The Disappearance of Students Brings Awareness To Country

"The Disappearance of 43 Mexican Students Is An Atrocity. But It's No Isolated Incident"
By: Eline Gordts
Source: Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/22/mexico-missing-students_n_6200842.html?utm_hp_ref=world

       Thousands of Mexicans met up on the streets of their capital city, Thursday evening. They were all quite upset with their government's response to forty-three students who went missing in Guerrero state in September. This large group of students disappeared on September 26 when they were on a trip to the town of Iguala. Public officials announced that a local gang had killed the students after the police handed them over to criminals. Gang members were not afraid to keep this a secret. They told investigators that they killed the students and buried their bodies. This case of missing students has brought awareness to the high number of unsolved disappearances in Mexico. A mother, Nora Jaime told the Associated Press, "There are thousands of disappeared, thousands of clandestine graves, thousands of mothers who do not know where their children are." One cannot imagine how frightened mothers are when their children do not come home and are declared for years to come.
         The WorldPost had an interview with Daniel Wilkinson, managing director of the Americas division at Human Rights Watch, about the disappearances that occurred in Mexico and how many families live in fear for their children. Wilkinson mentioned that this has been one of the worst atrocities Mexico has seen, but that it is one in many that occur. "There have been many other cases of disappearances and forced disappearances--when state agents are involved in disappearing people" (1). All of these disappearances are occurring because President Felipe Calderon launched his war on drugs. This case of forty-three missing students has struck in outrage in Mexico because students were just attacked by police in the streets of Iguala and then taken away. Also because they were students who were young and had families. It is despairing to hear about families losing their children and them having to constantly live in fear because they could lose their children at any time. Mexico must make a change before this gets worse than it already is.

Unforeseen Nature

         I decided to spend ten minutes in my wide backyard then go on a walk to get to know nature better. I think that nature is something that you have to have alone time with, so you really get to know everything about it. Nature has a different meaning to everyone because it makes everyone feel a specific way. As i was sitting on my grass in my backyard I took a fresh breath of air and was relaxed while looking up at the sky. The sky looked more beautiful today than usual or maybe it was the fact that I had not really noticed it before. It was the bluest I had ever seen it, with a few clouds. There were few birds in the sky, chirping and making noises. They seemed happy, traveling together in packs, possibly looking for food. Then I looked all around and admired the variety of vibrant flowers in my backyard and absorbed the beauty of them all. Then I got up and decided to take a walk around my pleasant neighborhood. People were walking with their children or their dog or just jogging. People looked busy with the thoughts in their heads or laughing with the people surrounding them. Cars passed by and leaves fell on the sidewalk as I continued walking. Thirty minutes of no technology really made me observe everything around me and take it all in.

           I think it is completely healthy to have your phone, laptop and other technology away from you for a specific amount of time. These thirty minutes made me focused on my environment and nature in general. I witnessed the falling of the fall leaves and people living their lives. It was all pleasant and soothing not having anything distracting near you. I believe that spending time without technology can change you as a person. I realized that there is so much more to life than we think. There are people out there living their lives and exploring and letting nature take its course. I think it is all beautiful, that life goes on. The fact that I have the privilege to witness it all and be here for that, makes me happy. Nature seems to have a positive effect on me. Maybe I should check it out more?

A Pause To ISIL

"ISIS Leader Wounded In Airstrike, Report Iraqi Officials"
By: Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Vivian Salama
Source: Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/09/isis-leader-wounded_n_6129350.html

         Iraqi reporters have announced Sunday that the head of the ISIL terrorist group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was injured in an airstrike in an area near western Anbar. Pentagon officials were not aware of this attack and declared it unknown. Iraq's Defense and Interior ministries issued statements saying that Abu Bakr-al Baghdadi had been injured, without any details. They had broadcasted this on state-run television Sunday night. This was announced around the same time when President Barrack Obama said the U.S.-led coalition was ready to begin to go offensive towards the Islamic State militants. Al-Baghdadi is believed to be in his early forties and to have transformed a branch of al-Qaida to an independent military force. He has gotten his followers to kill thousands of innocent people and to take over areas in Syria and Iraq. He has also drawn the US troops and warplanes back into the region. An Interior Ministry intelligence official mentioned to The Associated Press that he had been wounded by an airstrike that came during a meeting on Saturday, in the town of Qaim. This operation was taken care of by Iraqi security forces, but no one knows yet how he was injured. Rami Abdurraham, the director for the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that a few Islamic State militants were injured in an airstrike near Qaim and then taken to Boukamal, a Syrian border town. Although, there was no indication of who was taken to Boukamal, Bakr al-Baghdadi could have been one of them. These airstrikes have been slowing down ISIL in the advance that they were making.
           This announcement is quite important to readers and the people because the chief of the ISIL group has been injured and this can be taken as an opportunity. If Obama reacts now, it could be possible that there is a chance to overthrow this group. These airstrikes have been helpful to pausing their terrible work against innocent people and their homes.

The Remodeled Class Of 2035

         For the next generation, high school will be completely different than how it is now. I am hoping that the school system would be extremely different for the new generation of students. This educational system must be changed for the better because students do not deserve these many long hours and all of that stress. My generation unfortunately is struggling to get past all of this, but i title ourselves us as the "survivors". In twenty years I would hope that by high school, students will be able to chose their class, according to what they enjoy doing, and pursue their future careers. Twenty years from now students will be working with the most advanced technology in each of their classrooms. Who knows, by junior and senior year they might be driving flying cars! Students will be dealing with the best technology in the classes and research and studies will be able to done in seconds because of their various resources. Teachers will be attending classrooms to be of assistance to the students but they will still be needed for their important criticism. High school teachers will be quite similar to professors in college in order to get the students prepared. Students will be able to choose which class to take because as teenagers, they are free to do as they want. Their homework will be limited because of how much they will be able to get done in school, but breaks will provided so students are able to be social and rest their precious brains.
           Even though technology will be used most of the time, students will continue to read books that are paperback or hard cover. Technology will be the main source, but having books in paperback is essential. Students will be given many options, considering what they would prefer most. This new generation will have normal school hours with extra time to do things that they enjoy most (hobbies). I personally, do not see myself becoming a teacher, but a role model for the high school students. I would like to be an inspiring leader for the upcoming generation and share the real story of my generation.

AGI Gives Us An Outlook

"Ebola in Sierra Leone 'spreading quickly'-campaign group"
By: Nick Thompson
Source: BBC
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29870009

Ebola has been the main topic on news stations for weeks now. An international campaign group has mentioned that Ebola cases are rising quite quickly in areas in Sierra Leone. The AGI(Africa Governance Initiative) discovered that in rural parts of the country the disease is spreading nine times quicker in the last two months. Luckily, the rate in Liberia has slowed down. AGI's discovery came right after the World Health Organization announced that the number of new cases with the disease is becoming lower. Although Sierra's rural area has been struck the worst with Ebola cases, the spread of disease increased six times more cases per day compared to the situation there two months ago. AGI, the organization that was formed by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, works and operates in areas affected by the disease. AGI does not know why the spread is lowering, but that it is encouraging. Burial Management has improved in a magnificent way in Liberia and Sierra Leone. A majority of the Ebola infections are said to come from victims' bodies. On this Friday in October, WHO mentioned that 13, 567 cases, since this outbreak began and about 4,922 people have passed away.

 This article is quite important to all readers because it gives everyone an insight about what it occurring in other areas affected by this disease. Even though this disease seems to be spreading rapidly, there are other areas where lives are being saved and the rate of people affected is decreasing.