Investigative Journalism

"Hate Crimes"
By:Lael Bright

         During a Chicago’s Margarita Fest at the South Shore Cultural Center, on July 30, 2016, the 26 year old Jessica Sanders was charged with a hate crime and battery crime. When she shouted racial slurs and spitting on a black couple. Cassie Crimm was being harassed and her husband Ernest Grim started recording the incident while being spit towards. This is a problem because, a couple is being terrorized because, of their race which makes them feel unsafe where they live. Jessica Sanders talked to a reporter and said, “I haven’t slept at home since July 31st, I was afraid something was going to happen,” Sanders said. “I was depressed. I was upset. But I know myself. I know that’s not me, what was out there. I thought that it blew over a bit. I started to be out more, getting back to a regular life. Now it’s on the news and television, and it’s starting all over.”

This goes against many human rights. Some of the human rights that are being violated by is  We Are All Born Free & Equal, Don't Discriminate,The Right To Life, and You Have Rights No Matter Where You Go. These were violated because of a bean bag. During that time the couple did not fe
el safe or feel like they were able to do something about the situation. This couple was treated differently and was being disrespected by someone for no reason. People of a different race or religion should be treated as if there wasn't a difference none of the human rights laws should be broken.

Another Story of a of hate crime against a Muslim women. On July 4th 2015 Itemid Al-Matar was falsely arrested for being Muslim, the police officers thought that she was a “lone wolf suicide bomber,” according to the tribune the officers claimed to have asked Itemid Al-Matar questions but the surveillance camera. In the video Itemid Al-Matar can be seen walking up the stairs to a train, with about five or six police officers following behind her. About a minute passed and suddenly she was grabbed and thrown to the ground and was search and was exposed. Soon after she was charged with several counts of obstructing justice and was found not guilty. Later Rehab had spoken to the press and said, “There is a human at the center of this case… under this simple piece of cloth is a full and complex heart-beating human,” said Rehab. “We understand that for many people she may look like someone that they are scared of. But that does not excuse dehumanizing or demonizing her.”Itemid Al-Matar also said “I don't want that nightmare to happen again.” This shows that this racial profiling can lead to someone to be wrongly accused of terrorism

Nonfiction Book

         The nonfiction book I am currently reading is called "Cambridge Guide to Stars and Planets” by Patrick Moore and Wil Tirion. This is in the science genre of books about astronomy, while reading this book there are many topics such as the “Sun's Family and Debris of the Solar System.” In this book a few chapters I was interested in told me how other planets are always changing and describes how they change. Another thing is what nebulae are made up of.

         A passage from the book that interest me the most is,
“Many meteoroids move around the sun in swarms; each time the Earth passes through a swarm we see a shower of shoot  stars. The swarms are remains of dead comets. The most spectacular annual shower is known as the Perseids (25 July to 18 August). —Meteorite falls have been recorded, but major falls are rare and — meteoric bodies would prove a major hazard in space research but it is now clear that the danger is less than was originally thought.” This passage was interesting to me because I never really knew much about meteors and now I know they are not common and that it is not dangerous in space. I found out that meteors are caused by tiny grains of dust, also that the moving speed is 45 kilometers per second and become intensely hot from friction with the air and burn up. Overall this passage and book taught me more about space than ever.
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After reading this book, I understand a little more about space. I learned about star clusters which are several dozen to several hundred stars that can be seen from the naked eye. I am most likely not to forget the things I learned because I may want to change my profession from actor to a space scientist because I really like to enjoy learning about planets or types of weather. Last year science, when we had to learn about space and I was dumbfounded on how interesting it was to me.

I commented on America's Blog

I commented on Ingrid's Blog

I commented on Selena's Blog

Gratitude

       I am grateful for being able to have the opportunity to be in a good school. Unlike other children around the world I am privileged to have a school that allows us to have technology as a learning tool. Even though many of us take advantage of this, others people would die to be able to afford technology. I am also thankful to have brilliant teachers who are determined to help us grow as a student or leaner. I'm happy to have teachers who we can laugh and bond with throughout the school year with out going distant from others.

       I am also grateful for having my many many friends. Without my group of friends I wouldn't be able to be happy in school.  They help me when I need anything and I do the same. My friends are there in my happy or sad moments. Even though they can be a pain but I still love them anyway.  We bond when ever need especially when one of us aren't in the same school or state. My friendship with them are basically my family its like we know each other like the back of our hands.

       I am grateful for my family, the are the most important people in my life. I could not survive without them. They may embarrass me with old or recent pictures but,  I will always be ready with there embarrassing experiences with me. I am always told life stories even if I don't want to hear it. I can relate to most things they say to me but I never share. I never really show my emotions because I want to be seen as a strong person and not wimpy.  

Article of the Week Impression

To in ELA class we did a gallery walk on what students have learned about that is important for the world to know. In Canada Guinea pigs were possibly exposed to the deadly Ebola virus. Aworker noticed that her suit had a hole inside and could also be exposed to the Ebola virus and was quarantined for 21 days.

    Another thing I have taken in from the gallery walk is that the Late Blight Disease is communicable, if you touch it the disease will go into your body and affect you. You can get cancer by this chicken famine.

Another thing I learned was how there is air pollution in South America and South Asia. Children breathe in air pollution and 500,000 children die or receive irreversible brain damage.

Election Reflection

My thoughts on the election is that it was unfair and completely wrong. I think this because citizens of the United States are unthoughtful and people who don't know that the elector they chose to vote are going to affect everyone. My thoughts on the election results is that I was disappointed when I found there wasn't going to be a female president. Due to Donald Trump winning I was shocked much to the consternation of strikes around Trump towers. Although the nation was abrupt by the win in gut wrenching feeling that "The World is doomed."

I am excited to vote in the next election, because I want to get the opportunity to choose who deserves to be president. I am also excited to see what it's like to be in a voting poll how the process goes along. I am also interesting to see what the questions will be and if they try to see who you are or not....

The issues that the candidates attitudes or prombles, as an example Hilary Clinton emails not being confidential. Trump being racist sexist homophobic and rude to others. For example Trump was making fun of a person with Down syndrome. Also saying "They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists." The people voting is another problem because citizens who decided not to vote influenced Trump to win but then decides to riot or the choose a business man without the experience as a democrat.

Soldiers Deserve

Thank you for fighting
Thank you for your heroism
Thank you for being strong and mighty

You deserve the world
You deserve everything in the world.

Even though you fight in a morbid and brutal war
You get a preset to of disrespect
Many of you are unknown
Many of you have no home

With all of the gory images
And raging PTSD
You try to celebrate holidays such as The Fourth of July or New Years

Instead your eyes fill with tears remembering
With all the cracking and popping and booming around you have a terribly frightening flashbacks of all of the horrors you’ve right before your own eyes

But a chance to be happy and to forget all the ghastly memories are very low
You deserve silence you
deserve happiness
You deserve a perfect life

News Observations

On October 22, 2016 at Steak ‘n’ Shake 2380 Sycamore Rd. DeKalb Illinois around 2:14 pm. A man appeared to be in his late 30s  wearing a green shirt with black pants losing a profound amount of hair, sitting alone watching two college girls around the ages of mid 20s short with blonde hair, for more than a hour. The reason why this man was watching them are unknown. When you are out in public make sure you check your surroundings for anything unusual.

1st Quater Reflection

My goal for the second quarter is to not procrastinate as much. I will set a time to do my homework or try to finish it class. I would also like to finish my 10 book challenge because I want to push myself to read as much as I used too to help me learn more things that I haven't known before. This will also help with me posting my blogs on time and in a better way like correct punctuations, verbs, adjectives and noun so I can be more articulate.

I think that trying to be more independent so I can pay attention in class will help, because I will often get off task and interrupt my peers. This will make me waste time and have more homework than I should have. I have learned that I won’t get anywhere in life without working hard and be more perseverant.

My writing has progressed because I know how to do TIQA’s in my writing to help me stop writing all over the place. I also learned a little about making a short writing powerful. By using specific details, grace notes, using a jolt at the end of story, and making sure there is a moral of the story. My Goal for ELA in the next three quarters is to make lots of a progress in my writings. I would also like to read more books in spare time.

Film vs. Book

One event from The Giver is when Asher was a assigned as director of recreation, and Fiona was assigned, The house of the old. But in the movie the difference is that Asher is assigned drone pilot and Fiona is a nurturer. The director changed the assignments so they can help out later in the movie by distracting guards and letting Jonas go, also to take Jonas.

In the movie was different from the book was the ending. Asher and Fiona help Jonas escape the community Fiona was assigned nurturer and Asher drone pilot. Another is in when he goes down the sled and in the book he doesn't and just crosses the line.


The film impacted my understanding of The Giver because I can get of a more visual Waylon look at and, can tell what time period it starts in. This also help to see what happen to others than just Jonas leaving it has more detail. The film compared to the book have differences but I believe that the movie is better it helps show how Fiona and Asher helps out instead of doing nothing. Another example is the sled in the book Jonas only saw a sled but it the book he rides the sled. This is why I choose the film over the book.

The Giver Theme

Jonas is a dynamic character because he grows throughout the story with different emotions and reactions to things the community won't understand, along the way building new relationships.“I don't want Pilot, anyway. If I get Pilot i’ll put in an appeal.” (41) this shows that he does indeed care for his job but is very picky about what he wants even though he can't pick his assignment. This also shows how he only cares about himself. In the beginning of ‘The Giver’ Jonas was very selfish and did not care for others because, the community is made not to take of others and to be independent.Close to the end Jonas is very offensive towards Asher when he was playing war, knowing what happens during war in a type of respect of others he changed the way he would have been if he wasn't the receiver. “But it’s a cruel game.” (134) this shows how Jonas feels about war after the flashback which now he recognizes it at cruel and thinks it's offensive to others. At the end he starts to be more observant about what others thought was ok and tries to correct them because has empathy towards others. Why? Because now that he has the memories he starts to feel pain sadness and anger and corrects right from wrong.


The relationship between pain and pleasure pain this connects to “The Giver” by Lois Lowry because it shows how Jonas progresses or grows throughout the story.When we are first introduced to Jonas he worries about the ceremony and his “assignment”, he says, “I don't want Pilot, anyway. If I get Pilot i’ll put in an appeal” (41) This shows how he only cares or worries about himself. In this community no has feelings so there is no need for empathy for others which means they only care for themselves. In this quote Jonas complains about not wanting to be a Pilot with his family unit only thinking about his well being. Towards the end of the story you can see how Jonas’s emotions changed.  “He no longer care about himself.” (174). This shows that Jonas finally has empathy for others. This connects to the story because now that he has had many memories he feels pain, happiness, love, anger and now that he understands things that the community know nothing about we will try to make them understand what's wrong and what's right.

The Giver

While reading The Giver by Lois Lowry there has been several memories shared by the main character, Jonas. One such memory is the released memory. In chapter 4 Jonas is doing his hour to help elders and is told a story a about the past. "We all raised our glasses and cheered.we chanted  the a anthem. He made a lovely good-bye speech. He was thrilled. You should have seen the look on his face when the let him go...---  He just bowed to all of us and then walked, like they all do, through the special door of releasing room." Jonas and Larissa 32&33 This Might be important because it shows that being a "released"isn't only bad thing but also a good thing. Then the adult Larissa tells him a story about a past eleven about how he was "released" and how he was happy about it. This connects with the conflict because everyone knows or thinks that being released is only bad.

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While reading The Giver by Lois Lowry there has been several memories shared by the main character, Jonas. One such memory is the newchild differences. In chapter 3 Jonas is with his family and a newchild notices a difference. "It was the first thing Jonas noticed as he looked at the newchild— the pale eyes. Almost every citizen in the community had dark eyes— Jonas himself, and a female Five who he had had noticed had the different, lighter eyes.(pg 20) This is important because because Jonas noticed that he and a couple of other people have different eye color than others. Jonas doesn't say anything because it is rude to point out people's differences. This connects with th conflict because everything is supposed to be equal.

Welcome to My Blog

Hello I am Lael, I'm in 8th grade. I love school my favorite subject is science, the part about it science is astronomy  I think it is pretty interesting to learn about space. This year I am very excited to graduate and as a prize I will travel to Hawaii or California. 

When I grow up I want become a successful actress and be in lots of movies and tv shows. Or I could be a scientist  things to some jobs that are important to me.I when I get older I also want to travel different countries to learn more about the world.