Sometimes Words could Hurt more than a Sharp Knife

It had been more than two weeks since I last saw the video on one of the UCLA student showing her hatred toward Asian people. And I am Asian. So I couldn’t help but have her voice clearly repeating in my mind. I will not even try to “recap” what she said to critique if she was right or wrong because thousands of people already made videos to respond to it.

And you as the reader can decide about it. I tried to forget about it since I know for the fact that not everyone is the same. But I can’t bring myself to believe she is the only one who feels that way.

         So, how many other people out there feel the same way as her toward Asian or any other ethnic group in general? That question kept coming up in my mind almost every time now when I stand in front of an American.

“Am I talking too loud?”

“May I pick up my parents’ calls in case of an emergency at home?”

“How am I going to speak English with my parents in front of Americans when my parents hardly understand it?”

  “How should we as a “horde” of Asians learn American manners?  What are the differences between American and Asian manners when I know for sure my parents taught me to be kind and respectul toward others even though they are not from the same background?”

For the last seven years I tried to create a beautiful image of the generous American society and I made myself believe that it was real.

It took such a long period of time for the beautiful Miyako City in Japan to be created; but within seconds, the whole masterpiece just swept away by the massive thoughtless tsunami. Just like that, this young lady destroyed my dream about the generous American society by her words, simple but hurtful! Not to mention that her words actually came back to bit her in the back.  I dare not to speak of her name because I am afraid that I would have a very bad impression on the people with the same name for the rest of my life.

Yes, she is young. Yes, everyone makes mistakes at least once in the life time. Yes, everyone deserve the second chance and to be forgiven. But can she be forgiven if her apology toward people who she hurt did not come out from her mouth with any sincerity? The second chance can only be offered if the person with the mistakes sincerely asked for it and seriously proved that they deserve it!...  

Quyen Nguyen

Communication Studies 

Wilkes 2012

Robot Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery

The question on today’s society is always “where will it end?” when referring to technology. There are cars that talk, phones that unlock your car, and 3D TVs. Why even bother moving off the couch?

The newest advancement in medicine is Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy. In simpler terms, a robot is performing the surgery instead of the doctor. At first glance you might wonder if the robot has a M.D. like the doctor, but after reading more about this robot surgery I feel that parts of it can make sense.  However, technology is not something you can always trust. 

The positives to the robotic surgery include reduction in blood loss, pain, recovery time and the unwanted side effects of other treatments. The doctor, a trained robot surgeon, who has had practice with the controls of the robot, doesn’t need to manually cut open the patient because the robot, whose universal name is Da Vinci makes a tiny incision, making the patient more comfortable. After watching a video on how the surgery works, I learned that the doctor is standing many feet away from the patient, using a hand controller, like a video game to perform the surgery. This does not look reassuring.

The first question that comes to mind is how can you trust a robot over the experience of a human? What if the robot malfunctions during the surgery? And does the doctor blame the robot if something goes wrong? These questions are vital when performing something with such risk, like a robot. I want to know if the patient is introduced to the robot instead of the doctor because the doctor is officially behind the scenes. There is so much risk involved with technology and the thought of something going wrong with a robot does not bring a sense of comfort to this newest advancement. 

This makes me wonder if flying cars will exist one day. But there is a difference between useless status technology like phones that turn the lights on in your house and technology that can help patients. Technology is speeding ahead with great force and it has no intentions of stopping.

Allison Roth
Communications Studies
Wilkes 2011

AshleyMadison.com: Accommodating Adulterers Across the Globe

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Suicide By Cop: Who protects our protectors?

            Police officers are out in our community to protect us from harm, but what happens when a sick individual takes advantage of their responsibility to protect?

            That is exactly what one individual (called Seth to protect his identity) did. Seth was a 19 year old and attending college in New Jersey. He had already attempted suicide twice. He had a clean record with the law but he was struggling with depression plus had already attempted suicide twice but was unsuccessful both times. Now Seth was looking for a successful way to kill himself. He devised his plan to die. Seth was going to get in his car and drive recklessly. Then a cop would pull him over for his reckless driving and he would pull some insane stunt in order to make the cop shoot him and kill him because that is the job of the cop to protect the community from those who are a threat.

            Seth put his plan into action on March 22, 1997. He dropped off his girlfriend at a college function, then opened and began drinking a bottle of champagne and began his reckless driving. He drove through New Jersey and made it all the way to his home state of Connecticut. It had reached about 3 A.M. and Seth had yet to see one police car. So he figured he would go find one. He drove to the Wallingford Police Department blew his horn and did everything to get their attention, and it worked. He created a chase involving several squad cars from several counties. He finally ran into the back of a police car. The officer in the police car halted immediately and prepared for a foot chase. But instead Seth came at the officer with the champagne bottle in hand as a weapon screaming “I’m going to kill you! You better shoot me, or I’ll kill you.” The officer  really have no choice but to pull out their gun and use it. This officer did, he shot Seth in the abdomen with the bullet lodging near his spine. Then officers cuffed Seth and he pleaded with them to please shot him in the head. Seth was taken to the hospital and has been receiving depression treatment and is still alive today, but unfortunately this is not always the case.  

            The officer on duty that night, Lt. Mark Poisson, and Seth’s mother Louise Pyers are taking their story to police departments all over the country. When sick and depressed people are at the end and just want to die they think having a police officer shot them is a guaranteed way to die. But what they don’t think about is the police office that has to deal with killing someone. Suicide by cop is becoming a growing problem and its tough getting people to realize that preventative measures need to be taken. Together Poisson and Pyers created the Crisis Intervention Team to hopefully education other police officers. Because if they do encounter a situation like Seth’s, maybe they can talk him down or figure another way to get him under control without killing him.  

            However now we do have the taser that is helping with this growing problem, and that was not an option back when Seth was shot. However the best defense against suicide by cop is knowledge, and with the Crisis Intervention Team hopefully that will happen, because innocent cops are getting wrapped up in someone else’s suicide mission and it is getting out of hand. Police Departments as a whole need to take a stand against suicide by cop and get these sick individuals the help they need.   

Original Story: Here

Sara Cosgrove
Communication Studies
Wilkes 2012

Beauty Advice from the Jihad

       

       A recently released Jihad Women’s magazine recently wrote an article giving beauty tips to Jihad women. The Al-Shamikha magazine, wrote over 30 pages giving beauty tips involving issues such as skin complexion, how to marry the right guy, and how to make a bomb in your kitchen. However, the magazine shifts into what is expected of women of the Islamic religion early into the piece. 

"Because women constitute half of the population – and one might even say that they are the population since they give birth to the next generation – the enemies of Islam are bent on preventing the Muslim woman from knowing the truth about her religion and her role, since they know all too well what would happen if women entered the field of jihad.

”The cover model of the magazine is a Jihad woman fully clothed and holding a machine gun. Symbolism for the female’s role in the nation of Islam and how they are almost as important as the men is the reason behind the choice in the cover model. The format of the magazine almost looks as if it could be a poetry book in a foreign language. Colors such as pink, violet, and yellow are the dominant colors throughout the issue, appealing to women while inspiring them to support the nation of Islam is the magazines inspiration behind the color choice, the editors use these tactics well.

The only thing that gives away the violence contained in the article is the photos of children crying in front of their dead brothers and fathers, otherwise the pretty colors and foreign language misguide you. The intent of this magazine is to sway women to be more supportive of the husbands and children who fight “the enemies of Islam.” The other articles in the magazine consist of interviews with the wives of husbands who were suicide bombers, how to make a bomb at home, and the pros and cons of honey facemasks.  So if a girl ever needs a nice complexion to feel more at ease while she has a bomb strapped to her chest, this magazine is for her.

Mike Hartsough 

Communication Studies

Wilkes 2012

Powertreckk

All modern digital technology has built in chargeable batteries. The idea of a cell phone or laptop powered with replaceable batteries is ludicrous. So what comes next in the energy market? A Swedish fuel cell technology company titled myFC, linked right ahead on the droid guy has developed a portable charger that converts hydrogen into electricity. The device is called the Powertreckk with inspiration from the William Shatner show. It can fit in your pocket, it is so miniscule and can charge your cell phone, GPS, or camera. The device is one hundred percent eco-friendly, doing this by only releasing water vapor when done converting the hydrogen into energy. By making the device wireless, myFC has given consumers a reason to purchase

Why solar energy?  We, the human race, now have the intellect to create hydrogen powered devices which could ultimately redefine what we think of fuel in years to come. Imagine pouring water into your engine instead of fuel. Conveniently replacing our involvement in the Middle East, with the concern of keeping our oceans and lakes clean in its stead. This new energy converter could not only reduce air pollution, but completely erase any reason for our involvement in any Iran occupied countries.  Who needs oil when you can cruise down the block with quality H2O?

The U.S. is falling behind in gaining the green technology capable of this feat. The powertrekk is groundbreaking for its wireless capability and rechargeable technology. The Swiss have had several break-through inventions involving hydrogen while the U.S. has mainly concentrated on battery powered cars, and solar panels. The device was put onto display on the fifteenth and has yet to be covered by a national news program. I personally think it’s due to the power oil companies still have over the media and politics. The U.S. coverage it has received was from Attack of the Show on the G4 network, a channel that even gamers avoid like it’s the plague. How is it? That a controversial Kim Kardashian commercial makes headline news, while water powered device charger doesn’t even make a blip on the radar. 

Powertrekk - How it works from PowerTrekk on Vimeo.

Mike Hartsough 
Communication Studies
Wilkes 2012

Chael Sonnen: When Success is Absolutely Positively Not an Option

        

       Think about school for a minute, can you ever recall an instance where you had a project and you told everyone how you were going to get the best grade anyone has ever seen on it. You did all the work on time, and told everyone how good you were doing, showed off your amazing project for 4 days before the project was due, and then when it is time to hand it in, you just didn’t… Hopefully this is not the case otherwise you are a complete fool.

Well this is an analogy for how Chael Sonnen did against Anderson Silva in his Middleweight Championship Bout in August, building up to the fight Chael Sonnen constantly spoke out against Anderson Silva, claiming that the 6 (at that time, now it is currently 8) time Champion was not as soft spoken and humble as he claimed to be. He also claimed the Brazilian could in fact speak perfect English and planned to retire him after this fight. He also said the Black Belt Silva earned in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the Nogueira Brothers was, “Like saying you got a free toy with your Happy Meal.”

This all would have been fine and good, but Chael Sonnen lost this fight… by an Armbar Triangle, a submission, which is one of the main principles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, so clearly the Black Belt Silva had was well deserved.

The story goes on though, if this was just like any other title defense against Silva, Chael would have just disappeared into obscurity to be damned to the bowels of Middleweight Contendership, but the UFC decided that Sonnen showed so much potential they gave him an instant rematch, while they already had a top contender in place for the winner of the fight, Vitor Belfort. 

This however isn’t such an uncommon occurrence many fighters have been jilted their shot at the title because of unforeseen happenings in championship fights. (See Anthony Pettis and his WEC Lightweight title unification bout)

The next problem that happened though was a suspicion that Chael wasn’t playing by all the rules. Chael Sonnen tested Positive for abnormally high amounts of Testosterone in the pre-fight blood screening because of an illegal substance. Chael was then suspended for 1 year because of this positive test and fined $2,500 by the California State Athletic Commission. Chael then appealed this charge by saying he was diagnosed with Hypoganadism in 2008 and he takes synthetic injections twice a week. The commission then decided to lessen his suspension to 6 months for failing to disclose this information prior to the fight. 

To add more fuel to the already hot steroid fire, his levels of testosterone in his blood before the fight were much higher than they should have been had he only been taking his medication. Another accusation is that Hypoganadism is brought on because of steroid use. Hypoganadism is a disease that occurs because of low testosterone levels and that often occurs when one who uses steroids stops, so this has left many to draw their own conclusion.

As if all of these factors were not enough, Chael Sonnen was also convicted of money laundering in connection with mortgage fraud by the state of Oregon. After all the headaches and problems Chael Sonnen has caused throughout the past year the UFC decided until he got his personal life together he will be suspended indefinitely.

        The picture above shows his acne progression from 2009 where he did NOT test positive but should have shown symptoms for the elevated levels, to the Championship Bout against Anderson Silva where he tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone. The acne on his back is very typical of a higher level of testosterone, commonly seen in steroid use.

Jake Cochran

Communication Studies 

Wilkes 2013

LAND OF THE FREE

It’s unarguably the greatest moment in time to be alive.


Add to that, we’re Americans. We have, buy, and enjoy the best, newest conveniences of our time. Without a single thought we are living in the single greatest moment in time, strapped with the best gear the world has to offer, on the freest land on the planet.


Unfortunately it would be a downright shame if we never took a single moment to think about the LIVES (yes…. multiple lives)that are affected by this way of life we are so quick to revel in morning, noon, and night.


No, you’re right, you don’t owe anyone anything.


But just take a second, no need to pause the J Beeb, hear me out on this.


Somewhere far, far away in this foreign country they call China there’s this company. And really it’s pretty sweet because young adults get the opportunity to make an honest dollar everyday! No wait one dollar would be ridiculous, make that 9 dollars….Yup- nine dollars a day. And boy, are they lucky because that’s a new pay rate! Foxxconn just raised the pay rate! They raised it from where it was at less than 3 dollars for every day of work.


They figured if they didn’t, there’s a good chance they would have to put up even more anti-suicide nets around the “campus” buildings the factory workers to live in. And having to put up more nets- well that would be horrible, ya’ know?


Yeah, their conditions are so bad; their futures look so bleak that after working here for a few months, they decide it’s just not worth it anymore.


But you rest assured Foxxconn is doing everything it can. They just employed 2,000 on-site therapists! But only after they figured the dorms were possessed and had some monks take a stroll around the place.


Somehow the first whopper of a resolution didn’t work….weird.


One girl, mid-twenties lived in an impoverished area some miles away from the manufacturer, as many of the new employee do before making their way to Foxxconn. She came all this way to work to send money back home to Mom and Dad. Kind of like most young adults do in America today(…or wait?)


Once she got there she was put on iPad shining duty.


Shine, shine, shine all day long.


There is a high demand for these babies, and every single last one had got to be perfect!


She reported to work at 7:30 a.m. for shine duty at 8.


Shine, shine, shine, and then back to sleep for tomorrow.


She needs the sleep if she’s going to do it all over again the next day.


One day this budding professional shiner jumped from the top floor of her dorm.


But she failed at taking her life.


Now Mom and Dad, the same Mom and Dad she moved to help, spend everyday caring after their quadriplegic daughter.


When I neared the bottom of the first article I read about this low in human action, the article came to a picture of the first two girls in American, outside of Apple in NYC to buy THE FIRST iPads in all of America.


They held the iPad, proud. They had them. And best of all they had them before everyone else! Good thing we have businesses like Foxxconn that can pump out iPads fast enough for our American demand.


It’s not the girls’ fault. It’s not my fault. It’s not your fault.


It’s just that we have it all, and there’s a chance we’ll keep getting it.


But how is it possible we can turn away from the truth and enjoy it just as much?

Joshua Alberola
Communication Studies
Wilkes 2011