Social Action #2: Write a Poem

A life beyond my own
A life of nothing, yet they are still here
Their few coins hit their old paper cups
For just one meal they beg and plead
On plastic crates that no-one needs

Tattered clothing on bodies thinned
As they turn invisible to but a few
The few that stop and drop a couple cents
Then go on their way
And forget about that person who will sit through the cold night
Without a care as they shiver in the rain

Stuck in a circle
No way to get out
Beg, buy, eat until they die
Some in shelters
Others on the street
Hoping and praying for a fresh day

Extra Credit: Poem

A freedom between two worlds
A song connecting them without bonds
A hope keeping the light on
A light shinning down
A dancer stops and bows

Extra Credit: Poem

Sounds of sorrow
Joined by the winds soft cries
Sad as the night

A faint glimmer appears through the dark
A circle strong
Strong with light
Living for life
Life for the light
The light that stands strong

Social Action: Media Project

After looking at the problems going on in our world, I was surprised. In my small sheltered world, I never thought twice about issues such as those that I read about in the New York Times. The people who were going through these problems seemed so far away; it was almost like nothing had ever happened.

After being immersed in issues for five days, these issues seem closer to home. I can now understand exactly how and why our world is far from perfect. I could never picture the population of my school dropping by 500 students because of economic difficulties in Millinocket, Me, or being put in a situation where people think it is okay to mock me. Both of those issues appeared during this project.

This project has greatly changed my views on the world. The world is bigger than my small corner of Brooklyn. The world contains problems that target everyone. The world is far from the safe place that I've grown up in.

October 27th, 2010:
In the tiny town of Millinocket, Me, the economy has gone way down because of the closing of the local paper mill. The local high school, desperately looking for students, has decided to seek students from China. The school has decided to charge the Chinese students $27,000 for tuition, board, and meals. The principle Kenneth Smith hopes that this will get the school and town back on track.

In ten United States prisons it was found that the prisoners were forced to handle toxic medals. However, the illnesses in the prisons couldn't directly be traced to the toxic medals. Critics such as the Basel Action Network still are pointing their finger's though because of a study in 2003 that showed that the work done in prisons links to the inmates sicknesses.


October 26th, 2010:
Papua New Guinea is having an oil pipe put through it by Exxon Mobile. People feel like it might ruin the country's unique culture because of all of the money that would be made. There are some benefits though. Papua New Guinea has almost no law enforcement. They would be able to prevent some of the fighting going on within the country with the money made.

In Tijuana the drug wars seemed to be slowing down, but on October 24th 14 people were killed at a rehabilitation clinic. This is bad for the city because their economy was rising as result of the drug wars slowing down. Many people fear that these killings will turn people away from the city again.


October 25th, 2010:
In China a rights activist was jailed for his writings. The organization Freedom Now is fighting for his freedom. They said that it would be good for China to promote the changes the country has made recently.

China won't let it's currency rise. This issue has been hurting the economies of other countries because China has been becoming richer as other countries let their dollar be worth more. At a meeting in South Korea between the countries with the highest economies in the world, the United States pushed, and gained many supporters for their cause.


October 24th, 2010:
A news reporter got fired because he said that he feels uncomfortable when someone who looks Muslim boards a plane that he is on. After getting fired he quickly got a contract with Fox News. Many people were curious about how things would have been if he had said a similar thing about gays. Because many people are openly gay, there is more or less an acceptance of them. It is thought that if he had put down gays, he might not have even gotten a contract with the conservative Fox News.

In Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, an armed gang invaded a house and killed 13 people who were celebrating the birthday of a 14 year old. At first it was thought that this attack was related to the drug wars, but it was apparent that none of the family was related to anything. Cuidad Juarez is becoming one of the most violent cities in the world.


October 23, 2010:
In Haiti, there has been an outbreak of the deadly disease cholera. 150 are dead from it. The cholera is spreading quickly because many people are crammed together because of the earthquake that happened in January. Doctors think that it has been caused by the dirty water that people have been drinking so water cleaning machines were sent to limit the outbreak.

Bank of America has been sued because of unnecessary foreclosures. Apparently most of them have been from bad loans that the bank has made. Some of the foreclosures that were unnecessary had no paper work that said that it was okay to take back the house.

Entry #8: Reflection on Mother to Son by Langston Hughes

"Life for me ain't been no crystal stair"

Life is full of challenge. For the "mother" in the poem, her life is far from perfect. It is full of "tacks and splinters" for her to wade around. The  message that Langston Hughes creates, talks about the "mother's" life, as well as the life of anyone who is going through a rough time.

When people are struggling they are tempted to give up on wading around "tacks and splinters", or barriers. The "mother" is like a mentor, leading people, and keeping them moving. She has done something that few people can do: keep a positive attitude.

This poem teaches us to never stop trying to reach the top of the stairs. If I said that what was at the top of the stairs is better than what people already had, I would be saying that the grass is greener on the other side, which is not true. Mother to Son has the opposite message. This poem says to enjoy getting past each challenge and go on with life; just don't turn around or get scared away. In other terms, live life to it's best and fullest.

Life isn't a crystal stair for me nor the people who claim to have perfect lives. Perfect doesn't exist, but determination does. Have a goal but don't let it ruin you.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Appreciation

   In 1950, C.S. Lewis created: four children, a magical wardrobe that leads to a magical land, and a humongous house owned by a mysterious man; better known as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

        "It was the sort of house that you
        never came to the end of, and it
        was full of unexpected places." p.6

   The Professor's house is truly mysterious. There are so many rooms that aren't used, and so many unusual objects. The most unusual- the wardrobe itself.

   Four siblings, Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter are sent to live in the house of the mysterious Professor. In that house they find a wardrobe. The wardrobe leads the children to the land of Narnia. With the company of two beavers and the powerful lion king Aslan, they embark on a quest to defeat the evil White Witch who has taken over Narnia.
   The children are successful and become kings and queens of Narnia. They rule Narnia for many years, but in the end they return to the human world.

   In Narnia their are many mysteries. They are what hook the reader. The reader has no choice but to read on to figure out the source of them. For example, when Tummus started crying when Lucy tried to go home, I wanted to know what had happened. I made a note asking whether Lucy had opened up an old wound. As I continued to read, I found out that Tummus was allied with the White Witch. Throughout the story, many other mysteries occur. Edmund is one of the biggest of them all. He can't quite choose a side. One minute he is trying to defend the White Witch, and the next is spent fighting with her. Another mystery is the house of the Professor. It is humongous, and contains the wardrobe.

   Narnia itself is a mystery. It is a land full of magic ruled by a lion. Sometimes Aslan can't overpower the Witch, but sometimes the White Witch is an easily-gotten-rid-of annoyance. The mystery is why this happens. It could be the mystery of the Professor's house leaking into Narnia; or it could be the magic of Narnia leaking into Professor's house. Either way the connection of the two cannot be described in more depth than a mystery.

   Throughout my life I have worshiped the responsibility of Susan, the bravery of Peter, the determination of Lucy, and the important lessons that Edmund learns along with the Witches true colors. The children are my friends, and every time I reread The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe our friendship strengthens.

   The mystery of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has made each experience reading it fresh and unique because there is always a new mysterious adventure through Narnia just beyond the front cover. The book itself is quite a mystery.

Entry #7: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe- Reaserch on C.S. Lewis

   To start this essay, I Googled "C.S. Lewis". Tons of websites and blogs about him popped up. I clicked on one and read the top paragraph. It was about how great C.S. Lewis was. It was the same for all of the next few websites. I got interested in what they had to say. I have loved The Chronicles of Narnia all my life, but had no idea how much people had actually appreciated it's author. I got this quote from this website.

For more than fifty years, the world C. S. Lewis created in Narnia has captured our hearts and imaginations. Both children and adults have discovered that rereading the books leads to entirely new experiences and insights. In the midst of these breathtaking stories of adventure, betrayal, and discovery in a magical land are profound messages about the true meaning of life.

   I thought that this quote is a good summary of why I re-read and re-read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe again and again.
   On some other websites, I found lists of essays by C.S. Lewis. I decided to read the essay The Necessity of Chivalry. I was amazed at the ideas that C.S. Lewis wrote about. He wrote about the different form of chivalry: giving a woman a seat on a train, or fighting in the army. I looked up the dictionary definition of chivalry on the Merriam-Webster online dictionary and came up with a gallant or distinguished gentlemen.
   After reading The Necessity of Chivalry, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I can see a connection between the two. C.S. Lewis shows chivalrous characters in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Some examples are The Professor and Aslan. Both are wise and brave. By choosing such wise characters to be chivalrous was a way of saying that great people and creatures are chivalrous; so chivalry is good.
   For my final segment, I read C.S. Lewis's Obituary. I defiantly agree with the author when he said:

"Clive Staples Lewis had a natural literary gift."

   His stories ans essays have made an amazing impact on many people's lives. Although his most famous books are fantasy, they capture real life. The characters are real people that are almost friends to me. I will never forget the first time I truly read The Chronicles of Narnia. I remember walking through the wardrobe myself.

Entry #6: A Note in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

    In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I noticed that Edmund has a theme of betrayal. First he betrays Tummus by telling The White Witch about him helping Lucy, then he betrayed Lucy by telling Susan and Peter that Narnia was just a game, and thirdly he betrayed his family and Aslan by slipping off to the Witch.
   I did not noticed this when I was younger, but something is up with Edmund. He is young and innocent to most people, but to me he was a little shady from the beginning. He never paused before putting someone down. That is partly what lead him to the unforgiving White Witch.
   Even though Edmund talked to Aslan, that doesnt mean that he won't break his word. Aslan has a power over most creatures, but Edmund's connection to The White Witch might have affected that power.
   Although Edmund isnt a very likeable character, and has made mistakes that have threatened people's lives, he made a big impact on the fate of Narnia. If he hadn't told The Witch about Aslan being in Narnia, or about Tummus sparing Lucy, the story would have a different ending. All of the Narnians would go on with their lives in winter with no Christmas. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, would go on with their lives with The Professor.
   This shows that characters can be heros for a mistake that they made. Edmund made the mistake of betrayal. Because of his betayal, Narnia was emancipated from The White Witch's power of winter.
   In real life, this shows that people should be forgiven for their mistakes. Forgiving people could make an important change in both of your lives. It might not be as important as saving a world, but it wouldn't be worth missing out on it to hold a useless grudge.