Nichole Kaledas Part Four

Nichole Kaledas

Fourth Part of Final Project

Amy Metcalf

                Privacy is a luxury than many Americans take for granted every day, although when pressed, they say that it is an unalienable right that should never be taken away. What happens though when we take it away from ourselves? Who is the one to blame then when we voluntarily give up pages upon pages of information about ourselves to anyone who has a laptop and a credit card?. By giving away our privacy and inviting the entire world into our lives, we are essentially living a transparent life which will undoubtedly lead to less safety for all. Social networking sites and programs like Google Earth take away our privacy and cause harm because of the massive amount of information about our daily lives that is given out with and without permission. The problem with the lack of privacy and the type of information that we constantly put out onto the internet is the fact that is will cause us both physical harm as well as financial harm. It is absolutely imperative that we end this epidemic that has swept not only the nation, but the world as well. Through simple changes in our privacy settings and the way we think about the internet and how we use it will lead to a safer way of life both on the computer and while you are off as well.

                Just to simply overview the severity of what would happen in a world with the little amount of privacy that we currently have, there are two major concerns. First of all, physical security is absolutely paramount not only for yourself, but for your loved ones as well. With social networks such as Facebook and the slowly dying Myspace, you can upload photos, say where you work, where you attend school, when your birthday is and so on. Many people put far more information than just that including their everyday plans and some people often check in at certain places. This is an app that allows you to essentially track yourself and post this information onto your Facebook. More than just the information that we write, there is also the visual evidence that is found through pictures and also through associations with people. For example, if someone was stalking you, they could look on your wall and see who posts their more often or they could simply look through your friends until they find an easy target that they could use to get to you. Either way, by putting out so much information in the open, you are opening yourself up to all sorts of people; not just your friends.

                The reason transparency is such a problem is because, to put it simply, there are bad people in this world. We cannot give our personal information to them and not expect a negative consequence in return. Would you give yourself a convicted murderer your address and school schedule? If you have a Facebook, you probably already have. There have been multiple robberies, stalking, and murders that have been a direct result of information being so available on the internet. Mostly young children have fallen victim to these stalking crimes, but adult victims have also been discovered. Facebook is not the only website that has caused a lot of uproar in the news in the way of privacy. Twitter is essentially a website that allows you to follow anybody, anywhere, anytime. In Harlem, a young man was murdered because his killer, a personal enemy, followed his Tweets and found where the victim was so he could murder him. These cases are not all that difficult to find, it is not as though these are once in a while incidents, but instead these are becoming more of the norm. It has become such a cyber world that not even criminals act or plan these acts like they used to. In fact, in Britain a group of men actually used Google Earth to track the daily schedules of multiple families in order to rob their houses while they were away. Clearly by giving out too much information, you are truly just asking for trouble because you never know who has become interested in you.

                As previously stated, another major issue that comes from giving away our privacy and becoming transparent to the world is the financial problems that come along as well. A very common, and very serious, crime that has began to spread like wildfire is identity theft. In today’s society every one in ten people are personally affected by identity theft. This translates to every one in ten people have their identities stolen and their credit scores permanently ruined because somebody somewhere was able to use their information that they either gave out willingly. Most information that is used to commit fraud is obtained through either a scam online or by online hacking where a hacker than hacks into the website that a person has just used to purchase an item and uses their skills to obtain the credit card and card holders’ information. Financial privacy is absolutely vital if anybody wants to ever amass any amount of wealth or make any large investments; it is quite easy to say that information that we put on the internet in our teens and twenties is never expected to come back and stop us from being able to purchase a house, but it just might.

                Ok, so all of us have a great deal of information out on the internet whether it is through us allowing it or it being out there for a price. But the question that is begging to be answered it, what can we do about it? Is it too late for us to protect ourselves and our loved ones? The truth is once our information is out on the internet, it cannot truly be deleted. Nothing on the internet really ever goes away, it is stored somewhere somehow, and however, if we stop giving out unnecessary information, like our hometowns and workplaces, we can protect ourselves. The very first thing that all people with a Facebook account or other social networking site is to change our profiles to private; and not that private setting where friends of friends can see it, but truly private where only friends can see it. After that, everybody needs to take off information such as their school and place of work. By taking these two places off alone, your schedule could be much more difficult to track down if you were truly being stalked by a predator. Outside of what we can do for ourselves with our own personal websites, we must petition the government if we truly want change.

                 The government needs to make a stand and not allow web spaces like Google Earth to have real time footage or have footage of a street view because it takes away privacy and gives a picture to an particular address or city. If the predator has our address, they can not only see where we live, but also look for ways to invade our homes when we are away. The government should also implement certain security devices on websites that are commonly gone to to purchase retail items online such as Kohls.com, Target.com, or any other site that is relatable. If it is much more difficult for hackers to obtain information off of these sites, the number of identity theft victims is sure to decrease. The government needs to protect its people when it comes to information that can be viewed and obtained from the internet because let’s face it, Uncle Sam is always watching.

                Transparency is an undeniable epidemic. We are taking away our own privacy and essentially living in glass houses inviting all sorts of different characters into our lives without ever meeting them. When it comes down to it, there are simply bad people in this world and if we are giving them a key to our house of course they will use it. It is our task and duty to ensure that we are not making ourselves targets or easy prey, but instead make ourselves wise to these scams and protect ourselves by censoring the information that we readily give out. This epidemic is just like the Plague, it is deadly and it will hit at almost every person at some point with some degree of irreconcilability, we just don’t know when.

Project 4

Mercyllia Harmon

Amy Metcalf

English 1020

Project Four

Cyberbulling...Part Four

            “Dog Poop Girl”, “Kill Kylie”, “I hate you and wish you die”. These words where actually spoken to another human being. Actually theses exact words were said to torment teenagers. When one sees these words they are forced to feel critical emotion. These feelings can range from happy, sad, or even mad. Usually the people that encounter these words are the target or the person being bullied. Cyberbullying is very hazardous and it should be considered something to watch out for by every human being. It’s very serious, there is many ways to prevent it, and plus it’s the law!

            Cyber bullying is very serious to society. It harms the community because it interacts with the minds of children and teenagers. And they are this nation’s future leaders. It can have horrible results such as death or even psychological dysfunctions. For example teens have committed suicide because the horrible things that people sent through a technology device.

            The Law states that cyberbulling is a federal crime every since so many crimes has been committed. It’s not a final law but people have been prosecuted to the charges.

As children grow their lives change drastically. They become more independent and curious about life. Therefore prevention becomes a struggle. Even though prevention gets hard it’s certainly not impossible. The first step to prevention is recognizing if there is a problem. The second step to prevention is observing the situation. The third step is taking action. Modern parents are unaware of what’s really going on in their children’s lives. This has cause cyberbulling rituals to increase.

For children ages 7-10 parents can monitor their children’s lives by keeping them close by their side because they are still small and attached to their superior. Also they can monitor their everyday lives by interacting with the child and talking to them about their daily activities and understanding how it made them feel. For children this young this young it’s very easy to prevent because they listen very well and they are in their critical learning stage. This means they pick up everything like a sponge. By practicing this action you can actually recognize if there is a problem and you can observe the situation. Therefore you can take action if needed. Their peers can also contribute to because kids copy off each other. That’s why kids come home and say and do things that are not practiced in the household. Kids can talk to their peers and influence them to act a certain way no matter how meaningless the actions is. The school can also get involved because they can incorporate cyberbulling prevention lesions I their everyday activities. They also can set firm punishments that can change early lives because children want to be accepted. For example they can set a firm limit on recess or playtime if bullying occurs. The community can play a big as well. Younger children can attend cyberbulling prevention camp or activities. If kids learn early they will know the horrible outcome of cyberbulling and will be less involved with it. Just like the lesion from right and wrong.

            For children 11-13 it’s a little bit harder for parents to monitor their children because they are so active and they are starting to get involved in outside family and community activities, but it’s still possible. They can also keep a close watch and monitor the child activities and where they are. This is also around the time where children start getting cellphones and interested in the internet. Parents should practice internet safety with their children. Also their cell phones should be checked often. Parents can do this by actually going through the cell phone at random times or even getting a detailed print out of the bill with extended text message and phone call listings. This detailed print out lets the bill holder see every word that was sent in a text message and every call that was made. This is practicing the three steps of prevention with more mature children. Children this age is still capable of interaction and talking about feelings although at this age it starts to become easier to talk to boys than girls. Boys are more likely to stray away from talks with their parents because puberty is starting to set in and they weren’t to develop their male ego. But girls can still be difficult as well. This is where peers come into play because they have a big influence at this age. Also the child is likely to hang out with their peers more than their family. That is why the lesions learned at the ages 7-10 really pay off. Therefore they can live above the influence of cyberbulling.

            For children ages 14-17 it’s impossible for them to listen because they are full blown teenagers. Teens are going through a hard stage in life and they just want to be accepted. Parents can get involved by communicating with their children and welcoming them into their arms. For example maybe they can gain their trust by not judging the person the teen thinks he/she wants to be. The cell phone task can still be practiced and the parent child interaction if the relationship is mutual. Peers can be supportive and start to stand up and gain independence. The community can also get involved because teens are usually involved in organizations or teams and the person in charge can spark up a conversation about cyberbulling just like drug prevention. So next time you think about your children think about it’s the law and it can be prevented because it’s serious.

Project 4 part 3

Victoria Green  

April 20, 2011

English 1020

Amy Metcalf

Education

            Education is the most important thing in life. Education is all around us. A person can’t become successful without an education. Without education a person can’t live a stable life. In today’s society, it’s required that people have an education. The economy in Michigan is going down and is about to hit rock bottom. Education is hitting rock bottom right with the economy. People send their child or children to schools to further their education. They also send them to schools to show them that with an education you can become anything and live happy life. In the past, it was easy to get a degree but things have changed since the past. Now people have to do more than what they are suppose to do in order to succeed. The school system are getting a little out of hand and making it harder for people to succeed.  

            Michigan is closing hundred of schools and lying off thousands of teachers. People say that a mind is a terrible thing to waste. This statement is true, but the way Michigan is closing schools left and right is contributing to students wasting their mind. Schools in neighborhoods are closing which force children to travel to schools in different districts. Sometimes sending children to different district for better education is good but on the other hand it’s not. Some people can’t afford to send their children to schools in the suburbs. For example, my little sister has to go to school all the way in Southfield Lathrup. My mother has too drive 30minutes just to take my sister to school. After she drops my sister off she still have to drive another 30minutes to get to work. After work she has to drive to pick her up and go home. My mom shouldn’t have to do as much as she does just to take my sister to school. If high schools were open in my neighborhood, my sister wouldn’t have to go to school in another district and my mother wouldn’t have to drive so far.

            Students that have to go to school in different districts sometimes pay the consequences. Some district doesn’t allow children to attend their schools if they don’t live in that district. That gives children another disadvantage at education. Parents have to take drastic measures just so their children can go to school. For example, a woman in Ohio name Kelly Williams-Bolar was sentenced 10 days in jail for sending her children to a school out of her district. Her dad actually lives in the district but she falsified her residency and said they lived their also. She wants to become a teacher and she is actually 12 credits away from getting her teacher licenses but now everything is in jeopardy because she was trying to do what’s best for her children. A person shouldn’t be penalized for trying to provide a better education for their children. Kelly also was charged 30,000 for her actions and refused to pay it.           

            The school system is getting so bad that it’s affecting the economy badly. The political offices are making it harder for children to get an education. Parents can’t send their children to schools in their area because they are closed and they can’t send them to schools in another district because they don’t live there. People really aren’t going to afford schools because of the new budget cuts. The budget cuts are making students pay more money for tuition. People should become focused on education instead of money. Our economy can never get back to the way it was if the school systems aren’t back to the way they were. How can the future be in the hands of the younger generation when education is not in favor of them?

Making My Case Project 4 Part 3 (Campus Housing)

Varun Suri

ENG 1020 Amy Metcalf

Project 4: Part 3

Campus Housing

            “Congratulations, you have been accepted as an undergraduate student to Wayne State University.” As one reads this line, they are overwhelmed with the thoughts that come to their mind. For example, college life, college classes, dorm life, new friends, careers, parties, college girls/guys and the list could go on. The first step many students and their parents take is finding a new place to live while attending college, many student choose to live on campus through one of the dorms that their college/university has to offer. Campus life gives students a chance to experience the real college life. Campus housing is very essential and should be considered by every student to ensure that he/she gets a chance to experience the true meaning of college.

            Campus housing includes dorms, suites and apartments that are controlled by the university. Due to the fact they are operated by the university, one can ensure that they will be living in a clean and secure environment. Dinning services are usually offered by universities that offer campus housing and they are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) therefore are a perfect option students who chose to reside on campus. Campus housing makes it easier for student to focus and come back to their dorm room to study between classes. People have said that it is easier to live on campus, no hassle with parking or finding a place to eat for the day. Furthermore, libraries and campus stores are within steps from students to be successful. Now that you understand what campus housing has to offer let’s take a look at how it helps the student grow as a person.

            Campus housing should be cared for and considered as an option because it helps student grow as a person and as a student. It helps them grow as a person because they meet so many different people from different backgrounds and cultures; therefore are able to understand the diversity and different personalities in the world. They learn how to get along with people since they have to continuously come in contact in them. A prime example of this is roommates, having a roommate ensures ones development to get along with people and living with a complete stranger. Getting along with ones roommate ensures development as a person and student. For example, making compromises with roommates, setting goals together for the school year, sharing the room and bathroom, and understanding the problems faced by others in life. I have grown as a person through meeting the different people here at Wayne State University Ghafari Hall.

            Campus housing ensures a clean and safe environment while letting the students grow and develop as a person. Campus housing should be offered as every university across the country. If one is deciding on college, campus housing should be their top consideration for their housing choice. As you now know, people come out of their first year of college campus housing life as a different person, very grown and mature. They understand life through a new perspective and develop many new insights. Do you want to grow mature as a person in a safe and clean environment? If so living on campus in your university is the first step towards maturity.

Nichole Kaledas Part Three!

                Privacy: the state of being free from intrusion or disturbance in one's private life or affairs; that is the definition of privacy as seen in the Webster English dictionary. Privacy is one of our most protected and sought after principles that is used as the basis of many legal arguments each year and it is used as a political standpoint for most recent elections. But ask yourself this, when we as Americans pride ourselves as having the right to privacy, we claim how lucky we are to be one of the few countries who possess this wonderful virtue, how is it that we are giving that right away? How is it that we simply tell everybody and their brother our phone numbers, our email addresses, our house address, and where we go to school or work? There are many outlets that we use to ensure that not one single person does not know where they should find us at any given moment. For example, on Facebook people can put their hometowns, their current towns, their old schools, their recent schools, where they work, their birthdays, who they are in a relationship, and that is only in the small information bar located on the top of the profile! Once we include what pictures we have posted or what we write on our wall, you might as well forget about ever keeping a secret. This access to such private information is not only a very irresponsible thing to do, but it is also an epidemic that has swept not only the nation, but the entire world. The founding fathers of this country fought so forcefully for the right to privacy for a reason, privacy keeps people safe and it keeps people connected.

                Privacy is vital because if people do not keep certain information to themselves and instead it becomes a free for all, there are many consequences. As previously stated, privacy keeps people safe and safety is the utmost importance when it refers to peoples finances, especially in today’s economy. For one, identity theft has skyrocketed with every one in ten people already falling as a victim and these numbers just continue to grow. Identity theft costs people billions of dollars every year while also ruining credit scores and thus essentially ruining their lives. Privacy also keeps people safe physically because if you have all of your information out in the internet floating around somewhere, any person can use that information in any way that they choose. For example, in India recently a man was convicted to the death sentence because after a young girl turned his sexual advances down, he was obsessed about getting her. He was able to use her social networking site to get her house location and then from there he used Google Earth to track her movements. After using both physical stalking and cyber stalking, he was able to make a schedule for her to know the right moment to attack. She was brutally murdered and by no means is this an isolated case. Multiple murders and even more robberies have been connected to using either social networking sites or Google Earth to plan an attack. By using either one of these sites, we are taking our privacy away from ourselves and we will undoubtedly suffer the consequences.

                Outside of Facbook sites or Google maps, the government often has public records available on the internet or some people have created websites devoted solely to buying and selling peoples information. Information such as tax forms, current addresses, and other financial numbers are up for sale if the buyer wants to pay a certain price or if they are savvy enough to gain access into this web space. How is this even possible? Our entire lives are completely exposed and transparent to those with deep pockets or swift fingers and the average person is helpless to stop many of these actions. It is absolutely imperative that these actions cease or this abuse of information and of privacy will not only continue, but it will become even more prevalent as people freely hand out more and more information to the internet.

                The right to privacy is supposed to keep people safe by ensuring that those people who are not supposed to be involved in personal matter stay out. Not only are people disturbing and intruding other peoples’ lives, most people are encouraging this behavior by either being naïve to this entire situation or by simply not thinking that it could ever happen to them. The truth is that this is a real threat. This lack of privacy is a real issue that will affect you. This abuse of the internet will without a doubt touch your life in some way. Whether it be financially, physically, or in a way that you are not even aware, giving away your privacy is comparative to smoking. You know it is going to kill you, you just don’t know when.

Sue Part 3

Teen Pregnancy

"I love you" - these are the only three words it takes for a girl to believe her boyfriend truly loves her, once he tells her that she'll give him everything. When girls start dating at a young age they believe that everything in their relationship is perfect, they believe everything their boyfriend tells them, and they believe that their love will last a lifetime. But unfortunately, they finally see that it's all too good to be true and we their hearts shattered by the guy they thought loved them. We've all heard it a million times - guys only want one thing from a girl and when they get it, they'll leave her. So if we know this is true why do we still fall for their tricks? Then maybe it’s not the guy that’s only to blame, girls know what their doing and whether it’s right or wrong is a decision that is left to be made by them.

Pregnant teenage girls are all around us. We see them in high school, at the mall, at the movies, and mostly on television. When we see teens pregnant on television, the shows and movies that are around today are most of the time glorifying the teen for their actions. This sets a bad example for the audience that is watching. So does the media try to prevent teen pregnancy, or is it in fact promoting pregnancy? Nearly one million teen girls get pregnant each year and teen sexual activity has risen among girls younger than 15. Even if birth control and other forms of contraception are used there is still a chance of getting pregnant. So why is this all so important to us? Because many teenagers are sexually active and although they are aware of the consequences of having sex, they rarely think about them when they choose to have sex.

We’ve all heard of that in high school that got pregnant and had to drop out to raise her baby on her own because her boyfriend wanted knowing to do with her once he found out she was pregnant. We all gossiped about that girl and thought she was a slut for getting pregnant. But what we don’t realize is – she’s not the only one doing it, about half of the other high school students are doing the same thing. We also over hear girls talking about how they’re so afraid because they think they might be pregnant and when they find out they’re not, it’s such a relief to them. But they still do not learn their lesson because they continue to be sexually active. I know I’m not alone on this one, we all need to open our eyes and see that teen pregnancy is a growing epidemic that seems to be rubbing of from one girl to another.

The problem with teenagers becoming pregnant is that most of the time they either drop out of high school or cannot finish college because they need to raise their child. Many teenage mothers are also single mothers because most of the time the relationship does not work out. It has even been stated that billions of dollars are spent taking are of teenage mothers and their child. There is only one solution to all this – abstinence. But how can abstinence be taught to teenagers when all the popular television shows and movies are showing all the teenage girls getting pregnant and having babies. The media needs to be more aware of what message their shows are actually sending and needs to think of a solution to end this.

Mercyllia Harmon...Cyberbulling

Cyberbullying

            It has come to my attention that not many people know what cyberbulling is even though it is a nationwide problem. Cyberbulling is when a person harasses another person over the internet or some other technology device. Although kids and adults have been known to participate in this act, teens are causing the most uproar in the media. Cyberbulling is not a new issue, but it is  how modern society does their dirty work. In the past children would complain about their local bullies stealing their lunch money or threaten to beat them up after an event. But now there is a difference. Cyberbulling consist of threatening messages that usually is dissatisfying emotionally and or mentally instead of physically. These actions usually take place over social networks such as Facebook or chat rooms. Society needs to understand the seriousness of why doses it happen, how it works, how it affects others.

Cyberbulling happens because the bully is feeling hurt, frustrated, or angry, and is taking it out on other people. Sometimes the person they are directing their hostility toward is in the mist of the person. But even though this person could be in the mist it couldn’t even be that person fault. The bully feels the need to get back at a target that is gullable enough to feel the impact of what the bully has to dish out. Therefore the bully has satisfied his/her need to harm another person.

            Cyberbullying usually starts off in the community although we often hear about kids getting harassed at school then the bullying following them into their personal lives. A student doesn’t like another student and one of the students starts harassing the other one. Then it goes as far the student harassing in public and this causes public humiliation. I don’t know if every teenager felt this way but public humiation as an adolescent was the worst thing in school. It could ruin your life eventhough life hasn’t even started yet. And when teens have problems they usually seek a way to relieve their stress through expressing how they feel. This could be a personal personal journal they write in or a explanation to their trusted peers, or even a update on their social network. And this this is when  cyberbulling comes into play. Someone gets ahold of that person “stress reliever” and slanders it until it gets to the enemy. Now the enemy can do whatever they want with that personal information including cause harm to that person through technology.

Thousands of teenagers across the country suffer torment from their peers indirectly. It is known that teens go into life treating emotional states. Cyberbullying has even been known to cause death. For example a 13 year old girl committed suicide because a cute boy she met online befriended her and then sent her mean emails. CNN said “Someone using Josh's account was sending cruel messages and Megan called her mother, saying electronic bulletins were being posted about her, saying things like, "Megan Meier is a slut. Megan Meier is fat”. Her mom and dad are now getting a divorce. Also her mom still doesn’t understand how someone could get into another person mind over the internet.

Cyberbulling is a big problem that could be prevented. We as a society should be concerned because it could have been one of us that were tormented. It could have even been one of our close family members like a child or sibling. This type of bulling is out of control and we need to be aware of how it works why doses it happen, how it works, how it affects others. By being aware, we as a nation can pull together to make the lives of the people who hold our future worth fighting for.

U.S. in Sub-Saharan Africa

Even though it may seem as though there has not been anything done to help Sub-Saharan Africa’s living conditions and third world development; there have been a few ineffective solutions. One of the solutions was to create an infrastructure, but like other solutions, it was ineffective. Another trial that’s been tested in the past, was gaining an economy by starting businesses for the common good of the people, and those businesses would have required workers. In this case, there have been many other efforts, but these were the most ineffective efforts to help with change.

This infrastructure was ineffective because Sub-Saharan Africa inherited a highly dispersed and unevenly distributed infrastructure from its colonial past, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute. Since the economy is so low, poverty levels are high with about 300 million people in Sub-Saharan living in poverty, according to the United Nations Development assistant Framework (UNDAF). Another important reason these efforts have not been reliable is because, Africa as a whole has not developed a sustainable and broad-based income growth. It is said that this is because the latest poverty figures illustrate change, according to UNDAF. These are the main reasons why these efforts have not been dependable.

To help Sub-Saharan Africa with its living conditions, and third world development, we must plan to recreate and develop a reliable infrastructure for Sub-Saharan. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, in infrastructure development, Africa has lagged behind the Western Hemisphere for centuries. It has also been said that creating a reliable infrastructure is an important step in the process of alleviating poverty and providing a more equitable set of opportunities for citizens. In my opinion, by creating a reliable infrastructure, Sub-Saharan Africa will have a sustainable transportation system, clean and reliable water methods, and a dependable energy source.

If the United States does not substantially increase its personal assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa then there will be a lack of a developed infrastructure. According to Dick Foeken, Coping with Urban Poverty in Sub- Saharan Africa with special Emphasis on farming, “ [t]hanks to the help of the United States government urban environmental and health risks such as disease from contaminated water and food, from lack of hygiene materials, diseases associated with poor drainage an garbage{…} the situation has gotten slightly better”. It is evident that a lack of a developed infrastructure causes problems such as these. The United States must increase its personal assistance for Sub-Saharan Africa. The countries’ welfare depends on such an increase. Furthermore, Rachel G. wrote in So How Do You Feel, “[s]ure Sub- Saharan Africa is in a low state right now, but without our help they’d be even lower”.  If there is no developed water system then there will be no purified water. In the U.S. our water is purified, yet, we want to water purer. Many people in the U.S. buy water-filters like, Aquasana, Aqua-Pure, and Brita for their homes. In Sub- Saharan Africa that is unheard of. There is no purified water because there is no developed water system and no developed infrastructure. This is supported by Ashton Cronggs The Reality Will Eventually Set In, the minister of infrastructure, Andrew Chenge, in Sub- Saharan Africa answered with a blank look when reporter Ashton Cronggs asked, “[d]o you know where our filthy water system led the life of ten year old Jaha?” Want to make a guess where the filthy water system led Jaha’s life? If there is no purified water, then there will be death and disease. “If no action is taken to address unmet basic human needs for water, as many as 135 million people will die from these diseases by 2020.”, says Peter H. Gleick in a Pacific Institute Research Report for, Dirty Water: Estimated Deaths from Water-Related Diseases 2000-2020.

Although Sub-Saharan has lagged behind, creating a reliable infrastructure is an important step in the process of alleviating poverty and providing a more equitable set of opportunities for citizens. Provided an increase in personal assistance from the U.S., Sub-Saharan Africa will have a sustainable transportation system, clean and reliable water methods, and a dependable energy source.

Post by Derell Jones 11:45am 4/19/2011

Victoria Project 4 (part 2)

    My name is Victoria Green and I am a freshman at Wayne State University. I graduated from Cherry Hill school of Performing Arts. I graduated with a 3.8 and honors. I was class president and class valedictorian. Throughout high school I was always a decent writer. I would always get compliments about my writing even if they weren’t all the way up to part. Even though I was a decent writer I never enjoyed writing unless the topic was something I was passionate about. I decided to further my education and attend college. In the beginning I wasn’t going to attend college. I was going to take a year break but I started thinking if I take a break I may not start when I’m suppose to so, that’s when I made the decision to start college. This is my first year of college and it’s not what I’ve expected. There is a lot of work that comes with college. I didn’t expect for it to be this much. It challenging and I’m happy it is. College makes people step their game up and I’ve learned that the hard way.

In the beginning of my freshman year, I had to take English 1010 because my ACT score in writing was low. My English 1010 teacher wasn’t a nice teacher. He graded hard and his attitude stank. The essays he assigned were easy and I thought I passed them until I received my papers back. I thought I was a decent writer but soon I wasn’t any more. I put some of my best into my paper and my best was less. There were times he would mark my paper down just because he didn’t understand what I said. This made me step my game up and become a better writer. I figure if I was going to become a doctor I had to learn how to write. I begin to get better grades on my papers once I learned how to word my sentences correctly. My writing got me into English 1020. I’m doing well in English 1020 and it’s better than English 1010. I have been getting good grades on my essays in English 1020. We had to write an ad analysis and it was fun. It wasn’t difficult to do. My thesis paved the way for a great paper. “The State Farm commercial uses many rhetoric strategies to make sure their customers are comfortable with their service.” Thesis helps me structure my papers. I have to continue improving my writing so I can become a doctor.

I’m majoring in Psychology. I love to help people especially when they need it. Everyone needs a little help even its a little push. Psychology is a field that requires writing. In order for me to help people, they have to read and understand my writing.

Facebook is a social network that is connected to every part of the world. It helps connects with long lost friends and relatives. It informs and entertains people. Facebook has its positive and negative ways. Sometimes facebook is not good site to be on sometime because there are people that lie about their age and create a page and then that’s when grown men or women come into the picture. Facebook uses rhetoric forms in their ad. They persuade people to create a page. They use different backgrounds, alluring colors, and etc. The world is made up of rhetoric forms and we always fall for the alluring sensory.

Derell Jones
Part II of Project IV
CLICK THE LINK BELOW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H1A3Ti_jf4

Part two of Project Four Nichole Kaledas- ENJOY! :)

Sue’s Part 2

            We've all heard the saying don't judge a book by its cover, but we often have a hard time following it. It's important to really get to know a person before you judge them. So instead of just reading the front cover of my book, I'm going to help you open up the pages of it so you can read what's inside. My name is Sue Savaya and I am 18 years old. I'm the youngest of five children and have an amazing family that means the world to me. I lost my Dad at the age of 14 and it was the hardest thing I've ever been through. Loosing my dad at such a young age forced me to grow up a lot quicker than I ever expected to. These instances are what paved the path of my future. School has always been very important to my parents and they did everything they could to ensure we had the best education possible. They sent my four siblings and I to a catholic all our lives and afterwards sent us to Wayne State University. Knowing how important education is to my parents made me set my school goals so much higher.

            I am currently a freshman at Wayne State and hope to attend pharmacy school there in the near future. I'm a very hard worker and never give up until I achieve my goals.  I think becoming a pharmacist is the perfect job for me because I love helping people in need. Not only do I love helping people, I also have a passion for fashion. I love to dress in the latest styles and set my own trends. I also love doing hair and makeup and plan on attending cosmetology school after becoming a pharmacist. All my friends say I'm as girly as they come! I am a somewhat shy girl, but once i get to know a person I am very outgoing and down to earth. I love to have a good time and live life like there's no tomorrow. When I'm not in school or working, I like to go shopping with friends, watch movies, try new restaurants, and spend time with my family. If I had to define myself in one phrase, I would have to say big-hearted. I have a very big heart and open it up to every one I meet.

            How do I evaluate myself as a writer? In high school my confidence as a writer was not very strong. I didn’t feel like my writing was good enough for others to read. Having a best friend that was an amazing writer made me feel even more self conscious about my own writing. As I advanced in my high school career and was forced to write more and more papers I gained more confidence in my writing. My high school English teacher was always amazed at my writing skills and never understood why I thought I was such a horrible writer. The transition from high school writing to college writing was a little tough to adjust to in the beginning. As time passed and more papers were assigned I quickly got the hang of it. What I really enjoyed about college writing was being able to choose my own topics. I realized when I was writing about something I enjoyed and can relate to, the words came naturally. My confidence as a writer has become so much stronger and it will only continue to grow in strength.

            I think academic writing is very important to students of all ages because putting your thoughts on paper can prove a person’s success as a student. Writing can relate to any topic whether it is politics, the media, society, world issues, or teen problems. Expressing your thoughts in words is the secret ingredient to attracting an audience and proving a point. 

Facbook Mobile

Facebook Mobile is infectious! When I first noticed facebook mobile, I did not immediately want to download. However, after seeing so many people have success in using the "service" effectly, I thought, "why not give it a try". Facebook mobile can be downloaded as a application to almost any phone. Below are some of the hottest phones with facebook mobile - the Android, iPhone, Blackberry, and the soon to come FIRST EVER FACEBOOK PHONE!

THIS IS THE NEW FACEBOOK PHONE COMING IN MAY INTERNATIONALLY, AND COMING LATER THIS YEAR IN THE USA.

Varun's Video Blog

Part II of Project 4: Video Blog 

My 1st Video Blog ever!! 

I hope you all enjoyed! 

--Varun Suri--

FACEBOOK is everywhere!!

 DO YOU HAVE A

                                                      FACEBOOK?!?!

Everywhere you go...Business are also on Facebook. They say--Find us on Facebook. Their Statuses say things that are concurently going on in their Store and work place.

You gotta check this out!

Look at these sites! Crazzzzzyyyyy!
http://www.shoutmeloud.com/what-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-facebook.html

http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/01/pros-cons-facebook-comments/

http://www.surfnetkids.com/go/safety/752/pros-and-cons-of-facebook/

http://www.surfnetkids.com/go/safety/754/more-pros-and-cons-of-facebook/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook

http://www.surfnetkids.com/go/safety/159/keep-your-childs-identity-safe-on-facebook/

http://www.kenburbary.com/2011/03/facebook-demographics-revisited-2011-statistics-2/#

http://newlikes.com/

http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_108_use-facebook.html

Advertising Values & Positivity

By now, we have all noticed the hundreds of ads posted by people and companies onto Facebook. The variety of ads on facebook is wide in range - how many of them catch your attention - from State Farm to The Foundation for a Better Life advertisements, their rheatorical approach captures attention. Often times when people like video on youtube they'll post the video on facebook. The video posted above is a commercial from The Foundation for a Better Life and promotes "the power of the dream" and to "pass it on".
The Power of Dreaming

The dreaming that really counts is what you do when you’re awake. Dreaming is a vital part of human existence.

            The Foundation for a Better Life is an organization that began as an idea to advertise positive values. Now, throughout communities around the world this organization has begun spread positive values. According to The Foundation for a Better, their TV spots are seen in over 200 countries around the world; in Spanish and Portuguese in 23 counties throughout Latin America. Winning an excessive number of awards for their, Billboards, TV, Radio PSAs and Website, it’s quite obvious that this organization is doing some things right in terms of using rhetorical devices. The use of logos, pathos, and ethos are essential tools in reinforcing the epidemic of passing on positive values. Additionally, the use of architectural space, images, and popular songs effectively create a bridge used to communicate from organization to audience. This same technique is used for many commercials. There are two points of view that one can see, there is the person receiving the help (in the commercial, this person is portrayed as a student or young dancer) or the person giving the help (this person is portrayed as a teacher or a coach as a motivator/authority figure). Students can relate more closely to the students in the commercial and the motivation to not give up on your dreams and push through all obstacles. The adults may relate more to the motivators in this specific advertisement, which could give them the motivation to help and encourage the younger people that are close to them. The audience is watching and picking up most on the use of pathos subconsciously, which shows the effectiveness of this commercial.  Ethos is not expressed up front, because this topic is something that people live with every day, but ethos does play a role in the advertisement.

            The Foundation for a Better Life commercial promotes, “The Power of Dreaming”. It is an important event that this commercial is subliminally transferring to the people. The event, well – it is happening every day. Some might call it an epidemic, values that are being passed on through acts of kindness and generosity, teaching and dreaming. The claim that’s brewing in this advertisement is the idea that everyone may gain certain steadfastness and focus on the power of dreaming; although sometimes one might need others’ encouragement, the power exists. The Foundation for a Better Life targets anyone that has the faith of a mustard seeds in achieving and believing – more specifically the youth and those that may have a desire to encourage them. In the ad, defeat is indicated. However, the produces uses that to further promote the idea that if one feels defeated, just believe step away from defeat and you can achieve it (the dream). Strive to the dream you have always dreamed. Ultimately, we work exhausting hard, and for what? Well, the power of dreaming shows, that hard work brings people closer to their goals. Defeat does not really exist; it is merely an assisted helping in the discovery of a dream. This commercial evokes many pleasures such as, achievement, encourage, love, kindness, and others – all of which ultimately appeals to one’s heart. The Foundation for a Better Life simply ministers to its audience. All the while the commercial is going on, notice that The Power of the Dream by Celine Dion is playing as a soundtrack.  This song is very inspirational and pushes the listener’s sense of pathos by tugging at his/her heartstrings in a musically strong manner. This particular song commands the audience in a way that really makes them think about the content of the commercial.

            The body language in this commercial is very interesting because while the dancer and the student seem like a parallel, they have different stories. The student was teased when his rocket didn’t fly, but the dancer was alone with her coach. The teacher stood beside the student, while the coach looked disappointed in his dancer. The student took initiative and continued to keep up with his dream and the teacher came back to assist him to success. The dancer was disappointed and gave up but the coach came straight to her and helped her up to her success as well. It is interesting that there was no use in dialogue in the commercial at all and the action made the point of the commercial very plain. The song is playing very loudly, and it was not just in the background so the body language had to be big and strong as well. The dancer was deaf, and that was made clear through the signing to her friends after she succeeds in doing her gymnastics.

                        Often times we expect commercial and advertisements to promote a product. However, in the case, notice an idea is being promoted; an idea that – according to statistics, has become a growing epidemic around the world. Probably gets two thumbs up from our crown rhetoricians, huh? There are two messages that this commercial presents. Not only the power of dreaming, but also the powers of helping people achieve their dreams and passing positive values along, which happens to be the main idea of this organization. Through pathos audiences gather most of the content from this commercial. For some, when commercials first come on, he/she begins to analyze, but as the commercial continues he/she is beginning to understand the product or the service that is being sold to them. In this particular commercial one’s initial response may be an emotional attachment to the idea of encouragement and dreaming. Why do audiences think that this commercial is being presented? The body language, the music choice, and the organization’s beliefs help shape this commercial to be what it is. The sense of audience’s pathos is very strong, while the ethos and logos do not have to be as strong due to the content of the commercial and the ideas it presents. Although this idea and concept is growing, there is still a lack of commitment to individual tasks and staying true to one’s dreams. It is important to never give up and to stay motivated whether it be during classes or extra-curricular activities. On the other hand, it is always good to have those failures, so you can see what you actually achieve when you work hard. This is shown through the happiness on the gymnasts face when she achieves her goal. It also feels good who support the youth because they see how much it affects them. If that gymnast had succeeded from the beginning, she would not be able to feel that happiness she did when she achieved her dream. This is real life. Everybody has a story like this every single day and if the viewer is having that sort of day and sees this commercial, their sprits will be lifted and they will be inspired.

 - Derell Jones

English Group

Says: Sitting in English Class with the group--Vicky, Shell, Varun, Sue, Nicole, Darelle.

Says: In class getting work done strivin to succeed in everything we do...we'll keep you updated on how we are doing. :)

Ads Found On Facebook- Diesel Jeans

Any time that a person logs onto Facebook, ads immediately cover your wall, profile, and games. Ads about jewelry, other games, clothes, and even some doctor and dentist offices can be found! With thousands of ads that constantly surround your webpage, you have to ask yourself how do these ads really affect you as not only a person, but also as a consumer.



What is it that you want from a product? It is enough anymore to simply have a product that works efficiently and accomplishes the goal for which you purchased it for? No. Not anymore. Not in this day and age where there are forty different types of ketchup and seventy designers claiming that a particular type of boot was their original idea. In this modern age what is it that makes you want to buy a specific brand instead another one? Advertisement; the fact that you can associate this product with being cutting edge and better than the rest because of that advertisement that you saw in which it tells you that with this product you will be loved. You will be popular. You will be the person everyone wants to be. Advertisements are meant to not only entice you to buy their product, but to become their product. They want you to live and breathe their product so you always come back for more. Through tag lines, a sense of revolution and emotional appeals, you want this item more than you want to breathe. Why? It’s their job.

This advertisement concerning the Diesel brand and their jeans is less about the jeans and far more instead about how they want you to feel about buying these jeans. Clearly this is more common than not when dealing with advertisements; far less ads thoroughly describe the product, but rather they use ploys to make you buy the product on how you feel. In fact, the definition of emotional appeal is “type of advertising in which the copy is designed to stimulate one's emotions, rather than one's sense of the practical or impractical. When copywriters use emotional appeal in advertising, they are attempting to appeal to the consumer's psychological, social, or emotional needs. The copy is written to arouse fear, love, hate, greed, sexual desire, or humor, or otherwise create psychological tension that can best be resolved by purchase of the product or service” (Barron’s Marketing Dictionary). Now look at this print ad: immediately the half naked yet attractive woman is the first image that captures your mind. For women, how do you feel? For men? It is clear that women want to be this girl. Women want to be attractive and thin. Women want to be desired and looked at. As for the men, men want attractive women. Often times men want a carefree woman who is outgoing and fun; clearly this woman flashing a camera has little reserve. Another question: did you look at the jeans at all? Diesel used this attractive and seemingly exciting woman for one reason. That reason is to arouse love, lust, sexual desire, and greed in order to make you want to wear these jeans, to be this woman or to have this woman. Now doesn’t that sound an awful lot like the previous definition?

When emotional appeal is addressed, it’s not only the glaringly obvious examples, such as the half naked woman, that peak our interest. In fact, aspects such as color and font play a major role in how people will respond to an ad (Dr. Lars Peterson). For example, the line on the right hand of the page is in large bold font with bright pink letters. The large bold font clearly demands attention and gives a sense of a non-apologetic expression of the tag line that is written out. Furthermore, the pink is not a calm and serene pink, but instead it is loud and in your face. Pink is known as the color that symbolizes acceptance and contentment; both feelings are exactly what the company is looking for when they are trying to push a product (Emily Gems). Diesel wants the potential customer to feel accepted by the company and to know that Diesel is content with their lifestyle regardless of if the rest of the world finds their lifestyle silly or stupid. Diesel accepts all and welcomes the brave and bold stupid people.

Outside of the woman logistically placed in the middle of the shot, off to the side there is a quote which reads, “Smart may have the brains, but stupid has the balls.” This tag line is not only the entire principle of this ad, but it is also very powerful. Who wants to be smart, safe, and boring? No one wakes up in the morning thinking, ‘I just hope I have a boring day’. All people, but especially the younger generation, aims to have a crazy party or crazy vacation in which they will remember for the rest of their lives. This ad overwhelmingly gears towards that population of teens, twenty, thirty year olds who are not necessarily at the top of the class, but pride themselves on their status. This ad is saying it’s ok to be stupid, in fact it is necessary and welcomed. In order to understand the complexity of this ad, you must understand the entire principle behind it. Diesel has in fact ran an entire campaign about this one principal; an entire four and a half minute video is dedicated to it. Combining both the print ad with this video, one thing is clear. Smart is no longer “cool” or “hip”, you must be different and an original. Instead of holding the high business offices or running for president, it’s the silly things that make life interesting. All you need in Diesel jeans and your natural self to have the life that you have always wanted. Be stupid! Be cutting edge! Be an independent thinker! Be part of a revolution! Be Diesel!



Works cited:
"Color Pink Meaning." Gem Stone and Crystal Healing, Love Symbols, Totems, Magic Spells. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. <;http://crystal-cure.com/pink.html>.

State Farm Advertisement

This advertisement relates to facebook because facebook is a social network. There are plenty of people that are on facebook, by putting this advertisment on facebook they are destine to get more customers. Someone that's on facebook will see the ad and want to purchase their service.State frm uses celebrities to get people's attention also. By seeing celebrities in the commercials it will make more people want to buy their service.

State Farm Advertisement

“Like a good neighbor State Farm is there”. Advertisement is the action of making generally known; a calling to the attention to the public. Companies make advertisements to persuade the customers to buy or join their product or service. A prime example would be the State Farm car insurance commercial. State Farm persuades people to buy their car insurance by telling them that they are willing to do anything for them like a good neighbor. The State Farm commercial uses many rhetoric strategies to make sure their customers are comfortable with their service.

State Farm is known for being a good neighbor by being there for their customers. In the State Farm commercials they demonstrate how they are always there when their customers are in need. In the State Farm commercials they advertise people already in an accident or getting into an accident. After the people experience the accident, they signal State Farm by singing their jingle. Once the customer sings the jingle, one of the insurance agents pops up to see what’s wrong. Soon as the agent comes to help the customers, they ask for something else as well. By singing the State Farm jingle and an agent pops up, that signifies that the agent will always be there for the customer if they need them. The magical jingle draws people attention to the commercial which persuade the people to buy their insurance.

            State Farm made and still is making many advertising commercials with their catchy jingle attached to it. The consistencies in both commercials are the fact that the commercials want it’s customers to know that they will always be there for them no matter what the situation maybe. State Farm is an insurance company. The gimmick is they want to build their business by getting their customers to trust that car will be best insured through their company.  

 There are two commercials specifically that explain and reveal how State Farm really works. In the first commercial, three girls were walking into a parking lot to get into their car. One girl had on a purple dress with black closed in flat shoes on, carrying a big black purse on her left arm, while carrying a pink plastic shopping bag in her right hand. The girl in the middle has on a whitish/ grayish shirt with black leggings. She also has a pair of brownish/ blackish heel shoes on with a brown purse. She tops her wardrobe off with a grey necklace. The last girl has on a grey shirt with a pair of grey pants. She also has on grey heel shoes with a black purse.

 The environment the girls are in is clean and surrounded by stores. As the girls approach the car one of them recognized there was a dint in the car and was shocked. The girl that recognized the dint told the owner of the car that it was a dint and the owner wasn’t worried about it at all. The owner called on State Farm by signaling their jingle “Like a Good Neighbor State Farm is there” and the agent appears. The girl in the grey shirt ask the girl in the white who the man was that appeared, she explained he was her agent Rich from State Farm auto insurance. The girl in the grey shirt was surprised when the agent popped up. The other girl in the purple shirt asks the owner can she try and the owner said yeah go for it. She sang the jingle and the girl in the grey interrupted her and asks for a hot guy. The hot guy appears and the girls were adding on emotion they wanted the guy to have. One girl said a guy that was sensitive and another said one with a dark side. The girl in the grey shirt was excited and started to scratch her head. In the mist of all of what was going on the State Farm agent was examining the car. At the end of the commercial the agent told the man with the dark side to get his feet of the car.

In the second commercial, a couple was parked and the man backed up to far and ended up on top of another car. The girlfriend was mad because her boyfriend didn’t listen to her. They are standing outside and she is yelling at him. The girlfriend had a pink sweater, blue jeans, black shoes, and sun glasses. The boyfriend had on a grey hoodie, with a red shirt underneath it and some blue jeans. The boyfriend was getting annoyed with his girlfriend bickering so he called on State Farm. He sang, “Like a good neighbor state farm is there” and the agent appeared. The girl realized that when her boyfriend said the jingle they came so she decided to sing it to in order to get what she wanted. After the agent appeared, the girl asked for a new boyfriend. Another man’s body shows up but looks better than the old body. He was so happy and excited. He had on pants with no shirt and his body was glisten. He was upset and retaliated by saying he want a new girlfriend. Another girl’s body appeared and looks better than the old body. She was mad and asked him was that what he wants, he replied yeah. The agent so happened to overhear the couple bickering and was surprised but continued to examine the car. At the end of the commercial, the girlfriend was mad and told him to change her back.

These two commercials have similar feature. One feature they have in common is the message they portray. They show people in trouble, singing a jingle, and an agent coming to the rescue. State Farm commercials use three rhetoric strategies to persuade their audience. The three rhetoric strategies are logos (which mean logic), pathos (which deals with emotions), and ethos (which deals with credibility).

            In some of the State Farm commercials, there are some celebrities that make special appearances. By celebrities making special appearances in the commercials it gives the customers some type of confidence when purchasing car insurance. Many people look at celebrities for inspiration or look at them as role models. Once people see their idol on television purchasing something, they are going to feel like its ok and they are going to buy it also. Celebrity sponsors help build companies credibility.

 Customers have to look at logos in order to be persuaded. If State Farm statistic are high in a positive way, that will also influence customers to go with their company. Statistics plays an important role in people decisions to choose certain products and services. The most important rhetoric strategy Stare Farm use is pathos. They use our own emotions to insure us they are the best company to go with. Everyone listens to their conscience more than any anything especially when they feel confident in a service or product. These three strategies are important when trying to persuade someone to do something.

              In conclusion, State Farm Insurance use advertisements to inform car owners of their Statics, guarantees and services and convince car owners that their car would be in better hands with the service of their company. State Farm encourages people to buy their service by using pathos, ethos, and logos. Their pitch is to make their customers feel confident and protected. State Farm wants people to trust in their services as if it was recommended by someone they already trust.

  
Hi my name is Victoria Green. I was born and raised in Detroit, MI. I graduated from Cherry Hill school of Performing Arts. I graduated with honors and was my class valedictorian. I am a Freshmen at Wayne State University. My original major is psychology but I'm thinking about changing it to chemistry or biology so I can become a obstetrician-gynecologist. I want to help people who are in need because I believe everyone should be given a chance. After graduating from undergraduate school I plan on attending medical school where i will recieve my medical degree. Some of my friends think I'm mean and evil but I'm really a nice person at heart once you get to know me. I love to eat, dance, laugh, and make people laugh. I'm a goofy person. I love to learn new things.