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/>.