Writing Center

When I went to the writing center I met with Taner Morgan. He helped me revise my draft. He helped me achieve the goals that Dr. D wanted me to fix to make my paper more successful. I feel like I needed that extra push to help me make good decisions for my paper. It was nice to know that I had someone to help me with questions involving my paper and involving ways to make it better.

Getting help was something that I didn't like having to do, but receiving that help was something that benefitted me. It let me revise my paper in a way that I understood what I was changing and why I was doing so.

How have your priorities changed from middle school to high school?

How have your priorities changed from middle school to high school?

The transition from middle school to high school was interesting. In middle school I talked to more people, I cared more about how others viewed me (though I shouldn't have), and I trusted people that I regret trusting. In high school now I try to avoid certain people because they were a bad part of my life and impacted me in a way that made me feel horrible. I stay away from gossip and from people who create it.

Personally I am tired of every year being the same. No matter what you do to try to change the way that things go, nothing can effect the way that the school community acts towards others. If I could change certain parts of my life I would. I would take back decisions that I made that ended up being negative towards me. It sucks to say that so far school has been hard to deal with. Some of my priorities are the same and some are different and every day I realize that I need to change something involving my life and the choices I chose to make.

Comments

Liza: https://lizasenglish1blog.blogspot.com/2016/12/how-to-brush-your-teeth.html?showComment=1481147875714#c26201884741254886

Maia: https://maiafaith.blogspot.com/2016/12/words.html?showComment=1481147744118#c4489072880112279880

Free Post

Things in my life have changed. Certain activities that I used to enjoy now make me bored and I don't like to do them. I think that change is a way of growing up. Everything changes, some ways good and some bad, but in the end it is all for the best. I used to enjoy staying up all night, but now I like naps and I try to catch up on my sleep.

A lot of the time when I go to my boyfriend's house we end up going fishing, going to a movie and dinner, and then coming home to talk. After talking to a bit we fall asleep and it is nice to try to catching up on sleep even though that isn't really possible. Everything seems to be changing right now in my life and I can't say that I enjoy all of these changes because that would be a lie. But everything changes for the best, so I hope that my life gets sorted out.

Literary Analysis

It has been difficult for me to start the body paragraphs of the literary analysis. I don't really know why it has been difficult. I've managed to get through it, but I don't feel that it is the best because of the way I started the body paragraphs. It has been helpful to go back in the book and reread some of the sections about my topic.

When writing the literary analysis draft I pay close attention to the details I add into my paragraphs and the way that I begin and end those paragraphs. All of it has to be tied together into a paragraph that works well. I use the book to help guide me as to what I should add to the paragraphs I have written.

Comments

Charles: https://20charlesl.blogspot.com/2016/11/how-to.html?showComment=1480547584204#c2468721887242097117

Saveon: https://saveons.blogspot.com/2016/11/symbolism.html?showComment=1480547484860#c1672779131383515115

How-To

One of the things that my family makes for Thanksgiving is cornbread dressing. I am the best cook in my family because my mom burns everything and my dad just doesn't want to cook. I learned from  my aunt and she has taught me a lot about cooking and what is important when doing so. I always make the cornbread for the dressing and I chop the vegetables to add into the dish.

When making cornbread I add the sugar, salt, and all of the other ingredients into a bowl and then mix them together. I enjoy the process of baking this because cooking brings me peace and time to myself. After it is finished baking I let it cool for a few minutes while I cut the vegetables. Then I combine all of the ingredients and there is the dish.

Comments

Gautam: https://gautamenglish1.blogspot.com/2016/11/free-post.html?showComment=1479337954214#c2279871191002814263

Lane: https://lanelovestacos.blogspot.com/2016/11/free-post-1113.html?showComment=1479337792198#c4975552658332305004

Free Post

I enjoy Thanksgiving because it gives me a time to not only reconnect with family members I haven't seen in a while, but it gives me a chance to reconnect with myself. Thanksgiving is a time to appreciate everything in life. It is a time for happiness and love. (The food is just a bonus) I enjoy seeing everyone for Thanksgiving day but after that I just want to be alone. I seem like the outgoing type of person but really I don't like being that. I would much rather spend time alone than be in a group of people.

Thanksgiving makes me remember that I can be alone but I still have my family and friends by my side when I need them. It's nice to realize that people have your back when you really need them. I appreciate everyone in my family for being there for me and for putting up with me for these years I have been with them. Thanksgiving is a time to reconnect, be happy, and love not only others but also love yourself.

LOTF Passage

I think when Simon talks to the Lord of the Flies is not only important but also scary. The other boys already think that he is "batty" and that he is different than everyone else because he is a little weird. Some of them even believe that he is possessed by the beast. This is the only time that the Lord of the Flies speaks throughout the book. He tells his perspective of the island a little differently than the boys see it. His words sound very similar to the devil and Simon freaks out, which is totally understandable. In this scene we find out where the title comes from and what it means. The cover of the book is also very similar to the way Beelzebub is drawn.

When I read this I was very creeped out. The fact that Simon is imagining this shows how much this island has fallen apart and how much these kids have given up. I felt scared for Simon because if I was imagining something this scary I would've reacted in the same sort of way. I don't know if I would have listened to the Lord of the Flies though because that ended up not turning out too well for Simon.

Comments

Charles- https://20charlesl.blogspot.com/2016/11/prompt.html?showComment=1478787225912#c7898644480669196324

Anders- https://derzzzzzz.blogspot.com/2016/11/prompt.html?showComment=1478787291514#c8829568592194107094

LOTF Response

The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away.  Once there was this and that; and now--and the ship had gone. [... Jack refusing to give Piggy the floor when he has the conch...]
"The rules!" shouted Ralph.  "You're breaking the rules!"
"Who cares?"
Ralph summoned his wits.
"Because the rules are the only thing we've got!"
But Jack was shouting against him.
"Bollocks to the rules!  We're strong--we hunt!  If there's a beast, we'll hunt it down!  We'll close in and beat and beat and beat--!" (91)

This passage from the book is significant because it is telling us as readers that the characters believe that the world is changing. To me it also shows that the groups aren't getting along as well as they used to. The characters are realizing that they want to be in charge of everything and that is causing chaos between everyone. It shows that events that happen with just two people can affect everyone around them in many different ways. All the order that this island once had is changing and may even be slipping away.

Topic

Prompt: When you think of the word childhood what is the first thing that comes to mind and how does it compare to the world today?

When I thought about childhood the first thing that popped into my head was laughter. Back then everything was usually based off my happiness. I rarely thought about about being sad or being hurt or being in pain. I never thought about anything other than the present. Live in the moment right... But when I was a kid I never used to realize how lucky I was to be able to laugh and live life to the fullest because so many people aren't happy enough to do that. I never thought about struggles that people had in their life because I didn't realize that some of the people I saw every day weren't as happy as they seemed to be.

Now when I think of laughter I think of all the people who don't laugh because they are unhappy. Now I understand how those people feel because a lot of days I don't feel like smiling or laughing, but the world needs me to be so I fake it. I now realize how hard it must be to see other people laughing when you are having to pretend to be laughing. Don't get me wrong, I do laugh and sometimes I mean it, but many times faking it is it best choice. If you show that you are unhappy it affects everyone around you. So one of my mottos in life is to fake it 'till you make it.

Comments- 10/26/16

Wyatt- https://wheatyl.blogspot.com/2016/10/human-nature.html?showComment=1477522571172#c7799136183579557106

Charles- https://20charlesl.blogspot.com/2016/10/lord-of-flies-human-nature.html?showComment=1477522502390#c8544365773459266120

Book

I just started a book called My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh. It is about a rape trial that happens in Louisiana. The books starts out by giving us a detailed backstory leading up to the event. I haven't finished this part of the book yet, but so far so good. The book shares about Louisiana's temperatures and weather and how unbearably hot and humid it is here.

This book so far is interesting to me because of the setting. I find it weird to read a book that is written in a place where I happen to live. The book gives great detail about each scene that takes place. I was looking for a book and just grabbed a random one and I really like reading this so far. I hope that the book gets even better as I continue reading.

Human Nature

I believe that everyone is born normal. Normal being neutral feelings and thoughts. When babies turn into children they get to the point where their feelings are more advanced and understandable than before. During the teenager years, attitudes change, thoughts change, friendships, and experiences change. When I first became a teenager I thought that life was A-OK, but I turned out to be oh so wrong. My middle school years were the worst years of my life because I realized who other were and how they had changed. Not everyone changed into a great person and that realization startled me. It was weird to think about how not everyone in the world has good intentions and good thought towards others. Many people make mistakes, me being one of them, and mistakes aren't always a bad thing. Mistakes can help you further understand yourself and others and what you can do to improve your daily life.

When I was younger I would always be forced to go to church because my parents couldn't just leave me at home. When I sat in church I would always want to know the time and when it would be over, or I would want to talk and go play with my friends. One day I actually listened to a sermon my priest was presenting to us and it not only changed my way of viewing others, but it changed the way I viewed myself. I can't really say that my parents have led me to believe these things because they have totally different opinions about things like this and I rarely discuss topics like this with them.

Book

I'm currently looking for a book to read. I finished a book recently and really enjoyed it. I like books that have action. I also will read a romance book. I don't really know what to write about because I don't have a book yet. If anyone has any book suggestions, please let me know.

Fall Break

I spent this Fall Break doing some pretty exciting stuff. I slept which is probably the highlight of this break. I ate some pretty good food. I exercised to burn off the food I ate. Basically that's what my break was. I'm kidding. Even though I did all of those things, I also spent the break with my neighbor and our friend and we stayed up all night and talked. I got to see my boyfriend twice and we watched The Walking Dead and took naps together. We went to the Zoo which was fun because I haven't been since I was a kid.

This break was a good way to decompress and forget about all of the stresses of school, all of the drama, and all of the people that I don't look forward to seeing 5/7 days of every week. I got to spend some quality time with my family and we haven't gotten to do that in a while. I enjoyed spending time with friends and family because you never know when something is going to happen that totally changes that.

Nerd Alert: Reading is Good For Your Health

In the article "Reading is Good For Your Health" Jen Christensen writes "People who have been reading fiction test higher for empathy. Other brain studies of people who listen to a story with intense emotion show a physical response. Their heart rate changes and brain scans show the area that corresponds with emotion lights up, as if the person was experiencing that emotion personally. Earlier studies have shown that reading can actually develop neural networks in your brain that can help you understand even more complex thought." I find this interesting because I enjoy reading fiction and when need be I can be very empathetic. Ms. Christensen also states that "Even if you are not a big reader, there's still hope. Past studies have shown serial television programs that are character driven such as "The West Wing" or " The Good Wife" also "can help you better understand what we human beings are up to," Oatley said. Other studies have shown watching character-driven sitcoms can lessen a viewers' prejudice." I don't watch T.V. as much anymore, but when I do I tend to watch comedies. I think that it is funny how parents don't allow T.V. sometimes but it turns out that T.V. can help you learn more about people.

I enjoyed reading this article because it taught me more about why reading can be good for you. I knew that reading was healthy, but I never fully understood how and why it was. I read books to distract me from parts of my life that I might be having trouble getting through. To me, books are a way for the author to express, past or present, feelings that they have felt during their life and think others may as well. This article really made me think about reading differently. I'm glad that I chose to read this.

Comments- Week 6

Ella- https://blogellac.blogspot.com/2016/10/free-post-103.html?showComment=1475714846589

Max-https://mhr416.blogspot.com/

Free Post- 10/2/16

One of the biggest struggles I have is being short. It's not so much that it bothers me, but the fact that people point it out a lot gets to me sometimes. I realize that I'm short and so I don't really need other peoples insight. If I can tell that the person who says it doesn't mean for it to hurt me than it's okay I guess.

Being short really gets on my nerves when it comes to reaching things. I have to jump on the counter to reach a certain cabinet in my house, or in the store I'll have to jump a few times or even call someone over to help me get something off of a tall shelf. I get that it's funny watching someone jump and struggle to reach something, but the fact that people don't realize that it hurts when they stare and laugh kind of bothers me. What if I were to laugh at them for something they are insecure about, it doesn't feel very good. But my mom always tells me good things come in small packages so hopefully she's right.

Short Story Response- "A&P"

A&P by John Updike was an interesting short story. I didn't appreciate how Mr. Updike made women look like objects. He questioned why girls even have brains and when I read that I was stunned that he wrote that. When I read this story I thought to myself "Why are we reading this??" because I found that the story had very offensive aspects in it.

This story really made me think deeper into understanding the world and how it has and has not changed over time. Some men still view women as objects and use us as toys and such, but other men value the opinion of a woman and care for her and what she does. In A&P the author talks about these women's bodies and how each individual part of them is affecting how he feels. Although this story might not have been my favorite topic to talk about, I think that it was wonderfully written and had a lot of thought and detail put into it and I respect that.

Short Story

When I was younger I had a friend named Callie. We practically lived together we were so close. She was my best friend and I’m sorry to say that in this situation a good thing had to come to an end. One day when we were about 6 she was at my house and were were sitting on my bed talking and having a good time. We started to have a pillow fight and she ended up falling off of the bed. She was crying and screaming and our parents came rushing up the stairs to see what had happened. When her mom asked what was going on she lied and said that I had shoved her off of the bed. That was the last time I saw her. Her mom pulled us apart and we could never get in touch with them again. My mom and I saw them recently at a fair and we talked for a few minutes, but it wasn't the same and never will be. It was good to see them, but it makes me sad that we will never continue to grow up together like we did as kids, we will never have the opportunity to just sit and talk in my room like old times, and we will never have the friendship that we used to.

Comments Week 4

Riley Carmouche - Dear 5 Year Old

Makenzie Daugherty - Dear blank, Signed, confused

Review

Right now in my book Noah met this guy and he likes him. His sister Jude is trying to be a part of his life again but they are fighting a lot. This book is starting to get really interesting. I hope that as I continue it pulls me in more.

I like reading books that have an interesting plot. This book switches characters which at the moment I enjoy. For me it's kind of hard to write about books every week because my opinion doesn't change often so I don't always know what to write about. So far I like the book.

Letter of Advice

    Dear 12 year old,
Don't let yourself get down. The things that other people tell you shouldn't affect who you are. You are you, and nothing anyone says can change that. Don't persuade yourself to believe what others say. Be proud of who you are, and what you have and have yet to accomplish. Great things are ahead of you, and you will reach them by taking life one day at a time.

    Make the best of everyday by showing kindness towards others. A simple smile can brighten someones day. Let your friends know that you care, but don't forget about yourself. Put yourself first. You happiness and mood is your number one priority. The second your mood sinks, so does the rest of your day. So take each moment on this path of finding yourself one tiny step at a time. Don't stay in the past, and don't worry about the future. Just live in the present and be you.


Best of Luck,
A 14 year old

I'll Give You the Sun

I'll Give You the Sun is a book about a brother and sister and how the cope with tragedy and growing up. Jude (the sister) "talks" to her dead grandmother and is trying to build a sculpture for her dead mother. The book is split between two siblings views of their lives.

I like that the book talks switches views because it makes me realize that not everyone has the same views on the same sorts of things. I can relate to both of the characters because Jude has a lot going on in her mind but it isn't what she shows the world, and Noah is secretive and prefers to keep to himself but sometimes can't. I look forward to continuing reading this book.

Katrina

The poem Katrina, Katrina by Doris Berry is an acrostic poem dedicated to the victims of Katrina. The acrostic that goes down says We Will Rebuild which sounds optimistic, but the poem itself is not. The first half of this poem personifies Katrina and asks Why? The author is expressing grief and lamenting that these bad things have come. This part of the poem has an aa bb cc rhyme scheme.

The second paragraph of this poem talks about reaching out and helping out friends and neighbors. It is explaining that during this time the community should come together and help each other out. The rhyme scheme changes and is no longer two lines following each other. The author is trying to teach the readers that even though bad things happen we can come together and make it better.

School Stress

The fact that school started with the flood already made this school year dreadful. I am not a big fan of having all of my classes every day. Too many tests. Too much homework. Too much everything. I seem outgoing but in reality I would much rather be by myself or someone I have a deep desire to be with. Being around people sends high levels of stress through my body and makes my brain freeze but at the same time be on fire. Don't get me wrong I enjoy hanging with my friends and having conversations about whats going on the the world and in each other lives, but I also hate it.

Stress is a big part of my life. Anxiety is a struggle. Having to deal with judgement from everyone can be a pain. School is honestly just a big ball of rubber-bands waiting for the first one to break and start a chain reaction breaking every other one of them. Waking up at 5:30 every morning is totally healthy right?! Hopefully this year goes by without any drama or chaos. Yeah right. Well that my story about these past two weeks.

Choice Book

My choice book is I'll Give You the Sun. I haven't read much yet, but so far I enjoy reading it. The book switches characters. Each character tells what is happening in their life and they have something interesting going on in there life that no one knows yet. I have heard that this book is good and from what I've read so far I agree.

The characters have trouble with certain things in their lives and I can relate to that. Having to keep everything inside can be difficult. Emotions should be let out but I have trouble with that sometimes and then everything just bursts out. The characters in the book have that happen also. I'm looking forward to continuing this book.

Blog #2 (freepost)

Over the summer I went to the beach with my parents and my boyfriend Taylor. The first time we went we stayed for 6 days. The water had a lot of algae but it was still fun to spend time with everyone. Taylor brought his fishing stuff and my dad fished with us off the beach. I caught the first fish which was fun because it was my first time fishing at a beach.

The second time we went to the beach we scheduled a deep sea fishing trip. I had never been deep sea fishing before so I didn't know if I would be seasick or not. The 35 minute boat ride was exciting because we kept crashing against the waves. When we finally got to our spot I started feeling dizzy so I sat down for a few minutes. My mom got really seasick so we decided to head back to the shore. Taylor and my dad caught some fish though so at least we had that. Now that I look back on it, it was fun to deep sea fish but I now know to take some medicine before I go again!

Blog #1

What I find confusing about certain books is when the author switches around a lot. Books are meant to be relaxing and enjoyed, and when the author doesn't stay on the same topic long enough to understand what is happening I get confused. In the book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the author, Douglas Adams, had a variety of characters with odd names. When a book has too many characters I find it unappealing and distracting. When I read I like to understand the situation and enjoy what I'm reading and this book didn't always let me.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is about planets that get taken over and how everyone reacts to whatever gets thrown their way. I think that the idea for the book was smart, but the author could have done more to blow me away with his writing. I enjoy reading, but this book was a pain to read. I didn't want to have to sit down and read like I usually do. I didn't have a strong compulsion to read this book because of the way it was written at times.