When will the shooting massacres stop? This is the question that comes to mind after each shooting comes across the media. After the 1996 school shooting, their becoming more common and each shooter idolizes the ones that came before. And today, I’m sad to say that another hostage situation that turned into a killing spree of a total of 13 (plus the killer- 14). In schools, it’s easier to spot the signs of a potential shooter because it’s more secluded. However, how can you suspect a shooter when the whole world is available? I find it horrific that anyone would want to take another person’s life, let alone several people’s lives. But no one knows what is on others minds and what everyone else is capable of, which can make it impossible to know what’s going to happen.
Today, a gunman invaded an immigration service center in Birmingham, New York, killing thirteen and critically wounding four, after shooting himself. There were thirty- seven survivors; the motivation of the shooter is a mystery. “Binghamton officials said the assailant apparently had ties to the center, which helps immigrants and refugees with counseling, resettlement and other issues.” The shooting took place 13 days before the anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting. Is it a coincidence that all of these shootings seem to occur in spring or a few months either before or after?
The shooting was a horrible event that we hope won’t happen again, but realistically, there’s just a matter of time until another strikes. We can only pray for the lives lost in the massacre and hope that the future of America and the rest of the world, can start to clear from all violent shootings.
For more information, the following link is avaliable:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/nyregion/04hostage.html?pagewanted=1&ref=nyregion
Friday, April 3, 2009
Teenage Girls Stand by Their Man
When it comes to relationships, there’s constantly he said, she said rumors. With the portrayal of the perfect couple, and the love for each other undeniable to everyone else, sometimes there are secrets that go on behind closed doors. Chris Brown and Rihanna seemed like an unlikely couple, but when they got together the fans were thrilled and so was the couple. Things were pretty hot and heavy for a while…until that is, both artists were supposed to perform at an award show, and both suspiciously cancelled. The next day word spread that Brown violently beat Rihanna, pictures quickly spread across all media, leaving fans in shock. Of course it didn’t take time for fans to start commenting on the matter, and with an interview with the New York Times, two high school girls shared their thoughts on the matter.
Once I read this article, I have to say that I was dumbfounded. I was getting so angry while reading this, because it just seemed so unbelievable that any person would respond in this situation, in this matter. One of the girls commented on the matter, even after she saw the picture of Rihanna’s bloodies and bruised face, “She probably made him mad for him to react like that,” the other ninth grader said. “You know, like, bring it on?”
Okay, this is not right, even if the two had been having an argument that still is no right for Chris to violently abuse Rihanna. First of: it’s illegal, and second, it’s wrong. In the article it says that the girls admitted the Brown overreacted. But would you just label: punching, biting and choking as overreacting? His response after Rihanna read a text message to Brown from another woman. The ninth grade girls said that Brown shouldn’t get punished, “So he shouldn’t get into trouble if she doesn’t feel that way,” one girl said. “She probably feels bad that it was her fault, so she took him back.” Surprisingly, with all of the different debates on the issue, more teenagers are supporting Brown than Rihanna. But the matter is a lot more serious than people are making it; they think the abuse is not a big deal. But isn’t it?
I would think it is, but others, sadly, don’t agree. One girl had said, “Yeah, men hit women, and women hit men. It was blown out of proportion because they’re celebrities… my best friend got hit by her boyfriend, and I don’t see people making a big deal about it.” “Everyone blames Rihanna for this, right?” she said. “She deserves it for being so jealous?” Some students nodded.
This matter just makes me speechless on how people don’t care between the difference of right and wrong, I think that people just need to take a look and figure out what’s really important, and what matter’s in life.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/fashion/19brown.html?pagewanted=1&fta=y
Once I read this article, I have to say that I was dumbfounded. I was getting so angry while reading this, because it just seemed so unbelievable that any person would respond in this situation, in this matter. One of the girls commented on the matter, even after she saw the picture of Rihanna’s bloodies and bruised face, “She probably made him mad for him to react like that,” the other ninth grader said. “You know, like, bring it on?”
Okay, this is not right, even if the two had been having an argument that still is no right for Chris to violently abuse Rihanna. First of: it’s illegal, and second, it’s wrong. In the article it says that the girls admitted the Brown overreacted. But would you just label: punching, biting and choking as overreacting? His response after Rihanna read a text message to Brown from another woman. The ninth grade girls said that Brown shouldn’t get punished, “So he shouldn’t get into trouble if she doesn’t feel that way,” one girl said. “She probably feels bad that it was her fault, so she took him back.” Surprisingly, with all of the different debates on the issue, more teenagers are supporting Brown than Rihanna. But the matter is a lot more serious than people are making it; they think the abuse is not a big deal. But isn’t it?
I would think it is, but others, sadly, don’t agree. One girl had said, “Yeah, men hit women, and women hit men. It was blown out of proportion because they’re celebrities… my best friend got hit by her boyfriend, and I don’t see people making a big deal about it.” “Everyone blames Rihanna for this, right?” she said. “She deserves it for being so jealous?” Some students nodded.
This matter just makes me speechless on how people don’t care between the difference of right and wrong, I think that people just need to take a look and figure out what’s really important, and what matter’s in life.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/fashion/19brown.html?pagewanted=1&fta=y
Paying in Full as the Ticket Into Colleges
The article “Paying in Full as the Ticket into Colleges,” is about the struggles that all high school seniors and their families are coming too, when applying to college. The colleges are now not only taking into consideration of how intellectual a student is, and how many clubs and community service hours they partake in, but also, how wealthy the student is.
With the low economy, colleges are willing to accept students that are on the waiting list or have transferred, rather than the highly academic applicants with a brilliant resume, just because they can’t afford to pay all expenses. In the article it states, “Colleges say they are not backing away from their desire to serve less affluent students; if anything, they say, taking more students who can afford to pay full price or close to it allows them to better afford those who cannot. But they say the inevitable result is that needier students will be shifted down to the less expensive and less prestigious institutions.”
Surprisingly, it also mentions in the article that students who do not apply for financial aid will also have a better chance of getting in. “This year, many of these colleges say they are more inclined to accept students who do not apply for aid, or whom they judge to be less needy based on other factors, like ZIP code or parents’ background…they shine a little brighter.” Also, colleges are even accepting more students early, so that they have security when December comes along. I found this article very interesting and I have to say that I was stunned at how colleges were going about this.
The main idea that stuck out was when it says, “Institutions that have pledged to admit students regardless of need are finding ways to increase the number of those who pay the full cost in ways that allow the colleges to maintain the claim of being need-blind — taking more students from the transfer or waiting lists, for instance, or admitting more foreign students who pay full tuition.”
The fact that Universities are willing to accept the applicants who can afford all of the expenses without applying for aid or any scholarships, even if they don’t have the greatest test scores or enough after school activities. This author does a great job at explaining details and weaving in quotes. Also, she did a great job of keeping the reader’s attention, it’s a matter that I’m very interested in and I learned a lot in the end.
For more information, the article is on the New York Times website.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/education/31college.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&hpw
With the low economy, colleges are willing to accept students that are on the waiting list or have transferred, rather than the highly academic applicants with a brilliant resume, just because they can’t afford to pay all expenses. In the article it states, “Colleges say they are not backing away from their desire to serve less affluent students; if anything, they say, taking more students who can afford to pay full price or close to it allows them to better afford those who cannot. But they say the inevitable result is that needier students will be shifted down to the less expensive and less prestigious institutions.”
Surprisingly, it also mentions in the article that students who do not apply for financial aid will also have a better chance of getting in. “This year, many of these colleges say they are more inclined to accept students who do not apply for aid, or whom they judge to be less needy based on other factors, like ZIP code or parents’ background…they shine a little brighter.” Also, colleges are even accepting more students early, so that they have security when December comes along. I found this article very interesting and I have to say that I was stunned at how colleges were going about this.
The main idea that stuck out was when it says, “Institutions that have pledged to admit students regardless of need are finding ways to increase the number of those who pay the full cost in ways that allow the colleges to maintain the claim of being need-blind — taking more students from the transfer or waiting lists, for instance, or admitting more foreign students who pay full tuition.”
The fact that Universities are willing to accept the applicants who can afford all of the expenses without applying for aid or any scholarships, even if they don’t have the greatest test scores or enough after school activities. This author does a great job at explaining details and weaving in quotes. Also, she did a great job of keeping the reader’s attention, it’s a matter that I’m very interested in and I learned a lot in the end.
For more information, the article is on the New York Times website.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/education/31college.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&hpw
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