For this project we had to conduct an experiment about how the public reacts to someone breaking a norm. We created a video we displayes how people react to deviant behavior. We had many different options to chose from, such as staging a fight to kayaking in a water fountain. We chose to see how people react to someone dancing in a restaurant.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Resource Management Project
Project Description: For this project we had to choose a resource which we believed was being mismanaged or exploited in the world. We had to research the causes to the probelm and also come up with our own solution to solve the issue. This project had three main components which were a research paper, a letter to an elected official, and an abstract. We also had to present about our issue infront of an audience during exibition night.
Abstract:
The resource that is being exploited is forests in Madagascar. Currently there are many causes to why so many forests are being cut down such as for logging, fuel wood and charcoal production, and slash and burn agriculture. The largest contributor of deforestation has been the slash and burn agriculture. Slash and burn is the process of converting rainforests into rice fields. This is usually down by cutting down an acre of trees, setting fire to them, and then planting rice. There have been laws in Madagascar against slash and burn agriculture since the late 19th century created by the French colonists, but as industries and demand increased it became very hard to enforce these laws. Another law that has been created is to stop logging for timber in protected areas. Illegal logging is difficult to enforce, and also becoming a significant problem because of the high amounts of money loggers can earn on the international market. These laws were developed in order to protect and the forests of Madagascar, and also to help control the amount of forests destroyed/conserved each year. The only way to stop the deforestation going on in Madagascar is to increase the amount of enforcement. In recent years with the election of new Malagasy president Ravalomanana, environmental issues have improved, but because Madagascar’s economy is in such bad shape, it will need international help in order to stop deforestation. My solution is to write a letter to a member of congress and also to educate and inform members of our society by having a rally and passing out pamphlets.
Letter to Senator:
Hello, my name is Leila Shirey and I am a senior at High Tech High International. Environmental issues are something I care deeply about because I have a lot of love and respect for nature and animals. Currently the issue of deforestation is a growing issue affecting many countries especially Madagascar.
Deforestation in Madagascar is a very dire issue. It is estimated that 90% of the rainforest in Madagascar are already lost, and if nothing is done about the amount of trees being cut down then all of the rainforests will be gone within the next 40 years. Also because Madagascar is an island that is isolated from other countries it is home to many endemic species that are found nowhere else in the world. This issue is not something that can be put off or ignored, because if it is, both the animals and rainforests in Madagascar will go in extinct. Since Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, and also relies on the resource of rainforests for their economy, there is not much the Malagasy government can do to solve this problem.
That is why Madagascar needs international help so that it can have a stable economy and also preserve its rainforests. America needs provide aid to the Malagasy government so that in return for our money they can save their rainforests. The U.S. government should do a better job of educating the American people about our environmental issues so that we are not left ignorant about what is happening in our world. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and listen to my opinions.
Sincerely,
Leila Shirey
Short Story
For this project we had to write a five page creative story about the drug we researched. The drug that I researched was cocaine. The story also had to incorporate our research and explain why people choose to do this drug.
Creative Story
Growing up in a small town in Georgia I always had big dreams of going to Hollywood and becoming an actress. I didn’t want to live a normal life; work a 9 to 5 job, settle down, get married, have kids, it all seemed so boring to me. I was dying to escape the boring town I had lived all my life, but most importantly I wanted to do something I loved and something people would remember me for, I didn’t want to live and die and be forgotten. I never got to meet my mother because she passed away before I was two years old. I wish I could remember her, but all I have are pictures and stories that my older brothers would tell me about her. My father always used to say she was the most beautiful girl in the whole town, and she was different than anyone he had ever met. She wasn’t afraid of anything and she lived every moment of her life to the fullest. They met when my father went to a play in New York saw her acting as the lead role. They lived together for a few years in New York, but after my mother became pregnant they decided to move back to my father’s home town in Georgia because it would be a better, safer place to raise a family. My mother always said she would go back to New York and act again, but she never did. I guess this was because she had to take the responsibilities of raising my two older brothers and I, while my dad working. Even though she would come off happy to other people, my father knew she was secretly sad and regretted the decision to give everything up to become a stay at home mom. She had lost the passion had once had for life, because she wasn’t doing what truly made her happy, which was acting in front of an audience. She was always a smoker, but the stress of raising children at such a young age caused her to smoke more and more heavily. When she found out she was pregnant a third time with me she had to quit smoking but this time she began to feel sick and had a very bad cough. She was diagnosed with lung cancer before I was even born. She became really sick and died a few years later of lung cancer. She named me Vivien after her favorite actress, and since I was young I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps, except I wanted to move to California instead of New York, and be in Hollywood films instead of Broadway plays.
My father and I never really got along because we were so different. He never encouraged me or my siblings to do well in school or try to go to college and make something of ourselves. Instead he asked us stay home to work for him at the family business. Even though my older brothers were ok with this I always hated working at the store. I started working there when I was fourteen and since then I’ve saved every penny I’ve earned. I’m going to be 20 years old in a few weeks, and I finally have enough money to buy a car and move to California. When I first told my family I was moving to California they told me I was making a big mistake and that I was being crazy and stupid for wanting to leave. But I just told them the same thing; that I couldn’t understand how anyone who wasn’t crazy would want to stay here. They told me I’d be back after a month of living on my own. As for my friends they would smile and say encouraging things, but I could see through the fakeness and I knew they weren’t really taking me seriously either. But even though they didn’t believe in me, I did, and that was enough.
The day after I turned twenty years old I packed up all my stuff, which wasn’t a lot, and started my drive to California. As I passed by my Town’s sign I didn’t feel the fear or sadness that I was expecting to feel. Even though I had always dreamed of leaving, it was a big step and I thought when I actually did leave I would feel a little afraid but I had never felt more happy and free. As I drove away from my small town and onto the freeway I felt so happy and excited about my life. I felt a sense of calm as looked outside the window. It was a beautiful April day, the sun was shining and there wasn’t one cloud in the sky. It was going to be a long trip, but sense I had so much on my mind time seemed to go by quickly and soon enough the sun was going down. As I stopped at a hotel to get some sleep I thought about how I would be in Los Angeles in just a few days. Now that it was actually happening it seemed unreal. I had spent the whole day driving and felt exhausted as I feel asleep I thought of my mom and wondered if she would be proud I was following my dreams to become an actress just like her when she was my age.
I woke early the next morning and started to drive. I couldn’t believe that I would finally be in California in a few hours. I listened to radio and thought about everything in my life leading up to now, and I felt like everything that I had always waiting for was finally happening. The sun was starting to set as I finally got off the freeway. Los Angeles was everything that I had always pictures, it looked just how it did in the movies. As I drove I couldn’t stop staring out the window, everything was so different. As the sun was setting the sky turned a bright yellow-orange color and I could see shadowed palm tree outlines in the distance. As I drove by Hollywood boulevard I looked outside to see tons of people walking through the streets. There was a different energy in the air, and everything felt so much more alive than the quiet boring town that I was so accustomed to. I felt like I was not just in a new city, but a completely new world. I thought about everyone in my town and I couldn’t understand why everyone was so against me leaving, until I realized that maybe they were just being bitter and were just jealous that I had the courage to take a risk and move to Los Angeles on my own. I felt proud of myself, because I had finally gone against the norm of my small town and did what I truly wanted to do, even though everyone had doubted me. For the first time in my life I went to bed that night feeling like I had found a place where I belonged, and I never wanted to go back to my old life.
The next day I woke up excited and ready for my audition. As I was driving there I was surprised about how relaxed I felt, instead of the nervousness I had expected to feel. When I walked into the room I saw three people sitting at a table all with kind smiles. There were two women in about mid thirties, and also a handsome looking man who looked to be about 25 at the most. He asked me a lot of questions about myself and my acting experience and then asked me to read aloud a monologue. I was feeling very confident and I delivered the monologue perfectly without stumbling or mispronouncing any words. After I was done I looked up to see three smiling faces which made my heart beat even faster because they genuinely seemed impressed. After leaving the audition I walked away feeling happier than i had ever felt in my life. I knew I was closer to making my dreams come true, and I couldn’t wait to prove everyone who doubted me wrong. As I walked down the alley way to my car I heard someone say my name.
“Vivien!”
I turned around to see it was the handsome talent scout whose name I couldn’t remember.
“Hi” I said somewhat surprised
“Hi” he said as he walked closer and then smiled.
“I just wanted to tell you that you did really well today, and you’ve got something special about you, I know you’ll do well in this industry.”
“Oh thank you so much” I said. I tried to find something else to say but I couldn’t even think for a moment because of all the happiness I was feeling.
“Well I’m actually meeting some of my friends at a night club tonight. I could introduce you to a few other people in the film industry.” He said
“Yeah sure! That would be really great. I said excitedly
“Okay cool, I’ll meet you there around 9 okay?”
“Yeah I’ll be there, thanks!”
I spend the rest of the day shopping and getting ready to go out. My mind doesn’t stop racing, and it hard to believe all of the good things that have happened, and how quickly too. The negative part of me says to not get too excited so that I don’t get my hopes up, and that maybe this is all too good to be true. But I don’t listen and instead dream of the future, where I’m rich, famous, and happy.
“I’m always late I think to myself” as I’m rushing out of my apartment. When I arrive at the night club I see a huge line. I wait impatiently in line and look around to see the talent scout whose name I still don’t know. As I’m waiting in line I look towards the front and see people walking around in the entrance of the club. Then to my surprise I see someone looking back at me and we make I contact. “It’s him!’ I think excitedly. He walks over to one of the security guards and points right at me and whispers in his ear. The large security guard nods his head and walks over to me. He tells me that I’ve been invited to the VIP section of the club and he escorts me through the side door of the club. I walk up a flight of stairs and as I walk the music gets louder and louder. I open the door to see a dark room with red and white lights everywhere. This is the first time I’ve ever been to a real nightclub. As I walk into the room I look over the balcony to see what looks like a hundred people dancing. Suddenly I feel someone touch my shoulder and I turn around to see him.
“Hey I’m glad you came!” he says
“Yeah of course I wouldn’t wanna miss out on this opportunity” I say
I notice I sound a little formal and add,
“This place is awesome!”
He laughs and says “I know, it’s the best club in LA by far!”
He takes me over to a secluded area where there are people having drinks and sitting on red couches. He introduces me to some of his friends who are very good looking, outgoing and energetic. I start to feel very relaxed after a few drinks and begin to have fun. After an hour goes by the man sitting next to me pulls a small bag out of his pocket. At first I’m not sure what it is, but then someone turns to me asks if I want some cocaine. At first I don’t know what to say, because I don’t want them to think differently of me if I don’t do it. Suddenly I start to feel really worried and debate whether or not I should try it. The only thing I really know is that it’s a popular drug that some of my favorite actors have been known to do. As I’m debating whether or not I should try it someone turns to me a hands me a small plastic tube and I look down to see he’s holding a plate with a line of cocaine. My thoughts start to race and I all of my “new friends” eyes on me as I’m looking down at the drug, which until then I had only seen in movies. Without even thinking, almost impulsively snort the line of cocaine, trying to make it seem like I know what I’m doing and I’ve done it 1,000 times before. A weird feeling goes through me as I feel it entering my body, like nothing ive ever felt before. At first I feel a little scared and anxious because it’s my first time ever trying any sort of drug, but after a few minutes all of those stressful unhappy feelings seem to fade away and I can’t stop smiling and laughing. It’s like I’m a different person, in a different world, and I feel a rush of euphoria, a level of happiness I never knew was possible. After about an hour the feeling begins to fade, and all I can think about is doing it again, even though I know I should be focusing on trying to get connections for more auditions. After I leave the club I am excited about coming back tomorrow night to hang out with the same group of friends. But as I’m driving home I realize the only thing I’m thinking of is trying cocaine again. I don’t know why I can’t stop thinking about it even when I try. I tell myself that I won’t do it again, but deep down inside I know that it will be too hard to resist if it placed in front of me again tomorrow night. I go to bed that night still thinking of the drug, instead of thinking of my goals and dreams to act. I tell myself that I don’t need to use the drug again but I know that things have changed now, and they can’t be how they were before. Just like that, I’m hooked on cocaine. And my dreams of being an actress, which is what I have wanted my whole life, don’t seem important anymore.
Growing up in a small town in Georgia I always had big dreams of going to Hollywood and becoming an actress. I didn’t want to live a normal life; work a 9 to 5 job, settle down, get married, have kids, it all seemed so boring to me. I was dying to escape the boring town I had lived all my life, but most importantly I wanted to do something I loved and something people would remember me for, I didn’t want to live and die and be forgotten. I never got to meet my mother because she passed away before I was two years old. I wish I could remember her, but all I have are pictures and stories that my older brothers would tell me about her. My father always used to say she was the most beautiful girl in the whole town, and she was different than anyone he had ever met. She wasn’t afraid of anything and she lived every moment of her life to the fullest. They met when my father went to a play in New York saw her acting as the lead role. They lived together for a few years in New York, but after my mother became pregnant they decided to move back to my father’s home town in Georgia because it would be a better, safer place to raise a family. My mother always said she would go back to New York and act again, but she never did. I guess this was because she had to take the responsibilities of raising my two older brothers and I, while my dad working. Even though she would come off happy to other people, my father knew she was secretly sad and regretted the decision to give everything up to become a stay at home mom. She had lost the passion had once had for life, because she wasn’t doing what truly made her happy, which was acting in front of an audience. She was always a smoker, but the stress of raising children at such a young age caused her to smoke more and more heavily. When she found out she was pregnant a third time with me she had to quit smoking but this time she began to feel sick and had a very bad cough. She was diagnosed with lung cancer before I was even born. She became really sick and died a few years later of lung cancer. She named me Vivien after her favorite actress, and since I was young I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps, except I wanted to move to California instead of New York, and be in Hollywood films instead of Broadway plays.
My father and I never really got along because we were so different. He never encouraged me or my siblings to do well in school or try to go to college and make something of ourselves. Instead he asked us stay home to work for him at the family business. Even though my older brothers were ok with this I always hated working at the store. I started working there when I was fourteen and since then I’ve saved every penny I’ve earned. I’m going to be 20 years old in a few weeks, and I finally have enough money to buy a car and move to California. When I first told my family I was moving to California they told me I was making a big mistake and that I was being crazy and stupid for wanting to leave. But I just told them the same thing; that I couldn’t understand how anyone who wasn’t crazy would want to stay here. They told me I’d be back after a month of living on my own. As for my friends they would smile and say encouraging things, but I could see through the fakeness and I knew they weren’t really taking me seriously either. But even though they didn’t believe in me, I did, and that was enough.
The day after I turned twenty years old I packed up all my stuff, which wasn’t a lot, and started my drive to California. As I passed by my Town’s sign I didn’t feel the fear or sadness that I was expecting to feel. Even though I had always dreamed of leaving, it was a big step and I thought when I actually did leave I would feel a little afraid but I had never felt more happy and free. As I drove away from my small town and onto the freeway I felt so happy and excited about my life. I felt a sense of calm as looked outside the window. It was a beautiful April day, the sun was shining and there wasn’t one cloud in the sky. It was going to be a long trip, but sense I had so much on my mind time seemed to go by quickly and soon enough the sun was going down. As I stopped at a hotel to get some sleep I thought about how I would be in Los Angeles in just a few days. Now that it was actually happening it seemed unreal. I had spent the whole day driving and felt exhausted as I feel asleep I thought of my mom and wondered if she would be proud I was following my dreams to become an actress just like her when she was my age.
I woke early the next morning and started to drive. I couldn’t believe that I would finally be in California in a few hours. I listened to radio and thought about everything in my life leading up to now, and I felt like everything that I had always waiting for was finally happening. The sun was starting to set as I finally got off the freeway. Los Angeles was everything that I had always pictures, it looked just how it did in the movies. As I drove I couldn’t stop staring out the window, everything was so different. As the sun was setting the sky turned a bright yellow-orange color and I could see shadowed palm tree outlines in the distance. As I drove by Hollywood boulevard I looked outside to see tons of people walking through the streets. There was a different energy in the air, and everything felt so much more alive than the quiet boring town that I was so accustomed to. I felt like I was not just in a new city, but a completely new world. I thought about everyone in my town and I couldn’t understand why everyone was so against me leaving, until I realized that maybe they were just being bitter and were just jealous that I had the courage to take a risk and move to Los Angeles on my own. I felt proud of myself, because I had finally gone against the norm of my small town and did what I truly wanted to do, even though everyone had doubted me. For the first time in my life I went to bed that night feeling like I had found a place where I belonged, and I never wanted to go back to my old life.
The next day I woke up excited and ready for my audition. As I was driving there I was surprised about how relaxed I felt, instead of the nervousness I had expected to feel. When I walked into the room I saw three people sitting at a table all with kind smiles. There were two women in about mid thirties, and also a handsome looking man who looked to be about 25 at the most. He asked me a lot of questions about myself and my acting experience and then asked me to read aloud a monologue. I was feeling very confident and I delivered the monologue perfectly without stumbling or mispronouncing any words. After I was done I looked up to see three smiling faces which made my heart beat even faster because they genuinely seemed impressed. After leaving the audition I walked away feeling happier than i had ever felt in my life. I knew I was closer to making my dreams come true, and I couldn’t wait to prove everyone who doubted me wrong. As I walked down the alley way to my car I heard someone say my name.
“Vivien!”
I turned around to see it was the handsome talent scout whose name I couldn’t remember.
“Hi” I said somewhat surprised
“Hi” he said as he walked closer and then smiled.
“I just wanted to tell you that you did really well today, and you’ve got something special about you, I know you’ll do well in this industry.”
“Oh thank you so much” I said. I tried to find something else to say but I couldn’t even think for a moment because of all the happiness I was feeling.
“Well I’m actually meeting some of my friends at a night club tonight. I could introduce you to a few other people in the film industry.” He said
“Yeah sure! That would be really great. I said excitedly
“Okay cool, I’ll meet you there around 9 okay?”
“Yeah I’ll be there, thanks!”
I spend the rest of the day shopping and getting ready to go out. My mind doesn’t stop racing, and it hard to believe all of the good things that have happened, and how quickly too. The negative part of me says to not get too excited so that I don’t get my hopes up, and that maybe this is all too good to be true. But I don’t listen and instead dream of the future, where I’m rich, famous, and happy.
“I’m always late I think to myself” as I’m rushing out of my apartment. When I arrive at the night club I see a huge line. I wait impatiently in line and look around to see the talent scout whose name I still don’t know. As I’m waiting in line I look towards the front and see people walking around in the entrance of the club. Then to my surprise I see someone looking back at me and we make I contact. “It’s him!’ I think excitedly. He walks over to one of the security guards and points right at me and whispers in his ear. The large security guard nods his head and walks over to me. He tells me that I’ve been invited to the VIP section of the club and he escorts me through the side door of the club. I walk up a flight of stairs and as I walk the music gets louder and louder. I open the door to see a dark room with red and white lights everywhere. This is the first time I’ve ever been to a real nightclub. As I walk into the room I look over the balcony to see what looks like a hundred people dancing. Suddenly I feel someone touch my shoulder and I turn around to see him.
“Hey I’m glad you came!” he says
“Yeah of course I wouldn’t wanna miss out on this opportunity” I say
I notice I sound a little formal and add,
“This place is awesome!”
He laughs and says “I know, it’s the best club in LA by far!”
He takes me over to a secluded area where there are people having drinks and sitting on red couches. He introduces me to some of his friends who are very good looking, outgoing and energetic. I start to feel very relaxed after a few drinks and begin to have fun. After an hour goes by the man sitting next to me pulls a small bag out of his pocket. At first I’m not sure what it is, but then someone turns to me asks if I want some cocaine. At first I don’t know what to say, because I don’t want them to think differently of me if I don’t do it. Suddenly I start to feel really worried and debate whether or not I should try it. The only thing I really know is that it’s a popular drug that some of my favorite actors have been known to do. As I’m debating whether or not I should try it someone turns to me a hands me a small plastic tube and I look down to see he’s holding a plate with a line of cocaine. My thoughts start to race and I all of my “new friends” eyes on me as I’m looking down at the drug, which until then I had only seen in movies. Without even thinking, almost impulsively snort the line of cocaine, trying to make it seem like I know what I’m doing and I’ve done it 1,000 times before. A weird feeling goes through me as I feel it entering my body, like nothing ive ever felt before. At first I feel a little scared and anxious because it’s my first time ever trying any sort of drug, but after a few minutes all of those stressful unhappy feelings seem to fade away and I can’t stop smiling and laughing. It’s like I’m a different person, in a different world, and I feel a rush of euphoria, a level of happiness I never knew was possible. After about an hour the feeling begins to fade, and all I can think about is doing it again, even though I know I should be focusing on trying to get connections for more auditions. After I leave the club I am excited about coming back tomorrow night to hang out with the same group of friends. But as I’m driving home I realize the only thing I’m thinking of is trying cocaine again. I don’t know why I can’t stop thinking about it even when I try. I tell myself that I won’t do it again, but deep down inside I know that it will be too hard to resist if it placed in front of me again tomorrow night. I go to bed that night still thinking of the drug, instead of thinking of my goals and dreams to act. I tell myself that I don’t need to use the drug again but I know that things have changed now, and they can’t be how they were before. Just like that, I’m hooked on cocaine. And my dreams of being an actress, which is what I have wanted my whole life, don’t seem important anymore.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
PSA/Propistion/Issue
Our issue was healthcare. We focused on the arguement over switching America's healthcare to universal or private. I personally think we should have either extreme, but instead have something more in the middle. I think the government should provide healthcare to every citizen in America, but we should also keep the option of having privatized healthcare for people who want to buy their own healthcare and have more freedoms.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Liberitarian Party
History: The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the United States. Libertarians believe the answer to America's political problems is the same commitment to freedom that earned America its greatness: a free-market economy and the abundance and prosperity it brings; a dedication to civil liberties and personal freedom that marks this country above all others; and a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade as prescribed by America's founders. The party was founded by a small group of activists in Colorado in 1971.
Ideaology:
Libertarianism is the belief in liberty. Libertarians want a free, peaceful, abundant world where each individual has the maximum opportunity to pursue his or her dreams and to realize his full potential. Libertarians believe that each person owns his own life and property, and has the right to make his own choices as to how he lives his life - as long as he simply respects the same right of others to do the same.Another way of saying this is that libertarians believe you should be free to do as you choose with your own life and property, as long as you don't harm the person and property of others.
Famous Candidates: N/A
Site for national Conventions:Slogans:
"Live and let live. The Golden Rule. The non-initiation of force."
Political Stances:
Abortion: They believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.
Immigration: People have the right to travel anywhere, and to take any job offered them, so long as they do it at their own expense and without violating the rights of others.
A way to help the poor is to let them go where the work is, regardless of borders. Studies show that immigrants don't take jobs from others, they add to the economy and help create more jobs.
Free Trade:
Free trade provides consumers with better goods at lower prices. Trade restrictions produce the opposite: shoddy goods and higher prices. With free trade, consumers pay lower prices for products and thereby have more money left to spend on other goods, domestic as well as foreign. Free trade also helps the cause of world peace. In the 1920's and 30's, trade barriers went up everywhere, directly contributing to the outbreak of World War II. If goods don't cross borders, armies will.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
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