Ingredients:

Whole grain spaghetti

Olive oil

Tomato sauce

Chicken breast

Steps:

1. Ready and boil water with olive oil in pot
2. Cut chicken breast and put in pan
3. Apply seasonings to chicken and turn on low- medium heat
4. Ready sauce
5. Mix ingredients
6. ENJOY!

Analysis:

            Having spaghetti has become a really common meal in the United States and you can mix it with tons of things. A common mix at my house is the use of spaghetti and chicken. While some people look at spaghetti as an unhealthy meal, it depends on the kind and how much you eat. You see, there is whole grain spaghetti and plain white spaghetti. The white spaghetti is a processed form where the outer layers of the grain are removed so that you are left with white grains. The outer layers contain a lot of nutritional benefits, they contain fiber, which will help to prevent an insulin spike and keep you fuller longer. It also has a lot of vitamins.

            Carbohydrates are a really important macronutrient for the body because it is the bodies preferred energy source. There should be a large percentage of your daily calories that should come from carbs. The problem is, people tend to eat too much of the processed stuff. In whole grain spaghetti not only do you gain the benefits of having the fiber and vitamins, but you also have less ingredients. There are several ingredients in processed spaghetti but very little in whole grain.

            Protein is another really important calorie source and the recommended intake in grams of protein, is one gram per body pound. For instance if you weigh 150 pounds, the rule of thumb should be that you consume 150 grams of protein in that day. Protein is another energy source but it’s main objective is repairing destroyed muscle tissue.

            Fats are the last really important macronutrient left. Fats are sometimes thought to make you fat when you eat them but this is false. Perhaps from eating trans fats you’ll run into some problems, or eating nuts all day. The problem with fats is that they have 9 calories per gram so foods with fat have a lot of calories and when they are over consumed, people gain weight. Fats are actually really essential to the bodies functional. You should consume about 50 grams of healthy fats a day depending on your needs.

            This meal above has it all; it has the complex carbohydrates with vitamins and fiber from the spaghetti. It has the lean meats that give essential amino acids and provide proteins. Then you have the olive oil that has healthy fats and is rich in antioxidants which helps to rid the body of harmful free radicals (cause cancers).

Over the course of this course we’ve gone over foods that are healthy for us and the foods that aren’t so healthy for us. We’ve talked about reasons why people with lower income tend to be more obese then people with higher income and also when the accessibility to better food is scarce there are more obese people. There is currently more access to sugar, which was not as prominent in the past. Now that there is more access to sugar our bodies aren’t meant to process as much sugar as we’re consuming which is why diabetes is so prominent today.

Ways to better your eating is just watching how many calories you are eating every day. Make sure you’re not drinking your calories. One of the biggest reasons diabetes is so common today, is because of soft drinks. Soft drinks have three times the amount of sugar that you’re supposed to consume in a day. With fruits they have fiber and so the sugar does not spike your insulin.

I think the lesson to learn here is to make sure you’re not eating foods that are really processed. Shoot for foods with less than five ingredients and eat more whole grains. Eat things that come from the ground and shoot for more organically made foods. They do not hold many more nutritional properties but at least you’ll know your food was not processed. 

In every day life, everyone is exposed to these labels; labels that define them and give them a place in the world. These labels can be placed on someone by the way they look, act, dress, their job, etc. This is exactly the point that I tried to make in my presentation. I tried taking something that is real, like a radio show and having real people talk on it. Maybe these people aren’t really alive, but that doesn’t mean that the labels that the people talking on the radio show display aren’t real. Everyone has a label, and the way that they act is reflected from this label. I really wanted to take to very common labels in high school, the jock and the popular girl. Both having this label and expectation that they need to live up to what they are.

The reason I ended up choosing these two specific roles in high school is because I feel they are the two roles that people can relate to the most. Whether they the jock or the popular girl, or someone who was affected by them, it is still represented throughout the typical high school scene. I really wanted the people talking to not only have the background of the label, but I wanted the way they talked to reflect it too. For instance, as I acted out the jock, I talked with a deep voice because when you think of a football player you think of a big muscular guy with a deep voice, and perhaps not the best talker. As I moved onto the popular girl I wanted her to talk really badly. Having her sentences messed up and for her to still be consumed in the label that she once had.

I really think I was able to capture the roles of the two labels in the two people that I represented in the radio show. I also think I was able to capture a typical radio host’s enthusiastic tone. I tried making it as smooth and as natural as possible and that is something that I think that I was able to capture really well. I really wanted the background music to flow with the conversations.

Equally I think something that could have been a little better is exactly what I did well with. I could have maybe elaborated the back-story of the two characters I created. With my first character, the jock, I think I made it clear that he realized he had this label on him, but with my second character I may not have made it clear that the popular girl still felt like she had this need to fill the label she was given. I also feel as though I could have perhaps looked into how other radio shows host their shows. It may have helped me in my creation since I don’t know much on how radio shows are run.

If think if I were to do this project over again, that I would work more on my second character. I also had thought about putting in more characters. My idea to stick with just two characters I believe is enough so that the person listening can sit and analyze the points I tried making, I would still stick with the labels that I chose, however if I were to add another person, I would want to take a completely different direction. Take it from the role of someone that may not seem to make a huge impact on the high school scene. Perhaps that person who isn’t the most well known person, but isn’t the one being teased; the middleman. It may have given the final product a bit of a twist with having such a big difference in characters and maybe kept the listener more interested. 

My point of divergence occurs in the year 1865 when William H. Seward dies because of complications of the attempted assassination. As a result of this event, William Seward never purchases Alaska, and thus the British Empire takes Alaska by force from Russia. After the British Empire discovers all of the benefits from Alaska, it aids them in future wars, and saves the United States on more then one occasion. 

The process of this project was probably the most challenging. Being able to find points in history that can be changed and work was difficult and finding primary sources was even more difficult. However, even with all the difficulties involved with this project, it was rather fun being able to create your own future based on the turning of events. It also enabled me to discover some interesting things from the past. I had to look into World War 2 a lot considering the changes that were made because the British Empire controlled Alaska. 

Over the course of doing this project I learned that one person really can make a big difference to the world. In the short term it may not be that big, however in the long term it can create massive changes. For instance because Seward ended up dying, the U.S. never found it in their interest to get Alaska from Russia. Now the United States is out of lots of oil and lots of money. The same thing goes for actions that are made. When certain actions are made by a group or a person, it can change the way things are short term, and massively change them in the long term. It takes a snow ball effect as time passes. 

Due to the strictness of this project it is hard to say how this can be improved. It has to be very precise and accurate. Therefore, there is nothing to really improve on as a project. This did make it hard, but hard work makes good results. Unless you are in my case when you spend an entire week trying to find primary source docs and are unsuccessful. This is something that I think I can improve on. If I were to do the project again I would make sure to move on after being unsuccessful for so long. 

• Who did I speak with and why did I choose that person?
  I spoke with Alice, and i spoke with her for a few reasons. For one i hadn't spoken to a girl native speaker yet and wanted to see if there was a similarity in different genders. She was also 18, so she was the youngest person i had talken to as of yet. 
  What did you learn about them? What did you learn from them?
• I learned that she is from Mexico and she is chosing to learn english because she wants to come to the US to take up college education. She also wants to learn medication which is cool because i too want to take that up in college. 

• How did this interaction help you move towards achieving your personal goal?

  Well it helped me to see that learning different languages are helpful for future education and depending on the field you go in, it could be necessary. 
  
  What specifically did you do well according to your goals/expectations?
• I was able to improve on my vocabulary and see what the younger people want from learning different languages. 

• What specifically do you need to improve on? (Quote specific things you said or did and what you would have done or said if you could do it again)

  Work a little more on conjugations. 

• Who did I speak with and why did I choose that person?
  I spoke with Emilio from Spain, he was 20 years old which made it easier to talk to him since he wasn't to much older. 

• What did you learn about them? What did you learn from them?

  I learned that he wanted to learn spanish because he feels like it is necessary for him. He told me how everything in the world is english based, such as games, movies, etc. He told me that everyone studies english over in spain which i found to be interesting.  

• How did this interaction help you move towards achieving your personal goal?

  Well it helped me to realize how big english is around the world as opposed to other languages. 

• What specifically did you do well according to your goals/expectations?

  I was able to improve on my vocabulary. 

• What specifically do you need to improve on? (Quote specific things you said or did and what you would have done or said if you could do it again)

  I need to work a little on my conjugations and make sure I am getting them in the right tenses. 

• Who did I speak with and why did I choose that person?
  I spoke with a man by the name of Luis and he was from Mexico. I chose this person because he was close to my age (21) 

• What did you learn about them? What did you learn from them?

  He wasn't very good at english and when speaking to him he didn't seem to practice his english, rather he spoke spanish the whole time. He wants to learn english because he likes our music (eminem, linkin park, etc.) 

• How did this interaction help you move towards achieving your personal goal?

  Well the fact that he spoke only spanish forced me to not work with english at all, which was a bit challenging and i found myself quickly going to word reference to reply back to him. 

• What specifically did you do well according to your goals/expectations?

  I was able to improve on my vocabulary. 

• What specifically do you need to improve on? (Quote specific things you said or did and what you would have done or said if you could do it again)

  I would like to work a little on my conjugations and make sure I am getting them in the right tenses. 

Be Visual

Be Smarter

Be Transparent

Be Different

Be Accurate

Be Attractive

Be Varied

Be Gracious

Be Creative

Which of these areas did you excel in? Which were not so well represented? Why do you think some elements of design were easier or harder to include in the end product?

Created by Danny Wirt and Alex Johnson. 

         The recent events that have occurred on Wall Street have sparked an interest in Alex and I. Both Alex and I were fascinated around the entire idea and so we decided to take up the challenge of looking back and investigating the history of Wall Streets protests. The ideas behind the protests, the reasons that they happened, the reasons why Wall Street was such a hot destination for protestors were all things that caught our attention and our eagerness for learning. Since the theme of this years National History Day was revolution, reaction, and reform, we felt as though using Wall Street was the perfect topic to use for the theme. Through the long history of Wall Street, there have been many revolutions, which has resulted in reaction and thus reform.

         After finding our topic, we both branched out and studied a lot about Wall Street. We studied the history of it, we studied documents, and compared past protests to later ones. We watched videos and documentaries on Wall Street. We really wanted to make sure that we fully understood the diversity and complexity of Wall Street. We found that Wall Street is more then just a place where people go to trade stock.

         After we finished researching as much as we could we decided to meet together and share our ideas together. We used our collaborative research to create a published piece of work. After much thought we decided that a website would be most effective at displaying what we have learned. We split up the tabs in the website according to the century that the protests occurred. We decided to include a timeline page with a very useful map that we found. It allows the viewer to go to different locations where protesters occurred and read a little bit about them and also see the year that they occurred. It was a nice useful and interactive feature for the viewer.

         Revolution, a radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure, especially one made suddenly and often accompanied by violence. Reaction, action in response to some influence, event, etc. Reform, to change to a better state, form, etc.; improve by alteration, substitution, abolition, etc. These three terms are simply the way Wall Street works. Perhaps something happens and the people want change. This creates a revolution, in which a reaction is only inevitable, and thus when the reaction gets noticed there is reform, a change. Wall Street is a place where stock is traded, money is gained, and is essentially, a spotlight for the United States.      

What did you learn from doing this project?  

How do you feel about your final product?

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

 Smoke rose to the sky, leaving the impression that there will never be sunlight again. The smoke was so thick that it felt as though it was strangling me, almost wringing the air out of my body. The loud piercing sound of alarms wailed, off in the distance. I gazed over the land that I once called my home. My home was alien to me, unknown, foreign, unfamiliar.

I was rather frantic at first, in denial most likely; I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

I sat on the steps of a demolished building. The only building that I could still recognize; the only building that wasn’t turned to ruble. I pulled my shirt over my mouth so I could catch my breath and breathe air that was perhaps less toxic. I scanned the streets to see if there was anything that would help me figure out what happened. I started to question why I was still here. I have no clue what happened. The last thing I remembered was going to bed.

There was a slight breeze, the sound of grasshoppers outside my window. The peaceful calming whisper of the words, “I love you,” in my ears. It was the last words I had heard from my wife. The last person I had seen.

I woke to this, a desolate, barren, destroyed city, with no sign of life. At that moment, I realized something that made my heart drop. How did I get in the city? My house is nowhere near the city. “What’s happening!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, wanting anybody, anything, to hear me. There was nothing but the cracking of the fire that surrounded me and the slight breeze that fueled it.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep on the hard steps. It took a while, but sleep came. It was unpleasant. I had a dream, no a nightmare. Some beast snatched my wife up and I couldn’t do anything about it. I was restrained to my bed by something. I woke to the same thing I fell asleep to, a destroyed city.

I got up from the steps of the building and walked. I walked until my feet hurt. Everything looked the same, some structures still stood tall with only the frame of the buildings left. Everything else had been turned to ruble.

I neared my house. When I came up to the end of the block, I saw something off in the distance. I was again in total shock. Both fear and excitement rushed through my body. My eyes widened, I felt like my body couldn’t move; I was stationary. My house was there. The entire structure was in tact. It was as if nothing had touched it. All of the houses around it were completely destroyed, burning; nothing bush ashes blowing in the wind making it appear like there was black snow.

My head was spinning. Should I enter? I questioned myself. This overwhelming fear was pulsing through my body. Without my command I start to move towards my house. I don’t want to move, but perhaps I did want to at the same time. As much as I told my body not to move I still continued forward. I came to the door. I felt like I was going to drop over, pass out, because my heart was beating so fast. It was beating fear through my body with each beat.

I reached the door; hand reached out. I twisted the handle of the door, which was ice cold. I pushed the door open and stood in the doorway. Confused on what to do now I stood there. Everything was exactly where it should be. Everything was fine.

I dropped to my knees. Confusion at this point was more overwhelming then my fear. I thought maybe if I just sat here that something would happen. Darkness approached and as did the cold of the night. However, I still sat in the same spot. Hunger set in, along with thirst.

I stood back up on my feet and decided I needed to walk in. I took a step inside. I could smell the usual smell of cinnamon from the candles. “Karen,” I whispered. No response. “Karen,” I said in a normal tone. Still there was no response. “Karen,” I said once more even louder. There was no response once more and a tear began to form. “Karen!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I kept screaming her name. I kept hoping that my wife would hear. “Karen!”

It was silent. There was no answer. I stood in the middle of the living room. Looking around as if she was maybe hiding from me. Like this was some sick game of hide and seek. I didn’t want to play. I wanted to see my wife again; I wanted to pretend like everything I saw outside wasn’t real. I wanted to pretend everything went back to the way it was. In a way I wanted my house to be destroyed.

I looked over at a picture on the fireplace of my wife and I. We were on our honeymoon. I walked over to it and picked it up. Wishing that we were back on our honeymoon.

I picked my head up as I heard a sound behind me. I turned and as quickly as I turned I dropped to the floor once more. Stood before me was my wife. Alive, normal, healthy, beautiful, my wife, my wife was standing in front of me. My head was spinning. I got up and ran to her, wrapped my arms around her. I didn’t want to let go. “I love you,” the same peaceful words whispered into my ears. “I love you too.” I was so happy. As I talked to her about my day she just listened with a smile on her face. A smile that alone could light up the smoke filled sky. As much as I just wanted to sit there and lay with her the entire night I really wanted to get some sleep. As I started up the stairs Karen urged me to stay down here, but I insisted. I walked into my room.

Words can’t express how I felt in this moment. The overwhelming feelings that rushed back, the fear. I was so afraid. I was so afraid and so alone. My wife was lying there on my bed. There was so much blood that it seemed as though someone took a bucket of paint and poured it on her. Her body was mangled, extremities twisted in ways they shouldn’t be.  A creaking of the door behind me caught my attention and after seeing my wife’s twisted and mangled, I thought my fear couldn’t reach any higher levels, but it did. As I turned I saw my wife. What I thought was my wife. Standing in the door way. “I love you,” she whispered. With those words her head quirked and her body started to convulse. I wanted to aid her because she was my wife, she wasn’t but she was. I watched as she laid there squirming on the ground.

I walked over her body to get out of the room but didn’t take my eyes off of her. I started down the steps and the convulsing stopped. I wasn’t going to wait and see what happened. I was getting out.

I ran out the door. Ran down the street. Ran as far as I could. I ran until my feet hurt again. Then I ran some more. I was reaching the city; going back to the only place that still somehow made sense to me. I reached the building I sat at earlier. I tied getting a grasp on what was going on. Nothing made sense. It was over for me. I was going to kill myself. I was alone. There was nothing left for me, I didn’t understand what had happened here and I didn’t want to live anymore.

I walked into the building since it was still somewhat in tact. I took the stairs to the top floor. I couldn’t stop thinking about my wife the entire time. How my wife’s twisted body was just left there. How that person looked exactly like my wife, smelt like her too. Everything about her was the same. I walked to the edge where I could make clear that I would hit the ground and meet my fate. I closed my eyes and smiled. Knowing I would be with my wife soon. I felt warm. I could almost feel my wife with me. Her arms around me, whispering into my ears, “I love you.” The last words I shall hear.

I opened my eyes, to hear the words “I love you,” once again. I turn to find my wife standing there. “No, no it can’t be. You are not my wife! You do not love me! You are an imposter!” I grab a large piece of concrete that was once part of the wall, I ran at her and bashed her head. Over and over again I smashed the rock into her skull. Even after I knew she was dead I kept hitting her. There was blood everywhere, but she was dead for sure this time. “I love you,” those words came from elsewhere, from the door. My wife stood there saying those words. I looked down under me in disbelief as I had just bashed her head in. She was still under me, but in front of me at the same time. I’d had enough I ran to the edge and jumped. I was free, and I wouldn’t be alone anymore. 

• How did you group go about making a decision for what to focus on for the project?
  The group talked about our strengths and we then decided who should do what in the benchmark. We came to a conclusion without a problem. Then we all talked about what we think is the most effective way to get people to come out and vote, and we all came to an agreement that making voting mandatory would be the best possible option. 
• 11th grade Essential ? - What is the role of the individual in creating and sustaining change? 
  The role of an individual in creating a sustaining change is by making themselves heard and enforcing something to change something. 
• How has your understanding of the electoral process and whether or not the US is a democracy evolved during this unit?
  My understanding about the electoral process has allowed me to see that the US is losing it's right to really be called a democracy. By taking away the ability for people to vote you are keeping out important votes that could make the vote as best it can be. If there are voices unheard, then they can't make a difference. Having voting day on a day in which some people can't make it too and restricting it to one day makes it nearly impossible for some to vote. It is against the rights of a US citizen if you ask me. 
• How did you decide to best relay a message to a national audience with your marketing campaign?
  Well, my job was to make a video and advertise mandatory voting. I went about my process by thinking about what people like to see. I made a flashy and cool intro that would grab the attention of anybody watching. Then i showed a graphic that showed how unemployment has changed over the last decade or so. My goal was to have the viewer see that we have gone down the wrong road and the only way to change that is by voting and making a change, and having those unheard voices heard. 

1: What motivated you to come out and vote? 

I feel as though it is my right, (that people caught hard for me to have) so it is my duty. Every vote counts and i want my voice/ opinion to be heard. 

2: What would you like to see changed in our political system? 

I wish we could all just get along to get to that common goal. I also believe that certain people get paid to much and their salaries need to be looked at and re-evaluated given our current economic situation. 

3: Do you vote every election? 

Yes, I vote every year. 

4: Do you know why we vote on Tuesday? 

Not a clue 

5: Where have you encountered the highest amount of ad campaigning? 

tv 

6: What was the most memorable campaign ad that you have encountered?

I don't really pay attention to them because they say nasty things about each other. 

7: Are you always sure of who you are going to vote for when you walk into the booth or are you still deliberating? 

yes 

8: What changes do you hope to see in Philadelphia as a result of this election? 

hope if the mayor is re elected that the people of philly realize we need to make some changes and they don't shoot down all his ideas. Something has to give. 

9: What impact do you hope to see in Philadelphia as a result of this election? Did you learn about voting in school? If yes, did that impact your willingness to vote today?  

I feel every vote counts and there really wasn't a lot of people voting today so my vote hopefully will make that much more of a difference. I learned about voting from my mom. She reinforced how important it is to be heard and reminded me it is a privilege to be able to vote. People in other countries don't have that capability. 

Goal: to make people feel the effect of colonization on the world and cultures. Also, to make people feel against the idea of colonization (audio speaking available for descriptions)

Intro:

In the museum I want you to get a look at how colonization effects how a culture is. You will see the changes in the area, the changes in leadership, and the changes of houses. There will be interactive sections of the tours to keep you all involved and I hope you enjoy it. There will be a brief survey at the end asking what you thought of the museum and areas for us to improve, we would appreciate and look into any ideas you suggest.

Artifact one:

I will set up a treadmill and offer people to walk up them and walk a quarter of a mile. Then I will explain to them that this could be only a small amount of work that some of the children have to do to get some water.

“In Niger the people need to walk to get water and most of the time it is the children. Now, back then with the people not be colonized, there were less people, meaning less use of water. However, now with Niger being colonized there are a lot more people and thus more resources are needed. It makes it harder for the country to survive.”

Artifact two:

 Have this house set up next to this house 

Artifact three:

Make photos larger and show how things have changed due to colonization. I will have the people walk into a dark room and show them the first map and then show peaceful tribes in a natural wild life setting, and then I will switch to the newer map, showing how people have made everything more “civilized.”

“Over the years you can see from the pictures that the areas have drastically changed and become more distinct regions. These are the effects of colonization. Over the years you can see that the regions have become more define and less tribal. Africa is no longer Africa, it is regions and country’s that make up Africa.”

Artifact four:

Artifact five:

I will take 61% or because we will have groups of 10 then I will just take 6 people out and I will give them 1 dollar. I will then explain to them that this is the only money you get in one day.

“This represents the 61 percent of the country that lives in poverty with only 1 dollar a day. The houses are made up of dirt and wood, and they eat cooked cereal and milk. Before colonization, there were no systems like this were people were suffering and living in such bad conditions. Those that live in the slums are forced to build their own houses out of plastic metal and what ever other material they can find.”

Artifact six:

This artifact expresses the power that the French had over these people. It shows that the people didn’t get what they may have wanted due to the.  Hamani Diori was he first elected president of Niger and had a lot of French influence.

Artifact seven:

In the artifact I will create a video, demonstrating the French coming into Niger and affecting the amount of people there causing there to be less resources.

“In 1946 the French constitution conferred French citizenship on the inhabitants of the territories, provided for decentralization of power and limited participation in political life for local advisory assemblies. On December 4, 1958, after the fifth French republic was established, Niger became an independent state within the French Community. In 1960 the full independence was given and at that point the French were free to come and go, live, participate, and do as they please. “

Artifact eight:

“The Nok people where people that lived back in the ancient times of Niger. They were not the wealthiest of people however they maintained a normal life style and farmed as normal people, now there are people that are dying from starvation. Connection there? Blame colonization and greed.”

Conclusion:

In conclusion colonization has changed a culture, tribes, and a country. It has “revolutionized” and changed things so that they were not primitive and in result have made a country turn to poverty and starvation. I hope you have seen how colonization has

unknown, unknown. "The people of nok ." kids page . N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2011. <http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0097-nok.php>.

unknown, unknown. "HISTORY OF NIGERIA."History of nigeria . N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2011. <http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad41>.

unknown, unknown. "Niger's military coup is condemned by France and Africa." BBC. N.p., February 19th 2010. Web. 18 May 2011. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8523573.stm>.

unknown, unknown. "Niger Information." Niger. N.p., October 15th 1998. Web. 18 May 2011. <http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/countries/Niger.html>.

unknown, unknown. "Nigeria ." actionaid . N.p., unknown . Web. 18 May 2011. <http://www.actionaid.org.uk/683/nigeria.html>.

Dr. Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D., unknown. "French in West Africa." UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER. N.p., unknown . Web. 18 May 2011.

<http://www.africa.upenn.edu/K-12/French_16178.html>.

unknown, unknown. "NIGER." Discover France . N.p., unknown . Web. 18 May 2011. <http://www.discoverfrance.net/Colonies/Niger.shtml>.

So when I was in wildwood a few years ago I bought this spray paint painting and this is what is looks like. I will start off by telling you the major parts in this. There is a circle that is about the diameter of the board. Inside the circle there is the USA flag that appears to be the sky. Also in the circle it the twin towers that show the reflection of the American flag on the two towers. The reflection isn’t precise it is more like a watery reflection where it is kind of distorted. Below there are several other building. There appears to be a straight line of buildings TOWARDS the bottom where underneath there is a body of water. The water fills the bottom portion of the circle and at the bottom of the circle the water becomes a waterfall and flows off the bottom of the circle. The water shows a nice white foam effect when flowing over the circle, which adds some realistic effect to it. Right under the row of buildings there is a foggy mist. Behind the twin towers you will notice a few smaller buildings that show distance effect because they and they are to the left. They also show the reflection of the flag in the background. Around the circle you will notice that there are white spots everywhere outside. The artist I believe was trying to make it appear as though the circle was in fact a planet. There is a dim red outer circle the surrounds the bigger circle/ planet to show the atmospheric effect.

It was the beginning of a hard day. It would be full of work, work, and more work. It started off with me waking up. I woke up with a bit of a headache and not wanting to do anything. My hair looked as if I had just got done a pillow fight. It was everywhere.  I walked into the well-lit room. The sun filling me with warmth and I thought maybe this wont be such a bad day after all. It was nearing the time I needed to leave for work. Hair fixed and ready for work I brought my bike outside and rode off.

The breeze was wonderful; filling my lungs with fresh air was much needed. I arrived to the job that I had both hated and enjoyed at the same time. Angelo my boss greeted me just as he does everyday. The smell was the same. A smell that was full of pizza goodness. My boss is a very generous man and allows me to eat a slice before I get to work. So I take a slice and sit down. I taste the delicious pizza as it enters my mouth. It fills my taste buds with joy. When I got done drooling over the delicious pizza I grabbed the some pizza menus and walked to my destination.

My job requires me to deliver menus to doors, so that hopefully the pizza shop will get more business. It is a very tedious job. Requiring me to go up and down  must go through. With 8$ an hour I get more money then most people in Philadelphia. Kind of pathetic if you ask me, but ill take it.

Money in pocket, pizza box in my one hand, it was a pretty good day at work. I didn’t have any problems. The smell of the pizza was permeating up through my nose. The hills were brutal. Making my legs burn with intensity as I pedaled up the large slopes. Almost home, just 3 more blocks and then I can dig into this awesome pizza. My hair was being a pain so I flipped it out of my face. BAM! Was all I heard and a car was all I saw. I stumbled, hand in pain, leg scratched up. I had lost my balance when I flipped my hair and ran straight into a car. Pain was intense, shooting up my arm. I couldn’t move anything. Hurting, throbbing, pain like I never felt before. “Is it broken?” I asked myself. My bike was twisted and mangled just as my arm was. I fought through the pain to pick up my bike and move it out of the street. The pizza box was demolished but the pizza was still in tact. The pizza was good but my arm wasn’t.

 I called my mom told her I had crashed. Away she went to the spot of my tragic crash. My arm was still in excruciating pain. The cuts and scraps that lay all over my leg have no effect on me because the pain in my arm was so intense. My mom put my bike in the back and we drove those 3 blocks back to my house. I rested my arm on my other arm.

No smell, no sound, nothing but pain. I walked into my house. Suddenly I thought that 16 dollars wasn’t worth this. I never broke a bone so I couldn’t tell if it was actually broken or not. I have a ton of homework to do and with this pain I’m not going to get anything done. A two page paper due in 2 days, a 10 page packet due in 2 days, and even more. I’m in pain and now I’m panicking about all the work that I now have to do with only one arm at my disposal.

I started with math. I was hungry but there is no time for food right now. My stomach is growling; mad at me because I am denying it food. The frustration overwhelmed me and I was not very successful with the math. I didn’t even finish half of the packet. Now, more pressure lays on me. Demanding that I do more work with so much pain. It wasn’t going to be a fun next day. I went to sleep with a brace on my wrist so that my wrist wouldn’t move in my sleep.

I woke to a mother that demanded my presence, however she wasn’t going to get it because my arm was in so much pain. It was un bearable. I couldn’t move at all, not a single part of my body without wanted to scream in pain. Such a pain should not be forced against someone, not anyone. Still I knew I had a ton of homework that I had to do.

I got up and wobbled to the kitchen. I got out the cereal and a bowl to pour it in. I poured the cereal half way just as I usually do. Walked over to the refrigerator and got milk and continued to pour milk in there until the cereal rose. Just the way I like it. I grabbed a spoon and began eating the wonderful cinnamon toast crunch as I walked to the table. I wasn’t very successful with just one arm but I got one spoonful before I reached the table. I set the bowl down and enjoyed each and every bite.

The birds were chirping and the sky was blue. It was set out to be a beautiful day; that I of course could not enjoy. I was forced to suffer indoors and do homework.  The hours past and eventually I come to present. I sit here in pain TV in background. Still have a lot of math to do. Obviously not done this essay.

Every time I even try to use my thumb for any reason a sharp pain travels up my arm. Making it impossible to type with that hand. Now I’m in a predicament, one hand to type, one hand to do everything, and still a lot of homework. Its now 8:26 and I still haven’t eaten dinner and I am not even half done my math.

What a way to end my weekend. My eyes are heavy, my arm still hurts and I have school tomorrow. I am supposed to be getting x-rays tomorrow to make sure that it isn’t broken. Hopefully its not broken but I never broke a bone before. If its not broken I would hate to know what it feels like if it was broken. I probably wouldn’t be able to move my fingers at all. The smell of chicken is starting to fill my house. I sense that dinnertime is coming shortly. I’m starving, my stomach is growling and I think it is about time to eat some food. A good day at work gone wrong. A new experience in which I will learn from. Next time I wont flip my hair. 

We started with descriptive essays for English, which were rather difficult for me. Due to my lack of the ability to use words to really describe my environment, my grade didn’t really shine as well as I wanted it to. I think it was really because of my lack to want to try something that I didn’t really want to do. It was outside of my comfort zone and I didn’t really want to attempt it because of that. I guess in a way you can say I was more, close-minded then. I wasn’t open to new things.

Later on in the year for history we had to do a trial. This trial was very exciting for me considering I find the whole law system to be a very interesting and amazing thing to be a part of. We studied Cortés and his expedition. The trial was to see who was the guiltiest. This assignment made us find research and then apply what we learned to make the other groups guilty. I, as the prosecutor really enjoyed my job. I got to target the other groups and make them sound guilty. I was able to apply my knowledge from watching law and order in to my classroom assignment!

Later in the year for English, we had to create poetry. This was another English assignment that I wasn’t exactly too comfortable with. I just find it hard to express my feelings or things that have happened in my life through words. I got through it and I was a little bit more enthusiastic about the whole thing where as before I when I had to do something outside my comfort zone I would have not been enthusiastic at all.

For history at the end of the year, we had to create an exhibit. The exhibit project required us to create an exhibit that demonstrated the effects of colonization. It was a really fun project because we were able to be creative with it. It allowed us to make our own creation. It required us to be more time conservative of ourselves since we had to find the research and then create the whole project.

In the beginning of the year, I specifically remember saying, “oh I don’t want to do that stupid dance!” Now this dance was the art in the open dance that we were required to do at the end of the year. I can tell that my opinion changed because I loved doing it. I went from, “ew, I don’t want to do this,” to, “that was fun!” It was a great experience and I will always remember it. 

In the end of the year I think I can take away the ability to say, “I can be more enthusiastic about things I don’t like.” Also, I think I have gained the ability to manage my time. It really has made me more independent. This is why when I say I have gone through a lot with Mr. Block, I really have. His classes have made me into a better and more of my own individual.  

            Cigarettes are a suicidal tool, nothing different then a razor against your skin. Yet, currently in the United States there are 3.4 million high school students smoking their lives away. Cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke result in approximately 443,000 premature deaths per year. This is something that is killing millions of people and yet it is legal? Why? Because the amount of taxes that the country gets off of tobacco is overwhelming. The state with the highest tax on cigarettes is New York. As of 2009 it was 4.35 dollars. Mix that with all the smokers and you have an immense amount of money. The total annual public and private health care expenditures caused by smoking is 96 billion dollars. That is insane. Cigarettes are a hole in wallets and lungs. Yet prostitution that doesn’t cause any harm is illegal. 

            Alcohol is another razor to the skin. It is an infestation of the liver and has caused a ton of deaths over the years. On October 5^th 2010 the state representative, Brad Bennet, from Delaware was charged for a DUI. This means that he was driving while drunk. A state representative drinking you might ask? Yes, it has not been the first incident like this. People of the law drink, and they drink because it is something they want to do. Brad went on to say, “ The past few months have been very trying for both me and my family dealing with personal issues.” I guess because he is having some problems with his family that everything is just okay. However in a case where Gordon Hintz, a Democrat, paid a $2,032.50 fine because he went to a massage parlor offering prostitution. He wasn’t even accused of using the service yet he got the fine.

Gay marriages have been a huge controversy for years. It is against religions and there for religion is running the government. The government is not allowing to have gays to marry because of “God’s rules.” People that are gay do not cause any harm to people. They do not cause problems and being in a marriage with someone of the same sex does not cause any disturbances. I was once told that a marriage should be between two people that love each other and that will do anything for each other. People who find love in the same sex are not wrong. They have just found something that has made them complete. Something that is hard to come by and taking that away from them because of a religion is absurd. Prostitution is also against religions for having sex before marriage would make you a whore.

            Prostitution is illegal because; you can’t tax it, want triumphs over need, there for the people running the government don’t want it, and finally religious aspects. These things run the government and make something that causes no harm to be illegal.

So when I was in wildwood a few years ago I bought this spray paint painting and this is what is looks like. I will start off by telling you the major parts in this. There is a circle that is about the diameter of the board. Inside the circle there is the USA flag that appears to be the sky. Also in the circle it the twin towers that show the reflection of the American flag on the two towers. The reflection isn’t precise it is more like a watery reflection where it is kind of distorted. Below there are several other building. There appears to be a straight line of buildings TOWARDS the bottom where underneath there is a body of water. The water fills the bottom portion of the circle and at the bottom of the circle the water becomes a waterfall and flows off the bottom of the circle. The water shows a nice white foam effect when flowing over the circle, which adds some realistic effect to it. Right under the row of buildings there is a foggy mist. Behind the twin towers you will notice a few smaller buildings that show distance effect because they and they are to the left. They also show the reflection of the flag in the background. Around the circle you will notice that there are white spots everywhere outside. The artist I believe was trying to make it appear as though the circle was in fact a planet. There is a dim red outer circle the surrounds the bigger circle/ planet to show the atmospheric effect. 

(My scenes, free write, and hot words got deleted, if you would like me to work on them again I can) 

It was the beginning of a hard day. It would be full of work, work, and more work. It started off with me waking up. I woke up with a bit of a headache and not wanting to do anything. My hair looked as if I had just got done a pillow fight. It was everywhere.  I walked into the well-lit room. The sun filling me with warmth and I thought maybe this wont be such a bad day after all. It was nearing the time I needed to leave for work. Hair fixed and ready for work I brought my bike outside and rode off. 

The breeze was wonderful; filling my lungs with fresh air was much needed. I arrived to the job that I had both hated and enjoyed at the same time. Angelo my boss greeted me just as he does everyday. The smell was the same. A smell that was full of pizza goodness. My boss is a very generous man and allows me to eat a slice before I get to work. So I take a slice and sit down. I taste the delicious pizza as it enters my mouth. It fills my taste buds with joy. When I got done drooling over the delicious pizza I grabbed the some pizza menus and walked to my destination. 

My job requires me to deliver menus to doors, so that hopefully the pizza shop will get more business. It is a very tedious job. Requiring me to go up and down  must go through. With 8$ an hour I get more money then most people in Philadelphia. Kind of pathetic if you ask me, but ill take it. 

Money in pocket, pizza box in my one hand, it was a pretty good day at work. I didn’t have any problems. The smell of the pizza was permeating up through my nose. The hills were brutal. Making my legs burn with intensity as I pedaled up the large slopes. Almost home, just 3 more blocks and then I can dig into this awesome pizza. My hair was being a pain so I flipped it out of my face. BAM! Was all I heard and a car was all I saw. I stumbled, hand in pain, leg scratched up. I had lost my balance when I flipped my hair and ran straight into a car. Pain was intense, shooting up my arm. I couldn’t move anything. Hurting, throbbing, pain like I never felt before. “Is it broken?” I asked myself. My bike was twisted and mangled just as my arm was. I fought through the pain to pick up my bike and move it out of the street. The pizza box was demolished but the pizza was still in tact. The pizza was good but my arm wasn’t.

 I called my mom told her I had crashed. Away she went to the spot of my tragic crash. My arm was still in excruciating pain. The cuts and scraps that lay all over my leg have no effect on me because the pain in my arm was so intense. My mom put my bike in the back and we drove those 3 blocks back to my house. I rested my arm on my other arm. 

No smell, no sound, nothing but pain. I walked into my house. Suddenly I thought that 16 dollars wasn’t worth this. I never broke a bone so I couldn’t tell if it was actually broken or not. I have a ton of homework to do and with this pain I’m not going to get anything done. A two page paper due in 2 days, a 10 page packet due in 2 days, and even more. I’m in pain and now I’m panicking about all the work that I now have to do with only one arm at my disposal. 

I started with math. I was hungry but there is no time for food right now. My stomach is growling; mad at me because I am denying it food. The frustration overwhelmed me and I was not very successful with the math. I didn’t even finish half of the packet. Now, more pressure lays on me. Demanding that I do more work with so much pain. It wasn’t going to be a fun next day. I went to sleep with a brace on my wrist so that my wrist wouldn’t move in my sleep. 

I woke to a mother that demanded my presence, however she wasn’t going to get it because my arm was in so much pain. It was un bearable. I couldn’t move at all, not a single part of my body without wanted to scream in pain. Such a pain should not be forced against someone, not anyone. Still I knew I had a ton of homework that I had to do. 

I got up and wobbled to the kitchen. I got out the cereal and a bowl to pour it in. I poured the cereal half way just as I usually do. Walked over to the refrigerator and got milk and continued to pour milk in there until the cereal rose. Just the way I like it. I grabbed a spoon and began eating the wonderful cinnamon toast crunch as I walked to the table. I wasn’t very successful with just one arm but I got one spoonful before I reached the table. I set the bowl down and enjoyed each and every bite. 

The birds were chirping and the sky was blue. It was set out to be a beautiful day; that I of course could not enjoy. I was forced to suffer indoors and do homework.  The hours past and eventually I come to present. I sit here in pain TV in background. Still have a lot of math to do. Obviously not done this essay. 

Every time I even try to use my thumb for any reason a sharp pain travels up my arm. Making it impossible to type with that hand. Now I’m in a predicament, one hand to type, one hand to do everything, and still a lot of homework. Its now 8:26 and I still haven’t eaten dinner and I am not even half done my math. 

What a way to end my weekend. My eyes are heavy, my arm still hurts and I have school tomorrow. I am supposed to be getting x-rays tomorrow to make sure that it isn’t broken. Hopefully its not broken but I never broke a bone before. If its not broken I would hate to know what it feels like if it was broken. I probably wouldn’t be able to move my fingers at all. The smell of chicken is starting to fill my house. I sense that dinnertime is coming shortly. I’m starving, my stomach is growling and I think it is about time to eat some food. A good day at work gone wrong. A new experience in which I will learn from. Next time I wont flip my hair. 

Daniel Wirt 

Iron stream 

Talking to people in a manor, in which everyone can understand you, has become increasingly difficult. Now a day, we have all this new technology such as the iPod, the laptops, and the cool new phones. All of which have forms of communicating involved with them. These forms of communication all involve using language and through this communication people have found ways to dim down the amount of writing they have to do. Possibly it is because people are too lazy. There are things that are now shortened like laugh out loud= lol and k/kk= okay. These are just two of perhaps thousands of ways that people abbreviate things. 

More recently I have been noticing this becoming more evident in people’s language. People are using this to talk rather then the standard and ‘correct’ English. Why might this be? Possibly it is because people are so used to shortening words when they are using these technological devices. It has become second hand for people to write lol, kk, and ard. This is limiting the speech horizon for many people. It can be used as an advantage in some cases because other people may not be aware or this newly developed writing/speaking style but it can also be a disadvantage because it gets engraved into your head that this is correct and that this is proper. 

“Your so funny, lol,” I feel as though this is accepted today where we live, but out in another state or even another city that is right around the corner from ours may be thinking what does that mean. Now with the popularity of that word I feel as though it has spread throughout our country and most people that use these technologies are susceptible to this new form of talking. 

“Oh hey girl, how you doing?” the women said with  a look of shock on her face as if she hadn’t seen the women in a long time. 

“Oh i’m ight, how bout chou?,” The girl responded with the same amount of excitement. They both hugged and did some sort of hand shake. 

“oh girl I’m good, yo dat foul on the field was so funny like real rap yo,” 

“I know right lol,” the girl laughed in a chuckle that filled the environment with disapproval at the fact that she had just insulted the man. 

Now in this conversation that I over heard on the train there are two females interacting in a conversation after a football game. The words that they used are simply chopped up and revised English words. Making up these new words is like creating a new language that on you and the other person understand. In fact I am sure there are words that are used within one community that wont be understood to a community that is right around the corner. 

I feel as though this form of talking has taken over the people in my life. Why, just today my mom sent me a text saying “K,” not “okay.” It has become such a normal thing these days that people don’t really think twice about the way they are talking.

Speaking in a certain dialect also gives a bit of personality to you. It describes you, and it defines you. However, now that all of these technologies have introduced a whole new way of talking is it possible that we loose a bit of the things that define us? Everyone has a language identity. One that makes them, them.  For people to talk by using words that are cut down and slimmed it is perceived as an informal way of talking and it takes away from someone’s creativity. If you were to walk into a job interview and talk in such a manor then they would probably not hire you. Speaking in that manor makes you seem less intelligent and less ‘you’ but why? Is it because of whom the languages were made by? It could very well be that reason, or maybe it is the fact that it just sounds informal. I suppose we can’t know for certain but what is evident through this is that this language, ‘slang,’ is not a very good thing to get a habit on speaking like. 

“Yo I don’t fuck with no green vegetables besides green beans dog. Except for maybe some of dem hoagies and shit,” He said with a chuckle.

His friends replied with a laugh and were thoroughly okay with the way he was talking 

Now this was a person that was talking to his friends on the train. This doesn’t see like something you would want to be saying if you were in the middle of a job interview. There is an improper use of grammar and pronunciation. Thus telling the hirer that this job applicant has very little ability with talking. Jobs don’t want that form of English. Also this can be mistaken to some people because this kid has given the word “fuck” a new use.