Sunday, October 30, 2011

6th period: Current Event due 11/4

This week we will be discussing federalism, amendments to the Constitution and the amendment process. The Constitution is so amazing---your current event should be, too. :) Your topic this week is: your choice. Please stay away from the Entertainment news (it is NOT that entertaining), but everything else goes. Remember to find a story that interests you...that way it will interest me, too. Happy Blogging! 

29 comments:

  1. Natalie Bulik-Sullivan, Pd. 6
    U.S. Army sergeant to be tried for alleged Afghan sport killings
    Author – Patrick Oppmann
    CNN, 28/10/11
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/28/us/afghan-sport-killings-court-martial/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

    Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs, as well as several soldiers in his platoon of the 5th Stryker Brigade, were charged Friday on numerous charges, among which are the murder of several Afghan civilians. Gibbs took command of the third platoon in 2009, after it’s previous leader was killed by an IED. As revenge for this event, the platoon, under Gibbs’ leadership, began killing randomly chosen civilians and framing their deaths to look like the soldiers had been defending themselves from Taliban attacks. Several testimonials have claimed that Gibbs took body parts as mementos from his victims and kept records of his “kills” by tattooing skulls and crossbones on his right shin. The platoon has also been charged with excessive drug use and taking pictures next to their murder victims. Members of Gibbs’ platoon have accused him of using physical intimidation to keep them from reporting his actions, including one soldier (who is also being charged with murder) who claimed that Gibbs told him that he could kill him and pass it off as an accident. That same soldier boasted to his father via Facebook that his platoon could get away with murder. The father reported his son’s claim to the division’s base and was ignored.
    This story exemplifies everything that is wrong with our military (and militaries in general). People who join the military are very likely to be violent by nature and if you present them with targets who they can consider “enemies”, powerful weapons, and the opportunity to use them without restriction, what can you expect?
    The fact that one of the soldier’s father’s report about the platoon’s actions was ignored is and extraordinarily perturbing. Had that report been heeded and the platoon investigated, innocent people could have been saved.

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  2. Kaitlin Jones, Pd. 6
    2 Dead, 13 hurt in New Orleans Halloween shooting
    Author: Ashley Hayes, CNN
    November 1, 2011
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/01/justice/new-orleans-shooting/index.html?hpt=us_c2

    On Halloween night, there were two shootings in New Orleans that killed two people and injured thirteen. The first shooting was at Bourbon Street, and a young man was killed, while seven others were injured ranging from 19 to 50 years old. The police were informed that three men were seen running from the scene. They were able to stop two of the three, and questioned one man, later releasing him. The second man was charged with first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree murder attempts. Two other shootings took place later that night.

    I think that it’s terrible that people were killed on a holiday. I’m glad that one of the murderers was convicted and will receive a punishment, and I hope that the third man will be found. Something like this could happen anywhere, and I hope that nothing like this event ever happens anywhere near Chapel Hill. It would probably be hard enforcing order and catching thieves in an environment like a popular street on Halloween, and I can understand how it would be easy to commit a crime like this, but I would hope that the police would take more cautious actions next time before an event like this, if possible.

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  4. Grant DeSelm, Pd. 6
    Plane carrying 230 passengers crash lands in Warsaw
    Multiple Authors
    Bbc.com, 11/1/11
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15543315

    A Boeing 767 jet that was carrying 230 people made a crash landing this past Monday. It was traveling from Newark, New Jersey to Warsaw, Poland. When the captains realized the wheels were not working, they signaled down to the airport. For about an hour, the airplane circled around the city burning up fuel as the airport prepared for the crash landing. The airport closed all other flights that day and the nearby highways and small roads were cleared as well. Two military F-16 jets were put up in the air to watch over the planes decent. The plane landed on its belly safely. The ground crew had keenly sprayed the runway with special flame-retardant substances to keep the sparks down and keep the engine from catching on fire. The airline “Lot” which operated the flight said none of the passengers were harmed in any way. After the plane landed, fire crews doused the plane in water, just as a safety precaution.
    To see this bravery of these LOT pilots was awesome. I got a chance to watch the video and the landing looked so smooth. It almost seemed so easy, like they practiced it before. I thought it was interesting that the airport will be closed until Wednesday morning. I thought it was a little unnecessary to close the airport down for an entire day. That would be thousands of people that are planning to go somewhere that day and have to re-schedule their entire trip. Also, that’s a big blow to Boeing that their plane’s landing gear failed. They are going to get an earful on what could have happened.

    P.S. Why is it that when I feed the fish a ton of food, they never seem to gain weight?

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  5. I b sick ms logan!!
    David Hicks // 7th Period
    Brian Todd and Paul Steinhauser // Cain blames time for change in story
    November 1st, 2011 // CNN.com
    URL: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/01/cain-blames-time-for-change-in-story/

    Herman Cain was accused of sexual harassment allegations several years ago, and they are beginning to be brought in front of the public eye. The allegations were arisen shortly after Cain’s gain in popularity among the polls, causing Cain to suspect a campaign bash rather than an actual public issue. Cain proposed a relatively innocent explanation for the cause of the allegations, stating “The only other thing that I could remember when I was asked about any specific things that were in the allegation, I came up with the fact that I made a gesture by putting my hand under my chin, standing near this lady, saying, ‘oh, you're the same height as my wife,” he later followed up with an explanation, saying “My wife is 5 feet tall, she comes up to my chin and I was simply making that comparison." Surprisingly, these allegations caused an increase of funding from Cain’s supporters, generating $300,000 on Monday. When questioned on the allegations, the National Restaurant Association stated “Consistent with our longstanding policy, we don't comment on personnel issues relating to current or former employees.”

    Despite my own personal views being rather left wing, I found this article to be unfair. In my opinion, candidates private lives should be only held into account on big issues. Cain’s sexual harassment allegations are being blown way out of proportion, especially considering the events happened 15 years ago. I am not condoning sexual harassment, I am just stating that politics are slowly drifting away from politics and into personal lives. When I read the news I do not want it to sound like a reality TV show, I want to know what is happening. Politics have become based of appearance rather than true policies, and this is just one example.

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  6. Allie Rives Period 6
    A drink a day increases breast cancer risks
    David Martin
    CNN.com 11/1/11
    http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/01/a-drink-a-day-increases-breast-cancer-risk/?hpt=hp_t2
    According to recent studies, it's been proven that women who drink in a week three to six glasses. Although this seems overwhelming, this really depends if this has been a weekly routine for you throughout your whole life. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have found that with 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day gives the women a 10% more chance of getting breast cancer. However, women who claim not to drink three glasses of wine within a week show no increase towards risk of breast cancer. This action can increase ones risk at any point in her life. This especially applies to women with a family background of breast cancer, and drinking the said amount can make it even riskier for women.
    I found this article to be very interesting, for the fact that I've heard drinking one glass of red wine a day is healthy for the heart. Although that is talking about the hear, I found it compelling that this was never mentioned towards anything dealing with the risks of breast cancer. This is especially shocking, because I've personally have had family members/friends fight the battle of breast cancer, so it's fascinating learning new information associated with it. I hope that this article will spread a word to women as to how simple drinking within a week can be putting themselves at a higher risk for breast cancer.

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  7. China Completes Its First Space Docking
    NPR
    November 2, 2011
    http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/11/02/141958154/china-completes-its-first-space-docking?ft=1&f=1001

    At 1:30 AM local time in China on Thursday the spacecrafts Shenzhou 8 and Tiangong 1 met in orbit around Earth and latched onto each other. It took two days of orbiting Earth for them to finally meet up in order for the attatchment to happen. China is planning to build its own space station, and this was an important step in achieving that goal. They hope to have it up and running by 2020. China was originally hoping to have a hand in the International Space Station, but were turned away due to political tension with the United States. Prof John Logsdon commented that human spaceflight is a very politically charged activity, and the two countries need to solve their political problems and develop trust before working together on a human spaceflight project in the coming years.

    This event is an important milestone for China, and I’m happy for them. I think human interaction with and discovery of anything outside of our bubble of planet Earth is something to be praised. However, when reading this article I couldn’t help but think of the Cold War and the space race against the Soviet Union. It makes me a little bit nervous that China and the United States have “chilly space relations.”

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  8. Crescentia Cho/ 6th period
    Militia Members Plotted to Kill Federal Officials, Prosecutors say/ Sara Pratley
    CNN/ November 2, 2011
    www.cnn.com/2011/11/01/justice/georgia-militia-arrests/index.html?hpt=us_c2

    Four Georgia men were charged by federal agents because they were plotting an attack on government officials. They were discussing plans to manufacture ricin. Ricin is a poisonous substance that comes from castor beans. Two of the men, Roberts and Thomas, were in charge of buying the silencer, a bomb, and parts so that they could make a rifle to a automatic machine gun. The other two men, Adams and Crump, were in charge of obtaining the castor beans and to produce ricin. They were going to spread ricin throughout several cities at once. The public was never in imminent danger though.
    I found this article really shocking. I didn’t know that something like this was taking place and it seems unreal to me because it’s the 20th century and things seem like they have changed so much since the 50’s. I think that it is a good thing that they were caught before it actually took place. I would not like the idea of poison in the country and bombs taking place. I don’t understand why they wanted to attack government officials though.

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  9. Ryan Castellano
    6th period, Ms. Logan
    Japanese-American WWII vets honored by Congress
    NBC News 11/2/2001
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45141156/ns/us_news-life/

    Many Japanese-American soldiers were indebted on Wednesday for their courage and perseverance in World War two. Many of these men risked their lives for a country that mistreated and discriminated against them. Most of the men at the convention had missing body parts because of their patriotism. After the attack on Pearl Harbor many Japanese were kept on watch and were viewed with doubt. The U.S took away many Japanese immigrants citizenship and stripped away their rights. Over 6000 Japanese men participated voluntarily in the war for the U.S.
    I think that this was a good way to recognize these underrated soldiers. However most of them are in their 80’s and 90’s or not on this earth anymore. In my perspective it is a little late for this gathering but it is better than not recognizing them at all. These were the people who fought for their country but then suffered for it as well.

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  10. Colin Bergey / Period 6
    Steve Jobs Biography is the top selling book in the U.S. by Brandon Griggs
    CNN / 11/3/11
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/03/tech/innovation/steve-jobs-book-sales/index.html

    In only its first week since its release, Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs has sold 379,000 copies in the United States. This makes it the best selling book in the U.S. by far. The book is titled "Steve Jobs", and has had the best selling week for a book in the U.S. in the past year. The book in second place this week was "The Litigators" by John Grisham. "Steve Jobs" out sold "The Litigators" by a factor of three to one. "Steve Jobs" was guided to fame by popular television shows like "60 minutes" and "Piers Morgan Tonight." This book is long, at 656 pages, it tells the complete story of his entire 55 years of life. This book goes for about 35 dollars retail, although, bookstores are tending to price it much cheaper.
    It is amazing to me that so many people are now interested in the life of Steve Jobs. Many people obviously respect him. The days after he died I remember the Apple website having a live feed where people could say how they felt about Jobs. Every couple of seconds there was a new post from someone that sounded like they really cared.

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  11. Timothy Bogan - 6th Period
    North Koreans stranded in Libya after ban on return
    Author – David McNeill
    The Independent, 2/11/11
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/north-koreans-stranded-in-libya-after-ban-on-return-6255857.html

    The North Korean government reportedly banned 200 of its nationals and hundreds more North Korean citizens such as construction workers and nurses, in Libya from returning to The DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). They were prohibited under the fear that they would bring back thoughts of revolution that toppled Gaddafi. A South Korean newspaper reports that less than 1 percent of the North Korean population was aware of the uprisings in Libya. North Korea had strong links to Libya before the uprising and had sold them weapons to counter anti-government protests. Now, with the death of Gaddafi, Kim Jong-Il is among a decreasing number of world rulers who retain an iron grip over the media, civil society and government. North Koreans in other parts of the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates seem to be unable to return to their homeland while the anti-government protests are still prevalent, according to the South Korean news group, Yonhap. This move further supports evidence that the DPRK’s reaction to the revolutions is to become more oppressive in their country. They even recently have strengthened control of mobile phones, computers, and foreign pop culture which has been leaking into their society from South Korea and China.

    This article comes as no surprise to me seeing as the North Korean government has been backwards and oppressive for many years now. The Kim dynasty, and specifically the current leader Kim Jong-Il, have been manipulative leaders who push nationalism while accomplishing nothing. The prohibition of their citizens to return to their country is yet another extreme over-reaction and an example of the fear of mutiny from the North Korean citizens inside the country. This story had to be reported from a South Korean source because the North Korean government is so restrictive on their media that I doubt many citizens of the DPRK are even aware of this incident.

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  12. Catherine Romaine
    6th period
    Group Wants Chapel Hill Out of Halloween Business
    by Katelyn Ferral
    11/3/11
    http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/11/03/1614678/group-wants-town-out-of-halloween.html

    Yesterday there was a citizens group meeting about how taxpayers money is used for the crowds on Halloween. Dale Pratt-Wilson, the director of the Coalition for Alcohol and Drug Free Teenagers said that the event on Franklin Street is "unhealthy and unsafe" and it "no longer reflects the values of the community." They propose to have the university pay for it instead of the town. This program has cut the crowds on Franklin from 80,000 to this year's 27,000 people. The costs for EMS services has also dropped from 5,100 last year to $4,300 this year.

    I chose this article because it happened recently and in our community. It is a popular event and even many CHHS students attend the Halloween event on Franklin Street. I disagree with Dale Pratt-Wilson because it is a community event. Anybody from Chapel Hill is allowed to go so they should have to pay for it. This includes police officers as well. If it was changed to a UNC student-only event, then the university should have to pay for it.

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  13. Nate Hebert-6th period
    Occupy strike descends into chaos
    Author: Demian Bulwa, Matthai Kuruvila, Justin Berton
    San Francisco Chronicle-11-3-11
    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/03/BANI1LQ2HO.DTL&tsp=1

    11-03-11 started out as a day of peaceful protesting in Oakland. But after midnight it broke out into chaos. People shattered windows, set fires, and drew graffiti. Police arrived to break up the situation with tear gas and flash-bang grenades. The damaged buildings included a Men’s Warehouse, a dental office, and a police headquarters. Some graffiti had disturbing messages such as “kill cops”. The people then proceeded to take a vacant two story building and hang banners from it. Other started trash fires. Once a protester through a bottle at a police officer the chaos broke out. Police began throwing tear gas and flash-bang grenades at the protesters. Accounts from people who were there say that police “arrested people who stood still, and beat people who ran”.

    I think these occupy protests are getting out of hand. I believe that both groups should tone it down a bit. There is no need for the protesters to provoke the the police officers. And on the other hand there is no need for the police officers to respond the way they did, arresting and beating people.

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  14. Mikko rich-voorhees 6th
    Nigeria pirates hijack MT Halifax oil tanker, BBC World news
    BBC, 11/3/11
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15576373

    Nigeria is an extremely corrupt nation, because of the greedy government officials who pocket any revenue made. Southwestern Nigeria is major source of oil for the entire world. The south feels cheated out of their land working for the country, and only giving money to the thief’s running the nation. Any group, which feels cheated, will aim to get what they believe they deserve explaining the stealing of the oil tanker. In their eyes it’s their own oil and are taking it back.
    I understand the anger from the people because of the low legitimacy in Nigeria so the people revolt. Inside the country’s borders the military shuts down and violent or dangerous rebellions, but there a fewer options when it’s a group of pirates holding a ship hostage, and filled with precious oil none the less. Normally I don’t advocate stealing, in this case however I have to side with the Nigerian pirates. Southern Nigerians have no options, they can’t keep the money they earn, and when they tried to succeed from the rest of Nigeria the Biafrian Civil War broke out (which they did not win). So even though I would support the Nigerian militia, this event involves the UN and OPEC as well. This just affects to many people to be the right thing.

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  15. Katie Mimmack pd 6
    Tear Gas Used on Occupy Protesters in Oakland, California by Michael Martinez
    CNN.com on October 26, 2011
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/26/us/occupy-wall-steet/index.html

    On October 25th and 26th, the Wall Street Protests in Oakland and Georgia took a violent turn. Police in Oakland, California fired tear gas into the crowd after paint and other objects were thrown at them. Many people were injured, including an Iraq war veteran Scott Olsen, who received a skull fracture from a blow to the head. He had been marching with the crowd to the City Hall to reclaim a camp which had been cleared out by the police earlier. About 500 people refused to listen to police calls to leave an area of downtown Oakland, and the plumes of smoke from tear gas could be seen from all over the city. In Atlanta, Georgia, police arrested protesters at around midnight, going tent to tent with flashlights to warn the people of the impending arrests if they did not move from the property. The people reacted by linking arms and singing “We Shall Overcome” as they were lead to the buses.

    I enjoy keeping track of the Wall Street Protests from my house very much. While I listen to the news of the freezing temperatures and uncomfortable tents protesters are sleeping in, I like to curl up with a blanket on my couch, extremely cozy, and tell myself that I am there with them in spirit. I love the idea of being peaceful with a bunch of liberal hippies who share similar political morals and discontent with the government, but something went really wrong in Oakland. I don’t know what spurred the protesters to start throwing paint, because the article doesn’t focus very much at all on the provocation of the police, only on their reactions. Throwing objects at the police doesn’t seem very peaceful, and certainly nothing like what is happening at the other Occupy Wall Streets. And while I do love hippies, I think it was a little over-dramatic of them to sing “We Shall Overcome.” That song was made as a response to the fight for freedom in India, and I certainly don’t think Occupy Wall Street is opposing anything remotely near that scale of oppression. Personally, I think they’re being a little dramatic. The article seemed somewhat biased, and I would have liked to hear more about what the protesters did to provoke the police and what spurred that movement.

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  16. Ashley Powell
    6th
    It’s not ‘Star Trek,’ but NASA wants a ‘tractor beam’
    CNN, Thom Patterson
    http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/03/its-not-star-trek-but-nasa-wants-a-tractor-beam/
    This article talks about the new research that is being done on something called a tractor beam. This device would be used to gather particles from space and bring them back to earth. The project is based in Maryland and is but NASA’s NIAC program. The project has a budget of $100,000 dollars. The people working on the device do not deny the fact that they got the name tractor beam from Star Trek and Star wars.
    I found this article extremely fascinating. If we have the technology to take things from space without going there imagine what other things we could accomplish. This is a first step to so many undiscovered things in this universe.

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  17. Alex Walker, 6th Period
    Extreme Poverty Spikes in U.S., Study Finds
    Author: Sabrina Tavernise
    Source: nytimes.com (New York Times)
    Publishing Date: November 3, 2011
    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/us/extreme-poverty-is-up-brookings-report-finds.html?ref=us

    According to new statistics, the number of people living in neighborhoods of extreme poverty has increased greatly over the past few years. The improvements that the 1990’s made in terms of poverty have almost fully been erased, and over 10% of America’s poor live in neighborhoods like these. By definition, extreme poverty occurs in areas in which 40% of the people live below the federal poverty line. In places such as Detroit, Toledo, and Youngstown, the population living in areas of extreme poverty has greatly increased in the past decade. Overall, our failing economy has brought these results upon us, and according to Peter Edelman, “It’s the toughest, most malignant poverty that we have in the United States.”
    The fact that our poverty levels have increased so much over recent years is incredibly disturbing to me. What stands out the most to me is the statistic that the growth of extreme poverty has almost canceled out all of the advancements made in the 1990’s. This clearly shows the state of our economy, which still isn’t showing vast improvement. We need to find a solution to the failing economy soon, or else that poverty level will continue to increase.

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  18. Julian Wilson
    6th Period
    Georgia Men Held in Plot to Attack Government by Kim Severson and Robbie Brown
    The New York Times
    November 3, 2011

    This article was about four elderly men from North Georgia who were caught plotting to kill people and attack the government using a poison made from bean plants. The men were named Frederick Thomas (73 yrs old), Dan Roberts (67 yrs old), Ray Adams (65 yrs old), and Samuel Crump (68 yrs old). Mr. Thomas, who was said to be the leader of the group, was a Navy veteran. They were growing castor bean plants which they planned to use to create the toxin ricin, which is very dangerous and can kill people even in small amounts. Government officials admitted to recording their telephone conversations on more than 20 occasions, in which they talked about blowing up government buildings and needing to kill people to “make this country right again.” They even had a bucket list of people that they felt needed to be killed. This article is significant because it shows that we can’t forget that sometimes the greatest threat to the security of our country can be the people in it.
    I was shocked by this article because I found it rather scary how far along with their plan they actually managed to get. It made me think about how most likely there are other people just like them who haven’t been caught by the government yet. I liked that this article reminded people that terrorists aren’t always this stereotypical picture of a Middle Eastern Muslim man that’s portrayed by the media but can also be found within our own borders by people that you wouldn’t necessarily expect. I was also kind of scared by this article because their trial was held in Gainesville, GA, which is very close to where I used to live and where my grandparents live now. I am also glad that government officials were recording their conversations in order to catch them and no one was hurt but I also find it rather creepy to think that they could be listening in to what anyone says on the phone without you knowing it.

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  19. Camden Van Ord
    Period 6
    LSU-Alabama Preview
    ESPN
    http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/preview?gameId=313090333

    This article is previewing what is considered the college football game of the century. It is between number one ranked Louisiana State and number 2 Alabama. These are two of the best football teams anybody has seen in a while. While they are both dominantly better than any other team in the country, they’re pretty evenly matched to each other. They are both in the top fifteen for average points scored per game. Alabama is 14th in the country for rushing yards. But that’s not even close to what this game will come down to. Defense is what wins games; that has been proven very true for these two teams. LSU allows only 11.5 points per game on average; Alabama holds an astounding 6.9 for this same stat. And when you look at their average points scored a game you can tell that these teams haven’t had much of a challenge this year. Experts say that the winner of this game is more than likely to contend for the national championship. They also say that Alabama has the upper hand in this game. These two teams seem almost evenly matched, but with over 101,000 people backing them up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is probable to come out still undefeated.
    I chose this article because I myself hold high expectations for this game. I would say I’m an avid football fan, especially at the college level. Although I’ll be cheering for whatever team is losing, I believe Alabama will pull out the W. It will be interesting to see Heisman contender Trent Richardson of Alabama clash with the brutal front four of LSU. I’m looking to see McCarron be a huge factor in this game. However, if Jarrett Lee can play a solid game and avoid turnovers, LSU could keep it close. I’m not sure on what the outcome will be, but I can tell you that this is likely to live up to its name; the football game of the century.

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  20. Natalie Ragazzo
    6th period
    Group wants Chapel Hill out of Halloween business
    Author: Katelyn Ferral
    November 3rd, 2011
    http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/11/03/1614678/group-wants-town-out-of-halloween.htm
    News observer
    Every Halloween in down town Chapel Hill there is a huge celebration held on Franklin Street. This year an estimated 27,000 people attended, which is small compared to recent years. This celebration started out as a fun family oriented event but seems to have turned into a college student scene. Some people believe that since this is the case that taxpayers' money shouldn't support the event. People think that UNC-Chapel Hill should pay for the event instead. Last year the town of Chapel Hill spent a total of $191,301 on clean up and legal enforcement. This year there were about 316 police officers at the event and in total there were nine arrest, seven of which were connected with intoxication. People are starting to believe that the event is unsafe and they just don't want to have to pay for it any more especially with all of the budget cuts.

    I feel like the town of Chapel Hill should continue to pay for the Halloween celebration. I think this because the town of Chapel Hill started it and it's some what of a town traditon. Also if UNC-Chapel Hill began to host it then they may make it so only students may attend. This wouldn't be fair because I know of many minors and people who just don't go to UNC that attend the event. Even if not many families attend there still are some that do. In the recent years there have been rules made that keep the event safe and no one has gotten majorly hurt because of it, so I believe that it is a fun town tradition that should be continued by the town.

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  21. Gabe Foster 6th period
    New frontier for military women: serving with military elite
    Barbara Starr
    CNN
    November 3, 2011
    https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?service=mail&passive=true&rm=false&continue=https://mail.google.com/mail/&ss=1&scc=1&ltmpl=default&ltmplcache=2

    Woman soldiers are being trained for special missions in Afghanistan that men are less suited for. The article says that in the past woman in the military have been used for normal military operations but now there is a high demand for women in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan men and women are separated so whenever women need to be searched a lot of people become angry. If a woman were to search an Afghan woman there would be less resentment toward the process. The process for getting accepted into the new program based out of Fort Bragg, NC is very difficult with half of the applicants being rejected before they even enter the program.

    I think this is a good sign that women are being accepted as equals to men in all fields. It seems everyone is for equal jobs for both genders except in the military. This new program seems to be making the diversity more equal than before. I also think it’s cool to see a military job where women are better suited. This article also makes the US seem more considerate of other cultures beliefs.

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  22. Anna Zhang 6th
    World population hits 7 billion
    By Haya El Nasser, USA TODAY
    10/31/11
    http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-10-30/world-population-hits-seven-billion/51007670/1?csp=ip

    Population has boomed in recent years and has now accommodated up to 7 billion. Although population reduction programs have been at work, another 3 billion people are expected by 2100. Organizations like the Population Institute are working hard to reduce birthrates. Cities are also expected to swell in population placing more pressure on developing new infrastructure and reducing energy usage. Developing countries are currently at an advantage because they can use the latest green technology without having to refurnish old buildings.

    I think it’s shocking how the population grew so rapidly. In 1900, the world population was only at 1.6 billion. Now it’s a 7 billion. This places so much more pressure on establishing green products, but it still won’t be enough. We’ve used up too much of nature’s resources. Maybe some people just need to die, but that would never work out. People just need to stop having babies.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Current Event – November 4, 2011
    Arjun Raghavan
    Arjun R. Current Event


    Space docking marks new milestone in China’s stellar ambitions
    Jaime FlorCruz & Haolan Hong
    CNN
    November 3, 2011
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/03/world/asia/china-orbit-docking/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

    China’s space program has achieved a milestone by docking two different space satellites, in space. This is the second step of a three-step program for China’s space ambitions. The first step was completed in 2003, when they sent a man to space. Today, the Chinese satellites docked with each other. The satellite was launched on November 1, while the satellite which it docked with was launched around a month ago.

    I believe this is a good thing that China is doing. With America lacking money for space exploration, China is stepping in. For the world, this is a major step toward more countries encouraging exploration and learning, especially in space.

    Arjun Raghavan

    ReplyDelete
  24. Emma Beck, Per. 6

    Climate Change Has California Vintners Rethinking Grapes

    By Lauren Sommer

    npr.com, 11-2-11

    http://www.npr.org/2011/11/02/141932301/climate-change-has-calif-vintners-rethinking-grapes




    California vintners use certain types of grapes that are good for the type of climate that they live in. With climate change they might have to change the types of grapes and wine that they sell. This creates problems because grape vines live on average for about 30 years and so this would cause them having to buy new vines. Also they don't know if the grapes would take well for the climate in California. Another thing that they are not sure of is the amount of water that they will be able to get in the future causing even more uncertainty. They also do not know if they will be able to sell these wines if they were able to switch the kind of grapes that they sell.



    I think that it is crazy how much climate change affects our lives. I don't think how climate change will so drastically change our lives and what we like to eat and do. I think that people don't take climate change seriously enough and that they don't think of how what they do now can affect them in the future. Instead people just think of them selves. I also think that it is sad how someone would have to change their line of work so drastically by one change that someone caused.




    --
    Emma

    ReplyDelete
  25. Maddie McNeal , Period 6
    TSA: Screeners find 4-5 guns on a typical day
    Author - Mike M. Ahlers
    CNN, November 2, 2011
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/02/travel/screeners-guns/index.html?hpt=us_c2

    The TSA’s chief told a Senate hearing on average the TSA is still finding four to five guns most days at airports. He even says that the previous day they found six. Most of the passengers who have these weapons say that they forgot it was in their possessions. However, a recent case shows a passenger trying to board a flight with multiple dangerous weapons. He was arrested by the Dallas-Fort Worth law enforcement. These go towards the total of 900 guns found this year. The recovery of these guns goes to show the effectiveness of the TSA. The extra security and programs have helped recover these firearms. The Senators at the hearing gave praise to the TSA for their success but others are not as positive and believe it still needs to be improved. In addition to this the president of the TSA said that the TSA has raised its budget in order to screen the same number of passengers.
    We all know how it feels standing in the security line at the airport; it stinks! The line is long and boring but this is what is keeping our country safe. I don’t believe that the programs the TSA is using are exactly appropriate. Some are a complete violation of people’s privacy. It’s good though that the TSA is recovering these weapons because no one actually knows what those people’s intentions were. Keeping the public safe is extremely important and not something to be taken lightly.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Here's my current event:

    Laura Sullivan, Period 6th
    Daughter Beaten by Dad Who's a Texas Judge: It Happened Regularly
    Author: Mark Memmot
    NPR, 11/3/11
    http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/11/03/141976677/daughter-beaten-by-dad-whos-a-texas-judge-it-happened-regularly

    This article is about 23 year old Hillary Adams posting a video last week of her dad beating her. She decided to make the video public because her dad is a judge and she thinks her dad should not be a judge because of the things he has done to her. Hillary's dad, the judge, claims he didn't do anything wrong and explained that she was just "being disciplined". Hillary's mom supported Hillary's dad and didn't intervene for a while, but she has now divorced him. Hillary states that she has forgiven her mom, but that she will never forgive her father. The night after she posted the video, Hillary's dad beat her even harder, this time with a belt, but she says she doesn't regret doing it.
    I think it was a very good decision by Hillary to post the video because the world, or state of Texas, needed to see what this man was doing to his daughter. His cruelty to his daughter shows that he doesn't have good judgment or the right temperament to be a judge. A judge needs to be calm and understanding and willing to listen to both sides of an argument. This video demonstrates that he is instead violent and mean. I just think it is terrible that a dad would ever beat his daughter and I'm glad Hillary posted the video to raise awareness about his character and the subject of physical abuse.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Paul Miller
    6
    New Frontier for Military Women Serving with Elite unit
    By Barbara Starr
    CNN
    November 3rd
    http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/03/new-frontier-for-military-women-serving-with-elite-unit/?hpt=us_c2

    At Fort Bragg the officers are now training dozens of female soldiers to become elite fighters in the military. Their purpose is to join the elite special forces in Afghanistan to "do what men cannot". An example of this is to ease the resentment of the afghani people towards the women and search the afghan people, something that american men are unable to do because it upsets them. This is important because no we are training women troops which is greatly integrating the male dominant army. They are doing this as well because the afghanis do not like the raids on their houses when the americans are looking for high value targets and we hope our women will make them feel better and not get mad.

    I think this is great idea because we do need more women in our army, plus it is a job for them. Despite that not many people are chosen for this special group it is used for a good cause and will hopefully establish better relations with the afghani people. I do find it kind of stupid that they do not allow the women on the front lines though, I think everyone should get the same opportunity to fight.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Collin Vilen
    Period 6
    Nevember 4, 2011
    What Are Americans Studying?
    http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/02/what-are-americans-studying/?
    hpt=wo_r1

    America is in a downfall as you know, and people are now saying it could be
    made worse because people are not studying the subjects that will give them high paying
    jobs. Occording to the article, science, technology, mathmatics and engineering are the
    highest paying jobs out there. It worries people that the college graduates from the US
    do not have bachelors degrees in these subjects at the rate of the rest of the world. It is a
    new argument that the US is worse in these subjects than the rest of the world, it has been
    going for a while. Now people are seeing just how bad of shape we are in and they are
    fretting. For example, in the world, 18.3% of college grads have a bachelors degree in
    engineering. In the US, it is only 5.3%. Visual and Performing arts is actually above
    engineering. This could be worrisome if we want to be competitive in the future.
    This does not worry me. I believe that these subjects are not the most important
    because they will not help us out of this depression. They will be very good once we are
    out of this depression so we can make further scientific advancments, but for the time
    being I believe business professionals are needed the most. This will jumpstart the
    economy and get us out of the depression and back on our feet. After all, President
    Obama has claimed that small businesses are the most important part of out economy, so
    people with business degrees have a major role to play. It does worry me that Visual and
    Performing Arts are so high on the list. People usually do not get good jobs from this
    degree, and in my opinion is pointless in the economy. Don’t people want good jobs in
    this country?

    ReplyDelete
  29. John Morales, 6th Period
    'Vendetta' mask becomes symbol of Occupy protests
    By Verena Dobnik, Associated Press
    Date Published 11-4-11
    Source: USA Today
    http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-11-04/occupy-vendetta-masks/51069038/1

    Since the protests of Occupyy have acquired, the 'Vendetta' mask has became the main symbol. The mask was originally made by Guy Fawkes, who was Englishman who attempted to bomb the English Parliament on November 5, 1605. Many protestors think that the mask is very important and symbolistic. Alexandra Ricciardelli stated "They're very meaningful masks", along with many protesters whom said that they were meaningful.A 20 year old (unmentioned name) said that the mask; "is about being against The Man — the power that keeps you down."This statement that he said has many to do with the movie, V for Vendetta, which is about a man "Fawkes", who rebels against the government and decides to face them in a violent way. The movie resembles what is happening in Occupy because the people are rebelling in a way that Fawkes did but without being aggressive and violent. Fawke has influenced with his rebellious ways for nearly 400 years. Many people along with critics believe his mask is the most meaningful when a rebelion comes. The mask has not only been presented in Occupy but in many other situations of protests.

    I think this mask is very creative along as very meaningful. Ive seen the movie and it has impressed me due to its historic background and the famous mask. The mask seems nice to me because it looks like an old Englishman with very impressive facial hair. Overall i think the mask is good but some of the actions that are being presented during the protests arnt right.

    ReplyDelete