Month: March 2019

Stanley Desir                                                                                                      ENG 1121

03/11/19                                                                                                               Pop Culture

 

         Post traumatic stress disorder. Or as we call it PTSD, is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. A very prominent figure in the rap culture had suffered Ptsd and shaped him into the person he is today. On his latest anticipated album “Championships” Meek Mill has a song named “Trauma”. From the beginning of the song to the end you can feel the soul samples and the beat. The name of the song is more of a meaning then just the name of a song. It’s the reason why Meek Mill is a rapper today. When the video was released, Meek’s son is playing the role of youth meek. His childhood self sits next to a photo of his deceased father as he pens a letter to him. He also appears in the present, reflecting on his experiences, from tragic deaths to court and prison, in a mirror. Flashbacks of street life populated with drugs, money, gambling and police busts are seen throughout.

             There are many lyrics through out the song that dictates Trauma as a serious issue in American culture especially within the black community. In the chorus we hear the lines “See my brother blood on the pavement, How you wake up in the mornin’ feelin’ evil? Uhh, trauma” Imagine being around the age of 14-15 and seeing bodies drop like flies. It does something to you. Later on at the beginning of a verse Meek says “Ain’t no PTSDs, them drugs keep it at ease”. In an interview with the breakfast club his response to this bar was that “It’s real life, sometimes,  You might gotta get prescribed some sleeping medicine to got to sleep from trauma, shit you’ve seen. And I was really speaking of like, when you go to court, you can’t go to court and be like, “You honour, I was carrying this gun ‘cause 50 people in my neighbourhood got killed when I was young and I got Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder. They ain’t tryna hear that. You come from the army or something’ like that, then it makes sense. But from our community, if you come talkin’ that talk, that’s like a foreign language. I never even heard of nobody getting’ in court saying’ that. Even, having that to be a back-up.” You see the issue Meek is arguing against, a young black individual can carry a firearm for their own safety because of all the trauma they’ve experienced. In the court of law it won’t be valid but for a veteran it makes perfect sense. Both a veteran and an individual whose watched people getting killed both experience the same level of trauma.

https://www.elitedaily.com/p/the-meaning-of-jay-zs-the-story-of-oj-is-all-about-racism-in-america-7999549

Pavel Nunez

English 1121

3/11/19

Dr Carrie Hall

Drug Addiction

 

Every day,  a lot of people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids. The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—is a serious crisis in the United States that affects everyone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total  cost of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States was 1 trillion dollars since 2001 including the costs of healthcare, addiction treatment, and criminals. Before the 90’s this wasn’t even happening and everybody was fine, So what happened?

 

How did all of this began? “Well In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers, and healthcare providers began to prescribe them at greater rates. This subsequently led to widespread diversion and misuse of these medications before it became clear that these medications could indeed be highly addictive. Opioid overdose rates began to increase. In 2017, more than 47,000 Americans died as a result of an opioid overdose, including prescription opioids, heroin, and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid.That same year, an estimated 1.7 million people in the United States suffered from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers, and 652,000 suffered from a heroin use disorder”. Based on the text you can see that drug overdoses are a huge problem in the United States, you can easily get addicted to it, Most of the drugs mentioned can easily be accessed by going to the doctor and getting prescriptions for it, while doing so they also recommend more than the safe dose you’re suppose to get so that is another unfortunate cause, Another is how potent the drug is. Some drugs are stronger than others and can make you develop cravings for it which prevents people from having a normal life without the drug(which they are addicted to).

 

The government overall is not doing a lot to help prevent this epidemic from getting worse but instead chooses to do other unimportant things like getting involved in another war that has nothing to do with us, increasing taxes, and increasing the military budget which is more than the 7 next countries budget combined . Even now the amount of people getting killed by overdoses of certain drugs just keep increasing and there seems to be nothing being done to help prevent this tragedy.

 

Mentor Article:https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/learning/learning-with-nine-key-questions-about-the-green-new-deal.html

Source:https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/8/3/16079772/opioid-epidemic-drug-overdoses

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/02/13/585199746/cost-of-u-s-opioid-epidemic-since-2001-is-1-trillion-and-climbing

Before the mid 1900’s, there hasn’t been many acceptance to people who identify as LGBTQ+. It wasn’t until the Trump administration has begun to narrowing the biology between male and female.

Being aware at a very young age can be very drastic to many people. When coming out to their parents can be very difficult and for them to understand the way the child may think. They may believe they might’ve nurtured them in a way that affected their perspective in life. While there are some researchers that say its the nature, down the biological psychology.

In the events of the first announcements of Trump’s administration plan to thin out the terms of gender to the biological male and female characteristics. There were many groups of protesters that are fighting for their rights.

Until recently, the Trump administration has begun to change the laws that has protect people of LGBTQ+ under Title lX. This can be very drastic to individuals this can remove centers that offers healthcare, therapy, programs, and etc. This can lead to impactful things in cases that will remove the term out of the millions of people in the United States that are comfortable of who they define as. There are also people who are still not out there to society because of the dangers that are imposed by these changes as increase to discrimination towards these individuals.

Another action that Trump has done was by removing everyone who identify as transgender to resign from the military. This lead to impacts to individuals of what they may be more passionate in serving their country, but now they can’t.

As time is moving on, there are many people hiding their confidentiality even today to their parents or friends because of uncertainty if they will be accepted. Now after Trump has proposed this new identification, people would have to be even more aware because that shows how our society is moving forward today in our era.

There has been implementation that individuals are treated equally in educational environment such as the implementation of unisex bathrooms, dorms, programs that are individual sex, and more.

However New York City is a great place to live in, because NYC isn’t affected too much by its own regulations. New York City has even pushed for the rights of a person to use a single-sex bathroom that aligns with their identity.

Even now, there are many social problems that LGBTQ+ face other than political affairs such as the individual’s peers, friends, classmates/co-workers, and even their families. This can cause communities to be even more supportive than ever when we are in a century with a lot of hate caused by the current president.

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/2185920/apex-legends-takes-fortnite-battle-royale-crown-adding-new

Waleed Qureshi

END 1121

Dr. Carrie Hall

03/07/2019

 

Q1. Who is the speaker? What do we know about this person? How do we know it?

The speaker is Shehzad Roy. He is a motivator who is trying to tell people to work for themselves by taunting them in a way.

 

Q2. What is the occasion? When or where did it occur?

It occurs in a random street of Pakistan where Shehzad Roy is speaking of the problem of the public.

 

Q3. Who is the audience. What group of people is he speaking to? How do you know?

His audience is the people sitting at home complaining about the problems Pakistan usually goes through but doing nothing about it. We know this because he actually narrates the situations at every point where people ask him, “so what should we do” and he answers, “nothing, just keep it up(sarcastically)”.

 

Q4. What is the purpose if the piece? What is the writer trying to accomplish?

He is trying to motivate people work for themselves or for the betterment of their country.

 

Q5. What is the tone of this? How can you tell the writer’s feelings by the words or phrases (for other clues)?

Throughout the song, the tone is sarcastic but in the end the tone changes to angry because people are still not understanding anything about what he is saying.

 

Q6. Other thoughts of this piece? And by the way, what’s your name?

I liked this song because it relates to one of almost every family member who just sits there in front of the television talking about that the country isn’t doing well and people need to do this and that but when it comes to themselves, they do the same things or some people only think of the things that support their ideas and ignore the rest. My name is Waleed Mustafa Qureshi.

Link to the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXesOFA8e0E

 

translation for song:

Shehzad Roy: When I was ten years old, I heard on the 9 o’clock news that Pakistani history is at a critical crossroads/crisis.

Kid: Daddyy!!

Then I turned twenty, and heard on the news once again…that Pakistani history is at a critical crossroads.

Having tied your impossible dreams to yourself, you’re standing, holding your ground.
You’re an ordinary person, dude, enough, can’t do it anymore.

Political activist: So what should I do? Lose hope?
Roy: No. Just keep at it.

Chorus:
Keep at it, keep at it, you keep going.
Keep waiting, keep waiting, you remain stubborn.
Laying still, laying still, you stay still.

Respected elders–they asked me, how will the nation run?
Respected elders–I told them, keep at it, keep at it.
Respected elders–they asked me, how will the nation run?
Respected elders–I told them

I’m not concerned about whether the nation will run. I’m concerned that it might go on running like this.

Keep at it, keep at it, you keep going.
Keep waiting, keep waiting, you are waiting.
Laying still, laying still, you stay still.

Dude, there’s a lot of tension in the nation.
It’s nothing, it’s nothing, leave everything to Allah.

Don’t do a thing.
You don’t do a thing.
Everything you leave to Allah.
Allah is your protector, period.

Oi, brother, you too are facing a crossroads (can also mean “have become a cause of catastrophe“),
holding your ground.
You’re an ordinary man–hey, stop! …Now it’s painful, dude.

Lawyer: No way. There’re still a few noble people remaining…on the planet.

Respected elder–he asked me, who is noble, tell me.
Respected elder–I told him

A noble person is he who hasn’t had the chance yet to prove himself otherwise

Keep at it, keep at it, you keep going.
Keep waiting, keep waiting, you are waiting.
Laying still, laying still, you stay still.
Keep at it, keep at it, you keep going.
Keep waiting, keep waiting, you are waiting.
Laying still, laying still, you stay still.

Reporter: The entire country’s law and safety has been restored to order.

And then one day the ground will disappear beneath your feet (pun, can also mean “you will face the biggest catastrophe” and “your land will be snatched away“)
And then to you, they will say..
They will say, “you’re soaring in the clouds.”
You’re soaring in the clouds.
(pun, can also mean “you are finally free“)

Poor man: So…will we really, truly be soaring in the clouds? Eh?
Roy: If you won’t understand, fool, then…!

Keep at it, keep at it, you keep going.
Keep waiting, keep waiting, you are waiting.
Laying still, laying still, you stay still.
Keep at it, keep at it, you keep going.
Keep waiting, keep waiting, you are waiting.
Laying still, laying still, you stay still.

Poor man: That boy’s face resembled Shehzad Roy’s so much…

Politician 1: Sir, it might be time to wake up the nation.
Politician 2: Don’t wake them up! They’re sleeping because of some very important work.

Hi everyone! For Tues we’re going to, among other things, workshop your projects. They’re due on March 21st. I just want to see what you’re doing and help you get some feedback.

Article writers:

• Please post online and bring in a paper copy of at least 400 words of your rough draft.
• Also post a link to your mentor article.

Creative project people:

• Post online: a few sentences about what you are planning to do
• Bring to class: SOMETHING to show to your peers of the progress of your project. This may be a storyboard (quick stick figure drawings of what you intend to get video of– with a few sentences beneath each drawing describing the action– look it up!) or a sketch of the painting or album cover, the lyrics of the song, a draft of the poem, etc… Just something to discuss. Please take a photo or video and post online. You can do this using the add media button.  For help posting media click HERE

Waleed Qureshi

ENG 1121

Dr. Carrie Hall

03/05/2019

 

Response To Lemonade

I read the review of Bell Hooks. To me this review was motivational as it motivated the oppressed women to stand out and work for themselves. This meant that in order for women to gain equality, they have to work and achieve it. Nothing comes easy but you have to work for it. The author also talked a lot about the visuals of other people when they see a black woman which she explained further and gave us more ideas by saying words like “black women body”. The writer explained all these further by describing to us the scenes of how Beyoncé was dressed describing the situation in which she was in or something that she symbolized like her golden dress. This helped people who have not seen the album get a better idea of what that album represented. Another thing I liked about this review was the layout. At first this confused me as I wasn’t able to understand it but later I realized how the review was organized. At first Bell Hooks explained the songs of the album and then she told us how she felt about the things that the songs were trying to deliver.

Hey everyone! For Thursday, please fill out the worksheet below (thoroughly!) about the cultural artifact (song, book, poem, comic book, whatever) you will be writing about for Unit Two and bring it to class on Thursday. It’s important!!

You can answer on a separate piece of paper if you like! Write thorough answers.

soapstone

Reading bell hook bought up one main question. what do women go through? not just african american women but just women in general. if beyonce has to make song to shine some light on women enpowerment that means we are not doing something right in this world. lemonade was something girls used to sell and often get the saying “get your money straight . Meaning women can earn just like men and take care of themselves. I think beyonce was making a reference to remind everyone that females have power. It says beyonce “wreaks violence”. I don’t agree with that brcaise in the music video I don’t think she wasn’t showing that much violence and wasn’t promoting it either . Bell hooks states that Beyoncé’s “feminism can’t be trusted “. Which throws me off because am I supposed to believe beyonce or the author . It feels confusing about reading a article where the author dosent trust the person she’s writing about.

Amani Nassar

English 1121

Dr. Hall

As I read the article titled “Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’ Is A Revelation of Spirit” I found myself confused at one point as to why the writer chose to keep relating Beyonce’s work to other artist instead of just focusing on her album giving it more critic and explaining a deeper meaning behind her album. I later realized that he used the explanation of other artist work to add to not only his writing, but to kind of add to the development of how Beyonce has changed over the years. Hilton does point out some really good things like when he brings up “what once mattered can quickly seem depressingly old.” The music industry is constantly changing just like almost everything else, people are having to reintroduce themselves in a new way to keep up with the demands of their fan base to keep up their reputation. Beyonce has always portrayed a message of female empowerment while making a lot of comments towards love or men, like most artist do. These are topics we can all relate to at one point or another in our lives and artist like Beyonce make the music that helps us get through these things. I was able to learn a lot from this article like the meaning of the songs from the album, the symbolism behind things like the drowning of the police car, and the inclusion of other artist in her music.