Honors Blog 2

This being the record breaking economic downfall of all time, I understand that this must be an incredibly stressful time for you, Mr. President. I advise you follow in Roosevelt’s footsteps and do as he did in the great depression during the early nineteen hundreds. One thing that really worked for him is always taking into consideration the ideas of his advisers. Before he was even president in 1931, he worked with Frances Perkins, industrial commissioner, and Harry Hopkins, his chief diplomatic adviser to being a direct work relief program. They lived in desperate times where the unemployment rate had gone up to 50 percent in some states. Even so, This program did not help much. But you know all of this of course. What I suggest you take from this experience is that it is important to take into consideration the ideas of others whom have your respect and admiration because one person alone cannot run a country. This is not a monarchy, and you need to use your relationship with congress and American society to make better decisions for your people. You will find out what it is exactly that they need and you will be able to have what you need in your bills due to your connections with congress. During “the one hundred days” it is said that all the important bills Roosevelt proposed were enacted by Congress. It is also important to remember that you are not running this country alone and that we are not nomads who are not feeling any of this recession's effects. You should do as Roosevelt did when he would broadcast over the radio to the American people. He spoke on a variety of topics to inform Americans and exhort them to support his domestic agenda. You must keep your citizens informed at all times. It is understandable that you are a very busy and a very important man and may not always be able to attend interviews where you have the opportunity to explain what is going on in the country we live in and what the plans are to get us out of these problems, but you should not be the only one who is informed of what is going on, and there are many ways that you can let the people know what they deserve to know. Another thing I believe is crucial is faith in yourself and your ideas, as well as the ideas of others. Things had been so bad in the great depression that the citizens did not even care that the president had no idea what would be of the new deal, which was a “series of economic programs in the United States between 1933 and 1936.” He believed in his ideas and though many of the laws that were passed during these year were later declared unconstitutional or abolished, it worked for the country and got us where we are today. It is important to remember to never carry the whole burden alone.

http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2008/01/17/the-new-deal-sealed-the-deal.html

http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/glossary/great-depression.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/oh4/newdeal/

Honors Blog

There are many elements of health care legislation in United States history that are significant, but the one I believe was among the most important in history that is being made today is the Affordable Care Act which was passed by the House of Representatives and Senate and signed by the United States president Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The health care related arrangements will go on for a four year period from the time they were signed. This Act enables people with pre-existing conditions to get a private health care plan without the fear of being rejected by the health care providers due to the money they are going to cost them, and also allows them to receive the same charged as those without pre-existing conditions. The qualifications for medicaid were also expanded thanks to this act. On top of this, it provides support for medical research. The law expects each state to create a “federally approved health insurance exchange,” where people without insurance or small businesses without health insurance can purchase coverage from a range of health insurance providers. This law also requires individuals to prove that they have an approved insurance policy through their IRS tax returns or pay additional taxes, though there are some low income exceptions. One reason why I believe this is a significant element of United States history is because there are many arguments behind it. Being something that will affect many citizens, it is widely known and argued. Since the money that is going to be used to pay for all of this coverage is going to be coming from taxes some people argue that this is going to come with multiple tax provisions. According to Michael Bihari, former About.com guide who wrote an article about Affordable Care Act Tax Provisions, “...the purchase and provision of health insurance is entwined with many people’s jobs and tax-related benefits.” According to “The Health Law Partners” “In 2013, taxpayers with more than $200,000 in earned income ($250,00 for joint filers) will pay an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on the excess and an additional 3.8% Medicare tax on unearned income, including interest, rents, and royalties.” People are concerned that they are paying for other people's insurance, and they are angry at the fact that this democracy is acting in “communist ways” as some may argue, since there are people of greater income who are paying for things that have nothing to do with them, even though they are hard working citizens who earn their money and should have the right to spend it and use it on what they feel is right. On the other hand, citizens are worried about what people like “The Health Law Partners” say when they announce that in 2014, “individuals who are not eligible for government-provided coverage will be penalized if they fail to purchase essential health coverage.” This is obviously not a perfect law and there are large amounts of citizens who are displeased. There will never be a time when everybody has what they want and everybody is happy, but people will continue to ask for what they want and if people are displeased with this, then they won't stop until they get what they want. We are only moving forward here as a nation and all everyone's voice must be heard. It's a work in progress.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act
http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/web/20102724.htm
http://healthinsurance.about.com/od/reform/a/Affordable-Care-Act-Tax-Provisions.htm

Federalist Vs, Antifederalist Interview

In the 1850s there was something called the Fugitive Act. The Fugitive Slave Act was the most controversial bills that was passed in the fifties. It required citizens to assist in the recovery of fugitive slaves. It denied a fugitive's right to a jury trial. The act called for changes in filing for a claim, making the process easier for slave-owners. Also, according to the act, there would be more federal officials responsible for enforcing the law. Many left the country and started a new life in Canada. During the next ten years, an estimated 20,000 blacks moved to the neighboring country. First of all, the fact that they made these bills in my opinion was antifederalistic in my opinion. It was giving states rights that they would all agree on and were coming up with a good way to control the situation while giving everyone what they asked. Also, another very antifederalistic thing I noticed about what the States did is that when forming the new states that they were getting, such as California, they decided not to make it either a free or slave state. They thought it would be better to let the future inhabitants of the state decide.

My cousin Lupe agrees that these ideas are antifederalistic and adds, "this solution was only temporary." I thought this was interesting because though this, in my and my cousin's opinion, was a very smart way to go about fixing these problems between the north and the south, the states ended up dividing in the end.

Blog Today

1. What are you most proud of in your Life: The Book writing? Try to describe this is detail!
I am most proud of all the good research I was able to find. I liked how even though there was no real verdict on whether or not there is a homosexual gene, I got to include a lot of good information that was relevant and argued many different ideas. I talked about a few different scientists and some religious websites who all had many different opinions.
2. What are some changes or new ideas that you have developed in your writing through the course of this semester?
Well, this actually makes me kind of frustrated with school because it seems like every year they teach us something new, or just a new way to do something that we already know how to do, but it completely goes against what we've learned how to do in the past. When we were earlier in high school and middle school the main rubric basically just said to write about everything in the introduction and then write something different in each paragraph. Now we have to write a short but attractive introduction paragraph and talk about many different things in each paragraph to make it flow. Although I really like how it sounds now, it frustrates me that we spend all of this time learning how to do something one way just so that at the end of the road, we are told that the way we do it is wrong and we need to learn something completely new.
3. If you had a little more time to work on your writing for Life: The Book, what would you do differently? What would you change about your writing?
The main thing that I would change would be to add more biology. I am not sure that I did a great job with this paper and it is not really my best work, but I stressed a lot over this project and I would add more about each of the different components of humanities. I also wasn't too sure if I was blending it correctly and I would use some extra time to make everything in the paper flow together even though it jumps from topic to topic.
4. How has the additional element of publication in a book affected the way you approach writing? It had changed it in the sense that I get more people's opinion in my work because I think it just sounds better that way, and it is the way that they do it in the real world when a book is being published so I think it is a good idea to get many different perspectives and tastes to add to your writing.

Senate Health Care Hearings

What are your character's main goals for the Senate Health Care Hearings?

• In Washington he has been the lead consensus builder on the difficult issues of healthcare, immigration, and financial regulation
• He has a reputation for focusing on local issues that are important to average New Yorkers not normally associated with United States Senators, ranging from tourism, to local taxes, to job creation
• When it was revealed that Canon Inc., was considering relocating from its corporate headquarters in Long Island because of a dispute over road infrastructure funding, Schumer stepped in to advocate New York State redirect federal stimulus dollars to make the road improvements and keep the company and its jobs on Long Island
• When it was revealed that Adidas planned to end its contract for the manufacture of NBA jerseys with American Classic Outfitters, an upstate New York apparel company, and outsource production overseas, Schumer blasted the company citing the risk to 100 workers at the plant
• Schumer authored the Assault Weapons Ban in 1994 with California Senator Dianne Feinstein, which expired in 2004Schumer is also a supporter of providing hunters with tax deductions for donating venison and other game to feeding programs.
• Schumer is strongly pro-choice, and has been given a 100 percent rating by the NARAL
• With Congress woman Nita Lowey he has been working to ban the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, often found in baby bottles and plastic children's food containers
• Schumer is also seeking a ban on the use of cadmium, a carcinogen known to brain development in children, in toys and children's jewelry
• He delivered over $20 billion dollars in to New York to support the states security and recovery efforts after the 9/11 terrorist attack on New York City and worked to deliver $200 million in Homeland Security funds to protect New York City mass transit
• Schumer was a supporter of the Iraq War Resolution, is an American Israel Public Affairs Committee(AIPAC) member, and a strident pro-Israel member of Congress, although he was very critical of President George W. Bush's strategy in the Iraq War; he suggested that a commission of ex-generals be appointed to review it
• The senator also is involved with legislation to address the Darfur genocide. Last year, he cosponsored two bills calling for peace in Darfur. Both bills, S.455 and S.684, passed in the Senate. He also voted in favor of measures to help increase the efficiency of peace keepers serving in Darfur
• In March, 2009 Sen. Schumer announced his support for same-sex marriage, noting that it "was time."
• previously supported civil unions
• backs a full reversal of the Defense of Marriage Act
• Schumer wrote he was "concerned that IndyMac's financial deterioration poses significant risks to both taxpayers and borrowers and that the regulatory community may not be prepared to take measures that would help prevent the collapse of IndyMac."
• Schumer in 1987, in opposition to the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, (introduced banking reforms, some of which were designed to control speculation)
• supports S.1160 : A bill to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans.
• supports S.1347 : A bill to amend chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, to allow members of the Armed Forces to sue the United States for damages for certain injuries caused by improper medical care, and for other purposes.

What do you want to accomplish?

My bill (SCHIP extension act) simply states:

The qualifications will extend in the hopes that more people will be able to qualify. With the raising of cigar tax dollars, we would be able to pay for the medical expenses that people that make 93K or less a year need for them and their families.

How do you plan to accomplish it?

Shyana Brown, who will be playing a struggling New Yorker, will tell her compelling story and explain how she struggles on a day to day basis with paying bills and getting medical attention for both of her daughters who need help. She will explain how it is unfair that she cannot get medical insurance due to her income, yet she cannot pay her medical bills. She also introduces an idea on how to get money from taxes that come from cigar companies to help pay for the new people who would qualify for this medical insurance.

Who are you working with to get this done?

I am working with my peer Shyana Brown who is a woman living in New York with two girls. One girl has Autism and her other daughter needs a heart transplant and is constantly hospitalized. She makes a little over 88,100 dollars a year which is where the qualification for SCHIP health coverage draws the line and does not cover her and her daughters. We are working to convince the senators to pass the law to increase the qualifications.

More opposing viewpoints!

This article, in my opinion, uses a lot of big numbers in attempt to scare his article, but rarely cites his resources and he also does not explain why these numbers are relevant to what he is saying. This helps me because I know that when I write my article about the homosexual gene, I will need to cite my sources and explain why I decided to put that piece of information in my article. This article, though it does not do both of the things that the last two article failed to do, it does do a good job at explaining the relevance and importance of this information. This third article does give explanations and also cites his work. It is a good example of a article that gives good information and explains it well. It argues that health care is not too expensive and it compares the amount of money being spend in the United States to other countries. This last article does the best job. It have lists and gives it a more informative article feel. It gives good background information so that you know why they believe what they believe.

Personally, I never thought that this topic could be argued. I did not know why people would be against it. I only thought about the fact that there were people getting health care and they would have to worry less about having to pay a ridiculously large hospital bill when an unexpected tragedy happens to them or a family member. It is interesting to learn about other people's ideas. I didn't know that people thought that this would make the country loose so much money, and the idea of not giving people the security of health insurance simply because they feel they are unfairly loosing their money to pay for other people was frightening, yet it is did not surprise me very much.

Opposing viewpoints & your topic for Life: The Book

Many topics can relate to these articles because mostly all deal with economics and in most cases, medical attention is very expensive. It was interesting to learn how much money is being spent on health care. In my case, not only would it take a lot of money to get more research done and more information on the homosexual gene, but if a child's parents were willing to pay a psychologist to "cure" their kid from his homosexual tendencies, then we would be talking about more money being spent that deals with medical attention. This article mentions that we are spending twice as much for other people to have health care than other countries. This worries many citizens because they do not feel the need to pay for other people who cant afford health insurance's health care. The money aspect in this is probably the most important part of this debate that is being argued. People are mainly getting mad because their income is being cut so that other people can be insured. On the other hand, This article argues that health care is a fundamental right and, unlike this article by Bryan Young, she gives actual fact based information. She focuses on telling us why it is that it is necessary for people to have access to these rights. She talks about the mentally ill and why they especially need special treatment.

One thing I do not completely understand is what is mentioned in This article by Jacob Hornberger. He states in his article " ...force doctors to provide health care services to others would be akin to slavery, especially if it's for free. I think that doctors deserve to be paid for their services." What I do not understand is why he is saying that the doctors will not get paid. The way I have understood this idea of health care is that people pay taxes, which then go to the government, which is then spent on people's medical needs. If the government is paying for a person's medical treatments, then we should not worry about doctors not getting paid.

Life: The Book & American History

Describe the types of health care problems Americans face, and the government's role in seeking solutions.

One of the main problems that are going on with health care is that over 40 million Americans do not have access to health care and this number keeps growing. American workers are also struggling to pay higher premiums, deductibles and co-payments. Another problem America faces is that among these people without health care, over 8 million are children. The cost of insurance is also raising forcing people to have to pay money from out of their pocket to get medical attention. Since many people cannot pay money from out of their pocket, they may end up not getting medical attention at all.

I think a compelling character needs to have a conflict, set goals, and they need to be someone that anybody can relate to, whether it were in age, personality, or problems. Problems is a really good part of the story because if the character keeps showing different problems and personality traits, the reader is bound to relate to some of them. Another thing that the character could have is contradictions. One example of this is an article from the New Yorker written about Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook. The reason why this character was so contradicting is that he mentions that his goal is to make the world a more open place, but he himself is very quiet and mostly keeps to himself.

An example of a good plot for a nonfiction story would be like the plot in the article Open Channels. It informed the reader about cystic fibrosis while telling a compelling story of a seven year old girl who was struggling to live a normal life with this disease. We could incorporate this into our book, Life: The Book, by focusing on a specific story or character that relates to our topic to make our article more attractive to the reader.

The first thing that writers do to write non-jargon- based scientific writing is to first familiarize the reader with some medical or scientific terms that aren't commonly used. After introducing the reader to some terms that aren't as common words, the writer might start writing about the disease in a way that makes sense. He could start by writing specifics about this disease. For example, anybody could understand the if you get cystic fibrosis. you you will have trouble breathing due to fluids in your lungs. This sentence makes sense, but by telling you this, I am also informing you about this disease.

One good method that authors have to keep the reader interested due to the fact that they feel they relate to the story is that they give the character many qualities and many problems. Sooner or later the reader will find himself connecting to the character in one way or another. One example of this is in the book Twilight. This main character has many problems, desires, and thoughts, that millions of American teenage girls can relate to. The writer of this book is very smart because she knew that she could write a book about a typical American teenage girl and make an extraordinary love story out of this with a happy ending and make millions of dollars.

Life: The Book & Humanities

There is a lot going on in the world of humanities that relates to what is going on today in the world of humanities. The topic that I chose was the relationship between ones sexual orientation, and one's genetic structure. This is a very controversial topic nowadays because homosexuals are becoming more and more accepted by society. This relates to the world of humanities because in class we have been learning about the constitution and the rights of Americans and people in America. Gays are not given the same rights in American and are seen as a minority group. This is interesting because if being gay is a genetic "disability" it would be wrong for the government to treat them this way.

The Stage of life that I think I will be focusing on is childhood. The reason why I have chosen to do this one is because homosexuality is believed to be curable. The thing is, if you do not treat a homosexual child quickly, it may become too late. There is also supposed treatment that needs to be taken if you want your child to be "cured." Though there is a lot of psychology that is involved with this topic, there have been studies conducted by researchers in the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, that can confirm from a study they did on rams that "The oSDN, the ovine sexually dimorphic nucleus, in rams that preferred females was "significantly" larger and contained more neurons than in male-oriented rams and ewes."

One big issue that has occurred in our current society is Prop 8. This bill that was passed forbade gay couples in California to be married. This was an injustice to them and was declared unconstitutional because they felt their rights were being violated. In this article, it is argued the fight that gays are fighting for equal rights is just "fine marketing and brain washing techniques used to sell a toxic product."

According to this article about the acceptance of homosexuality in American nowadays, the acceptance is higher than it has ever been before claiming that "young people from ages 18-34 years old are 75% in favor." It is interesting how times have changes so quickly because this same article also mentions that "only 45% of people of over 55 years of age support 'homosexuality as an acceptable alternative lifestyle.'" The reason why this is interesting is that these people are the generation before us, and the percentage has gone up so much in just one generation. Another article I found interesting was this one that talked about the percentage of the population in America that considered themselves either Homosexual or Bisexual. This article was also very interesting because it showed a drastic change in numbers like the last article. This article mentioned that a book written in the late 40's proved that the percentage of gay men in America was of about 10%, whereas nowadays, the percentage in the yearly 2000's a survey showed that "the average estimates were that 21% of men are gay and 22% of women are lesbians."

Life - The Book

A topic that I believe is very interesting is the donation of blood. I think it is interesting that studies have supposedly been done on how you could get many different types of diseases from receiving blood from somebody
when you are in an emergency and need the blood to survive. I have heard that in some cases, because of the need for blood, hospitals do not always do everything that is necessary for a patient to be one hundred percent secure of any malfunctions in the transfusion of blood. It is also something that can be widely researched in a biological point of view. One thing that could be researched is the genetic information in the blood and whether or not it is healthy for someone to live off of somebody's blood. The problems with AIDS found in blood could also be researched and other things, for there are many things, that relate to genetics in the blood.


One very contravention and informative topic would be abortion. There is always new information found on abortion and there will always be that argument between sides on whether or not abortion should be legal. It is a never-ending dilemma and the information will be abundant. The genetic side of this topic could be looked at from many different perspectives and the topic could be talked about in many different ways. The focus could be on the genetics of the baby, the parents, the process. The heated arguments that people get into because of topic like this will always be around, for parenting in general is probably the most controversial topics there is. It is currently legal in the state of California for a teenager to have an abortion without her parents needing to ever find out about the pregnancy, so research could also be done on the differences and similarities between the laws on abortion here and the laws on abortion in other states.




One topic I wanted to research was the genetics in homosexuality. I have heard both that homosexuals are born that way, and that they choose to be that way. If I am able to find enough research that has already been found on this topic, I think this would be a great article to write. It is pretty silly to think about the fact that if this is a genetic trait, that would mean you get it from your parents, but not many homosexuals like to come together with someone of their same sex and have children. Another reason why this would be interesting would be because it would be a very interesting topic in the sense that it is very controversial when it comes to politics. Homosexuals are seen as minorities, and if they are choosing to be this way, then they should just accept that in society, things are not going to be the same for them, however if homosexuality could be a part of their genetic traits, and it were something that could be considered a disease, or something of that sort, it would be unconstitutional not to give these people the same rights that everybody else gets. This topic would go under the "Adulthood."

Beginning the Internship Brainstorm

The type of environment in which I would like to work is not one of the most important things on my mind, though I would like it if it were a place full of close people. I like the way the high tech high schools work because everybody knows everybody and it is kind of like a neighborhood, or maybe even a big family. I guess the size of the building doesn't really matter that much because it's more about the amount of people there. For example, the High Tech High Media Arts school is in a pretty big building, but the school is only on the third floor. I am not a big fan of technology so the amount of computers doesn't really concern me. I would prefer to work outdoors though I would not mind if I had to work indoors. Also, if I were to end up working with kids, I'm not so sure I want to work outdoors and have to keep making sure none of them wander off. The picture I have for my workplace is a small elementary school where I am happy to attend every day and am determined to help kids out.

Idea # 2 should be the type of skills you'd like to use at work. Do you want to use computer skills? Interpersonal skills? Creative abilities? Specific academic skills? Describe the types of activities you see yourself doing and the types of skills these activities require. Post a cool picture that shows these skills and abilities in action.

I am not the most patient person in the world when it comes to unexpected circumstances, but when I have time to prepare for things, I can be very patient. I am also not a big fan of computers, but I would not mind working with them once in a while.

Dying For Dixie

It is human nature for people to always want to be more powerful and they will never be at ease. Though the civil war occurred over a hundred years ago, the dispute continues. People do not seem to want the disagreements to end, for they keep contributing to the hate and the separation of people based on their race. It seems as if it were literally part of their nature as humans to want to live a life that is not at ease with it's surroundings. It seems that people are naturally drawn to having disagreements because the people of Guthrie, Tennessee cannot seem to get over their ancestors disagreements and move on with their lives. Though everyone tried to seem like they were the victim in this situation, this is not a black and white situation, and everyone is at fault.

People went about town not teaching their children about morals and respect. They had all been brainwashed by their parents and nobody was brave enough to break the cycle. These kids were not informed about what they were doing, but for some reason, someone ended up dead. They were fighting over something ridiculous because they did not even know why they were fighting. Freddy, the African-American boy who shot and killed a Caucasian boy, Michael, saw that he had a confederate flag and the only thing he knew about this flag was that he had seen it before in The Dukes of Hazard. Michael was driving in a black neighborhood on Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a confederate flag on his car, which his wife had mentioned, he only had on there because it matched his red truck.

It is obvious that these kids simply got into a nonsense fight because of their slight differences and the issue simply got out of hand. In the part where the murder happens, Freddie tells his friends that he has a gun. "No you don't" they tainted. It really seemed like none of these kids were taking any of this seriously. After this happened Freddy shot Michael and everything from there went downhill, and everybody in town was began to argue that they were the victims in the case because they "wanted justice for their people."

The Civil War Today

"Christmas trees have become popular during the 1850s and in the early 1860s since many families were beginning to decorate them. The illustrators of the weekly publications increased the popularity of the trees by illustrating decorated table-top trees in their drawings. Eventually, Christmas trees started appearing in military camps."



This article about how the American Civil War made Christmas what it is today interested me a lot because it did not seem very rational to me. The Christmas traditions have always been believed to come from Christ even if someone who was not religious celebrated Christmas. It interested me that This article argued that these popular celebrations came from the American Civil war. It made sense because he mostly argues about how it made Christmas what it is today in America, but he never says that it directly began this tradition.

The Constitution, The News & You

Jonah Goldberg's article on constitutional amendments and citizenship rights is interesting because his opinion on whether the government should be able to take away the citizenship of anybody who is born in the United States or not seems to change throughout the article. At the beginning he makes it seem like it is ridiculous to think that we have the right to change what has been written in the constitution for so many years and has worked for Americans for so many years and turn it into something else. In the middle of the article he states that it makes sense that "liberal devotees"argue that "The Founding Fathers never envisioned a world with jet planes, split atoms, stem-cell therapies, one-click porn, or MTV’s Jersey Shore." In the end he finalizes his article saying if citizens of the United States were to vote for the right to take away the citizenship of just anyone who is born in this country then maybe that is the way it should be. He mentioned that things have changed a lot since the constitution was written and people are not trying to change the constitution in a negative way that will reflect badly on the founding fathers. He mentioned that he "trusts the American people to change the Constitution when necessary (after lengthy debate) more than he trusts five out of nine unelected justices with lifetime tenure, hiding behind closed doors and away from TV cameras."

This article did not focus on the 14th amendment (citizenship rights) as much as I thought it would, but I thought it brought up some interesting points. He argued both sides of the topic which was whether or not the government should have the right to take away someones citizenship. This article was interesting to me because he seemed to have the same views as me in the beginning of the article, and though he never mentioned that he believed that the government should have the rights to take away my citizenship, he did mansion that he agreed with the decision that America made in the end, which would most likely be to take away my citizenship and get my family kicked out of this country if the economy does not improve over the next couple of years.

What Stands Out So Far?

1. The main thing that stood out to me in this project that I guess I should have seen coming since it was supposed to happen sooner or later, is that there is no teacher critique, unless we ask for it. In college, we are going to have to find out own ways to have our papers critiqued and I found it very beneficial to have our peers critique our work because it was like practice for our life after high school.

2. The thing that is working well in this class for me is the explanation. I really like how Randy elaborates on everything he has to say, and it is very easy for me to follow along with what he is saying when he give examples and asks for questions because we all know we have questions.

3. The thing I need to build on is time management, because I am taking honors courses in two classes, and my goal is to get exceeding grades and stand out to colleges and I know that by simply organizing my time and determining what is important at the moment and what is not will get me to where I want to be.

4. The main thing that I think I will try to do is to build a relationship with my teachers. I know I am going to be needed letters of recommendation soon, and if I can prove to them from the very start that I am mature and dedicated, they will help me in the long run and I will be able to get help with anything I need during a project or any type of school work I need help on.

5. My goal for the next few weeks is, first, to be able to learn to communicate with my computer partners and get help from them with the programs that I know I need help on. I also plan on finishing the book "The Scarlet Letter," because it really interested me and with outside help I will be able to write a better reflection on it with outside opinions.

American Icon

Lust, extravagance, gluttony, avarice, acedia, envy, are all upon the seven deadly sins and are some of the many things I plan on experimenting as soon as I am able to break free. The thought of getting completely forgotten by God Almighty has always terrified me, but the ungodly world around me and its entertainment will always be the forbidden fruit to me. I know I must not eat the forbidden fruit, but my unrighteous human ways will always keep me from what is right. As I grew up I was not allowed to do much. I never dressed the way I wanted. I never had my hair the way I wanted. I got older and never got to do the things I wanted. Like Madonna, I come from a very religious mother and I have an extremely limited amount of freedom. We were in the dark and wished that the light of freedom would come into our lives. Madonna was willing to take any job she could get, including nude modeling for artists, to leave the house in which she was trapped for so many years. I understand what it feels like to always be desperately trying to find something productive to do in order to get me out of this prison. Her wardrobe, like mine, consisted of a lot of very conservative clothing and she would have been neglected from her church if she would have had the freedom to dress as she chose. To think of a place where I could do as I choose, dress, act, and leave as I choose, would be to dream. The desire for such freedom is so incredibly strong that I feel that my dreams are far less limited and as long as I am not under anybody's control, the world will always be mine.

In Madonna’s video “Like a Prayer,” she parades around burning crosses in lingerie with a crucifix around her neck. She ends the video with a sensual encounter on top of a priest. After this video was released, Pope John Paul II forbade Catholics from attending any of her concerts, or listening to her diabolical music. I am not saying that my tarnished feelings for Christianity are ever going to reach this extent, but I admire her uprightness on the subject. She was never ashamed of her beliefs, and she was able to come out and say what she really felt, which has always been something that I wish to do. In 1992 she published a soft-core pornographic book presenting her in many erotic posses. This book brought her much fame and fortune, even though it was frowned upon by her upbringings. She was brave and comfortable with herself, which is very admirable, not just by me, but by many girls my age. She did not display her body for men. She enjoyed her body.

Though she has always been seen as a woman who is very comfortable with herself, she admits that she always felt very different to what other people wanted her to be, and often portrayed contradicting characters in her music videos. I feel I can identify with this because the picture my mom has in mind for my future is completely different from picture I have in mind. Madonna has a contradicting lifestyle, but for me, it is easy to relate to someone who goes from being trapped and wanting to go wild and free, and have the sky as the limit when it comes to dreaming. One day, the light of freedom will be shining down on me.

Questions About Out Writting....

1. The best part of my artist statement would be the first paragraph because it brings the reader in by using shocking words that attract. In my case, the first word I used was "lust" which I knew would make anybody want to read what the paper was about. Even though I believe that it is really important to have a good introduction to attract the reader, if the rest of the paper is not good, then working hard on a good hook is pretty much useless, so what I tried doing to keep the rest of the artist statement interesting was to always mention something new and never repeat any old information.

2.The loop, though I have not yet perfected it, has been the most helpful. Using this writing tip makes me feel like I am actually writing something worth reading. I never really thought about how much better a piece of writing would be if it ended just as interestingly as it started.

3. The most challenging part of writing my artist statement has been the part where I have to make the beginning and the end equally attractive to the reader. Organizing my paper is the most challenging part for me. My ideas are usually splattered all over the paper without any flow and making it flow and transition from one paragraph to the other.

4. Making concerts not pancakes has been challenging for me because of my lack of organization in papers. I am pretty proud of my hook because I feel like that will almost attract anybody, but I am not too happy about my conclusion. It sounds too much like a conclusion and it does not leave the reader thinking about what they read.


Concluding Paragraph:
Recently, Madonna has been focusing much of her attention to the increase in spreading of AIDS in Malawi, and has been trying to spread awareness in that matter. She was moved by a woman who had been trying to spread awareness, and is now trying to do the same and spread the word about what is going on in another place. She did not let herself completely believe that the issue was hopeless and there was nothing she could do about it, and has helped raise millions for them. She has a contradicting lifestyle, but for me, it is easy to relate to someone who goes from being trapped and wanting to go wild and free, but then realize what is most important, which is the world I live in and the people with whom I share it.

How can I make this fit in to my main idea (Freedom)?
How can I make the ending leave the reader with this essay on their mind for a while?
What should I add or remove from this paragraph?
Should I even include this in my artist statement?

Icons Loops

1. Despite what Randy said in class, I think strong language and a good use of words is a very important part of the hook in the first paragraph. Although many people could argue that sex does not sell, they would be wrong, because it does indeed sell. The very first word on my paper is "Lust." I chose to write that first because not only would it intrigue the reader and of course make him want to read on, it also introduces the reader to a small part of my big idea, which is freedom. For the last paragraph I chose to talk about why I am inspired by Madonna in a way that is not simply about her extravagance. It brought something new to the paper and it changed the course a little, which I thought might have made it more interesting.

2. My first paragraph ties into my big idea because it mainly talks about how I see myself in Madonna because of our similar upbringings and the way we view life and how it has developed our wish to have freedom in what we do and say. The last paragraph mostly shows the reader a different perspective and proves that even though Madonna has not always been seen as a role model, she is a generous person who can be admired and has used her fame and money for something that will contribute to making our world a better place.

3. My hope is that the reader will be able to identify with the paper in some sort of way. The way I see it is that I feel trapped and lost and I look up to someone like Madonna because of her courage, and what I want is for others to read my paper and get a new idea on what they think it means. It may mean something to me, but to someone else it might seem like the big idea to them is not freedom, but the identity search when it comes to religion.

American Icons & Resources

Part One:
Two things that I mentioned in my artist statement are Christianity and freedom of expression. These two things tie in very well with the main idea, which is freedom in general, but also tie in very well with each other. Christianity mainly represents the idea of an organized way of keeping people under control. That is one idea that I focus on and am against. The fact that I have been under other people's control my whole life is aggravating and makes me want to do something to take control. This is where the idea of freedom of expression comes in. Not having the freedom to do anything harmed me in the sense that I gave up trying to be happy. I did not care much for what happened to me, and I almost felt like I was going to simply give up on life. The freedom of expression that Madonna represents is very important to me because it is something that I admire.

Part Two: Resources
1. Madonna Biography #1
2. Madonna Biography #2
3. Documentary on Madonna
4. Interview with Madonna about issue in Malawi
5. Madonna's new documentary on Malawi AIDS issue

1. This biography article I found on the Internet about Madonna was helpful to me because it helped me understand her childhood better and I found other ways that I felt I connected to Madonna. Her family was exaggeratedly religious and had a strict set of rules. I knew she came from a religious background, but I did not know that it was to this extent.

2. This second article I found I mainly used to back up the information I had already received in the last article. Since I assumed there could be a couple of things in that article that were incorrect, I just wanted to have something to compare it to.

3. Though I had learned much about her childhood and lifestyle from the articles, in this documentary she spoke with her own words of what it was like to be Madonna, and what makes her what she is today. This helped me understand her better and connect what she is now to what she was growing up, and how it relates to my views of my future.

4. In this interview with Madonna, I was able to understand more about what made Madonna make the decisions she has currently been making. It helped me connect with her because even though people do not see Madonna the type of person who cares for others and tries to make a difference, it does not matter what they believe, because she is.

5. Though Madonna is not seen as the role model type of woman, in her current life she has been focusing a lot of her attention on a growing issue in Malawi with AIDS. There are many kids dying from AIDS and becoming orphans due to it, and this video proves that she is as caring as she is promiscuous.

American Icons

Ellen Degeneres represents someone who is trying to do good for the world. Many people judge her for the way she chooses to live her life, but she continues with her life trying to help people she doesn't even know. People who put other before themselves are golden and need to carry on that trait and teach that to others. That is what she does that on a day to day basis. She is very motivated by her fans and the people who write to her. Her compassion for them is what makes her act with such kindness. She is a very popular talk show hostess and millions of people from all over the United States watch her every day, appreciate and adore her loving gestures to those who are less fortunate than she is. She communicates to her audience in a way that makes them want to watch her and therefor listen to all of the very caring and important information that she has to pass on to people all over the world who understand what it is like to want love.

Madonna is not only an idol to many girls who grew up with her music, but she has become a legend due to all of her hard work, creativity and talent. Her music and fashion are two of her main motivations and her talent made her grow into the well-known artist she is today. She was known through all of the United States, and was quickly introduced to foreign countries. She was the idol of many young girls in the eighties and the girl everybody wanted to be. She began her own trend that became so popular the very styles she created has been coming in and out of our lives since the eighties. Her music is very cheerful and inspirational. She mainly focuses on boys, fashion, dancing, partying and other things of that nature, and her words were in my head as I grew up dancing and singing along to her popular music.


Cesar Chavez was like the Martin Luther King for the Mexican community of his time that was struggling with making enough money to pay for the food on their table. He was a very hard-working and brave man who anyone who is or was a son or daughter of an undocumented worker could look up to for the rights that he helped the Mexican community obtain. Cesar's main concern was for his father and everyone that he saw was working for an unfair pay. He was very selfless and never gave up, because he knew what was right, and he knew he had to do something, or no one else would. He changed the life of many undocumented workers of the United States by fighting until they were given more rights and a fair pay for the hard work that they did. Living in Logan my whole life has taught me a lot about my culture and why it is important to always be grateful for my parent's work and the work of those who helped me have a brighter future. He inspired me in many ways to help my community in any way that I can, and one of the main things that he has given me is the power to think of others before myself so that I can build a better tomorrow for those who aren't as fortunate as I am.

Blog #1

My main goal for this year is to try and get a better idea of what I want to do with my life. I've never been too sure about what I want for myself in the future, and I am hoping that this years internship will help me figure that out, or at least open my mind to other great options. I also want to do as many hours of community service as I possibly can to improve my resume. College is definitely something that I have been focusing on lately and I really hope to expand my knowledge on the subject.
In my Humanities class I hope to do more creative writing and definitely learn more about the country I live in. I come from a long line of very closed-minded people and I am determined to discontinue that. I want to be able to understand the world I live in better, and I honestly believe that knowing about our past and how we got here can help us live our lives better in the sense that we know what not to do. Another thing I would like to get out of my Humanities class is a better vocabulary. I am bilingual so neither my Spanish nor my English are at all great and that is something that I am truly ashamed of. My hope is that when I read a college or even sometimes a high school level reading book I don't have to keep referring to the dictionary.
On a more positive note, there are some things that I have learned about myself due to a certain hobby of mine that I really enjoy doing. Towards the end of Freshman year I began designing and making my own clothes. I will admit that I am not the best at it yet, but I believe that as long as I keep practicing and learning from my mistakes, I will keep getting better at it. Some things I have learned from this is that I need to constantly remind myself what my goal is in order to really finish what I start. The way I go about creating a piece that I am proud of is by not stopping, whether it is literally not taking my hands off the project, or simply concentrating and constantly thinking of how I can improve it when I am away from the project. It is just something I enjoy doing in my spare time and hope that it will some day become something that I can proudly say I am good at. That is mainly what motivates me and persuades me to always expecting excellence in the work I do.