My topic is the Aragon Ballroom. I first found information on it on Wikipedia and learned that it was built in 1926 and that it was made to resemble ornate Spanish buildings. There are two in the United States, one here in Chicago and the other can be found in Venice Beach, California. The Aragon can pack 18,000 people in each of the six nights they are open. When it first opened it hosted many famous big bands such as Frank Sinatra and many other famous singers from that time. As time wore on new owners were put in charge of the Aragon and turned it into a roller rink and many other different places until it was restored back to a music hall. Now it holds many rock concerts and some Hispanic shows also. There was no mention of an author or where the information came from.
According to the Aragon Ballroom official website, the Aragon Ballroom was built in 1926 by two brothers, this was not mentioned in the information presented to me by Wikipedia. It has been named after a Spanish providence called the Aragon. The Aragon Ballroom gave a very long description of the building whereas Wikipedia said nothing about what the design looked like. It described the ‘ornate designs the building has to offer and its shiny wood floors, mosaic tiles, painted plaster, and beautiful arches (Aragon Ballroom).’It has also been dubbed the most beautiful dance hall and was a smashing success even when it first opened. The Aragon Ballroom’s website contained much more information building it up, much like an advertisement. It gave much information about how the radio broadcasts were important to the success of the Aragon. Wikipedia simply mentioned that the there were radio broadcast and no more than that. They also mentioned the location which is very close to the L tracks and has created much more profit for the ballroom. Both websites mentioned that the ballroom used to be a dance hall and that people would have to dress properly for the outing. It contained information about how the Aragon had been cut down to a club and that it struggled to get its reputation back with no success. It never became a dance hall again. It is now a rock and roll hall that hosts many rock concerts. The website took the reader through the life of the Aragon and what it has been since its doors first opened in 1926. The website also do not have the name of an author on the page but one can deduct that it is more accurate than Wikipedia as it is found on the Aragon’s website.
There were many people that contributed to the website on Wikipedia but none gave names. The late time the website was updated on Wikipedia was in July of 2007 and the Aragon was updated last when the site was first created which a date was not given. There are no references listed on either website. There are links on the Wikipedia page but none on the Aragon. The links on Wikipedia are linked to the official website and other newspaper websites that give a critique of the ballroom. Both websites contain basically the same information except the Aragon gave more background information about the building and what has happened since the ballroom opened. I would use the Aragon Ballroom official website before I would use any other website to receive information about this or any other important topic.

Response to 'The Eagle's Shadow'
In 'The Eagle's Shadow' Hertsgaard claims that Americans are different from America. I would have to agree to this statement in certain respects. Americans do not reflect our government and its choices. Although I am completely for voting, I feel that it is unnecessary for the people of America to vote for a president when we have the electoral colleges to do it for us. I will admit though that I am not completely sure of how exactly the electoral colleges work, but the impression I have is that they have the ultimate say of who becomes president. In the book, Hertsgaard brings up the Florida controversy when Bush was elected president. In is opinion based on facts that he found he said that Gore should have been president. This proves that Americans are different then their government because Americans really do not have a sat in the actions of the government. The American government could be referred to as alter ego America where they cause the issues in other countries, not the American people.
Some Americans though create a derogatory name for our country. When people go to other countries and act like the 'bigger person' because they are American, they set an incorrect example for the way that Americans act. I believe though that the majority of Americans are good people and that other countries have the wrong impression of us because the media chooses to focus only on the people who are causing the problems in America not the ones who truly represent America.

Jenna Grousnick

My first college lecture was the Saint Bernadin Lecture. I was unable to attend the actual lecture that took place in the Chapel, because I have a class, but I attended the small group discussion that met previous to the lecture. I felt honored to be in the presence of someone so important in the world and have had a huge impact on the Catholic people. Although I am not Catholic, many of their beliefs overlap with that of my religion which is Greek Orthodox.

There were about fifteen of us there and we all asked questions that peaked our interest. I asked how long Cardinal Dulles had been a cardinal and he responded and said six and a half years. He looked very frail which I think added to his reverence. Although he was difficult to understand what he was saying at times, everyone was still very respectful of him and paid great attention. I learned many new aspects of the Catholic church, such as they are currently debating about whether to involve Latin in the services. Cardinal Dulle said that he did not prefer if they did or not, because the service contains bits of Latin already.

The group meeting only lasted about a half an hour but it opened my mind to new ideas. He told us to not give up. When he started school he was not planning on becoming involved with higher levels of his religion. Then he mentioned that he had lost hope in his life and that going to seminary school gave him something to live for. He said his best advice to us was to find something to live for, it does not matter what it is, but find it and live for it.

The whole experience was very new for me. I have never met anyone that high up in my own religion let alone a famous cardinal in the Catholic religion. It was even stranger to know that he had met the pope and that he received his hat from him also when he was dubbed a cardinal. All in all, after the meeting I felt very elevated and honored to have gotten to shake his hand. It also gave me a new perspective on the Catholic religion.

Michigan Ave. Water Tower Place

This is a picture of the original Water Tower (on the right). The only building that survived the Chicago Fire. My group and I went to the Water Tower area and observed. We saw many people of different races and some speaking other languages. Some people were reading while others simply cut through the small park on their way to work or between shopping centers. There is never a dull moment in the park by the Water Tower, buses and cars are always driving by and there is always the familiar chirp of a bird nearby.

On the left, is a picture of the three of us (Me, Eric, and Kaitlin) in front of the original water tower. Inside there is now an art gallery that is open to the public during certain hours. We noticed that most of the people around the park seemed to be in a rush that appeared to be normal for them. Some people were sitting on the little benches reading or taking in a breath of fresh air and watching the small simple fountain that is in the middle of the park.

Academic Dishonesty Reflection

Jenna Grousnick

Many high schools and colleges around the world have faced problems with students and academic dishonesty. Many schools have either developed harsh punishment or have washed their hands clean of it. I feel that if one is entering college, one should know better than to cheat and plagiarize on assignments. I believe that in high school they should provide an educational approach (much like the program idea that Maccabe proposed) to teach students that cheating will get them nowhere except into trouble with their administrators at school.

One of the articles suggested that it was the teacher’s fault that the students cheated on papers, tests, and homework. This is completely absurd. Teachers’ jobs are to teach and educate the students. It is both an insult to the student and the teacher when a student cheats. Especially in advanced placement classes where cheating may be more prevalent than in regular level classes, the students should feel that they are above cheating being that they are in higher level courses. I know personally that it would be an insult to my smarts if I were to cheat. When students cheat, in my opinion, it seems as though they are testing the teacher. The teacher has been in school much longer then the students and will be able to recognize if someone has cheated on a paper or test. Not to mention that teachers were students once too and it is likely that they may know all the ‘tricks in the book’.

I believe that academic honestly should be applied in major tests and assignments foremost. If one were to cheat on a homework assignment, while still being a problem, it is not as big as a problem as if one were to cheat on a more major assignment. Talking with friends about a test should not be considered cheating depending on the information being shared between the friends. For example, my friend and I would discuss our statistics exams and tell each other in the hall if we thought that it was difficult or not. I do not believe that this was cheating; we did not tell each other the answers or any of the questions on the test. We just discussed what we thought of the test.

I believe that if teachers have a portion on a test where the student is to sign off that they did not see cheating or actively participate in cheating, that they will be telling the truth. If a student is going to cheat, signing a paper will not stop them. Students that cheat have incorrect morals on the topic of cheating. They may justify it to themselves any way that they want, but it still does not make it right. Students that are honest, receive the grades that they earned. While students that cheat, may still get a good grade what does that say about our system. It encourages students who are honest to cheat because they will not get caught and get the good grade without the hard work. Schools need to catch cheaters and reprimand them in some way so that students get credit where credit is due.

With all the technology available to students, it becomes much easier to cheat on assignments and tests. Students have thought of every idea possible, from calculators to IPods and writing the answers in cleverly hidden places. Anti- cheating programs have to adapt with the times. Teachers need to be aware of these types of cheating techniques and ask to check students’ items if they are suspicious of cheating. Some may argue that this may be a violation of privacy but I personally believe that if the teacher asks the students to put their phones, IPods and such in a box in the middle of the room that would suffice. Then there really is no need to check any of the students’ personal belongings. Schools and teachers need to develop a plan that everyone can agree on to stop students that cheat.