Post 12: Project 2 Human Right #26 The Right to an Education

Every human being on this earth has human rights that cannot be taken away from him or her. These rights allow us to live freely in a just and peaceful society. The Universal Declaration for Human Rights is a document that was created in 1948 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. This document specifically lists thirty human rights developed “as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations…that every individual…shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms” (http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html). Every human is protected with these rights because every person deserves to be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Everyday activities such as freedom of religion or the right to a fair trial are rights that many human beings have never experienced. For example, a person in the United States is able to freely speak out about their religious beliefs, however in another country someone else might be persecuted for their religious beliefs and for standing up for what they believe in. By showing each human being the dignity they deserve, we can make the world a more tolerable place.

Youth for Human Rights International is an organization that has created thirty public service announcements to raise awareness about an individual’s human rights. These commercials are made to teach people how to create a more tolerable world and a more inclusive society. All thirty of the commercials focus on specific injustices in the world; and how prevalent they are in today’s society. One commercial in particular focuses on the human right to an education. The right to an education is a human right that cannot be taken away because each human being deserves to be shown dignity and respect.

Human right number twenty-six is the right to an education; one freedom that many Americans abuse. There are so many human beings on this earth that are denied their right to attend school. This commercial uses narration to argue that denial of a proper education is a reality. The following short conversation that occurs at the end of the commercial is the most powerful part of the movie. It shows how big of an impact education can have on someone’s life.
“How many schools are there in your village?”
“None,” she replied.
This example of narration shows that this problem really exists in the world. This conversation is so powerful because the viewer can see the excitement in the little girl’s eyes because this school is her chance to prove herself to the world.

The mother and daughter in this commercial contribute to the narration portion of the commercial. The beginning of the commercial starts off with the mom saying, “Make sure you stay with her the whole time. She’s new to the country, it’s a whole different culture.” There are several different aspects that suggest this is a whole new culture for the girl. As the exchange student is walking up to the school, she is taking in all of the new sights and sounds. The biggest change in this girl’s life is that she is going to school for the first time.

The Youth for Human Rights International organization does a great job of relating human right number twenty-six, the right to an education, to the audience. This commercial uses example by using a typical situation to show how this human right can impact someone’s life. Most viewers can easily relate to this situation because at one point they have sat through boring classes wishing they did not have to be at school. Illustration is another type of argument used in this commercial. Illustration is used to show how an education can make a difference in someone’s life. When the two girls walk into the school, it appears that there is a golden light that illuminates the building. The creator manipulates an ordinary school building into a building that looks like a dream castle. The creator enhanced the glory of the building to emphasize the rhetorical effect of illustration. To an ordinary person, it is just a building, but to this one little girl, her eyes light up because it is a dream come true.

There is also a compare and contrast aspect of this commercial. It is easy to compare the exchange student’s life to the American girl’s life. The exchange student is entering a completely new environment because she has never attended a school before. In contrast, the American girl is ignorant to the fact that not everyone has the chance to attend a “boring” school. Just like this little girl did not know about the background of her visitor, many American’s do not know that it is a human right for all to receive an education. These elements add to the persuasion effect because they are forcing viewers to go outside of their comfort zones to see reality for what it really is.

This public service announcement uses the rhetorical appeal of pathos to connect with the audience’s emotions. Emotions such as guilt may occur for some viewers because they may feel guilty that they take their educational opportunities for granted. Others might feel a sense of happiness that a child has been given the opportunity for a successful future. This public service announcement has a powerful message that will ignite feelings in everyone who watches it.

This commercial also uses the logos effect to persuade the audience through fact. Specific statistics aren’t given during the commercial; however, the fact that there are no schools in the little girl’s village is hard evidence that this human right is being violated. The rhetorical appeal of logos supports the fact that this is a local and worldly problem that needs to be fixed.

The right to an education is an opportunity that opens doors to a brighter future. Human rights give us security and a fair chance to make ourselves known in the world. Denying someone his or her right to an education is a social injustice that violates the moral order of society. Seeing the reality of a social injustice such as this, is the first thing we can do to make a difference.


Works Cited
"Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 30 Oct. 2007.

Post 11: A new baseball stadium, Is it a waste of money?

A heated controversy that has surrounded the Omaha area for months now, is the proposal of building a new baseball stadium. This new stadium would replace Rosenblatt Stadium which has been the home of the NCAA Men's College World Series for fifty-seven years. Omaha is thinking about building this new stadium because there has been talk that the NCAA will move the location of future College World Series. The College World Series draws thousands of visitors to Omaha each year and millions of dollars is made during this two-week event for the city of Omaha. The removal of this event would cause a great decrease in revenue for the city of Omaha.

The controversy with this issue stands in the fact that the city of Omaha wants to spend over $50 million dollars to pay for the new stadium. $50 million dollars is a lot of money to spend considering the fact that Omaha has put about $35 million dollars into repairs and updates of Rosenblatt over the last decade. I think it is ridiculous that City Officials think it is ok to lay off policemen and fire fighters because there is not enough money in the city budget to pay their salaries, yet they think its ok to build a new baseball stadium that is used primarily for a two week event held each summer. Although city officials are recommending other ways the stadium could be used, I think city officials need to reevaluate where they spend their money.

The money that would be used for the new stadium could be used for more public issues that affect the city as a whole. Poverty and numbers of homeless people are on the rise. I think the city should focus on getting these people back on their feet so generation after generation doesn't have to keep living in poverty. Starting more after school and educational programs would be beneficial for the members of Omaha's poor community. More money could be pumped into Omaha's education system to give all students equal learning opportunities. Data shows that students in the Omaha Public School system have on average lower test scores than students in the Millard Public School system. If more money were used to help these students, more students would be able to attend college and having a better life. I think if we paid more attention to issues like homelessness and education our city would be a more attractive place to live. City officials need to stop wasting our tax dollars and they need to decide if building a new baseball stadium is the most beneficial thing for our city.

Post 10: Willard Sorority

College is a time spent finding yourself and discovering what you want out of life. It is about building new relationships and being willing to walk the extra mile to discover new things about life. College is about finding something that will challenge you like you never thought possible and finding a place where you feel comfortable. I have found that new place where I learn something new everyday. Willard Sorority is my new family and home away from home.

When I first came to Nebraska Wesleyan, I was anti-Greek. I told everyone who’d listen that Greek life wasn’t for me, and that they could stop trying to get me to go through recruitment. After several close friends encouraged me to go through recruitment, I never looked back. Joining Willard has opened me up to so many new opportunities in just a short time. I feel like I have changed for the better since joining Willard sorority.

Willard is named after Francis E. Willard. In 1889 when the sorority first opened, a group of women picked her as their role model because for them she was the model of perfect womanhood. So as Willard’s, we strive for perfect womanhood just as Francis E. Willard did. A Willard strives to do her best at everything she does. A Willard is capable of excepting failed attempts, but willing to give something another try. A Willard is a girl who has a genuine care in her heart. She wishes her other sisters well and is excited to hear about their successes.

The thing I like most about the girls at Willard is that no two are alike. Each girl is different in her own way and no girl is defined by the others. Each girl contributes something different to the sorority and without her it wouldn’t be the same. Being in a sorority is like living with all of your best friends. They are there to share your joys and worries and they are always there to lend a few encouraging words when things get tough.

Being a Willard has allowed me to find some girls that I will hold close to my heart for years to come. Knowing that there is always someone around that will be there for you is the best feeling in the world. In just a short time, the girls at Willard have taught me that not everything is perfect and not everything goes the way we want it to, but in the end things always turn out ok. I have learned not to judge others based on first impressions and that people can change for the better. I have learned that friends are very important and taking the time to get to know them makes me love them even more. I smile and feel proud when I tell others that I am a Willard.

(The picture above is the Willard Sorority Symbol. Willard is the oldest and largest local sorority in the United States)

Post 9 : Omaha's Hunger Problem

A growing problem in Omaha, Ne is the number of homeless and hungry people. During the winter, many homeless shelters become full to capacity and have to turn people away. I think it is our responsibility as privileged citizens to do something about these extreme conditions. The Open Door Mission is one particular organization in Omaha that is trying to break the cycle of poverty.

Poverty is a continuous cycle that causes people to be homeless and go hungry. In my opinion, one of the main causes of homelessness is no education. If people are not educated, they won’t get a good job. And if they don’t have a good job, they won’t be able to provide sufficient food for their families. It is a continuous cycle of problems that can only be broken through education. If we can educate the less fortunate about their living conditions, we could show them that they could have a better life.

Hunger and homelessness are nation-wide problems that need to be addressed. One particular group in Omaha that is working to end hunger on a worldly level is the Christ Community Church. This group packaged about 220,000 meals that will be sent to Mali. So many of the children in Mali are malnourished and many die of hunger within their first year. There is enough food in the world to feed everyone; we just have problems getting it distributed to the areas that need it most. I think our government could keep a better eye on problems like this and spend more money on attacking the hunger problem in our country instead of spending so much money on the war.

During my freshman year in high school, I had the opportunity to go to Chicago on a service trip with my school. One of the service projects that we participated in was a trip to the La Casa soup kitchen. Normally, most volunteers would have gone inside and served the less-fortunate their food, but on this day we waited outside in line with the less-fortunate. It was a different experience, because it really made me think about how everyday they wait out in the sub-degree weather just to receive a hot meal. Waiting in line with them showed solidarity with the poor. After we received our meals, we were able to sit and talk with some of the men and women. They had amazing stories of how they came to be where they are at. Many of them didn’t seem to mind that this was their lifestyle. Others were attempting to turn their lives around. One woman I remember told me that she had just gotten a job and she was trying to make a better life for her kids.

This trip to Chicago really opened my eyes to the fact that poverty, homelessness, and hunger live not only in Chicago but in my own city as well. After I got back from the trip I realized that I had ignored these problems for so long and had no idea that they existed! After this, I started doing more service projects that allowed me to confront these issues head on. I volunteered with habitat for humanity, I became a mentor for less-fortunate child through Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Midlands, and I helped fix up a community center in one of the Hispanic neighborhoods. Small projects like these are the start of make a change. The change may not be immediate, but overtime the little things will add up to a big change. Maybe someday our society will no longer have to recognize poverty, hunger, or homelessness as major problems.

Post 8: Omaha, Ne: The Greatest City Ever

Omaha, Ne is famously known as the host of the NCAA Men’s College World Series. Fans come from all over the United States to see their favorite teams play. But, do you thinks these fans would come to Omaha for a vacation if baseball wasn’t their main reason for coming? Many Omahans feel that the city they live in is boring and that there never anything to do. Although unknown to some, Omaha, Ne has many exciting events and venues to offer its citizens and visitors.

The Henry Doorly Zoo is becoming one of the largest zoo’s in the country. It may not be as big and great as as the San Diego zoo, but if offers a comfortable atmosphere for families and school aged children. The zoo offers many educational opportunities for kids as well as a array of exotic animals. The IMAX theater is another great attraction that the zoo offers.

Eugene T. Mahoney State Park is located just outside of Omaha. This state park has beautiful scenery and offers many attractions to visitors during all seasons. In the summer, the campground is filled with tents, motor homes and families crowded around a fire roasting hot dogs and making s’mores. The recently remolded water park has two tall water slides and a newly built wave pool. If you’re not into swimming, an early morning horseback ride or game of mini-golf may appeal to you. In the winter, when the weather turns cold enough, an outdoor ice-skating rink opens. If its too cold to be outdoors, an arts and crafts facility offers visitors the opportunity to paint ceramic statues.

As in Lincoln, sporting events draw big crowds to Omaha. Creighton Bluejay basketball is a popular event in Omaha. The Creighton basketball team has made it to the NCAA basketball tournament for the past few years. Almost every game is sold out and when the team hits the road, dedicated Omaha fans follow the team when they travel. UNO Maverick hockey is another popular sporting event. The atmosphere at one of these games is so fun; it is also a cheap weekly outing.

The Holland Performing Arts Center was recently built a few years ago. It is Omaha’s newest concert hall. The Omaha Symphony, Omaha Area Youth Orchestra, and many famous acts have performed on this stage. Omaha’s theater company puts on a large variety of great shows. The Orpheum Theater has had Broadway shows such as Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King performed on it’s historical stage.

These are just a few of the great things that Omaha has to offer. Every time someone tells me they’re bored, I can think of a million things do to! I feel that by knowing the city that I live in helps me to convince others that Omaha is the greatest city in Nebraska.

(The O! at the top of this article is the symbol used to promote Omaha events to the residents of Omaha. O! structures have popped up all over the city. It is a symbol that encourages the people of Omaha to get out and get involved!!)