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Tigidankay Saccoh

Pahomov

English 3

October 17, 16

                              Resource Officers and The School-to-Prison Pipeline

Schools are supposed to be safe havens for students, where they can be challenged to grow spiritually and intellectually. When students feel safe in school, they are encouraged to stay motivated and aim for higher-education. However, this feeling of security and belonging now seems like a luxury to poor students, especially minorities. The increased presence of law enforcement in schools of non-white students is deeply rooted in systemic racism and classism. Some may argue that law enforcement in schools enforces order and peace, however this belief is uninformed. The presence of police officers in underprivileged schools is an enabler of the school-to-prison pipeline because it desensitizes students to violence and subjects them to nefarious stereotypes.

The school-to-prison pipeline describes the phenomenon of middle and high school students being funnelled into criminal justice institutions. Many victims of this virulent system are children with learning disabilities, histories of neglect, abuse, and penury. These students are in desperate need of counselling services or basic compassion, but are instead ostracized and incarcerated. Zero-tolerance policies criminalize trivial offences, that can be handled internally.  These policies are employed by law enforcement in schools, and disproportionately hurt students of color. For instance,  a PBS fact sheet on the school-to-prison pipeline reports that 70% of students involved in in-school arrests are Black or Latinx. Moreover, Black students are 3.5 times more likely to be suspended compared to whites, and make up 40% of students who are expelled every year. These figures are not unfortunate coincidences, but evidence that  law enforcement presence in neighborhood schools is a failing disciplinary blueprint.

           On October 26th, 2015, a video of an African-American teenage girl being brutalized in her Spring Valley High School classroom in South Carolina surfaced on the internet. She had refused to heed her teacher’s orders to leave the classroom. The teacher notified a white police officer, Ben Fields, who proceeded to bodyslam the fifteen-year-old in front of her peers. This incident ignited a firestorm of rage from around the country. Fields was criticized over his incompetence and poor-judgement. Despite being paid to de-escalate tension that might arise in the high school, he only violently exacerbated the issue. This event was laced with racial undertones,  and exposed how this type of discrimination existed thematically in poor, majority black and brown schools.  Fields viewed the student as more threatening than she actually appeared, either due to his implicit bias or deliberate discrimination, because she was black.

The school-to-prison pipeline describes the phenomenon of middle and high school students being funnelled into criminal justice institutions. Many victims of this virulent system are children with learning disabilities, histories of neglect, abuse, and penury. These students are in desperate need of counselling services or basic compassion, but are instead ostracized and incarcerated. Zero-tolerance policies criminalize trivial offences, that can be handled internally.  These policies are employed by law enforcement in schools, and disproportionately hurt students of color. For instance,  a PBS fact sheet on the school-to-prison pipeline reports that 70% of students involved in in-school arrests are Black or Latinx. Moreover, Black students are 3.5 times more likely to be suspended compared to whites, and make up 40% of students who are expelled every year. These figures are not unfortunate coincidences, but evidence that increased law enforcement presence in neighborhood schools is a failing disciplinary blueprint.

Cops in schools do not make underprivileged black students feel any less unsafe than cops patrolling their neighborhoods do. Many black students fear an expectation of incriminating when cops infest their learning spaces. Ben Fields could not deescalate the situation with the fifteen year-old girl because he was operating in a discriminatory manner. She was black and female, so she was expected to have an attitude problem and an inclination for anger. More importantly, to Fields, she most likely seemed older than she was, and therefore more responsible for her teenage defiance.

A study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,  examined the extent to which racial bias exists and how scorching its consequences are. 60 urban league  police officers were asked to assess the age of white, black, and Latino children based on photographs in one experiment. The officers were arbitrarily assigned to be told that the children in the photographs were accused of either a misdemeanor or a felony. They overestimated the age of black felony-suspected children on average five years, but they underestimated the age of white felony-suspected children by nearly a year.  This study shows that there is clearly a societal bias against black children. More recently, On November 22, 2014, a little black child, Tamir Rice, age 12, was shot and killed at Cudell Recreation Center in Cleveland, Ohio by on-duty Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) Officer Timothy Loehmann. Tamir had been playing with a toy-gun, and was mistakenly reported to be a 20-something-year-old man. In schools with law enforcement presence, this bias metamorphoses into violence and fear-instilling tactics.  In these turbulent environments, conflict-resolution is often passed over in favor of harsher interventions and  are readily , implemented.  This study shows that white kids are usually given the benefit of the doubt, while black kids are subconsciously demonized and stripped of their childhood innocence.

The presence of cops in schools also creates a void of sympathy between teachers and students. Some teachers heavily rely on school resource officers to handle situations that can be taken care of in class.When teachers report students to school officers, it almost always leads to suspension or expulsion. A study by The Council of State Governments Justice Center found that, when controlled for campus and individual student characteristics, being suspended or expelled made a student nearly three times more likely to come into contact with the juvenile justice system within the next year.  By handing students over to law enforcement, they emotionally disconnect with whatever their troubled students are undergoing, and are not forced to empathize with them. As a result, their classroom because tension-filled, which is not the type of environment that allows students to thrive.

In conclusion,  law enforcement in schools is detrimental to students in more ways than it is beneficial. Their presence can make students feel as if they are predators, and they will most likely be treated as such. School should not be a hostile environment, where students are expected to fail before they are even given a chance to strive. This confrontational disciplinary system has proliferated into a larger disparity for black and brown students, contributing to the mass incarceration epidemic engulfing vulnerable black youth nation-wide. It is imperative that reformed methods of mediation are considered to save minorities from becoming stereotypes.

   Sources:

Fact Sheet: How Bad Is the School-to-Prison Pipeline? (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2016, from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/tsr/education-under-arrest/school-to-prison-pipeline-fact-sheet/

H. (2014). Police release video, names of officers in shooting of 12-year-old boy. Retrieved October 17, 2016, from http://fox8.com/2014/11/26/video-to-be-released-in-officer-involved-shooting-of-12-year-old/

Whether it’s binge watching old sitcoms or exploring old films produced before they were born, Netflix has become a core part of almost every teenager’s life in the past couple years. However, in the last couple of years, a new reason has emerged as to why people subscribe to  Netflix. Their own original shows, shows like House of Cards, Orange is the new Black, and Narcos; are some of the most popular and well known TV shows of the past fifty years. Netflix uses different gimmicks and strategies to attract many viewers to their own show, specifically their use of advertising tricks in ways that haven’t been used before for other shows not made by Netflix.

One of Netflix’s best uses of advertising would be for one of their best rated and most popular show, Orange is the new Black. Orange is the new black is based off of a true story of a woman who goes to a minimum security women’s prison in upstate New York. The advertising department of Netflix decided to sponsor an article written in the New York TImes not only to promote their own show, but to inform the general public about life in a women’s prison. The advertising was a huge hit, being referenced on several large news cable channels as well as other articles.

Another advertising technique that Netflix uses is actually on their own website for their lower rated shows like The Ranch, or newer shows that haven’t had that much exposure such as The Fall, Trailer Park Boys, and more.  This actually makes a huge impact on what shows get watched. For example, Stranger Things was one of these shows that didn’t have a lot of hype or advertising going into it, but through this technique they use it became a massive hit, and is now one of their most popular series to date.

Another huge success for Netflix’s advertising department would be the ad they had for House of Cards during the Superbowl in February of 2016. The ad was actually an ad for Frank Underwood to be president, which not only reference things that were happening in current times but also a huge plotline for the show, as the show details his journey to become president through manipulation and other unconventional ways. It was a huge hit, yet again another success for Netflix’s advertising and their ratings, but it also sparked more interest in the current election, and tons of fan made artwork, T-shirts, and even a website for support of Frank Underwood in the 2016 election.

For any TV show, before it’s watched, it always has an intro; and for Netflix shows these intros aren’t lacking whatsoever. In fact, Netflix intros are some of the things people look forward to the most. These intros can also be used for other purposes, like TV ads for their own shows.  For example, Narcos’ intro had an intro that tied into the main plot line; it featured one of Pablo’s favorite songs, and also featured some real pictures of the rise and the hunt of Pablo in the 1980s. It even used a picture of the DEA agents who were chasing Pablo at the time in Colombia.  This wasn’t the only success Narcos had through unconventional advertising, but they also had put ads in the bottom of the plastic bins at airports, which had items like passports, sunglasses, and DEA Badges at the bottom, with a picture of Pablo Escobar. It sparked up a bit of controversy, but overall it actually increased the popularity of the show and increased ratings of the show as well.

While Netflix has not been in the favor of ads on their own website, their use of ads in other places have been a phenomenal success, and have sparked interest in shows like Stranger Things. Overall, Netflix’s use of these subtle ads have put them over the top of their competition, and have set them apart from shows on other Networks.

Works CIted

Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

Taube, Aaron. "Why Netflix's Advertising Is Worth Your Attention." NATIVE. N.p., 04 May 2015. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

"FRANK UNDERWOOD 2016." Frank Underwood 2016 Anything for America. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2016.

Television has been around for decades, and when it started there were only a handful of programs to watch. By contrast, cable TV has changed drastically over the last couple of years, with an explosion of offerings. Reruns, new genres and concepts are all what the “magic box” holds. Compared to earlier programming, shows have not only gotten funnier and more adventurous, but they have also become violent and sexualized. Surprisingly, TV shows and movies that have violent or mature content pull in views. This is surprising because it is assumed that people would not appreciate these things being shown. These shows don’t just pull in enough views to keep it going for the season, but views resulting in the start of fandoms and social media advocates. People watch these shows not because they actually think the content is important to the show itself, but because of the surprises that they hold.

Many shows and movies nowadays are rated PG-13 and up due to the nature of its content. As relatable as it is, many people prepare themselves to watch TV. They go around all day reminding others about what’s airing that night. They are usually excited to watch shows like The Walking Dead; a show where a death every episode is not enough. The necessity for such rated showings is a result of curiosity. According to an unsourced TV critic, “Seeing the possibilities of the horrible things man could do to one another. And to some, it lures us in.” People don’t get to witness those sorts of things in person. Of course a zombie apocalypse is not (currently) occurring, but people are fascinated by shows that display what it would be like if there was one. When good actors and directors can pull off realistic looking ideology, deaths, and massacres, it makes people want to see it and believe it.

Reality shows are well known when it comes to violent and mature content, because they helped pioneer the trend. Love and Hip Hop, Bad Girls Club, and whatever’s on MTV all fall under the category of “Reality Violence.” These shows are known for the harsh treatment of others; why else would it be called “Bad Girls Club”? Putting multiple girls in a mansion and watching them crumble is entertaining to many. People watch these shows in anticipation that a fight will break out. It is almost as if violence is an attention magnet. In an episode of Jersey Shore a female cast member was struck in the face by a drunk male stranger. According to an ABC News article, this recorded incident promoted the show and doubled its ratings. The video also went viral online. These millions of views are a result of disbelief. People had to watch the clip because it was unbelievable, and once again curiosity striking the mind.

Online TV networks have expanded this trend. Websites can now be considered as television. Netflix, Hulu, and Vudu are all sites that allow people to watch what they want, when they want to. Each site has a net worth of over 1 million dollars, and hold shows that are dependent on chance. These shows’ content can either make or break it. Sources from Uproxx.com show that the most top rated shows on Netflix are Breaking Bad, the Walking Dead, and Orange is the New Black. Each of these shows express violent and/or mature content in more than one episode per season. Why are they so popular? These shows are like the dependency of television. They have the ability to grab anyone’s attention; they got the guts to take risks, and as a result, they succeed. Making a show that displays the production of drugs, or publicizes LGBT minors, which was taboo for years, are the keys to successful entertainment if done properly.

And then there’s the shows with sexual content. With ratings upwards of 9/10, Game of Thrones is not an underdog in the television business. Sex and nudity, violence and gore, profanity, alcohol, drugs, smoking, and frightening/intense scenes are all what can be expected from this show. Everything figuratively bad is incorporated into this show. The ratings are outstanding though. In America it is taboo to show naked bodies and sex scenes, but it is done anyway. This risky choice in presentation resulted in success for the show. Each episode averaging about 60 minutes or more it keeps people amused. “...the fact that the events are too slow to unfold keeps people curious.”, is what an author had to say about the show. There were many claims that the show was boring, but the only reason that it kept views was because of its complicated and fascinating plot took curiosity to a new level.

When TV finds its old ideas getting stale, they will run out of ideas it will resort to its “plan b”. The plan being to get the audience’s attention by whatever gimmick. However, if the popularity of oversexualized and violent shows continue to grow, then television may be in trouble. If more shows exhibit explicit content, then tomorrow's children may only have destructive things to watch. Curiosity is good in a sense, but if television’s only resort is violence or sexualized content then the future should be a concern. Human curiosity should revolve around more than just guts and nudity.

Work Cited:

• Nussbaum, Emily. "The Westeros Wing." The New Yorker. N.p., 27 June 2016. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

• Coulson, Justin. "The Problem with Exposing Kids to Sexual and Violent Content." Family Studies. N.p., 14 Jan. 2015. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

• Thoman, Elizabeth. "Media Violence: What If We Changed the Question?"Media Literacy. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

• Miyamoto, Ken. "Why Do Some People Enjoy Watching Gory and Disturbing Films?" Quora. N.p., 1 July 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

• VanDerWerff, Todd. "Why Shows like The Following Cheapen Violence and Diminish Its Power." Why Shows like The Following Cheapen Violence and Diminish Its Power · For Our Consideration · The A.V. Club. N.p., 18 Feb. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

• Canning, Andrea, and Elizabeth Stuart. "Reality Show Violence Getting Too Real?" ABC News. ABC News Network, 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.

• Radwan, M.Farouk, MSc. "Why Is Game of Thrones so Popular." 2 Know Myself. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.

Advance Essay #2

• Christian McCormac

While transferring from my middle school C.W Henry in the Mount Airy area to my recent high school Science Leadership Academy, I would say that I learned a new way of living from what I knew during middle school. While in middle school my daily routine consisted of waking up everyday at 6am, my mom dropping me off at school, to my mom picking me up after school was over and taking me home. I never got the chance to explore what was around and discover new things. Now since I am in highschool and my high school is located directly in Center City, it definitely gives me way more opportunities to get outside and see what the world has to offer. Going to SLA, I would say gave me a lot more freedom to be my own person and discover new things, that I really never knew about before as a young kid in middle school. Going from my middle school to SLA definitely was a huge change in my lifestyle. It also gave me a better outlook on how I live my life and what I should be looking at forward to. Coming to school everyday definitely got me out of my comfort zone. When I was in middle school I remember how the teachers and staff treated everyone like prisoners almost and not like human beginnings. You could tell that the teachers and staff there weren't as passionate about there job as the teachers and staff at Science Leadership Academy. I remember in 8th grade during the winter we didn't go outside for recess for almost five months. That mentally killed me not being able to go outside, run around, and breath some fresh air. Now that I am high school, the teachers and the staff are more reasonable and treat you like a human beginnings. High school people are more accepting for who you are and how you live. It’s not like middle school where you have to line up just to walk to a class that is the net door down.

I remember a time when I was in the hair salon with my mother, sitting in those grayish tan, cold metal chairs waiting my turn to sit in the bigger, more comfortable chair to get my hair done. A friend of my mothers who I knew through affiliation  was usually there around the same time we were, but always before us, was getting her hair braided with small, gold pieces of hair jewelry at the ends of every braid. “Aw, she's just so proper! Look at how cute she is.” “Thank you!” I said. “Listen, she talks so white!” I hated this. I hated this meaningless banter that had a lot more meaning to me than it did to her. What does speaking white even mean? In the moment i wanted to just walk out of the salon into the warmth of the summer day, since the salon was in a basement and was very cold, especially while sitting on those metal chairs. I felt so different when she said that i “speak white” because it just wasn't me at all. I have never been white, so i didn't know how it felt or how speaking white was any different from speaking black. I always felt that i spoke differently from the other kids in my school and neighborhood and i felt it even more when people pointed it out. Her statement made me feel out of place, like in this room of black females, it was as though I was not one. Even in school, i didn't exactly feel like i belonged there but being in a hair salon with my mother, sitting on those grayish tan, cold metal chairs somehow made me feel at home with my gender and race because everyone here was like me. But in that moment, i wasn't anymore.

In certain situations, people code switch so that they can relate better with the people they are talking to. This also depends on the area they are in. Matt Thompson brings up the important point in,”Five Reasons Why People Code-Switch,” he writes “We want to fit in: Very often, people code-switch — both consciously and unconsciously — to act or talk more like those around them. While this can be effective, it can also be perilous...” . This quote relates to my theme by giving a reason as to why people code switch. In my scene,  I consciously know now that my behavior then was different from how I would act around my friends or in a school setting. The word perilous in this quote helps me see how code switching could be dangerous in real life situations as well as helpful.

In middle school, i felt that i was different from the other kids in my class. This feeling did not start or go away in one grade year, it was continuous through my entire middle school experience and i still feel it today. The kids in my class would talk and laugh and the way they communicated, i just did not understand. I couldn't read them and i felt illiterate in a sense, even though majority of my school was black and we were all the same age. I got the same emotion when i crossed a big word in a new book that i didn't know. When i was with my family, I knew what to say, how to speak, and how to act. It was just natural. This relates to my code switching theme by me changing how i talk and the specific things i said depending on what group i was with.

In this quote, there is a great example of how code switching is used in a way, specifically in a workplace. Most people can relate with this given you don't talk to your friends in the same tone or use the same words as when you speak with your boss. “Your mom or your friend or your partner calls on the phone and you answer. And without thinking, you start talking to them in an entirely different voice — still distinctly your voice, but a certain kind of your voice less suited for the office…” the writer proceeds to give examples of different accents that come forward when talking to family such as Southern drawl, New York accents, etc.  “When you're attuned to the phenomenon of code-switching, you start to see it everywhere, and you begin to see the way race, ethnicity and culture plays out all over the place.” This entirely relates back to code switching by showing how it is used and even talks about how you see the difference between race, ethnicity, and culture.

Thompson, Matt, Mr. "Five Reasons Why People Code-Switch." NPR. NPR, 13 Apr. 2013. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.

Beauty is something  humans hold to a high standard when idolizing things, people and significant others. Humans have always had a high standard for beauty, whether it's in physical objects or their significant others. With the constant influence of social media and celebrities, the standard of beauty in America is forever changing, and many American citizens complain that every new trend is hard to keep up with. Women all around the world  are often finding new trends to attract men and to show financial status however, many women will go to many lengths to get the body they desire.

The idea that we must have what everyone else has and yet somehow be better than them is the mentality of most women. Many women see the bodies of Kim K, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez and often desire that body. Many women will often go under the knife for this alluring physique. Dr. Michael Salzhauer, also known as “Doctor Miami” is a plastic surgeon that puts all of his surgeries on a social media app called snapchat.  Doctor Miami often makes it look cool to get a brazilian butt lift or a breast augmentation, he even makes hashtags out of them, “It really demystifies the whole process. Yes, they are gory, but nobody has to watch it.”Although looking at all of the nitty gritty stuff behind the scenes may sound horrible, it actually gives customers a chance to see what will happen if they so choose to undergo these life changing processes.

Although any women may want to look like an instagram model or a celebrity, they may not want to go under the knife and risk it all. Many women resort to extreme dieting and exercises, many celebrities such as; Khloe Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Jennifer Lopez and even Beyonce workout at least 3 times a week. Many celebrities often go on diets that include juicing, no carbs, no dairy, or even all veggies, “ ‘By lunchtime, I’m starving,’ J-Lo says. She mixes it up but a typical day is salmon and a veggie-packed salad. She loves broccoli, peppers and zucchini with a drizzle of vinaigrette on top.” although many of these diets that celebrities used, recommended by their trainers may work, they don't alway guarantee the the body unless you have the money to match. Personal trainers can often cost as much as $60- $70 dollars per session, and the celebrity trainers, upwards to $1,000 dollars a month. This a lot to spend on being happy, however many people feel as if the ay the look is a reflection of who they are on the inside. Although not all women aspire to have the Kim K or Jennifer Lopez body type women subconsciously look up to it as a goal they may never reach. Via the influence of social media, a women's ideal body type can become inspiration or can cause a self esteem deterioration.

Works CIted

http://www.vice.com/read/meet-dr-miami-the-plastic-surgeon-who-snapchats-his-operations-400

Pardes, Arielle. "Meet Dr. Miami, the Plastic Surgeon Who Snapchats His Operations in Real Time | VICE | United States." VICE. N.p., 24 Apr. 2015. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11031-013-9371-4

"Changes in Materialism, Changes in Psychological Well-being: Evidence from Three Longitudinal Studies and an Intervention Experiment."SpringerLink. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

http://hollywoodlife.com/2016/01/06/jennifer-lopez-diet-weight-loss-fitness-routine-exercise/

@dorylarrabee. "Jennifer Lopez’s 90-Calorie Breakfast & Veggie Diet That Keeps Her Slim At 46." Hollywood Life. N.p., 06 Jan. 2016. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.

2Fer #2 Revised

The Great Comment Section Debacle

Written by Luis-Manuel Morales

In many ways, The internet has paved the way towards bringing the world together. Whether that be through hashtags to raise awareness, or viral videos that get everyone talking, the world is now in the midst of being intertwined by the world wide web. However, there are some major flaws in this massive communication system. The comment section was brought to various social medias and forums to keep the conversation stirring, even further then the content could do. This may sound great on paper, but the end result isn’t that pretty. Although the average internet user might not think that the current state of comment sections matters much, they're impact on the community is dangerous and contagious. If anyone can say anything on the web with no backlash in real life, the side effects of such freedoms are horrifying.

One of the freedoms that is available in the virtual world that is not as accepted in the real world is freedom of speech. In person words can backfire and damage a reputation, because a person’s identity  is almost always associated with what has been said . However, the internet has gifted the people with anonymity. Anyone can say whatever they want, without anyone knowing it was them. People are free to say whatever they please with little to no backlash in real life. This allows for the unlimited use of bigoted, racist, and crude remarks for many people to go crazy with.

With anonymity giving people freedom to say everything and anything, room for meaningful and constructive conversation in the comment section has become scarce. Those who wish to positively interact in their community are met with a deep dark cyberbullying wormhole.  Whether that be simple playground taunts or vulgar, crude threats, the issue that is cyberbullying has taken over these sections of the internet.  Despite many sites, such as youtube, putting systems in place to report such behavior, they are rarely enforced properly. This isn’t necessarily the fault of the sites themselves, as the amount of reports in comparison to the amount of employees is ridiculous. This shows an even greater problem, which is that these sites are well aware of the issue. They take some steps to try and prevent it, however they do not take the proper measures to permanently fix the issue.

Giving the people this kind of freedom is dangerous. It makes monsters out of good hearted hearted souls. Even though in concept the privileges given in a comment section are not mischievous and are for the better, they do not result in so. Christopher Wolf of the Anti-Cyberhate Committee of the Anti-Defamation League, discussed this very topic in a debate for the New York Times.  “Anonymity has an important role in free expression and for privacy interests, to be sure. But the benefits of anonymity online are greatly outweighed by the abuse.” What he is saying here is that although websites allow anonymity for good and justified reasons, those who take advantage of it ruin the spirit of the community. Normal people who positively contribute to the conversation are drowned out by such people, and often times they result to fighting fire with fire. Before they know it they are contributing to the chaos that once plagued them.

The comment Section was meant to be an extension of the conversation held in the content proceeding it. It has never really been that, however, as the internet has grown over the years, this feature has become less of a conversation and more of an unwanted spam folder full of  bots and degrading , off topic comments and conversations. "It's hard to determine whether this problem can be fixed, or rather if letting humans free with complete anonymity was simply a doomed plan from the start."

Works Cited

Wolf, Christopher. "Anonymity May Have Killed Online Commenting." Have Comment Sections Failed? The New York Times, 18 Apr. 2016. Web. 12 Oct. 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/04/18/have-comment-sections-on-news-media-websites-failed/anonymity-may-have-killed-online-commenting

Lemieux, Jamliah. "Get Rid of Comment Sections." Have Comment Sections Failed? The New York Times, 18 Apr. 2016. Web. 12 Oct. 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/04/18/have-comment-sections-on-news-media-websites-failed/get-rid-of-comment-sections

Wallsten, Kevin, and Melinda Tarsi. "It’s Time to End Anonymous Comments Sections." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2014/08/19/its-time-to-end-anonymous-comments-sections/

Writing this essay I want the reader to understand the struggles I went through by my favorite sport, basketball. Throughout this essay I’m telling the readers the transition between my streetball life and my organized basketball life. Telling them how my first practice experience went. I think I did well explaining my how my first practice went and how I was determined to improve on my skills as a organized basketball player.

The whistle blew, everyone stopped and everyone looked at who caused the coach to blow the whistle. “Addison!” the coach yelled “What are you doing? Pass the ball. The other team's ball” I didn’t say a word, I just stood there and shook my head.

The day I realized that streetball and organized basketball is different. As a kid all I knew was streetball. Always playing at my schoolyard and the playground trying to embarrass your defender, showing of your handle and all these fancy passes. I thought I was the best streetball player in my neighborhood. As months goes by my friend introduced me to the Philadelphia Suns an all Asian organization. But jumping from that to organized basketball I noticed that it was a completely new atmosphere. Knowing that the play style is completely different, knowing that it’s a team sport, not selfish sport.

So my first practice there, oh boy was it difficult. Getting yelled at every minutes, “travel, turnover, walk, run!”  Frustration began to grow upon me, I never thought it would be this difficult. I whisper to one of my teammate, “yo, what are we doing?” He just gave me a look shook his head and continued to do the drill. I thought to myself was it even worth coming here. I’m a just a boy who got the streetball skills, who loves playing ball with friends and not caring about the rules. I don't have the NBA like skills like everyone in here. Throughout practice I made mistakes after mistakes. My coach came up to me, while everyone was taking a break and said to me. “Addison, don’t worry. I know this is your first practice and you’re still getting used to everything. I see you're getting mad at yourself, don't be. Just learn from your mistakes.” I just sat there with my head down. “Thanks coach”  I replied. As the coach blew the whistle telling everyone to get ready. He said “just sit here and watch everyone first.” As I got the concept of the drill that everyone is doing, i hopped in and tried doing it. Guess what… I made the wrong decision. 10 seconds into the drill, I picked up my dribble. “Addison! Don't pick up your dribble!” The coach yelled across the court. I looked around and saw people shaking their heads, saying “oh my god” underneath their breath. I tossed the ball at the coach and headed back to the bench. Throughout the whole practice I sat there and looked at everyone practice. “If you keep coming to Friday and Saturday practice I promise you, you’ll get better.” Said a teammate sitting right above me, startling me. “You really think that?” I said back. “I mean I’ve been coming to practice for months and I got so much better. not trying to sound cocky or anything.” He replied. “Alright” I chuckled  and shook my head. As practice comes to an end, I walked up to my coach and asked him when is practice. “Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday”. I told him that I’ll be coming every Friday and Saturday. “Great! See you then Addison. Remember learn from those mistakes you made today.” He said. “I will coach.” I said back.

As I got home, I went straight to my laptop. Type in “NBA highlight plays.” Hoping that I could learn something from the video. After watching videos after videos I thought that I could be just like everyone in the NBA. Lebron James, Rondo, Wade, and so many more. The next day, I went straight to my old middle school and started to practicing by myself. I started doing all these drills that I learned from yesterday's practice, dribbling drills, footwork drills, shooting drills, and running drills. Getting mad at myself because I couldn’t make a basket, slamming the ball onto the ground. As I continued to go to practices , I continued to get better.

Walking down the street, or even in school, people are wearing the nicest shoe. Shoes that won’t sit on shelves in stores because they are sold out instantly. The thing people may not understand is that those people may be “sneakerheads” which are people that goes after the shoes that are more hype out in the community. However, they are thrown off by the fact that Companies of shoes hype it up in the media as the fans follows onto that.

Public obsession with the latest trends means that The shoes themselves have changed drastically. Nowadays, it is about the materials that are being used in the sneaker as well as the looks. Materials like high quality leather, good stitching, as well as good cushioning would bump up the price of the shoe. For an example, the Jordan 11 Concords. As it started off as a basketball sneaker, the shoe began to make its pricy statement with the materials like patent leather, leather, mesh, and a tint of carbon fiber. The shoe is seventy five percent leather which makes the retail price two hundred and twenty. Quality would make shoes way more high in demand which is why people are trying to get their hands on them. It is put onto social media for people to see and follow.

From Konbini which is a sneaker website, In 2015, The NPD Group calculated an 8% year-over-year growth for the largely millennial-driven sneaker market, to $17.2 billion in total annual sales. When celebrities wear them before official release, the hype gets up there from social media which would bump the hype of the shoe. People like Drake and Kanye have collaborations with brands that would make the shoe hyped up. Kanye went a step further and started his shoe line with Adidas. His shoes, Yeezy, cost around two hundred and twenty dollars. It is very limited wear people start to camp out for the sneakers for hours. It is hyped up where people would spend extra hundreds of dollars to buy it off someone. Social Media is a place where people get their information on a shoe release which attracts people onto the shoe.

Brands like to created exclusivity shoes that gets people hopping onto the hype train. When a brand like Adidas creates a shoe that is only five hundred pairs made, it would make people go crazy. People will see it all over the media. Minds will be focused on getting that pair because of how limited they are. Shoes that are limited are more rarer in the sneaker community which would make people go crazy for them. The more limited they are, the higher it is for those shoes to be worth. An example would be the Jordan 4 x Undefeated. It is a collaboration with the apparel line Undefeated. This particular shoe has less than 80 pairs made. As it is known for being a Jordan shoe and being limited to less than 80 pairs, the cost for these shoes are above ten thousand dollars.

Although the sneaker culture only involves people who are into sneakers, it should concern everyone who wears a pair. Shoe brands will soon jump onto the hype and create better quality shoe, which will make prices rise for the average consumer as well. In the sneaker game, there will always be a buyer and a reseller. It is what keeps the cycle going in the sneaker community. And although many people may or may not support the sneaker culture, the prices of what they need will be influenced whether they like it or not.

Works CIted

Glazman, Evan. "More than Shoes: The Rise of Sneakerhead Culture." Konbini United States. Evan Glazman, 2016. Web. 14 Oct. 2016. <http://www.konbini.com/us/lifestyle/rise-of-sneakerhead-culture/ >

Taylor, Otis R., Jr. "Sneaker Culture Maintains Foothold in Battle for Acceptance." San Francisco Chronicle. N.p., 166 Sept. 2016. Web. 14 Oct. 2016. <http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Sneaker-culture-maintains-foothold-in-battle-for-9226097.php >

Fellingham, Christine. "From the Streets to the Runway, We Love Sneakers." The Courier-Journal. Christine Fellingham, 30 Sept. 2016. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

<http://www.courier-journal.com/story/life/shopping/fellingham/2016/09/30/streets-runway-we-love-sneakers/90415456/ >

Pearson, Daniel. "Why Big Sneaker Brands Want Resellers Making Money They’ll Never See." Highsnobeity. Daniel Pearson, 1 June 2016. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

<http://www.highsnobiety.com/2016/06/01/secondary-sneaker-market-rare-resellers/ >

The first assignment of the quarter, the ceiling tile, was hard to begin. I didn’t know what I wanted to paint so eventually I decided to just paint branching lines. I enjoyed the process of painting the tile and I am pretty satisfied with the final product. Autumn is my favorite season so I enjoyed creating the Fall Wall hanging. One of the most defining aspects of the season is the change in the colors of leaves so I decided to make that the focus of my piece. I painted some pieces of paper red, orange, yellow, and green and then cut out the shapes of the leaves. I then pasted the leaves on to the background I created. I wanted my piece to convey the beauty of the fall and that nature can create some of the most beautiful works of art. The piece I found most difficult to create was the self portrait. I have never used charcoal before so I had a lot of trouble with the piece. After a couple of days working on the piece I enjoyed the process more. I don’t like the final product very much but I would like to continue working with charcoal and improve. My favorite project of the quarter was the fruit still life. Watercolor is my favorite medium so I enjoyed working on this project very much. I chose to paint an apple, orange, blackberry, and grapes as they have a nice variety of color. I tried using the fan brush for the first time and enjoyed using it very much. All in all, I experimented with a few different techniques this quarter and enjoyed the process.

When talking about sex with teens can be tricky and also a bonus if they want to know what influences them. Teens like to watch TV, and if parents try to take it away from them, they can now watch it on their laptops or phones when nobody’s looking . All of this exposure can cause some concerns when it comes to their health. The term “Monkey see monkey do” can be used to describe what teens do when they come across something that seems fun or interesting to do, like sex. Teen sex is something that’s shown a lot in social media, people learn about it in school, but it’s mainly seen on TV. But why ? Why does TV influence or encourage teens to pursue sexual activity?  

         The short and simple answer to this question is yes, but the explain is more complex than a simple yes or no. Most Americans spend about a third of their free time watching television. But not all media influences depict teens having sex. According to researchers from the Rand Corporation,  3 kinds of sexual content involving was shown in the media,. The kinds of sexual contents are teens kissing and other kinds of sexual behavior, the second kind of content is the “talk” about having sex or sex in general, and lastly the third kind is the risk of having sex with someone. They surveyed around 2,000 teens, from ages 12-17 and the results found  that heavy exposure to sexual content led teens to sexual activity.

 Many teenagers think that having sex is cool, and will make the other person want them even more, or at least that’s how it is being shown in tv shows and movies. That is not true in most cases involving a teen. 43% of High school students have said they already had intercourse with someone and 53% of them said they haven’t, which could be a good thing if they are looking at it statistically. Teens that do have sex experience lower grades and the one who do have sex most likely have older friends that do it and pressure them. Because of this they now know that there is no connection between delays of intercourse and TV,  meaning that most of the teens they surveyed did or didn’t have sex because of TV, there was only a connection with that and African American Teenagers. This group is the one who lets media influence them the most. Many are told that the parents of African American children watch TV more than any other race.  Other than African Americans, overall, most teens think about it but intend not to engage in sexual activity.

  Tv doesn’t always have to show teens having sex or talking about it in a bad way. There are shows out there that can influence them to focus more on school work than worrying about bring pleasure to someone else. TV can also be a source for encouraging them to continue with their abstinence. Studies does shows that Teenagers engaging in sexual activity use condoms, 65% of children can recall them using a condom, according to the researchers from Rand Corp. They have done a lot of research for figure whether or not Television influence them but now that they know TV is mostly likely not the reason that teenagers have sex then what influences them not to?

     So, does TV influence teens to have sex? the short answer is no. Although There is proof that the media can play a part in making them want to have sex earlier in life, there is no way that the media is the one to blame for children having sex. Researchers  found out that there isn’t even a connection except among a specific group. Most teens intend to wait because they know that they can do it anytime they want, it’s just not their time.  

New Language New Lifestyle

I sat in room 207, more uncomfortable than ever. It was the first day of second grade and I was surrounded by people who spoke a different language from me. I said hi and smiled, they did the same but it never went further than that. All of my friends were in my class. Thalia, Jennifer, Aminda, Zoe and I were the only fluent english speakers in the class. Ms. Zondek had told us to try our hardest to communicate with the other kids who only spoke Mandarin. In the middle of classes ESOL kids would ask us for help on pronouncing words or what the homework was. It was harder than I ever would have thought to keep your patience when speaking to a person who can’t understand a word of what you’re saying.  Luckily, Ms. Zondek had us covered most of the time. I had a hard time keeping my cool when one of the ESOL kids would say something completely wrong and it was just straight up hilarious.

Laughing at their mistakes made me feel terrible. I knew exactly what it was like to not fit into a group, a community even. Like the quote from I Just Wanna Be Average “you’re placed into a system that isn’t designed to liberate you but occupy you, or, if you’re lucky, train you”(166). In that quote I realized how hard it must have been for all of those non-english speaking kids who had no idea what me and my friends would be laughing at or what in the world our teacher was talking about. Instead they had to sit in their seats at lunch, doing extra work to improve their english skills. I only knew they stayed up at lunch because one time I had to stay up and help one of them. All lunch period all I could think about was how I wished I could be outside playing with my friends. While I was helping Pu Chen with his writing assignment on frogs I discovered the fact that these kids stayed up here on purpose. I had so many other thoughts in my tiny second grade mind. Like how upsetting it must be for these kids to stay up and watch us go out every single day while they stay in so they can get better at what I’ve known almost my whole life.

Lucky for me, that day was a day we got to go to the cybrary to pick out books for the weekend. I made a bee-line to the culture section and picked out a book about Mandarin while the rest of my friends were in the fiction section picking which Junie B. Jones book they’d each get. I checked out my book with Ms. Phillips and sat down at an empty table. My head filled up with new words and characters so fast that I finally got the full effect of how hard it is to learn a whole new language from scratch. Like in How To Tame A Wild Tongue the narrator says “for a people who are neither spanish nor live in a country in which spanish is the first language; for a people who live in a country in which english is the reigning tongue but who are not anglo; for a people who cannot entirely identify with either standard spanish nor standard english, what recourse is left to them but to create their own language?”(55). Now, if you switch Spanish with Mandarin, it’s a perfect example of how secluded you can feel when everyone else knows what’s going on but you. Speaking a different language can put your mind in a whole different place, a place where you’re your own anchor. However, at some point that anchor needs to be brought up so you can continue to explore the world you never thought you’d know.

What exactly is social media? It basically means interacting with other humans via apps and websites:  adding people as friends or following people, liking other people’s status and/or picture, commenting whatever they want under someone else’s picture, and chatting live. But, is it really safe to put personal information on social media? Even though people have the choice to make their profiles private, do they really know what they are signing up for when they choose “create account”? When people make a new account on any social media, they are asked to agree to the terms and condition, but since most people don’t read that because they are too excited to make that new account, it can lead to something else. People don’t realize that if they don’t fully understand the right way to share their life on the internet, it will result in giving away their privacy unintentionally.

According to netsmartz.org, most public schools are teaching kids about internet safety so that they know what’s safe to share online and what’s not. “Yet along with offering a fascinating, new way to connect with the world, the Internet also offers new risks: Cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate material, online predators and revealing too much personal information.” (Basic Internet Safety) Most children know about internet safety but as they grow up and are becoming more active on social media, do they still remember what they are taught, or are did they just check it off like the “I agree to the term and conditions” box? Internet safety teaches people to rethink their decisions about putting personal information online, such as full name, phone number, social security number, address, etc. One popular social media that’s being used worldwide is Snapchat. It is said that “the app’s 150 million users base to 217 million users by the end of 2017.”(Business Insider) For example, on Snapchat, people have geofilters, which is a filter which shows someone’s location at the moment they take a picture. Using those filters can be a nice thing, but it also gives the location of a person which can also be dangerous. If the user’s account happened to be hacked that one moment, the hacker will know the location of their victim because of the geofilter that he/she used. People often misunderstand that something as small as a geofilter could harm them because they use the geofilters to show their friends on their Snapchat where they are. A lot of people use geofilters when going on a vacation so that others can where they are in the world.

Another app that’s being used worldwide is Instagram. On Instagram, people share photos and videos of themselves, and now they also are doing a similar thing like snapchat where people can post up pictures and photos on their story so that people can see where they are. The difference between Snapchat and Instagram with their stories is that, the people who can see other’s snapchat stories are only friends, that are added, but on Instagram, whether or not they are following that person, their stories are public to everyone. Taking pictures of a girls night out, date night, etc, can be risky because of that. Even though people want to share with their social media friends, not everyone is nice. Someone with bad intentions can recognize the area that the picture or video was taken and they can harm the user. That can be a dangerous situation because people take pictures to share with others the beauty that they see or just to show the world something. Even though it’s not intentional to show the web a little privacy about a user, many predators use that as an advantage. Taking a picture of a favorite restaurant or a favorite place can lead to danger. Sometimes it’s not safe to even share a specific spot that’s often visited by family and friends.

It’s best to know that some information should be kept personal and some can be shared with the world. Before sharing and letting the world know the location or the neighborhood, just remember that not everyone online are nice. People that are posting their new house or new car can be in danger because someone out there on the internet can end up stealing or breaking into the new house or car, just because of a simple post. It’s a problem not only for the user but also for the society because that can be an advantage for people who have a purpose to harm others. Sharing favorite locations to go with family and friends can be a way that predators track a user. There are stalkers and predators on the internet, so sharing a picture that shows a neighborhood or a place that’s known can be dangerous to everyone.

Sources:

By Acting as a Resource, Parents and Guardians Can Help Make the Internet a Safer Place for Their Families. As a Parent or Guardian, You Should Stay Well-informed about Current Issues to Understand What Your Children Are Experiencing on and off the Intern. "Basic Internet Safety."Basic Internet Safety. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. <http://www.netsmartz.org/InternetSafety>.

Shah, Saqib. "Snapchat Is on Target to Hit 217 Million Users by the End of next Year." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 25 Aug. 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. <http://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-on-target-for-217-million-users-by-end-of-2017-2016-8>.