Internship Imersion

1. What are you most excited about in regards to your immersion experience? Why do you feel this way?
I'm excited to be at internship for a longer amount of time. I'm going to be given the opportunity to attend meetings that I wouldn't have been able to, and attend more brainstorming sessions. I will also be able to work on different projects which I enjoy very much. I'll be able to connect more with my mentor and other employees at my internship. Since I'm not there for very long, and everyone is in the office at different times, I don't know everyone, or what they do.

2. What are you most concerned about (what causes the most stress) regarding immersion? Why do you feel this way?
I'm most concerned about not having enough interesting tasks to do, and since I have a lot of time there, I will be stuck doing jobs I don't want to do. I've been very fortunate with my internship to do a lot of projects that benefit other jobs, and tasks that aren't tedious tasks. I've done a lot of writing, and research. I'm concerned that since I will be there for so long, I might get bored. Seven hours a day is a long time to be at internship. I really enjoy being at internship and because it's so much time, I'm worried I will loose interest in it.

Outstanding Blogs

While looking through my classmates blogs, I found a few that stood out to me.

Ana Forsythe's Blog: Economic advice to Barack Obama

This graph shows the rapid increase in the number of "Green Jobs" from July 2005 through July 2008. The steady increase, in my opinion, shows that Americans want sustainable jobs and know that "Green Jobs" can provide security in an unpredictable economy.

One thing in Ana's blog that I really liked is how she showed evidence through a graph. The graph supported what she was proving, and served as a visual. I really liked how Ana included this because it's unusual and helpful for the viewer.

2. Amanda Alipio's Blog: Literary Analysis

Later on in the book this event foreshadows and shows the effect of the living conditions that change within the family members. It states chapter fourteen

"They had played the game and lost. Six years more of toil they had to face before the could expect the least respite, the cessations of the payments upon the house; and how cruelly certain it was that they could never stand six years of such a life they were living!"

The foreshadowing event makes the family so that they have to keep working so that they can pay the rent. If they miss rent they would be evicted causing them not to be homeless.
I feel that Upton Sinclair did a great job using literary techniques to establish a theme. Not only was it used to establish a theme but it was also used to provoke feeling. When reading The Jungle you can't help but feel sorry for the family trying to survive in a capitalist society. I highly recommend this book because I feel it provides an example of how it used to be in earlier US history.

Amanda uses quotes from the text to show the different literacy devices. She also is straight to the point, and very detailed. I also like how Amanda shares her opinion on why she enjoyed this book.

Aaron Rucinski's Blog: Historical Writing

The Election of 1896 was the turning point of our country; it was the begging of a new way of thinking. It was advancements and changing political views that brought these gears in motion forcing this election to be very important. This turning point was brought about because of the United States struggling economy, the populist part and military ventures across the seas.

I really like Aaron's introduction to his honors history blog because he relates current issues to the historical issues. He shows exactly what he is going to talk about in the rest of his blog entry.

Ashley Matthew's Blog: Evidence and Sources

Hi Mr Obama,

Recently you have decided to cap of a salary CEOs to $500,000 but i honestly think it should be less than that. Not only do they make more than you and their job isnt nearly as important but they get paid more than doctors, teachers, firemen,and people fighting in the war. And here are people monopolizing the industry having people below them do work while they just move money around. And when its time for a bailout they use the money frivoliously as everybody else panics.

I think your stimulus plan can be going towards the right direction as long as you keep it on track and create jobs for people that provide a lasting economic impact as japan has taught us. The economical crisis we are in now even puts us at a state of financial instability just like the last ones in 1873 and the 1930s. Too many people are left jobless.

Also please take in mind the federal reserves act which was " to establish a more effective supervision of banking in the United States, and for other purposes." what happened to that? who was watching our money, make sure you check over the people looking over our money. Please mr.obama dont just give the money to executives that dont need it. I think your being to friendly cap them at 200,000 thats more than enough! the money needs to be distributed amongst small businesses that help the environment and economy as a whole. not just the top.


Sources:
"What is the president's salary? - Do You Know at GovSpot.com." GovSpot.com: US government, state government, Congress, government jobs & more.. 13 Feb. 2009 Medical Student Resource Guide. 13 Feb. 2009 PayScale - Salary Comparison, Salary Survey, Wages. 13 Feb. 2009 Job Search Made Simple | SimplyHired. 13 Feb. 2009 .

"What's it pay to be an Army of One?." Business, financial, personal finance news - CNNMoney.com. 13 Feb. 2009 Editorials - Opinion - The Board Blog - NYTimes.com. 13 Feb. 2009 .

mean, “change in inflation rate” do you. "About that deflation risk - Paul Krugman Blog - NYTimes.com." Economics and Politics - Paul Krugman Blog - NYTimes.com. 13 Feb. 2009 .

up, the early 1870s the large inflows of European development capital into the USA were drying. "New York and the Panic of 1873 - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com." Metro - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com. 13 Feb. 2009 .

"Panic of 1873." Travel and History. 13 Feb. 2009 Lone Star College-Kingwood Library Home Page. 13 Feb. 2009 .

ANDREWS, EDMUND L.. "For Job Losses, No Sign That Worst Is Over - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 13 Feb. 2009 The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 13 Feb. 2009 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 13 Feb. 2009

I really like how throughout Ashley's entire blog she is adding links, sources and pieces of evidence. She is really utalizing the online aspect, instead of your typical paper with only the sources at the end.

Charles Darwin and Modern Day Science

Charles Darwin, an avid scientist and thinker. He is best known for this theories behind "Origin." The responsibilities we have as humanities students for the understanding of science is all responsibilities. As the next generation, we need to retest old theories and write new theories, so the evolution of our society can continue to grow. We have the responsibility for making connections within new and old discoveries, for testing new theories and for connecting them to modern society. Scientific inquiry should play an important role in society. The more we question, the more we can research, the more we can know. Science is used a lot throughout history, to cure diseases, to make nuclear weapons and much more. Without out science, we would not know about the galaxy and our solar system, the human body and much more. We should use science to influence our decisions, laws, and culture by learning from what we already know, and using science to fast forward through the brainstorming faze. The more we can use science, the more we understand the problem at hand, and we can make decisions and laws to go around it.


Sources:
JUDSON, OLIVIA. "Op-Ed Contributor - The Origin of Darwin - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 11 Feb. 2009. 15 Feb. 2009 .

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a novel that addresses many issues. Scott Fitzgerald develops the theme using literacy devices such as symbolism, character description and historical evidence through the book.

The main symbol used through out the novel is the reference to the green light. The green light represents Gatsby's hopes and dreams for the future. Gatsby reaches towards his goal with a guiding light. Gatsby's quest for daisy is similar to the American Dream, the ideal situation. "I realized by some unmistakable sign that an intimate revelation was quivering on the horizon," the green light.

As apart of the theme of The Great Gatsby, there is a huge conflict involving love, and affair. With different characters loving those who they shouldn't, this time period was an era of moral values. Characters were married, but in love with other people."I don't like mysteries, and I don't understand why you won't come out frankly and tell me what you want. Why has it all got to come through Miss Baker (Page72)" Due to diverse social classes, Jay Gatsby could never be with Daisy Buchanan. He didn't make enough money to support the materialistic lifestyle she had been accustom to.

The great Gatsby takes place in America in the 1920's, in the midst of the great depression. Money is an issue between Daisy and Gatsby, and their relationship. The sociology of wealth is question through judgment. " I've got a man in England who buys me clothes.He sends me over a selection of things at the beginning of each season, spring and fall." This quote said by Daisy is very diverse from a quote said by Gatsby. " I was in the dug business and then I was in the oil business. Now I'm, not in either one." This shows the diverse social classes, and the struggle of acceptance.

Obama's Economic Advisor Part 2

If I had a chance to interview Barack Obama about the current financial crisis, my interview would include:


-In 1933, President FDR started his presidential campaign in the midst of the depression. What tactics or decisions did he make that you will use in your economic plan?

- In your Washington Post article, you said, " People everywhere are worried about what tomorrow will bring." In your opinion, what will tomorrow bring?

- How can you use your popularity to get us out of this recession?

- At what point will you announce that our recession has turned into a depression?

- What are the main differences between our recession now between The Long Depression (1873-1896)? The Great Depression (1929-1939)?

- What specific actions can we take now to ensure we don't end in anything worse than the great depression?

-How are you handling the pressure put on you to fix the economy?

-What are your fears on what will happen if you fail at fixing our economy?

- What measures will you use to judge your success?

- How do you think the economy is affecting our troops in Iraq?

- What plans can we implement in order to end our recession?

- In your 2009 stimulus plan, your officials announced that they would like Congress to direct 40 percent of the stimulus bill toward tax breaks aimed at businesses and middle-class workers. What are you hoping to accomplish?

- Some businesses would "receive incentives to create jobs and make equipment purchases more affordable." What would some of these incentives be?

- What is there so much urgency after eight years of the Bush administration's do-nothing attitude? How could this effect the quality of America?

- "Given the concerns that we have over the size of this package and all of the spending in this package, we don’t think it’s going to work,” the House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio said. What are your reactions to this? What can you do to persuade them into accepting your idea? How does their disapproval change or alter the stimulus plan?

- Senator John McCain said “We need to make tax cuts permanent, and we need to make a commitment that there’ll be no new taxes. We need to cut payroll taxes. We need to cut business taxes.” How is this different from your economic stimulus?

- Lawrence Summers, director of the White House’s National Economic Council, states that “The next few months are, no question, going to be very, very difficult and it may be longer than that." What are you hoping to accomplish?

- How much faith and trust do you have in our American Government to stand by you and follow after your lead?


-Republicans, who never hesitated to spend hundreds of billions of dollars into the Iraq war, are hesitant about spending an equivalent amount to help us face this awful crisis and invest in the future?

Resources:
"List of recessions in the United States: Information from Answers.com." Answers.com - Online Dictionary, Encyclopedia and much more. 6 Feb. 2009 .

"Barack Obama - The Action Americans Need - washingtonpost.com." washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines. 6 Feb. 2009.

"The Progress Report: Obama's Stimulus Package." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. 5 Jan. 2009. 12 Feb. 2009 .http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-progress-report/obamas-stimulus-package_b_155279.html

OTTERMAN, SHARON. "Republicans Are Resistant to Obama’s Stimulus Plan - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 25 Jan. 2009. 12 Feb. 2009

Alpers, ron. "Letters - The Showdown Over the Stimulus - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 9 Feb. 2009. 12 Feb. 2009

Part 1:
If I had a chance to interview Barack Obama about the current financial crisis, I would ask him:

-In 1933, President FDR started his presidential campaign in the midst of the depression. What tactics or decisions did he make that you will use in your economic plan?

- In your Washington Post article, you said, " People everywhere are worried about what tomorrow will bring." In your opinion, what will tomorrow bring?

- How can you use your popularity to get us out of this recession?

- At what point will you annunce that our recession has turned into a depression?

- What are the main differences between our recession now between The Long Depression (1873-1896)? The Great Depression (1929-1939)?

- What specific actions can we take now to ensure we don't end in anything worse than the great depression?

-How are you handeling the pressure put on you on you to fix the economy?

-What are your fears on what will happen if you fail at fixing our economy?

- What measures will you use to judge your succeess?


Resources:
"List of recessions in the United States: Information from Answers.com." Answers.com - Online Dictionary, Encyclopedia and much more. 6 Feb. 2009 .

"Barack Obama - The Action Americans Need - washingtonpost.com." washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines. 6 Feb. 2009 .


Internship Interview:
My interview will take place on Tuesday February 10th, 2009, at 4pm in my mentor's office. I will use my mac laptop and garage band to record my interview.

Interview Design Principles

Sydney and Ana

1) Flexibility: To be able to adapt to the answers given. To be able to not feel forced to ask all of your questions in the order they are prepared. But rather ask questions to go more in depth within a topic.

Professional Published Example: Matt Lauer Interview with Michael Moore.

Lauer: "The Weinstein brothers of Miramax bought the film back. And now Harvey Weinstein is a Democratic organizer. He does fund-raisers for John Kerry."

Moore: "Yeah."

Lauer: "And you've hired a couple of seasoned Clinton politicos to handle publicity and marketing for the film. So at this stage on, will you concede, it is now a sharply political movie with a very definitive point of view."

Moore: "It definitely has a point of view, that's absolutely correct. But I'm not a member of the Democratic Party. If you know anything about me, anybody who's followed me, I'm the anti-Democrat. I have railed against the Democrats for a long time. They have been a weak-kneed, wimpy party that hasn't stood up to the Republicans. They let the working people down across this country. I rallied against Clinton when he was in office. I didn't vote for him in ‘96. I didn't vote for Gore in 2000. This is not a partisan issue with me, this is not me trying to –"

2) Personable: To be able to have a professional interview, using conversation to keep a relaxed environment. Keeping it interesting by talking back and forth instead of a question, then answer, and then new question. Also, let your personality shine throughout the interview.

Professional Published Example: CNN interview with Angelina Jolie

Damon: There are reports out of Hollywood that... (laughs)
Jolie: Oh don't. Stop it. (Interrupts I had to ask) Stay true to your tradition. You're CNN. Don't do it!
Damon: I know that's why I have to... (Laughs)
Jolie: But I don't have to answer. OK?
Damon: No you don't. I completely and totally ... you're right and will not press the matter.
Jolie: Thank you.

3) Description: Interviewer asks question which lets the interviewee answer descriptively and in detail. From the question asked, the answers provide room for my questions to be asked. The answers also respond to the question fully.

Professional Published Example: CNN interview with Sarah Palin.

CNN: And the plans that you mention take time, you have to go through Congress. If you guys win, you'll both most likely be working with a Democratic Congress. It's gonna be a slow process. What I'm trying to find out from you -- from John McCain as well, day one, people want a difference, to make a difference in the economy, as we're seeing daily, swings in the stock market, houses going foreclosed on --

Palin: Mm-hmm. Well, day one, you bring in everyone around that table, too, you bring in the congressional leadership, and, assuming that there will be, certainly, Democrats, at that table, that's good, too, these are gonna be bipartisan approaches that must be taken, I have that executive experience also having formed a cabinet up there in Alaska that, you know, we've got independents and Democrats and Republicans whom I have appointed to our administrative positions to that, we have the best of ideas coming together in order to best serve the people. John McCain, too, he's been known as the maverick to take on his own party when need be, to reach over the aisle and work with the other party also. Now, Barack Obama has not been able to do that, he's gone with, what is it, 96 percent of the time with Democrat leadership. Not having that, I think, ability or willingness to work with the other side. So as an executive, we need to create that team that is full of good ideas and not let obsessive partisanship get in the way, as we start taking the measures to shore up our economy, which already Congress is working on with the rescue package, with some of the bailout packages, the provisions in there that can work, too, but it's gonna take everybody working together.

An Interesting Interview.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie gave an exclusive interview with CNN's Arwa Damon while visiting Iraq to draw attention to the refugee crisis in the wartorn country. Here is a full transcript of the interview:

Damon: First of all thank you obviously for your time. What is your main aim in this visit -- what are you trying to acomplish while you are out here?

Jolie: Well I came to the region about 6 months ago, I first went to Syria because I work with U.N.H.C.R. and there are 1.5 million refugees in Syria alone from Iraq and while I was there, I went inside and met with some internally displaced people. And this trip is to get a better picture of the internally displaced people and to discuss with the local government, with our government, with the NGOs and with local people, the situation and try to understand what is happening, because there are over 2 million internally displaced people and there doesn't seem to be a real coherent plan to help them and there's lots of good will and lot's of discussion --but there seem to be a lot of uh -- just a lot of talk at the moment and a lot of pieces need to be put together. So, trying to figure out what they are.

Damon: What kind of a sense have you been able to get so far in terms of how severe the crisis is and what actually needs to be done to help out? Watch CNN's exclusive interview with Angelina Jolie »

Jolie: Well, I in my research before I came here, I looked at the numbers and there are over 4 million people displaced and of the 2 million internally displaced it's estimated that 58 percent are under 12 years old. So it's a very high number of people in a very, very vulnerable situation and a lot of young kids. So far the different U.S. officials I've met with and different local people I've met with all have shared concerns and very, very strongly you know they have spoken out about the humanitarian crisis but um, but there seems to be a block in.

I'm not good at policy and fixing all this and saying what's wrong but I do know that for example U.N.H.C.R. needs to be more active inside Iraq. In order for that to happen, they need they feel strongly about having some better protection ... better security in talking with the U.S. officials, they're willing to give that security to the extent that they can give it.

And so you know I don't have the answers but I know that this is one thing that needs to be addressed and solved because there does need to be a real presence here to help count the people and register the people. Also even just the government here needs to empower the prime minister ... here needs to empower the government that deals with migration and displacement to be able to address the concerns for these people and that hasn't happened in a significant way yet.

Damon: Do you think that the global community has a responsibility to address that?

Jolie: Well I think the global community always has a ... has a responsibility to any humanitarian crisis. And I think it's in our best interest to address a humanitarian crisis on this scale because displacement can can lead to a lot of instability and aggression and you know pop. We don't ... we certainly we just don't want that we have.. A lot of people feel it's a little calmer now ... this is the time to really discuss and and try to get these communities back together. But if these communities don't start coming back together properly, if we don't start really counting the people ... understanding where they are ... what they need ... making sure the schools are being built ... making sure the electricity the water and all these needs are being met and also understanding that a lot of the people that will return are going to come back to houses that are occupied or destroyed and bombed out and we have to we have to have... It's going to be a big operation to understand the needs ... to address it to help people put the pieces of their life back together and return to their communities. So it's really just putting kind of ... getting the plan together ... getting the group together and everybody actively focused on helping the IDPS and the refugees.

Damon: What would the message that you would want to carry out of here back to the States or even the message that you would want to get out internationally in terms of what's happening here ... the refugee crisis ... how serious it is and the consequences that could happen in the future if it's not properly addressed?

Jolie: I always hate speculation on the news, so I don't want to be somebody who speculates. Um but I think it's clear, I think, I think you know a displaced unstable population is you know is a very what happens in Iraq, and how Iraq settles in the years to come is going to affect the entire Middle East. And a big part of what is going to affect how it settles is how these people are returned and settled into their homes into their community and brought back together and whether they can live together and what their communities look like, so it does have broad implications.

Damon: On a personal level why is this so important to you ... you willing to come here and risk your life?

Jolie: Uh, what about you (laughs) why are you here? (laughs) It was an easy choice to make. I've uh, I felt I had to come here because it is very difficult to get answers about especially the internally displaced people. It's as I said even U.N.H.C.R. who I traditionally work with -- they are not able to be inside at the moment and so I was very frustrated and just getting a bunch of ideas and papers but not knowing what's really going on, so so today I'm able to talk to all different people from our government and their government and really get some answers as to what is holding up the processes to really really assist these people properly.

Damon: Do you think that you in your position can try to push this process forward put ... pressure perhaps on the U.S. government to let more refugees into the U.S. to address the situation within Iraq and of course address the situations in Syria and Jordan?

Jolie: To put pressure on the U.S.?

Damon: On the U.S. or to try to just put pressure in general create awareness?

Jolie: (interrupting) I think certainly creating awareness. And I think you know what I found is there is... I spoke to the State Department today about meeting our goal, you know the U.S.'s goal of 12,000 people and they still intend to reach that goal and they have and you know there are many different people who can be cynical or say well how are they going to do it, and I will ask them how are you going to do it and is there some way we can help to ... you know ... is there some thing we all need to understand more is there ways we can help to process different people in different countries better is there because uh because we do need to get those people and we do need to in eight months get as close to 12,000 people as possible we should and I have to believe that there are people working towards that goal so.. So at least that and um, what was your other question?

Damon: Why is it so important? What do you think needs to be (interrupted) Why is Iraq important?

Jolie: Well as I said, if it is not stable it can affect the entire Middle East and that will effect our entire world. If you don't simply want to look at it as of course it's important because there are human beings living here .. I don't see borders and I see lives and I see children and this is you know an environment where there is a war but there is a humanitarian crisis. And they have to be addressed simultaneously. We can't wait for one to end to then finally take the time to address the other, it has to start right now.

Damon: There are reports out of Hollywood that... (laughs)

Jolie: Oh don't. Stop it. (interupts I had to ask) Stay true to your tradition. You're CNN. Don't do it!

Damon: I know that's why I have to... (Laughs)

Jolie: But I don't have to answer. OK?

Damon: No you don't. I completely and totally ... you're right and will not press the matter.

Jolie: Thank you.