Current Events: May 2015

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/09/world/global-warming-record-quarter/index.html 

March 2015 is the hottest March globally

Headline: New temperature records highlight global warming's continued rise

Topic: "Extreme" weather places "reverse" in temperature proving global warming continues

Summary:

• 2015 is hottest year since 2010
• Arctic sea ice mileage has decreased significantly
• Antarctic sea ice mileage has increased significantly
• Natural ice is disappearing
• Warming trend reduced water supply in California
• Northern Hemisphere snow coverage 7th lowest on record
• More carbon released, higher temps reach causing mega-droughts
• NASA concludes 80% chance mega-droughts last 20-40 yrs.

Analysis:
It's only May and 2015 has already been called the hottest year on record. With carbon dioxide levels rising with greenhouse gases, Earth won't be relevant anymore. Which means, neither will we. The drought reducing California's water supply has been going on for three years now and NASA concludes it could be another Dust Bowl if it lasts a decade longer. Places that should be cold, like the Arctic, are warming up while the Antarctic gets colder. Earth is our home and the people of this earth are destroying it with their fancy new cars and factories. What I mean is people have gotten lazy and now rely on new technology. Well, some of that new technology increases carbon dioxide. The increase of carbon dioxide levels may be helping us, but its not helping the Earth. As a member of the generation that will occupy this Earth next, this affects my life. The increase of carbon dioxide levels has lead to diseases and respiratory ailments.

Leading to the Civil War

Together, many events ultimately helped lead up to the Civil War.

The Missouri Compromise

The Missouri Compromise

The Missouri Compromise in 1820 was one of these events. The Missouri Compromise maintained peace and balance between free and slave sates. It admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. It diffused political and sectional rivalries. The Missouri Compromise excluded slavery (except or Missouri) north of latitude 36 degrees 30 minutes.

Wilmot Proviso

The Wilmot Proviso created this.

The Wilmot Proviso also led to the Civil War. It was designed to eliminate slavery in the new lands gained from the Mexican War. A Pennsylvania congressman, David Wilmot, proposed this as an amendment to a bill President Polk was attempting to negotiate. It was blocked by the South but it inflamed the controversy of slavery and its principle. The Wilmot Proviso widened the sectional break and inspired other politicians to form their own plans for slavery.

The Compromise of 1850 made the U.S look like this.

The Compromise of 1850

The Compromise of 1850 additionally helped lead to the Civil War. The Compromise of 1850 resolved the questions and disputes of what to do with the new lands gained from the Mexican-American War. It created the territories of New Mexico, and Utah, admitted California as a free state, settled a Texas-New Mexico border dispute, ended the slave trade in Washington D.C., and amended the Fugitive Slave Law.

The cover of Harriet Beecher Stowe's UncleTom's Cabin.

The Publication of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin 

An author and vocal abolitionist, Harriet Beecher Stowe "wrote the book that made this great war [the Civil War]," according to President Abraham Lincoln. Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin depicts the cruelty of  the slave life attracting public attention, especially from the North. Her novel, praised by Northerners and criticized by Southerners, created uproar and more disputes between the two regions. Her novel, unintentionally, pushed the quarreling regions of the U.S to the breaking point.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

The U.S looked like this after the Kansas-Nebraska Act (orange) was passed.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was created by Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln's prime presidential competitor. The bill authorized popular sovereignty in the new territories of Kansas and Nebraska and reversed the Missouri Compromise's latitude boundary. Although the bill was passed by Congress, it failed miserably in what it was trying to achieve. Instead of organizing western territories and unifying the arguing nation, the Kansas-Nebraska Act split two major political parties and worsened North and South relations.

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was an ex-slave who became known as a human-rights leader during the abolition movement with his eloquent speeches.

On July 5,1852 Douglass gave a speech discussing African Americans celebrating freedom and presenting the hypocrisy of America.

I. "The fact is ladies and gentlemen, the distance between this platform and the slavery plantation, from which I escaped, is considerable - and the difficulties to be overcome in getting from the latter to the former, are by no means slight."

Douglass explains that the difficulties to get from the slave plantation to the platform he is currently at were challenging and strenuous.

II. "The freedom gained is yours; and you, therefore, may properly celebrate this anniversary."

He means that the freedom celebrated on July 4th is white men freedom and other races do not have this freedom to celebrate.

III. "What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a the reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim."

To a slave, the 4th of July is day emphasizing and remembering the cruelties and injustices they face every day concerning their skin color.

IV. "The Fugitive Slave Law makes MERCY TO THEM, A CRIME; and bribes the judge who tries them."

Douglass points that the justice system of America is controlled solely by money. He is appalled that a country so dedicated to equality and freedom like the U.S bribes their justice system.

V. "I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope."

Douglass ends his speech by hoping America will see its corrupt ways and fix its hypocritical justice system.

Abolitionist and Women's Rights Movements

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass's speech from July 5, 1852 and the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions from 1848 are very similar, despite their different audiences. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott promoted the first Women's Rights Convention. In their speeches, Stanton, Douglass and Mott discuss the hypocrisy of the U.S. Douglass, Stanton and Mott additionally discuss how their audiences were denied all the "natural" rights that white men were granted and their treatment. They also discuss how their audiences were denied the money they were supposed to earn. They mention the struggle and fight their audiences had with freedom.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucertia Mott

Current Events: Antarctica Warm Up

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/01/travel/feat-antarctica-highest-temperature-ever-recorded/index.html

Headline: Antarctica hits 63 degrees, believed to be a record

Topic: 63.5 degrees was recorded in Antarctica on March 24, 2015.

Summary:

• The temp. was recorded at Argentina's Esperanza Base
•  The World Meteorological Organization will collect relevant evidence
• The World Meteorological Organization will check equipment to make sure:

                  a. it was in good working condition

                  b. the correct monitoring procedures were followed

                  c. it was placed in correct place

                  d. temp. matches corresponding results from other weather station

• Researchers are carefully watching the weather changes in Antarctica

Analysis:

If Antarctica is 60 degrees, there is a serious problem. Antarctica should never reach 30 degrees, let alone 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The warm up of Antarctica just screams global warming. The overuse of polluting agents in our normal everyday lives has gotten out of hand. There is a serious problem now. The Earth's atmospheric temperature is changing because of the polluting agents of car, bus and factory exhaust. Our laziness is changing the Earth both geographically and atmospherically. The warm up of Antarctica is only the beginning of Earth's change. Soon, the Earth will warm up and books like The Maze Runner and the rest of its series will no longer seem so far-fetched; they will be our reality whether we except it or not.

Transcendentalism

The transcendentalism movement was a religious and philosophical movement protesting the general state of spirituality, the state of  intellectualism, and the doctrine of the Unitarian church. The core beliefs included inherent goodness of both people and nature. Transcendentalists' believe that society and its institutions corrupt the purity of an individual.

"Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world."~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
In this quote Emerson is saying that being true to yourself is the only important thing in life. If you face truth on its own terms you will discover genuineness and courage within yourself. He is saying that going with the tide and the flow is wrong because you are not your own person then. He is saying to be your own person because no one can do that for you.

This quote inspires people to go their own ways.

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Here, Emerson is saying to be your own person and to go your own way. He is saying that everyone is unique and many people in society go with the flow and follow others. He is saying to go your own way and show the uniqueness inside. This is saying to go against the norm and stand out in crowds.

This quote by Gary Low tells people to take control
of their own life because it's theirs.

"Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine."~ Henry David Thoreau
In this quote Thoreau is comparing a machine to society, saying to be yourself and stop the judging nature of society. Society comes together, like a machine, to judge and discriminate others. Society is generally a fixed "machine" doing one job, that isn't particularly helpful in this case. By being yourself you can stop society's unhelpful "job" of judgmental and discriminating views and comments.

"If a plant cannot live according to nature, it dies; and so a man."~ Henry David Thoreau
Here, Thoreau is comparing a plant with a man, saying that if a plant or man cannot live naturally than it is basically dead. If a living thing cannot live as it should, without restrictions than it is lifeless and meaningless. He is saying that being unique and your own individual is nature and natural. If you are not being yourself, and natural than you are inanimate and insignificant.

Trail of Tears

Trail of Tears

In 1830 President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. The Indian Removal Act gave the federal government the power to exchange Indian land east of the Mississippi for land west in Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma. Native American tribes that did not vacate the land mentioned in the act were forcefully removed by the American government. The Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole were known as the Five Civilized Tribes that were forced on the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee were a Native American tribe that resided in parts of Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina. In Illinois the Sauk tribe realized that their enemy was the white people flocking onto their land. The leader of the Sauk tribe, Black Hawk, grew increasingly angry and began to prepare for war. 

Black Hawk

The Black Hawk War began when U.S troops met Black Hawk at disputed territory lines and a truce bearer was killed. The war lasted fifteen weeks resulting in mostly Indian casualties and Black Hawk's surrender before reaching the Mississippi. The Second Seminole War was a brutal conflict involving various Native American tribes in Florida and the U.S government from 1835 to 1842. Native American chiefs Osceola, Alligator, and Micanopy organized roughly 3,000 warriors while the U.s government regulated roughly 30,000 troops. Osceola was captured and died later in prison causing a disbandment of the tribes.

James R. Bradley's Contention and Desired Freedom

Patsey upon arriving back at Epps' plantation.

In his letter to Lydia Marie Child, James R. Bradley mentions that slaves desired freedom yet kept it to themselves to avoid hasher treatment. The film “12 Years a Slave” supports this contention since it comes up several times throughout the film. One instance in which this contention is brought up and supported in the film is between Solomon and a fellow slave on a boat. In this instance, the slave tells Solomon that he must keep his wish and desire to be free secret if he wishes to live. As a former slave, the man gives insight into the treatment of slaves who told about their desire to be free. A second instance in which Mr. Bradley’s contention is supported is when Solomon is first sold to Mr. Ford. Several weeks pass on Mr. Ford’s plantation in which Solomon finally talks to a weeping mother. In the discussion Solomon mentions that he wishes to be free and with his family once more. He mentions this only to her on Mr. Fords’ plantation since she can relate. He knows that if anyone else knows about his desire to be free and with his family again, he will be treated harsher by his master and the overseers on the plantation. A third instance in which this contention is supported is with Patsey, a fellow slave on Epps’ plantation. On the Sabbath Patsey goes to the Shaw plantation to get soap to bath since she is not provided with it on Epps’ plantation, and Epps’ thinks she has run away. Upon arriving back at Epps’, Patsey reveals that she wanted the soap to bath since she has not in weeks. Patsey’s visit to the Shaw plantation is a slight representation of the freedom she desires and for this desire, she is whipped.

Solomon and the man on the boat.

Role of Violence in the Slave Society

Solomon whipping Patsey.

In the slave society violence from the owners was a way of disciplining the slaves. It was also a way of showing the slaves who was in charge and how they were to behave. The violence in the slave society was a way to create and instill fear into the slaves. The violence from the slave owners was a way to get the slaves to do what they were supposed to do and how they were supposed to do their tasks. The owners used violence to keep their slaves in line and to show how the work was to be done. Several examples of the violence used on the slaves were whipping, beating and lynching. The more a slave was whipped, the more it feared its master. For instance, while a slave for Epps, Solomon, or Platt, was forced to work in the fields picking cotton. The average amount of cotton that a slave in the field should be able to pick is 200 pounds and when Solomon only picked 140 pounds, he was whipped so he would learn to pick faster and more. Another example from the movie about the violence in the salve society was when Patsey was whipped. Patsey, another slave of Epps, went to get soap for herself from another plantation. When she returned Epps was looking for her and when he found her, he forced Solomon to whip her. Another case of violence was when Solomon was almost hanged. At his first plantation, Solomon disobeyed an overseer, called Tibeats, during construction. Tibeats later came back and attempted to hang Solomon but was stopped by another overseer.

Tibeats attempt to hang Solomon.

Ownership Changes and Slave Lives

Mr Ford (center), Solomon (left) and Tibeats (right).

Mr. Ford and Solomon.

Working and living conditions changed and/or were affected with or by ownership. Different slave owners had different beliefs. All slave owners had different expectations. Because different slave owners had different beliefs and expectations, they treated their slaves differently with different punishments and severity levels. They instilled different conditions on their slaves. After being captured, Solomon was sold to a slave owner called Mr. Ford. Mr. Ford was a kindhearted owner (despite the fact that he owned slaves) who liked Solomon. Mr. Ford valued Solomon’s input and suggestions. While a slave for Mr. Ford, Solomon and other slaves were able to service others for pay and keep the pay. The living conditions on Mr. Ford’s plantation were easy as his slaves would be grouped in cabins and not overcrowded. Because of Solomon’s hard work and nature, he was granted a violin by Mr. Ford and a treasured place with Mr. Ford. With Mr. Ford Solomon was respected and complimented. However, Solomon was then sold to Mr. Epps because his was no longer safe at Mr. Ford’s plantation due to a brawl with the rude and harsh overseer, Tibeats. Upon arriving at Mr. Epps’ plantation Solomon was treated harshly. He was whipped from the start for not picking at least the average weight of cotton. Solomon was not used to the working conditions or living conditions set by Mr. Epps’ since he had been treated respectfully by Mr. Ford. Mr. Epps’ living conditions were terrible as he bunched his slaves into large cabins and overcrowded them.

Mr. Epps and Solomon.

Slave Narrative

The state of Kansas where Bill Simms moved.

In the Kansas Narratives, VI an ex-slave named Bill Simms talks about his life as a slave in Missouri. Mr. Simms tells about his family on the plantation and what crops were on the plantation. He briefly discusses the selling of his sister and her children and that his family is all dead with him being the only one still alive. Mr. Simms mentions that his master was offered $1,500 several times for him but refused because Mr. Simms was a "good, husky slave." Mr. Simms explains that his master, whose name was Simms, was a good master and sent him to work for the Confederate army when the Civil War started. He recounts that he worked for three years "hauling cannons, driving mules, hauling ammunition, and provisions" for the Confederate army and when the Union army came close, he ran off. He tells that he "drove six-mule team and worked at wagon work,driving ammunition and all kinds of provisions until the war ended" for the Union army. He verbosely tells of his life after the war including his marriage and moving to Kansas. He concludes by mentioning his kids and their accomplishments, and his wife's death.

The first page of Bill Simms narrative

Mr. Bill Simms had a rough life despite the fact that he had a kind master. He was grateful for the land that his master sold him before his master was killed. After Master Simms was killed his slaves fled to neighboring counties. Mr. Simms was so determined to see Kansas he left with no one and nothing. Mr. Simms narrative tells of a kind master, rough life and ambition.

The state of Missouri where Bill Simms was originally from.

Tecumseh Speech

There are many themes evident in Tecumseh's speech such as determination and taking a stand. One theme is determination. Tecumseh says "...they will drink the blood of the white people." Tecumseh is talking about how his men are determined to fight against what the white men are doing to them. Another theme is taking a stand. Tecumseh states "If we all unite we will cause the rivers to stain the great waters with their blood." Tecumseh is saying that if they all take a stand together against the white men, they will be able to defeat them. In conclusion, determination and taking a stand are evident themes in Tecumseh's speech.

Tecumseh

"Roar" by Katy Perry incorporates the theme of taking a stand. In the song Katy Perry sings "I got the eye of the tiger, the fighter, dancing through the fire." This relates to Tecumseh's speech because Katy Perry is talking about a stand against someone who has pushed her down. In the song Katy Perry sings "You held me down, but I got up already brushing off the dust." Again, this relates to the theme in Tecumseh's speech since she is talking about rising up from being pushed around by someone else. The song "Roar" by Katy Perry and Tecumseh's speech contain a similar theme of taking a stand.

The cover art for "Roar"

Slavery in America

Slavery in America~Timeline

1619~ First slaves arrive in America

1817~ Fredrick Douglass is born

1831~ Nat Turners rebellion

1849~ Harriet Tubman is freed by the Underground Railroad

1857~ Dred Scott vs. Sanford case causes a set back in the abolitionist movement

1859~ John Brown led a group into an artillery in Harpers Ferry raid

1860~ Abraham Lincoln is elected President

1861~ The first 7 states secede and the Civil War starts at Fort Sumter

1865~ Slavery is abolished

1867~ Congress is fed up with Andrew Johnson and reconstruction starts

Harpers Ferry in 1859

The attack at Fort Sumter

An engraving of Nat Turners Rebellion

Religion in the Early 1800s

This map shows 6 of the most popular religions in the U.S.
including Baptist, Methodist and Mormon.

             The Second Great Awakening was a revival movement for Christianity during the early 19th century. Beginning around 1800 the Second Great Awakening attracted hundreds of converts to new Protestant faiths before its decline around 1870 gaining momentum around 1820. The Second Great Awakening revived Christian religions such as Baptist, Methodist, Unitarian, and Mormon. The most popular Christian religions before the Second Great Awakening were Presbyterian and Congregationalist.


Baptists

• The Baptist religion was founded in 1608
• Baptists believe that only believers should be baptized
• Baptists believe that people should be baptized by immersion NOT by pouring or sprinkling water 
• Baptists do not have an established church
• Baptists believe there is no human founder, no human authority, and no human creed

In the Baptist religion believers are baptized by
immersion similar to these people.

Congregationalists

• The Congregationalist religion was founded in the 16th century
• Congregationalists accept the Bible as a rule in matters of faith and practice
• Congregationalists base church organization on biblical foundation
• Congregationalists are autonomous people
• Congregationalists foundation principles are faith, freedom, and fellowship

Methodist

• The Methodist religion was founded in the 18th century
• The Methodist religion is the result of the teachings of John Wesley
• Methodists believe that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, the creator of all things, possess infinite love and goodness, has always existed and always will, is three persons in one (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit)
• Methodists use logic and reason in all matters of faith
• Methodists believe that prevenient grace, justifying grace, and sanctifying grace are blessings of the Holy Spirit at different times

Mormons

• The Mormon religion was founded in 1830
• Mormons are also known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Mormons believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World and the Son of God
• Mormons abstain from alcoholic drinks, tobacco, coffee, tea, and other addictive substances
• The Mormon religion allows polygamy (the practice of having more than one spouse at a time)

Presbyterians

• The Presbyterian religion was founded in the 16th century
• The Presbyterian Doctrine includes the authority of Scripture, justification by grace through faith, the Priesthood of all believers, and the Sovereignty of God
• Presbyterians believe that the Holy Spirit lives inside them, giving them their energy to continue Christ's mission
• Presbyterians believe that they are "chosen by God's grace"
• Presbyterians believe in the Bible and use "it as the unique and authoritative guide for how to live and what to believe"

Unitarians

• The Unitarian religion was founded in the 16th century
• Unitarians believe that God exists in one person
• The Unitarian religion encourages its followers to "search for truth in their own way, at their own pace"
• Unitarians are diverse in how they practice their religion
• The Unitarian religion does not have a creed or "doctrinal requirements"

A Unitarian gathering.

Letter to Family from West

November 7, 1850

Dearest Family,

       I hope everyone is well in Boston. Oh how I miss the bright flowers and busy bees in the summer and the cold crisp morning air that takes my breath away each winter morning. You would not believe where I am while I write this. I sit among my fellow travelers West, and my new family finally in California. The travelers we have met along the difficult way have shared that they hope to find god in California much like my family and I.

      I remember months ago, when we were all resting, a story of a hunter named Jedediah Smith that had been attacked by a grizzly bear. People said that he was only twenty four years old and had survived! His head was sliced open and some of his ribs were broken. I remember seeing open prairies that stretched for miles until the earth meets the sky as so many of our Indian friends have told us. Other travelers that we met along the way told us that the prairies were miles wide and that any farmer would have a good life with tons of money. On our travels we saw so many beavers and I remembered the wealthy people in Boston flaunting their pelts around.

Prairie plants that we saw on the journey to the West.

Jedediah Smith and the grizzly bear that attacked him.

     As we traveled we heard even more stories, some adapted and some new. The story of the Donner party struck me the most. As we traveled, we heard a few people mumbling about the Donner's and I remember wondering who they were. Upon arriving in California we heard more people talking and telling the story of the Donner party. While crossing the Sierra Nevada in the harsh cold in 1846, the Donner party was stranded in five feet of snow and after three weeks had nothing left to eat. They then started to eat their animals, then charred bones. On Christmas, the Donner party ate their first human. By the time the Donner party was found, their was only one member left. After hearing this story I was glad that nothing extreme like that had happened to us on our journey to California.

The Donner party in a blizzard.

     Well dearest family, we will not meet again. I hope you will not miss me too much. Remember that I still love you and I regret leaving although not nearly as much as I should. I have made it to the West safely and I will try to send money. Maybe we will move to the prairies to farm and make more money. The future is unclear but I will always write.

                                                                                                              Farewell my family,
                                                                                                                         Kate

Map of the Donner Pass. 

Election Day

The flag of Massachusetts

Election Day is the "Tuesday after the first Monday in November." It is the day in which the citizens of the United States vote for the federal officials. Election day is a civic holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and West Virginia. Election day is held on a Tuesday so that voters didn't have to travel on market day and so it didn't interfere with the Sabbath.

The 3 branches of the federal government.

In the House of Representatives Niki Tsongas (Democrat) represents the 3rd district of Massachusetts.

MA's 3rd district.

The Senators that represent Massachusetts in Washington D.C. are Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, both Democrats. The elected officials that represent Massachusetts in Boston are David M. Nangle in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Eileen M. Donoghue in the Massachusetts Senate, both Democrats.

Charlie Baker is the new governor of Massachusetts.

The War of 1812 & Star-Spangled Banner

The War of 1812 was fought because trade issues, British support of Indians, and the impressment of American sailors by British ships. The war was fought from June 18, 1812 to December 24, 1814. The war consisted o many battles and three failed attempts of invading Canada. In January of 1813, British and Indian allies repelled American forces during the Battle of Frenchtown. On August 24 and 25 of 1814, British troops burned Washington D.C. In September of 1814, the Battle of Fort McHenry took place where Francis Scott Key wrote the "Star Spangled Banner." When the war ended, Britain lifted its trade restrictions, and their impressment laws. The Americans were able to live under the Constitution as they wished.

Map of the War of 1812

The "Star Spangled Banner" was originally a poem written by Francis Scott Key in 1814. It was written about the battle at Fort McHenry. The "Star Spangled Banner" was originally called "The Defence of Fort McHenry." 

Rewrite:

Can you see by the sun's early blaze,

Oh so honorably we hailed by the sunset's last glowing,

Whose sweeping stripes and beaming stars through the hazardous fight,

Over the forts we watched were so bravely streaming?

And the rockets' red flare, the bombs breaking in air,

Gave fact that our flag still stood.

Oh say does that banner still wave

Over the land of the free and the home of the bold?

The American Flag

Great Journey Through Lowell

Monday October 6, 2014

The shrill of my alarm clock woke me up at 6:00 this morning. After getting ready for school I walked out my back door with my sister. The autumn air filled my lungs. My mom drove my sister and I to my sisters' friends' house to walk to their school. At 7:15, my mom drove me to school taking the normal route. Left onto Chelmsford Street, passed the Lincoln School and the intersection of Westford street and Chelmsford Street, straight through the Lord Overpass onto Appleton Street. Then left onto Gorham Street and straight onto Central Street, passing Market Street, Middle Street, Prescott Street and  the Dunkin Donuts at the corner of Central Street and Merrimack Street. After Dunkin Donuts, we take a left onto Merrimack Street and a right onto Kirk Street where the Old Building is. I walk up the six flights of stairs to the third floor and go to my locker where I drop my violin and unneeded books. Then I head to my first period class.

Pawtucket Canal

Thursday October 9, 2014

Today I left my house at 5:50 pm to go to String Project rehearsals. Sinfonia started at 6 with Derek as Conductor. Upon arriving in the Rehearsal room of Durgin Hall, I took my violin out of its case, attached the shoulder rest and rosined my bow. I took my usual place in the second violin section, third chair. Then I was asked to fill in the seat as assistant section leader since the normal person was absent. We tuned in the golden colored room that has terrible acoustics. We ran through our Nutcracker selections and discussed places that needed cleaning up and work. When 7:00 came, the Sinfonia members left and the LYO members were the only ones left. From 7 to 8:30 we rehearsed in the same wooden room as the Sinfonia kids. Before class starts, we take our 10 minute break. We talk about how our days were and other things that happened that day. As we tuned we listened for overtones and played our "Gloria" by Vivaldi selections. After rehearsal I talk to my friends as we pack up and walk to our parents.

The LYO preforming background music before the Meryl Streep Event in April. (I'm the 11th person from the left.)

Sunday October 12, 2014

Today my mom took my sister, my brother and I to Brandeis University to visit our other sister. After so many phone conversations and late night text messages, it was so good to finally see her again. She showed us her room which is larger than the other rooms on her floor. She also showed us the castle where we took some pictures. Then she showed us the view of Boston from there. The campus grass was still green and the leaves were turning red, orange and yellow. Behind the castle, we took more pictures. At the end of the visit she took us to Dunkin Donuts. The autumn air and foliage made the visit perfect.

The sign at the main entrance of Brandeis University.

I think it would be very hard to keep a detailed journal for a long time because I would rather experience something and enjoy it in the moment than to worry about having to remember every little detail about my day. I also don't pay attention to my surroundings very well which made this very hard. Also, my days usually consist of doing homework all day so I usually don't get to do much. I would not enjoy keeping a detailed journal because it would feel like an obligation. It would feel like I had to do something everyday.

Lewis and Clark

During Lewis and Clark's expedition of the western part of the country, they wrote journal entries. Their missions on this expedition was to map out the land that Jefferson had just bought from France, and to explore what was in the new region.

Map of Lewis and Clark's expedition.

June 26, 1804-William Clark (My Birthday)

After leaving their camp early, the group passed a river. They also killed a snake that was sunning itself and seven deer. The group camped above the Kansas River that day.

Rattle snake (top and middle) and a
hog nose snake (bottom).

July 30, 1804-Meriwether Lewis

On this day, the Corps of Discovery encountered a new animal which the French called a Braro. Lewis said that Joseph Fields killed the new animal and described its eyes as "small black and piercing."

A Braro aka Badger.

October 17, 1804-William Clark

In this entry, Clark says that he walked the shore with the Ricara Chief and an interpreter who told him many stories. He mentions that he killed three deer that day an elk and that the men killed four deer. They observed goats and antelope.

An elk similar to one that Lewis and Clark might have seen.