For decades, there has been a lot of personal and political debates about US immigration policy’s. During the 2016 presidential election both candidates seemed to have very strong views about US Immigration Laws. As an American citizen and a voter, I wanted to become more informed about immigration laws and how they affect the country. I discovered a very informative article regarding how the US immigration system works on www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org. The current immigration law  described as very complex, there are only a certain number of immigrants allowed in the US annually and those wanting to migrate have to meet certain qualifications. The three most commonly accepted reasons for one to legally migrate to America are family based, employment-based or for protection of refugees. Although, the laws governing immigration are quite strict and complicated, I think this system is absolutely necessary . It’s necessary for people who were born in a different country, to have the free will to migrate with the intent to make a better life for themselves. The American dream is a reality for so many American’s and it unarguably selfish, unjust and  immoral to make it harder for decent, everyday, working people to improve their quality of life. I get so upset and overwhelmed whenever I hear President- elect Donald Trump make such offensive, brash comments regarding immigrants because I have a personal, and very emotional relationship to immigration as an African American .  The slave trade during the mid 17th century forced millions of Africans to migrate to America, to be sold as property and treated as animals. Although, I obviously disapprove of the way Africans were brought to this country, I must admit that today, I am enjoying the fruits of my Ancestors labor. The opportunities in America are endless, and I feel as though I can be as great as I aspire to become because I do reside in the Land of Promise.

I think that US policies on immigration are useful and effective in assuring people from all over the world have a fair opportunity to migrate to America. I do agree with Trump’s proposition to screen potential immigrants to make sure one doesn’t have a violent past and a criminal history and that one is truly traveling to the US with good intentions. However,Its is a countries responsibility to accept immigrants and refugees who are suffering and thirsty for a chance to live a better life. How can we be so cold to say we need to secure our borders and deport millions of immigrants, just because they may be here illegally? So many of these people just wanted to escape the dangerous environments that they were forced call home. One thing that I’ve learned in life is that there are good people and there are bad people all over the world. I don’t see why genuinely “good people” shouldn’t be allowed to call America home. We need to focus on penalizing the “bad people” whether they are immigrants or they’re American. No matter what, one facts remains, It is our duty as human beings to help motivate and lift each up and I think that  immigration does just that.

Sources: www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org , https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcShv_JBofuYwo5NP0vDLJ-gp5_ULC20Z3SqMdWct5WdQzqnHQXL

I am really struggling with the upcoming essay #2 that is due soon. I’ve changed my mind three times and to be honest I am having a really hard time finding a common link, motif or theme between two stories. My weakness in writing has always been writing about literature or comparing two pieces of literature . The assignment would be much easier for me if I were able to just analyze one piece of writing and do research on one short story. I don’t have a clear thesis for my paper and I’m not exactly sure which direction I should turn. I’ve spent exactly 48 hours fighting with these stories and different ideas. I’m confident that I will prevail, excel and pull through this eventually.  Maybe I am thinking too hard and just need to relax and write. I am disappointed that I don’t have much to say about my paper at the moment, but that will soon change because one thing is for sure, the due date won’t be  changing anytime soon=)

It’s been a few weeks since my world and America’s world was rocked by the sad news of yet another African American man slain by a police officer. Terence Crutcher had the misfortune of being a black man at the wrong time, in the wrong place. However, it worries me deeply that the wrong place could have been anywhere, in his home, his car, in front of a gas station, or on his neighborhood sidewalk. The wrong time could be anytime, at dawn, in the afternoon or at midnight. This leads me to believe that it is not the place or the time that matters to these officers when they make the rash decision to end another mans life, maybe it is simply the color of his skin. Terence Crutcher like so many other black men, was murdered on tape and shot in the streets like nothing more than a dog or a savage. He was disregarded like the Trash collected by the city, killed in an instant as if he wasn’t someone’s son, father,brother or uncle. This news broke my heart and made me feel defeated. I felt as though I was fighting a hopeless, never ending, battle that would somehow get the best of me. What’s the point of going to college? What’s the point of getting an education and trying to better myself If live in a society where black people are still being oppressed? These are the questions I  began to ask myself when I woke up in the early morning to get prepared for school. However, just when I started to feel like all hope was gone, the news was released that the officer who pulled the trigger is being charged with murder! This news brought a smile to my face. At that very moment, the light seemed to flicker on my dark views of America, our Government and our police force. I started to believe or at least hope that African Americans did indeed have a chance to receive justice once and for all.

The Daffodils

The Daffodils is a very famous poem written by William Wordsworth, because of how famous the poem is I was initially expecting it to be so much more complex and “over the top”than it actually was. I felt that I would struggle to understand and analyze the poem just as I do Shakespeare and so many other great poets.  However, my initial reaction to the poem was actually the polar opposite. The poem is well written but it is simple and easy to understand, yet somehow it still captivates the reader and instills in them the feeling he describes himself as experiencing. It may sound silly ,but I feel as though I can actually see in front of me a host of golden daffodils fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

I didn’t feel as intimidated or confused by this poem as I am with most poetry. However, I couldn’t stop think about what the meaning of ‘inward eye’ is in the poem. Is it the soul? The heart? or ones mind? I feel as though knowing what the ‘inward eye’ is could be a critical component in fully understanding the poem.  Another poem that I was introduced to in class is A Work of Artifice written by Piercy. This poem was a lot more challenging than the Daffodils for me to comprehend. The author begins the poem talking about a bonsai tree, and I think one of the reasons I misinterpreted the poem is because I had never laid eyes on a bonsai tree. I did a quick search on google for a bonsai tree and after I saw just how small, delicate and beautiful the plant is, I was able to establish that the poem was indeed about a woman. I came to the conclusion that this was definitely a romantic poem as Piercy even describes her ‘hair in curlers.’ I got a much better understanding of the poem and I was able to appreciate it a lot more after we analyzed it in class. I realized that poetry isn’t necessarily difficult or impossible to understand, it is just meant to be read with open eyes and an open mind.

Battle Royale at a military base

         My initial reaction to this story was overwhelming emotion, mixed with shock and sadness. This story paints a graphic, unfiltered and detailed image of the racial tension and unjust treatments for African Americans in the US Battle Royal’s colorful vocabulary and fondness for wordplay really makes it seem almost like a movie to me, I really feel as though I could see the scenes playing out right in front of me.I do have a few question after reading the text, I want to know a bit more about the story’s setting for example, what year is Battle Royal set in. The author provides clues to let me know that it is after slavery but I would like a more specific time line.

In comparison to the short story  Where are you going, We have you been It is shocking that both stories are centered around two kids whose lives are the polar opposite.  In Where are you going, where have you been Connie (the main character) is a typical vain teenager whose main focus is her appearance in public. However, in Battle Royal, a young boy has more to be concerned with than his appearance, as he a endures a cruel and ferocious battle with the “white man” and an even more ferocious battle with himself.

1) The beautiful young woman in the BMW advertisement is depicted as a sew symbol, actually a sex object. The advertisement is obviously marketing to men and sort of degrading and diminishing what it means to be a woman today.

2) The words “You know you’re not the first” are strategically placed near the woman’s chest.  My very first impression is that it must be some sort of sex HIV /condom advertisement urging men to wear a condom because “You know you’re not the first.” Although, that also has a negative connotation, I’m even more surprised to find out the AD is for BMW used cars. My interpretation of the sexual tagline immediately changes. The message BMW is transmitting is that BMW used cars are so alluring, it doesn’t matter if you’re not the first driver. However, I began to wonder if BMW is actually aware of how derogatory,offensive and sexist this advertisement really is to women. It is indeed implying that a woman is “used goods” because she has had sex before! That way of thinking is absolutely unacceptable in today’s modern society.

3) They’re trying to imply that a student is able to save so much money in tuition and fees by attending the community college that they are able to a purchase a beautiful and expensive luxury vehicle. The student is sitting on the car to convey ownership.

4) The words “and save” are typed in a red font with a caret pointing to it, to draw the readers eye to it and make an impression on the reader. The creators of the advertisement want us to know that while college IS about learning, it is also about SAVING.

5) As a college student, I am in no way convinced by the advertisement. It isn’t compelling and it doesn’t persuade me to attend West Hills College. I actually attend a two year college and I am indeed saving money on tuition. However, an emphasis should always be placed on the quality of education that a student can receive at a college/university. Yes, It is obviously critical that students save on tuition in such a financially unstable stage of their lives.However, they should be putting their savings towards their future and not a new luxury car. In my opinion, this advertisements is portraying the wrong image of their college to the public and they should redirect their advertisements to focus on education.

6) I do not find the BMW advertisement amusing AT ALL. I actually find it disrespectful and a bit humiliating to women. We are SO much more than sex objects, in fact… we make up a large percentage of their customers. The advertisement seems to correlate with the old saying “sex sells” but this ad just doesn’t quite sell it right. I don’t think that the creators of this advertisement would have used a man, nearly naked with the words “You know you’re not the first.” written across his chest. It wouldn’t have had the same impact and  because it wouldn’t have complied with they stereotypes of women today. I am disappointed with BMW and if I were a woman looking for a luxury vehicle, I would honestly look elsewhere.

1.There’s so much to be learned about an author from reading a head note or doing a simple search on google or Wikipedia. You can confirm whether or not the author has established authority on the subject matter at hand. Also, the more information you know about the author, the easier it will be  to understand the authors purpose for writing the text and decide whether the authors opinion is biased in any way. It’s almost like hiring a new employee for a position at your company,  if the candidates references don’t have anything positive to say, How can you possibly trust them to be a good employee? If an author proves to NOT be a credible or reliable source how can you possibly trust the information given or their opinions?

2. The purpose of the text is to highlight and magnify just how untrue and the inconsistent health scare articles usually are.  A knowledgeable professor Petroc Summer  , discovered through extensive research that numerous press release written by the public relations department at universities are often over exaggerated and sensationalized.

3.I believe Doctor Summer’s findings to be factual and completely believable. I have read many health-scare articles that were nothing more than “click bait.” The title of the article is eye-catching an intriguing. However, a good reader may find that the actual “scientific study” included in the text  is questionable and inconsistent. I never fully understood who exactly benefited from these types of press release and to what extent, yet now it all makes sense.

4.The articles title really grabbed my attention “The Point When Science Becomes Publicity.” seems self explanatory yet captivating. The words sort of jump start my reading thinking process. I start to wonder how how much does science and publicity have in common and how to author will draw the connection between the two subjects.

5. Petroc Summer is a professor of Psychology at Cardiff University in Wales. He is fully aware of the over exaggeration and sometimes misleading information written in health articles. However, he makes it his mission to uncover exactly where the exaggeration in science reporting comes from. He decides to trace these articles back to their roots (the laboratory) to find out exactly where the inaccuracies originate. Petroc soon discovers that that press releases written by public relation departments at the researchers universities are responsible for the information released. The reasoning behind why these health-scare articles are being released is shocking and absolutely mind boggling! It will surely change the way one looks at a “science based” article forever!

Hi everyone!

My name is Asia Rooks. I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA and my major is journalism. I’m an aspiring singer/song writer with a great passion for writing. I absolutely love to write, it really is like therapy for me. It’s a way for me to express myself, escape from real world issues and get lost in whatever fantasy my pen creates. I enjoy writing music, books, screenplays and any form of creative writing. I don’t mind admitting that I currently don’t have it all figured out and I’m not exactly sure what I plan to do with a journalism degree. I do know that I’m defying my parents and the beliefs that they’ve instilled in me by not attending a big university and becoming a lawyer, doctor or engineer. However, I don’t think everyone’s blueprint for success is the same and I’m confident that because of my thirst for success and hunger for happiness, I will prosper. Of course, like most of my fellow class mates,I registered for this class because it was required. However, after attending class , meeting the instructor and reading the syllabus, I must admit I’m  excited for this semester. I get a deep rooted  feeling that this class will help me become the outstanding writer I aspire to be. I’m looking forward to meeting new people, creating memories and writing a new chapter in this book called life. The journey will be all but easy. Yet, it will be more than worth it.

Asia