Last Saturday my whole family flew into the city of Medellin in Colombia, our plane left early in the morning and arrived about mid-day. The next two days consisted of exploring the city, from the botanical garden to the cable car metro. The city was absolutely breathtaking because it is located in the middle of a valley. On Saturday night the we decided to go see the well know Christmas lights display, and let me emphasize “well known” because it seemed that the whole population of Medellin was there too. On Sunday we took a tour of the city (such tourists I know). On the tour we took the metro and the cable car system, which was made to help the people that live on the edges of the city. The cable car metro provided us with some spectacular views of the city and the mountains surrounding it. On Monday all five of us packed into a car to travel to Pereira (my Dad’s home town). This trip was supposed to take four hours but actually took us six. This six hours where filled by watching the amazing scenery (it seems not matter where you travel in Colombia the views never fail to impress.) We spent that night in my great-grandmother’s home. The next day we met some second cousins and uncles and aunts. That Tuesday afternoon all seven of us, my family, my great-grandmother, and my uncle took the two hour (it was supposed to take one hour, but my Dad refuses to listen the the GPS) trip to the coffee region by the city of Armenia. We rented a farm in the coffee region and have sent the last two day here. On Wednesday we went to Parque de Cafe, which is basically a coffee themed amusement park. At the Parque de Cafe me and my sister went on roller-coasters, log flumes, and ski lifts. Today (Thursday) we headed to a coffee farm close by. At the coffee farm we learned about the process of making coffee and of course drank some marvelous cups of coffee. This week has been quite eventful with all the car rides and touring of this beautiful country, and I can barely contain my excitement for next week.
Atticus Finch
Atticus is feebly- nearly fifty
Atticus doesn’t play with Jem- “I’m too old for that, son”
Atticus doesn’t play poker, fish, smoke, or drink
Atticus sat and read
Atticus is old- Old One-Shot Finch has put down his gun, because God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things
But remember people in their right minds never take pride in their talents
Atticus spends time doin’ things that wouldn’t get done
Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers- “Of course I do” (If I didn’t I couldn’t hold my head up)
“Why?”
They’re still our friends and this is still our home
Atticus does mortify the rest of the family (he’s a nigger lover)
Atticus was the bravest man who ever lived
“Do you really think so?”
Yes because Atticus is
a gentleman
a father
a nigger lover
Atticus is color blind
Iria Ritual; A Celebration of Feminism or Femininity?
By Abel Crespo, Emily Duque and Diana Zuhlsdorf
Coming of age is something that is universal, but what is one communities’ idea of the celebration of feminism is another’s idea of gender discrimination. We are going to take a look into the different worlds that we all live in. In the Nigerian Delta tribes are scattered around. In some of these tribes the Iria ritual is practiced. Some of the groups that practice the ritual include the Iyankpo group, the Ijimkorobo group, the Alagbariye group from Ebeni, and the Saugeye group.
The Iria ritual is practiced differently in different places around the country of Nigeria- some forms of the ritual being a bit harsher while others are less demanding. The three main forms of the ritual are the Kala egeribite, Opu egeribite/egeribite, and 
Bibite. In many of the communities the Iria ritual is thought of as a celebration of feminism, where as women that have left the village and gone to the city and returned to the community as well as foreigners don’t think of it as a celebration of feminism. Instead they see it as outdated, or embarrassing and unjust.
Above is a picture of a woman guarding the fattening
rooms. Only females are allowed to enter these rooms.
-Courtesy of HypeScience posted by Miguel Kramer
The girls involved in the ritual usually range from the age of 14 to 16 (girls that are preparing themselves for marriage.) In some places the ritual begins with the girls appearing bare breasted in front of the crowd for “inspection.” The purpose of appearing in front of the community like this is for the community to make sure that the girl’s virginity is intact. If the girl refuses to show her breasts or “fails” the inspection they experience public outcry and scorn. That is not a problem for most women being that most enjoy this ritual and see it as an honor. This opinion that many of the women have is the polar opposite of many women outside of these tightknit communities. This part of the ritual is mainly practiced for Waikiriki women.
The next stage of the ritual begins immediately after the first. In this stage the girls enter “fattening rooms” where they are held for a month with rich local foods. In other communities the women are shackled down decreasing their movement. They can be held in these fattening rooms for as long as 6 months. The girls cooped up in these rooms do have things to do though; while the girls are in the fattening rooms they learn traditional songs and dances from the elders in the village. Only females are allowed to enter the fattening rooms.
The purpose of the fattening rooms is to allow the girls to become plump and ready for marriage. This is the exact opposite to the society most people are accustomed to, where women prepare themselves for their wedding by losing weight.
In many tribes they believe that all young girls form
romantic attachments with the water spirits
-Courtesy of National Geographic, posted by, Brian Pegg
The belief in these Nigerian tribes is that all the young women of the village form romantic attachments with water spirits. For them to be able to marry and have children they must detach themselves from the spirits. Through their time in the fattening rooms the young Iriabo make many trips to the town’s river at dawn. At the river the girls practice the songs they learned in the fattening rooms. On the last day all the girls gather at the river and sing their songs all together. This is the day that the water spirits are believe to come and capture the girls. For the girl’s safety and fertility to be ensured the Osokolo, or the senior male member of the Owuper society whacks them with a stick.
This part of the ritual varies throughout the tribes. In some tribes the spirits are hit out of them before the fattening rooms and in others many of the men from the village gather around and whack the women with the stick instead of the one Osokolo. Depending on the tribe or village the women may or may not be bare breasted whilst this takes place.
When it is time for the women to exit the fattening rooms a party is thrown in celebration of her becoming a new woman. The members of the community decorate the square or a space within the Iriabo’s father’s house. When the Iriabo is finally released from the room, which she has been contained in for around a month. As you can imagine this is an extremely important part for any woman participating in this ritual. As she exits the room the members of the community greet her with song and music played on their drums. Throughout the party the women dance and enjoy becoming a new woman. If by any chance the Iriabo get tired she takes her place in booth that was made for her and observes the celebration.
There are many different characteristics that make the Iria ritual one of a kind. Some of them include the arts, which is the different dances, songs, and music within the ceremony and the party that follows. Throughout the process of this rite of passage the women chant and sing to the water spirits showing religious devotion. Another characteristic is the pageantry that appears within the whole ritual. Pageantry can be seen in the beginning of the ritual where they parade around bare breasted to when the women finally exit the fattening room and are paraded around the square.
“Breaking Bread”
Coming of age in the Catholic Church
By: Emily Duque
First Communion is a catholic ceremony held in honor of the 7-8 year-old children and new members of the church community. This ceremony is holds great importance though out churches all over the world because it represents a coming of age in the church community. When the participants can receive communion, they become a bigger part of the church community.
Preparation
Preparation for the ritual is mandatory and is taken very seriously by the students, teachers, and other member of the church. Classes begin in the first grade and go until the ceremony that’s takes place in the 2nd grade (This is if the child was baptized at birth. For adults entering the church, preparation is different.) The participants must also go to the church and attend masses weekly. Children that go to catholic school have classes during school time, but children in public school participate in Sunday 
school classes. Through the classes they learn the importance and meaning of receiving the sacrament. Children and adult must also have gone through the sacrament of first confession and Penance, which is believed to clean you from your sins, before they make their first communion.
As the date of the ceremony nears, classes change from inside the classroom to practicing in the church for the actual ceremony. In the church they learn how to walk down the aisle and in some churches they learn gestures and lyrics for songs. Further preparation includes finding a dress for the girls and a suit and tie for the boys. The white dresses that are used for first communion, go on sale in early spring and range in price. The 7-8 year old girls somewhat resemble brides considering they wear white dresses and veils, while the boys resemble grooms.
Ceremony/Ritual
A priest performs the ceremony, which takes place in a Christian Church. Children line the pew wearing their white dresses and suits. The church becomes silent as the priest processes down the center aisle and towards the altar. As the mass progresses, children read passages from the bible and sing songs like this “This is My Body”, “Come with us, O Blessed Jesus”, and other songs sung at Sunday mass. Well-known songs are used to allow the whole community to join in song. The priest begins his homily, which usually encompasses the importance and meaning of communion and the Eucharist itself.
It is then time for the members of the church that are attending the mass to receive communion. The children receiving the Body of Christ for the first time walk down the aisle and in some churches they are accompanied by their parents. They walk down the aisle slowly to the priest who is at the front of the altar. They place their hands one on top of another as the priest holds up the communion. After they receive the communion itself , participates make the sign of the cross and return to their pew. Upon returning to their pew the members of the church kneel and pray. Prayer may include the Hail Mary and other common prayers as well as individual prayers.
After-Party/Reception
Normally a party is thrown in the participator’s honor after the whole ceremony in the church has taken place. The party is somewhat of a small wedding reception, but it doesn’t include traditions like the father daughter dance and the cutting of the cake in weddings. The foo
d at first communion parties generally includes a cake, which is usually quite big, but the other food can vary. Many gifts are given to the children that complete their first communion. Most of the gifts contain religious significance such as a rosary or a bible. Overall the party is where all the child’s family and friends gather to celebrate the child’s coming of age within the church.
Instagram Wednesday
#timetoputmybiggirlshoeson“If You Kiss a Boy” Book Review
In the short story “If You Kiss a Boy,” Alex Sanchez introduces us to two boys facing their own bi-curiosity. The short story was written to introduce the concept of being gay to pre-teenagers and teenagers. The book is in 1st person and is told through a boy named Alex. In the short story Sanchez’s hopes that by writing the story was it would educate teens on the concept of being gay and help other kids that know that they are gay through a tough time in their lives by writing an intriguing short story. This short story is intended for teens and pre-teens, specifically kids that are trouble with the concept of being gay or someone being gay. Sanchez’s writing style is calm and comfortable, like a teenager was written it. It fits the short story is well suited to the intended audience and it was clear and makes an impact on its readers. I really liked this short story. It really opened my mind on a new subject that I hadn’t read much literature on. It gave my different ideas of the perspectives people have on gay people and the troubles a young gay boy or girl have to go through. I believe that Sanchez’s has achieved his goal behind writing this short story. It portrayed the life and the opinions of many different whether they be gay or straight, male or female. I would recommend this book to others because I think it may widen their horizons in literature and introduce them to a new topic. Many teenager struggle with ether being gay or reacting to gay people. Reading this short story has really opened my eye up and shown me the importance of excepting everyone no matter who they may be, and I hope that if I recommend this to one of my friends that they will realize that to.
It’s a Barbie’s World
The character that I have chosen is Penelope. I chose Penelope because I think she is just a normal girl that many people can connect with. Penelope is trapped of the cycle of people following society’s path for them and not living their lives the way they want to. Society essentially makes clones of people by advertising the idea of perfection. I used a Barbie doll to represent society’s idea of perfection. By filming an everyday girl in the Barbie box, I displayed the feeling of being trapped in box that your community or family has set around you. Because many girls and women believe they have to live up to these standards 7 millions female U.S. citizen have eating disorders. Penelope is one of these 7 millions females.
Different aspects in my video represent different things. One example of this is this label on the box itself. The warning label is black this represent how the dangers of living up to the standards set for you is different for everyone. The warning label also says +13, I made it like this to represent the troubles of being a teenager, and as a young girl becomes a teenager appearance begins to matter more and more. Not only the warning label has meaning in my video everything has meaning, for example, the girl in the Barbie box is wearing everyday civilian clothes this represent that the everyday person goes through these problems.
The principals of design that used in my project were contrast and emphasis. Contrast is seen throughout my video. One example of contrast in the video is the contrast between the young girl I chose to put in the box and the actual Barbie itself. The girl had dark brown hair and deep brown eyes the exact opposite of Barbie. I did this because I feel it shows how these social pressures affect everyone all races and religions. The emphasis was on the box in my video. The room around the box was white, so the box was the point of emphasis.
The elements of art that I used in my project were color and value. Color was used in the color of the box. I used a bright hot pink as the color of the box. I did this because this hot pink reminds you of Barbie. I color was a key part of the project to catch the viewers attention and remind them of Barbie. Value was used in my project through the filter that I used for the video. The filter changed the value of the colors to make it more dream like.
Be uses the elements of design I tried to create a video the express the feeling of being trapped in society’s idea of perfection, because in reality it is a Barbie’s world.
The Price of Owning Yourself
“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.” Friedrich Nietzsche said that and it is true in many ways. How do you balance your duty to society, to your family, your tribe, and the duty that you have to yourself. Should you sacrifice the life you have always dreamed of for the responsibility you have to your tribe?
Life on a Native American reservation is not ideal with problems like, alcoholism, bad education, and drug violence with in the community. Many want to escape the tribe they live in, but not all can. Arnold, the protagonist, in Sherman Alexie’s book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, deals with fitting into is community while going to a school off the reservation. He is exiled from his Native American community and called a traitor. The jobs on the reservation are few and pay little. Arnold is faced with the issue of living in his community to pursue education and later a possible job outside of the reservation or continuing to fill the readability he has for his family. Even though Arnold has the readability to his family he still pursues his goal of getting a better education. Arnold says, “I have to go. I’m going to die if I don’t leave”(Alexie 52).
Sometimes culture and family hold you back from the happiness that comes with achieving your goals. Maria is the protagonist in the play West Wide Story directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, and suffers from racial and gender discrimination. Her main goal in life is to become an American citizen and live a normal American life after she migrated from Puerto Rico. There are many obstacles she faces everyday because of her race and gender. The Hispanic community around her pressures her to wed another Hispanic while Maria wants to marry an American boy. Her family doesn’t approve of Tony, the American boy. Bernardo states, “Can’t you see he is one of them (American)” (Wise/ Robbins Scene 4). Her goals and the goals of her family are conflicting. In this case Maria tried to run away from the pressures of her family with Tony, but sadly all did not end well. Maria is similar to Arnold, they both refused to allow their community’s goals to take precedence of their individual desires.
Not only minorities and people who are racially discriminated struggle with the balance of their readability to their family and the reasonability they have to their individual goals. Penelope is a character in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian who wants to escape her life. Her individual goal is to travel the world and meet new people. She doesn’t want to get stuck in the life of a stereotypical white girl. “… I want all of it. Every single piece of it” (Alexie111). Penelope wants to travel, meet new people, and experience life to tit’s fullest, while her father, a close-minded racist, wants her to grow up to become just like everyone in the community. The goals her father has in mind are conflicting because it causes Penelope to struggle with her loyalty to her father and her individual desires and goals.
The struggle to fulfill the goals of the community vs. individual goals can cause conflict within communities and can cause an individual to question their motives. All the character struggle with the balance, if you’re an Indian, White, or Hispanic everyone goes through it. To solve the problem you have to personally weigh the pro and cons of your situation. It depends on the situation of the specific person, but in the end “no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself”.
Emily Through the Ages
By: Emily Duque
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but to me they are worth way more. My collage isn’t just a collage of picture but a collection of memories. It’s a montage of my greatest moments, of people, of places, and times long gone. They’re not just any memories they’re the kind of memories you want to jump back into. The memories that make you want to believe time travel exists even though it seems as farfetched as aliens. These photos give me comfort because even thought the times has changed and the people changed the memories never will. It’s like they’re set in stone. They aren’t going anywhere even if the people in them aren’t here. People don’t remember the days, hours, or minutes we remember the people and places.
At three corners of my collage there are flags. These are the countries were I come from and were my parents came from. These countries are the places I from. They are my roots, what keep me from stumbling away or getting lost. They hold me down and keep me together. They hold down the rest of the collage like they hold me and my family down. My dad is from Colombia, a land of lush green rainforests. He is from the coffee region way up high in the mountains. My mom is from the other side of the world. She is from England. They were raised on different sides of the world, but met in Chicago. Chicago, U.S.A. that’s where I’m from. These three places, these three cultures make me who I am.
In the middle of the collage it is filled with pictures of me and my friends and family. I used the space of the paper by filling it all up. It the collage wasn’t filled up with photos of happy time it would make the collage seem incomplete and unfinished. I chose colorful photos to use in the collage. By doing this it made the collage exude the feeling of happiness and fun, which is what I was going for. The fullness of the paper also helps exude this feeling of happiness. By filling in all the empty spaces it made shows how my life is filled with many people and places and is full and lush. Without the people and places in the photos the collage wouldn’t make sense it wouldn’t be whole. That is how I would be without these people in my life.
This collage shows my life through my eyes. It’s a time machine that takes you back to special times in my life where everything was a bit simpler and more childish and playful. A pin-up board of pictures and the memories being made inside them.
Podcast- Opportunities at an All Time Low
We are always confined in here like a giant black wall is blocking our view to the outside, and nothing can come in, not anything, not even something as simple and a opportunity.
I am heading to the Spokane Indian Reservation. Driving to the reservation you are surrounded by beautiful mountains and lush green forest. But not all is well on the reservation as you drive closer to the center of town. The hope seems to be depleting just as the beauty is. Lack of education narrows the spectrum of opportunities for peo
ple on the reservation. This causes many people to live in poverty here for the rest of their lives. Grandma Spirit has lived on the reservation her whole life and has many views on the opportunities she and the younger generations have. “The opportunities are very low on the reservation, we can never seem to get off this rez, we are always confined in here like a giant black wall is blocking our view to the outside, and nothing can come in, not anything, not even something as simple and a opportunity. As simple as that,” Grandma says. “Now a days there maybe more opportunities for children on the reservation, but you need a lot of courage to get outta here.” Enrollment rates are as low as 30% in some native American school, Unenrollment of white children is three times less. The reason for this is that the schooling system are so hostile kids don’t want to go to school and they drop out. Out of the student that stay in school until collage 53% of them drop out in the first year. Arnold, and native American boy who transferred to Redrean a school out of the reservation sure did have a lot of courage. “I think when you need to get off, you get off. I needed to get off, at least for a little while, a little bit of time in a day. I wanted to be able to get off and get away. I don’t want to let the past affect my future. I needed to find hope, I mean like there is no way I can get a opportunity of a lifetime like those kids in Rereden, I had to go and take a risk.” What Arnold is saying is true more than 30% of all Native Americans are unemployed. Of the Native Americans that have jobs 1/3 of them earn less than 10,000 a year. This makes it hard for most Native Americans to get jobs. Mary is a young woman how is still living in
her parents basement looking for a job. She left the reservation all of a sudden with a man she later married. “I wanted a chance to live, and get out, but I guess I did it in the wrong way, but I mean love is love and opportunity is low so I guess I had the chance so I had to grab at it.
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emilyduque9 