Frankenstein Book Review

    Created by a teenage girl named Mary Shelley in the early 1800s, Frankenstein is still considered a masterpiece of horror literature.

Frankenstein is a sad story of mistakes, morals, and life. A man of science and magic named Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with the idea of creating life. He begins a project of making a man out of dead people. When he brings the creation to life, he panics and abandons it. The creation, who is like a child. must learn to grow up on it’s own. He soon becomes bitter towards humans because they hate him, and the once gentle creature turns to evil.
It is one of my favorite books, and I love how deep it went. I couldn't help but feel empathy for the neglected creature, who only wanted to be loved and raised by his “father.”
One of my favorite parts of the book is when Victor finally brings the creation to life and the creation smiles at him. Victor totally freaks out and literally runs away, leaving the creature to fend for itself. The scene says a lot about Victor Frankenstein, and how all along he didn't consider the consequences of his actions.

Young Mary Shelley

Education Rights for Girls around the Globe

Could you imagine not going to school? For some of us, it might sound like the greatest thing ever, but for others it is something you would fight for, break traditions, or even risk death for.

    In the United States, girls like us have the right to education, even though it might feel like we’re being forced to get up early in the morning for school. In just about every country, girls at some point were unable or discouraged to get an education just for being girls. Without education, girls were (and would be) unable to get good jobs, live on their own, see the world, or do all the other great things that we can do now.

    Sadly, some girls don’t have any of those opportunities even today. Education rights are very important, for girls and for girls of the future.

    In Mexico, many girls (and boys) do not finish their primary education. About 1 in every 10 students doesn’t finish grades K-12. If you think about it, that actually a lot of children.

    Indigenous children (especially girls) in very rural Mexico sometimes don’t get an education at all. Not going to school, and even dropping out increases the risk for turning to drugs, violence, and otherwise very unpleasant lifestyles not only in Mexico, but all over the world.

    Pakistan is another country of interest for girl’s education rights. The Taliban, an extreme Islamic political group guilty for many deaths and public terrorism in the Middle East do not believe that girls should go to school. They have shut down schools and  silenced teachers and activists.

    Often, in Middle East, people have thought that girls should not be educated for such a long time, that the idea has been passed down for generations and is still held true in their minds. It is the future, and girls should have the right to education, especially today in a time where education opens the doors to girls so they  can be engineers, astronauts, physicists, and so much more.

    For us, going to school is as easy as making it on time for the bus in morning. Some girls have to actually risk their lives for it. We are extremely lucky to be able to go to school freely, and learn without limit. Hopefully one day, our sisters around the globe will all be able to have the freedom of education as we do.

Girls everywhere deserve the right to education.

Racism and Sexism in Vines

The other day, I was watching Vines on Facebook and I came across one called How Guys Work on Cars vs How Girls Work on Cars. It shows a relatively normal looking young man working on a car engine with him saying “How guys work on cars.” The short video cuts to him in drag with a blonde wig saying, “How girls work on cars.” With a weak whimper, he hits part of the engine with a hammer and a hose that had been hooked up to the engine briefly sprays water into his face.

I laughed. A lot. I even shared it with my family and friends. However, now that I think about it, it was very sexist. It implies that only guys can fix cars, and girls only mess things up. From experience, I know this to totally not be true. Girls and guys, if trained properly have the ability to work on cars equally.

Another very common type of video I see is racism. It is usually from a person of any race or color making fun of themselves and others. Although, some might say something along the lines of, “He’s black so it’s okay to be racist.” or “He’s only joking. Don’t take it too seriously.”, is it right? They justify making slave jokes or ethnic slurs with the excuse of comedy. Sometimes it is funny, but recently from what I've seen in these videos, it takes it a step too far.

This type of media is readily available almost everywhere. On YouTube, Facebook, Instagram: these short 6 second homemade videos are gaining popularity by the minute. Is it positive to send out such sexist and racist messages? Is it okay to use the term “gay” as an insult? No matter who does them, or how funny they are?

It might seem harmless and comedic, but it is shaping whole generations. Into what it is shaping, I don’t know, but usually “implanting” racism, sexism, bullying, and lack of empathy into the minds of young people has bad consequences based on events and societies in the past. (Think Nazi Germany and the United States in the 60's)


       People should stop to think before supporting racism and sexism. Everyone should be considered equal and people should be taught tolerance and acceptance. In normal circumstances, like everyday conversation, speaking like they do in Vines would be unacceptable.

Equality!

Bone Health for Girls

     I am a Girl Scout, and I just made a presentation about bone health as part of a Women's Health badge. Please read it, it has lot's of cool info and advice! This is a link to the slides in Google Documents where you can view it: 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1FdXsPQnGjH89Y44X5z7YZrBV5Xy1RF2S3b55UFPRyC0/edit#slide=id.p

For more info about bone health for girls, go to bestbonesforever.gov

The International Space Station

     What is a zero-gravity environment, 230 miles above the surface of the Earth, in a satellite moving 4.8 miles a second called? The International Space Station! Otherwise known as the ISS, this large satellite is larger than a football field.  However, unlike other satellites, the ISS is home to a crew of  usually 6 international astronauts all year round.
     The ISS began as a dream during the Cold War. The Cold War wasn't actually a war, although it did close a couple times, between the Soviet Union, AKA the USSR, and America as a battle for space exploration and world influence. The space exploration part of this "war" was called the Space Race. It pretty much ended when the U.S. sent man to the moon, and now instead of competing with the USSR, now Russia, we are partnering with them. The ISS is an international project with much contributed from the U.S and Russia.
     The ISS began to be built in the early 90s, and with modules being added. The ISS will technically never be complete, because countries keep adding new modules, building the ISS even today.
     The International Space Station is the most expensive project that the world has ever taken on. Despite what many people think, the ISS is in full use. It is used as a research lab with international scientists living full-time on board.
     Life on the ISS is very cramped, but they manage. The crew switches out every so often, and new scientists and astronauts (Russian astronauts are called cosmonauts) come on board.
     Ever wonder how they get to and from the ISS? Well, they use a Russian spacecraft called the Soyuz, which was built in the 60s. It holds up to three people and it uses a really cool docking mechanism to attach to the ISS main module.
     The International Space Station is one of the most prestigious projects that mankind has ever done, and not many people know much about it. You can look up more info on the ISS on the NASA website.

Journal Writing!

     What does society think of when the word "journal" pops up? Do they think of a junior high girl giggling as she writes about boys in her diary with a bedazzled pen? Or do they think of an explorer, jotting down his adventures into a leather-bound book in the light of an old lantern?
     There are many different ideas when it comes to keeping a journal. In my opinion, keeping a journal is very important. Starting to journal when you are young will prove beneficial in your later years, or maybe even in a few days. Looking back at what you did and how you felt at the time can help you make better choices in the future.
     I am an avid journal-er. I write every day in my personal journal (which is an awesome bright orange), and I journal about everything: my feelings, music, crushes, and even current events. It makes me feel better when I'm upset, and it's fun to read later on.
     Keeping a journal is very easy, and consists of three basic steps. First, write down anything you want. Just put what's in your mind on paper, even if it seems silly. You don't have to put any planning into it, or punctuation. You could even draw pictures in your journal. The next step is to never tear out pages or delete/erase what you wrote, no matter how tempting it is. Even this step is hard for me, and I have broken this "rule" many times in the past. The last step is review what you wrote, either immediately after to a year later. You can reflect on what you wrote, and maybe see how silly it was. All of these are the basic start of journaling, also, you don't have to write every day if you don't want to.
     When it comes to picking out what kind of journal to have, it is entirely your choice. You could make your own journal, or you can use a composition book. Maybe a pink diary with a lock and key is what you want, or you could even journal on the computer.
     Journaling is a great habit to start early, and it will prove to be very valuable later in life. I highly recommend it!

   

Malala Yousafzai (Again)

Remember Malala Yousafzai? Well, she has been released from the hospital in London! She will be staying with her family nearby for about four weeks until she can get another skull reconstruction surgery. She has recovered well, according to the doctors who took care of her. I hope she will continue her work as a young activist, and maybe get a Nobel Peace Prize.

Malala leaving the hospital.