Declaration

We the students of Grosse Pointe South High School believe that we have not been treated fairly and just. Our rights have been neglected and trampled over. Grosse Pointe South students all have specific rights and freedoms that are allowed. We are entitled to the best possible education, meaning that we have the freedom to get the extra help in school if needed.  We are also responsible for our own learning. We have the right to learn when we want to, and not learn when we want to, but we will be responsible for our actions and own up to them. Every GPS student is entitled to be respected and treated fairly along with everyone else. The students also are responsible for their own actions. We are told to be responsible for the choices we make and the things we do. But we in turn would like the same from our school and faculty. We the people of this 2^nd hour class in turn right down these complaints as an attempt to abolish the problems set forth in our mind.

10 Complaint

I. Staff should no longer lock the doors at 9 o’clock for school dances. People should be able to come and go as they please. If the students bought a ticket they should have the right to do what they want. Students spend a lot of time and money in preparation for dances if they get to the school after 9 o’clock then they should be allowed entrance. It is a silly rule and should be forgotten about.

II. All class rooms at South High School should be changed into green light classrooms. A green light room doesn’t mean you are texting or calling people the whole class period it just means students are allowed their phones for educational purposes. Phones today are equipped with so much technology that they are very helpful and give easy access to information one would not normally have in class. Most students have their phones in red light class rooms anyway they are just forced to be more sneaky about it witch actually causes them to pay even less attention. As long as they are not being disruptive or being distracting to other students there is no problem caused by having a phone in class.

III. Selling items should not be forbidden on school campus. As long as nothing illegal is being distributed or shared among the students there would be no issues. Selling things could actually make our school better. The students could hold bake sales to promote different clubs. School groups could sell whatever they wanted too. Or individuals could just hold sales. If everyone was allowed to then it wouldn’t become unfair it would just create healthy competition.

IV. The schools tardy policy should be eliminated. It states that each student is responsible for their own education. If that is true then students should be able to arrive when they want to for class. There should be no additional punishment after students have been late to class a certain number of times. Being late to class is already punishment enough because students miss part of the lesson and it is harder for them to catch up. No additional detention is necessary.

V. There should not be certain classes that are required for graduation. Some courses like English, mathematics, science, and history are reasonable classes to be required because those have basic information that one will need for college. Others like an art course and health should not be required. Not all students will go onto doing those things in college so they should be spending their time taking classes that will benefit them and help them in the long run. English, mathematics, science, and history are obvious classes that should be required but all other electives should be optional.

VI. Students are not allowed to eat in their cars at lunch or they can lose their parking rights.  This rule is pointless and students should not have to follow it.  If they are allowed to drive their cars at lunch and leave campus they should be able to eat in their cars too.  It is stupid to not allow them to inside their cars and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.  We declare that the rule should be abolished because it violates student rights.

VII. Most teachers will not accept work if it is turned in late and will give the student a zero for the assignment.  A zero on even a small assignment can greatly hurt an overall grade.  I do believe points should be taken off for not turning an assignment in on time but it should not result in a zero.  If effort is put into the homework and it is not too late the student should still get credit for his/her work.  Sometimes you forget or you are too overwhelmed with other classes to get it done on time and you should not be punished so severely for it.

VIII. Many students and staff at Grosse Pointe South are a legal age for smoking.  It is not against the law and it should be allowed.  Earlier generations actually had smoking lounges within the school.  It should at least be accepted on the campus.

IX   In Mr. Provensano’s class it is required for all students to post nearly all their assignments on the class blog.  This is a hassle for a lot of students and it is a waste of time.  Why is it necessary to post something online?  It is much easier to just print the assignment out and turn it in like we have been doing in all of our past years at school.  Also some kids may not want their work read by other classmates.  They might be afraid of getting made fun of or something else but either way they should not have to do it in the first place.

X. When in the course of a school year you are bound to lose your id at some point.  It does not happen as much anymore since we are not required to have them on us at all times but they are still missed placed.  If you lose your id you cannot get into dances and you would have to pay to get into football games.  It cost one dollar to buy a new id and another dollar for the lanyard.  We are living in tough economic times and should not have to pay this fine.

If our independence is not granted, in the fullest extent the students will boycott all incoming assignments and classwork. We need these to be granted in order for Grosse Pointe South students to be as effective and productive as possible. If these demands are met all students will have a more affective education in order for us to succeed.

Elizabeths life after John

Elizabeth Proctor decided she could simply not live like this anymore. Traumatic events had continuously been happening to her. She could not fathom why God would be placing all these burdens on her shoulders. She was a good Christian woman that loved the Lord. She couldn’t understand of all the people on Earth why he chose her to suffer. First off her beloved husband had committed adultery which was very difficult for her to deal with. Several months after that occurred Abigail Warren had accused her of witchcraft. She had almost lost her life but thankfully did not. As soon as she got the relief that she was safe she found out that John was going to be hanged. It was horrible to live alone with the children and no husband. Life was much harder for her. She longed for him. The house always felt empty without John’s presence. The only thing that kept her going every day was that she knew she would soon be given a new healthy baby.  She always believed that if one person went off of the earth then a new one would come in to take their place.

 The new baby would help Elizabeth fill the void of her husband. Since the thought of the new baby was so reassuring for her it made it even harder to hear from the doctor directly after she had given birth that it had passed away. The thought of her having a new beautiful baby in her arms kept her going ever day after Johns death. Elizabeth was so horrified with the news the doctor had given her she nearly fainted. She could not stay in town any longer. There were too many people in the town like Parris and Abigail she could just not deal with seeing anymore and the majority of her close friends had died in the Witch Trials. She felt in necessary to leave. Her and her younger sister had been keeping in touch through letters. She lived about 5 hours away from Elizabeth by buggy. Elizabeth had explained all the hardships that her and her children were going through. The two of them decided that it would be best if Elizabeth brought the children and moved in with Lillian. Lillian’s husband had a very good job so he could support them as well as Lillian and the two children of their own. Directly after the death of her baby she and the children packed up and left town. They hadn’t told anyone where they were going. Elizabeth knew they would never see these people again once they left so she didn’t think it was needed to let them know where she was going. Elizabeth and the children tied their two horses up to the buggy, brought all of their belongings and rode away from the town in the dead of night. It was a hard journey but she knew that a better life would be waiting for them with Lillian and her Family.

The trip was bitterly cold and seemed to go on forever. She knew it was worth it when they arrived to Lillian’s smug home at the break of dawn. As she unloaded all of their belongings from the buggy she just watched smoke puff up from the chimney and sensed the peacefulness of their new town. The sun was rising and she could tell that this would a new begging for them. From this point on she knew things would get better. She was determined to have a fresh start. She would leave all of her troubles and try to move on and be happy once again. She couldn’t remember the last time she had smiled. But at that moment when she was standing in front of her sister’s home with her children and taking in the serenity of the dawn breaking she couldn’t help but smile.

6 months later Elizabeth and her family were completely settled in. They had moved from Lillian’s home and gotten their very own. They had a wonderful time with them but Elizabeth felt she was back on her feet and could live alone again. They stayed in the town just a few houses away so that Lillian could help out Elizabeth with the children. Lillian’s husband Mathew gave Elizabeth a job on his farm. It was highly unusual to employee women but he made an exception since Elizabeth was his sister-in-law. The boys went to school and would go to their aunt Lillian’s to wait for their mom to come home every day.  She could support her family all on her own and they attended church every Sunday. Elizabeth and the boys finally had a daily routine now and things were finally in order. She was finally to the point that she had been waiting for. She didn’t have to cry herself to sleep anymore or wonder when things would be better. Elizabeth no longer needed to put on a happy face for her children because she actually was. She was finally genuinely happy. It had been a long and hard journey to get to this point but they had finally made it. Elizabeth was a stronger woman because of all the things that had happened to her in the last two years.  She had never given up and was ready for whatever else God had in store for her.

Crucible Essay

     The Salem Witch Trials was a very tragic event displayed in The Crucible. Many innocent people were accused of being witches and died as a result. Many people influenced the Salem Witch Trials. The three people that had the greatest impact on them were Abigail Williams,  Judge Danforth, and Mary Warren.

     Abigail Williams influenced the Salem Witch trials a great deal. She manipulated everyone in the town a great deal. If it weren't for her and the other girls dancing in the woods and conjuring spirits witch craft would have never even be mentioned in the town. Abigail took control very early on in the play. She made it very clear to all the girls that they were to say that they danced in the woods and nothing else. She felt it very necessary to lie since she did much more than dancing in the woods. "And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word about the other things, and i will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy recognising that will shudder you" (20). She had control over the town through fear. She installed fear in the girls by threatening each of them with death. Not only did she intimidate only the girls but the town as well. They all feared she would accuse them of witchery and she would have their lives as a result. She would accuse innocent people in order to keep the blame away from herself. As soon as someone would doubt her she would take the focus away from her and project it onto  someone else. An example of this was in Act 3 in the court room when Mary Warren confessed that the devil never came to her and nobody was ever seen with him. As soon as the judges asked Abigail if this was true she quickly made a scene and made it look like Mary Warrens spirit was coming after her. She would lie and make it seem like she was doing this for God but in reality she was doing this to save herself. Abigail Williams had the largest impact of every one in the entire play.

      In addition to Abigail Williams, Judge Danforth played a big ole in the Salem Witch Trials. He had the power to stop Abigail  and take control in order to make the town normal again. But he chose not to. "They're gulling you, Mister"( 117)! Proctor tried to show Danforth multiple times that the girls were lying. Danforth didn't stop for a moment to doubt the girls. He believed every single word that Abigail told him. By doing this so many innocent  people were harmed. If he has only seen the truth in Abigail and the other girls lies the situation could have easily been resolved.

     Lastly, the third person that had a large impact on the Salem Witch Trials was Mary Warren. Through out the entire play her actions showed that she was a follower. But if someone who was a follower like Mary Warren was in that situation you would think that they would stand up and take charge to save innocent lives. For a moment in the court house she held the power. She confessed to the judges that it had all been a lie and they had never seen the Devil. She felt threat end though and quickly ran back to Abigail's side. "You're the Devil's man"(118)! She accused proctor of threatening her and coming to her in the night with the Devil. If she had only stayed truthful and exposed the girls the outcome of the play would have been completely different.

     The Witch Trials was an unnecessary event. It could have been avoided or at least the death tole could have been much lower. If certain people reacted differently then the outcome could have been altered. In conclusion, the three people who played the biggest role were Abigail Williams, Judge Danforth, and Mary Warren.

Crucible Post 2

     To be willing to deny what you believe in or lie to protect yourself is a hard decision. Ideally what you should do is stand up for your beliefs and not let what anyone else says phase you. But often that is not what people do. Many people in life are cruel. Your first instinct is usually to protect yourself. If you arn't the same or think something different then people can tease you or make you feel like an outsider. Those are not things that one wants for themselves so they would obviously try to avoid those consequences at all costs. Some people will say they would stand up for what they think no matter what but if they were put into that situation it is most likely that they would lie.  If someone stands up to others to defend their beliefs they are very brave. Most people do not react the same way.
    
     Personally, I would probably lie to protect myself. I wish that I could say I would stand up for what I thought no matter how other people reacted to it but in reality I would probably not. The fear of being an outsider or being made fun of is very large. If I had control over myself being accepted by others I would obviously choose to be accepted rather than an outsider.  If it was something small that I would not be willing to put up a fight for I would  lie about it then. If I felt very strongly about something or if I was asked about my religon I wouldnt lie becuase things like that are important to me. And just becasue others would judge me about it I would still say what I thought. For the most part I would do everything in my power to protect myslef unless it was something I really cared about then I would just hope people accept me for my opinion.

Crucible Post 1

    Much of how people operated  during this time period and even now was and is based on power. Whoever held the most power basically determines who is in control. In the beginning of act one Parris mainly had all the power. He was the Reverend of the church so  many people respected him. He was the only one there who had any title in the church so he had the highest ranking. Reverend Parris obviously had a lot of power since he was so concerned about it and his ministry even more than his daughter that could be dying. You could also tell that Parris held most of the power by how he acted. He often gave orders. For example, when he wanted Tituba to leave the room in the begging he just yelled at her. He constantly questioned Abigail and she was obligated to answer to him. He defiantly tried to control the room.
    Towards the end of act one the power in the room changed. Before Reverend Parris held most of the power but when Reverend Hale arrived it quickly shifted to him. He was much more skilled in the field of witch craft then Reverend Parris was. Hale had killed a witch in Beverly so the people were eagerly awaiting for his arrival in hope that he could deal with the girls situation in a more productive way. Reverend Hale could determine if what was causing Betty’s illness was related to witch craft or not. Parris was not as experienced in witchcraft so he could be less of a help. For Hale to come see Betty and the other girls was necessary so they could deal with what had happened. Since they were all counting on him he held most of the power. In the beginning of act one the majority of the power was owned by Reverend Parris but by the end it had been handed over to Reverend Hale.

Sinners Follow Up Post

     If people today had been preached the same sermon that was given in 1741 the reaction could be different. People would still be very terrified after hearing Hell described to such an extent. And it would still be horrible to hear someone say that God held so much hatred toward all the people on Earth. One aspect of the sermon that would not change was how unsettling and troubling it was to everyone who herd it.One difference would be that the sermon would probably be taken a lot less seriously than it was taken in 1741. Today it would probably be dismissed by many and they would just assume it was some crazy minister. Many ministers and preachers deliver sermons by yelling so even though the message being given had great intensity and and disturbing content it would probably be not taken as seriously. Living in this time period the people have herd all sorts of different opinions and points of view to religion. They have also been educated enough to create their own opinions of religion. Back then they probably basically had the same view and there was only one small church in the whole town. So for their one and only minister to be telling them all these horrible things it would leave a big impact on them. If the same sermon was given in this time period it would still be very disturbing but it would not be as popular or taken as seriously.

"Sinners in the hands of an angry God" Post

  

     This video is about the sermon that terrified the people of New England. It was given by Jonathan Edwards on July 8^th, 1741. The sermon  he delivered is by far the most famous one that has ever been preached. The people who he preached it to were terrified. It left many people with new thoughts and changed the way of American life forever. The sermon created a lot of controversy.  After Jonathan Edwards gave the sermon many people were very intimidated by him. It changed many people’s view and forced them to look at Christianity in a new way.

      People were obviously very scared of this sermon and effected by it.  The video led me to believe that the sermon was about the intense wrath of God and what he was capable of. Jonathan probably spoke about all about the punishments that one could receive by not acting correctly.I also think he was describing Hell to such an extent that it frightened people a great amount. He was trying to awake the people and to show them that nothing should be taken for granite. Hell was a place that they did not want to end up in. By reading this sermon in his mind he believed he was doing everyone a large favor. I think that the sermon would also include a lecture about sinners and how they deserve to go to Hell. He was probably telling the people that by sinning it would send you to Hell so they had complete control on where they would up. The sermon given by Jonathan Edwards left a large impact on the people of New England.