Roman Mueller 802

Reading and Writing for Social Justice

• “2 Men Walk Free After Nearly 40 Years Behind Bars”

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/prosecutors-drop-charges-men-40-years-27073057

Two Ohio men spend thirty-nine years in jail for something they never did. Ricky Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman, were accused of murder. There was much confusion on who was the murderer, but a twelve year old boy resolved the problem. He claimed that he had witnessed the crime and testified against Jackson and Bridgeman. After almost four decades in prison, Edward Vernon (the twelve year old boy witness), now 52, recants his testimony against the two Ohio men. He explains that the detective of the case had blackmailed him to testify against Jackson and Bridgeman otherwise he would arrest Vernon’s parents.

This is a perfect example of injustice in our world today. These men probably spent half of their lives behind bars and now they are finally free. And this is not only for these men, but all over the world this is happening. Amanda Knox was convicted of murder and there was no solid proof that she killed her roommate. Sometimes, the world today is incredibly unfair but no one realizes it. All these people did nothing wrong but are suffering severe consequences. These things scare me and make me think about my own life. Any of these things could technically happen to me or someone I am close to because all in all, the world is truly unjust.

• 1)Cashier in store pays kid less than he owes

2)3 months of detention for 3 spelling errors in French when I had to complete double the work of the other students

  3)Restaurant and stores treat tourist poorly and with less respect

4)Police use Stop & Frisk method racistly towards Latinos and Blacks

There were many things that were unfair or unjust to me lately, but one of the worst ones to me was when in french class, I got three months of detention. My teacher, Madame ______, assigned my class a project where we had to write fifteen sentences about ourselves. Because I was tapping my pencil against the table, thinking, I had to write thirty sentences instead. Already, I think this is unfair, because there's more room for error so I could have an easier chance at a bad grade. Also, it takes up more of my time than everyone else so I should be getting extra credit. After I turned in my paper which was double the work, Madame ______ decided to humiliate me in front of the entire class and point out every error. In the end, I was missing one accent, had one spelling error, and wrote something incorrectly grammar-wise. With three mistakes in total, my teacher decided to give me three months of detention. When I found this out, I was outraged. This was completely unjust and unfair. I had written double the amount needed and when I got three minor things wrong, I received three whole months of detention and realized that the world is not fair.

• I interviewed Ms. Cunningham

What do you think is good/fair about our world?

I like to see empathy-especially from children. It warms my heart when people think outside of themselves and do something to make someones life better. I also love acceptance-when people can love each other even when they have different points of view.

What do you think is bad/unfair about our world?

-global warming has gone too far

-pharmacological companies seen to be out for profit & don't help those who need it(when they clearly could)

-mistreatment of our vets

-the teaching of hate

-racism, discrimination-the fact that we still marginalize and mistreat groups of people based on misinformation and general intolerance

There are many things that interest me in these two responses. For the first question, I think that this is something that is very rare. Many people are selfish and uncaring and not always sympathetic. However, when this does happen, people get along and there is a positive outcome. Also, there is not a lot of acceptance in our world today. There is much racism and discrimination. However, I think it is important to value these things when they do happen.

For the second question, I completely agree. There are too many things that are bad/unfair about this world and we need to fix it. Ms. Cunningham said two good things about our world and then FIVE bad things. I believe this list can keep going forever and that it is not something to be proud of.

•            I watched a news story about Ray Rice winning his appeal and being allowed to go back to the NFL. Originally, he was banned because he knocked his girlfriend out in an elevator and was considered to be abusing or torturing her. However, his girlfriend stuck by his side and he was allowed to go back to the NFL. If I were Ray Rice, I would have many emotions at the time. First, I would be very disappointed and ashamed because of what I did. Also, I would be grateful my girlfriend understood it was a mistake and stayed by me. However, the hardest thing would probably giving up my football career but after finding out I could come back, I would be very happy. Except for the fact that because of what I did, not many football teams will want to sign me and it may be very hard to get a job after my harsh reputation. Overall, I think I would be pretty worried if I were Ray Rice.

•          For my interview for someone who changes the world everyday, I chose my father, Matthew Mueller because he is an architect and I think he changes the world by building an environment for people and changing their experience in a small way, daily.

What is your occupation?

I am an architect in a 40-person architectural firm in New York City.

How do you change the world every day?

I don’t know if what I do for a profession changes the world on a daily basis, but I guess if you look at what I do, which is to change the built environment for a specific person or group of people, the result of my work can change their day-to-day experiences in small ways.

As an architect, I help people better understand how to use a property they may own to the betterment of their work or living.  Often a client will come with their own ideas or problems they want to solve, but part of my job is to look beyond the surface and dig a little deeper into who they are and how they live or work.  Then I have to take the knowledge I have in how to make a building here in the city, the budget that the client has available for the project,  and combine that with those ideas or solutions to produce a design that is both a solution to the problem and affordable.

After that, I have to produce construction drawings and work with a contractor, who will construct the actual building.   This process is very collaborative between the architect, the client and the contractor as unexpected problems or conflicts often arise during construction that must be solved.  In this way, I guess I act as a mediator between the client and contractor, especially during those times when they do not agree on the solution.

Overall, my goal as an architect is to create something beautiful, efficient, and affordable while addressing the client’s specific needs or desires.  Hopefully,  both the client and contractor are happy with the process and the end result.

•     http://www.metrolyrics.com/redemption-song-lyrics-bob-marley-the-wailers.html

    For a lyric that significantly expresses a social issue, I chose Redemption Song by Bob Marley. I chose this because to me, it shows one of the biggest issues of our world today, even if this song was written in the 1900’s. Redemption Song talks(or sings) about racism or discrimination as a whole. He says “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery…” and confronts racism with his lyrics. There are so many people in the world, who mentally put themselves above others for the smallest differences, such as skin color. Right now, we are facing so many problems of racism and discrimination such as Ferguson. This song portrays these issues and shows the world what is going on through an indirect message. This is why I chose Bob Marley’s Redemption Song as a lyric that expresses a significant issue.  

•         For my TV show or movie, I watched a show that used to be very popular called The Suit 

Life of Zack & Cody. When I watched this show with my younger brother a long time ago, I didn’t 

notice half the things I notice now. These teens are rich, spoiled and very well-treated kids. Just by 

watching this I get angry at them for being so bratty and selfish. However, 


Hollywood is making these characters seem cool, funny, and everything that a little kid wants to be. 

Another thing I noticed when watching this show is that all of the perfect and wealthy people are 

often white. The janitors, doorman, and others with less prominent jobs or imperfect people are 

latino or black. This showed me that this show is a little stereotypical. I think that they portray these 

teens terribly because almost all teens in real life are completely different. I know that this is most 

likely why parents say these types of shows are bad for you. I feel that this is just judging teens 

based on no evidence and giving them an image that is completely wrong.  

Roman Mueller 802 Outsiders Essay Blog Post SPOILER ALERT

People in large communities often judge each other based on appearances and impulsive actions without knowing who the person really is inside. In the novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, a boy named Ponyboy, and his family go through community conflict. Ponyboy grows up with his brothers and his gang, Soda, Darry, Dally, Johnny, Steve and Two-Bit. Ponyboy’s parents are dead, and he has to learn to watch over himself especially in his unsafe neighborhood. Throughout the book, the characters realize who they can truly be. The moral to the story of The Outsiders  is that a person's true character is not necessarily apparent when viewed from the outside.

Each character in Ponyboy’s gang is known for having a certain personality. To start off, Dally is the most famous in the group. He is tough, has been to jail, has been in many fights and is well known for being a bully. In the book, the author states “Dally had spent three years on the wild side of New York and had been arrested at the age of ten. He was tougher than the rest of us---tougher, colder, meaner...he was as wild as the boys in the downtown outfits, like Tim Shepard’s gang.” Because of his reputation, everyone thinks he is the opposite of a nice, kind person, is intimidated by him, and would not go near him. To prove the author’s idea that everyone is not always as expected, in the end of the book, Dally falls apart to tears and commits “cop” suicide when Johnny dies. In the end of the book, the author writes “Whirling suddenly, he slammed back against the wall. His face contracted in agony, and sweat streamed down his face. ‘Damnit, Johnny...’  he begged, slamming one fist against the wall, hammering it to make it obey his will. ‘Oh, damnit, Johnny, don't die, please don’t die…’ He suddenly bolted through the door and down the hall.” Dally is having a breakdown and isn’t able to function. One of his best friends just died and he suddenly isn’t the super tough Dally you would think he is. This proves that when people go through something highly emotional, they can react unexpectedly.

Johnny is another member in the gang who shows how he feels and what he is like on the inside. However, he is quite the opposite of Dally. He is considered a soft kid who wouldn’t even hurt a fly. The author states “Johnny Cade was last and least. If you can picture a little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times and is lost in a crowd of strangers, you’ll have Johnny. He was the youngest...smaller than the rest…” This proves that Johnny is known for being weak, pathetic, and somewhat useless. However, midway through the book, Ponyboy and he are getting picked on by some Socials, also known as Soc’s who are the rich white teens with fancy cars and clothes. They are in a rivalry with the Greasers (lower class people like Johnny and Ponyboy. Johnny ends up killing Bob, one of the Soc’s, because he feels threatened by them. During the story, Ponyboy thinks to himself “For the first time, really, I realized what we were in for. Johnny had killed someone. Quiet, soft-spoken little Johnny, who wouldn’t hurt a living thing on purpose, had taken a human life.” This illustrates how Johnny was seen on the outside as a pathetic, weak and scared little kid but ends up being able to kill a teenager. Also, in the end, the church where Ponyboy and Johnny are staying catches fire. However, there are kids inside and because Johnny thinks it was one of his cigarettes, he feels it is his responsibility. He saves the kids from the fire and is severely injured. For a scared,  little kid, it takes a lot of courage to do what he did This also explains how some people can have a wrong impression of someone.   

Another example of how people judge others before they truly understand them is the Soc’s. To the Greasers, the Soc’s are terrible, cruel, and spoiled. For example, in the text, Ponyboy and his gang are imitating the Soc’s “ ‘I am a Soc. I am privileged and the well-dressed. I throw beer blasts, drive fancy cars, break peoples windows!” This shows how they disapprove of the Soc’s. They beat up Johnny and jump Greasers daily. In a sense, they are right about the Soc’s, but not all of them are as bad as the Greasers think. Randy Adderson, also a Soc, was best friends with Bob, the person Johnny killed. However, when he is interviewed, he is not against his rivals. Also, another Soc, this time a girl(Cherry), who dated Bob acts the same as Randy. Ponyboy states “They had interviewed Cherry Valance, and she said Bob had been drunk and that the boys had been looking for a fight when they took her home. Bob had told her he’d fix us for picking up his girl. His buddy, Randy Adderson, who had helped jump us, also said it was their fault and that we’d only fought back in self defense.” This proves that people view others in a way that is not true, because all the Greasers thought the Soc’s were terrible people yet one of them helped a Greaser avoid jail. If Randy hadn’t said it was the Soc’s fault that Johnny killed Bob by self defense than Ponyboy and Johnny would have most likely gone to prison. As you can see, sometimes a person looks at someone in a superficial way when on the inside, they can act very different.

The moral to the story is that you cannot “judge a book by its cover.” If the Socs and Greasers learned to accept each other, and learn who they really were, then this story would never have happened. Sometimes people have to look at each other from a different standpoint. Instead of looking at them by how they appear, you should look at them for how they act.

Books Finished for First Marketing by Period

Sold, Percy Jackson 1, Percy Jackson 3, Percy Jackson 5, The maze runner, diary of a wimpy kid 8

All over third world countries, young women are sold into prostitution. The novel Sold by Patricia McCormick is an excellent example of how this happens, and how terrifying and awful this can be. In the novel, a young girl named Lakshmi is sent against her own will to be a prostitute in India to provide for her family, even though at first she thought she was going to be a maid. In the place Lakshmi stays, she faces the issues of integrity and evil through many people. The moral of the story is that sometimes in life you do not realize how lucky you actually are and that there are many bad things that occur to people in the world that don’t happen to you.

When Lakshmi is sold to an old woman named Mumtaz, the first thing she knows is that she needs to pay off Mumtaz’s debt to the family. However, because Mumtaz is corrupted by money and greed, she lies about the money exchange and Lakshmi may never return home. For example, in the text, the author writes “I have been beaten here, locked away, violated a hundred times, and a hundred more times. I have been starved, and cheated, tricked and disgraced.” This illustrates what happens in the world to some people and how lucky others are with less pain. Also that Mumtaz is awful and how she treats her as a slave.In the text, it says “‘Let me do the calculations for you,’ she says. She pretends to be adding and subtracting. ‘Yes,’ she says, ‘It’s as I thought. You will have at least five more years here with me.’” Laksmi will never be able to pay her debt because Mumtaz will be cheating her. Her family will gain nothing, and she will never leave that miserable place.

When people are going through something painful or horrific, they do not expect more afterwards which can show how unspoiled they are. Also, it can change them in many ways. For example, Lakshmi says in the story “When he looks, he sees cigarettes and a rice beer, a new vest for himself. I see a tin roof.” This shows that Lakshmi is looking for only necessities and nothing more. That she doesn’t want luxuries, only a small roof to cover her family’s heads to not get sick in the rain. Only this thought helps her get through the struggle, and it shows what kind of person she is. Over the course of the story, Lakshmi changes and becomes more courageous. At the beginning, she is shy and scared, but at the end, she becomes courageous and less frightened. For example, at the beginning, Lakshmi is afraid to tell the cops about Mumtaz's illegal actions. But in the end, she can tell them who she is and that she is here for a bad reason. She says " 'My name is Lakshmi' I say,'I am from Nepal. I am fourteen years old.' " This goes back to how she does not get many fortunate things and that some people are lucky to be born with a life with less problems and pain.

Finally, Lakshmi becomes desperate and will do anything to get out of this prostitution home in an Indian city. For example, she states “Any Man, Every Man, I will be with them all...whatever it takes to get out of here.” This proves that she is determined to leave this place no matter what disgusting things she will have to do. In addition, not only is Lakshmi eager to leave, but the other girls are competing against each other to get away. One of Lakshmi’s roommates in the prostitution house came to her room one night and said “ ‘Stay away from him, understand?’ I understand that this man is one of her regulars. But I will not agree to what she asks.” This prostitute is truly desperate to leave and won’t  let Lakshmi get the money if she can. This also illustrates that because of how awful prostitution is, it can make you desperate to leave, no matter the cost.

All in all, Sold by Patricia McCormick showed that some people in life go through many worse experiences than others. Also, it proved that these experiences can change the way a person can think or feel because they expect less. The people that go through these struggles use them to become stronger and learn from the experience.

Roman Mueller 802 ELA “Ashes”

In the short story, “Ashes,” by Susan Beth Pfeffers, a girl named Ashes faces struggles within her family due to divorce. She has two very different parents and sometimes she is split between them. One side is a dreamy, unrealistic father that tells his daughter to be an astronaut, model, and even the CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation, and the other is a down to earth, helpful and caring mother that looks out for Ashes and makes sure she gets what she needs throughout her life. Throughout the short story, the protagonist faces complications between them and morals are tested. This short story has many messages and themes throughout the book and they are conveyed by the decisions and problems in the story. Parent rivalries often confuse a child about the difference between what they should or shouldn’t do, and what is right or wrong.

For instance, because her parents have different ways of thinking and believing, Ashes is unsure of which parent is right. A simple example is that the father thinks about what he wants and the mother thinks about what she needs. For a prime example in the text, Ashes explains “When I was little, Dad used to promise me the stars for a necklace, but like most of his promises, that one never quite happened.” This proves that the father may not be trustworthy. In the end, he asks Ashes to steal from the mother, and says he will pay it back, but Ashes can not be certain he will keep his promise. The author is trying to show that she may not be able to trust the father later about promising he will pay back the money. Another example of the father being unrealistic is how his main goal is to make the world a better place by helping people. In the story, Ashes states “Of course no one ever got rich helping blind people cross the street. The world might be a better place, but child support checks don’t always show up on time, and I never did get that necklace made of stars. Both Mom and Dad see to it I know his limitations. ‘All I can give you is dreams, Ashes,’ he said to me once.‘But one good dream is worth one thousand flashlight batteries.’ ” This illustrates her father may not be the person to do the right thing for his child and how he is doing what is less important for Ashes.

Also, being a father takes a lot of responsibility and knowing what is right for your child. Your child looks up to you and you must be a good role model or else they could be affected not only in the present but even in the future. By asking Ashes to take 200 dollars from her mother, he is not having a good influence on her or being responsible. For example, while Ashes is having lunch with her father, the subject of why he needs the money comes up, “ ‘But you know how those guys are. They get itchy when you owe them money. And it’s not always comfortable to be where they can scratch you.’ ‘You owe them two hundred dollars?’ I asked, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.” This proves that the father is not responsible. Now you can understand why the mother takes care of Ashes instead of him. Also, Ashes is starting to realize what kind of person her father is and that his intentions are not very great. Another example of her dad not being an appropriate father is that he needs a child to do his dirty work for him. A responsible father would work it out with the mother instead. In the story, the Dad states “‘No, I just thought maybe you could borrow the money’ he said.” This shows again how he isn’t being responsible and how he is trying to persuade Ashes to “borrow” the money. Overall, it is obvious that Ashes does not have a father that is a good role model and has what it takes to be a valuable, reliable parent.

Furthermore, throughout the story and especially the end, the authors reflects that your family’s disconnections can drive you to do something immoral and your choice between right or wrong might not always be clear. For example, in the very beginning of the story, Ashes tells “That winter, it felt like every time I saw my father, the sun cast off just a little more warmth than it had the day before. I don’t remember a gray day when I saw him.” The weather is a metaphor for how Ashes feels about her father. It shows that she is happy or “warm” whenever she meets with her father and a little gloomy or “gray” with her mother. However, this is at the beginning so Ashes is still not sure about whose side to take. Her father is super kind to her and he calls her “one in a million.” He compliments her and makes her want to believe him. But, she is not realizing that he is manipulating her to get what he wants. However, in the end, it is more understandable for Ashes that he is being irresponsible and having a bad influence on her. For example, at the end, when she is about to steal the money, the story reads “I got out of the car and ran over to the apartment. I took the elevator to the tenth floor and unlocked the door. The apartment was quiet. It always felt a little colder when Mom wasn’t there. Even with the lights turned on, it seemed a little darker.” This proves that Ashes is understanding that her mother is the more responsible and trustworthy parent of the two and that stealing the money for her father is wrong. Also, the author says “I looked out the window and saw only ash gray sky. In the cold stillness of the night, I could hear my father’s car keening in the distance. ‘You’re one in a million,’ it cried.” This also suggests that this decision Ashes is making is wrong because at the beginning it is warm and sunny, but now it is ashy and cloudy. Overall, this shows that family issues or even peer problems can cause something bad to happen or confuse you on what is the right thing to do.

All in all, morality is something that can be very unclear and can often be influenced from a biased perspective. The story “Ashes” is a very strong example of this because the main character goes through many issues and obstacles that blind her of what she is doing and how it will affect her and others in a negative way. At the end, the author does not say whether or not Ashes takes the money for her father or not but I think she didn’t. Because of the weather metaphor, I think she was having second thoughts about what she was doing and wouldn’t betray her mother. As you can see, conflict and discrepancies can be a result of parent rivalries, but in the end, those differences can be realized through truth or honesty when compared to superficial traits or actions.

Finished Book "Sold" by Patricia McCormick
Highly Recommended for Young Adult Fiction

Roman Mueller 802 Summer Reading Response on Harry Potter 1

    Over the summer, I read a few books. One of them, was the first Harry Potter. Even though I read this book a long time ago, I wanted to bring back memories and try to find details I hadn't noticed when i was younger. In the J.K Rowling's famous novel "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone," I learned a few important lessons.

    One of the lessons from this book is that friendship can get you almost anywhere. It may sound cheesy, but it is true. If you think about it, Harry would never have succeeded without the intelligence of Hermione, or the support and bravery of Ron or even the help and kindness of Hagrid. All of them were essential to Harry’s life. No matter what their problem, from the bad guys to the fights between each other, they always manage to save the day or solve the problem.

    Another lesson in the first book is that you always have partial choice to do something. Harry really wants to go to Gryffindor but the hat wants Slytherin for him. Harry tells the hat to give him anything but Slytherin because he knows that evil wizards come out of there. In the end, he gets Gryffindor. This shows you that you don't always have to follow what others think, and that you can make your own decisions. If your parents think that you should be a doctor it might be interesting to consider, but if you believe you would be happy as an actor, it can be a choice! You may want but don’t have to follow in your parents footsteps or be forced. Overall, I think this was the most important theme in the book for a kid my age(13).

    Even though there are more themes in the book such as love, good and evil and many others, these two are my favorite and most valuable ones. I can relate to and understand them and that is why I chose them. Of course we read these books with the understanding that it is fiction but you can use them in your real life. All in all, after reading this book again, I found out about many things and learned new life lessons.