My social Change Project

Greetings,

I just signed the following petition addressed to: Bank of America, Citi Bank, Sallie Mae.

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Imagine this- A 23 year old woman sits in her bedroom in her parent’s house. She went to college just like everyone always told her to, got her degree and hoped to find a job soon. Now she just sits waiting, waiting, waiting. While she doesn’t move on, what does keep growing is her student loan debt –thanks to the high interest rate. With no way out of it, all that she’s left to wonder is whether going to college was the right choice.

Although it would be nice for all colleges and universities to lower their tuition prices or at least make it so that each student only pays what they can reasonably afford, that’s a pipe dream ( at least for now). What can be done is eliminating the interest rate of student loans. Right now, the average college grad leaves with 27,000 dollars in debt, while the seemingly cost effective Stafford loan is at 3.4%. This can amount to such a huge amount of money over the years, especially for someone who couldn’t afford college in the first place. Even though it might seem like a lot, banks can afford it. Sallie Mae earned 82 million dollars from federally guaranteed student loans just in the first quarter of 2012 alone! Money from struggling students and graduates and their families! Bank of America earned 653 million dollars in the first quarter of 2012. Compared to the average college graduate its not like their executives are taking much of a pay hit either. In 2011, Citgroup Chief Executive Vikram Pandit’s 2011 salary was 14.86 million dollars. Obviously these are corporations that can afford to trim off student loan interest rates. Even so there are still some positives for banks in this too. There are so many people that default on student loans every year, and the higher the interest rate the harder the loan gets to pay. By having all student loans with no interest rate, that might lead to more people keeping current with their loan payments which is better for the banks and everyone involved.


I will admit that I am only a junior in high school, but this issue is one that comes to my mind every time I think of college and what my parents and I will have to deal with before and after I graduate. This issue might seem over my head because it is- it’s something that concerns not just me, but people across the country. A study shown in the New York Times showed that since 1985, college tuition costs have risen by 559 percent. This is an astronomically high increase, especially compare to the fact that the cost of just about everything else has only doubled. Especially since the economy has been down and people have been losing jobs, (as of April 2012 the unemployment rate was 8.1%)
parents can’t afford to pay what they used to. The cost of sending children off to college is making college become a less and less attainable dream. Paying a say 5% interest rate on top of an already high student loan is crippling to so millions of people. This piling of debt follows people around forever since student loan debt in the one debt is un cancelable. If we as American citizens stand together there is nothing we can’t do. We can make a change that will not only affect us but the youth of tomorrow. Please sign this petition to make all of the major lenders make student loans have 0% interest rate. It’s not right that people have to pay an arm and leg to get an education and have to pay interest on top of it. We deserve better.

Sincerely,

Aaliyah Dillion
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http://www.change.org/petitions/bank-of-america-citi-bank-sallie-mae-make-the-interest-rate-on-student-loans-0

Please sign this petition on change.org at the above link!

Project Proposal

Things That Bug Me

Human Trafficking in the U.S

Teen Dating Violence

Redistricting of Bridgeport

Mc Donald’s and other fast food places sponsoring schools

Affordable College Education

Child Abuse

Animal Cruelty

Stereotyping of Bridgeport

Depicting unreal standards of beauty in magazines

No Child Left Behind

Sports Players being paid un-necessarily high amounts of money

For my project I have chosen the topic of affordable college educations. This is a dilemma that is facing many high schools now and anyone that desires to go to college. For example, a study shown in the New York Times showed that since 1985, college tuition costs have risen by 559 percent. This is an astronomically high increase, especially compare to the fact that the cost of just about everything else has only doubled. Especially since the economy has been down and people have been losing jobs, parents can’t afford to pay what they used to. The cost of sending children off to college is making college become a less and less attainable dream. Even if a person is able to pay for college using loans, they graduate with debt and more often than not, without a job. Student loan debt just happens to be the one debt that is non forgivable for banks. I just think that something needs to be done to make college more affordable because as a nation, people are so supposed to be encouraged to go to college to get ahead but with these prices , its saying just the opposite.

I can use change.org to start a petition. It’s helpful because there are many different sections, including one about education, in which people write about anything pertaining to educational system. I found that it would be a great section to get my petition started. This is especially true because there seems to be a high success rates with the petitions on change. Org. One petition in the education section to stop Sallie Mae from charging  an unemployment penalty got them to at least stop pocketing those fees. Also, it showed me how to write an effective petition. For example, many started out with a vivid description of the situation and were full of pathos in addition to some logos. I found it to be a great jumping off point.

Global Warming timed synthesis essay

The earth. 70% water, 30% land. Host to all of the humans in the world. The earth is the only place that humans have to live. Over the years there has been much controversy over the issue of global warming and how people treat the earth, especially in the political arena. In all, I believe that there are three main things that politicians should focus on when making legislation pertaining to global warming. The rising ocean temperature, the fact that humans have contributed to global warming and that many places inside and out of the U.S are already making more comprehensive global warming legislation.

Global warming has affected many things that humans and therefore politicians should be focused on when making legislation, one of them being the rising ocean temperature. As the earth has heated up, so have the oceans. Over the past 150 years, the ocean temperature has risen by about .20 degrees (source b) . That might not seem like a lot, but for the way nature works, that is a large amount in a relatively short span of time. Politicians should be concerned about this because rising ocean temperatures mean that the ocean is expected to rise by around a meter (source e). Rising ocean levels and such could wreak havoc on some seaside communities and affect us all, which is why politicians should have this in mind when making global warming legislation.

Although there are still some skeptics, it is widely accepted that humans have contributed to global warming. Shockingly, the United States and Australia together account for one-quarter of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions (Source A). To think that the U.S plays such a large part in global warming and yet we are a relatively small portion of the world.  Even more, our carbon emission level had risen 12% above the 1990 level in 2004 and was predicted to rise by 30% in 2012 (source e). Since we as humans and more specifically as a nation have contributed so much to global warming, we now have to take steps to protect the environment and keep if from getting any worse. Politicians need remember this when deciding on how comprehensive legislation should be or if we should have any at all because… global warming is to a certain extent our fault.

Finally, when making global warming legislation, politicians need to consider that other states in the U.S and countries across the world are already making comprehensive global warming legislation.  For example, with the Kyoto Protocol, which is meant to reduce global warming, “One hundred forty one countries ratified the treaty.” (source a) The U.S, which is one of the biggest contributors to global warming, did not ratify it. Right there, there are one hundred and forty one nations that are progressing past the U.S at least in terms of environmental reform. More over, starting in 2005, “eighteen states, including power hogs California and Texas, have set requirements or goals for renewable energy” (Source C). Even individual states in the U.S are choosing to get one step ahead of global warming. As a nation we are supposed to try to be progressive in every sense of the word and we are not. So much so that states within the nation have realized it and are changing. Again, this is something politicians need to keep in mind when making global warming legislation.

It is time that politicians get up,  shake the dust off of their shoes and get going when it comes to global warming. The environment depends on it. Hopefully these reasons will light a fire under them to get moving.

We are all going to die ( because of global warming)

It’s a beautiful summer day. The air is fresh with the smell of flowers, you can here the bees buzz and the birds chirp all around you. Little children play in the background and their giggles and chit chat blend in with the chirps, buzzes and all the other sounds. Natures perfect symphony.

The scene represented above is beautiful, isn’t it? Something many people have experienced before and hope that the younger generation will get to see too. While this might seem all and well, I have some relatively startling news; we have been slowly killing off everything in our planet. That includes our future and current generations. Thanks to humans’ lack of care regarding global warming, we are ensuring the extinction of the human race!

To all those idiotic skeptics who believe that all this talk about global warming and its consequences is just a bunch of hot air, there are numbers to back it up. For example, as shown in an Inconvenient Truth, the average surface temperature of the earth has increased by 1.2 to 1.4°F just in the 20^th century. That might not seem like a lot, but in terms of the earth, that is a RIDICULOUS amount of increase. If we keep going like this, the human race might eventually burn itself to a crisp.  If heat isn’t your thing, experts think that sea level could rise by about two feet in the next 100 years. How do they know?  Well, sea levels have already gone up by 4-8 inches across the world this last century. While this seems unthinkable, it's happening right now. As Al Gore in an Inconvenient Truth so clearly showed in his diagram, New York, India and other parts of the world will be completely under water.  Our families and everyone and thing on earth will drown if climate change isn’t reversed  (kind like the poor, poor polar bear). This is not much better than burning up if you ask me.

Please, recycle, reduce your carbon imprint and be kind to the earth. Your life depends on it, and so do the lives of others ( Al Gore taught me that). Maybe you might feel like eliminating the human race and all living creatures, but I am sure there are many other  people who would like to live, so be considerate. Again, this is the only earth we have to live on so take care of it .. or face the horrendous consequences.

Silent Spring Chapter 5: Cycle is the Word

Cycles. Six letters, two syllables, one word. Yet, this word is a significant one, as I believe it is the most important word in chapter five of Silent Spring. This word, although small sums up Carson’s argument in chapter five fully and clearly.

In chapter five, Carson goes into the complexity of the soil and its different relationships. Low and behold, these relationships happen to be in cycles. For example, there is the relationship between the soil and the earthworms. The earthworms feed on the enriched soil, they aerate it by digging holes and bring the good soil to the top, help nitrate it for smaller organisms, and their excrement helps enrich the soil again.  Every organism therefore has its place and purpose. Thanks to DDT and other insecticides, these perfect, cyclical relationships have been disrupted or broken. Studies have shown that “BHC, aldrin, lindane, heptachlor and DDD all prevented nitrogen-fixing bacteria from forming the necessary root nodules on leguminous plants”. (pg 57) Cycles could not be more important in this chapter because they are the clock that nature runs on, as Carson shows. Even her structure in this chapter was a cycle. She goes from writing about how the soil is the basis of life and is constantly changing, to the small bacterial organisms that effect the soil , then the larger ones like earthworms and how the insecticides are affecting them and then  to the human race and how we are being affected by the soil’s destruction. Carson even gives a great example of how a company that makes baby foods got into financial woes because they refused to use food from pesticide treated land and couldn’t find any. Instead of coming back to the beginning of the cycle with the soil being left alone,  Carson shows what it is like when the soil is destroyed, showing the plight of Hops growers in Idaho , where Heptachlor destroyed their soil and therefore their crops. By structuring her chapter like this, Carson shows the effects of this broken soil cycle.

The circle of life, it’s a path unwinding. (Thank you Lion King!) That’s exactly what Carson stylistically shows in her writing in chapter five. A perfect example of this is when she says “The soil exists in state of constant change, taking part in cycles that have no beginning and no end” pg 53). In doing that she creates almost a visual of this cycle and something that people can understand and relate to. Its almost as if she has a reverence for the cycle, even pointing out that  pointing out the soil supports the earths “living green mantle” and that’s because its constantly changing. She remains with this tone throughout the chapter. So in chapter five… cycles.. they’re important.

Proposal

According to Kids In Need Foundation.org, 14.8 million students are below the poverty line and are in need of school supplies. On average, teachers spend $500-$1,000  of their own money per year to purchase supplies for their students and classrooms. We know that McDonalds has continually been providing to 31,000 schools across America.  Many kids, in the schools you sponsor,  are being rewarded for their various good acts by your food . In order to improve what you have already done, we suggest that you use that money for providing notebooks and other supplies needed by the schools and students in place of the food.

On the contrary, it might make sense in some ways for McDonald’s not to change their current ways of giving back to the community. That’s because the company has already given back so much.  The Passport to  Play program is already in 31,000 schools nationwide. It is true that kids need food  and adequate nutrition to perform well in school and in sports and many of the areas you provide for are impoverished  and children may not get the food they need. BY giving them food vouchers as rewards McDonald’s is providing a great service to them and their neighborhoods. However, school supplies are necessary for children to thrive and do their work in school. Without notebooks, pens, pencils and such it’s impossible to retain any knowledge from school.

As shown by the previous statistics, kids and schools are increasingly in need of school supplies. It’s well known that McDonalds does a lot to contribute to the learning of students everywhere; notebooks and other school supplies are essential to student learning. By having notebooks, pencils and pens, folders, etc. they can absorb all of their information that they receive from their teachers on a daily basis. They can  have artistic supplies for when they are doing a project,  and multipurpose paper for when they need to print an current event out for their history class.

We suggest that McDonald’s creates their own line of school supplies; basic notebooks, pens, pencils, etc. to give out as a rewards for good student acts. They can incorporate themselves into these supplies by placing their logo, the famous golden arches, on each thing. This supply idea already coincides with McDonalds relentless  wish for a better education, for students. In my school, Brien McMahon in Norwalk, CT, we tend to have a problem with our supply of paper every year. Suddenly all the paper is used up and teachers are forced to bring in their own supply of paper for themselves or print out their  hundreds of sheets at their own home,. The teachers typically opt to do neither, and end up using the flip sides of previous printed pages to print out their  things for class. Or they can only print out a small amount of papers and have their students share. This causes stress for the teacher along with the students, especially the students who rely on the school printers for printing out their assignments.  When schools move smoothly, learning for students do as well; the availability of school supplies enables this smoothness. The students that work hard to earn these cool and new supplies, should be given the requirements to continue their learning.
By supporting schools, McDonalds desires to improve the education and  bring in more and new customers. Many comments from parents suggest that by majority, most parents are against the advertising of McDonalds in schools. Imagine if parents saw their children receiving new supplies provided by McDonalds, in support of their child’s achievements. This could definitely play a huge factor in swaying the opinions of parents about McDonalds being involved with schools across America. Along with their sway of opinion, comes the acceptance of McDonald’s foods. The chances of parents being willing to bring their children to McDonalds for a meal would rise if they were happy with the providing of the new school supplies. This school supplies benefitting students, would ultimately benefit the corporation of McDonalds as well.
We believe that rewards for students accomplishments are extremely important. They are proof that when one works hard, their hard work pays off. They are used to encourage students to continue to work to make high achievements in school. Although a voucher for a free cheeseburger from McDonalds is enticing for the average American teen, it is not something that will benefit their learning nor their future, which is something that  holds importance for McDonalds. Providing school supplies in place of the regular hamburger award will get what McDonald’s real desire is to all those that oppose of it, it’s desire to help the children in need.

Food Ads aimed at kids : Emotional Much??

Mc Donalds will make you stronger. Reeses Puffs cereal will make you a rap star. Ring Pops will make you a celebrity. Lies. At least those who create these false advertisements know that that the above statements aren’t true but by golly they want their best customers to believe that they are. Those great customers, the vulnerable youth are paying the price for it. Food advertising aimed at children manipulates

 the emotions of children to now only get them buying junk food but to keep them buying junk food while simultaneously sending a message to parents that getting their child the fast food will make them a better parent.

A young man eats his Recees puff cereal in the moring. All of a sudden he is on a stage in the middle of his kitchen rocking out to a catchy tune with his favorite rappers “ I want ,my r double e e s es “ Reeses Puffs, Reeses Puffs, peanut butter chocolate flavor” What kid wouldn’t want to be him? Poised, hip and full of swag, he is the ultimate in cool. Many times while growing up children can be insecure and will do anything to fit in or appear cooler and that’s what these food companies count on. Building on that, “emotional appeals of social enhancement and peer acceptance were found in 34% of food advertisements, in general, and 54% of fast food ads.” (Arch Pediatr)

 Although it seems low down to prey on a child at their most vulnerable stages  it works and these kids will come back like lost sheep and graze again ( well buy again)

Every child wants a good relationship with their parent and every parent wants a good relationship with their child (or at least that’s how it should be) According to these food advertisements aimed at children, so it can be. At least under one condition.. You eat their food.                      

Take this commercial for example

Mom goes with her son to  Mc Donald's, and they have a sweet bonding moment. How nice.. Not to mention that the food is “healthy” ( only if chicken nuggets made from cast away meat scraps can be considered healthy).  If I didn’t know any better I would want to bond with my mom at Mc Donald's too. They already knew that “the ads aimed at 'minivan parents' would carry an unspoken message about taking your children to McDonald's: 'It's an easy way to feel like a good parent.” (Schlosser, Eric) And let’s just say these other food giants have a similar thought process.

So what have we learned today? Well, food advertisement aimed at children are EVIL . Okay maybe not evil, but not only does it toy with their emotions but the emotions of their parents in order to sell food. Although a genius strategy well employed by Ray Kroc of Mc Donald’s fame, it is wrong. Unless something is done, children will end up in this foolish food fantasy that is well; fake.

                                                                        Citations

"Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med -- Trends in Exposure to Television Food Advertisements Among Children and Adolescents in the United States, September 2010, Powell Et Al. 164 (9): 794." Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a Monthly Peer-reviewed Medical Journal Published by AMA. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. <http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/164/9/794>.

Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Print.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LzMtL6cT4I