Mentor: Mr. Sunil Reddy

Capstone Summary:

The goal of this project was to organize a drive where students were able to donate old items that would be sent directly to a No Kill Animal Shelter in New Jersey in order to enhance the living environment of neglected and sickly animals.

Project Abstract:

There were two experiences that truly inspired this project which included volunteering at the Philadelphia Zoo for four years and completing my ILP at the Philadelphia Animal Hospital. These involvements intensified my interest for not improving the lives of animals through cleaning and enrichment. I decided to do this capstone because it revolves around my particular career interest and shows my dedication to strengthening animals’ lives. My main goal was to make my event well known throughout the city of Philadelphia so that the final result is exceeding initial expectations. Obviously, I really had to push myself past the difficulties I encountered each quarter in order to make sure I was staying on track with completely my project. As a result of this project, I was able to understand the issue of animal homelessness and ways to reduce the number of animals that enter shelters each year. I gained a deeper understanding on how the No-Kill Animal Shelter operates and its desperate need for donations in order to continue providing medical assistance and housing to innocent animals. Thankfully with the help of Stanton Elementary School, I was able to receive a vast majority of the items I requested to be donated. This makes me smile because I know that from this drive I was able to make a huge difference to the lives of those animals suffering. Additionally, by holding a few bake sales in school I was able to utilize the money earned and buy any extra items at the local PetSmart in South Philadelphia. One thing I am truly disappointed by was the amount of donations I received from SLA students. There was definitely a lack of help from my peers which hurts considering I have been attending school with them since freshman year.

Click HERE to view my process paper and annotated bibliography as well.

Título de la Mural:                 Historías de la Plaza

Artísto:                                    Henry Bermudez           

3 cosas que este mural revela sobre la comunidad.

En la mural, hay un arbole de vida y esto demuestra la conexión entre todas formas de creación. Este metáfora es importante en la comunidad para promover igualdad. Este mural es en Filadelfia del sol y fue crea en 2007. La mural significa crecimiento, cambio, y fuerza. En realidad árboles son similar a personas porque ambos tiene raíces. Por ejemplo, personas tienen raíces que representan sus culturas, relaciones, y educación.

2 objetivos, imágenes, frases o palabras encontrados en el mural.

Las historias de la Plaza mural tiene muchas colores, personas, y símbolos que son muy importante en la estructura de la comunidad. Yo creo que este mural es una parte positiva en la comunidad. También, las personas en la mural simbolizan las diversidades del barrio.

1 razón que es significativo para esta comunidad.

Mi mural es importante porque este significa fuerza y unidad en la comunidad de Filadelfia.

Names of people in your group:

Cyndi Lynn Sheridan

Jennifer Wright

Tenzin Ngawang

Sean Force

Script:

Un pato y una víbora entren un supermercado. Ellos están dispuestos a salir. Sin embargo, la víbora se da cuenta del pato es igual a su esposo viejo y ella dije...

Jennifer: Te parece como mi esposo que me dejó cuando estaba embarazada.

*Pausa*

Jennifer: Yo nunca recibí el dinero para cuidar a mis niños. ¿Porque yo?

Sean: Lo siento, señora. Espero que pueda ayudarle.

*Entra en su bolsillo.*

Sean: Aquí tiene trescientos dolores.

Jennifer: No no, está bien! Gracias.

Sean: No, yo insisto.

Jennifer: ¿En serio? Muchas gracias"

Cyndi: "¡HOLA DIEGO! ¿Qué tal, mi amigo?"

Sean: ¿Diego? ¿Qué?

* Encogió*

“Libertad de Los Mares”

La película, Mar Adentro, se trata de un tetrapléjico, Ramón Sampedro. Después veinte y ocho años de sufriendo, Ramón fue listo a morir, sin embargo quitando tu vida es ilegal en España. Muchas personas en España no están de acuerdo con el deseo de Ramón, pero Ramón fue determinó cambiar los mentes del gobierno. Antes del accidente, Ramón fue un marinero y disfrutó viajando el mundo a aprender las culturas y toma fotografías. Su relación con su familia fue fuerte pero él fue muy independiente. La accidente cambia la vida de Ramón drásticamente. Es un tragedia que fue inesperado. Ahora, su cuerpo no función entonces él depende en los seres queridos, especialmente Manuel, la esposa de su hermano. Ella cuida de Ramón todos los días porque él es inamovible. Lo único Ramón todavía ha es un imaginación brillante. Este caso provocó un debate feroz en referencia a los derechos humanos. Con todos sus desafíos, Ramón siempre tuvo esperanza.

En este película, hay muchas temas y preguntas. Por ejemplo, una tema que es la importancia de los derechos humanos. España tiene un gobierno democracia, por lo tanto están en contra de eutanasia. El gobierno cree es inmoral entonces es ilegal en la sociedad de España. Las personas de España juzgó el deseo de Ramón porque creen que vida tiene valor. Esto le lleva la pregunta esencial “¿Qué significa vivir en una sociedad libre?” Si Ramón no pudiera morir con dignidad entonces como esto es libertad. Aunque Ramón no puede mover, él tuvo la habilidad a influir las mentes de otras personas. Les enseñaba el significado y valor de vida. Por ejemplo, Rosa y Julia fueron inspirado a lograr cosas nunca pensaron fueron posible. Por un lado, hay específicamente organizaciones que apoyan y están de acuerdo con Ramón y por otro lado hay otros grupos que no respeta su deseo. Por ejemplo, la iglesia esta en contra de eutanasia y trata convencer Ramón cambiar su opinión. El cura va a la casa de Ramón porque él quiere ayudar Ramón hace la decisión correcta. El cura entendía la situación de Ramón porque él fue hándicap y necesita ayudar de otras persona.

Para mi, los temas que son muy importantes en la película es digna, cariña, y inspiración. Javier Bardem hace un trabajo perfecto en demostrando la lucha de Ramón. Yo creo que Ramón debe tener el derecho a morir porque este es su vida. Estoy de acuerdo con eutanasia porque la persona es en dólar y quieres a morir. El gobierno tiene el derecho a quita su vida de la pena de muerte, pero no puedes te quitar tu vida. Eso es ridículo porque es tu vida y no la vida del gobierno. No creo que eutanasia es un crimen porque es un muerte sin dolor de una persona que tiene una enfermedad incurable. La persona no debería tener que sufrir en este condición porque no esta contenta con su vida. Además, eutanasia necesita estar legal porque si el tribunal puede quitarse tu vida entonces por qué no te puedes quitarse tu vida.

Mi parte favorito en Mar Adentro es cuando Javi es leyendo la carta de Ramón. Este parte fue muy emocional, fuerte, muy sentido. Su relación es muy apasionado y me recuerdo de la relación tuvo con mi tía. Ella fue similar una madre para mí porque ella cuida sobre mis sentimientos y mi vida. Mi tía sufrió con diabetes y dejó a su inestable. Sin embargo, ella siempre tuvo un sonrisa en su cara y se aseguró estuve contenta. Mi tía es igual a Ramón porque ellos dependen en sus miembros de la familias para ayudar y apoyar. También, los situaciones ellos encontrados son muy similares, pero estuvieron agradecido para sus vidas. La relación con Javi y Ramón tocó mi corazón porque era fácil a relacionar y entender sus dificultad. En adición, tuve la oportunidad recordar los recuerdos con mi tía y lo importante ella fue a mí. A fin de cuentas, esta película fue fantástica y importante porque lo discutió un problema controvertido. No me gusta el fin de la película porque yo creo que Julia fue va a volver y ver Ramón antes murió. Al principio, ella respeta su decisión, pero tiempo progresó ella no esta de acuerdo con opinión. En general, yo pienso que la película fue conmovedora y hizo darse cuenta de es importante a escuchar y respetar las opiniones de otras. No me gusta el fin de la película porque yo creo que Julia fue va a volver y ver Ramón antes murió. Al principio, ella respeta su decisión, pero tiempo progresó ella no esta de acuerdo con opinión. En general, yo pienso que la película fue conmovedora y hizo darse cuenta de es importante a escucha y respeta las opiniones de otros.

Diría mi mejor amigo inmediatamente. Sí, preguntaría a su novia “Qué estas haciendo?” Diría Pedro que él es un chico joven, inteligente, y encantador y ella es aburrido para engañando a tú. Pasaría tiempo con Pedro. Encontraría una chica nueva porque Susana es muy mal. Tomaría tiempo para mi y enfocaría en otras cosas por ejemplo educación y mi trabajo.

Querería vivir en Irlandés.

Visitaría Jamaica y Costa Rica con mi amigo.

Me tumbaría en la playa a noche.

Miraría la puesta de sol en una montaña.

Iría campamento.

Iría en un viaje de la carretera.

Me enormoraría.

Nunca dudaría de mi mismo. 

Donaría dinero a la casa de Ronald McDonald.

Ayudaría un animal enfermo.

Visitaría las cuatro esquinas.

Mis relaciones con los miembros de SLA son más o menos. Los demás dicen que soy inteligente porque soy una trabajadora y quiero tener éxito en mi ocupación. También, una persona dice que soy competitiva en deportes y este es verdad. Estoy de acuerdo con todas las personas porque yo soy muy decidida con cosas importantes. Me cae bien el Señor Reddy porque somos muy organizados. El Señor Reddy enseña matemáticas avanzadas y su clase es muy interesante. Sin embargo, él es autoritario con sus estudiantes porque él es muy desafiando. Me gusta su estilo de enseñanza porque yo aprendí mucho. Igualmente, me entiende mi profesor porque tenemos similares ambiciones.

Shamarlon es mi mejor amigo y nos llevamos bien porque tenemos mucho en común, pero también tenemos diferencias. Muchos personas en nos escuela creen que somos uña y carne. Por ejemplo, ambos gusta, ir al cine, y jugar al boliche. Shamarlon es simpático, cariñoso, y maduro. Me inspira Shamarlon porque él es muy talentoso con sus académicas y cuida a su hermana. Shamarlon y yo discutimos a veces, pero nos hace más fuerte. Shamarlon es me inspira porque él es independiente y trabaja duro en la escuela y es un miembro activo de servicio de la comunidad. Aprecio la relación con Shamarlon porque él me enseño muchas cosas sobre yo mismo. Quiero Shamarlon con mi corazón. Su personalidad es perfecta. Estoy muy contento conocer a Shamarlon.

Patriot Act: Battle of the Beliefs

The government only investigates potential terrorists, meaning if you don't associate yourself in illegal actions you should not be intimidated by their capabilities. You have access to all your constitutional values if you behave in a proper manner. In society, technology continues to advance making it easier for terrorists to target America, therefore it is necessary to take precautions before the damage happens. I definitely believe the Patriot Act is imperative for the safety of the citizens in the United States.

American Government - D

September 14, 2012

Enemy of the State:

Throughout the film Enemy of the State, the government is portrayed as being very cynical and abusers of the system. I never knew that the government had the power to view all your phone calls, text messages, and emails. This is known as invasion of privacy which I thought was completely not allowed, unless given permission by a judge or the person was convicted of a crime. It is scary to think that one day we are going to live in a society where everything we do is recorded, and it makes me scared to even live my life. I should definitely not feel this way considering our country is known to be full of freedom and liberty. 

It was a disgrace watching such an important agency (NSA) use their power for personal purposes. A large amount of the things done in this movie were done illegally such as the installment of cameras/microphones in Will Smith’s attire. Every conversation Will Smith had with someone was observed and recorded by the NSA, just so they were able to save themselves from massive destruction. This is definitely unacceptable and makes me wonder if officials ever listened to conversations I had with my family/friends. Obviously it makes a difference if I am suspected to be a terrorist, but then again anything is possible. Although the PATRIOT Act is definitely a controversial issue, there are some things that definitely need to be altered, such as section 215. I learned that the government is allowed to seize “any tangible thing without a warrant from emails to browsing histories to library records.” This defeats the purpose of privacy, however I think in cases where terrorism is expected then having the ability to just go through someones personal records is necessary. I think it’s difficult to find a balance between the security of a country and the privacy of the citizens. In my opinion, I feel like the government realizes what happened without the Patriot Act, which is 9/11, so they want to take as much precaution as possible no matter what the circumstances. Honestly all I care about is my safety, privacy comes second.

            For my project, I decided to change the history of the Social Security Act. My main question was “What if the Social Security Act was not passed by Congress?” After researching about this topic, I found out that this act helped provide financial support to the homeless, unemployed, elderly, and disabled. It gave them a small income just so they were able to obtain the proper necessities of life. During the Great Depression, unemployment devastated the lives of individuals and had a critical effect on the economy. Older Americans as a group was particularly affected by this crisis even though improvements in medicine meant people were living longer. Yet many elderly Americans faced age discrimination that made it difficult to find employment. The Social Security Act basically provided unemployment insurance for workers, aid to needy children who had lost one or both parents, and disability insurance for workers who could not work on account of an injury.           

            The future that I envisioned resulting from my POD was that young adults were not gaining jobs due to the fact that older workers had first priority. Also, from this drastic change it left the sick and homeless with no hope to living a normal life. From all this, the unemployment rate would continue to increase and eventually leading to massive protests and riots against the government.

            The most challenging thing about this project was connecting actual primary sources to my new topic since they were completely different events. I was able to relate pictures to my POD because they are more flexible and can be changed easily. I really liked how I could choose my own idea and develop my own masterpiece. It was difficult at times to make something that did not have a drastic domino effect on society, but after several tries I was able to choose something I am proud of. If I could do this project all over again, I would probably add more fake primary sources because that is when you can add creativity to your final product. For example, I really wanted to make a video newscast of my POD so it was as if it was realistic. Overall, I am very satisfied with my final product, and it is something that I am really proud of.

I will be asking general questions about the different genres of music in their country. I want to know some good songs to listen to and any popular bands/singers.

•  What are 5 questions related to your conversation goal that you can think of ahead of time to ask your partner?

1. What type of music do you listen to?

2. What is your favorite song?

3. When do you most frequently listen to music?

4. What is your favorite artist?

5. Is music an essential component in your life?

•  What are you looking forward to about this conversation?

I am looking forward to getting to know the person I am speaking with. I want to learn about their every day life and some of the challenges they face. I would like to possible create a friendship.

•  What are you nervous about?

I will try to find out what a typical day in the life of a person living in their country is like. I will inquire about what time people usually go to work, eat lunch and dinner. I also want to know what people do on their weekends.

•  What are 5 questions related to your conversation goal that you can think of ahead of time to ask your partner?

1. What time you wake up and you go to bed?

2. What time do you eat lunch?

3. When do you have work?

4. Do you go to church on Sundays?

5. What do you do for fun on the weekends?

6. How are the current economic problems affecting people you know?

•  What are you looking forward to about this conversation?

I am looking forward to having a long, sustained conversation because I have so many questions to get answered. I am also looking to share things about the United States, especially Philadelphia, with the person I talk to.

•  What are you nervous about?

Mi grupo y yo hicimos un PSA sobre el medioambiente. Por crear el PSA, la cosa más importante que aprendí fue as consequencias de ensuciar y soluciones. Me gusto el PSA de mi group porque este fue muy interesante y persuasivo. Si pudiera hacer el proyecto otra vez, yo cambiaría la técnica y añadir más fotos.

Cyndi Lynn Sheridan

English 3 – Rami

January 11, 2012

Story: Bender, Brains of a Genius

I was never the popular type. I struggled making friends, and I always felt like a disappointment to my family. I was faced with challenges that made me stronger in faith and dignity. I had natural talent, and never realized this until the day I joined the San Francisco Defense Academy. This was the only place I knew to call home.

It all started when I was ten years old, and understood that the only reason I was born was to save my older brother Adam’s life. He was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of three, and my parents decided to try and conceive a child that was purposely born to save his life. Through genetic engineering, that child was me. I hated Adam for ruining my life. Ruining the relationship I had with my parents. I was slowing drifting away, into a place of emotional destruction. Once I finally began to accept the fact that my parents loved him more than me, my mother and father had another child. Everyone thought that after my baby sister was born, we would all be one perfect family again, but little did they know that never happened. In fact, perfect in my eyes will never exist. The only thing I was left looking forward to, was possibly the battlefield.

After coming home from a long day of school, I saw a message on the answer machine reading “One missed call from San Francisco Defense Academy: (415)-243-0988.” They left a call back telephone number, and I could not stop thinking about the reason behind them calling. Was I finally accepted into this academy or did I do something wrong? Assuming things always hurts. I get my hopes up just to be let down and crushed in spirit. As I sat on my living room floor contemplating my existence along with what I wanted to be in life, I felt a single tear fall from my eyes. “What is my point in life? Will I ever really make my parents proud, or am I just someone they use to benefit from?” There’s not a single day that I don’t ask myself these questions. When my parents came home from work, I lied there with a knife in my hand, only trying to prove a point. They didn’t seem to be that much concerned with what was going on. Why I was lying on the floor with a knife? The never asked if I hurt myself, but that’s what was expected. These were the reasons why I no longer wanted to live in this hellhole, and really why I decided to relocate to somewhere far away.

“Bender, get up! Do you have any idea where your brother’s at?” My father immediately asked. I already knew that these would be the first words out of his mouth.

“I don’t know sir, why don’t you call him? That would be the logical thing to do, don’t you think?” I said in fury.

“You better not get smart with me boy, you’d have another thing coming! Also, I came home on my lunch break, and noticed that the SFDA had called for you. I decided to call them back just to see what they wanted. They are interested in having you attend the academy, the one you’ve always been interested in. In my opinion, I don’t think it’s the best idea.”

“WHAT? NO! Why not? Dad you know this is one of my dreams. It can’t always be about Adam, and you know it!” I quickly responded.

“Bender, now listen…”

“Stop! I don’t want to hear it anymore. It’s always about him. Adam this, Adam that. Dad, I’m sick and tired of feeling this way. Feeling like I have no purpose to live anymore besides for Adam. I know that sounds rude, but I can’t take it anymore sir. Just leave me alone; you’ll never truly understand my emotions inside. I really hate you and mom, but most importantly I hate Adam.”

No sooner those three crucial but honest words left my mouth, I ran upstairs, locked my bedroom door, and never left my bed for a full week. I wasn’t able to see their faces. That Monday, I heard a knock on my door. I knew it was my dad because he was constantly trying to get in contact with me ever since I isolated myself from society. Being in my room helped me gather my feelings, and improve myself for the better. At least I hoped. From this I agreed to open my door, but shockingly it wasn’t my dad.

“Hello Bender, don’t be frightened. My name is General Chase Ford. I will be your head captain at San Francisco Defense Academy. Get dressed and pack your bags. Be downstairs in exactly 30 minutes. No later!”

Before I could even respond, he disappeared simultaneously. After packing my whole wardrobe, I turned around to head out my door, but instantly General Chase was standing there in front of it. He explained to me that there would be no goodbyes, no tears, and no freedom. I had no choices, and there were rules for everything. The only thing I would do at this academy was fight. Fight all the pain away I have been suffering from. After I agreed to everything the General stated, the next moment we were standing on the battlefield. I was already dressed in army gear prepared for my first mission.

I stood there facing a boy with red hair and blue eyes. His name was Ryan, and it was his third year here at the SFDA. I thought I had no chance at beating him, but with hope and power, I did. It was a brutal fight but it was well worth it. This mission showed the other boys who I was and what I can provide this academy with. My fellow acquaintances were quickly to label me as Bender, the Brains. I never doubted my intelligence, but I did doubt some of the friendships I had with the kids around me.

Ever since I ranked up to third prestige, I have been doing things I’ve never imagined. Everything has been going great the past 3 months. I am happy with life right now, and none of this would have been possible without the help of General Chase Ford. I was approaching the day I faced the toughest soldier here at the academy, and this would define my fate. I went in the combat zone with a firm attitude and strong willpower. The task was to driver your automobile 21000 meters at a speed of 70 m/s, then complete a puzzle involving robots and their operations, and the final step was to set the path your enemy on fire using your robot. I was already off to a bad start when the engine of my car was not working properly. This put me 2 seconds behind my opponent. Once I fixed my car, I breezed through the other parts of the obstacle. The final task seemed the most frustrating and tense. I thought it would be the easiest, but operating the robot was quite difficult since I had to determine where the switch was to shatter my enemy. It came down to the last few seconds when the anxiety within me reached its maximum level. I pressed the button on the wall, and there I was. Flames and screams that resembled my achievement. The next few days were pretty lax; everyone either envied me or were frightened of the consequences they would face if they offended me in any way. This made the boys keep their distance. This feeling of authority and power left me once I heard General Chase said, “Bender, we have to talk. Something serious happened.” Right then I knew my life would be changed forever.

“Bender, we just got the news from your parents that Adam is severely sick and is on his death bed. Your parents claimed that the only way for him to live is if you give him a bone marrow. They want you home. Your brother Adam is expected to only have one more day to live. Your family would really appreciate it if you were at least home spending time with them for the last day at the least.”

“Sir, I just can’t go home. That’s my past, the old me. This place here, this is my home. I would never have been who I am today without the SFDA. Going back home would only remind me of how things used to be. How I felt each day, and the terrifying memories that haunted me. I just don’t think I can handle going back home.” I couldn’t control myself any longer. I broke down in tears right in front of General Chase. This was such a disgrace.

“Bender, do it for me. Just go home! Your family needs you. The least you can do is think about it. Please?” General Chase said.

I had nothing else to say. I stood there facing fear right in the eye. One road was leading to my family back home, and the other bringing me back to my room at the Academy. Lets just put it this way, I took the road less traveled by, and it was the worst decision of my life. It haunted me. It made me regret every choice I’ve ever made, and led me to a place now where I feel nothing. I have no soul, no family, nothing at all.

US History – Y

November 10, 11

Reflection:

Process:
For this project, my group and I completed the necessary requirements on time and used the class-work periods effectively. Our full project was uploaded when needed and we asked questions if things were unclear.

Group Dynamics:
In the beginning of our project, my group brainstormed everything we would include in our project some possible ideas to elaborate on. After that was done, we started our individual parts. Once we knew the general topic to talk about and finished our portions of the project, we asked each other to revise and provide constructive feedback. Overall, I would say my group worked very well together and helped each other throughout the process. This made it easier to collaborate and create a decent project.

How did you group go about making a decision for what to focus on for the project?

First my group and I brainstormed what we thought would make a difference in voter turnout within the United States. We had three general ideas, which were voting on the weekends, eliminating the Electoral College, and finally give rewards to people that vote. After discussing these ideas with Ms. Laufenberg she helped us determine what idea makes the most sense and could possibly change society for the better.

11th grade Essential Question - What is the role of the individual in creating and sustaining change?

In my opinion change starts with one person and is influence into a whole community of modified civilians. It takes a determined person to create this sort of change, as well as someone who is involved with their environment.

How has your understanding of the electoral process and whether or not the US is a democracy evolved during this unit?

Honestly, at first I didn’t know much about how the voting system worked but after researching and collaborating with my group I have a stronger understanding of it. It’s ridiculous how America has one of the worst voter turnout percentages. Being more knowledgeable about this topic makes me want to make a change.

How did you decide to best relay a message to a national audience with your marketing campaign?

We incorporated the social media networks since that’s the best way to communicate with the citizens of America, and create a site where information on why the Electoral College should be banned is portrayed. Hopefully we did a fine way of relaying this message because it’s a problem that needs to be addressed.

​Cyndi Lynn (Felicía) Sheridan
Español 3 - Srta. G
El 2 de Octubre

Extra Crédito:
What did you learn?

Throughout this assignment, I have learned many different vocabulary words and understand how to read more sentences in Spanish. This was an amazing experience because I feel more confident in my Spanish ability. I still actually have my Facebook in Spanish because I think I am able to learn more than I already have. I can’t wait to see what else this experience can provide me with.

Cyndi Lynn Sheridan

El 28 de Septiembre

Here are the lyrics that correspond to our song:

Verse 1: (Cyndi)
Yo soy de los momentos yo creo.
Los suspiros yo respiro,
Y el amor yo comparto.
Yo soy de las tradiciones yo hablo,
Y el salvador yo busco.
Yo soy del pizza de aroma,
Esto llena todos los viernes con estomago deleite.

Refrán:
La cuidad de amor fraternal,
Una lugar única y original.
Grandes esperanzas pero sueños rotos.
Todos carreteras ignotos.
Yo llamo a este casa.

Verse 2: (Catherine)

Yo soy de manos este hablan,
Y los ojos este oyen.
Yo soy de los fuegos este susurran,
Con las personas este escuchan.
Casa es donde el corázon esta.

Refrán:
La cuidad de amor fraternal,
Una lugar ´¨nica y original.
Grandes esperanzas pero sueños rotos.
Todos carreteras ignotos.
Yo llamo a este casa.

Verse 3: (Catherine)

Y yo que nunca se puede dejar,
Este es yo y soy vivida!
Todos mis obstáculos yo se aparejar.

Verse 4: (Cyndi)

Yo soy de los brazos de un ángel.
Soy de a los viages yo tomo y
Yo soy de el corazón de acero.

Reflección de Cyndi Lynn:

What did you learn?

Throughout this project, I learned a lot of new vocabulary as well as the deeper meaning to where I came from. I am surprised at how well our song fit into the rhythm of an actual song. In addition, I feel as though this taught me how to communicate better with my best friend in another language.

What are you especially proud of?

I am really proud of our final product and the effort we put into this song. Catherine and I strived to make a song that holds something special about each of us. The best part of our song would probably be the refrán because we were able to just have fun and act silly.

What would you change if you could do it over again?

If I could do this project over again I would make a video that relates to our song because it would be more interesting for the audience. Overall, the song we created was actually pretty decent.

Cyndi Lynn Sheridan

Y – American History

September 23, 2011

Here is the link to our project:

https://www.lucidchart.com/documents/view#4db779d6-99e8-408f-b0d9-39290a56d331?branch=4868c155-9292-4f7f-8e9e-ec083d579280

Immigration Visualization Reflection:

After doing some research, it was interesting realizing how much of a struggle immigration seemed to be within society. Each decade consisted of different reasons to why there was either an increase or decrease in the amount of immigrants traveling over to America. I already knew that the United States was involved with several wars, so this crisis would have a significant impact on immigration. Today, the United States is facing a huge economic crisis leaving a large percentage of citizens unemployed, so if the graph would continue for the next two decades the quantity of immigration would slightly decrease. I say this because although there are some problems occurring, our country has a lot to offer regarding education and domestic necessities. We usually are able to rebuild the society as a whole, making the life style of citizens peaceful.

My group and I decided that it’s imperative to incorporate pictures for each decade. This would make it easier to portray the events going on during that specific period of time. Also, we created graphs to help analyze the amount of immigrants towards the total population. We thought all of these things would be best effective for describing the relationship between immigration and population. I feel as though the part that was challenging for my group was figuring out what presentation tool we were going to use, as well as making a graph for each individual decade. In addition, it was difficult putting each piece of the project together making an organized and efficient presentation. If I had to do this project all over again, I would do a few things differently. These include: making the Lucid chart bigger so it’s clearer to see the pictures and graphs, and manage our time better. It took a long amount of time coming to the conclusion on what application to use, having a decrease in the amount of time to actually work and research the information.

Cyndi Lynn Sheridan

Español 3 – D

El 21 de Septiembre

La ciudad del amor fraternal,

Una lugar único y orignal.

Grande esperanzas pero suenos rotos,
Todos carreteras ignotos.

Yo llamo a este casa.

o   What is your refrán supposed to communicate?

My refrán is supposed to communicate that the city we live in is filled with a diverse group of people but all share one thing, challenges.

o   What are you especially happy about with your first draft?

Catherine and I are really happy with the quality of words we have because they are very descriptive and tell a story with a true meaning.

o   What would you like to improve about your refrán first draft?

I really wanted the refrán to be longer, but I am satisfied with how everything worked out.

o   What was difficult about writing your refrán? 

It was extremely difficult creating a phrase that rhymed with the previous one. Also, this was hard because we only had a set selection of words that did rhyme and made sense to what we were trying to portray.

Cyndi Lynn Sheridan                                                                                                English – E

January 5, 2011

                                                A Trip of Language Chaos

“May I have a soda please?”

“Excuse me? What would you like?”

“A soda please.”

(The cashier just gazed at me with a blank stare.)

I tried to organize my thoughts before I was embarrassed even further. I felt my cheeks turning red as if my face was burning up. Then, I thought to myself and realized that maybe the residents of Pittsburgh pronounced or had different words for certain products as compared to how residents of Philadelphia may call them. I just arrived here no more than two days ago for just a simple doctor’s appointment, and I’ve have already been faced with an obstacle involving language. Despite the fact that I was thirteen, I still had trouble grasping languages from around the world. With one more hopeful try, I asked once more but with similar words in which I was trying to portray the first time.

“May I have something to drink?”

“Oh yes, what would you like? We have ‘pop’ if that’s okay.”

Without causing more confusion, I just agreed with what the cashier said. She handed me a bottle of Coca Cola soda bottle. Exactly what I was asking for from the beginning.

“Is that all?” she asked.

“Yes, thank you.”

Walking towards the car, I hilariously shared my experience with my parents. At first, they giggled a little but then just stared at me wondering why things were so different between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh even though they are located in the same state. After explaining what just happened to me, they burst into obnoxious laughter. They tempted to make an effort and describe how certain things conflict with language, environment being one of them. For example, since I was raised in the South Philadelphia region my accent is different then most because I pronounce water by saying “wudder”. Their words of wisdom reminded me of an essay I read in which my view on language was effected.

            In the essay How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzaldía, the main character creates a language to suit her identity as well as the environment she lives in. The girl is experiencing difficulty deciding between speaking one language; therefore she develops a language that correlates between her personality and her opinions. Although I only speak English, sometimes I do the same exact thing depending on where I am. Also, my beliefs on language are quite similar to the author when she states, “ A language, which they can connect their identity to, one capable of communicating the realities and values are true to themselves.”

This shows that a language is spoken and used to appeal one’s characteristics as well as to portray the aspect of a person’s life. Identity clarifies the inner beauty of someone by many actions, language being one of them. This is relevant to me because when I socialize with my friends I usually say things that express how I feel and what I am all about. On occasions, I speak to authority figures with proper vocabulary and a respectful tone in order to show my appreciation, but it still shows who I am despite the community I am involved with.

            After several experiences of being in the state of embarrassment on either the words I used for something or how I pronounced something, I’ve came to realize that there are always struggles you are bound to face throughout life but you have to approach them differently. This means that everyone is unique in their own type of way especially when relating to language, so you just have to keep your head held high and overcome this obstacle without being self-conscientious about yourself. I’ve gained a large amount of knowledge by experiencing faults with my language, but now I have a clear understanding on how to connect with people from different backgrounds.   Acceptance is a main goal that you must be able to accomplish in order to actively engage within a community because then a positive attitude is being conveyed. Also, it allows people to use their language in whichever form they feel comfortable with. Clearly, language reflects upon strength, dignity, power, and beliefs because it either builds or breaks you through your identity.