Hannah's Halcyon Blog

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Football Essay

Do you play or enjoy football? Do you live to watch it? Is it important enough to you to risk disability, brain damage, or even death, just to play? Did you know, overuse injuries, which occur over time from repeated motion, is responsible for nearly half of all sports injuries to middle and high school, students? I think that students should be better protected from injuries or to do as thousands of other students are doing and quit football altogether.

Do you know the possibilities of continuously getting hurt while playing football? Hundreds of students get injuries. Some you can’t recover from. Football is the most dangerous sport in America. Many kids today are quitting sports, due to injuries, ones that could possibly affect the rest of their lives. Football is very dangerous. You can get a variety of injuries. Some that are permanent. I believe that football is dangerous enough to quit because there are really too many risks of getting temporary and permanent injuries. It may be temporary now, but if it keeps on happening, then it may not be so temporary. There are many side effects to your injuries. Including, disability, brain damage, and even death.

Some people are hardcore football players and watchers. They’re just die-hard fans. They may not understand the risks, or may believe that it is a risk to take and a price to pay for a package that only they will enjoy. I strongly believe that football is too dangerous to be played by young people. There are too many risks for the game. Many students are quitting football and sports in general, due to injuries that may change and maybe even ruin the rest of their life. I believe that people should find out the hazards of playing football roughly and what could happen if one is not careful and repeatedly gets injuries. Even the NFL is taking action. Now when one has the probability of having a concussion, one must see one of multiple specialized doctors (more than likely, doctors in the field of neurology) before being given the okay to get back on the field. This reduces the risks of permanent injuries. I believe, as I have said many times before, that playing football is dangerous and not worth the risks. I believe that more young adults should be quitting. More than there really is. Is playing or watching football so important to you, that you would risk your life and others and watch someone risk there’s for entertainment?

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Israel Tourist Essay

Project Summary: Be given a country and pretend that you are a tourist writer

Israel

Three great attractions in Israel, that I know you’ll enjoy are, the Tel Aviv-Yafo, the Masada, and Jerusalem (Old City). They are very interesting. The Tel Aviv-Yafo is a major city and economic center in Israel on the Mediterranean coast. It is often called “the city that never stops”. It was the first modern Jewish city built in Israel. It is a city filled with entertainment, culture, art, festivals, and a full night life. It was founded in 1909 as a Jewish garden suburb of the ancient Mediterranean port of Jaffa. Tel Aviv-Yafo is the headquarters for multiple government ministries. Most of the foreign embassies and large corporations in Israel are located there at the Tel Aviv-Yafo. It was the first modern Jewish city in Palestine. In the mid-1930’s Tel Aviv surpassed Jerusalem as being the largest city in Palestine. In the mid-1970’s however, Jerusalem surpassed Jerusalem. Tel Aviv-Yafo is now the second largest city. Tel Aviv-Yafo is the core of Israel’s largest urban area. It is more than two-fifths of Israel’s population. With more than 3 million people in the metropolitan area. Tel Aviv-Yafo’s fame continues to spread, despite some decrease in its share of Israel’s population. The current Old City of Jaffa, which is in the southern part of Tel Aviv, was built during the Ottoman Empire and its old artifacts are a major tourist attraction. Among the attractions in Old Jaffa is the Summit Garden, which is also called Gan HaPisga, has restaurants, galleries, shops, the seaside promenade, and walls of the Old City.

Another place I think you’ll enjoy while on your trip to Israel is the Masada, which is an ancient wall in the Southern District of Israel placed on top of an isolated rock plateau on the Eastern edge of the Judean Desert between Sdom and Ein Gedi. It overlooks the Dead Sea. Masada was built between 37 and 31 BCE, for Herod the Great, King of Judea as a palace complex. Masada is one of Israel’s most popular attractions.It has been more than two thousand years since the fall of the Masada fortress. The only written source about Masada is Josephus Flavius’ The Jewish War. It was a violent destruction between the Romans and Jews in 73 A.D. after Judaea became territory for the Roman Empire.. It was the shelter of the last survivors of the Jewish rebels, who chose death over becoming slaves when the Roman warriors broke through their defences. The access in ancient times was by a steep “Snake Path” from the East, the “White Rock” from the west, and two more ways from the North and South. All of which are rather difficult to climb. Today there is an easy 10-minute path, to get to the top, from the West, and a cable car from the East. Tourists may use the “Snake Path” if desired.

The last tourist attraction in Israel I believe that you would enjoy is Jerusalem (Old City). It is a 0.9 square kilometers (about 2952.76 feet) of walled area, within the more modern city of Jerusalem. Until 1860, when the Jewish neighborhood, Mishkenot Sha’ananim became resident, the city became the entire city of Jerusalem.The Old City has several key sites of religious importance. For example, the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa for Muslims, the Temple Mount and Western Wall for Jews, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians. The Old City has been divided into four uneven quarters. The Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter, and the Armenian Quarter. The monumental defensive walls were built in the late 16th century by the Ottomans. The current population via 2007 was 36,965. Consisting of all four religions. After the 1948 Israeli War of Independence, the Old City was captured by Jordan's and Jews were evicted. However, during the Six-Day War in 1967, Israeli Forces regained possession of the Old City again, along with the rest of East Jerusalem.The Israeli government controls the entire area and considers it as its national capital, though internationally it is recognized as being part of Palestine Territory. In 2010, Jerusalem’s oldest fragment of writing was found outside the Old City’s walls. Enjoy your vacation and many more to come!

Russia Tourist Essay

Project Summary: Be given a country and pretend you're a tourist writer

Russia

Hello, my fellow tourists! Today I am giving you advice on places to go in Russia. The first place I think you will enjoy is The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed. Also known as, Saint Basil’s Cathedral. It is a church in Red Square in Moscow, the capital of Russia. It is now a museum. It is officially known as the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat or Pokrovsky Cathedral. It was built by the orders of Ivan the Terrible from 1555-1561. It was built to celebrate the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan. I t was the city’s tallest building until the finishing of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. The original building, originally known as Trinity Church and later changed to Trinity Cathedral, accommodated eight side churches, all arranged around the ninth, central church of Intercession. The tenth church was built in 1588 over top of the grave of local saint Vasily. The building is shaped as a flame of a bonfire rising into the sky. It is stated to be like no other Russian building. The cathedral signified the climax of Russian architecture. It remains a federal property of the Russian Federation.

The next Tourist attraction you can go to, and I personally believe you will enjoy is Lake Baikal, meaning “nature lake”. It is a rift lake. It is located in the southern part of the Russian region of Siberia. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world, by volume. The lake contains about 20% of the world’s unfrozen surface fresh water. It is among the clearest of lakes as well. It is thought to be the oldest lake, at 25 million years. By surface area, Lake Baikal is the seventh largest lake in the world. It contains more water than the Great Lakes all combined. Lake Baikal is the home to more than 1,700 plant and animal species. Two-thirds of the 1,700, cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

The final stop in our tour is, Mount Elbrus. It is a non-active volcano in the western part of the Caucasus mountains. It is located near the border of Russia and Georgia. It is the highest peak of the Caucasus mountains and in Europe. It is ranked tenth highest worldwide. There are two summits on Mount Elbrus. They both are non-active volcano domes. The west summit is slightly higher than the eastern summit. By 21 meters (about 69 feet). Both peaks have been climbed to the summit. Recently, five mountaineers got to the peak of Mount Elbrus with the Olympic Torch in a special lantern. It is one of the Seven Summits, which are the highest mountains of the seven continents. It is the third easiest summit. It sits right on the geographic lines between Asia and Europe, but considered to be in Europe. The last time Mount Elbrus erupted was around, 50 A.D. There is a cable car and chairlift, which ascend climbers up 12,500 feet. As many as 30 per year, climbers die trying to ascend Mount Elbrus. It is considered one of the most deadliest peaks. Just in 2004, 48 climbers and skiers died on the mountain. In 1997, there was an expedition that included driving a Land Rover to the top. They made it to the top with the car and drove around the summit. It is the highest mountain climbed by a vehicle. On their way down, they lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle plummeted down and stopped to finally rest on rocks below, where it is today. Enjoy your vacation!

Liberia Tourist Essay

Project for Social Studies: Be given a country and pretend that you are a tourist writer.

Liberia

Our first stop in Liberia is Sapo National Park. It is a national park in the Sinoe County of Liberia. It is the only national park in Liberia and the countries largest protected area of rain forest. It is the second-largest area of tropical rain forest in West Africa. Many actions are prohibited in the park. Out of seven other protected areas in Liberia, including three national parks, was the only area that was formally designated in 1983. It is named after the local Sapo tribe.For twenty years, it covered east of the Sinoe River and south of the Putu Mountains. Throughout the parks history, the park has been threatened by many actions. However, the World Conservation Monitoring Center minimized potential conflicts.

The next stop on the tourist bus is, the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve. It is a protected area by the UNESCO World Heritage Site in both Guinea Côte d’Ivoire. There currently has been a proposal on the extension of the reserve to include areas in Liberia. Mount Nimba is an area with more than 200 plant and animal species, like big cats, chimpanzees and several types of toads. It was first established by Côte d’Ivoire, then Guinea. The mountains contain many African species and contain species of rich tropical forests. There have been more than 2000 species of “vascular plants”.

The last stop of our tour is, Firestone Natural Rubber Company, LLC. It is a company held by a larger company, the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. The larger company is headquartered in Indianapolis. The company operates the largest neighboring rubber plantation in the world in Liberia, which first opened in 1926. The company started in 1926 when the Liberian government granted the larger company, in Indianapolis, a 99-year lease for 1 million acres when in the 1920’s, the U.S. access to rubber was restricted by the Britain and the Netherlands, who owned the exclusive possession in rubber production. Then Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover (before becoming President) considered rubber to be a vital resource for the United States because of its usage for car tires. Part of the Department of Commerce supported a worldwide search for a place that could house a rubber plantation. A man named Harvey Samuel Firestone sent specialists to Liberia in December of 1923 to do a soil survey. After granted the 1 million acres, which could be chosen by the company for wherever in Liberia they desired, at 6 cents an acre. Which allowed Firestone to create the world’s largest rubber plantation. The price of rubber fell during the Great Depression, therefore Firestone stopped the development of the plantation by using only 50,000 acres and cutting wages in half. This stripped the Liberian government of tax incomes, which caused the government to miss a payment of the loans to the company. Firestone then asked the US government to send a warship. But, the current president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt rejected the idea. The loans to the company were finally paid in 1952. In 2005, the Liberian government and the Firestone Company signed a new 37-year deal raising the lease to 50 cents per acre. That was the last stop on this week’s tour bus everyone! Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your vacation!