Semester TWO, HONORS History Blog #1

Dear Mr. Obama,

It is due to unfortunate events that I write to you with an urgent matter. I need you to address many points which have seem forgotten.

Our youth has lost faith in your words. They no longer believe education is one of your priorities. Our great former President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, made drastic changes to our system, he took action within the few months after taking office. Mainly because he threaten Congress. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “I cannot go any faster than the people will let me,” I advice you to do the same. Our People are becoming outrage at the long process the Medicare Bill is taking to pass Congress, yet they don't get the blame, you do. So threaten Congress, set a conference were you demand them to pass your laws and bills. Set your standards because the people have set their own.

You have betrayed your word by sending more troops to Iraq, instead of bringing them home. The war is pointless. Waste no more money on War but on education. Rallies have been set up for March 4th, a nationwide rally protesting against budget cuts in our system. Students protesting against tuition increase in many state Universities. They want to be able to continue their education without having to make huge sacrifices. Many young students voted for you because you promised them better education and a wiser system, but you have done them wrong. Make time, save money to fund our education system. Books not Bombs.

America was founded by immigrants. We've heard this many times. It is never to be forgotten that everyone, except for Native Americans have immigrated from other countries. We have built a great nation that is worth every drop of sweat. We cannot fall after many years of greatness, not when we have made history. It is time to win our people back, to show them that you havent forgotten your roots, that you havent forgotten the struggle. Workers are a great part of this Nation, they want their voice to count. President Roosevelt created many worker organizations, I advice you to show support to these organizations, do not allow your governors to cut bugets fro schools or government agencies.

Stay strong, you will recover you followers. Keep your promise, do not be afraid of Wall Street, do not be afraid of change. Mr. President consider this humble advice, I know you will make a change.



Citations:

"The Political Scene: The New Liberalism : The New Yorker." The New Yorker. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. .

"The Test : The New Yorker." The New Yorker. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.

GREENBERG, DAVID. "Book Review - Books About F.D.R. - Review - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. .

Semester TWO, Blog #8

Compare and contrast Barack Obama and Franklin Delano Roosevelt as presidents. Be sure to cover topics such as their responses to the economy, their interactions with the American public and their relationships with other elements of the US government (feel free to write about more, too!).
Your writing should come in the form of an editorial in which you take a side—you cannot write "as you can see they are similar and different!"
Your writing should also feature direct primary-source evidence from speeches and/or writings by both BHO & FDR.

NOTE: This blog is important...if you choose not to do it, you might find yourself less prepared for the quiz on Friday.

Semester TWO, Blog #7

Predict how companies or industries similar to the one that you worked at during internship would have fared during the Great Depression. Would your company have thrived or sunk? Why?

KIPP Adelante Preparatory Academy is a charter middle school. The demographics are Hispanic, Latino, African-American a minority of Asian. If the school existed through the Great Depression, it might have sunk. The students' parents would have lost their jobs

Semester TWO, Blog #6

Choose one character from The Grapes of Wrath and list four important quotes said by or written by this character. Explain what you believe these quotes reveal about the character.

Jim Casy

"There's me with all them people's ever' time, I lay with one of them girls."

Casy was a preacher, that has since retired. He never believed he was destined to be a preacher, even though

Semester TWO, Blog #5

Media Saves the Beach

This is Dani Toscano's photo essay for Media Saves the Beach. I like this project a lot because she captures interesting objects in her images. All five pictures are well done and her writing carries a true significance of what the project was all about.

Inspiration At It’s Best

Thomas' American Icon's photo was one of my favorites. I love the angle and the perspective point in which he takes it. The sun is gleaming from under a house and the black and white effect makes it seem a burst of sun.

Media Saves the Beach

Shanna's Media Save the Beach drawing was incredible. Her point was clear and the humor was well put. She represented her ideas and the drawing captured your attention.

Photo Essay

 “All you have to do is make sure they practice, the eight graders will help them.” Ms. Luna. “They are having some trouble learning their concert songs and this will hopefully help. There is one cello, two violas and three violins. It won’t be too hard.” Mr. Duncan explained when he saw my worried expression. I am stuck with twelve students and they expect me not to worry.

They ran inside the room, threw their violins in the corner and sat down in the couches. The eight graders were right behind them, “They are going to be tough,” I said trying to stay calm. “Pick up your instruments and sit up straight,” I said with a strong voice, but the seventh graders looked at me with a puzzled face. One student in particular, his name was Alejandro; he looked at me with a daring look.

“Kimbuley, get out your viola,” Mayra said with a subtle voice. I stood behind them to make sure they are playing the correct notes. Kimbuley, another rebellious seventh grader, was a hassle; she will never obey instructions the first time. Yet it’s a matter of giving her some time to adjust to your company. “Why are you here, you don’t even play the viola,” Kim aggressively said when she saw me behind her. “It’s actually easy to play any instrument; you just need to read the music.” I told her coming around her. “Oh yeah, show me.” I didn’t react at first, then Mayra gave me her viola, I was confident because I had previously played the viola. After I demonstrated Kim my viola skills, she sat down next to me and we started playing together.

Iveth, an eight grader, knows how to handle difficult situations. Even though Alejandro was not cooperating, she never gave up on him. “Alejandro, come back and sit down!” she roared at him when he got up. He sat down, grabbed the violin and started playing. It was horrible; he played the wrong notes and bowed too hard on the strings. But slowly, Iveth helped him develop his skills. Within the first week he learned a two-minute s ong, but he had five more to go.

“There are only a few days left until they play at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, and these students are not ready.” Mr. Duncan said walking around the room. The students were working hard; I had never seen them so focused on their playing. They were finally in sync and their rhythm was flawless.

On the day of the concert they were calm. They followed directions and stayed quiet while Ms. Luna made her opening speech. You couldn’t tell they were nervous until they were called. Slowly the students got up and walked towards the stage, they walked with their heads down. They got their bows and waited for Mr. Duncan’s signal. When the first violin started bowing, the numbed sound echoed trough the Pavilion.  

Photo Essay

“All you have to do is make sure they practice, the eight graders will help them.” Ms. Luna. “They are having some trouble learning their concert songs and this will hopefully help. There is one cello, two violas and three violins. It won’t be too hard.” Mr. Duncan explained when he saw my worried expression. I am stuck with twelve students and thye expect me not to worry.

They ran inside the room, threw their violins in the corner and sat down in the couches. The eight graders were right behind them, “They are going to be tough,” I said trying to stay calm. “Pick up your instruments and sit up straight,” I said with a strong voice, but the seventh graders looked at me with a puzzled face. One student in particular, his name was Alejandro; he looked at me with a daring look.

“Kimbuley, get out your viola,” Mayra said with a subtle voice. I stood behind them to make sure they are playing the correct notes. Kimbuley, another rebellious seventh grader, was a hassle; she will never obey instructions the first time. Yet it’s a matter of giving her some time to adjust to your company. “Why are you here, you don’t even play the viola,” Kim aggressively said when she saw me behind her. “It’s actually easy to play any instrument; you just need to read the music.” I told her coming around her. “Oh yeah, show me.” I didn’t react at first, then Mayra gave me her viola, I was confident because I had previously played the viola. After I demonstrated Kim my viola skills, she sat down next to me and we started playing together.

Iveth, an eight grader, knows how to handle difficult situations. Even though Alejandro was not cooperating, she never gave up on him. “Alejandro, come back and sit down!” she roared at him when he got up. He sat down, grabbed the violin and started playing. It was horrible; he played the wrong notes and bowed too hard on the strings. But slowly, Iveth helped him develop his skills. Within the first week he learned a two-minute song, but he had five more to go.

“There are only a few days left until they play at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, and these students are not ready.” Mr. Duncan said walking around the room.

Semester TWO, Blog #4

Ampersand is coming, Ampersand is coming, Ampersand is coming!!!

I hope I can create two pieces of writing for Ampersand. It could probably be one article and one photo essay or two articles.

I hope to be useful to my teammates.

I hope that i will have fun working on this project.

My goal is to include in my writing, new writing techniques found in The Newyorker.

My goal is to help my teammates improve their writing and help them create the best piece they can make. 

My goal is to work diligently everyday and to use my time and resources wisely. 

My ambition is to create a well written, thoughtful article, one that challenges ideas.

I also want my writing to carry a new perspective of life, seen through my eyes.

 

Mentor Interview

Elena Luna

The school’s pillar teaches, helps students and continues working on her ultimate life dream.

 

A dim light shines behind Elena Luna, illuminating her right side, making her black hair glow in the darkness. She slouches forward resting her chin on her knuckles. Eyes tired but focused, reflecting the crowded computer screen. She works on a small round desk, papers scattered around and a stack of 5th grade reading books piled together. Her pencil holder carries erase board markers, and a stapler that reads “Ms. Luna”

It's no surprise she works in an almost pitch-black room; the few days I worked in her office I felt it was easier to concentrate with almost no light. Her laptop illuminates her smile, as I walk in.

Ms. Luna, my former English teacher and current Principal of KIPP Adelante, has gone far by working hard and being prepared. She says she has never wasted time and grabs opportunities as they come.

Ms. Luna started working at a paid job at the age of eleven. She has continued to balance school and work ever since. When she worked with her mom, cleaning professors’ houses, she loved cleaning an Archaeology professor's desk. It carried a variety of pictures from all the places he had traveled. There, her love for adventure and learning started.

Looking around her office, I see thank you notes from students, teachers and parents. A brown Adelante award is pinned nicely against a wall behind her. An Adelante award is given weekly to any student that has shown Teamwork, Responsibility, Achievement, and Kindness. To the side of this award, I spot her San Diego State University bachelor's degree and further up the Leland Stanford Junior University master's degree.

She walks around the school and enters a classroom to support a new member to the Adelante family, a 7th grade science teacher. When she walks she sets a strong step, her keys jingle, hanging from a Stanford key chain strapped around her neck. The jingling keys provoke a sharp sound of anxiety, letting everyone know someone important has stepped in the room. She teaches classes when needed and is always entering a classroom to make sure her students are learning. When she teaches a class, she paces around, observing students’ work over their shoulders. She jokes with the students creating a friendship.

 Ms. Luna teaches writing skills and paragraph structure to a 7th  grade class.

After a school meeting, she sits at her desk glancing at her computer screen once again. I step in to say good-bye, but she cuts my words by saying “What a day, huh?”

Without a notion we start a friendly yet respectful conversation. I pull out my recorder, trying my hardest to never leave her eyes. “I’m sure you saw the change in this class, you don’t see the person there anymore” she says pointing with her head towards an adjacent classroom. There had been a drastic change to the staff, during my stay. “These are the tough decisions I have to make because it is all about you, the students, and what is best for you as students. Even though it’s hard, I have to make the best decision for the students.”

I always carried a huge respect for her; she became the only teacher I could connect with. We have similar backgrounds and on our short daily conversations I found more things in common. Even though I have known her for years, I haven't forgotten that she is my authority and I should never disrespect her. So I stand in front of her desk, leaning into a chair trying to seem relax.

  

 “How often do you see me here, in the office, as opposed to in the classroom?

“I try not to be in the office too much because it takes away from my real job.”

 

Ms. Luna asked me if I ever wanted to teach, I realized I couldn’t answer her question and I tried to come up with an answer as I went along. “Well I want to explore different careers, so I might teach for a few years,” I said and she quickly responded, “Then you are really going to like it and never leave.” We both laughed, “Is that what happened with you,” I asked her so intrigued by her comment. “No, what I wanted to do its get to the top of the education system, where people make the big decisions that affect the whole nation, and I felt like I couldn’t be there unless I experience every step of the education system.” I nodded for a while, soaking up everything and analyzing her near future or perhaps her next step. “My goal would be to work for Washington D.C. And all the decisions they make that affect us, now I can be there and say, look this is not the right thing to do because I know first hand what that will do to students.”

For a moment I was silence, I was overwhelm by all her goals. I have always wanted to change the world, like most teenagers, but I never realized that grown-ups could also have such goals. I’ve seen people blinded by money and fame that forget they once wanted to make the world a better place. “I always have wanted to be that voice, up there at the highest level that really knows the communities, that knows the kids, that knows the teachers that these decisions will have an impact on,” she continued. At that moment I realized I was standing in front of the person who will change the education system, the person who will think of Latinos, African-Americans and immigrants when they make a decision on education. I showed my appreciation with a silent nod.

Ms. Luna, at her young age, has been a middle school principal for three years. “You are moving at a fast rate,” I mumbled.  We laughed again, she glanced at her computer and with a smile said, “You always have to be prepare, you can have luck or you can have opportunities open for you, but if you are not ready to take them, they are pointless.” Every word she said, every sentence made so much sense, I was intrigued and fascinated. I flashed back to 8^th grade, when I applied to boarding schools. I remember how excited I was to leave San Diego and start a new life, all by myself. I remembered reading my acceptance letter; the scholarship and saying “No, I don’t want to go anymore.” It was a silly decision, an opportunity I had and didn’t take advantage of, an opportunity that became pointless.

I regret this decision on some occasions, but I never regret staying here. My life and education could have been better, but when you love doing something, in my case, learning, anything is possible.

Ms. Luna is a great example of dreams that are possible. She grew up in a poor neighborhood with public schools that never cared if Latinos went to college. Yet she is a worker, a person who never gives up, even when society ignores her. She was the first of five siblings to attend a four-year university; she worked two jobs while studying to pay her way through. Right after graduating she started working and soon after she entered the Leland Stanford Junior University to receive her master’s degree. She hasn’t stopped working and she doesn’t plan to. “That’s how you move, that’s how you move fast, when you use every single bit of your time to prepare yourself.”

Semester TWO, Blog #2

A dim light shines behind her, illuminating her right side, making her hair glow in the darkness. She slouches forward resting her chin on her knuckles. Eyes tired but focused, reflecting the crowded computer screen. She works on a small round desk, papers scattered around and 5th grade reading books pilled together. Her pencil holder carries erase board markers, and a stapler that reads “Ms.Luna”

It's no surprise she works in an almost pitch black room, it was easier to concentrate with almost no light the few days I worked in that room. Her laptop illuminates her smile as I walk in.

Ms. Luna, my former English teacher and current Principal of KIPP Adelante, has gone far by working hard and being prepared. She says she has never wasted time and she grabs opportunities as they come.

Ms. Luna started working at a paid job at the age of eleven. She continued to balance school and work ever since. When she worked with her mom, she loved cleaning an Archaeology professor's desk. It carried a variety of pictures from all the places he had traveled. There, her love for adventure started.

Looking around her office, I see thank you notes from students, teachers and parents. A brown Adelante award is nicely pinned against a wall behind her. An Adelante awards is given weekly to any student that has shown Teamwork, responsibility, achievement.......
This award was probably given to her by teachers and students. To the side o this award, I spot her San Diego State University bachelor's degree and further up the Leland Stanford Junior University masters degree.

We walk around the school as she supports a new member to the KIPP family, a new 7th grade science teacher. When she walks she sets a strong step, her keys jingle, hanging from a Stanford key chain strapped about her neck. The keys provoke a sharp sound of anxiety, letting know that someone important has stepped in.

I always carried a huge respect for her; she became the only teacher I could connect with. We have similar backgrounds and on our short daily conversations I find more things in common. Even though I have known her for years, I haven't forgotten that she is my authority and I should never disrespect her.

Questions:

How can I make details better? For example, I want to create a vivid image and I can find words to portray her. Can you find any?

Can you imagine what I am describing?

I need to add quotes, how should I do that?

Does she sound important or interesting?

Is my writing organized? I don’t think it’s organized; can you help me switch things around?

Semester TWO, Blog #1

We're working on your mentor interview...

John Mayer’s Dirty mind and Lonely heart

Rolling Stones magazines does set a scene at the beginning of the article, letting you get closer to person before the interview. You can barely notice it is an interview because the author gives his own criteria about the subject, as if analyzing the character. It includes quotes from the person, but it never sets a standard format. Most interviews state a question and then the answer, while Rolling Stones includes an interview hidden within a story. 

The 32-year-old singer-guitarist admits he prefers Continuum to his 2009 disc Battle Studies (”I know that I’m supposed to say that my newest is the best one. Bullshit,” he says), that he hasn’t stopped thinking about his split with ex-girlfriend Jennifer Aniston (”I’ve never really gotten over it. It was one of the worst times of my life”) and that his sex life has become an endless loop of new girls rejecting him in clubs (”Blowing me off is the new sucking me off!”).

It contains the context the person says in the interview yet it’s cut down into smaller sentences. It maintains the original sense given a clear view of the person’s character. The interview never gets boring and the analysis you make can differentiate from the ideas of the writer creating a discussion in your mind. 

Unpromising
Everyone complains when presidents 'break promises.' But is that fair?

This article uses interviews of politics and experts on Obama's administration and his current work in the office. What I like most about this interview, is the humor in which the article is written. Politics can be boring to many people but Newsweek creates a humorous report.

"Stewart turned on the television. He tuned it to C-Span. Nothing doing. C-Span 2? Nada. What about C-Span Classic? Sorry. Not even "C-Span: English but with a Spanish Accent," it turned out, was broadcasting any negotiations. Stewart looked crestfallen. "What gives?" he whimpered."