Assignment 16: Horray for Hollywood

It's not quite Oscar season, I'm sure we'll get to that though, it is however that time when movie studios parade out their Oscar contenders.  So for this post I'd like you to go to the movies.

Actually you can just watch at home but I like the idea of you telling your parents that you HAVE to go for a homework assignment. 

Please pick one:

1. I'd like you to pick a genre or director and watch two films by that director and then compare/contrast the two in whatever way you deem appropriate.

2. Go see a film and submit a review of that film on rotten tomatoes.  Once you post, link the post in your blog so I can read it.
 

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, January 11 at 11:59 pm

Assignment 17: Speech

Post your speech!

Last blog of the year! Huzzah!

Full text of speech - due Friday, December 19th at 11:59 pm.

Speech- Amelia Rogers

           Five hundred elementary school students sit, wide-eyed, criss-cross, no talking. The music plays, the principal stands, the students cheer. What are they celebrating? A holiday? A fun afternoon, a break from class?

            No.

            They are celebrating standardized state testing.

           

            “We’re counting on you,” the principal says. “We’re counting on you to reach our goal and to show that we’re the best school in the state of Kentucky!”

           

            I’d guess that many of you remember sitting in assemblies just like this. I remember them vividly. In third grade, my first year of state testing, I remember proudly representing my class in a parade of students, circling our cafeteria as “Olympic Fanfare” filled the air. I bought that testing glorification for all it was worth. I lived it. I breathed it. I received a distinguished in math and reading. I saw my name posted on the walls. I saw that some of my friends’ names were missing.

            In the fourth grade, I participated in my school’s assembly once again, perhaps with a little less enthusiasm. Again, I was told that I was distinguished in math and reading. However, I am ashamed to inform you that as a diligent and zealous 10 year old, I was only proficient in the area of Practical Living, which as you may recall, was one of the most unpractical tests ever created. Let me tell you, I cried.

            By fifth grade, I was already disillusioned, and I did not chant or cheer. I saw right through them. Yet, that little perfectionist inside me made me take those tests as seriously as ever. I scored distinguished.

            Standardized, state-mandated, state-regulated testing. One of the most hotly contested issues in the American education system. Hundreds of opinions circulate the issue from parents, teachers, school administrators, lawmakers, and even the President himself.

            One of the biggest problems with state testing is the misinformation surrounding it. As I searched for answers, I realized the truth about state testing is hard to find. The basics, however, are as follows: the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was actually the seventh reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, passed in 1965. No Child Left Behind encompassed numerous federal education programs besides testing; In fact the transcript of the act is over 1,000 pages, which, if you are wondering, I did not attempt to read, and I’m sure many parents and educators didn’t either. The primary focus of the act, however, is that it required schools to test students in grades 3-8 in reading and math annually, and once in science every three grades. President Obama made some changes to NCLB in 2010 through an executive order, but many of its components remain the same. You may be surprised to learn that that NCLB originally required every child in America to qualify as “proficient,” by 2014- this year. You’re probably not surprised, though, that here we are in 2014 and the all-proficient goal has proved unattainable. Almost every state has applied for a flexibility allowment from the federal government, which requires them to adopt “Common Core” initiatives in exchange for release from the 2014 deadline. Was NCLB well-intentioned? Of course. Has it been effective? No.

            Today, I’d like for us to examine two parts of the state-testing issue, particularly in elementary schools. First, why state testing doesn’t work, and second, what we can do about it.

            State testing divides students into two groups. The first group is full of kids that have that drive to do well. These kids take on the stress and responsibility of state testing that schools place on their shoulders. Some kids will just do well on the test. They’re smart. The system works for them. But then we have the second group. The kids that struggle with their reading or math. Who aren’t good test takers. Who have a hard time concentrating on answering so many questions in an hour. Or even, the kids that just don’t care.

            With the first group, elementary students should not have stress! They shouldn’t have to carry the responsibility of their school’s or their teacher’s success, yet that is what they’re being told. State testing is ruining this group’s drive to learn for the sake of learning, and teaching them that learning is only about passing a test.

            And with the second group, these kids are told that they are “apprentice” or “novice” level, and set up on the fast track to failure in a school system where test performance defines success. Many of these students quickly dislike school, and give up.

            For both groups, testing kills the imagination, creativity, and enthusiasm of childhood. If you asked an elementary school student what their favorite activity at school was in the last week, I could guarantee you that they won’t say taking a test! I remember my favorite school activities to this day- my Egyptian class play, science pudding soil models. Kids learn through hands-on activities, exploring, creating, and understanding in their own ways.

            Standardized testing doesn’t work for kids because kids aren’t standard! Not all kids learn the same way, and they don’t demonstrate what they’ve learned in the same way. Teaching geared toward state testing hurts kids because they miss that individual learning aspect.

            So what can we do about it?

            Recently, the education system in Finland has come to light as one of the best systems in the world. Why? Because their focus is not on standardized tests, but rather on individual students. Kari Louhivuori, a Finnish principal, when asked about American state testing said, “Americans like all these bars and graphs and colored charts…It’s nonsense. We know much more about the children than these tests can tell us” (Hancock, 1). With this mindset, Finland has placed among the top five in the last two Global Indexes of Cognitive Skills and Educational Attainment. The United States has placed seventeenth and fourteenth.

            Maybe the American education system can’t wipe out state testing entirely, but they can take the focus off of state testing and put it back on the students. Teachers should be free to teach in a way that relates to their students, spending more time outside, more time exploring and creating. By shifting the attention off of testing and onto students, it is very likely that students will end up performing better on standardized tests, as has proven to be the case with Finland.

            Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally recognized leader in education, said, “Education under No Child Left Behind is based on not diversity but conformity…. The point is that education is not a mechanical system. It's a human system…. You take a school, you change the conditions, … you offer people the discretion to be creative in what they do, and schools that were once bereft spring to life.” Children have so much potential. We just have to unlock it.

            As a future elementary school teacher, my stake in this issue is high. I often think, “How will I manage to teach in and around the standardized system?” I’m not sure yet, but I know one thing: as long as I focus on the kids and help them truly learn, then I will be doing something right.

            You may be thinking, “Okay, but what does it matter to me?” It’s true that it’s a little too late for us. Our elementary school days have passed. Some of us will become lawmakers, even fewer educators. But there is one thing that will affect almost everyone in this room. Someday, we will be the parents of the next generation of students. And if you choose to put your kids through the American public school system, you will have to fight for your kids. Make sure they know that they are not defined by a state testing label. Show them how important real learning is. It may too late for us, but it’s not too late for them.

            An old Tibetan proverb goes like this: “A child without education is like a bird without wings.” Every kid deserves wings, beautiful, original, wings. Every kid deserves an education, beautiful and original.

            Not standard.

Works Cited

Hancock, LynNell. "Why Are Finland's Schools Successful?" Smithsonian. 1 Sept. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-49859555/#cBLcFjJ2dFSfr4xr.99>.

"Index of Cognitive Skills and Educational Attainment." Index. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://thelearningcurve.pearson.com/index/index-comparison>.

"No Child Left Behind Overview." Background & Analysis. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://febp.newamerica.net/background-analysis/no-child-left-behind-overview>.

"Reforming No Child Left Behind." The White House. The White House. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/k-12/reforming-no-child-left-behind>.

Robinson, Ken. "Transcript of "How to Escape Education's Death Valley"" Ken Robinson: How to Escape Education's Death Valley. 1 May 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_how_to_escape_education_s_death_valley/transcript?language=en>.

Speech- Caroline Totty

Caroline Totty

         Imagine you are a freshman girl in college, an older boy you don’t know very well invites you to a frat party. He seems nice enough so of course you agree to going. When you get to the party he seems happy to see you and offers to get you a drink, and you kindly accept. You drink the drink not questioning anything and later the guy asks if you want to go upstairs, you follow him. He takes you into a room alone and starts touching you and you feel uncomfortable, but don’t want to say no in fear of him getting mad and regretting asking you to the party. However, just because you don’t say no doesn’t mean you want to. He is very forceful and before you can say anything he is violating you in traumatizing ways. “No means no” is the phrase people advertise for anti rape; however, sometimes it is hard for someone to say no so instead they say nothing at all leaving the person to do whatever they want, but if the phrase was changed to “yes means yes,” that would require someone to completely agree to partake in sexual activities rather than not saying anything and that resulting in rape.

         44% of rape victims are under the age of 18, and 80% are under the age of 30. Every 2 minutes another American is sexually assaulted. Every year there are about 237,868 victims of sexual assault. However, 60% of those sexual assaults will never be reported to the police and 97% of rapists will never spend a day in jail. About 2/3 of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim. You wonder how a so called “friend” could do something so life traumatizing to you, but it happens more often than you would think, about 38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintance.

         The confusion with the term “no means no” is the blurred lines between “no,” “I don’t know,” and “yes.” Sometimes it is hard to completely refuse something. Think about the amount of times you haven’t wanted to do something, yet you don’t straight forwardly say no. Many rape victims are the same, they don’t want to but they can’t say no because they are fearful. So, if someone does respond with “I don’t know,” when the phrase “no means no,” is in place then technically that’s not no so what they are doing isn’t rape. However, when it’s the phrase “yes means yes,” I don’t know doesn’t stand. There is no blurred line, the person either agrees or they don’t. If they say, “I don’t know,” then it could be considered rape.

         Even though it doesn’t always stop them, no men want to be accused of rape. That kind of accusation is life damaging and no woman will look at a man the same way again. Unfortunately, the beloved Bill Cosby has recently been exposed for multiple cases of rape that happened years ago. In an interview with CNN Janice Dickinson comes out with her story of how Cosby raped her. At the end of the interview she starts crying and states that, “this has affected me in my house, this is affecting me here and it has probably affected these other women.” Janice Dickinson claims that Cosby raped her in 1982, yet she is still traumatized 32 years later. In the documentary, Without Consent, several women come out with their terrifying rape stories. Rape is not something to be taken lightly. It is a major problem with several thousand girls becoming victims every year.

         In the United States alone the rape number has been steadily rising since 1960. Obviously the term “no means no” is not very affective. Although several cases of rape happen when a girl is at a party and gets roofied. When this happens the victim either becomes completely unconscious or very incapable of handling themselves, much less able to refuse sexual activities. This makes it very easy for people to take advantage of someone, especially when they are unable to say no. This is where the blurred lines are relevant. When someone is roofied they can’t refuse, but when it’s the phrase “yes means yes,” they wouldn’t be able to agree maybe causing the rapist to think twice.

         These phrases aren’t laws that are strictly enforced, but I think if the phrase was changed to “yes means yes,” then it would make some people stop and think, “Is this worth ruining my life?” Maybe it won’t. Maybe some people are pigs and their goal in life is to ruin someone else’s and force them to live in fear everyday that something like that will happen again, their goal in life is to force nightmares upon innocent people and make them afraid to close their eyes every night, their goal is to make someone so paranoid that they can barely function.

        

         Rape is absolutely disgusting, and the fact that someone could have the power to make someone else live in fear the rest of his or her life is disgusting. Although rape will never be completely stopped there are things we could do to help prevent it. If you see something that could potentially lead to rape, don’t be a bystander; intervene. Also remember to never take a drink from someone you don’t know and never leave your drink anywhere, you don’t know what could be in it. Most importantly, start advertising the phrase “yes means yes,” rather than “no means no.” Let people know if someone doesn’t say yes to participate in sexual activities it will be filed as rape. Don’t put yourself in any uncomfortable situations and remember, “Yes means yes!”

  

Works Cited

Girl with Man's Hand Over Mouth. Digital image. Scaryforkids. N.p., 21          Aug. 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. <http://www.scaryforkids.com/>.

Janice Dickinson: Cosby Drugged And Raped Me When I Was 27. Perf.

         Janice Dickison. CNN, 2014. Interview.

Ritter, John. Phi Kappa Psi House. Digital image. Marshlaw. N.p., n.d.          Web. 14 Dec. 2014. <http://www.marshlaw.us/>.

"Statistics." Rainn. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. <https://www.rainn.org>

"United States Population and Number of Crimes 1960 - 2013."          Disastercenter. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.

         <http://www.disastercenter.com/>.

Without Consent. Dir. David Goldie. ABC TV Documentaries, 1992.          Documentary.

Speech - Emily Cashman

Emily Cashman

Waistlines and Serving Sizes on the Rise

More than 1/3 of American adults are obese. This fact isn’t meant to surprise you because it’s pretty common knowledge that obesity is a problem in America. It’s even one of our nation’s stereotypes. I have first hand experience with this because when my family housed a French exchange student last summer we learned that she was extremely concerned with becoming fat while in America, and she told us of how she and her friends were under the assumption that all Americans were fat. While this assumption of hers is false, unless we start making more changes in regards to the food that we put in our bodies, our future might be more and more like what she imagined. These adjustments don’t need to be drastic and they aren’t super innovative, but by being more informed about proper meal proportions, knowing more than just the calorie content of an entrée, and being able to notice the real differences between and “Original” version of a product and a “Reduced Fat” or “Zero Sugar” alternative, we can come one step closer to ending the obesity epidemic in out nation.

“Clean your plate” is a phrase that often can be heard around a dinner table with young children. At least when I was little, I wasn’t allowed to leave the table without eating most, if not all, of the food on my plate. Now a phrase like this wouldn’t be a problem if our plates were correctly sized and the proportions of our food were appropriate. However, that is not the case. A study done by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that between 1977 and 1996, food portion sizes increased substantially in both restaurants and in the home. This includes all areas except for pizza. Somehow, pizza has been able to remain roughly the same size since 1977. Other popular foods have not been so lucky. Take a hamburger for example; this study concludes that the size of your average hamburger increased by 23% over the course of 20 years. The recommended serving size of a burger is 5 oz., but that doesn’t stop restaurants like McDonald’s and Wendy’s from selling 11 oz. burgers aptly titled the “Angus Deluxe” and “Double Baconator”. You may be wondering if fast-food chains offer appropriate sized hamburgers, and they do. But with the words “juniors” or “kid-size” slapped on the front, people become less likely to select that item because they are under the false impression that it won’t be enough food to fill them up. If Americans had more access to proper nutritional information and had more knowledge about how much food is really necessary in a meal, then fast-food chains and other restaurants wouldn’t be able to get away with cramming so much food into a single dish. This type of knowledge would greatly aid Americans who are looking to combat obesity and live healthier lifestyles.

Americans also need to look into the more specific details of the meals they consume. Just because an entrée doesn’t exceed the recommended caloric content provided by the USDA does not mean it is healthy or a good choice of meal. Cambridge Journals offers a study done by Helen Wu and Roland Sturm where they gathered information regarding the nutritional statistics from over 200 restaurants, both sit-down, family-style and drive-thru, fast-food establishments. They found that as high as 97% of the entrées they studied had more fat, sodium, or saturated fats than what is recommended. The Cheesecake Factory is known for its unhealthy meals, but the actual extent of unhealthiness is surprising. Their pasta “Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic” entrée has 63 grams of saturated fats. Considering that the American Heart Association recommends about 16 grams of saturated fats per day, based on a 2,000-calorie diet, it’s a bit frightening to realize just how much more we are eating than necessary. Although it is becoming a more common practice to offer the caloric content of meals at many restaurants, this isn’t enough. In order to successfully lessen the number obese adults in America, people need more well-rounded and easily accessible nutritional information when making these food-related choices.

The problem isn’t just confined to restaurants. It’s almost impossible to walk through a grocery store without seeing products promoted with phrases like “Zero Calorie”, “Low Sodium”, or “No Sugar”. The food industry loves to plaster labels like these all over their products in attempts to make them seem more appealing and healthier to consumers. For example, Cheez-It is a well-known snack company. When you walk up to the section of a grocery store dedicated to Cheez-Its and see a box of their “Original” version sitting next to the “Reduced Fat” option, it’s very easy to select the “Reduced Fat” one and believe that you have made a healthier choice. But upon closer comparison of the two nutritional labels, it can be noted that even though there is a smaller amount of fat in the “Reduced Fat” box, the company had to compensate for changing that by adding more sodium and carbohydrates. So even though they are being honest when promoting “Reduced Fat” on the front on the box, in order to tell the full story, labels like “Increased Sodium” or “More Carbs” should be printed right there next to it. This idea sounds very unlikely because it would make consumers less likely to buy the product. But in order to solve this obesity epidemic, Americans need greater access to all of the nutritional information of their food.

We all know obesity is a major problem in our country. That’s not breaking news. And we all also know that many people and organizations are working to reverse this unfortunate stereotype our great country now holds. With simple changes like serving meals of correct proportions at restaurants, giving a more holistic nutritional review of food, and taking a closer look at the real differences between products with labels like “Low Sodium” in the supermarket, we can be one step closer to ending the obesity epidemic. This can help better the lives of millions of Americans working towards healthier lifestyles.

       

Works Cited

Helen W Wu and Roland Sturm (2013). “What's on the menu?” A review of the

energy and nutritional content of US chain restaurant menus. Public Health

Nutrition, 16, pp 87-96.

Mckenzie, John. "Food Portion Sizes Have Grown -- A Lot." ABC News. ABC News

Network, 21 Jan. 2003. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.

Super Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. By Morgan Spurlock. Perf. Morgan Spurlock.

Samuel Goldwyn Films, 2004. DVD.

Taubes, Gary. Why We Get Fat And What To Do About it. New York, New York.

Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. 272. Print.

Zinczenko, David. "Stuffed: The Weighty Truth behind Restaurant Portion Sizes."

TODAY.com. Men's Health, 01 Sept. 2010. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.

Speech - Isabel Jenkins

If only final exams were as simple as the movies portray them to be. The scene opens: our study buddy protagonists have a late night review session that consists of more time for girl talk than time in textbooks. Unfortunately, real student life is not a 30-second montage set to pop music. Final exams in particular are a topic we should all be familiar with. You’ve taken final exams, I’ve taken final exams … This speech is a final exam!

But what is it about final exams? Just plain exams have a cruel enough implication, but what comes with the addition of the word “final”? Why do students dread them so much? As a general rule, final exams supposedly test a student’s comprehensive knowledge of a subject. The idea behind finals makes sense: these periodic tests should encourage students to try and retain the material learned over the entire semester. Sadly, what really ends up happening is cramming – something else we should all be familiar with. Countless hours pouring over a course load of information is what typifies exam week. At times it feels like finals don’t test understanding of information – it feels like they test a student’s ability to cram.

I believe our current system for final exams has become incredibly unrealistic, and is not accomplishing its stated goal. Most of us aren’t remembering information long-term. The adverse effects that are evident in students, such as anxiety and stress, clearly do not outweigh the positives.

We’ve been told before “don’t memorize – understand” but the exams we’re given tend to encourage otherwise. Teachers usually only have a short amount of time to grade, so complicated concepts must be condensed into simple multiple-choice questions or a single essay.

In fact, the Dean of Education at University of Albany SUNY states that “These tests ask the kind of questions … in detail that they may never be asked again in their lives.” This isn’t the case for every subject, but in some instances, those who excel at final exams are simply those who have the most skill at memorization and recitation. We have multiple exams to prepare for, and very limited time. Short-term memorization seems to be to only way out, especially considering the weight final exams carry.

Which leads me to my next point: final exams should not be worth so much. I mean, 20% of our grade? Say I have a 95% in my physics class. Respectable, right? Say our final is going to have about 50 questions. Maybe I’m having a horrendous day, and I miss 15 whole problems. Incredibly realistic, horrendous day or not, because, physics. Well, guess what: that’s a 70%. Even if my teacher is being kind and curves it a few points, my admirable 95% has just dropped a whole letter grade. A whole semester of hard work gone, because of one test.

On the other hand, say I have a 90% in AP Calculus. I really want an A, since, that’s what is expected. I just need to raise my grade two measly points. Shouldn’t be hard, right? Wrong. According to finalexamcalculator.com, with a 20% weighted final, in order to raise my grade those two miniscule points, I have to get a 100%. On my Calculus final. Even the best students in class are prone to make mistakes – and with math, it’s all too easy to have a slight misstep. A perfect score? Yeah … that’s happening.

In summary, it’s so easy to drop due to a final, but so hard to gain back points. It’s a system literally working against you. Even if you already have great grades, if you score lower on your final, your grade will go down.

Clearly, these exams are a heavy burden on students. Add in pressure from parents and the school to perform, and you have the perfect formula for stress and anxiety. Many would argue that stress is necessary for success, but that is only partially true. A study in 1908 produced the Yerkes-Dodson law, which states that when stress is too high or too low, performance falls. There is nothing against a little friendly competition, but the anxiety levels some students experience are on a different level. There are two completely different ends of the spectrum – students who care too much, and students who don’t care enough. The “try-hards” don’t eat, don’t sleep, just study. The others become so apathetic they don’t even attempt to make an effort. Both schools of thought are equally at fault, and both produce bad habits. Studies have shown that test anxiety not only tends to cause poor performance on exams, but also impacts mental health and self-esteem. Contrary to popular belief, reductions in stress actually cause improved performance and GPA.

In conclusion, our system of final exams has become increasingly impractical, and needs revision. These tests claim to promote learning, but they most certainly don’t – they promote unconstructive habits in students such as cramming, and elicit unnecessary amounts of stress. They need to be replaced with different forms of examination, such as comprehensive projects or more frequent but small assessments. Many colleges, even prestigious ones such as Harvard, are beginning to cut down final exams. Why shouldn’t we? It would not only benefit students, but teachers as well – they wouldn’t be hammered at the end of each semester with hundreds of papers to grade. Even if exams must continue to exist in high school, they shouldn’t be weighted as heavily.

Let’s face it – student life will never look like the movies … but we deserve a change.

Bibliography:

Race to Nowhere. Dir. Vicki Abeles and Jessica Congdon. Reel Link Films, 2009. Documentary.

“Final Exams Are Quietly Vanishing From College.” Teaching Community. Web. < http://teaching.monster.com/news/articles/10030-final-exams-are-quietly-vanishing-from-college>

Buchwald, Petra. “Test Anxiety And Performance In The Framework Of The Conservation Of Resources Theory.” Cognition, Brain, Behavior: An Interdisciplinary Journal 14.4 (2010): 283-293. PsycINFO. Print.

Florman, Rachel. “Professor Warns of Negative Effects of Finals-related Stress.” Purdue Exponent. The Exponent Online, 24 Apr. 2012. Web. <http://www.purdueexponent.org/campus/article_3d1dc30f-39d3-56a3-9a92-a1900945f224.html>

“Test Anxiety Is Real, Crippling, and Treatable.” Vault: Career Intelligence, 06 Jan. 2011. Interview. <http://www.vault.com/blog/interviewing/test-anxiety-is-real-crippling-and-treatable-an-interview-with-bara-sapir>

Speech-Noah Welch

Noah Welch

Everyone who has ever walked the face of the earth has shaped it in some way.   It is important as denizens of this planet to understand the culmination of the events that helped create the environment we live in today; examining all factors with an unbiased viewpoint so we are not deceived by a false representation of a groups past.

One such people that history sorely misrepresents are the Mongols. The Mongols were not the despicable beings of pure evil the Western world considers them today. In case you have forgotten their history or were completing a much more important action when we learned about them in history class, let me refresh your memory. Mongols were wandering nomads who lived on the northern steppes of central Asia. They had a strong code of honor, hospitality, and tolerance. They eventually, through conquest, gained the largest empire the world has ever seen. Most historians and people consider them no more than brutal savages who killed, raped and destroyed everything in their path.

While some of these accusations are true, it’s important for us to realize that most people are not all bad or all good.  Once we recognize this we can see the benefits of the Mongols. They helped promote trade and were extremely religiously tolerant.  Additionally, they helped spread technology and gave settlements a chance to surrender before they attacked them. These events show that Mongols were not the demons, we as a western nation thought they were.

Mongols were one of the most religiously tolerant nations ever known on this earth. Their own personal beliefs were tied to their home land, so they viewed it as a sacrilege to forcibly convert and kill people over their religious beliefs. In fact, Mongols actively invited educated religious scholars to their court to try to advance their knowledge of the world. Mongols actively promoted learning and tolerance while Christians, at the time, were famous for torturing, slaughtering and stealing from groups with contrary religious beliefs. Jews, Muslims, other Christians, no one was safe from the Inquisition’s purges. Mongols, in matters of religion, were virtual saints and maintained an extremely modern outlook on religion that groups today should aspire to maintain, the Mongolian vision of religious tolerance and peace.  

In the Middle Ages, trade with the East faltered until it was nonexistent. People were not able to travel for great distances without fear of being robbed by bandits on the road.  In general, people wouldn’t much travel farther than the nearest town. This all changed when the Mongols seized control of a tumultuous Asia. With a supreme power guarding the roads, people were free to trade and travel as they pleased. It was said that while the Mongols ruled, a man could walk form one side of the empire to another balancing a golden platter on his head without fear of being robbed. This trade promoted growth, learning and exploration; all important elements of civilization. In fact it is indirectly due to the Mongols that America was discovered.  Columbus sailed west trying to avoid the Muslim blockade between Europe and Asia, trade that would not have been pertinent without the Mongol protection.

Mongols had a deep and rich culture, full of honor and chivalry, that we as the west do not consider. In Mongol society, hospitality was sacred and oaths were considered to be unbreakable. Genghis Khan swore loyalty to a childhood friend of his. This event was almost identical to western knights’ formation of brotherhood in arms. In both cases each party swore to care for their brother, to support his endeavors, to pay his ransoms, and if need be die for him. Mongol codes of loyalty and chivalry were almost identical to our concepts of the virtues of European knights.  Mongols were not as different from the west as westerners seek to believe.

          Mongol conquest patterns were extraordinarily similar to those of Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire. In all cases the standard practice was to approach a town and offer them a chance to surrender with their honor and dignity intact. If the settlement surrendered they were given the full protection of the Empire, were forced to pay taxes to the government, but citizens were not raped and slaughtered. However if the town defied their attacker, declaring that they would not surrender, well, all three empires made an example of this foe. The important distinction to make is that Mongols first gave their opponents a chance to surrender peaceably, but when provoked struck back. Men, like Alexander the Great, whom we admire used this strategy at Tyre with devastating effectiveness. I will not claim that Mongols never destroyed towns or sacked cities, but in doing so they convinced other towns to surrender, saving the lives of countless thousands.

          Another great benefit of the Mongols was how they helped spread technology to the West.  Mongols were masters of innovation and creativity that helped enlighten the West on new inventive techniques. Before their conquests Mongols had never sieged a city, never managed an extensive government and did not know about extensive logistics or transportation. However during these exploits the Mongols would capture inventors and pay them to help enlighten the Mongols on the latest technology. With these advancements from scholars and old discoveries they had mastered, Mongols were able to consolidate advanced technologies, expand their use and share them with the West.

         The Mongols were one of the first groups to promote people based on their skill rather than their background. It didn’t matter to the Mongols if you were a Jew or a Christian, a peasant or a lord, a rich man or a poor man, all the Mongols cared about were results. This led their governments to be effective and relatively free of corruption. It also made their armies even more effective and devastating. The Mongols had an extremely modern outlook of promotion and promoted their soldiers, governors and scientists based on their skill. A practice used by civilized nations around the world.

        Why does this matter? Why have I taken up your valuable time describing the benevolence of the Mongols?  It is important for everyone to know and consider both sides of the coin good and bad before condemning a group of people. Was this group of people completely innocent of committing war crimes? Of course not. However if we only judge nations by their evil actions, then everyone would be considered a demon from hell. We Americans are no exception. If history focused on our flaws, slavery, the abuse of native Americans, our imperialist tendencies, our appalling treatment of poor and women, then in the next thousand years people might consider our free nation an example of sin and evil. At all costs we must examine every historical angle, consider every possible motive, look at all actions a group commits or our history could become as dark and lopsided as the Mongols.

Biran, Michal. "The Mongol Transformation: From The Steppe To Eurasian Empire." Medieval Encounters 10.1-3 (2004): 339-361. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 June 2014.

Cope, Tim. On the Trail of Genghis Khan: An Epic Journey through the Land of the Nomads. New York: Bloombury USA, 2013. Print.

Di Cosmo, Nicola. "Black Sea Emporia And The Mongol Empire: A Reassessment Of The Pax Mongolica." Journal Of The Economic & Social History Of The Orient 53.1/2 (2010): 83-108. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 June 2014.

Leger, Heinz, dir. "The Secret History of Genghis Khan." Timewatch. BBC. West London, England, 20 May 2012. You Tube/THE SECRET HISTORY OF GENGHIS KHAN - Documentary. Web. 26 June 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNonYbb4dnA>.

Sayf Al-vâhidî Et Al. Mongols Besieging Baghdad in 1258. Circa 1430. Bibliothèque Nationale De France, Département Des Manuscrits, Division Orientale, Supplément Persan 1113, Fol. 180v-181, Paris,France.File:Bagdad1258.jpg. Wikipedia, 1 Aug. 2009. Web. 30 June 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bagdad1258.jpg>.

Speech - Caleb Combs

According to Sport’s Illustrated, 60 percent of NBA players and 78 percent NFL players go bankrupt within five years of retirement from their profession.  The many years living in the height of luxury are often short-lived, as the lives of these men and women come crashing back down to reality.  The reality is that after coming out of the NBA, NFL, or any other league for that matter, many of these talented individuals don’t have the proper education to succeed outside of the world of professional athletics.

                 The most talented of athletes are scouted by pro teams during their college and even high school careers.  Many are drafted after just a year or two of college, leaving their futures entirely dependent on their career in athletics.  These two years of education are not nearly adequate.  Jobs that require four years of college on average pay $50,000 more than those that require two years or less.  Every student that enrolls in college and intends to be a collegiate athlete should be required 4 years of education before considering entry into the professional drafts.  Such a method would reduce the number of economically unstable members of our society, and better the futures of these individuals significantly, giving them a fall back option in the event that their professional careers don’t work out.

                The average age of a student at the end of their freshman year in college is 19 years old.  They lack the experience that most graduating seniors have, making them unfit and unprepared for life on the road.  A standard NBA season is 82 games, 41 of which are played on the road.  Most of these kids coming out of college are not ready to go all over the country playing basketball.  Not only are they travelling, but they are also playing in twice the number of games as they did in their collegiate seasons.  And on top of all of this, the temptations faced by professional athletes are unmatched.  A 2012 documentary Broke recaps the very real obstacles that these athletes face.  These include freeloaders, gambling problems, and even their own egos.  Studies show that 18 percent of bankruptcies are caused as a result of gambling addictions.  NBA forward Charles Barkley told ESPN that he had lost a mind blowing 10 million dollars as a result of his gambling addiction.  The egos of these athletes also pose a serious problem.  Being pro athletes, their competitive spirit can lead to them wanting to one up their teammates.  As the documentary Broke states, “everyone wants to drive the best car, wear the best clothes.”  Flaunting money on pointless things leads these people to financial ruin, and poor education and lack of maturity prevent them from reaching their full potential.

                Serious injury to these athletes is another leading factor in some careers not working out.  A prime example of this is college basketball superstar Greg Oden out of Ohio State University.  After a successful college basketball career, he announced he would be entering the NBA draft after completing just his freshman year.  He was drafted with the number one pick in the NBA draft, and entered his rookie year with high expectations.  These expectations to this day have yet to be met, as he has had 3 NBA seasons cut short due to injury, and he is currently not on an NBA roster.  The fact that his career was so short-lived on top of the fact that he completed just one year of high school leave his future in question.  Without a good education to fall back on, Oden’s career options are now greatly limited.  Oden is not the only victim of this scenario.  Athletes all over the country suffer the same fate that he has.  This is why it is essential that a rule be implemented requiring athletes to stay in school for four years.  I feel that Zach’s proposal for compensation for athletes for their troubles would be a very good incentive for student athletes to stay in school.  The bonuses thrown out by professional teams to sign a contract with them are a huge reason why many athletes jump to the conclusion that the pros are their best bet.  This common misconception needs to be managed effectively.  Giving athletes a sum of cash for their troubles prevents the financial aspect of the decision from getting to them.  They are happy, as they receive compensation for their efforts, and on top of that they earn the education that they desperately need and deserve.

                Education is essential for success in everyday life, as it opens up career opportunities, as well gives students a sense of responsibility.  Common sense and everyday knowledge are much too lacking in our society, and allowing college students to run themselves into the ground with a premature entry into the draft is unbearable.  Students should stay in school, get their education, and develop as an individual.  Maturity and career readiness are traits that many professional athletes lack, and staying in school for 4 years would be monumental for their futures.

Speech - Anthony Tamasi

Anthony Tamasi

               Whether we like them or not, honeybees play a huge role in our lives. They just do what we all love to do: eat. But by doing so, they are also providing that valuable service of pollination.   Bees pollinate about one-third of the world’s food supply. Thanks to honeybees we have healthy foods such as apples, melons, blueberries, and strawberries. Thanks to honeybees we can feed the human population of 7 billion people and counting. We as a people cannot afford to lose bees, but that is precisely what is happening.

Since the end of World War II, honeybee populations have diminished by almost half worldwide. In 1945 we had about 4.5 million hives; now we have only an estimated 2 million. Beekeepers across America have reported losses of up to 90% and even 100% of their hives. This phenomena has been named Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), and is affecting all of America and becoming prevalent in other countries as well. What exactly is causing this drastic decrease in the honeybee population?

After World War II, a new era began for the agricultural industry. Farmers stopped using alfalfa and clover, natural soil fertilizers, as “cover crops,” and rather used synthetic fertilizers. These cover crops are very nutritious plants for bees, so when we stopped using them the bees had to find this nutrition elsewhere. Plant monocultures, where only one or two crops are farmed in one area, began to take hold. This is characteristic of modern farming, and after persisting for over 50 years, has begun to kill off honeybees as well. These monoculture farms, after blooming season, become essentially food deserts because of the lack of crop diversification. Bees are impacted by this lack of diversity because they are now not receiving the variety of flowering plants that bees need for their survival. Nothing grows, forcing bees to move to find greener pastures. Monoculture farms, in combination with the stoppage of cover crops, leave bees who live in certain areas with no food sources after blooming season, even if the food being farmed is great for the bees’ health, like almonds.

In addition, our increased use of pesticides contribute heavily to the bee dilemma, if not the most. Our monoculture farming technique demanded this heavy use of pesticides, or else farmers would face a large portion of their crop being destroyed by leaf eating insects or other crop pests.  That would not be economically smart, so because of our society’s greed, we are sacrificing honeybees everywhere. Just so we can have more corn and soy beans. These pesticides, specifically the neonicontinoids, spread throughout the plant, including reproductive organs where pollen and nectar are produced. When a honeybee comes along and picks up the pollen, this compound spreads to the bee, which when in low concentrations, disorients the bee and has similar effects as intoxication. This most of the time results in that honeybee not being able to find its way home, much like a drunk, abandoned teen.

Just like every other animal, bees have their own sets of diseases and parasites. The most dangerous of which is the Varroa destructor mite, which is similar to a mosquito for humans. The mite sucks the blood of bees and circulates disease throughout the bee’s small body.

All of these factors in combination, fertilizers, monocultures, pesticides, and diseases and parasites, it makes for a deadly combination for honeybees. Imagine you have a virus. Your body is weak and you do not even want to move, but you need to go get some food. But wait, you live several miles from the grocery store. And when you finally get to the grocery store to get your food, you consume enough of a neurotoxin that you are so disoriented you cannot even find your way home. That is what millions of bees have faced, and millions to come will face, if we as a society do not act. I am not sure about you all, but I personally love food. No way will I survive if honeybees go extinct, along with apples, blueberries, almonds and many more foods. Potentially millions of people and animal species that rely on bees could face the same doom if we do not stop our genocide of the honeybee population.

What can you do? You can make a change by planting a variety of plants native to your area in your yard, and not using pesticides on those plants. It is that simple. We need to stop this mass murder of bees, before we realize how important they were and all we have of them is a memory.

Bibliography

·        McDowell, Clark F. "Save Our Bees! Save Our Foods and Flowers." Skipping Stones 22.3 (2010): 23. Middle Search Plus. Web. 1 July 2014. <http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.kyvl.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mih&AN=50675996&site=src-live>.

·        Rhodes, David, and Caban Rhodes. "Restoring Honeybee Health." Save the Honeybee Foundation. Save the Honeybee Foundation, 2009. Web. 1 July 2014. <http://www.honeybeesanctuary.org/>.

·        Stone, Joe, and Dan Ball. Save the Bees. Digital image. Save the Bees. Pesticide Action Network, Mar. 2013. Web. 1 July 2014. <http://payload175.cargocollective.com/1/12/398364/5818080/prt_557x780_1371473017.jpg>.

·        "The Risks for Agriculture in Europe." The Bees in Decline. Greenpeace, 2014. Web. 01 July 2014.

·        Vanishing of the Bees. Dir. George Langworthy and Maryam Henein. Long Live the Queen, 2009.

·        Why Bees Are Disappearing." Ted Talks. Marla Spivak, n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.