Stress

Stress is defined as a mentally or emotionally disruptive influence. I believe anger is a form of stress that builds up over time, and is released in many forms. Stress can be caused by multiple people doing a number of things to anger you. It could be that you are going through a rough period in your life that may be causing you stress. Stress in it's extreme can kill you. That's why it is so important to learn how to handle stress and not let stress handle you. There are several inappropriate ways to handle stress, such as smoking, drug usage, overeating, arguing, fighting and drinking. One of the worse ways to handle stress in a negative way is to react in a violent way.

To handle stress in a positive way you should first, ignore people when they try to anger you, then you should try to go somewhere and cool down. Exercise is a great way to handle stress. Personally I handle stress by playing basketball in my driveway. You could also avoid the triggers of your stress, even if those things that stress you are people. You could meditate, learn a hobby, talk to a good friend and learn to laugh at things that you can't control.

Depending upon the way that you are taught to handle stress can determine the kind of person you will grow up to be. A child that lets the stresses of life beat down on him, becomes a teenage that can't handle anything. This kind of teen stays in trouble and doesn't do well in school or social situations. If this teen doesn't get help, he will grow up to be the kind of adult that doesn't accomplish anything good as an adult. He may drink to excess or beat up on people, but he will not be successful in life if he doesn't get any help. Conversely, the child that learns how to deal with stress constructively won't have any problems that he can't handle. He will make friends well and more than likely will be successful in everything that he sets out to do.

One of the biggest youth stress causes is peer-pressure. Another one is gender-bias. One of my biggest stresses is physical activities like doing a lot of chores or getting up at 6 a.m. in the morning to go to school. One kind of stress for males is who is the fastest runner or who gets the most girls. I think girls stress over who gets the most boys or who is the cutest looking girl.

In conclusion, stress can be defined as any obstacle in life that needs to be handled. Stress in some situations can't be avoided, so there are many ways both positively and negatively that people learn how to deal with it. Those who are taught positive methods to handle stress will be successful in life and those who don't handle stress well, will stay in all kinds of trouble.

Talking Equality Article

The article "Talking Equality" is about how Blacks and Latinos' scores are lacking on the PSSA, and how Whites and Asians are getting better grades on it. Philadelphia School District Superintendent Arlene Ackerman stated how Blacks and Latinos have severe disadvantages on the test, because of differences school system wide. Such differences refer to lack of books and a lack of equal disciplinary action among the various ethnic groups. "Poor" students are "up for grabs" because of their poor test performances. Blacks and Latinos are 24 points behind Whites and Asians in the Reading and Math sections on the PSSA.

Many teachers are decreasing their class sizes because their kids are not doing good on the PSSA. 59% of the students in the emotional support classes are mostly Black and Latino boys. The article says that Black males and Black females are both perform worse than Whites and Asians on the PSSA. Whites make up 12% of high school students, but 28% of those are in magnet schools. About 11% of Blacks and 10% of Latinos in high school are in Advance placement classes compared to 32% of Asians and 24% Whites. I think that is very bad and it proves that the school is failing Black and Latino students.

I agree that most Whites and Asians do well on the PSSA, but I disagree that Blacks don't do well on the PSSA, because of their intelligence level. Tests only measure how well you can tack test, no how smart you are. I only agree that most Whites perform better on the test, because they are given more access to resources and are given many more opportunities to apply what they learn than other groups do. I think that poor grades on the PSSA can be used to say that Blacks people are dumb and don't accomplish anything. I think when Black people think about it we can do anything and get good grades as well as score proficient or even advance on the PSSA or class tests if we were taught the same test taking skills and provided with the same resources that Whites and Asians do. Blacks and Latinos are having difficulties in class, but all we have to do is ask for help or do better work. I think the article should address different ways that can be used to motivate Blacks and Latinos to do better and apply themselves.

Barack Obama and the Congressional Black Caucus

1. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is an organization of elected Black congressional lawmakers. Since its founding it has functioned as part of the left wing of the Democratic Party. The CBC was founded in January 1969. Its founders were Representatives John Conyers and Charles Diggs of Michigan, Ron Dellums and Gus Hawkins of California, Charles Rangel and Shirley Chisholm of New York, Louis Stokes of Ohio, Ralph Metcalf and Pennsylvania, William Clay of Missouri, and Delegate from the District of Columbia Walter Fauntroy. Until 1994, when voters returned a Republican House of Representatives, the CBC had been defined as an "official office of Congress" and as such was provided its own offices, staff and lavish budget.
2. There are 43 people who sit on the Black Caucus and they are The Honorable G.K. Butterfield (North Carolina), The Honorable Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.(Georgia), The Honorable Corrine Brown (Florida), The Honorable Roland W. Burris (Illinois), The Honorable Andre Carson (Indiana), The Honorable Donna M. Christensen Delegate, (Virgin Islands), The Honorable Yvette Clarke (New York), The Honorable William Lacy Clay, Jr. (Missouri), The Honorable Emanuel Cleaver II (Missouri), The Honorable James E. Clyburn (South Carolina), The Honorable John Conyers, Jr. (Michigan), The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings (Maryland), The Honorable Artur Davis (Alabama), The Honorable Danny K. Davis (Illinois), The Honorable Donna Edwards (Maryland), The Honorable Keith Ellison (Minnesota), The Honorable Chaka Fattah (Pennsylvania), The Honorable Marcia L. Fudge (Ohio), The Honorable Al Green (Texas), The Honorable Alcee L. Hastings (Florida), The Honorable Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (Illinois), The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas), The Honorable Hank Johnson (Georgia), The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas), The Honorable Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (Michigan), The Honorable Barbara Lee (California), The Honorable John Lewis (Georgia), The Honorable Kendrick B. Meek (Florida), The Honorable Gregory W. Meeks (New York), The Honorable Gwendolynne Moore (Wisconsin), The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton Delegate, (District of Columbia), The Honorable Donald M. Payne (New Jersey), The Honorable Charles B. Rangel (New York), The Honorable Laura Richardson (California), The Honorable Bobby L. Rush (Illinois), The Honorable David Scott (Georgia), The Honorable Robert C. Scott (Virginia), The Honorable Bennie Thompson (Mississippi), The Honorable Edolphus Towns (New York), The Honorable Maxine Waters (California), The Honorable Diane E. Watson (California), and The Honorable Melvin L. Watt (North Carolina).
3. The nature of Barack Obama's meeting with the Black Caucus was to press him on their priorities. The session could rekindle lingering differences Obama has had with the group, which hasn't always embraced his approach to politics. Obama relies partly on the organization's largely Black constituents, who were a big factor in his presidential win. Yet Obama maintained a distant relationship with the caucus when he was its only Senate member form 2004-08. That dynamic was on display early in the Democratic presidential primary, when many senior caucus members initially backed Hillary Rodham Clinton even as Obama quickly became viable as a candidate.
4. The issues that the Black caucus would like to see him address was they wanted Obama to hire more minorities to federal jobs and help minority jobs get government contracts. They wanted him to create health care for minorities. They wanted him to improve the education in low income communities. Most of the issues effect minorities and their health.
5. I believe that the Congressional Black Caucus and Obama will have a good relationship because he has the power to get the problems they want fixed done. Also I believe that because he is the first Black President and they are the black caucus, because their both black politicians, that this will influence the relationship in a good way. The CBC's constituents are mostly Blacks, who supported President Obama and voted for him. President Obama probably feels obligated to the CBC's constituents, so this will make it easier for the CBC to get their issues addressed. I also believe that since Obama was once a member of the black caucus that he probably agrees with most of their issues so he will support them again.