Senior Reflection #2

My senior reflection this week is in response to the "reality store" activity we got to take part in early this week. I never realized how expensive it was to raise children, and definately have any more appreciation for everything my parents have provided me with. After completeing the activity and realizing how expensive even the necesities of life, such as food and shelter are, I became so much more appreciative of all the luxuries my parents have given me, new clothes, years of flute lessons, sports fees, a car etc. ( I know I would have had to make some serious sacrifices in my budget scenario to provide my kids with these things) . And now they will be paying my college tuition to add to the list. So I just wanted to use this reflection to say thanks Mom and Dad for everything you have given me!

CE #2- An untested tactic as efforts grow desperate

This article was about the efforts to stop the oil spill in the gulf that has been going on for about 5 weeks now. According to the article as early as Tuesday, BP will attempt to "top kill" the leak by shooting thick mud at the well in an effort to plug the leak. Republicans have been criticizing the governments response to the spill saying that they should have stepped in immediately, however the Obama administration is defending their response, and sharpening Their criticism of BP. Many people are getting angry and frustrated at how long it is taking to clean up and plug the leak, but as Robert Dudley, managing director of BP, told CNN, "We've got to do everything we can, shut off the well, clean this up as fast as we can."

I chose this article because I have been very interested in the oil spill, and think it is very upsetting that the leak has yet to be fixed and so much oil is still spilling into the gulf. I thought this article was well written, because it displayed the criticism of the government, as well as the Obama administration's response, while also revealing the latest tactics that will be used to attempt to plug the spill. I agree that the government should have stepped in immediately, no matter whose fault the spill was we should all be willing to help fix the catastrophic event. Hopefully engineers and officials will find a way to fix the problem soon!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-05-23-oil-spill_N.htm

Senior Reflection #1

As an underclassman I always heard people talking about getting senioritis, but I always thought it wouldn't be that big of a problem for me....man was I wrong. As we get so close and yet are still so far away from graduating, it has gotten really hard to stay motivated. Througout high school we have been taught to work towards tests and having a good gpa to get into college, so now that AP exams are done and I know where I am going next year, what do I have to motivate me to keep doing work. Recently I heard that Arlington County has something called "senior experience" where for the last month of school seniors get to finda internships and what not that can relate to things they enjoy and carreers they are interested in pursuing, and I thought it sounded awesome. I personally feel like this would be a more productive way to spend our last month than having busy work that no one really has the motivation to try on.

CE #1- Clinton speaks to Yale grads about unequal world

Former President Bill Clinton gave a Class Day Speech to graduating Yale seniors on Sunday. IN his speech Clinton warned the students that upon graduating they would be left to face the wolrd's three main flaws: "It is too unstable; it is too unequal, and it is completely unsustainable." Clinton followed this by encouraging the gradutes that they now have the ability to change these flaws, and that they could do so by working together. In the remainder of his speech Clinton focused on the idea that people have too much access to media and informaton that is so easily biased based on what people want to hear and what they agree with. "In our media habits, we go to the television sites, we go to the radio talk shows, we go to the blog sites that agree with us, and it can have very bizarre consequences." Clinton left the graduates with his idea that the mission of every empowered person in the world should be to increase the positive forces and decrease the negative forces of the world's interdependence.

I chose this article because I thought it would be interseting to see what the President spoke about in his speech to graduates as I will soon be listening to a graduation speech myself. I thought the article was well written and enjoyed it. I thought Clinton made a pretty good point in that most people today listen only to media that they agree with and that they can use to destroy something they dont believe in, when what they should be doing is listening to both ends of the arguement and figuring out away to solve the problem in a way that will be beneficial.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-05-23-clinton-yale_N.htm