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Logan Smith Capstone

Posted by Logan Smith on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 9:01 pm
​

Baking has alway been a passion of mine. Though I bake all the time there are many avenues of baking I haven’t explored. For my Capstone I am creating a Bakery Blog called Mad Batter. To create my blog I will be using wix.com. With this blog I will be baking different desserts and writing about my progress or faults as a baker, the difficulties of the dessert, and how much my friends/family liked it. I was also able to learn more about baking in general and will be sharing my opinions on the perfect desserts. As a senior I am trying to determine a career to choose, since baking is a prominent part of my life I would like to explore this passion and maybe be able to determine if this is a career I want for the rest of my life. Since I will be baking I had a chief as my mentor, her name is Kimberly White. She has recently graduated from a culinary school and has baking training so it was great to learn some of her skills. Even though this project was for a my capstone I had so much fun cooking and experimenting with different recipes.


Website Link: 

https://lsmith603.wixsite.com/madbatter

Bibliography:
  1. Doucleff, Michaeleen. “Cookie-Baking Chemistry: How To Engineer Your Perfect Sweet Treat.” NPR, NPR, 3 Dec. 2013,

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/12/03/248347009/cookie-baking-chemistry-how-to-engineer-your-perfect-sweet-treat

This source provides information about the chemistry of cookie baking. While baking is an art it is also a science, filled with chemical reactions. By playing with ingredients in any recipe it’s chemical reactions can be tweaked to make the perfect cookie. The website first considers the three major steps to baking cookies;the spread, the rise, and the color/flavor injection. During the spread the cookie loses its structural integrity causing the cookie to lose its ball shape and spread. What causes the cookie to rise is the water in the dough, as the cookie starts to rise the vapor pushes through the dough.  Soon the baking soda and powder start to break down causing the cookie to rise further. Lastly the color and flavor is cause by caramelizing, the sugar in the cookie breaks down turning into fragrant brown liquid giving the cookie it’s taste and smell. The second process that cause flavor and color is called the Maillard reactions darkens the cookie and gives the cookie it’s nutty flavor. One small change in the cookie could change the cookie. For example if the butter is melted the dough will be wetter and spread farther.


  1. Dispatch, Charlie Boss The Columbus. “Cakes & Chemistry: the Science of Baking.” The Columbus Dispatch, The Columbus Dispatch, 24 Nov. 2013,

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/science/2013/11/24/1-cakeschemistry.html

Food is very complicated, because it includes basic science. Each ingredient has a job, that make a cake edible but also stable. For example flour provides the structure and baking soda gives the cake it’s airness. All of the dry ingredients have to be mixed in the right order because they are all competing for water, if mixed wrong it could make your cake clumpy. This sources is useful to me because it emphasize how important it is to follow a recipe. If I put my ingredients in the wrong order then I could ruin the pastries I am making .


  1. Erdos, Joseph. “Butter vs. Margarine: Which Is Better For You (And For Baking)?” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 May 2012, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/20/butter-vs-margarine_n_1363458.html

This sources explains the Differences between butter and margarine and which one is better to use in baking. Butter is better for baking because it contains a high fat content which gives the best result of flakiness and tenderness. On the other hand butter has high cholesterol and saturated fat. Margarine is good for cooking but is bad for baking. Though margarine isn’t good for baking it is healthier. Margarine has zero trans fat, low saturated fat and zero cholesterol. This website is usual full to me because when it comes to baking I want to make my pastries healthy but also taste. By knowing the difference between butter and margarine I now know what effect each has on my pastries.




  1. Severson , Kim. “Red Velvet Cake: A Classic, Not a Gimmick.” The New York Times , The New York Times Company , 12 May 2014, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/dining/red-velvet-cake-from-gimmick-to-american-classic.html?_r=0

Red Velvet has taken the world by storm. The cocoa cake with the red undertone is the base of items from lattes to candles. By the 1930 the recipes for red velvet cake were showing up in the West Coast and Mideast. It is most likely that this cake started with the elites. Meanwhile in Austin, Texas John A. Adams was selling vanilla cake and red dye thus making a lot of money.  Many companies used this tactic to trick the people into thinking they had red velvet cake, making red velvet very popular during World War II. Armed with dye and recipes cooks fanned out  to promote their product. From there the cake soon became a top seller.



  1. Duszynski, Elizabeth. “Candace Nelson of Sprinkles Cupcakes.” The Everygirl, The Everygirl LLC, http://theeverygirl.com/feature/candace-nelson-of-sprinkles-cupcakes

This source is an interview of Candace Nelson, not only does she own her bakery, Sprinkles Cupcakes, she is also a judge on the show Cupcake Wars. Throughout the interview Candace explains what affected her decision to go into the cupcake business and how she learned to run a business.  The interview also includes the difficulties of finding the perfect spot for her business and how difficult it was own a business at such a young age. Considering that I want to review all the aspects of baking/owning a bakery it is helpful for me to know the complications that come with owning a bakery. This interview is also tells me that it is possible to own a bakery at a young age and be successful.



  1. Chen, Susannah. “Are Sorbet, Sherbet, and Sherbert the Same Thing?” POPSUGAR Food, 31 May 2014, http://www.popsugar.com/food/Difference-Between-Sorbet-Sherbet-Sherbert-7216977

Though sorbet, sherbet and sherbert seem to sound the same they are slightly different. Sorbet is generally a fruit-based frozen treat. Sorbet doesn’t contain any milk or dairy product. Sherbet is similar to sorbet in the fact that it is fruit based, the only difference is that sherbet contains less than 3% of milk. If sherbet contain more milk than 3% it would be consider ice cream. Lastly in other parts of the world sherbert is a fizzy powder stirred into drinks. It is useful that I know the difference between these frozen treats because they are often confused for each other. By knowing the difference I am improving my knowledge of all treats.

  1. Sever, Shauna, and Leigh Beisch. Real Sweet: More than 80 Crave-Worthy Treats Made with Natural Sugars. New York, William Morrow, 2015.

Though a sweet should never be healthy this source has provided multiple ways to make a treat both sweet and a little healthier. The book gives a detailed list of real sugars that can easily swap out the fake sugar with. Considering that 80% of the world white sugar is processed until it is unrecognizable. The book also goes into detail about the health benefits of grains and starches., natural add ins to give the sweet flavor and the  tools needed to make your sweets,  Just like any bakery I need a recipe book. This sources clearly explains the recipes and step by step instructions to insure that my sweet is the best.



  1. Doutre-Roussel, Chloé. The Chocolate Connoisseur: for Everyone with a Passion for Chocolate. New York, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2006.

This source provide a brief history of chocolate. In 1000 BC cocoa trees were growing in the  Amazon. From 600-1500 AD the Mayans and Aztecs used this cocoa to make a spicy drink. Slowly the recipes for this delicious treat spread over Europe then soon reached England. By 1765 chocolate arrived in America and the first chocolate factory opens in Dorchester, Massachusetts.  The love of chocolate soon spread all across America. By 2004 about 600,00 cocoa beans are eaten per year and only 5% are used in chocolate bars. I think this sources is useful because it is teaching me the history of a main ingredient in the cooking considering most pastries are surrounded by chocolate.


  1. Klopfer , Brady. “8 Tricks That Make Boxed Cake Mix Taste Like Homemade.”WonderHowTo, WonderHowTo, Inc, 8 Oct. 2015,https://food-hacks.wonderhowto.com/how-to/8-tricks-make-boxed-cake-mix-taste-like-homemade-0162021/

Boxes cakes always get mixed reactions, some people sing their praises while other berate them. In either case a box cake can always be improved.  This website list eight tricks to improve a box cake. For example milk can be substituted for water to make your cake taste instantly homemade. Or add mayo to improve the texture of the cake. There are going to be times when I don’t want to make a cake from scratch so by using these tricks I will be able to have the taste of a homemade cake but the easiness of a cake from the box. I can also share these tricks with family and friends to help them improve their cakes.


  1. Kohnke, Luane, and Stacey Cramp. Gluten-Free Cookies: from Shortbreads to Snickerdoodles, Brownies to Biscotti: 50 Recipes for Cookies You Crave. South Portland, Me., Sellers Pub., 2011.

One thing that makes a cookie is gluten without gluten baked goods could become rubbery or to crumbly. On the other hand some people can’t have gluten because it makes them sick, thus gluten-free sweets were born. The Gluten Free Cookie book explains what is gluten free and can be included in a cookie such as nuts, fruits, eggs, and salt. Most of these things people already have in their refrigerator. It is also to useful to know because it also breaks down exactly what I would need to change to adjust my sweet treats. This sources is helpful to know because if I were to own a bakery I could serve those that can’t have gluten.


Tags: Giknis, capstone, 2017, Best
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Final Art Show

Posted by Logan Smith in Advanced Art - Hull - a2 on Friday, June 10, 2016 at 9:18 pm
​For the first project we were suppose to choose an area of the park that we liked. I chose the fountain behind the gates but found it very difficult since I couldn't get the best view. I liked this area because it was peaceful and elegant which is what I wanted to portray in my photo. I think that my work could have been cleaner but I wouldn't change the area I chose.
My next photo was inspired by a song that I really liked and my crush.  I also wanted to try something a little different and do block letters. It took me a while to get the letter the way I wanted by I wanted to add more so I wrote all of the lyrics to the song around a heart of the name title. I also included my crush's name in the picture.
My next picture is of a dress and a girl blowing a bubble. I really liked drawing a dress so I wanted to do it again but I wanted a face to go with the dress. I personally like the picture of the girl blowing a bubble because I think it was the best picture of a person I drew 
For my last photo I wanted to reflect over the pictures I drew over the year but I also wanted to try
drawing the letters again so I drew out Art in Art supplies and redrew the art I have created over the year
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Deception, Rejection and Acceptance

Posted by Logan Smith in English 3 - Pahomov - C on Tuesday, April 26, 2016 at 10:27 pm

(Comparing “The Taming Of The Shrew” and “The Other End of The Line” )


Parents always want what’s best for their children, especially when it comes to marriage. Many parents feel that they should choose who their children marry. This may be a family tradition or a way to insure their children are financially safe. Even if parents don’t chose who their children marry they still give want to give their blessing. This is clearly shown through the play “The Taming of The Shrew” by Shakespeare. Baptista has two daughters, the oldest is Katherine and the youngest is Bianca. Bianca, being younger and tamer than Katherine, gets the most suitors. Were as Katherine viewed as a bad-tempered shrew doesn’t get any suitors, still her father wants her to get married first. The only difference between Baptista's decision in who his daughter marry is that Katherine can marry for love whereas Bianca will marry for financial stability. In the 2008 movie “The Other End Of the Line” the main character Priya’s father does the same thing.

Priya works at a credit card call center in India, at this center she has to pretend to be an American girl named Jennifer from California. One of her clients is Granger Woodruff, who makes commercial for a hotel in San Franciscan. As they talk on the phone she finds out more about him and the American things that he likes to do. For example his friend is getting married and Granger is setting up one last adventure for him. One thing that interest Priya is adventure, but there is only one problem her father. He hates her job and thinks she should have a regular job. Not only is he pressuring her to change her job but is also pressuring her to get married to the man he chose.

Both Baptista and Priya’s father have the same idea to chose who their daughters marry but they had different ways of dealing with the suitors. Take for example Katherine she had the choose to marry for love, while Priya had to marry because it was what her father wanted. These text reveal that fathers have the best interest for their daughters but they don’t realize when they are unhappy, which pushes their daughters to make distracted decisions.  

“Baptisia: I know not what to say, but give me your hands. God send you joy, Petruchio. Tis’ a match.”

(Act 2/Scene 1/Line 337)

In the following part of the book Baptista is excitedy allowing Petruchio to marry Katherine. Katherine on the other hand is not so excited. Before Baptista walked into the room Katherine and Petruchio were arguing, Petruchio was constantly trying to compliment Katherine while she shot down each attempt. But once Baptisia came into the room Petruchio claimed that they were in love, even though Katherine animatedly told her father they weren't. Her father ignored her protest and allowed Petruchio to marry Katherine.

Screenshot 2016-04-17 at 8.26.02 PM.png

Katherine’s problem is similar to Priya’s. Priya’s father has chosen a good family for Priya to marry into but first he makes Priya meet the family. Once Priya meets the man she is suppose to marry she notices they have nothing in common. Priya wants to travel and move to a different house. While the man she has to marry wants to stay in his mother's house and doesn’t want to travel anywhere. Like Katherine, Priya doesn’t want to marry the man her father choose.

Both fathers want what’s best for their daughters so they pressure their daughters into marrying someone they don’t love. The only difference is that Katherine gets married to Petruchio and changes who she is. While Priya won’t compromise her happiness and dreams.

Quote 2 From the Play:

“Lucentio: I have it, Tranio.

Tranio:  Master, for my hand, Both our inventions meet and jump in one

Lucentio: Tell me thine first.

Tranio:You will be a school master. And undertake the teaching of the maid: That’s your device.”

(Act 1/Scene 1/Line 191-198)

In this quote Lucentio is creating his plan with his servant Tranio to pretend to be a schoolmaster, Cambio, to woo Bianca and get closer to her. Lucentio has to pretend to be someone else because Bianca’s father Baptista isn’t allowing the suitors to get close to Bianca until Katherine is married off.

Lucentio’s use of deception is similar to Priya’s but Priya is using deception as a means of an adventure.  

Screenshot 2016-04-17 at 8.11.58 PM.png

In this scene from “ The Other End Of The Line” Priya is at her job at the credit card center. Her job is to provide credit card assistance, if there are unusual charges to inform the owner. While she talks to her client, and soon love interest, Granger she hears about the things he does, like spend money in himself. What catches her interest the most is when he mentions that he is throwing one last adventure for his friend.  After hearing about Granger’s finally adventure for his friend she decides she wants an adventure before she gets married to a man she doesn’t. She travels to meet Granger as Jennifer, her fake identity, at the hotel he is staying at. But once she gets there she doesn’t have the courage to meet Granger, until he accidentally falls into her, she then proceeds to introduce herself as Priya not Jenifer. Her father’s constant pressure to marry a man she doesn’t pushes Priya to want to leave and have one last adventure before she is forced into marriage.

The “The Taming Of the Shrew” and “The Other End Of the Line” are very similar. Both Lucentio and Priya use deception to get what they want. Also like Katherine, Priya is being forced into a loveless marriage. Though the “The Taming Of the Shrew” and “The Other End Of the Line” are similar in many ways they are also very different. Unlike “The Taming Of the Shrew”, Priya’s father learns that Priya can’t be forced into a marriage because she has too many dreams and already loves Granger. He soon accepts that and doesn’t force her into marriage. In the end of both the play and the movie the couples ended up together.


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Logan Quarter Three Art Show

Posted by Logan Smith in Advanced Art - Hull - a2 on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at 2:15 pm
 For the first project we were suppose do adult coloring. I chose pictures that I found interesting and fun to color. In my photo's I tried to keep the color light and not overpower the picture with harsh colors. My favorite is the flower in the middle because I like the mix of colors and how the colors look together.  
My next photo is my self-portrait done with paint. I don't really like this picture, I think that I made some mistakes and the paint was very hard to work with on such a small piece of paper. I tried to recreate a simple picture of myself so I tried my best to copy this picture by choosing the paint that would best represent my clothes in the picture. 
My next picture is a shaded picture of a ball. I tried my best to have different shading colors, having some parts of the picture to be lighter than others . I also wanted to give my picture a little angle so I tried to shade a small table to make it look like the light was coming from a certain angle.  
For my basic shapes I wanted the shapes to be evident in the picture but I also wanted the picture to involve something that I, which is mario video games, so I choose one of the smaller characters in the game. In this picture this I tried to have as many shapes as possibly could but I also wanted the shapes to be rounded so it would look identical to the character. 
Lastly for animal shape I created a puppy. I drew a puppy because I tried to draw on earlier in the year but I had some difficulty. So for this quarter I wanted to challenge myself with drawing a puppy. The hardest part was drawing the ears on the puppy, so I may try and  draw another puppy to see if I could improve on it even more.  
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Logan Art Slide Show

Posted by Logan Smith in Advanced Art - Hull - a2 on Friday, January 29, 2016 at 6:51 pm
​I wanted to make my collage based off of something that reflects my childhood. So I choose to combine all of the classic Disney movies, characters, or slogans that show what Disney really is. Before making making my collage I had to decide which movies I wanted to include, since there are so many movies. From there I had to decided where they would fit and how those pictures would look next to each other.
The next art project was to create a fabric. For this project I knew I wanted to make a dress but I was unsure if I could do it. So I made a practice image which is just a regular piece of fabric.  Then I started working on the dress that I wanted to make, yet I still was unsure of how to do small details of the dress to really make it look like flowing fabric. With the help of Mrs. Hull I was able to adjust my dress and turn it into something that I am proud off.
For the photo editing project I knew I wanted to use picture that I couldn't draw, but I also new that  I wanted to reflect myself a little bit. In the first blur of the girl with the cracked glasses shows that life is tough. In the Superwoman picture I wanted to show how I will run whenever my friends or family is in trouble. And the last picture of the elephant walking alone shows that how I have taken a different path than many others, it also shows that sometimes I walk alone. 
In my illustrations I knew that I wanted to improve on how I drew faces and eyes. So I choose a song that would help me do that called Pretty Brown Eyes by Mint Condition. I was also inspired by another son called Key to My Heart this song explains how the a girl doesn't want to tell the boy how she feel but he still has the key to her heart. 
I feel like I am improving in my art. I want to continue trying new things and making progress.
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Under the Water

Posted by Logan Smith in English 3 - Pahomov - C on Sunday, January 10, 2016 at 10:33 pm
English Benchmark Q2

Under the Water


Happily nervous. If I could explain my feelings that day I would say I was happily nervous.

I woke up early with a smile on my face ready to go to the Assembly.

As Jehovah’s Witness every so often we have Assembly, where different congregation groups gather together. At these Assemblies brothers or elders give talks about a specific bible based topic.

I got dressed quickly in a new outfit for the occasion. I wore a dark purple pencil skirt with a lace stripe down the middle, a black flowy shirt with lace on the shoulders, and purple heels with a flower in the middle. We then get to the Assembly hall and since I am getting baptized, I had to sit in the front. I was extremely nervous to sit in the front because it would be the first time I sat without my family.

Everyone soon takes their seat as the Assembly starts. As the talks began I tried not to move too much, but not being able to help myself, I keep fidgeting and fixing my skirt. I couldn’t contain my thought or my excitement. My mind was constantly wandering, blocking out the Brother giving the talk, but I heard when he asked the others and I to stand. I heard him ask those two question I was so prepared to answer “ On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?”

“Yes” I screamed with the others.

“Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah’s Witness in association with God’s spirit-directed organization?” The Brother continued.

“Yes” we all said.

After saying a prayer and singing the baptism song all the baptized candidates were asked to change for water baptism.

Gathering all my things I walk to the bathroom. Changing quickly into my bathing suit, I was soon ushered to where the pool was. Carefully I walked down the pool steps until half of my body was emerised, two Brothers were waiting in the water for me. As soon as I was in the water one of the brothers walked over to me placing his arms around me.

“Place your left hand on your nose, now place your right hand on your left arm. Bend your knees.” Before I knew it I was dipped under the water, I was brought back up hearing the sound of my family and friends clapping.

On December 13, 2014 I was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witness. This is a day I will always cherish.

Changing back into my regular clothes I walked back to my family. I was greeted with hugs, congratulations, and cameras. Later that evening we were having a small celebration. I was given some small gifts, but the greatest gift was given by my parents. It’s a silver heart shaped engraved with my baptism date, 12/13/14. The necklace is like a family tradition, my sister was given a necklace when she was baptized as well.

This date symbolizes that I have decided to fully dedicated my life to being a Jehovah’s Witness. Unlike many other religions, where you're baptized at birth, my baptism was completely my choice.

Ever since I was young I have been one of Jehovah Witness. Being a witness entails many responsibilities even for a young child. I have been taught to follow in Jesus footsteps, this means basing my life off the bible. While unlike Jesus I make many mistakes, I still try my best to follow his example. One example would be in celebrating holidays, Jesus didn’t celebrate any holidays so we don’t celebrate holidays. Another example would be that Jesus preached to his neighbors, so we interturn follow his example and preach to many of our neighbor. To be baptized means a lot in my religion, it means that you are willing to dedicate your life to fully serving Jehovah and doing his will. A choice of this size is very difficult to make.

There were many factors in my decision. The main factor is my love for Jehovah God. Even though I have loved Jehovah my whole life baptism wasn’t really on my mind but what really made me think of this decision was that my friends were getting baptized. So I started thinking if I was ready to take such a huge step. By chance, the same year my friends were getting baptized, my Uncle asked me “What is holding you back?” I honestly didn’t have a answers. I love preaching, I loved studying the bible and I love God, so what was really holding me back? That question made me consider what could possible be holding me back, I was already following in Jesus footsteps so why shouldn’t I make it official. After thinking it over I found that nothing but my own insecurities were preventing me from getting baptized. I went and talked to my parents to see what they thought, they thought it was a good idea. From there I had to talk to the brothers of the congregation, to ensure that I was spiritually secure and ready to get baptized. They felt that I was prepared but to make sure they asked me a series of spiritual questions. We agreed that we would set a date when we could start the first session of questioning. To be baptized there are three sessions of questioning that have to be answered. I got through all the questions and was cleared to be baptized at the next Assembly.

Making this choice, was the first real decision that I made that will affect me for the rest of

my life. From there on I have to constantly decide what I allow myself to view, be apart of, 

etc. My faith is in my hands and that is a lot of responsibility that I had to be sure that I 

could handle. The reason why this date mean so much to me is because it symbolizes my 

faith and trust in God. Like in the book “Things They Carry” how Kiowa would always carry 

his bible symbolizing how strong religion had influenced his life. I wear my necklace as a 

reminder of who I am and who I represent. I will never forget this date which is why I wear 

the necklace.
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Logan Smith~Art~ Quarter 1

Posted by Logan Smith in Advanced Art - Hull - a2 on Friday, November 13, 2015 at 8:46 pm

As an artist I created all my art based off of the things that I like, which range from music to my favorite cartoon characters. My art shows a piece of my personality, I am very child like but I also like the older of things life such as boomboxes and tapes.  I tried to incorporate myself in all of the art so that it would have a personally and passionate aspect to the art. Much of my artwork was inspired by things I would see and think of through my everyday life.​

My art used two mediums paint and colored pencils to add more life and creativity to the art. I would like to expand my mediums even though these two mediums are my favorite. I love art I think it is beautiful what a person can create and what that can mean to them. Even when something is perfect it is your creation that can be something beautiful and that's what I learned in the first quarter.


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Police Brutality

Posted by Logan Smith in English 3 - Pahomov - C on Sunday, November 8, 2015 at 10:49 pm

The world is slowly traveling back in time, a time when race is influencing how the world is run. To run the world there are laws and regulations to insure that safety of the people. Even with these laws, crimes are still happening all over the world. But it’s said that the police are always there to protect the people, and yet the people are still in trouble. One example is of a young woman pulled over for a not turning her signal, she was presumed dead in the next three days while she was in police custody. Slowly but surely, law enforcement is abusing their power and disregarding laws, thus taking matters into their own hand based on race. This is called police brutality. The power they have should be used to improve the lives of people, not to destroy the world one person at a time.

Many officer seem to be overstepping their boundaries on laws which is police brutality.  One example of police abusing their power happened recently in Stockton, California. A video is taking of a young african american teen jaywalking, for this he was hit multiple times and tackled by multiple officers. As stated in an article at FindLaw.com jaywalking pentalties depend on whether it was an infraction or a misdemanor. An infraction is a petty offense and isn’t “considered a criminal offense and thus not punishable by incarceration (Findlaw.com).”  A misdemeanor is “punishable by a fine.” Neither of these penalties call for physical violence, so why was this action taken? Maybe it was because this young man was African American and he was “resisting arrest” (stated in the video) from a Caucasian officer for a crime that everyone commits.

Police brutality is an alarming issue in the United States.A reporter named Aaron Morrison from the international Business Times took the issue of the police attitude to the people. Through social media Mr. Morrison asked if Americans were to grade the police, like teachers grade students, what would this grade be. The articles states “that nearly half of Americans give their police department a “D” grade or a failing grade.” People are seeing that law enforcement is decreasing in their efforts to protect the people. This decrease can cause distrust in the laws and the people enforcing said laws. One of the tweets mentioned in the article says the reason police are averaging a “D” grade is because “More Americans are killed by cops.”  If the police aren’t protecting the people then it is more likely they are causing damage to the people.

One death from police abusing their power is in the case of Sandra Bland. She was 28 years old when she pulled over by a Texas officer for failing to turn on her turning signal. This offense normally calls for a fine. But in Bland’s case the trooper said she was “argumentative and uncooperative” this lead to her being arrested for “assaulting a public servant.”(CNN) in the video the officer asked her what is wrong and Bland comments that she is irritated, but that frodoesn’t stop him from giving her a ticket. Afterward he continues to comment on her attitude, then proceeds to ask her to get out of the car. Bland then explains that he has no right to make her get out the car. Which is true, according to Martin Kron a traffic court judge says "It's perfectly legal for you to say in the vehicle.”  So there is no reason for the trooper to get aggressive and continually demand Bland to get out of the car or for him to arrest her. Later in the video it is also shown that Bland is shoved to the ground she then screams “you slammed my head into the ground.” This doesn’t always happen when someone is pulled over for a simple misuse of their signal.

After Bland’s arrest she was place into a cell for three days. Later on she was found dead in her cell. The police claimed that it was a suicide but all family members that knew Bland said that the thought of her committing suicide is “unfathomable”(CNN). Frosted Illustrated also made the point that she was left in her cell for three more hours after she was found dead. Why would someone be left in their cell three hours after they were found dead unless the police had something to do with it.

It is most likely that this situation escalated so quickly because of the color of her skin and because she wasn’t doing what she was told. In the world Black People are mostly seen as suspects, even when they aren’t doing anything. An article written by a law professor from huffingtonpost.com states that “The police stop blacks and Latinos at rates that are much higher than whites. In New York City...when whites were stopped, only 8% were frisked. When blacks are stopped 85% were frisked according to information provided by the NYPD.” Only 8% of White People were frisked in a place mainly populated by Black people. This shows that the police system is more trusting in the white population since their is such a big difference in the percentages.

When asked police may say that they are making the world a better place and trying to keep things safe. But on a close look they are the ones tearing down the world. For example Sandra and this young teen in California who were only supposed to receive a warning but when they had the right to resist they physically abused by the people supposedly there to keep them safe.


Work Cited:

  1. Morrison, Aaron. "Police Brutality Statistics: Law Enforcement Departments Receive Failing Grades In Twitter-Based Report Card."International Business Times. N.p., 27 Aug. 2015. Web. 21 Sept. 2015. http://www.ibtimes.com/police-brutality-statistics-law-enforcement-departments-receive-failing-grades-2071697

  2. "Jaywalking - FindLaw." Findlaw. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2015. http://traffic.findlaw.com/traffic-tickets/jaywalking.html

  3. "Cops Beat Black Teen For "Resisting" His Jaywalking Ticket." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZeMfNw_GMI


  1. Sterbenz, Christina. "If The Cops Pull You Over, These Are Your Rights."Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 22 Nov. 2013. Web. 28 Sept. 2015. http://www.businessinsider.com/what-rights-do-you-have-when-pulled-over-2013-11


  1. "FULL DASH-CAM VIDEO OF SANDRA BLAND ARREST RELEASED!!"YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuPvDMN73hQ


  1. "DA: Sandra Bland's Death to Be Investigated as Murder - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2015. http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/20/us/texas-sandra-bland-jail-death/


  1. "Sandra Bland: Suicide or Homicide? New Evidence Raises Questions."Frost Illustrated. N.p., 16 Sept. 2015. Web. 28 Sept. 2015. http://www.frostillustrated.com/2015/sandra-bland-suicide-or-homicide-new-evidence-raises-questions/

  2. "Police Brutality." Dictionary of American History. 2003. "Police Brutality."Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2003. Web. 18 Sept. 2015. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3401803303.html

  3. Quigley, Bill. "Fourteen Examples of Racism in Criminal Justice System."The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-quigley/fourteen-examples-of-raci_b_658947.html
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Crossing the Road of Religion

Posted by Logan Smith in English 2 - Pahomov - E on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 10:28 pm
Logan's song #3 (1)
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Bud,Not Buddy Character Devolpement

Posted by Logan Smith in English 2 - Pahomov - E on Monday, January 19, 2015 at 8:40 pm
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There are many young orphans who have lost their mother and their father are no longer in the picture. Those young orphans always hope that their father will return, but they don’t have the power to go look for them. Bud not buddy is an inspiring and humorous book about a young boy who has had enough of bouncing from house to house. He lost his mother but he still has the hope of his father through a small briefcase that he carries with him. Christopher Curtis use little aspects to build his characters even if they are only mentioned in the book.

Bud has been adopted to live with Amoses, they have a son who is two years older than Bud. Todd isn’t very happy that there is a new boy in his house so he bullies Bud. Todd and Bud start fighting and got caught by Mrs. Amoses, his suitcase was taken and he was thrown into the shed. Bud soon escapes from the shed in search for his belongings. He find them but “I could tell right away that someone had been fumbling through my things. First off, whenever I put the blanket in, I always fold it so that it stops all the other things from banging up against each other” Bud is very particular of where things are placed in his briefcase. It mentions that  “I could tell right away that someone had been fumbling through my things.” This shows he is observant and delicate with the things he care about. In his mind everything has it’s place and he know when it’s not the way he wants or had it. For someone to know exactly how everything is means that they care a great deal about it. Bud obviously treasures the things in the briefcase because he has an exact order the things are suppose to be in, “first..whenever I put the blanket in, I always fold it so it stops...things from banging.” This show the expert care Bud takes of the suitcase. He does want anything banging against each other and getting damage because it’s important to him.

Bud comes off as a very respectful child, but he is really looking for a way to get himself out of a bad situation. He makes up so many rules for the lies he creates he calls them Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things to Have a Funner Life and Make a Better Liar of Yourself. He has been beaten up by Todd and when Mrs. Amoses comes in Todd tells his mother lies to get him out of trouble. Bud is surprised when it seem that Todd know his rules to getting out of trouble. “It seemed like he knew some of the  same things I know, the things I think of all the time and try to remember so I don't make the same mistake more than seven or eight times” This shows that Bud is smart and is a learner, he takes in knowledge on how to please to other people. He only needs something to happen “seven or eight times” and then from that experience he determines if he has to lie or not. Bud even calls himself the best liars in the world. To be the best at something you have to learn when to use it. To learn when to use it Bud had to practice, showing that Bud can also be selfish and deceitful. So it surprises him when other people know how to do the same thing.

Bud has left the Amoses house and is on the lame as he puts it. Before he can do anything else he looks in his suitcase. In his suitcase is a picture of his mom as a young girl. While looking at this picture he has a flashback to a conversation he and his mom would always have. She say “Bud is your name and don't you ever let anyone call you anything outside of that either...Especially don't you ever let anyone call you Buddy, I may have some problems but being stupid isn't one of them, I would've added that dy onto the end of your name if I intended for it to be there.” Bud’s mothers name is Angela Janet Caldwell. Even though she isn’t alive in the book you get to know her characters through Bud’s  flashback. For example the sentence “I may have some problems but being stupid isn’t one of them, I would’ve added that dy onto the end of your name if I intended for it to be there” informs you that Bud’s mom may have had some schooling so she was smart. You also see how sassy she was through the sentence “Bud is your name and don't you ever let anyone call you anything outside of that either...I would’ve added the dy onto the end of your name if I intended for it to be there.” If she wanted something to happen or be there then she would have put it there, if she didn’t put it there don’t say it. You can also see how obedient Bud is because throughout the whole book he tells people “My name is Bud, not Buddy.” He especially isn’t letting anyone call him Buddy because that’s not what his mother wanted.

There are very few who seem to realize Bud being as polite as he tries to be. One of those people are Herman C. Calloway. Bud has been through a long journey to find a man who he thinks is his father. He keeps a flier of Mr. Calloway in his suitcase and knows where he may be. Bud has been with Mr. Calloway for a few days and has gotten on his last nerve. He says “You throw a lot of ‘sirs’ around but you’ve still got a real strong, real smart-mouthed, disrespectful streak in you boy.” Mr. Calloways sees that Bud has “disrespectful streak” in him that no one else sees. This proves Mr. Calloways character of being a grouchy older man but also shows he doesn’t take any nonsense from others. It also show that he isn’t a very patient man because Bud has only been with him a few days. On the other hand you see some who sees Bud as being disrespectful and smart mouthed. Which Bud is he just hides that side of himself.

Through out the whole book you see a young determined orphan who is just trying to find his father but he has also gone through a lot to get there. One review from a parent  on the Barnes and Nobles website says “Bud he’s an adventurous boy. He's brave. He's strong. He's determined to do anything. He's determined to find his father. Read this book and you'll find out how he goes from adventure to adventure. From foster home to foster home. Feel as if you're Bud as you read the book. And enjoy it.” This review breaks down Bud’s character perfectly because he is brave, he went on a search for his father not knowing what he would face. He is strong because even when he was separated from his friend he found his own way to make things work. He is determine because nothing stopped him from getting to his destination.

I recommend this book to everyone, it’s a must read because Christopher Curtis uses multiple aspects to improve his book. Aspects like symbolism, flashbacks, but most importantly character development. He makes you feel the emotions that Bud feels, the boy who is obedient but also disrespectful in his own way. Not only does Christopher Curtis give you a view of the characters living in the book but also the one who isn’t, Bud’s mother, Angela Caldwell or  Calloway. If the characters wouldn’t have been developed right then the book wouldn’t have enough emotion and adventure in it to leave the lasting impression that you can do what you put your mind to.


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Lyitis

Posted by Logan Smith in English 2 - Pahomov - E on Monday, November 24, 2014 at 8:27 pm

I have lyitis (Lie-i-tis), I always tell my teachers that but they never believe me. It’s true, I can’t stop what escapes from my mouth. I have sickness that makes it only possible for me to tell lies or be sarcastic. Like today my silly classmate asked did you know that water is H2O? What kind of question is that! “O my gosh are you serious, call the police we have just made a new discovery” I screamed in his face.

Later on I was sitting around minding my own business and another one of my silly classmates said did you know carrots are a vegetables. Shocker. These kids know nothing but that’s ok it means more fun for me. “Are you sure? I swear I thought they were fruits that grew in the ground.” Then the kid had the nerve to say carrots grow in the ground. (face palm and sighs) “No, no they don’t I just made it up on the spot.” I sneered. It just so happens my teacher was walking by while I was talking to the kid. She heard what I said and told me to stop it, then asked for my homework. I told her I didn’t have the homework, that it was really my pet donkey’s fault. He was hungry and needed a snack so I offered him my homework. I don’t even know why I said that, I knew she wasn’t going to believe it, I don’t even have a donkey. But it was impossible for me to stop the lie from coming out of my mouth. I wasn’t really trying either so maybe I didn’t want to stop. I really should stop though because when I ask a silly question then one of the kids will say something like I say to them. Or my mom will make up a lie like I do. Then I’ll be embarrassed, but it’s just too much fun to stop. Hehe

My teacher screams my name, by the look on her face she’s sick of my story. VIOLET that is enough. B-bbb-But it wasn’t me it was my imaginary friend Becky who told me to make up the story. (Talks to air) RIght Becky, right. She starts screaming again. I mean why is yelling. Who does she think she is...my teacher. (Looks up) Oh yeah she is. Th... principal offi… what is this lady saying. I tilt my head to the side, like seeing her in a different view  will help me understand what she is saying. Blah Blah Blah when will she ever stop talking. Now she’s pointing, is her face getting redder. O my gosh she looks like a baboon butt. (Chuckles) Haha. I think she thinks I’m laughing at her, she keeps asking are you laughing at me. Through my laughing I say “Of course, I’m not laughing with you.” GO TO THE PRINCIPAL OFFICE. Gosh why did she have to scream it. I mean I’ve done nothing wrong. NOW she say through gritted teeth. I’m leaving gosh.

(Walks in the office) Yes Principal Dunn it’s me again. It wasn’t my fault I promise. It was a tiger unicon that came in the room and started eating the students and I said it was a new discovery and the teacher got mad. She then started asking for my homework, and I told her the same thing that always happens with my homework. My fish ate it.  And I tried to fight him off but he was too strong. (Makes a fish face) He was like Bloop Bloop and I was like no no Mr. Bloop  I need that. But he didn’t sto- How rude! She interrupted my story. Every time I’m in here she asks the same thing. Why can’t you tell the truth, it won’t get you in trouble? But that’s not the truth why she lying to me, the truth will get me in trouble.

I mean if adults can do it why can’t I. But if I went up to her and said I didn’t do my homework she would give me that disappointed look. That feels even worse than lying and I get extremely bored so I come up with stories to make things more interesting. Spice up my life. After telling me I won’t get in trouble she asked what the truth was. I told I have sickness that makes it only possible for me to tell lies it’s called lyitis. She put her head down on the desk with a loud thump. What can I say, my stories are more fun. I never want to stop telling them EVER!


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Soften

Posted by Logan Smith in English 2 - Pahomov - E on Sunday, November 9, 2014 at 3:18 pm

“WE HAVE TO GO TO THE NEXT STREET OVER!”

“WHY are you yelling?”

“I don’t get to yell often” I say softly“ My friends are always telling me that I’m yelling wherever we go. If it’s walking to down street or if it’s sitting in school. Yelling is only to cover up the fact that I’m scared you can’t hear me, that you won’t notice. That you’ll forget me if I’m to quiet. Yelling is the little power I have with my friends. My animated stories are how I express myself. It’s my way of reminding you that I’m here. So can I yell?

Many say that you have to be confident, and your confidence is shown on how you carry yourself, on your power. Power comes from many different places but most importantly your voice. You have to speak up but what if your loudest voice isn’t heard?

It’s like your lose your voice. That’s my everyday life. The words are in my head they just won’t come out my mouth. They get stuck in my throat, like I’m choking on them. It gets to the point where I feel I can’t breath until the words come pressuring out. When they do come out they are soft and quiet.

“She’s has a soft voice.” My mother tells others.

“Wow you voice is so soft.” Kids at school would say.

I get told my voice is soft so often that I just find it easier to not say anything at all. Sometimes when someone screams speak up, I think I have a soft voice that explains everything that makes it all better. On the other hand when someone walks over to me and says you have a soft voice it gets annoying. I want to prove them wrong. That I have more power. I want to scream “NO I DON’T” to show them I can be loud. But I can’t do that because I know I don’t have that power, at least not enough not to be overpowered by others. That’s okay because I don’t really want to talk anyway. I don’t always want words thrown at me.

“Hey, Lo do you want to go over your friends house?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Cause I don’t want to talk.” I say.

Then my silence is taken as being anti-social. So I get defined as a loner. Isn’t it ok to not want to talk, but to just want to be in your presence? Not to want to worry what to say or if I’m heard!

“STOP screaming.”

“NO. NEVER!”

I have to admit sometimes silence gets boring. So I have to go into the little power I have, my voice. But I have to amplify it by ten to make sure others notice. But I also have to change my speech. This moment shows how much the kids in school have affected my speech. By using words like “rachet” to mean ghetto, or “turn up” to mean you have to be hype. At that moment I don’t know how people are going to react to the words coming out. Some laugh, others are confused.

It’s hard to be serious or to be mean, in a sense, because it’s not taken seriously. I’m viewed as a joke. Sometimes my friends joke with me and say I can say almost anything with my soft voice and a smile. And the person will think it’s funny. Most of the time I test their theory just to see the reaction I will get. I will get smiles and others will laugh when I’m dead serious.

It bothersome that I can’t be taken seriously and I have to scream to heard even in my own home.

“Hey mom what are we having for dinner?” I mumble.

“Speak up” she said

“WHAT ARE WE HAVING FOR DINNER?” I scream

Others don’t always like that I don’t like to talk. So over time they expect me not to say anything. In the few moments when I do want to talk they have already tune out on what I was going to say. And it seems like as more time pass the less they expect from me. And the more we drift apart, and I lose a good friend. Not only have others kids been upset with me, adults will get upset and think I’m playing games.

“Hi Miss. I was calling-” I say gently

“STOP PLAYING ON MY PHONE.”

“I’m not playin-” I reply softly.

“WHERE is your mom!”

I take it in strides. As time passes I realize it isn’t always a bad thing. It could be my superpower. Being quiet and shy around others is my Clark Kent, my secret identity. When it comes to the time for me to speak up I become Superman. I can shock other with what I have to say. That way I can be Superman, louder, more often. Just like every superhero I have a weakness. It just like what Maxine Hong Kingston said in Tongue Tied “When I went to kindergarten...I became silent. A dumbness- a shame - still cracks my voice in two,even when I want to say “hello” casually or ask an easy question in front of the check-out counter, or ask directions of a bus driver. I stand frozen.” So I know that I’m not the only one who has the problem of being too quiet. But just like they could adjust to the situation I can too.

The others had to struggle first, some make it through it by expressing their feelings. Others hold on to grudge. I’m appreciative that I’m not one to hold on to grudges.


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La Casa de Will Smith

Posted by Logan Smith in Spanish 1 - Manuel - D on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at 6:03 pm
Screenshot 2014-05-28 at 10.40.49 PM
Screenshot 2014-05-28 at 10.40.49 PM
Está es la casa de Will Smith (Smith familia).  Está cerca de Malibu en Calabasas, California. Está casa muy grande. Está muy lejos de Filadelfia.  Hay tres garaje y dos coconia. La casa tiene grande una piscina. Hay mucho habitaciones y ventanas. La casa tiene voleibol, baloncesto, tenis corte.
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Negative Space Reflection

Posted by Logan Smith in Art - Freshman - Hull - y1 on Tuesday, May 27, 2014 at 6:07 pm
IMG_20140527_175735
IMG_20140527_175735
IMG_20140527_175841
IMG_20140527_175841
A. What is negative space (explain this concept to a fourth grader that has never heard of it)
Negative space is the space around an object in a picture. Is usually colored in black or white based on what the picture is.
B. Explain how you found negative space in 1. your cut out?, 2. in your stool drawing?
So in the first picture the negative space is purple. I found it by having it as a background and used a temple to cut out the house and parts I needed. In the second picture i started by coloring in the page then erasing the chair, table and plant. So I found the negative space around the the those things which is the gray area. 
C. Why does it help an artist to see in negative space?
   It teaches patients because negative space drawings take a long time to make
D. How is negative space useful in creating art?
It shows you the balance between the picture and the parts of the picture that should standout and catch your eye immediately.
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La Casa de Logan

Posted by Logan Smith in Spanish 1 - Manuel - D on Friday, May 23, 2014 at 1:54 pm
Spanish proyecto
Spanish proyecto
La casa tiene tres habitaciones y uno baño. Hay el carro en el garaje. La habitaciones tiene un grande guardarropa y una flor . La baño tiene un espejo y una ducha. La sala un sofá y una silla y una mesa. La casa tiene no una tele y un lavaplatos.
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Final Perspective Drawing

Posted by Logan Smith in Art - Freshman - Hull - y1 on Friday, April 18, 2014 at 9:42 pm
IMG_20140418_214003_1
IMG_20140418_214003_1
a. What is one thing that your learned specifically that you did not know before?

That one point perspective is a little difficult. That if one of you orthogonal lines is of your picture could be ruined, so everything has to be precisely right. 

b. How did leaning this thing make your drawings better?

It has shown me to be careful about the way I'm lining up my lines. Also to double check where they are.

c. If you did this assignment again, what would you do differently?

I would change the way I did my windows and my door.

d. What is your advice to someone who has never drawn a one point perspective drawing before?

Check your lines, use a little shading. Like what you draw make sure your dot is exactly in the middle of the picture because if it's not then your orthogonal lines will be wrong.

e. What resource helped you the most and why?

I think the teacher helped me best. Also the website helped me and showed me very slow how everything should be. Also the fact that I could go back and double check what I did.

Tags: Blue Stream, perspective, 2013
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Yo Valor Mi Familia

Posted by Logan Smith in Spanish 1 - Manuel - D on Sunday, March 9, 2014 at 9:49 am
photo (2)
photo (2)

Mi familia es pequeño. MI papá se llama es Brian. El es muy trabajadora y habladora. Se gusta escuchar musica y ver el fútbol (americano). Mi mamá se llama es Nina. Ella es amable y lista. Se gusta lee , no se gusta un poquito cocnia.  Menor hermana se llama Symone, apodo es Monie. Ella es inteligente y bobo. Se gusta balia y platicar con amigos. Nosotros ir la cine y comemos. Me gusta leo mucho y balio. Yo valgo mi familia.


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Mi Escuela Science Leadership Academy

Posted by Logan Smith in Spanish 1 - Manuel - D on Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at 6:18 pm
SpanishEssay (1)
http://www.powtoon.com/p/bRcE4Kz2qbk/#​
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Logan Smith Slide

Posted by Logan Smith in Technology- Freshmen - Hull - y2 on Friday, December 6, 2013 at 10:34 am
Logan Mags Slide (1)

Good Morning classmates:

There are many reasons why I choose this saying. It was because a smile brighten everyones day. Even when your have a terrible one someone smiles at you can make you smile.So I wanted everyone to smile instead of frowning. I created this slide the way I did because of the color contrast, the empty space, to make it visually eye catching and  the font is large. I choose the colors yellow,blue and purple because the purple would make the blue and yellow standout and the yellow because most smiley faces are yellow so I made that the color of the word smile and blue is the word frowning because blue is associated with a sad emotion. I made my pics and font so big so everything could be seen. Also I separated the pics from the font so there would be space left and everything was jumbled or grouped together. So I hope I have brightened your day with a smile.

Thank You for listening

Logan Mags Slide

Logan Smith Mags Slide Reflection Jan. 8 ,2014


I have learned many things in our class even if Ms.Hull set us up to fail. The first thing I learned is sometimes it’s better to keep it simple. For example in my slide I made everything huge to stand out when I didn’t have to. If I had made some things smaller and and elaborated on my quote it would have been better.So that is along with that I made a few more changes. I changed my background from purple to yellow so that yellow could still be incorporated also it was a better color for my picture and writing to stand out from. I also learned more about spacing and noticed that my spacing was all wrong so I changed it so  that everything about my space so that it was space on the ends of my slide and centered everything. I also changed the color of my font because yellow was a not good color for the words, I changed it so that the other colors were in there. I also change how it was white behind my font and changed the color of the blue because it wasn’t close to the color blue in my frowning face. I changed my font to something more simple and classy. Those were my changes to my slide.
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Tech

Posted by Logan Smith on Friday, November 22, 2013 at 9:09 am
My internet starts out by coming through my dinning room from Xfinity. Then we have another box that connects to the computer. We all have a phone or laptop on the box so it's connected to the wireless that's why I have the signs over six items. We created this project to show how our own internet is connected at home also to show how internet works in general. We need to know how our internet works so we could describe our internet. Also to know how internet works, this is why we made this diagram.
mind mapping software
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