Family First

My grandmother is my biggest inspiration in life. She is incredibly hard working and full of energy. She taught me as early as I can remember to maintain a good sense of humour even when times can be tough and her bold actions inspire everyone around her every day. She was raised with twelve other siblings, so she was never encouraged to attend college. She got married at eighteen years old, had her first child at nineteen and was a stay at home mom for fifteen years. My grandfather was in the army for a few of these years, and sent money home.
When she was thirty-five, my Grandmother made the decision to go back to work full time. Without a college education or much experience, she landed a job as a Wells Fargo teller. She wanted my uncles and my mom to have the best life they could. She worked for five years and eventually she became the vice president of her location and moved to a nicer neighborhood with her family. Though her transition from not working at all to working full time was hard on her and her family, she made the right decision that greatly benefited them financially. Her decision allowed her to support her family and provide them everything they needed to thrive and more. Her actions have wordlessly taught me to always think my decisions through. At first glance, going back to working full time must have seemed like a horrible idea to leave her family, but as she thought it through, she found what she needed to do to support her family. After working for twenty-nine years at Wells Fargo, She retired and had fulfilled everything she had ever wanted for her family; accomplished all with her dedication and hard work. Growing up with twelve siblings brought her family to her consideration when she thought about her future, and though I do not have twelve siblings, her actions inspire me to always think about my family before making large decisions.

Her decision was in the back of my mind when moving. I did not want to relocate two hours away in the middle of jr. high, but it was all worth it to see my grandparents more. My family is a huge part of my life. I could not even imagine what type of person I would be without my grandmother’s influence. I was hesitant and unhappy to move from a huge city to a small town, but I always knew that I would see my grandparents more. Sure enough, we went from seeing my grandparents only during breaks, to seeing them a few times a week. My bond with them is closer than ever, and it is the reason I was willing to move.

My Time at the Museum of Tolerance

The bright colors of Los Angeles faded as we walked in through the museum's doors. The lobby was pristine, and though I expected to see more about the holocaust, it was almost empty besides a few shelving units. Our tour guide greeted us with a solemn stare and warned us about what was going to be witnessed when we followed him to the exhibit. The spiral we ventured down represented the time between the present and World War II, and everything in-between. The spiral was a piece of architecture I had never witnessed previously, and it was decorated with photo after photo of holocaust survivors. I could not even imagine what their eyes had seen. The museum started off very subtle and informative, and then it came to incredibly intense exhibits and even buildings that were specific to the time period, including a gas chamber.

Being informed about history is very important. Teaching millennials about what truly happened can prevent racist mindsets to resurface in violent ways. We should teach them to not be weakened by wars or poverty, and to not give into figures of power promising violence toward anyone. As our tour guide said, history repeats itself, but informing can help prevent it.

Civil War RAFT

Black Union Soldier

His Children/Mother

Friendly Letter

“My Thoughts on the Civil War”

My Mother, 

The civil war has stolen my comrades lives. Their families live in suffering, though as we began to fight for our freedom we knew the consequences would be deadly. They die of sickness and of wounds. Though some wounds may be small to view, I am forced to watch The Union die during ineffective surgeries. I may wish that the war was not taking place all together, but I will fight for my freedom and my family's, and the new generations'.  The battlefield is a gruesome place, I have to fight and run around and beside bodies of fallen soldiers. A fellow black solider has been teaching me many things between battles, such as proper grammar. Though, I don't believe that I will ever have a use for it, sadly. When I fled to the South, I underestimated the horror of war. But when the battle took my brother, that was it. I was tired of the war, but I will get you freedom, even if it costs me my life. 

Love,

Your son. 

RAFT #1

Reader = Slave
Audience = American President
Format = Persuasive Letter
T = Slavery should NOT be allowed to expand West because..

Mr. President Millard Fillmore, 
Please don't allow slavery to expand West. Slavery is a plague, that spreads horrific consequences to those who comply. Slavery is a violation of my rights. Half of the country is already contaminated by the idea that slavery is somehow appropriate. Mr. President, please walk a mile in my shoes a bit. How would you feel if greedy strangers trying to begin a new country ripped you from everything you knew previously, and took you away from your family and your life. Slavery should not exist as is, and spreading it could ruin the lives of so many more  people like me. Everything you are for as a country is contradicted by the actions of slave owners. 
                    Sincerely, 
                          Me, a slave since 1850

HI. This is my myth about how the future colonies at Mars came to be. :)

Earth. The people who lived there in harmony began to become greedy. They wanted more. They wanted a new planet, with more beautiful landscapes. They relied on the idea of a new home, and began to trash their current one. The children of these destructors suffered from their parents and grandparents’ actions. An evil tyrant then planted a seed in the ground. He hoped that the seed would create a beautiful forest canopy. They all wanted more nature, but caused the deterioration of it with their carelessness. Years later, when the people were surviving on their last oxygen, a large tree rose to the sun, and stole the rest of the oxygen from the people of Earth. A giant bird thrived at the top of this tree. The bird, Mars, was the only one with air or sunlight. As he saw the people suffering below him. He flew down and instructed them to climb onto his back. He looked through their actions and found the love in his heart to rescue them.  They grasped to his feathers as he flew them to space and away from the tree. They flew through the stars and found a special territory perfect for a new planet. The bird dropped the people on a nearby star and said goodbye. They thanked mars, and he flew away. Mars spread his great wings around him and began to turn into an orange planet. Rays of light emanated from the new planet, and the humans traveled along the light to their new home.

Mars' Colonization

If mars were to be colonized, what amendments would they need to have to keep their rights even on a different planet?

Because the first Mars would be belonging to whichever country arrived first, the laws would most likely be very similar to those on Earth. In the case that the USA gets there first, the laws would resemble the amendments given to their citizens, but with the needed interplanetary adjustments.

1) Freedom of speech, press, and religion
This would stay in tact because it is not specific to Earth.

2) Right to bear arms
I don't believe that this would be changed either because as there are conflicts on Earth, there can be conflict anywhere else too. Mars' colonists would also be interested in protecting themselves and their land when they become settled.

3)The right to become involved in government decisions.
The people chosen to go to mars should be able to be as involved as they want to be in big decisions within government in Earth as well as Mars. For example, they should be able to vote for a president in an election because if the people on Earth chose a tyrant to become president, their unpredictable actions could affect supplies being sent to Mars.

4)Protection from unreasonable risk
If a colonist decides that a mission is too risky or unreasonable that could jeopardize priorities, they should be able to contact a proper jury to decide the pros and cons.

5) Protection of Life, Liberty, and Property
This amendment should definitely stay as it is for Mars' colonists. Because in the long run, there will be conflict on Mars after settling for hundreds of years.

6)Right of accused persons in criminal cases
As said in the last explanation, there will be crime developing on new settlements. It is important to keep laws that protect accused persons in tact because it can keep someone from rotting in jail. It can be related to any planet or country.

7)Right to information
Martians should have access to all information coming from their control center at Earth.

8) Excessive bail, punishments or fines
This will stay in tact, because laws defining the rights within the martians will have to be used in court and such.

9)Right to petition
If a martian has experienced a situation where a new law would be handy, they can contact officials and petition for a court hearing as well as a discussion with officials on Earth.

10) Right to court hearing
A citizen can request a court hearing if they believe that another citizen or official has been causing conflict.

To Mars

Personal Statement
Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community, or school—and tell us how your world has shaped your dream journey to Mars. *

         I came from a very welcoming community, that always encouraged the wide variety of dreams that my peers and I shared. The schools I attended always supported the dreams that I had, and were sure to educate us as well as possible to make us more capable to fulfill these dreams. My life began Monday, November 4th, 2016. My class and I attended a lecture held by retired astronaut, Scott Kelly. He was calm and collected when he entered space, a life-threatening frontier. He is my biggest inspiration, and he has inspired me to enter space in his footsteps. Some may say that a Mars mission is a waste of money that should be used for existing civilizations, but this is the only way that Humans will become interplanetary. If the people on Earth want the best for their future children, they will support the exploration of Mars.
        I am inspired by the research found of planets already, and I would be proud to have a place in the colonization and research of Mars. The explorations in question used to be silly science fiction scenarios in my eyes, but as technology in the world increases, the possibility of space exploration is becoming a reality.

image credit: http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/GTY_Astronaut_SKelly_MEM_160301_12x5_1600.jpg



*Hey Maxinators! This is an answer to an application to 'go to Mars' for a quarter-long assignment in school.  I'm not going to space ;)