SALT WATER

By: Steves Westerman Yu Hong Wu Miriam Zeitz

Instructor: Robyn Ferret

The letter from editors:

Our lives are shaped by water: flowing through our bodies, rivers, and

oceans, falling from the sky as rain. But it is sodium infused water specifically

that we rely on as a palliative. As Isak Dinesen once said, “the cure for

anything is salt water- sweat, tears, or the sea.” And indeed, we may find

solace in this triumvirate of elements. Through the catharsis of weeping, the

empowerment of perspiration, or the meditative quality of the ocean, we find

ourselves unmistakably healed from our earthly woes.

Throughout this publication, we attempt to trace different aspects of and

opinions on this triad, in the context of literature, personal narrative, and

scientific phenomenon. Over the course of several months, we have

extensively studied written works relating to this concept, culminating in the

included essays. From a story about an immigrant mother to a report on eco-

tourism, the following texts display both the universality and intimacy of salt

water and its power to cure.  

Westerman, Steves Wu, Yu Hong Zeitz, Miriam

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Contents

Sweat: The Sweating of the World

1. Nancy ……………………………………………. 5

2. Black belt or bust ………………………….. 9

3. By Miriam Zeitz …………………………..12

Tears: Our Tears Fill the River of Life

1. By Steve Westerman, …..………………….16

2. By Miriam Zeitz ………..……………………22

Ocean: Let’s Enjoy the Ocean!?

1. By: Miriam Zeitz …………………………….27

2. Arctic Warming A Profit in the Melting..31

3. Offshore Drilling……………………………….35Sources ………………………………………………….40Answer Key ....................................................41

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Do you know? How many sweat glands are in an adult body?

Sweat: The Sweating of the World

All most everyone has experiences some kind of sweat.

Sweat is a kind of human emotion or nature reaction.

During this course, we work so hard, we had sweat a lot

There, we also have some interesting stories about sweat…

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Do you know?How much do you sweat in a day?

NANCY

By: Yu Hong Wu

Look through the window, outside it is still very dark. It is almost 4:30 in the morning,

Nancy lies on the bed, and her left hand is on an alarm clock, she is getting ready to push

the button down. She is waiting. She wants to stay in her bed another hour or maybe just

10 more minutes. Her mother’s voice arises from her head: “Nancy, Get up. You should

work harder, don’t be scared of sweat, it will help you someday.” Oh, when does this

become a luxury requires? She quested herself.

Nancy is about mid thirties, she is about 5 foot tall, very skinny, with short hair. When

she is smiling her eyes sparkle, everyone who knows her says her eyes can smile too. She

walks fast, speaks fast too. Her clothes are always very tidy, it seems hard to image how

she keeps it that way.

4 years ago, Nancy moved to the U.S. She still remembered the crowd in the airport,

everyone seems so jealous that she has the opportunity to immigrate to the U.S. She is the

only one uncertain about the future. She has a very good job in her hometown, a

comfortable life. She never even thinks about moving out of the town; now she is moving

out of the country. She doesn’t even know how to speak English. She regrets she didn’t

learn English language seriously when she was in school. She felt her hands starting to

sweat; she always does that when she is nervous. “Nancy, work harder, don’t be scared of

sweat, it will help you someday.” That is her mother’s voice. Or maybe mother is another

exception; she felt a little bit uneasy. Her mother was not at the airport with her. That

morning when she left their apartment, her mother didn’t even come to the door way. But

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she knows she is behind the curtains, she looks at her all the time. She knows her mother

is worried about her; she has never left her mother, she is so far away. The day before her

departure they had a long conversation. Her mother told her to “Work harder. Don’t be

scared of sweat. It will help you someday.” That is a new tone from her mother, which

surprised her.

Four years later, Nancy understands “Work harder. Don’t be scared of sweat, It will

help you someday” more and more. When she first arrived at U.S, because of her poor

English Language skill, she couldn’t find job base on her past job experience for almost

half year. So she decided to get in a job training program. After some research she chose

nursing assistant training program. When she had finished the training she found a

nursing assistant job at a skilled nursing home. Nursing assistant job is the hardest job on

the planet, everyone says that. Nancy had never experienced that before, she had no idea

what she will face when she first arrives on board. When she first performed pericare, she

almost threw up; and the resident didn’t allow her do the transfer either, her resident

didn’t trust her because she looks not strong enough. For her, not only the job itself is

very hard, but also her coworkers pick on her. The only reason is that she does not look

like them. Instead of complaining she chose to work hard. She had followed her mother’s

suggestion since then. In fact she is working so hard. And she sweats a lot too. Every

hour, every shift, she sweats. Everyone in her facility knows Nancy is a harder worker,

even the beauty shop lady, says “Nancy is always busy; she is always on the move.” She

had earned her coworkers and her residents respect. Nancy’s facility even lets her train

new employees. She loves her job, her coworkers and her residents too. She even loves

the feeling of the sweat.

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Nancy has a very lovely 3 years old boy. Whenever she talk about her son, a mother’s

pride is writing on her face automatically. She loves her son more than anything else in

this world. But working at a skilled nursing home as a nursing assistant; her work day

starts very early. Every day she has to send her son to daycare in the very early morning.

Watching the boy sleep in his car seat breaks her heart. She wishes her son can sleep on

his own bed through the morning. She starts to reconsider the job that she loves, but new

job means new training, and more education. For her son, she makes up her mind; she

needs go back to school once again. She is more confident now than before after these

years of hard work. However, to go back to college is very hard for both Nancy and her

son. But she determines it, and believes hard work and sweat. After a long day working

as a nursing assistant, by the end of the shift, she feels her energy is all gone. Great effort

is needed in order for her to sit in the classroom and concentrate on the lecture, not to

mention the after class’s study and tons of homework. Every night, after she puts her son

back to bed, she sits in front of the desk to study until late of the night. She feels that she

can never get enough sleep. Sleep becomes more and more of a luxury for her. And for

her son that his mother goes to college means to stay at day care longer than before and

whenever his mother is working on her homework, he has to play alone and be very

quiet, that bothers him a lot. But they both manage it well. First she took ESL classes,

now she is taking her college level class. And all the courses Nancy had taken, the

average GPA is A. Her son can even say “Mammy is studying.” She now knew why her

mother says: “Work harder. Don’t be scared of sweat. It will help you someday.” In

college, one of her instructor once quotes Isak Dinesen’s famous quote “The cure for

anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea.” That quote immediately gets her

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attention, now it is her favorite. “Sweat” that just describes her, she sweats a lot,

everyday she works and studies, she believes the sweat now. She is working hard toward

her dream.

The alarm finally sounded, it is 4:30am. Nancy put her hand down quickly. She jumps

out of her bed tries to get through her morning routine as fast as she can. After that she tip

toe into her son’s room, she is very gentle when she undresses her son’s pajama. Then

she quickly puts the dress on her son. He’s still asleep. She carries him into the car, and

puts him into the car seat, her son may feel the difference, and began to mumble: “Mom,

its dark, dark”, she quickly buckles the child seat belt on him, kisses on his red cheeks

“You’re right, honey. We will get better, mom promises. Take a rest, now. Please”. She

quickly goes back to her driver seat, starts the engine. “Salt water can cure everything,

sweat, tear…” she mumbles, a smile appears on her face, her eyes sparkle like a bright

star, the car starts to move. It is about 5:30am.

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Black belt or bust

By: Steve Westerman

So it had all come down to that final moment -- Man vs. Brick. This was the final

obstacle between me and my black belt.

(Flash back) I could still remember the first day when I walked into the World

Martial Arts Academy. I was nervous and excited all rolled into one. There were trophies

lining the walls, some tall, detailed with stars and stripes and figures of martial artist men

on top. There was the smell of sweat permeating throughout the room – proof to anyone

who walks in that intense training was taking place.

I was greeted by a tall Asian gentleman who had a thick Korean accent. With a deep

strong voice that went through you and made you well aware that he was the Master, he

said, "Hello. My name is Kevin Bong, how can I help you? “. I felt a bit intimidated

because of his size but I could see in his eyes that he was a kind man. He was dressed in

the white standard uniform but his tattered and worn black belt was proof of his many

years of experience.

We sat down at a semi-circle chair that was faded orange, not something you would

expect to see in a martial arts school. It was more suited for a restaurant or a night club.

“So tell me why you want to learn martial arts?” Master Bong asks. I say “it has always

been something I have wanted to learn and I need something to do with my free time that

will keep me disciplined and focus.” After explaining why I wanted to learn martial arts,

I gave him the fee we agreed on, which happened to be exactly $65.00. That was all the

money in my wallet.

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When I first started to take class, even though I was 28 years old at the time and a

Veteran of the military, I still felt awkward and unsure of myself in the class. But that

soon passed as I made friends and became more familiar of the customs and the training.

One of those friends was Anthony Cipolla, a retired Sergeant Major and a fifth grade

school teacher, who was returning to martial arts after 30 years. We became great friends

because we shared a lot of common interest like playing the drums and always pushing

oneself to be better. There were days when he motivated me and there were days I

motivated him. You could say I was a very hyperactive and so was he, even though he

was in his fifties individual, and this was the perfect thing for me.

The classes taught me how to react to different situations, like someone trying to rob

you at an ATM machine. I was shocked when the instructor told us not to fight back. I

expected him to tell us to kick them or disarm them. But instead he said, " Give them the

money because it's not worth fighting over. Your life is more important than any material

thing."

Master Bong was always good at inspiring me. There were many times I thought I was

going to pass out and couldn't move anymore during training. He would say "keep

working hard, push through the pain, the more sweat and blood you shed here the less

you will shed in a fight." With every belt and every broken board, my confidence grew

and I began to really believe in myself. Not just my physical abilities but my ability to

control this anger I had been carrying around. It was like a backpack full of rocks that I

couldn't shake off. It seemed like with every passing achievement in the martial arts, a

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rock fell out of the pack.

(Flash forward) As I stare at this brick in front of me, I think about all the moments

before this when I thought this is impossible. The memory that sticks out the most is the

first time I had to break two one inch boards together while jumping and spinning 270

degrees in the air. I had practiced this technique hundreds of times on kicking targets,

sometimes unsuccessfully, I might add. I calmed my mind, and visualized my foot

making contact directly in the middle of the boards. Time seemed to stand still as I

charged myself up like a windup toy. Then in a flash, I hear the boards crack and I am

standing there in awe of what had just happened. It’s as if my body moves on its own,

like it knows exactly what to do. It is in perfect sync and each limb is in harmony with

each other. It is one of those moments that even the memory make my heart race and my

body fill with pride.

This is the moment I had worked for these past four years. The Master reminds me

"if you believe you can, it will happen." These words filled my head, I steadied my heart

and I swelled with energy. I take one step forward then I jump, take flight, and with a

loud yell that could be heard in the next county, all that is left after the dust settles is a

crushed brick and a man with his dreams full filled. I could feel the sweat dripping down

my face as I realized that I became a Black belt. This was all possible because of the

sweat and tears that washed away the boy and helped grow the man.

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Do you know?

What does “Tae Kwon Do” mean?

The title

By: Miriam Zeitz

 “What’s your circus name?” asks Ledge, short for Legend. He's making a list of tonight's

performers, their tricks, and of course- their circus names. Around here, I know most

people's circus names better than their birth ones. Dutchie, Orca, Kane, Big Bird, Paulito:

these are the characters that color my weekends. After you've watched someone catch a

double forward-over on the trapeze, listened to their stories about traveling with a

Mexican circus, or heard them recount the time they stowed away on a boat to America

and were taken in by a group of jugglers, names like Brian or Chelsea seem all together

too mundane. Now I stand on the fringe of this world, emboldened by a dream I never

thought was possible.

The first time I climbed the ladder, my trembling hands could barely grasp the metal. Just

keep climbing, I told myself, as if standing on the tiny platform at the top of the thirty

foot ladder was something to look forward to. Of course, when I surmounted the board, I

was only steeped further in anxiety, clinging desperately to the lone suspension cable

within reach. I eased into the position I had been taught: toes wrapped around the edge,

one arm forward, leaning the entire mass of my body over the net below. But my limbs,

my stubborn limbs, steadfastly refused to obey. In that moment, I found myself wishing I

was still at home wrapped in the comfort of sleep, instead of drenched in a terrifying

sweat, facing my overwhelming fear of heights.

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But everything changed after I jumped off the platform. Trapeze bar in hand, I swung out

over the great chasm below, the final element for a great ebullition of parabolic motion.

In that moment, I felt myself lighten as fetters unclasped and dropped below. Although it

took months before I could stand on the board without fear, it was that weightlessness

that kept me climbing back up that ladder every time.

It hasn't been an easy journey since then. I started my workout routine right away: core

training and stretching every day, plus ballet, gym workouts, and of course, trapeze,

throughout the week. Sometimes, simply having a regimen was the only thing that

pushed me to start my hour-long stretching routine late at night, when I was already

exhausted. After a few months, it became so habitual that it felt strange and even

unnerving to miss a day of exercise. And eventually, this was eclipsed by the dramatic

improvement I saw: visible ridges of muscle, flexibility I never thought was possible. I

spent countless hours running on treadmills, doing pushups, lifting weights. I've practiced

handstands until my screaming arms collapse and my sweaty hands slip out from under

me. But there's something about that feeling, when you're drenched in your own hard

work, and the only thing that keeps you going is knowing that next time, it'll be a little

easier. There's a certain power, too, that comes with being able to trust your own strength.

Trusting the strength I was building became more and more an integral part of trapeze. In

the beginning, the tricks were simple, requiring little more than an ability to wait for the

calls. But soon enough I was ready to begin learning more advanced tricks, requiring

exactly the flexibility, strength, and coordination I had been working towards.

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First came the Pullover. The calls for this trick were different: instead of the “first

position,” “final position,” and “help!” I was used to, I would be waiting for “pullover,”

“pump,” and “shoot!” At the first call, I was to rotate my body, feet first, around the bar,

coming to rest with my weight supported by my hips. “Pump,” and “shoot,” in rapid

succession, were to trigger the bending and re-extending of my arms in order to shoot my

body off the bar, into the arms of the catcher- the person who receives the person doing

the trick while hanging from their own trapeze. I had been throwing tricks since my first

lesson, but this was the first that left scars. Again and again I practiced the pullover, and

each time my hips slammed against the bar, rubbing a little more raw, bruising a little

more violently.

When I started working on my cutaway, the pain moved from my hip to my hands. A part

of me had dreaded working on the cutaway from the moment I learned what the trick

was: a flip off the trapeze with the body extended in a flat plane. The most difficult part,

however, was the required rotation, in mid-air, just after coming off the board. Each time

spun around and re-gripped the bar, my hands began to tear a little more.

“How are the manos? Muy Caliente?” Paulito asked. But I shook my head and laughed to

show I was alright, ready to prove myself. Halfway through the class, though, my hands

were more raw than fleshy, and I couldn't hide the blood that's pooling in my palms.

“Can I have a band-aid? I don't think it'd be very sanitary if I bled on the trapeze,” I said,

feeling the need to justify my request after watching a girl cry over her first blister.

Dutchie was next to me in a moment, his boyish spirit alight.

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“We have a rip! A good one too,” he announced, his eyes sparkling with the stars of all

the countries he's seen. The other instructors gathered around, admiring my battle

wounds. Dutchie wrapped my hands in band-aids and medical tape. And when it was my

turn, I climbed the ladder and threw one more cutaway.

“So?” Ledge calls out, drawing me back. “You have a name?” I push myself a little

further into the splits, warming up for the trick I'll be performing tonight. And then I

know, and I laugh because of course- I've known it all along. It's nothing deep or

majestic, it's just a silly nickname I've had since I was a kid.

“Moose,” I say. “I'm Moose.” Ledge and the others laugh, and I know they approve.

Around here, it isn't about romanticizing your dark past into an enigmatic identity. It's

about wonder, mischief, and, of course, fun. After all, it's the circus.

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Tears help you see better.

True or False

Tears--- Our Tears Fill the River of Life

There are all kinds of tears: sad tears, happy tears, or just for clean and lubricate the eyes tears.

But did you know: tears have societal aspects?

Let’s read these essays, and find it out.

By: Steve Westerman

Characters:

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Do you know?When the baby starts have real tears?

Do you know?

How many people practice Tae Kwon Do Worldwide?

Dad/Instructor

Isabella/Daughter/Student

Bryanna/Daughter/Student

Dawson/Student

Linnea/Student

         The lights come on in the do-jang, which is Korean for training area. The children

start to walk through the door, with the sounds of their voices greeting one each other.

Instructor: "Welcome Back. I am glad to see everyone."

Dawson/Linnea/Isabella/Bryanna: (all in unison) "Hello Master Steven" (with excitement

in their voices)

In the class, I am not Dad, I am the Instructor. It's a difficult balance because of my

special relationship with two of the students, Isabella and Bryanna, who are my own

children.

Outside of the classroom, they know me as Dad. The one who kisses their bruises and

wipes their tears. To them I am funny and smiling, giving them piggy back rides up and

down the stairs.  But in the do-jang, I am Master Steven, who pushes them when they

want to give up and ask them to wipe their own tears and fight through the difficult

moments.

Instructor: "Attention!" (In a voice that demands their attention.)

The class snaps to attention, their bright eyes beaming with excitement, waiting for the

next command.

Instructor: "Basic one poomse."

The class echoes: "Basic One Poomse!"

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During this exercise of blocks, kicks and punches designed for defense from multiple

attacks, I make corrections and praise the student for their proper execution of technique.

Instructor: "Great punch Isabella. Make sure your forward stance is deep."

Isabella: "Thanks Dad. Ooops I mean Master Steven."

Instructor: "Bryanna, you are doing a wonderful job following along. Make sure your

right foot is in front at this point of the poomse."

Bryanna: "Thanks Master Steven!"

As always, she breaks the ranks and runs to hug and kiss me because of the praises. I

have to correct her and say;

Instructor: "Thank you but now is not the time Bryanna."

Even though inside I feel warmth and happiness from my sweet child, I have to maintain

the barrier that should exist between student and Instructor.

Instructor: "Linnea, you have memorized the poomse very well. Now you can focus on

creating more snap in your kicks and punches."

Linnea: "Yes, sir!" (With a shine in her smile)

Instructor: "Dawson, your middle blocks are great. I want you to remember to pick your

knee up high before you kick because it will make you look sharper."

Dawson: "Ok sir, I will do my best!"

These are the easy moments when everything is going smooth. But it’s when the injuries

and fatigue start to change the atmosphere of the class. You know when Isabella is tired

because her knee or ankle starts to hurt.

Isabella: "Master Steven, I hurt my knee."

Instructor: "How? Show me where it hurts?"

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Isabella: "Right here on top."

Instructor: "Can you stand on one leg?"

As she limps on it, she proceeds to say....

Isabella: "No it hurts."

Instructor: "You just have to push through it until the class is over."

Isabella: "But But." (As she sighs) "Yes Sir."

Instructor: “Do you know what perseverance is Isabella?”

Isabella: “No”

Instructor: “Well, what it means is even though your leg hurts and you want to stop

training?

You keep training through the pain. Sometimes you may be hurting so bad that it

May bring tears to your eyes but you tell yourself I am not going to give up or quit.

That is perseverance.”

Isabella: “I get it. If I try my best and don’t give up I will get stronger.”

Instructor: “Very good, and with that understanding you will be a Black Belt some day.”

Instructor: “I am going to give everyone a water break.” Sheo (It is Korean for take a

break)

Class:” Moo Doo, Yes I can!”

This is my way as a Dad to give Isabella a break without the rest of the class thinking I

am playing favorites.

Instructor: “Ok class break is over.”

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They all bow as they return to the mats.

Dawson: “Master Steven what are we going to do now?”

Class: “Can we do chicken fighting!”

This is their favorite game to play. They hold on to one leg with both hands and move

around on the other, all the while trying to knock the other person over.

I love this exercise as much as they do because they practice balance, strategy and

endurance while having fun.

Instructor:” Bryanna you will be Chong (means blue in Korean) and Dawson you will be

Hong (means red in Korean).” I point to the spot I want them to stand at and tell them to

get in chicken fighting stance.

Class: “Go Bryanna you can do it. Knock him over.”

I want to smile because inside I am hoping she will win but on the outside I have to be

fair to both students.

Instructor: “Se-jak” (means

start in Korean)

They charge at each other,

knee first. Spinning and

dodging each other. Who will

be victorious?

 

 As a father I want to comfort and protect my children but it’s not my purpose as an

Instructor. I am supposed to teach them to be tougher and stronger, So that when the time

comes for them to stand up for themselves, they are prepared physically and mentally.

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 While I watch the students laugh, struggle and grow a passage from one of Platos’ works

comes to mind.

"We are resolved to take the greatest care of the youths and not to let them run about

as they like....but to begin at once and do the utmost that we can for them"

(Plato, Laches, or Courage).

I know it is imperative that as a parent, I teach them about self control and perseverance.

Plato goes on to explain the importance of training and improvement which is the goal

and duty of my role not only as their instructor. But moreover, as their father.

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 By: Miriam Zeitz

During the Romantic Era, emotions were emphasized as an authentic lens for evaluating

experiences. Crying was often used in Romantic art as a symbol of woe or otherwise

extreme emotion: a display of wildly genuine behavior, unfettered by societal values the

era sought to repudiate. Alfred Lloyd Tennyson, a romantic poet, utilized tears as a

central image for one of his most acclaimed poems, Tears, Idle Tears, which discusses

the poignancy of nostalgia. While also relying on tears as a poetic device, romantic writer

Lord Byron's poem The Tear takes a different perspective, examining various situations

that precipitate the shedding of a tear. Tennyson's Tears, Idle Tears takes a haunting look

at mysteriously dark tears, while Byron's The Tear is a celebratory exaltation, together

demonstrating the universality and necessity of human emotion.

Tennyson's Tears, Idle Tears utilizes paradox, morbid imagery, and line structure to

establish tears as an enigmatic emblem for loss. In the titular, opening line, he declares

"tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean." And yet both the idleness and ambiguity

of tears are dispelled in the subsequent lines. The tears of the poem "rise" and "gather,"

this activity contradicting the "idle" brand. Tennyson also denotes the cause of the tears:

"thinking of the days that are no more." The paradoxes that form in the description of the

tears seem to elude to their other-worldly nature; indeed, they are said to originate from

some "divine despair." The despairing nostalgia, shown through Tennyson's vivid

imagery, is a form of grief. While the subject of the poem weeps at the sight of "the

happy autumn-fields," the visual is clearly not a tragic one per se. Poignancy becomes

relevant when the fields causes the narrator to reminisce about past days. Thus, the fields

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become a woeful image, as autumn is a time of turning over, when summer retreats and

bitterness of winter looms. Furthermore, the happiness expressed in relation to the fields

seems suddenly pitiful: an ignorant bliss clinging to the warmth of summer. These past

days are said to bring "our friends up from the underworld," once again alluding to the

tears as those of mourning. The imagery of death continues as the days are also said to be

"sad and strange" as the sound of early morning birds "to dying ears," and as "dear as

remembered kisses after death." In his final line, Tennyson declares the passing of days

to be a sort of "death in life." The fleeting desperation of life is also apparent in the

mechanics of the verses. With one exception, every line ends with an open vowel that

seems to trail off, as if the moment is passing so quickly that the word has hardly had the

chance to consecrate itself before the next line begins. In contrast, the second to last line

ends with the deliberate, firm consonants of "regret," a word which refuses to molder

away. Indeed, the poem seemed steeped in a regretful nostalgia, symbolized by tears.

Lord Byron, through line structure and rhyming, demonstrates the ubiquity and

naturalness of tears. Byron's poem is composed of eleven verses of parallel structure.

Each verse consists of six lines: two short, one long, two more short, one more long. The

final line of each verse ends with the word “tear.” Although each section deals with

different situations ranging from love to death, the repetitive structure makes them

uniform, as though drawn together by their shared conclusion, tears. The verses are also

brief, anecdotal, but they do not feel lacking. Indeed, there is no need for lengthy

background stories, as the universally relatable tears in each verse render them universal

archetypes for their chosen emotion. The rhyming pattern throughout the poem also

contributes to the themes. Instead of solely using contained pairs of rhyming lines, Byron

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interjects a third line that appears to be unmatched until the arrival of the final line in

each stanza. Thus, the “tear” that appears at the end of each section delves upwards, deep

into the gut of the preceding section, burrowing inextricably. The rhyme scheme also

gives the poem a soothing, euphonious tone, reminding readers that tears are soothing

and euphonious as well. Even the most tragic lines, describing a sailor caught in a gale,

crying into a wave “which may soon be his grave,” are strangely calming, as though tears

are a way of resigning to undeniable fate.

Both Tennyson and Byron view tears as a genuine display of emotion, but Byron seems

to revel where Tennyson despairs. In Tennyson's poem, he emphasizes a feeling of regret,

reflecting back on past days. Although the emotion has a negative connotation, it is also

representative of clarity and self-knowledge, sagacious insight that he has gained through

the lens of his tears. Byron, too, underscores the revealing nature of tears, writing, “too

oft is a smile but the hypocrite's wile...the soultelling eye is dimm'd for a time with a

tear.” To both, tears are a form of unmasking, whether working inside oneself or on

others. Byron embraces the power of tears, and shapes his poem into a reverie for them.

In each of his stanzas, he underscores their myriad benefits: insight, catharsis, even as a

display of affection. But Tennyson is trapped in sorrow, overwhelmed by the emotions

that have arisen from his tears. Unable to recognize the benefits of the insight he has

gleaned, he remains in a state of grief throughout the poem. The fleeting necessity of

Tennyson's poem is felt throughout Byron's as well, as each stanza plows into the next,

until the poem, opening with love, concludes with death.

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Lord Byron and Alfred Lloyd Tennyson were both prolific writers in the romantic era.

They both, in a true embodiment of the time, focused their writing on emotions. In

Byron's The Tear, he examines the variegated situations that trigger weeping. Tennyson,

too, explores crying in his poem Tears, Idle Tears, which examines but does not explain.

But where Byron's poem is lauding, Tennyson's laments. Nonetheless, both poems utilize

tears for emotional insights, whether rejoicing or painful. Together, they speak to the

omniscience of tears, a release for any strong feeling. And as both poems portray a sense

of urgency, the tears, too, feel urgent, reminding us of their necessity. Tears connect us,

move us, and remind us of our connectedness. 

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Do you know?Which State has the longest coastline in the U.S.?

Ocean

--- Let’s Enjoy the Ocean!?

Through the hard work, we sweat, we tear. Now, we

wash off our sweat and tears, we run into the Ocean!

Because:

The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or

the sea.

However we went to different directions. Now please

travel with us, enjoy the view!

 

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Do you know? How long is the U.S. coastline?

By: Miriam Zeitz

Environmental sustainability is one of the fastest growing sectors of today's economy.

Faced with overwhelming evidence of the ravaging nature of their activities, humans are

striving for earth-conscious alternatives. Eco-tourism, a practice that has been prominent

since the 1980's, stands to benefit from this trend. A form of tourism involving visiting

fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, eco-tourism leads participants to engage in

activities that are either low-impact or directly beneficial to the environment. However,

the reality of this industry is far different from what is advertised. Eco-tourism, although

veiled in conservation, is a destructive practice that provides both social and

environmental threats.

Eco-tourism, while attempting to focus on environmental activism, is often highly

detrimental to indigenous cultures. One of the most common impacts is the displacement

of native people, as exemplified by the the situation in East Africa. There, about 70% of

protected land and game reserves are on Maasai land. Local people have illegally lost

their homes with the establishment of protected areas, most often without any

compensation. (Kamauro) This can create a perilous situation, as inhabitants are forced

onto marginal lands with harsh climates, poor soil, and little water. Furthermore, they are

being deprived of traditional land and resources that are culturally significant. While

foreigners look upon land preservation positively, it has the capacity to threaten the

security and culture of native people. Moreover, the financial benefits of the land use are

enjoy predominately by foreign Eco-tourism companies. Richly diverse social and

economic activities are replaced by a homogenous eco-tourism industry, and locals are

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usually relegated to low-paying service jobs with limited upward mobility such as tour

guides and vendors. Meanwhile, the managerial positions are allocated to foreigners.

(Pleumarom) One study of large hotel corporations in the developing world found that an

average of 23% of wages went to foreigners, despite the fact that 93% of the work force

was comprised of locals. (Dasenbrock) Instability is another harsh reality for locals

employed in the eco-tourism industry. Tourism is susceptible to natural disasters,

terrorism, political turmoil, or even rising crime rates, and at any time the market could

sharply decline. Even when successful, there is no guarantee of year-round employment,

and workers may be laid off in the off-season. While focusing on the environmental

impact, many eco-tourists disregard the capacity of the industry to ravage native land,

culture, and economy.

Ironically, even the environment itself is endangered by the activities of eco-tourism.

Fragile environments are put at risk when invaded by even the most well-intentioned

tourists. Costa Rica has experienced a 6% growth rate for the number of tourists visiting,

with one of its most popular parks now taking in an average of 1,000 daily visitors during

the high season. This traffic has caused erosion, foliage destruction, and even turned

monkeys into garbage feeders as they have grown accustomed to humans. (Dasenbrock)

Tourists generally seek out the rarest plant and animal life, which are also the most

vulnerable. This also leads to the commoditization of wildlife. (Pleumarom) The presence

of affluent eco-tourists encourages the destructive market of wildlife souvenirs: on

tropical islands, coral trinkets are sold, in Asia, animal products. This contributes to

illegal poaching and harvesting from the environment. No matter their environmental

motivations, an increase of eco-tourists is also an increase of people, which yields an

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increased need for development. Hotels, resorts, shopping centers and condominiums

have all been built on precious land in the name of eco-tourism. (Pleumarom) Yet another

detriment of eco-tourism is the hefty environmental expense of transportation. Carbon

Dioxide emissions from planes are especially damaging because they are released at such

a high altitude. For example, a typical economy-class New York to Los Angeles round

trip produces about 1574 lb of CO2, but this is equivalent to 4,230 lb of CO2 when the

effect of the altitude is considered. But eco-tourism is a largely international industry,

requiring substantially longer-- and thus substantially more harmful-- flights than this

domestic trip. About 60% of aviation emissions arise from international flights, which are

required to get to many eco-tourism destinations. (Owen) Even after arriving by plane,

the remote areas sought out by eco-tourists may require an array of transportation

methods: buses, boats, cars, or even a smaller plane. Tragically, eco-tourists seem to be

destroying the very earth they seek to protect.

Some argue that eco-tourism promotes environmental involvement. However, the type of

person that would choose to participate in eco-tourism is overwhelmingly one already

environmentally conscious, while the majority of the population continues to prefer more

traditional vacations in less remote areas. Moreover, eco-tourism has the capacity to pull

environmentally aware people away from more beneficial, if less enticing, opportunities.

Truly earth-friendly work is constantly available, through tasks and choices that are

rendered mundane in the face of well-advertised, breathtaking destinations. But engaging

in local, independent projects is the best way to avoid the negative aspects of eco-

tourism. Not only has the brand of environmentalism encouraged by eco-tourism proven

to be destructive, it also encourages the phenomenon of “green-washing,” the deceptive

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labeling of companies as environmentally friendly when they do not meet environmental

standards.

Eco-tourism allows us to feel altruistic. Unfortunately, this need overwhelms our need for

veracity. Although advertised as a socially and environmentally conscious activity both

respecting and benefiting local land, economy, and culture, the truth about eco-tourism is

shockingly opposite. Eco-tourism, like traditional tourism, is nothing more than an

industry, motivated by monetary gain. But unlike traditional tourism, eco-tourism

manages to destroy exactly what it seeks to protect. And unlike traditional tourism, eco-

tourism demonstrates humanity's materialism in its interactions with the earth.

30

Arctic Warming A Profit in the Melting

By: Steve Westerman

For centuries man has looked for a quicker route between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean.

Whether it was a search for a faster route to Asia or for the honor of being the first to say

I made it through this Icy hell and came out the other side.

The Northwest Passage has been at the center of that search since the late 1500s by many

explorers such as Henry Hudson and John Davis.

Most of these explorations were unsuccessful due to harsh, icy and at some points

completely frozen impassable water. But with the arctic warming, there will be many

benefits that will come from this changing environment.

One place that will benefit directly is Canada. To be more specific, a little unknown town

called Churchill. In Stephan Faris' book, "Forecast", he visits a place that has directly

benefited or suffered, depending on the Arctic conditions. A place knows for its polar

bear population.

"This town was established in 1717 by the Hudson Bay Company" (Forecast, Steph

Faris, pg. 157). The town has seen its ups and downs from a booming whale oil exporter

to a barely functioning grain port. From a military out post controlled by the U.S. and

Canadian government.

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But "Then, in 1997, the Canadian government sold the port and railroad to OmniTRAX,

an American transportation company based out of Denver, Colorado, not wanting to put

any more investment into the infrastructure."(Forecast, Steph Faris, 159).

This didn't seem like a good investment at the time until the ice started melting and over

time the ports potential started to show. One of the times is stated in an interview that

Stephan has with a port official named Fetterly, they discuss how the melting of the arctic

ice is good for the port, there for good for Church Hill, Manitoba and Canada. Because

the waters are deep enough for cargo ships to dock without going through channels or

locks like other port.

Fetterly states, "Global warming has stretched the shipping season by roughly two weeks.

The waters are now navigable about four months out of the year." (Forecast, Steph Faris,

160) "Since OmniTRAX made it's purchase, climate changes has increased the work it

can handle by 15% which means the port will ship 621 metric tons of grain and is

expected to exceed a million metric tons in the following years." (Forecast, Steph Farris,

161).

"Other potential benefits of a clear Northwest Passage are significant. Oil from Alaska

could move quickly by ship to Eastern North America and European markets, the Vast

Mineral resources of the Canadian North will be much easier and economical to

develop." (Geology.com, Hobart M. King Ph.D.). The unknown amounts of resources

that lie beneath the ice is the real treasure that can only be imagined. One of these

important resources is Natural gas, "Natural gas is a fuel of choice to replace oil for

electricity generation (Darley, 2004)."(Oil, Water and Climate Change, pg 143). This

32

resource could be reached with greater ease and shipped economically through the once

frozen Arctic sea.

Some critiques may disagree because we can predict to some degree what temperatures

our planet will be in within 50 to 100 years and what it might cause to life on this planet

but it is difficult to predict the technology and scientific understanding of CO2 gases in

our atmosphere and our abilities to remove it or change it. In the book "Oil, Water and

Climate" written by Catherine Gantier, she explains that El Ninoeffects of weather and

how this will have serious disruptive impacts on places such as Southern California

where torrential rains may damage crops or destroy homes. But I feel that humankind

who once lived in caves and Teepees, has evolved to the point we live on ships in the

ocean, and even on the farthest edge of our planet in a space station.

In conclusion I believe

it is inevitable that the

arctic is going to warm

and the ice will

continue to melt. We

must embrace this

change and evolve and adapt to our environment. As we have since humans first walked

up right and grabbed a stick in one hand and a rock in the other. The need for fossil fuels

is greater than ever, as well as other natural resources that may or may not contribute to

the arctic melting are all necessary steps to man progression. One day we will walk on

Mars and mine asteroids but we can't get there with out change and without using these

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resource. Humankind will evolve, adapt and continue to grow. So as I see it, as the arctic

warms, the profits and benefits will flow with the melting of the snow.

34

Offshore Drilling

By: Yu Hong Wu

  Global energy demand has increased tremendously for the past decade. Oil prices

also increased substantially due to geopolitical instability in the Middle East regions. The

main street people began to feel the pain. Oil reserved in the sea bed wasn’t the main

supply for USA, but oil exploration and drilling on the mainland USA has quadrupled

during this period. However, the modern technologies make the deep water drilling

become more possible and more profitable. Offshore drilling starts to draw oil companies

and public attention. Why offshore drilling? Can offshore drilling really help us?

To answer this question, let us begin with offshore drilling. Offshore drilling is

referred to a mechanical process where a well is drilled through the seabed. It is typically

carried out in order to explore and subsequently produce hydrocarbons, which lie in rock

formations beneath the seabed. [1] Offshore drilling actually starts at late 1800’s, but due

to technology it only limited on the beach area. [2] Recently, we talk about offshore

drilling, most likely, is the

deep water drilling; it will

take place within our

coastline- Outer Continental

Shelf (OCS). It goes into the

ocean. Deep water drilling

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requires high technology. The modern technology development makes offshore drilling

more profitable.

Some experts in the oil industry advocate for offshore drilling. They said the

technology using at offshore drilling, are a proven and reliable technology. They also

claimed it is environmental friendly. Do we really have the safe technology to operate

offshore drilling? At the ocean, changes in weather will impact the well operation and

raise the safety concerning, especially during severe weather, such as Hurricanes,

earthquake, etc. And huge oil well blowout (such as BP Deep Water Horizon well at Gulf

of Mexico) still happens due to human error and incomplete technologies and tools we

developed for deep sea drilling. Today, most offshore drilling is taking place on outer

continental shelf (OCS). However, even without weather issues, leaking and spilling are

the common problems for offshore drilling. Oil spill is one of the top cause of pollution

in the ocean. According to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and

Enforcement, that U.S. OCS oil spills at 1 bbl or lower are 19,506 times from 1985-1999.

[3] So far no scientist can claim he or she has the right technology that can prevent oil

leaks and spills. Without solving leaking and spilling problems, the offshore drilling

technology will not be called safe and reliable technology at all.

Not only were the leaks and spills common cause of pollution for the offshore drilling,

waste by product of offshore drilling such as the drilling fluids which contain toxic

chemicals also cause pollution in ocean. We have not address how to eliminate pollution

caused by the leaks, spill and waste, instead we move ahead with drilling without a back

up plan to prevent potential catastrophic event. On the other hand, not all the well we drill

36

Do you know?What happens when a dolphin gets sick?

will produce oil and nature gases, but the entire well we drill will produce a lot more

industry waste such as hydrocarbons. Pollution that caused by offshore drilling has great

impacts on sea creature, commercial fishing, and tourism. The example of how the

offshore drilling can impact on us was 2010 BP oil spill at the Gulf of Mexico. After two

year from the oil spill, scientists are now begun to measure the long-term impact of the

oil spill. It may still need many more years of research and study to know the full impact

of the disastrous spill to our beloved ocean. As off today, some research had shown that

“Bottlenose” dolphins in oil-contaminated Barataria Bay off the coast of Louisiana are

showing signs of serious illness, including extremely low weight, anemia, low blood

sugar, and some symptoms of liver and lung disease” but the “control groups of dolphins

living along the Atlantic coast and in other areas that were not affected by the 2010 spill

did not manifest those symptoms.” (According to a health assessment conducted by U.S.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists and their partners).

[4] Why should we wary about offshore drilling? Offshore drilling disaster will not only

devastate the area around it but also the ocean and our beloved planet, Earth. We have to

realize the oceans are connected, and water moves. We are living on a same planet it

called Earth.

That’s correct! We live on the same planet. Offshore Drilling is favored by some oil

companies and by the people who wish it can bring us energy independence or as for the

main street people it may just simply mean for lower gasoline price with more oil

production form the ocean floor. Energy Independence relates to the goal of reducing the

U.S imports of oil and other foreign sources of energy, [5] which means not dependent on

other countries. Don’t forget the oil market is a global market. The U.S. cannot contain

37

oil prices by its own. Oil prices are due to demand, supply, financial facts, and some

other factors beyond our control. Domestic demand and supply of oil is not only the

major factor contributing to oil price spike but global demand and supply also play an

equally important role in oil prices. Recently, global oil demand increased tremendously

due to expansion of global economy. In the U.S. alone, consumption of petroleum and

other liquids more than tripled from 1949 through 2010. [6] 2010 estate consumption

19.157 million barrels per day. [6] Oil supplied is due to demand. If supplied drop, oil

prices will rise; if the demand increases, oil prices will rise too. Also, oil is traded in US

dollars. When dollars strengthen, oil prices will drop and vise-versa. No matter how

much oil we can produce from our OCS, most of it will supply to the global market.

Where does the money go? The Oil Company gets the profit; we pay for the price.

Energy independent will never come out from the amount of oil we have produced.

Therefore, offshore drilling is still an unproven technology. We have not completely

understood and mastermind the technology we used in the ocean. We still have long way

to go before we get there. We should perform more research and study before we begin

drilling every where. Offshore drilling can bring us the oil we need but it also has huge

environmental impact as well; it causes environmental damage. It will not resolve the oil

supply issue and will not bring us toward the energy independent at all. Then why we

should allow offshore drilling to continue to damage our environment? If we really want

to bring our country toward energy independent we should start to think of alternative

energy, work on finding new energy sources, and not rely on this fossil oil. Fossil fuel

resource will not be unlimited in capacity. Total endowment of Oil (estimate) on U.S. the

OCS is 115.43 billion barrels (2006). [7] It takes many thousands year to form what we

38

had taken out today. Once we used it, it will never come back. Sooner or latter, this fossil

oil will gone forever. We should act today, save our planet for future generation. Stop

offshore drilling now!

39

Sources:

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offshore_drilling

[2] http://www.noia.org/website/article.asp?id=123

[3]http://www.boemre.gov/eppd/sciences/osmp/pdfs/AndersonAndLaBelle/

AndersonAndLaBelle2000.pdf Update of Comparative Occurrence Rates for Offshore

Oil Spills

[4] http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/04/pictures/120420-gulf-oil-

spill-impact-studies/ Dolphins: Signs of Serious Illness

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_energy_independence

[6] http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/perspectives.cfm

[7] http://www.boemre.gov/revaldiv/PDFs/InventoryRTC.pdf

Report to Congress: Comprehensive Inventory of U.S. OCS Oil and Natural Gas

Resources

 

40

Answer Key:

How many sweat glands are in an adult body? (p4)

An adult human has between 1.6 million and 4 million sweat glands.

How much do you sweat in a day? (p4)

On an average a person loses about 500 ml of water in the form of sweat.

What does “Tae Kwon Do” mean? (p11)

Tae Kwon Do roughly translated means Art of hand and feet.

How many people practice Tae Kwon Do Worldwide? (p17)

It is practiced in over 110 different countries by more than 300 million people.

When the baby starts have real tears? (p16)

Babies cry but they don't produce tears until one to three months after birth

Tears help you see better. (p16)

True.

How long is the U.S. coastline? (p26)

Total: 12,479 miles (20,083km)

Which State has the longest coastline in the U.S.?(p26)

Alaska: 6,640 miles (10,690km)

What happens when a dolphin gets sick? (p37)

It is looked after by the other dolphins until it is better.

41