SAT changes Current Event

More colleges move toward optional SATs

as of right now about 30% of national unviersities are making the SATs optional. The schools are hoping to be able to encourage students with mediocre SAT scores to apply to their establishment so they can have a more well-rounded student body. This is a contreversal issue because many people believe the test is "fair" for all students and it provides a standardized way of comparing students to each other. this is very applicable to our student life right now. Especially as juniors it is important for us to be studying for the SAT so we have time to do well and then submit our scores. This change would reduce stress in junior year and allow the students to focus on their studies and extra cirricular activities. i don't think that the college process should be easy but it doesnt have to be unreasonable, just challenging.

My Architect

When it comes to someone's achievments socially, why should what they have done personally matter? If one of the most talented archiects was able to become something from literally nothing, i think that is impressive enough. Although I do not praise or approve of Louis' behavior, i also would not condem his actions. I would never want to be in a family or in a relationship with someone like Louis, but it isn't for me to say whether or not what he did was right or wrong. If he Doesn't feel any guilt how can someone else make him feel that way? I found his story interesting and unique but also a little depressing. It is always sad when a family can't work out the way we think it should. It is impressive how far one person will go just to learn more about their heritage and family. There is no way i could honestly relate to that feeling of being betrayed by a parent. As a young child it is even more confusing having a parent in and out of their life. It's important for everyone to have consistancy and balance in their life. Regardless, it is too hard for me to say what Louis had done was wrong. Everyone has a reason behind their actions. Was it fair for him to have betrayed his wife and first daughter? He wasn't exactly a responsible or commited father or housband, but he provided his city with revolutionary ideas and designs and that was his job and all anyone should ask from him or expect from him.

What Happened to Ethics?

I think ethics are important but it's too difficult to actually ask someone to have the same values as someone else. If you are doing something you think is "right", shouldn't it come from the heart rather than because you think it is what you should do?

Why would I want someone to apologize to me if they didnt mean it? I would usually rather honesty than what someone thinks is morally the right thing to do or say.

What Do You Hear?

The buzz of a lawnmower and the roar of a plane over head. The wind rustles the umbrellas and the papers wrinkle in the breeze. The muffled sound of a student led tour passes by the opening. Doors are slamming in the distance with no pattern and it all reminds me of a home. Things are happening and life is moving forward, though most people are running around in a hectic state the building stands peacefully. No matter what mood anyone is in the building is calm and when I watch from within but I seperate myself from the choas, I can feel at peace too. Those are the places that make me feel like I am at home.

Our website !!!! support CEED

http://hthi.hightechhigh.org/~atorrero/organization.html

Current Event- Report: Money fears might have led to bridge collapse

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/21/bridge.collapse.ap/index.html

Who do you blame when a huge bridge collapses causing death and financial issue that were trying to be avoided in the first place. When transportation officials thought that maintance for the minneapolis bridge in minnesota would be too large of an expense they began to neglect the bridge until it's recent collapse. With 13 killed and $75 million dollars in repairs and replacements. It would have cost about $40,000 for the bridge to have just been repaired before the class.

It's scary when we are paying tax money and don't know that our basic safety is being cover. When we put our lives in the hands of so many other people and organizations, the least they can do is think ahead.

Vocabulary- 17

The interminable roachs were so persistent that it almost seemed intuit to simply leave them alone.

As long as you can throw the dime within the relative proximity of the circle you are just as likely to win the game.

She worked laboriously throughout the day and night.

The situation was calm and relaxing and everyone seemed to be in a state of tranquility.

The plan was to synchronously begin singing "Happy Birthday."

The tortuous road caused a few people to feel sick, it put others to sleep.

(my personal photos for extra credit)

1.interminable - (adjective) incapable of being terminated; unending.
2.intuit - (verb) to know or receive by intuition.
3.laboriously- (adjective) requiring much work, exertion, or perseverance.
4.proximity- (noun) nearness in place, time, order, occurrence, or relation.
5.reticence - (adjective) disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved.
6.senescent- (adjective) growing old; aging.
7.shroud- (noun) a cloth or sheet in which a corpse is wrapped for burial.
8.situation- (noun) manner of being situated; location or position with reference to environment
9.synchronously- (adjective) occurring at the same time; coinciding in time; contemporaneous; simultaneous.
10.tortuous- (adjective) full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked.
11.tranquility- (noun) quality or state of being tranquil; calmness; peacefulness; quiet; serenity.

Too "high-tech" you say?!?!

http://www.mercurynews.com/community/ci_9034769?nclick_check=1&forced=true

Everyone has an opinion about the way that schools should be run and how subjects should be taught. Using relevant technology and updates in our teaching methods could only benefit the student. I have used both ways of learning, the traditional textbook way that most students resent and the modern computer way, which is exciting ever changing and allows for unfound creativity. Not only would we as students not be able to access more relevant and current information every single day with individual laptops at school, but once a school spends the initial expense of purchasing a good class set of laptops, the cost is fixed. When a teacher assigns a research project a student has a few options. If a student reads a book in the library like every other student in the past had and every student in the present class will, well, there is only a few amount of books. The information may be biased, over used and not very broad. Not only that, what does the student do when all the other books are checked out. The Internet offers a convenient and valuable portal into the past worlds of some of the most heroic men and women on earth. While learning about one great person anyone could accidentally stumble upon someone they will admire even more. All computers do in the classroom is give students and teachers more convenient, efficient, effective, creative and useful learning tools. As long as a student is watched and it is insured that they are using their computer for the assignment then it is hard to find a downside. Information is constantly changing and so is the Internet and computer programs. Getting young adults comfortable with change in their learning patterns will only make them more flexible people in the future. It is easy to ask for help and work together when we can all share information on the computer and the best way to learn social skills is while working in groups. Though it can be argued that computers make students less social, I think that is a personality trait that would have been expressed with or without technology as an excuse. Like the expression says, don't shoot the messenger, it seems like everyone is looking for something to blame on lax education and school policy, low test scores and lack of motivation in the youth. It is more depressing for a group of young individuals to walk into a classroom open their books to chapter 13 and continue on with the same drills as yesterday's math problems. When I walk into my math class I am applying math to childhood games and using computers to design brochures and communicate with my partner. I eliminate the stress of wondering if my printer at home is working when I have a huge paper due because I know I can always use the schools set. Their is something inspirational about walking into a room and feeling comfortable and at home and knowing I can express myself any way I want. That has never happened to me in a classroom before I came to High Tech High International and i truly believe the environment and the relationships are what make me feel that way.

Persuasive Outline

• American Environmental Policies:
• The Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/index.html
  
• About 30 acts: The Atomic Energy Act, The Clean Air and The Clean Water Acts, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, Endangered Species Act, Energy Policy Act, Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Federal Water Pollution Control Amendments, Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA, also known as the Ocean Dumping Act), National Environmental Policy Act, National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act, Nuclear Waste Policy Act, Occupational Safety and Health, Ocean Dumping Act, Oil Pollution Act, Pollution Prevention Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act.
• Laws are lax and unclear, easy to find loop holes: The Atomic Energy Act (AEA) established the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) to promote the "utilization of atomic energy for peaceful purposes to the maximum extent consistent with the common defense and security and with the health and safety of the public." When EPA was formed, the AEC's authority to issue generally applicable environmental radiation standards was transferred to EPA. Other federal and state organizations must follow these standards when developing requirements for their areas of radiation protection.
• In other words, atomic energy plants can if they want to change their policies for the benefit of the environment. Just one example of the rules.

• Pollution:
  
• water, air, and land.
• public and private prevention of pollution/waste of resources.
  

Current Events

A 7.9 earthquake destroyed a middle school in China causing about 900 students and teachers. 60 were fund dead and soldiers are still trying to recover any more people stuck in the rubble. The collapse of the building was due to the weak structure and has a lot of parents scared for their captive children.

It is important that we have relife programs in place so that we can help people in these situations, even if it isnt in our own country.

Source: CNN.com
URL: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/13/china.school.ap/index.html

Book Report- Ender's Game

Book Report / Novel Summary

Scott Card, Orson. Ender's Game. United States of America. Tom Doherty: 1985.

Reason, Type and Setting: This book is an exciting and entertaining science fiction, adventure novel. The book takes place in both outer space and earth. There is no definite time period but it is set in the future.

Plot: The book is about the difficulties Ender has a young boy being tormented by adults, children and teens and as a young man coping with the crimes he later learns he has committed. It also is has a strong focus on the war between the Buggers and Humans which later turns out to just be a miscommunication. Ender has to basically live his entire childhood as a tool for the army. He is challenged mentally and physically everyday and he always complies despite the fact that he hates being used by everyone above him.

Character: Ender is a strong and young boy through out the book. Though his physical appearance isn't very important. Ender is compassionate yet violent when necessary, a perfect mix of his brother and sister. Ender is a good example of what many teens are, though they are neither completely good or evil everyone has a little devil in them and Ender is a nice example of that. As the main character I learned a lot about him and i could often feel like i had sympathy for him and I was proud of him when he was successful.

Evaluation: I did enjoy the novel and found it extremely entertaining and interesting. There were many morals and values tied into the plot especially when it came to discriminating and killing an entire race of buggers. I think the author was really trying to encourage the readers that despite how brilliant you are, a person can be detrimental if they don't think for themselves, especially when they don't believe in what they are doing. I would definitely recommend this book. If i were Ender I would hope i would be more outspoken and fight for what I truly believed rather than what someone asked me to believe in.

Author, Context and Trivia: Orson Scott Card also wrote a squeal to Ender's Game called Ender's Shadow. Although I am not a big SciFi fan i really did enjoy Ender's Game and would even read it again.

Vocab

The aroma from the kitchen was hardly appetizing and despite that, the awkward chef seemed as if he were in a state of ectasy from the excitment of cooking her first meal. Her infatuation with cooking began that night but her food was no longer deleterious, rather she constantly insured that everything she made would consummate her standards. No one who ever was a guest at her home would deny food and there was nothing less than acquiesce urge to taste anything at all. Judging by the first night no one would have guessed the inevitable in this case.




acquiesce- to assent tacitly; submit or comply silently or without protest; agree; consent.
amorous- inclined or disposed to love, esp. sexual love
aroma- an odor arising from spices, plants, cooking, etc., esp. an agreeable odor; fragrance.
awkward- lacking skill or dexterity; clumsy.
consummate- to bring to a state of perfection; fulfill.
conversely- opposite or contrary in direction, action, sequence, etc.; turned around.
deleterious- injurious to health.
delirium- a state of violent excitement or emotion.
ecstasy- an overpowering emotion or exaltation; a state of sudden, intense feeling.
enamored- To inspire with love; captivate.
futile- incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; not successful.
incantation- the chanting or uttering of words purporting to have magical power.
inevitability- unable to be avoided, evaded, or escaped; certain; necessary.
infatuation- foolish or all-absorbing passion or an instance of this.