Online Portfolio Reflection, 2nd Semester

I have had a great experience being the the core. There were so many things I have learned and have done in this year that I'm able to say that this year was a job well done. I'm proud of the accomplishments I have achieved so far in my high school career and I hope to continue to strive in my education and academics. My GLO portfolio will showcase to you the work I have done this year showing how I have applied my class lessons into my work. So, after you have viewed my portfolio, please proceed so that you can answer the questions below.

Click Here to view my portfolio ^o^

1. What did you like best about my portfolio and portfolio conference? What would you like to see me improve on in my portfolio?
2. From your point of view, which of my attainments of the 6 general learner outcomes is of most value? Please explain why you feel it is important and what about my documentation of it impresses you.
3. Which of the GLOs would you like me to focus on in the coming year(s)?

Outside Reading Card, 3rd Quarter

This I Believe Essay - Rough Draft

Imperfection

by Sharmaine Sebastian c/o 2013

Perfection. A simple yet complicated word. Everywhere I look, everywhere I am, the pressure to be perfect is always there. I have never been the petite, pretty girl that every boy dreams of. I have never been the smartest, quick-witted student that everyone else envies. I have never been the perfect child that every parent wishes for. I’m just an average teenage girl with many imperfections.

I remember sitting on the couch at home during a typical Saturday. I watched TV while trying to finish homework. I decided to give myself a break and grab a snack from the kitchen. As always, there was nothing but a bag of potato chips. I settled for that and walked back to the couch. A commercial started to play and it was about “having the perfect body”. I felt awkward watching this commercial even though I was at home alone. I admit, I don’t have the best physique as most people and that’s something I’m not proud of. It’s not that I really hated myself for being the way I am. It’s just that the pressure to have that perfect figure made me think that way. After the commercial ended, I looked at the half-empty bag of potato chips, put it down quickly, and ran to the bathroom. I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror for a good five minutes pointing out the many things wrong with my outer appearance. “Perfect? Is there even such thing?” I thought to myself.

There were many times where I questioned the meaning of “perfection” and in different situations as well. At school, I’m pressured to have perfect grades. Not only because of my parents and teachers, but because of competition with my other classmates. I’m a very competitive student. I always compare my grades to others discreetly. If someone gets a higher grade than I do or gets straight A’s and I don’t, I tend to question how they got the grades I wanted. Also, at home my parents always complain how I don’t do anything around the house, how I don’t always do the things they want me to do, how I don’t always listen to them. The thing is I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. Everyone does.

Growing up, I learned that there is no such thing as perfection. I have met people along the way in my journey of life that have the same problems I go through everyday. Sometimes worse. If I were perfect, I would not be human. I believe that it is part of human nature to have flaws. I may not be the most prettiest, the most intelligent, the most obedient, but I am human. I have imperfections and they define me. This, I truly believe.

Reading Circle #3: Catcher Reflection Questions

Explain the following quote from the reading selection. How does the museum fit both literally and figuratively into Holden’s story?

“The best thing, though, in hat museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move. You could go there a hundred thousand time, and that Eskimo would still be just finished catching those two fish, the birds would still be on their way south, the deers would still be drinking out of that waterhole...Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you.”

-The museum appeals to Holden because everything in it stays the same. It never changes. Holden then realizes that he is the only one changing. The museum fits into Holden’s story figuratively because the museum personifies the kind of world Holden wants to live in. From the quote, I guess I can say that Holden’s fantasy world is a world that doesn’t change no matter how long you live there; everything is straightforward and easy. The museum fits into Holden’s story literally because everytime Holden visits the museum, there is no difference whatsoever. He is the only one who has changed after all the times he visited that place. Even though his brother died, the museum is still the way it was before. Even though his relationships with others changed, the museum is still the way it was before. Even though he is all grown up, the museum is still the way it was before.

Allusion Poem & Graphic - Final

As I stray far from my flock,

I enter a valley of darkness.

I start to panic.

I begin to call out for help,

But I doubt my Savior will come.

I am lost.

I hear a voice calling out to me,

But I ignore it.

I continue to seek for the right path.

I try to find my way back to the Ninety-Nine,

But somehow, I tend to wander back into an empty, gloomy meadow.

I am searching.

As I see a bright light appear,

a voice calls out again.

I choose to finally listen.

I hear the voice say "Come and rejoice, for I have found you".

I am home.

Allusion Graphic - Rough Draft

For the picture of the girl, I'm going to change it to a picture of me. I'm pretty sure that I'll be adding more detail to this since it seems really plain right now. Again, this is only a rough draft. (:

Allusion Poem - Rough Draft

THIS POEM IS RELATED TO THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP.

As I wander far from my refuge,

I walk into a valley of darkness.

I start to panic.

I begin to call out for help,

But its feels as if my voice is mute.

I am lost.

I try to find my way back to the light,

But somehow, I tend to fall back into the dark abyss.

I hear a voice calling out to me,

But I just ignore it.

I am searching.

I need to change my ways.

I need to open my heart more widely.

I need to find my way back home.

I need help.

I am needy.

A voice calls out again.

I choose to finally listen.

I hear the voice say come home.

I see a bright light appear.

I walk into the light.

I am home.

Outside Reading Card, 2nd Quarter

Online Portfolio Reflection, 1st Semester

I feel that my portfolio does a great job of proving how I've met the writing standards. I highlight particular selections to show if I did attain the standards or not. I'm content with it overall.

Click Here to view my portfolio (:

1. What piece of writing did you like best in my portfolio and why?
   
2. What did you like about my portfolio and sharing and what would you like to see me improve on?
   
3. Which of the writing traits (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency) do you feel was most successful for me?
   
4. Which of the traits of writing would you like me to improve on in the coming semester?

Angry Letter - Rough Draft

Dear Longs Drugs Pharmacy Customer Service,

I’m writing on behalf of my father who had ran into some problems when trying to get the medicine he was prescribed by his doctor.

On December 7, 2010 at around 5:15 PM, my father dropped off his prescription to your pharmacy. He waited for 15-20 minutes as instructed by you and waited just like how every customer does. But when you called him back, you said that his prescription cannot be processed because you did have medicine available, but the size was wrong. My father was prescribed the 10 mL Prednisolone eye drops, but you only had the 15 mL at that time. He needed that medication right away because it was an emergency. Earlier that day, he had scheduled an emergency appointment with his eye doctor because he had a suspected inflammation in his eye, and the doctor gave him an emergency prescription for it. Of course my father was really unhappy and upset when you couldn’t provide him with his needed medications because he really, really needed it that night. He asked to you to call his doctor so that this problem could be settled and so that you could give him the 15 mL Prednisolone eye drops instead of the 10 mL. Knowing that this was an emergency, you should have already known to call the doctor right away if it was possible to change it. Eventually, he did receive his needed medication, but the process was just time-consuming which was very unnecessary and upsetting.

My father feels that you make people wait too long and unnecessarily waste time. With that, I also feel that you could improve on serving your customers more to the best of your abilities. I understand that there are days where it is super busy, but still, as a worker, you should be able to provide excellent customer service which includes, fast service and better communication, especially when the situation is an emergency.

Sincerely,

Sharmaine Sebastian

Risky Business Rough Draft - Teen Depression

Teen depression isn’t just bad moods and occasional melancholy. It is a very serious issue that affects every aspect of a teenager’s life, which includes family, friends, and school. If it is left untreated, mild depression may develop into the extremes. But now, the question is “How should teen depression be treated?” The most common treatments are drugs and psychotherapy. The differences between these two are that drugs give more rapid results, but it isn’t the best solution. And psychotherapy takes more time and patience, but it is more effective. Regardless of the fact that pharmacological treatment has the advantage in relieving depression quicker, it may be harmful to an individual’s health and difficult to find right medication; therefore, psychotherapy is more advantageous.

Depression is a common but serious illness. It can seriously affect one’s life in many ways and can also cause serious problems if left untreated. It can change a person’s habits, including eating, sleeping, working, relationships, and how they think about themselves. For teens going through depression, they tend to become more irritable and angry. In addition to that, they experience vague aches or pains such as headaches and stomach aches. After a while, they start to isolate themselves away from their friends. Other effects include low self-esteem, eating disorders/change of eating habits, giving up easily, use of alcohol and drugs, self-mutilation, violence, other reckless behavior, and suicidal thoughts. The best possible way to prevent mild teen depression from becoming an even bigger problem, it’s very important to get help right away.

In order to help someone with depression, you have to know what their situation is. You also have to know the symptoms to determine if they are really suffering with depression. Symptoms include persistent feelings of sadness, anxiousness, hopelessness, worthlessness, and restlessness. Teens with depression may also feel guilt, anger, fatigue, and indifferent. They too tend to lose interest in the things they love to do; for example, maybe a sport or friend outings.

It has been proven that treatment consisting of mainly pharmacological therapy was effective for many people. Drugs had a quicker effect on the symptoms of depression than talk therapy. It also stated that a combination of counseling and medication worked best in relieving major depression and anxiety. However, the individuals in whom their treatments included more talk therapy did nearly just as well as if they had 13 more sessions with their therapist. It would be better for teens to get the talk therapy treatment because it allows them to let out and release all their tense feelings which reduces the stress in their life and prevents suicidal thoughts from increasing. Also, it lessens teen exposure to drugs that could possibly become addictive.

One of the biggest issues with medication, such as antidepressants, is the side effects in which some are very serious. Apparently there is a link between antidepressants and suicide rates among teens. Teens might increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors while taking antidepressants. On the other hand, like what I have stated earlier, psychotherapy allows teenagers to express their thoughts decreasing the possibility of suicidal thoughts from developing.

Most people prefer pharmacological therapy because it offers faster results. However, another big issue with drug therapy is that it often takes trial and error to get just the correct medication for a certain person because it depends on their needs. By that, I mean that it might take quite a while to find the proper drug treatment without undesirable side effects. So technically, drug treatment isn’t the quickest way to fix depression. Even though psychotherapy doesn’t give results right away, the later outcomes are worth it. Compared to drugs which you can constantly change, it would be difficult to change your therapist because it would take some more time to get used to you new therapist. Also since you’ve know your therapist for a long period of time, he/she knows exactly what your needs and preferences are. It would be hard for someone, especially a teen, to adapt to a new environment as well.

Whether it is drugs or counseling, teens with depression or developing depression should get help as soon as possible. However, one method is better than the other and that is psychotherapy. Admittedly pharmacological treatment has its advantages regarding speed, but it’s not worth wasting your time changing from medication to medication for, it’s not worth suffering side effects for, and it’s not worth committing suicide for.

Outside Reading Card, 1st Quarter

SELF-ASSESSMENT:

3.5 - My graphic does an "okay" job of illustrating the story, but it could be better. My editing could be a bit more clean. My conflict and resolution shows my overall understanding of the novel. Even though I feel that my text could be cut short, the layout helps make it work. My selected quote gives insight to the story.

College Essay Draft - Personal Statement

*NOTE: When I was writing this essay, I wrote it in an older perspective of me. So, please do no be alarmed in the first paragraph when you read "..and I didn't get a job until I was seventeen."

SPECIFICALLY, I'M AIMING FOR UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES.

*Prompt #1 (Freshman):

Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

Suggestions for Prompt #1 (Freshman)

- The majority of your response should be the description of your world.

- While describing your world, don't forget to add how the world has influenced your development as a student, or as a person.

SOURCE: Click Here

Compared to my parents, I have lived a pretty easy life. I was born here in Hawaii, while they were born in the Philippines. They started working in the rice fields when they were around eight years old, and I didn't get a job until I was seventeen. Every time I hear their stories of labor, toil, and hardship in the Philippines, I feel ashamed at myself because compared to them, my problems were no more than mere teen angst. My mom and dad did receive an education and graduated from college with bachelor degrees, but they did not get the chance to pursue the careers they wanted in life. Because of that one true fact, I have become inspired by them to succeed in my academics and to persevere no matter what struggles may lie ahead.

My parents hold very high expectations for me. I sometimes feel pressured to be the perfect child. Sometimes, I even doubt that I could meet the standards that they have set for me. They always want me to be the most advanced in my class, be polite and courteous to others even when I don't know them, and be respectful to my elders. It's always "Yes, you can do this! No, you can't do that!" And it sometimes frustrates me because of course, we all know that there is no such thing as perfection. Although it may be a pain from time to time, I am grateful for their extraordinary confidence in me because without it, I wouldn't be motivated to strive for the goals I want myself to accomplish.

From my childhood until now, my mom and dad stress the importance of receiving high GPA's, enrolling into a prestigious college, and getting a good professional career. Being that they were really strict about my education, they were unsatisfied if my grades were lower than a B. When I was younger, I only did well in school just to make my parents happy because, in all honesty, I disliked school and learning. But as I grew and matured, I finally understood the reason for my parents strict emphasis dealing with my future. From that time on, every school year, I put my best effort to get A's in most, if not all, of my classes, and I tried to attain and maintain a 4.0 GPA. I did everything to the best of my abilities not just only for my parents, but also for my future and myself.

Now that I'm about to go off on my own and enter the real world, I understand fully the hard work and effort my parents did to instill in me the desire to be successful in not only school, but in life as well. Through my parents' discipline, I became an ambitious individual who has her mind set on what she wants and won't stop at anything to reach it.

College Essay Topic

This prompt is used for all University of California Campuses.

Specifically, I'm aiming for University of California, Los Angeles.

Prompt #1 (Freshman):

Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community, or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

Suggestions for Prompt #1 (Freshman)

• The majority of your response should be the description of your world.
• While describing your world, don't forget to add how the world has influenced your development as a student, or as a person.

SOURCE: Click Here

My Choice of College

I actually have two colleges in mind.

- University of California, Los Angeles

- University of California, San Francisco

I chose the University of California, Los Angeles because it is said to be one of the best ranking schools in the US academically. The nursing program provided there is also one of the best which is why it's on my list of colleges that I would want to attend. They give the opportunities to do clinicals in hospitals; basically they offer hands on training.

Another choice of mine, University of California, San Francisco, is known for innovation in medical research, public service, and patient care. I'm interested in their nursing program as well. It is ranked as second in the nation.

Coming of Age Final Essay - Stepping Out and Speaking Up

Stepping Out and Speaking Up

By Sharmaine Sebastian c/o 2013

I wake up to the sound of my annoying alarm and with the morning sun shining through my windows. But this is not just any ordinary morning. It is the morning of the first day of high school. I wonder what awaits me there.

I press the button to turn the alarm off and go back to sleep. “Five more minutes,” I say to myself. But in truth, I am wide awake. My mother knocks on the door. Knock, knock, knock. “Hey, you! Get up or else you’re gonna be late,” says my mother. Wow. Some words of encouragement, huh? I’m in the state of panic and that’s all my mom says. Now, I’m really nervous. Without complaint, I listen to her and fix my bed. I go to my closet. I regret myself for not picking out an outfit the night before when I had the chance. I wish public schools had uniforms like at my old school, that way I wouldn’t have to worry about what I'd be wearing. Uniforms would make my morning routine easier. Without much thinking, I grab a simple purple t-shirt and a pair of dark blue skinny jeans. I don’t want to overdress. I do the other things in my morning routine; take a shower, brush my teeth, dress up, fix my hair. Ta-Da! I’m ready for school. Or at least...that’s what I'm trying to prove to myself.

Driving up to the school campus of Moanalua High School, my stomach begins to sink and I start to feel sick. “Are you alright?” asks my dad. “Uhmm, I think so,” I reply. “Oh, don’t worry. You’re going to do fine.” “Yeah, sure,” I say without an ounce of enthusiasm. My dad pulls up to the front of the school. The butterflies flutter in my stomach like crazy. “Well, have a good day. Okay?” Those are the last words I hear from my father as I step out of the car. I nod my head meekly as I close the door. I turn around, walk up the stairs, and look at all these kids with their big group of friends. So far, I only have two friends attending here with me. But for now, I’m alone. I’m by myself. I have no one. All these negative ideas flow in to my head as if it were a magnet for negative energy. I try to put on a brave face and look as if I know where I’m going. I call Janelle to see where she is and ask where we would meet.

We meet in front of G building. Janelle along with three other girls, whose names I later find out is Czarina, Brittany, and Isabelle, walk toward me. Janelle and I greet each other with a hug. I don’t speak to the other girls. I’m usually never the one to start a conversation. Awkwardly, we, the clueless freshmen, stand there in silence. After a while, we decide to head up to G201 and wait till the bell rings. I open the door and an upperclassman is there. “Psh, freshmen,” he says with a little snicker. Ouch! My first put-down of the year, and on the first day too?! Can’t this day get any better? I hope and pray it would.

The first bell rings. “This is not elementary or middle school anymore. This is the start of my high school career. Time to change and grow up. Make new friends. Be more talkative. You can do it Sharmaine,” I say as I try to pep myself up. My homeroom teacher, Mrs. Sueoka, starts with an opening statement to welcome us, the freshmen. Just the word “freshman” scares me. Whenever I hear it, I think about getting bullied and teased. I think about myself standing in a corner with no one to talk to. A loner. “Is that how I’ll be for the rest of my high school career?” I keep asking myself. My teacher’s voice interrupts my thoughts telling us to go to the football field for an assembly.

The day drags on. The teachers go through motions of introducing the course. The same old thing every first day. Nothing compelling ever catches my attention today. However, when lunch time arrives, a rush of panic swells over me. I don’t know what to do. I try to contact Shannel, but she does not answer her cell. “Oh gosh. I’m going to eat lunch by myself,” I say with uneasiness. I don’t want to be labeled as a loner. I don’t know where my obsession with status came from. I didn’t care about that kind of stuff before, but I guess this is what high school does to you.

Then I happen to spot Traci standing in the lunch line. I hesitate to approach her. Gnawing on my lip, I try to consider the best way to make a good first impression. “Why is it so hard to make a new friend?” I tell myself. To be honest, this is the most nerve wrecking part of my day so far. Talking to a person I barely knew. I worry that I’ll make a mistake and give her a bad first impression of me. I worry that I’ll sound like an idiot. Ahhhh! I really dislike the nervous feeling in my stomach right now. Worse than that, I despise myself for being shy and such a coward. I suck in a deep breath to calm myself and gather a great amount of courage. I walk towards her. “Hey Traci. I don’t know if you remember me, but I…I mean, we met at the MeneMAC orientation? I’m Sharmaine.” She stares back at me blankly. Uh-Oh. Did I do something wrong? “Oh yeah, I remember now. Hi,” Traci says. I think of something else to keep the conversation going. So far, so good. “So, are you here with any of your friends from your old school?” “Oh, no. They mostly went to private schools. I’m the only one from St. Elizabeth who came here.” “Oh, I see.” It seems like the conversation ended there. However, I continue, “Don’t you just hate the feeling of being by yourself?” “I know right! And it’s usually hard for me to socialize ‘cause I’m usually silent and shy,” she replies. “I know how you feel!” I say in agreement. Hmm, it turns out Traci is alone too. Wow, that is pretty easy. I guess I just made a new friend. Yay!

I find relief after lunch due to three facts. One, the day is almost over. Phew! Two, I’m not the only one who feels insecure about themselves and alone, which makes me feel more at ease. And three, I discover a confidence in myself that I never thought I had, helping me make a new friend today. During the rest of the last period, I ponder what high school is going to really be like. I know that it’s not the torture chamber I thought it was. I know it’s something more than just a place to gain knowledge. I ponder and ponder. Riiiiiing! The final bell rings into my thoughts…literally. The sound that signals the end of the first day of my high school career. Not as bad as I thought it would be.

By the end of the day, I have a new outlook on high school. Finding out that some people were in the same situation as me, not knowing what to do or who to hang out with, I didn’t feel alone or anxious anymore. Instead, I felt more confident and at ease. Not everyone will make friends easily. I know that now. Also, I now know that here I’ll be able to attain more knowledge, confidence, and friendships; experience more independence, responsibilities, and opportunities. After I overcome the obstacles in my life, there’s nothing that can hinder me from accomplishing the things I want to accomplish.

Coming of Age Final Poster

Coming of Age Poster Draft

Coming of Age Essay Draft - Adapting to the New

I wake up to the sound of my annoying alarm and with the morning sun shining through my windows. But this is not just any ordinary morning. It is the morning of the first day of high school. I wonder what awaits me there.

I press the button to turn the alarm off and go back to sleep. "Five more minutes," I say to myself. But in truth, I am wide awake. My mother knocks on the door. Knock, knock, knock. "Hey, you! Get up or else you're gonna be late," says my mother. Wow. Some words of encouragement, huh? I'm in the state of panic and thats all my mom says. Now, I'm really nervous. Without complaint, I listen to her and fix my bed. I go to my closet. I regret myself for not picking out an outfit the night before when I had the chance. I wish public schools had uniforms like at my old school, that way I won't have to worry about what I'd be wearing. Uniforms made my morning routine easier. Without much thinking, I grab a simple purple t-shirt and a pair of dark blue skinny jeans. I don't want to overdress. I do the other things in my morning routine, take a shower, brush my teeth, dress up, fix my hair. Ta-Da! I'm ready for school. Or so I thought.

Driving up to the school campus of Moanalua High School, my stomach begins to sink and I start to feel sick. "Are you alright?", asks my dad. "Uhmm, I think so," I reply. "Oh, don't worry. You're going to do fine." "Yeah, sure," I say without an ounce of enthusiasm. My dad pulls up to the front of the school. The butterflies flutter in my stomach like crazy. "Well, have a good day. Okay?" Those are the last words I hear from my father as I step out of the car. I nod my head meekly as I close the door. I turn around, walk up the stairs, and look at all these kids with their big group of friends. So far, I only have two friends attending here with me. But for now, I'm alone. I'm by myself. I have no one. All these negative ideas flow in to my head as if my head were a magnet for negative energy. I try to put on a brave face and look as if I know where I'm going. I call Janelle to see where she was and ask where we would meet.

We meet in front of G building. Janelle with three other girls, whose names I later find out are Czarina, Brittany, and Isabelle, walk toward me. Janelle and I greet each other with a hug. We, the clueless freshmen, don't know what to do besides just stand there and look idiotic. We decide to head up to G201 and wait till the bell rings. I open the door and an upperclassman is there. "Psh, freshmen," he says with a little snicker. Ouch! My first put-down of the year and on the first day too. Can't this day get any better? I hope and pray it would.

The first bell rings. "This is not elementary or middle school anymore. This is the start of my high school career. Time to change and grow up. Here I go," I think to myself as I try to pep myself up. My homeroom teacher, Mrs. Sueoka, starts with an opening statement to welcome us, the freshmen. Just the word "freshman" scares me. I feel like a target for bad things to happen. Watching all those TV shows where teens get beat up, teased, and bullied in high school makes me think of this place as a torture chamber. I know those shows are stereotypical, but just knowing the possibilities of those things happening to me couldn't escape my mind. My teacher's voice interrupts my thoughts telling us to go to the football field for an assembly.

The day drags on. The teachers go through motions of introducing the course. The same old thing every first day. Nothing compelling ever catches my attention today. However, when lunch time arrives, a rush of panic swells over me. I don't know what to do. I try to contact Shannel, but she does not answer her cell. "Oh my gosh. I'm going to eat lunch by myself," I say. Suddenly, I picture an image myself sitting in a bathroom stall eating my lunch all alone pathetically like on those TV shows. I shake out the thought quickly. I don't want to be labelled as a loner. I don't know where my obsession with status came from. I didn't care about that kind of stuff before, but I guess this is what high school does to you. Then luckily, I happen to spot Traci standing in the lunch line. I go next to her and use this time to make a new friend. Turns out Traci is alone too. We both win! Yay!

I find relief after lunch due to the fact that the day was almost over. The good thing is that nothing embarrassing has happened to me…YET! I really look forward to that final bell ringing. And it wouldn't be long until it did. Riiiiiing! There goes the bell. The end of the first day of my high school career. Not as bad as I thought.

By the end of the day, I have a new outlook on high school. It's not the torture chamber I thought it was. I figure out that high school is place where I will find myself and what I want to do with myself in the future. When I found out that some people were in the same situation as me, not knowing what to do or who to hang out with, I didn't feel alone or anxious anymore. Instead, I felt more confident and at ease. This is not elementary school nor middle school anymore. This is where it counts the most. I now know that here I'll be able to attain more knowledge, confidence, and friendships. I now know that here I'll be able to experience more independence, responsibilities, and opportunities. And now, there's nothing that can hinder me from accomplishing the things I want to accomplish.

Pro-Con Formative Assessment

CLICK HERE to view article.

SUMMARY:
The defense in the Cheshire triple-murder case challenged Connecticut's death penalty law. Steven J. Hayes is facing the capital charges in the attack and murder of the Petit family of Cheshire, Connecticut, which occurred three years ago. His lawyers argued that the death penalty is not in accordance with the U.S. Constitution. Last year, the defense said a legislative vote to repeal it in Connecticut showed that capital punishment is now labeled as cruel and unusual. However, the repeal was vetoed by the Governor of Connecticut, M. Jodi Rell.

Also, Steven Hayes' lawyers pointed out that the death penalty goes against the legislature's understanding of moral values. They claimed that the judge, Jon C. Blue, should "take a fresh look". But Judge Blue made it clear that he wasn't going to go easy on them by vetoing the capital punishment.

PROPOSITION:
The accused murderer and attacker should be free from the death penalty and should just be sentenced to life in prison without bail or parole.