Bibliography:

"College Now | Leaders in College Access & Completion." College Now Greater Cleveland. Accessed January 24, 2018. https://www.collegenowgc.org/leaders-in-college-access-completion/.

This is a successful peer college mentoring program that is established in Cleveland, Ohio. I wasn't sure how effective of a source this would be for me at first but then I realized that it is really effective. It shows how to really run an effective program, and gives data on their success rates running this program

Chajet, Lori. "“We’re All in It Together”: the Role of Youth Leadership in College Access ." The Role of Youth Leadership in College Access . Accessed January 24, 2018. http://caranyc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/VUE30_Chajet.pdf.

"Preliminary data, conducted as part of an internal program evaluation, suggest that the SSCs are increasing the numbers of students engaging in and completing the college process: in 2009-2010, more than 70 percent of seniors at two of the sites applied to six or more colleges (there are no data yet on the third site)" This is interesting that with the implementation of this program for New York students by this school teacher the amount of applications to college went up as well as the amount of students that are even engaging in the college process that just goes to show that program implementation like these help kids out with the process.

CONSORTIUM ON CHICAGO SCHOOL RESEARCH. "From High School to the Future: Potholes on the Road to College." March 2008. Accessed January 25, 2018. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED500519.pdf.

The University of Chicago did a research on the life of a high school student and the many bumps on the road that they encounter throughout their high school career and gearing up for the college application process. This is a really great insight into seeing what resources people applying to college will need, and allows me to see how the process is different for people that aren't me or from SLA.

The movie “Moana” is Disney's newest Princess to grace the silver screen and there has been a lot of excitement drawn to her movie due to it being placed in the islands of Polynesia and having another woman POC. Historically, Disney princesses main goals have gravitated towards having a prince charming and living happily ever after, but Disney has had a good track record as of recent of allowing their princesses to have their own story arc that isn’t solely about having a prince or man to be loved by. Will they continue that trend? The main question here is does the movie pass the two feminist tests? We are here to find that out.

“Moana” is not only the name of our movie but also the name of our character and we find ourselves in the middle of a conflict not too long after the movie has started. Moana loves the ocean but her father wants her to stay focused on taking over the throne once it’s her time to become the first woman chief of her Polynesian tribe. A conflict that fuels the movie all the way to its peak. She finds her island to be slowly dying and has decided to find out why after a touching moment with her grandmother, the main person who has encouraged her love of water and venturing out of the reef. A rule that hasn’t been broken by the tribe up until now.

In her adventure past the reef she meets Maui, a historical demigod to her people who is responsible for her island dying because he stole the heart of a god. Maui has an interesting backstory that is usually more than that meets the eye but it isn’t thrown at you right away. He matches that of a person who is slow to trust and reveal their past, so to stay true to his character it is like he slowly trusts the audience to reveal who he truly is. The two have not quite an instant connection but grow to have chemistry that is hard to match in this movue.

From the stunning visuals that this movie proudly shows to the interesting story it tells, “Moana” is a must see for everyone. Not only does the Mako Mori test not stand a chance towards it with there being a lot more than one female character, this is also a movie that is centered around a woman who never gives up but has a male partner and isn’t just in the movie to support his cause. It is actually her who is determined to get him to support the cause and adventure they both share. One of the historically harder feminist movie tests the “Bechdel test” can barely ride “Moanas” coat tails either because of the many scenes of women empowering Moana to take her adventure, to not be afraid and to never give up. Her conversations with her grandmother were always my favorite part because she always had no hint of negativity for her. She always encouraged her to be great, and do what she was destined to do. When Moana was ready to give up it was her grandmother who was there to turn her around. And with the new feminist test the “Saa test”, Moana smashes that test with the evidence shown above that it is also no match. “Moana” has been a hit in the box office, has smashed even the hardest of feminist movie tests, has an amazing story, and some of the best animation of the year to boot. There is little to no reason to not see this movie and I recommend it to everyone and thing who can either hear, see or both.

From an early point in mankind’s rules have become a staple to our community, environment, and lifestyle. Its like,  Humans create rules, and laws to create some sort of order in their lives, and can keep in reach to control. Without them  many people wouldn’t have order. We’ve all wondered why we as humans have rules that are in place to follow. If we should bend, or break the rules for something or someone, for that matter, but usually this is for a gain of some sort.  

The book “Lord of the flies” takes place on an island that had not yet been populated, until the shipwrecked boys came,. They were very lawless.  From a third-person’s view, we follow Ralph as he ventures through this trial with the other boys who are shipwrecked. In this story we witness many grabs at power of the island, but more importantly how a society that tries to become organized, with rules crumble and become lawless. On page 58, of “Lord of the flies”, by William Golding,  we see the beginning stages of the rules Ralph and the group have set in place start to crumble. As people start to not follow them, or rebel, against them. A quote from Ralph says “ We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English, and the English are the best at everything.”. This quote stands out to me mostly for the simple fact that, like mentioned before, rules will create a structure to their lives that will let them live without (for the most part) a worry or care. It is also intriguing how they play the fact that they are English as a key that they should follow these rules because they are “the best at everything” and as a result if they aren’t following these rules well then they aren’t being a proper Englishman. Just as it is a stereotype in popular culture nowadays that people who are English, are very proper and nice. It’s almost as if, Ralph used great debate skills  to convince them to follow the rules and not get out of line. As a way to assert dominance and stay in power of everyone on the island. As referring back to the thesis of needing rules to not only have some structure in his life but also so he can have a grip of power. Not only on his life, but the people around him lives.

While of course a book created to  depict fiction of any scenario, there are real-life examples of not only places crumbling from having no rules, but also having rules that are either so constantly broken or just not followed its as if they don't have any. And in some places they don't. For great example, Somalia is known as the lawless country. Dating back to the time that a blackhawk had fallen there, this nation has had a big problem with reestablishing a government or having any laws/rules to have citizens follow. As a result of having no rules to follow, the country has taken a turn for the worse. Civil war has broken out but slowly decreased but citizens commonly deal with problematic gangs and on a large scale pirates, and not Black beard I mean modern day pirates, which have plagued their coastlines. This country alone is one huge example of how being a lawless society can be more of a plague. This country also refers back to the quote in the beginning of the essay, that trying to be an anarchist community doesn’t ever work out for the better so we have rules in place. And sadly there are no rules in place to help progress this country, despite the many efforts that were previously attempted. This connects with people we believe, rules are in place to enforce and help. That rules are a blanket that keeps societies warm and provide shelter for them. But maybe the people of Somalia prefer to be lawless after so long. It’s become a new way of life that cannot be broken. The testament to people who believe anarchy is best that people should create a way of life that THEY would prefer to live in by the way they want. Wherever you may stand on this, both sides of the wall can be heavily brooded about.

Have you ever made a game with your friends? Or decided to play something like cops and robbers, and hide and seek because it was boring. There were almost always rules involved with these games to create a structure within. Now think, was there ever a time when your friend bended the rules to fit their needs? When one bended the rules so badly usually it is because they don't have any power in their hands. They can’t control what happens so they try to overthrow the rules and the person or people who made them. Like we saw in “Lord of the Flies” when Jack tried to overthrow Ralph. Do you often wonder if rules are pointless if people do infact bend them or break them. Maybe the Somalis are right for having no laws so nobody can attempt to control anything.

Every so often, like somewhat the case with Somali, citizens or settlers, begin to break rules and sometimes rebel against them. This is the case somewhat with this next quote from the novel, and it says… “ Hands were reaching for the conch in the light of the setting sun,. He held on and lept on the trunk. “All of this I meant to say. Now I’ve said it. You voted me for chief. Now you do what I say.””. This quote demonstrates a person, higher up, etc, losing his control on a group of people and is reacting because of it. Ralph doesn’t like the fact people are going against the rules that are established, to stay in control, and displays that in the quote. It may also be the fact he doesn't feel as though their, for the sake of it having some type of name, tribe was structured enough for his liking. Relating back to the thesis that rules are in place to give someone power and structure, and when Ralph was losing one or both of those he displayed how disgruntled he was.

You know, when I was made I never thought my job was… important. I thought I wasn’t making much of a difference in the world but really I was making a huge one to my community. I mean it could have been a lot worse, I have brothers who live in the hood part of the city, and cousins who only live for a few days before they’re hit by a car, or vandalized. It’s a rough world for trash cans, in this world.  I could’ve had it a lot worse but somehow I ended up here! In the cleanest area of the city. I have one of me on every street corner and they help me out a lot. Every time someone throws something in my I feel like, I'm helping the community a little bit more…

OKAY! Before we get some more into that let’s talk about something different. Just like those people who just passed us I HATE it when people use my name as an insult. See my parents weren’t too original with my name, I am literally Trash the trash can this is my full name. So when somebody says “Oh my god you're absolute trash, or you look like trash.” it pisses me off, my name in the trash community is a strong name. Parents who have high hopes for their new trash cans produced name them trash if they KNOW they can get the job done. If I said “You’re absolute Sara today, or you look like Jessica, or even your outfit is so John” HOW WOULD YOU FEEL? I live to help keep the streets clean. My friends are the trash cans who are on different corners around me, or near me. From the day I was placed here I worked to help the community, even when I didn’t want to at first. After being here for ten years I think it’s time I got some recognition and not have my name used as an insult. I work so hard to make sure your community isn’t filled with litter. Yes litter because us trash cans don’t like to use the word trash to talk about filth. We work hard, I used to hated what I was made for but now I love it! I love it when my area of the city is nice and clean. The trash moto is “A clean life is a healthy life”. I just wish people would realize how much I care about the wellbeing of the community.  

“Teylor come here.” Kwame called out

“What do you want?” Teylor said irritatedly

“Listen to how he says this line in our poem”

In my mind, I think I'm saying mother and brothers perfectly. It’s been the same way I always pronounce stuff with a ‘th’ in it mo-ther, bro-ther. How do I say it differently?

“I have two younger broders and i am scared for my moder, I don’t want to see her digging her sons in the grave because a cop thought the black brush in his hand was a gun  

I want to be able prove that I will live after 25”

“You see how he says mother and brother?”

“No, Saamir say it again. But this time just say mother and brother.” Teylor said softly

“Moder, broder. What am I saying wrong?”

“You say it with a d, instead of a th. Make your tongue move like this when you say it”

“Mother? Brother?”

“Yeah like that say it like that!”

I took a lot of pride in the fact that I learned how to say two words the correct way almost instantly. I tried to say them again but again to my agony I said ‘Moder and broder’ again! I never knew I said it with a ‘d’. It was kind of upsetting to me that no one ever decided to tell me about the way I spoke.

Though I knew deep in my heart this wasn’t new at all to me, but it still stung. Ever since kindergarten I had a bad reading and speech problem. Teachers thought I would be another statistic and never succeed, but somehow with all of their doubts, I ended up at SLA. My mom fought to get me help with learning how to speak properly because she couldn’t understand what I was saying to her. I couldn’t pronounce my own name properly, so everyone called me Sa-mir instead of Saa-mir, and it became my new name.This was my secondary name because I wasn’t able to speak properly. Even to this day, because I am so used to it, I let people call me Samir.

My school's speech woman, who came to help me, supposedly, would never show up at first. She downright refused to help me after a month of being with me because she thought I was in her mind fine, though no one still couldn’t understand what I said. It took my mom threatening to call her boss if she didn't help me. To this day, I only remember her helping me once. That one time was in the middle of class, and was spent talking to me for only 5 minutes before leaving. Sometimes I wonder what if she actually gave me the help and compassion a real teacher would have gave me. How would I be able to speak now? Would I be able to say th words with no problem?

Later on in life, the next school I moved onto helped me learn how to read to the point of me exceeding my classmates; through a lot of hard work and determination in more ways than one. As I grew up I learnedto speak and read better but still I had a small session everyday where I got pulled out of class to learn how to speak. The teacher I had was very good at teaching me I still remember her lessons she gave me, and how much she beamed with passion. Her and everyone else in that school knew I could succeed, and helped me do it. Which is why it came at such a surprise when Teylor (now called Ty) and Kwame pointed out I wasn’t able to pronounce ‘th’ words. It turned out that even my girlfriend knew I couldn't pronounce words even further than just the ‘th’ words, which came as a shock to me. I really thought I was pass all of my struggles as a person who couldn’t speak properly.

It disappointed me, and made me lose a lot of self-confidence. I thought I had been progressing further  and becoming a better speaker . I really took pride in the fact that I had overcome such a huge barrier speaking wise, just to find out I was jumping over it in slow motion. It was never fully overcome to begin with, and it was really disheartening. What made it even worse was the fact nobody told me that what I was saying was wrong.. After Ty told me how to pronounce words properly I went straight to work. I desperately tried to change the way I spoke, but I couldn’t. It was my signature flair to the way I spoke.. I started to accept the fact I said things differently. I learned that I shouldn’t beat myself up on something that was just me, it was just something that is me.

While I was getting the tools I needed to become a better speaker, I learned how to read. I went from barely being able to read a Dr. Seuss book, to reading full novels. Reading became my hell when I couldn’t read, but once I learned how to read, it became somewhere where I can escape. I credit the amazing teachers I had that did not make me feel like I was dumb. They gave me confidence in myself as a reader, while giving confidence in my speaking ability. I also credit reading so many books to helping me learn how to speak better. Since, the two go hand in hand.

Los Emoticonos Equipo

Hola chicos y chicas, somos Saamir, James, y Harrison. A apodo es Saa, JT, y H-Dog. Tenemos catorce y quince años. Somos estudiantes de Science Leadership Academy. Está en 55 N 22nd St. Está cerca de un café, un 711, y un Arch Gourmet. Nuestros escuela es súper divertido, muy trabajador, bastante artístico, siempre inteligente, y por lo general cómico. Hay cuatrocientos ochenta y cuatro estudiantes, diecinueve profesores, y cinco pisos. Nosotros usamos proyecto basado en lugar de aprender prueba basada. Nosotros también grado por cincos no regularmente, Nosotros uno loco esculeá. Ofrecemos para deportes es béisbol, niñas y niños baloncesto, mixto niños y niñas campo a través, ninos y ninas ultimate frisbee, niños y niñas fútbol, mixto niños y niñas la pista, y niñas voleibol. Saamir participó en ultimate frisbee, niños la pista, y mixto niños y niñas campo a través.

Nuestra escuela es SLA. Las clases de SLA son muy divertidas. Las clases de matemáticas, bioquímica, Ingles, espanol y arte. Para tener éxito necesitamos estar preparado. Necesito libros, una carpeta, las hojas de papel y la bata de laboratorio. Tenemos que participar activamente. Es necesario trabajar duro y ser responsable. Nuestros proyectos son interesantes y es requerido prestar mucha atención. Los profesores son muchos chévere y interesante.

Nuestra profesora favorita es la Srta. Hull. La Srta. Hull enseña informática para el semestre uno y arte para el semestre dos. Mi profesor es cómica y sympatica. Su clase es interesante y divertida. En la clase, nosotros trabajamos duro, aprendemos sobre tecnoloǵia y arte, y tenemos divertido. Los estudiantes, sin embargo, son algo más. Nosotros somos locos con un la mayúscula L. Tienen son extraño también. Pero todo bien. Los estudiantes también chévere, inteligente, y único.

Los Emoticonos Equipo

Hola chicos y chicas, somos Saamir, James, y Harrison. A apodo es Saa, JT, y H-Dog. Tenemos catorce y quince años. Somos estudiantes de Science Leadership Academy. Está en 55 N 22nd St. Está cerca de un café, un 711, y un Arch Gourmet. Nuestros escuela es súper divertido, muy trabajador, bastante artístico, siempre inteligente, y por lo general cómico. Hay cuatrocientos ochenta y cuatro estudiantes, diecinueve profesores, y cinco pisos. Nosotros usamos proyecto basado en lugar de aprender prueba basada. Nosotros también grado por cincos no regularmente, Nosotros uno loco esculeá. Ofrecemos para deportes es béisbol, niñas y niños baloncesto, mixto niños y niñas campo a través, ninos y ninas ultimate frisbee, niños y niñas fútbol, mixto niños y niñas la pista, y niñas voleibol. Saamir participó en ultimate frisbee, niños la pista, y mixto niños y niñas campo a través.

Nuestra escuela es SLA. Las clases de SLA son muy divertidas. Las clases de matemáticas, bioquímica, Ingles, espanol y arte. Para tener éxito necesitamos estar preparado. Necesito libros, una carpeta, las hojas de papel y la bata de laboratorio. Tenemos que participar activamente. Es necesario trabajar duro y ser responsable. Nuestros proyectos son interesantes y es requerido prestar mucha atención. Los profesores son muchos chévere y interesante.

Nuestra profesora favorita es la Srta. Hull. La Srta. Hull enseña informática para el semestre uno y arte para el semestre dos. Mi profesor es cómica y sympatica. Su clase es interesante y divertida. En la clase, nosotros trabajamos duro, aprendemos sobre tecnoloǵia y arte, y tenemos divertido. Los estudiantes, sin embargo, son algo más. Nosotros somos locos con un la mayúscula L. Tienen son extraño también. Pero todo bien. Los estudiantes también chévere, inteligente, y único.

Saamir Baker-

• yo: Hola, Mi nombre es Saamir.Tengo catorce años y mí cumpleaños es el primero de Julio. Yo tengo dos hermanos. Me gusta Ultimate Frisbee, correr, y dormir.

• élla: Te presento a mi máma. Élla es artistica, sociable, y inteligente. Me encanta mi máma muchísimo.Mi máma es un alumni de Girls high school.

• él: Y  esto es mi pápa. Él es gordo, trabajador, y cómico. Él trabaja en ¨The Inquirer¨. Mi pápa tiene los ojos Marrón y el pelo es calvo. Le gusta comer, dormir, y trabajar. My pápa es un alumni de Frankford high school.

• Éllas: Éllas son Tavy y Angelique, mi hermanas. Tavy es catorce años y Angelique es tiene catorce años. Tavy asiste a Girls High School, y Angelique asiste a Bodine High School. Tavy le gusta dormir y cantar. Y no le gusta leer y nadar. Angelique le gusta cocción, y comer. Y no le gusta 

• 
  

• nosotros: Su nombre es Luis, Ezequiel, y Nathan. Luis es catorce años, Ezequiel es quince años, y Nathan es catorce años. Luis le gusta practicar deportes, jugarvideo juegoss, y pasar un rato con amigos.Y no le gusta nada estudiar, y leer. Ezequiel le gusta trabajar, descansar, y practicar deportes. Y no le gusta nada bailar, y estudiar. Y  Nathan le gusta hablar por teléfono, y dormir. Él no le gusta nada ir al escuela.