Independence Day of India
"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we will redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again."
- Jawaharlal Nehru
20110620
20110130
Harvesting my Dreams
Israel Rodriguez, 15
Manson, Washington
Humility, hard work and perseverance are family values that most define who I am today. My humble background has opened my eyes to the reality of those who do not have the resources to voice concerns or needs, and are overwhelmed by dark circumstances. In my future, I visualize myself being a voice and a source of hope. To accomplish my dream, I aspire to pursue a career in law school. Being a court
representative will allow me to fight against injustices specifically those that affect migrant and seasonal farm-workers. I can identify and I am sensitive to the struggles that migrant families overcome. In addition to having a personal understanding of the migrant and seasonal farm-worker community, I hope to one day
gain the legal knowledge to advocate and represent those who have shaped my life today. With great difficulty, yet some enthusiasm, I wake up before the sunrise. I look forward to the challenge of conquering another 8-10 hour day of heated conditions, endless rapid precise picking, and heavy lifting in the cherry orchards. I see the faces of those who after an exhausting day of work, leave with
the satisfaction of knowing that they will be able to provide for their families. Understanding their dedication and ability to surpass some of the most difficult circumstances, has taught me that even what may seem an unreachable dream to some like becoming a lawyer, is by all means possible. Finishing an orchard season
takes a lot of persistence and devotion. Filling the last bucket of cherries after almost convincing myself that I can no longer continue, is what makes me stronger and more empowered to reach my potential. My inspiration derives from my dad. He is a man who one day migrated from my country of origin, Mexico, with the hope that my sisters and I would have a fruitful future. “What was easy I accomplished yesterday, what is difficult I am already doing, and what is impossible I will conquer tomorrow,” are his words that often echo in my mind. His words teach me that I can own my past, and current accomplishments, and that my “tomorrow” is filled with possibilities. My dad is a visionary optimistic man who never hesitates to lend a hand. His compassionate nature has given life to my desire to reach out to
others. What is most inspiring about my dad is his example of living a fulfilling life by enjoying life’s simple pleasures and serving others. The lack of financial support may present as a potential obstacle in what I aspire to become.Envisioning myself in a university and pursuing a law career, could be intimidating. Having confidence in myself even when my experiences do not fit with “typical” university students, will be another challenge I will face. The support from my family is unconditional and will be a key piece in my ability to accomplish my
dreams. I hope to gain insight from mentors and from those who also had various limitations and did not give up on their dream. The teachings I have gained from my experiences in agriculture will be valuable in my life journey. If in the process of accomplishing my dreams, my circumstances become difficult, I will remember the
sweaty faces under the orchard trees that look up with optimism and keep going. I will remember the heavy cherry buckets I lifted when I felt weak, and I will keep going. I will remember the feet that carried me from one tree to the next and did not let me give up, and I will keep going. Lastly, I will remember the restful
night after a long working day, where I laid in bed and fell asleep to the beat of my heart that whispered “you did it.”
Manson, Washington
Humility, hard work and perseverance are family values that most define who I am today. My humble background has opened my eyes to the reality of those who do not have the resources to voice concerns or needs, and are overwhelmed by dark circumstances. In my future, I visualize myself being a voice and a source of hope. To accomplish my dream, I aspire to pursue a career in law school. Being a court
representative will allow me to fight against injustices specifically those that affect migrant and seasonal farm-workers. I can identify and I am sensitive to the struggles that migrant families overcome. In addition to having a personal understanding of the migrant and seasonal farm-worker community, I hope to one day
gain the legal knowledge to advocate and represent those who have shaped my life today. With great difficulty, yet some enthusiasm, I wake up before the sunrise. I look forward to the challenge of conquering another 8-10 hour day of heated conditions, endless rapid precise picking, and heavy lifting in the cherry orchards. I see the faces of those who after an exhausting day of work, leave with
the satisfaction of knowing that they will be able to provide for their families. Understanding their dedication and ability to surpass some of the most difficult circumstances, has taught me that even what may seem an unreachable dream to some like becoming a lawyer, is by all means possible. Finishing an orchard season
takes a lot of persistence and devotion. Filling the last bucket of cherries after almost convincing myself that I can no longer continue, is what makes me stronger and more empowered to reach my potential. My inspiration derives from my dad. He is a man who one day migrated from my country of origin, Mexico, with the hope that my sisters and I would have a fruitful future. “What was easy I accomplished yesterday, what is difficult I am already doing, and what is impossible I will conquer tomorrow,” are his words that often echo in my mind. His words teach me that I can own my past, and current accomplishments, and that my “tomorrow” is filled with possibilities. My dad is a visionary optimistic man who never hesitates to lend a hand. His compassionate nature has given life to my desire to reach out to
others. What is most inspiring about my dad is his example of living a fulfilling life by enjoying life’s simple pleasures and serving others. The lack of financial support may present as a potential obstacle in what I aspire to become.Envisioning myself in a university and pursuing a law career, could be intimidating. Having confidence in myself even when my experiences do not fit with “typical” university students, will be another challenge I will face. The support from my family is unconditional and will be a key piece in my ability to accomplish my
dreams. I hope to gain insight from mentors and from those who also had various limitations and did not give up on their dream. The teachings I have gained from my experiences in agriculture will be valuable in my life journey. If in the process of accomplishing my dreams, my circumstances become difficult, I will remember the
sweaty faces under the orchard trees that look up with optimism and keep going. I will remember the heavy cherry buckets I lifted when I felt weak, and I will keep going. I will remember the feet that carried me from one tree to the next and did not let me give up, and I will keep going. Lastly, I will remember the restful
night after a long working day, where I laid in bed and fell asleep to the beat of my heart that whispered “you did it.”
20101031
Beautiful Coral - My Chinese Name
Lishan Nan Caroll, Age 6, 1st Grade
Stanford
Nixon Elementary School
My mommy says Chinese names set expectations for life. My mommy’s name is 王立華(Lihua). It means Build up China. But I think she wants to climb trees instead.
My name is 麗珊 (Lishan). It means Beautiful Coral. I want to Be healthy and to be beautiful. Coral is Sharp! I must read Books and study.
My dog’s name is Sparky. Her Chinese name is 兔兔 (bunny). Could she be a bunny? No! But she can jump and sometimes she eats carrots.
My dad’s name is Glenn. His Chinese name is 野平. It means wild and calm. My did is not wild. But sometimes he Barks like a wild dog.
My mom’s dad’s name is 金堂 (gold house). I wonder if the gold house has windows? Because we can’t see inside him where the gold should Be.
My mom’s mom’s name is 龍珍 (Precious Dragon). She is not like a dragon but She is very Precious and Special.
What’s in a Chinese name? Where does it come from? Usually the parents. The Chinese name tells some expectations from the parents. The Child hears the name, learns the expectations, then decides to try to do them _____ or not! I think it is better to try but not always. Yes, you should listen to your Chinese name, to the ideas of your parents and ancestors, But you must also be true to your heart.
Stanford
Nixon Elementary School
My mommy says Chinese names set expectations for life. My mommy’s name is 王立華(Lihua). It means Build up China. But I think she wants to climb trees instead.
My name is 麗珊 (Lishan). It means Beautiful Coral. I want to Be healthy and to be beautiful. Coral is Sharp! I must read Books and study.
My dog’s name is Sparky. Her Chinese name is 兔兔 (bunny). Could she be a bunny? No! But she can jump and sometimes she eats carrots.
My dad’s name is Glenn. His Chinese name is 野平. It means wild and calm. My did is not wild. But sometimes he Barks like a wild dog.
My mom’s dad’s name is 金堂 (gold house). I wonder if the gold house has windows? Because we can’t see inside him where the gold should Be.
My mom’s mom’s name is 龍珍 (Precious Dragon). She is not like a dragon but She is very Precious and Special.
What’s in a Chinese name? Where does it come from? Usually the parents. The Chinese name tells some expectations from the parents. The Child hears the name, learns the expectations, then decides to try to do them _____ or not! I think it is better to try but not always. Yes, you should listen to your Chinese name, to the ideas of your parents and ancestors, But you must also be true to your heart.
20100820
"Kami Ang Kabataan" (We Are The Youth)
Hogan High School's Filipino-American Class rehearse their rendition of a literary piece entitled "Kami ang Kabataan" (We Are The Youth) written by Christian Manansala. The poem is about love of country, diversity, and humanity.
20100819
To Fly Wingless
Fay Pon, 11th Grade
San Ramon
Dougherty Valley High School
By the age of six, I had moved a grand total of four times. And every time, Baba’s favorite gingko tree came along with us. No matter how many times its roots were pulled, torn, and cut from all the moving and replanting, the gingko tree never died.
Baba had brought its seeds from China to America when he was a child, and the tree has grown with him ever since.
“I replant my tree,” he explained, “because trees like this one will grow to be sturdy and it will live anywhere.”
Behind our new house was a small garden, and I would watch my father replant many, many gingko bilobas.
“Fay, when you grow up, you will be just like this tree. You will study hard and have a steady job and no matter where you go, you will survive and thrive well.”
I nodded obediently. I am a tree and I will grow up to be successful.
At the age of seven, I was going to be a wealthy business woman. It only takes four years of college, my mother would say to me, and it’ll keep you from ending up on the streets. It had been, indeed, a practical career choice. I again nodded obediently, not giving much thought for who I was going to be a decade from then.
However, as the year to choose colleges drew nearer, my outlook on my future began to change. I loved telling stories. I would tell them to the darkness of my bedroom when everyone slept and no one could hear, but it felt good because my voice echoed against the walls like a microphone. I would scribble them hastily on the margins of my homework planner. I would trace make-believe family trees and character-names with my finger. I was going to be a writer.
My Mama liked to tell stories too, but they all led back to the same moral lesson—
“And so, you have to study hard, and go to a good college, and be successful. You have to fulfill the expectations of your poor ancestors.”
Just like that, the phrase “good college” being the understatement of the century.
One day, when I was 12, I told my mother about my dreams.
She was in the kitchen preparing dim-sum whilst telling me about her life in China, a life of very little opportunity because of the death-strewn ravages of war, “You’re lucky, that Stanford is only an hour away.”
Mama gave me a gentle smile that flickered with hope. With dreams. With expectations.
I looked up at her, “But Mama, I want to publish a novel.”
“W-What?”
“A novel, Mama. You’re going to tell me more stories and I’m going to write it all down.I’m going to be a writer when I grow up,” I replied.
The smile on my mother’s face, however, slid off immediately.
“No Fay, most writers end up on the streets. You need a practical job. You will study hard and become an engineer like your father.”
At that, she pushed an Algebra book into my arms, “Go study.”
Oh well. Amongst the crowd, I guess I am just one person, like any other. Why should I dream any differently?
I was 14 when everything changed in our family. After my younger sister was diagnosed with Autism, I found interest in something other than writing. I soon began studying diseases and learning about the research involved in treating such maladies because, at the time, the doctor had told our family that there was no remedy for Autism. That made me sad, and no matter how much I wrote and wrote about despair and angst and forlorn little things, I could do nothing with words.
I wanted to help others, to take action in improving my sister’s condition and that of other patients as well. And so, in the waiting room that night at the hospital, I told my mother,
“I want to be a doctor, Mama.” I told her this, despite the fact that I still gripped my writing notebook in one hand and a fountain pen in the other.
She turned to me and smiled gently, taking my hand, “You know Fay, you are a strong girl. You should be what you want to be.”
And in that instant, my dreams came back.
I am almost 17 now, taking college courses as a high school student just like all the other Asian students in town.
But aside from the usual classes, I take Creative Writing classes. Despite the lack of encouragement, my dream in becoming an Asian American writer has not faltered.
I will double major, one in Medicine to pursue Autism research for my sister and one in Writing & Literature for myself, so I can fulfill both dreams, connect both ends of my family’s gossamer thread of hopes. And through time, I have grown to love both.
I have stories to tell about people like me, here in America, I say. My English teacher gives an encouraging smile.
I have the hands and the heart to help save lives, I say. At home, my family nods in approval. After all, studying medicine is a dream shared by us all.
My dad once told me that I was going to grow like a gingko tree one day, steady and wise. The tree can grow and grow and spread its roots, but it cannot walk away.
I am a bird. And the gingko tree is my home. A bird that can spread its wings even when the weather grows drafty, that can fly back and forth from dream to dream, from home to home.
A messenger bird, indeed.
It likes to tell stories, to sing its songs for the world to hear.
I can live two dreams now.
San Ramon
Dougherty Valley High School
By the age of six, I had moved a grand total of four times. And every time, Baba’s favorite gingko tree came along with us. No matter how many times its roots were pulled, torn, and cut from all the moving and replanting, the gingko tree never died.
Baba had brought its seeds from China to America when he was a child, and the tree has grown with him ever since.
“I replant my tree,” he explained, “because trees like this one will grow to be sturdy and it will live anywhere.”
Behind our new house was a small garden, and I would watch my father replant many, many gingko bilobas.
“Fay, when you grow up, you will be just like this tree. You will study hard and have a steady job and no matter where you go, you will survive and thrive well.”
I nodded obediently. I am a tree and I will grow up to be successful.
At the age of seven, I was going to be a wealthy business woman. It only takes four years of college, my mother would say to me, and it’ll keep you from ending up on the streets. It had been, indeed, a practical career choice. I again nodded obediently, not giving much thought for who I was going to be a decade from then.
However, as the year to choose colleges drew nearer, my outlook on my future began to change. I loved telling stories. I would tell them to the darkness of my bedroom when everyone slept and no one could hear, but it felt good because my voice echoed against the walls like a microphone. I would scribble them hastily on the margins of my homework planner. I would trace make-believe family trees and character-names with my finger. I was going to be a writer.
My Mama liked to tell stories too, but they all led back to the same moral lesson—
“And so, you have to study hard, and go to a good college, and be successful. You have to fulfill the expectations of your poor ancestors.”
Just like that, the phrase “good college” being the understatement of the century.
One day, when I was 12, I told my mother about my dreams.
She was in the kitchen preparing dim-sum whilst telling me about her life in China, a life of very little opportunity because of the death-strewn ravages of war, “You’re lucky, that Stanford is only an hour away.”
Mama gave me a gentle smile that flickered with hope. With dreams. With expectations.
I looked up at her, “But Mama, I want to publish a novel.”
“W-What?”
“A novel, Mama. You’re going to tell me more stories and I’m going to write it all down.I’m going to be a writer when I grow up,” I replied.
The smile on my mother’s face, however, slid off immediately.
“No Fay, most writers end up on the streets. You need a practical job. You will study hard and become an engineer like your father.”
At that, she pushed an Algebra book into my arms, “Go study.”
Oh well. Amongst the crowd, I guess I am just one person, like any other. Why should I dream any differently?
I was 14 when everything changed in our family. After my younger sister was diagnosed with Autism, I found interest in something other than writing. I soon began studying diseases and learning about the research involved in treating such maladies because, at the time, the doctor had told our family that there was no remedy for Autism. That made me sad, and no matter how much I wrote and wrote about despair and angst and forlorn little things, I could do nothing with words.
I wanted to help others, to take action in improving my sister’s condition and that of other patients as well. And so, in the waiting room that night at the hospital, I told my mother,
“I want to be a doctor, Mama.” I told her this, despite the fact that I still gripped my writing notebook in one hand and a fountain pen in the other.
She turned to me and smiled gently, taking my hand, “You know Fay, you are a strong girl. You should be what you want to be.”
And in that instant, my dreams came back.
I am almost 17 now, taking college courses as a high school student just like all the other Asian students in town.
But aside from the usual classes, I take Creative Writing classes. Despite the lack of encouragement, my dream in becoming an Asian American writer has not faltered.
I will double major, one in Medicine to pursue Autism research for my sister and one in Writing & Literature for myself, so I can fulfill both dreams, connect both ends of my family’s gossamer thread of hopes. And through time, I have grown to love both.
I have stories to tell about people like me, here in America, I say. My English teacher gives an encouraging smile.
I have the hands and the heart to help save lives, I say. At home, my family nods in approval. After all, studying medicine is a dream shared by us all.
My dad once told me that I was going to grow like a gingko tree one day, steady and wise. The tree can grow and grow and spread its roots, but it cannot walk away.
I am a bird. And the gingko tree is my home. A bird that can spread its wings even when the weather grows drafty, that can fly back and forth from dream to dream, from home to home.
A messenger bird, indeed.
It likes to tell stories, to sing its songs for the world to hear.
I can live two dreams now.
20100817
Beautiful Coral - My Chinese Name
Lishan Nan Caroll, Age 6, 1st Grade
Stanford
Nixon Elementary School
My mommy says Chinese names set expectations for life. My mommy’s name is 王立華(Lihua). It means Build up China. But I think she wants to climb trees instead.
My name is 麗珊 (Lishan). It means Beautiful Coral. I want to Be healthy and to be beautiful. Coral is Sharp! I must read Books and study.
My dog’s name is Sparky. Her Chinese name is 兔兔 (bunny). Could she be a bunny? No! But she can jump and sometimes she eats carrots.
My dad’s name is Glenn. His Chinese name is 野平. It means wild and calm. My did is not wild. But sometimes he Barks like a wild dog.
My mom’s dad’s name is 金堂 (gold house). I wonder if the gold house has windows? Because we can’t see inside him where the gold should Be.
My mom’s mom’s name is 龍珍 (Precious Dragon). She is not like a dragon but She is very Precious and Special.
What’s in a Chinese name? Where does it come from? Usually the parents. The Chinese name tells some expectations from the parents. The Child hears the name, learns the expectations, then decides to try to do them _____ or not! I think it is better to try but not always. Yes, you should listen to your Chinese name, to the ideas of your parents and ancestors, But you must also be true to your heart.
Stanford
Nixon Elementary School
My mommy says Chinese names set expectations for life. My mommy’s name is 王立華(Lihua). It means Build up China. But I think she wants to climb trees instead.
My name is 麗珊 (Lishan). It means Beautiful Coral. I want to Be healthy and to be beautiful. Coral is Sharp! I must read Books and study.
My dog’s name is Sparky. Her Chinese name is 兔兔 (bunny). Could she be a bunny? No! But she can jump and sometimes she eats carrots.
My dad’s name is Glenn. His Chinese name is 野平. It means wild and calm. My did is not wild. But sometimes he Barks like a wild dog.
My mom’s dad’s name is 金堂 (gold house). I wonder if the gold house has windows? Because we can’t see inside him where the gold should Be.
My mom’s mom’s name is 龍珍 (Precious Dragon). She is not like a dragon but She is very Precious and Special.
What’s in a Chinese name? Where does it come from? Usually the parents. The Chinese name tells some expectations from the parents. The Child hears the name, learns the expectations, then decides to try to do them _____ or not! I think it is better to try but not always. Yes, you should listen to your Chinese name, to the ideas of your parents and ancestors, But you must also be true to your heart.
20100512
My Faustian Pact
By Wilson Wu Fan Ai Tong School, 5A
"You've been tested positive.." Those words form the doctor weighed down like an anchor. MY heart sank, body iced and mind blanked in an instant. Now that I recall, the first image to enter my mind after regaining a semblance of composure was a dying AIDS1 victim, surrounded by his family members, in an advertisement from United Colours of Benetton. I'm now a carrier of the HIV2 virus.
About a year ago, I still had a future. Leading to its destruction, ironically, was an opportunity that my friends and I thought was golden. "Boys, we've got a gig!" exclaimed Steve. He was the lead vocalist of The Cream, a nascent band that featured his younger brother, Jacob, as the percussionist; Johnny, our childhood friend, as the bass guitarist; and me, the lead guitarist. Lady Luck must be smiling down, all of us thought, when Steve broke the news that we had been selected to perform at the annual Rock Festival.
The event was an unexpected success. We were buoyed by the cheers and applause from the electrified crowd. What surprised us even more were the flattering comments from Matthew, an influential composer in the region. "It was a fantastic performance. I didn't have the impression that you guys were a bunch of rookies," he remarked. Before parting, we were invited to a party at his house. Steve eagerly agreed on our behalf. "We need connections," he told us later.
An unmistakable air of hedonism permeated the sprawling apartment. The owner had no lack of any material comfort that I could think of. Every piece of furniture, decoration and entertainment device was synonymous with luxury. It seemed that we had entered a different world. Except for us, the guests at Matthew's party were all dressed in designer outfits. They were dancing to techno music while we stood at a corner sipping cocktails served by waiters who treated us condescendingly.
Jacob, feeling bored and uneasy, said, "There are only high society people here. This is not a place for us." Just when we were deliberating whether to leave, the host came up to us. "Hey, are you guys comfortable?" Matthew asked. "Let me be a gracious host," he continued without waiting for a reply. "You can ease yourselves into the party." Matthew then took Steve's hand, placed a packet of pink pills on his palm and closed the the fingers to make a fist before letting go. I saw a smirk on the composer's lips. His penetrating eyeballs gave each of us a glance. He walked away after pretending to pop something into his mouth. The gesture was easily understood.
"We are not going to touch that stuff!" Jacob protested as soon as the host was out of sight. I nodded in agreement. "Are you afraid of ending up like Kurt Cobain?" Steve snapped. "Don't forget the premature deaths of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison!" Jacob retorted, citing the names of iconic rock personalities who had their lives terminated by drugs. The two brothers were embroiled in a heated exchange of words until Johnny interrupted, "Jacob, I know that we should stay clean, but your brother is right. We need the performances, songs and tips that Matthew can offer to give us the success that our talents deserve." There was no denying that Matthew could propel our musical ambition. Steve coaxed. Johnny cajoled. By rejecting the drugs, they believed we would not get another opportunity to seek the help of Matthew. In the end, we made a dual pact. We agreed to rid our lives of drugs once we achieved our objectives and to prevent each other from getting into a vicious cycle of addiction.
It turned out to be a Faustian pact. Our acceptance of drugs from Matthew brought us into his circle of influence. He used his clout to help the band gain publicity though various platforms, and much sooner than expected, a proposal was tabled for us to cut our very first album. In the meantime, we ventured deeper and deeper into the wasteland of drugs. The dark side of Matthew was soon revealed to us. Behind his facade as a respected composer, he was the leader of a drug syndicate. We were among his clientele. The few attempts made to wean ourselves from drugs were blocked by withdrawal symptoms that brought absolute misery. It was too difficult to exchange glamour and rewards for suffering. In the spiraling freefall, we graduated from "Ecstasy" pills to a smorgasbord of cocaine, heroin and marijuana.
A drug raid abruptly ended our life of decadence. Narcotics officers operating undercover arrested us in a discotheque. Memories of the incident are vague. I was high and dazed when the law caught up with me. It was in police custody that I realised the folly of my actions. However, I did not expect the consequences to be more severe that imprisonment and caning. Three days after a mandatory blood specimen test, I was told of my infection with the deadly HIV virus. It was tantamount to pronouncing the death sentence on me. The same fate fell on Steve. We must have been infected through needles used by other drug abusers.
Almost two months have since elapsed. During this period, I experienced the agony of freeing my body from narcotics dependence. Many times during the day, in a silent lucidity, I wished regretfully that time could be reversed. The nights were interspersed with intense moments of anguish. Thoughts of suicide crossed my mind. The haunting guilt and pain are difficult to exorcise.
Yet, I have derived from them the strength to live on. In the drug rehabilitation centre where I am now, many former addicts have shared their stories with me. All the accounts invariably end with a desire to make restitution to those who have been hurt. I cannot cause more sorrows to my parents. Rather than choosing a road to perdition, I have decided to complete my remaining journey with dignity. Obstacles will arise along the way, but I am prepared to face them. Indeed, the price for taking drugs is too high to pay and they must be shunned without hesitation.
1 AIDS is the acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
2 HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus
"You've been tested positive.." Those words form the doctor weighed down like an anchor. MY heart sank, body iced and mind blanked in an instant. Now that I recall, the first image to enter my mind after regaining a semblance of composure was a dying AIDS1 victim, surrounded by his family members, in an advertisement from United Colours of Benetton. I'm now a carrier of the HIV2 virus.
About a year ago, I still had a future. Leading to its destruction, ironically, was an opportunity that my friends and I thought was golden. "Boys, we've got a gig!" exclaimed Steve. He was the lead vocalist of The Cream, a nascent band that featured his younger brother, Jacob, as the percussionist; Johnny, our childhood friend, as the bass guitarist; and me, the lead guitarist. Lady Luck must be smiling down, all of us thought, when Steve broke the news that we had been selected to perform at the annual Rock Festival.
The event was an unexpected success. We were buoyed by the cheers and applause from the electrified crowd. What surprised us even more were the flattering comments from Matthew, an influential composer in the region. "It was a fantastic performance. I didn't have the impression that you guys were a bunch of rookies," he remarked. Before parting, we were invited to a party at his house. Steve eagerly agreed on our behalf. "We need connections," he told us later.
An unmistakable air of hedonism permeated the sprawling apartment. The owner had no lack of any material comfort that I could think of. Every piece of furniture, decoration and entertainment device was synonymous with luxury. It seemed that we had entered a different world. Except for us, the guests at Matthew's party were all dressed in designer outfits. They were dancing to techno music while we stood at a corner sipping cocktails served by waiters who treated us condescendingly.
Jacob, feeling bored and uneasy, said, "There are only high society people here. This is not a place for us." Just when we were deliberating whether to leave, the host came up to us. "Hey, are you guys comfortable?" Matthew asked. "Let me be a gracious host," he continued without waiting for a reply. "You can ease yourselves into the party." Matthew then took Steve's hand, placed a packet of pink pills on his palm and closed the the fingers to make a fist before letting go. I saw a smirk on the composer's lips. His penetrating eyeballs gave each of us a glance. He walked away after pretending to pop something into his mouth. The gesture was easily understood.
"We are not going to touch that stuff!" Jacob protested as soon as the host was out of sight. I nodded in agreement. "Are you afraid of ending up like Kurt Cobain?" Steve snapped. "Don't forget the premature deaths of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison!" Jacob retorted, citing the names of iconic rock personalities who had their lives terminated by drugs. The two brothers were embroiled in a heated exchange of words until Johnny interrupted, "Jacob, I know that we should stay clean, but your brother is right. We need the performances, songs and tips that Matthew can offer to give us the success that our talents deserve." There was no denying that Matthew could propel our musical ambition. Steve coaxed. Johnny cajoled. By rejecting the drugs, they believed we would not get another opportunity to seek the help of Matthew. In the end, we made a dual pact. We agreed to rid our lives of drugs once we achieved our objectives and to prevent each other from getting into a vicious cycle of addiction.
It turned out to be a Faustian pact. Our acceptance of drugs from Matthew brought us into his circle of influence. He used his clout to help the band gain publicity though various platforms, and much sooner than expected, a proposal was tabled for us to cut our very first album. In the meantime, we ventured deeper and deeper into the wasteland of drugs. The dark side of Matthew was soon revealed to us. Behind his facade as a respected composer, he was the leader of a drug syndicate. We were among his clientele. The few attempts made to wean ourselves from drugs were blocked by withdrawal symptoms that brought absolute misery. It was too difficult to exchange glamour and rewards for suffering. In the spiraling freefall, we graduated from "Ecstasy" pills to a smorgasbord of cocaine, heroin and marijuana.
A drug raid abruptly ended our life of decadence. Narcotics officers operating undercover arrested us in a discotheque. Memories of the incident are vague. I was high and dazed when the law caught up with me. It was in police custody that I realised the folly of my actions. However, I did not expect the consequences to be more severe that imprisonment and caning. Three days after a mandatory blood specimen test, I was told of my infection with the deadly HIV virus. It was tantamount to pronouncing the death sentence on me. The same fate fell on Steve. We must have been infected through needles used by other drug abusers.
Almost two months have since elapsed. During this period, I experienced the agony of freeing my body from narcotics dependence. Many times during the day, in a silent lucidity, I wished regretfully that time could be reversed. The nights were interspersed with intense moments of anguish. Thoughts of suicide crossed my mind. The haunting guilt and pain are difficult to exorcise.
Yet, I have derived from them the strength to live on. In the drug rehabilitation centre where I am now, many former addicts have shared their stories with me. All the accounts invariably end with a desire to make restitution to those who have been hurt. I cannot cause more sorrows to my parents. Rather than choosing a road to perdition, I have decided to complete my remaining journey with dignity. Obstacles will arise along the way, but I am prepared to face them. Indeed, the price for taking drugs is too high to pay and they must be shunned without hesitation.
1 AIDS is the acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
2 HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus
20100511
Liviu Librescu
by Cassy Tischer, Skutt Catholic High School
9-10th Grade Category
Moral courage is a trait that is talked of frequently, but one becomes confused as to what a person with moral courage looks like, sounds like, or does. Moral courage requires and calls for all people to stand on the side of truth, even if they stand alone, and to speak up when they believe something is wrong. Each person who possesses moral courage has a story, but Liviu Librescu’s story touched a certain
place in my heart and stood out amidst all the rest. Librescu was among the few lucky people to actually survive the Holocaust, but he gave up his life willingly to protect his students and keep them alive. He stood up for what he knew was right and possessed courage in a situation where there was nothing but chaos.In the midst of World War II, Liviu Librescu was forced to witness his family being torn apart
(Moynihan). After being placed in several ghettos and moving around to a variety of places, his family was later reunited (Holland). Upon marrying and starting a family, Liviu immigrated to Israel in 1978 with his wife, who was also a Holocaust survivor (Moynihan). The family then moved to the U.S. where Librescu was a researcher and lecturer in engineering, along with having a degree in aeronautics
(Moynihan). Librescu became a professor at the college of Virginia Tech. After teaching there for years,the terrible day of April 16th, 2007 came along (Moynihan). A troubled young student attacked the school and started shooting innocent people. In the shooters’ two attacks, he made his way to Librescu’s room.Librescu directed his students to jump out of the window to safety while he barricaded the door with his body to prevent the shooter from getting inside (Holland). He saved many lives that day as he selflessly gave up his own. Liviu Librescu sacrificed his life in order to protect the students he taught. He did the only thing he knew how to do; it was a natural instinct. A young student by the name of Ms. Merrey said, “We had
heard the gunfire coming from the classroom behind us, and we just reacted to it and headed for the windows, Professor Librescu never made an attempt to leave. He’s a part of my life now and forever. I’m changed. I’m not the person I was before Monday.” (Moynihan) He not only affected the people whom he saved, but he also left a memorable mark upon anyone who knew him. Librescu was said to have been a brave man, and one who would never back down from helping those in need (Moynihan). He survived the Holocaust, and after, one would think that he would do anything to keep his life, but instead he saw the need to be the hero to those kids. He was not only doing what he thought was right, he was doing what he believed was his job. His heroic act brought hope to many people around the world. Liviu Lebrescu’s sacrifices not only affected the Virginia Tech population, but it also affected those outside of Virginia. His courage has influenced people today to take a stand and to speak up for what is right. His act was one out of a million, but has continued to help the people of today, and I am sure his story will go on for quite sometime. Many people could have died that day, but instead lives were saved because of his selflessness.
I have heard of many amazing people and people that are full of courage, but this story touched me deeply. It goes to show that no matter how persecuted someone has been, and how much they have been through, they can still find the power within themselves to save others. His story has inspired me to
“reap what I sow”, so to speak, and to treat others the way I want to be treated. When I first started to attend a Catholic school I was told that we would have to do a certain amount of service hours to graduate. My initial reaction was to groan and get them done as soon as possible. After doing my required hours, I came to like doing service. I was urged to step out of my comfort zone and work with those who
were less fortunate. I have taken these opportunities to enjoy helping people. Seeing the faces of the people I have worked with and seeing their response to my work and knowing that they are thankful, is one of the best feelings I have ever felt. Knowing that one man alone can save a whole classroom of students’ gives me hope that the things I am doing will in the end help those in need. I hope that one day I can also look back and say that I made a difference because I wanted to, not just because I was required to do so. Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.
-Maya Angelou
Bibliography
Holland, G.K. The Star Walker of the Month. June 2007. http://www.thestarwalkers.com.
Moynihan, Colin. “Professor’s Violent Death Came Where He Sought Peace.” New York
Times. April 19, 2007.
9-10th Grade Category
Moral courage is a trait that is talked of frequently, but one becomes confused as to what a person with moral courage looks like, sounds like, or does. Moral courage requires and calls for all people to stand on the side of truth, even if they stand alone, and to speak up when they believe something is wrong. Each person who possesses moral courage has a story, but Liviu Librescu’s story touched a certain
place in my heart and stood out amidst all the rest. Librescu was among the few lucky people to actually survive the Holocaust, but he gave up his life willingly to protect his students and keep them alive. He stood up for what he knew was right and possessed courage in a situation where there was nothing but chaos.In the midst of World War II, Liviu Librescu was forced to witness his family being torn apart
(Moynihan). After being placed in several ghettos and moving around to a variety of places, his family was later reunited (Holland). Upon marrying and starting a family, Liviu immigrated to Israel in 1978 with his wife, who was also a Holocaust survivor (Moynihan). The family then moved to the U.S. where Librescu was a researcher and lecturer in engineering, along with having a degree in aeronautics
(Moynihan). Librescu became a professor at the college of Virginia Tech. After teaching there for years,the terrible day of April 16th, 2007 came along (Moynihan). A troubled young student attacked the school and started shooting innocent people. In the shooters’ two attacks, he made his way to Librescu’s room.Librescu directed his students to jump out of the window to safety while he barricaded the door with his body to prevent the shooter from getting inside (Holland). He saved many lives that day as he selflessly gave up his own. Liviu Librescu sacrificed his life in order to protect the students he taught. He did the only thing he knew how to do; it was a natural instinct. A young student by the name of Ms. Merrey said, “We had
heard the gunfire coming from the classroom behind us, and we just reacted to it and headed for the windows, Professor Librescu never made an attempt to leave. He’s a part of my life now and forever. I’m changed. I’m not the person I was before Monday.” (Moynihan) He not only affected the people whom he saved, but he also left a memorable mark upon anyone who knew him. Librescu was said to have been a brave man, and one who would never back down from helping those in need (Moynihan). He survived the Holocaust, and after, one would think that he would do anything to keep his life, but instead he saw the need to be the hero to those kids. He was not only doing what he thought was right, he was doing what he believed was his job. His heroic act brought hope to many people around the world. Liviu Lebrescu’s sacrifices not only affected the Virginia Tech population, but it also affected those outside of Virginia. His courage has influenced people today to take a stand and to speak up for what is right. His act was one out of a million, but has continued to help the people of today, and I am sure his story will go on for quite sometime. Many people could have died that day, but instead lives were saved because of his selflessness.
I have heard of many amazing people and people that are full of courage, but this story touched me deeply. It goes to show that no matter how persecuted someone has been, and how much they have been through, they can still find the power within themselves to save others. His story has inspired me to
“reap what I sow”, so to speak, and to treat others the way I want to be treated. When I first started to attend a Catholic school I was told that we would have to do a certain amount of service hours to graduate. My initial reaction was to groan and get them done as soon as possible. After doing my required hours, I came to like doing service. I was urged to step out of my comfort zone and work with those who
were less fortunate. I have taken these opportunities to enjoy helping people. Seeing the faces of the people I have worked with and seeing their response to my work and knowing that they are thankful, is one of the best feelings I have ever felt. Knowing that one man alone can save a whole classroom of students’ gives me hope that the things I am doing will in the end help those in need. I hope that one day I can also look back and say that I made a difference because I wanted to, not just because I was required to do so. Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.
-Maya Angelou
Bibliography
Holland, G.K. The Star Walker of the Month. June 2007. http://www.thestarwalkers.com.
Moynihan, Colin. “Professor’s Violent Death Came Where He Sought Peace.” New York
Times. April 19, 2007.
20100510
Mother's Day
bY Rashmi Singh, 11-year-old, South Dartmouth.
Mother's Day to me is a day that I like to think purely about my mother. Whenever I think I get so "flooded" with what my mother has done for us . . .
Teaching my sister and me to read (my brother is just beginning). Washing the dishes. Doing the laundry. Dropping us to school. Taking me to my piano lessons. Taking my sister to ballet lessons. Dropping me to the Southworth Library most any time that is reasonable, and when I want to go. Attending concerts. I've listed only a few, but these tasks seem overwhelming to me! I'm just left in a daze.
My mother and I enjoy talking about so many issues . . . from "How was school?" to downright politics.
I wonder if God gave my mom two brains instead of one! I mean, my mom can dry the dishes while still paying attention to the news!
My mother is very special to me because she taught me all the virtues of being a good person. Sincerity, honesty, forgiveness, persistence, tolerance, and fairness. She taught me to be kind and caring. To work hard and do your duties, don't worry about the results. To be generous and giving. To be patient.
So whenever I see these things being done, I always remember my mother. She is my friend, my teacher, she is my Earth. She has resources . . . like this planet -- Earth.
But how to pay her back for all the things she has done for us? I don't know. She has done so much for us! But I will try to make all 365 days Mother's Day by helping her. What I really want to say to her is: "THANK YOU, MOM!"
-- RASHMI SINGH
Mother's Day to me is a day that I like to think purely about my mother. Whenever I think I get so "flooded" with what my mother has done for us . . .
Teaching my sister and me to read (my brother is just beginning). Washing the dishes. Doing the laundry. Dropping us to school. Taking me to my piano lessons. Taking my sister to ballet lessons. Dropping me to the Southworth Library most any time that is reasonable, and when I want to go. Attending concerts. I've listed only a few, but these tasks seem overwhelming to me! I'm just left in a daze.
My mother and I enjoy talking about so many issues . . . from "How was school?" to downright politics.
I wonder if God gave my mom two brains instead of one! I mean, my mom can dry the dishes while still paying attention to the news!
My mother is very special to me because she taught me all the virtues of being a good person. Sincerity, honesty, forgiveness, persistence, tolerance, and fairness. She taught me to be kind and caring. To work hard and do your duties, don't worry about the results. To be generous and giving. To be patient.
So whenever I see these things being done, I always remember my mother. She is my friend, my teacher, she is my Earth. She has resources . . . like this planet -- Earth.
But how to pay her back for all the things she has done for us? I don't know. She has done so much for us! But I will try to make all 365 days Mother's Day by helping her. What I really want to say to her is: "THANK YOU, MOM!"
-- RASHMI SINGH
20100506
Green Teens
Iris R. Nunez, age 16 – Easing the “Pain” of Pollution
Murry Bergtraum High School
Manhattan
“Planting trees is one of the most beneficial, wonderful and cost-effective ways to ease the pain of pollution, ozone depletion and urban blight. With these trees, we are cleaning our air, beautifying our environment, and reducing the pollution that is bad for our bodies.”
Daniell Martinez, age 16 – “It’s Up to Us, New York!”
High School for Health Profession and Human Services
Manhattan
“I will try my best to help Mayor Bloomberg implement his initiative to plant one million trees by 2017… If everyone in New York planted at least one tree, Mayor Bloomberg’s plan will be a success. It’s up to us New York!”
Nedine Dobson, age 17 – A “Melting Pot of Beautiful People” with Beautiful Trees
Clara Barton High School
Brooklyn
“Each school district should be responsible for involving each school in the district to embark on a go green project. The project will require groups of students to be responsible for the design of areas in their school district to plant trees… this initiative promises to make New York, with its melting pot of beautiful people, a garden of beautiful trees.”
Eric Murray Datcher, age 16
Bushwick High School for Social Justice
Brooklyn
“The key to the Mayor’s plan is involving the youth of New York City. There are young people throughout the city who are simply waiting for an opportunity to make a major change. The Million Trees project could be that change to unite the youth in a positive project… I believe I can use my strong voice to gather more students, young people, and community members to beautify more places throughout New York City.”
Oytun Tangul, age 18
New York University
Manhattan
“I believe that I, and any other teenager, can help Mayor Bloomberg to achieve his goal by volunteering to help plant trees. I can help serve my community and my future by doing this. This project can actually be fun. I will get to meet new friends. I can tell my current friends about it and we can all plan to help our society together. By volunteering to plant trees, not only will I be helping Mayor Bloomberg to put his initiative into effect, but I will also be helping myself by choosing to do something rewarding and supportive for my future and the future of my potential children.”
Jamel Irby-Shabazz, age 12
Park Place Middle School
Brooklyn
“Every month we will get teens to sign up as a special citizenship program with the NYC Parks Department to help plant trees. Teens will then make a difference in their community and experience something positive in their community. The teens will also be able to place their family name on the trees… I also believe that a million trees will equal a million healthy breaths. A million healthy breaths can help a brain learn and be more conscious about the environment in which we live.”
Murry Bergtraum High School
Manhattan
“Planting trees is one of the most beneficial, wonderful and cost-effective ways to ease the pain of pollution, ozone depletion and urban blight. With these trees, we are cleaning our air, beautifying our environment, and reducing the pollution that is bad for our bodies.”
Daniell Martinez, age 16 – “It’s Up to Us, New York!”
High School for Health Profession and Human Services
Manhattan
“I will try my best to help Mayor Bloomberg implement his initiative to plant one million trees by 2017… If everyone in New York planted at least one tree, Mayor Bloomberg’s plan will be a success. It’s up to us New York!”
Nedine Dobson, age 17 – A “Melting Pot of Beautiful People” with Beautiful Trees
Clara Barton High School
Brooklyn
“Each school district should be responsible for involving each school in the district to embark on a go green project. The project will require groups of students to be responsible for the design of areas in their school district to plant trees… this initiative promises to make New York, with its melting pot of beautiful people, a garden of beautiful trees.”
Eric Murray Datcher, age 16
Bushwick High School for Social Justice
Brooklyn
“The key to the Mayor’s plan is involving the youth of New York City. There are young people throughout the city who are simply waiting for an opportunity to make a major change. The Million Trees project could be that change to unite the youth in a positive project… I believe I can use my strong voice to gather more students, young people, and community members to beautify more places throughout New York City.”
Oytun Tangul, age 18
New York University
Manhattan
“I believe that I, and any other teenager, can help Mayor Bloomberg to achieve his goal by volunteering to help plant trees. I can help serve my community and my future by doing this. This project can actually be fun. I will get to meet new friends. I can tell my current friends about it and we can all plan to help our society together. By volunteering to plant trees, not only will I be helping Mayor Bloomberg to put his initiative into effect, but I will also be helping myself by choosing to do something rewarding and supportive for my future and the future of my potential children.”
Jamel Irby-Shabazz, age 12
Park Place Middle School
Brooklyn
“Every month we will get teens to sign up as a special citizenship program with the NYC Parks Department to help plant trees. Teens will then make a difference in their community and experience something positive in their community. The teens will also be able to place their family name on the trees… I also believe that a million trees will equal a million healthy breaths. A million healthy breaths can help a brain learn and be more conscious about the environment in which we live.”
20100501
Mamohatra
School: Davidson IB Middle School
City: Mamohatra
Team: Luke Frederick Churchill, Emily Annie Yue, Rebekah Ruth Swallow
Teacher: Jay Durant Hager
Engineer-Mentor: Dane Allen Horna, PE
Mamohatra
Mamohatra has combined futuristic technologies, green principles, and cultural diversity to create a thriving, sustainable metropolis on the island of Madagascar. Our citizens enjoy clean water, renewable energy, convenient and efficient public transportation, job opportunities, arts and entertainment, and beautiful parks and recreation.
Implementing environmentally friendly technologies, we have developed CARE (Community Adaptable Refugee Establishment), a system designed to combat the global problems of poverty and homelessness. CARE meets the needs of refugees and the homeless by providing secure temporary homes with flexible living spaces and convenient access to all city services, including educational programs and job training. The CARE system also provides electricity, clean water, public transportation, communications, and waste management. We apply the principles of green engineering, using industrial processes that are economically feasible and have a low carbon footprint. These processes make CARE a clean, green, transitional living facility.
The CARE system is targeted toward refugees, homeless, and poor (people who earn 50% or less of average income). The complex can house 10-15,000 people. The CARE system is designed to help its residents by providing public services geared toward the immediate needs of the residents, such as job training and language acquisition. The CARE system is set up to help residents make the transition from temporary accommodations to paid employment and permanent housing. Community colleges and small starter loans help encourage people to improve their lives. Nestled between the industrial, commercial, and agricultural districts, and near transportation hubs, CARE provides residents convenient access to our entire city, making it easier for them to find jobs suited to their skills and then to rent or purchase their own housing in other parts of the city.
CARE structures are adobe-like, multistory complexes, made of a compound called “agro-waste” and bio-based foam insulation, and built vertically to save land. Once a prototype, agro-waste has become a reality. It is made by mixing various agricultural wastes such as rice and cornhusks, and then adding beach sand to make a moldable paste. When it hardens, the paste creates a reusable compound similar to stucco in both color and texture. It is highly durable against violent weather and other types of damage. When agro-waste’s minimal insulation is coupled with bio-based foam insulation, it provides a shield against extreme temperatures and helps prevent the spread of disease. Agro-waste transforms agricultural waste into an environmentally sustainable building material that decreases the carbon footprint.
CARE units are assembled with a lightweight durable carbon fiber frame on which the agro-waste is attached. The frame has nanosensors that analyze the integrity of the agro-waste material for safety. The nanosensors replace the more expensive nanobots located in buildings in other parts of our city, thus providing a more economical maintenance system.
Inside the buildings, sliding “smart screens,” similar to those in Japan, allow each unit to be adapted to the needs of different size families, which might range from one to eight persons. Smart screens allow residents to change the layout of walls, as well as their color, style, and decorative themes. The screens also reflect light waves, creating an aesthetically pleasing glow.
Our building is not only durable, but also replaceable. When the structure is in need of replacement (approximately 100 years), the agro-waste is re-compounded with new agricultural waste to reform the structure onto the existing frame. Sensors built into the carbon fiber frame send waves throughout the entire structure assessing cracks, breaks, and other flaws in the structure. This system records the flaws and when the flaws become too large or hazardous, engineers come to fix them. Using this system, the structures may endure for centuries.
CARE incorporates numerous green technologies to maximize efficiency. Our engineers researched multiple technologies and decided on Earthship design. Earthship design is the process of designing a home using the most efficient materials and technologies. Our engineers matched CARE to some of the more effective processes used in Earthships: “green” roofs and walls, and passive cooling. With different plants growing on the structure itself, green roofs provide food, recreation, and climate control. Passive cooling is a biomimicry concept—a building technology that mimics processes found in nature. Passive cooling mimics a termite nest, which is built to take advantage of natural solar heating and cooling from breezes. Like a termite mound, our building uses an intricate network of walls and windows to funnel air throughout the structure. It collects cool air that moves down and hot air that moves up. This regulates the temperature by controlling the amount of hot and cool air that flows through the building.
Although CARE is a very efficiently engineered community, it is not without faults. Agro-waste does not produce much extra refuse, but to dispose of any waste we use plasma gasification, a trash-disposal system that uses high temperatures to turn waste into a gas that can be made into textiles. Our plasma gasification system takes away almost all of the negative impact that the CARE system has on the environment.
CARE not only provides for the needs of thousands of refugees, it also enriches the entire community of our city. The quality of life and accommodations provided by CARE increases both land value and the overall appeal of our city. CARE promotes international cooperation and allows for everyone to find a place in Mamohatra. It provides public services and jobs for citizens that have nowhere else to go and minimizes crime by keeping the homeless off the streets. CARE’s technologies and systems provide a model for buildings everywhere. Soon, the CARE system will extend across the globe, leading to a tomorrow where the word ‘homeless’ is obsolete.
City: Mamohatra
Team: Luke Frederick Churchill, Emily Annie Yue, Rebekah Ruth Swallow
Teacher: Jay Durant Hager
Engineer-Mentor: Dane Allen Horna, PE
Mamohatra
Mamohatra has combined futuristic technologies, green principles, and cultural diversity to create a thriving, sustainable metropolis on the island of Madagascar. Our citizens enjoy clean water, renewable energy, convenient and efficient public transportation, job opportunities, arts and entertainment, and beautiful parks and recreation.
Implementing environmentally friendly technologies, we have developed CARE (Community Adaptable Refugee Establishment), a system designed to combat the global problems of poverty and homelessness. CARE meets the needs of refugees and the homeless by providing secure temporary homes with flexible living spaces and convenient access to all city services, including educational programs and job training. The CARE system also provides electricity, clean water, public transportation, communications, and waste management. We apply the principles of green engineering, using industrial processes that are economically feasible and have a low carbon footprint. These processes make CARE a clean, green, transitional living facility.
The CARE system is targeted toward refugees, homeless, and poor (people who earn 50% or less of average income). The complex can house 10-15,000 people. The CARE system is designed to help its residents by providing public services geared toward the immediate needs of the residents, such as job training and language acquisition. The CARE system is set up to help residents make the transition from temporary accommodations to paid employment and permanent housing. Community colleges and small starter loans help encourage people to improve their lives. Nestled between the industrial, commercial, and agricultural districts, and near transportation hubs, CARE provides residents convenient access to our entire city, making it easier for them to find jobs suited to their skills and then to rent or purchase their own housing in other parts of the city.
CARE structures are adobe-like, multistory complexes, made of a compound called “agro-waste” and bio-based foam insulation, and built vertically to save land. Once a prototype, agro-waste has become a reality. It is made by mixing various agricultural wastes such as rice and cornhusks, and then adding beach sand to make a moldable paste. When it hardens, the paste creates a reusable compound similar to stucco in both color and texture. It is highly durable against violent weather and other types of damage. When agro-waste’s minimal insulation is coupled with bio-based foam insulation, it provides a shield against extreme temperatures and helps prevent the spread of disease. Agro-waste transforms agricultural waste into an environmentally sustainable building material that decreases the carbon footprint.
CARE units are assembled with a lightweight durable carbon fiber frame on which the agro-waste is attached. The frame has nanosensors that analyze the integrity of the agro-waste material for safety. The nanosensors replace the more expensive nanobots located in buildings in other parts of our city, thus providing a more economical maintenance system.
Inside the buildings, sliding “smart screens,” similar to those in Japan, allow each unit to be adapted to the needs of different size families, which might range from one to eight persons. Smart screens allow residents to change the layout of walls, as well as their color, style, and decorative themes. The screens also reflect light waves, creating an aesthetically pleasing glow.
Our building is not only durable, but also replaceable. When the structure is in need of replacement (approximately 100 years), the agro-waste is re-compounded with new agricultural waste to reform the structure onto the existing frame. Sensors built into the carbon fiber frame send waves throughout the entire structure assessing cracks, breaks, and other flaws in the structure. This system records the flaws and when the flaws become too large or hazardous, engineers come to fix them. Using this system, the structures may endure for centuries.
CARE incorporates numerous green technologies to maximize efficiency. Our engineers researched multiple technologies and decided on Earthship design. Earthship design is the process of designing a home using the most efficient materials and technologies. Our engineers matched CARE to some of the more effective processes used in Earthships: “green” roofs and walls, and passive cooling. With different plants growing on the structure itself, green roofs provide food, recreation, and climate control. Passive cooling is a biomimicry concept—a building technology that mimics processes found in nature. Passive cooling mimics a termite nest, which is built to take advantage of natural solar heating and cooling from breezes. Like a termite mound, our building uses an intricate network of walls and windows to funnel air throughout the structure. It collects cool air that moves down and hot air that moves up. This regulates the temperature by controlling the amount of hot and cool air that flows through the building.
Although CARE is a very efficiently engineered community, it is not without faults. Agro-waste does not produce much extra refuse, but to dispose of any waste we use plasma gasification, a trash-disposal system that uses high temperatures to turn waste into a gas that can be made into textiles. Our plasma gasification system takes away almost all of the negative impact that the CARE system has on the environment.
CARE not only provides for the needs of thousands of refugees, it also enriches the entire community of our city. The quality of life and accommodations provided by CARE increases both land value and the overall appeal of our city. CARE promotes international cooperation and allows for everyone to find a place in Mamohatra. It provides public services and jobs for citizens that have nowhere else to go and minimizes crime by keeping the homeless off the streets. CARE’s technologies and systems provide a model for buildings everywhere. Soon, the CARE system will extend across the globe, leading to a tomorrow where the word ‘homeless’ is obsolete.
20100428
Responding to Crimes against Humanity: Prevention, Deployment, and Localization
Sophia Sanchez
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
St. Louis, Missouri
Coordinator: Megan McCorkle
“Never again” has long been the somber declaration of those victimized by crimes against humanity. It bears with it the hope that the international community can learn from past atrocities and, in the words of the United Nations Charter, “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”1 However, a lack of cohesive international action has meant that genocide, torture, and other such acts continue to occur. Based on lessons learned from case studies of Somalia and Rwanda, the international community should prevent escalation of conflict by addressing its socioeconomic root causes, maintain a long-term peacekeeping force that utilizes a multilateral approach, and establish a localized administration system bolstered by a structure of accountability.
The Somali conflict stemmed from decades of political and ethnic unrest, which was intensified by the regime of Siad Barre. The northern Issaq clan resented Siad Barre’s 1969 seizure of power, which established an ethnically Marehan government.2 In 1988, the Somali National Movement (SNM), a primarily northern endeavor, began an insurrection against the Barre regime.3 On January 27, 1991, Siad Barre fled the capital to escape the northern assault, causing a power struggle between the former United Somali Congress members.4
By the end of 1992, over 300,000 Somalis had died from the conflict.5 Human Rights Watch expressed its outrage at seeing Somali refugees “undergoing traumatic suffering with apparently no end in sight.”6 The United Nations later labeled the systematic rape, displacement, and torture by rival clans in Somalia as crimes against humanity as defined in Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.7
While rhetoric was in no short supply among global actors, the humanitarian response to the crisis proved inadequate. Relief efforts were complicated by the loss of 60 percent of Somalia’s infrastructure and insufficient peacekeeping forces.8 From October to December of 1992, the World Food Programme anticipated sending 100,000 metric tons of food to Somalia, but only distributed 18,900 metric tons.9 UNOSOM (United Nations Operations in Somalia) concentrated its forces in Mogadishu while leaving positions in smaller settlements unfilled, effectively cutting off assistance to certain regions of Somalia.10
As the atrocities mounted, international actors began to withdraw altogether from Somalia. On October 3 and 4, 1993, eighteen American soldiers were killed during the Battle of Mogadishu.11 Faction leader Mohammad Aideed used these deaths to increase foreign discontent with the Somali operations and rid the country of peacekeeping forces.12 By March 31, 1994, all United States forces had evacuated Somalia.13 Lacking support, UNOSOM disbanded one year later, and Somalia became the epitome of a failed state and a failed international intervention.14
The violence in Rwanda resulted from prolonged ethnic tension that erupted after the assassination of Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana. After Hutus overthrew the Tutsi king in 1959, displaced Tutsis formed the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) in Uganda.15 The RPF invaded Rwanda in 1990, marking the beginning of the civil war.16 Radio stations broadcast propaganda, urging Hutus to “exterminate the Tutsi cockroaches.”17 On April 6, 1994, President Habyarimana’s plane was shot down, an act the Hutus blamed on the Tutsis, and three months of genocide began.18
From April 6 to July 4, 1994, approximately 800,000 Rwandans were systematically murdered.19 Two million Rwandans fled to neighboring countries, where many ended up in disease-ridden refugee camps.20 On May 17, 1994, a UN Security Council resolution stated that “acts of genocide may have been committed,” but refrained from definitively labeling the Rwandan conflict “genocide.”21 As Vince Kern, director for African affairs and head of the Rwanda Task Force at the Pentagon, explained, “Genocide finding could commit [governments] to actually ‘do something.’ ”22 The genocide ended on July 4, 1994, when the RPF captured the capital city of Kigali, but Rwanda was left in ruins.23
Despite the international community’s knowledge of these atrocities, its response to the conflict in Rwanda proved woefully insufficient. A CIA report issued 20 days before Habyarimana’s assassination stated that 300,000 to 500,000 people could be killed if hostilities intensified.24 Clearly, the international community knew of the danger, but lacked a plan of action. Matters worsened when Hutu extremists murdered ten Belgians on April 7, 1994, prompting an international outcry.25 The United States closed its embassy, while the United Nations withdrew all but 270 UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda) peacekeeping troops for the duration of the genocide.26
After the conflict ended, the international community implemented a tiered judicial system that worked toward lasting peace. An international tribunal presided over high-profile cases, while the localized Gacaca court system handled less serious offenders.27 The courts held trials in each village to not only prosecute defendants accused of genocide, but also to promote reconciliation through dialogue and community service.28 Such localized reintegration programs may be the key to quelling ethnic tension. For example, after the Gacaca system was implemented in Sovu, Rwanda, only 2 percent of residents agreed with the statement “I prefer to buy things from a shopkeeper of my own ethnicity.”29 The Gacaca approach was one of the successes of the Rwandan intervention, although much work remains to be done.
With the atrocities committed in Somalia and Rwanda in mind, international actors should subdue conflict by addressing socioeconomic root causes. On a financial level, the international community should work to stabilize depressed economies in at-risk nations. One way this might be achieved is through microfinancing, a small-scale investment program that effectively stimulated post-war Rwandan farming.30 The international community should also address social tensions by targeting hate radio, which was a large factor in escalating ethnic resentment in both Somalia and Rwanda.31 International law should permit the destruction of hate-radio transmitters when an agreed-upon code of conduct is broken.32 The global community must address economic and social root causes of conflict if it hopes to effectively prevent mass atrocities from occurring.
On the national level, governments such as the United States should establish an interagency Atrocities Prevention Committee (APC), as outlined by the Genocide Prevention Task Force.33 The APC should work with the United Nations, subregional organizations, NGOs, and individual nations to coordinate information concerning at-risk nations. The committee should establish a tiered warning system, based on factors such as institutional racism, history of conflict, media propaganda, and leadership instability. Reports such as the one that predicted 300,000 to 500,000 deaths in Rwanda should immediately trigger an ad hoc meeting at the presidential level to discuss policy options. With mass atrocities like the Rwandan genocide occurring in the time span of 100 days, it is imperative that international actors be prepared to take quick and decisive action to prevent their occurrence.
Should the conflict reach a point where preventive measures are no longer possible, international peacekeeping forces should commit themselves to rapid deployment and long-term stationing. The United Nations should plan for troop deployment in at-risk nations within 30 days of a Security Council resolution.34 In order to supply sufficient peacekeeping forces, international organizations should capitalize on subregional offers of assistance and support a civilian police force within war-torn countries. The key is to create a multilateral coalition that reflects global sentiments, not to establish western imperialism. These measures can work to drastically decrease response time and increase long-term peacekeeping capabilities by involving troops at the international, regional, and national levels.
Finally, the United Nations, United States, and other international actors should rely on a decentralized peacekeeping approach, rather than focusing on an urban headquarters. In order to increase dissemination of aid, staffing small towns should be a greater priority than establishing a headquarters in the capital.35 Global actors can garner local support by admitting regional leaders into intervention discussions. In northern Somalia, UNOSOM incorporated local elders into policy meetings, which increased clan willingness to cooperate with the United Nations in dismantling anarchistic factions.36 Placing a priority on local intervention personnel leads to better distribution of aid and more effective peace negotiations.
The judicial system for crimes against humanity should likewise be localized. The system should be modeled on the Rwandan Gacacas, assigning a court to each village. As more criminals are brought to justice, localized court systems demonstrate that war crimes will be punished. Dialogue between the accused and the victimized and a sentence involving community service should be key facets of the courts. A system of accountability similar to the one in Rwanda, in which 90 percent of the electorate voted for Gacaca judges, would ensure that local judges have the consent of the people and are not arbitrarily appointed.37 Moreover, the international community should establish sentencing guidelines, which would standardize punishments and guarantee a focus on reintegration, not retribution. By utilizing a localized judicial system, the international community can transition from a goal of short-term peace to long-term stability.
In the wake of the atrocities in Somalia and Rwanda, it is critical that the international community learn to better protect against crimes against humanity. By addressing the root causes of conflict, rapidly deploying a long-term peacekeeping force, and shifting to a localized administration approach, international actors can convert rhetoric into results. The process will not happen overnight, but by implementing these policies, the international community can begin to make “never again” a reality.
Notes
1. Goodrich, Leland Matthew, and Edvard Isak Hambro. Charter of the United Nations: Commentary and Documents. London: World Peace Foundation, 1949.
2. Sahnoun, Mohamed. Somalia: The Missed Opportunities. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1994.
3. Brown, Michael E., and Richard N. Rosecrance. The Cost of Conflict: Prevention and Cure in the Global Arena. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1999.
4. Sahnoun. Somalia.
5. Bush, George. “Humanitarian Crisis in Somalia.” Lettter from President Bush to the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Washington, DC, December 10, 1992.
6. "Human Rights Watch World Report 1993—Somalia." Human Rights Watch. January 1, 1993. Accessed January 20, 2009. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/467fca601e.html
7. Rishmawi, Mona. "Situation of Human Rights in Somalia." UN Commission on Human Rights, Geneva. April 22, 1999.
8. "Somalia—UNOSOM I." United Nations Operations in Somalia I . March 21, 1997. Accessed 23 January 2009. http://www.un.org/Depts/DPKO/Missions/unosomi.htm
9. Sahnoun. Somalia.10. Ibid.
11. Smith, Michael. Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team. New York: St. Martin's, 2007.
12. Kaempf, Sebastian. “Somalia and General Aideed's Strategic Response to U.S. Intervention: Invoking America's Experiences in Lebanon and Vietnam.” Paper presented at the nnual meeting of the International Studies Association, Chicago, IL, 2007.
13. Copson, Raymond W. Africa's Wars and Prospects for Peace. New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1994.
14. Peterson, Scott. Me against My Brother: At War in Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda. New York: Routledge, 2000.
15. Cohen, Jared. One Hundred Days of Silence: America and the Rwanda Genocide. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.
16. Ibid.
17. Sutton, Barbara, Sandra Morgen, and Julie Novkov. Security Disarmed: Critical Perspectives on Gender, Race, and Militarization. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2008.
18. Khan, Shaharyar M., and Mary Robinson. The Shallow Graves of Rwanda. New York: I. B. Tauris, 2000.
19. Barnett, Michael. Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 2002.
20. "Rwanda: Accountability for War Crimes and Genocide." Special Report, January 1995. United States Institute of Peace. Accessed January 20, 2009.
http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/early/rwanda1.html
21. "Timeline: 100 Days of Genocide." BBC News, April 6, 2004. AccessedJanuary 21, 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3580247.stm
22. Kern, Vince. Discussion paper. Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East/Africa Region. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 18, 1998.
23. Cohen, Jared. One Hundred Days of Silence: America and the Rwanda Genocide. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield,2007.
24. Ibid.
25. Barnett, Michael. Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2002.
26. Ibid.
27. Drumbl, Mark A. Atrocity, Punishment, and International Law. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
28. Ibid.
29. Rettig, Max. "Gacaca: Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation in Postconflict Rwanda?" African Studies Review 51 (2008): 25¬–50.
30. Wilson, Tamsin. "Microfinance during and after Armed Conflict: Lessons from Angola, Cambodia, Mozambique, and Rwanda.” Concern Worldwide and the Springfield Centre for Business in Development. March 2002. AccessedJanuary 22 2009. http://www.microfinancegateway.org/files/14563_14563.pdf
31. Adelman, Howard, and Astri Suhrke. The Path of a Genocide: The Rwanda Crisis from Uganda to Zaire. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction, 2000.
32. As suggested in Allan Thompson and Kofi Annan. The Media and the Rwanda Genocide. Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto, 2007.
33. Albright, Madeleine K., and William S. Cohen, co-chairs. Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for U.S. Policymakers. Genocide Prevention Task Force. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, American Academy of Diplomacy, and United States Institute of Peace. 2008. Accessed January 21, 2009. http://www.usip.org/genocide_taskforce/pdf/FINAL%20REPORT.pdf
34. As suggested in Lakhdar Brahimi, chairman. Report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations. New York: United Nations, 2000.
35. Sahnoun. Somalia.
36. Ibid.
37. Brown, Jane. "Rwanda—Gacaca." Center for Communication Programs, John Hopkins University. 2005. Accessed January 19, 2009.
http://www.jhuccp.org/africa/rwanda/gacaca.shtml
Bibliography
Print Sources
Adelman, Howard, and Astri Suhrke. The Path of a Genocide: The Rwanda Crisis from Uganda to Zaire. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2000.
Barnett, Michael. Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2002.
Brahimi, Lakhdar, chairman. Report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations. New York: United Nations, 2000.
Brown, Michael E., and Richard N. Rosecrance. The Cost of Conflict: Prevention and Cure in the Global Arena. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield , 1999.
Bush, George. “Humanitarian Crisis in Somalia.” Lettter from President Bush to the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Washington, DC, December 10, 1992.
Cohen, Jared. One Hundred Days of Silence: America and the Rwanda Genocide. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.
Copson, Raymond W. Africa's Wars and Prospects for Peace. New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1994.
Drumbl, Mark A. Atrocity, Punishment, and International Law. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Goodrich, Leland Matthew, and Edvard Isak Hambro. Charter of the United Nations: Commentary and Documents. London: World Peace Foundation, 1949.
Kaempf, Sebastian. “Somalia and General Aideed's Strategic Response to U.S. Intervention: Invoking Americas Experiences in Lebanon and Vietnam.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association. Chicago, IL, 2007.
Kern, Vince. Discussion paper. Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East/Africa Region. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 18, 1998.
Khan, Shaharyar M., and Mary Robinson. The Shallow Graves of Rwanda. New York: I. B. Tauris, 2000.
Peterson, Scott. Me against My Brother: At War in Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda. New York: Routledge, 2000.
Rettig, Max. "Gacaca: Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation in Postconflict Rwanda?" African Studies Review 51 (2008): 25–50.
Rishmawi, Mona. "Situation of Human Rights in Somalia." UN Commission on Human Rights, Geneva. April 22, 1999.
Sahnoun, Mohamed. Somalia: The Missed Opportunities. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1994.
Smith, Michael. Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team. New York: St. Martin's, 2007.
Sutton, Barbara, Sandra Morgen, and Julie Novkov. Security Disarmed: Critical Perspectives on Gender, Race, and Militarization.
Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2008.
Thompson, Allan, and Kofi Annan. The Media and the Rwanda Genocide. Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto, 2007.
Internet Sources
Albright, Madeleine K., and William S. Cohen, co-chairs. Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for U.S. Policymakers. Genocide Prevention Task Force. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, American Academy of Diplomacy, and United States Institute of Peace. 2008. Accessed January 21, 2009. http://www.usip.org/genocide_taskforce/pdf/FINAL%20REPORT.pdf
Brown, Jane. "Rwanda—Gacaca." Center for Communication Programs, John Hopkins University. 2005. Accessed January 19, 2009. http://www.jhuccp.org/africa/rwanda/gacaca.shtml
"Human Rights Watch World Report 1993—Somalia." January 1, 1993. Human Rights Watch. Accessed January 20, 2009. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/467fca601e.html
"Rwanda: Accountability for War Crimes and Genocide." Special Report, January 1995. United States Institute of Peace. Accessed January 20, 2009. http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/early/rwanda1.html
"Somalia—UNOSOM I." United Nations Operations in Somalia I. March 21, 1997. Accessed January 23, 2009. http://www.un.org/Depts/DPKO/Missions/unosomi.htm
"Timeline: 100 Days of Genocide," BBC News, April 6, 2004. Accessed January 21, 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3580247.stm
Wilson, Tamsin. "Microfinance during and after Armed Conflict: Lessons from Angola, Cambodia, Mozambique and Rwanda.” Concern Worldwide and the Springfield Centre for Business in Development. March 2002. Accessed January 22, 2009. http://www.microfinancegateway.org/files/14563_14563.pdf
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
St. Louis, Missouri
Coordinator: Megan McCorkle
“Never again” has long been the somber declaration of those victimized by crimes against humanity. It bears with it the hope that the international community can learn from past atrocities and, in the words of the United Nations Charter, “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”1 However, a lack of cohesive international action has meant that genocide, torture, and other such acts continue to occur. Based on lessons learned from case studies of Somalia and Rwanda, the international community should prevent escalation of conflict by addressing its socioeconomic root causes, maintain a long-term peacekeeping force that utilizes a multilateral approach, and establish a localized administration system bolstered by a structure of accountability.
The Somali conflict stemmed from decades of political and ethnic unrest, which was intensified by the regime of Siad Barre. The northern Issaq clan resented Siad Barre’s 1969 seizure of power, which established an ethnically Marehan government.2 In 1988, the Somali National Movement (SNM), a primarily northern endeavor, began an insurrection against the Barre regime.3 On January 27, 1991, Siad Barre fled the capital to escape the northern assault, causing a power struggle between the former United Somali Congress members.4
By the end of 1992, over 300,000 Somalis had died from the conflict.5 Human Rights Watch expressed its outrage at seeing Somali refugees “undergoing traumatic suffering with apparently no end in sight.”6 The United Nations later labeled the systematic rape, displacement, and torture by rival clans in Somalia as crimes against humanity as defined in Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.7
While rhetoric was in no short supply among global actors, the humanitarian response to the crisis proved inadequate. Relief efforts were complicated by the loss of 60 percent of Somalia’s infrastructure and insufficient peacekeeping forces.8 From October to December of 1992, the World Food Programme anticipated sending 100,000 metric tons of food to Somalia, but only distributed 18,900 metric tons.9 UNOSOM (United Nations Operations in Somalia) concentrated its forces in Mogadishu while leaving positions in smaller settlements unfilled, effectively cutting off assistance to certain regions of Somalia.10
As the atrocities mounted, international actors began to withdraw altogether from Somalia. On October 3 and 4, 1993, eighteen American soldiers were killed during the Battle of Mogadishu.11 Faction leader Mohammad Aideed used these deaths to increase foreign discontent with the Somali operations and rid the country of peacekeeping forces.12 By March 31, 1994, all United States forces had evacuated Somalia.13 Lacking support, UNOSOM disbanded one year later, and Somalia became the epitome of a failed state and a failed international intervention.14
The violence in Rwanda resulted from prolonged ethnic tension that erupted after the assassination of Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana. After Hutus overthrew the Tutsi king in 1959, displaced Tutsis formed the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) in Uganda.15 The RPF invaded Rwanda in 1990, marking the beginning of the civil war.16 Radio stations broadcast propaganda, urging Hutus to “exterminate the Tutsi cockroaches.”17 On April 6, 1994, President Habyarimana’s plane was shot down, an act the Hutus blamed on the Tutsis, and three months of genocide began.18
From April 6 to July 4, 1994, approximately 800,000 Rwandans were systematically murdered.19 Two million Rwandans fled to neighboring countries, where many ended up in disease-ridden refugee camps.20 On May 17, 1994, a UN Security Council resolution stated that “acts of genocide may have been committed,” but refrained from definitively labeling the Rwandan conflict “genocide.”21 As Vince Kern, director for African affairs and head of the Rwanda Task Force at the Pentagon, explained, “Genocide finding could commit [governments] to actually ‘do something.’ ”22 The genocide ended on July 4, 1994, when the RPF captured the capital city of Kigali, but Rwanda was left in ruins.23
Despite the international community’s knowledge of these atrocities, its response to the conflict in Rwanda proved woefully insufficient. A CIA report issued 20 days before Habyarimana’s assassination stated that 300,000 to 500,000 people could be killed if hostilities intensified.24 Clearly, the international community knew of the danger, but lacked a plan of action. Matters worsened when Hutu extremists murdered ten Belgians on April 7, 1994, prompting an international outcry.25 The United States closed its embassy, while the United Nations withdrew all but 270 UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda) peacekeeping troops for the duration of the genocide.26
After the conflict ended, the international community implemented a tiered judicial system that worked toward lasting peace. An international tribunal presided over high-profile cases, while the localized Gacaca court system handled less serious offenders.27 The courts held trials in each village to not only prosecute defendants accused of genocide, but also to promote reconciliation through dialogue and community service.28 Such localized reintegration programs may be the key to quelling ethnic tension. For example, after the Gacaca system was implemented in Sovu, Rwanda, only 2 percent of residents agreed with the statement “I prefer to buy things from a shopkeeper of my own ethnicity.”29 The Gacaca approach was one of the successes of the Rwandan intervention, although much work remains to be done.
With the atrocities committed in Somalia and Rwanda in mind, international actors should subdue conflict by addressing socioeconomic root causes. On a financial level, the international community should work to stabilize depressed economies in at-risk nations. One way this might be achieved is through microfinancing, a small-scale investment program that effectively stimulated post-war Rwandan farming.30 The international community should also address social tensions by targeting hate radio, which was a large factor in escalating ethnic resentment in both Somalia and Rwanda.31 International law should permit the destruction of hate-radio transmitters when an agreed-upon code of conduct is broken.32 The global community must address economic and social root causes of conflict if it hopes to effectively prevent mass atrocities from occurring.
On the national level, governments such as the United States should establish an interagency Atrocities Prevention Committee (APC), as outlined by the Genocide Prevention Task Force.33 The APC should work with the United Nations, subregional organizations, NGOs, and individual nations to coordinate information concerning at-risk nations. The committee should establish a tiered warning system, based on factors such as institutional racism, history of conflict, media propaganda, and leadership instability. Reports such as the one that predicted 300,000 to 500,000 deaths in Rwanda should immediately trigger an ad hoc meeting at the presidential level to discuss policy options. With mass atrocities like the Rwandan genocide occurring in the time span of 100 days, it is imperative that international actors be prepared to take quick and decisive action to prevent their occurrence.
Should the conflict reach a point where preventive measures are no longer possible, international peacekeeping forces should commit themselves to rapid deployment and long-term stationing. The United Nations should plan for troop deployment in at-risk nations within 30 days of a Security Council resolution.34 In order to supply sufficient peacekeeping forces, international organizations should capitalize on subregional offers of assistance and support a civilian police force within war-torn countries. The key is to create a multilateral coalition that reflects global sentiments, not to establish western imperialism. These measures can work to drastically decrease response time and increase long-term peacekeeping capabilities by involving troops at the international, regional, and national levels.
Finally, the United Nations, United States, and other international actors should rely on a decentralized peacekeeping approach, rather than focusing on an urban headquarters. In order to increase dissemination of aid, staffing small towns should be a greater priority than establishing a headquarters in the capital.35 Global actors can garner local support by admitting regional leaders into intervention discussions. In northern Somalia, UNOSOM incorporated local elders into policy meetings, which increased clan willingness to cooperate with the United Nations in dismantling anarchistic factions.36 Placing a priority on local intervention personnel leads to better distribution of aid and more effective peace negotiations.
The judicial system for crimes against humanity should likewise be localized. The system should be modeled on the Rwandan Gacacas, assigning a court to each village. As more criminals are brought to justice, localized court systems demonstrate that war crimes will be punished. Dialogue between the accused and the victimized and a sentence involving community service should be key facets of the courts. A system of accountability similar to the one in Rwanda, in which 90 percent of the electorate voted for Gacaca judges, would ensure that local judges have the consent of the people and are not arbitrarily appointed.37 Moreover, the international community should establish sentencing guidelines, which would standardize punishments and guarantee a focus on reintegration, not retribution. By utilizing a localized judicial system, the international community can transition from a goal of short-term peace to long-term stability.
In the wake of the atrocities in Somalia and Rwanda, it is critical that the international community learn to better protect against crimes against humanity. By addressing the root causes of conflict, rapidly deploying a long-term peacekeeping force, and shifting to a localized administration approach, international actors can convert rhetoric into results. The process will not happen overnight, but by implementing these policies, the international community can begin to make “never again” a reality.
Notes
1. Goodrich, Leland Matthew, and Edvard Isak Hambro. Charter of the United Nations: Commentary and Documents. London: World Peace Foundation, 1949.
2. Sahnoun, Mohamed. Somalia: The Missed Opportunities. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1994.
3. Brown, Michael E., and Richard N. Rosecrance. The Cost of Conflict: Prevention and Cure in the Global Arena. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1999.
4. Sahnoun. Somalia.
5. Bush, George. “Humanitarian Crisis in Somalia.” Lettter from President Bush to the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Washington, DC, December 10, 1992.
6. "Human Rights Watch World Report 1993—Somalia." Human Rights Watch. January 1, 1993. Accessed January 20, 2009. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/467fca601e.html
7. Rishmawi, Mona. "Situation of Human Rights in Somalia." UN Commission on Human Rights, Geneva. April 22, 1999.
8. "Somalia—UNOSOM I." United Nations Operations in Somalia I . March 21, 1997. Accessed 23 January 2009. http://www.un.org/Depts/DPKO/Missions/unosomi.htm
9. Sahnoun. Somalia.10. Ibid.
11. Smith, Michael. Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team. New York: St. Martin's, 2007.
12. Kaempf, Sebastian. “Somalia and General Aideed's Strategic Response to U.S. Intervention: Invoking America's Experiences in Lebanon and Vietnam.” Paper presented at the nnual meeting of the International Studies Association, Chicago, IL, 2007.
13. Copson, Raymond W. Africa's Wars and Prospects for Peace. New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1994.
14. Peterson, Scott. Me against My Brother: At War in Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda. New York: Routledge, 2000.
15. Cohen, Jared. One Hundred Days of Silence: America and the Rwanda Genocide. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.
16. Ibid.
17. Sutton, Barbara, Sandra Morgen, and Julie Novkov. Security Disarmed: Critical Perspectives on Gender, Race, and Militarization. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2008.
18. Khan, Shaharyar M., and Mary Robinson. The Shallow Graves of Rwanda. New York: I. B. Tauris, 2000.
19. Barnett, Michael. Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 2002.
20. "Rwanda: Accountability for War Crimes and Genocide." Special Report, January 1995. United States Institute of Peace. Accessed January 20, 2009.
http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/early/rwanda1.html
21. "Timeline: 100 Days of Genocide." BBC News, April 6, 2004. AccessedJanuary 21, 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3580247.stm
22. Kern, Vince. Discussion paper. Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East/Africa Region. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 18, 1998.
23. Cohen, Jared. One Hundred Days of Silence: America and the Rwanda Genocide. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield,2007.
24. Ibid.
25. Barnett, Michael. Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2002.
26. Ibid.
27. Drumbl, Mark A. Atrocity, Punishment, and International Law. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
28. Ibid.
29. Rettig, Max. "Gacaca: Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation in Postconflict Rwanda?" African Studies Review 51 (2008): 25¬–50.
30. Wilson, Tamsin. "Microfinance during and after Armed Conflict: Lessons from Angola, Cambodia, Mozambique, and Rwanda.” Concern Worldwide and the Springfield Centre for Business in Development. March 2002. AccessedJanuary 22 2009. http://www.microfinancegateway.org/files/14563_14563.pdf
31. Adelman, Howard, and Astri Suhrke. The Path of a Genocide: The Rwanda Crisis from Uganda to Zaire. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction, 2000.
32. As suggested in Allan Thompson and Kofi Annan. The Media and the Rwanda Genocide. Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto, 2007.
33. Albright, Madeleine K., and William S. Cohen, co-chairs. Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for U.S. Policymakers. Genocide Prevention Task Force. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, American Academy of Diplomacy, and United States Institute of Peace. 2008. Accessed January 21, 2009. http://www.usip.org/genocide_taskforce/pdf/FINAL%20REPORT.pdf
34. As suggested in Lakhdar Brahimi, chairman. Report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations. New York: United Nations, 2000.
35. Sahnoun. Somalia.
36. Ibid.
37. Brown, Jane. "Rwanda—Gacaca." Center for Communication Programs, John Hopkins University. 2005. Accessed January 19, 2009.
http://www.jhuccp.org/africa/rwanda/gacaca.shtml
Bibliography
Print Sources
Adelman, Howard, and Astri Suhrke. The Path of a Genocide: The Rwanda Crisis from Uganda to Zaire. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2000.
Barnett, Michael. Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2002.
Brahimi, Lakhdar, chairman. Report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations. New York: United Nations, 2000.
Brown, Michael E., and Richard N. Rosecrance. The Cost of Conflict: Prevention and Cure in the Global Arena. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield , 1999.
Bush, George. “Humanitarian Crisis in Somalia.” Lettter from President Bush to the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Washington, DC, December 10, 1992.
Cohen, Jared. One Hundred Days of Silence: America and the Rwanda Genocide. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.
Copson, Raymond W. Africa's Wars and Prospects for Peace. New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1994.
Drumbl, Mark A. Atrocity, Punishment, and International Law. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Goodrich, Leland Matthew, and Edvard Isak Hambro. Charter of the United Nations: Commentary and Documents. London: World Peace Foundation, 1949.
Kaempf, Sebastian. “Somalia and General Aideed's Strategic Response to U.S. Intervention: Invoking Americas Experiences in Lebanon and Vietnam.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association. Chicago, IL, 2007.
Kern, Vince. Discussion paper. Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East/Africa Region. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 18, 1998.
Khan, Shaharyar M., and Mary Robinson. The Shallow Graves of Rwanda. New York: I. B. Tauris, 2000.
Peterson, Scott. Me against My Brother: At War in Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda. New York: Routledge, 2000.
Rettig, Max. "Gacaca: Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation in Postconflict Rwanda?" African Studies Review 51 (2008): 25–50.
Rishmawi, Mona. "Situation of Human Rights in Somalia." UN Commission on Human Rights, Geneva. April 22, 1999.
Sahnoun, Mohamed. Somalia: The Missed Opportunities. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1994.
Smith, Michael. Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team. New York: St. Martin's, 2007.
Sutton, Barbara, Sandra Morgen, and Julie Novkov. Security Disarmed: Critical Perspectives on Gender, Race, and Militarization.
Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2008.
Thompson, Allan, and Kofi Annan. The Media and the Rwanda Genocide. Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto, 2007.
Internet Sources
Albright, Madeleine K., and William S. Cohen, co-chairs. Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for U.S. Policymakers. Genocide Prevention Task Force. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, American Academy of Diplomacy, and United States Institute of Peace. 2008. Accessed January 21, 2009. http://www.usip.org/genocide_taskforce/pdf/FINAL%20REPORT.pdf
Brown, Jane. "Rwanda—Gacaca." Center for Communication Programs, John Hopkins University. 2005. Accessed January 19, 2009. http://www.jhuccp.org/africa/rwanda/gacaca.shtml
"Human Rights Watch World Report 1993—Somalia." January 1, 1993. Human Rights Watch. Accessed January 20, 2009. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/467fca601e.html
"Rwanda: Accountability for War Crimes and Genocide." Special Report, January 1995. United States Institute of Peace. Accessed January 20, 2009. http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/early/rwanda1.html
"Somalia—UNOSOM I." United Nations Operations in Somalia I. March 21, 1997. Accessed January 23, 2009. http://www.un.org/Depts/DPKO/Missions/unosomi.htm
"Timeline: 100 Days of Genocide," BBC News, April 6, 2004. Accessed January 21, 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3580247.stm
Wilson, Tamsin. "Microfinance during and after Armed Conflict: Lessons from Angola, Cambodia, Mozambique and Rwanda.” Concern Worldwide and the Springfield Centre for Business in Development. March 2002. Accessed January 22, 2009. http://www.microfinancegateway.org/files/14563_14563.pdf
20100426
Being an American 2
Hannah Deindorfer, Great Lakes Region
Saranac High School, Saranac, MI; Teacher: Cynthia Sanford
No one expected that creating a country would be easy. From the Mayflower Compact, to the Declaration of Independence, to the Bill of Rights, America's Founders had to fight against every imaginable odd to create the country that I know and love today. Without the civic virtue of perseverance, America would be nothing more than a British colony. Perseverance is defined as a steady persistence in a course of action, in spite of difficulties, obstacles, and discouragement. Americans have truly faced all of the above, but it is equally true that members of this nation have displayed, without falter, the perseverance necessary to overcome any
difficulty, all obstacles, and every discouragement imaginable. In December of 1776, Americans were in the midst of the Revolutionary War, and facing the largest obstacle
to the freedom and existence of this country that has ever existed. At first, patriot soldiers were buoyed with confidence, especially after the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the quick response of minutemen at Lexington and Concord. But when December came, it was a different story. Washington's troops were on the run, lacking
basic supplies, and the outlook for victory was bleak. In this dark time, no document embodied what it means to be an American more than Thomas Paine's The American Crisis. This pamphlet, written on a drum, declared to all that, "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will...shrink from the service of the country, but he that stands now, deserves the loved and thanks of man and woman." General George Washington was so moved by Paine's patriotic rhetoric that he read The American Crisis to his troops just before their enlistments were up, and many were encouraged to persevere and eventually win the war for independence. The spirit of Thomas Paine's famous series of articles lived on through the end of the victorious Revolution to the 1800s. An African American woman named Harriet Tubman was faced with adversity from birth. Harriet was born a slave in 1820, and by the age of thirteen, she was used as a field hand by her cruel master. In 1849,Harriet resolved to run away. She left the plantation where she was raised and abused, and followed the North Star all the way to Philadelphia. What truly makes Harriet an American hero was that she persevered into slave country nineteen times. Harriet escorted over three hundred slaves to freedom, and as the most wellknown conductor of the Underground Railroad, she "never lost a passenger." By 1856, the price for the capture of Harriet Tubman was $40,000. On any of her dangerous journeys, she could have been easily caught or killed, but to Tubman, persevering to secure the freedom of others was worth more than her own life. Though I haven't found myself leading slaves to freedom, I have persevered through adversity in my own life. When I was thirteen years old, my father was diagnosed with a serious illness. This disease threatened to tear my family apart. For the next year, I faced the most difficult time of my life. As the oldest child, I had to set an example of courage for my younger siblings. Though I wanted to break down, I had to stay steady for them. In the midst of this personal crisis, I found my own strength and sense of perseverance. Today, my dad has his disorder under control and my family is closer than ever. I thank God every day for giving me the will to persevere. Thomas Paine said, "What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is darkness only that gives everything its value." The history of the United States has been built on fighting for what we hold dear. In the face of
darkness, persevering to reach our goals is the only thing that matters. To me, being an American means always striving for something better and never giving up. "Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm...will pursue his principles unto death." Thomas Paine believed, like me, that nothing is
more important than aspiring to bring one's own ideals to realization. In a moment of adversity, it is easy to give up, but a true American has the strength to persevere.
Saranac High School, Saranac, MI; Teacher: Cynthia Sanford
No one expected that creating a country would be easy. From the Mayflower Compact, to the Declaration of Independence, to the Bill of Rights, America's Founders had to fight against every imaginable odd to create the country that I know and love today. Without the civic virtue of perseverance, America would be nothing more than a British colony. Perseverance is defined as a steady persistence in a course of action, in spite of difficulties, obstacles, and discouragement. Americans have truly faced all of the above, but it is equally true that members of this nation have displayed, without falter, the perseverance necessary to overcome any
difficulty, all obstacles, and every discouragement imaginable. In December of 1776, Americans were in the midst of the Revolutionary War, and facing the largest obstacle
to the freedom and existence of this country that has ever existed. At first, patriot soldiers were buoyed with confidence, especially after the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the quick response of minutemen at Lexington and Concord. But when December came, it was a different story. Washington's troops were on the run, lacking
basic supplies, and the outlook for victory was bleak. In this dark time, no document embodied what it means to be an American more than Thomas Paine's The American Crisis. This pamphlet, written on a drum, declared to all that, "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will...shrink from the service of the country, but he that stands now, deserves the loved and thanks of man and woman." General George Washington was so moved by Paine's patriotic rhetoric that he read The American Crisis to his troops just before their enlistments were up, and many were encouraged to persevere and eventually win the war for independence. The spirit of Thomas Paine's famous series of articles lived on through the end of the victorious Revolution to the 1800s. An African American woman named Harriet Tubman was faced with adversity from birth. Harriet was born a slave in 1820, and by the age of thirteen, she was used as a field hand by her cruel master. In 1849,Harriet resolved to run away. She left the plantation where she was raised and abused, and followed the North Star all the way to Philadelphia. What truly makes Harriet an American hero was that she persevered into slave country nineteen times. Harriet escorted over three hundred slaves to freedom, and as the most wellknown conductor of the Underground Railroad, she "never lost a passenger." By 1856, the price for the capture of Harriet Tubman was $40,000. On any of her dangerous journeys, she could have been easily caught or killed, but to Tubman, persevering to secure the freedom of others was worth more than her own life. Though I haven't found myself leading slaves to freedom, I have persevered through adversity in my own life. When I was thirteen years old, my father was diagnosed with a serious illness. This disease threatened to tear my family apart. For the next year, I faced the most difficult time of my life. As the oldest child, I had to set an example of courage for my younger siblings. Though I wanted to break down, I had to stay steady for them. In the midst of this personal crisis, I found my own strength and sense of perseverance. Today, my dad has his disorder under control and my family is closer than ever. I thank God every day for giving me the will to persevere. Thomas Paine said, "What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is darkness only that gives everything its value." The history of the United States has been built on fighting for what we hold dear. In the face of
darkness, persevering to reach our goals is the only thing that matters. To me, being an American means always striving for something better and never giving up. "Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm...will pursue his principles unto death." Thomas Paine believed, like me, that nothing is
more important than aspiring to bring one's own ideals to realization. In a moment of adversity, it is easy to give up, but a true American has the strength to persevere.
20100425
Being an American
Lindsey Bergholz, Great Lakes Region
Hindsdale Central High School, Burr Ridge, IL; Teacher: Christian Korfist
When Thomas Paine published Common Sense in 1776, he seized the initiative to challenge British authority and rally Americans to pursue independence from Great Britain. Our 11th President, James Polk, demonstrated this essential American civic value when he enlarged this country by 800,000 square miles. When I set a goal for myself, to be a radio program manager for our high school, I followed those models and took actions to achieve my goals. Throughout American history, our leaders have demonstrated a core civic value: initiative. By displaying zealous ambition, our Founding Fathers bettered themselves and our country;nowhere in the world is this value as strongly evidenced as in America.On January 10th of 1776, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet to encourage Americans to take action against Britain to secure our independence. Thomas Paine's writing was one of the catalysts moving the country to action. In the first three months of its publication, 120,000 copies were sold. Common Sense was recognized as important in its time, but also by others such as Andrew Jackson years later who stated, "Thomas Paine needs no monument made by hands; he has erected a monument in the hearts of all lovers of liberty." Paine wrote
that "time makes more converts than reason," understanding that many people need a lot of time to change their minds; but his urging relied on reason, common sense, and emotion to get people to take the initiative with him. He realized our battle for independence would have to start with individuals taking the initiative to
successfully accomplish the revolution. Less than six months after the publication of this effective document,Common Sense stood by our side as the gunshots began.
President James Polk offers another model of the American civic value, initiative. The "dark horse" of the 1844 election, President Polk overcame many adversities. His beginnings were filled with sickness and poverty. He was raised by an illiterate father, yet persuaded his dad to send him to school. Polk took steps to gain an education, believing in his own potential. Polk then went on to win the 1844 election. "Young Hickory" was elected on his campaign promise to further the nation's expansion. Relying on his political acumen, Polk took the initiative by keeping sustained pressure on Britain to make a treaty and cede the Oregon Territory to the United States. We came close to war, but President Polk utilized his strategic abilities perfectly. He set troops on the corners of the territory boundaries, making it clear to Britain that Polk would fight before letting Britain gain land. Each additional square mile Polk gained was due to his initiative; by
taking the steps necessary to ensure his success, our 11th President is remembered as a man of action and brilliance.I model my own behavior on people like Polk and Paine. My high school broadcasts many radio programs on a local station. Being a manager is a coveted spot. Managers are entrusted with responsibilities; it takes
dedication and initiative to be chosen. My goal freshman year was to achieve this unique position. Each year I signed up for radio and participated, practicing my impromptu with a coach. Each year I studied the field.Each year I built relationships with the people around me. I came in before and after school, working to better myself, improving my chances, gaining knowledge to help me in the future. I initiated a journey that taught me about myself. The journey rewarded me with the manager position, which I fulfill today with great pride and personal satisfaction. I did not wait around for things to happen: I took the initiative for which Americans are famous. Thomas Paine wrote: "I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense." Paine's initiative to write, to publish, and to speak aloud moved a population to action. When President Polk won the 1844 election he seized the initiative to follow through on his campaign promise to enlarge the country. He acted on this great civic value that inspires us to make things better – for our country and for ourselves. I imagined myself as a radio manager and then seized the day; I achieved my goal through the powerful civic value of initiative. Throughout American history, most major turning points that have led to positive changes have begun with one person taking the initiative, and so it will continue to be.
Hindsdale Central High School, Burr Ridge, IL; Teacher: Christian Korfist
When Thomas Paine published Common Sense in 1776, he seized the initiative to challenge British authority and rally Americans to pursue independence from Great Britain. Our 11th President, James Polk, demonstrated this essential American civic value when he enlarged this country by 800,000 square miles. When I set a goal for myself, to be a radio program manager for our high school, I followed those models and took actions to achieve my goals. Throughout American history, our leaders have demonstrated a core civic value: initiative. By displaying zealous ambition, our Founding Fathers bettered themselves and our country;nowhere in the world is this value as strongly evidenced as in America.On January 10th of 1776, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet to encourage Americans to take action against Britain to secure our independence. Thomas Paine's writing was one of the catalysts moving the country to action. In the first three months of its publication, 120,000 copies were sold. Common Sense was recognized as important in its time, but also by others such as Andrew Jackson years later who stated, "Thomas Paine needs no monument made by hands; he has erected a monument in the hearts of all lovers of liberty." Paine wrote
that "time makes more converts than reason," understanding that many people need a lot of time to change their minds; but his urging relied on reason, common sense, and emotion to get people to take the initiative with him. He realized our battle for independence would have to start with individuals taking the initiative to
successfully accomplish the revolution. Less than six months after the publication of this effective document,Common Sense stood by our side as the gunshots began.
President James Polk offers another model of the American civic value, initiative. The "dark horse" of the 1844 election, President Polk overcame many adversities. His beginnings were filled with sickness and poverty. He was raised by an illiterate father, yet persuaded his dad to send him to school. Polk took steps to gain an education, believing in his own potential. Polk then went on to win the 1844 election. "Young Hickory" was elected on his campaign promise to further the nation's expansion. Relying on his political acumen, Polk took the initiative by keeping sustained pressure on Britain to make a treaty and cede the Oregon Territory to the United States. We came close to war, but President Polk utilized his strategic abilities perfectly. He set troops on the corners of the territory boundaries, making it clear to Britain that Polk would fight before letting Britain gain land. Each additional square mile Polk gained was due to his initiative; by
taking the steps necessary to ensure his success, our 11th President is remembered as a man of action and brilliance.I model my own behavior on people like Polk and Paine. My high school broadcasts many radio programs on a local station. Being a manager is a coveted spot. Managers are entrusted with responsibilities; it takes
dedication and initiative to be chosen. My goal freshman year was to achieve this unique position. Each year I signed up for radio and participated, practicing my impromptu with a coach. Each year I studied the field.Each year I built relationships with the people around me. I came in before and after school, working to better myself, improving my chances, gaining knowledge to help me in the future. I initiated a journey that taught me about myself. The journey rewarded me with the manager position, which I fulfill today with great pride and personal satisfaction. I did not wait around for things to happen: I took the initiative for which Americans are famous. Thomas Paine wrote: "I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense." Paine's initiative to write, to publish, and to speak aloud moved a population to action. When President Polk won the 1844 election he seized the initiative to follow through on his campaign promise to enlarge the country. He acted on this great civic value that inspires us to make things better – for our country and for ourselves. I imagined myself as a radio manager and then seized the day; I achieved my goal through the powerful civic value of initiative. Throughout American history, most major turning points that have led to positive changes have begun with one person taking the initiative, and so it will continue to be.
20100424
My Idea To Promote Reusable Energy
by Chelsie Kamauoha
The number of street lamps in Hawaii has struck me as a great problem concerning energy. There are numerous street lamps bordering Hawaii’s roads and the cost to provide the electricity for these lights is very expensive. I believe that by replacing the current street lights with solar powered LED lights will benefit Hawaii’s taxpayers and save electricity that is constantly being wasted.
The majority of all street lamps run on high powered light bulbs which are the cause of a huge amount of wasted energy. These light bulbs usually run on about 150 to 250 watts of electricity. Portland, Maine, paying an average of about $1.3 million on electricity needed to sustain street lamps alone, is an example of a city that wastes large amounts of money and electricity. There are huge amounts of money being spent, that is reality do not have to be. The reason why we still have these old fashioned light bulbs in our street lamps is because they are cheep to buy and install, however I have come to find that these light bulbs have turned out to be expensive to light and maintain.
My solution is to replace these expensive old fashioned lights with the combination of both solar panels and LED lights. The cost to maintain these lights and to actually light them will be a strikingly lesser cost then the traditional lights we use today. The positive aspect about his solutions in that the current light poles do not need to be removed; the LED lights and the solar panels can be mounted on. However, the street lamps will remain connected to an outside power supply incase enough solar energy is not given. The taxpayer’s money that is normally used to pay for electricity can be used for more important and necessary things. The money can be used for things such as paving roads, cleaning towns, or possibly reducing or ending furloughs.
The number of street lamps in Hawaii has struck me as a great problem concerning energy. There are numerous street lamps bordering Hawaii’s roads and the cost to provide the electricity for these lights is very expensive. I believe that by replacing the current street lights with solar powered LED lights will benefit Hawaii’s taxpayers and save electricity that is constantly being wasted.
The majority of all street lamps run on high powered light bulbs which are the cause of a huge amount of wasted energy. These light bulbs usually run on about 150 to 250 watts of electricity. Portland, Maine, paying an average of about $1.3 million on electricity needed to sustain street lamps alone, is an example of a city that wastes large amounts of money and electricity. There are huge amounts of money being spent, that is reality do not have to be. The reason why we still have these old fashioned light bulbs in our street lamps is because they are cheep to buy and install, however I have come to find that these light bulbs have turned out to be expensive to light and maintain.
My solution is to replace these expensive old fashioned lights with the combination of both solar panels and LED lights. The cost to maintain these lights and to actually light them will be a strikingly lesser cost then the traditional lights we use today. The positive aspect about his solutions in that the current light poles do not need to be removed; the LED lights and the solar panels can be mounted on. However, the street lamps will remain connected to an outside power supply incase enough solar energy is not given. The taxpayer’s money that is normally used to pay for electricity can be used for more important and necessary things. The money can be used for things such as paving roads, cleaning towns, or possibly reducing or ending furloughs.
20100423
A Child's Hope
By SAM GREYDANUS, 8th Grade
Across the world's many religions, we have entered a season of benevolent feeling and confidence in the human race. During this brumal time of year, religious hope lights our lives. Hope also illuminates our world in the midst of physical, economic, and environmental strife. Now is the time when we shed our customary pessimism and unite in anticipation for a better world. This is the season to hope for a planet free of starvation, oppression, and injustice. As we celebrate during this holiday season, we glimpse a positive future amidst the current turmoil.
This is also the time of year for service. Use your anticipation for a better world to make the one we already have into a more perfect place. Become a better citizen in your community, your country, and your world. Whether you give a donation to the Salvation Army bell-ringer or begin a crusade against carbon emissions, every contribution from every individual makes a difference. On each level there is much work to be done and on each level there is the capacity to accomplish that work. In each person there lies the ability, and therefore the responsibility, to make the world a better place. Every day, strive to give as well as take and to help as well as be helped. In this time of challenges, welcome your responsibility of stewardship as a privilege.
Finally, these months are a time of tranquility and goodwill. Accomplish your goals without violence and make your points without intimidation. Favor diplomacy over force and peace over war. Remember that those who seek to accomplish their goals through weapons, fear, and tyranny are the enemies of all of humanity while those who solve disputes through compromise and conversation are the cornerstone of a free and just society. This does not mean, however, that we will back away from any injustice standing in the way of progress toward freedom. This time is a season of opportunities. Respect the basic rights of your fellow citizens and join in the effort to improve the world.
Across the world's many religions, we have entered a season of benevolent feeling and confidence in the human race. During this brumal time of year, religious hope lights our lives. Hope also illuminates our world in the midst of physical, economic, and environmental strife. Now is the time when we shed our customary pessimism and unite in anticipation for a better world. This is the season to hope for a planet free of starvation, oppression, and injustice. As we celebrate during this holiday season, we glimpse a positive future amidst the current turmoil.
This is also the time of year for service. Use your anticipation for a better world to make the one we already have into a more perfect place. Become a better citizen in your community, your country, and your world. Whether you give a donation to the Salvation Army bell-ringer or begin a crusade against carbon emissions, every contribution from every individual makes a difference. On each level there is much work to be done and on each level there is the capacity to accomplish that work. In each person there lies the ability, and therefore the responsibility, to make the world a better place. Every day, strive to give as well as take and to help as well as be helped. In this time of challenges, welcome your responsibility of stewardship as a privilege.
Finally, these months are a time of tranquility and goodwill. Accomplish your goals without violence and make your points without intimidation. Favor diplomacy over force and peace over war. Remember that those who seek to accomplish their goals through weapons, fear, and tyranny are the enemies of all of humanity while those who solve disputes through compromise and conversation are the cornerstone of a free and just society. This does not mean, however, that we will back away from any injustice standing in the way of progress toward freedom. This time is a season of opportunities. Respect the basic rights of your fellow citizens and join in the effort to improve the world.
20100422
A Renewable Hawaii
by Kona Johnson, HI
America is increasingly becoming a nation of, by and for big businesses and not the people. An unfair yet undisputed fact in American politics is that money equals power- and unfortunately the big corporations possess more money than anyone else within our nation. As a result, through millions of dollars in lobbying efforts and campaign finance we have seen much needed reforms blocked and big business supporting politicians continuously elected. Specifically and most devastatingly, we have seen little effort at an increase in the innovation of renewable energy sources and self-sustainability. Ralph Nader outlines our dilemma best asserting that, “The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun.”
With this in mind we have to look to local sources of renewable energy that can be implemented in order to increase the sustainability of our communities and neighborhoods. One such source of renewable energy that is perfect for Hawaii is wave power.
This untapped source of power is perfect for sustainability efforts in Hawaii because of a plethora of reasons. For one, in areas of high wave and wind activity (like Hawaii) these underwater turbines have proven to be extremely proficient at energy collection. As compared to solar energy, for example, wave power has proven to be more beneficial because it allows for an energy collection during the night and during times of rainy overcast weather (where solar panels don’t). Wave power potential also outweighs wind energy potential because water is 389 times denser than air allowing it to create the same amount of energy with a turbine one-third the size of the average wind turbine. Not only does this decrease in size drastically cut overall costs, but also because these turbines are underwater they receive zero threat from almost all natural disasters.
In north England, one of the few places that wave power is implemented currently; leading scientists estimate that waves alone could potentially power 15-20 percent of the whole UK. Wave technology goes further than simply showing potential though; recently a wave hub- a new device used to transfer wave electricity (much like an extension cable)- was installed along the coastline of Cornwall, England. This simple extension of the wave turbines is estimated to already provide full time electricity for more than 10,000 homes and as a result is also estimated to stop over 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide in the next 25 years.
Fortunately for Hawaii residents one of the few wave power bases in America is located right here on the east side of our island on Makapu peninsula. The base is actually an ideal model of how wave powered outlets should be expanded throughout Hawaii and also how these bases will work. According to Star Bulletin news, “the base is not only super efficient, but as a result it’s windward sides largest employer, where hundreds of civilians work in support of the bases mission to become self sustainable.” Currently one third of the bases power comes from solar and wave energy and according to leaders among the base, they soon hope to become totally self sufficient as well as become providers of energy around Hawaii. Focusing on expanding this marine base and creating wave-powered generators around the island simply makes sense. It’s not something drastically new and labor intensive such as creating plantations of sugar cane to convert to energy and fuel, plus it would be one of the most proficient methods to collect energy. Not only that but, as we can see through the base in Makapu, creating and expanding these wave centers will allow for employment of thousands of citizens- in turn boosting our economic output as well as the intellect and awareness of community members.
America is quickly becoming a nation of, by and for big businesses; renewable energy and self-sustainability will bring it back to the people.
America is increasingly becoming a nation of, by and for big businesses and not the people. An unfair yet undisputed fact in American politics is that money equals power- and unfortunately the big corporations possess more money than anyone else within our nation. As a result, through millions of dollars in lobbying efforts and campaign finance we have seen much needed reforms blocked and big business supporting politicians continuously elected. Specifically and most devastatingly, we have seen little effort at an increase in the innovation of renewable energy sources and self-sustainability. Ralph Nader outlines our dilemma best asserting that, “The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun.”
With this in mind we have to look to local sources of renewable energy that can be implemented in order to increase the sustainability of our communities and neighborhoods. One such source of renewable energy that is perfect for Hawaii is wave power.
This untapped source of power is perfect for sustainability efforts in Hawaii because of a plethora of reasons. For one, in areas of high wave and wind activity (like Hawaii) these underwater turbines have proven to be extremely proficient at energy collection. As compared to solar energy, for example, wave power has proven to be more beneficial because it allows for an energy collection during the night and during times of rainy overcast weather (where solar panels don’t). Wave power potential also outweighs wind energy potential because water is 389 times denser than air allowing it to create the same amount of energy with a turbine one-third the size of the average wind turbine. Not only does this decrease in size drastically cut overall costs, but also because these turbines are underwater they receive zero threat from almost all natural disasters.
In north England, one of the few places that wave power is implemented currently; leading scientists estimate that waves alone could potentially power 15-20 percent of the whole UK. Wave technology goes further than simply showing potential though; recently a wave hub- a new device used to transfer wave electricity (much like an extension cable)- was installed along the coastline of Cornwall, England. This simple extension of the wave turbines is estimated to already provide full time electricity for more than 10,000 homes and as a result is also estimated to stop over 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide in the next 25 years.
Fortunately for Hawaii residents one of the few wave power bases in America is located right here on the east side of our island on Makapu peninsula. The base is actually an ideal model of how wave powered outlets should be expanded throughout Hawaii and also how these bases will work. According to Star Bulletin news, “the base is not only super efficient, but as a result it’s windward sides largest employer, where hundreds of civilians work in support of the bases mission to become self sustainable.” Currently one third of the bases power comes from solar and wave energy and according to leaders among the base, they soon hope to become totally self sufficient as well as become providers of energy around Hawaii. Focusing on expanding this marine base and creating wave-powered generators around the island simply makes sense. It’s not something drastically new and labor intensive such as creating plantations of sugar cane to convert to energy and fuel, plus it would be one of the most proficient methods to collect energy. Not only that but, as we can see through the base in Makapu, creating and expanding these wave centers will allow for employment of thousands of citizens- in turn boosting our economic output as well as the intellect and awareness of community members.
America is quickly becoming a nation of, by and for big businesses; renewable energy and self-sustainability will bring it back to the people.
20100419
Recycling = Love
by Ashleigh Dreyer
Michigan School for the Deaf
Flint, MI
To me, recycling equals love. Recycling involves sacrificing your time to care for the world that is covered with an absurd amount of garbage. Now, if you love the world, you should show kindness. If you have love for natural beauty and for our future generations, you should start saving the environment because it is our one and only world. Before you start, can you think about what really can convince every single person to recycle forever? There are countless ideas that make recycling easier, and an infinity of reasons to want a cleaner environment.
The very first idea is to make recycling a law. I would have to admit that I am not a very responsible person with recycling milk cartons, cereal boxes, and pop cans. I may forget or be lazy, but I still do want to recycle anyway. That is the point, because more than half of our recyclable trash is in landfills. These landfills are becoming hills that are high enough to ski down. So how can we stop with our lazy behavior of not recycling reusable items? In 1990, former governor Tommy G. Thompson of Wisconsin signed into law a mandatory recycling act which bans all recyclable materials, such as cardboard, aluminum, office paper, glass, etc., from all landfills in the state. If you throw these recyclable materials in your trash can, it will be tagged with a notice, it will not be picked up, and the owners of the house will be fined. Imagine having that law in all 50 states, and perhaps on every continent. It would definitely be an effective method of saving the environment, and provide fewer landfills to ski down.
The second idea is to buy organic products. One week I went to a friend's house whose parents are very eco-friendly. Their pantry was unbelievingly full of organic foods. I ate a bit of an organic snack bar; I actually felt good to have more fiber in my diet, and the wrapper itself felt different because it was made from recyclable paper. Anyhow, have you ever noticed that when you buy a bag of Doritos and you open it, it's only half full? That is a complete waste of material. Boyce Ayliffe, a researcher for the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM), did his research on packaging material. IFOAM has its own principles to guide organic production and processing. The processors are required to avoid unnecessary packaging material and to use recyclable and biodegradable packaging whenever possible. Think about it; if you buy organic products with less packaging material, you will have less garbage in your wastebasket. Not only that, it also helps the environment and the organic food contains natural ingredients (which is healthier for your body). Nevertheless, if we want to live green, I think we all should buy organic products for this purpose.
The third idea is to shop at thrift stores. Growing up I never liked shopping at resale stores, but my mom always forced me. Then one day I bought an adorable strapless cotton-print shirt for only two bucks from a resale shop called Top Drawer. Everybody asked me, "Where did you get that shirt?" Since that experience, I have been stopping at thrift stores first before I go to retail stores. So instead of spending your money on an expensive item, how about saving some cash and helping out the environment by shopping at a thrift store? Thrift store shopping is just another way of recycling. If you buy used items, you will make a difference by keeping clothes out of landfills. When you are looking for an item, think green. Maybe you could find a plain T-shirt and add some cool fabric to it. It takes only a minute to be creative to save hundreds of years of decaying textiles in our landfills. Thrift store shopping can be simply a fun, green experience for everyone.
Not only are these three things what I am doing to help the environment, but if people will do these small things, then we can all jump on the wheel and make it a habit to recycle and reuse. Just like the Earth spins around unstoppable, so should our love for the environment. Recycling is a labor of love, and the amount of garbage that is created every day will never decrease if we don't have feelings for the environment. We only need to have a love for natural beauty and for our future generations.
Michigan School for the Deaf
Flint, MI
To me, recycling equals love. Recycling involves sacrificing your time to care for the world that is covered with an absurd amount of garbage. Now, if you love the world, you should show kindness. If you have love for natural beauty and for our future generations, you should start saving the environment because it is our one and only world. Before you start, can you think about what really can convince every single person to recycle forever? There are countless ideas that make recycling easier, and an infinity of reasons to want a cleaner environment.
The very first idea is to make recycling a law. I would have to admit that I am not a very responsible person with recycling milk cartons, cereal boxes, and pop cans. I may forget or be lazy, but I still do want to recycle anyway. That is the point, because more than half of our recyclable trash is in landfills. These landfills are becoming hills that are high enough to ski down. So how can we stop with our lazy behavior of not recycling reusable items? In 1990, former governor Tommy G. Thompson of Wisconsin signed into law a mandatory recycling act which bans all recyclable materials, such as cardboard, aluminum, office paper, glass, etc., from all landfills in the state. If you throw these recyclable materials in your trash can, it will be tagged with a notice, it will not be picked up, and the owners of the house will be fined. Imagine having that law in all 50 states, and perhaps on every continent. It would definitely be an effective method of saving the environment, and provide fewer landfills to ski down.
The second idea is to buy organic products. One week I went to a friend's house whose parents are very eco-friendly. Their pantry was unbelievingly full of organic foods. I ate a bit of an organic snack bar; I actually felt good to have more fiber in my diet, and the wrapper itself felt different because it was made from recyclable paper. Anyhow, have you ever noticed that when you buy a bag of Doritos and you open it, it's only half full? That is a complete waste of material. Boyce Ayliffe, a researcher for the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM), did his research on packaging material. IFOAM has its own principles to guide organic production and processing. The processors are required to avoid unnecessary packaging material and to use recyclable and biodegradable packaging whenever possible. Think about it; if you buy organic products with less packaging material, you will have less garbage in your wastebasket. Not only that, it also helps the environment and the organic food contains natural ingredients (which is healthier for your body). Nevertheless, if we want to live green, I think we all should buy organic products for this purpose.
The third idea is to shop at thrift stores. Growing up I never liked shopping at resale stores, but my mom always forced me. Then one day I bought an adorable strapless cotton-print shirt for only two bucks from a resale shop called Top Drawer. Everybody asked me, "Where did you get that shirt?" Since that experience, I have been stopping at thrift stores first before I go to retail stores. So instead of spending your money on an expensive item, how about saving some cash and helping out the environment by shopping at a thrift store? Thrift store shopping is just another way of recycling. If you buy used items, you will make a difference by keeping clothes out of landfills. When you are looking for an item, think green. Maybe you could find a plain T-shirt and add some cool fabric to it. It takes only a minute to be creative to save hundreds of years of decaying textiles in our landfills. Thrift store shopping can be simply a fun, green experience for everyone.
Not only are these three things what I am doing to help the environment, but if people will do these small things, then we can all jump on the wheel and make it a habit to recycle and reuse. Just like the Earth spins around unstoppable, so should our love for the environment. Recycling is a labor of love, and the amount of garbage that is created every day will never decrease if we don't have feelings for the environment. We only need to have a love for natural beauty and for our future generations.
20100417
The Gentle Giant
By: Leyla Rashid Grade 6
Sport, that name brings back so many memories. He was one of my best friends. He played with me, protected me, and he cared about me. You would think such a big dog would be mean or something like that. But Sport was my gentle giant, He liked other dogs, he never bit anyone, he loved to meet new people and he never barked. I know what you are thinking, what a great dog.
Imagine this and you’ll know what the general idea or what he looked liked: He’s tall, brown with white markings. He’s got big ears, a wet nose, and a strong, long tail. You probably don’t know what kind of dog he is so I will tell you, he is and Ibezan(sic) Hound.
Sport and I did everything together. We especially liked to go on long walks and play fetch. We thought the fun would last forever.
But then, in the summer of 2001, tragedy struck. Sport was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his spine. His health was deteriorating right in front of my eyes. The veterinarians said there was no cure, but there was a treatment. We spent so much time and money on him. We wouldn’t let one of the best dogs in the world go without a fight.
He didn’t get better. The veterinarians suggested that we should take him to a special veterinary hospital in Purdue. On the way to the vet, I remembered all the good times we had together. I stroked his fur all the way there.
When we got to the hospital, they first checked him and ran some tests. But in the end, they said it would be best for Sport if they put him to sleep to end his pain. I stood in the room and held his paw while they put the needle in him until he stopped breathing.
But one thing I have learned from this experience, is that no matter what the dog’s condition is, you have to feed it, give it water, take it out on walks, play with it, and most importantly… LOVE IT! Yes, I still miss Sport, but I know he is in a better place now.
Sport, that name brings back so many memories. He was one of my best friends. He played with me, protected me, and he cared about me. You would think such a big dog would be mean or something like that. But Sport was my gentle giant, He liked other dogs, he never bit anyone, he loved to meet new people and he never barked. I know what you are thinking, what a great dog.
Imagine this and you’ll know what the general idea or what he looked liked: He’s tall, brown with white markings. He’s got big ears, a wet nose, and a strong, long tail. You probably don’t know what kind of dog he is so I will tell you, he is and Ibezan(sic) Hound.
Sport and I did everything together. We especially liked to go on long walks and play fetch. We thought the fun would last forever.
But then, in the summer of 2001, tragedy struck. Sport was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his spine. His health was deteriorating right in front of my eyes. The veterinarians said there was no cure, but there was a treatment. We spent so much time and money on him. We wouldn’t let one of the best dogs in the world go without a fight.
He didn’t get better. The veterinarians suggested that we should take him to a special veterinary hospital in Purdue. On the way to the vet, I remembered all the good times we had together. I stroked his fur all the way there.
When we got to the hospital, they first checked him and ran some tests. But in the end, they said it would be best for Sport if they put him to sleep to end his pain. I stood in the room and held his paw while they put the needle in him until he stopped breathing.
But one thing I have learned from this experience, is that no matter what the dog’s condition is, you have to feed it, give it water, take it out on walks, play with it, and most importantly… LOVE IT! Yes, I still miss Sport, but I know he is in a better place now.
20100413
My Dog Roger
By: Liam Perry 6th Grade
My dog Roger is a black, white and brown beagle-Australian shepherd mix. He is very loveable and is one of those dogs who will lie down on your feet, roll over, and squirm around until you give him a stomach rub. He may be lazy but he is also trained. He knows the commands sit, down, stay, heel, and come.
My favorite memory of Roger is when we got him. My mom had seen him at the farmers marked because the animal shelter takes them there to get exercise and meet possible adopters. She had absolutely fallen in love with him. When we went to the shelter we found out that he had just been taken to a foster home. The shelter people had to call the family and have them bring Roger back. Once they were back we got to take Roger home.
Another of my memories is getting Roger trained. We took him to 2 classes where he learned all of his commands. One of the tests for stay is the instructor would roll a ball past a line of dogs in stay. The first time all the dogs bolted and kept running into each other trying to get the ball. It was hilarious.
Roger is special to me because we had to get rid of my last dog and after that it was quiet and lonely. Now Roger is here everything is the way it should be and I have my friend back. Its nice to have a friend who is never busy, who can play with me.
I believe that caring for animals is important because they are living things and disserve the same care and respect as we do. Also because if we do not animals will be killed or will become strays and starve or be hit by cars.
My dog Roger is a black, white and brown beagle-Australian shepherd mix. He is very loveable and is one of those dogs who will lie down on your feet, roll over, and squirm around until you give him a stomach rub. He may be lazy but he is also trained. He knows the commands sit, down, stay, heel, and come.
My favorite memory of Roger is when we got him. My mom had seen him at the farmers marked because the animal shelter takes them there to get exercise and meet possible adopters. She had absolutely fallen in love with him. When we went to the shelter we found out that he had just been taken to a foster home. The shelter people had to call the family and have them bring Roger back. Once they were back we got to take Roger home.
Another of my memories is getting Roger trained. We took him to 2 classes where he learned all of his commands. One of the tests for stay is the instructor would roll a ball past a line of dogs in stay. The first time all the dogs bolted and kept running into each other trying to get the ball. It was hilarious.
Roger is special to me because we had to get rid of my last dog and after that it was quiet and lonely. Now Roger is here everything is the way it should be and I have my friend back. Its nice to have a friend who is never busy, who can play with me.
I believe that caring for animals is important because they are living things and disserve the same care and respect as we do. Also because if we do not animals will be killed or will become strays and starve or be hit by cars.
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