Open Letter

It has been almost a year since I have graduated high school, and now as a first time freshman I am about the complete my first year of college. I have to say that getting situated in the college life had some getting used to. It’s not at all like it was in high school, and since I decided to move out of my house and dorm here; I was really reaching out of my comfort zone. However, my experience here was great. Though I have gone through a lot of bumps here and there, I’ve learned a lot about the college life. So for the entire incoming freshman planning on attending college, I would like to share a couple of “college truths”.

The first truth about college is that you will meet a lot of different kinds of people here. Unlike high school, there are thousands of students in college and all of them come different areas around the country. Some students even come from other countries around the world, so you’ll definitely run in to a lot of people. The first thing I noticed when I first stepped foot in CSUN was that the college was so diverse. I also met a lot of people I got along with. However, I have also come across people who I was not entirely fond of.

The second truth about college is you actually have to study. In High School, it doesn’t really take a lot of effort to pass a class. At times I remember when people in high school would raise their grades by merely completing the homework despite doing poorly on tests. In college, however, how much work and time you put in a class would reflect in your final grade. The majority of classes in college don’t give out any “easy points”, and you are graded based on how well you do on the exams. I remember I had an economics class my first semester, and the only thing we had to do for that class was two midterm exams and a final. Because, of this I knew I had to spent a lot of my time studying because the whole class was graded depending on how well you do on those exams. There were no homework nor were there any projects that could have helped me raise my grade.

The third truth about college is that you will feel a lot more independent. A lot of people in college, such as myself, moved out of their houses and dormed here in college. Dorming in college has allowed me to feel more independent because I was away from home. Though it took some getting used to, I had to start doing a lot of things on my own, such as cooking my own meals, driving to places, doing my laundry and so many other things. Besides dorming, even the academics will make you feel more independent. Unlike high school, teachers in college are not going to be behind your back, making sure you are doing your work. Your work will be your responsibility and your teacher will not be there reminding you of your responsibilities.

These are three truths about college. So basically the whole truth about college is that it is a lot different than high school. It is a warm up of the real world that waits after you graduate.  My first year was spent experiencing a lot of things. In the beginning of the year I felt nervous, but now as the school year is coming to a close I feel like a new person.

Word Count: 601

Online Research Of Space

The Los Angeles Zoo first opened in the year 1966. With 133 acres of land, it currently houses over one thousand animals. The Los Angeles Zoo is meant to attract anyone who wants to catch a glimpse of these exotic animals. The whole goal of this place is to allow people to have a chance to observe these wild animals do what they do up close and personal in a secure and safe environment. This is more to serve as entertainment. By doing so they decorate every cage to make it look more like the animal’s natural habitat. The Zoo also attempts to attract people do to educational purposes. People, who want to study animals, by observing the way the animals behave with other animals, are able to do so in the Los Angeles ZOO. The Zoo claims that not only are they helping people have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of these animals, but that they are also helping these animals from harm. The wild is full of danger and the risk of death is high, but the Zoo claims that by capturing these animals, they are allowing the animals to do they normally do in a more secure and safer environment.

After conducting my own research, what I theorized in person supports the envisioned purpose of the space itself. As I entered the Zoo, I felt as if I was able to observe these animals safely. It was very entertaining to see all these different species of animals due to the fact that I rarely see then so up close in person. Some of the animals that I have observed have recently gone through surgery. This allowed myself to become fully aware at the fact that the animals are being taken care of, and that their health handled properly

Word Count: 302

Observations At The Zoo

• The Zoo consists of over 100 acres of land, housing over 200 different species of animals. 
• Walking in to the Zoo, you can hear the sounds of children laughing with delight as they watch the animals in aw. 
• A lot of different people walking. Families, young couples going on dates, and classes of young children with their teachers going on a field trip. 
• One of the first things you smell as you walk in, is the humidity. The feel of water vapor instantly fills the air. 
• As you continue to walk you start to notice the intense heat of the area. The sun seems to feel a lot stronger here at the Zoo. 
• Very little animals are seen at first. Just a small cage of flamingos and another cage consisting of just one alligator. You mostly see the gift shops and small food courts. Even start to notice food stands, offering snacks and drinks. 
• We saw signs outside some of the smaller cages informing us that some of the rodent-like animals have recently gone through surgery. You can't help but ponder on the living condition of the animal.
• As you start walking past the food courts, you instantly start to smell food, mostly meat and different kinds of pork. You see young children eating burgers and hot dogs. Some are eating churros and drinking soda. 
• After the food courts you start to encounter the bigger animals, such as the giraffe and the elephants. Looking at these giant animals, you start to notice the stench of the animal's excrement.  It feels a lot hotter in this part of the zoo due to the lack of humidity. 
• In this part of the Zoo you start to hear the sounds of chimpanzees. The cage of the chimpanzee is a lot bigger, housing a lot more animals. They tend to be more active than the other animals. They are usually seen jumping and running around. 
• The big cats such as the lion and the tigers, are a lot less active. They are usually seen sleeping or resting. Rarely are they seen walking around.
• Everywhere you walk there are a lot of plants, trees, and other vegetation. Decorated to look a lot like a jungle.
• There are cages for exotic insects as well. Kept indoors in an area decorated to look like a cave. Walking inside, you instantly feel a much cooler temperature. Very little light is seen. You feel a slight eerie feeling walking in as your irises try to adjust to the dark environment. 
• The gift shops are filled with T shirts, smalls plush toys, puppets, necklaces, as well as other merchandises. The majority of the people in these gift shops are small children. You hear the sounds of them cheering as they run up grabbing whatever captures their attention.
• The whole time you can hear different kinds of animals calling in the distance. The sounds of birds, primates, and large animals such as elephants really causes visitors to be excited for what they are about to see. 

Article Response P2. 3

In Nancy Tobin’s “Tackling Stigma From The Stage”, Tobin talks about how having characters in musical plays suffer from mental illnesses can be very beneficial, because it allows those who suffer from mental illness relate to the story. It also allows those who have never been diagnosed with a mental illness have a clear understanding to how it’s like to deal with such a condition. Plays such, as “Next To Normal” is a very good example with stories about dealing with mental illnesses and the family struggle to cope with the condition. Kitt and Yorkey worked hard on the play “Next To Normal” and ensured that the bipolar symptoms carried by the character Diana was accurately portrayed. Both Kitt and Yorkey have family suffering from a mental illness. Because of this, they believed that it was their responsibility to accurately portray the conditions and symptoms one faces while suffering from a mental illness, in order to ensure that people without the disease of a clear picture and understanding of the effects it may have. There was a young boy, around his late teens, that has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder three months before seeing the play. At the time he wasn’t able to explain to his friends what it exactly was, or what it was like to deal with the condition. It was very emotional for him, because he felt like he was really able to relate to the characters in the play because they were able to capture everything he was going through. Alice Ripley, the actress that portrays Dianna Goodman, also has family dealing with a similar disorder. She says that she is glad that she is portraying a character that is not silent about her condition, and is, instead, speaking out about it and trying to deal with it. The main point about this article is that it is important to let people know that these situations are very real and they can happen to anyone. It does not matter where or how you live, anyone can be suffering from bipolar disorder. Some people are too afraid to speak out because they believe that it is not something anyone should bring up, because it almost feels taboo even speaking about it. The beauty about plays that reveal situations such as this is that it allows those who have been suffering with a disorder have something to relate to and not feel ashamed when trying to deal with the situations.

Word Count: 412

Opposing The Death Penalty

Is the Death Penalty fair, ethical, impartial or correct, useful, convenient as a way of punishing those who commit the worst crimes? The Death penalty is one of those issues that raises so much anger, rage, resentment and hate as much as argumentation, contention, controversy, polemic, altercation and debate. Putting another person to death, no matter what the reasoning or cause is an absolute serious thing that cannot be taken casually. Many believe that sentencing a murderer; rapist or a kidnapper to death is a reasonable and necessary punishment in order to eradicate the worst criminals, as well as to satisfy those who are seeking retribution. Others, however, believe that the death penalty is an unnecessary punishment, believing that a life sentence without the possibility of parole, as a better alternative for it is a lot cheaper and not as expensive as sentencing someone to death.

I stand opposed to the death penalty. Some people argue that a kidnapper, rapist or murderer who by definition has disregarded the life of his or her victims should be dealt the Death Sentence if proven guilty and rapidly put to Death so as to minimize the economic burden on society in general. However, I believe that the death penalty is not handled properly and that there are better alternatives to punish a criminal. Criminals should be sentenced to life in prison for it is not as expensive. Sentencing someone to death also carries the risk of executing people who have been wrongfully accused. Some people in the past have been wrongfully executed despite being innocent. Life in prison allows those who have been wrongfully convicted more time to prove their innocence. Although many Americans believe that the death penalty is a necessary punishment to those who have committed the worst of crimes, I agree that the penalty should not be allowed for it only raises more problems.

Word Count: 314

The Death Penalty Literature Review

Should we allow the death penalty? The Death penalty is one of those issues that raises so much anger, rage, resentment and hate as much as argumentation, contention, controversy, polemic, altercation and debate. Putting another person to death, no matter what the reasoning or cause is an absolute serious thing that cannot be taken casually. Is the Death Penalty fair, ethical, impartial or correct, useful, convenient as a way of punishing those who commit the worst crimes? Speaking or writing about the Death Penalty regardless of being in favor or against is very antagonistic, however it would very much help if the people participating in the debate knew about the issue or facts involved. Sadly, most people do not know either. Some of the more distressing and critical questions I found while I was researching for this essay were: Can it be carried out fairly? Can it be applied with no regards to conditions such us socio-economic level or racial profile? Can the authorities guaranty that NO innocent people would be executed? Can criminals have the chance to appeal all Death Penalty sentences? I found that some people believe that the death penalty is a necessary punishment, while others say otherwise. As I continued on with my research on the Death Penalty, I found that carrying out a death sentence could actually be more problematic than what most people think.

Some argue that a kidnapper, rapist or murderer who by definition has disregarded the life of his or her victims should be dealt the Death Sentence if proven guilty and rapidly put to Death so as to minimize the economic burden on society in general. I, however, believe that they fail to realize that there is a chance that an innocent person might be wrongly convicted, and that the Justice system should make absolutely sure that the person being tried is in fact the criminal. A problem I found out facing the penalty is the risk of executing the innocent. Ever since the death penalty has been reinstated back in 1978, at least 142 men and women have been released from death row after they were able to prove their innocence. In 2012, it was found that a man convicted of murder in 1994 was innocent due to the fact that there was very little evidence that linked him to the murder. He remained in custody until 2012. However, in the past two years, new evidence has indicated that four men may have been wrongfully executed. This is a very serious situation. We are dealing with someone’s life, and that is something that no one can take back.

 Another main thing I found out about the Death Penalty is just how much money taxpayers are spending on the punishment. In a recent study held in 2003 by a legislative audit in Kansas, it was found that a Death penalty case cost $1.26 million. The median cost for non Death penalty is $740,000. In California the Death penalty cost $137 million a year. With out the Death penalty, it would cost only $11.5 million. California has also spent $4 billion on the penalty since it was reinstated 1978. It is, in fact, less expensive for someone to be sentenced to life in prison. Life in prison without the possibility of parole is a better alternative, because it is not as expensive and also allows the wrongfully accused more time to prove their innocence. This also allows other mistakes to be corrected. Currently there are over 3,300 people who have had this alternate sentence.

History has shown that death penalty has been racially biased. The General Accounting Office made a report in 1990, concluding that, "in 82 percent of the studies [reviewed], race of the victim was found to influence the likelihood of being charged with capital murder or receiving the death penalty, i.e. those who murdered whites were more likely to be sentenced to death than those who murdered blacks." Even though the majority of homicide victims are black, 77% of death row defendants have been executed for killing white victims, since 1977.

Despite of my opposition of the Death penalty, I must shed some light to some counter arguments I have faced while doing this research. Some people say that it is better to let 100 criminals go than to convict one person, let alone execute that person. However, during my research I found out that people that express this point of view, have not had a terrible tragedy like a murder, kidnapping or rape happened to them or a family member. Up until this happen to somebody close to the family, it is only and statistic and one is able to rationalize why not to apply the Death Penalty, after it happens to a relative it becomes very real and, therefore, a very strong need for retribution is justified. Retribution is not to be confused with revenge. The purpose of retribution is punishment that is fair and just. There is no Justice system that is perfect. It does not exist. Mistakes are made in any process that involves humans. The Justice system in the United States establishes a very high standard for Death Penalty

This topic has shown me more reasons to oppose the death penalty rather than propose it. Though the thought of retribution sounds good for the people who have lost their loved ones, I must say that the death penalty causes more problems than solve it. Taxpayer’s money has been used to spend on the penalty, and billions of dollars have been spent since the Death penalty has been reinstated way back in 1978. There are also many risks on executing the innocent or the wrongfully convicted. Evidence has proven that many innocent people have been in custody and almost put on death row. Unfortunately, some of them have never been let go and have been executed despite being innocent. The death penalty is also racially biased. However, I cannot ignore the fact that I am, perhaps, a little biased myself. Perhaps, it is easier for me to oppose the death penalty, because I, fortunately, have never experienced the loss of a loved one in the hands of a murderer. I truly hope this never happens, but what if, perhaps, my opinion will change if a friend or a relative of mine becomes the victim of a murder, rape, or kidnap. Would my anger get the best of me and motivate me to change my views and propose the death penalty rather than oppose it? These are still questions that linger in my head. All I can say is that, as of right now, my views is to oppose the death penalty. I do not believe that any further research on this topic is necessary. I have shared enough facts and points in order to support my view. The reason this topic is so important is because it deals with people’s lives. The death penalty also affects all of us. Whether we are paying for it through our tax money, or whether we are seeking retribution for a lost loved one. Either way, I don’t see the death penalty as solving anything, but rather raising more problems.

Word Count: 1201