Private-School Refugees

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As I am a Student who is going to private school, it was interesting to me when I saw this title.  Since every countries business is getting harder, this problem was one of my parent’s concerns as well. I do not know what it is going to happen to me but I still prefer to stay in private school because I believe it will help me get to college that I am attempting.

            Now days in America, many of parents are changing their children’s school from private to public. One reason is whether they can pay for private school.  Other reason is the education is valuable to everyone and therefore it is thing that hard to give up.  Between 2006 and 2010, the percentage of Students enrolling in public schools grew 1.5% but private schools enrollment went down 3 %.  Finally, some of parents have realized that public schools have many good courses as private school. But still many parents believe that private school is better than public school and these kinds of opinions depend on the parents’ ability to pay for education.

             I know sometimes the expensive tuition is sounds ridiculous but I think that money is reasonable and if there is no difference between public and private educations then people should not call them different name. In the future, I think they will be equal but for now even though public school have good systems, it does not seem the same. As many parents is doing it already, I think it is clever way to give their children to have a experience to go to the private school and then send them to public school and bring the ideas of courses ,new cultures and diversity.

More Than 150,000 Have Been Buried, Haiti Says

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Since earthquake happened in Haiti, the government did first body count On Saturday which was January, 23.  The government, instead of counting survivors, they will count the dead body because people cannot stay alive a long time under the broken buildings. For the result, more than 150,000 have been buried. That number of people who died is two times greater then what the government originally guessed and now they are better trying to focus on help the survivors than counting the dead. All dead bodies dumped into mass graves outside the city. There are 370,000 people became a homeless people and they are living in camps without water or food. When people asked about why the government did not know about the earthquake coming, they answered that they tried but they were some problem with compiling data before the earthquake appeared.

 As I am a person who still alive and I feel very sorry and bad for Haitian people. We are living in 21 century and this is kind of mystery that the government did not know that the huge earth quake coming. It might make sentence if it happened maybe 20 years ago but now I should not make sense. People are talking to another people who are living in opposite side of the earth; we can know what the weather tomorrow will be. Since Haiti does not have as good technology as many other countries, other countries should have helped develop their technology. I hope homeless people will get housing  and aid.

Holiday Sales Down in Mass.

The topic dealt with the curiosity that I had when I went to the mall; I was interested with the decline of prices and increase of sales at the mall. When I went to the mall I saw less people. Even though there were many ‘sales’ signs, the mall was nearly empty compare to last year. I found the answer to my question as soon as I read in the article.

           The article talks about the hardships that merchant face due to the hard time in earning money. Compare to the same period last year, the price of holiday sales dropped 2.6 percent in MA. The sale amount of 2009 is same as top 7 percent of sales in 2008. Though merchants made profit during Christmas sales, as a whole, they got damaged due to the depression in markets. It was the worst period for merchants. As a whole, 1.7 percent rose for shopping season, but the price dropped for shopping center about 2.9 percent. The increases in sales tax in MA worse the situation for merchants as well. Merchants focus on low priced items and on-line market, which help to avoid the tax and also in order to increase the profit. Merchants make a lot of efforts to make some money after the shopping season as well to get recovered from the damage they had from the holiday season. The depression in holiday sales compare to past years struggle the merchants.

            When i read this article, my questions about why malls have so many sales, were answered. It’s obvious that merchants are having sales because they are worried about closing or losing their business. I hope in the future, the business will get better.

N. Korea calls for peace treaty with US

I chose this article since I saw the title because even though people are used to seeing N. Korea’s playing with words it is still interest people and gives them a topic to talk about.

      This article is about North Korea wanting the other countries to lift the sanctions. Since North Korea testing their nuclear weapon, the other countries have no idea that what North Korea will do next. Even war with South Korea has been threatened. As North Korea keeps playing games, the other countries will make their life more difficult. However, North Korea would not return to talks about nuclear disarmament.

     I think North Korea should stop playing this game because as they are playing this game, the North Korean people who have no power to respond to their government are the ones affected. I don’t understand why they are still having pointless argument. They are still announcing that they might attack South Korea but I hope they do not and I think it will not happen because other countries will not allow it.

Schoold Caution Against Pricey Teacher Gifts

I was interested in this article because giving pricey gifts to teacher is still happening in my country and I also wanted to know about how other counties react about this problem.

 From now, teachers cannot receive a gift such as tickets to the theater or sporting events, no wine or anything that valued more than $50.  If the teacher receives a gift that valued more than $50, then they will get civil penalties because the government passed the new ethics law. The giving gifts to teachers were used to showing the parents’ appreciation to their children’s teacher with homemade cookies and a coffee mugs with chocolate candies but now it loses own meaning by giving them a pricey gifts. This also can makes the teachers and parents who have economic problems are in awkward situations. Therefore school superintendents wrote a letter to let the parents know about the new law. Some people wants to this law also work for the private schools too.

I think this new law is interesting because it shows that the government’s caring about low classes too and it seems nice but in my opinion, the amount of gifts that parents can buy and give is sounds little low because sometimes the price can relate to the value of mind. Of course, not always expensive gifts can be the good way to express their respects and appreciation but to someone, it can be their best way to express their mind . For example, Some people wants to buy a great gift for someone who feels thanks with money that put a lot of effort to earn. I think the law should not be limiting others expression.

Woman Disabled by Flu Shot Reaction

I heard about this article in my Biology class and I was shocked

 

There is a woman whose name is Desiree Jennings and now she is suffering from her sickness. After she got a seasonal flu shot on August, her life changed forever. Desiree Jennings was picture of health because she is a cheerleader and avid runner but ten days after receiving the shot, she has difficulty speaking, walking, and even eating with several seizures. The effects can not go back. When she reported her health problems to the FDA (Food and Drug Admission) thinking there might have been something wrong with the vaccine but they found no problems. Additionally, it is very rare case.

I feel so bad for her because she just got a flu shot because she thought that it is good for her health but then that ruined her life. She is only 25 years old and she can not fix her body for rest of her life. I think its government’s’ responsibility even it’s not matter of vaccine and because it is very rare case, they should take care of her. From now Desiree will never stop to walking backward because that is only way that she can fix her symptom for a moment. I think it is so weird that the symptom occurs only when she stops running or when she stops walking backwards.

In 1st Visit to China, Obama Walks a Tightrope

I am interested in this article because it’s interesting to know about two powerful countries meeting in China.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barack Obama went on his first trip to China as a president to discuss world problems with Chinese leader. The problems were such as global warming and human rights in China. While America and China are working together, becoming more close to each other because China is a large buyer in American goods and services also U.S buy more from China so therefore that relationship makes U.S owed money to China because of trade deficit. Also China wants to limit North Korea’s nuclear weapons program but not Iran’s and U.S. remains worried about China having largest number of army in the world. Obama recognizes that China is on way to becoming the second largest economy also he doesn’t want to Beijing get angry but he wants China to be a partner with other country for solving some global problems together, including the spread of dangerous weapons and warming planet.

While I am reading this article I didn’t understand that Chinese only wants to limit on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program because I think the idea of Iran can be also harmful. However it is interesting to watch China getting more and more powerful very quickly and I realize that Obama must think carefully about what he said and also he must listen very carefully whether than talk about his own ideas.

China Expands Language Institutes at US Colleges

When I found this article, it is of interest to me because the title shows exactly what it is about. Usually titles for the articles are just a few words but this isn’t. As I am an international student, I was curious about how the Chinese are expanding their language and cultural programs and also where they are located.

American boy with the Chinese flag painted on his face

Now in America, there are 60 Confucius Institutes, these are language institutes which are funded by the government of China. These are largely placed near state universities and also there are 396 Confucius Institutes globally in 87 countries. The reason the Chinese government started this program is that they want to change their country’s image. In the Confucius Institutes, people are learning Chinese language and their culture. The first Confucius Institute was established in Seoul, Korea, in 2004. The first U.S center was started at the University of Maryland and the Chinese government has plans to establish 500 more by 2010. There are some universities that do not want to have Confucius Institutes near by them because they are concerned about their politics. The University of Pennsylvania wants to use their own teachers who they have trained.

I think the way that the Chinese people are expanding their culture is smart because they placed the Confucius Institutes near by state university instead of placed near by small universities so they can have more students and also this program helps to save money in universities because the teachers are supported by the Chinese government. I am surprised that their government is paying all the money for everything. For me, it seems to their economy is growing so quickly and because of that they could make the language Institute successful.

In First Lady’s Roots, a Complex Path From Slavery

What does First Lady mean? I asked this question to myself.  Once when I figured this out I wanted to know this more specifically. This article is about Mrs.Obama’s familes and i think it implicated America as a melthing pot.

<Fraser Robinson III and his wife, Marian, with their children, Craig and Michelle, now the first lady>

     In 1850s, there was a slave girl who never knew who is her parents. Her master decried her as the “negro girl Melvinia.” After her master’s death, she sipped to Georgia where his family lived. Wile she was still a teenager, she became a mother of a son because the unknown white man who impregnated her. In the history of American slavery, this was not unusual, except one of Melvinia’s descendents extend finally to the White House. Melvinia Shields was the great-great-great-grandparents of Michelle Obama, who is the first lady. Mrs. Obama did not know much about her ancestry but during the presidential campaign, the family learned more about it. There were also rumors about a white forebear but when Megan Smolenyak, a genealogist, looked it up the rumors became a true.

In my opinion, the important thing is even her ancestors had horrible years, now she became a first lady in U.S.A. As Obama became a president, it shows a very powerful symbol of black advancement.

Washington Council to Consider Same-Sex Marriage

I am interested in this article because I have discussed about the gay marriage in the class and also with Mrs. Buerger.

  <David Catania, a Washington councilman>

Like the title says, this article is about The Gay Marriage bill introduced in Washington D.C. People who live in the city will vote for same-sex marriage. If the city’s bill is expected to become a law by December, Washington would be the first city in the South to pass it.  Many people think that it’s going to pass. People who are waiting for their midterm elections next year who are Congressional Republicans and conservative Democrats and they are worried about losing their jobs because of this issue. Now same-sex marriage is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont. Advocates of the bill hope if D.C legalizes the bill, the other states will follow D.C, for example Maryland and Maine. This city has second largest population of gay people so once it passes then gay people can get a marriage license. Some religious leaders are very strongly against this issue.

In my opinion, the bill on the gay marriage should not be passed. Although there are already few states in America which passed ‘the gay marriage law’, Washington should not allow the gay marriage because it is the capital of the United States.  If the capital allows such law, I think the law will spread through out the United States. Because the issue is still in debate, it would not be fair for the people who disagree to pass the law. However, the article is favorable toward passing of the law and it predicts it will happen.