Something that we have been discussing a little bit in class, is the effect of news media on the presidential campaign this year. More specifically is how the media affects a possible voter and who he will end up choosing this November. As I was browsing various news sites such as CNN, Huffington Post and NYTimes I noticed that many of the headlines regarding the campaigns today were the results of various polls and which candidate was leading. On the Huffington Post, I noticed this article. To read it click here. This is something that is not just showing up today, its been the obsession of the news media to be displaying daily polls and who is leading and by how many percentage points. These polls often display where registered voters are leaning towards giving their vote and if they are still undecided, who is their most likely pick.
I started to wonder how these various polls influence potential voters who read these news sources. Also how did these voters know to trust these polls and know that they are accurate? Finally, why would they let other peoples opinions influence their vote? These are just some questions that I have started to think about. What do you think?
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Hidden Messages?
Something that was brought up in
class this week was the possibility of hidden messages in some of the
children's books that are being read today, when I was in kindergarten and 1st
grade, and even before then. I thought that was so interesting because its definitely
not a connection I have ever made before. When reading them as children, they
come off as entertaining books with big pictures and a fun story along with
that. I know that my parents often had to read my favorite books to me several
times before going to bed. So after that being brought up in class, I decided
to do a little research and see if any common children’s books had “secret”
messages in them.
I
first looked at Dr. Seuss’ Wikipedia page. Dr. Seuss was one of the most
popular children book authors, writing books such as Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat
in the Hat. These may come off to children just as simple books but almost every
book had a meaning attached to it. The
Lorax was said to be about environmentalism and How the Grinch Stole Christmas about anti-consumerism. I wonder if
these messages really are secret or if children really can pick up on them,
they just don’t realize it.
Another
important and very popular book was Where
the Wild Things Are. This book not only was banned in libraries for years
after its release but was also named one of the Top 100 Picture Books of all Time.
I know this was definitely one of my favorites growing up. I wonder if the
secret messages in books and the banning of certain books is mainly an American
thing to do? What do you think?
Monday, October 15, 2012
Promises
In
the past few weeks, I have been following the CPS strike and all of the other
news surrounding that. One personal reason for that is I have a lot of friends
who attend various CPS high schools such as Lincoln Park, Walter Payton, or
Northside so I’m very interested in keeping up with the news directing
affecting their schools. Although the strike has stopped after about 8 days, I
have begun to question the lasting effect it will have on school students,
teachers, and administrators. Will this hurt or help the students in the end?
Will the teachers be more willing to go on strike in the future? We might not
know the answer until later this year at minimum.
Recently
though Chicago Public School CEO, Jean-Claude Brizard was replaced by Barbara
Byrd-Bennett who Rahm Emanuel placed in that position. Byrd-Bennett believes
she has what it takes to turn any CPS school around that needs help. She says she is very relatable to many
students because, “I come from less than blue collar” and “somebody with
integrity and honesty.”
While
in this interview she makes a very convincing case for herself as the strongest
person to take over as CEO of one of the biggest public school districts in the
country, because she was personally appointed by Rahm Emanuel. However it could
be an interesting dynamic between her and the teachers. Emanuel and the CPS
Union President Karen Lewis have had many disagreements over the past years.
Some possible questions come up as to how will the teachers and Byrd-Bennett
get along? Will any more conflicts arise? Will Byrd-Bennett be able to keep her
promises and turn CPS schools around?
Monday, October 8, 2012
Childhood Obesity in America
It was really
interesting to me when I checked the American Studies website, was Mr. Bolos’
blog post on is the issue of physical health and mental health. Even more
specifically, the physical health issues in American children. I first started
to learn about the rising obesity rates when I watched the documentary, Super Size Me, in one of my health classes. To learn more about this documentary, click on Super Size Me. It
shocked me when I learned about the types of food the majority of children in
the US were eating and the rising implications of that. Because of rising food costs and gas
costs, getting to a grocery store for some low-income families can be extremely
difficult. Besides the fact of just getting to a store, the high prices of
fruits and vegetables and quality meat can make these foods just not an option.
For example, the other day I was in a Whole Foods market and decided to pick
just one apple to eat before practice. The cost of this tiny apple was $1.77.
Just for ONE apple. I was at a loss for words and it made me think even more
about how families would just not be able to afford fresh fruits and vegetables
like this. The result of this is
that many families might have to turn to fast food restaurants and packaged
foods. These foods are high in carbohydrates and fats, and very low in
nutritional value. Once in a while, fast food wouldn’t be harmful to someone’s
overall health. But when growing children have to eat food like this three to
five times a week, it can be extremely detrimental.
This issue has
been brought up nationally, from First Lady Michelle Obamas, “Let’s Move”
campaign to even the military saying that we wont have enough fit and healthy
recruits for the army if the obesity rates continue to rise. The “Let’s Move”
campaign is focused on educating adults and even children on the consequences
of obesity, how to eat healthier, and plans activities nation wide in support
of children being active. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website,
“childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years” and nearly “1 in
3 children in the United States is overweight or obese”. These numbers continue
to shock me especially because I feel like where I live, these numbers don’t seem
to add up. I have now began to wonder even more about the correlation between
low-income families and obesity, and the access to grocery stores depending on
where you live. Also what does it say about America and how we have let
childhood obesity come so far? How come we have not taken more of an initiative
to end this? What are some possible solutions to this problem?
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