Tag Archives: SCI

February 6, 2014 · 6:27 am

2014 Winter Olympics – Who is Pussy Riot

This assignment is worth 100 points. It is due Tuesday, February 11 – end of the day.

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia provide some of the most compelling political events ever on an Olympic stage. The threat of terrorism is wholly valid. Breakaway Islamic republics have resisted the Russian government for decades; threats to disrupt the games are real. Recently, the Putin government came out aggressively against homosexuality. Many of the Olympic athletes support homosexual rights; some are openly gay themselves. This will provide a platform for protest. Russia has challenged the West in Syria with its full throated support of Bashar al-Assad. President Vladimir Putin himself is a polarizing figure. Through aggressive executive order and slashing of personal freedoms he has in many ways taken the Russian state back to the days of the Soviet Union.

And then there’s Pussy Riot…

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February 4, 2014 · 5:11 pm

Sin Nombre

How bout some creativity on the Google Docs – 400 word minimum – take one of the two main characters and talk to me in their voice. Assignment is due by 11:59 PM Thursday February 6. Share it with me. Allow me to edit.

Sayra – set the stage…where is she? How old is she? What has happened? Tell me her story. First person. You can take her just about anywhere you want to…make sure to think back to the events of the trip North ( in some aspect). It does not need to be a recap of the movie. This can go where you want it to go.

Casper – I know some of you wanted to take Casper’s role in this google docs piece. No problem. However, this will be a little more difficult – in part because he is dead. How bout if you place the setting – the night before they reach the river. I’m not sure where he slept…was it in the car on the trailer…or were they in the shelter by then. Or was it on the road? I can’t remember. If you do Casper do it at that time. First person please.

How bout some life. Some creativity. Get inside her skin…and her head. And inside of her heart.

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January 31, 2014 · 6:20 am

Chicago is beautiful in the Spring

Guys…we struck out again. Six to eight inches of snow on the drive to Michigan City. Winter is going to last for three more months. But Springtime awaits and we will go to Chi-town then. I promise. Meanwhile enjoy Ground hogs day in Muskegon. Hopefully you can catch one of those little SOB’s and grill him. Sorry… Chicago trip cancelled.

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January 15, 2014 · 9:02 am

SCI 2014 – Take home Final Exam (Guidelines)

Our 2014 Semester One Final Exam will encourage reflection on stories taken from the The Sidneys, The New Yorker – Top Ten ..for 2013 and links from David Brook’s column (Sidney’s – Part 1 and Sidney’s – Part 2) in the New York Times that provided me the idea. You are required to read, reflect, and write on two stories of your choosing. These are examples of some of the best journalism in the United States today.

What exactly is the Sidney Award…

“In 2009, the foundation inaugurated the Sidney, a monthly award for an outstanding piece of socially-conscious journalism. The Sidney is awarded monthly to a piece published in a magazine, newspaper, on a news site, or a blog in the United States. Television and radio segments broadcast in the United States are also eligible, as are published photography series.”

What is The New Yorker Magazine…

To put it simply the New Yorker Magazine is very good journalism. A significant number of the Sidneys are first published in the New Yorker. The magazine features award winning authors. It addresses a wealth of issues global and domestic. Each year the New Yorker offers its own “Top Ten Stories” of the year. You’ll be choosing from 2012 and 2013.

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January 6, 2014 · 10:39 am

Going to College – And not going broke in the process

For Oakridge students and Oakridge parents.

OK – here you go – everything you need to know about taking on the challenge of paying for college, organized into a Blendspace post below. Please listen to the audioboo podcast and then read the Introduction TOC of Blendspace. That should get you comfortable with the post.

Watch the videos with mom and dad. Organize yourself for this challenge – the earlier the better – roll up your sleeves and jump in. If you are going to make it in this economy of ours, you’ve got to have some post high school education. This will get you started and hopefully provide a little inspiration to keep you moving in a positive direction.

listen to ‘An Intro – "Paying for College and not going Broke"’ on Audioboo