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Boxed by:Alexa Lahr

Posted by Alexa Lahr in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on Friday, May 19, 2017 at 2:40 pm

Summary: I wanted to write a play about solitary confinement and what it does to the brain.  I chose to have 6 people play the prisoners.  Throughout the play there is movement and songs that show what's going on in there heads.  There is group monologues and regular monologues throughout the whole play.  This is a move abstract piece not at much props as there is movement.  There should definitely be character development in the actors movement throughout the play.


Character List

Jeramy, A teenage boy, 17 years old who is African American and is new to prison.  In Juvenile Justice Service Center. Lives in Philadelphia.

Samantha, Teen mom still pregnant 17 years old.  White women has been in prison for a month. In Juvenile Justice Service Center.

Tomas, 25 year old man African American.  Has a wife and kid. In Polunsky.

Wendy, Black women who has been been in solitary confinement twice this is her second time she’s 30.  In Idaho Correctional Center.

Tobias, White man who is an addict.  He is 25.  In Idaho Correctional Center.

Trisha, African American women who is in Polunsky.  She is 28.

Police Officers, there are 6 of them they may be playing also prisons throughout show



Scene 1


(There is a set with 3 cubes big enough to stand in.  This is where the people will be mostly performing in.  The set is more center stage and takes up most of the stage just some room down stage for dancing. The scene will start with a projection of “This is the story of 6 prisoners in 3 different prisons across the USA; 2 adult prisons and one juvy” When the projection goes up a light is shone on 6 prisoners facing upstage so their backs are to the audience.  Their hands are up.  There is a line of police officers that come on  stage of them so they are looking at the audience and they put handcuffs the prisoners.  Once the handcuffs are on the police do a step movement and freeze and look at the audience.  The song “Prison Song by System of a Down” starts to play and a big dance breaks out this involves a lot of step movements and the prisoners and police are dancing at each other with anger.  Once song is over they end with prisoners on their knees head down and officers above them kicking them down. )


OFFICER #1

To “The Box”


(Everyone stands and in 2 rows split and the 3 prisoners that are on top take the latter up and when they are all in the doors shut all at once - and they all look out at the audience at once with worry in her eyes and lights out)


Scene 2

(Everyone in boxes faced out in actors neutral)

ALL

Trapped


TRISHA

Just a part of the 2,220,300


TOMAS

Locked into the US jail system


SAMANTHA

Increasing the numbers


JERAMY

20% of the prisoners in the world


TOBIAS

But the US is only 5% of the world


SAMANTHA

In the..


SAMANTHA AND JEREMY

Juvenile Justice Service Center


TRISHA AND THOMAS

Polunsky

TOBIAS AND WENDY

Idaho Correctional Center


WENDY

Just another with our hands up

(everyone puts hands up)

and eyes to the ground


(everyone looks down make sure both of these movements are in senque)


JERAMY

Just another teenager


SAMANTHA

Irresponsable


TOMAS

Black


WENDY

Failure


TOBIAS

Addict


TRISHA

Criminal


ALL

Criminal


SAMANTHA

Locked in these (beat) boxes.  When I got in this jail I thought how much worse could it get..


TOBIAS

Then they caught my cocain I hid in the bathroom


JERAMY

I got caught sneaking around and then having a mental break down..I snapped at the officer.


TRISHA

(air quotes)

talking back to the officer


TOMAS

Getting a little to upset when they wouldn’t let me talk to my wife and kids


WENDY

So now we are stuck


SAMANTHA

And apparently it can get worse


(Song “Locked Up” by Akon starts to play this contains in movements that are in sync with each other not all movements have to be in total sync though.  There is a bed in the room so movements on bed too.” )

Scene 3

(There is jail bars that are down stage everyone.  There is the 6 prisoners hanging, laying, leaning or doing something else against the jail bars.  There is a going to be projections maybe a video that shows information about prison.  As this plays actors are frozen.  After video actors come to life and there is background noise to make it seem more like prison. There is a light that focuses on Samantha as she walks towards Trish.  Than only a light on them)


SAMANTHA

(there is a sound of throw up runs on to stage with a panic)

Trish! Trish!

(say in panic)


TRISH*

(standing up from leaning against bars not paying attention)

Samantha! Calm down what is the matter?


SAMANTHA

(whispers)

Trish I think I’m pregnant.


TRISH

What how!  Samantha have you been with a gard..


SAMANTHA

Shit Trish.. I wouldn’t let myself be touched by one of those bastards.  It was before to prison.  It can’t possibly get worse than this.

(falling to ground holding on to prison bars)


*This is played by one of the police guards they need to look more like a teen because in this scene they are playing Trish’s friend in Juvey.




Scene 4

(Lights go out on Trisha and Samantha and are on Jeremy staring out the jail cells in stillness and silence.  A guard walks up him.)

GUARD

Why are you just standing here shouldn’t you be in your room


JEREMY

Yes.. um .. I just ..


GUARD

Get your ass back in your room!  What did I tell you about wondering!  Lights out!!  


JEREMY

I was just going for a walk!


GUARD

Go to your room now !


JEREMY  

I can’t.

GUARD

(reaches in the cell and grabs Jeremy up close to him you can see how this could bring pain to Jeremy)

When I say to do something you do it NOW!!!

(say in a baby voice)

Do you need me to call your mommy

(Throwing Jeremy back and he falls to the ground)


JEREMY

(Yelling)

Leave her out of it!


GUARD

What did you just say?

JEREMY

SHUT UP! I don’t belong here!

           GUARD

You’re right. You don’t belong here.  Send him to the box!


Scene 5

(The prisoners are in the boxes and are laying around our trying to make themselves busy)


JEREMY

Today is day 3 of solitary confinement.  I think back on the 17 years that I have had and wonder how I’ve gotten here. My mind is twisted with the past all the mistakes I’ve had and how I am the reason why I am in the box.  Going into Juvy unknowing what I may face. I had my whole life planned in front of me. I wanted to go into the business world.  The rest of the people around my hood in Kensington didn’t have the same goals as me. My mom has raised me to be a world changer and someone who is willing to go out and get their money.  So that's what I did.  My mom was having trouble paying for the house bill being a single mom.  I did have a job at Walmart but it just wasn’t enough.  So my friend suggested I trapped.  I figured what would it hurt?  Many of my friends did it and I would only do it for a month or two-- just till I had enough to help my mom out.  Then I could go back to the way things were.  But then one day I was selling on the corner of Allegany and a guy came up to me-- someone I have never sold to before. He wanted to buy some cocaine...

(A guy comes in and takes drugs from his hand and immediately he twists Jeremy's wrists into cuffs.)

That is why I am in jail now because I was trying to help my mom out.  Now I’m already locked in “the box”... just for trying to help my mom.



Scene 6

(in the boxes scene starts with a big knock on the door and them shaken back to reality real quick then food is shoved under their door.)


OFFICER

Dinner time!


(Everyone slides the plate up to themselves and picks up the dried chicken that doesn't really look like chicken)


ALL

YUCK!


(Some refuse to eat and then began going back to their business while others pick at their food and try to eat it)


WENDY

(picking at the chicken and observing in detail)

1..2..3..4..4..4 plus 30 plus 1..2..3..4..4..4.. This is my second time in the shoe. So I’ve learned a few things to make your self not go completely insane. Routine is the key.

(getting up acting out routine all the prisoners do the same.  The schedule is all scattered at first and then by the end they are doing the moves in sync. This part they all should move almost like they have a weight on there back and are forced to do routine not to do crazy. Also they should be ending each other's sentences to show that they all do the routines)

First is the waking up.


SAMANTHA

Followed by staring at the ceiling and counting to 100 5 times.  It’s good to keep things in the consistency of 5 rounds.


JEREMY

Sometimes 3.  Then it's my wake up workout routine.  It’s good to stay in shape and to keep the blood flowing.  If I just stared at the ceiling all day I may go insane. So I do 5 sets of ten of push ups, crunches


THOMAS

Squats, and I lift the books I do have.  Then it’s time to wash up.. Well as best as I can I go to my sink wash the face in circular motions.  Brush my teeth very well.  My parents, growing up, always told me to sing through..


TOBIAS

Happy birthday twice for my teeth to be perfectly healthy. Then time to read the books that are provided right now I have been reading my books and trying to memorize the pages.  Maybe when I’m out of here I’ll surprise


TRISHA

People with my great knowledge from these books.  Then it’s time for the writing… wait I forgot something.. DAMN IT.. DAMN IT.. DAMN IT!!!

(All of them begin to  freak out.  This freaking out is a dance though with a rhythm.l)


SAMANTHA

I forgot to include the meals...



Scene 7


(when they are calming themselves “mad world” by gary jules begins playing instrumental there is a knock on the door and the door opens for for recess they all turn towards back away from the door and they put their hands behind their backs and they are handcuffed and carried out.  As the come down stage they are all going to sing mad world.  When they are all in the courtyard they are uncuffed this shows how they react to each other. This dance needs to be slow and somber.  There can be body weight dancing with each other. This is when you react to each other when you touch each other and you put your body weight on others almost like trust falls but dancing.  When they touch on another you can see they feel very uncomfortable afterwards. They feel this way because many prisoners that are in the shoe in their time outside don’t know how to react to other people because of being isolated to long.)


Scene 8

(Everyone is continuously walking and reacting to each other in a sacred manner in front of the boxes)

TRISHA

Imagine being locked in a 6 by 8 foot room


THOMAS

Days on end


SAMANTHA

Not knowing when the sun goes up or sun goes down


JEREMY

Painting a picture in my mind of the outside world.. making up the times of the day.


ALL

Locked up

WENDY

Forget human touch

(goes over to Tobias and has an intimate connection.  Looking deep into each other's eyes then suddenly gazing off)


TOBIAS

It’s all forgotten


THOMAS

Trying to learn again

(moving up to someone and moving  away)

But I know I am going to just leave them in a hour what's the point


SAMANTHA

(sitting in the corner)

I feel as though my memory of how to act around others is locked outside these bars


ALL

Shit..


Scene 9

(guards all come out in a line and calls to them all)

ALL OFFICERS

HOURS UP!

ALL

Trapped again

(they all grab a prisoner and a screen that you can only see shadows from when light is shone on it is rolled onto to center stage and one at a time they are pushed behind the screen and you can see them getting stripped and searched the officers are screaming “bind over” and “clean” then they gather their stuff and go to there cell.  There is an instrumental through all this.  When they are all in there rooms laying on there bed or sitting the door is shut and all at once they turn to their wall and write a tally mark and say day 8. Lights out.)


Scene 10

(This part is going to be people scattered throughout the stage and there is going to be a words over the speaker talking about being locked up in solitary and there is going to be screaming.  The actors are going to be looking at the audience as there is a projection of the american flag on them. The national anthem is going to play out and then it's going to remix to a song that has to do with the system being wack.  When this song comes on there is going to be an upbeat dance with stomping and the police are going to come in and dance to.  By the end of the dance the bars are going to be brought back on the stage and there going to be pressed against or on the floor by the officers.  Then lights are shut out and curtains are closed.)


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Advanced Essay No. 4: The Rise of the Leviathan

Posted by Anthony McDonnell in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on Monday, March 27, 2017 at 11:05 am

For this essay, I decided to play with our chosen theme a little bit. Instead of suggesting alternatives to violence, I stated that humans are inherently violent animals, and that the “powers that be” use ideology and coercion to temper our aggression. In a way, it does address the theme, but in a creative, unexpected, and philosophical way.  


Humans are inherently violent creatures. Civilization and ideology are used to temper our destructive nature by directing it towards certain topics. There is very little that stops humanity from sliding back into animalistic carnage when the opportunity arises. Ideology, however, usefully contains our animalistic nature and directs our anger towards physical targets. In the end, ideology is the driving force which poisons the world and damns us for all time, yet is also necessary for the containment of random destruction (as opposed to systematic destruction).

Perhaps every living person on Earth has been indoctrinated into some sort of ideology ever since their day of birth. Whether it is political, religious, or something else entirely, ideology is something all of us have been inoculated into. People who believe greatly in an ideology are prepared to put everything, including their own lives, on the line for the good of their own beliefs. They are willing to destroy anything and everything that lies in their way of the triumph of their ideology, leaving destroyed lives, reputations, and nations in their wake.

In a way, ideology, poisonous though it is, is necessary to channel the natural, violent impulses of humankind. Without some sort of vague direction, we would be consumed by a dark orgy of destruction and decimation. For instance, the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution, bloody though it was, gave the anger of the masses a target-the nobility, the bourgeoisie, and the “enemies of reason”. Enlightenment values were the ideology culpable for that, and it proved deadly-but no deadlier than other great killers, like nationalism, communism, fascism, and imperialism, as well as countless religious differences and doctrinal squabbles. Indeed, ideology is maybe on the biggest killers of all time. In Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton questions Aaron Burr about his lack of principles: “If you stand for nothing, Burr, what’ll you fall for?” Hamilton taunts Burr for not having any guiding cause and being seemingly amoral. But perhaps it is for the better of all of us that Burr did want to die or give everything for simple earthly causes-even if lack of principles costed him dearly. For the guiding principles of others also cause much grief-as Hamilton’s love of ideology leads him into a bloody revolution and creates a naturally unstable nation that would end up collapsing into civil war.

But ideology is not the only killer within the human race: our own savage nature is perhaps even greater. Despite the trappings of civilization, we are still animals and we still have animal desires and needs. We still have the reptilian brain within our heads, separated from the higher reasoning that the other portions of our mind are capable of. This holdover from deep prehistory governs our most base and impulsive functions, and is rigid, unable to really fit into large civilizations and society. From here springs the roots of paranoia, the desire of fight or flight, simple habits, and aggression and dominance-and it is what our normally advanced, simian brains fall back on in times of great stress or crisis.

The line between an organized society and complete anarchy is incredibly thin. Once the normal comforts of civilization are removed, people revert to a competitive, aggressive state of “every man for himself”. Thomas Hobbes, the British philosopher, referred to this as the “state of nature” in his treatise Leviathan and suggested that humans must give up certain freedoms in order to have some sort of security and peace of mind. If we all were to do whatever we so pleased, Hobbes declares, all of the fundamental tenets of civilization would shut down-as he famously wrote, there would be “no arts, no letters, no society, and which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death, and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”. While things like this can certainly occur within “normal” society, the vast governmental controls which Hobbes cynically offers as a solution end up keeping our worst impulses in line-until, of course, we revert back to our old ways, and turn on one another without direction or purpose other than base territoriality.

Perhaps civilization and society themselves do not really exist. As soon as the Leviathan of the State removes itself and we are allowed all of our basal freedoms, we return back to our normal selves-sometimes violent, most definitely selfish, and uncompromisingly competitive. However, the state-nay, the leviathan-keeps us somewhat appeased and directs our rage towards something or someone palpable. We steal, we lie not for a greater purpose but for short-term gain, we betray our friends-and all of this happens on the daily in nominally “controlled” “society”. Society is simply a contract which states to try your best and be as agreeable as possible, but its numerous riders and clauses-such as war, discrimination, rebellion, and rioting, as well as just the messy movements of the government itself-means that it is, in effect, controlled chaos. So, as flawed animals, we should simply be the best versions of ourselves that we can be, as this is the most esteemed protection against the surrounding darkness and destruction.


Sources:


"THE BRAIN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM." THE BRAIN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. McGill University , n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.


Hobbes, Thomas. "Chapter 13." Leviathan. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 62. Print.


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Advanced Essay #4: Jordan Grayes

Posted by Jordan Grayes in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on Sunday, March 26, 2017 at 11:34 pm

In the final advanced essay of the school year I set out a goal to dive into a topic that I thought I had knowledge of. I am pleased with the final outcome of my essay and the steps that took place in order to lead me to this polished piece of writing. Also my bold choice of topic is part of the reason why my essay holds such emphases to my name. 

“ Hey baby girl, you looking good today. ”

There is a worldwide knowledge of something known as, Street Harassment, which is most commonly mostly to blame for women’s fear of walking city streets. But, I ask, should Street Harassment be a crime? I feel that Street Harassment should not be a crime because it is almost instinctive for men to attempt to engage in interaction with a women that they desire, persistent Street Harassment is the true crime that needs to be addressed and what is there for the police to really do about this first amendment right?

Street harassment should not be considered a crime because it is only the pursuit of finding a companion. It is natural for a male to desire a female and when he sees one that he wants it is almost instinctive for that male to approach and try to get the attention of the female.This quote from a story of sexual harassment on Hollaback.com brings me to my next point, “At first I was suspicious, as I always am when a man offers to give me something for free that normally costs money, and then I felt bad and thought, That’s terrible, Diana. This nice, religious old man is doing something sweet for you and you’re suspecting him of being a pervert. So I thanked him for the candle and he went away and I kept praying. A few seconds later he came back and cupped my boob.

This is the crime portion of street harassment, not to go into details about punishment but persistent harassment should be followed up with some sort of jail time or fine or anything for that matter that involves police. But, what is it that the police would do, they barely do anything about rape cases, so why would a women telling them about an incident where a man is trying to holla at her be a top priority. I do not think that there should be a crime for catcalling and street harassment, yet there needs to be a new general approach to educating the future of our country on how to treat a female or any other person. I was taught at a young age to always approach a beautiful girl if I happen to spot one. Why not try to go after her and interact? If I want to engage in friendly conversation with a random person on the street then that is my choice. I understand the stigma of coming off as a; stalker, weirdo, other adjective for jackass. When approaching a female with the typical and repetitive, “ Hey baby girl you looking good today,.” But i just wanna get to know her a lil bit and possibly get the number so i can see more of her and that's the cycle of things. It's not harassment unless it is persistent.

The stories of stalking and groping and the mini-rants and sparks of rage that come from rejection should be annexed. Persistent harassment on the street should be a crime. But, when you simply give women a compliment and she says thanks and walks away, then no further catcalling should take place. When it comes to not responding to the compliments and men then lashing out, I don’t know why, as a man, that we do this sort of thing. There is no possible justification for this act, and seriously as a whole we as men should start to stray away from this sort of thing because it is very disrespectful and offensive. Just because we don’t get our way we shouldn’t lash out at the female that we were just trying to engage in conversation with. I agree that a law would not work because there is no way to enforce the law. Would the women have to report the incident, what if there is no proof, police officers aren’t around at every location at every moment of every day so it would be hard to enforce the situation.


Works Cited
Friedersdorf, Conor. "Don't Outlaw Catcalling." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 04 Nov. 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. 
"Home." New York City Hollaback! N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. 
Potts, Monica. "Street Harassment Is Universal and Age-Old." Vogue. Vogue, 01 Feb. 2017. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. 
Smith, Emily. "Hey Baby! Women Speak out against Street Harassment." CNN. Cable News Network, 6 Oct. 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. 
Street-Porter, Janet. "Catcalling Shouldn't Be Labelled a Hate Crime – We Should Be Equipped to Deal with That Ourselves." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 15 July 2016. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.
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The-School-to-Slavery-Pipeline

Posted by Taytiana Velazquez-Rivera in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on Friday, March 24, 2017 at 11:56 pm

​My goal is to extend upon the common conception of the school to prison pipeline, exposing the reason of inciting modern slavery to gain profit.


In America, we chase dreams, using the domination system-which in short is if you work your butt off you get what you want and you can and will achieve, but the problem with the american dream is that the rewarding part is that not everyone achieves it.The people responsible  are the ‘Powers’ such as big business, politicians, aristocrats and private prisons. This is the domination system.

These powers use zero tolerance, to enforce the domination system. Zero-tolerance is said to help, but really just enforces the school to prison pipeline. Like in, Texas their zero tolerance policy  puts students at risk of dropping out when the system was said to be put in place to do the opposite. Putting police in charge, it criminalizes children in a way that sets them up for failure. Though teens and youth a being targeted, it's mostly Minorities, blacks in particular are targeted in schools in means of suspension it is disproportionated that minority students get suspended for the same “behavior” more, than their other racial and ethnic counterparts. This is supported  by Smith and Harper “Despite the regularity with which racial disparities and racism in school discipline have been documented, Blacks and other students of color continue to be suspended and expelled at disproportionately higher rates than their peers from other racial/ethnic groups.’ This proves racism and racial stereotyping inside of the school system. The way to recovery is to encourage the powers within the school domination system: police, administration and judges to place rehabilitation and restorative justice over that of severe punishments. These unfair forms directly negatively impact the students/youth which along with other factors such as race and poverty set them up for failure, this is why rehabilitation will help towards prevention of the school to prison pipeline.  Using the zero tolerance method along with the domination system, within schools they set up minorities up for failure, in today's prison system  that ensures involuntary servitude in order to make a profit, it sounds very similar to how America enslaved people of colour to get free labor, slavery. That’s exactly what this is, slavery as supported with the idea of a ‘new jim crow’ in America Slavery Reinvented, “In this new era of prison industry, the criminal “justice” system, the state determined the size of the worker pool. Scores of recently freed slaves and their descendants now labored to generate revenue for the state under a Jim Crow regime.” People in prison aren’t seen as people they are seen as workers ultimately used to gain profit. America has protected the reinvention of slavery in Angola, due to the slavery and involuntary servitude lupul in the 13th amendment. So those who are incarcerated can be forced into slavery. With the ‘new Slavery’ in the prison industry for profit, one must not forget that more black people are arrested for the same crimes as that to a white person, so slavery isn’t just felt by past slaves but the predecessors of those slaves who were beaten and raped. Slavery to Jim crow to the new jim crow and slavery again. People say to get over slavery, but you can’t when it's still happening. No one living white person in america is responsible for slavery, but they all inherit the systematic benefits of Slavery, today it is more strategically planned.

The prison industrial complex is driven forward with the “tough-on-crime” approach, this is very similar to the “zero tolerance” motto. This reveals the reason for an inflated number of imprisonment, amongst minorities: big business, big money and politics, they all work in a complex designed to corrupt the criminal justice system in a way which causes detriment to poorer areas, aka the ghetto. This here prisons have become a “cornerstone of economic development”; where they capitalize on the people to arrest and later enslave. This system is used to make the victims of this system to look like the bad-guys, while yes they did their crime and they are doing the time, they are put into double jeopardy situations. These situations are where the prison industrial complex is used for the agendas of the powers to gain higher profits and more votes. These people are supposed to serve time as punishment so why are they being punished twice over for the same crime? Simply because america wants to exploit those that they have institutionalized as inhumane numbers, and forgetting they are people don’t rehabilitate but reignite a cycle. Due to the fact everyone wants a utopian society, is the idea that edges on america  to push so hard and supports this system, and in result people of colour are incarcerated more and longer for non violent crimes, this is why today a rapist be less of a ‘menace to society’ than a person with a minor drug infraction, simply for the benefits of money.

No doubt America was built off of the benefits of slavery, this is why systematic oppression allows minorities to be the number one candidates for the one place in which it is legal in america to force slavery or involuntary servitude.These ‘Powers’ use violence to enforce a fear that criminals will over take America in which the fuel of the fear causes people to want to start early prevention of Criminals and pushes them to support The war on crime and zero tolerance policies.  After the loss of legalized slavery, america reverted to jim crow as a form of oppression and  in modern day prison. People of African-American descent and other ethnic groups of people are targeted, early on in a school system in which they are institutionalized in a prison like manner in what’s supposed place of education in order to set them up for failure, like dropping out, truancy, poverty, cruel and unusual punishments that are disproportion for minor crimes which will, or should lead to prison. In the system where minorities are set up for failure, to reach the prison system, In which the prison system, will enforce slavery or involuntary servitude or work that prisoners may or may not be stipend for- sounds a bit like slavery- or the modern version- that is protected by the 13th amendment. This is an institutional way to incite modern day slavery by setting minorities to fail and complete the circuit of the school to prison pipeline. Stand up and Call out the pre imprisonment of the minorities youth.



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Advanced Essay #4 - Christian

Posted by Christian McCormac in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on Friday, March 24, 2017 at 2:47 pm

In today’s world everyone is using social media. We use social media to stay connected with loved ones whom we cannot see everyday, to stay intuned with the world and what's going on around us , some use social media to acquire fame and a following, others use social media to just pass the time.


In 2017, 81 percent of U.S American citizens had a social media profile. According to certain estimates online, the number of worldwide social media users reached 1.96 billion and is expected to grow to some 2.5 billion by 2018. Many people look at social media as a pleasant creation that is positive and harmless. What many people don't know is that social media isn't all positive and harmless after all. Social media can help hate groups and other people acquire more attention and followers. Hate groups and social media users can get people to idolize them, and their opinions by posting on social media and advertising themselves and their beliefs. Hate groups like Isis for example has used social media to recruit people and gain more attention, social media has helped the group draw at least 30,000 foreign fighters, from some 100 countries, to the battlefields of Syria and Iraq.

Going back to the central idea or question of this Advanced Essay is how does social media affect our soldiers during war, and their families back home? Personally I feel like social media allows america and the soldiers who are stationed in a different country to be more connected. It also allows the families who have loved ones in the serves to e more connected and see what's going on in real time. It also allows the families back home to Hear their stories in real time and lets the families to see what is exactly going on, social media takes a sense of wonder away from the families.

As far as people and hate groups using social media to gain attention, our current president Donald Trump does this almost everyday, Donald Trump uses social media immaturely and says outrageous things on twitter to gain attention and supports. Almost the whole 2016 presidential election Donald Trump was just saying outrageous and idiotic things on television and social media to get everyone to give him their attention and to have everyone talking about him. Personally in America everyone has the right to freedom of speech and can express their feelings however they'd like as long as it isn't violent or breaking a law, but Donald Trump tweets put soldiers stationed in other counties in jeopardy. Trump's tweets put american soldiers in jeopardy because maybe someone doesn't like what they hear and takes actions into their own hands like the russian ambassador getting assassination. The United States has over 3,000 military bases across the globe in the their name. The president of the United States of America  tweets immaturely and starts arguments with Snoop Dogg who’s a legend. Trumps immaturely doesn't just put our soldiers at risky but our nation at risk as well. Hopefully these next four years aren't a disaster.


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Advanced Essay #4 [PTSD In Veterans]

Posted by Desarae Gilbert in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on Friday, March 24, 2017 at 7:54 am

Intro: My goals for this paper were to talk about a topic that not many people probably know about. This is not exactly a personal essay, but more of an informative one because the topic is very serious and is a reality for many people, especially veterans who face war and combat everyday. I also wanted anyone who reads this to empathize and understand that over a quarter-million Vietnam War vets still have PTSD, so it is something that more people should be aware of.

Many people in the U.S have served for their country and in doing so, because of certain positions (like a combat veteran), have suffered traumatic experiences because of it. The victims of PTSD can carry a lot of grief along with survivor's guilt for many. When veterans come back from war, they can also struggle with substance abuse, anger issues, isolation, and more. The topic of treatment for vets with PTSD is a somewhat controversial one since treatment options can vary from therapy and psychotropic drugs, to alternatives like marijuana, but since that is still federally illegal, it is hard to bring to light.  PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a disorder characterized by failure to recover after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. It is a big issue since such a large number of people that go into the war have traumatic experiences and can come back with their lives completely changed. PTSD affects about 31 percent of veterans just from the Vietnam War, but not just veterans. About 5.2 million people will experience PTSD in the U.S. during the course of a given year. If you suffer from any type of traumatic experience, you risk the chance of getting PTSD.

Veterans deal with even more issues like losing their houses, jobs, families, and more on top of dealing with mental stress. Psychiatrist and author Jonathan Shay explains how veteran’s personalities can be different when they return from combat “In combat, you have to shut down those emotions that do not directly serve survival. So sweetness, the gentler forms of humor, grief -- all shut down. And this is profoundly disconcerting to families when a soldier comes back, and he seems to be made out of ice. It's not that he is irrevocably and permanently incapable of feeling anything, yet that this adaptation of shutting down those emotions that don't directly serve survival in combat is persisting”. While in combat, soldiers are trained to fight and survive, so that leaves them to repress their emotions. Because of the strong belief among soldiers that the only thing that should be on your mind is serving and giving your all, processing what is actually happening is ignored. That is big reason as to why veterans realize that something is wrong when they come home.

Veterans do not realize that they may have a disorder like PTSD until after some time because sometimes they do not know until they recognize the many outbursts, severe anxiety, and insomnia/nightmares. To treat this, vets can get drugs to help with PTSD, but there are many downsides. “Mental health experts say the military's prescription drug problem is exacerbated by a U.S. Central Command policy that dates to October 2001 and provides deploying troops with up to a 180-day supply of prescription drugs under its Central Nervous System formulary.” Many of the drugs prescribed to veterans can be helpful forms of treatment, but the physical strain it puts on their minds and bodies can be even more damaging. Since a lot of the drugs are addictive, if you start to abuse them, it can be near impossible to stop. Drugs like Elavil is an antidepressant that actually caused suicidal thoughts, so the FDA now requires it to carry a black-box warning.

It is clear that militarism is heavily ingrained in our society and PTSD is a consequence of it, in and outside of war. These are ideas that we have to grasp, because people suffer from these disorders whether you recognize it or not. Your mind is so powerful that how you feel can technically be out of your control. PTSD is a real problem people face everyday and it requires awareness, especially for the people that have served for their country.


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Advanced Essay #4: Hallways to Cellblocks

Posted by Nadya Negron in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 10:32 pm

Introduction: For this project my goal was to bring awareness to the School-to-Prison pipeline and how huge of an effect it has on a child's future. Many people think that it's not that bad when in actuality it is and it is still a very prevalent problem. It has been something that I have endured myself and I'm pretty sure many others have to. I just wanted to get my story out there and let others know that this is wrong and it is STILL a problem. I'm specifically proud about how much research I put into this essay and how interesting it was for me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

Essay:

I walked through the gated doors and was greeted by the school police officer. “Arms out, legs apart. You know the drill!” she yelled in a Spanish accent. It was a daily routine for us and our young middle school minds thought nothing of it. We didn’t know our uniforms would turn into jumpsuits and our teachers would turn into our parole officers. They conditioned us like prisoners. I don’t remember a day I didn’t hear “tuck your shirt in” or “get out of the hallway.” We were forced to walk in straight lines to our classrooms as if we were inmates walking to our cells. We were never treated as students because we never were. Our textbooks shackled us to the table and didn’t allow us to move. They claim they did this because they wanted us to succeed but how can you teach me to live the life of a prisoner but excel in the world of the “free?” Too many public schools in today’s society confuse “educate” with “discipline.” Instead of educating the youth they mold them into model inmates ready to be shipped off to next prison they build.

From the NY Times Article, School-to-Prison Pipeline, it talked about what criminalizing students can do to them “However, by criminalizing routine disciplinary problems, they have damaged the lives of many children by making them more likely to drop out and entangling them, sometimes permanently, in the criminal justice system.” By introducing a child to criminal justice system you entangle them into that lifestyle forever. Majority of these problems exist in inner city schools. All of these problem stemmed from the Zero tolerance policy. The Zero tolerance policy was introduced to all schools in the U.S. in 1994. What the policy does is require school officials to hand down specific, consistent, and harsh punishment to its students. This conditions students to live the life of a prisoner before they even commit a real crime.

From an article by Annette Fuentes she talks about the minor things children would be punished for “Disrupting class, using profanity, acting up on a school bus, truancy, and fighting in a school hallway can lead to a class C misdemeanor ticket and a court appearance for the student and her/his parent, plus court costs of up to $500.” Minor offenses like these put children in the criminal justice system, jeopardizing their future careers and virtually erasing their past, no matter how great it might have been. They punish children like this in inner city schools because they know they are more likely to be incarcerated. Approximately 12-13 % of Americans are African-American but they constitute 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population. Inner city schools are filled with minorities and they are conditioned to live the life they are expected to live. They prepare them for jumpsuits by correcting their uniforms and prepare them for sentencing with suspensions.

We should not have our school systems like prisons. This eventually affects them tremendously in the future, and we should not put our children through this. We should come together to end this issue and evolve our schools and our communities to make them safer instead of dangerous.

Sources:

The Editorial Board. "The School-to-Prison Pipeline." The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 May 2013. Web. 16 Mar. 2017. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/opinion/new-york-citys-school-to-prison-pipeline.html>.

Fuentes, Annette. "Arresting Development (1).pdf." Google Docs. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.

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Advanced Essay #4

Posted by Imani Williams in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 9:01 pm

Intro: The goal for my essay is to show my readers the actual reason why guys catcall and street harass women. As you read my essay, you will find that guys do it to impress other guys which is homosocial. My larger idea connects the idea of gender roles in society.




“Head down, look straight ahead. Earbuds in, volume off. Walk quickly, but with purpose. Don’t make eye contact unless you need to. Look behind you every few blocks, make sure you’re not being followed. Don’t be obvious.” These are the rules me and probably many other females live by when walking down the street by themselves. One of the most common street harassments are cat calls. When a male see’s a female in the street and says “yurrppp” or “shawty with the grey tights.” ,they think it’s cute but it’s honestly disrespectful and immature and some females take much more of an offense to it than others.

I remember one time I was coming home from work in the summer and I was wearing a loose and comfortable pink dress with my hair tied up in a bun. The sun was shining so bright, my face was glowing.  I was happy, smiling and shining because I was finally off work about to go home and relax. I was approaching a group of loud guys and each of them had on all black. I was a bit intimidated,  so I hurried and put my headphones in before I walked passed. I didn’t have time to put music on, so  I was hoping they didn’t talk to me. As I was walking past, all I heard was “yo ma” from one of the guys, another one said, “Ayo! I know you heard my mans calling you.” I just kept walking and never looked back.

  I’ve always wondered the purpose of catcalling aka street harassment and why guys do it. Do they do it because they actually want the female or to impress buddies of theirs or even both? Either one, in a female's eyes it makes you look thirsty and desperate, but I personally think it’s funny. In an interview with Jared Marcelle and Michael Kimmel they were discussing each other’s views on cat calling. “It really has very little to do with the woman. It has to do with your relationship with the other guys. It's about, you know, doing it in front of other guys. You know what I mean?” Kimmel went on to say. In other words, guys catcall to show off in front of other guys.Late on in the interview, Kimmel gave a better word to describe this situation and it’s called “homosocial.” It makes a little bit more sense because I’ve always realized after I get catcalled by a guy, they always look at their friends for approval or to laugh or joke. The best part of it all is that if you walk right past them like they not even there they get mad and say “Well that’s why you ugly anyways” or “thot.”

Some may often say that women get treated the way they allow themselves to get treated. I agree but also disagree with this statement. When a man says or does something to a women, the women can respond two ways. She can either go along with the guy, give him her number or she can ignore and walk away and also say “no.” That’s where females make the choice to get “treated” a certain way. It all depends on self worth and self confidence. If a girl thinks that they think they are worth a guy catcalling them then that’s how they think they should get treated. Getting catcalled can be a confidence booster for some girls or women. She may feel as if she is cute or better then someone else. Getting cat called can also lower a girl’s confidence. She may question her worth or her ability to get someone who respects her as a women and doesn’t look at her as a toy.

Gender roles plays a  huge role in society, men are always labeled as the ¨ bad people¨, and  women are labeled are the ¨weaker links¨. Just because men are homosocial and catcall girls because their buddies are around doesn’t make them bad people. I do believe that guys are able to respectfully approach a women without being disrespectful or even harmful. It takes a special  girl to change a man’s street ways, and it can take a good friend to encourage his friend to change. It also is a man’s responsibility to stop trying to show off for his friends in order to successfully talk to a girl without offending her in anyway.  Men aren’t bad people but they put women through bad things, things other than catcalling. There has many many acts of violence toward women. It all comes down to gender roles, men are expected to be the ‘tougher’ ones then women. We are looked at as the weaker links.



Citations:

CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.


Interview. Radio Rookies: Reformed Catcaller Explores Roots Of Street Harassment. N.p., 23 Aug. 2016. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.



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Advanced Essay #4 - Why do Kids Join Gangs?

Posted by Gavin Lane in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 8:28 pm

​Introduction
In this essay, I decided to explore what are the main reasons why kids join gangs. I focused on a few main theories that have been confirmed by many sociologists and have proven connections to gang violence, but instead of just talking about them, I decided to take a deeper look at them. 

When it came to my goals as a writer, I had only a few simple ones in writing this essay. My goal was to get my point accross in a deailed yet easy to understand way, and that is what I did. (This is why the amount of words I have is also a lot, because, I need a decent-sized paragraph to explain how each thing contributes.)

Anyway, without further ado, here is the essay.

Why Do Kids Join Gangs?


Many youngsters who grow up in environments where gang violence is common often end up as members of gangs, especially boys. But why is this? Why is this activity hard to avoid and escape? More importantly, from a wider perspective, why is it hard to break the tendency for communities to foster gang development? Gangs are known to be stressful and dangerous, for members and for those in the wider community--and yet they persist. Former members, such as Cordozar Calvin Broadus, aka Snoop Dogg, and other hip-hop legends, have described how they grew up in gangs such as the notorious Rollin’ 20s Crips. It was a life of selling cocaine and making glamorous riches at the expense of others, but also a life of fear. Many gang members die young, and incarceration ultimately claims many. The risks heavily outweigh the riches, and yet...


There are several motivating factors for the persistence of gangs. Personality has something to do with it, for example. Those who find excitement in risky and high-stakes social activity would naturally take part in the gang experience. But that does not really explain the prevalence and persistence of gangs, which bring in young people with all kinds of personalities. Sociologists attribute one big motivator to the survival of gang life, and that is the continuing tendency of fatherlessness in some economically fragile communities. This is a problem for young people, especially boys, because they lack necessary male role models on which to pattern their own lives, values, and behavior. Without enough men to model a mature approach to managing the challenges of life, boys will naturally turn towards the older male gang members as models of behavior and as sources of approval. Older gang members have authority, street knowledge, and seem to have self-confidence, which kids look up to in a confusing world. On top of that, the gangs also provide a sort of “family” experience that feels good. It has a structure and authority figures, which are important sources of order. Kids can feel a sense of belonging to an orderly organization. Because gang life is a cycle that keeps recreating itself, the male role models are involved in the gangs and don’t break out of gang organizations to form traditional family units and begin parenting their own children, which means their own children may turn to gang life later on.


Another motivational factor to consider here is poverty. Poverty means not many people in a given community have jobs or income or wealth, and of those who do, earnings are low, jobs are demanding with little flexibility or sick time, and almost no one owns property or wealth of any kind. Many of these specific poor people collect welfare and other forms of government assistance, which allows them to survive, but does not necessarily foster skills for meaningful work that pays well or help with the development of wealth. There is stress and suffering in these communities, and gangs can seem like a way out of that. For example, many of the gangs that formed in the early 1980s in some cities did so where it was extremely hard for teens to get summer jobs, so the teens turned to the sale of drugs and created gangs as business structures to obtain wholesale drugs and distribute them. Gangs often form around the sale of drugs. After all, some people crave the high that, say, cocaine, offers, and while a one-man drug seller seems like a good source of money, a whole gang is a solid business, with workers to obtain and sell drugs, provide lookout and protection, and manage and distribute income. This business structure makes gang life an attractive source of income in an already poor environment.


There is a third element that also negatively affects some children and can cause them to turn toward gangs, and that is a lack of involvement in education. A good education usually depends on a stable home with parents holding children up to high expectations and reinforcing what the teachers are teaching. In poorer communities, families are not always able to do this. There can be crises resulting in illness in the family, drug addiction, and homelessness. Some families move frequently, and the children change schools a lot, causing disruptions in their education. All of this contributes over time to struggles in school. School can become frustrating, and students stop attending and drop out. Gang life can provide something for them to do that involves their peers, and because gangs can be run like a business, gang life provides an education of its own. It is not a good or ideal one, but it teaches business skills, money management, problem solving, social interaction with superiors and others, community history, and strategic thinking, and so it fills the education gap. Young people don’t have to keep feeling lost or frustrated at school, but still there’s the experience of gaining knowledge, which is important to all human beings..


In conclusion, it is the lack of proper support from healthy institutions such as family, schools, and the local economy that help cause young people to turn to gang life. They look for the good that these institutions offer, but they find it in criminal organizations such as gangs. Most likely, if the youth had access to the positive institutions, most likely they would not join gangs. One such example is the writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. Coates currently works at The Atlantic as a journalist and has received praise for his writings such as “The Case for Reparations.” Although he is very successful, Coates grew up in a rough part of Baltimore during the 1980s, a part that was controlled by small rival gangs that dealt drugs such as crack. Despite this, Coates had a father who was fair to him, yet at the same time was very firm. He even at one point apparently had to “beat” Coates, but afterwards he said “It’s better I do it once than the gangs or police do it possibly multiple times.” With that guidance and caring, Coates did not become lost in gang life but found his way to success and a better living situation. If communities can figure out a way to provide loving authority figures, economic opportunity, and supportive education to young people who are disadvantaged, communities may find a way to end gang life.



Bibliography

Chicago Gangland - Children at War! CBS, 1989.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OYnVla3mNU&t=72s


Chicago Violence: SMILE Documentary. Directed by Marquis Daisy. --.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZRIKkm5yCw


Cocaine Scandals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4mxBMYS0aw&t=229s


Deep Inside the Gangster Disciples Street Gang.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBMXVXvjkYk


Planet Rock: The Story Of Hip Hop And The Crack Generation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zswrGZP7jUY&t=28s
















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Advanced Essay #4

Posted by Arielle Moore in English 3 · Block/Franz/Taylor-Baranik · E Band on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 8:02 pm

Intro: My goals for this essay were to display the parallels between war and social media, and how the media has normalized violence. We have the capability to be so powerful behind a screen, and the effects that we can have on people are incredibly damaging which is something we rarely take into account since we view it as decent content. 


The Social Media Militia


We’re constantly being tempted to open those colorful little squares and plug into our own little worlds, where we choose to like someone’s picture, or comment on a post. Most of what we witness is just innocent content and continue with our day, but amidst the amusing and humorous lives the rude and malicious. We can’t escape it: the mysterious, snarling beast that disguises itself in 140 black and white characters.

Since the early days of humanity, people have been drawn to the nature of violence. Whether by finding it amusing or simply disgusting, there’s something about a little bloodshed, both physical or verbal, that sparks something within us. Why are we this way? Well, in a study about human brain activity by Dr. Jeanna Bryner, it states: “The reward pathway in the brain becomes engaged in response to an aggressive event and that dopamine is involved." We can’t help but sink our teeth into the sinful indulgence that results in the downfall of others. Activities like boxing, football, action movies, and other forms of violence are some of the most profitable types of entertainment because of that added golden factor. Seeing someone assert their power over another in these ways are possibly one of the most rewarding and satisfying things to witness. Social media however, provides us with an even scarier reality because it gives us that power. We’re given a platform to post and view whatever we desire, which comes at higher a cost than any of us could have imagined.

At first it seems pretty electrifying: the idea of having total control in a world of chaos and creating a cute environment with friends, family, and funny videos. Nice comments appear on your photos and you get lots of likes. You follow more people. More people follow you. Somewhere along the way, you discover a comment that’s not so nice, and soon you discover some not so nice posts. You dislike what you see and you comment back. After a while, you can’t stop seeing mean comments and posts and pictures, and all you can do is witness more and more mean responses. That is how they handled it and so must I, you think. This becomes your reality. This becomes your weaponry. Before you know it, the bad fuses with the good; it camouflages. You don’t realize it, but you have just been subconsciously prepared for Social Media warfare.

These characteristics are strangely similar to those of one who describes their experience of being in actual combat. Haywood T. Kirkland, an author, wrote a collection of memoirs from Vietnam War veterans, entitled Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans. One veteran recalls his experience behind enemy lines after being drafted in 1968: “They told us when you go over in Vietnam, you gonna be face to face with Charlie, the Viet Cong. They were like animals, or something other than human,” he explains. “They ain't have no regard for life. They'd blow up little babies just to kill one GI. They wouldn't allow you to talk about them as if they were people. They told us they're not to be treated with any type of mercy or apprehension. That's what they engraved into you. That killer instinct. Just go away and do destruction.”

The internet is an incredibly powerful resource that has an increasingly strong hold on what we perceive. Author Brittany Bostic explains: “Meta-analyses of the unhealthy effects of media-violence have shown that youth who view media-violence on a regular basis are more likely to exhibit antisocial behavior, ranging from imitative violent behavior with toys to criminal violence, acceptance of violent behavior, increased feelings of hostility, and desensitization toward violent behavior.” Society has conditioned us to normalize the presence of violence, and has created a sort of arena where we can exercise these behaviors at our liking. It’s not a necessity for us to carry high powered rifles or grenades on a daily basis. We are not handed A-K 47s whenever we leave our houses; but glued to our eyes and engraved in our brains is a tool capable of destruction just as powerful.


Bibliography

  • "There Was No Rules At All: Stories from Vietnam | Haywood T. "The Kid" Kirkland." There Was No Rules At All: Stories from Vietnam | Haywood T. "The Kid" Kirkland. Accessed March 23, 2017. http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/kirkbloodsvietnam.html.

  • Bryner, Jeanna. "Humans Crave Violence." LiveScience. January 17, 2008. Accessed March 23, 2017. http://www.livescience.com/2231-humans-crave-violence-sex.html.

  • Milford, Aamir Malik, Megztiniai Internetu, Larue, Online Blogging Sites, Valerie, Augusta, and Godsmission. "Does Social Media Perpetuate Youth Violence?" Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center. December 14, 2015. Accessed March 23, 2017. http://yvpc.sph.umich.edu/social-media-perpetuate-youth-violence/.


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