Possible Topics

1) Salem witch trials
2) Ghosts
3)Testing on animals

Animal Testing

In  the editorial "Save the Animals: Stop Animal Testing", the author provides examples that show how people feel differently on the effect of animal testing or how animals are treated. This article is a combination of scientific studies and personal beliefs on animal testing and if it should be stopped or not. There are different biases that could work to prove if testing on animals is a good thing or not.

Belief bias is an effect where someone's evaluation of the logical strength of an argument is biased by by the believably of the conclusion.  This bias is used throughout the article when the author gives his opinion on what he believes in. Tom Regan, a professor at North Carolina State University spoke his belief when stating, "Animals have a basic moral right to respectful treatment...this inherent value is not respected when animals are reduced to being mere tools in a scientific experiment". Tom believes that animals have right and though he knows people view animals differently, he is not afraid to say what he believes. He believes animals are violated and their rights are taken away when going thoguh testing , just like peoples would be. Tom Regan believes in how morally wrong animal testing is and thinks no one should be able to test on animals just to help themselves in the future.

Framing effect is drawing different conclusions from the same information, depending on how or by whom that information is presented. This effect shows how some people believe in animal testing while others do not. Many believe there is no need to test on animals. Animals are apart of their life and they never want to see any hurt. Other people mainly focus on what will come out of the testing and how it will benefit them in the future. If the testing leads to something new to them, they are all for it because it is helping them out. People will always have a say on what they believe is right and wrong when it comes to animal testing. Some scientists do not care about animals, they just want to find a new product to sell to customers. With all the same information, there is always two sides of the story. There will never be a happy medium between animal lovers and people who could care less about animals.

The belief bias and framing effect are only just two examples that could be taken out of this article. Animal testing is a very popular subject that has not come to one conclusion yet. There will always be arguments on animal testing and if it can be stopped or not. Many other biases or effects would explain the article of animal testing. The world will always be split in two when the argument has such a big outburst.







http://www.lonestar.edu/stopanimaltesting.htm

Checked Off Bucket List!

On my bucket list, I've always wanted to write a letter to a random address and see if the person who gets my letter will write back. I wrote a letter over the weekend and shipped it off in the mail. I am hoping to get a response back! 

I sent the letter to a place in California because I have always wanted to visit and talking to someone from there is the closest I can get right now. 

The Real Brett Stern

Do you know the real Brett Stern? Most people would say yes since he is very popular in school, however when sitting down and talking to him I learned a few things myself about who Brett really is. Yes he is the funny, outgoing guy everyone knows and talks about. When asked random questions he gave his best answer. 

      The sixteen year old was born on  January 26, 1998 in "some hospital in Walpole". Though he would rather be in Punta Cana because "you can do anything there", Brett spends his days in Norton making every one laugh around him. He is known to be the class clown and always have an opinion on every subject. He will always find a way to be a smile upon your face even when you're having a bad day. You would see him walking around the halls with pizza and minute maid fruit punch if offered to him. If given the opportunity he would become a girl for a day just to see what it would be like, or as he put it, "just so I could look at myself".  Even though he would become a girl for a day, he does not want to have any daughters in the future. He would like to have two boys because of the protective father he would become. He would not let his daughter out of sight because he wouldn't want her getting into trouble with boys. Even though girls are one of the things that make him happy, he believes the only girl he needs is his wife. Brett is very adventurous but once asked if he would steal a cop car he refused, especially if there was a snake around. Snakes are Bretts biggest fear and he simply states, "why dont you have any legs?". "If snakes do not live in the water then why dont they have any legs?". That is the question he is always pondering on. Brett shakes things off really easily but once asked what his most embarrassing moment was he automatically put his head down and laughed recalling the moment over in his head. In third grade during baseball he got two outs and walked into the dugout saying "yep, okay!" bowing his head. "Everyone pointed at me and laughed, it was like a movie...it was terrible". Though most think Brett is awesome and wouldn't change anything about him, he is not very happy with his eye color, "I just think blue are are better". If about to die, his last phone call would be to Morgan Freeman, " his voice would be the one I would want to hear before I died". Brett continued to make me laugh throughout the whole interview and made me appreciate learning about who he really is. 

Incentives and Aesthetic Experience

A. Incentives govern human behavior because people usually do more work if they are getting something out of it. Most will do work if there is a reward involved, such as money. Money is a good incentive and probably the most positive because everything revolves around money. Even though people should do things such as favors out of the kindness of their heart, some will not because they are not getting rewarded for what they do. Parents have started using incentives for their children to learn and have seen a change in the way they act and grow. Incentives do work but always need to be used in the correct way and not to often or people will always expect a reward in return for good behavior.

B. An aesthetic experience I've had was when I went on a vacation in Maine. Maine has a beautiful landscape no matter where you drive. There is either an ocean or forest, both with amazing adventures within. I always vacation in Maine with my family, it is my second home where I feel the most comfortable. Maine was an aesthetic experience because I would wake up every morning to a sunny blue sky and the birds chirping. I walked out on my front porch, sat down and watched the boats pass by and see everyone on the beach. It was very relaxing and would do anything to have those moments again. Mornings like that make you think about the day ahead and how to bring the positivity upon others.

Bucket List

Short Term Bucket List:

Sculpt Clay: I would love to create anything out of clay and I heard it is also a relaxing experience.
Send a letter to a random address and see if they write back: I think it would be exciting to send a letter and get a response from someone new. A letter could make the person have better day.
Run in a hamster ball on the water: Running in a hamster ball always seemed super fun to me. I would love to run in the ocean because the waves would keep pushing you forward.
Go paint balling: Paint balling seems like a great way to get out anger and just have fun.
Go to college: I want to start my career and become successful in life.
Dress like a sumo wrestler and fight:This would be fun to do with friends and relieve stress
Go zip lining:Go zip lining through the woods or over water
Jump into a huge ball pit: I want to jump into a massive ball pit like years ago
Jump from a waterfall/ bridge: The excitement of jumping into the water and having it rush all over you.
Go scuba diving: I wanna swim with the fish
Get a massage: After volleyball season I will definitely need a massage!

Long Term Bucket List:

Get a tattoo: I want to get a tattoo to symbolize who I am
Vacation in Hawaii: I have always wanted to visit Hawaii, I heard it is beautiful.
See the Northern Lights: I would love to see the sky change different colors
Swim in an infinity pool: Swimming in this pool makes you seem like you are swimming in nothing at all, many are on top of roof tops.
Swim with dolphins: Dolphins are such lovable creatures and I could make them do tricks.
Visit the tunnel of love: The tunnel of love is all green and would be amazing to see in person
Volunteer at a animal shelter: I am a huge animal lover and would end up wanting to adopt every dog there.
Visit a cancer ward and help out: I love helping anyone I can and the best thing would to put a smile on a little kids face who is very sick.

Sing to an audience : I love to sing and I have always wanted to sing in Boston with a hat out in front of me, I would love to see who would stop and listen.

The Case Against High School Sports

High school sports have become apart of the modern day life as a teenage. For many students, a sport is the only thing to look forward. Some students are academically built while some are more into being on a team and showing their strengths through a sport. Being on a sport showing passion and drive to become a better well rounded person. Students can not fail more than one class while on a team, this makes them motivated to pay attention and crack open their notebooks at the end of the day. Sports do benefit in a students  high school life by making students motivated, self reliable and have the opportunity to improve their hidden skills others may not have. 

High School sports do have an effect on the students academic career. Students will stay more motivated to keep their grades up because if one class is failed, they are off the team. Being an athlete myself, it feels as if someone is always giving you a kick to push forward. With the passion students have for their sport moves them to focus on success. Even after long days of training and practicing, athletes will still always do their homework. Sports give the opportunity to succeed in what you love and the different objectives learned everyday during class. Athletes are always currently thinking about what they can do to become better, no matter if that means academically, through a sport or just as a person. Being a well rounded person has a huge aspect while being an athlete in high school, by achieving your dreams through the academic world and through the world of sports. 

Any sport will change the athlete inside and out. Being on a team sport or an independent sport will push anyone to failure or success. High School sports show how to work together and depend on one other. This improves your over all being. Many life improving skills have been learned through a sport. In fact, there are many lessons learned that you cannot learn in a stuffy classroom. There will always be failure in life but if there wasn't, there would never be anything to work on. While your team is losing, everyone must work together to find a solution on how to fix the problem. The lessons in class are used throughout a sport as well. High pressure is used well on a court, field, etc and helps the team mates turn into a whole. Those who participate in high school sports know the feeling of defeat or success and turning into a better person no matter what the outcome. High school sports let students achieve what they never thought possible. 

Sports are known to be a release for most athletes. Any built up anger throughout the day can be taken out on the field or court and shown through how well someone plays. Without sports, many people would more sluggish or so fed up that there would be a breaking point. There would be a lot of angry teenagers throughout the day the principle would have to deal with. Sports allow students to release any anger that is pent up inside them and form it into success. Sports reduce any fights or arguments that would happen in school and help the student let go.


As for some, we welcome the stress of a sport. We know the smell of a gym bag so well and have the memories flash back to us. We can take away the love we had of a team coming together and succeeding till the end of a game. We know what failure feels like. We leave everything we have out on the floor that day. We will take the pain, sweat and tears with us and force ourselves to become better. We love to be apart of the school and have fans on the side screaming our name. We will become a better well rounded person because of all of this. We would not be who are if there weren't high school sports. 

Ripley, Amanda. "The Case Against High-School Sports." Atlanta Oct. 2013: 72-78. Print.

Ethos. Pathos. Logos.

In the article, Air Pollution Kills 7 Million People Every Year" There are many examples of ethos, pathos and logos. Ethos is the authority or integrity of the writer, which helps gain the trust of the reader. Pathos is the emotion the reader feels while reading a piece of work. Logos is the logic behind all the information or the numbers used within the writing. Ethos is found in the article when the writer states a quote from the assistant director-general for family, women and children's health. Flavia Bustreo, the assistant general states, "Poor women and children pay a heavy price from indoor air pollution since since they spend more time at home breathing in smoke and soot from leaky coal and wood cooked stoves". This shows the authority because Flavia Bustreo is an assistant general and makes the reader trust what they say. Another example is from Majid Ezzati, who is in fact speaking from the global chair of environmental health at Imperial College London. Majid Ezzati talks about the different types of pollution when he states, "We don't know if dust from Sahara is as bad as diesel fuel or burning coal." The pathos in the article makes the reader wonder what pollution they are breathing in and how it effects their ordinary lives. While reading the article and learning about the air pollution, the reader feels very anxious and nervous about what what they are breathing in. In studies, "scientists also suspect air pollution may be to blame for inflammation in the heart, leading to chronic problems or a heart attack". The only way to change the pollution in the air is to start a change to the whole world, "We need to change our way of life entirely  to reduce pollution". The logos int the article make the reader believe in the information because the writer uses numbers and facts o get the information across. "WHO estimated there were about 4.3 million deaths in 2012 caused by indoor air pollution, mostly people cooking inside using wood and coal stoves in Asia", this informs the reader of the amount of people who are dying just from air pollution. Also, " there were about 3.7 million deaths from outdoor air pollution in 2012, of which nearly 90 percent were in developing countries". The logos in the article tie together all the facts and help make the reader see the real difficulty in air pollution. Ethos, pathos and logos always belong in a article or any writing style to make the reader gain trust in the writer, feel emotion and tie together all the facts with percents and numbers.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/25/air-pollution-deaths_n_5027320.html

My Pet Peeves

 My Pet Peeves

1. When I hear people chewing: Hearing people chew is a major pet peeve of mine. I find it to be very obnoxious and rude. I don't want to hear what you're eating or even drinking. I find it very gross and disturbing that I end up walking away. Just chew quietly!

2. Double negatives: Whenever I hear someone using a double negative I just find it to be very annoying. It is poor grammar and makes the person sound uneducated. It can also be confusing when you're talking to someone and they use double negatives. For example- That won't do you no good

3. Littering: I absolutely hate when people litter. I am a huge tree hugger and find it to be disrespectful no matter where it is. I hate when there is trash in the ocean or even along the sides of the road. Also, animals get hurt when there are bags or cans left around. There is no reason to throw the trash out the window or just be too lazy to throw it out. Think about the poor animals c'mon it's not hard.

4. When people are rude to waiters: You should never be rude to someone waiting on you or serving you. This applies especially when at a restaurant or a place serving food. If you're rude to a waiter they can do anything they want with your order. I have dealt with rude customers and I know what it's like when people are rude for no reason. People should always be nice to anyone helping you, no matter what.

5. Slow drivers/slow walkers: Whenever driving I always seem to get stuck behind someone that drives at the speed of a turtle. There is an exception of the elderly but someone who is texting or putting on makeup is just an annoyance. Walking around in the hallway or in stores and no one will walk. They just stand in a spot on the floor like they're glued. Speed up please!

6. Excessive PDA: I don't think PDA is really necessary, especially while walking down the school hallway. It makes people feel uncomfortable and awkward. It is also rude when you have to squeeze past a couple just to get into a classroom. Get a room! 

7. Light wash jeans:  Light washed jeans remind me of mom or dad jeans. They're worn out and are not attractive. I will personally give money for new jeans.. just go get new ones!

8. Hovering: I cannot stand when people hover around me! My dad is the worst when it comes to hovering. He'll walk into my room randomly and just ask what's up and once I give a response he just hovers around like he's waiting for something more exciting to happen but in reality it just me doing homework. THE WORST.