Topic 2: CNN Heroes
Throughout the year, CNN highlights people around the world who are considered heroes because of their contributions to their community. Last week a panel of judges narrowed the long list of heroes to 10 and asked the public to vote on the Hero of the Year.
For this week's post, please visit the CNN website and read about the 10 candidates.
In a post of at least 300 words, please select the person you think should be selected and explain why.
As always, please post on the blog. Return to the post later in the week to respond to at least one other student. Please have both finished by Oct. 9, 2009
Taken from "Parrott AP English Language." Web. 7 Oct. 2009.
I chose Derrick Tabb as my CNN hero. As I clicked on Derrick Tabb's link, I saw this big man who looked really intimidating. I then looked further into his link and started to read his story. I found his story to be very inspirational. Music is one of the biggest things in my life and seeing that he was giving instruments, lessons, and motivation to the youth in New Orleans, he became my favorite hero on the ballot.
ReplyDeleteDerrick Tabb, a 34 year old, started the program The Roots Of Music. This program offers free tutoring, instruments, and education for over 100 students, ages 9 to 14, in the city of New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans was let desolate. Tabb wanted to target 9 to 14 year olds because of the many schools that were shut down because of budget problems and because at that age they are more vulnerable to be guided on the right path. His success with the program is remarkable. With almost 400 kids on a waiting list, he has a lot of work cut out for him. His band has marched in five Mardi Gras parades. And with a good number of students he teaches being D and F students, Tabb has turned them around in being A students. While I read these stories it is just so inspirational and I believe that it is a very good thing to be working with the youth.
In my opinion, working with the youth and turning them into good students and good citizens is a great way of keeping America’s future bright. For myself, being a member of the band, I believe that music makes you smarter. Learning how to play instruments and how to read music makes you a better student in the classroom. With this being said, I think Derrick Tabb’s quote at the end of CNN’s website says it all, "I don't say that I'm saving lives, I say I'm giving life -- a whole different life of music
For my CNN hero I choose Andrea Ivory. As a breast cancer survivor herself, she is trying to help other women prevent the same thing that happened to her. She is working with other people and going around low income neighborhoods to women who are uninsured. Most of these women are around the age of thirty-five and older. These women, “are twice as likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breat cancer and thus more likely to die from the disease” (CNN Heros). Andrea is marching the streets and knocking on doors to help prevent this from being a deadly disease. She believes the only way to fight it is to take preventative measures such as getting an annual mammogram. She is trying to reach out to women about the facts of breast cancer and then tries to sign them up for a free screening on the first three Sundays of every month. Then on the fourth Sunday, a big mobile mammography van comes to do the free screens. Not only is this convient for women, but this screening could be a life saver.
ReplyDeleteI believe Andrea Ivoy is a CNN hero for trying to help women who are not as fortunate as her. She is taking big strides to help these women whom she may not even know, and she trying to give them the correct preventive measures needed to prevent breast cancer. She has issued 500 mammograms out already in just her state. I think of that as 500 lives saved from breast cancer. This makes me wonder what happens to the women who turn away from mammograms because of the cost. Now they can have an alternative without the expensive cost. If Andrea continues to grow her project to all of the states, I think it would be a huge success because there are many uninsured women within the US who need this. I believe she is a heroine who should be thought of by saving women’s lives who would not normally be saved thanks to her commitment towards other.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/04/23/andrea.ivory/index.html
I chose Betty Makoni as my CNN Hero. Makoni, who was raped at age 6, shared her story and how she was forced to deal with it. Because she was never allowed to discuss that story with anyone, she has lived and will continue living with that terror the rest of her life. After seeing her father kill her mother, Makoni decided that women’s silence can be a deadly thing. She also decided that no woman should be forced to deal with that sort of abuse. Makoni started a club called the Girl Child Network. Women and girls who had been sexually abused were welcome. While there, they were given medical attention, counseling, and school. Girls and women were encouraged to stand up for themselves to help prevent future abuse. Although I have never been raped or sexually abused, I fully believe in Makoni’s idea. Women should not have to stay silent to abuse and cruelty from men. Women have just as many rights as men do. Makoni’s program teaches confidence which would help women to stand up to men. Rape and sexual abuse are bad enough as it is, but they are even worse if you can’t discuss it with someone and get help. Makoni gave the women and girls of Zimbabwe the opportunity to change their life for the better and get a second chance. Less women and girls are being abused and raped because there is a sense of hope now. In my opinion Betty Makoni should get CNN Hero, because she has lived through a lot and out of her pain she helped other females overcome their problems. She also instilled confidence that has and will continue helping many women and girls from dealing with the same problems.
ReplyDelete-Emily K.
The CNN Hero I picked was Andrea Ivory because she has volunteered her time with helping to tell women in Florida about breast health. Every weekend in the spring and fall she and a lot of other women ranging in various ages from college students to senior citizens go around low-income towns and inform women about breast health. She is a survivor of breast cancer and wants to help other women who many or already have breast cancer. Also, she helps women who may not have health insurance or have very low income. Since 2006, she has help provide over 500 mammograms to women who might have this sickness. She has vans with all of the medical tools to give a mammogram come into these low-income towns and they give women the treatment they need. She and the volunteers have visited more than 18,000 homes spreading breast cancer awareness. I think that Andrea Ivory has done a great thing and also to give credit to the other people that help her in helping other women become more aware of breast cancer. When they knocked on one woman’s door she was so thankful that they came to help her, so she started volunteering herself. Andrea Ivory wants to not only do this in Florida but expand and help women all over the United States. I believe that if she wanted to start a mission informing everyone in the United States one door at time that she would have many more volunteers. Also, I think that what she is doing is amazing thing because she does not want to see women die from this sickness just because they cannot afford the treatment.
ReplyDelete--amberlyn
Kasi’s CNN Heroes: Roy Foster
ReplyDeleteI believe that Roy Foster deserves to be chosen as 2009 CNN Hero of the Year. Roy Foster developed a program to help homeless Veterans get a better life. The foundation is called Stand Down House. The Veterans are housed, fed, clothed, counseled, and transportation provided to them. I believe he deserves it because I agree that the way vets are getting treated today is wrong. These men fight for the freedom that we appreciate everyday, yet they live on the streets and become addicted to alcohol and drugs. Foster believes he needs to help them because at one point he was just like them. Foster was enlisted in the Army back in the 1970’s. He became an alcoholic when he left the Army, and his addiction got worse after trying to get through the real world.
Most vets come home traumatized by what they endure during their enlistment. That makes it hard for them to get jobs, because employers do not want a crazy person with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Many vets feel that by drinking and using drugs it cures PTSD, but unfortunately it does not. It makes the problem worse and all they need is help. Roy Foster makes that possible.
It was reported that in 2008, 93 percent of Stand Down House residents found work and 84 percent went able to live independently. That was possible because of Foster’s commitment to helping these vets get help with their problems and make life easier.
Keith Coleman, a resident of Stand Down House said, "If you could see the people when they come in here -- how they look, act and smell -- and then see them after, being a positive part of society, I don't know how you couldn't call Roy a hero. Think of all the lives he’s changed.”
i like nates post because i chose something like it and it is important to see others reaching out to help those in need.
ReplyDelete