Inquiry Project Concussions in Sports

The argument I intend to show is simply the problem of concussions in sports and how to fix the problem. I am focusing more on Football because it is a violent sports and concussions are very common in the game play. My arguments for how to fix this look at the protection of the head, neck and upper body. A few things I have come across as possible fixes are newer more developed helmets as well as newer mouthpieces. With new technology that have been put in helmets during college football games scientists are able to look at the parts of the head that take the most punishment and what parts of the helmet offer the best protection. With these results new helmets are being developed to better protect the more vulnerable parts of the brain. Also, mouthpieces are being developed that help spread the force of the impact to the rest of the face and head to avoid concentrated blows to the neck and head. Going back to the NFL there is some shady business going on. The league are granting money to past players with severe brain damage and disease, but all the while keeping the research they have about the effects of concussions away from the current players. A lot of the players look at this is a bad thing, and I plan to use those players as examples in my paper.

inquiry project rugby in america

My research is coming along very well. My research is flushing out ideas and it is starting to become more refined on a very broad topic. In my latest memo, i talked about the growth of youth rugby. It seems like a very arbitrary and unimportant focus, but is actually the most important aspect of growth. Sports that are ingrained into our society and culture start kids off young and that has made the US a power in most every sport we compete in.

Extreme Consumerism in America- Inquiry Project Idea

My inquiry project is about the controversial idea that people -mainly the American people- have an addiction to shopping. My research will go in-depth on the actual scientific (emotional and chemical) pulls to buying excessively.  It will touch on how consumerism has defined our country, and the effects of our spending habits in the economy. I will include background information on the history of capitalism, consumer-holidays, over-spending and borrowing (the change in banking) in the United States. Lastly, I will touch on how our spending habits effect the world in an environmental way.

These are some of the things I wish to include in my paper, however it is completely possible that I may only focus on one of these subjects.

Inquiry project ideas

For my inquiry project I really have no idea what I am doing. So far my articles for my research memos have been about the effects of aerobic exercise on children's cognition and learning ability. There have been studies showing the direct relationship between increased exercise and greater executive functions. But from here I am going to look into various pros and cons of alternative schooling.

What it means to be a firefighter

What does it means to be a firefighter? I will spend my entire life trying to figure it out. In my limited experience as a volunteer firefighter I have developed a small understanding of what this means. Firefighters as a whole fit a certain persona but I have found that there is great diversity within this small group of people.  However there are still a few fundamental values that firefighters hold true. In this paper I would like to explore these traits of firefighters and what events have shaped the values of past and current day firefighters. 

Inquiry Project

My research will base on the advancement in technology of computer and the technology that is related to it. I’ll piece together how the advance of certain technological advancement of one thing can give birth to new technology. Starting with the hardware aspects and proceeding to about the device in which it’s used in, then later about how that lead to other new technology.     

Inquiry Project Follow-Up

In my research, I found that there are some key differences in the cultures of NorCal and SoCal such as the differences in the economic landscape and the vocabulary used in each region. A focus I think I'll look at might be the language as far as a specific topic goes.

Inquiry Project, Future of Rugby in America

My inquiry project is about the future of rugby in the United States and North America. With the addition of rugby sevens into the Olympics in Rio in 2016, rugby has been gaining popularity at a very quick pace. Part of my research has gone into the corporate aspect and how once big investors such as the NFL and other big European companies are trying to establish a league in the US and North America which is a vastly untapped and potentially huge market. Canada who could be a great team and potential power in rugby has been hindered by the lack of good teams in the US. Basically the whole continent of North America needs to establish rugby and create competition to become successful. Argentina has a very good team who could also benefit from the addition of a strong American and Canadian team. Rugby in America has drawn attention to investors looking to create a strong league and with the addition of sevens in the Olympics will become a very feasible option.

Environmental Effects on Crime- Inquiry Project Follow Up

I don't like it when something wrong is occurring and hardly anyone knows of it, they've heard of it, but do they really know? Crime rates in this country are a serious problem but the current tactics to address the problems are not very effective. Worse, it can be argued that nothing is being done about it, instead accusing and targeting the innocent. My inquiry project concerns the affects of environment on crime. Currently there are laws that target individuals, track them before a crime is even committed based on prejudice. In short, they are guilty before proven innocent, and treated as such. I hope to be able to inform my peers of this prejudice of the low class, minorities and familiar ties. Currently I have researched incarceration rates in this country( they are the highest in the world), laws that target African american males and those that condemn youths from families with offenders in them.

Michael Brambila research

The topic I decided to go with is a tiny bit out left field but it really is interesting. So I warn you if your conservative or well sex is a touchy subject for you maybe you should read another blog. I am doing the evolution of sex toys. Sex toys have been used through the world so I wanted to research their origin and ask questions such as  have they have benefited society or not benefited ?The research I have done so far has been mainly on the origins of viborators and I also found an article on Hitler and sex toys. The article was about the production of sex dolls during the holocaust. So I have some interesting articles thus far I still need articles on morality.
       So I am confused if I should do an over view or a pros and cons paper, but aren't their just pros. I am kidding I need to do more research until I can make that conclusion but who needs a man when women  got the rabbit.I also want to make the paper entertaining so I can make it funny for my reader but keep my academic voice.

California Water Crisis

California has been facing droughts for a long time now. For this inquiry project I am touching on the topic of water conservation. I will explaining the pros and cons of certain conservation methods; such as, desalination through reverse osmosis, tapping into new water sources, accessing aquifers, California's agriculture, and individual efforts. The argument I will be trying to argue is the fact that California needs to start conserving water now, or we will be facing a new California of vast dry lands containing no water. I am very excited for this topic, because I think that I will be able to change a lot of peoples everyday lives. I may also be doing a debate with Darrell on this topic.

Technological Advances in Snowboarding

For my Inquiry Project I am going to focus on the technological advances that have happened throughout snowboarding history. It is a fairly new sport that branched off from skiing, but the technology has progressed at a really fast rate. I find it interesting that in such a short amount of time, how quickly a sport can turn into what it is today. I picked this topic because I myself love to snowboard and I find this topic really interesting and I wouldn't get bored writing this paper which was important to me. This is going to be a long process but I think that if I set up a good outline and follow it then I will be able to do a good job on this project.

Inquiry Project follow-up

For my project I plan to research basketball and looks at specific events and people who changed the game and had an impact on the american people.  I also am going to look at the history of basketball and it's development over time.  I grew up with basketball as a kid an have played it all my life, it's basically apart of me and so I want to do a through research project on the sport.  For my most recent memo, I looked at an important game that took place back in 1963, during March Madness.  It was an important game because four African American were in the starting line-up for one of the teams, which had never been done before.  This was one step towards breaking the racial barrier between blacks and whites at the time.  This game is apart of our history and had a huge impact on the american people so my goal is to show people the sport of basketball helped shape the world we live in today.  Many sports have had this affect similar to this, so I might do some research on other sports too.

Anime for the young

I have decided on choosing to explore the effect of anime on the young. Anime has actually been around since the 1980 but only recently has it exploded. In my research i have found that anime gives western culture a chance to learn about another culture while also entertaining. I'm also going to explore the way western culture influences the way anime is made. My reaserch also found that when anime was first brought over to western countries. They were extremely censored and change to what the western producers thought would appeal to the western culture viewers. Just look up speed racer and you will understand. In most anime the characters to tend to look at like western Caucasians but their clothing style and way of living is Japanese. In the 80's the producers would take out that Japanese culture of living. Which is sad that they had to take away a cultural learning experience just for the sake of ratings. Anime is a great topic and I am very excited to to continue my research on the differences and the way it effects any culture.

CALI WATER CRISIS

For my Inquiry Project I’ve decided to do a research study on the California Water Crisis. I’ll include history of the water crisis, pros and cons, and who it affects both positively and negatively. The ideas of how to get water, without harming eco-systems and is affordable. 

Inquiry Project Pre-Proposal

Currently I'm researching about hip-hop/rap music, but I don't know what aspect of this genre of music that I want to explore. I'm either leaning towards the causes and effects of the hip-hop culture on an individual, or how this genre changed the face of commercial music and what it has become. I have more information on the effects of the hip hop culture, an example from my 3rd research memo is: "Subsequent research examined the relationships among empowering and risky rap music (self) engagement, age, gender, ethnic identity, self-esteem and depressive symptoms (Travis and Bowman 2012 b). Here, research suggested that individual and community empowerment constructs were also significantly associated with developmentally relevant concepts such as ethnic identity (Travis and Bowman 2012 b)" while the research I have gathered provides some background information, it's not enough to make any conclusions, argument, or even to chose my set topic for this project.

Inquiry Project: Soccer helps bring people together

Sports are something that are a big part of my life. I love all types of sports and have played many different sports competitively. I believe that sports are a good way to help bring people together. The love for sports is something that many people have in common. Out of all the sports I have played soccer is my favorite. Mainly because it's the sport I grew up playing. Soccer is a sport that helps bring people together. I have made many friends just through soccer alone. As soon as you find out someone likes soccer you instantly feel a connection with that person and it gives you a reason to talk to them and want to become friends. During the 2010 World Cup the who continent of Africa came together and became one. They called themselves the rainbow nation. It didn't matter which country from Africa was playing they all supported that team. Soccer has also been used in Northern Israel to bring Jews and Arabs together and it has been very successful. Soccer is a power tool that if used right can help bring people together

Physical Activity; Adolescent Girls

I knew I wanted to research physical activity, because I have a physically active life style and I enjoy it. To make my search more specific I chose to focus on physical activity for adolescents. As I was doing research memos I realized I continuously found that girls were less active than boys, and it was a concern. Now my research is focused on physical activity for adolescent girls. Currently I'm only finding benefits, but I'm trying to find negative effects if there are any. Also, I figure that physical benefits are obvious, so I'm focusing on mental benefits.

Inquiry Project Medicinal Marijuana

I am researching medical marijuana and how the movement has progressed into what it is today. I will be touching on the three sides to the movement; the people completely against Marijuana being used in any way, activists who want medical Marijuana to be accessible to patients in need without the fear of consequence from the law, and the activists trying to push for the full legalization for the recreational use of the cannabis plant. I will research all three sides and find out how my viewpoint on this topic will change or stay the same. I believe that the cannabis plant has medical values but also has negative long term effects to your body. I understand that Marijuana is a drug, and thus provides an effect to its user; this effect can be positive or negative, it just depends on who the user is. I have done research and discovered new findings about medicinal Marijuana from a neurosurgeon, a strong activist who owns the biggest Marijuana dispensary in the world, and charts showing that far less people die from marijuana than FDA approved drugs.

Sports on kids

I believe that kids that grow up playing sports gain a lot more good traits to help with life than those who do not. Sports help kids learn how to communicate and work well with others along with building great relationships. The guys I grew up playing sports with I still hang out with today. Being in sports teaches kids leadership teamwork and a sense of family. Kids in sports tend to work harder and do better in school to maintain the grades they need. Its the determination to want to play that helps you get better grades. I'm researching this because it interest me and I feel like I can write a good paper with all the information I obtain.

Inquiry Project Follow up

I am going to be writing my inquiry project on the sexual abuse and rape and the effects of it. Also about the way survivors have to live there lives with pain and for some reason guilt. What I found so far in my research is an article on self-blaming. I also found a review of a book written by a journalist. The book was written by a Professor at Stanford University. She's a Historian that specializes in history of women and feminist studies. Now I would like to find some more research on the effects of sexual abuse and rape. I believe that information will be the cherry on top. I was also thinking about looking at some survivor stories from a book called, Invisible Girls: The Truth About Sexual Abuse. I believe that kind of information will give a different kind of perspective that will impact a person.

inquiry project horror movies

I think i am going to research why people like horror movies. I am interested in why people are drawn to the thrill that horror movies can bring, and scary movies and scary stories have been around since the beginning of mankind. Elders have been telling scary stories around campfires and telling fairy tales like the Grimm fairly tales to give some sort of warnings to others of the dangers of the unknown. I'm interested in the role scary stories have played on the evolution of mankind.

Inquiry Follow Up

The effects exercise have on our bodies has consistently intrigued me. I've always been involved in copious amounts of sports, so exercise has always played a prominent role in my life. During an injury when exercise is not an option, my overall mood takes a shift for the worse. Studies show that communities with greater amounts of sports directly correlate with decrease in crime, and increase in healthy relationships at home. Why exercise can effect your overall well-being creates my area of study on this Research Project.  

Perfect Project Paper Preview

I have chosen to do my inquiry research paper on America's obsession with being thin. I chose this topic because I think its really interesting that America is the most obese country, yet views the small as extremely attractive. The research I have done includes a food psychologist views on Americans eating habits compared to other countries. I have also searched Anorexia Nervosa, which is a disorder in which an individual starves themselves in order to be smaller, and the image they see of themselves is distorted. What I am trying to explore is the connection between culture, society, and one's own mind and how they all play a part in how one feels about weight, size and beauty.

Inquiry Project Follow up

For my inquiry research project I am talking about Pop art. I find pop art to e one ting types of art, the best way to show society what it really is. What I've found thus far into my research is a lot on the history of the art, the reasons behind why it was done, and what it generally consist of. I intend on going into way more depth on the history alone but I want to find more information on the artists of the time, such as Andy Warhol and others, to explain how they portrayed society and its good and bad. In my research, I found that some artist from this time, made album covers for some of the most popular bands of the 60's, such as the Beatles. The art was a movement for society, not just for art. It definitely changed the art scene in so many ways, taking what everyone knew of the contemporary fine arts and completely twisting into whatever you see in the world. Artist would take popular everyday advertisements and make them into something out of the ordinary, but still recognizable to the public. Andy Warhol's many Campbell Soups pieces show this very well, where he keeps the look of the product the same but changes it the label from Campbell's Soup to Campbell's Juice.

Inquiry Project

In my inquiry project I am looking into the severity of concussions on the brain. More specifically in the world of sports. Athletes who participate in contact sports are more likely to receive a concussion because they have a higher risk of taking a forceful blow to the head, neck or upper body. I am going to look into what happens to the brain after repeat concussions and what potential mental illness can surface. The NFL is a big area for this topic because the recent $765 million league concussion settlement. Many of the former NFL players who had reported having received multiple concussions ended up with mental diseases like CTE and also turned to drug use and suicide after their playing days. One aspect I also want to touch on in the project is how often athletes are likely to not report concussion symptoms so they can continue playing their sport. Not many athletes at this point especially in the NFL know the severity of what can happen to their brains after the repeated damage, and the NFL has withheld information they know about concussions from their competing players, which to many of the players seems like shady business.    

Aesthetics in Bodybuilding

The idea for my Inquiry Project is Aesthetics, a Lifestyle. If you dont know what Aesthetics is its a form of bodybuilding, which I will do most of my project about, and also a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of art, beauty and taste, with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It focuses on improving the look of your physique by adding lean muscle mass and toning. It’s going to take a whole lifestyle change. The word Aesthetic in Greek philosophy means to have an appreciation in beautiful things like nature and symmetry. That’s why we always see the Greek statues of the gods having these very perfect, muscular bodies that make them look godly. Even way back then this idea of aesthetics was changing the way that the Greeks looked at everything in everyday life. Now in our society it has branched off to include everything from running to stay in thin shape to gaining an enormous amount of muscle in professional bodybuilding like Phil Health. Jeff Seid is only one example in the bodybuilding world of a lifestyle change you have to make for aesthetics.

So far I have researched two people and I am adding some history behind it to give a better concept of what it is.

Inquiry Project: Media and Body Image

I am doing my Inquiry project on the negative influences media has on society relating to idealized body image and the idea of perfection. Throughout my research, I realize how many different things affect society in different ways. There are many commercials to promote skin care, beauty products, weight loss techniques, etc. to show society that there is always room for improvement in your body image. Everyone has their own definition of beauty, but the media has a pretty standard definition and believes that everyone should oblige to this. It has become extremely common for the people in our society to feel uncomfortable with their bodies because media says you have to look a certain way to feel beautiful and accepted. I chose to do this topic because I feel like most people have been affected by the media or can relate to it.

Aesthetics in Bodybuilding

The idea for my Inquiry Project is Aesthetics, a Lifestyle. If you dont know what Aesthetics is its a form of bodybuilding, which I will do most of my project about, and also a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of art, beauty and taste, with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It focuses on improving the look of your physique by adding lean muscle mass and toning. It’s going to take a whole lifestyle change. The word Aesthetic in Greek philosophy means to have an appreciation in beautiful things like nature and symmetry. That’s why we always see the Greek statues of the gods having these very perfect, muscular bodies that make them look godly. Even way back then this idea of aesthetics was changing the way that the Greeks looked at everything in everyday life. Now in our society it has branched off to include everything from running to stay in thin shape to gaining an enormous amount of muscle in professional bodybuilding like Phil Health. Jeff Seid is only one example in the bodybuilding world of a lifestyle change you have to make for aesthetics.

So far I have two people that I have researched and now I'm working on adding some more history behind the concept of Aesthetics.

Effects of playing sports as a kid

I have grown up playing sports my entire life, I started with soccer and then ended up playing softball up until the school season ended my senior year of high school. Seeing the short and long term effects of sports is something that really interests me so it is what I have decided to research. I have found a lot of articles that focus more on children and adolescence, so I will probably stick with that age group. It is really interesting to see the things that actually affect kids, especially when it is something that you would never think was a factor.

Inquiry Project Follow Up

For my inquiry research project, I am researching the relationship of how the mind is attracted to certain genres of music, or better yet, what makes us attracted to the music that we listen to.  What I have found in my research is that basically there are four different types of personalities; the agreeable, the neurotic, the open to experience, and the extrovert, and each of these personalities is attracted to certain genres of music because of the way that people view their lives and how they view different sounds.  In some of my other research, I found that people are generally attracted to people who have the same sort of music tastes as them, whether it is a relationship or a friendship, studies have shown that if both of you listen to the same sort of music, you are more likely to get along.  My conclusion from this is that music has such a powerful way of touching and reflecting people and who they are and when you surround yourself with people who feel the same way when they listen to certain music, you share this common bond.  Also, each genre of music has its own subculture and the way that you affiliate yourself into one of these subcultures will determine the morals that you have or the lifestyle that you lead.  Moreover,  from my findings, the mind is attracted to certain genres of music depending on your personality, and the lifestyle and people that you surround yourself with. 

Middle Eastern Women Compared to Western Women

Hey guys, even though we are done reading Persepolis, I thought this would be cool to look at. Its the picture I brought it up in discussion. http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/files/2008/12/1.png

Kavita Ramdas

In Kavita Ramdas's Ted Talk she speaks about Women and how important they are to society and how they are saving us. She explains how gender equality is always a problem in Traditional cultures, how women are always oppressed. It amazes me when Kavita speaks of all the women she met in the organization that was founded by women. Those women literally sacrifice their lives for what they believe in, for "overturning centuries of oppressive tradition" as Kavita mentiond in the video. She also explains how these women cherish and respect their religion but just want to be equal to men. Here in the U.S there isn't a big issue on gender equality, I mean it's still an issue but not as big as it is on the Middle Eastern. Those women in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan,and etc. are struggling to gain gender equlaity.

Group 5 Source: Kavita Ramdas

In this day and age, women, not men, are redefining what it is to be a 'woman'. In this TedTalk, speaker Kavita Ramdas, describes what it was like growing up in  traditional India. She speaks about how women, are changing tradition in their religion and culture.  She mentions about women in Afghanistan, have opened underground schools to educate refugees. It is extremely inspirational to me to hear about women, willing to sacrifice their lives to make this world a better place.  She goes to talk about a woman's lesbian folk group in Croatia, that despite much opposition, has gathered large music loving and supporting crowds.  Then she goes on to describe the woman's peace movement in Liberia  and how just one scared mother, could cause such a stir.  I loved how not only does she use great examples of how women are changing the world, but she teaches us how to be a part of this movement.  

Kavita Ramdas

In this Tedtalk Ramdas talks about gender inequality specifically how women are treated differently in the workforce as well as in everyday life. This obviously can be related Marjane. One time she was running after a bus and she was told to stop because of the way her butt was moving, and when she is attending college her an her fellow women peers are asked to start wearing longer veils and looser pants so that nothing could be seen. I guess in Iran they see it as a huge distraction and they do not want the women having any sense of individuality because they do not believe women should play a part in any power roles. The men limit the women to make sure they remain on top.

I truly believe that everyone in the world is equal. It doesn't matter what their color of their skin is or if their a male or female. Everyone has rights and that's something that ignorant people seem to not get. What makes one person better that another. In the chapter and in the ted talk it they both talk about how women's rights are being taken away and how many women live in fear. But that's not right. Although there is exceptions. Some women stand up and fight for what they believe in and that's a good thing. They're all different types of prejudisms around the world and if people don's stand up for their rights then nothing will change. In the US one big conflict going on right now are gay rights. Gay rights have come along ways in the US but there is still a long ways to go but because many people stood up for what they believe in they are getting closer and closer to achieving what they deserve.  

Radical wemon

Kavita Ramdas is a very good speaker. Before watching I held onto the belief that being an activist and having old traditions were you usually separated. But Kavita changed that for me. She explained that for change to occur there must be two components, one is a drive that makes them go on and support from others outside pf their cause. A good way to git this support is to still participate in tradition and not throw all of it away. The traditions that one saves unites people who also participate in that tradition. After watching this i now have a new view on activism. A view that shows people united on smaller details and helping others because not of there own belifes or traditions but with the mindset that they are connected.

Group 5 Source

In this TedTalk  Kavita Ramdas discusses gender equality, and how women are not treated fairly or equal to men. Gender discrimination is a big issue in many country's, even in America today women still are not treated equally. Women are actually still getting paid less than men for doing the same job. Women are always being judged on the way they look and if they show too much skin or wear a lot of make up they may be called sluts or something like that. Sometimes women are raped and they are told that it was their own fault because of the way they were dressed. In Persepolis, while Marjane is in college in Iran they tell the girls that they need to start wearing longer veils and looser pants so that they aren't revealing so much, although you already couldn't see anything at all. When she was running for the bus they made her stop because her butt was moving in an obscene way. I think that women should be able to wear and do whatever they want without men telling them not to for reasons that are just dumb.  

India has had a very strict system of castes throughout its history. They do not accept many minorities or lower class people. There was a certain group of people in India called the untouchables who were completely shunned and discriminated in their society. My problem with Kavita's talk is that she focuses entirely on women and she makes it a personal or selfish take on it. There are about 1.2 billion people in India with the largest percentage of people living below the poverty line at 42%. Obviously I don't mean to downplay womens rights its a very important thing and that all women should have the same rights as men. I think India has deep seeded problems with discrimination and that its part of the culture but I just think that if you're going to fight for one groups rights you need to think about the other people who are also disadvantaged. You can't just take a human problem and make it a female problem.

Kavita Ramdas

After reading the section, in the book, and watching the video its hard to believe that women are treated so horribly in other parts of the world.  Since I was born in a world where I was taught to not disrespect or treat others badly its weird to think it happens in other parts of the world.  I know it happens but its just weird to think about, it makes me happy that I live in America and feel blessed.  Its also very impressive that there are so many brave people out there to stand up and make their voice be heard.  Against all the negatives and dangers that might affect them they ignore it and pursue what they believe in. Overall after watching the video I feel inspired to do something about it and make sure people are equal around the world.

Radical women embracing tradition

Women all over the world fight to have the equal rights of men. It's a shame that there is such a great amount of  inequality between men and women in different parts of the wold. Even in the US where women are given the same amount of legal rights there is still a great amount of inequality. In the ted talk Kavita Ramadas talks about how women can fight for their right while also keeping traditions and culture. Many my see a veil on the face of a woman as being sexist, but the veil allows for women to be seen as something more than just an object for desire and in a way can be empowering i can imagine.

Group 5 Reponse

 In group 5's ted talk we learn how women are treated in other countries. I think its important to look at women as the glue that holds the family together. I think the idea of women being sent off to an early age to get married and just have babies is changing. Women have earn their rights and I think since earning them they are more grateful to have them. I think the word earn is kind of a sad way to describe it just because I do believe their are natural rights that all human beings should have regardless of race or gender. Kavita Ramadas is brave by standing up to the stereotypes of her country and really challenging the norms. I think its amazing to see people scarificing it all for other peoples freedoms it makes the world seem  a little less selfish.

Radical Women

No one take this the wrong way but I like it that there is a Indian Female Rights activist, prior to this TedTalk I didn't know any. The reason I say I like is because as many know India is one of the most gender discriminating countries in the modern world today. So I applaud Kavita for her bravery. Her point at the begin gave to me something to think about, that in many countries where women are discriminated against they are also the ones who preserve tradition or are held up as part of tradition themselves. Its puzzling but its a bit of an unfortunate scenario that has played out. Despite being part of a Tedtalk, Kavita is talking about a valid argument, gender discrimination is a plague that has run too long for and must continue to be taken down one barrier at a time.

Radical Women

Women Rights

Something that has challenge me for a long time, "What is the difference between you and I besides our skin tone and gender?" The answer is absolutely nothing. We are all the same type of organism and it has been scientifically proven. I think that some people, men in particular, are naturally attracted to being the Alpha. By being an Alpha they fulfill their inner animalism. the down side about this is that people get hurt and there is no equality. We must see that all of us are created equal and we need to stop the hatred on other groups of people no matter what the reasoning is. It is upsetting to hear stories of women in third world countries who are hated because they weren't born a boy and being raped then tossed to the side like a piece of meat. I wish there was something we could do to help, but it will never change until people understand that these actions are not acceptable. I find Kavita very inspiring and see a lot of courage inside of her. I think it is awesome that she stood up against bad odds in her favor and preached what she thought was the right thing. Always stand up for what you believe in. 

Radical women; embracing tradition

In this TED talk, Kavita Ramadas discussed the issue of women's rights and their equality among men. All over the world, women have suffered these equal rights and even still today. Woman are sometimes somewhat thought of as slaves because in some countries, it is tradition to give woman a job and that be the only thing they need to accomplish. In these countries, woman are sent off to marry at the early age of twelve, as Kavita Ramadas said in the talk, and taken on the womanly responsibilities of cleaning, being a mother. etc. Today, women have earned their rights and have a place in this world but men are thought of as the dominant gender and have always obtained the rights that women did not have before. It is interesting to hear of other cultures and women who have to go through such times because Americans today do not understand what they had to go through. I am very fortunate to be living in this place and time today because life was very different for women living in Afghanistan when women did not have rights.

When watching the interview of the amputee I was some what shocked by how happy he was. He lost three limbs and still acts as though he is the biggest man in the room. I've never experienced an amuptee very personally, just passerby's, but I could imagine how hard it would be to just deal with the situation of a friend, but if it was myself I don't know how well I'd handle it. Many people who lose a limb go into a deep depression and are for the most part just unhappy because they will never be able to do things they could before. Some people, like the man in the video, have learned to cope with it and make a new life for themselves.

Kavita Ramadas

In the Tedtalk Kavita Ramadas explains how women are treated unfairly in other countries. I think as an American woman, I don't understand where she's coming from. Although American women are treated unfairly compared to American men, we have fairly easy compared to other countries. In other countries women are made to be wife, mother, and house keeper, etc., they are not offered education in many places, let alone their own voice. Here women can pretty much get any kind of job they want, marry or not marry if they'd like, and now only go to school but even college. There are some ways women are discriminated in the U.S. but I think we should focus more on how lucky we are to even be able to do things we can, because women in other countries literally give their lives fighting to get these rights.

Kentucky Outlook

In the interview video, Bryan Anderson explains his life before and after losing his limbs. It's amazing to see how he didn't let his disability become a negative impact on his life. I am also amazed at how he doesn't let that stop him from doing the usual and not so usual things.He has a fearless attitude about everything he does. One of the things that pulled him through his recovery was his sense of humor. When the worst happens the only way to bring back some sort of norm is humor. Humor is usually the way to go to show that what happened isn't going to effect you. Bryan Anderson now works as a stunt, an actor, a writer, and many more. He has inspired me so much more in life. He made me realize how blessed I am. Now I have to do it find my inner happiness.

Optamism to the max!

Bryan Anderson is an amazing human being. After being in a boming in Iraq, he became a triple amputee and lost both of his legs and left arm. But he still is continuing on in life. Ive knowen people who have given up on life for less then losing three limbs. But Bryan does not let his injuries define him. He goes through each with so many obsticles now and he just keeps fighting. Something alot more people could learn. To never through in the towle no matter how hard the task may be.

 

goup 4 source

Both sources use laughter to make a bad situation worse and to ease the tension. The both have a great sense of optimism and out look on life and that is critical when your in a bad situation like that. In the video they talk about how many injured war veterans come home and are just down and depressed. This is why I also use laughter and joke around when I'm in a bad situation or when something bad happens. It helps me from getting all depressed and makes living much more enjoyable. Towards the end of my sophomore year and then again at the beginning of my junior year in high school I dislocated my knee. This was really tough on my because it meant that my career as a high school athlete was pretty much over. But instead of getting down I joked around about it and made the best of my situation and was able to play sports again my senior year.  

Group 4 Source: Kentucky Outlook

The emotional strength exhibited by Bryan Anderson, a triple amputee war veteran, was mind blowing.  Just as Marjane Satrapi was surprised by her friend Kia's acceptance and outlook on his situation, I was astonished to see that kind of raw optimism myself. Although Kia may not be as extreme in his lifestyle as Anderson is, his attitude is just as inspiration to me as Anderson's story is.  Both Kia and Anderson's use of humor to essentially keep their sanity in tact (and by extension keep them alive) was sobering.

Bryan Anderson

Bryan Anderson is a triple amputee war veteran who has seized his new life with a positive and glowing outlook. He refuses to feel disadvantaged by his loss of limbs and still participates in the high adrenaline activities that he loves. More than that he has retained his sense of humor. This relates directly with Persepolis when Marjane meets Kia after the war and is blown away by his high spirits despite his broken body.

Kentucky Outlook: Bryan Anderson

In this video interview, Bryan Anderson is an amputee who lost some of his limbs during the war in Iraq. It must be terrifying to lose any part of your body, it would change so many things about your life and the way you do things. Bryan seems like the kind of person who can look at the brighter side to the worst situations and make the best out of it. He is able to laugh and joke about what happened to him. He wrote a book and travels all around the country motivating and inspiring people to do what they want to do.

I thought it was very interesting that he mentions the unknown and how he has to learn new things. Its weird to think that he had to completely renew his life and start over and I just couldn't imagine having to do that myself. Obviously Marjane never had to go through the pain of losing limbs and being blown up but she had to go through change and hard times herself. Marjane went through multiple huge changes in her life. One being the Iranian revolution, the iranian revolution was a huge culture shock. She had to completely change her life to what is expected. Second, when she moves out of Iran she must completely relearn a new culture and way of life.

Bryan Anderson

Watching Bryan Anderson talk about his experience losing his limbs and fighting in Iraq, was literally thee most inspirational thing because I feel like so many of us get caught up in the things in our lives that are not worth stressing over, and this man here, whose body has fallen apart, is not letting anything stop him.  That is so inspirational and I was so intrigued by his story and listening to the way that he is continuing to pursue his life and his dreams that it reminded me of Marjane and the way that she wasn't going to let the government or society tell her how to live her life.  Marjane felt a sense of inspiration and willingness to live and to satisfy her needs and wants in life and that is along the same lines at what Anderson was explaining in his story about how he is not letting anything stop him.

Kentucky Outlook: Bryan Anderson

A single man name Bryan Anderson who became a triple amputee after and IED expulsion when he was in the army taking his tour in Iraq. Now he works as an actor and author and also an adrenaline junky, motivation speaker, and spokesmen for USA care. He live his life to the fullest even when he lost the use of both legs and left hand and it’s great to know some where out there making the most with what they got. And when he meets he talk about how the movie star, Gary Sinise, treated him like anybody else, not trying to point out the obvious. That what I find in connection in Persepolis, where she meets her friends with similar problems and all they did was try to have fun and laugh.  

Byran Anderson

I really enjoyed watching this youtube video. Its awesome to see an injured Iraq Veteran doing so well for himself after a devistating event. In both Persepolis and Byran's story, the uses of commedy and laughter seems to lighten the mood, making a difficult subject to talk about a little easier to disscuss. I was surprised to see Byran in such high spirits. It seems like the event, however devistating, has changed his life for the better and allowed him to go out and spread his positive messages.

Bryan Anderson

After watching the video and reading the book, it makes you think, about all the times when you were depressed due to something and it seems so minuscule compared to not having legs or arms.  It seems as though they were taken out of their life and put in someone else's life, but both always look on the bright side.  Kia acts as though there isn't anything wrong with him he cracks jokes with Marjane, and seems to be extremely happy even though he is disabled.  Bryan Anderson seems to have an extraordinary life after being blown, he has five jobs.  He didn't let his disabilities get him down and instead became someone who inspired many people to be more like him.  I find it interesting how after having their life destroyed they become such influential and wonderful people.

Hispanics In America

I find that this is more of an eye-opener. I see that this is a huge problem, and affects many Mexicans, as well as Mexican-Americans. It makes me think about every other country that immigrates to the United States. I have been to many countries and have experienced their culture. I've learned their culture can at times be very private. I feel extremely jealous that I personally do not have such a culture, or history.

Kentucky Outlook Post

The Interview with Bryan  Anderson was easy to relate to Persepolis' Kia. Both of them were easy to like, even if they are displayed differently: one in an interview and the other in a brief chapter. Yet, the similarities in them both are uncanny, they both refuse to let they amputee disabilities get the better of them and even joke around about it. It surprised me how outgoing he was, I didn't expect him to be all gloomy either but I was pleasantly surprised to see him so upbeat.

Group 4 Source

I think their source some what worked with the section. The whole section is about Marjane heading back to her culture after a bad relationship. I loved that the group decided to focus on my favorite part of that section. It really was sad what happen to her friend but the whole scene was touching in that it was heart warming. It made you realize comedy is indeed the best medicine in life. The rest of the section is really about her going home which really was depressing for Marjane. I enjoyed the video with Brian because it gave more prespective on what war is in fact life and how to pick up the pieces.

Kentucky Outlook

This video of Brian Anderson's story really relates to Marjane's friend, Kia. They both lost limbs from war and have pretty much the same outlook on their lives and the situation. In the video, Anderson said that they best way to get though everything was to make fun of everything and laugh it off. In Kia's situation, he doesn't focus on the bad aspects about his situation. When Marjane visits him, she is shocked to see him in his condition and even says to herself that she wouldn't dare look him anywhere but in the eyes. Once he tells her a joke and breaks the ice of awkwardness, they talk and laugh throughout the visit and have a great time. With Kia still having his sense of humor, he is able to get through his situation.

Group 5 Source

1. 
   
   1.Brennan Walovich
   2.Sophia Carvalheira
   3.Ian Rodriguez
   4.Kevin Chen
   5.Jesus Olvera
   6.Sonia Dunbar
2.   http://www.ted.com/talks/kavita_ramdas_radical_women_embracing_tradition.html

   Radical women, embracing tradition

   Speaker: Kavita Ramdas: Philanthropist

    

    The speaker Kavita Ramdas supports women's human rights. She was raised in Afghanistan where women are similarly oppressed like in Iran. She also traveled around the world, and speaks about other women's experiences. What this speaker talks about relates to Persepolis 2 the Makeup and Socks chapters that include incidents of Marjane being oppressed as a women by Iran's regime.

   
   

Kentucky Outlook

The similarities between the video and Persepolis is the way the amputees handle their situations. They both seem to use humor to help them cope with the losses they had. The video offers in a more personal idea of how Marjane's friend feels in the book. The main thing to take away from the video is that humor can heal. If you are able to laugh at your misfortunes it has a way of making it not so bad. Also if you use humor in this way people will not pity you because you don't sulk about it. Basically you can feel sorry for yourself, you just have to laugh.

Hispanic stories

When watching this video gave me a new perspective on people who move here from other countries. We always hear how hard it is to fit in when you are somewhere new, and most experience this at least once in their lifetime, but I don't think we truly understand what its like. The students in the video explained how different the culture here is compared to that of Mexico. For example in Mexico it is common to greet one another with a kiss, even men, and here if someone tried to do to most Americans, they'd probably get punched. I don't understand why, as Americans we act this way things such as this. I understand it is part of our culture, the way society works, social norms, but i don't understand what is wrong with this? Also the fact that Americans are workaholics, were so focused on work we don't have time for our families. I think a big reason for this is because we love money, and that's not to say people from other countries don't, but clearly they have their priorities set differently and that's where family comes in.

Kentucky Outlook: Bryan Anderson - Iraq War Vet

Bryan Anderson is a veteran from the Iraq War. In 2005 he lost his legs and an arm from being bombed. In Persepolis Marjane reunites with an old friend. She came to find out he too was missing a few body parts from being bombed in the war. Marjane avoided being awkward and shocked. Actually, they both laughed and joked to be more comfortable. Bryan said how soldiers coped in Iraq was to make fun of everything, laugh, and try to have a good time. At the time Bryan lost his body parts he made a comical remark to his friend. He says sense of humor can get you through anything.

Group 4

Darrell Zebley 

Emilio Pollock

Nick Negri 

Shane Owen 

Daniel McKeon 

Anna Guillemot-Blytt

 Bryan Anderson is a triple amputee, Iraq war vet and author of his book "No Turning Back"

Kentucky Outlook: Bryan Anderson - Iraq War Vet, Triple Amputee, Inspiration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCFnx9Eau2I

We choose this interview with Bryan Anderson because his gives insight on what it is like to be an amputee and how it changed his perspective on life. We choose this video because it ties into Persepolis and specifically the part where Marjane meets her friend Kia after he became an amputee after the war.

Hispanic stories

Watching this video, it makes you open your eyes to what other types of things people are going through or what they have gone through. When families have to move somewhere else, they are entering a totally unknown world that they will have to accustom to. When you have to put yourself in a brand new society with different ideas and different cultures, it's very difficult to adjust. Even after a certain amount of time, these certain people still may not feel welcome in their new environment because of who they are, what they act like, or what they look like. This video demonstrates what Marjane had to do in Persepolis. Her parents sent her away to Vienna so she would be more safe and protected from the war. She feels like she doesn't belong but she tries to conform and make the best of it. On the inside though, Marjane doesn't change who she is and stays true to her culture. I

Hispanic Stories

This interview was very enlightening to listen to because it made me more aware of the struggles that other cultures face when living in another country where your race is not the majority.  To be totally honest, sometimes I do get annoyed when I walk into a store and see a sign that has writing in English and then in Spanish because I feel that everyone should be treated equally; therefore why isn't there also writing in Arabic, or German, or French?  Now seeing where these students are coming from, I get a different view on the way that Marjane lives in her society of judgement and I see how she must feel out of place especially when she has her own views on the way that she chooses to live her life.  Everyone and their cultures has something to contribute to our societies and instead of being judgmental of their ways of life and ideas, it's best to be rather accepting as we can grow from the insight and knowledge that other cultures acknowledge.

Separated

When I was a child I moved a lot. I moved twice in Delaware and five times once I moved to California. I may know what it is like coming to a new town and getting a sort of seclusion from the people in town because I was different then them. But i could never imagine moving to another country let alone moving to another country without my parents.Moving is hard enough with a family but, to me, moving without my family almost seems unthinkable. Or at least it was unthinkable until turned Eighteen but they were still by my side as I moved to my first apartment. But the children in the video and Marjane only had them selves with little contact with their parents. The video help me understand a little more about how hard and painful moving to another country by yourself is. Not knowing their culture or, in some cases it seems, even the dominant language.  Now i can give a little more compassion for those who are having this problem. Group three chose a very good source for their presentation and I cant wait to hear what the others in class have to say about it too.

Hispanic stories

After I watch the video I can kind of relate to some of what these people are kind of feeling. My family moved here from another country at a very early part of their life not as young as the people in the video but still pretty young. During that time you are thrown into a world completely different and unfamiliar, you lose the sort of that comfort and you really can’t blend into that culture. I understand a bit of it, being born between two different cultures you stuck not knowing what to follow and its get kind confusing. I also felt bad when people try to assimilate or at adapt and get comfortable just to get look down on. This doesn’t make it any easier for them to like the culture that their thrown into but not everyone like that and I hope they see that.

Hispanic Stories

He talks about how in America we aren't as friendly or close to one another, that we become "cold blooded", that in order to assimilate with our culture you have to lose a part of yourself to become this way. Every culture is going to be different and I think you will have to assimilate yourself to some extent to be part of any culture. There are also people who will not want you to be part of their culture so they offend you in many ways, like racism, which in our country today is still a sad problem. But there are also good people out there who also want to help and accept you. Some things will be easy to assimilate to and some will be hard but if you're a strong person you will still retain the things that make you YOU in the end.

Hispanics College Students In America

I found this video to be rather relevant to Persepolis in a way, and also realistic about cultural assimilation. In Persepolis, Marjane leaves here home town and culture to go to another environment that would be unfamiliar to her. Because of this environmental change, her ways of acting and thinking have to change, and this happens with everyone. I can relate to these Mexican students because I know first hand how different it is having to change a way of thinking you grew up with and accepting it as yourself. Coming from an immigrant family, i found fitting into American culture was hard and I was a small kid, imagine these 18 or older kids having to go through a process of trying to re-learn and change things about yourself that you have believed in for 18 years. Assimilation is harder as you get older and I can only sympathize with these students. But I believe if you are able to do this when it's statistically harder, you become a better person.

Hispanic Stories

Watching the video it made think about what it would be like to be taken out of my life and put somewhere else, and at such a young age.  It would be extremely challenging however I would like to think that I would be adventurous in trying out new things and try to become apart of the new culture.  I    feel like the people who were interviewed were very closed minded, yes it would be challenging but you work through it and form a new life for yourself.  I thought it was an interesting video and is very relevant to Persepolis.

Hispanic Stories

I was able to relate to some of of these stories, but only slightly and so my take on it is mixed I guess. On one hand I can see where they come from and it must be tough feeling like you belong neither here nor there, having your old culture contract the new ones in many ways but on the other, they didn't really know the first that much to begin with. I think its a good thing to bring this up as Marjane enters a new country and deals with culture shock in her own way. Its interesting to me what another culture does to one so patriotic actually, and I was highly curious as to what lengths she would go to ease her tension or not at all.

Hispanic Stories

I think it's really sad how some people leave their country's and come to America for a better life but when they get here it's hard for them to fit in and they get discriminated a lot. In Persepolis, Marjane leaves Iran for a better life in Austria, but she was discriminated a lot, she ended up completely changing her look and she lied about where she was from just to fit in. It has always been kind of hard for me to fit in anywhere but I don't think it's just because I'm Mexican. I think it's actually harder for me to fit in with my own family though because they mostly stick with the Mexican culture and don't try experiencing much more, but I like a lot of different things that they don't, and they'll think it's weird and make fun of me.

Hispanic Stories

I can't imagine how weird I would feel living in a country with a completely different culture and no one to connect to. The video gave insight into how people feel moving from Mexico and the united states. I thought the video was interesting because it showed how our culture is less family oriented and more spread out compared to families that live in Mexico with their immediate family and some of their extended family. The video connected to Persepolis and Marjane's ability to assimilate in a European culture.