/07/justice/mcstay-case/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

In 2010, a family of four vanished from their homes. Almost a year to the day after an off-road motorcyclist found the remains of the family who authorities announced to be murdered. On Friday, a man was reported to be arrested for the responsibility of their deaths. Charles “Chase Merritt” was charged with four accounts of murder due to the killings of the entire McStay family. Merrit also happened to be Joseph McStay’s business partner. Police say they believe that the family was killed due to “blunt force trauma” in their home, but they denied any other information to the public.

The McStay family consisted of Joseph and Summer McStay, along with Gianni and Joseph Jr; 5 and 3 years old. The police who searched the house post disappearance was confused to find eggs on the kitchen counter and bowls of popcorn on the table, showing no signs of a struggle. Authorities had no clue what happened to them until the discovery of their bodies on November 11, 2013. There was video surveillance that showed a family matching their description that was found soon after their disappearance. A motorcyclist biking past the area found the remains of the bodies in two shallow graves. After extensive investigation, investigators concluded that Merritt acted alone in killing the family and the video of the family by the border was unrelated to their case. District Attorney Michael Ramos has not yet decided whether or not Merritt will be sentenced to death penalty to what he called a “cold and callous murder of an entire family” (1).

Class of 2035

Congratulations class of 2035!
Highschool for this graduating class will be a breeze; everything will be technologically based, meaning everything will have a shortcut. Teachers will start teaching everything based strictly off technology as well; no books, no written essays/tests. Homework will be turned in through the internet, laptops and iPads will be permitted in the classroom for note-taking, essays and tests, and Kindles or E-readers will be used in the place of textbooks. We already see a glimpse of this with our generation, but by 2035, everything will only be technological.
Students will be reading about how, just 20 years prior is when this technological uphill spiral started. They will be taught about how their generation is so different from prior generations and how it might even be considered harmful that they are so dependent on technology,  yet their teachings will completely be contradicted by the amount of technology they are enforced to use. In my opinion, I feel as though the entire education system 20 years from now will be a complete contradiction upon itself for this reason. I do think they will still be reading books (through electronics of course), but the books they will be told to read will be even more meaningless then the ones we read nowadays. If I were to go forth in time as one of the teachers of that generation, I think the amount of electronics would drive me nuts. I am generally very good with electronics and technology and figuring things out, but Kindles/E-readers are not something I am usually fond of.

Trick-or...get hit by a car?

Halloween; the night of October 31st, where children and adults alike dress up and go trick-or-treating. This is a night meant for candy, costumes, and fun. Not a night intended for death.

On October 31st, 2014, three 13 year old girls were out trick-or-treating with one another, when while crossing the street, were hit and killed by a speeding vehicle. Two of the three girls were twin sisters. These girls were hit so hard that their bodies were thrown more than 100 feet. There are suspects for the drivers, but after the crash, they fled the scene. The car was found nearby, empty. Investigations indicated that the driver was going 50 mph in a 25 mph zone.

Although Halloween is meant for a night of scaring and fun, it is considered one of the deadliest nights of the year due to the high number of drunken drivers and pedestrians on the road. The deaths in California were only some of the incidents that happened the night of the 31st. In Lake Wales Florida, two children and two adults were out trick-or-treating nearby a highway, when the 2 year old child climbed out of his stroller and walked into the highway. A bus who was not aware of the child hit and killed him. In Greece, New York, two minors got into a car crash, in which the 16 year old was injured and the 3 year old was killed. In Winnetka, Illinois, a 3 year old child was struck by a car and dragged 40 feet before the driver realized and stopped the car. He survived the accident and is now in the hospital recovering from injuries.5 people were struck by a car in Phoenix, Arizona, leaving one of them with minor injuries and the other 4 in critical condition.

Education

Education

S- Education Reformation/Philosophy

O- American Scholar, 1800s

A-Readers of the magazine/educators/parents

P- to persuade/to educate

S- Ralph Waldo Emerson

T- philosophical/confident/professional/ considerate

The point of this essay was to show parents and teachers that there is a better way of teaching students. The way he refers to is by patience and by the “naturel” method. This method basically states that one should let their child/student do things naturally; they should let them think and act freely as long as it does not exceed the behavioral limits that are set on them. By using this method, it is also allowing the student, as long as the rest of the class, to think with a more open mind and choose their own path in life or education. It is also teaching the parents/educators to be more patient, which can become useful to everybody.

This essay would not be effective if it were to be presented to the wrong crowd; in this case, the audience is the readers of the magazine, but it is mostly effective to educators and parents.  If educators and parents were to follow Ralph Waldo Emerson’s theories, a completely new and improved education system could be formed, which can be experimented with and eventually used. If this method were to be enforced throughout schools, it would not only make teachers more patient, but also much more understanding. One issue with the “naturel” method is the fact that students might try to take advantage of the freedom given to them, but that can be changed over time.

This essay is very effective to the audience and is able to reach its purpose of persuading and educating.

Is Blood Really the Strongest Bond to All?

'Gunman at Washington state school targeted his cousins, relative says'

By:Chelsea J. Carter, Andreas Preuss and Ben Brumfield

Source: CNN News

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/25/us/washington-school-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

     A couple of days ago, there was a terrifying shooting in a school cafeteria in Washington State. Witnesses said the teenage gunman was Jaylen Fryberg, who happens to be a cousin of two of the wounded students. Four students were left wounded and one female student was dead, along with Fryberg. The grandfather of one of the wounded, Nate Hatch, said his grandson and Fryberg were very close, nearly inseparable. “Only God knows what escalated this. Only God knows. Nobody pushed a button with bullying. It’s just something that happened, and we don’t know why”, Hatch said (1). The authorities have yet to publicly identify the shooter (not only based off witnesses) and the female student that were killed. The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the police. The two girls and two boys that were wounded are now in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) in hospitals in Seattle and Everett.

     Jordan Luton was finishing lunch in the cafeteria when he hears a loud bang. He saw Fryberg approach a table and fire about six bullets into the backs of them. “They were his friends, so it wasn’t just random” (1). It was very difficult for Luton to make sense of this shooting. He says the day before, Fryberg was perfectly fine at their football practice, and then the day of the shooting, he was horrible. Another witness, Rachel Heichel says she was sitting a few tables away and was alarmed when she heard gun shots and turned to find Fryberg as the shooter. “When I saw him, I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s Jaylen.’ I would have never expected it to be him, out of all people” she said (1). Many students were outraged that Fryberg could have done such a thing, due to his usual happy mood. The students could not confirm that he was ever bullied, but according to Luton, Fryberg had gotten into a fight two weeks prior do to a “racist comment”.

     According to this article, 2 out of 4 of the students that were wounded were related to Fryberg. I cannot even begin to imagine the amount of pain, grief, and betrayal these two boys feel. I suppose sometimes even blood is not a strong enough bond for some..

 

Education System

Education-(noun); an enlightening experience.

To me, education is not only something that can be directly taught to you. Some forms of education can be something that one can acquire over time by listening or watching and not necessarily by being taught. One example of an indirect form of education would be music. Music is not something one can learn to be good at unless they have a good ear. If one does have a good ear, they can teach themselves by listening or watching.

School is not the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word “education”, but it is very essential in the distribution of education. Although, one who has not gone to school and or received an education is not considered stupid or unknowledgeable. William Shakespeare, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, Mozart; these are all men who had no formal education but are still declared geniuses.

To answer the question “To what extent do our schools serve the goal of a true education”, one must think of their own definition of education first. Do schools really provide us with a true education? The education we are taught at schools only scratch the surface of the subjects we are taught. Another point that should be considered is the “dumbest generation” theory; if education is really only based off knowledge, then the schools nowadays are not doing a very good job at teaching true education.  One commonly-stated purpose of education is to prepare students for the “real world” or for the hardships of life, but the things we are taught in school do not prepare us for the real world.

So to answer the question above, I do not think schools serve the goal of a true education.

Some Wounds Will Never Heal...

'Human remains found in search for UVA student Hannah Graham'

By: Greg Botelho

Source: CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/18/us/hannah-graham-disappearance/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

 

About a week or two ago, the parents of 18-year-old Hannah Graham released a video on the news begging the people of Charlottesville, Virginia to help them look for their missing daughter. Hannah was last seen early the morning of September 13 near the University of Virginia. After about 5 weeks (35 days) of nonstop searches, they found human body remains on an abandoned property eight miles away from the university. The police found a video of her leaving the Tempo Bar around 2 AM the night she was last seen, alongside a 32 year old man named Jesse Matthew. On September 24, Matthew was found in Galveston, Texas, on a beach, and was charged with abduction with the intent to defile.

Jesse Matthew was also linked by forensic evidence to the case of Morgan Harrington in 2009, who was last seen hitchhiking outside of Charlottesville in October, then later found dead on a nearby farm the following January. Matthew was not arrested for the Harrington case, as her cause of death is still under investigation.

The disappearance of Hannah Graham caused more than 1,200 volunteers to go searching for her. Since they are not yet 100% sure that the human remains belong to her, they are not jumping to any conclusions yet. But the missing case is now considered a “death investigation”. Later in the day, the Facebook page dedicated to her, “Help Find Hannah Graham”, was full of heart wrenching and broken reactions from family, friends, and strangers alike.

I chose to write about this article because losing a child is the hardest thing for parents; whether it is a missing child or a dead one. Although her death might come as closure to the family and end the torture of not knowing, it is the worst kind of news one can get; even to someone like me who is getting emotional although I never knew Hannah Graham. This is a pain that causes such a wound that can never be healed and I would never wish it upon anybody.

Community Service: Voluntary or Forced?

Community service (noun) -

 voluntary work intended to help people in a particular area.

Does this definition apply to the way community service is used today? Community service should no longer be considered voluntary, due to the fact that it is now mandatory for all high school students. For example, Pilibos requires 100 out-of-school hours and 20 in-school hours; one cannot graduate without completing 120 hours at the least. Even 120 hours is considered “too little” to most colleges.  "Many young people said that their motive in becoming involved was to make a stronger case to please college admissions officers--regardless of whether they were applying to an Ivy League school, a state university or technical college"(Chaptman,1). If community service was not something that was so forced, it would have more meaning to people today. Community service that is completed while still in high school is meaningless and is mostly done because it needs to be done. "Their attachments are more fleeting and there is a lack of attachments that seem to pervade", says Lewis Friedland, a professor of journalism and mass communication, while speaking of the topic of today's generation. 

Although enforcing community service does show the importance of it to people at a young age and still does its job in helping the community, the fact that it is mandatory makes it lose some of its value. Once something has lost value, it is hard for it to gain it back. Nowadays, people do not look at community service as a way to help others and be a good person voluntarily; they look at it as something that is obligated by their schools and could potentially affect their future or future college/university. And that is the sad truth about our generation.

Are Forced Apologies Equivalent to Real Ones?

'Vice President Joe Biden apologizes to Turkey, UAE'
By Chelsea J. Carter, Ben Brumfield and Sara Mazloumsaki
Source: CNN

Last week, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden made comments that Middle Eastern allies (referring to Turkey) are partly to blame for the growing power of ISIS. He stated that the terrorist group had been getting stronger due to actions allies took to help the opposition groups that were fighting in Syria against President Bashar al-Assad. He said that they wasted millions of dollars and thousands of weapons to anyone who would fight against al-Assad. This would not be such a big issue if it was not for the fact that the people being supplied with these lethal weapons were extremist Muslims. “President Erdogan told me, he’s an old friend, said ‘You were right. We let too many people (including foreign fighters) through’. Now they are trying to seal their border”(1), Biden said, according to transcripts. After hearing about all of this, Erdogan repeatedly denied that he ever said such a thing. According to reporters in Istanbul, Erdogan said Biden will become history to him unless an apology was involved. Turkey was not the only one who was offended by these comments; the United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry was also stunned that Biden would make such a remark. “They were far from the truth, especially with the relation to the UAE’s role in confronting extremism and terrorism and its clear and advanced position in recognizing the dangers, including the danger of financing terrorist and terrorist groups”(1), said Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. After hearing the results of his opinionated comments, Biden had no choice but to apologize in order to keep the alliances with Turkey. In his apology, Biden made it clear that the commitments and sacrifices made by our allies are greatly appreciated. Biden and Erdogan had a telephone conversation, in which they both reaffirmed the two countries’ commitment to fight the terror group. The Syrian president accused Turkey of looking the other way and providing support to some rebels that were involved in the civil war. In turn, Turkey has accused Syria of instigating the unrest that has led to ISIS taking hold in the region.

Due to the issues between Armenians and Turks, I tried very hard in order to write this summary in a non-biased way. Though, in my opinion, Biden should be able to make whatever comments he wants and not be penalized for it. After all, it is only an opinionated comment; he did not state it as a fact.  Also, I do not agree with the fact that Erdogan knows how much the U.S. relies on Turkey, yet he takes advantage of the fact and holds it against us in times like this, where due to a few blunt comments, Biden was treated like a child while being forced to apologize and threatened to cut connections with.

Rape or Murder?

'Montana teacher -- initially given 31 days in rape of student -- now gets 10 years'
By Joshua Berlinger and Jack Hannah

Source: CNN News

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/26/justice/montana-rape-sentence/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

2007 started off as a normal year for 14-year-old Cherice Moralez. It was her freshman year in high school and she decided to take a business class with Mr.Rambold. Everything went great until she was raped by Rambold. Initially, he was only sentenced to 31 days in prison. But here we are, 7 years later, and this young girl’s family is still awaiting justice. Cherice Moralez committed suicide in 2010 before the case went to trial and before she turned 17. Rambold, now 55 years old, pleaded guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and was sentenced to a 15 years with 31 days suspended by Judge G.Todd Baugh. On Friday, September 26, he was resentenced to 15 years with a 5 year suspension by a different judge. Former Judge Baugh was taken off the case due to intense criticism, because he had placed partial blame on the victim. He claimed that the victim looked older than she was and that she had as much control over the situation as Rambold. Due to his biased and inappropriate comments, along with his doubt on the appearance of justice, he apologized and was replaced. He said, “I am sorry I made those remarks. They focused on the victim when that aspect of the case should have been focused on the defendant”(1).  He states that he will be retiring at the end of the year, but claims it is not related to Rambold’s controversy.

I chose this article because it is important for us to try to understand the amount of pain and grief this family has been put through in the short time span of 3 years; their daughter, not only lost a part of her in a forceful way, but she also had her own blood on her hands. Not only is the injustice of the situation upsetting and heart wrenching, but also the very inappropriate comments of Judge Baugh. No family should ever be placed in a situation such as this one and have to endure the sorrow that comes along with it.

Am I Talar or Aquamarine?

 

Ice cream solves so many problems. A person can eat it while in any mood, and it will make them feel better instantly. Chocolate ice cream is the most effective for someone like me who has an extreme addiction to chocolate; I’m talking “eat spoonfuls of Nutella out of the jar then wash it down with chocolate milk” kind of addiction. But when it comes to ice cream, just a plain chocolate flavor does not do the trick for me. My favorite ice cream flavor is called Phish Food. It is a heavenly combination of chocolate ice cream, caramel and marshmallow swirls, and fish-shaped chocolate pieces. This unique ice cream flavor is considered ‘too sweet’ or ‘heavy on the stomach’ to most people, but it is just perfect for my sweet tooth.

Whether I am in a giddy, happy mood, or upset and sad over boys, this ice cream flavor always does the trick for me. I am not one to eat out of sadness- I usually lose my appetite- but if I was offered a carton of this ice cream, it would be gone in the matter of minutes. Just the thought of the rich, creamy chocolate, mixed in with the smooth, thick marshmallow and caramel swirls and crunchy chocolate fish causes me to lick my lips and stomach growl in hunger. As the heartbroken mermaid says in the movie Aquamarine while eating this ice cream, as long as I have Ben & Jerry in my life, I do not need any other men!

The Beheader

'The British connection to ISIS beheadings'
By Peter Bergen
Source: CNN News
http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/14/opinion/bergen-british-connection-isis-beheadings/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

People in England are all wondering the same thing; who is ‘the beheader’. A tall, masked British man with the London accent has just beheaded his third victim. According to this article, this man is working with ISIS. His first two victims were American journalists and the third was a British aid worker. According to British officials, British Prime Minister David Cameron already knows the identity of the executioner. He knows of the crimes of the executioner and knows that he holds at least two other Americans hostage. This executioner is a part of a larger group of British hostage-takers working for ISIS, also known as “The Beatles”. About 500 British citizens have gone to Syria to fight, as well as about 100 Americans. This war is not only attracting British fighters from Syrian descent, but British fighters from all kinds of ethnic backgrounds. The British government has cancelled 23 passports and revoked citizenship of eight British citizens due to the threat that these rebellious citizens are posing for England.

The entire world is ready to fight in Syria against this terrorist group. According to the British government, 700 fighters from France,400 from Germany, 300-500 from Belgium, 130 from Netherlands, over 100 from Denmark, 100 from Austria, 80 from Sweden, and 50-100 from Spain. This all adds up to 2,620-2,870 fighters from Westerners fighting in Syria against these injustices. Although the identity of this masked murderer is known by the British government, they think it is best to keep his identity a secret for “operational reasons”. A mission to rebel and stand up for what is right is in progress; let us just hope it works out for the sake of humanity...

Don't Forget To Wash Your Hands!

A respiratory virus is a leading problem throughout the Midwest. It is affecting hundreds, sending 30 children to a hospital per day. Fifteen percent of the 450(+) children were even sent to ICU (Intensive Care Unit). Doctors have theories that this virus started spreading after school started, but are completely astonished by it because they claim they have never seen anything like it before.  At least 19 of the children in Kansas City showed to be positive to Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no specific treatment for this infection and vaccines are currently unavailable. The virus can push to the point of death, but so far there haven’t been any reports of death in Missouri. One hospital said that symptoms include fever, body/muscle aches, sneezing, coughing, and rash. One case stated that a 13 year old boy came down with a cold, and then woke up a few days later with an asthma attack that could not be subsided by his medicine.

This type of infection occurs less commonly, making it a shock to doctors and health agencies. The way it is spread is through close contact with infected people. The infection has been associated almost exclusively with respiratory disease. The easiest way to avoid getting this disease is by washing hands frequently, which children do not do; avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands; avoid kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or utensils with people who are sick. These are all common knowledge to us, but for some reason we are indifferent towards all these simple rules. Hopefully, this disease will be wiped out soon and the amount of spreading diseases will decrease.  

"The Giver" Review

link to review: http://www.pluggedin.com/movies/intheaters/giver.aspx

This review of “The Giver” cannot be described as “good” or “bad”, but rather “relatable” and “understandable”. The reviewer, Paul Asay, uses the main claim of the story as a main claim in his review. The main appeal would be ethos, and the main claim would be the claim of policy. Throughout the summary of the movie, Asay repeatedly mentions how he agrees with the founders of the Community that “When people have the freedom to choose, they choose wrong. Every single time” (1). Due to this mindset, the Community decided to erase anything having to do with emotions or arts from within the people. Asay says, “It is in our nature, a nature that’s overwhelmed with sin”, regarding the society’s morality choices. He refers to the movie as ambitious and a good family movie to watch due to the inspiring storyline and the images of emotion and happiness shown throughout the movie. These images of emotions and happiness are what tap into the claim of value or the pathos appeal. Throughout the review, the reviewer does not use the claim of fact or the logos appeal, but focuses more on the other two claims and appeals.                          

Reviews and movies such as this one should make us realize that everything we have is very essential to us; even the simplest thing, such as a color. Asay also brings this up in his review while explaining the content of the movie. He starts comparing the movie to real life situations; one example being the comparison of escaping from life’s pain and unpleasantness in one way or another. He says that, just like in the movie, humans create or invent modern distractions in order to easily slip into a “sort of half-life”.

Future Terrorists in Training...

"CNN Exclusive: A 13-year-old witness to ISIS' beheadings, crucifixion in Syria"
By: Raja Razek,Nick Paton Walsh, and Nick Thompson
Source: CNN news
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/28/world/meast/syria-isis-atrocities-boy/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
         

               Members of ISIS, a Sunni terror group, have been forcing young children to learn the ways of their group. According to a 13 year old boy named Mohammed, who fled to Turkey for safety, they would be forced to go to a camp, where they were taught everything. They would wake up early, jog, eat breakfast, learn the Quran and the Hadith of the Prophet, then they would take courses on weapons and other military equipment. Some of the militants from ISIS were nice and would joke around with the young boys, but some were cruel and would force them to watch disturbing things. "They used to bring young [kids] to the camp to lash them," Mohammed says. "When we go to the mosque, they order us to come the next day at a specific time and place to [watch] heads cut off, lashings or stonings. We saw a young man who did not fast for Ramadan, so they crucified him for three days, and we saw a woman being stoned [to death] because she committed adultery” (1).

               The young boys that were brought to this camp were too young to understand that what they were being taught was very wrong. In the video below, it shows a child about 4/5 years old. When asked what he would do to infidels, he said he would kill them. Another child is shown in the video, probably around the same age, shooting an AK-47. It is unfair to these boys that they are being fed wrong and violent ideas. If their parents were to not send them to this camp, they would be be-headed, so it was as if they had no choice. Mohammed and his father got very lucky, but they live in fear of ISIS. Mohammed’s father taught him that religion is not about fighting, but about love and forgiveness, and I agree 100% with that statement.

               This information is important for the public’s awareness because what is being done in the Middle East by this terror group is inhumane, unfair, frightening, and cruel and if ISIS were to ever become even more powerful, it is a threat and danger to us all. ISIS is spreading all throughout the Middle East as we speak, with a murderous drive to convert any non-Muslim who stand in their way, no matter what age group they stand in. And if one refuses to convert, they have no issue in murdering the non-Muslim, as we have already seen in the gloating videos of young boys in training.

LINK TO VIDEO: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2014/08/28/pkg-paton-walsh-isis-children.cnn.html

SOAPST

S- the Queen’s support for her troops ; she spoke with words, such as “we”, in order to encourage and motivate them and let them know that they are united as one.

O-before going to war with the Spanish Armada; battle of 1588

A- soldiers of England and anybody else hearing her speech

P-to motivate, encourage, and ease the soldiers of their pre-war stress

S- Queen Elizabeth I  

T- emotional, powerful, honest, united, encouraging, motivational, reassuring

Without SOAPST, a piece of literature would not make sense or be complete. If one of the 6 letters making up the acronym were left blank above, this speech would not make sense either. SOAPST helps the readers understand the purpose and reasoning of this piece of literature and its effectiveness to the audience.

This speech is effective due to the greatness of the pathos appeal used. Queen Elizabeth starts the speech off using “we” instead of “you”, meaning they are united as one when it comes to this war. She also mentions how she is a feeble, weak woman, but her physical appearance will not stop her from leading her men into war. Her speech is emotional due to her heartwarming words that she uses as encouragement for the soldiers. She boosts up their confidence and reassures them of a victory in order to take some of the weight off their shoulders. She concludes her speech using the words “of my people”, making it clear that although they are united at this time of war,  she is still their leader.

Polio Double-Vaccinations

"Double vaccines 'could hasten the end of polio'"
By:James Gallagher
Source: BBC News
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-28872763

Poliomyelitis, better known as just Polio, is a viral disease that causes spinal and respiratory paralysis (full or partial) and can even lead to death. Polio has been around since humans even existed, but became a major public health issue in the late Victorian times, as there were epidemics in Europe and the United States. Although Polio is incurable, vaccines have made it possible to almost completely eradicate the disease today. An oral vaccine is given to people in order to help fight to eradicate the disease, but scientists have discovered that giving a second vaccine could help speed up the efforts to free the world of the disease completely. Getting rid of the disease completely would possibly be the biggest success in global health as it is now widespread in Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Cases have fallen by more than 99% in these countries. Each person receives two drops of the oral vaccine which contain a weakened polio virus, but it is thought that other infections might interfere with the vaccine. This lead to the solution of more than one vaccine, but it got to the point where children were taking 30 oral vaccinations by the age of 5. There were trials in India involving an injection of inactivated virus and it served as a booster jab, leading to the conclusion that both oral and injected vaccines should be used. This double-vaccine approach is being used in parts of Nigeria and soon will be used in Pakistan as well. If this approach is successful, it can save thousands of lives and possibly end Polio for good!

Ethos, Pathos, Logos

               In order for an advertisement to be effective and relevant to the audience, it should contain at least two out of the three following appeals-- logos, ethos, and pathos. Logos is anything logical; something that uses evidence or examples. Ethos is anything ethical, with morals. Lastly, pathos is anything that is able to toy with the audience’s emotions, and is the most effective and important if I were the audience.  

               The following advertisement is something that would definitely affect me if I were to see it on a billboard. It shows a crying child that was emotionally hurt by another’s words. The logos  is presented with the ‘hand of words’ that is wrapped around the child’s neck. It indicates that, although they are just words and nothing physical, they can hurt just as much as physical abuse can. The pathos is the heartbreaking expression on the child’s face; the big, red eyes and the tears show the pain the child is experiencing. Just a look at him, and anyone would want to wrap their arms around him to comfort him. The ethos is presented with the quote next to the boy that states “Your words have power, use them wisely”.

               This advertisement is highly effective. It, not only makes the audience aware of the power of words, but also the effect the words can have on a person, especially a child. The strongest appeal in this advertisement is definitely pathos. The message of the ad is clearly shown by just one quote and a picture and yet, it would be able to reach out to so many people.

TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY

From all the books I have read in the past, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher would be considered my favorite. No matter how many times I have read it, this book always left me insatiable; I finished it within a day or two, ripping through the pages because I could never get enough. Thirteen Reasons Why is in Clay Jensen’s point of view from the beginning to the end. One day, he receives a package with thirteen tapes in it; each tape telling a story of a person that took part in Hannah Baker’s decision to commit suicide. Tape #1 is a story of the person with the least amount of impact on her decision, and tape #13 is a story of the person with the biggest impact on her decision. As I read through Clay’s thoughts during the tapes, I could not help but think exactly the same things as him; why is Clay in these tapes? What could he have done to Hannah to have an impact on her decision of killing herself? Who does tape #13 talk about?

Although it is a dark overall subject, this story had me hooked from the start. The thrilling and suspenseful storyline pushed me to keep reading until I knew all the answers to my questions. The ending is probably the main reason of my addiction to this book, being an open ending. In my head, I probably think that if I keep re-reading the story, it will end in a different way, but in reality, the author wrote the book in a way that the reader needs to come up with their own ending.

People might wonder why I would want to voluntarily read a book about suicide, but it is much more than that. While reading the tapes in the book, it is as if you can feel the anger, heartbreaking sadness, and the betrayal Hannah feels; the author wrote this in a way that even the readers can feel her pain. For me, a book that is able to put me in such an emotional state and into the characters shoes so perfectly is the best kind of book. And that is why it is my favorite.