Make Way for Ducklings

Make Way for Ducklings Make way for duckling: Author: Robert McCloskey. Genre: children

picture books. Copyright date/date of publication: 1941/1969

 

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard needed to find a safe place to lay their eggs. They find a little

island in the Boston River. Where they can swim and walk to a nearby park to get food. That’s

where the Mallards meet Michael the police officer. Michael gives them Peanuts every day. The

mallards soon have the babies and then they separate for two weeks. Then Mr. and Mrs. Mallard

decided to meet in the park in two weeks. While heading to the park the mom and ducklings

almost get run over by cars. Michael helps the mom and babies make it to the park to reunite

with the dad.

The illustrations on this book are very detailed. The pictures are set in a big city however,

the detail in each picture tell the complete story. I could look at each picture all day and find new

details. Each picture matches the story in very intense detail. Charcoal was used to create this

master piece. The mood of this book was delightful and the pictures matched. There is however

one part of the story I don’t understand and that is why dose dad need to go look down river and

leave mom alone to raise the ducklings that might be a stereotyping. This plot dose appeal to

children it’s a book that children would understand and be very into. If you have children this

would be a must read book. It’s a timeless classic.

Michael Fair

Religious Freedom

Title: Public School Teacher tells 5- Year-Old that Praying Is “Not Good”.

By: Lina Batarags

Published date: April 02, 2014

Religious Freedom

In America, we have many rights and freedoms for everyone. For example,

there are the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the freedom of religion

and more. In the freedom of religion, everyone have the right to practice any

religion they choose without any opposition. To me freedom of religion is the one

that helps people speak out of their mind and opinion about their beliefs. Religion is

one of the importance values in our life. It emphasizes how to being good and being

right. According to Lina Batarags, there was a public school teacher tells 5 year-
old that praying is not good. In the week of March 10, a girl name Gabriella Perez,

in kindergarten, she came home and told her parents that her teacher said to her

that to stop praying. Gabriella Perez’s parents were mad and calling to the principal

to talk about it. They wanted an apology from the school so they made a video to

post to YouTube. Her mom, Kathy, was saying to Gabriella Perez that she did a right

thing and don’t have to be scared to tell the truth. I agree with Kathy that there is no

shame to pray at the public.

Everyone have a right to show their participant to their religion. Whatever

their belief, or religious, there should a completely freedom to express them, except

for those who take an advantage to have a physical harm or violence to others.

Thuong Nguyen

An Open Letter to Ann Coulter

An Open Letter to Ann Coulter

This letter is extremely moving seeing as it was written by Special Olympic athlete John Franklin Stephens himself. In 2012 Ann Coulter called President Obama the R-word which made John, who has Down Syndrome, want to write her a letter. In the letter, he asks Coulter what she means when she used the R-word. A passage I found particularly moving from the letter is “I wondered if you meant to degrade him as someone who is likely to receive bad health care, live in low grade housing with very little income and still manages to see life as a wonderful gift. Because, Ms. Coulter, that is who we are – and much, much more”. Johns letter is a great example of how amazing people with disabilities are and how intelligent they truly can be. I work at a camp for people with special needs and some of the campers I’ve met there are the most intelligent people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Their stories touch my soul and are truly inspiring. There is one individual who is confined to a wheel chair and is unable to do anything for herself. She wears an adult brief that someone must change for her, must be tube fead, and is non-verbal. This particular camper has a dynobox, a way to communicate without speaking, and she uses it with her head. This means she is able to communicate by hitting a button with her head and having the letters and sentences appear on the dynobox. She is one of the smartest people I have ever met in my life and yet there are people who look at her with one glance and call the R-word. This article is a great way to show people who don’t know much about individuals with disabilities how smart they truly are. We might be different in a physical sense but when it comes to the brain, we are all very similar. I really hope everyone will take a few minutes out of the day to read this amazing letter! Just google “An Open Letter to Ann Coulter” it’s the first tab the shows up 🙂

Alexa Prusa

Changing Pace, Face of Franchise

Changing Pace, Face of Franchise

By: Michael Wilbon

This is a big topic in basketball with how good Derrick Rose was and how he still is good, but after back to back knee injuries will he be able to be the same type of player?

To me I wish he could be the same players because just in his second season in the NBA he won the MVO and he was the youngest player to ever do so.  Then he goes and tears his knee in the playoffs and then sits out a whole year and then comes back and then again tears his knee, but his left one this time.  To come back from two knee injuries, one in each knee is going to be very difficult to come back from in my perspective.  They recognize that Bernard King who played for the New York Knicks had two knee injuries also and did all the rehad and came abck from it, but he was still good just not what he use to be.

Derrick is now 7 years old and that may look young yes, but added with two knee injuries that looks like he is 34 still trying to show that he can play.  Even though he isn’t playing his teamates still think that he will make a great impact on the team whenever he returns, but will he ever make that great impact again?

The idea of moving on from Derrick Rose is hard to picture, but you have to start building around your team around the players that you have that can actually play right now.  I think that Rose knows what is kind’ve going on even though he is the home grown star and sold all the tickets and led them to the playoffs and everything, but maybe it is time to move on.

Jacob Voss

30+ Pieces of Inspiring, Funny and Interesting Advice

Title: 30+ Pieces of Inspiring, Funny and Interesting Advice

Author: Alice

Genre: Personal Blog

Published: September 10, 2009

I sat racking my brain about what I wanted to read and discuss about and finally

I decided on blogging about another person’s blog. In this particular blog, she

talks about little pictures of advice or quotes that she comes across everyday while

on the internet. This is so relatable because I do too while scrolling down my

newsfeed on Facebook or Instagram. Anyway, she says that everyone can relate

to these pictures and benefit from the advice which I can definitely agree with.

Of the 30+ pictures/ advice that she posted to her blog, my favorite would have to

be “Most of the things you worry about, never happen.” When most of us worry,

we’re usually worrying that something may or may not happen. If we just stop and

think about this little piece of advice, it could take some of the stress away from us

and allow us to feel happier.

Rayna Ashley

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/30-pieces-of-inspiring-funny

Good Coach, Great Leader

This post if from thepostgame.com about Tom Izzo.

This article is about the head coach of the Michigan State University men’s

basketball team, Tom Izzo. Tom has long been a well-respected and successful head

coach in the NCAA. He is among the most elite coaches in the country. This is the

very first year in his almost 20 years of coaching that he will not have a player who

has stayed on the team for four years make the final four. That achievement along

is something no other coach has ever done. He leads both on and off the court and

shows nothing but the utmost respect for the teams that he plays, be it a high or low

caliber team. The question that would be asked in this article is why does he do the

things that he does and what makes him such a good coach and great leader.

Jeff Blaauw

I Am What I Am

Author: Rodrick Daniels

Title: I Am What I Am

Genre: Biography

Copyright Date: March 17, 2014

My parents recently decided they wanted to renovate the upstairs bathroom. They

usually try to find a sort of handyman for these kinds of projects to save on expensive labor

prices. My brother-in-law recommended a man that he works with at our local church. He

had complete faith in him that he would be the best man for the job. It didn’t however work

out real well as my mother is very particular and had high standards. They eventually hired

someone else who tore down all the work this man had done to start from scratch. The man’s

name was Rodrick and I was fortunate enough to have several conversations with him on the

days he working on the bathroom. I came to find out that he had had a very rough past: gang

affiliations, drugs, extortion, the whole nine. I couldn’t this man could have been capable of all

these horrible things.

During one of our conversations, he was excited to tell me that he had just got a book

published about his life that he wrote. He said they were selling for twelve dollars, but that he’d

make sure to bring by a copy that I could read for free. It wasn’t a very big book, not even a

book really, more pamphlet status. After reading it, I just wish my parents would have known

what this man was capable of before so willingly employing him. He was clearly a changed

man, but it hadn’t been very long since he had been committing his crimes. One crime that I had

a severe problem with was scamming and stealing money from elderly people. He made random

calls specifically targeting elderly people, explaining that they had just won a sweepstakes

contest. His “intelligent” scam was to convince these unsuspecting people that in order to collect

their winnings; they would just have to pay the taxed portion of the prize.

At first, I felt bad that all his hard work on our bathroom would have to be demolished in

order to meet my parents’ standards. I couldn’t muster the same feelings after reading his book.

Is he a truly changed person or is he just better now at hiding his flaws?

Hope on Fire

Title: Hope on Fire

Genre: Drama Romance

Copyright/Date of Pub.: September 14, 2008

 

Hunger Games

In the apocalyptic future of North America, now named Panem, the government is in full control. To discourage future rebellions and to punish the citizens of Panem, every year there is a tournament called the Hunger Games, where children from twelve to seventeen will fight to the death until one remains. The government, called the Capitol “reaps” twenty-four teenagers and takes them to the capitol for show. The main character, Katniss’ sister is selected for the Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers for her instead, Katniss now must fight tooth and nail for her very own survival.

 

I think Susan is trying to ask if children still posses courage or the ability to stand up for something that is not right. She doesn’t want us to have fear, but be able to overcome the problems we face in everyday life. Also I think she’s trying to ask if we have hope. Hope keeps us alive and strong, we need hope in our tough times.

Dan Carpenter

The Well Is Running Dry: How Will California Respond?

The Well is Running Dry: How will California Respond?

Today I read an article online via Yahoo! News covering California’s recent drought crisis and

how to solve the problems. The news article reveals that the state’s government agencies have been

working on major water storage projects for up to twenty years with little to nothing to show for it.

California is our nation’s most populous state, with over 38 million registered residents. Their water

systems have, for the most part, have not been updated since the 1960s. There are five major

propositions on dams and water projects spanning the state, but there are issues in Congress that are

prohibiting any of these Bills to pass. Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein feels that those who oppose

these new or expanded dams are hop9ing that doing so will deter growth and development; but this is a

losing battle. People are continuing to flock to California, regardless of the news of water problems.

Another man, Doug Obegi, feels that smaller operations such as water recycling and storm water

capture in urban areas will be the real contributors to California’s water supply, and a much cheaper

way at that. To me, it seems that in order to raise significant changes within California’s water supply

levels, dams must be constructed and the large-scale projects that Feinstein endorses are the answer.

Collecting rainwater in barrels is a good start, but I don’t believe that this really adds up to significant

amounts of water in the long run. Large dams that hold large amounts of water seem to me to be the

real answer to California’s water problem, because as the state continues to grow in population large

amounts of water will be needed; not small amounts that will not last long, such as the storm collection rain barrels.

Devan Dunneback

The Alchemist

The Alchemist

I read the book The Alchemist recently and really enjoyed it. It was about a boy named Santiago

who was a Shepard and continued to have this reoccurring dream. He dreamt that he traveled to

the Egyptian pyramids and found treasure. At first he did not think anything of this dream until

he had it again. Santiago decided to stop at a gypys house on his way into town and ask her what

it meant. She told him that it meant that he was going to come into a good deal of fortune. He

did not believe this and she told him to follow his heart and that this session would be free if he

agreed to share half of his findings. Santiago left her house feeling very unsure and decided to

ignore it because he was happy with his sheep and the life he had. Santiago was on his way into

town when he decided to take a break and sit on a bench nearby. That is when Melchizedek, who

claims to be the King of Salem comes up to him and starts talking to him. He tells Santiago he

must follow his heart and to seek the treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. Melchizedek wanted

half of Santiago’s sheep for sharing this information with him. Santiago decides to take off in

this personal legend and listen to his heart. He comes across many self-battles in this journey

but the treasures that he discovers on the way are not what he had expected, they were far more

worth then anything he could buy. In this book I think that the author is asking what treasure

really is. It is different to each person and only we ourselves can decide what that it. It is not

money or jewels or having a nice car but information and things that we carry with us even

after we pass. Also I think the author is asking the reader what is their personal legend? Are you

following your heart or doing what is expected? It is too often we get caught up in the fast pace

of our lives and don’t take a second to think about what our heart is telling us. It is important to

follow our dreams and to not give up. Life is more enjoyable when we take the time to follow

our own personal legend and ignore what we or others think that we should do. How are you able

to enjoy life if you’re not living it for yourself?

Nicole DeBruine