Analyzing a Conflict

1. Our conflict is a war in Afghanistan between the Afghan Government and supporting countries against a terrorist group called Al-Qaeda, regarding political power and religious beliefs.

2. This conflict is a national and international conflict.

3. The main issue driving this war is political control since both groups are battling for power, but right now the government is control. Another issue is the difference in both of the parties beliefs since Afghanistan is a Muslim-based country, most of the people including the government are Muslim, but Al-Qaeda is an extremist group who uses violence in their religion which isn't what most people believe being Muslim is about. A third issue is the country's history since once the twin towers were bombed, the U.S wanted the leader of Al-Qaeda since the group was behind the bombing, however, the Afghanistan government refused to hand the leader over, which hence started the war and created the issue on what the U.S should do.

4. This is an inter-group conflict because it affects two different groups: the terrorist organization and the government. Outside of the people directly involved in this conflict, the U.S and other supporting countries have a stake in the outcome since currently sending U.S troops and other country's troops to help the Afghanistan government is helping the Afghanistan government stay in control.

5. The two parties do not have equal power, the Afghanistan government has more power. The actions of each party directly affect both, for example, the Afghanistan government receiving help from other country's troops affect the Al-Qaeda group and their ability to control Afghanistan.

6. This war has been going on for 17 years and is an intense conflict. It is life-threatening since many troops and people are dying, whether it be that people are caught in the cross-fire or are fighting.

7. The style of this conflict is competing, as both parties are fighting for power and their beliefs. None of the parties are listening to each other or compromising so there doesn't seem to be an immediate solution.

8. This conflict has been going on for a long time and the result has been that no side wants to give in to the other, in other words, no party wants to admit defeat or even listen to each other's ideas. There have been attempts to solve this conflict including Saudi Arabia and the U.S intervening, but the conflict has not yet been resolved.

Rosa Parks

1. Why is bus segregation even a big deal? Who cares who sits in the different parts of the bus? Why does this matter at all? 
It is a big deal because it shows inequality and treats the blacks as inferior and the whites as superior. It physically shows that blacks are treated as second class citizens which is unjust. It also shows that the blacks are complying like they have no control over their choices and life, which reinforces the whites power over them. 

2. Put yourself in Rosa Park's shoes: You're going home from work. You have a family. A small incident arises. What do you honestly do? How far would you go? (Jail? Pay a fine? Lose your life? Explain your limits.) 
I would honestly probably not do anything at all because I would be too frightened of the consequences, which is exactly what the white officers want. Since only a small incident had occurred, I wouldn't think that it was big enough for me to get involved in. If I were to intervene, the furthest I would go is paying a fine but would likely only go that far. The pay I earn is probably very little as it is, and my family would need me - which I would prioritize over being right.

3. Parks' words are very deliberate. She says, "You may do that." What do you think about the wording of her statement? (p. 116--the star with a #4 in it)
Parks' words show how she is allowing the white officer to arrest her, as though she is the one with authority who can control the white officer's decisions. It is showing that she has power and is equal, if not a class higher than the white officer. She isn't letting the white officer make her choices for her and is, therefore, making it seem like she has the option on whether she is to be arrested or not.

Reconstruction

Modern Day Slavery

For our PSA, my group and I researched about the coal miners in Jharkhand, India. The coal mining is a form of modern slavery and told me a lot about our world today. I learnt about all of the health hazards these miners face, ranging from being buried alive by rock slides to inhaling toxic fumes. This is because they are not given any protection from the dangers of the mine. In addition, I learnt that the highest pay the miners can earn is $8 per day, which is barely enough to help their families. The devastating part about the mining in Jharkhand is that these miners work at their own free will just so that they are able to support their families.

However, there are a few actions that can be taken in order to make our world a better place. The government of India could finance these coal mines so that they are more stable and safe. The government could also make laws about the safety equipment required to allow the workers to mine so that the coal miners are at a smaller risk of dying. People could also donate to charities to help coal miners, unfortunately, there aren't many organizations that help this cause, so activists could begin organizations and helping fund safety equipment for the coal miners. These are just a few ideas on how people could help the coal miners in Jharkhand, India. 

My Name

My name is one that most people have probably never heard before and would most likely mispronounce it if they did. It is of Indian origin since both of my parents are Indian. My dad named me after a college friend: A girl who was a year older than him. He especially liked her name, and luckily my mother did too, so my name was decided. My name means several things, but the main meaning is courage. In addition to that, it means the goddess Durga(the warrior goddess), divine, strength, and the flowing river. My name is Tavishi.

Semester 1 Reflection

Towards the end of semester 1, our class was divided into 5 groups. Each group learnt about a different U.S. government topic. The topic that my group and I explored was U.S territory. I learnt mostly about Puerto Rico and its battle with the U.S. Currently Puerto Rico is debating on either becoming a state or staying as a commonwealth. I also learnt about the many referendums that Puerto Rico has had and how it has been fighting to become a state for a long time now. In addition, I learnt about the advantages and disadvantages Puerto Rico has. The advantages involve maintaining cultural heritage and having easy access to the U.S. However, the disadvantages involve having very little governmental power and having a $77 billion debt to the U.S. Some questions that I still have are, when will the next referendum take place? As well as, why doesn't the U.S want Puerto Rico to become a state? My goal for next semester is to use MLA more often and to remember to use MLA whenever I cite my sources.

U.S Gov't

What have you learnt about American government? 
I have learnt about the three branches of the government: Judicial, legislative, executive. I have also learnt that Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. I also discovered how a bill becomes a law. In addition, I learnt about the laws and the various things that the state and federal government share, as well as the things they don't share(reserved, concurrent, delegated).

What questions do you still have about U.S government? 
I am still a bit unclear on the separate roles of the judicial, legislative, and executive branches, and the differences between them. I'm also wondering about the courts, and the roles juries have to play as well as how the court system works.

Ellis Island Reflection

1. How do you think people felt upon their arrival at Ellis Island?
I think that the people felt overjoyed upon their arrival at Ellis Island because they had made it past immigration and were now ready start a fresh new life at Ellis Island. I also think that they were curious to see this new island and were wondering whether this island was worth all of their struggles.

2. What do you think the screening process was like in immigration hall?
I think that the screening process in the immigration hall was extremely stressful and scary because this process would decide your fate - whether or not you would make it to Ellis Island. I also think that the screening process must have been short but thorough and must've caused a lot of anxiety for the people.

3. How did you feel when you arrived at the classroom and learned about your fate?
I felt a little disappointed because I hadn't arrived at Ellis Island and wasn't a U.S citizen. I also felt unprepared as I didn't know the answers to some of the questions asked by the officer, therefore I was seen as mentally ill which was proven by a black X on my hand.

Letter to Bartolomé de las Casas

Dear Bartolomé,

You have been my best friend for the past few years, and I miss going to school with you. The Spanish treat me like garbage. We, the Tainos, have to work for hours on end in the hot sweltering heat doing work for your people. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand are letting me write one last letter to you since your father is one of their good friends. Please help me! The encomienda system is wrong and goes against everything humane about us! You are a priest and believe that God made humans be equal, so out of everyone I expect you to understand that this is unjust! We, Tainos, are just as human as you are and deserve better! Hasn't me spending time with you made you realize how similar we are! Sure our skin colour is different and so are our traditions, but we both feel pain, we both like studying, and we both are somehow best friends despite me being a Taino! Help me please Bartolomé!

Your best friend,
Juanico

Cyber bullying

Don’t be Mean Behind the Scene!

Everyone knows that cyberbullying is another form of bullying, either by a teacher or guardian. Most of us get bored after a while but over here is a true story that will probably make you understand how important cyber bullying is. This is a true story based on cyberbullying: A kid named Kevin sent a video of himself goofing around to his friend, Jose. Jose though that it was hilarious and posted it on the internet. Soon millions of people were watching the video. After a few days the video had many comments. Most of them were nasty saying such things as you are a fat nerd. A friend of Kevin realised what happened and went over to a teacher. The teacher went to Jose and had a talk. Kevin was devastated and this video made a scar in his life. This is why we need to stop cyber bullying.

I used to think that cyberbullying was exaggerated. The teachers gave long endless presentations on it many, many, many times. Soon my interest dropped in cyber bullying. Whenever we saw a presentation on cyberbullying I would get bored out of my mind. Until one day, when we were handed in a worksheet with the true story that I mentioned above. I found out that cyberbullying was a treacherous way of bullying. I also found out a good quote that a number of people say, “If you wouldn’t say it in person, don’t say it on the internet.” Another thing that I learned was that cyberbullying hurts other people’s feeling and the bully who posts it is normally insecure of something which is why he/she is bullying someone else. I learned this because in one of my classes, we talked about cyber bullying. A classmate brought up this fact and we all decided that this is probably why the bully is bullying someone else.

This learning will change my thinking because now I know that kids all around the world are getting bullied by their best friend and their worst enemy - the internet. In the future if a kid is getting cyber bullied and I know, I will go to a teacher or even a guardian to comfort the victim and confront the bully. I hope that whoever is reading this will now realise and notice that cyberbullying is not a laughing matter and that if possible you (the reader) will help confront a bully and try to reduce cyberbullying as much as possible.

Photo Credit goes to: Pixabay and creative commons

About Me 2016

On a distant remote island, south of Asia, lives a girl named Tavishi. She loves writing as well as reading. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her either reading or playing tennis. She loves animals and has a pet dog named Fizz. She has a younger sister named Samara who loves art and horse-riding. In addition, she has two working parents. She goes to an international school on the far end of Singapore. She, being an twelve year old kid, is in her second year of middle school. She loves traveling and exploring new places although she doesn’t enjoy the plane rides. She is also keen on photography and acting. She comes from India although she was born in Singapore. She has not lived in any other countries besides the two. She plays the piano that she has learnt since she was five and absolutely loves it. She has been learning mandarin since she was 10 years old and hopes to continue. Her favourite subject is RLA because of her intense love for reading and writing. If you want to check out her blog called Waterfall of Words, you can search up waterfall of words by Tavishi and will be able to view her blog which she hopes you will enjoy! During seventh grade, she will take two electives, Digital Media and Drama. She is very excited for the next step that awaits her in her life.

Digital Citizenship Agreement Pledge

As a responsible Digital Citizen at SAS, I, Tavishi, promise to respect and protect myself, others, and intellectual property while learning, sharing, and collaborating online.

Productivity and Organization

Using your laptop