"Staking a Claim" Activity

1. "SUV owners should be required to pay an energy surcharge." Yes, it's arguable.
2. "Charter schools are an alternative to public schools." No, it's too easily verifiable. REVISED: "Charter schools should remain as an alternative to public schools."
3. "Ronald Reagan was the most charismatic president of the twentieth century." Yes?
4. "Requiring students to wear uniforms improves school spirit." No, it's too easily verifiable. REVISED: "Students should be required to wear uniforms."
5. "The terms global warming and climate change describe different perspectives on this complex issue." Yes? I don't know. People argue about anything nowadays.
6. "Students graduating from college today can expect to have more debt than any previous generation." No, too verifiable. REVISED: "Students today struggle more with debt than ever before in the past and should be given help by the government." (does that work?)
7. "People who read novels are more likely to attend sports events and movies than those who do not." Yes.
8. "Print newspapers will not survive another decade." Yes.
9. "The competition among countries to become a site for the Olympic Games is fierce." I don't know. No. REVISED: "The competition among countries to become a site for the Olympic Games more fierce than the games itself."
10. "Plagiarism is a serious problem in today's schools." No, too verifiable. REVISED: "Plagiarism is the worst problem in today's schools since it has become commonly practiced amongst the students in schools today."

Welp. I tried. Bye.

"Why Investing in Fast Food May Be a Good Thing" Activity

Domini was able to demonstrate in her article that the Slow Food Movement have been narrow-minded about fast food by giving details on the improvements they have been bringing about the world today. She states that "Fast food is a way of life" and that it has become "so enormous, even seemingly modest changes can have a big impact". Those modest changes can be something as small as banning the use of trans-fats (a staple of fast food) in restaurants or reduce the overuse of packaging. They're small changes, but it makes a big difference to the world since so many people consume fast food. The fast food business became so influential that the little changes they make for the betterment of the world has a great impact.

This I Believe Essay

Treat Everyone Like a Perfect Angel

Yesterday, Houston Kraft came to our school delivering a message of love and kindness. It was a moving speech; the entire assembly was a rollercoaster of emotions. In all honesty, I feel like I may have been moved a little more than I should have, because I related to a lot of what he said.

The message he was giving, the idea of spreading kindness to everyone, was something I have always believed in. My whole life revolved around making other people’s lives a little better and making them even just a little bit happier than when I had first met them. My philosophy has always been to show kindness to the people I meet, but it wasn’t until later in life that I realized that even the people who don’t seem like they deserve it are the ones that need it the most in life.

A few years ago, a little boy moved into my neighborhood. I welcomed him in when he first moved in, hoping that he’ll be able to be happy here with everyone…but he ended up being a really annoying person and everyone hated him. I swear, he purposely got on everyone’s nerves, then cries because people would retaliate, then repeats the process all over again! Who does that? Like, seriously!

It wasn’t until a few months later that I learned why he was like that. He used to go through foster homes and one of his foster parents didn’t want to deal with him and his tantrums. So, they decided to prescribe him a bunch of drugs and sedatives to make him drowsy and slow so then they wouldn’t have to deal with teaching him how to act properly in front of people or disciplining him into becoming a more mature child. Not only that, he bothered everyone because he was always left alone and left out of things. He didn’t mind getting beaten up or feeling pain from the people he bothered as long as they noticed him and interacted with him in some way.

That boy was my youngest step-brother who my mom worked to get him and his older brothers out of the foster care system into a safe home with their dad, who is now married to my mom.

I don’t want my brother to feel like he’s ever alone in the world. I haven’t known him my whole life, but I know that the stupid things he does could never define him as a person. The little dumb decisions he makes doesn’t explain who he is or what he went through.

I believe that applies to everyone in the world. Everyone has a story as to why they are the way they are. Everyone deserves to treated with love and kindness no matter if they’re “good” or “bad”. Nobody is going to be a perfect angel; we’re too flawed to be perfect. But that doesn’t mean we don’t deserve to be treated like one.