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Okay, obviously this has become a trending topic over the last few weeks for Caitlyn Jenner has been named the "Woman of the Year". Many people found this astonishing and many people- especially women- found it to be downright insulting. To be honest, I completely agree. Yes, Caitlyn Jenner-formally known as Bruce Jenner- has come out to the world as transgender, so what? Many people come out as transgender and are not as popularly recognized as Cait has been. The only reason people make a big deal about this or why Glamour decided to name her "Woman of the Year" is because she's famous. Other transgenders are not (although yes, there are some that are famous) so obviously they don't get much recognition. There has even been a case where a widower returned his deceased wife's "Woman of the Year" award back to Glamour. He found the notion of Caitlyn Jenner being awarded to be an insult to his wife and to all other brave and much more deserving women out there. I mean who could blame him? Especially when Caitlyn Jenner states that "the hardest part about being a woman is finding what to wear." Really Cait, really? This statement is just plain insulting, no doubt about it. Women around the world go through so much pain and suffering and are constantly trying to show the world that they are equal to men. For Cait to say that obviously shows she doesn't know much about being a woman. Overall, the topic of Cait Jenner's new award has been a hot topic for today's news and will probably continue to be for there has been rumors going on that she want to be a man again. Whether this rumor is true or not is uncertain but many other reports say that this is indeed false. But who's to say but the "one and only" Cait.

J-Lo AMA’s Preformance

As the 2015 American Music Awards aired viewers got a spectacular performance by veteran performer Jennifer Lopez. J-Lo opened the AMA’s with a stunning performance to this years hit songs. She danced and sang to songs from the industry’s hottest stars like Justin Bieber, The Weekend, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. With jaw dropping choreography viewers gazed upon the stage as the skilled performer lit up the stage with her amazing talent. Having performed on the AMA stage not once, not twice, but three times before J-Lo moved across the stage effortlessly will maintaining the crowds attention for the five minute long performance. Although in 2009 J-Lo had meer accident as she fell on stage during her performance, she was able to get right back up and perform as only a professional, with poise and composure. She then returned for another performance during the 2013 American Music Awards. She dedicated her performance that night in the honor of the “salsa queen” Celia Cruz. She then partnered with Iggy Azalea during the 2014 American Music Awards to perform Nicki Minaj’s hit song Anaconda. Now, this year the prestigious performer rehashed her many performances on the AMA stage once again while executing an extravagant performance to a mash up 2015′s hottest stars and the hottest songs of 2015. One can only imagine the performances J-Lo will give in the remaining part of her career.

Laquan Mcdonald: Murder or Self-Defense?

The dashcam video of Laquan Mcdonald has finally be released November 24, 2015, a full year after his death.17 year-old Laquan Mcdonald lost his life to 16 bullets fired from Officer Jason Van Dyke’s gun. Offer Van Dyke states that he felt his life was in dangered and he justified his actions as self-defense. Now did Officer Van Dyke have to empty his guns magazine in order to stop Laquans advance of harm against the police?

On October 20th, 2015 police personnel responded to a call where Laquan was seen walking down the street with at the time what was assumed to be a knife. As officers arrived on seen Laquan continued walking down the street with said weapon. Not towards the police, not near the police, but parallel with the police. At that time Officer Van Dyke felt the need to discharge 16 bullets from his service weapon into the body of Laquan Mcdonald. After the first bullet was fired, Laquans body fell to the pavement where it lay limp as Officer Van Dyke discharged the remaining 15 bullets. After all bullets were fired, Officer Van Dyke”s partner proceeded to kick the weapon away from Laquans lifeless body.

Just this past Tuesday Van Dyke was stripped of his police powers and was taken into police custody on the charges for the murder of Laquan Mcdonald in the first degree. For over a year Van Dyke has been working for the Chicago Police department in a “limited duty position” as an investigation was started of the murder of Laquan Mcdonald. The city ordered a deadline for the dashcam video to be released to the public by November 24th, 2015.The States attorney said,”It is my determination that this defendant's actions -- of shooting Laquan McDonald when he did not pose an immediate threat of great bodily harm or death, and his subsequent actions of shooting Laquan McDonald while he lay on the ground after previously being struck by gunfire --- were not justified and they were not a proper use of deadly force by this police officer," in and interview on Monday November 23rd, 2015.

As riots and protests erupt throughout the Chicago land area, many queastion why Van Dyke felt the need to discharge 16 bullets into the limp body of Laquan Mcdonald? Why was a gun put in the hands of such a violent man? Why did such a young life needed to be taken so early in life? Was it Self-Defense or outright murder? Why couldn’t Van Dyke have used an alternative method in order to detain Laquan Mcdonald? Will Van Dyke be brought to justice in the murder investigation of Laquan Mcdonald? Shall we have faith in our justice system to right this wrong? The public’s answers shall be answered as the case of Laquan Mcdonalds murder progresses.

#uans

Black Friday

Every year, after everyone has slept off all the turkey and stuffing, comes every retail employee’s worst nightmare: Black Friday. On this day, stores give generous discounts on their products and people storm stores, snatch flats screen TVs, and fight over electronics like wolves. It’s scary to watch and be a part of.

But you know what’s scarier? American society has become so materialistic, to the point where there is a legit fear of being whacked over the head with a waffle iron for a coffee maker on clearance. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a good sale. However, its ridiculous how far people would go. Ironically, this takes place after Thanksgiving. Isn’t that the holiday that celebrates being thankful for what you have and family? I sure don't see it in that old lady mowing people down in her mobility scooter down at the Bath and Body Works. Cynical remarks aside, I think people need to wake up and smell the lack of morals and be a little nicer to each other during the shopping season.

But it’ll happen again during Christmas shopping.

Mockingjay: Part 2

EnobariaThe long awaited finale of the Hunger Games trilogy Mockingjay: Part 2 is finally here. The first movie of the trilogy The Hunger Games premiered March 12, 2012; starring Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) , Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark) , and Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne). The trilogy begins with a romance building between Katniss and Gale but is quickly put aside when Katniss volunteers as tribute for District 12. As the movie progresses, Katniss and Peeta are thrown into the Hunger Games arena with a testing friendship which later builds into a steamy romance. In the end, Katniss and Peeta are the last two standing, deeply in love, and in no way willing to take the other ones life to secure victory. As the movie comes to a close, Katniss and Peeta proceed to almost eat deadly berries as a stand against the Hunger Games and declare either 2 victors or none at all.

When the first scene opens in the Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Katniss (Lawrence) and Peeta (Hutcherson) are arriving at the districts as the new victors of the 74th annual Hunger Games. Viewers soon find out that all though Katniss and Peeta were the first pair of victors in Hunger Games history, that victory is short lived as it has caused chaos to erupt within the districts. President Snow (Sutherland) orders them to District 1 too discuss how to gain control over the districts as Katniss and Peeta are the ones responsible for this rebellion. President Snow proves that he is very much in control as word comes of a cruel change in the rules for the upcoming 75th Hunger Games. The 75th Hunger Games consists of all past victors, meaning Katniss and Peeta are being thrown into the Hunger Games arena once more against an even tougher tribute line up than before. Set in a jungle with a salt water lake Katniss and Peeta team up with former victors Mags (Lynn Cohen) and Finnick (Sam Claflin), the group encounters a poisonous fog in which Peeta comes in contact with and looses the ability of his legs. Mags risks her life to save Peeta that which ends up bringing her to her death. After Mags death the group teams up with Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) and Beetee Wiress (Jeffrey Wright). After Beetee’s death, Katniss learns of his plan to harness lighting to electrocute Brutus and Enobaria. In the final Chapters Katniss uses the lighting to instead direct it towards the force field that contains the arena, destroying the arena and causing her temporary paralysis. When Katniss awakes she is being transported to District 13 with Finnick, Beetee (whose death was staged) and her mentor Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy). In the end Gale visits Katniss and informs her that he got her family out in time but District 12 is destroyed.

As Part 1 of Hunger Games Mockingjay opens with 2 time surviver of the Hunger Games Katniss Everdeen ( Lawrence) learning she is now in District 13, the longlost district that was bombs decades ago. Under the leadership of President Coin, Katniss reluctantly becomes the symbol of the ,ass rebellion against the Capitol and fights to save Peeta from the capitol with a nation moved by gourage. With her bestfriend Gale as her bodyguard and Effie as her stylist, Katniss goes to District 8 visiting a hospital, but is interrupted and concluded with a bombing crusade against the hospital from the capitol killing everyone inside. With many riots within the Districts after Katniss gives a Broadcasted speech after the bombing, and a weakend Peeta on a Tv propaganda, Gale takes Katniss back to District 12 to observe the destruction where Katniss is filmed singing “the Hanging Tree”. After “The Hanging Tree” is aired District 5 conducts a “human wave attack” against a hydroelectric dam in hopes of cutting the power to all of the capitol off. As District 5 is succesful with said attack the capitol is forced to use their back up generators, this weakens their ability to broadcast their propaganda. As District 13 is watching Peeta being interviewed, the insert a clip of Katniss and Peeta sees she is still alive, he shouts into the camera warning them all that the capitol is useing the interview as a distraction and they are about to attack District 13. This allows all of District 13 barely enough time to get to an underground bombing bunker, except Primrose Everdeen, who journeys out of the bunker to save her cat. Katniss runs after her where both are nearly locked out, though they get back just in time and the bunker withholds against the attacks, when they emerge from their safety net, District 13 is met with a blanket of white roses. This provoking Katniss into thinking President Snow will kill Peeta in the near future, Coin dispatches an elite special force that includes Gale, to rescue Peeta and all the other tributes within. Though the raid is successful, when Katniss goes to embrace Peeta’s arrival to District 13, Peeta strangles Katniss to the point that Katniss in knocked unconscious due to Peetas physical/mental torture called Hajaking in which Peeta is brainwashed into wanting to kill Katniss. as Mockingjay Part 1 comes to a close, Peeta is places in solidary confinement strapped to a bed where they are creating a serum to undo the effects of the hijacking while President Coin announces their new objective is to overthrow the capitols military stronghold of District 2.

The long awaited finale to the Hunger Games trilogy premiered this past Friday November 20th, 2015. With Part 1 leaving all Hunger Games fans raving about the new safe haven for rebellion and the endless questions of whats going to happen between the characters, the Capitol and District 13, the hope of all fans is to be answered and all questions resolved with the final instolement oft the Hunger Games trilogy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-7K_OjsDCQ

Emotional over the “Emotional Roadshow”

For those who do not know, Twenty One Pilots is an alternative rock band consisting of two members; Tyler Joseph on lead vocals and piano and Josh Dun on drums. The duo has gathered attention from their hit song ‘Holding on to You’. Their music consists of meaningful lyrics and catchy melodies. The band has announced their biggest tour, dubbed the Emotional Roadshow, featuring hits from their album ‘Blurryface’.

Ok, fangirl time. I absolutely adore Twenty One Pilots. Their music really speaks to me on a somewhat spiritual level. I like to think of their sound as a cotton candy-colored apple, but if you bite into it, you see the universe. Plus, these guys are adorable! Just look at them!

Going back to the tour, I believe a lot of people are getting hyped for it. ‘Blurryface’ is a really good album, featuring songs such as ‘Stressed Out’ and ‘Lane Boy’. Hopefully, they’ll perform songs from their previous album ‘Vessel’. Either way, I’m sure they won’t disappoint.

The Curtain on Transgender Students

Imagine if you had to use the bathroom or locker room of the opposite gender. The discomfort of using such intimate locations with people of the opposite gender; that’s how transgender people feel. One student in Palatine, Illinois, Lila Perry, has refused to use an assigned area in which she can use the girls locker room. The school made a compromise that Perry could enter the girls locker room only under the conditions that she uses a room that is separated from the other female students. Perry refused, arguing that this compromise goes against her rights. Parents against allowing Perry full access to the girls locker room claim that since Perry has not had surgery to change her body, she is still a male. In addition, there are students as young as 15 in the locker room and parents don’t want their children to be exposed to the male body.

This is a super touchy subject. On one hand, Lila Perry should have the right to use the correct locker room. But on the other hand, the parents want to protect their children. From the parents’ view, they don't want to send their children to a place where they could be uncomfortable and that is understandable. However, transgender people also have the right to us the correct facilities. If I was put in a position that could change this situation, I would just divide the locker room into two sections. One section can be for students who are comfortable with Lila Perry and the other section can be for those uncomfortable. It would not be a good decision to force people to accept Lila Perry as people are allowed to believe in what they want. If they can’t, then they should have the option to go somewhere else. Is it really that hard?

source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-transgender-student-locker-room-palatine-met-20151012-story.html

Mental Health>Grades The Struggles of High School

We’ve all been through stress. It’s just a daily part of our lives and the main contributor to stress is school. We struggle on a day to to day basis with trying to keep up with the homework, the tests, the labs, the essays, so on and so forth. However, I am here to tell you that school should not be the place where you break down in the middle of class crying - which by the way several of my friends have experienced, myself included.

The thing is, teenagers are super multi-taskers. We attempt to keep up with our grades, our social life, our normal routines that keep us healthy- such as sleeping,eating, etc,- and some of us even go the mile to take on a job. We do this because we’re growing up and also just to have a break from school and its heavy hand that never seems to let us rise up for that breath of air we so desperately need from drowning in a sea chaos.

Many AP and Honor student struggle to keep up from the piles of homework that are given to us on a weekly basis. According to many different articles, high school teachers are giving out 20-25 hours of homework a week! That 4-5 hours of homework a night! And that’s just the average, sometimes there will be more homework or less homework, but the gist is that that’s a hell of a lot of work for one little teenager to do. Not to mention the fact that many students have after school activities such as clubs and team sports.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t get homework (even though that will obviously be preferred), I’m just saying we shouldn’t be getting that much of it. I want to be able to go to school without constantly worrying about the work load in front of me. I want to enjoy being in high school and enjoy being a kid. Obviously my time for being a kid has run out since I am now a senior, but for the younger generations-for the sake of their mental health- they should be given less homework so that they may have more time to have a social life and rest. Sleep is essential and so is having a social life- it’s what keeps us human.

I believe the school system needs a big change and should also bring more awareness to mental health. Too many kids in this world are suffering from things such as depression and anxiety, we shouldn’t be adding on to that weight over their shoulders, especially with piles of schoolwork.

Let us just remember that grades are not everything and that they don’t determine who you are. High school is just one part of your life, don’t go wasting it by stressing out all the time. I’ve learned to accept that I will have bad grades every once in a while, but all I can do is study hard (not too hard) and try my personal best.

Enjoy your time in high school- it’s better when you actually learn to enjoy it.

3D Printing for the Win

The earliest forms of 3D printing began in the 1980′s and have developed immensely throughout the years. Now, people can print figurines, instruments, even food.

One heartwarming story is about a tiny puppy in Athens, Ohio.

This is Tumbles, a 6-week old terrier mix who was born with two legs. He was taken into the Friends of the Shelter Dogs organization when he was 2-weeks and received special care. Thanks to the kindness of a couple who saw him on the organization’s website, they were able to fit a 3D printed wheelchair for the bipedal pup. Tumbles is still a growing dog, but with a more fitting wheelchair and physical therapy, he’ll be able to walk like a normal dog. Tumbles’ story is one of many from those who benefited from the invention of 3D printing. Not only can you 3D print puppy-sized wheelchairs, but one organization, Enable The Future, has 3D printed prosthetic limbs.

Our technology has come so far. I think its amazing how in this day and age, you can print out a wheelchair or a leg. I don’t think people realize how much progress has been made in the past two decades. If there was more funding for 3D printing programs, who knows what can be accomplished.

sources: http://www.buzzfeed.com/fionarutherford/scientists-made-a-3d-printed-wheelchair-for-a-puppy-with-onl#.qjan6ZaE http://enablingthefuture.org/tag/3d-printed-prosthetics/

Trump vs. Idusuyi -Page Turner

There have been many different discussions about the young woman- Johari Osayi Idusuyi- who decided to read at a Trump rally than listen to what he had to say. She decided to read a book, but not just any book, though. She was reading "Citizen: An American Lyric" by Claudia Rankine, which contains poetry focused on race.

To be honest, I salute this young woman. I really wouldn’t want to listen to what Trump has to say either, because most of the stuff he says is either irrelevant or just plain childish. I mean really, when your’e ignorant enough to blame all the crime that happens in America on Mexicans, you’ve got some serious issues. There’s also the issue of the Starbucks cups and how they are just plain red and not designed with “Christmas spirit.” There are other religions out there people, and Trump was stupid enough to say that when he’s president we all are going to start saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again. Seriously. Do we want a president who will acknowledge only his religion but not others? America may have many christian and catholic followers but we are a country of diversity.

But back to the main issue. The young woman said she wanted to be at the Trump rally, and that she gave him a chance to talk about the issues she cared about and what many others care about but instead Trump just talked about unimportant things. Things we already know are a problem. He only addressed them, he didn’t say how he would fix those issues when he is president. I honestly believe that Trump is only running for president for publicity, I don’t think he actually expects to win the election and if he does, well, he must really be psychotic. Idusuyi reads a poetic novel that is focused on race and the acts of everyday racism. I find it kind of funny to be honest. Trump is said to be racist and I completely agree. The things he says about Mexicans is totally discriminating and very obviously racist.

Nobody should be bashing on this woman for wanting to read a perfectly wonderful novel than listen to someone rant on about unimportant things. This bashing is mainly done by the Donald Trump supporters. There was other questionable events that occurred during the rally. Those are also things that is discussed in this interview with Idusuyi, check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd5Ug9JtYHQ

#pageturner irrelevant Trumpisstupid racism booksoverpeople braveyoungwoman

odinsblog

Johari Osayi Idusuyi: the hero who read through a Trump rally.

A writer and student at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois, Idusuyi found herself not only in the right place at the right time, but with the right book in hand: Citizen: An American Lyric is a critically acclaimed, award-winning work by Claudia Rankine that explores the pervasiveness of racism and micro-aggressions in America.

“I think we were chosen for obvious reasons. We were minorities and there weren’t a lot of minorities there,” Idusuyi told Jezebel. “He also instructed us to sit in the middle, so we kind of already knew what this was.”

The 20-year-old student stressed that she went to the rally not as a plant, or with ill intent. She genuinely wanted to see Trump speak. Idusuyi said she had no interest in Trump. “But if you have the chance to see a presidential candidate, why not?” But when a few protesters interrupted the speech and the crowd collectively turned on them, Idusuyi got angry. “The way the supporters treated the protesters was really unbelievable and that’s what made me mad,” she said. “There was a man who snatched a lady’s [Barack Obama] hat. She was one of the protesters and was leaving and her hair just went with the hat. Then the man threw it into crowd and everybody cheered. I thought, ‘That’s bullying. That’s aggressive.’ I don’t think Trump handled it with grace.”

So she pulled out her copy of Claudia Rankine‘s award-winning book of poetry, Citizen and ignored the rest of the speech. That’s when an older couple, visibly irritated by Idusuyi’s action, poked her on the shoulder and said, “If you don’t wanna be here then leave.” A brief argument ensued, after which the older woman said she was glad Idusuyi wasn’t her daughter.

(read the Jezebel post »here. watch the video »here, interview »here)

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