"From Letter From Birmingham City Jail"

               This week we concentrated on letters. Letters are very personal, emotional and sent to a specific person. One of the letters we read was, "From Letter From Birmingham City Jail." The speaker of this letter is Martin Luther King Jr. He wrote it, while he was in jail. Because he was not provided with paper, he wrote on the side of the newspaper. He wrote this long letter on April 16, 1963. He had specifically written it to the writers of the newspaper article. Throughout his letter he uses many rhetorical devices. He mostly talks about segregation of the African Americans, and the brutality of the police. They are using violence against non-violent people. He believes in freedom, but getting to their goal without violence.
               Throughout the letter his tone was calm, emotional and yet encouraging. The subject of this letter was civil rights and of course freedom. Personally, I really like this letter, because I believe in equality and freedom. I believe that every person is human, and we are all the same. The skin color or physical aspect does not matter. Marting Luther King Jr. has left a huge legacy and because of him, today, African Americans get to live a normal life.

"A 20-year Survey Links Tanning BOoth Use to Skin Cancer"

       "A 20-year Survey Links Tanning Booth Use to Cancer", is an article, in the LA Times, written by Amina Khan, on October 25, 2011. It has been proven, that the more a person uses a tanning bed, the higher the risk of deadly skin cancer. Researchers from Bringham and Women's Hospital and Harvard University in Boston followed 73,494 nurses who took part in a health study from 1989 to 2009, taking note of their tanning bed habits, throughout high school and college. They also had to track the overall average usage in relation to basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Four very dangerous types of skin cancer. If they visited a a tanning booth, 4 times per year, the risk for basal and squamous cell cancer rose to 15% and the risk of melanoma rose 11%. It was proven that using tanning booths at younger age, during high school and college, had a stronger effect on cancer risk. That is why, this year the American Academy of Pediatrics sent out a policy statement that supported the banning of tanning beds for children younger than eighteen. This month, the tanning beds were banned for use by minors in California.
       I think, no one should use a tanning bed. We are told to always put sunblock on, so we do not get burned by the suns rays. Imagine lying down in a hot bed, being directly exposed to the rays. Imagine how much damage your causing to your skin. I, personally, have never gone into a tanning bed. I think it is pointless. I can just sit out for half an hour instead. I agree with the new law, because childrens' skins are very sensitive. Why would parents let them tan?

"Younger Doctors Not As Pro-vaccine As Older Doctors"

       "Younger Doctors Not As Pro-vaccine As Older Doctors" was written in the LA Times, by Shari Roan on October 20,2011. This article is talking about how, before the doctors were very enthusiastic about vaccination, but a new study shows that the younger doctors are less likely to believe in the effectiveness of vaccines. The study, done by the Infection Diseases Society of American in Boston  surveyed  551 doctors. Newly graduates from medical school were fifteen percent less likely to believe in the effectiveness of the vaccine compared to the older doctors. It is said, that maybe because the younger doctors are in a generation that did not experience measles or polio, they do not recommend the vaccines. Another major study was done in the Midwest, but this time with parents. They concluded that the reason why vaccination rates have dropped was that the parents were afraid that too many vaccines may lead to autism parents were afraid of  the side effects of too many vaccines.
         I do believe in the power of vaccines and recommend it to everyone. It is a way to prevent major diseases that may cause death. But, I believe that over time, people will start completely rejecting vaccines.



Speech Presentations

Mrs. Kirkman had given us a very interesting project. We had to choose a speech and dissect it, to find the SOAPTS, rhetorical devices, and many other things. This week, we got the chance to present our amazing PowerPoint presentations in front of the whole class. It is not as easy as it sounds. I enjoyed listening and really understanding each pairs presentation. One that really stuck in my mind was Harout's and Mike's speech project. It was on Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech about the attack on Pearl Harbor, which occurred during World War I by the Japanese army. They had started of the presentation, with a small biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt. His tone was serious, but comforting. By using the word we, and our he was relating to the whole nation. The audience were the people at the speech and all Americans around the world. Their presentation was interesting and heartfelt. Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island. They explained these few sentences. Roosevelt used parallelism ,one of the rhetorical devices, to emphasize the places Japan had attacked.

Order

          I was pretty excited to see that we had a different blog post this week. We read Benjamin Franklin's autobiography and he had a very interesting chart. He had thirteen virtues he thought would make him reach moral perfection. I truly can not understand how a seventeen year old can come up with this, because I know I was pretty surprised.
             In the beginning of the week I made a small chart, with five virtues that I, personally thought I need to work on. Procrastination, saving, silence, honesty and kindness.

1.       Procrastination-not to do finish my work at the last second

2.       Saving- to not waste money or time

3.       Silence- say something, only if it is nice

4.       Honesty- to be honest, in a nice way

5.       Kidness-try to help other people in the time of need.

 I tried procrastination for the first two days. Clearly, it did not work very well, because I am writing this blog now. Next, I tried honesty. I do not like hurting people, but it is better to hurt someone with the truth, then comforting them with a lie. So, my sister asked me how she looks (she was sick). I was honest, but I was also very nice. I guess, i did a good job and she changed her outfit. That is one thing I can cross off my list. I thought that this assignment was going to be very easy, but it is so difficult, to keep up. This made me realize, that I probably can not be perfect but I can keep on trying.

"Straw into Gold: Metamorphasis of Everyday"

          This week we also read, "Straw into Gold". The speaker is Sandra Cisneros. She is a Mexican-American writer, who explain her life and achievements. Her tone is simple and practical. Of course the audience is the reader. In her autobiography, Cisneros explains the troubles she went through, but with hard work and dedication she succeeded.
          In the beginning, we are introduced to Cisneros, as a student who is poor and living off grants. Gradually, we start to truly understand her character and her way of thinking. She was very exited to be invited to her friend's house and eat Mexican food, but she did not expect that she had to make anything. Her friends assumed, just because she is Mexican, she has to know how to cook something. She had to make tortillas. She compared making tortillas and her master's test to turning straw into gold, because she is portraying that she is given a task, that is impossible to accomplish. In her family, she was the "black sheep", but she did inherit a sappy heart from her dad and her intelligence from her mom. Finally, at the end of the autobiography, she talks about her achievements and her travels. You can turn straw into gold, but only with the help of imagination.



Order

             I was pretty excited to see that we had a different blog post this week. We read Benjamin Franklin's autobiography and he had a very interesting chart. He had thirteen virtues he thought would make him reach moral perfection. I truly can not understand, how a seventeen year old can come up with this, because I know I was pretty surprised.
             In the beginning of the week I made a small chart, with five virtues that I, personally thought I need to work on. Procrastination, saving, silence, honesty and kindness. I tried procrastination for the first two days. Clearly, it did not work very well, because I am writing this blog now. Next, I tried honesty. I do not like hurting people, but it is better to hurt someone with the truth, then comforting them with a lie. So, my sister asked me how she looks(she was sick). I was honest, but I was also very nice. I guess, i did a good job and she changed her outfit. That is one thing I can cross off my list. I thought that this assignment was going to be very easy, but it is so difficult, to keep up. This made me realize, that I probably can not be perfect but I can keep on trying.