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I heard her cough from upstairs.

The only thing that went through my mind was, "Die already, die."

A vulnerable species is an organism that is on the brink of being extinct. When they go extinct, they stay that way. However, we humans ignore this fact. We focus on the temporary positive effects of killing animals for their desirables. Yet, we are blind to the long-term consequences of this practice. The time has come to dig deeper into this major issue.

            This tradition began in the early days of human occupancy on Earth. Animals were required for food and clothing. Yet, the difference is that at that time we only took what we needed. We killed living creatures only when it was required. This was because we lacked the technology to simply pull a trigger to kill a specimen. Each slaughter at that time meant sharpening spears, gaining momentum, grouping together, and a higher risk of failing. This very fail could in fact be fatal. Thus, we avoided these risks as often as possible.

            Today, humans take the necessary amount and more. Many would think that there isn’t really a problem because the main source is from an abundant species. One of the most widely used animal products is leather. It is believed by some that leather comes exclusively from cows: an animal that is thought of as being less by a large population. But, this is misleading. Some leather is also made from the threatened zebra, among others. It is clear that the zebra is what one would call a “favorite animal”. Yet, the companies that produce them don’t express this. Their one priority is to make more money.

            As horrid as that may seem to the already threatened animal species, it get’s much worse. There are consequences to those that manufacture the goods. Although leather makers often claim that their products are “eco-friendly”, the process of tanning it stabilizes the protein fibers. This results in the biodegrading process actually stopping. Along with this, today animal skin is turned into leather with a combination of dangerous substances. This included formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives, and different types of oils. To make the bad even worse, the resulting waste usually contains chromium. The Environmental Protection Agency claims that all wastes containing this substance are hazardous.

            But, it doesn’t end here. There is more harm done to the environment. In order to make the pastures that contain the animals being bred for their skins, trees must be cut down. That means less oxygen for we humans. In fact, the dairy itself is harmful to the environment. A recent study found that a single cow released nineteen pounds of volatile organic compounds a year, surpassing the amount of smog made by cars and trucks.

            At this point, one must realize that a change is required. We humans must sacrifice a temporary pleasure for a lasting one. One possible solution to this conflict is using an alternative. Instead of leather, one can use cotton, linen, or rubber. Although these efforts do indeed increase the chance of a species survival, only time will tell if even this option is too little, too late.

What do you see?

​Sometimes I feel like people don't understand why I love the show "Spongebob Squarepants". Most people this the show is dumb. Others say it is "gay". Me I say this show is one of a kind. I can watch this show all day and never get tired of it. Yes some of the story lines are corny and don't make sense, but it is a fun show. It's fun to watch and fun to talk about.
Like the one character on the show named Squidward Tentacles. I can always talk about him because I think he is the funniest character. He is just always mad at the world and gets annoyed do easily. He as the craziest laugh, I love to imitate it.
Then you have Patrick Star. He is the second funniest character on the show. He is Spongebob's best friend. He plays the role of the stupid character. He says the craziest things and his laugh is also funny as well. I just love him. I'm sure I'll be watching this show at the age of 30. I can't get enough of it. 

When since I was little, I would wake up as early as 5:30 am to begin my day, which mainly consisted of watching television or playing video games. I would go to sleep at around 11:30 pm and repeated the same process. I rarely slept and I was never a heavy sleeper. My uncles whom were 16 and 17 when I was 10 years old would sleep until 10 or 11 o' clock am and I would always wonder why they would do so. I would always wake them up around 8 am just because and ended up getting slapped, pushed, or punched by one of them. I never understood why they would do that, back then. Now, I understand 110% why they would hit me if I would have awaken them. Since I'm older, I look forward to sleeping each and everyday, sleeping has become my favorite activity. When ever one of my siblings, or anyone in that matter would wake me up, I could feel the anger and my blood pressure rise because they actually would stop me from sleeping. I just think that's the most annoying thing they could do. I don't know why I'm so obsessed with sleeping, but words can't explain how much I love it.

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Reflection

So after school today I went to my mother's job to volunteer for Isaiah Thomas' campaign. After about 2 hours of making facebook post, calling companies for donations, and writing my opinion about the campaign my mother and I went finally went home. While driving down my block me and my mom were talking everything and I completely forgot about the mailbox. When we pulled up to the house my mom and I stopped and looked the mailbox and then looked at each other, we both knew. We continued talking until she finished parking, and then I got out of the car and headed straight for the mailbox. For some reason I had a feeling, like today was the day. The mailbox was completely closed so I was expecting the worse. When I opened it, there it was. A big white envelope that said "Hobart and Williams Smith Colleges", I damn near ripped that thing open with my teeth. I pulled out a blue and green folder that said "Classes of 2015". I went streaming down the steps to my mom, "I got in! I got in!" I love that mailbox :)

          I started the first session of mentoring for my capstone today. I have been setting dates, schedules and plans for weeks. I had to wait about an hour after my arrival at the school to meet the five girls that I am mentoring. One of the after school teachers—or whatever title fits their role—warned me, “They are a handful.” I listened to her advice, but I figured they would not expose that mischievous side in my presence. We entered the “mentoring room” and the girls immediately asked, “What school [do] you go to?” and ”What grade [are] you in?” along with ninety-nine other questions. I decided to make the first meeting an introductory session i.e. explanation of my plan and what they should expect. The girls wrote down questions, comments, and concerns they have and want to discuss. When I asked questions one of them was sure to ask me another. Surprisingly I was not frustrated. When I left I did not expect them to have written questions and concerns that would help me assist them, but they did. There are some grammatical errors and some questions that I can’t answer, but the content is helpful. I look forward to meeting with the girls again and successfully mentoring them.

Sophia Henninger

Op Ed

Big Business and Inventions

When you were growing up, didn’t you think by 2011 we’d live like the Jetsons? Didn’t you think we’d be beyond worrying about trivial things like what fuels our cars and homes? Of course not! But in 2011, we still worry deeply about what fuels our cars. Why? Even though we don’t have basic things like flying cars; we have things like microscopic computer processors. We have the technology to solve this problem, so where are the 1000mpg cars? Oh, they’re here but they’re not welcome. 

Though we have the technology for 1000+ mpg cars, they have yet to be seen on the public market. Maybe it’s just because no major car companies have produced them. That makes sense, I guess. But now Ford Motors has created a 300mpg electric/hydrogen hybrid and I don’t know about you but I haven’t seen any on the roads. The car is standard size and can go up to 85mph. It runs on a lithium battery until it depletes to 40%, once it hits this point it switches to a hydrogen powered fuel cell and with this change goes from 25mpg to 280mpg. Pretty neat, huh? But I still don’t see any. That’s probably because oil companies have made it just about impossible for any car that runs over 60mpg to be commercially produced. 

In the past, people have claimed to have invented cars that run 1000mpg, cars that run on water, and just about everything else. Most of these claims can obviously be seen as propaganda but a few claims do seem plausible. There is one claim of a water-powered car(it’s more like a dune-buggy but for the sake of the argument) by Stan Meyer. It achieved an amazing 100mpg but never became popular due to Meyer’s somewhat suspicious brain aneurysm at 57 years old. There are many theories that say oil companies ordered him assassinated, though that is unlikely, the fact is he created a water-powered vehicle that worked. That means we have the technology and it isn’t being used. 

The list goes on and on about other people who have invented things like 2000mpg cars and simple, emission-less, energy that have supposedly been killed by big time energy companies. These claims are probably propaganda but that doesn’t change the fact that even if the inventors death wasn’t the fault of the companies, they certainly benefitted from it. If these people hadn’t died or been put into jail, the companies would be in jeopardy of losing billions upon billions of dollars and in the past, companies like this have shown that they will do anything for another dollar and will go very far to do it. 

So whether these inventions are publicly available is due the the inventors misfortunes or companies preventing them from getting there or not, the truth is the technology to make them exists. This technology is available and we’re going to need it if we actually want to affect global warming and keep this planet able to sustain life.

Shouldn't be harder than college acceptances... 

​America is FAT. 

That’s not shocking at all. We have McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King’s, and other fast food chains everywhere we look in this country. Why is that? Because the healthy food industry doesn’t have as many advertisements as the fast food chains. But now, fast food chains are becoming “healthy.” Truthfully, adding a slab of lettuce, a tomato slice, or two pickles isn’t healthy.

Those unhealthy drinks that now say fat free, sugar free, diet, no added sugar, etc. seem healthier now, correct? According to a source, they all translate into something much worse: Fat free, but full of sugar and chemicals. Sugar free, but they have increased carbohydrates. “Diet” but it’s going to give you health problems if you digest enough of it. Sugar free, because the original has more than enough sugar as it is.  

False advertisement? Let’s look at it like they’re enhancing the part that will attract your attention and leave out the part that makes it a lot worse than it actually is. 

Another factor in the unhealthy eating habits is the lack of access to healthy foods. Here, there are fast food chains within walking distance from home, but the next Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods is 30 blocks or further from home.

Naturally, we all make up excuses and compromise. “I’m going to get a Big Mac meal and a diet Coke,” “I’m walking 3 blocks to get food so I should reward myself with a Whopper.” You should reward yourself with something healthy. You’re getting a soda that is TWICE as sweet as the original Coke with the use of artificial sugar and a heart attack in a box. Not only is it bad for your weight, but it’s going to give you a lot of health issues in the future - if you even have one. 

It’s normal, right? 

Personally, I’ve done small tasks and have felt obligated to reward myself with chips. But the one thing my family is against are those diet products and the products that say sugar free on the label. Yes, we do our research and it’d be beneficial for everyone to do that. Of course we’re lazy and aren’t in the mood to exercise to stay healthy. So the lazy way of improving your health would be to eat healthier. 

How do we change ourselves? 

First thing’s first, don’t be mislead by those “healthy” labels in your favorite food. They are much worse than the original package. Now the message isn’t to stop eating your unhealthy foods, just eat a lot less of it. 

The government’s position in this crisis should be to make healthy food more accessible and raise the prices in junky foods. People get soda and other unhealthy snacks under food stamps. They should be aiding the people to be healthier. Raise taxes for junk food, make it less available, do something to save everyone from their lack of self control. Promote the healthy lifestyle to everyone and make it more affordable. 

Honestly, who is to blame here; You, your parent’s for raising you to be this way, the government, or society?

We are fools to fall for these foods and developing the habits or was it our parents? They are the ones who raised you right from wrong. If they allowed you to develop such bad eating habits, maybe they’re at fault. 

In recent health statistics, the weighted average of obesity in 28 different countries was 14.1% with the U.S. ranking #1 at 30.6%. That’s not something to be proud of. 

Six word story

Social life sucks....not worth it...


Extra:

Today, was a crappy day. Today was a painful day. This morning it took me 2 hours to pull myself out of bed because I was so weak and tired, I could barely sit up. I managed to get up, get dressed and started off to school. On the way, mom and I hit every red light, ran into 2 road blocks, and I ended up using all of my stamina to stay awake. I knew it wasn't going to be a good day. I got to school at 11. I went up to A band. Didn't see my group, so I ran around like crazy looking for them. I found them in a different room, I was not happy. I sat in the class, quietly (still trying to keep my eyes open). I went to B band, and had to hear about how the fight that ensued yesterday, got worse. I started feeling sick again, so I asked to go to the office. I spent that whole time crying! Crying! Without so much as a "What's up?" or "Kimmi, are you ok?" from anyone. Zoe was the one who talked to me (my friends would too, but they were in class). I finally go downstairs to meet everyone...I got to Zack, who hugged me...and I broke down in his arms.  I was a wreck. I hated today, because I realized how big a mess I really was.

On the way home, I found out that only...2 people knew that I was actually in "the fight". The person who was on the same side as me, and the person who we were "fighting" with. At that moment, I felt like I was back in middle school, where no one listened to me, or cared if I was there, unless...I screwed up greatly.

Now, I didn't use names, nor did I write this to call anyone out. I just needed some sort of outlet in hopes that maybe someone would listen...

So If you read this, and you know about "the fight", calm down, it wasn't a hit on you, it was my way of blowing off steam...
​

Instead of worrying about issues that don’t necessarily concern us, America should look towards changing the bigger things that do and will impact us for the generations to come. A problem lies closer to home - in our schools.

According to Death & Taxes: 2011, which happens to be the most accurate collage of government spending we will ever get our hands on, the spending towards education has gone up six percent from last year. That’s swell, but there is also a section that tells us the percentage from ten years ago to now. So, that means that the difference between 2001 and 2011 is one percent. This only lead to a total spending of almost 50 billion.

Shocking, I know. The only possible explanation would mean that our funding for the knowledge we teach has dipped down in the past decade and is now finally starting to come back up, to the highest point it’s been at in ten years. Our values our put in other departments, which may only help us on the short term.

That’s sad.

The standards for education seemed to have lowered over the years. Between wars and recessions, our children have not be given the best that this country has to offer. This lacking has resulted in schools being a place of dread, in opposed to expectation.

In Philadelphia, a ten-year-old boy punched his teacher, leaving her with a black eye and him with a minor arrest. And, just last week, that same child was found carrying a BB gun on school property. Him, among countless others, have threatened and assaulted teachers and this is pattern is one that can be spotted throughout our states.

Across the country, in Chicago, many students find that they cannot attend the schools that they were aiming for. Despite the fact that have been going to school for the fifteen years of their life, what their records show isn’t good enough. That the education they have received isn’t what colleges are looking for.

We are limited, us students. Sure, we are given an education, but the way things are going, it’s doubtful that it will get us anywhere in life. Living in a country where degrees mean everything and fewer jobs exist than the day before, it’s all about intelligence. It’s a dog eat dog out there. And, if the country that you live in fails, no one succeeds. Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education, answered to the problem of our education by stating that now is the time to change the face of American schooling. That with the million or so teachers retiring, we need fresh, becoming educators to take their place.

And yet here we are, with no sense of reassurance, with no means of support, this country now decides that it is the best interest to improve the American meaning of education. The ten years that have passed can never be taken back - and the students who were denied the wisdom they tried to obtain can never relive their chances at success, it’s too late for them. Maybe the future holds more opportunity for change in our system, and in turn more opportunity for the youth of our nation. But for now, in this moment in time, we must focus our attention on the hole that have dug ourselves, one that will take years dig ourselves out. Look towards the future. Change the world to come if we ever want our country and our meaning of education.

We fall down; but we get up. 

Getting off train, guy pees himself

My benchmark is going okay. It more or less just finishing up my story that will determine the next step. Otherwise I know where I want it to got and what I want to do. 

SO far, my benchmark has been going well. i have created a twitter and a facebook page for my character I have also researched other blog sites to make my character.  I am close to completely most of my story and i plan to be done by the time the deadline arrives.

​Solomon Islands and Haiti

The countries that I choose where the Solomon Islands and Haiti. They are kind of the same when it comes to the problem that they have. But the only difference is that Haiti may have a little bit more to lose. The reason being you'll find out if you look at the link. The process was not all to difficult thanks to my teacher telling to try out CIA fact book. it worked well till i had to get to the hostile neighbors and the society reaction to environmental problems. For some reason they were just the hardest to find. But I did realize that when I did research that i found our book the "collapse". The frame work for it was super super straight forward. I it was easy to do so I had fun with. But it was a bit difficult so it made me think of how to work. I enjoyed the project. I would say if I could change one thing about it, it would be to have some sort of link that would help fine the last 2 questions so a person would spend their time wasted.

everytime i think about your name , it reminds me of some lady named kathy battle .
i know you hate it when i call you that but , i guess you have to deal with it because its my mouth.
oh the plenty of people who wish i couldnt talk .

My father always said he would love to live in Florida, but he didn’t like the idea of alligators and scorpions. So for all the Philadelphians who go through the terribly cold winter, wouldn’t it be nice to have a glimpse of Florida where we live? That sounds pretty amazing. Yet in reality it’s just a repeat of history.  

We all remember learning about the revolutionary war. But do we all remember learning about the mini ice age going on during the time of the war? And what about the warming period? I don’t think anyone can remember that. But it’s true. There was another period of when the earth could only take so much solar radiation and in result had global warming. In effect to global warming, the earth had a mini ice age, in which it was indeed freezing during the summer as well as winter. 

NASA has recently stated that over the last 100 years the climate change for hot weather has went up to .80 Degrees Celsius. NASA has also looked into the time frame of 2005-2011 at the amount of carbon dioxide concentration in the air. It has gone from 378 to 392. 

This carbon dioxide creates a thicker ozone layer in which traps the solar radiation that enters Earths hemisphere, and stays inside! With so much radiation, what do you feel the Earth will do? Go from a warming period to a cooling period. Great reasons for the Carbon Dioxide would have to come from burned fossil fuels. 

People continuously burn these fuels in order to have the energy we need to support our modern life styles. But it also only causes trouble for the earth’s layer of protection. Not only does carbon dioxide thicken the layer, but also other chemicals in the air deteriorates the layer in which is the result of the hole we have it in now. 

Many people find Global Climate Change not a very large problem because if the earth warms and our fresh water ice caps melt, then eventually earth will cool everything back up and the fresh water will be there and our ozone layer will be fine. Blah, Blah, Blah.

No. They’re wrong. It won’t be fine. This earth is our life and our being of which we survive. Energy might not be the simplest to try and fix but it’s a large step to a better future. People only see the face of this problem and the fact that Philadelphia may one day feel like Florida. Yet in reality, Philadelphia will one day feel like Alaska and smell like the pollution from Los Angeles, California. 

Support our living with energy conservation and better ways of production. Like saving up so your kids can use solar power or wind and water. Such things are expensive but with hard work and great minds, it can be achieved. 

Development is one of our nation’s key issues. From infrastructure like roads and schools, to educational and societal development, which allows our country to move forward. Our nation’s developmental goals allow us not only to push forward, but gives the people something to look forward to. However, this nation’s goals of development are constantly merged with the goals of other nations. Is this the right direction?

 

At the turn of the millennium, the United Nations issued an ambitious set of goals entitled the “Millennium Development Goals”, which were to insure rights for hundreds of people around the world. These goals include things like give every child a suitable education; reduce child mortality rates, and many other great things that would, theoretically, better the lives of many people. However, what’s the expense to the US, and other super-nations, left to pull the weight of these poor nations?

 

For one, this should not be taken as a justification of selfishness and excuse to become frugal and hesitant with giving, especially in major times of need, such as natural disasters. That isn’t the goal here, and that thinking will leave one nowhere. However, the belief is that one shouldn’t blame themselves for situations and predicaments that are not one’s fault, nor should we take the reigns of other nation’s problems.

 

Foreign aid is an issue that is no “foreigner” to America. In 2008, figures estimate that nearly 25 billion dollars was reserved for foreign aid. Though a percentage of these went to issues of natural disasters and universal democratic uprisings, however most of these went to those precedents set by that list theoretical dreams known as the “Millennium Development Goals”.  These goals, in the expert opinion of many, cannot be reached within the allotted goal set, which is 2015. In short, from 2000 to the present, the US has spent an approximate of 100’s of billions of dollars, for goals that the majority believes will not be reached. This proves a major waste of many taxpayers’ money and many politicians ‘ time.

 

Also, who’s to say that America has any part to play in any of this? As a nation, we have no blood on our hands, no position to blame, and therefore no legitimate reason, beyond the kindness of our hearts, to continue our continued support. However, we do, and we should, as once again, that is not the issue. However, in a time where money is tight and people are struggling to make ends meet, this “kind giving” needs to meet its limit.