"Student" Government?

Every school has a student government. Student governments are in place at schools to help get student input in the way the schools are run . . . to an extent, of course. They come up with bills that are put into place to run our school. So the student government run our lives basically, right? We attended school five days a week for about eight hours each day thats about forty hours a week. So do we the students actually get input in this "student run" government?

Constitution High School says their government is special, Is that true?

"Personally" she laughs "I think it is a -- unsuccessful excuse for student services; they don't do anything...", says Kris. The student government is, in many ways, a very good way that the students here at Constitution High School learn and participate in the way government in our society is run. "I think it serves to the purposes of helping learn the government first hand to an extent," wonderfully stated by Romero. Not everyone who attends the school feel as though the student government is helpful in their high school experience. Many in fact, feel as though the student government is not succeeding in actively incorporating the student bodies input in the running of the school.

"It's a paper/puppet government," states Mr. Romero. A puppet government? Many of the people I interviewed wouldn't argue against the point, seeing as how they hardly know anything about the government. "Well,...I know the having lots of meetings but I don't know anything that they have done," stated by Christelle. Most of the people that I have interviewed during my investigation have said similar things.

"We do try [to communicate] but students don't go to their representatives to communicate their needs or listen when their representatives try to communicate with them," states two year student representative Nicole. The student government has, in the past administrations, passed the uniform bill, which was a compromise between the students and the teachers. Their is also the lunch bill, which allows tenth graders and the higher grades to go off the premises for lunch, solving the space problem during the lunch period. But there seems to be a slow down on the constructiveness of the student government. "I know he is a Freshman....is it Amber-something...I know the Vice President she is my friend," stated by Christelle. Many people that I have talked to "off the record" feel as though there dis like is not with government as a whole but with it's seeming lack of leadership. With NHD over and done with what will change with the our schools leadership?

As brought to light by interviewing Nicole. Is the stall in the governments productivity partially due to the lack of interest in the student body to communicate with the student government. "Well, if they took surveys or report progress from their weekly meeting we [the student body] would feel more apart of the government," says Ryon. We body and the student government need to broaden our fields of communication and to work together but the only issue is...do WE want to?

By: Lakisha Finai

"I Make"

My mind makes choices
My heart makes dreams
Which do I follow that choice is up to me
Here's my list to which do I choose
With my mind...(Hmmm)

I make choices resonable
or not
I make people question what they say
I make sure my siblings don't do anything dumb
I make my self question why hiding
the truth protects sanity
I make make choices but that's not all of me

My heart...(Humph)
I make dreams reachable or not
I create deep feelings but shallow follows
by
I make faith in my life and those the
I love
I make choices reasonable or not

My heart and My mind

I make unity and choas
I make choices and dreams
I make ME

Research Paper

Lakisha Finai

 

November 10, 2008

 

Seymour Hersh: Research Paper

 

 

            March 16^th, 1968 the killing of innocent South Vietnamese villagers by U.S military personal occurred and U.S citizens had no knowledge of it for one whole year (www.socialistworker.org). The brutal murders of about 500 South Vietnamese villagers go unnoted or unnoticed by U.S citizens, how (en.wikipedia.org)? The answers simple, American citizens went uninformed because there was also a military cover-up involved (www.pierretristam.com). This is the story of the My Lai massacre; it took place on March 16^th, 1968 by the U.S military in the Vietnam War under the code name “pinkville (wikipedia.org).” One year later in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 13, 1969, investigative reporter Seymour Hersh was the first person to report this horrible incident to the American people (www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk).

 

 

            Seymour Hersh was born April the 8^th, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois. Seymour is infamous for his reporting of the My Lai massacre, which gained him the Pulitzer Prize. But remained to be a continually controversial reporter. For example in Seymour Hersh’s book Chain of Command Hersh speaks out on the Bush Administrations “war on terrorism (books.google.com).” Hersh has written books about John Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, the Iraq war, the Vietnam War, etc (www.infoplease.com).  Hersh’s controversial topics draw attention to the politics of our country; they tell the parts of the story that most reporters and writers try to avoid.

 

            During the Vietnam War the United States, as a country, was torn. The country was torn between the hawks and doves, African-Americans and Caucasians, and women and men. The country was in a war over seas as well as inside of the coastal boarders. Many people in the country wanted a peaceful resolution with Vietnam (www.globalsecurity.org). The American people questioned the morality of the Vietnam War and the Johnson Administrations foreign policy. The American people that opposed the war began to grow; in response President Johnson spoke out against those that opposed his policies by stating:

 

 

“The American people will stand united until every solider is brought home safely. They will stand united until the people of South Vietnam can choose their own government”

-Lyndon B. Johnson

Thesis Statement

         Seymour Hersh, an amazing investigative reporter in American history. A now 71 year old man, who during a time of great civil unrest in America broke a story that showed the immorality and brutality of the Vietnam War. In 1969, he exposed the My Lai Massacre and its military cover-up.  He won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting  for this article on the My Lai Massacre. He continues to report to the New York Times on the Iraq War and the political problems in America currently. His contributions to history are still being felt.

 

First Annotations

Hersh, Seymour." AN Atrocity Is Uncoverd; November 1969."Candide's Notebooks.St. Louis Post Dispatch.13 November 1969. 20 October 2008

http://www.pierretristam.com/Bobst/wf-200.htm

        I plan on using this article to help me understanding what exactly Seymour Hersh wrote and what it is that he reported on the My Lai Massacre. I am also using this as a starting point for my project. I want to use this as an overview of what is to come and it is really an exciting overview. I think that this article will be the spring bored and the foundation of my project.

        This article clear states the opinions of Hersh while incorporating facts. “You can’t afford to guess whether a civilian is a Viet Cong or not. Either they shoot you or you shoot them. " This is a statement made by an officer that was interviewed on the topic of the My Lai Massacre and his attempt to justify the actions taken by Lieutenant Calley. Lieutenant William L. Calley

Topic Selection

I chose to do my research project on Seymour Hersh and his journalism on the Vietnam War. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to do a project on the Vietnam War and the contreversial up roars that it caused in media and in normal evryday conversations. Seymour Hersh was the man that un-covered and reported on the My Lai Massacre and its cover-up. He won the American Pulitzer Prize for investigative work and breaking the news of this horrific inccident to an unaware America.

Service Learning Meeting

I we split our people at the meeting up into groups that work on organizing the other idea we had like news paper articles, flip-flop party, informational session, walk-a-thon, etc. We decided to work on organizing the group for next year. We want to have everything organized so next year we just flow into everything easily.