Current Event #9

'Nigerian girl who escaped Boko Haram says she still feels afraid'

Last month, 276 Nigerian schoolgirls were abducted from their school and herded into seven cargo trucks. Some managed to escape by making a dash for freedom. One of those girls, shared her experience and expressed her constant state of fear after the incident. She is shaken by the events that had occurred. 

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathon stated that he was worried about the abducted girls and thanked other countries that have pledged support in finding them. The Nigerian government is criticized for their lack of attentiveness after being warned prior to the abduction. Authorities knew at least four hours before the attack that Boko Haram was on their way to raid the boarding school in Chibok. Nigerian commanders say they were unable to raise enough troops to respond to the attack.  

This event can not be connected to anything we are going over in class. However, this event is in direct relation to education. Personally, I think it's ridiculous how people are being denied their right for an education. This makes me realize how much students take the education they are given for granted. There are people out there who yearn for a decent education and here we are complaining about having too much work. This makes me realize how privileged we all truly are for the education we are given every week. Our education isn't jeopardized or in danger in any way. 

When I first heard about the kidnapped Nigerian girls, my heart just shattered. There are some cruel and horrid individuals out there who believe that people should not be granted an education. Those girls who were kidnapped had their dreams and hopes of a better life deprived from them. The parents of those girls are mourning over their daughters lives. They sent their girls to school hoping that they could achieve something great. To have that stripped from them is utterly unbelievable. In addition, I think its amazing how the world is coming together to support and comfort Nigeria in the midst of this tragic event.

Throughout the article, the publisher incorporated various quotes to depict the catastrophic events that took place in Nigeria. By doing so, readers are left startled by the course of events that had occurred. The girl who shared her experience was quoted in the article to give readers direct evidence of how the event has effected the nation. The girl stated, "I feel afraid" (Elbagir). As readers read this they could sympathize with the girl sharing her experience. She is scarred by this event and still feels afraid of what may happen to her. Another quote from Nigerian Defense Minister Musiliu Olatunde Obanikoro stated, "It is a very painful period for all of us" (Elbagir). This adds to the appealed reaction of the entire article. The quotes incorporated gave the reader direct evidence of the effect this tragic event is having on those in Nigeria.   

Elbagir, Nima.  "CNN exclusive: Nigerian girl who escaped Boko Haram says she still feels afraid."  CNN.  CNN Newsource, 11 May 2014.  Web.  11 May 2014.  <http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/11/world/africa/nigeria-escaped-schoolgirl-speaks/index.html?hpt=hp_t1>.

jean-pierre jeannin.  "Nigeria".  Photograph.  Flickr, 29 Jan. 2008.  Web.  11 May 2014.  <http://www.flickr.com/photos/9539183@N06/2228646406>.

Current Event #8

Teen Girl Killed At High School On Prom Day

Sixteen year old Maren Sanchez was attacked and killed in a school stairwell the day of her prom. Authorities say that Sanchez was slashed in her neck, chest, and face. Though the motive of the attack is under investigation, police are looking into rumors circling the school that she was brutally attacked by her ex who had been angry at her for declining his invitation to go to prom together. The alleged attacker was taken out of school, and is being held in a local medical care facility with a pending murder charge. Due to this tragic event, the school postponed their prom. On Instagram, classmates in prom attire posted pictures of them holding Sanchez's green prom dress, paying their respect to her.

One of the the main themes of the Shakespearean play, A Midsummer Night's Dream is foolishness and folly. In the play, characters are driven to do foolish things in the name of love. Maren Sanchez's alleged attacker is rumored to have performed his atrocious act of lethal slashing, out of anger, after Sanchez declined to go to prom with him. The senseless slaughter of young Maren Sanchez perfectly reflects the theme of foolishness and folly in Shakespeare's play.

Personally, I think that this should be a wake up call for every school. In this article raises the issue of school safety. The tragedy of young Maren Sanchez is one of many accounts of school violence. One such incident is the Sandy Hook tragedy. A lone gunman walks into an elemntary school and kills twenty-six people, including 20 children. Recently, I have heard of a mass stabbing taking place in a school hallway. Recalling this incident, along with many other incidents reveals that school violence is becoming an issue. We must take action to ensure the safety of students on campus.

The central idea of the passage is the slashing of a young innocent teenage girl. The first sentence of the article states," A 16-year-old Connecticut high school student suspected in the slashing death of a classmate was under emergency commitment at a medical facility, his lawyer said Saturday" (Jakobsson). This introduces the idea of the slashing by stating what condition the suspect is being held in. The article continues to discuss how the school, along with the young girl's friends and family, is reacting to this loss. The central idea of the article is wrapped up with the final statement, "We need to ensure that more young children are protected from violent attacks at school" (Jakobsson).

Jakobsson, Lena and Botelho, Greg.  "Lawyer: Connecticut School slaying suspect under emergency
commitment."  CNN.  CNN Newsource, 27 Apr. 2014.  Web.  27 Apr. 2014. <http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/26/justice/connecticut-school-assault/index.html?hpt=hp_t2>.

Moreira-Yeoell, Solange.  "Shirley High School Prom Night 2009."  Photograph.  Flickr.  Yahoo, 25 June 2009.  Web.  27 Apr. 2014.  <http://www.flickr.com/photos/solamore/3662992044/in/photostream/>.

Current Event #7

Interactive Art Installation Allows Public To 'Paint' Vancouver Skies

Those who attended the 30th anniversary of the Technology, Entertainment & Design Conference in Vancouver, Canada, were privileged to see a giant art display called 'Skies Painted With Unnumbered Sparks'. During the day the display almost blended in with the city's blue skies. At night, the display transformed into a canvas of multiple designs and colors. The canvas spanned at about 745 feet, which is almost half the size of the main section of New York City's Brooklyn Bridge. 

The designs that were designed in the beautiful canvas were not created by artist, but by visitors. The awesome art display was made possibly by Janet Echelman and the help of Google's Inc.'s lab artist Aaron Koblin and his team. Visitors were asked to log into a special website that allowed them to select a color and then finger paint their artwork. As the visitors would paint, their artwork would instantaneously reflect on the giant canvas above. It was possible for hundreds of people to paint at the same time, causing an array of colors and designs.

This art display seems really cool. It looks like a huge colorful constellation. I think its a really creative idea to have visitors interact with the display and be able to add their own artwork to the canvas. It must have taken a lot of hard work and determination to create something so amazing! I wish I could be as artistic and creative as the artist who created this. I would love to go to Vancouver, Canada and encounter this beautiful sight.

This could be connected to the drawings we are making with our Russian literature. The artwork that we are creating is nowhere close to as astonishing as this, however. We have to put our creativity into our drawings, though. I'm not very artistic, but I could be creative.

The heading of the article says, "Interactive Art Installation Allows Public To 'Paint' Vancouver Skies" (Liu). By using this heading, the author captures readers attention. In the heading, the author put quotation marks around paint. which hints that the public is not literally painting the skies. This makes the reader curious and wanting to read more on how the public could paint the skies. As readers read they are informed that "with the help of a special website and some finger painting skills", the public can paint the canvas above them (Liu). The heading impacts the readers desire to read the article, leaving them interested in the topic.


Liu, June.  "Interactive Art Installation Allows Public To 'Paint' Vancouver Skies."  Dogonews.  Dogo Media, 13 Apr. 2014.  Web.  13 Apr. 2014.  <https://www.dogonews.com/2014/4/13/interactive-art-installation-allows-public-to-paint-vancouver-skies>.

Dooley, Kevin.  "Christmas #25."  Photograph.  Flickr.  Yahoo, 18 Dec. 2008.  Web.  13 Apr.  2014.  <https://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/3121844717/in/photostream/>.

Current Event #6

School bans girl who shaved head to support friend

Delaney Clements is young girl who is battling cancer. After reclining chemo therapy all of her hair had fallen out, leaving her bald. To support her friend, Kamryn Renfro, shaved her head. However, Kamryn's in Colorado suspended her from school because the haircut violated the school's dress code. The dress code is said to be designed to to promote uniformity and a non-distracting environment.The school said she must stay at home until her hair grows back out. Kamryn's mother posted on Facebook that it is clearly stated in the school's handbook that students may not have shave heads. She never thought her 9-year old daughter would do something as courageous as this. After being bombarded with feedback from parents across the county, school officials at Kamryn's school decided to allow her to come to school, even while flaunting a shaved head.  

The situation that young Kamryn Renfro is in, is similar to the situation Antigone finds herself in after burying Polyneices. Both believe that they have done nothing wrong, but others say otherwise. They are both punished for what they have did. What Kamryn did was brave and courageous. Antigone actions were also brave and courageous. 

I don't understand why Kamryn was suspended from her school for simply trying to support her friend with breast cancer. I'm sure her shaved head was not causing any commotion at the school or done any harm to anybody. I understand that it is against the school's rule, however, her suspension was unnecessary. The rule itself is questionable. How is a shaved head distracting to others? The little girl shaving her head was her way of being there for her friend. Instead of immediately suspending her, school officials should have examined the circumstance. 

"School bans girl who shaved head to support friend." Tweentribune. Concordia University, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. <http://tweentribune.com/tween56/school-bans-girl-who-shaved-head-support-friend>.

maf04. "Breast Cancer Awareness." Photograph. Flickr. Yahoo, 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 30 Mar. 2014 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/13323015@N00/6237594287>.

Current Event #5

Marathon Spelling Bee Finally Has A Winner

In February, a spelling bee that was held between two Kansas City area students, Kush Sharma and Sophia Hoffman,  ran out of words after the two students continuously went without misspelling any words. The marathon spelling bee finally came to an end after 29 more rounds when Sophia Hoffman misspelled the word "stifling". After Sophia Hoffman misspelled the word given to her, there was a lengthy break to listen to the audio of the round and verify that Sophia had heard the word correctly.

In the 29th round Kush was given the word "definition" to spell. After given the word, he promptly spelled it correctly and won the bee. Kush is now going to move on the the National Spelling Bee in Washington,  in May. Sophia is excited for coming so far in the spelling bee and hopes to compete again next year. Kush said he, too, would compete again.

This spelling bee event could tie in with the stem words we have. Spelling the words isn't that difficult for me, though. The definitions are hard to memorize. I think that its crazy that the first spelling bee that was held ran out of words. I think that Sophia should still win something for doing such a great job and coming so far. This is the first time anything like this has ever happened. The word "stifling" doesn't even seem like a difficult word to spell. I feel sorry for her, since she came so fare and got defeated by a word as simple as "stifling". Especially since Kush was given the word definition right afterwards.

By using quotations throughout the article, the author gives direct evidence of how the students felt about the prolonged spelling bee. It states in the article that both students became close friends through the journey. Kush stated in the article, "I was pretty sad when [Sophia] got [a] word incorrect...[however,] that's the game...it's going to come down to one person, whether you're friends or not." (Draper). By adding this quotation the author, showed directly how Kush felt about the competition coming to an end, with him being the winner. 

Draper, Bill.  "Marathon Spelling Bee Finally Has A Winner."  Tweentribune. Concordia University, 13 Mar. 2014.  Web.  16 Mar. 2014.  <http://tweentribune.com/teen/marathon-spelling-bee-finally-has-winner>. 

Somthingstartedcrazy.  "Spelling bee."  Photograph.  Flickr.  Yahoo, 20 Jan. 2008.  Web.  16 Mar. 2014 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/somethingstartedcrazyy/2207832497/in/photostream/>.

Current Event #4

Cute Circuit Debuts Wearable Technology

CuteCircuit, a company well known for light-up designs, have came up with 'wearable technology'. Stars like Nicole Scherzinger and Katy Perry have been seen proudly showing off this new creation. CuteCircuit has received some public recognition and got the opportunity to debut its wearable technology at The New York Fashion Week. The New York Fashion Week was the first time wearable technology has been featured on a runway at a major international fashion week.

Each outfit has some type of technology that is built into it. A plain-looking skirt could be transformed into a unqie piece of clothing with a live video feed featuring a tiger. Another dress could have the illusion of it erupting in flames, similar to the dress worn by Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. In addition, there were shirts with live tweets and even the world's first interactive handbag. Some dresses had LED's embedded inside. CuteCircuit's technology allows the wearer to be in full control of when to shine. This allows the outfit to be both for a serious day at work or for a night out with some friends. 

On the runway, CuteCircuit also demonstrated their HugShirt. It allows people from two locations to send and receive hugs. The shirt has built -in sensors and actuators, which allows it to have the sensation similar to that of a real hug. In order for a hug to be sent both participants must use Bluetooth technology. The receiver could either own a HugShirt or have it sent to them using a special computer software. 

I think that this is really cool and creative. I would love to own an article of clothing from CuteCircuit's wearable technology. Technology is being incorporated into various aspects of our daily lives and it's really advancing. The only problem I see with there being built in technology inside an outfit is the risk of electrocution. What if someone gets stuck in the rain by accident and end up being electrocuted? Also, I'm not exactly sure how the HugShirt really works, but I think its kind of weird. I don't think that a shirt could ever imitate the sensations of a hug. It just wouldn't feel the same. It's a really cool concept, but it could never stand in the place of a real hug.

I can't really connect this to what we're doing in class since we're talking about the Holocaust. However, I remember that during freshmen year we discussed a lot about technology. We even created technology current events. Technology is really advancing. Lately, there has been a lot of inventions and creations involving technology. Wearable technology never crossed my mind, that's why its such a unique and creative creation. 

The author uses promotive language throughout the entire article to advance her point of view. The author states in the first sentence of the article, "CuteCircuit, a company known for its exquisite light-up designs dubbed 'wearable technology', has slowly but surely, been making its way into the mainstreammarket" (Liu). The word exquisite describes to readers how admirable this new line of fashion is, which advances her point of view. In another sentence the author describes the creation as, " haute couture" (Liu). Describing it in such a manner furthers the authors point of view that CuteCircuit  is the most fashionable design out there. 

Liu, June.  "Cute Circuit Debuts Wearable Technology At New York Fashion Week."  Dogonews.  DOGO Media, 2 Mar. 2014.  Web.  3 March 2014.  <https://www.dogonews.com/2014/3/2/cute-circuit-debuts-wearable-technology-at-new-york-fashion-week>

Art Comments.  "Miss Sixty Fall 2007 New York Show."  photograph.  Flickr.  Yahoo, 1 Feb. 2007.  Web.  3 Mar. 2014.

Holocaust

Nazi Medical Experiments

At the time of the holocaust, many German physicians performed painful and deadly experiments on many concentration camp prisoners. The medical experiments that were conducted could be separated into three categories. The first category were experiments designed to assist the survival of Axis military personnel. To measure the highest altitude from which troops of damaged aircraft could parachute to safety, physicians in Dachau performed high-altitude experiments, using a low pressure chamber. In addition, many prisoners became victims of freezing experiments aimed towards finding a treatment for hypothermia. Prisoners were also used to test methods of making seawater suitable for drinking. 

The second category of experimentation was directed towards developing and testing medications and treatment procedures for injuries and illnesses.Scientist tested immunization mixtures and sera for the prevention and treatment of contagious diseases such as, malaria, typhus,tuberculosis, typhoid fever, yellow fever, and contagious hepatitis. Prisoners were exposed to phosgene and mustard gas in order to test possible remedies.

The third category of medical experiments were performed to improve the racial and visionary principle of the Nazi worldview. The most widely known of these experiments is that of Josef Mengele at Auschwitz. Josef Mengele performed experiments on twins. Mengele, along with some others, conducted serological experiments on Gypsies, in order to form a conclusion on how different "races" combated infectious diseases. The research was intended to recognize Jewish inferiority.

Those that the Nazi leaders considered to be racially or genetically undesirable were put through countless amounts of horrendous experiments, among these were sterilization experiments. Scientist tested their methods in their attempt to form an efficient and inexpensive technique for mass sterilization.


Raymond, Nicolas.  "Caduceus Grunge Symbol."  Photograph.  Flickr.  Yahoo, 24 April 2013.  Web.  20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/80497449@N04/8677835416>

"Nazi Medical Experiments."  USHMM.  United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 10 June 2013.  Web.  20 Feb. 2014.  <http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005250>.