This Day In History

February 2nd

On this day in history, February 2nd, 1887, Groundhog Day was first celebrated at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The tradition goes that if a Groundhog sees its shadow there will be the usual six more weeks of winter, but if it does not see its shadow there will be a early spring. The holiday comes from the Christian tradition Candlemas where candles were given out for the winter. The candles represented how long and cold the winter would be. This tradition was then taken one step further by replacing the candles with a hedgehog. Then when Germans started to migrate into America they replaced the Hedgehog with a groundhog, which were much more common in Pennsylvania.

Chapter 12

• Homer Plessy was Arrested
• 14th amendment says no state shall abridge the privileges to the rights of no citizens
• Plessy vs Ferguson case made segregation legal everywhere
• Jim crow laws were still approved, but it was argued that our constitution was colorblind
• some people thought the supreme court made a bad decision

Chapter 13

• Linda Carol Brown was a seven year old African American girl who had to walk across train tracks and ride an old bus to get to school although  the white school was only a few blocks away.
• schools spent $43 on African-American children, and Spent $179 on White children
• alot of family felt this was unfair so they went to court. they all lost, but then they took it to the supreme court.
• They won in supreme court, they decided that all students deserved a chance to succeed
• Finally segregation was illegal in schools

however many white only schools did not agree with this decision, and many just closed down

Chapter 14

• MLK wanted to be a preacher since childhood
• He married Alberta williams the daughter of a negro preacher, he married her without meeting her, but before he could he had to get a college  degree
• MLK Jr. was inspired by Gandhi
• He had three kids who were very proud of him

Chapter 15

• Rosa Parks was part of the NAACP so she was a well known leader in montgomery
• December 1st 1955 Rosa Parks was sitting in the black section of the buss when she was told she needed to give up her seat for a white man. She refused and was arrested
• Segregated buses were called Jim Crow buses
• The NAACP organized a bus boycott that was supposed to last 1 day, it ended up going for a year before the buses de-segregated
• Some people in the south did not like this decision and started attacking some of the buss, even going as far as setting some on fire
• MLK was asked to help lead the movement

Chapter 16

• After brown vs board of education schools were supposed to desegregate.
• Some schools in the south however did not want to cooperate
• Melba Pattillo wanted to go to Central High, a high school which had never had one black student, even though it it had over 2000 students
• She was part of the little rock nine, nine children who integrated into central high
• They had to be escorted in by the national guard

Chapter 19

• In 1962 Birmingham alabama all public recreational facilities were closed because they didn’t want to integrate
• The KKK helped elect Eugene O’connor, the commissioner of public safety
• Black people went to a sit in and got ketchup mustard and soda poured on them
• On day 600 children and went to church and O’connor had all of them arrested
• the next day 1000 kids began a peaceful march, but O’connor called police dogs on them
• Many kids were arrested and 75 were crammed into a cell meant for 8

Chapter 20

• Many organizations were formed s/a the NAACP SCLC SNCC and CORE
• Thurgood marshal and Philip randolph were both leaders who could change laws
• Philip Randolph was one of the main organizations who organized the March On Washington
• Kennedy sent  Civil Rights bill to congress no one knew if it would pass
• The March On Washington event was a success over 250,00 people came, there MArtin Luther King Jr. read his I have  Dream speech

Summery

The Civil rights movement changed the lives of countless colored people. If it weren’t for people like MLK Jr. and Rosa Parks, it would probably never had happened and America might still be the same. It all started with Homer Plessy’s Case, and Eventually came to total desegregation. Though it was not all easy, it took a lot of blood sweat and tears.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader during the 60’s and 70’s. John F. Kennedy was president for a brief time before he was assassinated. MLK Jr. and JFK’s speeches but have very similar, former diction, but have completely different purposes. JFK’s speech purposes was to inform the country. MLK Jr. purpose was to get equal rights for African American people. Both however, have the same formal diction.

The purpose of JFK’s Inaugural Address speech was to inform the country of what he was going to do during his Presidency. He says in the address, “Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty. This much we pledge, and more.” This proves that he was telling the country his intentions of assuring the survival of liberty and freedom. The purpose of MLK Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech was to get equal rights for African American people. In his speech MLK Jr. says, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character.” This proves that the purpose of MLK Jr.’s speech was to get equal rights.

The purposes of both speeches may have been different, but the diction in both were both formal. In JFK’s Inaugural Address his diction is formal and his tone was serious, his diction is formal because he doesn’t use slang, of contractions. His tone was serious because he was addressing his country. He says, “In the long history of the world, only a few have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger.” This part of his speech proves that his diction was formal and his tone was serious. MLK Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech also had formal diction, and a serious tone. His diction is formal because like JFK he does not use slang or contractions. He says in his speech, “I am happy to join you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” This part of his speech shows that he uses formal diction, and a serious tone.

JFK’s speech had a formal diction that did not use slang or contractions, which makes it formal. His tone was also serious, because he was addressing the country. JFK’s purpose was to inform the country of what he was going to do during his presidency. MLK Jr. also had formal diction and a serious tone, but he had a completely different purpose of getting rights for African Americans. MLK Jr. and JFK were both very important men, and revolutionized America.

I Pledge Allegiance by Chris Lynch is a book about four best friends since elementary school. Since they had known each other they had made a pledge to stick together. So when one of them gets drafted into the Vietnam war, they all go. They story is told from the perspective of the main character Morris. Morris and his friends get split up. Morris went to the Navy, his friend Beck joins the Air Force, Rudi joins the Marines, and Ivan joins the Military. Morris was stationed on the USS Boston offshore of Vietnam where he is relatively safe. When his ship gets minor damage he gets stationed on a small attack boat, which is like a floating tank, that goes up and down the dangerous rivers of Vietnam. On that boat he nearly dies multiple times, but is able to get in touch with his friend Ivan. The book ends after they win a massive firefight in a river deep in the jungle.

I give the I Pledge Allegiance a five out of ten stars. I only give it five for a few reasons. First I gave it five Stars because its about the war, which is interesting, but it has many slow parts where not much happens, so that is the main reason I gave it five stars. It would have gotten less, but there a few very interesting battle scenes.

Thomas woke up the next morning and him and his new-found friends set off to find a 7Eleven. They left the house after eating a light breakfast and set off on the nearest road. They went south away from the mountains and towards the nearest small town. The further away they got from the mountains the more zombies they encountered. Eventually it got so bad they had to  go off road and drive through the trees. When they were only a few miles out the forest got so thick they had to park their car and continue on foot.

They reached the edge of a cliff that looked down on the small town, and about two blocks in was a seemingly untouched 7Eleven. Thomas looked at his new friends who all seemed fixated on something in the front of the town. Thomas followed their hollow gaze and what he saw almost made him yelp out loud, but he managed to keep it in. There was A massive horde of zombies, larger than any other crowed he had ever seen in his life, moving straight towards them. He looked back at his friends whose eyes were still fixated on the large horde of zombies.

Finally Jack the leader of the group of friends snapped out of his gaze and got the other three’s attention.

“Ok guys,” Jack said

“We obviously can’t go that way so we are going to around. It looks like we can continue going on this cliff, then get into the 7Eleven through the side of the town.”

And with one last look at each other they all set off sprinting around the cliff, Jack in the front, and Thomas bringing up the rear.

It took a good five minutes before the reached the edge of the town, all the while hearing the ear splintering shrikes of the zombies following them. By the time Thomas and his friends reached the Seven Eleven sweat poured down Thomas’ face, and his heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest.

“Wow I am out of shape.” Thomas thought to himself.

The group of guys slowly jogged into the front of the building. When they entered the places was roughed up but most of the snakes were still there. They went down the aisles, stuffing as much junk food into their backpacks as they could fit. Thomas however went straight for what they came for, the Slurpee machine. The day before they had agreed to add Slurpee to their daily diet, to stay ahead of the disease. Once everyone had ransacked the store of the last remaining snacks and energy drinks they all helped lower the machine onto the old wheelbarrow they had taken with them. Then all at once they turned around only to reveal the horde of zombies had made it all the way to the front door and were mere feet from entering the building.

Thomas and his friends all looked at each other in panic, and after a few brief seconds Charles remember that he saw a back door when the were running around the side. So they all sprinted to the back of the room, Thomas and David carrying the Slurpee machine in the wheelbarrow behind them.

They rushed to the back room only to find the back door chained shut. Moments later they heard the front door shatter as they horde move closer. Jack looked frantically around the room, sweeping his eyes from one side to the other. He spotted a brick in the corner and scramble to grab it, and in one swift motion he brought it over his head and down on the chain. There was a loud bang and a array of sparks and the chain fell to the floor. Jack pushed the door open and ran out, with the horde of zombies on their heels.

An ancient bronze device could be the world’s first computer, some say.

When a ancient Greek ship wreak was uncovered in 1901 scientist didn’t think much of the odd shoebox sized metal box, but almost a century later its turning quit a few heads.

The box which was uncovered is thought to be the worlds oldest analog computer. Inside it is made up of over four dozen intercept gears and moving parts. Scientist have figured out that it was used to track many different things. One of the dials is used to track the Olympic Games, and another tracks, and predicts the position of the moon. There is even a dial which predicts lunar and solar eclipse, accurate to the hour. According to scientist the box was created around 205 BC, around the time of the famous scientist and inventor Archimedes.

The Arthur in this article was unbiased, and was simply stating the facts. I thinks that its amazing that something like that could have been created so long ago and that its still in one piece after being on the ocean floor for over two Millennium. Max says” I think it is super cool that they created something like that so long ago.”

Good with a joystick? One University is Giving Scholarships to Video Gamers

Robert Morris University in Chicago is giving scholarships to video gamers. Most of all Colleges gives athletic scholarships, sports like football and basketball even make money for the school. But since the recent increase off popularity in Major League Gaming, or MLG Robert Morris University decided to give scholarships to gamers, and believes other schools will follow.

“I wanted to make sure we jumped on it as soon as possible, because i knew this would be a big deal, how could it not.”

says John Spiher, Marketing director, for DXRacer USA, a gaming chair company who sponsors Robert Morris.

The author was just stating the facts in this article. I think that is very interesting how school are giving scholarships for video games, and look forward to seeing this develop farther in the future. Jake says “I think its cool but wouldn’t you get tired after a while.”

Thomas slowly opened his eyes, and white light rushed his view. He slowly sat up and looked around he was in a small room with a fire burning in a corner. He climbed out of the small cot, his wobbly legs almost falling him. he walked over to the only door in the room and open it. He was instantly greeted by four strangers who shoved a nice big bowl of cookie crisps and chocolate milk in his hands.

“The names Jackson, but call me Jack.” Said the one who was clearly the leader.

“Where am I?” asked Thomas with a dazed look on his face.

 “We rescued you, you must have heard are signal on the radio, because you were attacked by a horde of zombies right outside our cabin.”

“Ya, I came all the way from Vegas, you are the only survivors I’ve seen so far.”

“Well as I said, I’m Jack, that’s Cole, David, and Charles, what’s yours?”

“Thomas.” Replied Thomas.

“Wait wait, hold up the Thomas, like the one that started the apocalypse in Vegas. That Thomas?!?”

“What no, well maybe, I don’t know”

“Here’s how it went down,” said Thomas

So Thomas started long confusing story.

“It all started when I took some experimental drugs for money, from a company that has disappeared. After a few days I started to notices some odd symptoms, then the next day I woke up, and I was a zombie. I locked myself in my apartment, but one thing confused me, the drug had not affected my brain. I figured out it must be the Slurpee that I was addicted to keeping my brain safe. So I set off to Vegas, where I could fully immerse myself in a vat of Slurpee. Once I was there I was about to jump in when i had to push past one last CDC agent, but I accidentally scratched him when I jumped in the Slurpee. That was the last thing I remembered before I was frozen in the Slurpee. Then some time later I woke in the thawed Slurpee cured. Next think I know I’m following your radio signal here. Then you guys saved me.”

All of the guys mouths hung open out the story, then Jack said, “Well what’s done is done, but from what you said Slurpees are the cure, so lets try to save the world.”

To be continued…