The Rock Machine
By Triston Li


The sun shined down on the cool autumn floor. The leaves rustled as the wind blew. Takasu was going to meet his favorite scientist! It was Dr. Cheese Einstein! Takasu’s heart pumped rapidly as he raced towards the laboratory, with is backpack thumping on his back. Dr. Cheese sent him a letter inviting him to his lab to try out a new invention, and Takasu couldn’t wait to do so.
He reached the door, panting hardly, trying to catch his breath. He rang the doorbell, and a loud bang came from inside. Takasu busted the door open to find himself in front of a huge mess. Broken test tubes were on the ground, and chemicals were everywhere.
“Wow! What happened here?! Are you okay?!” squeaked Takasu as he began to pelt the scientist with questions.
“Oh, I’m just really clumsy today!” said Dr. Cheese as he began to clean up the shattered glass from the floor with his paws.
“Don’t clean it with your paws! Here, I’ll help!” said Takasu as he reached for the broom in the far corner.
Takasu began to sweep up the glass. After about 30 minutes, they were finished cleaning up. “So, what is the invention you wanted me to test?” said Takasu.
“Well, I hope you like this.” said Dr. Cheese, as he led Takasu to a room with glass windows so you could see the room from the hall, with the works Rock Machine written on the top of it. “This machine simulates real natural weather, so that we can speed up the process of weathering,, erosion, etcetera, so that we can study the changes without waiting thousands of years. We can see the rock cycle easily. Simple as that.”
“Cool! Wait, then how do I test it?” asked Takasu.
“Well, I want you to try and see if the machine works, and I want you to stay over and record what happens to the rock, like any physical weathering, or chemical weathering.”
“Okay, but what if I get hungry later on? What will I eat? What if I have to go to the bathroom?” Takasu asked as he started to panic a little.
“Oh, you can use the bathroom that is around the corner down there. Also, I’ll order you 3 dozens of Buffalo wings! How’s that?” said Dr. Cheese.
“Really?! Wow! Awesome! How did you know I love them?!” said Takasu excitedly.
“Oh, you wrote that essay about yourself in the résumé you sent me.” said Dr. Cheese.
“Oh yeah, I remember now!” said Takasu as he reached for a stool to sit on. He took put his notebook from his backpack and a pencil. Then, Takasu asked “Wait, is this an igneous rock, sedimentary rock, or metamorphic rock?”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you that.” said Dr. Cheese. “It’s an igneous rock.”
“Oh, okay.” said Takasu. “Well we should get started now.”
Takasu’s tail curled around the stool’s legs, and he watched as Dr. Cheese turned on the bulky machinery on. Takasu heard a loud rumble and the river in the room began moving. Dark cloud formed near the roof, and the thunder roared inside the room, just like real thunder. Rain poured down the rock, soaking it. Then, the air suddenly became freezing, freezing the water and turning it into ice. Parts of the rock fell off, and the rain turned into hail now. Takasu watched, amazed that such a machine could be created. He started scribbling notes on how the rock was going through physical weathering, and how it was also going through erosion.
The sediment from the rock then was in the process of transportation, where it was carried by the river. Eventually, the rain stopped and the river slowed down. Takasu could see the small, little bits of sediment drop down, and he recalled that this process was called deposition. Then, all of a sudden, Takasu could here a loud bang. The machine roared, and Dr. Cheese had to scream “The pressure just kicked in!”
Takasu nodded, even though he didn’t know what he was talking about. He glued his eyes to the room to make sure he didn’t miss anything. Then, He knew what he meant. The layers of sediment began compressing, and compressing.
After about 5 minutes of the compressing, the layers of sediment turned into sedimentary rock. “Oh! I know what’s going to happen now! The rock is going to turn into metamorphic rock!” squeaked Takasu. The pressure turned off, and he saw a glow under the rock. He felt the heat rising, and the rock was glaring red.
Takasu’s belly growled. He was hungry. The, the doorbell rang. “It’s the Buffalo wings!” thought Takasu. Dr. Cheese answered the door, and he paid for the wings. He brought them to Takasu, and he quickly wolfed them down. Then, he continued his study on the rocks.
Takasu could see that the rocks have changed color, and Dr. Cheese told him that they were metamorphic rocks now. Then, the heat shut down, and magma poured onto the rock after the water drained away. “This lava is from The Volcano. Takasu remembered his visit to the volcano, and he then began wondering if he could have seen this exact lava when he looked down the volcano.
The rock in the room began to melt, and Takasu took out his rock cycle diagram. He traced the path that the rock has taken, and he was glad that he had recorded the whole process. He couldn’t record everything by taking notes!
The machine’s growl slowed down and Dr. Cheese told him that the experiment had concluded.
“Well, I had a great time working with you” said Takasu.
“Me too” said Dr. Cheese.
The two mice shook hands.
“Here is the tape of the process” said Takasu.
“Thanks. Oh, I have something for you, by the way” said Dr. Cheese. He reached into his cabinet and took out a medal. “This is the medal I got for finding that water’s formula was H2O.”
Takasu gasped in amazement. “Really?! Are you sure?”
“Yes” confirmed Dr. Cheese. “You deserve this for you commitment to science.”
“Thank you so much!” said Takasu. He was electrified with excitement.
Dr. Cheese put the medal around Takasu’s neck and they shook hands. Takasu looked at the time. It was late.
“Well, I got to go now. I hope we can work together again sometime” said Takasu.
“Okay! See you soon!” called Dr. Cheese as Takasu ran out the door.
“Bye!” squeaked Takasu as he ran. The night was dark and gloomy, but the stars in the sky was enough light to show the path home. Takasu’s feet moved quickly across the forest floor, with Takasu swiftly dodging the trees in front of him. Then, he began to see his house. He couldn’t wait to tell his mom what had happened…

Layers of the Earth
By Triston Li

Have you ever wondered what the earth is made up of? Well, it’s made up of 4 main layers; the inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust. The crust is the solid layer we live on. The mantle, which is right beneath the crust, is mainly hot rock. The outer core is liquid, and the inner core is solid.
What are the layers of the earth? - The layers of the earth the inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust. The crust is the solid layer we live on, and makes up 3% of our planets volume, and is around 25 mile deep. The crust is made up of oceanic crust and continental crust. Oceanic crust is the crust under the oceans, and continental crust is the crust found where continents are (continents are on/are the continental crust. The average temperature of the crust is 60°F. The mantle is the layer beneath the crust, and is made up of the lithosphere, athenosphere, and lower mantle. It is about 1,790 miles deep. The lithosphere is mainly rock, and is much like the crust. The athenoshpere is under the lithosphere, and is above 2200°F. It is capable of flowing, and is moved by convection currents (results in sea floor spreading). The lower mantle, which is under the athenosphere, is in the form of a liquid (magma), which is also capable of flowing with convection currents, just like the athenosphere. The core makes up 33% of earths mass. The core is made up of two parts; the inner and outer core. The outer core is in a fluid state, which give’s earth its magnetic field. The outer core is about 1300 miles deep. The inner core is solid, even though the temperature is above 10,800°F due to the pressure pushed on the inner core.
What are the layers made of? – Each of the layers of the earth are made of a type of material. The crust is made of all kinds of rocks, from basalt, to granite. The lithosphere is made of hard rocks, similar to the crust. The athenosphere and lower mantle is made of rocks in a liquid form, or magma. The inner and outer core are made of iron and nickel, even though the outer core is liquid, and the inner core is solid.
How do the layers of the earth effect our lives?- The layers of the earth effect our lives greatly, but much of the effect may not be very easy to notice. Convection currents in the mantle cause sea floor spreading, and continental drift. Sea floor spreading happens in the ocean, where magma from the mantle comes up and cools, forming new rock in the mid-ocean ridge, and moving a huge “conveyer belt” carrying the continents. This forms continental drift. Then they collide with other large landmasses, crumpling their edges together, causing mountain building to occur. Volcanoes are created when a tectonic plate sinks, burning and melting, and forming a volcano, which effects our lives greatly. Volcanoes may create new land, create rich soil, or destroy almost everything in a 10 mile radius when it erupts.
In conclusion, the layers of the earth are the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core, and each of them are divers in their own way. The layers affect us in many ways, and we cope with them to survive. These factors make our planet a greater beauty than it already is.

What’s the truth about Atlantis?
By Triston Li


Have you ever heard of Atlantis? Well, Atlantis was an island that was supposedly located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It was said to be one of the biggest continents in the world, and sank in just one day and night in 9000 B.C. Plato, a Greek philosopher, got everyone to begin to brood about the island Atlantis. He tried to persuade people to believe him, but many didn’t believe him. He wrote of Atlantis as a place of beauty and advanced technology, such as the invention of the wheel and other inventions that influence our lives today. Many people have argued that Atlantis did not ever exist, and many argue it did.
Kendall Haven, author of the book Wonders of the Sea, states that Atlantis could not have existed. He says “There is no direct evidence to prove Atlantis existed. There are no artifacts, no written records, no land, and no sites to catalog. Kendall declares that “The mid-Atlantic shelf is 5,000 to 8,000 feet deep. There is no evidence of any massive shift in the Earth’s crust over the last 15,000 years that could have caused this shelf to form.” He is saying that there are no primary sources. The only secondary source is Plato’s writings.
Robert Sarmast, a person interviewed by National Geographic for one of their articles, said that Atlantis existed, but just not where Plato described it to be. He mentioned that there have been some recent pictures that show an underwater island near Cyprus that has walls, canals, and a temple hill, just like how Plato described it to be. The map of this underwater island is almost exactly the same as what Plato portrayed it to be. Robert suggests that “It just can’t be a coincidence.”
If you would ask me if I think Atlantis existed, I would say “Yes, I think it existed”. When I read about Robert Sarmast and the pictures, it really convinced me. Also, Plato was a philosopher (philosophy-study of general and fundamental problems), not a fiction writer. Why would he just begin writing about a fictional place? Also, the pictures of the island are basically what Plato characterized Atlantis be. This is why I think Atlantis is real.
All in all, Atlantis is a mysterious place. Heated debate has been focused on this island, and we may not find the truth until much later. Kendall says it’s not real, but on the other hand, Robert says it is. I think it existed. You might not. Whether you think it existed or not, for now, no one is right or wrong.

Pledge of Allegiance

My essay is all about why I am well-pleased to Pledge of Allegiance to our flag. I also will aim to get you to understand why the Pledge is so meaningful to our country. In addition, I will also try to get you to understand why I am so proud to say the pledge.
The pledge is a very significant part of how we express loyalty to our country and our flag. The pledge means to me as a way to show that you are promising to be true to the United States and a way of showing that we are one country (“One nation”), standing together, unable to be separated (“indivisible”), and also symbolizes our love and commitment to our magnificent, free country. It also tells about the liberty and justice we all share (“liberty and justice for all.”). The flag is not just a piece of cloth. It symbolizes our country, and by pledging your loyalty to it, is pledging loyalty to the U.S.
I am proud to pledge to our flag. I am proud because I sense that the pledge shows others that I am dedicated to my country; that I will not turn my back on it and that we all are one, we are a unification of every human being living in our country.
In conclusion, the pledge is something very important to our country. I hope you understand why it is so important now. I also hope that you know now why I am so proud to pledge allegiants to the flag.

The Volcano
By Triston Li

“We are studying volcanoes for this unit. I want all of you to go to a volcano before and after it erupts, and I want you to write a report on it. It will be due next Friday, which is a week from now. Remember to use your vocabulary words! Remember that you should label if the volcano is a shield, cinder cone, or composite volcano!” said Mrs. Jesse, our Science teacher. My class groaned. “This sounds fun!” Takasu thought to himself. “Though, how am I going to know when the volcano would erupt?”
The bell rang and the class left the science classroom to go to our next period classroom.
Later that day, Takasu walked to The Volcano to start doing my project. The huge volcano stood in front of him, making Takasu look tiny in comparison. A breeze blew lightly as Takasu scurried around the enormous volcano. Takasu then also wondered if the volcano would erupt in time for him to finish his report. He ran closer to it for a better look. He observed that there were many cracks in the earth, or fissures, on the surface around the volcano. Takasu could see a bit of lava flowing out, letting him know that the volcano was an active volcano.
“Good thing” Takasu thought in his head. “Now I know it’s not a dormant volcano or an extinct volcano! That’s good, because then, I know I don’t have to wait too long for an eruption.” He looked up the volcano and observed the volcano’s crater. It looked very large, telling him that it has erupted a countless amount of times, where it has built up from cooled lava.
Takasu ran up the volcano to see if he could look over the cone and see the magma. When he reached the top, he was dazzled by the size of the crater to the volcano. It was huge, like the size of ten school buses put end to end across. Takasu could feel the heat come up and brush his whiskers as he leaned over to look down. He also concluded that the volcano was a cinder cone volcano after looking in his science textbook for a while and comparing the descriptions and pictures to the volcano. Takasu saw a vent with smoke and ash with some lava pouring out. “It must be near to erupting!” Takasu squeaked excitedly.
After admiring the volcano for a while, he walked back down to go home. While walking he observed many things that were valuable to his report. He saw a huge volcanic neck stinking out of the ground, making him laugh because it looked a lot like a tooth. He saw a dike near the volcanic neck, and decided to walk along it. He even saw a batholith, and he referred to his science textbook and learned that it formed when a large body of magma cooled inside the crust. He also found that this volcano (specifically) was formed when the island drifted over a hot spot beneath the earth’s crust. Another thing he found in his textbook was that the volcano he was looking at created an island arc, which is where he actually lives. Behind Takasu, he heard a large boom. Takasu thought it was the volcano, but he soon figured out that it was just a geyser when water flew all over him. Then, he saw a sill. It wasn’t high, only about two feet, so he jumped down to go home. He quickly ran home and began working on his report.
Takasu worked for two hours, only stopping for a bit of dinner, which was corn and bread, his favorite, but he only had a nibble because he really wanted to work on his report. He even drew a picture of the volcano, but had to imagine where the pipe and magma chamber was because he couldn’t see them. He was finished with the first part of his report. “Now, I just need to wait for the volcano to erupt…” Takasu thought, slowly drifting to sleep.
After waking up to a sunny day, with birds chirping, it turned out that the volcano erupted! Takasu was really excited, so he quickly got out of bed and got dressed, and hurried to the volcano.
He looked around. The whole area was covered in black ash. “Wow, the landscape totally changed!” he said amazed by how one eruption could change such a large area of land. He believed that the eruption had a pyroclastic flow occur, but it was okay because the volcano was far from any towns. Rocks covered the ground all around the volcano. Takasu looked up at the top of the volcano. It turned out that the volcano blew its top, breaking part of the volcanoes crater off! The vents were pouring out lava rapidly, but the lava, which moved slowly, soon cooled down into rock. He remembered that the cooler lava that moved slowly was called aa, instead of the faster moving, hotter lava called pahoehoe. Takasu also inferred that the lava must have had high silica content, making it move slowly and have a high viscosity level. He also remembered that viscosity was a physical property, instead of a chemical property. Takasu also remembered that silica was a compound, and not an element, because it was made up of the elements oxygen and silicon. “I better not stand on the lava flow! I would burn myself!” thought Takasu as he dashed around the lava flow cautiously, careful not to burn his paw. He then took a peek in his textbook and learned that he had experienced geothermal activity, like when he saw the geyser spray out the water in a long vertical stream.
He ran home to record his finding, but on the way, Takasu wondered if the volcano would one day turn into a caldera. He thought that it would be nice, with water filling it up and making a small, little lake. “Such a pleasant scene!” thought Takasu as he walked. When Takasu got home, he began to work on his project again. He typed up his report and printed it out. “A day of hard work.” said Takasu as he got into bed for school the next day.

Weather Instruments

-What is a weather measuring instrument? 1. A weather measuring instrument is an instrument used to measure or predict weather. They are the barometer, thermometer, hygrometer, anemometer, wind vane, and rain gauge. A barometer measures air pressure inches. A thermometer measures temperature by degrees. A hydrometer (which consists of a dry bulb and wet bulb) is used to measure humidity, which is measured in percentage. An anemometer is used to measure wind force, which is measured in knots, miles per hour (mph), or meters per second (mps). A wind vane shows the direction the wind is blowing from. It is determined by the directions: north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest. A rain gauge measures the amount of rainfall, which is measured in millimeters.
-How do these instruments work? 1. Each weather measuring instrument has its own unique way of working. A barometer works by using a steel capsule where the air is compressed (vacuum). As air pressure increases, the air presses on the capsule, causing a mechanism to move a needle that is attached to the display. A thermometer works by using mercury or alcohol (mainly alcohol) that expands when temperatures increase, and contracts when temperature decreases. 3. A hydrometer works by using a wet bulb and dry bulb. The wet bulb is wet (obviously) and the dry bulb is dry. Evaporation causes the wet bulb’s temperature to drop, showing a temperature lower than the dry bulb. Then, you must use a calculation table that compares the temperature given off by the dry bulb to the difference in temperature between the two bulbs. If we were talking about the mechanical hydrometer, it uses hair that contracts and expands as the result of the humidity in the air. That’s why you get bad hair days on humid ones! 2. An anemometer measures wind force by using a propeller that wind blows on. As the wind blows, it measures the speed of the rotations of the blades/cups, which is the wind speed. A wind vane works by turning to the direction the wind is blowing from because of its shape. A rain gauge works by capturing rain. As the water rises, the measurement of the water increases. It is measured in millimeters.
-Where can you find these instruments? 1. Weather measuring instruments can be found everywhere! You can find them at weather stations, because they use them to measure the weather for the public. You can find them at homes and offices because people use them to see what the weather is so they know what to wear when they go outside. You can also find at schools because they may be used for science. They may be used to track the changes in the weather. Also, stores sell them to the general public, and many can be found on the internet.
-Who invented these instruments? 2. Many scientists worked hard to invent the weather instruments we use today. The barometer was invented by Torricelli in 1644. He filled a glass tube with mercury, and as air pressure increased, the air pushed the mercury up the tube. As air pressure decreased, the air lightened its push on the mercury and the mercury fell down the bar. The thermometer was invented by Galieo in the sixteenth century. He filled a long glass flask with mercury and sealed at one end. As the temperature increased, the mercury expanded. As temperature decreased, the mercury contracted. The hydrometer was invented by Leonardo da Vinci in the 1400s. The first barometer invented that used hair was made by Horace Benedict de Saussure in 1783. The anemometer was invented by Leon Alborti in the 1450s. He used a disk with cups that rotated to see how hard the wind was blowing. The weather vane was invented by Vikings in the 900s. King Muhjong (king of Korea) invented the rain gauge. He ordered people to dig a hole in the ground to measure the rain fall in order to know how much to tax farmers each year.
-Why do people use these instruments? 4. Most of the time, weather instruments are used to predict weather or to know what the weather is. They are used at weathers stations because they need to know what the weather is in order to report it to the public. Using weather instruments is very important. Have you heard about the accidents when extreme weather comes into play? With weather instruments, we can easily predict the weather. They can save people from disasters, such as tornadoes, or hurricanes. Maybe even an average snow storm may have the potential to harm people! Weather instruments can help people like farmers, sailors, and pilots avoid injures, such as accidentally flying into or in a storm, going out to sea when a storm is approaching, or help farmers know when to take in their hay because, wet hay is no use! Weather instruments also help the economy. When we can predict the weather and get everyone to safety before a disaster, than that means that there are no to very little people injured, which means the town/state/country doesn’t need to pay people to take care or help the people because nobody needs help. The money saved can go to the repairs of the houses and buildings. Also, because we can use weather instruments to predict weather, we can get people ready for weather extremes.
In conclusion, this has been my Weather Instruments essay.

ELA Essay Final Period 5

Computer Safety

“What is computer safety?” some would ask. Well, computer safety is basically staying safe on the computer, online and/or offline. The internet is a virtual world ran by thousands of people, filled with security threats, as well as privacy treats.
So what is the reason to stay safe on the computer? Many security threats target your computer, capable of destroying your computer and rendering it useless without the proper defenses. Software called “malware” and steal information, such as credit card numbers, your address, passwords, and even your Social Security Number! Also, people can trick you, or scam you online, since they can hide behind the bright computer screen. Without ever needed to see your face, they can get away guilt free. People can also deceive you and act like/be anyone they want online.
“Malware,” or commonly called “computer viruses,” are types of software that have proved to be one of the most dangerous, yet productive, security threats in the world. For instance, right now, there are thousands of computers infected with malware, their users unaware that their computer is/has been infected. Malware comes in three forms; virus, trojan, and worm. A virus acts just like the viruses that give you colds, diseases, etc. They infect files and continue to multiply, sometimes at such large numbers that your computer may even crash! Viruses are even capable of opening “backdoors,” so people called “hackers” can access your files. Trojans are programs that disguise themselves as a “good,” or “safe” file, such as an .mp3 file, game, or innocent wallpaper. These trojans cannot “reproduce,” or multiply, but can/will act just like a virus. Worms are malware that spread by accessing your email address book, and then sending themselves to other people, so that when they open the email, they’ll get an unsuspecting surprise. Worms also act like viruses, but spread differently.
Hackers are people who use weaknesses in a network or computer system and then exploit them, using them to their advantage. They usually have their own personal motivations, such as profit, protest, etc. But you have to understand that there are three types of hackers. Black hat hackers are the ones who do it for their personal advantage maliciously. Some say they should be called “crackers” instead of “hackers” because they usually “crack” into a system, or do something known as “cracking” a password to gain access to restricted areas. They do not have permission to access these areas, so it is considered an illegal act (crime). White hat hackers are people who use weaknesses, or they to find weaknesses in a network or computer system in order to improve its security. They find security problems and try to fix them, or at least bring attention to them.
So how exactly can you protect yourself from malware? For a start, you could get Antivirus software on your computer. Antiviruses scan files on your computer for virus signatures, so that they can detect viruses and remove them. There are many different Antiviruses, and some are free, so go look on the internet for one (that’s trusted, because you don’t want a Trojan). Another way you can protect yourself is to never go on sites you do not trust, and make sure the site has a good reputation. “Dangerous” sites can force you to download malware, or lead you to inappropriate sites. You can see a site’s reputation by using a “site advisors” found around the web. One last way to stay safe is to never open an email attachment unless you are sure that the person meant to send it. This is a way to make sure that you do not download a worm, because worms can send themselves to others without the user knowing.
What is “privacy” on the internet? Well, being private on the internet is just not exposing personal information on the web. There are many ways to stay private. For example, you should not use your real name for your username, since this allows everyone to know your name. Also, you shouldn’t ever tell anyone where you live; it exposes your location, and allows people to track you down. Another way to stay private is to not show pictures or videos with you in it, because it allows strangers to know how you look. Lastly, don’t put too much detail in your posts online. If you said “I go to the ______ mall every weekend,” it allows people to know where you generally live and where you will be on a given date. Violations of these “rules” can result in a serious consequence, such as identity theft. Strangers would know your name, have a photo of you, know where you live, etc. This all sounds scary, because it truly is. The internet isn’t the safest place you can go. Remember, whenever you post some personal information online, you are taking a gamble/risk.
In conclusion, I hope you know what it means to stay safe on a computer, what malware is, and what staying private on the computer/internet means. It’s important to your safety, as well as others. Staying safe helps safe you and people close to you a lot of time and trouble. Also, I hope you have learned something new today!

Ronald Regan

Ronald Regan was an actor, governor, and was the 40th president of the United States. He was drafted in the army and appeared in more than 50 movies. Throughout the 20th century, he worked hard and tried many careers, ranging from a radio sports announcer to becoming the president. This caused him to become very famous, especially because he was the president of the nation.
Regan was born in February 6, 1911, in the village of Tampico, Illinois, where at the age nine, moved to the city of Dixon in Illinois. He attended Eureka College, and became a sports announcer after graduating. In 1937, he was asked to act as a radio announcer in a movie, which jump started his career in movie production/acting. Regan moved to California, and began to appear in more and more films, over 50 of them! He later married Jane Wyman, who had two children with him.
In 1939, Germany and Japan’s ambitions led to World War 2, where Ronald was drafted in the United States army, but because of his nearsightedness, he was not deployed. He helped create instructional films for the military instead.
In 1948, Regan and Wyman began to have conflicts. It is unclear on what caused the conflict, but soon lead to a divorce between the two in the June of 1948. Regan went on four years later and married another actor named Nancy Davis, who was there to stay with him for the rest of his life. They had two more children.
Later, Ronald began to take a political turn, where he began to actively support campaigns, also which led him to become a Republican. He ran for Governor of California, where he succeeded and served two terms. This is where his path to becoming president starts.
During 1980, depression began to take a toll on the nation, causing debt to rise. Regan was an optimistic, promising man, bursting with confidence, who seemed to be the perfect person to become the President. He ran for President, and won against President Jimmy Carter.
President Ronald’s first term didn’t start off great. He was shot when exiting the Washington hotel, where his heart narrowly missed the bullet. He survived, and even joked about it. When his wife went to the hospital, he said “Honey, I forgot to duck.” During this term, he cut taxes, caused people to lower their reliance on the government, and also increased the nation’s defenses.
During Regan’s second term, things still weren’t very bright for the president. He found that his nation had giving up weapons in trade of the release of hostages in Iraq. Unfortunately, at the time, his memory had already begun to become unclear, and accidentally denied that he knew anything about the trade. He later apologized and said it was “a mistake.”
After severing the two terms as president, Regan retired, and was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the disease that messed with his memory during his second term. Ronald’s memory, as well as his health, slowly deteriorated. In the end, he passed away on June 4th, 2004, at the age of 93.

Stem Cell Research must have been on of the most amazing things to happen in medical science. And it is also a great example of equivalent exchange.

Stem cells are undecided cells without a job; well, not yet, at least. They’re like a college student. They have potential to study/become someone in whatever profession they want, but haven’t fully decided/finished studying the course. These stem cells are the same. They can become almost about any cell the human body has, but hasn’t become that cell yet.

There are two types of stem cells:

-Adult Stem Cells

These stem cells are more common in the human body, but have a restricted number of cell types they can become.

-Embryonic Stem Cells

This cells are found in the human Blastocyst (embryo), and are able to turn into a large variety of cells found in the human body. They are a higher tier in the stem cell family, able to multiply faster than an average stem cell and more likely to be accepted by the body.

I haven’t even started to describe the many uses of stem cells. From having the ability to cure some cancers to helping a person recover from a spinal cord injury, stem cells are the gateway to curing some of the most deadly diseases that threaten humans. They can be used for bone marrow transplants, to treat blood, and to cure heart disease, in both children and adults. They can also cure blood disorders, such as leukemia, pearson syndrome, and sickle cell. Sickle cell is especially relatable because I have thalassemia, an alternate form of sickle cell.

[Embryonic] stem cells are great because they can help treat many diseases, are self renewing (multiply into other stem cells) and can be made from leftover embryos, so they don’t meet a fate of becoming laboratorial garbage.

So, stem cells sound like a “Too good to be true!” deal, right? Well, it is. In order to harvest embryonic stem cells (used more often than adult stem cells) embryos must be sacrificed. In other words, these stem cells are created with the destruction of the human embryo; to put it in simple terms, abortion.

Wow. If you put it as abortion, you’d make it sound really bad. Because it is; are you willing to sacrifice one life to save another? Some people bring up the point that embryos have the potential to become life, but aren’t yet fully alive, and therefore killing them is impossible. On the other hand, most people find abortion morally wrong and consider it another degree of ‘murder.’ Although I don’t think it’s murder, I think it is somewhat wrong that you need to use a human to create stem cells. And on the point of cheating nature- I do not feel that using science to save lives in any way cheating; I just think that trying to clone/bring someone back after death is more so going against nature and how life is supposed to work. Death is something that’s accepted; but before it happens, you should do whatever it takes to prevent it. Back on topic- I think they should use alternate ways of collecting stem cells. And there are alternatives, including altering the DNA of a regular cell to a stage when it acted like a stem cell, by reprogramming a adult stem cell to make it act more like a embryonic stem cell, etc.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a definite opinion on the subject matter, since it is still a new type of medical treatment, but I will agree that it has its own ups and downs.

After looking at the situation, it’s brought up how much it relates to the show “Fullmetal Alchemist” where in order to gain something, something of equal value is lost. But there’s one important note; can you measure the worth of someone’s life?

Citiations:
http://www.explorestemcells.co.uk/stemcellcontroversy.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JTw2RpDo9o&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF2iXpoG5j8
http://aphroditei.hubpages.com/hub/StemCellResearch

By the way! I haven’t brought up anything to do with religion because I don’t want to get involved in controversies!
P.S. My essay is a combination of all the articles/videos I watched, so I’ve re-written most to all the words. Only important notes here and there were put in the post to make it shorter. And also, opinions on the matter are not entirly mine, but I do give my own insight into each view.

My name is Triston Li and I was invited to attend the “8th Grade Humanities Enrichment Program.” As you already know, I am a very successful student in my school. Therefore, I have qualities that would benefit me in the program.
I possess properties such as being responsible, hardworking, and creative. I make sure I am always prepared for class, done with my homework, and on time, which shows responsibility. When I have a test, I make sure that I have studied almost everything I need to know. When I need to write and essay I try to give it my all and make it sound as unhurried and fluent as possible, putting effort and hard work into it. To top it off, I have an excessive amount of imagination and creativity, making me a person who loves to create things. I’ve made things from basic software programs and games, to stories, drawings, and music/songs. In fact, I’m part of the band “Project 46” (I write lyrics).
Fortunately, I am also an enthusiast of both English and Social Studies. Because this program focuses on these two subjects, the fact that I am a fan of them gives me another advantage. English is favored by me because it allows me to express feelings and tell stories through the many writings that have been required to be completed throughout the year. Also, English [class] allows me to read books in class, instead of on free time. The books we read open doors to discussion and help strengthen my understanding of literary devices, as well as careful discussion revolving around plot points and characters in a story. Social Studies also allows me to learn about people of the past who have contributed to making/shaping the world into the one we know today.
I am immensely eager for the 8th Grade Humanities Enrichment Program, as I see it as a way of developing my/homing my English and Social Studies skills and improve them so they are far past the level I am at today.

Triston Li 5/13/13
Application Essay

Music is a very influential factor to my daily mood. It helps me prepare for the day, help my blood get rushing, and helps me feel happier when I’m down. Music also serves the role as being my daily entertainment, due to me not being able to use the computer (unless for schoolwork) on weekdays. In addition, music boosts my creativity; when I hear music, I begin to think of the best places and situations it would fit in. It’s usually the inspiration to many of my [written] stories. But sometimes, music can be more than just entertainment.
“Last Train to Paradise” is a musical piece by KDrew. This song has greatly changed my outlook on life. Please refer to the lyrics below while reading this section of the essay. “Tonight we’re on the run, while we chase the morning sun, until our paradise is shown” represents how as a human, the only thing you can do is continue moving forward; to “chase the morning sun.” There isn’t much of a point to dwell in the past, and the future is where paradise lays. “Follow the echoes of your soul, to the edge and far beyond” refers to how you should believe in what you think is right; follow your heart and try to achieve your dreams. “No matter where you go, just make sure you go on the last train to paradise,” points out that no matter where you are in life and what you are doing, you should take whatever chance you have to reach your goal. In other words, take the train (chance) to paradise (goal/life you want).
Also songs cannot show feelings, they can remind us of times in life, and allow us to making feelings that coincide with the song. And when your feelings are harmonized with the song, you find inspiration and a message. “Last Train to Paradise” is extremely important to me. It has kept me going when I’ve felt horrible and sad. It’s been my inspiration for continuing to live and move on in life, instead of thinking about the times past. It has also told me that I should always strive to be the best; to get to my own paradise. Plus, there’s one very important message I got out of this song; be sure to be alive when you get on your train- your life is your ticket, and you paradise is your final destination.

Lyrics:
Tonight we're on the run
While we chase the morning sun
Until our paradise is shown
So we could live forever young.

Follow the echoes of your soul
To the edge and far beyond
But no matter where you go
Just be sure to make it on...

The last train to paradise
The last train to paradise
The last train to paradise
The last train to paradise

To paradise
The last train to

Tonight we're on the run
While we chase the morning sun
Until our paradise is shown
So we could live forever young.

Follow the echoes of your soul
To the edge and far beyond
But no matter where you go
Just be sure to make it on...

The last train to paradise
The last train to paradise
The last train to paradise
The last train to paradise

The last train to
To paradise.

Song Credits: “Last Train to Paradise” by KDrew
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/kdrewmusic/kdrew-last-train-to-paradise
Website: http://kdrewmusic.com/