1. My English 3/4 Perspective Essay
Maddy Fisher-Wright
Molly Fenn
English 4
1/16/15
Passenger
I am alone.
I am the last person to sit down because I let everyone pass me. Looking through the isles, I see the other passengers settling into their seats. Everyone is tired and claustrophobic but some handle it better than others. The man sitting next to me is already reading his crime novel but the woman on the other side of him is hiding her face against the window.
I hear her crying.
I want to reach out to her, to tell her that I understand and that we’re in this together, but I don’t. I’m terrified of everyone aboard this plane. I don’t think they’re dangerous people, but I cannot bring myself to speak to them. My voice is vulnerability so I keep it to myself.
I put my headphones in and take out my sketchbook. I begin to draw a gaunt, creepy figure. It is the soul subject of this page and, like me, it is isolated. The plane takes off and I hold my breath. My neighbor doesn’t even blink and his neighbor is shutting her eyes so tightly I thought she might hurt herself. “She’ll be okay” I think to myself “the takeoff is the worst part”. The three of us seem to be very different but I know that there is at least one thing that unifies us.
We came here alone.
I give the other passengers background stories in my head as we soar through the air. The redheaded girl in seat 11B is a museum curator who has been visiting family, the pale man with the impressive mustache in seat 43A makes personalized watches for his small business, and the bald man in seat 4D is obviously a bodybuilder. Wait! Is he holding a Chihuahua! Correction: 4D runs a pet hotel and is my role model.
The seatbelt sign lights up just moments before we hit turbulence. I look to my left to see my fellow row mates bracing themselves against the armrests; a reaction I seem to have adopted as well. My eyes dodge around the cabin, seeing that everyone who is awake is bracing themselves similarly. The airplane hits calm air and we all let out a collective sigh. We’ll be landing soon.
Everyone, a little shaken, settles back in their seats. My neighbor returns to his book without skipping a beat and his neighbor has a surreal expression on her face. She looks at the city lights in the distance through her window and closes her eyes. I continue to draw the isolated figure although I feel less related to it. Everyone here is sharing the same stretch of journey and we are all human shrapnel in this giant, commercial bullet. We are all strangers but we are not alone.
We land.
2. My Biology Letter to a Hypothetical Panel Discussing Genetically Modified Corn
Dear Intergovernmental Panel,
There is a lot of discussion about the issue of genetically modified corn and its use. Specifically, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn has been debated and, after reading the arguments made by both sides of this issue, I have made the decision to support the use of Bt corn. My decision is based on the evidence I will present in this letter.
First, Bt corn takes away the need for pesticides. This means that instead of spraying pesticides on our corn, which both hurts the environment and organisms including humans, we can have crops unharmed by pests due to only its genetic makeup. Bacillus thuringiensis, the bacteria thats gene is used in Bt corn, causes the plant to produce a protein that is poisonous to certain insects therefore giving the plant a natural insecticide within its genes.
Second, the use of Bt corn ultimately saves the companies producing it and the farmers using it money. The companies producing the Bt corn seeds will not have to worry about pests attacking their genetically altered seeds and will therefore be able to produce more seeds for the same amount of money as normally bread corn. The farmers using these seeds to mass produce corn will have to pay proprietary rights for the seeds but they will not have to pay for pesticides. Pesticides require the use of natural gas and petroleum which are both large contributors to global warming ("Issues in American Commodity Farming." Wikipedia). Eliminating the need for pesticides would be a great step in preserving our environment and healing our planet.
People who disagree with my stance on this issue worry about proprietary rights and feel that we do not know enough about the effects of genetically modified corn. I understand their concerns and agree that before using Bt corn we should test it to find out any and all effects it has on humans and the ecosystems of the world. laws should be made about the proprietary rights that companies are allowed to put on their seeds. With testing and regulation we can set the minds of those opposed to this issue at ease and start using the advancements of Bt corn and other genetically modified crops.
In conclusion, we should support the use of Bt corn. Its use would save people money and help preserve our environment. Tests and regulations should be made on Bt corn and its use to make sure that it is safe. The use of this product and others like it will be a big step in preserving the environment and feeding the hungry. Please consider the points I have made and thank you.
Signed,
Maddy Fisher-Wright
3. Economics Business Project
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VRo6y6akMPdYg5_JUXkeh2AcetsqF3-UHcOD2aR-Zy0/edit#slide=id.p
4.
Maddy Fisher-Wright
Molly Fenn
English 4
1/16/15
Passenger
I am alone.
I am the last person to sit down because I let everyone pass me. Looking through the isles, I see the other passengers settling into their seats. Everyone is tired and claustrophobic but some handle it better than others. The man sitting next to me is already reading his crime novel but the woman on the other side of him is hiding her face against the window.
I hear her crying.
I want to reach out to her, to tell her that I understand and that we’re in this together, but I don’t. I’m terrified of everyone aboard this plane. I don’t think they’re dangerous people, but I cannot bring myself to speak to them. My voice is vulnerability so I keep it to myself.
I put my headphones in and take out my sketchbook. I begin to draw a gaunt, creepy figure. It is the soul subject of this page and, like me, it is isolated. The plane takes off and I hold my breath. My neighbor doesn’t even blink and his neighbor is shutting her eyes so tightly I thought she might hurt herself. “She’ll be okay” I think to myself “the takeoff is the worst part”. The three of us seem to be very different but I know that there is at least one thing that unifies us.
We came here alone.
I give the other passengers background stories in my head as we soar through the air. The redheaded girl in seat 11B is a museum curator who has been visiting family, the pale man with the impressive mustache in seat 43A makes personalized watches for his small business, and the bald man in seat 4D is obviously a bodybuilder. Wait! Is he holding a Chihuahua! Correction: 4D runs a pet hotel and is my role model.
The seatbelt sign lights up just moments before we hit turbulence. I look to my left to see my fellow row mates bracing themselves against the armrests; a reaction I seem to have adopted as well. My eyes dodge around the cabin, seeing that everyone who is awake is bracing themselves similarly. The airplane hits calm air and we all let out a collective sigh. We’ll be landing soon.
Everyone, a little shaken, settles back in their seats. My neighbor returns to his book without skipping a beat and his neighbor has a surreal expression on her face. She looks at the city lights in the distance through her window and closes her eyes. I continue to draw the isolated figure although I feel less related to it. Everyone here is sharing the same stretch of journey and we are all human shrapnel in this giant, commercial bullet. We are all strangers but we are not alone.
We land.
2. My Biology Letter to a Hypothetical Panel Discussing Genetically Modified Corn
Dear Intergovernmental Panel,
There is a lot of discussion about the issue of genetically modified corn and its use. Specifically, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn has been debated and, after reading the arguments made by both sides of this issue, I have made the decision to support the use of Bt corn. My decision is based on the evidence I will present in this letter.
First, Bt corn takes away the need for pesticides. This means that instead of spraying pesticides on our corn, which both hurts the environment and organisms including humans, we can have crops unharmed by pests due to only its genetic makeup. Bacillus thuringiensis, the bacteria thats gene is used in Bt corn, causes the plant to produce a protein that is poisonous to certain insects therefore giving the plant a natural insecticide within its genes.
Second, the use of Bt corn ultimately saves the companies producing it and the farmers using it money. The companies producing the Bt corn seeds will not have to worry about pests attacking their genetically altered seeds and will therefore be able to produce more seeds for the same amount of money as normally bread corn. The farmers using these seeds to mass produce corn will have to pay proprietary rights for the seeds but they will not have to pay for pesticides. Pesticides require the use of natural gas and petroleum which are both large contributors to global warming ("Issues in American Commodity Farming." Wikipedia). Eliminating the need for pesticides would be a great step in preserving our environment and healing our planet.
People who disagree with my stance on this issue worry about proprietary rights and feel that we do not know enough about the effects of genetically modified corn. I understand their concerns and agree that before using Bt corn we should test it to find out any and all effects it has on humans and the ecosystems of the world. laws should be made about the proprietary rights that companies are allowed to put on their seeds. With testing and regulation we can set the minds of those opposed to this issue at ease and start using the advancements of Bt corn and other genetically modified crops.
In conclusion, we should support the use of Bt corn. Its use would save people money and help preserve our environment. Tests and regulations should be made on Bt corn and its use to make sure that it is safe. The use of this product and others like it will be a big step in preserving the environment and feeding the hungry. Please consider the points I have made and thank you.
Signed,
Maddy Fisher-Wright
3. Economics Business Project
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VRo6y6akMPdYg5_JUXkeh2AcetsqF3-UHcOD2aR-Zy0/edit#slide=id.p
4.