Africa Feedback #1

http://allafrica.com/stories/200811070992.html

Who?
The citizens of Sierra Leone are willingly being tested to check their HIV/AIDS status. This prgram is run by the US embassy in Sierra Leone.

What?
There is a program set up by the American embassy to test the citizens for HIV/AIDS.

When?
The Americans have been trying to set up the program properly and more open to the public since 2005. However, because of the reason hype and awareness over HIV/AIDS, many more are voluntarily coming to the testing centers and being checked on their status with the disease.

Where?
Sierra Leone, Africa. There have been 258 testing sites set up all over the country.

Why?
HIV/AIDS is rapidly spreading over the entire African continent. And because Sierra Leone is one of the poorest nations in Africa and lacks the usual medicine and technology that is essential to live with HIV/AIDS, thousands of Sierra Leonians are dying from this disease. Also without the proper treatment for mothers with HIV/AIDS, the disease is being spread through many generations of people, when the transmission of the disease between mother and child could be easily prevented with a vaccination. People need to be aware of their status, and if they test positive, need to be treated. And this is an excelletn opportunity to make life easier for people in Sierra Leone who are born or contract HIV/AIDS.

How?
The American embassy is providing the vaccinations and examinations for the African people who come to the testing center. They are checked for HIV/AIDS just like everybody else, but I'm not exactly sure how you check someone for that.

This news is essential to the African newspapers because Africa has been the continent most effected by HIV/AIDS. They are essential to spread awareness about the disease, to encourage people to get themselves tested for the disease, and to notify people of the good of vaccination is, and what thei own governments are doing to assist te fight against HIV/AIDS. It also encourages people to join the fight against it, and to belong to a group that is doing good to this not so wealthy African country.

5 Themes of Geography

This is a picture of Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. This is the most famous and overly crowded beach in Australia.
Movement- People have come, some traveling for an hour or so from Sydney's suburbs to get to this beach. Goods have also settled near this beach. Along the banks is one of Sydney's biggest commercial districts.

Region- it is a beach area. There are waves and rocks, and lots of sand. It is obviously in a place that is hot enough to swim in. There is a clear blue sky. It shows it's on the coast, because it is an ocean. It also shows that the culture around there is very beachy, because there are loads of people on the sand and in the water, swimming, surfing and just hanging out on the beach.

Human Environmental Interaction- People have built shops and houses on the banks, are using the sand to sunbathe on, are using the sea to swim in. And because of their surroundings, and due to the culture of spending time at the beach, people are generally tanned, have beachy hair, and are pretty laid back from spenging all that time lazing around.

Location- It's absolute location is Bondi Beach, Bondi, Sydney, Australia. It's relative location is a long beach, near the ocean.

Place- It's a beach. It' near the ocean. It's in Sydney. It's in Australia.

Violence Feedback

"Violence leads to more violence"
I think the play Julius Caesar perfectly illustrates the meaning of this quote. It means that when something violent happens then that leads to more violence and bad consequences for everyone. In the play, Brutus and the conspirators decide to kill Casar, but supposedly for the good of Rome. But the one murder leads to Cassius and Brutus also dying and there being no stability in Rome. So that begs the question, how did killing Caesar in the first place help out Rome? It just made it a place of violence and betrayal between old allies. Because when you bring violence into the equation, there's never going to be no one that doesn't want to avenge the people or do something to retaliate. This happens all the time in world current events as well. Often in wars between countries, or invasions of countries the country that has the lower hand will do anything they possibly can to get back at the conquerors for what they've done to them, even if they thought they were doing the right thing.

Brutus

In my opinion, and if I were in Brutus' shoes, I would kill Caesar because I think that doing that with the good of the people of Rome in mind makes it less villainous and more valid. He's killing Caesar for the greater good, not for personal gain or out of spite for Caesar, just because he loves Rome. With Caesar around Rome is at risk of losing its freedom, its democracy, and peoples' rights if Caesar becomes a dictator. However, if Caesar were out of the picture then Rome would be safe and protected from losing the things that make Rome as great as the people and Brutus think it is.
On page 19, act 1, scene 2, is where Brutus' moral dilemma really begins to shape. He and Cassius are talking, Cassius is trying to persuade Brutus' that because he is as good as Caesar, why shouldn't he rule Rome, but Brutus is not thinking of himself. Cassius is saying that if the Romans took Caesar as their king, Brutus wouldn't stand for it, would he? And Brutus says," I would not have it that way Cassius, yet I love him well." He is here saying that no he does not think having Caesar as king in Rome would be good at all and he would act to change it, but he really loves Caesar and he is his friend, so he wouldn't want to hurt him. So yes, I think Brutus should kill Caesar.

Leadership

Some qualities that a leader has are experience, skill, and is good at motivating people. I think it's important that a leader has experience because they have to know what works best in a situation, and the best way to get everyone what they want without causing distress to the people they are leading. That's why the leaders are often the eldest people, such as the 8th graders in middle school, or the seniors in high school. It's just because they've been in that situation the longest and they know what works well and what doesn't.
I also think that just natural skill is needed in a leader. It could be people skills that are needed, like the students in Slams. It could be your speed or endurance or how high you can jump in track and field. Or even how well you play chess. In any situation you need a leader who is good and very talented in whatever it is they specialize in. I think you need that because you need a leader to have admirable qualities like that so that the people want to follow them. And it's these skills that make people feel motivated by these people because with such high standards they are constantly aspiring to be better and be as good as them.
I think that the leaders in our grade are Aysha because she is just who people look up too. I think it's mostly because she puts herself out there and is never afraid to talk to people. And I also think Michaela is a leader because she is really good at stuff and I think people want to be as good as it as her.

Imperialism

In the late 1800s, European nations were interested in only one thing; expanding their empire. They wanted to do this for a variety of reasons, mostly for gold(money), god( spreading their religion) and glory( having control over the most land or resources). They set out on this mission, conquering weaker nations militarily, politically, culturally or economically. Any place that had something (such as oil, lots of land, lots of labor, or an essential shipping port) to add to their empires wealth would do. They took control of economies, and the natives became the laborers. They stripped the land of any valuable resources. They converted the people to their religion, at this point, many forms of Christianity. However, they did often do some good such as advanced transportation networks, education, health and hygiene. That is why the colonies such as fertile Southeast Asia, oily Middle East and conveniently located Africa made such sounds investments to the European empires of the time.

Quarter 2 Goals

My goals for first quarter were to get more ticks on my socratic seminar and get a good grade(A or B) on my Outsiders final project. I think regarding my first goal, I did very well. I continued to advance my skills in a socratic seminar, and just having had our final one for quarter one yesterday, I think I did well and have come a long way with my skills since the first seminar. On the topic of my second goal I think I did relatively well alos. I got a B+ on my Outsiders final project and I think that grade satisfies my goal of getting a good grade on that.

My two goals for second quarter would be:

1.) Improve on my citation skills. At the moment I know how to go the BibMe or something, and type some information and get a citation, however I would like my works cited page to be in more correct format for my research paper at the end of the quarter, so I would defiently like to improve how i create works cited pages and make sure i am meeting all the criteria for a good works cited page by the end of the quarter.

2.) I am a little concerned about performing in front of other people. Whether it's debates, skits, formal performances, or even a small speech I kind of clam up and get nervous and don't perform to my full potential. I would really like to overcome my stage fright and do well when performing the Julius Caesar skits in front of the class. Hopefully, I will be able to just do what I have to do and not mess up or get extremely nervous. That is one of my other goals this quarter, to improve my performance in front of other people.