Santa Pete

In Evansville, Indiana, someone with the alias "Pete" annually donates money to the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center. This article from CNN describes the history of Pete No one knows the true name of Pete, however he has donated around $65,000 to the center since 1990. This year Pete hid a miniature Christmas tree attached with $3000 for the staff to find in the rehabilitation center. Pete has made it clear that the money should be used to help the children at the center. One of the first children he helped in 1990, Kaitlin Thompson, has cerebral palsy. Now 23 years old, Kaitlin says that, "He's magical. He's special -- he keeps in mind people that are less fortunate."

This "Pete" is certainly a very giving person. But I am curious as to why he is keeping his identity hidden from the rest of the world. The article states that these types of philanthropists often remain anonymous out of "religious beliefs, personal humility, or wanting to be hit up by others hoping for a donation". It is also interesting that according to the Baby Name Wizard, Pete is not as common of a name as it used to be.

So why would this person choose an unpopular name? Why do you think he kept his name anonymous in the first place? How does a hidden identity affect the way people perceive you?

Rivalries

Tonight the annual New Trier vs Evanston boys and girls basketball games are taking place at Northwestern. The heated rivalry between these two schools has been going on since the early 20th century. I never really thought about it before, but now I am 'wondering' what fuels a rivalry in the first place. Both Evanston and New Trier participate in the Central Suburban South conference for athletics, and as such this is probably the most logical reason why the rivalry exists. So, location is one important factor in creating a rivalry.

After location is taken into account, it seems like competition takes over. The desire to win and to be better than another team sparks a rivalry. Being the best certainly results with an enormous amount of pride, another motivator for competition. This pride often leads to a sense of superiority. I know there will be lots of insults coming from both teams tonight in an attempt to gain this pride. The effects of a rivalry appear to result in pompous attitudes that I think are sometimes a little too disrespectful. I'm not saying that rivalries are a bad thing, because rivalry games are always really fun, but occasionally things are taken too far.

What do you think about rivalries? Should there be a moral component with a rivalry or not? What are some other causes for rivalries?

Tea Party Drama

The Tea Party movement is made up of local, state, and national groups that formed on April 15th, 2009, in response to Obama's economic policies. Named after the Boston Tea Party, this relatively new populist (populism means political ideas and activities that are intended to represent ordinary people's needs and wishes) movement now protests against a variety of Obama's policies including health care.

I recently read this article, which discusses the current state of the Tea Party. Right now, the group faces an inner-struggle with members who tend to act too extreme. John Feehery, a CNN contributor, stated that, "While most Tea Party activists are genuinely concerned about the future of the country, some others see conspiracies around every corner and use unacceptable rhetoric to communicate their displeasure with the president." There is fear that these "fringe" members of the group are tainting the public's opinion of the Tea Party and therefore the public's support.

This conflict within the Tea Party addresses the idea of effective free speech. In this circumstance, the overall goal of the Tea Party is to express dislike Obama's policies to make them change. The best way to do this is to gain supporters, but the extremists within the group are preventing that goal from being achieved. Free speech is actually hindering the success of the Tea Party, and that makes me think about which types of free speech are the most effective.

What do you think? What types of free speech are the most effective? Is free speech more effective in certain situations or at certain times?

Previewing Obama's Speech

By reading this article from the NY Times, I just recently found out that in addition to the 30,000 troops that Obama plans to deploy to Afghanistan, he also plans on removing troops starting in July 2011. American soldiers have not been taken out of Afghanistan since about 10 years ago when we first invaded. This newfound timetable accelerates things much faster than previously planned.

The article contains a paragraph that describes Senator John McCain's (Obama's opposing presidential candidate) opinion on the troop surge. McCain agrees with Obama's plan to increase the amount of soldiers in Afghanistan, however he argued against setting a time table.

He stated, "Dates for withdrawal are dictated by conditions. The way that you win wars is to break the enemy's will, not to announce dates that you are leaving."

I find that this perfectly addresses what we discussed today in class. Obama will be informing the American public about the schedule for US involvement in Afghanistan, but McCain believes this information should be kept secret. This suggests that in this circumstance, a military strategy should not be revealed.

My take is that the public does indeed have the right to know. The troops in Afghanistan are American people, whose lives matter to thousands of families across the country. Obama owes it to families whose sons or daughters are putting their lives on the line to know when withdrawl is expected. I see McCain's point, however he should certainly understand this as well considering he was in the Navy for 22 years.

What do you think? Is it important that the American people know what to expect in Afghanistan in these next few years? What would happen if we did not find out?

Hacking into NASA and the Pentagon

Gary McKinnon is a British citizen who committed the greatest military computer hacking job in the U.S. of all time. Wow. When I first saw this article from CNN, I found myself astounded that McKinnon had not been already sentenced to jail. McKinnon admitted to hacking into U.S. government files in search for information about UFOs, by which he accessed 97 computers and ultimately cost the U.S. government $1 million. But I found out that because he is a British citizen, he must be extradited in order to face a trial within the United States.

Extradition is "the surrender of an alleged criminal usually under the provisions of a treaty or statute by one authority (as a state) to another having jurisdiction to try the charge" (Merriam Webster).

McKinnon was almost extradited in August 2008, however a complication arose when he was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. People with this disorder have difficulties in social situations and often stick to rigid routines. Mckinnon's family as well as his lawyer are arguing that his extradition would violate his human rights as a sufferer of the disease.

This situation presents a difficult question to consider. Does a person with a mental disorder have different "human rights"? As I see it, one must evaluate the extent to which daily life is impaired. Certain diseases affect people to certain degrees. In McKinnon's circumstance, I feel that he can be extradited, but the fact that he has Asperger's should be taken into account during his trial. He was diagnosed after he hacked into the U.S. computer system, so the disorder should not affect the way he is charged.

Thoughts?

93.9 Holiday Music Is Back on the Radio

It's already that time of year again. Yesterday my sister, who loves holiday music, was browsing through radio stations when she stopped on 93.9 FM, only to yell in excitement. The radio station made its annual transformation to only playing holiday songs. Despite it only being mid-November, the Lite radio station is now the Holiday Lite, already putting people in the holiday spirit. It seems like this station starts playing holiday music earlier and earlier each year, and I'm wondering why.

As another example, Walgreens has also stocked their stores with holiday decorations, weeks before people even begin to think about the holidays. One logical explanation might be that because people have very busy schedules, these pre-holiday changes serve as reminders. They are informing the population about the holidays so they will be able to start fitting things like decorations, gifts, and holiday family cards into their schedules. Still, it's just a little ridiculous that it hasn't even been Thanksgiving yet and the radio is already playing holiday music! Now I really want the holidays to arrive!

What do you think about the early preparation for the holidays? Is it too early or not?

This Poetry is Slammin'

At the Lit Fest, I personally found the poetry of Regie Gibson (the man who came to our class) very intriguing. Gibson is a master of slam poetry, a type of poetry that is meant to be read aloud. When someone reads a "slam" poem it is meant to be a performance. By reading the Literary Fest pamphlet I found out that Gibson actually won the National Slam Competition in 1998. Obviously, the man has talent. When he spoke in class he used feeling and emphasis which made his poems more interesting and much more exciting. For me, performed poetry seems to take away some of the boredom that I normally experience when I simply read a poem. This spoken poetry adds an enormous element to poems by bringing them to life. In addition it always helps to know how an author intended the audience to feel.

This is a relatively new type of poetry, but its popularity has certainly increased in recent years. Slam poetry is just one example of how writing can develop. Even in our class so far this year we have experimented with different types of writing and expression. Blogging, for instance, or even using "MyPlick" are new ways to write. As writing develops, there are bound to be even newer ways for expression in addition to slam poetry and blogging. Do you have any other examples of contemporary expression? How do new types of writing differ from old ones? Do you think these new ways of writing are better than the old?

NT Expansion

Last week my dad showed me this article about the possible expansion/remodeling of New Trier East. The expansion, as of right now, is estimated to be about $185 million, which would cause an increase of $335 per year for taxpayers. This renovation would include a new cafeteria and a new technology/arts building, in addition to a regulation indoor track, volleyball courts, a climbing wall, and an underground parking lot. The plan must first be approved by the NT Township School District board and if approved the article stated it would be sent to voters in February.

I wasn't sure about who these 'voters' are, because the article did not specify them, but that made me think about who the voters should be. I feel like the students and teachers at New Trier should have some say in the matter, considering that they are the ones using the facilities. However in addition I definitely think our parents should represent a majority of the voting because they are the ones paying the higher taxes.

Who has the right to vote in this situation?

Does authority result in voting rights?

What do you think about the possible expansion?

Where the Wild Things Are

Over the weekend I saw the movie Where the Wild Things Are, which as you all probably know is based off the popular childrens book. Because the book is so short (only 338 words), the director Spike Jonze was forced to take some creative leaps in the film. As a result the movie ends up conveying deeper messages about love and fear and in addition is somewhat dark. It is definitely not a cutesy kids movie. Max, the main character, learns valuable lessons about his actions from his experiences with the wild things. An interesting blog on NPR reports that the movie received mixed reviews; it received a horrible review from the Los Angeles Times whereas the Chicago Tribune review gave it four stars. These different interpretations are mainly the result of Jonze's reconstruction of the novel.
The way this movie was constructed made me think about the way most movies are created these days: from books. It seems like the ideas for new movies are always somehow based off of a book. This is definitely saying something about American culture. Apparently, the greatest source of creativity in entertainment comes from books. However from what I've observed, books don't get the credit they deserve. I bet more people first saw the Twilight movie, for example, before reading the book. Because this is a common occurrence, usually movies influence the way people read.

Has this ever happened to you? Or maybe the opposite scenario occurred. Did a book ever influence the way you saw a movie? Which form of entertainment has the greatest impact on you? Share some stories.

PSAT Identity

I just took the PSAT this morning, and like many other standardized tests a lot of time was spent filling out personal information. Something that struck my eye however, was a question bubble about qualifying for the National Achievement Scholarship Program. Before the test I knew about the National Merit Scholarship Program, but not about this one. The information question says something like: If you are Black American and want to qualify for the National Achievement Scholarship, fill in the bubble. I do not qualify for this scholarship because I am white, however I was interested in learning more about the program.

I found the website for the National Achievement Scholarship Program (NASP) and learned that the NASP is "is an academic competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black American high school students". Interestingly, the National Merit Program was created 9 years earlier in 1955. Something even MORE interesting is the fact that the Civil Rights Act was established in 1964, the same year as the NASP test! The Civil Rights Act outlawed racial segregation in schools, public place, and employment.

I think that the elimination of segregation in education (wow lots of rhyming) prompted the creation of the NASP. What do you think? Any ideas or opinions on founding of the NASP or its existence in general?

P.S. In one of the practice tests in the PSAT student guide there is a question that mentions Frederick Douglass!

6 Year Old Suspended for Having a Cub Scout Tool

While looking at articles on the New York Times website for a blog topic, I stumbled across one that was particularly intriguing. In Newark, Delaware six-year old Zachary Christie was suspended for 45 days after bringing a Cub Scout camping utensil to school. The device was part spoon, part fork, and part knife. There is a zero-tolerance policy for weapons in the Christina School District, where Zachary attends. However the policy applies to any student, even first graders like Zachary. The article focused on the idea that there must be greater discretion by schools regarding this policy. It makes sense that schools are taking extra precautions against violence, but to me it seems ridiculous that such a young boy is being punished for something he did not possibly intend.

These extra strict policies are in part the way school districts are reacting to events like the Colombine/Virginia Tech shootings. But it seems like, in Zachary's case, things were taken too far. I find this a perfect example of when an event triggers laws or rules to occur. The previous shootings resulted in stricter weapons policies, but these will eventually be changed due to problems that occur like Zachary's.

It is important to recognize the fact that as improvements are made on laws, people obtain a better moral understanding of what is right and wrong. What do you think about Zachary and his school's weapons policy? How can this improve society in the future?

Progress in Evolution

Scientists have recently concluded that the oldest hominid (a primate of a family that includes humans and their ancestors) skeleton provides solid evidence that humans and primates evolved from the same ancestor. This skeleton, called Ardipithecus but nicknamed "Ardi", is 4.4 million years old. The discovery tells us that humans have been evolving for at least 6 million years. Ardi challenges the idea that humans directly evolved from chimpanzees, rather than the idea that humans and chimps evolved from the same ancestor. Earlier tonight there was a special on the Discovery Channel about Ardi as well. More information can be found on the website here.

Reading the article informed me about progress in human evolution, but it made me think even more about racial evolution. In class we have been talking about slavery and white dominance, but I am curious as to how the white 'race' was developed in the first place. If race is defined by skin color, does anyone know how those skin colors evolved over time? How did different races develop?

P.S. Here is a video from the Discovery Website comparing Ardi to Lucy, a 3.2 million year old skeleton:

Racial Perspective

Recently I read an interesting article on Newsweek.com about children seeing race. The article focused on how parents should teach their children about racial differences. The author writes that discussion about race is critical considering the fact that children as young as 6 months can recognize and differentiate skin color. It was determined that most parents do not discuss race with their children, leading their children to think that there are in fact divisions among race and that they should not be amongst those of another race. Children then become more susceptible to judging others. Therefore, talking to kids about racial differences is important because it helps them understand that they should not discriminate.

It seems as though the answer to the prevention of discrimination is knowledge. The kids who never talked about race were more likely to judge people based on race than those who did. I think that this concept can be applied to the origins of slavery. Over the past few days in class we have talked about some of the ways slavery originated, but we never talked about why people think they have the right to make others work for them in the first place. Because the first settlers in America were mainly European and white, they had little exposure to people of different ethnicity like Native Americans or Blacks. The Americans' lack of knowledge about people of other races made them automatically assume that they had authority over them. This makes me wonder both about human nature and the way people determine superiority.

What do you think about some of the psychological reasons behind slavery?

Obama and Kanye

Many of you probably already heard about what Obama said to Kanye. But for anyone who doesn't, here's what happened. Before an interview with CNBC, Obama was commenting on the debacle between Kanye West and Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards. Kanye West walked onto the stage during Taylor's acceptance speech and said that Beyonce should have won the award instead of Taylor. So before his interview, Obama commented on Kanye's behavior and called him a jackass. Obama's conversation was off-the-record although what he said was recorded.

At TMZ.com, a sound clip and also a video recording of Obama can be viewed. People can also comment on the clips. I read some of the comments and interestingly, many people wrote things like: "Yeah Obama!" and "Way to tell it like it is!". So overall the commenters seemed to support what Obama said. I thought more people would comment on the fact that he used a bad word to describe Kanye. Having never heard any president use a swear before, it both shocked me and led me to view Obama in a different light. Sometimes people might forget that the President of the United States is still a man entitled to his own personal opinions. I know I tend to forget the president probably has opinions on popular media events too. He uses the same vocabulary as many other men, just not usually in public. However, others might believe that Obama is setting a bad example by using that kind of language.

Any thoughts?

Dreams Do Come True... But At What Cost?

So far this Labor Day weekend has meant much more to 17 year old Melanie Oudin, the youngest tennis player to make it to the U.S. Open quarterfinals since Serena Williams. My dad told me how she upset the fourth-seeded player in the tournament, and after hearing that I watched her next match and defeat of Maria Sharapova. When a reporter interviewed her after her victory she kept talking about how hard she tried and how long she had worked to get where she is. Determination is a huge factor in Oudin's success: she even has the word 'Believe' written on her shoes. Although this rising star is making an enormous impact in the tennis world, she needed to make multiple sacrifices along the way. After 7th grade she decided to be home-schooled in order to practice more, and she admits that sometimes she is jealous of the more normal lifestyle of her twin sister.

All of this made me think about the commitments athletes make. Do the ends justify the means? Playing a sport at the pro level at such a young age surely requires tremendous amounts of dedication and practice, and I am wondering if the time commitment for a teenager is worth it. It seems apparent that Oudin's entire life has revolved around tennis, which obviously took away any chance of living as an ordinary teen. I definitely feel that now she must feel like things are paying off, but what about the young athletes who devote their lives for their sport with no satisfying results? In some cases working to be the best might not necessarily bring the best results.

Anyways, I'm definitely rooting for Oudin in the quarterfinals!

Jon and Kate Plus... Media

Ever since the rumors of separation began for reality t.v. stars Jon and Kate Gosselin, the Gosselin family has been under constant scrutiny by magazines, newspapers, and the Internet. Over the summer the relationship struggle between this couple has been featured on the cover of People magazine multiple times, with stories that range from Kate's perspective to Jon's to the family in general. With the numerous cover stories it is clear that the American public is eager for more information about the divorce of this famous couple. This information presents an interesting question: Why is America so fascinated by their divorce?

The divorces of other celebrities never have as much publicity and public appeal as that of the Gosselins. However American people can relate to the Gosselins because they are a family living a "normal" life. Many viewers might feel a connection with this family considering the way Jon and Kate Plus Eight is designed. The family goes through everyday struggles which viewers can empathize with. So is empathy the main reason for the heightened interest in the divorce of this couple? Or perhaps the scandalous nature of the divorce strengthened its attention? Either way the media has promoted the story in a way that pulls in readers, and additionally raises questions about the interests of American people. Americans could be attracted through feelings of empathy or perhaps the immoralities that "normal" families experience.