The Wave , 13 – 17 .

These are the last set of chapters in The Wave. These are some eventful chapters. It starts out at the football game, where Brad makes Laurie give the Wave salute to get into the stands, but she doesn’t want to. A few days later the staff of the Grapevine meet in Laurie’s house and make up an issue of the paper that is mostly devoted to talking about how the Wave is not a good thing. Before Laurie published the paper, she wanted to talk to her best friend Amy and warn her about it. They ended up getting in a fight over it because Amy didn’t agree with what Laurie said about the Wave. Some members took what was said in the paper offensively and found them untrue. The Wave members convinced David to talk to Laurie about her issue of the paper. When David sees her, they ended up getting in another fight and David actually physically hurting her. He realized he was turning into a monster because of the Wave, and he and Laurie went to Mr. Ross and told him it needed to end.

Mr. Ross reassured David and Laurie and told them that he had a plan that would convince everyone that the Wave needed to be over and done with. He had already talked to the principal and made sure it was okay with him. Mr. Ross told the Wave members to hold a ‘rally’ in the auditorium, but Ben made the students realize that the Wave was taking over and needed to be stopped. It all ended very quickly, and the students, most of which who were upset and crying, slowly left the auditorium.

I think Ben’s way of ending the Wave was good, because he showed how it was bad and how it would just get worse. I think alot of the students, if not all of them, learned alot about the Wave and how they have to watch things like that much more closely, because they realized how easy it is for them to get out of hand and lose control. I can see how they got caught up in the Wave, though. It all seemed like a good, strong idea, but even if some of the students saw how everyone was getting caught up, none of them except for Laurie had the courage to do anything about it, because lets face it.. no one else did. Alot of people are influenced by what other people do. If most of the members were against it, I’m sure the last few would go along with everyone else.

I think that this is a good book to read, especially in school because you really can learn about how to keep something like this from never happening again, and proving that there is a possibility if we don’t watch what we do and follow.

* sara .

Transgendered Jail Opening in Italy

The town of Empoli, Italy will soon be opening its first jail.. only for transgendered inmates, that is. The jail was previously meant for inmates who were women with drug problems, but after being renovated in April it will open up to being a jail for transgendered people. The wardens of the jail are currently being specially trained.

I think that this is very racist of the country. Personally I think every person should be treated with the same rights, no matter what their personal beliefs are. Its kind of like a situation with a black man and a white man. Say the white man walks into a store and no one is bothered or affected by it, but then the black man walks in. Say he is harrassed and followed by the workers in the store, and maybe even kicked out just because of the colour of his skin. Its the same thing with a man or woman who was always a man or woman, or a man or woman who dresses like the opposite sex. Its their choice, and no one should be affected by this but the person themselves. I don’t think people should be seperated while they are imprisoned because of what they choose to do. It shouldn’t affect anyone else.

To read the post I got my information from, click here.

* – sara

HIV/AIDS Talk in Nata Primary School.

Nata Village is a community which is home to many people and families who live in poverty. Nata tries their best to save these people and let them live their lives to the fullest and be happy and healthy.

 

On February 4th 2009, Peter Martinez was invited to Nata Primary School Standard Seven class and taught a class about basic HIV/AIDS prevention. The students got to learn more about the virus. The students were shy about asking questions and commenting on the virus. They also asked Mr. Martinez to come back to the school and talk about other health issues. He promised to come back another time.

 

Kenewang Rancholowas there with Peter to help explain when the student’s did not understand something Peter said about HIV/AIDS. Peter went back to the school a week later to teach a lesson on STI’s, or Sexually Transmitted Infections.

 

I think this is a very good thing to have in Nata because lots of these kids suffer from the disease, and they don’t have many opportunities to really learn about it and what it is. I think its important for them to know about it because it could help them prevent spreading it, and how to make it easier for themselves to have to live every day with the disease. I hope things like this continue in Nata.

 

To read more about Nata, visit the blog here.

 

To see the post I got my information from, click here.

* sara .

The Wave , 9 – 12 .

We’re now onto chapters 9 to 12 in The Wave. The group is starting to become much more involved with making the Wave better, and stronger. Some people are starting to think its going too far and becoming too powerful. More students are coming to Mr. Ross’ history class, either ditching the class they have at that time or coming when they have a free period. There is an organized pep rally, or what the school is calling a Wave rally, the day before the football game where new people can join the Wave. Ben Ross talks to Principal Owens about the Wave, and convinces him its nothing more than a classroom experiment.

Laurie finds a story that someone has written for the school paper, the Grapevine. Robert decides he would like to be Mr. Ross’ bodyguard. Brian Ammon, a member of the Wave, gets in a fight with another boy at school. A boy who just so happens to be Jewish. Laurie’s mother wonders if this is the reason that the kids were fighting. Laurie and David get into an argument over the Wave and how they don’t agree on how great it is. They split up, for now at least. A few people who try to sneak away from the Wave rally meet up and talk about what they think about it, and how they could try and stop it from taking over everything.

I totally agree with Laurie. If this were happening in my school, I would definitely be worried that it would become too powerful and I would be quite weirded out by it. Nothing would seem normal. I don’t think having to give a salute and say a motto every time you see a person in your class is very normal. Later on in the book, I think Laurie and the people she meets up with during the Wave rally will form their own group that is against the Wave, and Laurie and everyone else will try and get their friends to realize how its not really a good thing that’s going on in the school. I think the Wave will become much too powerful that any of the members are ready to handle.

The Wave, Chapters 5-8 .

In The Wave, we are currently reading chapters 5-8. In the start of chapter 5, Ben Ross starts thinking about how he can make the students understand what it was like to be in Hitler’s position and everyone who was controlled by Hitler. When the kids walk into class one day, there is “Strength Through Discipline” written on the blackboard. Mr. Ross teaches them to work together and organize themselves. He gets the kids to talk to him in a proper way, and stand next to their desks when they speak, and say “Mr. Ross” before they answer a question or state something. The day after, the kids keep doing it without being told. Mr. Ross doesn’t expect this from the students, but he goes along with it.

That day, he adds “Community” to the blackboard. He gets the class to work as a team and work with eachother. The guys in the class who are on the football team start getting the rest of the team to become a part of the Wave, because they don’t really think much of it. Mr. Ross explains it in a way that just makes it seem like it will just improve the team’s skills. But some of the students, mainly Laurie, doesn’t seem to like the fact that everyone is equal.

I think these chapters are interesting and are going to play a huge part later on in the book. It is the starting of the Wave, the actual group. If I were a student in this class, I think I wouldn’t like being a part of it because you’re losing the opportunity to think for yourself. Sure, there would be some advantages, like not being judged for how you look, or who you hang out with, things like that. But I don’t think any of the students, other than Laurie, realize what’s actually happening. Mr. Ross is thinking for all of them, and they have all given up on their own ideas and beliefs because he told them something different.

Florence, Italy

Florence, Italy is located on the Arno River. It is mainly known for for its history in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and all of its art and architechture. The population is small; only 696 767. But Florence is a huge attraction for tourists all over the world. To travel to Florence flying from Air Canada in Winnipeg costs C$1633, which isn’t too expensive compared to flights to other places.

One of the main tourist attractions of Florence is the Ponte Vecchio bridge across the Arno River. Its the oldest bridge in Florence, built in 1345. Its the only bridge that survived the bombings of WWII. Its lined with stores and shops, some of which literally hang over the edges of the bridge.

The Wave, Chapters 1-4.

In class we have started a new novel study. We are reading a book called The Wave by Todd Strasser. This book is based on true events that happened in a high school history class in Palo Alto, California in 1969.  The book is about a history class who is studying World War II, and don’t understand how the Germans could have took part in what Hitler did.

The book starts out in Ben Ross’ history class. All the students pile in the room as Mr. Ross is setting up the film projector. The film they watch is a document about Hitler and the Nazis, and what they did in the concentration camps to people who they thought were ‘unfit.’ Watching the film really affects some of the students. After watching the film, some students as Ben some questions, some of which he can’t answer. He goes home and thinks about why he couldn’t answer them, and how he could make the kids really understand it.

My favorite characters in the first 4 chapters would be either Mr. Ross or Laurie Saunders, because Mr. Ross actually wants the kids to realize the times back then. Also Laurie because she seems to be emotionally effected by the issue alot, and she seems like she wants to learn more about it.

MSF Treating Cholera Outbreaks in Zimbabwe

Reading my iGoogle tab, I cam across a post on the Poverty News Blog about a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe that MSF (Medecins Sans Frontiers aka Doctors Without Borders) have been trying to treat but are struggling. The organization has treated over 45 000 people, but with only 500 workers it doesn’t seem to be enough. The numbers are increasing, and MSF is running out of room to treat everyone.

The reasons for all the outbreaks are simple: lack of access to clean water, burst and blocked sewage systems, and uncollected refuse overflowing in the streets. These are all due to Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown.

I thought it was interesting that I ran into this post because we have been recently looking at NGOs in school, and MSF is one of the ones I was interested in but didn’t end up writing about. I think its a terrible thing that not all the people who are affected can be treated, but I know MSF is doing the best they possibly can and I hope they continue to do so. To read more about this issue, click here.

* sara .

War Child.

War Child International is a NGO (non-government organization) that helps young child soldiers all over the world who were forced to fight in wars so terrible that no one, especially children should have to experience. The kids are usually drugged for years and turned into killing machines, with no power over their own actions. War Child helps save these children and let them become kids again after being forced to grow up too fast.

War Child currently has two main offices they work out of; War Child Canada and War Child Holland. They both focus on helping these kids who suffer through war at a young age and help them get through it with short and long term rehabilitation. They try to improve their living conditions and to improve the mental health of the kids.

I think War Child is doing a great thing for trying to help these children who, against their will, had to suffer through their child years. To read more about this NGO, visit the website.

HIV/AIDS class in nata village school .

On February 4th 2009, Peter Martinez was invited to Nata Primary School Standard Seven class and taught a class about basic HIV/AIDS prevention. The students got to learn more about the virus. The students were shy about asking questions and commenting on the virus. They also asked Mr. Martinez to come back to the school and talk about other health issues. He promised to come back.

Kenewang Rancholo was there with Peter to help explain when the student’s did not understand something he said about HIV/AIDS. Peter is going back to the school next week to teach a lesson on STI’s, or Sexually Transmitted Infections.

I think this is a very good thing to have in Nata because lots of these kids suffer from the disease, and they don’t have many opportunities to really learn about it and what it is. I think its important for them to know about it because it could help them prevent spreading it, and how to make it easier for themselves to live with the disease. I hope things like this continue in Nata.

To read more about Nata, visit the blog here.

To see the post I got my information from, click here.

* sara .