How has my Capstone impacted the community? Statistics show that one on one learning is more effective than learning in big groups. It’s also beneficial for peers to open up and not be afraid to ask each other for help and it would help save time because the teacher would not have to spend time reteaching those who don’t pick up concepts as fast as others. For my capstone, I ran a peer tutoring program across two freshman Algebra 1 classes. The pairs/groups meet twice a week to work on homework, benchmarks, and study for quizzes and re-quizzes.They meet after school on Tuesday with the supervision of me and/or my capstone partners and once more some time later in the week, unsupervised. I worked with three other people but we all had different responsibilities. I was in charge of making sure everything went smoothly and everyone was doing what they were supposed to be doing. However, we were not the only four seniors that came and helped out. Some of the other seniors liked my program and decided to stop by and help some freshmen who were still struggling with concepts.

In the Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio forces Katherine into marriage with him. They basically skip the part where they’re supposed to get to know each other. This shows how relationships were different then vs. now. In About Last Night, Bernie and Joan meet and hit it off instantly, they rushed things and consequently, their relationship suffered temporarily. They go from have sex occasionally to arguing out of spite every time they see each other. The Taming of the Shrew and About Last night are similar in their message which is love has happy endings and that the road to happiness isn’t always easy. However in contrast, Katherine has no say in whether or not if she wants to be with Petruchio, and Bernie doesn’t take the time to get to really know Joan before he makes her his girlfriend, all he wanted was sex.

In this scene, Bernie is explaining to his best friend Danny about last night. He tells him that he met Joan at a bar and the only reason they really wound up in the bed is because of the fact the he dated a woman Joan hated. This is the good part of their relationship but because they didn’t take the time to get to actually know each other, their relationship eventually wasn’t so great.

Both relationships reach a point where all they do is argue and someone eventually just gives in. In this particular part of the book, Petruchio is arguing with Katherine telling her to say that the sun is actually the moon. In Act 4, Scene 5, lines 21-22, Katherine submits to Petruchio by saying,“Then God be blest, it is the blessed sun. But sun it is not, when you say it is not.” Katherine is realizing that she just has to give in to Petruchio, and maybe in her mind things will get better.

In this scene, Bernie is explaining to Danny the complexity of him and Joan’s relationship. While they were constantly arguing with each other, they got to know more about each other. Bernie is thankful that they can put the bickering behind them and is so happy to have a genuine relationship with Joan. If he had never given in to Joan by telling her how much he missed and loved her, they wouldn’t be in this happy place.

The last stage of the relationships are the part where they basically start over. They forget the previous animosity that they had in their hearts for one another and move on to be happy with each other. In Act 5, Scene 2, lines 162-163, Katherine is talking about what a husband’s job is and accepting the love they provide. She says, “Thy husband is thy Lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee.” At this point Katherine realizes that her and Petruchio may have gotten off on the wrong foot, Petruchio will truly care for her. At the end of her speech, she kisses him and you can imagine the smiles on their faces as the finally reached true happiness together.

Analytical Essay:

In the Yellow Bird’s, war changes the lives of many soldiers. PTSD is an outcome of the war. While the world remains ignorant to the war’s side effects, the soldiers continue to experience a change that will change their lives forever. There should be sympathy and understanding in the heart of every American when there’s a discussion of people at war.

“I was not surprised by the cruelty of my ambivalence back then. Nothing seemed more natural than someone getting killed... I had to see the world with clear eyes, to focus on the essential. We only pay attention to the rare things, and death was not rare.” p.11 People at war are stripped of morals and codes that they were taught at a young age. When in war, what’s wrong becomes right and what’s right becomes wrong. Killing is wrong, any type of violence is. Love is taught to be given to everyone, including your enemies because it’s the right thing to do. People at war are not allowed to have a heart or to show emotions because when they do, they show weakness, they’re supposed to be ruthless and be able to kill when demanded. For some, holding a gun is scary enough, but asking them to pull the trigger is another story. When Americans look at people who have been in war, compassion should be racing through their hearts because the soldiers did it so no one else had to. If soldiers were given sympathy, that would show that there is understanding. Having someone understand what you’ve been through can go a long way.

“As human beings, we have the blessing and the curse that we’re able to adapt to almost anything. No matter how extreme the circumstances you’re in, they become normal.” Because humans adapt, they don't understand. At one point, after readapting and readapting, humans stop. Some soldiers become adapted to the war lifestyle, so when they come home they can no longer readapt. As people try to understand people in war, they often figure out that war is something that needs to be experienced to understand. Once given the opportunity to walk a mile in their shoes, then there will be an understanding.

“I realized, as I stood there in the church, that there was a sharp distinction between what was remembered, what was told , and what was true. And I didn’t think I’d ever figure out which was which.” PTSD gives soldiers a fight or flight instinct caused by fear that’s stuck in their heads from war. This feeling that they have comes, even when they may not be in danger which may make them seem crazy. It comes with experience from physical harm.

“I wonder why people are the way they are. I wonder how do we justify the things that we do, because it always seems like we are doing terrible things. But the stories that we tell ourselves are always about our goodness and our idealism and that contradiction has been interesting to me throughout my whole life.” Humans try to come up with an explanation for everything. They’re always trying to fix something. Some things in life just can't be fixed. Life does not owe anyone an explanation, somethings you can only wonder why they happen.

There should be sympathy and understanding in the heart of every American when there’s a discussion of people at war. They do they job no one else wants to do. To label them as crazy is wrong, they should only be labeled heroic.

Narrative Essay:

From a small child, I was always told to reach for the stars.  “You can do anything you want in life, you just have to want it and work for it.” I remember being asked what I wanted to be when I was 9. At nine years old, you don’t the variety of jobs that are offered in the world. “I wanna work at McDonalds, it’s my favorite fast food restaurant.”

The conversation stopped. “You wanna struggle your whole life?

“You won’t even be able to support your family?”

Questions were being thrown at me. I’m just a kid, I don’t understand what I’m saying and why I’m saying. I honestly thought people at McDonalds were very kind people. Who else wants to stand at a window and wait on people. Jobs like this should be appreciated, not shunned upon.

I remember when my brother said he wanted to be a cop. My mom wanted to know why none of us wanted to be a doctor. She said McDonalds workers aren’t paid enough and being a cop is a dangerous job. All of a sudden, that statement about being whatever we want turns out to be false.

You can be anything that isn’t a danger and pays well. Society has conjured up what is an acceptable job and what isn’t. Everyone plays a part in the way the world is now, but before you can play a part, you have to find a part. In The Yellow Birds, the main character found his part in becoming a soldier.

Bartle forgot the importance if his role. He began to build a friendship with Murphy. He promised his mother that he would bring Murphy back safe and sound. The thing about promises is that you can’t make one unless it’s something you can control, you can't control death and who it strikes. That’s what the world revolves around; control. Some are born with control, some are born without it. People can’t control what they’re born into but they can control what they do with it and whether they want to work a McDonald’s job or be a doctor, it’s their decision. They should be appreciated regardless.

If Cops stopped to think about it, they would realize that having authority is not just about / does not just involve brutality , but serving justice well.It is one thing to use violence to protect oneself when in immediate danger, but another to use it to commit vicious hate crimes. Police officers have built a system of racial profiling. When they see a black man, he is already predestined to commit a crime in their eyes.  In the past decades, the African American Community has struggled to get the freedom, equality, and respect they deserve as a people because the policies have been set against them. Through their policies for punishment, police commissioners have allowed police officers to abuse their authority to belittle the African American community.

As kids, children are encouraged to admire cops. They were the real life heros. When someone was in trouble, who was to be called? On one of Cartoon Network's most popular show, Scooby-Doo, The cops of course the good guys. At the end of the episode, they would call the cops and wait for their arrival to unmask the man in the costume. There are several things you can take away from that, but what children learn is to call the cops when in fear. Now the very same people everyone was told that would protect the citizens who are in trouble, are the very same people who the African American community should fear.  Eric Garner, a 43 year old father of 6 living in New York was one of the most recent victims of police brutality. He was wrestled to the ground by five malicious police officers. The one who actually put Garner into the headlock was driven to do so by his sexual fantasies. This was not the first time that this officer had stopped him. Garner knew there was something odd about that man, afraid of what the officer might try to do Garner pleaded with him, “Don’t touch me, please,” but the badge says he has permission to do so. As he’s being choked to death by the man who wants him, he screams, “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe, Get off me! Get off me!” They choked Garner until he could no longer fight. This situation would not have taken place if these officers had a serious police commissioner over their heads, someone who wouldn’t just let them get away with it but someone who would see the wrong and fight for the justice of Eric Garner.

Instead of being the men who once wanted everyone to be safe, the Police Commissioner  protect the ones who make the streets unsafe. This all stems from the lack of professional training for these police officers. There was a lack of discipline when these police officers were trained, without discipline officers will see the inch they’re given and take a mile. This is how it starts. They see their captain lets them get away with something minor and their minor things become major things. They are given an inch and they take advantage and take a mile.

In 2012, a study showed that every twenty eight hours, an African American was killed by an officer or vigilante. Of these killings, 43% of these were shooting based on racial profiling. Based on their skin color, officers inferred that they were in the act of committing a crime. Trayvon Martin, a kid who was brutally shot to death by alleged vigilante, George Zimmerman. Trayvon Martin was 17. He lived in a gated community with his parents. He was leaving the store with an Arizona tea and a bag of skittles, on his way home when Zimmerman gunned down the teenager. It’s getting to the point where young black men are being told by their parents what to do if confronted by a police officer. The directions are to always keep your hands in sight. When directed to do something, move slowly. This was first introduced by a show called Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. A character named Jazz was stopped by a cop. Uncle Phil told Jazz it was okay to put his hands down but Jazz refused. He went on and said, “No thank you, I put my hands down and the next thing I know, I’ll have 18 warning shots in my back.”

As the years progress, it appears that African Americans have more and more of a reason to be in fear for their lives. When the system gets to the point where it protects the people no matter the race, then African Americans will be able to live without fearing the cops.

"Staten Island Man Dies after NYPD Cop Puts Him in Chokehold — SEE THE VIDEO." NY Daily News. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014.

"1 Black Man Is Killed Every 28 Hours by Police or Vigilantes: America Is Perpetually at War with Its Own People." Alternet. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014.

Throughout my 10th grade World History class, I have learned a number of things. I learned about things that I didn’t even know was a thing or things I didn’t know I was capable of doing. For example, during the second quarter we started writing plays. My play was titled Fight to the End. It’s not finished but I would say that I’m very proud of this particular assignment. At first, I was like I don’t want to do this because I’m not a great writer. Luckily Mr. Block was prepared for those who didn’t feel too confident. He partnered up with Philadelphia Young Playwrights, that’s when Kate came in and helped every student with the revising process. She also gave us great ideas when we were stuck.

This class isn’t not just a class where the teacher talks and the student listens. We were given journal entries a lot and we would write what we thought. I remember writing a Journal Entry on the topic, Criticizing Another Culture. I had never really thought about this topic. I just thought criticism was wrong but in some cases it is needed. I also remember the religion unit very well. This is also something I hadn’t really thought about. Our question that day was, What is religion? As you might be able to see, I was not too fond of religions but after this unit, i discovered why I believe in a higher power.

The Revolution unit was also one of my favorites. That unit, I researched and learned about several different revolutions in addition to the one we learned as a class which I believe was the French Revolution. We made guidelines based off of opinions we made and what we think would be a great revolution.

I have so many favorites from this class I can’t choose one over the other. But if I did have to, now I would probably say the first Mock Trial we did about Cortes. I was put into the shoes of a prosecutor. Luckily I had time to prepare. From that link are all the notes I took to prepare myself for what was to come. I really did my research on Cortes because I found him the most guilty. Well because of my great prosecuting skills, the system came in second place as in second less guilty. It was very hard to beat the Aztecs who didn’t do anything but greet Cortes with happiness and riches. It was Cortes who took advantage of them.