period 6 ignite talks

[PLEASE NOTE! The wi-fi glitched out at the end of the period and it looks like some of the presentations are missing-- if you see anything that is incorrect or incomplete, please comment with the information.  Thank you! -dp]

Sarai: Why do people try so hard to fit in?  Over the break I started looking into this and I need to do more research.

Maria: Why are we here (on Earth)?  I'm interested in the religion but the science, and I need to do more research.

Madison: How do our voices change and go into different pitches?  I learned that our voices change when we talk to people we love. This reminded me of how Daisy's voice changed in Gatsby.  I have found an expert on this and I'm going to interview him.

Jorge: How can a person become an actor?  One thing I learned over the break is how to find a relationship with a character-- this class has helped me connect with characters in books.  I plan to continue reading monologues and practicing.

Edgar: How did soccer become a sport?  Over break I watched a few games to analyze them.  Next I plan to research the history of the game.

Johanna: What if people stopped acting in self-defeating ways?  I watched a show where a girl hurt herself and started thinking about how she could be more successful.  Connection: in this course people could succeed more if they changed their habits and stopped procrastinating.

Daniela: Why do people lie?  I started by asking people why they lie.  I learned that people do this to hide bad feelings or get along with others.  In The Great Gatsby Tom lied to Daisy when he cheated on her.  I want to encourage people to tell the truth.

Joe: What is magic?  It can mean lots of things.  The connection between magic and this presentation is getting me out of my comfort zone so I'm not as shy.  I'll be performing at Ethel Pope in May.

Junior: Wi-Fi.  We use it every single day.  Over the break my phone lost data and I felt miserable.  I'm going to learn how it works.

Jish: Why does religion divide us when it's supposed to unite us?  Over break I researched different religions and I learned that they're supposed to be made for peace.  But the Koran has 109 verses on killing non-believers, and the Bible has lots of passages about how to deal harshly with non-believers.  I'm going to explore something different.

Regina: Was religion invented to control people?  One thing I learned is that yes it can-- so can school, or marriage, or other social institutions.  Connection: in F451 society was trying to control people.  I'm just beginning my research on this topic.

Lionel: How can we have the most fun?  I learned that having fun can make you happy.  I went to Universal Studios as a start.  Not sure where to take this next.

Polo: If man evolved from apes, why are there still apes?  I want to study evolution.  This topic reminded me of the story "Sound of Thunder" because small changes can lead to big effects.

Demi: How can someone enjoy seeing someone else suffer?  Over break I watched a lot of "Criminal Minds" and I learned that many criminals are out for revenge, or have a problem in their brains.  I want to learn more about schadenfreude.

Maira:

Jasmin: Sleep paralysis.  People believe in a spiritual background to this. Connection: when Dr. Preston asks the class a question and no one answers.

David: What is time?  Over the break I listened to podcasts and watched documentaries, and I learned that time is not constant.  It can depend on your location, or your emotion, and I want to learn more about this.

Arielle: Why do people buy Family/friends.  Last line of Gatsby makes more sense if you're older than 30.