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4th Amendment Confusion

Posted by Thomas Nicolella in American Government - Laufenberg on

TJ Nicolella, Amber Altomare

Click HERE to view our documentary or watch below

Our documentary outlines some of the confusion and different interpretations of the 4th amendment and how that causes more problems than it solves.
          ​Amber and I chose this topic because it was something that has been coming up a lot in news these days. There have been stories of search and seizure incidents around Philadelphia and in places like airports and train stations. This topic even relates to me in some ways. Every weekend, if me or other people are outside past ten o'clock, cops will stop us and ask to search the bags we are carrying without giving us an explanation why. This project was great because it allowed us to be creative and make a video that explores different parts of the amendment that we wanted a provision for. Each person that looked into the same amendment had a very different outlook on the outlines of that amendment and talked about different things within it. The most challenging part was the editing of the video and finding actual C-Span clips that made sense for my video. The most interesting fact that I found when researching the fourth amendment was that I had the right to refuse searches if they breach my fourth amendment rights. There really needs to be no improvement to the project, but maybe add some checkpoints throughout the duration of the benchmark.
          We ran into trouble when attempting to find C-Span footage that would work well with our video because a lot of the downloadable footage was composed of two people debating with a moderator talking between them. Some things that went well include our ability to outline a valid problem within the amendment and how it could be interpreted in many different ways by different people. If I had to do this project again I would start much earlier than I did. I would also film some interviews about the topic of interest. Throughout this process, I learned that much of the language in the constitution is left to be determined differently by courts and in some cases is very outdated by today's standards.

Q2 Benchmark

Posted by Delesha Jackson in American Government - Laufenberg on

De'Lesha Jackson and Jasmine Gladden "freedom of speech"

Personally I chose this topic because it was honestly the first thing that came to mind. Normally it would take me awhile to figure out what exactly I wanted to use as my topic but it was the first article of the constitution so it was sort of right there. The thing I enjoyed about this project was the fact that I didn't have to be in the video and it was fun to hear what people had to say about why freedom of speech was important to them. Although it was difficult incorporating the C-SPAN video because they didn't really connect with what we were saying but we made it work. The quotes that we used were really interesting to because not only were they true but they sort of gave me a different perspective to look at. I think if we had more views and interviewed more people the video would have been better because there would have been a better range.

Me and my partner didn't really run into problems once we got passed how to convert our video to post it and how to download the C-SPAN video it was smooth sailing. Overall, the project went pretty well I haven o complaints but like I said if I had to do it over I would have interviewed more people and maybe make the final more interesting to look at with music maybe. I learned that not everyone values their freedom of speech and not everyone knows why it's important to them it just kind of is.


Quarter 2 Benchmark

Posted by Lauren Gore in American Government - Laufenberg on

This is Lauren second quarter benchmark. To look at it  for now on youtube : click here

will post vimeo video shortly

But my project is basically on the First Amendment and the freedom of speech in schools.
​Benchmark Reflection:

  • Why did you choose this topic?
    - I pick this topic because my freedom of speech is important to me. I think everyone should have the right to free speech, no matter where they are. Some people take this to far and say things that shouldn't be said out of moral law.
  • What did you like about this project? What was most challenging?
    -  I enjoyed the part of the project when I asked people question because, it was funny to see what everyone's initial response was, or them trying to figure out how to answer the questions.
  • Describe the most interesting fact or event that you investigated.
    - That's school had the right to say what a student can wear and do, most important with religion. I don't understand how a school can take it upon themselves to restrict a religion.
  • How could this project be improved?
    - The project could have been improved with a little more editing and I realized after publishing that there was no music or anything
  • Where did you run into trouble with the project?
    - A problem for me was that IMovie keep crashing and deleting my videos.
  • What went well with this project?
    - The interviews of people went quite well even, and the timing of Anwar playing the piano in the background on some interviews was perfectly timed
  • If you had it to do over, what would you change about your decisions or your process?
    - I really wouldn't change anything, the project went pretty well,  maybe a little bit more editing, and some way to stop IMovie from crashing every five mins
  • What did you learn?
    - More about my freedom of speech as a student and the rights that a school has, which sometimes are ridiculously outrageous.
​Bibliographies:

American Liberties Union. "Free Speech." American Civil Liberties Union. American Liberties Union. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. <http://www.aclu.org/free-speech>.


C-Span. "Bullying, Sexual Orientation, and Gender." C-Span Video Library. C-Span, 13 May 2011. Web. 2012. <http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/BullyingS/start/1714/stop/2140>. 

The "V" Word: A fight to protect women's bodies

Posted by Alexis Beckton in American Government - Laufenberg on

Alaya White & Alexis Beckton

  • Why did you choose this topic?
    I choose this topic because I think women's rights are often looked past and in the time of elections people get very uptight about pro-life and pro-choice but don't take into consideration the women's feelings. 

  • What did you like about this project? What was most challenging?
    I think the challenging part was deciding how to convey what we wanted to say and finding the most effective way to do it. 

  • Describe the most interesting fact or event that you investigated.
    The most interesting fact that we investigated was the fact that in 2002 a study about sexual behaviors in children showed that girls are having sex as young as 12. 

  • How could this project be improved?
    We could have put movie examples and real world examples. 
  • Where did you run into trouble with the project?
    We ran into the most trouble submitting the project because our video wasn't the right type of file and converting the project took alot longer than we had expected. 
     
  • What went well with this project?
    The amount of participation we received from students was surprising. I usually try not to count on people willingly working on a video because of time constraints or people just not volunteering but this time was completely different. 

  • If you had it to do over, what would you change about your decisions or your process?
    I think we would have really used the last day to super edit and just tighten the project up more. 

  • What did you learn?
    That people really do want to have health education !!!

Q2 Benchmark - Freedom of Religion

Posted by Chelsea Starks in American Government - Laufenberg on

This was LaMaya's, Tyler's, & my project for our Q2 Benchmark. The provision we decided to focus on was the freedom of religion in the First Amendment of the Constitution. Click to watch the video below.
Benchmark Reflection:

  • Why did you choose this topic?
    My group members and I wanted to choose a topic that was personal to us, original in such a way that it was not cliché and share our opinions and ideas openly on.
  • What did you like about this project? What was most challenging?
    I liked that we didn't necessarily have to stay in one section of the Constitution, we were able to choose what part in the Constitution we wanted to. I found myself most successful being able to speak freely on my ideas and opinions on this topic as did my teammates. The most challenging thing though, in this project was figuring out how to fit the C-SPAN footage in, in such a way that everything transitioned smoothly.

  • Describe the most interesting fact or event that you investigated.
    The most interesting fact that I have investigated was how before the Constitution there was quite a bit of persecution for people's beliefs but the same people who came to this country because they were being persecuted in Europe for their religion, did the same thing once they got here. It seems to me that history repeats itself if we let it without a doubt.

  • How could this project be improved?
    I think we could have have switched the camera maybe more than what we did. I also think this could have been improved by ways of having clearer C-SPAN footage, but that was just poor video quality on their part.
  • Where did you run into trouble with the project?
    We ran into trouble when trying to convert the video into an FLV file but finally my computer cooperated with me and I was able to upload the video.

  • What went well with this project?
    My group members and I worked really well with this project everyone was able to agree on one thing and really got what we needed to do done. The music, the transitions and the overall look of this project was great and I am proud of the finished product.

  • If you had it to do over, what would you change about your decisions or your process?
    If I had to do this process over again, I would try to record everyone's parts in the same place to keep some type of constant there or at least the background is close to what the other person has. Also I would have added in a skit or something showing what it would be like without that provision in the Constitution.

  • What did you learn?
    I learned just how necessary it is to have the freedom of religion and how strongly some feel about it in terms of them having an opposition to people believing differently than they do. I also learned more about my team members and how they feel about religion, I actually did not know that they sort of felt the same as I do about having the freedom of religion.

Blog Post #4

Posted by Sekai Gonzalez in American Government - Laufenberg on

My blog 4 post will cover communication. Im am writing an email to Tom Burford discussing the reason we need to abolish smoking. I realized many things such as we both have a personal view of smoking because it happens within both of our families and has had a great effect on us personally. I believe that this letter would get Tom Burford a little more interested in what I am trying to do because I tried to state many matters that I know that he stands up against. I feel as though writing an email was a great way to communicate because many people in this era use computers and technology especially people with his type of status, and also this would be a great way for him to communicate back with me faster.

​​Mr. Tom Burford,

 Hello, My name is Sekai A. Harris and I am a senior at Science Leadership Academy. I am contacting you because I feel as though we both stand for the same thing when it comes to Smoking. I am anti-smoking because many people I know do it and I have seen the effects of it. My grandmother, mother, Father, and many other family members are/were smokers so I have been effected by it as well. I know about what happened to your father as well and that is why I am writing you today. We need to try and find a way to abolish smoking at least starting with Philadelphia. Please try to think about if this is something your would be interested in trying help me with because this is something i feel strongly about and it is something that would benefiet a lot of people.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Hoping to hear from you soon,                                                                                                               Sekai A. Harris           

BlogPost #4 Petition

Posted by Qyidir White in American Government - Laufenberg on

Since I’m lobbying The Curfew Act in Philly, I thought it would be good to start a petition for big names in the city to sign that are against the Curfew Act. I felt as though if I could find enough city initials to agree with me, one of the teens that are affected by it. The way I’m getting my petition out is thru social networking such as Twitter, and Facebook. That is one of the easiest ways for more people to get involved.


http://www.change.org/petitions/the-city-of-philadelphia-stop-the-curfew-act-in-center-city

Blog Post 3

Posted by Robert Broadwater in American Government - Laufenberg on

The ruling on the curfew law is rather sensitive at the moment Because of the flash mob attack on south street and other heinous acts during the summer, teens are being viewed as violent and sometimes criminal. The nature of the media and news reports of the event caused a form of dehumanization of Young adults. However there was only a small fraction of the teens in the city there partaking in the actions on south street; and although there were extremely awful actions taking place, for the amount of people there there was not a strong percentage of young adults present at the event doing horrible things. It would seem that in their act of highlighting certain portions of the event that teens would be put further down just for having the capability to do such things.
In retrospect I can see why the curfew was in acted. What is more troubling is the fact that if you are caught at all you can be arrested and what;s more is the fact that police are given the power to question any one who appears to be under age. This treatment can only be combated by the teens if they carry some form of identification with them when they are going to be out. This is similar in fashion to the treatment of people in Arizona durning their time under the law that allowed police to arrest people who couldn't prove their citizenship.
The public has been put in fear of the situation and because of that fear most will see the curfew as a good thing. Most adults if asked will say that there is nothing wrong with the curfew at all. They see it as a way to keep children in order. However there are some more conservative families that believe the government as no right to make laws about how to raise their children.

lobbying post #3

Posted by Tyler Hankinson in American Government - Laufenberg on

  1. What is the status of your issue at the legislature? 

Pennsylvania cell phone/texting news: A ban on text messaging while driving has been approved by Gov. Tom Corbett and takes effect in early March


How many elected officials have indicated support for your issue?

Sen. Tommy Tomlinson, R-Bucks, Rep. Thomas Killion, State Rep. Josh Shapiro, Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland,


 Is there public support behind it, with good media attention?

8 in 10 drivers support some type of cell phone usage restriction.

  • The majority of respondents say they are supportive of laws restricting any type of cell phone use while driving.
  • 80 percent respondents support a ban on text messaging while driving.
  • 80 percent of respondents support a ban on e-mailing while driving.
  • Two thirds (67 percent) of respondents say they are supportive of laws restricting phone calls while driving.



 Who are your opponents, and how much power do they have? 

While the National Transportation Safety Board thinks states should ban all driver use of cellphones and other portable electronic devices, except in emergencies, auto club AAA isn't fully backing that proposal.




Cell phone and texting laws

HAND-HELD CELLPHONES: Nine states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands, prohibit all drivers from using handheld cell phones will driving. Except for Maryland, any officer may cite a driver for using a handheld cell phone without any other traffic offense taking place in the other eight states.
NOVICE DRIVERS: 30 states and Washington, D.C., ban all cell phone use by novice drivers.
SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS: Bus drivers in 19 states and Washington, D.C., may not use a cell phone when passengers are present.
TEXT MESSAGING: 35 states, Washington, D.C., and Guam ban text messaging for all drivers. In all but three of those states, officers may cite a driver for texting without any other traffice offense taking place.
S.D.: No laws specific to cell phone use or texting.
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, State Highway Safety Offices


4. Who can you influence? I can influence my house hold and the people who are around me that drive


Blog Post #4

Posted by Delesha Jackson in American Government - Laufenberg on

     This part of our project is the communication part. Where we reach out to an official so we can get our ideas out there and try to change our topic or lobby our voice. For my communication part i chose to write a letter to an editor, my person isn't exactly an editor but I'm sure he can get the word out there and make sure what I have to say is taking into consideration. He is the City Hall bureau chief Mike Dunn of KYW radio.

       Dear Mike Dunn,
                   Hello, My name is De'Lesha Jackson and I am a senior at Science Leadership Academy. I am trying to represent the 50-60% of young people who are not involved in the flash mobbing groups of Philadelphia. We don't think it is fair that everyone groups us together and that we have to suffer the consequence of those who didn't know how to behave. Once Mayor Nutter realizes that not every group of young people are flash mobbing then he can show everyone else. 
Mayor Nutter has made it so different age groups should have different curfew hours in certain parts of the city. But he hasn't gave any thought into the young people that just want to have fun and not hurt anyone. But he does agree that what they are doing is ridiculous. He wants equality and a safe environment for every one just like me but I feel as though his votes on this thing are not fair to every one. When reading this I hope you will have a realization of what I am saying and that you can help us to change this.
Thank you,

De'Lesha Jackson


I think this letter would be really effective, but more effective if I met him and took a group a young people who aren't involved in flash mobbing with me to help make my point known so that he can not only read but see the visual of what I am talking about. So I would try to get in contact with him to set up a meeting with him maybe even be on the radio so more people can witness this. It will be hard to get in touch with him but once I do I feel as though it would be easy after that I would just have to take the right people to help with the meeting and wonder what they will ask and be prepared to respond.
















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