President Obama's Speech

1. Parents in the United States have had mixed opinions about President Obama speaking to students all across the nation today. Do you think that it is a positive or negative thing? Why?

I think that giving this speech was really positive, because parents need to encourage their kids to succeed at school, and kids need to know that they are being encouraged by the government and by their parents. It is also positive, because if there are people watching it and they are people who dropped out of school, they might realize what did they do wrong. The speech is really positive, because it tells us that people that had been raised by a single mother or were from a foster home, have succeeded. For example I am a daughter of a single mother, and she has tried, and has succeeded to get me to the best schools there are, and has given me all the things I want, so I really appreciate that.

2. What is the purpose of President Obama's speech?

I think that the purpose of the speech, is to encourage the students all over USA and the world, to succeed in their school work, and to be able to get through High School, and college, and do something good for the world. I also think that it might be for all parents and students to not quit on their school, because they might regret it someday, because some friends might succeed and do a big discovery, and that person might be at home sitting around just watching TV or getting in trouble with everybody. As the President said, we are all good at something, we might not be Varsity players, but we might be really great artists, or vice-versa. Or we might have a great musical talent, and we are afraid to use it, because your friends tell you that you are not worth it, even thought they say so, just be yourself, and do it no matter what they say.

3. What impact does the speech have on you?

The impact this speech has on me, is that it inspires me, because my dream is to be able to work at NASA, as an astronaut, and it really takes a lot of work. The college I want to go to is MIT and to be able to get there I have to earn it, because that kind of colleges are really expensive, so I really need to earn it, by earning a scholarship, or having the money, but it is really hard to get scholarships, and if you finish your college years you need to have a bachelors degree and then get accepted on NASA, and NASA receives thousands of applications per year, so if you want to be selected you need to have studied and to get the best grades you can get.

The Effect of Corporations

In this movie we were learning about the effect that corporations have in the world. In this movie we also get to hear what teachers from several colleges think about the corporations. I learned that some factories that produce milk inject cows with hormones so they produce more milk. So when they inject them, normally when the milk is taken out of the cow, the milk has the hormones, and they are transmitted to the people who drink it. I also learned that before there were places where they shut people to work, without windows and the doors were locked so they couldn’t go out, this is called sweatshops. Another thing I learned is that there is people that work with some chemicals that should not be breathed in, and like people work with them, sometimes they start getting a kind of paralysis that makes them not pump blood to the left arm, and so they don’t feel that arm.

Globalization Questions

Name:_Sofia Terife_____ Date:_Monday March 23, 2009_

Introduction to Globalization

1. What do most people think globalization is?

Some people think that globalization means that the world is turning into an American consuming colony like Mc Donalds or Coke.

2. What is the real definition of globalization?

The real definition of globalization is the way of buying goods from other countries and consuming them.

3. How is “Bhangra pop” in India an example of globalization?

“Bhangra pop” is like Jamaican Reggae but played in Indian instruments, this is an example because Indians are using a type of music from another country, but playing it with their own instruments.

4. What is positive or good about globalization?

I think that a good thing about globalization is that we can learn more things about other countries.

5. What is negative or bad about globalization?

I think that a bad thing about globalization is that we are loosing our own culture, and traditions, so we should learn other cultures, but not loose our own.

6. What are indigenous people?

Indigenous people are people that have been in the same place, and have not lost its culture over the years.

7. What do linguists estimate is happening every two weeks due to globalization?

Linguist estimate that every two weeks a language dies, taking with it the way of communication, cultures.

8. How did the images make you feel?

The images made me fell a bit sad, because all of the cultures are special in their own way, because they have different traditions, so when I watched some of the images, I thought that many of the cultures are loosing their traditions, for example there is a photo of some kids eating and on the wall there is Mickey mouse, so I think it is sad that they don’t have their traditional things.

9. What did the photographs teach you about indigenous people and/or globalization?

The pictures showed me that not all the cultures are the same, and that they live in different places. Another thing is that before all the cultures could find food and shelter by themselves, now they have to get help from other places.

10. In your opinion is globalization a good thing or a bad thing? Or some combination of the two? Explain.

I think that globalization is a combination of both, because we can learn and get details of the other cultures, but not go to extreme globalization, and change all your cultures, and traditions because you like better another tradition.

Letter to the UN

Genocide in Sudan


Dear honorable delegates of the UN,

I think that the topic of Genocide in Sudan should be addressed. I think this because genocide is a cruel and unfair act that is only done because they don’t like their political group, or color, or even their cultural group. The president of Sudan has been charged because of genocide, and charges of murdering. The president has not responded peacefully to the African rebels, instead he movilized a group of Arab fighters, called the Janjaweed. Since the conflict started about 300,000 people has died. The government-supported militia is killing people, burning houses or villages, and also driving families to the deserts and they die. The militia also started bombing Danfur during an air raid. Moreno Ocampo thinks that if the president is taken out of power the violent attacks will decrease, or even stop, and two million and a half people will be able to go home.

Sudan's Problem

Charges have been made against Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir that consist on acts of genocide, in the Danfur, Sudan. Moreno Ocampo has charged the president, because he has been planning and supporting the killing of African tribes in Danfur. Moreno Ocampo hopes that if the actual president is taken from power the violence in Sudan will stop and displaced people will be allowed to reurn home. The president of Sudan did not respond peacefully to the African rebels, so he movilized a group of Arab rebels called the Janjaweed. Since the beginning of the conflict about 300,000 people have died. The militia that is supported by the government continues to murder people, burn villages, and more.

Hotel Rwanda

What are the limitations of the UN?

The limitations of the UN are that they are not allowed to shoot at people if they are not shoot at first. Also that they are not allowed to get people out of the country if they do not have the permission. They cannot get into a country if the president or the government does not permit them. And the last one is that if their resolution does not pass they cant act or do anything.


Is it the world’s responsibility to stop genocide?

I think that it is the world’s responsibility, because it is an unfair act. I think this because why do we need to kill people because we don’t like them in any way. Another reason is that we are all humans so we should just sit down and discuss it without starting a war. Genocide is a horrible thing, and we should not do it by any reason, not because we don’t like them, or we just think they are less human beings, or even if we just think they should be killed.

JMUN Reflection

What did I like about JMUN?

What I liked about JMUN was that we could make new friends. I also liked that we had time to learn about other people’s thoughts about the topic. Another thing I liked was that we had enough time for lunch and breaks. Also that we had the chance to express our thoughts of the topic to the other delegates. I liked when we were debating even though I almost didn’t talk, I think that debating is good because you can express your thoughts.

What did I dislike about JMUN?

What I disliked about JMUN is that we had to stay on Friday till very late. Another thing is that some delegates just started criticizing each other, and sometimes it was not nice. On other moments the delegates that talked a lot, started to insult each others resolutions, and saying like: “we need to know what a is good resolution and a bad resolution”. And that when we were doing the things for the resolutions, some delegates just started telling us like if you go with them you will be this and that, so that was a bit annoying.


What would you do to prepare for next year?

I think I would try to find more information, because this year was my first year, and I did kind of not know what to look for. Another thing is that when we did the practice debates, I was also kind of lost, because I didn’t know what to say. Also that next year I wont be as nervous as I was this year, because I know what JMUN is and what we are going to do. The last thing is that I was really nervous and I didn’t sleep well that night so I was really tired.