Current Event

Shamu and the Anti-Gravity act

            A roaring crowd, a 36- foot deep pool, and 55 degree water, there is silence than a giant beast 21- feet tall soars into the sky and comes back into the water with a crash. Cheers rise up from the enormous crowd. Trainers dance alongside the tank and the show ends. The crowd exits the show unaware of the future that is in store for it and how different it will be.

            SeaWorld in order to make the Shamu show much safer for the trainers is looking to revamp the whole Shamu tank. Christina Yearwood, 30, a trainer at the “One Ocean” show said, that “Seaworld’s new approach is trying to protect us as trainers.”

            The new revamped tank will have a platform that will have multiple holes in the bottom of it. If ay incident were to be seen as dangerous and life threatening then a button would be pushed and the platform would rise bringing both the trainer and their orca companion to the top of the tank. Yearwood explained, “I think SeaWorld wants to do this because for one there is less liability on their part as well as making us the trainers feel as if we have got a safety net and some way to feel protected.”

            Diane Kenton, 26, a PETA activist exclaimed, “it’s cruelty! Everything that SeaWorld does is animal cruelty and should be stopped. These animals deserve to be free.” With this new tank there is no guarantee that the whale would be unharmed in the rising and lowering of the platform. Kenton says, “SeaWorld trying to protect their trainers is ridiculous. The whale is going to do what is instinctual for them and it is something that the trainers should get used to and be aware of.”

            David Gomez, 27, a guest at SeaWorld said, “who cares? PETA is a bunch of radical activists who will only show one side of the story and the SeaWorld trainers will never say anything bad about their own company.”

            There is not a set date that SeaWorld will have the new tank built. Yearwood says, “the tank is going to be a pretty penny and SeaWorld just does not have the money to build anything so grandiose and the moment but hopefully in the future.”

            The Shamu show however whether there be trainers or not is still doing great. SeaWorld has managed to keep their “One Ocean” show great even if no one is to ever set foot into the water. In the future however if more funds are raised than once again maybe trainers will once again be able to swim with their gentle giants.

            Yearwood explains, “hopefully this show will not just be about showcasing this majestic animal but also showcasing that we as humans can work along with these amazing beasts.”

Profile

Baby

Pizarro

23 February 2012

#3

Monster in the Dark

            A missing child here a kidnapping there, these words no longer move or effect American’s. However, a father sobbing and a grandmother’s heart ripped in two are all that is left when their little baby girl had suddenly vanished.

            “Oh by the way we are in Ohio so you won’t be able to see Kara and I don’t know when we’ll be back, I’m with my boyfriend. I’ll text you when we get back.” Those are the exact words said by Monica Teneyck the mother of Kara and wife of Joshua.

This is something that sounds like a horrible Jerry Springer episode. “I’m legally separated but she left before I she had signed the final divorce papers,” Joshua Cieszynki explained.

            To a father who is 23 and works paycheck to paycheck this whole ordeal has been emotionally and physically draining. “I know I may not be the smartest and can only work at Universal as my career that is my baby girl and my life,” Josh said. His mother has had to support Kara and watch her 4 days out of the week since she was born since neither one of the parents could completely support or even look after the child.

            Jacob Songer, 22, Monica’s best friend said “Monica has always had a few screws lose, she thrives off of attention and Josh, she has always wanted Josh back since they legally separated.”  Monica has been convicted of trafficking cocaine with her mother but since she was a minor she only had to do community service.

            Josh had been friends with Monica since freshman year at high school. After the run in with the law Monica had dropped out of high school and moved in with Josh and his grandparents. Josh continued to get his diploma and Monica went to work at a tattoo shop as the receptionists. They eventually got married had a child after they had legally separated. These two found themselves unfortunately stuck together.

            Monica had gotten a new boyfriend from Ohio. Once this happened, Josh, after 10 months of paying child support was told through text he would not be able to see his child and was not even given a day she’d be back. Even to this day about a month after she left Josh has yet to receive any text at all saying how the baby is or even a picture to show how Kara is doing.

            A missing flyer is just that a sheet of paper with a picture until it becomes personal. “When you have a missing child how often do you get to know the monster who took her?” he says while walking away on the verge of tears.

Public Speaker

Public Speaker

Pizarro

9 February 2012

#2

The man Behind the Justice

            In Orlando at the Boys and Girls Club there was an officer named Chris Wark, 34, who had been willing to share his life stories and the criminals he had faced on a daily basis in hopes that these children would not become the same convicts that he had helped put away.

            Officer Wark had begun his speech with introducing himself. Wark had started out in Texas as “a good ol southern boy without a care in the world.” This southern boy had always had a knack for getting into all sorts of mischief just as all young men do. One night he was hanging out with a group of friends when one guy he was hanging with named Charlie had gotten incredibly drunk.  Charlie had never been a bad guy but that night he had been pushed to the limit by a stranger and nearly beat the stranger half to death. Wark was incredibly frightened and did not know what to do as the police came rushing into the bar to pull Charlie off this random man. After this incident Wark felt as if his life there in Texas was going nowhere and if he kept on his path he would get nowhere in life.  Wark soon after left to Florida and found a house in Orlando.

            Wark had found a new appreciation for police and their job. So he went to find a job in

the criminal justice field. Wark had to get his associates in criminal justice. He also got a part time job as a security officer at Disney. Finally after working-out and making sure he was physically fit he had joined the police academy and passed with flying colors.

            After graduation it had been maybe a week and he was off as a fully fledged officer. His first traffic stop he had gotten spit on and had to nearly punched the man who did it. “It takes a lot of strength and discipline in order to not kill these jerks you have to encounter on a daily basis.” The first dead body he had seen was horrendous he had nightmares for months. The look in her eyes and the stench he had described was worse than any horror movie anyone could have ever seen. The ignorant people Wark has been forced to deal with was a pain that nearly caused him to quit his job as an officer.

            However every life that was saved or changed by him made his will stronger. Lives that needed a little bit of saving were all thanks to this man from Texas. “Lots of strong people are in need of a person willing to go out of their way in order to help them.”

            Children nod at some things this courageous man said as others just stare in amazement. Wark’s words have touched these children who are from broken homes and broken pasts to help mold their futures. This speech was not about glamorizing police or what they do but inspiring a generation, a generation of children who are in a bad neighborhood and keep them from following the status quo for that downtown Orlando area.

Agnes Report

Kamara- Umunna

Pizarro

1/ 31/12

1

Africa's Hidden Voice

   A young child hidden in the corner shivering in fear trying to stay covered from anyone’s sight behind his rifle. Many of the nightmares that the fighters from the Liberian war tell begin just like this boy’s tragic story. While most people here in the US will never have to face this hell that these African’s are forced to see day in and day out Agnes Kamara- Umunna makes it her life mission to share the soldiers and survivors stories with the world.

   Umunna is a young African woman who began her life in a wealthy family where her father was a 

doctor and a well-educated mother. She had always had luxuries such as a housemaid, a house, and a 

fridge filled with food. Her mother and father had always tried to convince her to become well educated

 and do well for herself without having to depend on them. So listening to her parents Umunna had 

become a secretary then eventually got a job in radio broadcasting. Umunna had tired of her job and left

but eventually she learned to miss her radio job that had flourished into what she believed to be a great 

career for her. Thus this striving young girl had returned to radio with courage and a refreshed 

perspective about what she wanted to turn "radio" into.

   With this woman’s perseverance she had single handedly turned a dream of sharing stories from 

victims and perpetrators into something that could bring most people from Liberia together. Umunna has

allowed people in all parts of the world see some of the atrocities happening in the Liberian war as well 

as help us understand what and how we may be able to help. Umunna now after her radio station has 

furthered her career by writing a book about her story. She has also set a program in Africa for woman 

who, just like her, strive to make a difference and report news that is true and is beneficial to society. 

Even recently Umunna still resides in Staten Island only until after she is completely done promoting her

 book then she made it clear that she is moving back to Liberia.