Achieving the Impossible Dream

Bed of Dreams

Kathy Ostman-Magnusen

All school's worldwide should start later, because it will have a positive effect on student's learning. This topic has been debated for many years now. Most teens dream about getting more sleep... but unfortunately it's impossible. According to DebateWise (a reliable debating website) 44% of all the people surveyed agreed, 50% disagreed, and the remaining 6% were neutral. Personally, from a student's perspective, I agree. It is not only good for a child's learning, the amount of kids with sleeping disorders with decrease. It is generally better for your health to sleep more, but because of the amount of homework we get, and the time we have to wake up for school, we don't get enough sleep.

Many people disagree with this topic, and say that school shouldn't start later, because of varies reasons. One of those are that kids, will take advantage, and go to sleep later as well. This example is why 50% of people said 'no' to this statement. Many people will also think that this might take away family time. I can see why they think so, but I still think it would be for the better.

So many of the teens today come to school tired. Honestly, me being one of them some days. 78% of teens say that, it is hard to get up in the morning. 70% Thought that their grades would improve, and an astonishing 90% of teens think that their over-all academic performance would improve by school starting later. I can agree to all of these facts from ScienceDaily. I think that this would be a better option for schools to take because of health reasons and for the student's pleasure. When your brain is not tired, it functions much better.

Many scientists strongly believe, that it can greatly impact the way we think at school, and our attitudes during the day. When you are sleeping your brain has time to rest, your brain needs enough rest to have a successful day at school. 16% of teens surveyed said they get enough sleep. Teens need 81/2 - 9 hours of sleep each night. (For more info go to TeensHealth). It has been proven that people can concentrate more and for a longer amount of time if their brain is well rested. The brain is one of the two most important organs in your body, we use it every second of every day, and this is why we need to give it a break.

Along with most of my peers, I don't sleep enough and it is effecting the learning of modern day teens. School is the biggest reason why, for most kids. The reason schools should begin later, is only to benefit, the students and the teachers. Even though many people might disagree, I think it will have more positive outcomes than negative ones. Teens will have loads of energy and be able to concentrate an entire day at school and at home, with the right amount of sleep. Schools should start later, so that students can have the opportunity to get enough sleep. "To achieve the impossible dream, try going to sleep." - Joan Klempner

Our Hidden Voice

By Bernice, Cindy, Yuichiro & Mohamed

These days wisdom
is disguised by uncertainty,
you know?
Opinions and speaking with strong
conviction and authority,
as opposed to the invisible determination
in our society.
To aggressively question and implore,
to challenge our tragic generation.
Personally chop down interrogative...ness,
to stop declaring
our so called whatevers.

Modern technology, owes ecology, an apology. ~Alan M. Eddison

Photograph: Michael Melford, Nation Geographic

There are wars, there are economical crisis', there are conflicts, but the biggest problem in our world today is Global Warming. "Global warming is too serious for the world any longer to ignore its danger or split into opposing factions on it." -Tony Blair. I think people over look Global Warming because of all the other problems we have, but if we do not do anything we will be very sorry. I think all schools should have some club like the Green Guardians, because the earlier we learn how to deal with this crisis, the more change we can bring. But if all of us don't help then this change will not accure.

Our world has so many problems these days, it is almost impossible to attend to all of them. But there is a big problem, one that HAVE to take care of, and make sure people are aware of it. I am not saying that we should leave all the other problems in the world. But if we do not start taking action, and doing our part in helping the environment, then no one will. We have to take one step at a time.

A strategy that I realized works, is teaching kids to do things a certain way, from a very young age. It is harder for adults to get into the habit of reusing paper, composting, not wasting water, ect. because they are not used to it yet. If we start teaching kids at a young age to do all those things it won't be considered a habit, but a way of living. They will then teach it to their children, and then things will change.

A lot of the times we think that 'it's okay! I'll just do it next time'. This mind set is completely wrong, because if we all think that than we can't achieve anything. It won't help at all if only a few people live environmentally friendly. We all have to. It won't help if just a few people reuse, reduce, and recycle. We all have to. This to me, means a better future for the next generation. I want my kids to be playing in nature. But how can we make such a big change? It all seems so impossible, but if we start with baby steps, then we will learn how to save our planet.

Our planet is such a blessing to us. It is so wonderful, and so big, and yet every minute we destroy more and more of it's beauty. And for what? To construct new buildings, new towns, new roads. But what we don't realize, or do realize but don't care about is the fact that we are killing lives by doing this. The lives of animals. We are messing up the food chain, and in in the long run, we are messing up what used to be a natural paradise. But if we fight against this, I strongly believe that things will change for the better. "If we stand together, we can achieve!"

No action...no change!

"It always seems impossible until its done" - Nelson Mandela. Standing up for what you think is right, leads to change. Because there is so much conflict in our world, we need leaders to stand up for those who don't have the courage. Nelson Mandela is one of the great leaders, that I look up to since he is from the same country I am from. He is not just a leader but also a great role model for the world.

Some people have the power to make the change, but don't. Some people doesn't have the power to make a change, but they do. Many people know what is happening, but don't stand up because of some consequences they have to face. Depending on the situation you are in, there isn't always a consequence. A leader is not always someone who risks their life for something."Some people dream of success… while others wake up and work hard at it."- Author Unknown - This quote to me means, even if ur not standing up to change to world, you can make a change in a much smaller way, but can have a bigger impact. But if you just think of what you should do, then nothing will change.

During the time is South Africa when Apartheid struck, rights for the colored people where very little. They were separated from the white people, and none of them liked this change. But none of them had the courage to take a stand, until Mandela did. Unfortunately he was jailed for 27 years, because of his courage to stand up. During this time nothing changed, until he was released, that's when society changed. He dedicated most of his life to this dramatic change is South Africa. He stood up for the people who didn't have the courage.

Nelson Mandela isn't perfect, he is human, but because of his deeds, he is considered a hero. Everybody wanted change, but needed a leader. Nobody stood up because they didn't have to courage to face the consequences, until Mandela did, and made a change in not only South Africa, but people's perspectives in all the world. A great hero he is, and will always be.

Without hope....why live?

Hope is such an important part of our lives. Without even knowing, hope sometimes gives us a boost of confidence, and it reminds us to keep going. "It always seems impossible until it's done." -Nelson Mandela. This quote has so much to do with what hope can help us achieve. We can achieve greatness -that no one else would have thought could be achieved- through hope. Some times I get so upset, because I don't think I can do something, or I think I'm not good enough, but all I really need is hope. Because if we have hope, we can believe in our selfs, and if we believe in our selfs, we can do great things. I think Nelson Mandela, said so much with just a few words, that can lead to change. He had hope, through every demanding year in that prison cell. Look what change he has brought to the world today. He will be remembered for years to come. Nelson Mandela didn't just have hope, but encouraged other to also have hope.

Egypt

A few weeks ago in Cairo, Egypt, it was chaos. The majority of the Egyptian people wanted a new president. Their former president has been in power for a long time, and people didn't think the elections were correct. Former President Hosni Mubarak didn't think that was the case. He did everything except what the people wanted. There was a riot against the Governments autocratic ways. The military was also part of this situation, but the people weren't always sure which side they were on. There was one incident where the military trucks gave the people lifts while they were protesting.

The president didn't think this was necessary, but finally came to a resolution. Not everyone was happy, and many people got hurt during this violent time. Especially if they were for President Mubarak staying, and not against it. After a while the President decided he was not going to let this interfere with his presidential reign. The people didn't like that at all. There were even more riots, and more violence. Then the president quickly came to the conclusion that if he doesn't leave, it will tear Cairo apart. So he fled, and left the Military in charge. No one, not even the Egyptian people know what will happen next.

The holocaust study.

Before this, I had no idea about any of this. I was completely clueless, but when we studied this more, I really enjoyed it. I'm not saying that I enjoy learning about how Hitler killed 11 million people, but I find this history very interesting. Now that I know a bit more about the holocaust, I can say that it was a horrible time. Germany need economical help and there was Hitler. Germany needed it's pride back, and there was Hitler. He was the only choice (back then) for the people back then, and he promised the people just what they wanted. I feel so sorry for the Jews and all the other people who were involved in the genocide.

This happened because the people had problems and Hitler was their only hope. When he came in the picture he didn't do so well, but after a while he had more and more supporters. This lead to a bigger plan, the genocide of all the dirty people (they thought).

So many people died who experienced this event that there isn't so many to recover from what happend. All the people who were in the holocaust and came out alive, have all mostly excepted the fact that there is nothing you can do to change the past.

I really feel like just from this unit, I have learnt so much! I knew almost none of this before. Yes it is depressing, and yes it is sad, and horrible, but I think we are old enough to realize that this is what really happened. This is history.

This unit really mixed in well with our recent unit on religions, and because of that knowledge we have a better understanding about this unit. It just all flows well.

I found (as many other people did) the holocaust very shocking and I'm sure I am going to remember that. I will also remember a lot of the activities we did with this unit that really helped me understand the whole concept much better.