You Know Who You Are - Poem

You know who you are

You are there to protect, but instead incriminate.

You are there to guide,  but instead let us fall.

You are there to help, but instead scream and yell

You are there to love, but instead you show animosity

You are there to give, but instead you take

You are there to give her away, but instead you repudiate

You are there to be sweet and kind, but instead you are a cruel monster

You know who you are

This is a poem I wrote while feeling hurt. I have edited it a bit to make it sound a little better. After I wrote this, those hurt feelings went away. I found out more here then when I used to write in journals that words are powerful. Keeping them locked away in your head and in your heart eventually lead to no where good. When I wrote this it transferred my feelings out of my heart and head on to this paper. Now this paper holds my feelings until it no longer can. 
Tiffany D Eng 112-020

Is there satanic symbolism in music?

If you search YouTube for Illuminati and its relation to the music industry, you will find a treasure chest of information. Does the Illuminati really exist? Do they have a hand in the music industry and converting famous people into devil worship? What you see in these videos are scary and shocking. It will have you wondering. I personally think that a lot of individuals read to much into the whole thing, but watching videos like the one above makes me rethink it just a bit. What do you think?

"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" -- some things to consider

"To light a candle casts a shadow." -- Ursula K. LeGuin

If you are thinking about writing your final essay about Ursula LeGuin's short story, "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas," I strongly encourage you to do some extra reading. Here are some timely, relevant, and helpful sites:

This essay compares the people of the fictional town of Omelas to the people who attend or work at or support Penn State University. The people of Happy Valley may -- or may not -- turn out to be very Omelas-like. What do you think? Truth in advertising: one of my best friends in the world has been a professor at Penn State for twenty years, and he is about to "walk away . . ."

 And here is a blog post written by a young man from Ireland. This essay convicts all of us. His argument is that in one way or another we all live in Omelas -- and we have not walked away.

UPDATE (12/06/2012):  Here is a link to a video clip from ABC News, which discusses a raid on a sweatshop in India.

ANOTHER UPDATE (5/1/2013):  Here is a link to a cool Tumblr page that might lead you to some thought-provoking questions.

ONE MORE UPDATE: (5/10/2019): You can find other journalists and cultural observers who have compared Omelas and its inhabitants to real-world situations. Here is one by David Brooks, published in New York Times in 2015. And here is one by one by Vandana Singh, written in 2018. Both are quite thought-provoking, and might help you organize your thoughts as you write about this short story.

There's more out there: timely writing about the state of the world RIGHT NOW, that uses this short story as a way of framing a particular argument. So my challenge to you is -- find it. Think about it. Respond to it. And then write about it. This is the true point of literature.

And dudes: Cite your sources!

Posted by Liz Holmes

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

If you don't, you should. I have seen at least 3 ghosts in my lifetime, but I have never doubted their existence. I have friends who do not believe in such things, and they ask me the best way to see one. If you don't believe in ghosts, the best way to see one is to play the Ouija board. You won't see it right away, but you will eventually. The Ouija board opens a spiritual doorway, and I can guarantee wherever you play it will make that place haunted. Do I recommend playing this dangerous game? No, but if you hesitate to try this game my argument has won. If you hesitate, that means there is some part of you that already believes that ghosts exist.

-Tanya K. ENG 112 11am

Juan Martinez is a Great Prosecutor

 Juan Martinez is the prosecutor in the Jodi Arias Trial. Martinez seems very confrontational and has a lot of testy exchanges with many of the witnesses. There was a lot of debate on whether Martinez's methods as a lawyer were effective. The video above is an example of his effective method. He had an advantage over the defense because he kept the jury interested when he cross examined the witnesses. The debate about whether Juan Martinez is a good lawyer or not should end. He did succeed in getting a guilty verdict for first degree premeditated murder. I do believe his unique style as a lawyer, assisted in the outcome of the verdict (other than the evidence).
-Tanya K. Eng 112

Trash Bag Luggage

3shirts, 1 pair of shoes, 1 undergarment, and 2 pants,
They told me to throw it in my trash bag.
My trash bag was my luggage and the only thing that belonged to me.
A couple of drawings from my group home's goodbye,
I placed it in my trash bag.
My trash bag was my luggage and the only thing that belonged to me.
3 hours, 1 soda, 1 social worker, and 2 dollars,
Out the car I saw families that weren't mine,
I sighed and squeezed my trash bag tight.
My trash bag was my luggage and the only thing that belonged to me.
3 staff, 1 bed, 1 closet, and 1 bible,
They said this is my new sojourn home.
I unloaded my luggage to some laughs that weren't mine.
My trash bag was my luggage and the only thing that belonged to me.
3 shirts, 1 pair of shoes, 1 undergarment, and 2 pants,
A couple of drawings from my group home's goodbye,
I watched as girls leave to parents that weren't mine.
Many months went by and they threw my trash bag away.
They didn't know and I didn't tell,
That my trash bag was my luggage and the only thing that belonged to me. 

-Whitney S.

image: http://tote4pgh.com/special-drive-suitcases-for-gwens-girls/

I Will Always Love My American Hero

From Afghanistan to Iraq,

From Flight School and Back,

I will always love my American Hero.

Reporting for duty or called off to war,

Right at home or somewhere far,

I will always love my American Hero.

In combat boots or ASUs

In business slacks or Nike shoes,

I will always love my American Hero.

Without a break he works all day long,

Then they call it "Army Strong"

But my heart gets weary for my American Hero.

They shout "Hi hi hey! The Army's on it's way"

Then I watch as my hero goes rolling along.  

Trying not to cry as he stands with pride,

I whisper to the wind blowing by his side,

"I will always love my American Hero."

 

-Whitney S.

Even before I stumbled upon this video I knew that being schizophrenic would be a dark and lonely place. After hearing this it made me seriously think about what it would be like to be stuck with an illness such as this. A few friends and I decided we would try to go a whole day listening to it while going about our daily routine, most of us did not make it past an hour. Can you imagine waking up everyday to this? Going to bed to this? Trying to live a normal everyday life with thoughts like these racing through your mind? When society looks at someone with a mental illness it is perceived as a negative, which essentially it is,  but the person with the illness is not a weird or bad person. Frowning upon someone with depression or schizophrenia or any other mental illness would be like thinking poorly of someone with cancer. Society as a whole needs to step up and learn how to embrace and help these sick people instead of just letting them fall through the cracks.


-Michele F

The Man Who Sells the Moon

In this New York Times clip we will meet the realtor of the moon. Dennis Hope, a Nevada man who has made a living "selling" plots of land on the moon. He bases his business on honesty and to date has sold over 600 million acres on the moon at $24.00 per property. The loop hole that he believes gives him the right to sell land on the moon is the use of the word nation instead of individual in article 2 of the 1967 outer space treaty, no nation by appropriation shall have sovereignty or control over any of the satellite bodies. Most experts refuse to acknowledge him as a legitimate owner of the moon. What do you think? Is he a genius, or a scam artist?

-Ras M.

 It might just be the pessimist in me speaking but lets face it Graduation Sucks! Don't get me wrong the celebrations are nothing short of Legendary but what comes next? In a perfect world the answer would be a stable job with attractive coworkers, a beautiful house with an island in the kitchen, couple kids who do not rebel and a dog who can give you a high five (low paw technically). Hate to burst your bubble but reality is that life that you promised yourself will have to be postponed for about 13 years, ya  student debt can be a you know what. From where I'm standing graduating is full of expectations that are unsatisfiable and jobs you are over qualified for. It doesn't hit you when your throwing those hats up in the air but every single one of those hats must come down. and when your spending your Saturday nights watching inappropriate television and your Tuesday nights at a pub where all the bartenders know you by name you find yourself saying to yourself "my how much i miss college", and I,  am here arrogantly looking forward to the next 3 years of my life finding more and more reasons to enjoy it that much more.

-Mike D.

An Artist

 

There are many superstitions about mirrors. They  are related to the reflective properties. They say that mirrors in a place where somebody recently died must be covered because a dead’s person soul can be trapped in it. Or by looking in a mirror in a dark room where there is only candlelight, a person might be able to see the entities inhabiting their home. Until now there is no scientific evidence that any of these superstitions or beliefs in the magical power of mirrors exist, so let us make a little analysis of where they came from. In a house where somebody recently died, the members of the family are experiencing high levels of stress because of their loss and little things like a blurry reflection of something seen for only a few seconds can cause menacing interpretations. Or what can really be seen in a reflection of a mirror in a dark room where there is only candlelight? Nothing clear, maybe some shades or shadows, and a human mind playing imagination games interpreting those shades in a most unexpected way. The less a person hears, sees, and feels the more space there is for an amazing artist - brain to play. A human brain fills in the missing pieces and adjusts the information received according to the person’s imagination, experience, expectations, and perception. It knows what you are afraid of the most, what you love, and what you want to see. It will give you exactly these kind of emotions that will touch you in some way. Maybe that is why a picture can evoke more emotions than an entire movie; a single phrase might make a person think and analyze things deeper and longer than a novel; one gesture of a hand might be more elegant and beautiful than a dance. 

Dilfuza S. 

 
P.S. - Inspired by the picture of a crying girl making a shot. 

Motivation

From the movie, Pursuit of Happiness, this quote has always helped me through adversity. Adversity comes in many forms, but still has to be overcome. So it's always served as a good reminder in tough situations. In the movie, Will Smith was going through adversity and he yelled at his son. After he realized what he said, he responded with this quote. I believe he was saying, don't ever give up on your dreams even though people will try to bring you down to their level.                                                             -- Jonathan B

Why?--->How?--->What?

I find this speech very inspiring, and I'm sure some of you will feel the same.

You can find more interesting and informative videos at www.ted.com. 

---Posted by Bilguun. B (ENG 112)

A poem for a sunny spring day!

-- posted just for fun, by Liz Holmes

Eyeglasses read to the blind

A unique pair of eyeglasses developed by an FIU student team could revolutionize the lives of the blind, enabling them to walk into a library or a store, pick up any book or a can of soup, and read it. By using a pair of eyeglasses and lightweight components, Eyestalk will allow a blind user to access printed material while walking around a store or library, which now requires bulkier, more expensive equipment. The Eyestalk, still in its development stage, is designed to be portable, affordable, and operate without requiring an Internet connection. Future versions of Eyestalk will target a global market and enable users to hear information aloud in one of many languages.

Melaku Mazengia (Eng 112)

Will the Moon be the 51^st State in the US?

Have you ever believed that the Moon will be the 51^st state, or even the 52^nd state (The Mars)? You can’t believe but that is the truth because America had the first people landed on the Moon in 1969. From that time, Americans have researched and tried how to use this planet. They discovered that the Moon has a lot of important resources as in the Earth such as gas, minerals and so on. How to gain this target early? That is we have to study well. Do you think so!

Thanh Nguyen

ENG112-12A

True Dedication

I usually tune out when my husband watches his sports channels every evening but not this time! The US Men's National Team beat Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifying match in the middle of an intense blizzard in Colorado on Friday night. The players could barely see around them because of the blowing wall of white; however, the teams showed immense sportsmanship and dedication by finishing the game despite the referee's attempt to postpone the match.

Perhaps this proves to all the soccer critics that the most popular sport in the world is not so boring after all…

S. Rendon