Remembering CESAR CHAVEZ!

Today is a very special day! CESAR CHAVEZ DAY!

Today eighty seven years ago a leader, activist, and farm worker was born. Most importantly a HUMAN BEING was born. Cesar Chavez the father of "La Causa" was born on March 31, 1927 and passed away on April 23, 1993 in his sleep. This man believed in social justice. He clearly stated "The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people." This fight is not about a race/ethnicity it is not about the strawberries, grapes or lettuce it is about social justice. This fight is not about the latino, or the filipinos who fought for social justice in the 60-70's. This fight is about anyone who is experiencing injustice.  I am very angry that I live in a world where the people who work the soil do not have basic living standards for themselves. It makes me feel disgusted with the human race! What have we come to be?! We have forgotten that those who provide our food, are human too. We have forgotten to be compassionate. 

Today I am reminded of this great leader, but I am also reminded of the so little change that has taken place after his death. The farm workers are now allowed breaks from their labor,  have running water, and porter potties, but that is not enough. Where are the chairs and tables?! What about health care and insurance. Can someone tell me where these things have gone?! The workers are exploited day-in and day-out. Minimum wage is not enough. It does not pay for the mother's, father's, and children's doctor visits. In fact most farm workers do not go to the doctor, because they are afraid of being laid off, or being fired for reporting an injury and asking for disability pay. Many of the workers do not report the injustices because they are afraid to be fired or deported. They are oppressed, and suffocated by the shadows of the boss, and of the system. The farm workers labor is so brutal on the  body that most of the farm workers live less than the average age. The list of injustices goes on...but nobody speaks of it. Nobody want to see the injustice, it hurts too bad, or it is just something we think we cannot change. We turn the other cheek because we too are afraid of getting involved. We need to educate ourselves on this cause and we need to educate the farm workers on their rights!

Article #1

Cesar Chavez Resolution Blocked by GOP:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/31/cesar-chavez-resolution-blocked-gop/ 
also a relatable article: Senate Resolution To Honor Cesar Chavez Dies After Republican Tries To Add Border Security Language http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/resolution-to-honor-cesar-chavez-in-senate-dies-after-republ

Republicans on Monday refused to allow the Senate to honor Cesar Chavez, drawing a stern rebuke from Democrats who questioned the GOP’s motives.

Republicans said they would have allowed a resolution to pass if Democrats had accepted additional language that recognized Chavez supported strict enforcement of immigration laws in order to help protect American workers’ wages. But Democrats refused to agree to those additions, leaving both sides at a stalemate. 

“It is an injustice to his memory,” said Sen. Robert Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat who tried to force a vote and who said Republicans were trying to mix the immigration debate with a commemorative resolution.

Mr. Menendez said it was the eighth year in a row that Republicans have blocked such a resolution on Chavez’s birthday, March 31.

Mr. Menendez said this year he came to the Senate floor to deliver a speech and force Republicans to object out loud.

Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican, did just that, arguing that Democrats were whitewashing Chavez’s stances, which backed strict enforcement of immigration laws and regularly protested farmers’ use of illegal immigrants in their fields.

Chavez helped form the United Farm Workers labor union, which organized agriculture workers.

Chavez has become a hero to many Hispanics in the U.S., and to labor union leaders. He died in 1993.

Oh! America sure can be ridiculous sometimes...
I believe Cesar Chavez was a republican...but i'm definitely not!

Article #2

New York Times Article urges GOP to block farm worker's wages hikes:

http://dailycaller.com/2014/03/31/new-york-times-article-urges-gop-to-block-farmworkers-wages-hikes/

Republican legislators’ inaction on immigration may increase wages for Hispanic farmworkers in California, a New York Times article warned March 29.

“In recent years, farm owners have grown increasingly fearful of labor shortages [and] last year, the diminished supply of workers led average farm wages in the region to increase by roughly $1 an hour,” read the article, which described the agriculture sector’s threats to cut contributions until GOP legislators agree to raise the inflow of low-skill migrant workers.

“Getting higher wages! Heaven forbid,” responded Steve Camarota, the research director at the Center for Immigration Studies.

The Times’ recognition that extra immigrants will impact wages for Hispanic-Americans shows that “the interests of workers is exactly contrary to what the advocacy groups [for higher immigration] are pushing,” he added.

However, farmworkers’ salaries are too unstable to say if their wages are trending up, Camarota added. Their wages are still level with 1980’s wages, largely because the past and current inflow of illegal immigrants has provided a surplus of workers, he said.

The push for more foreign workers — who will reduce any pressure for higher wages — is being led by industry executives.

These executives include farm-owners and labor companies that supply thousands of contracted Americans farmworkers, as well as many recent immigrants and illegal immigrants, to farms during the harvest seasons. .

However, the mostly Hispanic workers aren’t joining the executives’ effort to drive down their wages, admitted the New York Times’ reporter, Jennifer Medina.

Cesar Chavez fought for better wages and now industry executives are searching for foreign workers so they can reduce the pressure for higher wages!! I am furious! This is exactly what Chavez fought for. Boy does history repeat itself. This is where Chavez was against foreign workers. He wanted to make sure that the farm workers were treated justly and had better and improved working conditions. He knew that if foreigners came and did the work that the activist farm workers stopped doing change would never come. He wanted to make sure that change came. 

  

Article #3

Farm Labor: http://labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/laborstandards/farm_labor.shtm

Minimum Wage Increase:
Beginning December 31, 2013, New York State’s minimum wage will increase in a series of three annual changes as follows:
$8.00 on 12/31/13
$8.75 on 12/31/14
$9.00 on 12/31/15

This is still not enough... for this

VIVA LA CAUSA

LONG LIVE SOCIAL JUSTICE

AND LONG LIVE CESAR CHAVEZ!

More articles and opinions on Cesar Chavez below...

MEET MACBETH

Macbeth is introduced by the witches who labels him to be a king. The reader notices that Macbeth is somewhat scared and taken back by the comment and does not see himself in that way. The witches also foreshadow Macbeth's and Banquo's future, and tell them they will both become kings. Shakespeare on the other hand characterizes Macbeth in a tone of darkness, simple, yet with a sting of bravado. The reader obviously knows that Macbeth is the main character but the way shakespeare brings him up in the play lets the reader know that he is a strong head character. In Macbeth the reader clearly sees bravado, and hungriness for power and success. I see these characteristics/potential themes driving Macbeth throughout the play and to his grave. Up to this point the reader does not know much about the setting, but quickly figures it out through the rest of the characters. For example, the sergeant mentions the king of Scotland and the Norweyan Lord. Wounds, battles, and executions are also mentioned by other characters in the play.

LITERATURE ANALYSIS "In The Time Of The Butterflies"

because i'm HAPPY...Happy, Happy!

HAPPY: this song never fails to make me happy. Give it a listen it will make you happy too!

Pentatonix 

Pharell Williams 

Cesar Chavez

"It's ironic that those who till the soil, cultivate and harvest the fruits, vegetables, and other foods that fill your tables with abundance have nothing left for themselves." - Cesar Chavez

I am angry...How can a person cultivate food yet not be able to feed their own family? You see this issue is NOT about the ethnicity, or the social status of the person. This is about justice...Social Justice! 

Next time you are driving I challenge you to stop your car to the side near the fields and witness the unfairness. I challenge you to put yourself in the worker's shoes. Notice their tired faces, and dirty hands. Notice that water is unseen, notice that the bathrooms are porter potties, notice that there is no where to sit, and no where to rest. When and If you take your time to witness the injustice...notice the oppression. I challenge you to not feel pain, anger or sympathy.

The Article below has more information on Cesar Chavez make sure to check it out. Also don't miss the movie  Cesar Chavez (2014). I watched it today and am left so inspired by this man. It is definitely worth your time and money! A new and detailed biography by Miriam Pawell "The Crusades Of Cesar Chavez" just came out. make sure to check it out! Also check out the United Farm Workers website here: http://www.ufw.org/ and the Cesar Chavez Foundation website  here: https://www.chavezfoundation.org/

Jorge Ramos: CESAR CHAVEZ FINALLY GETS A PRESIDENTIAL AUDIENCE

Original Article with video here:
http://fusion.net/leadership/story/jorge-ramos-cesar-chavez-finally-presidential-audience-533305


Cesar Chavez was never invited to the White House. Before his untimely death in 1993, eight successive American presidents failed to bring the Mexican-American icon to the Oval Office for a conversation.

Perhaps Chavez, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union and led the biggest farmworker strike in American history in the 1970s, made powerful men uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because he believed so deeply in the power of protest (he even named his dogs “Boycott” and “Strike”). We’ll never know.

One of the great things about the United States is the willingness of our leaders to recognize past injustices. I am fairly certain, for instance, that someday this nation will apologize to the millions of undocumented people who came to this country, found jobs and worked hard, yet were forced to live in the shadows for decades, waiting for Congress to create a path to citizenship for them. That error will be remedied one day, just as an older mistake was fixed recently: Chavez finally went to the White House.

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama invited the cast of the new film “Cesar Chavez” — including the actors Michael Peña, America Ferrera and Rosario Dawson — and the film’s director, Diego Luna, to the White House for a screening. Dolores Huerta, who was Chavez’s close ally and the co-founder of the UFW, was in attendance, along with Paul Chavez, one of Cesar Chavez’s eight children, and a dozen other relatives.

“Cesar Chavez” is, oddly enough, the first movie about this hero. In the 1970s, the actor and director Robert Redford approached Cesar Chavez about a possible movie project, but nothing resulted from that discussion. Perhaps that was for the best, since in his vibrant, inspiring film, Luna presents us with a pragmatic portrayal of Chavez. It's the story of a flawed man, a stubborn, jealous visionary, who learned how to challenge power effectively.

Luna’s interpretation was correct — that’s what Huerta and Cesar Chavez’s wife, Helen, told Dawson and Ferrera, who play them in the film. Paul Chavez, close to tears, said the same to me at the screening. It must be hard to see your father so accurately portrayed in a film, and not be able to touch or talk to him.

Cesar Chavez was extraordinary because he took it upon himself to defend and organize poor farm laborers, almost all of whom were Latinos. He convinced these extremely vulnerable, mistreated people that if they formed a union, they could speak with a single voice that would not be ignored by those in power. By doing so, he paved the way for the Hispanic community to become much more influential in the United States.

“We have seen the future,” Cesar Chavez said during a speech in 1984, “and the future is ours.” He was right. Projections indicate that by 2050, the United States’ Hispanic population could number 150 million.

I don’t often make recommendations in this column, but “Cesar Chavez” is a film that should not be missed. Also, the richly detailed biography by Miriam Pawell, “The Crusades of Cesar Chavez,” just published this month, offers further insight into his life.

The surge of interest in Cesar Chavez’s legacy can probably be attributed to the urgency of the issues that the Hispanic community faces. The status of the undocumented is increasingly pressing, yet we lack enough leaders to speak on our behalf (there are only three Hispanics in the Senate, for instance).

We have to keep in mind that while Cesar Chavez died in 1993 at the age of 66, his legacy lives on; we can fight as he did. The rallying cry of the UFW, “Si se puede!” — later adopted by Obama during his campaign for the presidency — is, in three words, an entire philosophy for achieving the impossible: Yes, we can. This is the essence of the great American dream.

Indeed, Cesar Chavez’s legacy is alive in the protests and rallies of the Dreamers — the young, undocumented immigrants whose families brought them to the United States and who are fighting to make a future for themselves in the only country that they have ever known.

His legacy endures for Hispanics who are breaking barriers every day, rising in the world of politics, succeeding in business and making names for themselves in the arts. We will remember him on the day we elect the first Hispanic president of the United States.

This column is provided to Fusion courtesy of The New York Times Syndicate.

Jorge Ramos is one of the most influential journalists in news today. He's been dubbed the Walter Cronkite of Hispanic media -- a title he's earned by taking on people in power over signature concerns like immigration, gun control and equality. Now, on Fusion, he brings that unique, raw and authentic sensibility to an English-speaking audience. "America with Jorge Ramos," airs weekly on Tuesday on Fusion at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PT.

Teaching in Samoa -- good grades vs. good people: Jessica Baker at TEDxL...

TEACHING IN SAMOA- GOOD GRADES V.S GOOD PEOPLE: JESSICA BAKER

"You can't teach or measure kindness and empathy on a test."

"We need to abandon this idea that all people can be judged off of their test scores."

"Stop teaching to the test and start teaching to the kids."

"It's time we start valuing kindness, empathy, community, over academic success."

"There is more to life than numbers." 

SEEKING MENTOR

A little bit about my mentor:

My mentor is a person that leads by action! She is an English teacher at Ernest Righetti High School and also my mentor. I first met her my sophomore year of high school and have been keeping in touch with her ever since. She has a lot to teach, but has already taught me so much with her actions. She is an amazing human being! She enjoys life and enjoys helping others. Many students are attracted to her because of her kind and helpful personality. She also takes trips to Africa in order to help a program called YOFAFO (Youth Focus Africa Foundation) who works to empower Uganda's next generations. See an introduction VIDEO HERE. She is a great mentor who is willing to get help from an open-minded, compassionate, and awesome person!

Mrs.Byrne, my mentor has a lot to teach me. Mostly what I want to learn about her and experience through her is why she does what she does. I want to know what motivates her to wake up every morning and be present for her students, be helpful, and kind. She is very intelligent so she does her research on compassion and science and how they intertwine. I always find our conversations so interesting. It is like when two children find a new toy and cannot wait to tell their friends about it. What I am also very interested about Mrs. Byrne is how she makes an effort to live life and not just exist. There is a lot I have to learn from her, but it is mostly likely that I will have to watch for the answer rather than hear it.

QUESTIONS: 

• When did you first become interested in compassion? 
• How did you first become involved in YOFAFO and how has it changed and/or influenced your life?
• Why do you think compassion is biased?
• Do you practice a special ritual before beginning your day?
• How do you keep yourself from living and not just existing? 
• How can I make my masterpiece better?
• What is the difference between giving up on someone and just accepting the fact that you cannot give anymore of yourself to that person? Is there a difference?

Technology is GROWING!

GOOGLE GLASS

This just in: 6 Useful Tips for Handling College Decisions

It's March, which means college decisions are coming out rapidly. You hardly have time to come to terms with one school's rejection before you are overcome with joy at the sight of another one's acceptance. The month is a roller coaster of anxiety, excitement, tears of joy and sorrow. Luckily, you have The Prospect to guide you through this hectic period (relatively) unscathed.

Here are some effective ways to help deal with college admissions decisions.

1. Comfort Food

There is no time to be health-conscious when that first rejection comes along. Ice cream, pizza, the entire Starbucks menu, pounds upon pounds of M&Ms -- whatever your vice may be --embrace it. Almost nothing can match the astounding healing power of food. You can work it off come May... or some other time.

2. The Nearly Unbearably Sad (Woe Is Me) Playlist

Have it ready. Use it wisely. This playlist is the only earthly entity that knows how you feel during this time period. It cuddles you with melancholic bliss as you close your blinds and go back to bed -- and undeniably contains Radiohead's "Creep" along with Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt". Who cares if it's a little melodramatic? You just got wait listed at your top choice -- you have a right!

3. Alternatively, the "I'm Over this School Anyway, Let's Go Be Happy for Spring" Playlist

For some people with crushing sadness, Radiohead might do more damage than damage control. For these people, it's almost definitely time to turn up the Vampire Weekend and go for a ride. Just try not to think about the fact that all four of the band members went to Columbia University while you're belting the unforgettable lyrics of "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa".

4. Binge-Watching

Let's thank Netflix for this marvelous coping mechanism, because in reality, you love Kevin Spacey and House of Cards more than you ever loved University of Chicago. And with 13 episodes tackled in 36 hours, the relationship you have with him is real -- much more than any university could have possibly granted you. Your heart is captured, and although your body is slowly melting into your couch, at least your mind is off the rejection.

5. The Primal Scream

Hike to the top of a local mountain and let it all out. Scream because it's over -- because you made it. Scream because you're ecstatic and nervous for what's to come. Scream because you feel bad for the school that missed out. Yell at the top of your lungs how grateful and happy you are with the final outcome. Let the world know that you have officially conquered the college application process, that you made it out alive. Sometimes all you need to do is let it all out -- and nature doesn't judge.

6. Now Let's Get a Little More Serious

It's going to be stressful -- and that's okay. One very important habit to learn is to resist comparisons. Your best friend's acceptances do not overshadow your outcomes, and since there are literally thousands of factors that come into play when an admissions committee makes its decision, comparisons to your peers are genuinely silly.

Now let's try to put this all in perspective. The mere fact that you applied to college puts you in a far more privileged position than the majority of the world. According to The Huffington Post, 6.7 percent of the world's population has a college degree. So no matter where you end up come September, you're on pace to join a fortunate few. Someone has recognized your efforts, talents, intelligence, and all that jazz and wants you on their campus. Too many high-achieving high school students sell themselves short and fail to realize that that means something (despite the high tuition price).

And of course, once you get to college, it's all on you. No one's watching over your shoulder or giving you directions. On this scene, you pave your own road -- and although it's cliché, anything is within reach once you've made it to this stage. So go ahead: Sulk for a couple of days. Eat Pringles, breathe Netflix, and sleep often for a while. But when those few days are up, it's time to get back on track and look ahead toward the inevitably awesome and enriching experience that is college. You've earned it.

MY MACBETH RESOURCES

1.. Macbeth William Shakespeare: http://resources.mhs.vic.edu.au/macbeth/theplay/acts.html

2. Macbeth at pppst.com: http://shakespeare.pppst.com/macbeth.html


3. The Tragedy of Macbeth: http://shakespeare.mit.edu/macbeth/full.html

4. A Research Guide for students: http://www.aresearchguide.com/macbeth.html

5. One of the many Macbeth films: GOOGLE 

Resource of the day

Masterpiece: Compassion is biased

The compassion we feel normally is biased and mixed with attachment. Genuine compassion flows towards all living beings, particularly your enemies. If I try to develop compassion towards my enemy, it may not benefit him directly, he may not even be aware of it. But it will immediately benefit me by calming my mind. On the other hand, if I dwell on how awful everything is, I immediately lose my peace of mind.

-Dalai Lama

I never really thought about compassion being biased, and actually it is not compassion that is biased, but us (people) that are biased. We are biased towards who we are compassionate to! 

THIS JUST IN!

Thank you Izzy for this awesome reference :)

Also make sure to check out Emma Seppala's Website  AND IF YOU ARE A QUOTE FANATIC LIKE I AM YOU WILL LOVE HER INSPIRATION PAGE!  (I think I'm in love)
Associate Director
Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research & Education

Resource of the Day

Last semester my project focused on compassion as a whole, but this time around I plan to go in depth... My masterpiece is related to compassion and is centered on how it is an act that is biased and only favors some human beings. My goal is to draw people in and to make them look at compassion in a different way. I want them to find a new perspective on compassion.

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY

With College admission notifications coming out and scholarships to fill out...I AM STRESSED, FRUSTRATED, HAPPY, AND CONFUSED (class of 2014 you know what I mean)...as much as I feel like giving up sometimes I remind myself that I have to keep moving. Albert Einstein said " Life is like riding a bicycle in order to keep your balance you must keep moving." and to express that in music Rascal Flatts said "Life is a highway." 

Whooo umm yeah...
Life's like a road that you travel on
When there's one day here and the next day gone
Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand
Sometimes you turn your back to the wind
There's a world outside ev'ry darkened door
Where blues won't haunt you anymore
Where brave are free and lovers soar
Come ride with me to the distant shore
We won't hesitate
To break down the garden gate
There's not much time left today

[Chorus:]
Life is a highway
I wanna ride it all night long
If you're going my way
I wanna drive it all night long

Through all these cities and all these towns
It's in my blood and it's all around
I love you now like I loved you then
This is the road and these are the hands
From Mozambique to those Memphis nights
The Khyber Pass to Vancouver's lights

Knock me down get back up again
You're in my blood
I'm not a lonely man
There's no load I can't hold
Road so rough this I know
I'll be there when the light comes in
Just tell 'em we're survivors

[Chorus]

Gimme gimme gimme gimme yeah

[Chorus]

There was a distance between you and I (between you and I)
A misunderstanding once
But now we look it in the eye

Ooooo...Yeah!

There ain't no load that I can't hold
Road so rough this I know
I'll be there when the light comes in
Just tell 'em we're survivors

[Chorus: (x3)]
Life is a highway
I wanna ride it all night long
If you're going my way
I wanna drive it all night long

Gimme gimme gimme gimme yeah

IS THERE AN EXPERT IN THE HOUSE?

COMPASSION...

I believe it is everywhere
In some places more than others
and in some people more than others...

Some are well known for it

I believe that an expert does not have to be well known and that is why I am in search of an expert in my community or close by. I have someone in mind but I will not post her name until I get her permission. (hint: She works at school)

THIS IS ONLY A TEST

The word test freaks me out.

 It has been instilled in my brain as something to fear since I first began school. I strongly dislike the word and I believe that it does not define what I know or do not know to a full extent.

The test that will allow me to know if I passed and succeeded with my masterpiece will be the reaction of my peers.

As they watch my video I want to see expressions of doubt, questioning, yet softness, and understanding. I want my video to change a persons perspective on how they view compassion and how it is distributed unevenly. My masterpiece will consist of a video based on compassion, what it is?, where it may be?, who has it?,and  why and how it is biased.

HUXLEY'S BRAVE NEW WORLD

Please explain how listening/watching the author himself changed your perspective on the work and the essay you turned in.

      I feel like now that I have heard from Huxley the novel does not seem to extreme. What I mean by this is that he is “Normal!” He thinks the same way many people think about our world. It is Overpopulated, Over-organized, advanced with technology, full of propaganda, and drugs. At first I though Huxley was exaggerating, in it is arguable, but in a way we do not see it as an exaggeration because we are a part of it, it is all we know. If we take a step back to think about what Huxley has suggested about our world and where it is heading there is an astonishing amount of truth in it.

      The 1997 AP Essay I wrote on BNW was focused on how a character’s actions alone were evil or immoral and why the character drew sympathy from the reader. I would say that Huxley did an excellent job because by putting certain attributes of our world today into the world state we (the readers) are able to identify with John the savage. I felt like John the savage was a representation of us right now and the world state “people” were a representation of what we are heading to as a society.


Notes from In-Class


Overpopulation

• reproduction is popular = BNW no parents

Over- organization w/ tech. 

• In our world tech. is advancing and getting better & better as time goes by
• In Huxley's this over-organization is the making of the clones/ppl
• Huxley believes TV is a distraction

SOMA

• Same effect as some drugs in our world today

Propaganda

• brain washing
• breaking down a person/society & training them to believe new ideas = the BNW way...flowers/ books ....electrified/shocking
• Russia- idea for totalitarian world state

• Passion for power- common in people
• Power is dangerous 
• freedom is necessary for a productive society

BNW 1997 AP Essay

Pre-Write:


John the savage
• An outcast in the world state & in the reservation
• Non-conformist
• Educated (reads old lit.)
• Has a sense of morality (therefore he is IMMORAL in the eyes of the World State)
• Loyal to his mother & his people
• Confused and frustrated w/ World State
• Finds the way out by killing himself.

Examples from text
• Refuses sex from Lenina and calls her a whore
• He goes crazy when his mother is dying and wants to save her
• Refuses soma- he would rather deal with his emotions naturally
• Reads & uses old literature (Shakespeare)

Literary Techniques:
• Allusion to the tempest
o Theme is difficulty distinguishing between men & monsters
• Symbolism
o John can easily symbolize the reader and how they would react
• Doubleness of character
• Indirect Characterization/Direct Characterization


What makes us react sympathetically?!
• The reader feels pity for him b/c he is not fully accepted anywhere
• The reader can relate to him b/c he is the most “human” of them all
• He is not an actual character, but is good enough to fool the reader throughout the novel
• The reader agrees with John’s morals & take on life

        John the savage from Huxley’s “Brave New World” is considered to be immoral by the residents of the World State. The reader is given the impression of this through direct and indirect characterization, and is proven because John is not fully accepted in the reservation nor in the world state. This confirmation is the main factor why the reader sympathizes with the savage. 

As the reader is presented to John we know he is different, because he is a native from the reservation and because of indirect characterization. “But they wouldn’t let me. They disliked me for my complexion. It’s always been like that. Always.” Tears stood in the young man’s eyes; he was ashamed and turned away. Other than being peculiar to Bernard and Lenina the reader realizes that the savage is loyal to his people and believes strongly in their rituals. The fact that he has a sense of morality and is loyal allows the reader to feel some compassion for him. 

The biggest difference between the savage and the world state residents is that John is abstinent. The Brave new world is stabilized by “everyone belongs to everyone”, and this of course means belonging to everyone in a sexual and lustful way. Unlike many of the residents, John refuses to take part in sexual intercourse without being married first, and calls Lenina a “whore…damned whore!” This is yet another reason why the reader can easily relate to the savage. In our world today, abstinence is still considered something sacred. 

Everything the world state presses on the savage, he pushes away. He is kind and allows Bernard to use him as a stool to get to the top, but gets quickly sick of it and revolts. Though he is not a real character, there are many similarities between the reader and the savage. In some ways he symbolizes us in our world today. The allusion to Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” is the world state monsters versus the reservation men or visa versa. It can also be symbolized to represent the people of today and how many are so evil that they cannot be distinguished between men or monsters. The world state is an exaggerated version of our world today. The savages from the reservation only form some of our population. For that reason is that the reader rallies John on throughout the novel, because they see themselves in him. They do not want to finish their journey with their feet dangling “South-south-west, south, south-east, east…”

Resource of the day

Thank You for our discussion today and all the input and ideas you girls gave me!!
 Izzy, Nikki, and Maria!

Today we discussed my masterpiece, and where I wanted it to go. I knew I would be talking about compassion, but I wanted to do it in a way that not many do so. My masterpiece is going to be based on  what compassion is, how people practice it, but most IMPORTANTLY to whom we show compassion to. ARE WE BIASED TO WHO WE SHOW COMPASSION TOWARDS? ARE WE WORTHY OF CHOOSING WHO DESERVES COMPASSION? In my last project I gave one view of compassion and I focused on the basics of compassion. In this project I want to open people's eyes. I want to go from one extreme to the next...

NEW INTEREST

Recently I have picked up a new interest...Che Guevara! As I am learning about him and his cause I understand that for some he is a murderer, and an enemy of the U.S, but I also understand why others admire him and his deeds. He fought for his cause, he died for his cause, and the cause died with him. I am educating myself on Che because I want to know who he really was. I have picked out some books  and plan on reading them to try to get the best understanding and least biased perspective on who Che really was.

BNW 1997 AP Essay DRAFT

Essay draft (on paper or blog) per yesterday's prompt (see below).  Additional criterion: please use three brief quotes from the text and 3-5 literary terms/techniques to illustrate/support your thesis/main points.  Due Monday, March 17.

PROMPT

1979 Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of

recognized literary merit who might, on the basis of the character’s actions alone,

be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and

why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more

sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.

Pre-Write:

John the savage

• ·      An outcast in the world state & in the reservation
•         Non-conformist
•     Educated (reads old lit.)
•          Has a sense of morality (therefore he is IMMORAL in the eyes of the World State)
• ·      Loyal to his mother & his people
• ·      Confused and frustrated w/ World State
• ·      Finds the way out by killing himself.

Examples from text

• ·      Refuses sex from Lenina and calls her a whore
• ·      He goes crazy when his mother is dying and wants to save her
• ·      Refuses soma- he would rather deal with his emotions naturally
• ·      Reads & uses old literature (Shakespeare)

Literary Techniques:

• ·      Allusion to the tempest

o   Theme is difficulty distinguishing between men & monsters

• ·      Symbolism

o   John can easily symbolize the reader and how they would react

• ·      Doubleness of character
• ·      Indirect Characterization/Direct Characterization

What makes us react sympathetically?!

• ·      The reader feels pity for him b/c he is not fully accepted anywhere
• ·      The reader can relate to him b/c he is the most “human” of them all
• ·      He is not an actual character, but is good enough to fool the reader throughout the novel
• ·      The reader agrees with John’s morals & take on life

ESSAY: (about 1hr timing)

            John the savage from Huxley’s “Brave New World” is considered to be immoral by the residents of the World State. The reader is given the impression of this through direct and indirect characterization, and is proven by the fact that John is neither fully accepted in the reservation nor world state. This confirmation is the main factor why the reader sympathizes with the savage.

            As the reader is presented to John we know he is different, because he is a native from the reservation and because of indirect characterization. “But they wouldn’t let me. They disliked me for my complexion. It’s always been like that. Always.” Tears stood in the young man’s eyes; he was ashamed and turned away. Other than being peculiar to Bernard and Lenina the reader realizes that the savage is loyal to his people and believes strongly in their rituals. The fact that he has a sense of morality and is loyal allows the reader to feel some compassion for him.

            The biggest difference between the savage and the world state residents is that John is abstinent. The Brave new world is stabilized by “everyone belongs to everyone”, and this of course means belonging to everyone in a sexual and lustful way. Unlike many of the residents, John refuses to take part in sexual intercourse without having got married first, and calls Lenina a “whore…damned whore!” This is yet another reason why the reader can easily relate to the savage. In our world today, abstinence is still considered something sacred.

            Everything the world state presses on the savage, he pushes away. He is kind and allows Bernard to use him as a stool to get to the top, but gets quickly sick of it and revolts. Though he is not a real character, there are many similarities between the reader and the savage. In some ways he symbolizes us in our world today. The allusion to Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” is the world state monsters versus the reservation men or visa versa. It can also be symbolized to represent the people of today and how many are so evil that they cannot be distinguished between men or monsters. The world state is an exaggerated version of our world today. The savages from the reservation only form some of our population. For that reason is that the reader rallies John on throughout the novel, because they seem themselves in him. They do not want to finish their journey with their feet dangling “South-south-west, south, south-east, east…”

INSPIRING THE MINI US- Mckenzie Junior High Presentation

Today Tina, Java, Erik, and I went to Mckenzie Junior High to speak to the 8th graders! We spoke for about 30-45 minutes. Seems like a long time, but we actually wanted more time! We also spoke to an intervention class and were able to motivate the students from that class as well. We spoke about the  transition between Junior high and high school, how to get involved, and how to stay motivated. Going back was a surreal experience. I felt so lost...yeah in a school that only has about 350 students. WHAT?! Flashbacks were taking over my mind! The only words that came out were "Oh my gosh, remember that?, wow! it looks so different!, They are so tiny?" Speaking to our fellow community's children/teenagers was a great experience. I can not express how near and dear to my heart the experience was. As I glanced around the room, the same room I once had class in, and the desk the students sat at, the same one I once sat at while listening to seniors give an AVID presentation I thought these students are no different than who I was four years ago. They too yearn for success. They too, will be successful! :)

*The ride to Guad (Mckenzie Here we come!)

Thanks Mr. Blanco for the ride :)

*Preaching ;)

* Getting a giggle from past experiences :)

*We got to cut in front of the line...Mckenzie alumni privilege :) 

School lunch...mmm

* One of the classes we presented to! :) 

So adorable!

*Mr. Blanco chilling after his introduction :)

*Done with our job...Now Mr.Reynoso giving some last minute advice :)

Preach it! 

Resource of the day!

After becoming a virtual cow, will you feel more empathy (and change what you eat)?

READ ARTICLE HERE: http://www.splendidtable.org/story/after-becoming-a-virtual-cow-will-you-feel-more-empathy-and-change-what-you-eat

We would be more understanding if we were AVATARS...

A sneek Peek of the article: 

Virtual avatars are one thing. But what about real bodies? Would identifying with another person's body make you behave more like that person? If the body belongs to a different gender, age, or ethnicity than yours, would you become more empathic to others in that group?... TO KEEP READING CLICK HERE: http://science.kqed.org/quest/2012/07/31/avatars-and-the-mirrorbox-can-humans-hack-empathy/

Mirrorbox: The Story of How Art Became Science

VIDEO on Empathy!

 http://vimeo.com/38138351

Another reference :)

Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab:  http://vhil.stanford.edu/mission/

LONG LIVE THE BUTTERFLIES!

I have frantically been trying to read as much as possible through every passing period. This novel has got me hooked!

"IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES" BY JULIA ALVAREZ

It is a novel based on a true story. It speaks of the women heroines (Their underground name being the butterflies) behind the revolution against Dictator  Rafael Leonidas Trujillo of the Dominican Republic. Throughout the novel the reader is taken through the lives of these women, the men behind them, their children, and the threatening and torture that goes along with the Revolution. The novel takes place between 1938-1960. It is such an amazing, inspiring, and raw story!


The last sister to survive speaks of the revolution and her sisters. She has now passed away (2014)

The Movie Trailer