Trumps travels

Trump recently traveled to Saudi Arabia and Israel. He went there to advocate for peace between the Middle East and their different religions. He wanted to try to get the Middle East to have a free religion policy while in America he basically created a travel ban that targets one religion as the only countries that were banned were mostly muslim. Trump has said a lot of hypocritical statements against himself conflicting what he has said previously but this action is basically saying how we should have peace in the Middle East but not America. I think him traveling there should show how different religions are not scary and that targeting countries that are mostly muslim is not creating peace but showing other nations that they should be scared of them too.

Prop 8

The Prop 8 documentary was very interesting. I knew a little bit about the prop but it was a long time ago so I really learned a lot about the prop and the trial that helped end it. I didn't know that it was illegal before 2008 and only legal for a few months. Watching all these documentaries really makes me proud of how far we have come to get citizens their natural rights they should have. although there is still work to be done I'm glad that we are continuing to fight for the minorities in America.

social media

Ben's documentary focused on social media use among teens, and from watching I came to thought about my own experience. I generally use text or snapchat for communication with others, and in my spare time I go to facebook or twitter to look at memes. Moreover I watch netflix on daily basis, which I'm not sure this is considered as a social media platform, but I came to notice I dedicate a lot of time on social media. In addition hearing the consequences these media does on the person I decide to spend more time off my phone. I'm thinking of starting off with creating a phone-free day and do something else like hiking.

A New Perspective

I was a little late to the game and only yesterday did I finish 13 Reasons Why. After hearing so much about the show, I came away with a different perspective to the show than ones that I have heard. The show was truly able to open my eyes in a completely different way. We have had a lot of speakers come to our school and have even had a wellness week because of some of the situations that have been going on. I thought that it was great thing to do, but not enough to change what had just come out in the Title IX article. This was also shown in 13 Reasons Why. The students showed an anger towards the school and the administration because they had only tried to help Hannah after she had decided to commit suicide. Though I did not think that the show provided an education as well as they should have on rape, I do think that the show did a good job of making people aware that this is an issue. I have been in an environment that is surrounded by anxiety, depression, and suicide, but to see it all on video allowed me to see the whole situation from a different perspective. Overall, I am very glad that I watched this show because it has allowed me to always think about the other side of situations.

Ben Buie's Documentary

Ben had presented a very interesting and entertaining presentation about how we as teenagers use social media as not just a way of communicating, but creating, establishing, and maintaining different relationships with a mix between friends, families, and significant others. I think it's a really interesting topic to bring about because social media use among teenagers have just become as natural as waking up in the morning or falling asleep to us. Taking a deeper look into how different teenagers and young adults view social media use, instant messaging use, and then comparing to talking in person or on the phone was really good, especially since we each contain our own opinions and different thoughts. Having a parental view on the topic as well also brought their side in on what they think of teens and social media, as well as how their lives were different when they were kids without all the technological luxuries we sometimes forget about. Overall, Ben's presentation brought a very insightful view of technology use to teenager, especially having different sides of opinions from both parents and teens.

School and Financial Aid

Remembering back to Erika's documentary on financial aid, it reminded me of when I tried applying for the school's financial aid for my prom ticket, senior picnic, and the senior night. When I filled out the application on the school website for it, I had emailed Ms. Woolfolk, and applied for the free lunch program. However, once I had filled out all the necessary things in order to get my financial aid, I still didn't get it. It really made me upset because I'm not working, the school has documentation on both my parents being unemployed, so what was the problem? I just think that the school says they have financial aid, but then expect no one to apply for it. And in turn, they don't have to give it. It just seems really unfair that they would promote something like financial aid, and then not give it to someone who needs it.

Senior Documentaries

Even though it was a pain in the ass to get done, this was by far the best project I think teachers could ever assign in a high school career. Within limits to what we learned during our year in Global, being able to have the freedom to choose topics on what we actually care about more than showed. From watching all of the documentaries so far, it is clear that everyone chose a topic that they were clearly passionate about. No documentary seemed forced and no documentary had no enthusiasm regarding the topic chosen. With the projects containing passion about them, it leads me to know that we actually learned something about what we chose. Instead of having our topics picked for us, we were able to branch out on our own, figure out how to make our project, and be able to present it. I won't lie it was hard, but I think that us being able to choose our own senior projects really showed our own potential, and most importantly, how we each were able to find a passionate topic within us.

A Reflection on Campus Sexual Assault Incidents

Over the past few days, we have been reflecting on two incidents regarding alleged or confirmed incidents of sexual assault in Los Altos High School and Palo Alto High School which have happened in recent years.

One point I have noticed several people bringing up regarding sexual assault cases in general is that it is often difficult for sexual assault victims to testify regarding their crimes and to cooperate with the legal systems, lawyers, and schools to help them investigate and collect evidence to build a case based around the truth.

One thing that victims need to be aware of is that if they decide not to cooperate with investigators looking into the case no matter how hard it is for them to do so, then unfortunately they can not expect action to be taken against the alleged suspect without the case being investigated and a conviction occurring against the suspect.

The Washington Examiner had found that nearly 1 in 5 rape accusations brought up in college campuses are false and the power that a woman can leverage over a man's life if she falsely accuses him of rape is tremendous and dangerous. There are many instances of men's lives, careers, reputations, and lives being ruined over a false rape accusation and true rape victims need to come forward so they can get justice in their case and real rapists will get charged and locked up for their crime (again rape is a truly horrendous and disgusting crime which one could take part of). At the same time however, we need to provide safeguards for people who could possibly get their lives ruined over a false accusation while at the same time allowing for victims to get the justice that they need in a rape case.

Asylum

Many Central Americans who want to come to the United States mainly come to start a new life. But others desperately come because they want to seek asylum. The reason being is many of these people are threatened by the gangs (Mara 18 &MS13) who are very violent and cause many homicides. Honduras and El Salvador are considered the most dangerous countries in the world. An example is in 2014, Honduras had a murder rate of 84.6 per 100,000 population. In which there was a total of 5,936 murders in 2014. In addition, many of these people who want to seek asylum are unaccompanied minors. Kids who leave at a young age and their parents who have no other option because if they stay they´ll eventually end up dead.  

Most Powerful Global Documentary

It's no secret that we've seen so many documentaries in Global, but which one is the most powerful to view? For me, I think the one that stands out the most was the one about Jordan Davis, an innocent African-American teenager who was shot through the door of his friends car, by now-criminal Michael Dunn for playing rap music and "identifying" himself as a thug and a threat. It's a shame and a complete embarrassment for us as a nation to say we have come so far from slavery, when in fact innocent teens and adults are being shot at for, I hate to say it, being black. This documentary really portrayed to us what is going on in the world now. Unlike the documentaries we had viewed that happened about twenty to fifty years ago, whereas this happened about two or three years ago. What also was key about this was being able to witness the evidence brought against Michael Dunn, interviews with Jordan's friends, and most importantly, how the trial was decided.

Sexual Assault on College Campuses

The documentary we're watching is bringing up a very important issue, the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses is far too high and definitely not talked about enough. However, it's not like these perpetrators get to college and just develop aggressive habits, these are the same people who would be committing sexual assault in high school as well. Unfortunately, high schools usually fear the parents of their naive students and don't like to bring up sensitive topics like sexual assault. But if sexual assault and consent was talked about constantly, and high school students were fluent in the language of consent by the time they graduated, maybe some of the thousands of sexual assaults that occur in colleges each year would be prevented. The consent workshop we attended at school a few months ago was very informative and did a really good job of presenting the information in a light yet serious way. But this was the  first year that the school organized the consent workshop, it took a publicized sexual assault by a Los Altos student for the school to take action. We shouldn't  wait until a tragedy and then do damage control to prevent it from happening again, we should ALWAYS be taking action to prevent things like sexual assault from happening in the first place.

Music, My Definition

After writing a quick blog about Payam's documentary and how music has changed the definition of fashion, I starting thinking more about Natalie's presentation about what music can do for others and what it means to many. Being an athlete, I think whenever I bring up music, everyone tends to think that I just listen to it before a game, which is true no doubt, but I feel there's more to it than people just think of right off the bat. For me, music is something that brings a new side out of me. Usually, I'm just kind of a shy and quiet kid who just kind of goes along with the flow of things, doesn't really put himself out there as much, and just kind of takes everything in. I've always been that way, in the sense of keeping things in, but music has been the thing to let everything that's inside of me out. Music is something that is ingrained me, and although I'm usually quiet, the one thing that makes me loud is the music I listen to everyday. I use music as sort of something to break the ice with new people I'm meeting and bring me out of my shell. Whenever I song I know really well is playing, I always start to kind of lip-sync the lyrics, then go out singing or shouting them along with the artist playing. People then start to see this new kid come out and the confidence level in me starts to raise greatly. I also do the same thing before football games. I will listen to certain songs before and sometimes be found in the bathroom just singing the song to myself in the mirror. It looks goofy, especially me listening to hard core rap and hip hop songs, but it's something I've always done to just bring out a new side of me. Something that I can use to easily let out a new Nick in a sense to the world. I find that my definition of music is a way of releasing an inner part inside of you, an inner part inside that is trying its best to get out.

Payam's Documentary-Fashion and Music

From watching Payam's documentary on how fashion has changed along with the different styles of hip hop from the late 80's to currently, I found it very interesting. For me, it is honestly the coolest thing see how such a thing as music can have the ability to change something as essential and almost as basic as clothing. I remember growing up, being around my cousins and their friends as they would be listening to E40, Nelly, 50 Cent and the G-Unit, Lil Boosie, and the style of clothing that was essentially cool were bandanas, sports teams hats, baggy jeans or sweats, Jordans and Airforce 1's, and baggy white tall tees were what they were all wearing. I remember rocking those from elementary thru middle school, because even though music styles had began to change, I still would listen. I will say as I have started to listen to more and more modern music, my style of clothing has definitely changed to a more "fitted" look, like Payam had mentioned in his video. I think it's a really cool thought to think of. The majority of us probably just walk around buying clothes because we see other people wearing them, but to me, it's a good little adventure to see the motivation behind why those we are getting fashion trends from chose to wear these types of clothes. It's even cooler to see that music is the reason behind it.

being bilingual

There are times for me when my English isn't crisp, sound terrible, and at the same time there are times where my Japanese isn't at it's best. I mumble, cannot say the word fluently, stutter and it irritates me when it happens because I feel like I'm giving the listeners a hard time. People hit me with the "huh what you say?", or "say that again", and I'm in need of how to make my English at it's best whenever I speak it. I make myself think in that specific language when I speak it, so it's not the problem in where I'm thinking in the opposite language when I speak the other. I'm just curious if anybody else had this experience, and how the fixed it.

making my college decision

I've made one of my biggest decisions in my life to go to attend Virginia Tech this upcoming fall, and stoked to study engineering. Tech is located in the rural area of the Appalachians, and real talk there's nothing around near. It's far away from California and I have to make connection flights at Atlanta lasting up to 7 hours. Yet tech's engineering program is one of the nation's premier program, and that made me drove me to make the decision. In addition I personally felt they wanted me there for them offering me a scholarship and a spot at an engineering living community. I had options to go to several UCs and state colleges but in order to achieve big things I would take this business trip any day. Aerospace or Mechanical or computer science I'm excited what the future is going to hold.

Lengths Taken To The Impossible

Reflecting on what we all had learned during those grueling months of our Holocaust movie viewing, I still wonder what drives people to do the things they do, ranging from good things or bad things. Personally, I feel that it is easier by a mile to state what drives people to do good things. Usually, the quick response for them is because their parents are a good influence on them or simply that the person making the decision is a good person. Truly, it's easier to say the reason behind making good decisions because no one wants to truly believe that anyone makes bad ones. Not just bad ones, but ones that are in a way unthinkable, inhuman, and almost impossible for anyone to inflict upon his fellow man. Which leads me to the question behind why Hitler committed what he did. In short, it was pretty much to make Germany full-German, an idea of a perfect country. Something perfect for Hitler. Unfortunately, nothing's perfect, so what lengths are people willing to go to in order to reach a state of perfection. What I believe is that in order to get to the point of perfection, people are going to do anything they can in order to get there, regardless of the consequences. Perfection is impossible to gain, and the only thing those can do to get to their idea of "perfection" is to do extreme things, much like Hitler and his Holocaust.

Music

Looking at Markell's documentary it made me realize how much music in general has change. Music isn't as inspiration or up lifting anymore. It is about what is trending, drugs/alcohol and parting. It gives people the impression that doing drugs/alcohol and parting is always okay and cool especially for younger people. If you don't have a certain things, or have a lot of friends

prom

Senior prom was actually fun, a lot of us didn't think prom was going to be fun, compared to most of the other dances at this school. When Ms.B talked to us openly and told us if anything, we could use her number, it really gave me the impression that she cares about us genuenly

College Campus Sexual Assault

Along with my previous post about sexual assault in high schools, I thought it would be important to talk about the alarming sexual assault rates on college campuses. Many of us will be attending college next year, so this is extremely relevant.  According to a RAINN stat, 11.2% of college students experience rape through physical force, and many more through verbal abuse. Many rape stats claim that as many as 1 in 4 women on a college campus will experience sexual assault. Most people also have a hard time reporting their sexual assault to the school. Most schools want to keep their rape stats low in order to improve their image, so they make it difficult for students to report. Many go as far as to blame the victim for what happened, by asking what they were wearing, why they drank, etc. It all feels really unfair to think that I could be raped and then not have the support of my school.

Parent Outrage at Palo Alto High School

We had an interesting discussion in class yesterday about the rights of students and how, when schools know about cases of sexual assault between students, it can be difficult to go about addressing the crimes to parents and the public. Recent controversy has erupted over a sexual assault case at Palo Alto High School. A student was recently found delinquent of one count of sexual assault after initiating sex with a non-consenting victim in a local church. The same student has been accused of two other sexual assaults by two different women. Since he is a minor, The school has refused to release his name. This has sent parents into an outrage. I know that as a student  I would feel completely unsafe knowing that there was a student walking around who has been found guilty of sexual assault. At the same time, is it fair to ask the school to infringe on his right to privacy in order to make me feel safe? What do you guys think?

Social media

social media has been a huge impact on everybody's lives, I believe. Everywhere you go, you see everybody on their phones even when they are eating they are on their phones. There's like no point for people to go with friends to get food because they're always on their phones. Even my parents are always on their phones like on favebook especially. I think this has had a good impact on our lives because social media can be useful and is a distraction but also bad because we get so attached to it that we can't let go. Then again, it is going to be with us forever since technology is just growing more and more.

Music

Going back to some of the documentaries that we watched for the senior projects,  I think that it is very interesting how a few classmates talked about music and how it is a big impact in our lives. I agree with all of them because everyday i listen to music mostly at all times except when I'm at school because I lost my earphones but other then that, I always have music on. In the car, at home and at work. It helps time go by faster , if im ever upset I just put some music on and it really does help me forget about many things. Music is something that I cannot let go off, it's part of my life and I'm pretty sure it will always be. It also motivates me when I got no one to help me out I just listen to music I know will motivate me and it does. Music is a great thing to have in our lives.

Holocaust

Going back to when we learned about the holocaust, I think that might have been the saddest thing that we learned about. Its incredibly the way that the Jews were treated. It was so sad to see all the things they had o be put through and its just crazy its like if it wasn't real but sadly,  it was and its something that's going to be remembered forever. The way that they were blamed for almost everything was never fair and how they were taken on trains not knowing that they were about to die was just something so sad because there were kids separated from their families and even babies were part of this. All those stories that were told on how they were treated and how hey were barley even fed, how they were put in the gas chambers making them think they were gonna shower and all the other sad things they were put through were so depressing to hear about, but im glad this was taught more.

1rst generation

A lot of people don't expect us as latinos to go to college because of several stereotypes, but I think that it is not true because anyone can be able to go to college even if they're not as smart, everyone can be able to go to college as long as they try. Me as a Latina, I get told that I wont be going to college or that I wont be able to accomplish what I want to because I'm not "smart" enough and I think it is just because I'm Latina because I've never really heard of any other race that's been told the same thing, I may be wrong but I doubt it. As a first generation student, it has been harder for me to motivate myself and give myself the support since my parents couldn't get the same education so they don't really motivate me in the way I'd like them to because they don't really know much about how school works here but,  I hope one day I will be going to college and make them proud.

Fashion and Social media

Andres's documentary really stood out to me because as now in days people are only looking to fit in we all try so hard to be diddeeent but this ends up making us the same. We try to show others how that we are good to fit in just by wearing the same thing that our favorite rapper actor and other celebrities are wearing because it's what has the attention. We usually show who we are with the way we dress so if we dress like beyoncé or Rihanna or Kanye are we really being ourselves by being like other people?

Jack Johnson

When we watched the case study on Jack Johnson I was reminded a lot of OJ Simpson. He had many of the same qualities as OJ did. One of the ones that stuck out to me most was how he perceived himself, like others around him, as not a black man but as Jack Johnson the boxer. This is similar to how OJ viewed himself as the juice instead of a person of color.  I also similarities in the two in how they acted outside of their sport.  Both athletes were hungry for as much publicity as they could get. Even though they both loved the attention they got from people especially from the white community I think that OJ handled it better up until his murder trial. Throughout Johnson's career many people disliked him because he was doing things that were frowned upon, like dating prostitutes. OJ was a much more liked figure. I think it is interesting how these two great athletes who came almost 50 years apart had attitudes that almost mimicked each other. This makes me wonder who the next OJ or Jack Johnson is going to be, or if there is even going to be another person like that. We live in such an evolved world now where one it is hard to be insanely better than your peers at the sport because everyone has dedicated so much time to becoming the best in the world. Also there are not the same race barriers as there were for OJ or Johnson.

Documentaries so far

We have watched a lot of student documentaries so far in third period. I think for the most part every one has done a very good job. For a lot of us editing a video was a very new challenge to tackle and so far I have been impressed with the quality of the videos that have been made. I also think that through all of the other documentaries we have watched this year I can how they have influenced some of the videos. I forget who's video it was but they talked about how music has influenced the change in fashion. Looking back on it, this video reminds a lot of the video we watched about rappers during the LA riots in first semester. To me they both had the same feel and energy. It is interesting how we have all picked up a thing or two about making a good documentary just by watching a couple.

Undocumented imigration

There have been a lot of documentaries that talk about the struggles of being an undocumented person in the US recently. This has had me thinking of what privileges I have had by being born in the US.  I had never really thought about how just by being born in the US I am able to get a job or travel in and out of the country. These are very simple things that I have always taken for granted. I thought that Chris's documentary did a really good job at showing what struggles an undocumented person has versus a documented person. I also liked that each of the interviewees gave a different perspective on the topic.  I also thought that Miguel's video was very interesting. I liked the interview with his parents, because I could tell that it was a very emotional thing. I also got to see how serious this issue really is.

Sacrifices of an immigrant

I really liked miguel's documentary because as a daughter of immigrant parents I was able to relate and it's pretty amazing what they do and leave their home and move to a totally new place where they don't know anyone or anything to look for a better future for their families not only trying to look out for their families here but also the ones who stayed behind.

The Power of Words

Walking around campus or even sitting in class you hear words like retard or the N word. For this post I also wanted to focus specifically on the N word. I wanted to start by saying that I find any use of this word in any situation completely inappropriate. In the past, that was a word used to dehumanize and tear down a whole group of people that were treated less than that. I am person of color and someone who's not so distant relatives were brought to this country as slaves. I can't believe we would  use a word that was used to describe PEOPLE  who were being sold and traded as property. 

We are quick to throw blame for hate in a "post racial" America.  I hear people complain about Trump inciting hate  throughout the country, when they greet their friends as "my nigga". 

It is hypocritical to call politicians and other people out when they say racial slurs in public, but when we do it with friends, it is perfectly acceptable since there was no intent to harm. Regardless of  the context, hate words validate hate speech.  We may think we've "taken back" the word but as long as people are using this word in a negative connotation, we haven't. We are lucky to live in a culturally diverse area where that word doesn't have the power it does in other place. So the next time you use the word, think for a second what it might mean. 

Senior Documentaries

Today We watched Chris, Andres, and Erika. During Chris' documentary I felt it was a very powerful movie because it showed the everyday struggles students had to deal with in order to live with parents who are immigrants, or who are immigrants themselves. Andres' video displayed the powerful motive of the social media and fashion. It was very cool to see because I can relate to the fashion sense, because I love shoes. Erika's was also very cool to see because I am a HS senior and I feel that the costs are over whelming. I think that for schools to charge for mandatory things, or excessively charge makes it very unfair. I think that charging $80+ for a prom ticket is so unfair because there are kids who cannot afford to pay for it, or whose parents will have to suffer and sacrifice for their children. I think that this is a serious issue that should be checked, because a public school should not cost so much to attend to live the entire HS experience.

Religion and old ruling structures

Another aspect of traditional Arab ruling structures that I didn’t get to in the documentary was the relation between the religious and political rulers. Prior to colonialism, the religious leaders would hold in check the political leaders, making sure that the political leadership was acting morally and in the interests of the people. While this concept is a little bit idealized as corruption and moral dubiousness was similar to that of medieval Europe, it shows that religion was deeply ingrained in the power structure. After colonialism, and secularism the religious element was removed and this allowed rulers to become the dictators we see today.

Religion and Nationalism in Europe

One of the things that I didn’t have time for in the documentary was how nationalism helped to usher in secularism in Europe. Prior to the french revolution and the surge in patriotism and nationalism, religion was a huge part in daily life and played a big factor in the international relations of the day. Even though it wasn’t unheard of for Catholics to wage war on other Catholics, it was far less common and generally more frowned upon. After nationalism, it tied fellow countrymen to each other closer than it tied them to fellow Catholics in another country. It diminished the importance of religion in politics and religiously driven violence dropped. It is unfortunate that the nationalist leaders in the Arab world were oppressive dictators, or non-west friendly.

Soldier mentality and PTSD

The documentary on PTSD was a very interesting documentary. Talking to veterans I felt that they were very proud and the first real evidence of this is they did not say that they had PTSD, they would say they had Post Traumatic Stress. They would take great offense if you implied they had a disorder and would get very defensive. This proud military spirit instilled on them does not mean that they are mental bastions and it keeps them from getting the help you need. The first step to getting over any problem is to recognize that it is one, and this is where many get stuck in limbo.

immigration

I related to Chris's video because I've always wanted to see how it would be not to be born from this country. Having parents that were immigrants and knowing the fear they had everyday knowing that someone could not come back home that night for not having papers. Its getting scarier everyday with the new president being elected many have fear of them being more on the case of deporting hard working people. California is a big target because of it being right by the Mexico border, Since we only hear President Trump target Mexican Immigrants.

Feminism and the controversies surrounding it

I have done a little bit of research on both sides of the argument on feminism and I will admit it is a complicated issue. The most obvious argument for feminism is the pay gap, which makes sense, but on the other side, I have read studies that the pay gap does not exist between single people in the same job, and the pay gap only exists once women have children and spend less time at work(which makes sense?). Other research I have read says that the pay gap also exists when looking at the average woman salary and the average mans salary because men tend to have jobs that are more focused on the acquisition of monetary wealth whereas women seek more fulfilling jobs that might pay less. I am not saying that this is how it is, or that it is right, I am just saying that  it is clearly a complicated issue with no clear answer.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MS. B!

I just want to say a special thanks to Ms. B! Thank you for putting up with 4th periods crazy days. You have been my favorite teacher here at LAHS. You are always here for us no matter what. You push us to get things done and you honestly care about everyone single one of us. You make sure that we are going to succeed and not fail. You want us to do good. Anyone can see that. You reassure us that if we are in trouble and need help that we can come to you. I am honestly going to miss you a ton Ms. B! It's sad that we are all graduating really soon because we will have to say our goodbyes for now but I am going to come back and visit you.

senior projects on difficulties of immigrants

Seeing all these presentations on immigrants I could sympathize with the difficulties they're experiencing. Such as language barriers, immersing with the community, getting legal rights to work, and earning citizenship. I myself came to this country as an immigrant, yet I was fortunate enough since my dad was recruited by a corporate to work for them. So I could say I had a steady support from my parent in some extent, but life in silicon valley isn't cheap plus we had to built our life from the start. My dad worked his ass off to pay our rents, buying us cars, putting food on the table, and made sure I had the right education. That wasn't enough for us so my mom started woking soon after, and then myself so that I could pay for my personal expenses. I'm blessed to have a father like mine and live a better life than others, but I know the bottom and struggles and have seen the other side of the valley from the labor work I'm doing. I have young 2 coworkers my age working to raise their 3 year old daughter, and college student working to pay his tuitions: around me nothing is granted. Tickets to college or employment at a corporate isn't given for free, and have to prove yourself you're better than the man next to you. That's the m  that's what makes me motivate and strive for greatness and better life.    

Trans rights

While learning a lot about how much people have fought about their rights, it made me so sad and ferrous about what happened on Survivor the TV show. In case you don't know there was a trans gender contestant that no one knew was transgender. He had played on the previous season and the current season so those who were competing on this season didn't know that he had not told anyone he was trans. But in a last ditch effort to try not to get voted out one of the contestants outed him to try to make him seem like a liar. This was one of the worst things you could do because people should have the right to tell others when they are ready because other wise it can cause a lot of harm. After the episode aired I learned that the guy who exposed him was fired from his job after continuously being for trans rights and fighting for them. He was also gay so he knew what it was like to be part of the LGBT community. He even tried to commit suicide which I think was a little extreme but I am truly sorry for all the hate and every thing that has happened to both of them as it was a stupid mistake but it still caused a lot of harm. I started to become mad at survivor for showing this outing however I learned that they allowed him to choose if he wanted the episode to air and it did so I am proud of survivor for seeing how this event could hut or help others and I'm proud of Zeke (the trans guy) for allowing this episode to air and show how trans people are just like everyone else and educate the audience of survivor.

Prom

Last Saturday we had Prom, and I'm almost positive that everyone who went had a good time. Everyone thought that the DJ was going to suck, but he wasn't that bad. He played some Mac Dre which will always get the place jumping. My friends and I were going stupid, getting hyphy, when "Feelin Myself" came on. The food was alright but who cares. The place it was at had some super cool vintage whips that we could take pictures in front of, which was something different. Everyone was looking mighty fine and cleaned up very nice. It was an overall good night and you know your prom's lit when there's moshpits to Soulja Boy.

PTSD

PTSD also known at post-traumatic stress disorder changed lives for the person who has it and their friends a family.  I found the topic very interesting so I decided to research it more.  An estimated 7.8% or 24.4 million Americans will experience PTSD in a lifetime.  But what I found more interesting is that women are 2 times a likely to develop PTSD compared to men.  Symptoms of PTSD must last at least one month to be considered PTSD.  There are many things that can cause PTSD such as severe psychological trauma or stress, change in environment, neglect, and more.

WIFI NEEDS TO BE FIXED

Yes this has been an on going situation but really LAHS? We have to fix the wifi issue. Today has been a good day (me knocking on wood to make sure I didn't jinx it). The wifi is good for one day and horrible the next. How does the school expect us to do all of our stuff online for school if the wifi doesn't even work. This is crazy! Like most of my days are spent refreshing the page or turning on and off my wifi on my computer. Some days I have to connect to my person hot spot but that is using us the data that I don't have to waste.

Summer Time

It's crazy to think that 3 years ago I was in this same position as in summer coming up, but I was only a freshman. People said that your time in high school would fly by faster than you know it. Myself along with other people didn't always keep that in mind and now we are all about to walk up on the stage to move on to the next part of our life. After we our past that it's summer and after summer is over everyone is gonna start going their own ways. I got a few trips planned with some friends, but other than that it's gonna be the same days waking up late eating breakfast hanging out with friends going to bed late.

Summer Time Living

Steroids/ Nick P's documentary

I really liked nick's presentation on steroid use. Not only was it informative and well made, it was more interesting because we all already knew at least a little about the topic from the documentary we watched on a similar topic at the beginning of the year. I always considered steroid use to be some terrible thing because of the whole thing about using steroids for sports, but it is really surprising how many people use steroids for such a wide variety of reasons and how there is no problems legally with using them recreationally. Although that makes sense, it just for some reason went against an incorrect assumption we had.

Cheating

After completing all of the work for my senior project, I actually had time to reflect on the question I had researched so much, what are the lengths those are willing to go to in order to get an "ideal body"? Well, the main thing I saw that many put themselves through is steroid use. Like I explained in my presentation, steroids are the quick and easy way to get muscle results faster without putting in all the hard work. Essentially, it's cheating. Cheating I feel is just something everyone now does in our society. Not necessarily like cheating on a spouse or girlfriend, but just on everyday things. In relation to school, like on homework, quizzes, and tests. I personally cannot blame anyone for cheating. Who I can put the blame on though, are those implementing tasks, actions, or certain goals that are almost needed to involve cheating at any point to complete them. Saying that, I really think that the pressure and idea of "instant gratification" is the true culprit for cheating and always finding quick ways to complete something or get to a certain goal.

Homeless: how to solve the issue

During our documentaries we have had a good amount that have talked about homelessness and how prevalent it is internationally. Many also have misconceptions about the homeless, thinking that they are lazy and that they deserve to be in the situation that they are in. However, most homeless people lost their job in an unfortunate way and are just like every other citizen except that they aren't fortunate enough to find a job. We need to stop looking down at homeless people and instead look for a solution such as creating more jobs and financial opportunities for people that are willing to work hard.

Immigration

Going back to Chris's video about immigration, I relate to many things that he said because just like him, I also know a lot of people that were not born here and they tell me about disadvantages that they have had. They also struggle with the language because they came here at an older age and it has been harder for them to learn English. For me it hasn't been that way because my parents came here at a young age and my mom got pregnant here from both my brothers and me and we got that advantage but my parents also had to go through a lot coming over here. Starting off with how they made it here and the type of jobs that my dad had to do in order to provide for my mom and also how they both have to leave their families in order to give me and my brothers a better future. I think that everyone should be welcome in the U.S for the better, for they can have better opportunities and have a better way to live because now, other countries are not as safe as it is in the U.S.

Pizza My Heart

So I'm working at Pizza My Heart now. I recently discovered that the ice cream industry isn't really for me. Like don't get me wrong I was pretty nice at scooping and I made a mean Banana Split. But after working at almost every main ice cream shop in the area, it was almost obvious to me that I shouldn't continue. Pizza My Heart is pretty cool. My coworkers are total sports fanatics and music lovers its dope. I've only been there for a week and I already like it more than Baskin Robbins. All you do is put the pizza in the oven and smile for the customers. Two things that I don't mind doing, while watching the warriors game on a rush shift.

Senior Activities are $$$$$

It's second semester senior year, and there's 2 weeks left until graduation, and in these short two weeks left, it is filled with senior activities. Such as, the senior picnic, grad night, and prom (yes I know it already happened). And as a senior, they expect everyone to participate, but what if you don't want to? I didn't go to prom, I did not sign up for the senior picnic, nor did I sign up for grad night, because as a senior, you do not HAVE to participate. When I had told people this they usually said something like "But it's senior year" or "It's prom though", pardon my french but that really does't mean shit to me. Yes it's my senior year and I'm just done with high school, and it really wasn't that great of an experience so why spend hundreds of dollars on activities that I really just don't care to do? I have to think about my future, and going off to college, it's extremely expensive and I need to save up whatever I can. Some people are extremely privileged around here and are lucky enough to have parents who are able to pay for their higher education. But that doesn't apply to everyone, some of us actually have to become adults as soon as high school is over, and pay for our own education, expenses, and bills.

CCS Baseball!

With the tensions rising we were set to play a team we had no information about. This team drove 90 minutes from Soledad to face their maker as Alex Reelfs, the complete baseball stud, threw a marvelous game to push us onto the second round. We started the game strong with a first inning run against a pitcher who was 7-0 on the season, and then we were able to put him on the ropes towards the 3rd and 4th inning knocking him out with 3 more runs. Finally we were able to put the nail in the coffin with 2 more runs in the 5th. With the phenomenal performance from Alex, the lock down defense we were able to display, and the slugging we had all led to a great team win. The fact we were able to win a CCS game says it all right there, but we strive for the ultimate goal which is a Championship.
Saturday 11 AM @ Fremont High School vs. Mountain View High School

We Live to See Another Day.

First CCS win in 4+ years!

College Education

I thought it was very interesting to hear from Claire's perspective the finish school system compared to the american school system. Coming from Europe myself and both my parents doing all their school in Europe I think I have a good understanding of the school system there. One interesting thing I think for what allows for the Finnish school system is really just the culture over there. If you have ever lived in Europe its is much different in the sense of the lifestyle. The relaxed lifestyle of finland differs greatly to the competitive atmostsphere of the US but I thought the similaraties and differences brought up were very interesting.

THIS YEAR IS COMING TO AN END

Seeing everyones documentaries in Global has made me realize that the school year is coming to an end. This is what we have spent the last semester working on. The closer we get to walking the stage. I am super excited to graduate but hesitant too at the same time. Not know how college is going to be and yes I'm ready to leave but am I really ready. Ready to leave my parents behind and start a new chapter in life. I am honestly going to miss Global. Global has been the best class through out the 4 years at High School. It's where we can all share our opinions and there is really no right or wrong. This class has become super close. I just want to say Congrats to everyone! We worked our asses off and it has payed off! We get to walk the stage at graduation in less than 16 days!

The importance of a soundtrack

Watching all of these soundtracks, and looking back on the ones we have been watching throughout the year, the thing that most stood out to me was the soundtrack. All the music from the documentary on the LA riots and the first one about steroids, the soundtracks really stayed with me. I also think the documentaries we are watching in class with documentaries, and more so with the documentaries with real songs, not just stock music or instrumentals, really give me a vibe that they are very high quality, even if I don't like the music as am not as interested in topic of the documentary. I tried to incorporate this idea into my own documentary (which you all have not seen yet) with some very quality music in it if I do say so myself.

Social Media and Technology

Social media and technology has affected our generation so much.  According to US Department of Health and Human Services, 75% percent of all teens in the United States have access to a smartphone or computer.  On average, people spend around 3 hours on their phone every day.  So has technology changed our generation for better or for worse?  Technology and social media has its advantages and disadvantages.  It allows people to connect around the world, express themselves, and social media is low costing.  On the other hand, people can display too much personal information on profiles, it can be dangerous if it is misused, and it can be another outlet for harassment and bullying.  So did it change for the better or worst?

Steroid usage

Something that is somewhat new to society, steroids are still a substance that needs to be researched more in depth to understand its true effects. However, as Nick presented in his documentary, while they seem appealing to increase muscle mass more quickly and efficiently, the effects they have afterward are too detrimental to justify the pros of steroids. Furthermore they should not be allowed in sports because of these possible cons that they can provide to the athletes. While one athlete might be willing to use them, others wouldn't want to; this creates an unfair advantage to those using steroids and changes the way that sports would then function.

Intolerance for Diversity of Thought

Los Altos High School and most other high schools inside of liberal bubbles such as Silicon Valley tend to pride themselves on being a bastion of free speech, diversity, and respect for differences. However, what many self-proclaimed righteous social justice activists and "tolerant" liberals do not seem to understand is that yes.. they do indeed respect diversity, people's differences, and freedom of speech - as long as it is somebody who agrees with their viewpoints and their viewpoints only. Below, I have gathered two news stories that seem to reflect and hit on the points which many people who respect themselves and choose to think for themselves and not move along with the herd notice on a daily basis at these institutions.

___________________________________________________________________________

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/liberal-but-not-tolerant-on-the-nations-college-campuses/2016/02/11/0f79e8e8-d101-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html?utm_term=.f5bfa2ce85a2

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/253641-obama-hits-coddled-liberal-college-students

Jim Crow and the penal system

Kieron's documentary on private prisons was very enlightening. Private prisons and how they operate is dubious and scary in how it is essentially slave labor, this is even more interesting when you consider the amount of African-American inmates in the prison system being larger than the slave population in the 1860's. This has similarities to the Jim Crow laws in that it perpetuates the racism of slavery in all but name. The original intention of prisons to reform prisoners has been perverted to serve the social pecking order.

The Other Side Reaction

My boy Chris Perez did a really good job with his Senior Project Documentary. His documentary really resonated with me because I aslo come from a family like his and is something that I also wonder about on a constant basis. Im really glad someone else shares the same opinion as mine in a day in age where everyone who has a diffrent opinion from someone else gets criticized heavily

What "Thirteen Reasons Why" did not depict

Thirteen Reason Why was a really good Netflix series. It does a really good job to telling Hannah Bakers story. I believe though that they could have done a little more to depict mental health issues and where to go to get help. Obviously your counselors here at school are here to help but other ways to get help. Such as hotlines and other places to call anonymously to get help. I really wished they had shown how mental health is also a factor into suicide.

Importance of music presentation

Natalie's presentation about the importance of miusic in our life really stood out to me because we really underestimate these things just because they seem so small, when in reality they are a huge part of us. Through miusic we show who we are our style and how we feel. I was able to relate to her documentary because everythjng is better with miusic homework work and long drives. I personally feel that you can destress yourself when you listen to miusic. This is why this documentary really stood out to me.

School Prices

Los Altos High School charges way to much for school events. Compared to some of my friends who go to diffrent High Schools, their schools charge at a fraction for school events compared to Los Altos High School. Even though the events cost a lot, what come out of them weren't that impressive. Our Prom was okay at best, but for $95 a head it was way over charged

Fashion

Going back to Andres video, I think that he is right about how society works with fashion because when you go in instagram or facebook, you see clothing that are similar to what famous people wear. Most of the clothing now a days is made like what is seen on social media. Also, a lot of people try to look like celebrities and try to make their faces, and bodies similar to them which is not the best idea because that can make people sick or insecure about themselves since that is what society expects from them. I think that it is important to just be yourself and love yourself as well, not try to be like celebrities.

Benefits between fashion and social media

Fashion and social media have a unique relationship as Andres pointed out as they both benefit each other. Fashion benefits off of social media as it can be widespread faster and be seen by more people. If a new clothing line is advertised on facebook rather than on a billboard on a street it will receive recognition a lot faster and be viewed by more people. Furthermore, social media benefits off of fashion as it makes social media appealing to more people. Knowing that they will be able to see these clothing advertisements on instagram or facebook will make more people want to download these social media apps. Overall, social media has revolutionized the way that fashion works as a certain trend can be set worldwide in the matter of seconds now. It has also rapidly increased the pace of the fashion and the variety of people it can appeal to.

terrorism

I thought Ethan documentary was really interesting. When he talked about how all major religions have had some sort of terriorism but they were mostly confined to that area really made me think and showed me how much there really is in the world. Then when he talked about how islam is one of the only religions that causes terrriorist attacks outside of their country starts to explain a little why people fear them the most. It doesn't mean that they are the only terriorist group that we should be fighting because others are dangerous it just shows that they are not just targeting a specific group within the area they live but are willing to attack someone else.

Thirteen reasons why

The Netflix show thirteen reasons why has created a lot of talk around the subjects like suicide, rape, bulling, etc. I think the show really did a good job of telling the story of Hannah baker however it didn't show any other choice than her suicide which I think could hurt some of the people watching it because if they feel the same way they might not know what else to do. I really hope they have a second season and can address these issues because it is a good concept but it could be produced better.

Kawhi's Injury

I really thought the Spurs had a chance of winning the series in seven or even six games. But after what I saw Pachulia do in game 1 and taking out Kawhi, it really made me angry. Such a dirty play and the fact that he didn't even want to admit that he did it on purpose was just annoying. I can't take it anymore how the Warriors are getting so much credit for their win in game 1 and everyone ignores the fact that they went on an 18-0 run right after Kawhi left the game. But everyone wants to say Curry started to go off midway through the third and he brought them back. I really just don't know what to think anymore because Kawhi and the spurs have worked so hard to be where they are now and something like this happening is just disgusting and unsportsmanlike. I really hope lebron and the cavs beat the warriors again and Kevin Durant never gets a ring. Such bs smh.

Senior Projects

After viewing many documentaries, it was very interesting to see what interested other people by the topics they chose. The music documentary was very interesting to me because I can relate a lot to what was said. I think music is one of the most important things in my life and I was really drawn to the documentary. The homeless people one from Jordan is the best one I've seen because it was emotional and the interviews were very touching with the message each person had. I can't wait to see the rest of the documentaries to see what other people have researched and how it may be interesting to me.

Music Everywhere

I found Natalie's documentary really interesting because music is a form of expression.  People are able to express what they feel in a song.  Songs can tell a story, an idea, whatever the writer/artist wants.  For the hands-on project, she decided to not listen to music for 2 weeks.  I found this extremely interesting because it made me think how music plays a role in my life.  I realized that music is everywhere.  Even if I was going to stand in an elevator, be put on hold on the phone, or walk through a mall, it's likely that I would hear some type of music while being in these places.

John lewis

The John Lewis documentary we watched really stood out to me because it showed me a lot of things one of them being that it really does take one person to make a change. Yes he didn't consider himself black and he just wanted to be himself even if that meant causing trouble and breaking the laws but to other people he meant hope. He was just trying to get through life but it's impacting how some peoples exenophobia can lead them to being so harmful to another human being. while i was watching this documentary I was looking back to the story of Emmet Till and how the color of a person is more important to the human eye than the life of someone. John lewis was detained for marrying the person he loved but emmet till was murdered because a white laddy claimed that he whistled at her, and it's not until recently that she says that what she said wasn't true.How can there be people so cruel it's not the fact that she lied but the fact that she blamed this child who she knew he had not done anything bad and let him get killed. No matter how much I try to think about it, it doesn't make sense that she could live with that and why would she do it.

Lebron will never be the goat

There's been a lot of talk about Lebron breaking all these records recently and that he is having the best playoffs of his career in recent years. I agree he is having a really good playoff run, but that doesn't mean he is better than Jordan. Personally I feel he isn't even close to Kobe because he has a worse finals record with more losses than wins. He also doesn't have the killer instinct Jordan and Kobe had. Another reason he won't be the goat is because he had such an easy road to the finals every year and played with superstars in every finals he won. He is getting older now and he has to understand he won't be able to drive in and bully his way through the defense for much longer. Jordan and Kobe recognized this at a young age which led them to develop their jump shot and elevate their game even more. Lebron still isn't reliable when shooting and knows he has to change his style if he wants to be the best in the world a few more years. But even with all this, his legacy will never be close to that of Jordan or Kobe.

School Wifi

The School Wifi is so terrible, I don't get how we live in silicon valley the land of the google and many different technology companies, but we don't have a reliable internet connection. Our internet connection is worse than trump in damn office. I am having trouble even trying to post this damn blog, because it keeps saying internet connection is lost. I have played that game on the tab where it say no connection, more than I have done work all senior year. They need to get a upgrade or something next year, did the school just not think it through that if they give every kid a chrome book, don't you think we should get a very reliable wifi plan. The fact that we got 5 different wifi plans with all different passwords and they still all some ASS, it makes no sense. We are in Los Altos, I have not had any problems with wifi anywhere in the town, other than at the school. There really needs to be a change, like its not even funny sometimes I come to the school at night and the wifi is still trash.

Canelo VS GGG

They are calling it the fight of the year but they also said that about the Canelo and Chavez jr fight and that fight was weak. Canelo is too smart and its his era. He went up 10 pounds to fight Julio and he kicked his ass every round. GGG is a great fighter but he has fought no bodies and is dam old. Canelo will kick his ass and take his weak titles, even if they fight at 155 or 165 doesn't matter to the ginger Mexican.

Senior Project Documentaries

Being ten documentaries in, I already feel like my documentary won't be nearly as good as everyone else's documentaries. Because I decided to procrastinate once again, I was on such a tight time crunch. I know that I am completely capable of producing a much better documentary than what I originally made. Now that my documentary is already done with, so many topics came to mind that I could have easily done instead of my original topic. After listening to Andrea's documentary, I am not at all surprised that Hispanic people are typically the ones who tend to get pregnant. Lots of teen pregnancies result in either abortions or adoptions but essentially it all comes down to the parents. Although I don't support abortions, many parents still consider it as an option. Getting pregnant at such a young age comes with a lot of sacrifices and now the parents lives revolve around the child. It is always good to talk about important issues that bring awareness to people such as this topic. This documentary was really eye-opening and it should continue to be brought up all the time.

Senior Projects

From all the documentaries I've seen so far, they've have been very interesting and learned new information over the course of this week. One documentary that caught my attention was Andrea's documentary that was about teen pregnancy because teen pregnancy has  closely tripled since the 1970s and that Hispanics decreased while whites has increased in teen pregnancy.

Kieron's Documentary.

I Kieron's documentary was well put together and it got me invested because his topic was well researched. I agree with the fact that mass incarceration is not a solution that seems to have worked in the 80's to win the war on drugs. It might of made it worst for others. A lot of people tend to commit crimes again when they come out of prison. Prison may also not serve positive rehabilitation.

my documentary

My project was on child abduction in the San francisco Bay Area, while doing this documentary I realized I should have started earlier, because the week of had me super stressed out, and worried that i wouldn't get it finished

Teen Pregnancy

I really liked the documentary we watched on teen pregnancy. It is super important to talk about the shame that teen moms tend to receive from media and the people around them. I think as a society we tend to believe that teen moms are irresponsible, when in reality so many teen moms are working, completing school and providing a good life to their children. I think teen moms tend to be shamed more often than teen dads because their baby bump is a physical manifestation of their pregnancy. I have a Laci Green video linked on teen pregnancy that I thought was really helpful.

Senior Project Days 1-3

I liked the 8 films so far, everyone's video is edited really well. The topics that people chose meant something to them. It wasn't just a simple project, I could tell the time that people put into them. Every film had multiple interviews, soundtracks, and pictures which engaged the audience. The last film was funny, made a balance between serious and funny stuff.

Reflection on Senior Project Documentaries

So far out of the past few documentaries that were presented in class, I was generally impressed by the material that I've learned and I believe that everybody who went so far did a good job on their documentaries.

One documentary that stuck out to me was about the public school systems in the United States versus Finland which opened my eyes up to the dire situation of the U.S school system which lags in performance compared to most first world countries.

Teen Pregnancy

While watching Andrea’s documentary, I found it very surprising that teen pregnancy for Hispanics is decreasing while for Americans it’s increasing. It’s kind of frustrated that people find it so easy to blame the parents and the girls for it and leaving the guy off the hook. At the end of the day it was both the girl and the guy’s mistake and both of them should be held responsible for it.  

Mr. Stewarts Humor

There is nothing I appreciate more than Mr. Stewart's sense of humor. It hurts my feelings when people don't laugh at the things he says (besides the other 4 people who do laugh). I don't know how to explain it, it might be how he talks, but he somehow gets a laugh out of me everyday. Even though not a lot of people get it Mr. Stewart, I do. Waddup.

Senior Projects

We were given the opportunity to make a documentary where we could discuss something we felt passionate about. While everything for a grade comes with the frustration of due dates and requirements this was a little different. There was a lot of room for us to do something with a little bit of our own personal flare. I have really enjoyed watching these documentaries so far because they are things that each person genuinely cares about.
Somethings that I really enjoyed learning about was the prison system because that was something I don't know much about. Also props to Kieron for being funny during a serious topic.
I also really liked the one on teen pregnancy. This is not something that I have thought about as much as a I probably should. Andrea had a lot of great interviews with people who seemed passionate on the matter. It was amazing to see how many people have been touched by teen pregnancy and how the effects of it.

Public schools have a lot of room for improvement

I really found the documentary about the american school system interesting because it reflects many of the views I have had about the american school system for a long time. I think I have actually had conversations with people and made 90% of the same points she made in the video. furthermore (although I am not sure how to solve this problem) I think it is ridiculous that teens are put in a position that how they do in high school will permanently effect them for the rest of their lives during a period of time where most teens have no idea what is going on. Hormones and developing brains can cause teens to make poor decisions and those decisions have massive repercussions on our future.

Anxiety

A documentary that i really liked was Paula's. I really liked it because is raising awareness about a topic that we as teens know a lot about we all know about someone who suffers with anxiety and just like everything else some people will deal better with it than others but how much time do we really spend trying to help. I personally suffer from anxiety attacks and it's just something you learn to deal with as time goes by, it's hard but not impossible and as I walk in the school hallways I hear people saying that oh they have anxiety and stuff like that when it's really clear they are not that they are just  stressed out about something ordinary that every normal student would and they show it of as if it makes them seem cool or makes them more interesting but it's something that you can't really control, or that you show off around you can admit having it and owning up to it sometimes makes it easier but i don't think that u should say u have it and show it like it's a trophy if you don't because there are people out there who acctually need help but are to scared to come forward.

Kids Raise Kids

As I watched this documentary on teens pregnancy I was able to relate to because in my family I seen this situation happen with my parents and my aunt. I saw the project I was able to remember the hardships I saw my aunt go through. I remember on how she had to grow fast and get a job and not be able to enjoy hanging out with friends like I do now. She would stay up late at night but it wasn't to go with friends it was to take care of her baby. She tried to make the best of what she had which was to raise her son the best way she could. It just made realize that having a kid at a young age isn't bad it just makes you have to mature faster then what you expected.

Education

I think that Claire's documentary on how the American School system is different than the Finnish school system was very interesting. It touched on a few topics within school that I have heard a lot about in the past couple of years. The discussion that caught my attention most in this documentary was the talk about standardized tests. This peaked my attention because this is a topic that I have struggled with since I got to high school. In the american school system there is a lot of attention put toward how good someones test scores are. I do not think that tests are a beneficial way to see what a person knows, because for people like me tests make us super anxious and thus we can't focus on the actual test but rather the anxiety that the test causes. For this reason I think standardized tests are an invaluable way to look at what a person knows.

When we have watched 8 documentaries and I already feel like mine is bad

Not even gonna lie the projects that I have seen so far are pretty damn good, and have a lot of great editing. I think my project is gonna be good, but I don't think that its super good. I really hope everyone likes my topic and my video. I also have seen Mr. Smith featured in about 4 projects so far, funny because he is in mine too. I am not second guessing my project, but shit I really wish I had went the first day to get it over with and mine looks better because I would have been the first one.

Senior Project Overview

These past few days we have been looking at everyones senior project. The one I have enjoyed the most was the one about Private Prisons. It had a little bit of comedy, but also had to be serious when needed to be. An example of the comedy was when the the listing of types of prisons came up and Los Altos High School was listed. But the overall tone of the documentary was serious, I particularly took intrest in this because quite a few individuals I know have been locked up in State prison

College Education in Other Countries versus the United States

I found the topic of education very interesting.  Since we are graduating this year, I looked up the topic of college.  Colleges in the United States can range from little money (if you get a scholarship for sports, grades, talents, etc.) to around $70,000, not including books, room, and more.  But some countries find it beneficial to provide free or low costing college.  Here are a few countries with free/low costing college: Norway, Finland, and Sweden.  There are a few requirements to receive free tuition.  In Sweden, you must be pursuing a research-based doctoral degree to get free tuition.  At the beginning of 2017, citizens and international students have to pay a small fee, based on what the student is studying, to attend Finland's college but students pursuing doctoral degrees pay no tuition.  In Norway, college is free but the cost of living is high.

Senior Project Blog Day 1-3

Today, May the 4th, we saw 3 documentaries 1 about teen pregnancies, 1 about education, and the final about private prisons. When discussing the teen pregnancies I thought there was a really good point made across, that parents who are young should attempt to continue life with their education in mind. I think it is important to maintain education throughout high school and college so you can support your family in the long run. The second documentary was about education in America vs. in other countries. I thought it was super interesting to hear that the US was about half way in terms of ranking our academics. Finally we discussed private prisons, and I thought that it was weird to see that California had built 22 prisons since the 80's, and that it was very interesting, but not surprising to hear that we've tripled the number of inmates since the 70's.

Teen Pregnancy

I think the topic of teen pregnancy isn't talked about enough, especially in this community. Most of the time the discussion focuses on how stupid and immature the teens are for getting themselves in the situation and what they're going to do with the baby. However, I think there's a lot more that needs to be looked at when discussing teen pregnancy. We obviously know the why and how part of it, but I think it's important to look at the sex-education background of the teenagers who are getting pregnant. A lot of schools don't have a detailed sex education program that gets enough information to the students about different forms of contraception. I also think that there is an unfair double standard for teen parents. Many people who believe that no matter what age you are or what situation you are in, abortion is wrong. Many people also frown upon teen parents and judge them, publicly shaming them for their situations. I don't think it's fair to tell teens to not get abortions but also tell them they aren't responsible enough to raise a child. Obviously teen pregnancy is not an ideal situation for anyone, however it's no one else's business except for the parents and it's up to them to make a decision for themselves and for their baby.

The School System Sucks

After watching Claire's video on the educational system in America vs. the educational system in Finland, I've come to realize that our school system is worse than I originally thought it was. We overwhelm students with extremely tough courses, overloads of homework, long hours, and this constant pressure to succeed. While in Finland, they start school later, allow for more mental breaks between courses, and don't solely rely on standardized test scores. Students are more than just a test score. Why can't America realize this, why can't we change?

Something I learned from this weeks presentation in Jessica's Presentation about child abduction and that' I found shocking was that 650 kids get abducted annually yet we bearly hear about. And it's a really big problem because if we bearly hear about this then we can see that not much is being done to aware people and to help find them.

School Systems

It was very interesting to look at Claires documentary and think about how different everything could be in the area we live if we eliminated standardized testing. For me especially it standardized fucked me over pretty bad. I struggle hard with ADHD and to have to sit for 3.5 hour doing one test totally fries my attention. My grades and GPA are above average but my standardized testing score was just average. Just one test has made me re-route myself, but that alright because everything happens for a reason.

teen pregos

Very interesting I see a lot of teens with kids now and days. Most do happen to be Latinos or from low income families. Expectations are low when you don't see much success because gens of families having kids at a young age.

Teen pregnancy presentation

From the results of the video that talked about teen pregnancy, I think that it is a big issue because I know a lot of teens that came out pregnant and now they struggling with their life. I think that teens should be more careful and parents should also pay more attention to what their kids are up to because a lot of parents just let their kids be and when something happens, like their child ending up pregnant, is when they care.

Kieron's Documentary

Although I was already well aware of the many flaws of private prisons (and the ability to use prisoners as cheap labor), Kieron's documentary served as an excellent summary to pull it into focus. Honestly, I might use arguments from it on friends, and I kind of want the link to show to them.

Also, if anyone else wants something really long, Mother Jones sent someone to work as a private prison guard. The article is here.

ADHD/ADD over medicating

This documentary really got me to think. In my family we really try not to take medication unless it is absolutely needed as you don't really need it. And hearing that doctors over medicate kids just because they have overactive tendencies really made me think do they really need these medications or are doctors just trying to give parents peace of mind that don't know what else to do. I agree with Emily in that we don't really need to give these kids medication because not everyone can focus every minute at the day but they aren't given medication for it. There are better ways to help people focus than giving them medication.

Spurs v Rockets

Rockets in 6. I know Kawhi is a beast on both ends but the rest of his team is getting old and he can't carry his team the way Harden can. I think James makes everyone in his team better and in addition to his offensive skills, he really is one of the top two best players in the league. But that's not the only reason I think they'll win. The Rockets have some of the best shooters in one team and run mainly an offensive game designed by Mike D'Antoni. There is no team with the defensive ability to stop the Rocket's offense. Although Houston doesn't play much defense, the Spurs aren't offensively frightening besides Kawhi. We saw in game 1 what happened and it just shows they can't stop the Rockets.

Kendrick: The most overrated rapper of all time

I know he's an okay rapper and makes pretty good songs but I've never seen a rapper be hyped as much as him. Honestly don't see why he is hyped up this much since his music isn't that good in my opinion. His beats go hard, don't get me wrong, but I just don't like how he raps. I feel like his older music was much better. I still respect him as an artist but I don't listen to him. I feel like there are much better rappers nowadays.

Prom Next Week

Prom Next Saturday, Booooiiiiiii I ain't even ready. When I should have been getting fitted and a get a tux I was working on my senior project. I haven't even bought my ticket yet, but thank god im getting the scholarship to pay less money. If men's warehouse doesn't have my suits its gonna be so bad for me and i'm gonna cry if I don't look fresh that day. I know i'm not the only one basically feeling like this, but god damn prom came up so fast.