Is Christmas Too Commercialized?

Christmas is the time of year when the biggest sales go on. Stores compete with each other to get the rushes of shoppers in the holiday season. Then after the holiday has gone by, stores try to get sales on whatever they can before the year ends, so called, Boxing Day. People are no longer lively in the streets and never are there kind words said between two strangers, but it is an obsession of gift getting and giving going on in the holiday that takes over the true meanings of spirit and peace.

For large chain stores, it is all about the shoppers spending their money on all the useless items they sell at Christmas. Every year, retailers and suppliers look for more and more ways to come up with things to attract consumers to buy more decorations, lights, ornaments, and anything that will have a related Christmas theme and will sell.

What happened to the true spirit of the season, harmony and kindness toward others? Long gone are the days of planning, anticipation and secrecy to make that perfect gift for your loved one. Stockings that are knitted, woven baskets with a fresh baked loaf of bread and a jar of homemade jam for your neighbours are no longer existent.

We work hard throughout the year to guarantee a good Christmas. When children ask for something which exceeds the budget, parents will say, "Ask Santa Claus," as if the merry old elf's greed is by some means tolerable. When we purchase a new home, the first question asked is, "Where will the Christmas tree go?" Christmas is always on our minds.

In Romania, it was tradition to put up the tree on Christmas Eve. Over time, we have done so earlier and earlier, in order to be prepared. We have now given ourselves more time and more of an excuse to get and give more presents.

In previous generations, gifts and food were homemade. Christmas was a year round endeavour, everything from scratch. The difference today is, we can see the preparations happening but we are not secretly knitting, sewing, building and crafting our gifts and holiday accouterments but buying already made items.

It all seemed much simpler then in comparison to the stress, tension and competitiveness in our contemporary holiday celebrations. We stress as we bend head-over-heels for the wants and desires of our children, family members and friends. We stress, as we look forward to the family's holiday get-togethers or the office Christmas parties to getting gifts we do not really need. It has been a continuing process accelerated by the media (that runs our lives anyways,) that feeds our need and desire for possessions.

Stroll through any store the day after Halloween and you will find Christmas displays emerging. Drive through any village, town or city the weekend after Thanksgiving to see the neighbourhood competitions of light shows on the lawns across the country. Shoppers line up outside department stores at three in the morning waiting to grab the hottest gadgets from the shelves pushing, shoving and cursing their fellow-shoppers.  Along the road of Christmas expansion, we seem to have lost the true meaning of Christmas, and have gotten so far, it is not appropriate to even call it that name any longer.

Whether we are struggling economically or not, we need to understand what is really  important in our lives, especially during the holiday season. The commercialization of Christmas has been on the rise for years and continues to get worse. It is our responsibility as the new generation, leaders to get back to basics and end the craziness and growing commercialization of the holiday season.

In many ways Christmas, like other international occasions such as Easter, Valentine’s Day, Mothers/Fathers day and others have become very commercial, it would appear to be all about buying gifts, flowers, chocolates and god knows what else. Children make huge long lists with the average child’s list reaching a staggering 15 or more items. Christmas is acknowledged as the season of loving and giving. Santa Claus is the focal point and with children thinking they have their parents and “Santa” shopping for them, they make their lists even longer and get even greedier over the years.

I fear we are become blinded by the exchanging of the gifts then the real meaning of the holidays. Christmas, as other holidays are not just about gifts, it is about family and being with the ones you love and spending quality time together. Yes, Christmas will be filled with movies seen a million times and we are all going to eat far too much food and feel very sick on Christmas night. However, instead of hastening out or surfing the net for those ‘special gifts’ why not consider making something from your heart instead of from your wallet.

Christmas has become excessively commercial, but it can be changed. It all starts with small steps, small changes. In the future we should always remember the true meaning of the Holidays, and push others to remember too. Before you realise it, Christmas will start to mean more than the latest tech gadget or toy. It will once again come to stand for love and the spirit of giving.

The Internet and our Brain

The internet has many effects on our brains and  yet is both a blessing and a curse. It is easy and helpful when you are in a rush and need quick directions to someone’s home. However, in school or major righting and information necessary  internet is taking a toll on our skills in research, focus and many others.

Finding info these days is too easy, we are not improving our research skills but quite the opposite. In previous generations, one would have to go to a library or other area to get information. One would have to search in countless books and got to countless places to get just a small amount of what we can get in a matter of minutes off the web. Now, when searching for information, we go straight to Google without even thinking about looking in encyclopaedias, dictionaries or other references. We go to the easiest and most comfortable way to find info, Google. We just type in a key word and there are hundreds of pages at our disposal. Hundreds of pages that would take months to find in a primary source search.

It is helpful to have things at the click of a mouse and not have to think twice about the info. However, truth be told not all things on the Internet are true. With the right knowledge, anyone can create your own website where people get information. Really who knows if the info is true? That is the problem, it is a very tricky thing to know what cites are trustworthy and which are not. Whomever that set up that cite can put any information into it without  many knowing any better. For example Wikipedia is one of the most used cites on the web because of its abundance of information. what people don’t know is it is a free encyclopaedia that anyone can edit. This means that the information could be made up and fictional but is still posted. Just because it is on the web does not mean it is true.

There is a fine difference between how people read when reading books or articles on the internet, verses in print. When you are reading a book or article in print there are no distractions, at least less then on the computer.  When reading on the web people get distracted by the mouse, the key board there, and having something to touch and play around with. They can type in different websites and click on different things, but it usually gets them very distracted and off topic on what they’re supposed to be doing.  The physical aspect of the reading is very different but so are the  many options. When on the computer there are so many choices of  things to do such as, Facebook , email and YouTube . While sitting and reading in print it is much easier to stay focused.  

Another  difference Google has on people is the way their  brains read and think.  Many important experts even admit that they have become used to to the internet articles and can no longer read long novels or long articles in print. They claim after a certain point of time they get bored and try to find something else to do. Many have stopped reading altogether. This is such a phenomenon because even English majors and people who have devoted their lives to the Language Arts have given up them because they have almost totally lost the ability to read and absorb a longish article print.

The issue of not being able to focus and read long pieces of writing is not only dealing with print articles but also on the web to. We are prone to skimming and scanning for pieces of information that could be of use to us that we do not even take the time to read the whole article and understand its meaning. We merely seek convenience and ignore what reading was previously about. Reading was a way for us to challenge our minds in literature and prose but now it is just an insult to its previous purpose.

The internet is taking a toll in our lives.  We have become lazier and no longer use our brain as we used to. We try and find the easy way out of everything and have lost many skills we used to have in reference, concentration and many more. We must learn to enjoy literature as we used to, before all is lost and it is too late.

Child Labor

This week we are writing about child labour and our feelings towards it. My opinion is much like others’, it is wrong and it should stop.  Many young children from the ages of 3 to 19 work in factories to pay off their families’ debt, this way these children may spend their entire childhood working in a factory and later in life not have a proper education and end up working there again.  This is unfair compared to the privileges that we children have in Canada.

            Many children in third world countries are born into a family with their life almost planned out for them. The children must go to work in a low paying job to pay off their parents’ debt. These children nor the parents have any way of knowing when the child will have done paying off the debt because they are never paid with physical money but with time. This way many ‘owners’ of factories trick the child or parents into thinking that they are close to paying off their debt, when in fact they aren’t. Thus, the factory owner makes the children work harder in hope to be finished soon when truthfully they have many years more. This can go on for a long duration until the owner is finished with that child. This usually happens when  they are not children anymore, but adults who require fair pay, and who wants to pay an adult more for a job a child could do for less money?

            Not only is the method of payment unjust to children but so are the circumstances they are required to work in. Most of these children are not even clothed properly for normal conditions let alone the job they are asked to do. For example, a child might be a metalworker that labours with hot and bright flames that can shine very brightly in their eyes and this child may not have any protective eyewear. This may cause long-term damage as well as short-term damage. This child may get burnt or develop bad eyesight from long hours they could also easily inhale toxic gases from the factory and grow lung diseases.

            These child labourers  are treated as slaves, maybe worse than that. They have no idea what life they could have but they just get through every day that hopefully in the near future, they will be free. These children are so naive and hard working that they do everything they are told without thinking about it, just because they are told to. None go to school and are not ever taught how to properly read or right and none are aware of the wonderful and interesting features of the world around them. They will never know how many beautiful things our world has to offer and will never get to explore them. The few that have the chance of going to school do, those children are considered as privileged when others in Canada and other fortunate areas in the world complain about school and have no idea how lucky they are.

             The adults that use child labour should be stopped. In these third world countries there are  laws to protect these children or  and those that are against child labour, but these laws are not followed. In these countries, the government usually ignores this unfair treating of children because this child labouring usually help the rest of the country. This is a very sick thing to do, get children to work from dawn to dusk in dangerous jobs for cheap labour for the country to make more profit. These countries use their child labour to make more profits than they are paying their workers, and the government  ends up getting most of it. Most of the money even made by these children are taken by taxes the government later collects.

People in other fortunate countries that have power should take action because if anyone can make a difference, it would be them. This should happen soon because the longer time that is waited the more children will be mistreated.

            I think that these parents should find ways for  their children to be able to work and learn  because it is not fair that they do not get a proper childhood. Truth be told, they will end up working in a job like that when they are older so they should get a chance to be a kid when they still are. 

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day means many things to many people, and to me it is a day to be thankful of our country. This day might mean to remember their lost ones for many people but for me it is a day to be thankful that the country I live in has such wonderful people who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the good of others.

Many losses come to mind on Remembrance Day, such as our loved ones and our losses. This is not the case for me thought, I have never had to experience this sorrow so I am quite unaware of the horrors that come to a loved one dying, and I can only imagine and try to feel for others. Nevertheless, I am proud to be a citizen of Canada and know that then and now there are people fighting for my well-being. To know that others are risking their lives for us I feel that there is hope in the world for crime and war that there is something better to fight for.  

I feel that remembrances day is a day to celebrate Canada’s accomplishments and grieve for the soldiers’ fate. In these few hundred years that Canada had existed, we have accomplished  many things and changed many things in the world. Our accomplishments are great but so are our losses. We have lost so many from our country and we will never forget that they once loved and were loved

When November 11th comes, the whole country shows their gratitude to our veterans and soldiers that fought for our freedom. The Canadian flag is one that is proud to be held on Remembrance Day because as such a young country we have gone through so much.  Our country wears poppies on our chests to show our appreciation for soldiers that paid the ultimate price.  We give moments of silence all around the country to reflect and think of their sacrifices for our freedom. The poem 'In Flanders Field' is remembered and retold to remind others of the soldiers’ bravery. We do all we can to remember and show our respect for their courageousness and forfeit.

Remembrance Day is not only about thinking about the past but also the present. We have Canadian soldiers in many countries in the world not only fighting for Canada but also for other countries and lives. Canada has reputation of the country that is always helpful and will always help when it is needed. In the poem 'In Flanders Field’, it is stated that; to you from failing hands we throw. The torch; be yours to hold it high. This means that as Canadians if we do not continue to fight for our rights and our country their hard work and sacrifices will be for nothing.

As I was born in another from another country, Remembrance Day always holds special significance for me. It is an opportunity for us to parade with pride, showing our respect for those that went before us, and our pride in the accomplishments of our country. Remembrance Day affords service members, cadets and RCMP officers the opportunity to publicly demonstrate our histories, accomplishments and our fallen comrades. 

Girl Power

            In history, girls were always the underdogs when it came to power and authority. Before men had gained this advantage they had worked hard in getting their power, this hard work has waned to a small amount now a days. The MacLean's Magazine article “Are we raising our boys to be underachieving men?”  mainly talks about women's recent improvements and shocking decreases in men’s reputation.

            Typically, boys have the authority in the work place, which makes them smug, and tend to work less than girls do. This overconfident attitude even starts at a young age; in school boys tend to get lower grades, study less and have a higher dropout rate than girls. Recent statistics show that males have a dropout rate of 10.3 percent while females have only 6.6 percent and this percentage is made mainly of teenage moms dropping out in order to support their child or other family problems. 

            It is proven that girls mature faster than boys do, which means that girls have the advantage when it comes to learning. Girls mature faster and are more serious about learning sooner than boys . Girls stay concentrated longer and are less likely to be scolded or get yelled at which gives them a  positive impression about school.   Once boys get the impression that school is stupid and that the teacher is out to get them are convinced that it is a better idea to drop out than stay and be yelled at. After this realization the rest is like a chain reaction, once one drops out the rest get pressured and soon follow.  

            One solution to these attention problems are single gender schools. Single gender schools would be used to remove the distraction factor and so each gender can work on skills that they typically need help with .  There are pros but there are also major cons to single-sex schools that will make a huge impact on the students. The major con would be that  social skills with the other gender would be worse then in a coed school. If schools only consist of one gender that gender will not be used to its opposite and later in life when they are mixed with the other gender they will have major problems working together.

Not only do women dominate the lower schools but they also dominate universities and colleges. Men only make up 30 to 35 percent of most colleges and universities that makes finding educated male workers a hard thing to do. In addition, the dropout rates for boys in high school make the numbers of men who actually go to the next type of learning even smaller. Most boys who finish high school do not even go to university or college to get a career but only stop their education and go right into a job that will not give them a future of improvement or importance.

             These high college/university rates for women mean that they have better education than men do. This is a great thing for women because they are on top of the game and are in high demand. This necessity exists because highly educated workers are always needed. If someone fulfills the requirements of the job, gender does not matter.

            Women have made so much progress recently that the “glass ceiling” has been  almost completely removed. At this rate, women will end up being heads for all major companies and men will no longer dominate. Many men as well as women think that this will be a problem. They think with an unbalance of men and women in the work place there will be hardly any “male talent” left. Frankly speaking, the roles will only be reversed and women will be in the place of men, this may be a good thing instead of bad. Women will get the equal chance to dominate as men did for many centuries  and huge improvements may be made.

            No matter when this change of roles will occur, there will also be a compromise somewhere in the middle where both parties will be equal. When this time comes, I predict that it will be the most innovative time because both genders will work together as equals and the world shall embrace the ideas and will be enlightened by both groups, for each has tricks up their sleeves.

            The work place has and will have to undergo a huge change but so will  the home of the traditional family. The kids go to school, the mom stays at home and cleans while the dad makes all the money. This is not how the typical family looks now a days, the  number of stay at home dads has increased and the numbers of working moms has also increased which puts a spin on the norm of families.

            In conclusion, women at this point have a good lead and an advantage over boys in many areas, which will help them in the end and in high positions of power. If boys do not pick up the pace soon they will be too far behind to catch up and the girls will already be improving, raising the bar even higher.  Nevertheless, just because women now have the advantage there is not that big of a gap between the two and no reason to get cocky and slack off. As a wise man once said, “Those who forget the past are bound to repeat it.”

Is Our Generation As Bad As It Seems?

The Article “Outraged Moms, and Trashy Daughters”, talks about girls with no self-respect for themselves and others. This article resonates with me because it covers the issues that  girls in my generation  have to deal with and have troubles with.


Generation gap makes it hard for parents to deal with  their children's problems,  because if they need to give advice to their children but do not have any experience with those things it might be hard to be helpful. If someone has not gone through the same problems it is hard to put themselves into other's shoes.


On the other hand, parents always try to compare their generation to their kids' and usually over exaggerate. They say, “It was different when I was your age.” This fretting over the changing world is unnecessary because every generation went thought the same problems of not being able to relate, it is just something we have to adapt to.


Parents who already have enough to deal with in this always changing world also have the stress of equal opportunity for their girls to deal with. Many parents choose to ignore the fact their girls will never get equal chance while others talk to their girls up front so they are prepared. No matter the reason, they want their child to go into their first jobs with the mentality they can do anything but it is better to tell them first instead of  letting them find out for themselves.


Girls these days have no respect for themselves. They are prone to having their friends call them demeaning names and boys calling them sexually degrading names and comments. Songs and raps that are about not treating women fairly are considered merely ‘songs’ and the swearing and put downs are regarded as lyrics that rhyme. This is a far cry from years back where if you were heard using that language you would have your mouth rinsed out with soap.


The media practically shapes the world now a day, how we act, what we eat, how we dress and whom we look up to. The media is a terrible influence for young girls because it encourages unhealthy living, promotes sex at young ages and pressures girls into thinking everyone should look like models. There are hardly any good role models out in the media that are not known for their looks or ridiculous behaviour. For example Snooki is known for “smushing” everyone she meets, drinking and partying excessively this is not what young girls should look up to. Many say it does not have to do with them it is so ridiculous, but it actually allows girls to act like sluts and act terribly.


There is a constant unfairness to girls and women who have sex compared to a man who has had the same amount. Women that have sex are called sluts, when a man is not judged at all. This gives men the advantage and makes them think it gives them the ‘right’ to control women. Many girls think being a sex object is powerful when it is quite the opposite. Many say they are in control that it will be fine but pleasing men sexually gives them the wrong idea. Even dating to earlier times men were always superior and some women’s bad behaviour and attitude does not help at all.


The media is always starting new trends and putting new looks across that people wear without even giving it an extra thought. Some of these looks require the “perfect” body type meaning that ultra skinny with huge breasts are always in. All styles are made around showing the upper curves and legs long when reality is no one look like that. Girls that keep up with latest trends are constantly put down by looking at the beautiful models and do not realize all the photo shopping done to make that picture. They starve themselves to look like that and even when they already look beautiful, enough they still torture themselves for no reason. The article states that hardly any girls these days have healthy self-esteem and it is completely true because this constant drilling that skinny and full in beautiful blocks their brain from realising their true beauty.


In conclusion, things these days are very different then they used to be. The media is promoting bad self-esteem and examples that are changing the way people look at themselves. However, sometimes change is good, good for people to realise that things can and will change for the better. People should alter the way they treat others and themselves because it will make a huge impact on their life and future. As a wise man once said “When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.”

Helen Keller: My personal role model

I have many role models I look up to: Albert Einstein, Steve Wonder, Jane Goodall, Marie Antoinette, Grace Kelly and the Famous Five. These people had not only accomplished things in their life but also had great personalities. Accomplishing something great in your life is one thing, but doing it with a disability is even more significant. That is why Ellen Keller is my role model.

Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880. She was not born blind and deaf; it was not until nineteen months of age that she came down with an illness described by doctors as "an acute congestion of the stomach and the brain". The illness did not last for a particularly long time, but it left her deaf and blind.

Keller was the first deaf/blind person to graduate from university. She went on to become a world-famous speaker, author, she learned to swim, to ride bicycle, a horse and to go camping. This may seem like she had just accomplished things for herself and her enjoyment but she also did many things for others. Helen Keller was an author and lecturer, who served as an inspiration for other people with disabilities and without. She took side of controversial political view and openly joined the movement for woman’s right to vote. She is remembered as an advocate for people with disabilities and numerous other causes.


Becoming educated with no disabilities is something people always take for granted but is one of the most complicated thing for someone who is deaf and blind. Helen was the first deaf/blind person to graduate from college and motivated many people with and without disabilities. She turned down many colleges and universities until she got into the one of her choice. She had to overcome many obstacles as deaf and blind women more complex than most do ever in their whole life . Despite her determination and hard work she had help from several strong sources. She was the daughter of well-to-do parents: Arthur Keller, a former officer in the Confederate army, and Kate Adams, who was related to Robert E. Lee. Not only was the help at home outstanding but with the help and (50) years of dedication from tutor Anne Sullivan, Helen succeeded in learning to communicate and grew to be literate.

Helen Keller also has had a huge impact on me. When I was younger I was told about a woman who had many disabilities and that had succeeded in become educated. After hearing and learning about this my attitude towards learning changed completely. She has inspired me to work hard and do my best in everything I do. I realized that she had an excuse to be uneducated and live completely cut off from the world but she choose not to. Helen Keller is a very remarkable person unlike others who do not have an excuse but continue to slack off.

She also has a very personal importance to me because I have always been interested and amazed by people with disabilities and how many can lead a ordinary life. However, Helen has brought a completely new light to this; these disabled people can also accomplish astonishing things than others without these problems even can. Some who are fortunate to be healthy choose to waste their life on meaningless things, while she struggled for essentials.

Helen’s story is an amazing one that shows how a person’s determination can help him or her to overcome life’s obstacles. Her story shows how one can turn a difficulty into an incredible story of hope. I wish that one day I would be able to inspire someone like she has to me. That is why she is my greatest hero.

Children Victims Of Allergies , Victims Of Bulling Too?

There are many issues and problems regarding allergies and medication; there are certain precautions people must take to ensure that the people they love and care about are safe from the harm of allergies. Even with these precautions, one can never be sure that they are out of harm's way and bulling for these allergies is not a helping factor. Recently on parentcentral.ca, an ignored  topic  was brought into the public's eye, something that was not talked about before; Children with allergies bullied about condition.

No matter the degree of the flaw, people are bullied  sometimes for issues that they can control others that they cannot and being bullied because of matters out of their own hands is something completely immoral. Pears who are doing this bulling may say they did not do it knowingly even if it is not the truth and they should be ashamed because allergies it is not a choice but more of a existing condition. Bullies that take advantage of others and make fun of them should just understand and accept that if it were possible the bullied would choose to depart with the allergy over having it.

Now not only are people bullied because of their allergy but also for the medication they have to carry around. Making fun of someone for their allergies that may put them in danger is one thing but making fun of someone for a device or medication that may save their life is an eye goggling low. People who mock something as an epi- pen because of how it looks are dreadful. The epi-pen or medication is not made to look nice but for one purpose; in case it is needed to save someone’s life. Harassment triggered by medication carriers is a very serious issue because if someone is bullied so much they might eventually refuse to carry the medicati and if an emergency comes and they are in need of it that the absence of medication would be a huge safety issue.

 Others may make the harassment worse accidentally. For example in the article it gives a model situation; ‘It’s Johnny’s birthday today, but we’re not going to be having birthday cake because Jennifer has a milk and peanut allergy, instead we’re going to have fruit.’ This may have been said just to inform others but may actually add to the problem. By the teacher telling the class about ‘Jennifer’s’ allergies it may make her feel guilty and get her in trouble with the other kids. People must be more careful what they say even of it is not meant to be hurtful.

Bullies find  the slightest flaws to harass someone and  they exaggerate it and create a bigger problem. For example, in the article kids claimed they were told that the school water fountain had been smeared with peanut butter to trigger an attack. Other children are harassed when the food is waved in their face. Parents and guardians need to make sure that they speak to their children about bullying and make sure that they know support is offered. This way the harassed will know they are not alone and it is not their fault.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would live and why?

                     

If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be Monaco.  After a vacation in Monaco, I knew it was a place where I wanted to be. I would live in Monaco for its beautiful architecture, climate, culture, shops, food and history.

            The steep, rocky hills and waterline have inclined architecture in Monaco. The architecture generally reflects a Mediterranean side. Recent construction from locals has built numerous high-rise apartment buildings. Like many Mediterranean communities, some medieval structures were preserved in the old fortified city, a structure like the palace of Monaco.  As you can see Monaco has a great mix of historical and modern architecture that makes it the perfect place for my adaptable personality .

            Monaco is world renown for its beautiful scenery because of its outlook on the Mediterranean Sea. Monaco is divided into four neighbourhoods that all have something different to offer: Monaco-Ville, the old original city, La Condamine, along the port; Monte-Carlo, the main resort, residential and tourist area; and Fontvieille, a newly constructed area on land reclaimed from the sea. These areas added together make Monaco such an all-round country. This is great for me because I enjoy seeing areas with a bit of everything.

            As much as I love Canada, I cannot stand 8 months of winter and that is why Monaco is where I would choose to live. Monaco's climate is typical of the Mediterranean. This means that the climate is mild year-round, with an average  temperature of 8 -30 degrees Celsius. This is the perfect weather because it is not cold nor hot, and  it is ideal for a walk along the beach or just relaxing.

            Monaco has beautiful places, food and shopping centers. Access to fresh, local produce and the sea has led to the appreciation of first-class cuisine. Both French and Italian influences can be found in local recipes. Not only is the food great but so are the shopping malls. Just because Monaco is the smallest country does not mean it is completely cut off. You can keep up with all the hottest designers with no problem in Monaco.

Monaco’s culture is affected by the local citizens and surrounding countries. Since Monaco is so close to France and Spain, it is  the best blend of both. They have many similar things; languages, food, culture, people and way of life are only a few key similarities.

Monaco is a well-kept country this keeps it a hot tourist spot. The main ways Monaco is kept gorgeous are the constant gardeners and workers cleaning streets and tending to the greenery. Monaco also makes sure that it is always kept in mint condition for better reviews and higher satisfaction from tourists. If Monaco is such a beautiful place to visit imagine how it would be if you lived there.

Monaco also has a magnificent history; in time, different groups such as the French and Spanish have captured Monaco, and those periods were not exactly a bad thing. Every time Monaco was taken over each group has brought Monaco new ideas and developed the country more than it was before, creating the beautiful vicinity it is to this day. This history also has many other positive effects such as traditions. Different to Canada, Monaco has a rich history filled with customs and national identity making Monaco so unique.

In conclusion, with Monaco’s abundance of, climate, culture, shops, food, scenery and history I know that Monaco is the place that I would be living if I could. The rich culture that is found in Monaco is one of a kind and proves that it is the place for me.

Cell phones in class? : YES or NO

Ontario’s new premier has decided that from now on schools are permitted to use cell phones if it helps students learning. Many discussions have arisen from this new policy; some people are all for it while others are questioning the idea all together. As I see it I  am not in favour of this concept and think that cell phones in class may even be more harm than help in schools: mentally,  physically and economically.

            Cell phones are a universal device, they are used for texting, calling , taking pictures and have many other applications. If the use of cell phones is allowed in classes it will just create another distraction for the students.  In the article “Debate rages over cellphones in Ontario classrooms” teacher Royan Lee had his Grade 7 students brainstorming on iPhones and iPads about which books the class should read. The Richmond Hill teacher has a class set of hand-held devices and also invites students to bring theirs in for note-taking, research and personal organization. He said while one student is talking, the class can be having a “back-channel discussion” on Twitter about his comments, which is far more engaging than just sitting and raising your hand. I disagree with this method because even if you think the students are having a “back-channel discussion” doesn’t mean it is on the same topic; they might as well be making plans for the weekend or talking about something equally unproductive. For every text message, there are at least two kids not paying attention and sitting through a class with traditional distractions is hard enough already, without your blackberry receiving several texts every minute.

Not only is the urge to text an issue but also is the physical ability to stop. Some students are so attached to their phones that they cannot leave the room without it. One student last year claimed he couldn’t physically get his fingers off his BlackBerry and his parents admitted there was nothing they could do — “he texts at the dinner table too,” said his mother. Allowing cell phones is just another privilege that the students are given and it is just a matter of time that they start thinking they are allowed to leave classes when they feel like. Discipline must be held in place or soon there will be no control left over the children and this could lead to chaos.

This new guiding principle will not help students on their dependence of technology. If students are endorsed to have cell phones in class they will be on them day and night. In the morning when they wake up they will watch cartoons then go to school and there they will text and use their phones all day. Then they will go home to researching and type their homework on the computer, and between all that they will text their best friend. These students will become addicted to the use of technology that simple things like eating will be too boring without TV or the computer.

Having Phones in class will also not be helpful for students when they are developing people skills. If they are constantly texting people the students won’t be able to grow in their respectful talking  and conversation abilities. If these students become accustomed to texting everyone everything when it is time to get a job the students won’t be used to socializing and presenting information. The ability to speak publicly is crucial to the students’ academic and social success.  For example if you work at an office and your job requires you to make presentations if you don’t develop speech skills used in presentations you will not be successful. However, without cell phones in class the majority of students will learn to use confident body language, vocal emphasis, and logical debating techniques that will help them with presentations in the future.

  Not every student in the school system is able to afford cell phones and if cell phones are needed for the school curriculum not having a cell would be an issue. In order for schools to provide phones that are intended for the students without a cell phone the schools would need to get more funding . If this was just an issue for one school in particular this would not be such a problem; the school could just host a fundraiser but since it is a board wide problem  more drastic measures would need to be taken. Taxes would need to be increased or public schools would start charging tuition or fees for supplies as these cell phones.

 Even if the board finds an applicable way to solve this accommodation problem there will always be a competition in who has the best cell phone, between the school accommodated one or the self bought . This is not healthy to be jealous for something as little as a phone and will create an atmosphere that everything is a competition. We can avoid these complications if cell phones are not allowed/encouraged in class.

Think about it , is it all worth it? There are all these difficulties to actually having phones in class  , but is it’s value helpful? In the article a teacher named Del Banco said that Today’s students rely on their cell phones so much, when you tell them a test is coming up, they don't go to their notebook or agenda but to their cell phones. They don't use a stopwatch during labs, they use their cell phone as a timer, but is it really necessary  to buy a cell phone for what a piece of paper can do, or for what a three dollar stopwatch can achieve? There are no valid benefits for cell phones in  classrooms. A calculator on your phone is the same as the one you get free from the classroom and either way they aren’t permitted for the majority of the classes. If you have a phone with a calculator app and you use it  you are technically cheating even if you are allowed to have a phone. Apps aren’t the only way of cheating in class; students can also text others within the school for help on tests . The ability to shoot video or capture pictures isn’t great either because they can be used  to take embarrassing photos of students and teachers . Finally the only legitimate reason for having cell phones in class would be for the internet. This is still not a great gain compared to the losses because cell phone bills can add up fast with an internet plan. Nevertheless, it is a far better idea for students to carry around laptops because it has all the features that are useful in class and defeats the cons regarding texting and other distractions.

Not only is texting itself an issue but, it is proven that texting creates health issues. From scientific research, it is true that radiation from the phone can create tumours or cancer to the brain or ear. There are also other long-term damages that can occur; thumbs are affected because of their shortage of fine motor skills and can get nerve damage since thumbs and fingers were not meant to texting, and press buttons constantly. Not only are thumbs affected, but also is your long-term eyesight. After a long period, your eyesight is damaged when your eyes get strained too much. I always thought school should be about helping your future not hindering it.

Wrapping up, I think that cell phones should not be permitted in schools because they create more problems than they are worth. It is more reasonable if we use laptops or i-pads because they have everything that cell phones contain and more. Students are growing in an age were devices are ubiquitous and internet is ubiquitous meaning that policy makers are becoming more accommodating to the realities of the daily  lives and because of that classes  are now allowed calculators, laptops and cell phones. Well it sounds like if you cannot fight it might as well join it.

Tardy Party : Not anymore

As a member of the Do-over generation, I am aware of the towering late rates and deflating mark issues regarding our schools system. I agree with the new policy that was recently implemented by the Toronto District School Board (this September).

Due to this new rule, teachers are allowed to deduct marks for late assignments or can give out a zero altogether. These changes will help students prepare for university and the working world by becoming accustomed with getting things done on time. For example, in university if you hand in a late assignment you may lose credits, which will delay your diploma. Even if the students do not like it now, they will be grateful they were trained while young.

To me, education is like a house, you have to build on a solid foundation and, if that foundation is not built properly, it can lead to bad working habits and make late work a tendency to happen. These new guidelines will discourage late assignments and teach students to be responsible for their schoolwork and actions.

This new policy will also help students with their time management skills. The new policy will force them to plan, start right away and do their best. If they neglect these due dates and do not stay on top of their work, they will fall behind and will have to put in extra effort to get back on track.  However, if they choose to keep to a plan they can avoid last minute rushes and achieve higher marks.

 One positive affect this will have on the learning population as a whole is, the students all get their fair mark. This will happen because the tardy work will be evaluated properly and have an extra mark deduction for the time it was late. This is good for all the students because previously there was no penalty for late work and students would take more time. They would then do better which was unfair to the people who planed their time out wisely and brought their work in on time. Now with the new policy there is no more; “I’ll hand it in next week.”

As many good products come from this new policy, there are also some cons that exist too. No matter the rule, there is always going to be a student not able to finish a project on time; may it be for a long weekend at the cottage or a hockey tournament, but they will need more time to complete the assignment. How will the teachers accommodate that? My point is that for each problem, there is a rule and for each rule comes another problem, so this policy is not perfect either.

This new policy will be a huge change for students in the school system, one-day late projects are accepted with no problem the next day will be penalties and mark deductions. This new policy will take the same time to get used to, as it took to be established.

In conclusion, I am completely behind this new policy for late mark deduction. If we get it into our systems now, once we are older being on time with work will be much easier. The bottom line is that life and school are very alike, they both have penalties and the sooner we understand this, the better.