Meat Sauce and Spaghetti Recipe: 

1.5 lbs of ground beef

2 packets of onion soup mix (one box usually contains two packets)

2 cloves of garlic

2 twenty-six oz bottles of traditional tomato sauce

1/4 cup of sugar

6 Italian sausages (approx. 12 oz)

1 tsp of worcestershire or A1

bay leafs

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground peppercorn

1/4 cup of sugar

1 medium-sized bell pepper (green or red)

1 medium-sized yellow onion

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp basil

1.  Begin to brown the ground beef in a skillet on medium high heat

2. While browning the meat, add one packet of onion soup mix and 1 tsp of Worcestershire or A1 sauce.

3. Add two bottles of 26 oz traditional tomato sauce to a slow cooker (crockpot), set on low heat. 

4. Mince two cloves (or as much as desired) of fresh garlic

5. Once the beef is browned, drain the meat, then add it to the crockpot with the sauce, stir well

6. Remove the casing on the Italian sausage. 

7. Separate the sausage meat the best you can and put the sausage into the skillet on medium-high heat and brown the sausage while chopping it with the spatula.

8. Add a few bay leaves, the salt, pepper and sugar to the sauce and stir well. 

9. Cut 1/2 of a medium-sized pepper into fine cubes and add it to the crockpot

10. Cut 1/2 of a medium-sized onion and add this to the crockpot also, stir well

11. Add the second packet of onion soup mix to the sauce, stir

12. Add garlic powder and basil to the sauce

13. Let the sauce simmer on low heat for about an hour while stirring occasionally. 

Spaghetti 

2 boxes (any kind desired) 

Pot

Water 

Strainer

Spoon 

1. Fill a big pot mostly with water and let it boil

2. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, gradually add the spaghetti noodles

3. Stir occasionally to make sure that the noodles do not stick to the bottom or the sides of the pot

4. Remove the pot from the heat once the noodles are soft and drain the water

5. Top with warm sauce

Because some people in the class do not it pork, we make two bowls of the sauce. One bowl we poured right in from the crock pot and the other bowl we put the rest of the sauce into another bowl and we added the sausage to eat for those of whom that can eat pork and want some. Then we put the rest of the onion soup mix into the bowl with the sauce and sausage. So when making this dish you might want to fix it based on who will be eating it. 

Analysis: 

The reason why I wanted to make this meal is because first of course I love, love love Spaghetti. But, it is a family thing, we eat it all the time. When my granddad was younger he use to eat it all the time with his family and he still eats it with his family now. So Sabrina and I wanted to combined. We used all fresh things to make this to try and help keep a good diet. 

Personal Reflection: 

During this unit I have learned a lot about what I “thought” I knew about food. Before it seems as if as students were not taught the “truth” about things because we were younger. But now the truth comes out it seems a bit not normal. I say that because of the food unit we just had. I use to think that some of the foods that we ate we some what healthy, but it turns out that nothing we eat is really “healthy”. If man made it then it is not good for the human body and man makes EVERYTHING. I feel like I do not really have a “role” in a larger food system because in a sense there is nothing that just one individual can do to change the way we eat as a whole. The biggest problem is our food system that nothing is purely organic and basically everything is GMO. Some changes I can make to make food choices is to not eat as much or drink as much soda as I would like to all the time. Most of the time I like to drink water but once I have a taste of soda I always want to drink more of it. I can just tell myself that I don’t need it and that it is not healthy for me to drink it as much. My family has changed the way we eat as a whole and I just have to make sure I stick to that way of eating. These changes would really have an “impact” per say It’s just a healthier way of living. Well, I guess you can say a healthier way of living would be the “impact”. Yes, I am willing to make these changes after seeing the video of how our meat/food is made. It just makes me want to change some of the things that I put into my body. 

When I first started this project did this project I was not sure what I wanted to do. I really enjoy creative projects and I was so excited to make one I was not sure what I creative piece I was going to make. I first thought I was going to draw, or paint because I enjoy that as a past time. There would nothing better than being about to that kind of art work for a class I am actually going to receive a grade in. 

After a while I figured that I wanted to do a written piece, the only problem was I did not know what I wanted to wrote about or what theme I wanted to use within the piece. Then Manna told me she was doing a monologue and asked if I would like to work with her. I have always wanted to work with someone else doing a monologue(s) but that chance just never came up. I was excited and quite curious to see what we were going to create. Our biggest problem we seemed to have was trying to combine our ideas together. We both has a basic idea of what we wanted to put into the monologue but had a time struggling on the best way to combine ideas. 

Although the process of trying to figure out what we were going to do took longer than we expected. For the simple fact that we kept going back and forth trying to figure out what we were going to write. We kept working on it trying to prefect it and not giving up on it or separating from one another as partners. I feel as though we stuck together well because sometimes I was ready for Manna to just suggest something about us working separate as we started to but of course she didn’t So I was determined to hang in there to get the job done. 

By sticking together with this project we were able to, get our theme across enteral destruction. Once we figured out that was what we were going for it was their easier to connect what we wanted to do together. We know we wanted to explain our line of thinking by using strong words. To us, what better way to do that than using a monologue. Powerful and straight to the point. We wanted to touch basics on the life of  one person who has a strong addition and gets better overtime. The main focus in the monologue is the one person of course. We felt like if we put to many characters in the story then it would take away the important and the focus off of the main character. We would have then had to develop more than was needed, being so we made a monologue and not a play. The entire monologue is a presentation for our main character to share a part of her life that she has grown with the most. 

Something I think I could have done differently is decided sooner rather than later about how I was going to present this information with or without a parter because it would have been easier to work knowing what I was going to do. For the simple fact that I changed my mind so many times. So I feel as though that was something that I could have done better. I still think i gave myself enough time to finish the project I just don’t think I gave myself enough creative time. I was creative with my writing I just, sort of feel like there was something missing. 

Hopefully I am wrong. If I were to do this all over again I would just make sure that I knew what I was going to be in sooner than I did before. I probably would just paint a picture because the last times I painted with my oil paints was about four weeks ago. To me that seems like forever and oil painting tends to keep my very tranquil and my mind always at ease. I think if I were to make a painting, if I were to do this all over again then I would then feel as if my work is no longer missing the little something. But besides that, I invite you to listen to Emily telling about her strong addiction to cocaine between her past and present self. 

One thing the U.S. must remember is 9/11 is the past and we have to move forward in a positive manner an not get so wrapped up into the PATRIOT Act that we find ourselves reliving it by doing too many unnecessary investigations. There is a thin line between suspicion for protection an suspicion for insanity. In 1978 Congress decided to establish the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court as special and with that the Chief of Justice had to choose federal district judges to review applications for warrants in regards to any investigations that had to do with national security. Any agents that have to or feel as thought they need to investigate will go get a valid warrant that would be issued from a federal district judge and proceed with further investigation. The only problem with that is that most of the time if not all of the time agents whether is is the police, F.B.I, C.I.A etc tend to do a little investigation of their own before they go get a warrant. I feel as though a warrant should be issued before the investigation begins, if it is reasonable belief that an particular individual is creating harm to society then there should not be any problem with getting a warrant. 

There has to be some balance between trying to keep everyone safe from terrorism and not just bombarding the privacy of individuals. The PATRIOT Act was made to protect the citizens not hurt them, when agents do investigations and leave off at a dead end that does not make us feel any safe. It just seems as if the government is not doing their job to the fullest and are checking the backgrounds of the wrong people. 

So far the heighten surveillance seems to be working to some extent, for the simple fact that we have not had a repeat of 9/11 and for that I am very grateful. So I say it’s only needed if it will be in effect to stop terrorism an not just for tracking  personal information. 

            Trying to figure out how we wanted to convey the message to the audience that we chose was the hardest thing for my group mates an I to do. Considering the fact that the target audience was mainly younger children. What ever my group mates and I decided to had to be appealing to younger children, but I knew I wanted to have posters in it. If I was not sure about anything else or another idea having a poster was something I didn’t want to let go of.

            So making a poster is what Quinn and I decided on, when children see colorful posters they tend to look at them. Or sometimes even drawn “funny” things on them, a child actually writing on a poster is not affective of course but when children write on papers they observe them first. That is actually what we want children to do, observe the posters. My idea was to have the poster read, “How well can you read?” in all capital letters, with a backward “e” in the word read in my opinion that would be affective. If a child is looking at the poster and thinks there is nothing wrong with it after reading it a few times they will be more than likely see that there is a problem with a word and start to pay attention when they are reading things an if they understand what they read. I was thinking along the lines of something like that we I talked to my group mates about incorporating poster into our campaign.

            After deciding to make the posters and talking to my group mates about the video aspect of the campaign I think that, design was actually the easy part of the entire campaign. Making the poster was easy to design because the only thing that had to have most of the thought into it was a slogan for it and after that the only thing that was needed was the color. Putting color into an abstraction is the easy part because by then the target audience was known and the color scheme usage was already built up in my head from the beginning of the project.

            Making the poster and the color choice where the straightforward parts. The harder part was getting started with the project. Although my group and I knew our topic “Literacy” we were not sure on what the best approach for it should have been. The brainstorm process was a bit bizarre because it didn’t really get the group anywhere the first time. We talked for about three minutes in the group just started throwing out any ideas that were had that might work, or anything we thought would work. But the main challenge was just finding ways to keep adding to the project to make the core message stronger but I think all the other components of the project fell into place.

Describe the Q3BM: what was the assignment? 

For this assignment the objective was to make a radii or tv show, with guest that have relationship problems. along with audience members and a host any way we saw fit towards productive project.

What did your group decide to do and why?

My group decided to make a radio show. The reason why is because when ever we receive benchmarks the first thing that is always made are movies for people to see. So we though why not make something a bit different now that we have the chance to and we wanted to see if would could make a podcast come to life. 

What did you learn from doing this project?  

I learned that sometimes when you finalize all the written components of an assignment, that it can still feel unfinished. I usually get the feeling of complete when all the written aspects of my assignments are done but this time I didn't feel that way. 

How do you feel about your final product?

I feel confident about my final product an it turned out how I thought it would. 

If you could do your project all over again, what would you do differentlssy/the same?

The only thing that I would change about this is the fact that it is all a podcast, I would add video to it too. Having a set up of things happening on a show with people and the people on the show phone in their friends. That's when the podcast would come into play. 

• Mi grupo y yo hicimos un PSA sobre, el contaminación en la cuidad.
• Por crear el PSA, la cosa más importante que aprendí fue, es importante ese personas aprender por de cuidad y qué es pasa. 
• Me gusta el PSA de mi group porque, mi amigas y yo nos divertimos. 
• Si pudiera hacer el proyecto otra vez, yo cambiaría, nada porque el proyecto era bien y simple. 
• Please include the link to the PSA that has been posted by a group member on their own blog.
  http://scienceleadership.org/blog/Espanol_3_BMQ2-Ssapp_y_Awallace 

I designed my Exhibit to show how my neighborhood has changed over time. In my opinion making an exhibit was a better way to engage an audience without boring them. I wanted to portray the idea and physical representations of the way the streets were many years ago. So I tired to resemble with the floor map the main idea of what South Philadelphia would be 60 years ago. But before that I went back in time further to when it all began in 1638. 

    Time Line: My time line for South Philadelphia starts back to about 300 years ago when most of the information started to be documented. In 1638 the first Swedish colonists arrived in Wilmington, Delaware. Following them the Europeans settled. The Dutch and English colonists were spread all over the Delaware Valley. The second group of Swedish colonists made a colony that consisted of immigrants in 1642.

Weccace was the name of that province and the Lenni Lenape named it. The meaning of it meant “peaceful place”. This “peaceful place” only was extended between the boundaries of the Delaware River at Trenton down to the Delaware Bay. In 1654 the Swedish and the Lenape both signed a Compact that bounded them to friendship. It was made to reinforce fair and respectful relations when it came time to trade but this compact only involved them.

Before the British came, in 1650 the Dutch were the only people that took a brief ownership of Weccacoe. Year 1677 the Swedish lead their first Christian worship in a blockhouse. To reach the destination they had to sail up the Delaware River every week.

Then in 1682 William Penn was able to establish this land only after making a negotiation of a treaty with the Lenni Lenape. Weccaoe became known as Southwark; this area was divided in to communities. The east side was named Passyunk, which meant “in the valley”. As for the west side it was named Moyamensing which meant “pigeon droppings’ and the first shipment of African slaves arrived on the Isabella in Philadelphia in 1684.

The Pennsylvania assembly aiming for the freedom of African Americans passed “The Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery” in 1780 and runaway slaves. In 1787 Richard Allen became the attraction for African American settlement. He then founded The Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, which was located between South and Lombard 5th to 7th street. Which is now known as the “Cedar Street Corridor”. Philadelphia then became the most important seaport on the American continent. In 1793 about 10,000 plus Philadelphia plus were forced to evacuate the city, due to the first American yellow fever epidemic that made its why through.

19th Century

During the 1800’s some Southern Italians began to migrate to the Bella Vista, which is near, happens to be near the 9th Street Market. As a resulted to that the West side of 6th to11th Street became full of Italians. Until 1910 when most of the Italian immigrants started to go to New York City then took the train to Philadelphia.

In 1801 the Navy Yard at Federal Street along the Delaware River was established but the U.S government. It was to build the U.S naval fleet and the Federal Navy Yard continued to build more ships at that location. Until 1875 when the Navy yard relocated itself, to Broad Street at the League Island. Assembling ships until it closed down in 1996. Today about eighty companies now reside in the 1,200-acre yard; has been remade into a retail, entertainment complex. In 1842 a lot of riots started to occur on Lombard Street and more than 1,000 African Americas partook in a parade that was to pay tribute to the 8th anniversary of the abolition of the slavery in the West Indies. Due to that parade with the American Americans an Irish mob attacked them and burned down the Second African Presbyterian Church on Lombard Street. As a result a Quaker philanthropist established the Institution for the Colored on 915 Bainbridge Street. This noble institute taught classical languages, literature, philosophy and mathematics. Eventually the school moved in 1902 to Chester Country, PA and then became the Cheney University. Which made it the oldest legendary African American college in America. In 1845 as a result of the riots, the districts of spring, Moyamensing and Northern Liberties were all obligated to assemble a police enterprise.

          In 1871 the first professional Philadelphia Fire Department was organized and replaced the city’s volunteer fire companies, which started back in the 18th century. The companies of the Irish Democrats or Nativist Republican often worked as if they were street gangs, challenging one another for turf.

From 1800-1920 is when all the different nationalities started to settle closer to and or within my neighborhood. The Eastern European immigrants and Jewish began to settle along Lombard and South Streets. 1887 the Lebanese immigrants started to settle around 10th and Ellsworth Street. The Polish immigrants began settling between Catharine and Christian, on Front and Second Street in 1890. In 1910 along 9th Street was where many of the Italian immigrants sold many goods such as meat, fruits and vegetables. The first Vietnamese immigrants arrived in 1975. They began to establish community organizations and businesses along Washington Ave and 8th Street.

Then in 1992 more Southeast Asian immigrants such as Cambodians arrived and started to cluster around 7th and Wolf, which was considered to be mainly a Jewish neighborhood. In the 2000’s some more immigrants that where mainly from Mexico and Asia began to settle more. The more people Philly received the more the living became lively, with rising real estate and lowering -income residents pushing the immigrants away from Center City an into the neighborhoods South of Washington and Snyder avenue, which is my neighborhood region.

The Interviews

            The way I conducted my interview was first by telling what my project was about then asking questions and writing down the answer. The two people chosen knew more information than I expected them to. So during the interview it was only necessary of me to ask a few questions. As the interviews when on a lot of other information was giving. When one questions was asked around the topic was giving. In other words unasked question were answered too. But I did some questions as the interviews went on, to clarify or to gain specific detail.

Starter Questions Q: Did any major events have an affect on you in the South Philadelphia neighborhood?Q: Did you visit to the area as a child and do you now as an adult visit the area?Q: Did you or did you have family and friends who lived in the neighborhood?

·       ·               Twenty to thirty years ago most of this area was filled with the Italian, polish and Jewish people.

·       ·               All of Darien street at from 9 and Oregon to 9th and Shunk where Greenwich homes for the mentally ill.

·       ·               What seem to bring all the people together was drugs.

·       ·               On the side of Oregon where Darien and Shunk is was built over a swamp.

·       ·               The area on Oregon where the School D. Newlin Fell is and Thomas was built over a cemetery.

·       ·               Certain parts belonged to different races.

·       ·               Board and South to front and south was all housing, nothing compared to the way it is today.

·       2^nd Street and Front Street were the Irish.

·       10^th and Carpenter were the Italians

·       9^th and Darien were the Jewish.

·       ·               Broad Street was a place you needed money to be on, it was where the movies and entertainment use to be and that was mainly Italian.  

·       ·               Patterson Ave. was where the cars would drag race before the stadiums were built.

·       ·               Her best friend was an African American girl named Linda and it was not always easy to play with her because when ever she would go to see her. Some of the people from Linda’s neighborhood would want and try to fight Lorraine.

·       ·               People knew who didn’t belong in their neighborhood and if they didn’t know you or knew you didn’t know someone that would fight you until you left.

·       “As little as we had, everybody was happy”. - Lorraine Tartaglio
Date of the second interview 10/22/11

·       ·               Second I interviewed was with DennisTerico he was one who also lived in South Philly all of his life.

·       ·               1963 he went to Thomas high school and there were mainly Italian and Irish people.

·       ·               All African American people were considered to be colored people.

·       Front to 4^th street were mostly the Irish and Polish

·       4^th to 6^th were the Puerto Ricans

·       8^th to 12^th, Broad were the Italians.

·       ·               As young teens if they stood on the corner the cops would pick them up take all their wallets and money. Drop them off at Delaware ave. so when they walked back to where they were. Having to walk through all the other different neighborhoods and fight their way through.

·       ·               At 8th an wolf that was a African American school with only 6 white people attended one of which was Dennis and the other 5 where his brothers.

·       ·               1964 he and his friends use to dress as rag time people and paint their faces black but then there were riots because they were not allowed in the parade with the black faces.

·       ·               9th street with Bok and 10th and Biglar would have riots.

·       ·               10^th and Packer ave. use to be horse stables it was there for about 20 years then it burnt down in 1967 and people could hear the animals cry from 9 an wolf.

Civic Association

The closet Civic Association near me is Passyunk Square Civic Association  (PSCA) Is the closet one I have in my neighborhood, it was founded since 2004. I sent them an e-mail but I never received a reply. So I did the next best thing a teen could do, FACEBOOK! After doing that I received some information about their projects.

Contact: mnlogreco@gmail.com

Some projects they had:

·              “Event: Columbus Square Park Fall Flea Market

Date: Saturday, October 29, 2011

Time: 7am to 1pm

Location: 12th and Wharton

Details: Reserve a space for your table for $20 or get two spaces for $30. You can also donate your stuff to sell at the Columbus Square Park table. They are also seeking volunteers to help out during that time with set up and clean-up AND donations of baked goods for the bake sale.”

·            “Event: Halloween Pumpkin Fest

Date: Saturday, October 29, 2011

Time: 10am to 12pm

Location: 12th between Wharton and Reed

Details: Event will include pumpkin decorating for kids (pumpkins and paint provided), a children’s costume parade, candy and treats.”

·      “The Friends of the South Philly Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia presents a FREE Pumpkin Painting event on Saturday, October 22 at 11am.

·      Paint your own pumpkin at the South Philly Branch Library. Pumpkins, paint and treats will be provided. Unfortunately, large groups cannot be accommodated. Pumpkins will be available on a first-come, first-served basis so arrive as close to 11am as you can.”

Volunteer w/ buildOn

I asked Crystal a few questions about buildOn. What major projects does buildOn have? What did she consider to be a major project? Did she mind telling me about Halloween Festival, because I know that is something that is does annually? Also, what did you enjoy about the specific UnLitter us on 10/15/11? That was the event I attended myself so I wanted another perspective not just my own.

Here was here response:

“We have two regional service projects every year (one in the fall and one in the spring). Those are our biggest projects and they are not always the same kind of project.  We also have some service projects that continue to be very popular every year:  definitely the Halloween festival, the Autism Walk, the AIDS Walk, the Beach Sweep in New Jersey. A major project is a project that we do consistently every year and brings a lot of students out. I thought the UnLitter Us project was awesome for a couple of reasons. I think it was wonderful for the guest speakers at the beginning of the event took notice of all of the buildOn students that had come out ready to help out.  It was also a great project because there was a clear need.  The volunteers got a lot done and really helped to clean up the area.  People in the neighborhoods took notice of the volunteers and thanked them for their hard work.  Lastly, I love when 50 teenagers from all across the city and from almost a dozen different schools can work together to make an impact.”  - Crystal Collins, PA Program & Service Coordinator

•  Description of project
• To write a song with 10-15 lines telling where you come from. Also stating important things about where we come from. 
• What did you learn?
• There are other ways to tell people where you came from instead of just stating it directly. Sometimes that can be a bit boring to the viewer. 
• What are you expecially proud of?
• I told where I am from but not directly almost metaphorically. I told about a piece of my home when I was younger and then talked about my family. It's telling where I come from in a different way then what other people might have thought you write for their song. 
• What would you change if you could do it over again?
• I might change some of the lyrics just to see how it might turn out. 
• COPY of the lyrics in Spanish

• Mi gusta recordarme de que me hace feliz  
• El árbol es bonito con melocolónes
• Melocolónes son muy jugoso
• Mi papa ama melocolónes y ama sus amigos tambíen
• El árbol pertenecer a mi abuelita
• El árbol es sentimental para nosotros  
• Lo extraño porque el árbol era mi amigo 
• El árbol camino de mi vida, muchas lágrimas
• Mi gusta recordarme de que me hace feliz
• Amo familia 
• Tres hermonos y una hermana 
• Mama y papá son muy importante a mi 
• Ellos apoyan y nunca me dejan
• Mi gusta recordarme de que me hace feliz
• Vengo de Familia            

Attach MP3 of my canción

This school year has been a wonderful experience for me I have learned a lot of things. I've also begun to better understand different morals or saying people live by. One thing I started to understand is even though we have our freedom to do as we please. If people tried to do what they are suppose to do, when others aren't watching then it would help make their lives easier. I came to that realization during an interview with my father.

            Although sometimes society gives people so much leeway to do as they please. Re-guarding what is right. They began to over use the right of freedom. Which causes the higher power to step into doing as they please no matter what the affect is on those around. Just like in the book Night we read in class the young boy Eliezer Wiesel who was deeply affect by the Holocaust due to the recognized higher authority of Hitler an his men. I wrote an academic paper demonstrating how is has affected him and the way he became.

            That also reminds me about the monologue assignment we had. Taken history and bringing it back to life. Trying to show that even thought history tends to heavily repeat its self that are some aspects of it that people just might not know or fully understand. In my story I was telling how the higher authority has affect a community.

            My favorite unit was the poetry. Just like any other form of writing it is a way to express the mind. I made a poem portfolio an in it I have five poems. I started to understand that you do not have to be an expert in a certain field to be able to accomplish the work. I love poetry and I like to write it, but when some people who feel the same way encounter another who might have a stronger way of expressing than they do. The thought of not being an expert really became a heavy thought.

            Besides my liking of the poetry unit I was also fond of was the Op-Ed on child abuse. What was so interesting about this assignment was what ever we chose to write about, we had to have a strong point and sort of give the story. The topic of child abuse crossed my mind because it is something that is often no touched. While I wrote it I felt like I was giving an article a voice and a purpose. In my mind it was not only a piece a writing that was needed for class it became a possible end to the problem for the younger generation.

            When I started this year it seemed as if it would be hard and the things the class were going to learned would be overwhelming.

            Some of the assignments and assignment reading over this year had make me have the general understand that every piece of writing made will not always make sense or come together.  But it will always have a meaning and purpose.

This series of monologues (now turned into more of a play form) tell a short story about the people of Zimbabwe when they were in a great time of need. The country was one a bit of a turn when the people started to lose their homes and get most of their money taking a way from them. At the time money was becoming less of a problem because the people that were left behind had to pay the hospital with food in order to survive and receive the type of care that is needed. The people of the land blamed Mugabe for their problems but his intentions are to clear his name.

Title: Footprints Aren’t The Only Thing Left Behind In Zimbabwe

By: Aja Wallace

Cast of Characters

• Chenzira-An old man who is age 65 his name means born while traveling. Which happened when he was younger his mother had him in the back of an old truck while they were on their way to Kadoma then Chinhoyi. Ever since then his family stayed moving from place to place and took up same habits when got older even.
• Robert Mugabe- Is the president of Zimbabwe, he is 87 years old.
• Gamba- Is a 14 year-old boy his name means warrior. He has gone through a bit of things in his life but the Falling point of Zimbabwe was the biggest thing yet.
• Dakarai-Dakarai is a 12-year-old girl and her name happens to be a boy name. The name is of that gender because she was the fifth child of her parents and is the only girl her. Dakarai’s parents came up with the names before she was born they told themselves they would keep the name even if she were a girl. She is now aware that her parents were not too happy with her birth so she takes her anger out on others.
• Sheba -Is a 13-year-old girl who is an extra character for Dakarai’s part.

Setting

In Zimbabwe when Robert Mugabe was President. Starts off during the day and as time goes on different day occur.

Act 1 Scene 1

 (Curtains open: Day time Lights: Curtains open Chenzira downstage center, sitting on the dirt road watching the cars go by and counting them under his breath with small lip gestures and he moves his head up and down to match the cars going by. Speaking with slight sick tone. With a dusty dirty bag with Salted Groundnuts in it. With an open wound on his left leg between his calf and ankle, not covered.)

CHENZIRA

So um they left us, just left us to die. Not to live only to die......Then they want to take all da  money away.......Yea, they wanna make us pay in food. I know it sound crazy. Not even real. When I first heard it I thought they was jokin’.

(Gets excited and starts to cough then clears his throat deeply)  

They don’t even use it! They got that food lookin like a giant sand dune of unshelled nuts in dat hospital’s cavernous chapel. See they care more about the food their getting then the medical care of the people.

(Brings his left hand up to his waist then shakes it to all of the Syllables in the next sentence. Then brings both of his hands to his sides.)

They literally, are providing medical services for peanuts I still can’t even believe it.... So um now I’m sittin’ on the road left with no where to go and of course nuttin’ to eat, I’m so sick, that even if there was a job out there for me anywhere I can’t even work. To make things better I havta take this

(Holds up above his had with his right hand, a dusty dirty bag of Salted Groundnuts then puts it down.)

Little bit of food I do got to da hos-pital to save my life.

(Shouts with lots of anger)

What little life I got left! So for the idiot who said choosing food over money is stupid,...is stupid,.... was stupid, well you know what I mean.....

(Shakes his head kind of fast for three second, then walks to Left center stage and sits with his knees in his chest with the bag of nuts still clutched in his right hand.)

 (Coming from upstage right Dakarai, Gamba and Sheba are running down stage right then over to Chenzira and Dakarai kicks dirt on Chenzira.)

 (Chenzira stats breathing heavy while staring at the kids with a puppy dog eyed face. Then starts to move his mouth to pretend he is talking to himself while one fear falls out of his right eye. He lets that tear run and fall to it can’t be seen anymore then waits to see what the kids do next. He slows his breathing down and puts on a face of confidence.)

 (Dakarai, Gamba and Sheba approach him. Dakarai and Sheba start to laugh at him then two of them ran off to up stage right, turn around and look at Chenzira for two seconds then leave the stage. Gamba stays and pulls out a piece of cloth from his pocket with the two letters RM on the bottom right hand corner of it. Robert Mugabe’s cloth. He then gave it to Chenzira and walks down stage right when he gets their he puts the cloth in his right pocket and pats the pocket twice.)  

CHENZIRA

See those damn’in kids don’t even know, they won’t even stop for those areas dat don’t got functionin’ hospitals, the cholera epidemic got to those people. Just like when all that talk started about deporting undocumented Zimbabweans because of their working permits.

(Fanning his right hand to the air twice then puts it back down.)

Man I’ll tell ya…but that cholera the, killed more than 2,000. See they don’t even care. Tough luck isn’t even a way to put it.... No you can’t fool me to think everything is just gonna change over night because you tell me the US-based group called for the UN to take control of the health service. They just gonna make us poorer by tellin’ us to bring more peanuts to them. I know, you think how would I know but they seen everything fall apart. Yessss, they did nothin’. All they do is take, take, take and expect us to give, give, and give. The only gift we truly get is death from the sick and no food to eat. For those who family is nowhere to be found they just died of disease and if not they just go and do somethin’ crazy..... Yea there are a lot of people that need food, if you tryna be an aid, eleven million to be exact.

(Spoken very slowly)

We have no phone service and no electricity all we want is to live, but no they take the one gift we get from God.

(Stands up slowly as he is yelling with anger and hitting both his fist against his chest with a steady beat.)

Nobody care for me, nobody care for us. No-body. We just da Zimbabwean people, I know I see the looks on the faces. Everybody think cause I’m old I don’t know what I’m taking about but oh you damn well be-lieve I do.

(Deep laugh)

Hahahahaha cuz Robert is the one to blame...  

(Passes out and light goes out left stage center. As the lighters are going to upstage right waiting for Robert’s arrival, Chenzira gets up and walls off stage. Curtains close )

Act 1, Scene 2

 (Curtains open:Enters from upstage right, then walks down stage center and lights come on with an office setting with the sound of Laughing Dove birds in the background. Robert then starts speaking in a nervous tone and twitching his right hand by his side)

ROBERT MUGABE

For being the second president of Zimbabwe I know I am doin’...doing. A very good job. Not something everybody can just say. To rule against the white minority is a powerful thing. See, leaving people behind thing was only something that had to be done there was no other way. Any other way would have been the wrong way.

(Robert starts to sounds less nervous and the sound of the Laughing Doves stops in the background)

To fix everything to make it right we as a whole had to make everything the way it is suppose to be. I suppose you, want to know how the people felt, they were okay with it. They didn’t mind what was going on. While all of this is going on I’m living just fine. I happen to like, no I happen to love the life I live.

(Stops shaking his right hand then stats to shake the left hand. Then starts to look around as if he was being watched)

See when I went to prison I really think that gave me a different outlook on life and all the things it has to offer. I can have any and everything, everything I want in life and I’m just doing to take it, why because I have the right to do so. I have a nice house and I’m very happy so everybody else should be too.
(The lights go off upstage right, and Robert is walking off stage.)

 (Chenzira comes back on stage and walks to the center of the stage the lights start out dim on him then get lighter. When Chenzira gets to the center of the stage he sits there looking around. Then lays down with his head facing down)

Act 1, Scene 3

 (Sun Set Lights: Dakarai and Sheba are walking back and starting to mess with the old man. They start to stare at the old man to see if he moves because they think he’s dead staring in awe. DAKARAI starts to speak both Dakarai and Sheba are standing next to the Chenzira. The Dakarai starts to speak.)

DAKARAI  

He’s dead look at him jus’a lyin’ there. Ain’t doin’ nuttin. Look at dat fly on is leg, its about to eat his meat right out his leg! Hey lets poke him wit a stick and see if he bleeds more. Then again lets not we don’t wanna get what ever he done got. Yea that smart man disease. Thinkin’ he know everything, about everything. He don’t no much of nothin’. Nothin’ about nothin’. Ha! Ha! nothin’ about nothin’. Yup that’s what he knows. Betcha he didn’t know Sr. Wantsalot hahah…. Mugabe was trained as a teacher in a Roman Catholic school. Got peoples thinkin’ he into that religion stuff but don’t wanna help people in need. Religious man?...Praying for people?...Helping the people? Nope ! He sure ain’t help us. Ha! Ha! Us, dat man, nobody tat all. All he want it stuff dats gonna make him happy and take away the money everybody once used. Got us layin’ on dirt roads. Fightin’ of them skeetoes in the nights. And he up there…somewhere, somewhere nobody knows sleepin’ like a lil baby.

(Sheba echoes Dakarai and Sheba’s voice is a little louder then Dakarai’s)

Betcha, betcha,

(Dakarai speaks again, by herself)

Man don’t know, after he come from jail he wanted da white man farmland too. Aahahah yeaa, mama told me bout dat one. Taken the land from a white man don’t make you no bigger and better but he seem ta think so. Betcha he didn’t know, just betcha he didn’t know he da whole reason why nobody was gettin’......em-ployt, employ.....JOB!...ahahah yea.

Act 2 Scene 1

 (Curtains open:Night Time Lights: Down stage right the lights come on and Robert enters the stage from the right wing and walk to upstage center and as he is walking there the light is coming to meet him at upstage center. Standing in his house all alone in front a window, the window is on the wall upstage center, with the glare of the moon shinning in his face. Staring out a window looking at the moon with a blank face. With a big mirror reflecting his face and torso to the audience.)

ROBERT MUGABE

Everybody who’s anybody think they all know me. Think they all have me figured out. I laugh at you all. You all get to thinking I don’t have a heart, Oh! but I do. I have loved and lost. I was married to Sally Hayfron and her kidney gave out before her heart was supposed to. Tough time for me almost reminds me of my childhood,

(Mild chuckle, then sighs)

Yea, my siblings and I always had the hope of growing up to become a nun. Mom was a passionately religious woman.

(Sigh)

Which brings me back to 1934,Michael,..... my brother, he was only fifteen, and he died,...

(Sigh)

Wasn’t easy at all the considering the fact my mother fell apart. His death was so traumatizing it’s freshly in my mind with vivid description. It was something that nobody, I mean nobody wants to go through....... Those dishes, cause of the enema Father O’Hea had to inject and. …those dishes, I remember the exact spot where they were with Michael’s pieces of intestines in them. All of this because...

(Two sniffs and starts to cry a little)

Nobody was willing to take him to the hospital for the proper care he was in need of..... They said no they can’t take him cause mom wasn’t home but dad wasn’t either but dad was never there...., never so mom was all we had. So everybody said no they couldn’t take him to the hospital because they would have had to cut him open there. All I wanted was my brother to live, but instead I got he gruesome memories of his body in bowls.... Yea I know it wasn’t even about me but because of that I’ve been scared ever since. Then I became the oldest and I had so much, so much stuff to help out with.

(Turns to the audience, yells and sniffles between every word)

It was so hard for me!

(Lights go off up stage center)

Scene 2

 (Next day, 6am Day Lights: Lights come on right stage center, Chenzira walks on stage from the left wing, with a bag in his right hand. He goes to right stage center and starts filling up a small holy bag, full of rocks. Moving at a steady paste. Then he starts to walk all around in circles and squatting every time he finds the rock he is looking for. Also looking up at the audience from time to time. Taking to himself with a slight mumble. The walks to down stage center.)

 (Walking out to down stage right and sits Indian style facing Chenzira and listening to him. Lights shinning on both Gamba and Chenzira)  

CHENZIRA

Haahah

(Sigh, then starts talking to Gamba)

Yea cuz’a I know what er’body don’t know but once I tell you, five minutes later you gonna be done said, cha knew it!

(Starts speaking fast)

And dat ain’t e-ben fair to me cuz then chu gonna be goin' round sayin’ dat old man crazy

(Starts speaking at a regular pace.)

..........But right now chu and nobody else don’t know nuttin when, I knowed it. So I hear some people talk about it... Yea those things we ain’t pose to mention.....

 (Gamba moves his mouth and frowns his eyebrows as if he is asking a question but no words come out of his mouth, just movement and Chenzira makes an annoyed tone)

Well uh I dunno why they mention them.

(Back to his regular voice.)

...Yea?...Yea. Them voices,

(Shaking his head as if he is agreeing with someone)

I hear them and they told me too. They told me about it,

(In a whisper, and squats down to Gamba)

Sssshhh. Now look’a hear just cause them voices be tellin’ me stuff don’t me you can go on tellin da whole world.

(Back to regular tone of voice and sits Indian style next to Gamba)

But you prolly gonna go on an do it anyways....ain’t chu boy?!....... They say about the death of Michael, Mugabe’s brother and how Mugabe became his mother favorite child when he was gone. Cause she done gone and went crazy.  So then she wanted the little ole shy child to become everything she wanted him to become. They say it was a lot for him to live up to since he was so sensitive and what not. Then they say he became a bookworm because he got teased when he was younger by his friends fo bein’ sucha mama’s boy. Cuz he was sucha mama’s boy he couldn’t even fight to keep dem books in his hand.....but everybody think cause I’m old I don’t know what I’m taking about but oh you damn well be-lieve haha, I do....Haahah

(Sigh).

What’s cho name mean boy? Cuz if you ain’t figure it out by now I can tell’ja what it mean....and uh before I forget don’t come round here lookin fo me no more........Cause I heard of some place up da road bouta, uh, 2,3,4..uh 3, 4 miles up the road on foot. So I’m gonna be goin dere to see what kinda stuff they got in store for us. Wanna see they gonna help us in this time of

(Puts hands up and makes air quotes for the word need, along with a slight grin)

“need”.....Yea, I know everybody sayin’ that place ain’t but no good. But,

(Mild chuckle)

Can’t be no worse then what we got here on them dirt roads over there. I be eatin’ dinner out the dargone trash can for god sake....I miss them good old days. When I had a house wasn’t what most people would like to have, but I called it home.
That place never done me wrong it was always there, everyday of the year. I ‘memeber one morning waking up and looking at the ceiling, it was warm the day, the cool breeze trickled down from my head to my toes. It was a sudden rush you get, like when you on the beach just relaxing. Then out of nowhere you get to fill that cool ocean breeze.....Yeaaa I know its nice itn’t it?... Yea, everybody say that, I know nobody can get enough of it...but that’s not important I have to go on now and get ta walkin’.

Scene 3

(Noon/Miday Lights: Speaking to the old man. Still sitting on the ground in Indian style.)

Huh?...My name?..my name is um....no ain’t no cat  got my tongue. Just nobody neva cared nuff to asked dats all. Cuz I’m all older and nice they just think im nothin’ but a big mamas’s boy.

(Trying to make eye contact with Chenzira but squinting because of the glare of the sun.)

GAMBA

Same thing they thought about Mugabe. Some lil mama’s boy who all soft and can’t do nothin’. But see I was doin’ something my name means well idunno but I’ll think of something if you ain’t tellin’ me, Well I’m 14 so that should make some difference in how people treat me but nope, it don’t not one bit. Come to think of it Mugabe was only four year younger then me when he had to be at his strongest. See he so set on doing big things and I know I can’t do big things.....How I know?.....Cuz I’ve tried the only

(Holds hands up and using air quotes when he says big thing)

“Big thing” I can do is take a crap. Wait nope, not even do that cause sometimes I cry to my mom, so I can’t even do that. See I can’t do nothin. Nothin at all......Oh,
(Spoken as if he is asking a question)
my name
(Spoken regular)
…..Gamba.
(Lights go off on them as they walk upstage left and exit stage out the left wing. Curtains close)

Act 3, Scene 1

 (Curtains open:Day 4pm Lights: Enters from right wing. Walks down to center stage, in a brightly lit office typing on the computer, sitting at a large desk. Talking out loud to himself as he gets his paper work done.)

ROBERT MUGABE

This work is always more everyday I step foot in this office, I finish one thing and bam! There’s another. Tryin’ to make so many deals and bargains. See and everybody really use to think I was a mama’s boy but look where it got me. It’s a funny thing.

(Turning his both his eyebrows in and down and putting his left hand on his chin with his below on the desk.)

To those of you that already know me, this will simply be a joyous refresher of your cherished memories of me. To those with the still unfulfilled desire to know me better, I welcome you to an intimate glimpse of Mugabe” See I went to jail for “subversive speech” and I only want the white mans land because I don’t trust them....Put me in jail. That was not even right.

Act 3, Scene 2

(Enters from the left wing then runs to the center of the stage then falls to the ground on his knees, looking lost and looking around very fast. With big tears coming down his eyes)

GAMBA

Chenzira! Chenzira! Where?.....Where is Chenzira...Did they see the art of Mugabe and think he did it?... They saw that artwork that was insulting to him, but how could they think the Chenzira did it?..... There is no way they can blame him for such things. He just didn’t want to see these things happen to these people. He has lived on this land for so many years and to see it come to and end hurt him down to his heart....The people with the news cameras come around and see Chenzira talking about Mugabe and as soon as something is displayed they think he did it!....Wait I know where Chenzira went to the place

(Walks to down stage left then knocks on the door facing the left wing, talking to a pretend person who opens the door.)

Have you seen and old guy

(Holds up arms until he can’t reach anymore)

About, this tall, really old with a limp to his right leg, 5 gray patches on his head and shinny fake eye with a big black and purple scare going through it......Down the hall?.... What do you mean he’s suppose to be down the hall but you don’t know where he is…..okay okay Thank you, for the help you didn’t give.   

(Sun Set Lights: Walks around the stage, down stage right and down center throwing rocks. Then he moves to left stage center throwing the rock directly across from him to right stage center. He begins the sounds of the rock hitting the ground is not longer happening it is move of a thump sound. Gamba then walks over to right stage center and removes the covers thinking he has found Chenzira.)  

More covers, how nice, you told me you were going to be here it was like you lied to me for no reason, no reason at all. I was all worried about you, got thinkin’ somethin’ happened to you....Your not here!....Yes that’s sounds like the guy I was lookin’ for....well idunno where he is! That’s whyyy Ugghhhhhhh. Okay, well he said he was gonna be here, I can only go by what he tells me.....Well no, I dunno where you are,

(Spoken as if asking a question)

I guess he thought he couldn’t trust me.

(Sigh, speaking regular and his eyes start to water)

Yea, he must to have wanted to protect himself who wouldn’t in this world.

 (Mugabe walks into the room from the left wing, over to Gamba)

ROBERT MUGABE

Guess what, I heard you screaming about that old guy and I’m willing to help you look for him if you’re looking for help. Or should I say want my help...Yea, because I’ve heard dome not so nice things said about me and I have to start fixing thing around here and for starters lets make those watery eyes go away......Yea, have to fix this and I want to, so cry no longer and sorry I can’t wipe your tears with my initial   cloth but I seem to have lost it when I was on the go trying to take care of business. For a while I never a lost it and I didn’t even care now I want it back. My mom gave it to me when I was younger.

(Mugabe looks at Gamba waiting for his next move)

 (Spots and picks up a piece of paper on the ground with his eyes and opens it, then begins to reads in a whisper.)

GAMBA

Warrior, cuz...Ima...a warrior

(Speaks louder and waves the paper in the air)

A warrior

(Speaks in a regular tone again and puts the paper in his right pocket and pats the pocket twice.)

I’m a warrior Chenzira says, that’s what my name means.  

(Lights go off of Gamba and Mugabe and they wall to upstage right and exit out the right wing. Curtains close)

Act 3, Scene 3

 (Curtains open: Night Time Lights: Enters from the left wing. Walking to down stage right, with a drink in his right hand half drunk. Walking with a slight wobble. With another liquor bottle in his left pocket.)

CHENZIRA

Everything was not so easy I hate when people think life is always easy.

(Screaming to the night sky, with his left hand in a fist throwing it to the sky.)

You are all dummies.

(Talking to the audience as he walks down stage right and down stage left back and forth in a timely manner.)

I’ve been on top before and it was swweettt, man was it oh, so friggin’, sweet! But then came Mugabe taking everything from me.

(Drinks some of the liquor in his hand, lets it drip on his chin and doesn’t wipe it.)

We were neck and neck

(Big deep belch)

Then the crowd was quiet but then they just wouldn’t shut up cause Mugabe was talking so the kept a clappin’ and clappppiinnn’

(Screaming to the night sky)

Damn you all.

(Talking to the audience as he continues to walk down stage right and down stage left back, forth in a timely manner)

When I got up there they were quiet, ahaha or is it that I’m so drunk I can’t even remember what the crowd did from me ahaha but anyways. Yea there were all those, white, black, tan, orange and brown faces. Every last one of them was just there. Then

(Stops walking and sits down stage center on the corner of the stage so his feet dangle off the stage and starts talking to the bottle.)

That guy, don’t know who he was but he knew what he was talking about, wait no he didn’t

(Drinks from the bottle again, this time some falls out of his mouth on his chin and he wipes it with his left hand.)

Cause she, he said Mugabe was da new president. I tried to act like I don’t care but I did, but day just made me so made and he that guy who told everybody Mugabe was the president, he done lied to me. Told me he was my friend I found my new friend.

(With unsteady finger points at the bottle of liquor and shakes his head as if he is dizzy.)

Yea, yyooouuu. You never lefffft me, you were always there, you new I nnneeddedd chu. ‘Memeber that time we lost the house and I was drinkin’ you so I didn’t really care but then I neededdd more of you so I gave my clothes away to get more of you

(Smiles a big Kool-aid smile)

I had so much more of you, even doe in da morings you wasn’t always so nice. Then those jealous people was tryin to make me get rid of you, but

(Tears fall down his face and stats to yell)

I wasn’t about to do that!

(Speaks in slight drunk voice, no longer yelling)

I listened to your whispers so closely, ever so close....I ‘member those nightsss tossing and turning because I was sick and you were all I had. I needed you everyday and you were the only one that understood me. Like no utter. And I know why this happened he told them...Mugabe that’s who, told them, that I was a drunk but I didn’t

(Cries)

Need it everyday until I lost I just didn’t know what to do with myself. I was a screw up. Dats what me pa use to call me when I didn’t do things right all the time.

(Drinks the rest of the bottle then pulls out another bottle from his left pocket, opens it hold his head up and drinks it all, belches and pass out as the light fade away from him. He then rolls off stage but stays in front of down stage center and passes out.)

(Next day, Day Light: Gamba and Mugabe are walking and looking for Chenzira, outside. Mugabe walks to right stage center and stands there.)

GAMBA

Chenzira ! Chenzira!

CHENZIRA

Go home boy!

(Yells from off stage, while he is down stage center. Gamba then runs to up stage left and stands there to cry.)

CHENZIRA

I hear you boy cryin’ go home I’m not about to tell you one more gin.

 (Gamba then runs to the left wing to exit. A dumpster is pushed out to down stage right, the front part of the dumpster is cut off so the audience can see inside it. Chenzira then gets back on the stage and climbs into the dumpster but no light are on him. Curtains close)

Act 4, Scene 1

 (Curtains open: Lights come on down stage left: Mugabe walks to downstage left and starts to walk slightly back and forth.)

ROBERT MUGABE

Now I see how you think this is my fault all these things happening but it is not. So you know I want to clear my name to show you that I am not such a bad person..Yes

(Sigh)

I do have my ways just as much as the next man, and yes sometimes I might not think of other people from time to time if I’m trying to do something to benefit myself.

(A chair is put down stage left; he walks to it and sits down, and crosses his arms)

See where outside and I’m not so high up in class....... How do I know?...I-I just sat in this dirty chair with, only lord knows what’s at the bottom of it.

(Light goes off left stage off Mugabe. Curtains close)

Act 4, Scene 2

 (Curtains open:Right stage: Lights turn on Chenzira, sitting in black oil in an open dumpster with liquor bottles in both of his hands, one under both his arms, one under his neck, one between his knees and one between his feet. But he is talking to the one in his left hand)

CHENZIRA

You don’t even know the meaning of dirty and then if you went’a touching on something that was dirty you’d get the thinking you know what’s it’s like to not have everything all the time......Hahaha, yes that’s what I would tell Mugabe if I saw him...but I’m telling you..

(Slightly shakes the left hand)

I don’t want to be found. Well ain’t like nobody cares about me, well maybe Gamba but I didn’t even tell him what his name mean....and means warrior too.

(Sigh)

I never even told him…. Little man

(Sigh)

He jus keep on. He ain’t even give up on me, like everybody else did. Ain’t turn his head not once when he saw the dirt road was my home.... Being nice when those there other two kids wasn’t.

(Lights goes off down stage right off Chenzira)

Act 4, Scene 3

 (Lights come on down stage left on Mugabe, still sitting in the chair now talking to himself)

ROBERT MUGABE

Where are you were could you be, I told that little boy I would help find you. I’m sitting here saying little boy and I forgot to ask his name.

(Light goes off right stage off Mugabe)

Act 4, Scene 4

(Sun Set Lights: Lights turn on down stage right on Chenzira in the dumpster. Still talking to the bottle in his left hand whispers)

CHENZIRA

Warrior,

(Back to regular volume when talking)

That’s what his name means, I can’t get over it that I never got the chance to tell him.... but how could I forget I saw him everyday..., good kid, good kid.... So how would you help me, … us, the people of Zimbabwe...Or when are you going to start getting back some of the money? Or When you see these things does it remind you of your childhood?.....Yea

(Slightly shaking his head up and down)

Stuff like that I would ask Mugabe, if I saw him.

(Light goes off down stage right off Chenzira. Curtains close.)

Act 4, Scene 5

(Curtains open:Lights turn on down stage left on Mugabe who is now taking to the audience. While moving his hands as he talks)

ROBERT MUGABE

See I would help the people fix everything; I’m not such a bad guy. When I look at Zimbabwe now, it brings me back to my childhood with those hard tough days. All the things that were the hardest. I remember waking up feeling like I lost, lost what?...lost, lost like I was losing at life. Then I realized you only lost when you think you can’t win. So I put all that negative thinking aside....

(Talking/Yelling out to stage right)

See nobody, not a near single man or woman from Zimbabwe has to feel like they lost.

(Light goes off down stage left off Mugabe)

Act 4, Scene 6

 (Lights come on down stage right Talking/Yelling out to stage left)

CHENZIRA

So make me feel like I won.

(Chenzira stands up and all the bottle fall to the bottom of the dumpster. He reaches in his right pocket pulls out Mugabe’s cloth and throws it to down stage left. Then falls to the bottom of the dumpster and he stops breathing. The lights fade from Chenzira side of the stage as the dumpster is being taking away being pulled into the right wing to exit.)

(Mugabe stands up and spots the cloth, he picks it up holds it in both of his hands and outs it over his heart. Then the lights fade off of him, stage gets dark and he exits throw the left wing. Curtains close)

Act 5, Scene 1

 (Curtains open:Night Time lights with one big shinning starts: Gamba walks bout on stage entering from the left wing. He then starts walking slowly to down stage center. With Chenzira’s dusty dirty bag of Salted Groundnuts. Gamba is rubbing his thumb back and front on the top of the bag as he sighs and begins to open his mouth and is hesitant to speak. He sits on the ground, and then he slowly brings his knees up to his chest and wraps his arms around them. Tilts his head to the right slightly frowns and exhales and looks up a the night sky.)

GAMBA
Whoa is that a star?...I think it is, I never saw one start in a night sky like that before until now.

(Gamba stops looking at the sky, then more stars appear in the sky, and Gamba gives a slight laugh under his breath)

It’s so beautiful, got that twinkle to it. Reminds me of the way my Zimbabwe use to be. My land, are land,

(Picks up some dirt in his left and lets if fall out)

This land. Now you have to fix it, we have to fix it and we will fix it. Let us not blame anybody for it now. We come together. I don’t wanna wake up with my face in the dirt of a blanket dat I don’t know who it belongs to. I want my home and I know you do too. My family live wit nothing now. And you think I want you to feel sorry for me, no. I want you to help us to find somewhere to live. My grandpa use to tell me stories and even though he use to drink too much I never gave up on him and now he’s gone but I saw that paper he wrote, had that crazy writin’ of his...it said you’re a warrior Gamba.

(Starts to cry a little)

Guessin’ he wrote it for me an left before he hand the chance to put it in my hand, but good think I found it right.

(Stops crying and sniffles three times.)

I didn’t know how he saw that in me. Then I look and I never stop thinkin’ no given up. Thesedirt roads need not have people on them in the night or the day. These roads

(Stands up and walks down stage right to down stage left as he speaks)

Are not for the feet of newborn babies or for the feet of my brothers and sisters or for the feet of the older. It is feet for

(Screams)

No one!

(Back to regular tone of speaking)

No one. So Mugabe and all da people of the land are goin’ to work together to fix this land no matter how long it takes. Give me food, give me life...Who am I you ask....

(He walks back to down stage center, stops and looks at the crowd, and pick up the dusty dirty bag of Salted Groundnuts and shakes it to every words he says in the last sentence.)

…..I am Gamba, so, Chenzira say, I...am...warrior.

(Puts head down as light fade out and turn off on the stage and curtains close.)

Act 3, Scene 3 Video of the character Chenzira played by Manna

                  Just as most children in the world a young 11 year old girl in Cleveland, Texas was allegedly sexually assaulted and of course it was all lead to being her fault. A small blog about this story stated, “Some who attended the meeting in Cleveland blamed the girl for the way she dressed and claimed she lied about her age.” Theoretically she wanted this act upon her. A small committee gathered in her town to discuss what was going on and came to the conclusion she was asking to be sexually abused. Seamus O Riley said on her blog “Kids are groomed to think this is a good person who cares about them." She is right when things like this happen kids think it is an act of affection and they adapt to it.

                  Child abuse is more or less just a “Hi” and “Bye” thing; because most people have such a nonchalant attitude they just say it’s “bad” people abuse their child. Whenever the top comes up people just think if everybody does it there is nothing that can be done. So not much thought should be put into it.

                  Physical, sexual, emotional and mental are all different things but it is still abuse to a child. When a child is emotionally abused they have a lot of build up fear in them and they’re not attached to their parent or guardian, as they should be. They don’t feel genuine love.

                  Statistics say “An average of nearly four children die every day as a result of child abuse or neglect (1,760 in 2007).” Also “Girls are sexually abused three times more often than boys. Boys are at a greater risk of serious injury and of emotional neglect than are girls. The incidence of fatally injured girls declined slightly, while the incidence of fatally injured boys rose. Found no race differences in maltreatment incidence.” 

                  The most obvious is the physical abuse towards a child, causing unnecessary injury to a child with hands or any object. Making bruises, welts and cuts, causing them to flinch for no reason and having inappropriate clothing on, according to what the weather is during that day.

                                    People have must really sit back and think about how they are the adults. Take a few minutes and talk to a child before you decide to raise your hand and ask yourself is this action you’re doing to a child helping them in any way or is it hurting them. Realize child abuse is harming the new generation of the world and if children are being affect now.  Who is to say in the future when youngsters become the next mayor and president that the world won’t be at a grate disadvantage. 

                 Adults have to start going beyond what they think they know about raising or disciplining a child. Embrace children of the world because some people need to feel physical affection and ask them, do you feel loved?

             On this blog I have 1.) Hand small, 2.) Self-portrait large, 3.) Self-portrait small, 4.) Figure drawing life size, 5.) Clear bottle small, 6.) Clear bottle large 7.) Still life large, 8.) One picture drawing made from Botticelli’s artwork copied just as it is seen, 9.) One drawing made from three different pieces of Botticelli’s artwork and this piece is drawing simple because during the renaissance all pieces were draw in great detail. 10.) Small oil pastel painting I did on my own time.

                  Each drawing and or painting of curse took a long time to make. All of them took many steps to make and a lot of preparing to do them. The ideas of what I was doing to do was fresh in my mind, just getting it down on paper was the hard part. Drawing my hand was hard for me that was the first time I ever drew it before. When this assignment was given to me I thought it seem a little different because before now I have never thought about looking at my hand and drawing what I see. The easy part of drawing my hand was the basic outline and drawing my pinky and thumb. When I started on the other fingers it was much harder at one point I found myself forgetting what I was taught. To draw what I see not what I think I see. Then I remembered that was all I had to do so I did just that ad my hand turned out better than I thought it would.

                  My large self-portrait took me a really long time but I am satisfied with it to a certain extent. This was the second time I tired to draw my face. The first time I did it didn’t come out like this one and I honestly think it was because I didn’t draw my face with the correct proportion. In this one I did and I do believe using the charcoal made it come to life a little more and the detail pop out. I started in pencil because I didn’t think it would reach what it needed to if I started to draw in detail. I think the facial features had more of a chance looking like me when they were first drawn in pencil as appose to the charcoal but my finished product isn’t that bad.

                  The small self portrait was drawn more to the detail of my face I think because it was so small everything on the paper was right there in my face. It took me so long to get what I have I went through about five other piece of paper, I really began to get extremely frustrated and a few holes were dug into the paper but the eraser.

                  Life size drawing was something I really thought was going to be hard to do. When I saw that it had to be draw on brown paper I think that took my imagination a way for a bit because I like to do my drawings and painting on a while surface. Then I realized I was not getting that drawn done by focusing on the paper it was being drawn on. So then I just focused on drawing and it came out looking like Mecca. I can say that I am happy the way my finished product turned out.

                  The small bottle drawing was fun. When I started it, it was a bunch of shape and everything was the same shade. It took very long draw it was hard to fit everything on the bottle and have it look right. The trick was to get the shapes and the shading and it would be done but at the same time the shading was the hard part because the drawing still had to give off the appearance of a clear bottle.

                  The large clear drawing was also fun t draw but I really like the fact that I choose to add color to it. For some reason I felt if I would have left it in black and white the picture wouldn’t have had any essence to it. I felt just drawing another clear object in black and white would have been a little boring and it made me feel better when I finished it because it was very hard to start it off but then I got the hang of it.

                  The counter drawing was also hard but hardest of tem all. I tried to draw everything on the counter but it was just not working for me. So then I tried to stick with what I know and I remembered we were able to pick certain things from the counter and draw them so that it what I did. It came out better then my other fail attempts. Once again I got so frustrated that I put holes in the paper from the eraser.

                  Next pieces were from Botticelli’s artwork the first one was just drawn as a copy as I saw it on the paper and the other picture inspired by him was drawn a little different. Since all the pictures drawn during renaissance was detailed beyond what most people can imagine. So I took trees from one picture, sand and water from another and the wall with the door object to see if I could be inspired by an older piece to my own art piece and I succeeded.

                  Last but not lest was my oil pastel painting I did on my own time because my mom finally brought me them and I was extremely excited to use them. I didn’t really have an idea of what to make I Just let the brush go where it wanted to and received a finished piece.

           For my free studio I decided to work with a canvas. When I first started to paint I wasn’t too sure of what I wanted to do. Each day I came into art class I began to get an idea of what I wanted to do. The first thing I had in mind was to make a black, gray and white picture. I wanted to see if I could get my ideas on the canvas without using any color. When most people see pictures the first thing they tend to talk about is the different color paint that is used.

            On day I walked into class and I was not having a good morning but to a surprise I did not want to make a picture with out color I had the sudden urge to make a colorful painting on a new background. There was not a way to paint over the canvas in all white and not see what was under it so I found a big paintbrush and painted the entire background black. As soon as I was finished an idea of what to do popped into my head. I wanted to make a big tear drop, that was all blue with green and yellow at the bottom. At the bottom of the teardrop is the water as the raindrop is falling. The bottom is my favorite part. When I first started at it I was not too sure what look I was going for but as I added more color to it I knew exactly.

            The rest of the background that was not covered by any other color but black was the easiest part of the painting to cover because I wanted to use the colors that gave off a bright essence coming off the back. After that was done I still felt as if something was missing from the painting. I then looked at my hands because there was paint on them, so I decided to put handprints on it. The only color I could think of was the white to make it pop. After looking at the white hands the painting still didn’t feel complete and the only color I could think off, of the top of my head that complements white was red. I did not want to paint the red on I wanted it to look any other way but painted. So I used my finger and scooped up large amounts of red paint on my finger and dripped it on the white hands. When I was finished I felt that my painting was complete.

          Before the second marking period was over my painting I did on the canvas was finished. I wanted to do another project with bottle caps because we had so many left over from the fist marking period project. So I then decided I wanted to make a big hand out of bottle caps.

            I brought some hot cut to put all the caps together. I had to pick out the caps I wanted to use and size them to one another. Anther way I kept track of them was to making different little marks on the bottoms of the caps I was using and going to use. When I began I started to stack all the caps on top of one another then as it became taller I got the idea to cover the entire thing with aluminum foil to make it shinny and shape all the things I felt did not come out right in the end.

            When my piece became a vase I wanted to add color to it and put flower in it. I painted different colors in strips and I add some colorful flower paper. The last class was when I finished the vase and started to add the flower because our art is due on Friday 1/14/11 I did not want to put a picture of my vase up wit the flowers. For some reason I do not like when my artwork is viewed when I do not feel as if it is finished. So I have picture of just the finished vase.

All my jeans are not even the same size. Getting dressed for school, it’s such a drag. I go through my closets and dressers, then comes jeans and socks flying every which way. A red shirt fell to the floor at my feet.  My bright blue shirt is half way on, it doesn’t even match my jeans I have on. My hair is flying in all directions. There is a black sock on my left foot and a gray one in my hand. The clothes are all over the carpet you can’t even see the floor. This doesn’t even make any sense; no teenager should have to go through this its like pulling teeth. Ugh! This really annoys me because nothing I try on even looks right, I always look so blah, simply ordinary. Most days I feel like everybody else.

Most people go crazy when they look like everybody else or should I say don’t look like everybody else. So they try to change because of the society wants them to look. The things they do to change effects their health, well-being and the others around them that care. People either start to lose too much weight because they can’t look thin enough or they gain too much because they’re eating too obsessively. Society is obviously changing individuals. So people feel as though they’re going to be accepted is if they’re thin and if they’re, not they gorge in food cause they figure it can’t be changed. They think it’s the answer and become so obsessed with it they let it affect their health. Some people go as far as to become bulimic. Becoming insecure about themselves, gaining depression, having guilt and most of all the fear of weight gain. The number one reason is insecurity. Everybody has to look like a super stars and if you don’t you should be well on your way to doing so. Looking good, being in the “in” crowd and joining the band wagon is what society mentally tells them when they put the stars looks on a pedestal towards everyone else’s.

 We accept certain people, certain people that meet the criteria. Their religion, culture, political, scientific and some other belief’s determine how accepted they become. The main people we try to push away are the people who are bigger then the average. The problem is we help them get this way and continue on because America super sizes everything when you go to a fast food restaurant the sizes of everything are now larger than what they use to be and of course society doesn’t see anything wrong with it.  As long as they continue to make money its as right as a knife full of peanut better going in a jelly jar.   

I remember just like it was yesterday day, I went to Checkers with my mom. I hear the thunder in her stomach. “What do you want to eat?” “I want some chicken fingers and fries” I replied in a blissful voice. On our way home I was eating the fries, which seems to takes forever. I then started to ponder the appearance of he fries. They look different; it’s not the color. Maybe it’s this box they came in, that has me in deep thought. No, it’s the size of the froes themselves. Now where home and I’m off to my room but before I go I turn to my mom to get my drink and she says. “I asked for a medium and they gave me a large. Then I told her “If that’s the small I hate to see what the large looks like. Its so big are you sure that’s a medium”. “Yea” she replied “Look at your meal”.

See the fast food chains don’t care what they do to us as long as they get money. That’s the reason why obesity is the number one cause in America it effect people of all age ranges. When people of the corpulent weight go out to eat they get as much as they can intake until they can’t eat anymore. They order a mass size of burgers, fries, hot dogs, drinks, etc. Consume is what they know because it’s the only way they can comfort themselves.

 Everyday citizens ponder the thought of not being what society wants them to be and they allow it to drive them to insanity. They take it as a definition of who they should become. Another way many communities let society in is through plastic surgery. They think they have to fix the way they look because it’s not good enough for other people. Either there lips aren’t full enough, or their wrinkles in their smile. My face is just they way its suppose to be an years from now I just might have one too many wrinkles, but who doesn’t get them as they age.

Society determines what is considered the right way to look by making a list and who ever fits in fits in and who ever doesn’t much love to you. I have a family member who decided to get some surgery done to themselves and she looked better better before it was done. After I saw her I couldn’t believe my eyes she no longer looked like herself instead she now looked how society said she had to. She didn’t accept her physical appearance but having that surgery only changed the outside because her personality was all the same. See in this paper I went from one idea to another because people normally don’t do that. In society this paper would be considered as written incorrectly or an example of how not to transition a paper but I don’t care too much what they think so I wrote it my way.

My dad and I were sitting in his dark silver Tahoe. The radio was on but it was low, so the voice of whom ever singing was heard very faintly. We drove to North Philly to pick up his friend from work but he wasn’t coming out the door for another fifteen to twenty minutes. It was cold out so the heat was on and we started talking to so we wouldn’t think about the long wait. “Music is, well I believe it is the best thing ever invented, maybe not some much as invented but you get the drift.It’s amazing how many different genres there are.  I love music and they way it’s made you have the beats and the base of a song. It’s like I become one with the beat and base. Taking me to a place where I completely feel on top of the world. We talk about music so often because it is like our own language in a way. We express ourselves with symbolism, the symbolism being the music. People are always saying how there is a song for every emotion you feel no matte what it is. I’ll sometimes start the conversation off with a song I was thinking of then tell how it is affecting me at that moment. It’s a important topic because, “music is a way I bring my mentally back to reality.” My father and I talk about music a lot I remember it like it was yesterday when I told him that.           

            Then I stared to explain to him how talking to him and talking to my cousins about the same topic causes a big change in vocabulary and more use of slang. If I talk to them the way I talk to my parents they would either get bored with what I’m saying, not fully understand because they would no longer be paying attention, or laugh or ask why am I speaking like a white person. When the say white person they’re referring to Standard English. To them all people of the Caucasian race speak proper. If they see someone speaking proper and they’re not of the Caucasian race they would ask why is that person talking white or not talking the way their race is stereotyped to speak. Most of the time when I talk to them I find myself code switching to make it easier for them as well as myself. If I don’t use a small portion of slang I feel like I don’t fit in with them or they won’t get the significance of what I’m talking about. For me using slang make me feel very uncomfortable but I am indirectly forced to use it at times. Not saying that is it a horrible thing but most of the time I’d rather not use slang. Just in asking a simple question my cousin tends to use slang. We were in my room my cousin sat on my bed an I sat on the floor leaning my ear towards her voice because she was talking to me while I was typing on my computer  “Aja ain’t you gonna go wid us to da mall tomar or you ain’t ask ya mom?” My replay “Well I’m not go”-----(before I can finish my sentence I quickly remember the switch) “ Well I ain’t goin’ cuz I gota lota homework to do and it’s mad drawin’ so ya know I’ma be gettin’ it in.” When I said that I didn’t even feel like myself anymore. For some reason or another using slang shows my maturity level, others see this as not being true. When you go to school and learn the proper way to speak, slag then becomes something that tends to slip out from time to time but not used as much as people thing the average teenager would.

            In a passage Language, a place of struggle by bell hooks she states, “An unbroken connection exist between the broken English of the displaced, enslaved African and the diverse black vernacular speech black folks use today” (298). Some people that are African American tend to use slang but it is often called or considered to be Black English to some people. I believe there is no such thing, as Black English the outside world seems to think so. Just two nights ago I was talking to my dad at the dinner table everybody at the table was finished eating but I still needed somewhere to lead my English paper. So I asked him did he think there was a thing called Black English? He said he didn’t then he started to explain how African Americans aren’t the only people who use slang. The he said, “If you are speaking and it has to be translated because it has such a hard dialect that can not be understood by others then you are speaking slang. There are Caucasian, Spanish, African and all other people of different races who use slang. They have there own way of using it but everybody uses it.” After he said that I had to think for a minute as ask another question that I felt would get me even deeper into writing my essay. “Dad do you think that all black people should know slang? From the video I watched in class, some people in society strongly believe most or all black people use slang. Do you think if you don’t know slang then you don’t know who you are?” “Yes, to a certain extent. I think if you don’t know you own dialect and your own slang then you don’t know your background.” I then had a confused look on my face so then he began to start explaining himself “Not saying you have to use slang but some people are a product of their environment they grew up using slang and always being around it so that is all they know. You should know where you came from.”

            See some people mistake knowing where you came from to stereotyping to speak or have a dialect that they associate with the color of their sink. The first thing that society seems to hit is the vernacular of African Americans. It’s a topic that comes up time and time again because there truly isn’t a wrong or right way to speak nor is there Black English. As you can see when I talked to my dad jumped to the defense of African Americans.

            Have you ever wondered why, when ever dialect is talked about people jump to speaking slang, associate slang with African Americans then say African Americans speak Black English. They evolved that term from saying Ebonics. Ebonics is slang plain and simple. Society on the other hands believes that Ebonics is the dialect of all African American people. Even if you Google search the definition because you have to see it to believe it, it tells you Ebonics in the dictionary is defined as,the colloquial term for African American Vernacular English (AAVE) or a nonstandard form of American English characteristically spoken by African Americans in the United States. This definition matter because it’s so believed to be true that all African Americans speak Ebonics that now it can be researched on the internet for verification. Once something is on the enter net everybody is able to view it. So I figured it all out the reason why African American speak is constantly stalked about because it is the most obvious stereotype that is extremely noticeable. Weather you know a person or not the way they speak becomes very distinctive if you’re not too familiar with it. When you hear a dialect that sounds nothing like yours, you first start to ask yourself why they sound that way and do they know how they sound when they’re speaking. Or if they’re not speaking the stereotypical way of their race the big question then turns into, do they know they’re not talking like their ethnic group. When in fact it isn’t that not one bit. It’s just they way they were brought up or the only thing they know. In my house my dad does not allow a lot of slang because him and my mom both feel that using slag with adults is disrespectful, not the proper way of speaking and most important slag is not Standard English. By Standard English they mainly refer to the way we are taught to speak in school. 

            Sometimes in some way our identities are created for us. By us taking in what we learn from home and the people we are around everyday. They way we speak has different influences on our personality so in some ways, we language allow it to change who we are when we worry about what society thinks. We must forget that society makes an aspect of only Standard English being correct when in reality it is not.

Introduction

For this Spanish project we made an Imovie. First we wanted to show the Spanish alphabet just in case your friend does not know it. The alphabet will become something you automatically will know, and make learning Spanish a little bit easier. Next we will make a tutorial for your friend to understand the AR, IR and ER present and past tense. Then we showed how to order food and after viewing it anyone will be able to do it. We’re also showing how to conjugate some of the words that we were using in the skit. The words are conjugated in the past tense.

In the project we are proud of the finished product. When we first started we didn’t have a clue as to what to write for a script or where to began. Arriving at the goals we set for our selves was hard in the beginning but we pulled together and started of things of ideas and writing our goals down. Every so often we went back to check if we were meeting the goals we set. We are especially proud of our finished project because we know how long it took u to come up with an idea that meet the goals we set. If we were to do this differently if we were giving a chance to start the project over, we would make a different script. The only question we have is why did he go to Spain not knowing one bit of Spanish.

With the idea of portraying an art project made out of bottle caps and showing what we as humans do with our trash was hard to come up with as an idea. First I started to draw in my sketchbook trying to figure out how I can make a three divisional art piece show all the factors that I want. I was then able to start the project by using only recycled materials.

            The way I start is different from most people. I like to have an idea then sketch it out once. Then start making different pieces of it and whatever piece turns out the best I work with and build the art piece from it. As I started to work I chose only the recyclable materials. Any thing I had access to that I felt would be of some use I incorporated it in to my project. Along with the things I remembered I made a bottle cap poster. To help collect them so they cold are used in the project, so I found a way to include them.

            My idea came to when me when I first received this project. I automatically thought about the ocean we destroy by all the trash that it encounters over an extensive period of time. Whenever I go places I love to look at the water it’s one of my favorite things to do. I find it to be very pretty and extremely relaxing. So I decided to show people what we’re doing to the water slowly but surely.