Wednesday, October 29, 2008

F.E #3 Communications Are Changing

Humans began communicating since the beginning of their exists. In other words, people could not live without communication. Not just the verbal communication; humans have a lot of ways to transmit their messages and be understood by the other person. People every day are trying to improve the communication skill, but sometimes maybe they do the opposite. An example of this is the online communications, like Messenger or Skype. Those programs really help to cut distances. However when people are too attached to those ways of communication they can really lose skills of interpersonal communication, like a real conversation face to face. In the past, people could know other people just by looking at them, but now people cannot know the intention of the other person just with one look. The fact that everybody needs communicate ideas is real. On the other hand, it is necessary to be conscious that all ways of communications have their advantages and disadvantages.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

1 S/R. The Orcas Can Not Wait for Governments

Carolina Borrero
Writer’s Workshop EAP 2-A
October 23, 2008

Summary Response #1

The Orcas Can Not Wait for Governments

According to West (2007) in her article, “Whale watchers protest a lack of action: ‘I can’t just count them until they’re all gone’” the Killer whales, or Orcas, that roam in Vancouver Island and Washington State’ waters are in risk of extinction, and this risk is caused by the delay of the Canadian government. The author explains the increase of Orcas’ deaths since 2001, and the biggest number of those deaths is from last year when five killer whales died. West said that the Canadian government is following a new federal policy in which they have to define what a “critical habitat”. The author states that one of the most important threats for Orcas is the fact of lack of salmon; one of their biggest food resources, and this problem could affect them in winter, because they do not have a big layer of fat. Finally, West affirms that both sides of the governments, American and Canadian, should recognize that the only way to preserve this species is giving them a large area of critical habitat so that people could be worried about those places and try to find the way to guarantee food for killer whales there.

The author is right when she states the solution for Orca’s problem. Those animals do not have time to wait for government solutions or perfections. They need something to survive, like the author said, a big protected space with food, or simply they would die in the near future. People should realize the importance of the problem. Orcas are part of a food cycle and if they die the ecosystem will lose its balance. In order to protect the whale habitat it is essential to keep people informed about the real problem of killer whales, to not lose time in paperwork, and to support the environmental groups.

The idea of keeping people informed is not just saying that killer whales are in danger. People should know how their actions hurt these animals. People should know how to help the Orcas. To make this possible a lot of money is necessary, because an awareness campaign is not something easy to do, so government and organizations should support this idea and make economic contributions. With this education people will know what small or big changes they can do in order to protect the killer whales or their habitats.

Orcas cannot wait until the government agrees on the way to help them. Those animals do not have time, place, or food to wait for the paperwork that politicians say that they need to do to protect the Orcas. Governments should know that even when the killer whales’ problem is not an issue, like a war or some of the other priorities that a country has, it is a big topic and people have to find a way to fix it. Governments can make quickly but effective proposition, they just have to want do it. Orcas cannot resolve the problem by themselves; they need people’s help.

Currently a lot of environmental groups exist and they are fighting to protect animals at risk, but unfortunately those groups do not have the support of countries, or influential people, so they are fighting without hands. Environmentalists need more than just good intentions; they need support, money, and respect, because without these things they are talking with themselves; they do not have a real impact in people’s minds.

In conclusion, keeping people informed, not losing time, and supporting the environmental groups could be the key to helping and protecting the Orcas. People should be conscious that humans cause the extinction of killer whales, and it is just simply impossible to think that they can survive without people’s help. Humans already made a lot of damage in Orca’s habitats. Now it is time to repair it and give then a decent life.


Reference:
West, C. (2007, January 23). The fight to save the orcas; Whale watchers protest a lack of action: ‘I can’t just count them until they’re all gone.’ The Globe and Mail. p: S3. Retrieved on October 22, 2008, from Lexis Nexis database.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Hw 2. Relationships

I’m not in a relationship right now, but I had my last boyfriend four years ago. I meet Victor at the University. He was a law student. Both, Victor and I were on first year of the career. At the first moment we were friends, but with some attraction between us. Then, we started dating for few weeks like friends in groups of people. We always said things related to a relationship like a joke. After that, we meet in a friend’s party and we decided be together. We were in this relationship for almost ten months. I broke up with him because I could not breathe. I thought he was so possessive. Actually, I think I am perfect with my life. I was so busy studying my career that I did not have time to think in a romance. However, now is time to reopen my mind to a relationship. I think the best way to find a husband knows the person in all his aspects. In order to do that is necessary dating, talking, and sharing experiences. I am not agreeing with the idea of been married with a man that you just know him for a short time or some random stranger. I think people should know the background of the future prospect, like the family and friend because with this thing people would identify a little bit of his matters. For me, when people are dating you can ask about his goals in life so that you can know his attitude and determinate if is the perfect man for you. No matter what, everybody has their idea of an ideal relationship and is not a discussion with just one resolution.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

F.E #2. Knowing the world

Generally people around the world think their own country or city is the best one, but even when I think in the same way, I should say that after visiting a few cities in the United States, and some countries in the Caribbean, I think that Chicago is a very good place to go. The interesting thing about Chicago is the fact that it is a city with a lot of diversity. There is not only diversity of people, there is all kind of music, religions or cultures. It is a city where everyone can be comfortable and enjoy their visit. Chicago is a place with a lot of things to do, like going shopping, visiting museums, and going to natural parks. People could see every kind of thing in Chicago. It is like a city where everything can happen. I just went there for four days but I really got a good impression of the city, and in my opinion, that is what a city needs to be recommended.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

0 Practice S/R. Everybody should be worried about

Carolina Borrero
EAP 2-A Writer’s Workshop
October 20, 2008

Practice Summary Response

Everybody should be worried about

According to Hirsch (2005) in his article “Animals ‘hit by global warming,’” warming already is affecting the life style of some animals. Also, the author explains a few examples of this problem, which were presented in a meeting of E.U. Nature Conservation Chiefs in Scotland. First, warming is changing the routes of migration of birds. Second, some animals are able to adapt to the new weather condition, but this is not an option for animals like the polar bears, because the habitants where it lives are disappearing. Third, environment changes are so fast that is very difficult for the animals to adapt; also, it is difficult for humans to agree to try to find solutions. Finally, the author said that the solutions should be fast and radical because global warming is happening and it is not waiting for a green light to destroy the ecosystem.

It is important to stress the idea of the author about the solution, because it is necessary make an effort to find global answers. The problem is not just that the interest of one country is something that everyone has to deal with. In order to make solutions, it cold be good to educate people about causes and consequences of global warming, invest money in research to find new ways to control the environment, and create new laws made by the environmental organizations.

Educating people is a way to teach them causes and consequences of global problems like global warming, so that people could be conscious and try to help to protect the planet and the sources of our products. People should try to think like all the resources in the world are in extinction, so that they can protect it more and try to causes less damage. Also, protecting the planet people indirectly will help animals that are affected by the environmental problems, because with small changes people will reduce the destruction of animal habitats.

In order to protect the environment it is necessary to invest a lot of money, because it is important to create campaigns against the planet destruction; it is necessary to find alternative ways to do the thing that threat the ecosystem, like aerosols or deforestation. The problem with this idea is the fact that not all the countries have money to invest. Moreover maybe countries with better economic status could help countries in bad situations. In other words it has to be a global campaign paid by all governments.

Currently there exist few organizations that focus on global environmental problems but obviously those organizations are not enough. Consequently, is essential to make new laws and organizations that could be truly impartial. They have to ensure the survival of the planet no matter who or what is affecting it. These organizations should give a penalty to countries that attempt against the planet. It could not be possible the idea of moving these global problems because it other priorities appear.

It is very important to find global solutions, so that people around the world can help to resolve the problem. Teaching causes and consequences of global warming, investing money in research and creating new laws could help to resolve in some way the issues that global warming produces so that the animals may enjoy and live peacefully in their habitat. But the most relevant thing is to remember that global warming is not an individual problem; it is something that everyone should be worried about. For this reason, everybody should put their grain of sand and start the solution by themselves.



Reference:
Hirsch, T. (2005, October 5). Animals ‘hit by global warming’. BBC News. Retrieved on October 15, 2008 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4313726.stm

Monday, October 20, 2008

Hw. 1 My break in Chicago

On the classes break I went to Chicago. I was hosted in The Palmer House of Hilton. The hotel was on Chicago downtown, near Michigan Avenue. It was fantastic; it was really pretty. I went to Chicago with Vanessa. We arrived to Chicago on Saturday and leaved on Tuesday. I was so exiting to be there, because Chicago is a real city for me. I am used to be in those kinds of places and Carbondale it is nor like that. When I was there I felt like if I was in home with traffic, people, street sound, and diversity. I needed these things. I did not want to come to Carbondale again. We went to a lot of place, like the Planetarium, Field Museum, Michigan Avenue, Sears Tower, and some parks. I really enjoy the experience of been in Chicago. I hope be there again.

Friday, October 17, 2008

F.E #1 Caracas Vs Carbondale

Caracas is the capital city of Venezuela. As a capital, is a very big metropolis. It has ten million in habitants, even when the city has a small space. However, Caracas has variety and diversity of thoughts, religions, and cultures. On the other hand, Carbondale is a littler town of The United States (U.S.), specifically in Illinois. This small town has equal diversity as Venezuela, but in this case it is caused by all the Southern Illinois University’ (SIU) students. SIU has so many students from all countries, and that helps Carbondale to be a city. The biggest difference between Caracas and Carbondale is the fact that the first one is the capital of Venezuela, is where everything happens, and is the only big city with facilities in Venezuela. The second one is just one of many U.S cities, and generally every city in the U.S. has similar facilities. None of these are better than the other; they are just different.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Hw. 6 Venezuela's school

In Venezuela classes are structured a little different. School is from kinder to sixth grade. High School is from first year to fifth year. During the three first years of high school people decide what they want to study at the University and in the last two years of high school they go to science or humanistic studies. After that people should go to University. Generally classes star in first week of October to middle of July. Obviously with Christmas vacations, “Semana Santa” vacation is like spring break in March, and other small holidays.



Venezuelan students have to use uniforms, in school there are a white chemise with the symbol of the school. Between first and third year of high school they have to use a blue chemise with the symbol of the institution. When the students are in fourth or fifth year of high school they should use a beige chemise with the symbol of the high school. Depends on the school’s rules if students have to use pants or skirt.



In the institutions where I studied I had a classroom and my teacher had to go there, except for the science lab or specials subjects. I really never had an experience in American school, but I think the most important difference is the fact that here at the United States school are located in each county and people of that county go to that school. In Venezuela is completely different people choose the school no matter where is located. Other big difference is the numbers of students; in the U.S are more students per school that in Venezuela. Definitely, no matter what, the high school time is the best one.

These are my best friends from high school, We were in second year of high school.


These are my classmate on our last year of high school. We were of sciences studies.