Assignment #15: Cowboys.

Cowboys... rugged? Tough? heroes... throughout western history.

Elrich describes the softer side of these men, exemplifying sweetness, vulnerability and kindness... kind of like puppies(: A mix of these two images. 

Assignment #14: Internet secrecy

Social networking sites have no secrets. Today it is impossible to keep those secrets good or bad to yourself. The real question is, is this a good or a bad thing? Society look at internet as a source of evil, especially concerning teenage 'scandals' and 'secrets.' People undermine the fact that the internet isn't creating these secrets, just exploiting them. So maybe it's a good thing, because we all know lies and secrets don't make friends.

Assignment #13: Personal Values v. school

Although the idea to teach students 'good' personal values and making better future citizens, I believe that this should not be applied to public schools. There is a reason topics like religion are not taught and practiced in school, people have their own beliefs and values.  That's one major difference between public and private schools, seeing as most private schools teach and apply religious practices with their students.Save 'personal' values for student's personal lives, school is strictly professional.

Assignment #12: Movies.

Movies are seperated into genres like the following;

-action/adventure

-romance

-drama/tragedy
-comedy/humor

-documentary

-thriller/horror

-animation

What makes a great movie? That to me, is totally a opinion. People say Godfather and Casablanca are great movies but I could care less for them. It's what you, as an individual like and relate to. Some people say money, special effects and good props and settings make the movie. However, I believe movies in black and white, no special effects or millions of dollars can be just as good if it has a good captivating story line and good actors. That's the difference between avatar and To Kill a Mocking Bird.

Here are some Movies that I feel deserve the title 'great'

-Pride and Prejudice

-Harry potter

-Lord of the Rings

-Toy story 3

-Up

-The secret Window

-Titanic

-The Time Traveler's wife

Assignment #11: Metacognitive Questions on Definition Essay.

Culminating Writers Profile

1. Discuss how your expectations about your writing style and needs have both changed and remained the same since this class has started.

I expected to start developing better writing, however this seems to be a slower process then I thought... I still write the same as when I did two years ago.

2. What do you see as your strengths as a writer and how have you reinforced them?

I feel like one good strength about writing is that I use a more personal approach/tone that relates to the reader.

3. What do you still see as your writing weaknesses and what have you done to strengthen those areas?

Well I am not very good at saying exactly what I need to say when it comes to analysis, my evidence and examples can be word for word what I think in my head, but the actual explaining part always seems to come out wrong.

Evaluating your writing process

1. If you had the time to write one more draft of this essay, how would you improve it?

I would make the conclusion a lot stronger, and relate my concrete details to the rest of the essay a lot better.

2. As you received peer feedback and revised your essay, what did you find the easiest element to improve in your essay?

grammer and vocab, a lot of expansion on ideas too.

3. Discuss the biggest problem you had in writing and revising this essay.

It was difficult to change things that I originally thought was good material

Assignment #10: Nobodiness

She sits in the same spot everyday, two seats away from the two most popular girls in school. They continuously copy her homework and cheat off her tests. They would do the work themselves but they are always too busy gossiping. One day her name gets brought up, followed by two blank stares and a , "who the hell is that?"

He comes home everyday from school and gets asked the same question from his mom, "how was school?" She doesn't even look up from the TV. Usually he mutters a 'fine' or 'good' which is always followed by "that's good honey." Today he decides to use the word 'terrible' which not to his surprise is responded with, "that's good honey." 

Nobodiness is a way other people can make a person feel. Whatever the feeling, sadness unwanted or loneliness it is all the same. Being unacknowledged  by friends, peers, co-workers and even family is not a fun event and causes self esteem and depression. No one should be subjected to nobodiness.

Assignment #9: Tuesdays with Morrie

In Tuesdays with Morrie Mitch Albom addresses the materialistic nature of our lives – and what Morrie has to teach him about how to live. 

Personally, after reading the book I was left with a new sense of appreciation and graciousness for my life and all the people and opportunities that have come with it.  Also, seeing as I'm only 16, Morrie's philosophy has left me thinking about what lays ahead and how to prepare myself for all the changes and choices that come with being independent and starting my own life. I want to be able to say I wanna live life following my dreams and not the whole society lifestyle with money, a good job and a high status. But Mitch thought that too, and he ended up the very poster boy for all that. Anyways, Morrie's words definitely had a positive impact on me and my future :)

Assignment #8: Connotation

The word "plump," like this picture, makes me smile. Personally when I think plump I think of my grandmothers (I have four) which are all very short, plump, jolly women. I think of happy pumpkins during thanksgiving, I think of Santa Claus and I think of Angelina Jolie. All in which I are very good things. :)

Assignment #7: Everything's an Argument

In The Secret Life of Bees, the author makes the argument that if you want to find something (like the truth, yourself, answers) you cannot always rely on others, but rather yourself to go out in the world and look for it yourself. In the beginning of the book the main character, lily, always asks her father about her mother (where she is, how she is doing etc) she later learned that she had to go out in the world to understand what had happened to her mother. She couldn't just expect her father to give her all the answers to life, and while finding out the truth about her  mother, Lily found out so much  more.

Assignment #6: Positive Vs. Negative Views

"They say those teenagers scare the living shit out of me
They could care less as long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me

The boys and girls in the clique
The awful names that they stick
You're never gonna fit in much, kid
But if you're troubled and hurt
What you got under your shirt
Will make them pay for the things that they did"

-teenagers by my chemical romance

Teenagers have always been associated with the words; unruly, rude, parties, irresponsible, drugs, violence, sex. 

But society seems to undermine the fact that most mission trips to third world countries are mostly students. Teenagers to be exact. Most high school clubs have something to do with helping the world and our communities. A lot of teenagers jump at the chance to help out others. Also, we could be called naive but the younger generation has heart and we try harder or spend more time and attention on things that adults would usually cast aside like the homeless people, wild animals etc. You could call it ignorance or you could call it amazing. Us teenagers are also associated with the words; talent, love, kindness, future, giving etc.

Assignment #5: Conformity

If you walk the halls of VHS, you will notice teens of all different cliques, styles and trends. No matter how hard you try to be a 'trendsetter' or 'independent' you will always be part of the crowd. There is not one teenager at our school that you can say  "wow he/she is really different from everyone else," just by looking at the. Do not get me wrong though, I believe in nonconformity, there is such a thing. However it does not apply to the physical appearance of people but a person's personality actions and word and make them different from everyone else. Not two of the same people at out school have the exact same likes, dislikes and thoughts and opinions.

Assignment #4: The Controversy of Music Genres

                                                   

We see lil Wayne(left) and the words cool, gangster, hood, pimp etc pop up to mind. We hear his music and it's catchy and has quite the stealthy word play, He is adored everywhere and his lyrics include but are not varied to these examples;

"So I pick the world up and I’ma drop it on your f*ckin’ head
Bitch, I’ma pick the world up and I’ma drop it on your f*ckin’ head
And I could die now, Rebirth motherf*cker
Hop up in my spaceship and leave Earth, motherf*cker
I’m gone
Motherf*cker, I’m gone"

-drop the world

"She got the good good
she Michael Jackson bad
Im attracted to her
but her attractive ass
but now were murders
cause we kill time
I knock her lights out
but she still shine
I hate to see her go
but i love to watch her leave
but i keep her running back and forth
like a soccer team"

-bedrock

On the other hand, we have Christopher Drew(right), and his name always is associated with cute, dorky, gay,  and inspirational. His songs are are also catchy and his lyrics are heartfelt. His fans are numerous and his lyrics go along these lines; 

"Love is the weapon for this lukewarm congregation
Love is the only thing that's kept me believing
Love is the weapon for this wounded generation
Love is the only thing that's kept me believing

That the world will change
(world will change)
We all want change
(want it now)"

-love is our weapon

"I'm happy knowing that you are mine
The grass is greener on the other side
The more I think, the more I wish
That we could lay here for hours and just reminisce
Uh, oh, oh

You're looking so fresh, it's catching my eye
Why oh, why did I not see this before
The girl I adore was right in front of me
And now I'll take a step back and look in your eye
And ask why it took so long to see we're meant to be"

-happy

What people don't often see is that rock and rap and folk and jazz, country, latin, hip hop and techno, Lil Wayne, Christopher Drew, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, AC/DC, pitbull, Norah Jean and kid Cudi have one thing in common; they are all forms and artists of self expression. No matter how vast the differences the share may be they we all still be artists coming together in a community to represent music and their own personal interpretations of life.

 

Assignment #3: The Secret Life of Bees

 

"The Secret Life of Bee's" is a heart inspiring story of a young girl and her journey through grief, love and life. While teaching important history about the civil rights movement in the 1960s, this nook also serves as excellent advice, guidence and opens discussions and ideas for women everywhere. Young girls especially will find this book relate-able and inspiring. The main character Lily, takes on the social injustice of the world with her whimsical adolescent mind as this 'coming of age' book takes her through a series of incidents in her life. She develops an understanding of the harsh reality of the world and people in it, but also the kindness and wisdom found in certain people. This book will leave readers encouraged and confident, thinking if Lily can do it, why can't I? 

Assignment #2: The "other literature"

Non-fiction... hmmm not much I can say for. I really haven't read much at all, not more then forced to. I think that's a big part of being a kid though, we tend to stick with things we feel comfortable with. Alas, how we feel more comfortable with wizards and clone wars and supernatural vampires then the realness of biographies of kids just like us and opinion pieces concerning today's society beats me!


Recollection of non-fiction works:
 well my mother just told me "Letters from Riftka," "Nory Ryan's Song," "Crank," and "Go Ask Alice." Don't count! I'm kinda pissed.

well here are the VERY FEW that do count:
-"The Diary of a Young Girl" -Anne Frank
-"All But My Life" by, Gerda Weissmann Klein
-"the Sorcerer's  Companion a Quide to the Magical World of Harry potter" by, Allan Zola Kronzck and Elizabeth Kronzck 

As bad as it sounds the diary of Anne Frank was really boring, but All but My Life was a great book! They both had the same themes and main points. Both were about young girls during world war II. They both were diaries and both girls had it bad and have faced many hardships. I guess reading both of the books made me more grateful for the lifestyle that I have today and glad to live in a country like America.

 These are the only quotes I can remember from ABML:
"The only real failure in life is the failure to try.” 
“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” 
I loved Gerta because she had so much hope and ambition, she really is an inspiring person.

The Sorcerer's Companion  just heled my understand Harry potter and the background to the story and little details in the book. It's silly that they have a non-fiction book based on a fiction book. It includes lots of folklore and explains a lot of old terms and stories etc.I actually don't even really know if it counts as non-fiction but I needed to list more than two! It's a good book though:)

Assignment #1: Hi. I'm melissa, it's a pleasure to meet you:)

Have you ever read the book Where the Wild Things are  by Maurice Sendak? Perhaps you’ve seen the movie? I’m sure you’ve heard of it… the main character Max, well that’s me:)

“Let the wild rumpus start!”