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“Why do you never talk?”

“You’re always so quiet, are you always like this?”

These questions get thrown at me as I answer with a simple shrug and stay in the background of the conversation. The day carries on and this is the usual pattern. I stay quiet during class or table discussions and never draw attention to myself. Even within a small crowd, I don’t get the courage to speak, it takes enough just to introduce myself. The courage never does come and the nerves take over and they lock the idea away.

I had a group project that was to be presented to the class. As it got closer and closer to my group’s turn, I got even more nervous. I was scared that I would do something stupid and embarrass myself in front of the whole class. The presentation starts and I feel like I have lost all the words that I had prepared to say. Most of the speaking was done by my group members, except for one little slide that I spoke for. Most of the time my back was turned to the class. Whenever I turned to look at the eyes staring up at me, I would start to stutter. I walked back to my seat once we were done, relieved that I was able to make it through.

A mock debate was taking up two class periods. As everyone took their seats in the circle of desks, I tried rehearsing in my head what I was going to say. Everyone had their names labeled on the desk and the debate began. People discussed each of their opinions, once one person talked another person raised their hand. I listened to each point trying to figure how I would fit into the conversation. After each new argument, I would be too scared to add my own opinion. Would it be the right moment? I would wonder to myself. By the time I finally go through my entire thought process, someone else was picked to speak. Eventually the class period was over and we were moving on to the next class. My opportunity to maybe speak up a bit more had passed.

“You’re so loud.”

“I can’t help it.” I answer back

“You're probably making up for all the time you don’t talk during school .”

Once I get home, I become a new me. I am louder and can’t seem to stop talking. It’s as if I’m making up for not talking through the day. It’s the only place where I’m fine with the attention focused all on me. When I am at home, I feel more comfortable and feel as though I can speak whatever is on my mind. People I am closer to also see this change in the way I talk. The more comfortable I feel around the person, the more I talk to that person. When I am more comfortable, I feel safer to express my inner self. I share my opinions more and speak up more.

The class filled with raised hands as the teacher did yet another class discussion. Everyone is eager to share their opinion, everyone but me. I sit in my seat listening to everything people say about the topic. When someone raises an interesting argument, I suddenly have an idea to oppose or agree. Even with this idea floating around inside my mind, my hand stays down as others raise theirs. It’s as if my shyness holds my hand to the table, stopping me from sharing. As I get more comfortable, this grip slowly releases it’s strength.

“Whatchu guys up to?” I say walking over to my group of friends.

“Nothing much, just talking about Geometry.”

“I know. I can’t believe what we have to do for the last benchmark.” I comment

As the year carries on, I adjust a bit more into this new situation. I can talk to smaller groups more easily. My words flow out my mouth freely as I add more and more to the conversation. The words are no longer trapped in the back of my mind by my mouth. When talking in a class discussion, it still takes a great amount of courage to raise my hand and say what is on my mind. Once my hand is raised though and I get to say what I want to say, I feel as though I have made a little accomplishment. Presenting still makes me nervous with all eyes and attention on me, but once I start I can make it through even with a little eye contact. I feel as though I walk out of my quiet shell a little and show a bit of what I’m thinking.

Talking has always been a problem I have in public. For me nerves, take a big part of my limited speaking. I get nervous of all attention on me and in end don’t talk at all. I might try to be as close to talkative that I am at home, I can never fully be there. My quietness can sometimes cause my opinion to not be heard as loud and clear. My words are sometimes trapped in my mind as my mouth stays shout.

Talking is the way that people can communicate. Communication is the one thing that connects everyone together. With me getting nervous speaking in public, I cannot communicate with others better. Over the years, I have tried to speak and open up faster. Though I try to adjust faster, there is still a time where new situations keep my opinions caged in. Opinion is a big part of who someone is and when they are unable to convey that, you can never truly understand that person.

“ Sianneh!!” my mom would scream

“ Yeah?” I would reply

“ Did you leave this trash here?”

“No,it was Josh.”

“ Alright, pick it up then.”

“ But shouldn't Josh have to pick it up since he put it there?” I would say in a calm voice

I was rude, by my parent’s standards anyway. The way they thought a child should respectively address someone who was older than them, was different from my own understanding.

“ Just pick it up and stop being so disrespectful !” she would yell.

“ But I wasn't-”

“ I said do it now! Are really going to have a problem with this?” She says this  with the look that told me that if I pushed any further, a smack would surely and painfully follow. No questions asked. So I do myself the biggest favor in the world and keep my trap shut and put away the trash. She gives a nod that says “Smart move” and walks away.

This is what usually happens in my house. I have a brother and sister, so sometimes things can get really messy. It gets on my mom’s nerves so I try my best to clean up after myself so she doesn't blame me for it. However, she always shifted the blame on all of us and I thought that that was unfair of her to do that. I tried to speak my mind, but she always seemed to misinterpret my intention and associated it with me using rude language on her. Having parents that are from a different generation and culture, can be really difficult when trying to understand their morals and values that are so different from your own.

“ You guys need to learn how to clean up after yourself more. I am so sick and tired of cleaning up after you guys” she screamed.

In my parents’ generation, discipline was everything when they were my age. It was especially enforced in language. The way you talked showed how much respect that you had for your elders. Because you were a child, it was believed that you didn't know any better. Being that your elders had been around longer than you, it would only be right for you to just listen to them because they knew what was best for you. These were the kind of things that my parents were used to when they lived in Liberia. It is a country in Africa and they had lived there for their entire childhood. Growing up, my parents had a hard. They had to escape a civil war by having to leave behind their loved ones to come to the United States that they barely knew about. Never growing up where they came from, it was always hard to follow through like they had done. I developed the belief to speak my mind if something my parent were doing bothered me or upset me, yet they always took it the wrong way.

James Baldwin had said in his essay “ If Black English isn't a language, then tell  me, what is that language “is the most vivid and crucial key to identity: It reveals identity, and connects one with, or divorces one from, the larger, public, or communal identity. There have been, and are, times, and places, when to speak a certain language was dangerous.” Now I know that the way I speak to my parents doesn't put me in mortal danger.But, I still can’t help but relate to what he is saying. I always used to feel that I needed to be careful about the way I was speaking to my parents because any wrong word could set off a massive argument that never ends well for the child. And I mean never.   

I had started to think that maybe I was getting rude on them and I that I should try to change the way that I talked to them.So that was what I did.I would try to just follow their instruction without putting any comments that they would take as a sign of defiance. So that usually meant that I kept quiet. They seemed to be really happy with this and I thought I would be too.

However, I quickly learned that I shouldn't have to do that.That was when I decided that I just needed to talk to my parents and figure things out with them.

“Mom, Dad I need you to understand that I am not getting smart with you when I respond to one of your comments. I am sorry if you took it the wrong way, I really am, but I feel like I should have the right to say something if I see something that is unfair and feel safe enough to voice my opinion” I said to them when I sat them down to talk to them one day. And they had agreed with me. 

“ I understand that you are growing up and that you live in an age where it is encouraged for you to freely speak if you feel wronged. Thank you for coming to us and telling us how you feel. We will try to be more understand and talk it out more.” My father said. And my mom agreed with him too. 

Because of that, I am able to communicate more effectively with my parents. I learned to just try and sit down and talk to them to explain that the language that I use with them does not mean any disrespect to them.  

The Hockey Code

By: Stephen Buchanico

“Aye bud, your sauce ain't so tasty tonight, I smacked that biscuit right outta the air.” I replied with . “ Lucky tap buddy, I still got it back and dangled right by ya.” I flew past him and rifled a shot top shelf where momma hides the cookies and turned shouting. “ but that snipe makes up for it ya?” Hockey is like a different world, there's a whole language that comes into play when you get into it. It becomes like second nature to talk in that sort of language. “aye how bout that snipe bud?” Top cheese all day.” Its just something that you pick up as you get into the sport, and something that you don't forget. I use it around other hockey fans, players and friends. Its just a code that is picked up from playing and being around others who use it. If I said “He water bottled the biscuit like 99, made the goalie look like swiss cheese.” I'm pretty sure a lot of people would just look at me like i'm speaking another language. But I can say that kind of thing, or use that kind of code, around my friends whom i play hockey with, and they will know exactly what Im talking about.

One time I was on the bus with a couple of my teammates the day after a game, and we were just talking about the game. There were three of us and we were in the back of the bus and there was a lady sitting, listening in. “There chirps were pathetic yesterday.” I said. “Oh yeah I know, the one bender told me I had no flow and he was buzzed hahaha.” my close friend and team mate said. I peeked over at the women whom was listening in and noticed she had a very confused look on her face, I was about to say something and then I heard, “excuse me, If you don’t mind me asking, what are you guys talking about?” My teammates and I laughed and replied with “We are talking about our hockey game yesterday.” She still looked a little confused, “oh ok, well what were all those words?” we laughed again and replied to her, “There just hockey terms,” and my teammate chimed in with, “its just what we say.”

It was just like in the story with the girl who got the mouthguard and had a funny lisp. She said “Nobody takes me serious anymore.” People who don’t know what I am saying could not take me serious either. They would get too confused at what I am saying, just like the women on the bus. That was the first time I actually realized that we sound a little strange to people who do not know what we are talking about.  It seems a little weird to use the hockey code outside of places where it is easily picked up, like the rink or just around others who know it.

In my opinion, it is just like using a different language in a place that does not speak it. You would not go to somewhere that speaks mainly french and try to speak spanish, just like you would not go to a football game and talk in hockey code. That is how big of a change it is, all of the vocabulary, like snipe, gino, bottled, bar, cheese and so many more, are very confusing to many people.

Hockey code is different from other sport codes as well. In most sport, the fans know the code of the sport because it is not as deep. For example, football code is not as deep, because most of the words in the vocabulary are related to the rules of the sport, which makes the fans easily understand it. Hockey, on the other hand, is much deeper than that. For example, an average fan would call a bad player, just a bad player or a scrub, but a hockey player would call a bad player a bender, which is a player whose ankles bend because they do not tie their skates tight enough, which affects their skate and makes them bad. That is just one of many examples of words that are known by mainly only players, and not fans, unlike many other sports.  That is what makes it unique, and in some cases very confusing and different from other codes that people might hear everyday. Some call it weird or different but it is just because they are not used to it, If they were in the rink every day, they would not think it was weird, they would be fluent in it.

    My language is very important me. There are many reasons why this is true. In this essay, I will explore all of those reasons. Right now, as I type this paper at my table, I am think about what I shall write down to express the importance of the way I speak. I have not been made fun of because of how I speak, but it is still important to me. I talk to express who I am a person and thinker. Without my voice, I don’t know where I would be. My language gotten me where I am.

    One important fact about me is I can talk in slang and in other ways, but I know how to talk professional. That is why I got accepted into SLA. They asked me ¨What your version of the perfect classroom?¨ I said something alont the lines of ¨I think the perfect classroom would be where kids did not fight and didn’t throw things, but one where people were nice and wanted to learn, and where the teachers care.¨ They liked my answer. I liked it too. I don’t really have a special accent or tongue, but the way I talk puts me in good situations. I talk professionally around adults.

     Sometimes I feel like I am better at speaking than writing. Sometimes I have errors in writing that I wouldn’t have if I just spoke. I like to debate and argue things I believe in. Whether it’s politics or music, slavery or stereotyping, making good points and arguing are things I love to do while I am in school. I remember the slavery unit, in which we had such heated debates. They were very heated. But my ideas and beliefs were heard, and I was surrouded by other smart voices.

      The way I talk affects my point greatly. My voice is very regular in my opinion. It’s the words I make with my voice that really matter. That is how I express my views on things during class and advisory discussions. So that is important. I have had to go to speech class from 2nd to 9th grade. I learned how to have proper social situations, as well as how to talk properly. If it weren’t for speech class, I would not be the same person I am today. My parents taught me how to use proper grammer. That is why I can say the right things during an interview.

      I have had so many different class discussions where I have expressed my true opinions. I remember how last year in African American History we had a lot of class discussions, which got intense many times. A lot of times, I particapated in them. They were some of the most important places for my voice to be. I shared my views on stereotyping, slavery, racism, and many other things. So that was a great class. My voice and opinions were put to good use in that class. So, my voice is very important, and I am very careful about how I use it.

     My relationship for power and language is strong. My voice was powerful enough to get me into SLA. So there is power in my language. One time the class was asked about stereotyping, and I said sometging along the lines of ¨I that some people see these rappers, and they think all black people are thugs or criminals. That isn’t true, because we have people like Nelson Mandela, Al Sharpton, and Martin Luther King. They do not act like that.¨ The class was impressed with my response, and so was the teacher. The other responses were good as well. Another instance is when I talked about when I felt hate was ok. I said ¨ A rape victim, or the parent of a murdered child should not have to forgive the man that did this¨ Some people clapped. These are times where my voice had power, or an effect. So that is why I say that voice has power and importance.

    I am careful about what I say, because some words and comments are offensive. My mom taught me not to say certain things. When I was younger, I said a lot of homophobic and offensive things, and sometimes didn’t even know or care about how offensive they were. One time when I was 10, I was talking to a friend on the phone. We were talking about why we didn’t like Lady Gaga, or what we did not like about her. At one point, my friend said ¨I think she’s bisexual. She likes girls and boys.¨ I said something along the lines of ¨That’s plain nasty. She be kissing other girls. That just dirty and messed up. She’s gay! It’s wierd, and just not right.¨ Mom heard me, and did not like what I was saying. She never liked me making homophobic or sexual comments, especially not at that age. After I finished talking to him, Mom said ¨Ali, please don’t talk like that. There is nothing wrong with being gay.¨ It was ridiculous that I was saying such things, especially since I liked some of Lady Gaga’s songs. It was quite a while before listened to Mom, or agreed with her, fully. But eventually I did, and realized why these thoughts were not good at all. Now, I am more responsible when it comes to how I talk, and don’t talk about groups of people in such a way. Because my voice has power, and can affect my reputation for the better or worse. It can also either bring people up, or bring them down.

     My language says I am a nice and smart guy. The reason why is I use language that is intelligent and kind. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be in SLA. I also wouldn’t have that many friends. I get along with just about everyone in the school. If my language had a lot of insulting and impoliteness in it, then Things would not go so well for me. One time in 9th grade, I was comparing my kindness to cheese. The situation was that people from an acting school gave us an assignment. It was that we had to make a speech about ourselves, but we must use movement. So I decided my speech would be about my kindness. The 9th graders in orange & red stream went to a theater to perform our pieces. I performed my piece as well. I stood up in front of the audience, and performed this speech.

¨Being a good person is like being a stick of cheese with no mold. The mold representing evil and rudeness. I am not perfect, but I am very tasty. The chips represent people I have been kind to. It's like my kindness is the cheese, being melted and poured onto the chips, which are known as the people. The deliciousness of the cheese represents the quality of my kindness and personality. It has very high quality, and I always try to get it higher. It's what I was created for. I am not trying to say that I am the greatest stick of cheese. There are better pieces of cheese in the kitchen. They are the yummiest of cheeses, but I try to be as yummy as them. I try to melt the best cheese I can melt, and pour that on the chips. Every chip turns out yummy. I poured cheese on close chips, which are known as friends. One example is how a chip need help making a flavor. In other words, a friend asked me for help with a project that was a huge part of our grade. What I did was let him come over for the weekend so I could help him, and have fun for the rest of the weekend. And that's what I did I felt so good pouring all of that cheese on him. Making yummy nachos with my cheese feels so good. My kindnes and strive to be the best person I can is comparable to a delicious nacho cheese. The quality of the cheese must be good, just like my kindness must be. That is the way to make to other plates. In other words, you must be nice and have good morals to make it in life. I must get tastier and get more cheddar every day. Cheese is suppose to upgrade in both flavor and quality. Saying I am the best cheese is wrong. There are times when I could have been tastier, but I try to be as yummy as can be. That is my duty, and I am proud of that.¨

     I was cheered and applauded for what I said. I was happy with the response I had. That is what I mean by my language represents me. I am a kind and intelligent human being, and that speech proved it.

     My conclusion is that my words and my language are very important. It is what I use to express my thoughts and personaity. All of the reasons I just expressed really points out why they are important to me. So I will continue to use them properly.

“The moment we saw each other, we knew it was meant to be.” Almost everybody has heard this phrase on TV or in the movies, but does this happen in real life? Because of this small sentence, lots of people ask how someone could fall in love with someone just by looking at them. Many people assume that people can choose who they fall in love with. However, brains are actually controlled because of the powerful force love has, so they can’t force themselves to love someone – it just happens.  

Looking at the science of it, there are many small components that make someone fall in love with their significant other. For instance, their face. An Australian scientist discovered that women prefer a man with a symmetrical face, which is often considered a sign of good health. In an interview, Dr. Grossman, a physiologist, said, “It’s a survival of the fittest thing. We subconsciously look at their face and say, ‘That’s a great face -- our kids are going to look awesome.” It is a form of judgment, which is a quick one. It takes even less than a second for their brains to make the decision when they first meet someone. This has turned into people calling it “love at first sight.” People, when they meet someone of the opposite sex, tend to visually fixate on the face to see if they will see any signs of any romantic love.

This basic concept of love at first sight has been used in many stories, such as Romeo and Juliet, and West Side Story. However, one of the most popular TV shows, The Big Bang Theory, began with this simple experience: In the pilot episode, two physicists return home from work when they notice a woman moving in across the hall from their apartment. The moment one of the physicists, Leonard Hofstadter, makes eye contact with the woman, Penny, he instantly becomes nervous and begins stuttering when he speaks. At the end of their conversation, he turns to his colleague and says, “Our babies will be smart and beautiful.” Love at first sight is always looked at in a curious manner by most teenagers and adults. They used this concept in the show to send the message. This is a general example of how it only takes within five seconds for someone’s brain to analyse the person they’re meeting and make a decision on whether or not they like them. It is like saying they only get one chance to make a good first impression of themselves.

But love at first sight is not the only example of how we could suddenly end up loving someone. People are most likely to fall in love with people they hang out with every day: Their friends. They can choose their friends, but they can’t choose which of them they are in love with. The love force always starts small, and then it slowly gets bigger, making it more clear to the person as time progresses. It usually takes a few months, but at some point, someone will begin to think of their friend (opposite sex) more often than they’re used to. Specifically, there is such a thing as two lovers with completely different personalities. A professor of physiology said that, "Based on what research evidence shows, similar people are more likely to get together in the first place -- and are also more likely to find satisfaction in their relationship." (Prof. William Ickes) It may be most likely that mismatched couples may not stay together for long, but it is how they loved each other in the first place that makes people curious. It’s like needing a positive charge and a negative charge to make a battery or needing peanut butter and also jelly to make a sandwich. Opposite people who fall in love have brains that somehow attract to each other. It is one of the ways that show how love can happen at any moment, without people knowing.

If people stopped to think about it, they would realize that love is not just about "love at first sight," but also opposites attracting as well. People assume that love is as simple as meeting someone, and then developing an affection towards them. Actually, the powerful force of love is running through their systems every day without them knowing.

Works Cited:

Scott, Jennifer A. "8 Secrets (From Science) For Falling In Love." The Huffington Post. N.p., 2014. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/07/12/why-do-people-fall-in-love_n_1667527.html>.

DiLonardo, Mary Jo, and This Article Was Originally Published on Upwave.com. "Do Opposites Really Attract?" CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. <http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/07/living/opposites-attract-upwave-relate/>.

“Maybe I can do use this when applying for a job.” I’ll say something like that but it won’t really be my full opinion. This is pointless and is a waste of time. I don’t understand why this must be done now. I’ll think something blunt, yet truthful like this, but I wouldn’t dare say it like that. This way, I’m being respectful and courtesy to the feelings of others. My mouth and my mind are connected by thoughts and nothing more. My mind will have many thoughts about the same topic, but my mouth will filter these ideas into a single and usually positive phrase that should be said. I learned from a young age that “everything has a time and a place,” and that adjusting to these schedules is the hardest part in following this rule.

I filter what I say a lot because I can easily offend a person when I don’t. There have been many times when my mind has gotten the better of me and said something that didn’t need to be heard by others. My mouth is like a gate and my mind, a prison, ideas and sentences regularly attempting to escape away into the ears of others. No matter how big and strong the gate is, there will always be that one prisoner that escapes somehow. This is a continuing conflict when I speak with people.

“How-”

“What Devia?”

“Nevermind…”

“No, say it.”

This constantly gets me. I will want to say something, but stop halfway through when I come to terms with what I was about to say. It can be that my sentence may have been bad or offensive, or it just may not have made any sense. I’ve continually had to take my time and reevaluate the words that I was about to say because of the latter. Sometimes, I’ll have words ready in my head but won’t know how to phrase them correctly. Then, before I know it, I’m saying something that sounds stupid because it isn’t proper English or sounds muffled and inaudible. Even while I write this, I am still not using proper English. When I was younger, my speech wasn’t that good and I unintentionally worked to change that.

Everyday, I went to my Pre-K school and each day I had to go upstairs to a special teacher. In my brain, the brain of a 5 year old, I thought that it was just another thing to do. The teacher was actually my speech therapist; I just didn’t know she was. I was there to learn how to keep from stuttering and stumbling over words. Instead of learning anything, I remember playing a bunch of games each day and doing different activities. Little did I know that by doing these things, my speech was improving. I came from not even trying to pronounce words to sounding them out, and from barely speaking to speaking all of the time. I felt comfortable with what was supposed to be my English, but it was really just society’s view of proper English. Then I went to kindergarten.

When I began, everything was alright. Then, some weeks went by and my teacher realized that some of my words didn't sound right. My teacher was the one who recommended me to go to another speech therapist that worked in my school. When I did go, that therapist said that I didn't need her. She told me that there was no need for me to come to her any longer and everything would work itself out; I would just grow out of it. Even though that's what she told me, that never happened. I often find myself struggling to get out words or thoughts and get frustrated in the process. My speech has improved naturally and tremendously, but I still have to take my time as I say certain things because my pronunciation isn't at one hundred percent yet.

I can't help but say that my speech therapist is someone who helped me speak more. Before her, I was very uncomfortable speaking in public and with other people besides my immediate family members. I became more comfortable using the way I speak to communicate with people around me. My voice became something that I wanted to use more than not, so I began speaking. Maybe I spoke a little too much, because that’s when I started saying things that had no need to be said. This is when I had to learn what a filter was, and I had to learn how to use my filter at an early age.

No matter what was going on around me, I still had to take the time out to realize what I was saying may not be the best choice at that moment. With this, on top of having to make sure my words were correctly enunciated, my speech has always had to be something that I take my time in doing. I know that it isn’t perfect but I know that I still have time to get it there also. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to enhance my speech with a therapist and I’m grateful that it isn’t as bad as it could be. What I say and how I say it may not always be what I mean to say, but I try to make it something that needs to be heard instead.

I may say something because it is socially acceptable, not because it is what I really think. In an 1970’s paper written by James Baldwin, he said, “Language, incontestably, reveals the speaker.” This is something that is nearly always true that I never wanted to be. People should not be able to read you by what comes out of your mouth and yet they do anyway. No one should know anything certain about you unless you have told them yourself, and this is what I try to make sure of.

Principal: “Good morning! Welcome to the school and the new grade. I hope you like it.”

Students: “Good morning!”

Principal: “How are you today?”

Students: “Good. You?”

Principal: “I am good, thank you. How was your summer?”

Students: “It was nice.”

After that, the principal then proceeded to read out each student’s name and told them which room to go to and which teacher to follow. Then I couldn't understand what she was saying because of the lack of power in my English. A quote that reminds me of that moment is by Rita Mae Brown, “Language exerts hidden power, like the moon on the tides”. The language the principle was speaking I knew had power, which made everyone respond. I also had trouble understanding the accent because from where I came from was Bangladesh and there, English is spoken in a different way. English was used because different languages were used for communication. So I ended up going to the wrong room and making a fool of my self. This made me realize the power of knowing a language.  

In Bangladesh things were spoken differently and in America things were too. A Bengali and English accent are different from each other by the sound. For a Bengali accent it sounds like the letters are softer and fast spoken than those in English. For a English accent it sounds more rougher and slow spoken. English is also spoken through vowels but in Bengali there’s no structure of sound, it just flows out. When I first came to America speaking for me was hard and it was really embarrassing because everyone knew and could speak English, but I couldn't. Quoting from The Warrior Woman, to me it seemed like almost “a telephone call made my throat bleed and took up that day’s courage,” and I felt sad sometimes about it.

ESOL teacher: “Can you ask me what time is is?”

Me: “What time is it?”

ESOL teacher: “Okay now can you read me the time?”

Me: “Its uhh four thirty-six?”

ESOL teacher: “No four thirty-nine.”

Me: “ohhh.”

Soon my ESOL teacher helped me understand English better. Quoting from The Warrior Woman, “I cut it so that you would not be tongue tied. Your tongue would be able to move in any language,” she was that. She taught me how to pronounce words and what they meant. She also helped me with my handwriting and spelling, even to this very day I can’t explain myself clear but I know the basic things to help me explain because of her. To me language is power of myself and how I express me. When speaking English I always try my best to communicate what I want to say and how I say it. When I say English language I say with power because I want others to understand me and I then feel better about my language and accent. My accent may not be very fluent like an Americans talking but I know my speech is fine because I’m embracing me and my culture, from Bangladesh.

Language is a common communication amongst others that can identify things. Things like who you are, where you come from and how you describe them and we say those thing by power which is how our words come out. There are definitions for how our words come out. One is called pialet, that mean what you say and how you say it and how a person say is by their accent. Another definition of a way of how language is said is called slang. That mean new fashionable words and phrases people use because its simple and fun to understand. Another thing is that some people may not understand you even though if your speaking the same language because in different area they have different name calling for things. For example, in Philadelphia people say hoagies which to other people are “sub sandwiches”.

Apart from being a means of communication, language is also used to gain political power. Quoting from the essay If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What is? By James Baldwin”- “It goes without saying , then, that language is also a political instrument, means, and proof of power”. To me it means that language isn't just used for communication but also by power. For let us instance consider two people contesting for election, and one of them knows the local language. It will be easier for the person who knows the local language to gain people’s votes and support. It will also be easier for him to help people and retain his position of power. Language also gives you the power to communicate with people who speak the same language, without letting other people know what you talking about.

Edward Snowden went from a loyal NSA contractor to a United States Traitor. Many people knew him to be politically conservative, very intelligent, and he was also a gun owner. No one expected this man, the most trusted man in the United States of America to be behind the biggest intelligence leak in history. Even after Edward Snowden leaked thousands of classified documents he still considers himself a patriot, and he is not the only one who agrees with this statement. Most people have agreed with Edward Snowden and his actions, but many others are deeply divided and worried by government surveillance. According to the Huffington Post Fifty-one percent of Americans said that Edward Snowden was “something of a hero” who should have been rewarded for his actions, while fifty-four percent of Americans agree that “security and anti-terrorism efforts mean we may sometimes have to infringe on civil liberties such as personal information privacy”. It is an issue that currently makes the American people question their privacy and the actions of the government. Edward Snowden’s actions have made the American people question the government and people’s safety relating to the privacy that American citizens are entitled to.

Many Americans are conflicted in what they think of Edward Snowden and his actions. The Huffington Post states that “fifty-one percent of Americans said that Edward Snowden was something of a hero who should be commended for letting the public know that the governments are running electronic surveillance programs that threaten people’s privacy”. While 49 percent labeled him more of a traitor who should be condemned for publicizing security activities and threatening western intelligence operations, along with the NSA. Edward Snowden’s actions have clearly surprised many Americans in a positive and a negative way, the previous example shows a statistic that proves that not only did part of the American government label him as a traitor but many Americans also suggested that he should have been condemned for leaking thousands of classified documents.  In response to my previous statement this situation causes people to have a hard time making sense to it because it clearly threatens western intelligence agencies that help protect security activities, but not one U.S. citizen was aware this was going on in the government.

Hero or no hero he has brought to light important information that deserved to be in the public’s reach, while doing no harm to the national security of his country. Many Americans today are genuinely and understandably torn by Edward Snowden’s actions. Even though he revealed many U.S. government actions and is now classified as a criminal, many Americans find it troubling that their privacy does not exist. It makes sense that people feel grateful to the person who brought this information to us, but is calling him a hero appropriate? In a recent interview with Edward Snowden people now have cause to doubt how much privacy they are entitled to. In this interview Edward Snowden stated, “The N.S.A. has built an infrastructure that allows it to intercept almost everything. With this capability, the vast majority of human communications are automatically ingested without targeting. If I wanted to see your emails or your wife’s phone, all I have to do is use intercepts. I can get your emails, passwords, phone records, credit cards.” This example not only shows the little privacy American citizens have but it also shows how easy it is for the government to access people’s important information that not only affects us as individuals but  families as well.

Today Edward Snowden remains a hero to some, to others he is a common criminal and wouldn’t characterized him as a hero of any kind. I believe this topic is very interesting because in though this is a issue currently going on in the United States, many people from different countries have expressed their feelings about Edward Snowden and his actions, for example in in The Huffington Post it is stated that 67 percent of the people living in Canada and 60 percent in the U.K. viewed him as a hero. Even after Edward Snowden leaked thousands of classified documents to public domain, it has come to the conclusion that the U.S. government currently uses intercepts to hack into emails, phone records, credit cards, etc. The reality of it is that American citizens have a very small amount of privacy than people think they are entitled to, which shows to point how the government contains personal information and why it is needed.

Work Cited:

Edwards-Levy, Ariel. "Americans Still Can't Decide Whether Edward Snowden Is A 'Traitor' Or A 'Hero,' Poll Finds." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/30/edward-snowden-poll_n_4175089.html>.

"Edward Snowden: 'I'd Volunteer for Prison' to Return to US." TODAY. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2014.

Why Edward Snowden Is a Hero - The New Yorker." The New Yorker. Http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/edward-snowden-says-motive-behind-leaks-was-to-expose-surveillance-state/2013/06/09/aa3f0804-d13b-11e2-a73e-826d299ff459_story.html, n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2014.

"Quora." Why Do Some Americans Believe Edward Snowden Is Not a Hero? -. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2014.

Improvements:

I first edited the mistakes that Ms.Pahomov had commented onto my google document, after I resolved the comments I looked for words that I know are not allowed in 2fer essays. Secondly, I had one of my peer's peer edit my essay just in case there were any mistakes that I couldn't see, there were a couple that my peer found but I fixed them just in time. I then clicked my sources cited to make sure that they were the right ones, I used a couple of sources but they weren't in the right order at first. I also tried to fix some of my paragraphs that repeated, I think I did a pretty good job trying to make it more sightful. If I could change anything I would change the sentence structures of my essay.

My language, My life

“Ah yo, come here real quick” they always say.

“Naw I’m chillin’. Imma just go in the other direction.” I answer.

“What I say.”

“I don’t care, so what you gonna do stupid.”

“You think this is a game, huh?”

“Yeah always. All day every day, keepin’ it one hunnit. Thought y’all knew me by now.”

“Yeah there he is. My manz is back (laughing continues). What you been up to?”

“Nothing much really. Just chilling as always.”

“You still down for the party?”

“I don’t know. Momz not going out tonight.”

“Come on man, you got to. I know you remember what happened last time. Now don’t lie, it was crazy sick.”

“Yeah I know, but I can’t always do it. Remember I’m trynna go places. I can’t have this coming back at me. I got ya’ll next time ard.”

“Yeah yeah but bail on us next time then.”

My old friends...always able to speak freely with them. They were the ones to get me to open up. You know, actually live a little. It was because of them that I was to have fun. Before I met them, I jut nothing but study, which is good but I wasn’t haven’t any fun. And at that moment that we started to hang, I got my new idea of the world. I figured out that I couldn’t be happy with myself if I wasn’t able to have fun and so I did. I adapted to their way of speech, and understood their mindset, but I didn’t let that control me. I wanted to have that in mind, but still able to obtain new ways of communication.

My mind is continuously moving. Constantly reminding myself not to fall into the trap. It’s trying to stay above ground, no slip ups, no mistakes. I really wanted to go, I really did, but I would be pushing it with all the extra work my new school likes to give me. I didn’t really expect it all, but I choose the school because it would help me better myself. It gave me new opportunities to explore so I can experience all I need to. I need to be able to make a difference.

“Can  I get a ‘Amen’ now?” says pastor. “I said can I get a ‘Amen’!”

“AMEN!”

“We have here today brother Kareem and he wants to say something to the church this Sunday morning.”

“Well really I just wanted to thank you all for helping me get further in life. You all have motivated me to push harder, strive for the best, conquer the odds, and be a better person that people outside of here will know as the one who succeed. The trials you put me through has proven that I can live up to the challenge, but the only fight left is with myself. Thank you.”

That was when I was the worship leader for one service. They caught me coming back from my vacation and I just decided to just do it. I was able to lead the service, tell them what’s going on, and afterwards they wanted me to say something in response. So I said that to them, and that left them a little shocked. They didn’t think that I noticed what they did for me over the years, and so that was just one of the many things I did to repay the favor.

Me personally I have a mask over my face that I’m always doing the best I can making it seem like I’m someone else, but truthfully, they both are me. They’re just the different sides of me. You have the civilized, and the uncivilized me. They just change with the degree of my mood.

“Yes mother. I did that already. No you can’t do that. Just let me fix the wires when I get home okay? Okay bye.”

“She needs your help again?”

“Yeah but it’ll wait, I gotta finish this first. This is just too cool to miss.”

They show the side of me that fits with you better. The side of me that you’ll most likely accept. I don’t really mean to, but it kind of just happens. I do it to find my place, to get a better understanding of myself, to know what I need to do in order to succeed. These voices, sounding different, all show the pieces of me. It’s just your job to fit them together so you hear, see, feel, know everything that I do. So really, I feel like I don’t change myself. Yes I code switch, but I only do it so people can understand me. From one to the other, the change makes me fit in. The change is my way to survive.

“Kareem!”

“What!”

“Excuse me!”

“Yes. How may I help you?”

“You better watch yourself”

“How can I help you?”

“Just do what you have to do in the house.”

“Yeah okay.”

“What was that?”

“Yes master. I mean mom”

Just a usual confrontation with my mom. It’s not bad, but since it happened so much, I started changing my way of responding. You saw I said “master” and at this point it comes out from time to time. I can’t use my regular way of speaking when it comes to her even though she uses it towards me. It seems a bit backwards but I just switch it so she can understand me.

Brittany Cooper  

Air Stream

The double standard rule according to dictionary.com is “any code or set of principles containing different provisions forone group of people than for another, especially an unwrittencode of sexual behavior permitting men more freedom than women.”  

There are certain expectations that society already has set out for individuals. Whether a man or a woman, gender roles will always have a judgement on certains actions. The common double standard rule affects women just as much as men. An example of the double standard rule is the controversy of the physical interaction of men and women abusively. Its in unacceptable for a man to put his hands on a woman. But okay for a woman to put her hands on a man if it means “defending” herself.  It's about the double standard that actually punishes men for domestic violence MORE than women.

Due to the fact that society portrays men in a certain way he is bound to act tough and obtain control at all times. Researchers believe that there is a universal gender role towards men. It is said  all men are to server as a protector and a provider. Researchers also believe that there is a universal gender role towards men. It is said  all men are to server as a protector and a provider. As a protector they should defend what is theirs. As a provider they should insure the safety and take care of those whom belong.

When being an athlete they are sponsored by many high endurance companies. As an famous athlete in a public eye, conducting oneself accordingly is a must.  are responsible for the actions as individual and when associating with others from another group. Why is it acceptable for a woman who was charged with a assault keep her NSL career but Ray Rice charged with assault as well is at the process of losing his job.  This brings you back to domestic violence. According to the MintPress News, women are three times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by their male counterpart than vice versa. However more than  830,000 men are a victim to domestic violence every year. Every 37.8 seconds a man is a victim of domestic violence. In 2001, The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health surveyed about 14,320 people between the age of 18 & 28, a statistic was discovered. When committing acts of domestic violence more women than men were responsible( 25% vs. 11%).  

Hope Solo, 33, is a Women’s National soccer player. Her position on the team is goalkeeper. She has been goalkeeping since 2000. In June 23,2014 Hope Solo, was arrested on the charger of domestic violence according to the NY Post. She allegedly got into a physical altercation with two family members. It is told that Solo was supposedly intoxicated at the time of the altercation according to police. One victim, identifying as a 17- year old nephew, who bleeding from a cut from his ear.  When she attacked her nephew punching him in the face, while saying that his was “too fat & crazy” to be a pro athlete. Another victim as her half sister who’s was left with a cheekbone that was swollen and purple. Who tried to break up the fight. Hope Solo has pleaded not guilty to two counts of misdemeanor domestic violence. She is scheduled to go to trial in November. If she found guilty she can face up to 6 months in jail. With all this being said the U.S Soccer in still allowing her to play in U.S -WNT.

Ray Rice, 27, is a football player for The National Football League. He is a running back for the Baltimore Ravens. He was drafted in 2008, and has played as a Ravens player since 2008. On March 27, 2014 Ray rice was charged with 3rd degree aggravated assault. He was caught on camera punching his the Fiance now wife unconscious in a elevator. This is prior to his arrest of domestic violence on February 15, after having a physical altercations with his then fiancée, Janay Palmer at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, NJ according to ESPN  as well is at the process of losing his job.

However a recent video posted by TMZ shows that Janay Palmer hit Rice while walking in the elevator. When they enter the elevator there was a exchangement of words. At that point Rice leans his face towards Palmer, which lead to Janay to shove Rice away. any his finacée by her arms out of an elevator, laying her on the floor.  ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbwTMJroTbI → Link to the Video ) .

As a result according to NBC Sports, Ray Rice is currently suspended indefinitely by the NFL. However Ray Rice is filing for an appeal on the indefinite suspension. The decision towards suspending Ray Rice was appropriate . However he should not be suspended indefinitely. I say this because Hope Solo is being charged on similar accounts and still is able to keep her career. Just because you are a woman does not give up the right to be able to be physical with a person in a negative way, as to a man. Domestic Violence should not be viewed based upon gender but upon acts .

Work Sited

1. NBC Sports. "Ray Rice to Appeal Indefinite Suspension On Monday." ProFootballTalk. Independent Programming Report, 2012-2014. Web. 06 Oct. 2014. <http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/09/14/ray-rice-to-appeal-indefinite-suspension-on-monday/>.

2. "Hope Solo and the Domestic Violence Case No One Is Talking about." Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2014/09/19/hope-solo-and-the-domestic-violence-case-no-one-is-talking-about/>.

3. Peyser, Andrea. "Double Standard Allows Soccer Star Hope Solo to Stay in the Game." New York Post. NYP Holdings, Inc., 06 Oct. 2014. Web. 06 Oct. 2014. <http://nypost.com/2014/10/06/double-standard-allows-soccer-star-hope-solo-to-stay-in-the-game/>.

4. Services, ESPN.com News. "Ravens' Ray Rice indicted." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. <http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10684250/ray-rice-baltimore-ravens-indicted-aggravated-assault>.

5. "Woman As Aggressor: The Unspoken Truth Of Domestic Violence." MintPress News. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2014. <http://www.mintpressnews.com/woman-aggressor-unspoken-truth-domestic-violence/196746/>.

Felix d’Hermillon

English Twofer Rough Draft

If Seaworld and other aquatic prisons stopped to think about it, they would realize that orca whales being contained in captivities is not just about showboating the animals , but is deeply hurting the animals well being as well. This is something that is not acknowledged in todays world and should be addressed. Something needs to be done about this and it needs to be made more public with what is going on. They are put in these captivities against their will, and are Killer whales (aka orca whales) are the largest of the dolphin family. They are extremely strong predators. They are on average the size of a school bus. They hunt in pods with their family of about 40 whales, so if one of the whales is bad, imagine being hunted by 40 whales. Killer whales hunt other mammals in the ocean such as seals and sea lions. Killer whales tend to live in colder places. Killer whales are animals that are extremely friendly but it is needed to know that any situation with humans involved with killer whales can go south in a split second.

Seaworld damaged the whales immediately from the start. The way they caught them was unacceptable, and sea world keeps  in spaces that are way too small for mammals of their size. These spaces are unacceptable. They are not only shoving them into these tiny spaces, but they are also putting more than one animal into these captivities, and they are harming each other as well. When Tilikum was just admitted into sea land, he was kept in a very small container for ⅔’s  of his life, and the other ⅓ of his life he was in a show or he was training for the show. This container was 20 feet in length and 30 foot depth water. The whales themselves are on average 20-26 feet long.  While he was in the container, he was with several other whales. They would do what is call raking ,when other whales rub their teeth against the skin of one whale, throughout the night and he would come out with scratches and cuts all over his body. He was in Sea Land until he killed Keltie Byrne. Keltie Byrne was an orca whale trainer for sea world. Shortly after the death they closed sea land, and auctioned off the whales. These whales are being driven crazy. They are rebelling. The whales did not do anything to be captured and kept as prisoners in the captivities. They didn’t do anything until kept in captivities. If they were released there would be no controversy.

Conflicting with the name that they were given, killer whales are extremely friendly in the wild. This is true because the  There has never been a reported killer whale on a human in the wild. On the contrary, there has been many attacks of trainers in se world and or any other wild life aquatic captivities. Sea world has had so countless numbers of killer whale attacks. Keltie Byrne was attacked in SeaWorld, was killed by Tilikum, a whale who has killed three trainers. A whale who is known for killing. Keltie was walking along side of the pool with Tilikum and two other whales in the pool. Keltie tripped and fell in the pool. Tilikum grabbed her foot and dragged her to the bottom of the tank. He drowned her. Dawn Brancheau died at the hand of Tilikum as well. He scalped her, broke her bones and drowned her. Daniel P. Dukes, a man that broke into SeaWorld at night and went for a late night swim with Tilikum was found dead the next day. Tilikum killed the man over night. He was found with countless injuries leading to his death. This is all from being kept in captivity. They need to be released. It is not healthy for them to be contained in small captivities and they also should be with their own kind. They should be able to stare off into the water and not see any walls. They should see their family and be in their presence.

These killer whales were and still are being driven to psychosis. Killer whales swim an average of 95 miles a day, but if they are in captivities they are unable to. These whales are being kept in these tiny prisons for their entire life of course they are gonna snap. Imagine if a somebody was being kept in a basement for their entire life. Of course they are going try and rebel. It’s the instinct to survive, and just because the killer whales are trying to survive, doesn’t mean that they are terrible animals that are killers. It means that they will try to survive and all of  this behavior was all caused by frustration the whale was feeling. The press made these animals out to be stone cold killers when in fact they are quite the opposite. They should be respected and left alone in the wild.

Everything points to Killer whales suffering when they are in captivities. They are caught very cruelly, suffer from injuries when kept in tanks, suffer from other whale attacks, and try to rebel and kill humans out of frustration. They will never live up to their full potential when they are kept in tanks like that. Killer whales are animals with rights and they do not deserve to be kept in facilities.

Works Cited

"Killer Whales (Orcas), Killer Whale Pictures, Killer Whale Facts - National Geographic."National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.

"30 Years and Three Deaths: Tilikum's Tragic Story - SeaWorld of Hurt." SeaWorld of Hurt. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.

“ BlackFish”. Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite. 2013. Online Movie.

"11 Things You Didn't Know About SeaWorld - SeaWorld of Hurt." SeaWorld of Hurt. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.

As more and more children come into the world screens and keyboards are thrust into their hands. It is familiar to them because they see their friends or their parents using them. Something else to consider is social media and the effect it has on teenagers lives, as they open their laptops and close their doors.  Today's young people are growing up disconnected from nature by spending so much time in front of a screen, therefore in the future they will value the natural world less than any prior generation.

There are multiple opinions on this topic, some supporting the idea of active technology in childrens lives, others saying it is time to limit the time we spend glued to the glowing screens. It is not hard to find a child on the couch watching a movie instead of running outside and enjoying the fresh air. The neglection of nature will follow them into their adults lives, and impact how they will see the world compared to their parents or grandparents. They will value nature less in their adult lives, and these are our future politicians, business owners, teachers.

A study done by a New York University found that 55% of 12 year olds were registered on Facebook , while a survey of children in Britain concluded at 34%. Another study was done by The Kaiser Foundation, a US welfare institute, the study found that children as young as eight spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes on the screen every day.  The distraction implicated by social media and television are majorly involved in the disconnection from nature, for everyone, not just children.

Adults are using their screens for everyday activities mainly their jobs, however it is not just children who are becoming disconnected. In fact it is not right to blame children for the large presence of technology in their lives, children see their parents texting during dinner or spending nights in front of the television they’re going to do the same.

Some schools are to give out laptops, others give out iPads, and smartboards replace chalkboards. This is not a bad thing, in fact it could make the lives of teachers easier, but if students are spending so much of their free time and their school or work time what happens when the screen is taken away? The Pali institute, an outdoor education camp for public school children and Children's Digital Media Center @LA at UCLA found a group of approximately 100 6th graders over a period of five days. They all had absolutely no access to screens of any kind. The study found that children's skills in reading the emotion in other childrens faces got dramatically better. The time they spent interacting in groups, with their peers and counselors, made an important difference. The kids at the camp improved their understanding of emotion, they were able to spend five days without technology.

Although children might not think that conserving nature matters much, their influence goes beyond watching the nature channel on TV to leading a litter pick up in their neighborhood.  Since they are young they need to be pushed by their parents to get off the couch and spend more time outside, ultimately going on to helping their neighborhood become more appreciative of nature. It is much easier to sit on the couch and spend two hours catching up on shows than it is to spend two hours picking up apple cores, however everyone, of all ages should try to spend at least two hours outside. Not necessarily picking up trash, but reading a book, drawing, or just sitting and appreciating the view.

Language & Stereotypes

   Language is perceived the way it is due to a combination of many factors. While the words may be spelled one way on paper, they are often spoken differently, and to another speaker, they may sound completely different. The way a language is spoken contributes to English speakers’ stereotypes  about speakers of that language.

   One example of this is Arabic. The Arabic language has many "velar" and "uvular" sounds that English doesn't have. An example of a velar sound is the final sound in the word "loch". To make that sound, one has to make a "k" sound, but in the back of the throat. An Arabic example of this is the word "خضراء” (“xaḍrāʾ”), which means “green”.

Velar and uvular sounds can sound harsh to people who don’t speak Arabic. The non-Arabic speaking wife of an Arabic speaker notes that, “When I listen to my husband and his friends speak most of the time I assume there is something wrong or they are disagreeing with something [...] the words to me seem harsh and very pronounced.” As noted in the quote, these sounds contribute to stereotypes about Arabic - namely, the stereotype that Arabic people are “aggressive”, as velar sounds often sound harsh and abrasive to English speakers.

   Another example  is Chinese. The Chinese languages, especially Mandarin Chinese, are some of the most stereotyped languages in the world. Chinese has six variants of a single sound, “t͡ɕ”, which is similar to “t͡ʃ”, a sound that English speakers spell "ch". This, combined with their common use of the "ng" sound, help create the most common stereotype of Chinese: "ching chong". A rhyme that was common in the early twentieth century plays off of this:

Ching Chong, Chinaman,
Sitting on a wall.
Along came a white man,
And chopped his tail off.

While incredibly racist, this rhyme shows how the sound of the language can contribute to stereotypes- not just the “ching chong” stereotype, but the idea that Chinese people are “outsiders” who don’t belong. This mindset is much less of a problem in languages that share many sounds with English, such as Dutch and German.

A third example of this is French. The French stereotype is very popular in America, especially the stereotype that “ze Fhhrench speak like zees” and laugh nasally like “hon hon hon”. These stereotypes stem from French phonology, where r’s are trilled (/ʁ/), some vowels are nasal (/ɑ̃/), there’s no “th” sound, and there’s no /ɪ/ (like in English “bin”). This is often made fun of, as the nasal vowels in French can seem almost “uppity” to some English listeners. According to the site TV Tropes, these stereotypes are common in television, with a few famous examples being “Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther, Lumière in Beauty and the Beast, all the French characters in 'Allo 'Allo!, and Pepe Le Pew.” In addition, these stereotypes can also make French people seem goofy, as shown by the fact that many characters in entertainment have stereotypical French accents for no apparent reason. One example is in the movie Shrek, where Robin Hood speaks English with a French accent for no reason other than to generate laughs.

In conclusion, one can deduce that the way a language sounds can affect stereotypes of speakers of that language. Some sounds can seem agressive, like Arabic /x/. Some sounds can seem otherly, like Chinese /t͡ɕ/. Other sounds can even sound goofy, like French /ɑ̃/. The cooperation of these sounds with other sounds from their languages can give the languages a personality that is projected onto speakers of that language.

Works Cited

"How Does Arabic Sound to Foreigners?" How Does Arabic Sound to Foreigners? EgyptSearch, 23 July 2004. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

Newman, D. The Phonetics of Arabic (n.d.): n. pag. Durham University Community. Durham University. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

Duanmu, San. "Chinese (Mandarin), Phonology of." Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics,. 2nd ed. N.p.: Elsevier House, n.d. Print.

Lee, Mary Paik, and Sucheng Chan. Quiet Odyssey: A Pioneer Korean Woman in America. Seattle: U of Washington, 1990. Print.

"National Stereo Types: Western Europe." TV Tropes. TV Tropes Foundation, LLC, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014.

Elkhoury, John. "French Phonetics." French Crazy. N.p., 18 Mar. 2014. Web. 22 Sept. 2014.

No one likes being bored, this is the reason the entertainment industry makes so much money every year. Every week professional athletes put their bodies on the line to entertain the public. But the question is do sports fans value entertainment more than safety? Sports such as football, boxing, and bull riding are very physically demanding jobs, everyday people are seriously injured from doing these activities. People keep supporting the sports industry even though it is dangerous to the players just because it is entertaining.

In recent years, the NFL has been doing research to see the long term effect of football on its players. These studies are the result of former players now starting lawsuits against the NFL for hiding the long term consequences of the sport, even though they knew the risk. Neurologists have determined that football can lead to many brain diseases, a major one being CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Some people who suffer from this have been known to have very short memories and others have even taken their own lives to try to cope with the pain the disease comes with. CTE includes symptoms such as memory loss, impaired judgement, anxiety, depression, and suicidality just to name a few. CTE also leads to Alzheimer's disease or worse ALS. Fans are very well aware of the consequences of playing professionally. This still does not stop them from encouraging huge hits and dangerous contact. Some players receive blows to the helmet and fans cheer for the collision. These same fans then turn to say that they would not allow their children to play the sport. Hall of fame quarterback Brett Farve said in an interview that even though he loves the sport is and glad he played, he would not allow his son to play a sport that violent. This shows that the safety of others is not important to them as long as they are entertained in the process. When injuries happen people even mock the player who has been injured, This is horrible and inhumane in every way possible.

The NFL is now involved in many lawsuits from former players for negligence and fraud because of head traumas found after their playing careers. An example of this is former NFL cornerback Paul Oliver. His repetitive head traumas led him to become moody, have memory loss, and anger issues. As a result of this, he shot himself in the head in front of his wife and children.His family and neurologist claim the suicide was a "direct result of the injuries, depression and emotional suffering caused by repetitive head trauma and concussions suffered as a result of playing football, not properly appreciating football's risks with respect to head trauma"   They say the NFL knew the long term risk of the sport but hid them.

Unlike football, the intent in boxing is to physically beat an opponent. The whole concept of the sport is violent. Fighters come into the match expecting to knock their opponent unconscious. Some doctors will call the process a severe concussion because of the similar trauma experienced. Muhammad Ali now suffers from Parkinson's disease because of the many blows taken to the head in his career. This has essentially left him paralyzed for the rest of his life.  The list of boxing injuries goes on and on.  The sport is so violent that some have even been brutally beaten to death in the ring. Spectators care in absolutely no way. They instead come up with sayings like if you cant take the beating stay out of the ring. Boxing has generated a lot of its money through bets placed by fans. This is something they can do to entertain themselves while the fighters spend months training for a fight. People then throw parties to watch the fight. The whole time they cheer for a certain fighter to knock the other out.

Unlike football and boxing bull riding does not have as many fans, but still has a reputable amount of fans. These fans come to rodeos to see if their favorite cowboy can stay on a bull for 8 seconds. The fans in this sport don’t necessarily cheer for violence but do support it in one way or another. Some fans cheer hoping their cowboys make it the 8 seconds to qualify and others stand hoping they fall off. When a rider falls off the bull, he is in more danger than most people will ever be in. Unlike a head to head collision in football or a strong uppercut in boxing, when hit by a 2,000 pound angry animal most people may not get up. Fans never want to see this happen but do support the idea of the sport. They love the thrill and anticipation of every ride knowing inside what could happen if those 8 seconds are not reached. Fans are entertained by the idea of not knowing what could happen in the run.

During human life, there are many different oppertunities people have to conflict with themselves, all of them having to do with fitting into a specific category of person. Questions about identity are incredibly common, due to the discomfort one receives when feeling abnormal or different. It’s natural to feel such a way, which is why categories are established- to feel normal, and to be able to simplify others to feel comfortable with them. These different categories/binaries include race, class, interest, occupation, and one of the largest, gender. We see gender in every social system; whether it be in schools, at work, or simply when having to use the bathroom. The gender binary pressures individuals to classify themselves as one gender or another, specifically the gender that pertains to their sex,  leading to misconceptions about the existence of genderfluidity or any exploration of gender.

Monique Slusher, the author of an article explaining what it means to be “genderfluid,”  uses a metaphor of three cups: one labeled “woman,” another “man,” and a third with no label at all. One some days, they say that the woman cup will be completely full; because they feel like a woman completely in every aspect. One other days, the man cup will be full, because they feel like a mix of both a man and a woman. And on some days the unlabeled up will be full, because being “man” or “woman” doesn’t describe how they feel at all on that day. (The Pacific Index.)  The idea of genderfluidity is having a completely flexible and ever changing gender identity. The fact that this concept is extremely uncommon and at times causes lots of distress and discomfort proves the oppressiveness of the gender binary. The pressure to simply be “man” or “woman” and to completely live as man or woman puts pressure on individuals to identify themselves specifically as one gender or another.

A Sand Creek high school in Colorado Springs  caused quite an uproar when they crowned a transgender student, Scarlett Lenh, to be homecoming princess. One parent had even said "I'm very sympathetic that he's transgender, but he should be on the boy's side, not the girl's." A high school junior also stated that  “I think it’s wrong because he’s actually a guy, he’s not a girl, and he hasn’t been doing this his entire life – he’s only been doing it recently.” (KOAA.com) Because Lenh identifies as a girl, she is still part of the binary. However,  both of these statements prove in multiple ways the negative effect of the gender binary, because of the automatic use of personal, masculine pronouns to describe Lenh, only because she was a boy at birth. The idea one must stay on the “boy’s side” because they were a boy is language that clearly states the discomfort in anything that doesn't completely cooperate with the binary that has been established, which is therefore why so much pressure is put on individuals to classify as one specific gender for their entire existence, and that any exploration of gender cannot exist.

More Shoe, More Human

Humans first used shoes as a simple tool, most likely to protect the wearer’s feet while still accommodating various terrains. Almost in an evolutionary sense, shoes grew along with people such like industry and clothing. In the first world culture, the shoe is the most important part of the outfit. This importance came from the psychological role shoes have played for people, being around for so long.

It is difficult to say man's absolute first reason for creating footwear, but not so difficult to infer. There are many people who chose not to wear shoes, one of which is a woman named Bea Marshal. Bea said she’d “stepped in glass and dog dirt”, bare footed. Though, not have doing significant damage to her it could have been worse. Due to humans being quadruped, feet have the overall most contact to the ground. Being that the ground has a plethora of things on it, feet would be susceptible to encountering most anything. Shoes are a useful yet simplistic way of keeping various bacteria, sharp objects and such away from any feet, as well as weathering effects like rain, snow and hot sand.

Shoe wearing has been a dedicated part of life and human nature for some time now. Even though some people choose not to wear shoes, those who deny them are making a big statement simply by doing so. The oldest shoes to date are typically sandals and such. These shoes then evolved into moccasins, and now into what people wear today. Each style of shoe came about in a different era of humanity. The shoe represents the culture and expression of people, as well as the environmental hardships they’ve been through. People have worn shoes for thousands of years; in fact the oldest shoe can be dated to 3500 b.c (National Geographic). Humans tend to be attached to things they’ve been with for a long time, personally and generationally. Take dogs for example. Dogs are known as man’s best friend for their long term coexistence with human beings as a pet or as family. The same can go for clothing, especially shoes. People tend to hold shoes the longest out of any article of clothing. People also tend to wear the same shoes with multiple outfits. Picking a pair of shoes is key and it represents who a person is.

In the first world, clothing industry style is key, and depending on the look someone’s going to get a specific shoe to match. The shoe is key because it is the most classic or erratic part of the outfit. It can also be a bland to neutral to tone the outfit down. Shoes aren’t just all about style however, they are also about comfort, appropriateness, and personal aid. A footwear company named Mtb has shoes to specifically prevent health problems, and to aid comfort. Avoiding harmful contact with the wearer’s feet is one thing, but shoes that can reduce the amount of bodily pain already held is a totally different ballpark. The Company claims to reduce pressure in specific areas while walking or standing. This decreases the amount of pressure exerted through a body, thus decreasing the amount of pains from such pressure. Being as though shoes do so much for people, there's no wonder why some might be so attached to them subconsciously.

Concludingly, there are phrases that suggest the importance of shoes are expressed all the time. Phrases along the lines of those shoes with that top, or being told not to step on Jordans are said eveveryday. That is the physiological importance shoes have in the outfit in a first world country. This is how the shoe came to represent human expression.

Works Cited:

Ravilious, Kate. "World's Oldest Leather Shoe Found-Stunningly Preserved." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 09 June 2010. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/06/100609-worlds-oldest-leather-shoe-armenia-science

Guy, Peter. "Painfreefeet | Foot Notes Blog." Foot Notes Is a Blog Commenting on Foot Health Issues Written by Peter Guy Chiropodist. Painfree.CA, 25 Apr. 2011. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.

http://www.painfreefeet.ca/index.cfm?id=24340&modex=day&modexval=04/25/2011#1

Marshall, Bea. "Experience: I Don't Wear Shoes." Theguardian. Theguardian, 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/14/i-dont-wear-shoes-experience

No one likes being bored, this is the reason the entertainment industry makes so much money every year. Every week professional athletes put their bodies on the line to entertain the public. But the question is do sports fans value entertainment more than safety? Sports such as football, boxing, and bull riding are very physically demanding jobs, everyday people are seriously injured from doing these activities. People keep supporting the sports industry even though it is dangerous to the players just because it is entertaining.

In recent years, the NFL has been doing research to see the long term effect of football on its players. These studies are the result of former players now starting lawsuits against the NFL for hiding the long term consequences of the sport, even though they knew the risk. Neurologists have determined that football can lead to many brain diseases, a major one being CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Some people who suffer from this have been known to have very short memories and others have even taken their own lives to try to cope with the pain the disease comes with. CTE includes symptoms such as memory loss, impaired judgement, anxiety, depression, and suicidality just to name a few. CTE also leads to Alzheimer's disease or worse ALS. Fans are very well aware of the consequences of playing professionally. This still does not stop them from encouraging huge hits and dangerous contact. Some players receive blows to the helmet and fans cheer for the collision. These same fans then turn to say that they would not allow their children to play the sport. Hall of fame quarterback Brett Farve said in an interview that even though he loves the sport is and glad he played, he would not allow his son to play a sport that violent. This shows that the safety of others is not important to them as long as they are entertained in the process. When injuries happen people even mock the player who has been injured, This is horrible and inhumane in every way possible.

The NFL is now involved in many lawsuits from former players for negligence and fraud because of head traumas found after their playing careers. An example of this is former NFL cornerback Paul Oliver. His repetitive head traumas led him to become moody, have memory loss, and anger issues. As a result of this, he shot himself in the head in front of his wife and children.His family and neurologist claim the suicide was a "direct result of the injuries, depression and emotional suffering caused by repetitive head trauma and concussions suffered as a result of playing football, not properly appreciating football's risks with respect to head trauma"   They say the NFL knew the long term risk of the sport but hid them.

Unlike football, the intent in boxing is to physically beat an opponent. The whole concept of the sport is violent. Fighters come into the match expecting to knock their opponent unconscious. Some doctors will call the process a severe concussion because of the similar trauma experienced. Muhammad Ali now suffers from Parkinson's disease because of the many blows taken to the head in his career. This has essentially left him paralyzed for the rest of his life.  The list of boxing injuries goes on and on.  The sport is so violent that some have even been brutally beaten to death in the ring. Spectators care in absolutely no way. They instead come up with sayings like if you cant take the beating stay out of the ring. Boxing has generated a lot of its money through bets placed by fans. This is something they can do to entertain themselves while the fighters spend months training for a fight. People then throw parties to watch the fight. The whole time they cheer for a certain fighter to knock the other out.

Unlike football and boxing bull riding does not have as many fans, but still has a reputable amount of fans. These fans come to rodeos to see if their favorite cowboy can stay on a bull for 8 seconds. The fans in this sport don’t necessarily cheer for violence but do support it in one way or another. Some fans cheer hoping their cowboys make it the 8 seconds to qualify and others stand hoping they fall off. When a rider falls off the bull, he is in more danger than most people will ever be in. Unlike a head to head collision in football or a strong uppercut in boxing, when hit by a 2,000 pound angry animal most people may not get up. Fans never want to see this happen but do support the idea of the sport. They love the thrill and anticipation of every ride knowing inside what could happen if those 8 seconds are not reached. Fans are entertained by the idea of not knowing what could happen in the run.

Hola, Me llamo Aissatou Bah. Tengo 15 años. Soy de New York pero vivo en Filadelphia.

Soy bajo pero soy mucho guapa. Soy sociable et divertida. Soy timid un poco.

Me gusta comer sin embargo, me gusta ayudar en casa, cocinar et pasar un rato con amigas. No me gusta nada hablar por  teléfono et ir a la escuela.

¿Como te llamo?  ¿Que te gusta hacer?

“I’m gonna go to choir after school,” I said to my mom as she cooked dinner.

“Going. -e-ing,” my mom extended the sound.

“An I need you to sign my permission slip.”

“An-duh.”

“An I…”

“Let me hear you say the d first.”

“I don’t have time, I need to do my homework.”

“Say an-duh and then do your homework.”

“Why?”

My parents were born in a neighborhood in New Jersey where the lawns are perfectly cut, and the dialect is almost clear standard english. Ever since I said my first full sentence, my mom has corrected every mumbled or dropped consonant. While in younger grades, I thought the corrections were no different than ones from my teachers.

When I recently took a survey from the New York Times, the results showed that it is most likely that I live in New Jersey near Philadelphia based on the words I use and how I pronounce them. This accent comes from learning to speak from Jersey relatives and visiting my grandparents across the river, while living in Philadelphia..

“I want to axe you something,” I announced as I walked into the kitchen on a different day.

“You’re doing it again,” my mom said.

“What? All I said was I want to axe you a question.”

“You are talking like a Philadelphian.”

The first few times I heard this, my heart sank.

“What do you mean?”

“The word is as-kah, not axe.”

“I said [pause] ask.”

“No, you said axe.”

This discussion repeated throughout the first years of my life. The words echoed in my head, even when my mom was not around. I began to repeat myself, pausing mid sentence. This time coincided with my acceptance into a mentally gifted elective.

“Can someone tell me what [science term] is,” my fifth grade teacher would ask.

“[short answer]. I once saw on Nova [extra details].”

“That is fascinating, Miriam, although I was only looking for [expected answer].”

My fifth grade teacher encouraged my input, working the outside knowledge I connected to the lesson into the discussion.

“Haven’t you seen that episode before,” my Dad asked.

“Of course. I even know the words by heart.” I was currently sitting on the couch, watching a tv show.

“Why watch it then?”

“To refresh my memory. Besides, there is nothing else on.”

I would watch cartoons daily when I was younger. I learned to multiply from Cyberchase and vocabulary words from Martha Speaks and Word Girl. The contests on Fetch caught my imagination, and I loved the storytelling on Arthur. While watching repeats, I would draw the characters and say their lines with them.

“Who can work through the first part of this problem,” a math teacher would ask.

I was the only one to raise my hand, even though I knew my whole table had completed the class work. The teacher scanned the room as if no one had their hand raised.

“Nick, can you tell me what I should do first,” the teacher looked straight at him.

“I don’t know.” Nick glanced at the work on his paper, and then stared at the teacher again.

“Come on, it’s easy.”

“Subtract x from both sides?”

“Correct.”

I understood that my teachers wanted to encourage all the students to speak, but there were entire weeks where I was not called on in middle school. Teachers only gave me help upon request, knowing I got all As and Bs.

“Miriam, sing louder,” my music teacher said at choir practice.

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Don’t you yell in the recess yard?”

“Not really.”

I became quiet, yet not unsociable. My friends often spoke softer than me, afraid a teacher would not seat us together if we talked loudly, even though my friends and I only talked about work in class. Collaboration was not valued in my middle school. In some classes, I was quiet, and in others, people thought I was shy.

“Can anyone describe what global warming is,” my engineering teacher asked. He scanned the room for a raised hand. “Miriam.”

“Global warming is caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gasses, such as carbon dioxide, trap heat from the sun when the heat bounces off Earth’s surface,” I answered.

During the first few days of my freshman engineering class, most of the students were quiet. Every time our teacher asked a question, only two or three people raised their hand, and I was one of them. For some reason, the teacher told me after class that I should not be shy because I know so much.

At that point in my life, I did not consider myself shy. My classmates and I were all quietly adjusting to a new school. If anything, I was talking more than I had in years. However, every once in a while, the high pitched soprano would appear in my voice, and I would pause to clear my throat. Some interpreted this as shyness. Every time someone said I should talk more, I promised myself I would. The more often this occured, the less confident I felt. This continued to occur in poetry club.

“It was bedar to wear a masq than let mounans of acne show.”

“Say it again slowly.”

“It was be-agh. It was better to wear a masq-agh.”

“We can’t have you saying agh on stage.”

“I know Mr. Kay. I am having trouble with mumbling.”

“Try tasting each syllable of your poem. Say the line again as slow as you can.”

“Maybe we should write it on the board. What was the line,” Chella, who was one of the coaches, asked.

“It...was...better...to wear...a mask...than let...mountains...of acne….show,” I said slowly.

“I heard mountains! Chella, did you hear mountains,” Mr. Kay asked.

“I thought it was mounds,” Chella answered.

“It is mountains,” I said.

“Try saying it again.”

“It was bedar to wear…”

“Bet-ter. Say the t.”

“It was better to wear a mask…”

“Remember to move your mouth. It was better to wear a mask than let mountains of acne show.”

“It was better to wear a mask than let mountains of acne show.”

“Great. Now, say the whole poem at that pace.”

James Baldwin once wrote “It goes without saying, then, that language is also a political instrument, means, and proof of power.”  When I stumbled over my words, people hesitated to absorb my points. The correct pronunciation would echo in my mind while my tongue was weak. My mom always corrected me, thinking it was a Philadelphian accent. I would pause to correct myself, which led people to believe I was shy or lacked confidence. Confidence is a form of power. I did not stop mumbling until the time Mr. Kay helped me say my poem clearly. If I had mumbled through my poem, it would not have grabbed people’s attention.

I taught my tongue to say every consonant and vowel in that poem. I performed without a single stutter, allowing my team to receive a high enough score, and win the slam. Doubting my ability to speak properly made me believe I was shy. This was my weakness. When I was little, I would lose my breathe mid sentence. Singing in choir taught me to breathe. Reciting poetry trained my mouth to speak clearly.