Hello!

On this page you will find final drafts of writing assignments from English class. This is the first writing assignment, to welcome whoever you are to my page... so welcome to my page! Second writing assignment: to tell you a bit about myself. My favorite color is neon green, my favorite sport is tennis, my favorite book is the second Lord of the Rings, my favorite movie series is Star Wars, and my favorite baseball team is the Detroit Tigers. Now you know!

Thank You! 

 

Book Review: Mary Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer

     You're rich, you're privileged, you're pretty, you're next in line for the throne. Imagine that. Your family is perfect, your surroundings are perfect, your Latin is perfect! Then the rumors start and your dreams are crushed before your very eyes. Your life is suddenly in danger almost constantly. You are Mary Tudor. You are Bloody Mary. Disclaimer: No, this not about a ghost in a mirror. It was just her nickname because of the brutality of her reign.

     This story begins with Mary's realization that her happiness doesn't matter. Her father King Henry VIII betroths her to 4 different kings and breaks all 4 betrothals, all without her consent. She is eventually crowned Princess of Wales and given her own court far away from her mother, all without her consent! When she is invited back home it is to see the king's illegitimate son be given more titles then she has, definitely without her consent!!! Her mother, Queen Catherine, reveals that he wants Fitzroy, his son, to inherit the throne. He believes that a woman could not rule England!

     Back at her own court, Mary takes up falconry, hunting using a falcon or other bird of prey. She gets word that her father has began hunting as well. She asks her lady-in-waiting, Susan, why her parents don't come hunt with her. Susan's reply is startling: "The king's hunting partner is not the queen, but my cousin Anne Boleyn!" Anne Boleyn is a lady in Queen Catherine's court. This is only the start of the horrible truth.

     She is invited back to her parents court for Christmas. King Henry openly flirts with Anne Boleyn. Mary begins to hear rumors that scare her. Henry tries to divorce Queen Catherine. To break her will, he banishes her to the More, a hunting lodge far away.

     5 years later, Mary is 17. The king has married Anne, and she is pregnant. Mary witnesses the birth of Anne's child, the bringer of England's Golden Age, Elizabeth. Anne cannot give the king a son. She quickly loses favor. Anne Boleyn is executed on false charges.

He marries Jane Seymour, and is born a son. Will Mary ever be queen? Find out in this dazzling 200 pager by Carolyn Meyer.

     My favorite thing about this book is how easy it is to connect to Mary. No, I'm not English royalty that was disowned by my family. But I am a kid, a girl, a person that sometimes thinks the world is against me. Sometimes I have to claw and fight to get back to the top again. Sometimes I destroy myself in the process.

     I'd recommend this book to anyone who is a Mary Tudor at heart. This is for anyone who can connect to a poor girl who was denied everything but life, when death would have been a relief. This is for all the Bloody Marys. In short, read this book have I not made myself clear!!!

 

 

 

Learning is not just for Classrooms By: Sasha Bacon

What sounds more interesting to you? A teacher talking endlessly about the habits of a tiger, or going to the zoo to see one? I personally think that seeing and experiencing things in person is more interesting than hearing about them. Coming from an elementary school where students went on more field trips a year than Pattengill or Whitehills where I went to school the last 2 years, I believe students should be able to go on more school related field trips. It can increase students’ interest for the subject, it can make it easier to learn, and it can allow students to enjoy school more overall.

First of all, students should be able to go on more school related field trips because it can increase students interest for the subject. According to a study, (educationnext.org, 2013) among students who toured an art museum with their school interest in museums is up by 8%. Among rural schools interest is up 22%. Among high poverty schools interest is up 11%. Overall, students that saw museums were more interested in museums and more likely to go to one in the future.

Secondly, students should be able to go on more school related field trips because it can make it easier to learn. In the same study as above, 88% of students who saw a painting called At The Camp when surveyed weeks later knew the painting showed abolitionists undermining the sugar industry by making maple syrup, the painter, and the year it was painted. My point being you can remember more details of a specific thing when you see it in person. So you can remember important, school related things after you see them in person.

Finally, students should be able to go on more school related field trips because it can make students enjoy school overall more. Several of my friends and I went to the same elementary school, Post Oak Elementary, where we went on more field trips a year than Whitehills Elementary where I went last year. When I asked my friend Grace about it, she said she thinks: “ Learning outside of the classroom can help someone’s learning experience.” My friend Hannah said that field trips made her educational experience more enjoyable. My Sophie said “Field trips boosted my interest in the subject.”

Students should be able to go on more school related field trips because they can increase students interest in the subject, it can make it easier to learn, and can allow students to enjoy school more overall. News flash---  You don’t need to be in a classroom to learn.

Bibliography

"The Educational Value of Field Trips - Education Next." RSS. N.p., 9 Sept. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.

This is the Public Service Announcement I made about the above persuasive essay

 

 

Nameless

 

     It was 2298, and I was in an underground bunker that was basically my basement, awaiting death by the people who swore to protect us in this troubled time. My misfortune started when my mom moved from India to the U.S., my dad moved from Russia to the U.S. both to go to the same school. They met in the airport. They were already doomed, but technically I had a chance. But I lost mine too, when our city started filling up with people, my parents started looking for a more private  home. I ended up living in Canada for 8 years of my life, much longer than I had lived in the United States. Even though I was a United States citizen, now I was doomed. It started in 2294. The world was literally running out of space for people. You would have thought that there would be some desolate places people could live, but there weren't any! Every mountain, jungle, island, desert, and tundra was covered with houses. But more importantly to me, Canada was full. We knew the U.S. was cramped but we knew there was room. We were on the next plane back. Life was okay for one more year, then the government got a little desperate to save space. The first thing to be effected was the court of law. You could be locked away for months on charges like jaywalking and littering.  It no longer mattered how old you were. Federal, state, local, it didn't matter. Most cons, heists, and robberies were many years in jail or a death sentence. If you were in jail for a total of 5 years, on your fifth anniversary you were put to sleep. And not in a humane way, they were running out of supplies. Prisons had high suicide rates, and I think that was the point. Lots of products were poisoned, killing whole families. Fireworks were rigged setting neighborhoods on fire. We knew the government was behind it, we were just in denial. But my family and I were safe, relatively safe. We were living in fear, sickness, and poverty. My mom had fallen ill with something we couldn't diagnose ourselves. And all the hospitals had been shut down, the people inside taken God knows where (although we had some pretty gruesome ideas). If you can believe it, there were still too many people. Babies were still born everyday and not everyone was going to go to jail or join the violent anarchy that was happening on the streets of bigger cities. I was perfectly convinced that I would be fine. Then, it all fell apart. My mom and my dad were fired from their jobs on the same day, I received a letter from my school saying I couldn't come back on Monday, a letter from the Senate explained that it was now illegal to be an immigrant or live in the U.S. if you had lived in another country longer then you had lived in the America, and, to frost the cake, my mother just couldn't take the bad news. In the middle of the night, her heart gave out from the stress of it all.... she died. We were flat broke, flat heartbroken, and flat out illegal. My dad and I researched it more and found out that every country was doing this, there was no place we could legally live. But I thought nothing of it, it was madness, people didn't take well to madness. But everyone who was willing to fight was either dead or locked away somewhere. Still I consoled myself, what I had left of my family was fine, we just had to live under the radar. That was when fully armed soldiers started driving down our street, combing through every house and dragging out screaming people in handcuffs, leaving their frightened relatives in various states of shock and hysteria. It was March 18, 2296, me and my dad packed as if we were going camping, locked every door and window to slow them down, and said our final farewells to our apartment. For 2 years, we were runners. We even found others who were running, but we soon learned it was better not to make friends. I lost too many people I cared about during those 2 years, people whose names will never be known. It was a sport for them, hunting "criminals". The crime? Existing. Ending innocent peoples lives and collecting their paycheck. Just another day at the office for them. 2 years later, we were trapped. We were being chased back into town where more reinforcements to catch us surely awaited. My dad and I had already discussed this, we were going to die on our own terms, not on some ludicrous charges. We returned to our home, every door had been kicked in, every window busted. We're now hiding out in our old basement, armed with steak knives and frying pans from the kitchen. I am going to die, I've come to terms with that. But what happens when the world runs out of room again, who's going to die next? Who'll be left to clean up the blood after you've butchered everyone? So many people  robbed of their homes, respect, lives, and names. I am a nameless casualty. You'll never know my name. 

 

 

I Don’t Want To Be Ordinary

 

I don’t want to be ordinary

I want to be the one fish that swims away from the school, and grows strong on her own terms,

so when she goes back,

she makes them all stronger.

 

I don’t want to be ordinary,

I want to be the smile in the sea of frowns that is everyday life,

and when someone’s day is brightened,

maybe they will pay it forward.

 

I don’t want to be ordinary,

I want to be an atomic bomb,

the unexpected occurrence that makes or breaks someone’s day,

and makes thousands of friends and enemies along the way.

 

I don’t want to be ordinary,

I want to be the first aid kit,

then I want to be the flare,

I want to give people hope for the present,

and then for the future.

 

I don’t want to be ordinary,

I want to be the Statue of Liberty,

beckoning the huddled masses,

to be unordinary with me.

 

I don’t want to be ordinary,

I want to be the lion,

feared and respected by all animals,

yet at heart,

a mere cat looked on as a monster.

 

I don’t want to be ordinary,

I want to be the box of matches,

beautiful, vital for human survival,

but only dangerous if you rub her the wrong way.

 

Doesn’t everything in this culture push us to be ordinary?

Why does everyone push us to be just another shadow?

(Always there, but no one cares)

Listen to this music, watch that show, wear overpriced clothes that have the logo on the outside.

(When you think about it, we're paying them so we can advertise. Shouldn't they be paying us?)

 

Who are we really?

What will we be?

Hopefully not ordinary...

Career Report

     Learning is very important to me, if someone could pay me to stay in school my whole life, I would probably take it. But I know one thing for sure, I cannot sit in an office for every day in my life. Which is why I, among other things, want to be a self-employed interpreter. For my values I listed learning, freedom, and individuality among the values I think are important. So I would want a career I could do while doing other jobs that I want to do (actress, singer, comedian, writer, and owner of a specialty pizza restaurant). I really don't want to be on anyone's payroll but my own. I know that I love words if that makes any sense, and languages and I'd love any career that let me work with words.

     Interpreters verbally convert languages as closely as possible. This can take place in a courtroom, hospital, school, or even over the phone. Jobs are likely to be found in urban places and self-employed interpreters usually have variable work schedules. For me, that sounds great because I love big cities and schedules that don't stay the same every week. The main reason we actually need interpreters is because they have to relay the tone of the original comment (this is the main problem with Google Translate). Which is also a pretty good fit for me because I love to be perfectly accurate and, above all else, love to talk. The one thing I probably couldn't stand about this job would be working in an office, cubicle, conference room, or other too business like location. But fortunately for me, there are many other options for interpreters.

     To prepare myself for this career, in high school I should take foreign language courses and possibly courses that relate to English grammar or communication. Most interpreter jobs require a bachelors degree , but you don't have to major in a foreign language. Depending on what field you want to work in, you could major finances, teaching, business, etc.. Whatever university I go to, I want to major in a foreign language (hopefully Chinese or French), I also want to study linguistics, and I definitely want to study abroad, in China if possible. When it comes to my values, although I am a very individual person and value freedom above all else, I'll have to learn to work together with lots of people. In general, I avoid working in groups when possible. I'll have to put this part of me aside as interpreting a language is a potentially long process between at least 3 people. But however hard this will be, I look forward to a long rewarding career as an actress, singer, comedian, writer, owner of a specialty pizza buffet, and of course, self-employed interpreter.

 

Research Paper: Anorexia

Eating is a natural part of life. Food gives us energy to go about our day and stay healthy. However in society today there is intense pressure on everyone, especially girls to look a certain way. And sometimes this nagging pressure can manifest itself in nasty ways especially when the pressure is to be a certain size or to be perfect. This desire can become anorexia, or an obsession over losing weight. Anorexia is a mental illness with many causes, symptoms, effects, and treatment options.

    Anorexics are officially anorexics you might say, after they lose 15% of their ideal body weight. But this warning sign is accompanied by a conscious refusal to maintain a healthy weight. Anorexics may see themselves as overweight no matter how thin they get. But with these effects on mental state, come much more evident physical effects, such as low heart rate and blood pressure, insomnia, sunken eyes,  and dizziness. Another symptom may be depression. It is estimated that 50% of anorexics meet the criteria for depression. Other startling statistics say that only 1 in 10 people with eating disorders gets treatment, only 35% of treated people were treated at specialized facilities, 1 in 250 women in the US has anorexia, 1 in 100 females between the ages of 16 and 18 has anorexia, there are 3750 deaths by anorexia each year, and the mortality rate for people with anorexia is 4%.

    Eating disorders develop gradually over long periods of time. One doesn’t just wake up one day and decide: “Hey, I’m going to develop an eating disorder today!” It usually starts at what could be the center of everybody’s happiness and joy, but could morph into  a prison that’s inescapable: home. Anorexics are ironically from upper-middle class households with 2 biological parents. But of course, when you’re born into a model household, you’re constantly under stress to be a model. Anorexic’s may at first develop an intense fear of failure, mostly because of their parents constant competition with everyone else! Anorexic’s parents might deserve some of the blame. Father’s of anorexic daughters might have wanted sons and therefore have unrealistic expectations for the children they did get. Mother’s of anorexic’s may be full-time mothers who want to be totally involved with their children, or they might be obsessed with weight and appearance. In other cases, the anorexic may not feel loved by her parents or only loved by her parents when she’s on perfect behavior. Anorexic’s may feel like they lose everything, and view not eating as a contest they are winning. They may be subconsciously seeking control over people, superiority, power, or self-expression where they have been repressed. They may have stressful social or family lives and feel powerless. In anorexia they’ve found an indirect way to rebel, to prove they do have control over at least one thing in their lives--- their eating.

    Anorexics usually have an intense fear of being overweight. In extreme cases they may go from seeing hunger as a conquerable urge, to seeing food as an enemy or even thee enemy. Anorexic’s don’t usually just say to their parents: “Hey mom what’s up? By the way I’m anorexic.” They might even successfully hide it for a long time using rituals. A.k.a. playing with your food. By simply drinking a lot of water, cutting food into hundreds of pieces, or simply moving food around on their plate. This gives them the illusion of eating way more food than they actually are. Beyond these practical reasons, there are some more abstract reasons for anorexics to have rituals. Especially if their ritual is along the lines of eating without a fork. This may give them a false feeling of control or power even though it really has no effect.

    On a more optimistic note, there are treatment options for people struggling with this disorder. One of which is psychotherapy. Psychotherapy has the most research backing it and focuses on talking about the emotional problems that caused the anorexia. However psychotherapy is an umbrella term, with many sub genres (for lack of a better word) under it. One of which is Cognitive Behavior Therapy. It is considered the best treatment option for anorexia patients. It’s an individualized program designed to show the patient how body-image and negativity influence their eating habits. After treatment ½ of the patients no longer suffered from anorexia. Another “sub genre” is family therapy in which the family plays a critical part in the recovery of the patient. There are, however, different approaches to family therapy, one of which is the “Maudsley Approach”. This is a family therapy program in 3 phases: weight restoration, return control over eating to the adolescent, and establishing healthy adolescent identity. There are some ways for anorexics to self-help. There are many books on the market and support groups. Although anorexia is a disease, there are no specific medications on the market to treat it. However doctors may prescribe medicines for medical complications caused by anorexia and antidepressants for the 50% of anorexics that are depressed. In extreme cases, an anorexic may have to be hospitalized, this can serve as an awakening to the seriousness of their situation. There are also residential treatment facilities where all these treatments are available in a kind atmosphere.  

    Anorexia is a mental illness with many causes, symptoms, effects, and treatment options. Luckily for us, it is very beatable. There are many treatment options for anyone struggling with this. I hate to put it like this but in this world there are way worse things to fear than being fat. I encourage anyone struggling with this to seek help immediately. Hate to break it to you but no one can be perfect. It is the imperfections that make you beautiful.

 

Bibliography

“Anorexia Nervosa”. http://www.anad.org/get-information/get-informationanorexia-nervosa/. Anad. 2015. 23 Feb,  2015

“Anorexia Nervosa”. http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/anorexia-nervosa.Neda. 2015. 23 Feb, 2015

 

“Eating Disorders”. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/eating.aspx. Apa. 2015. 24 Feb, 2015

 

Grohol, John M. PSY.D “Treatment for Anorexia” http://psychcentral.com/lib/treatment-for-anorexia. 30 Jan, 2015. 24 Feb, 2015

 

Le Grange, Daniel PHd and Lock, James, MD, PHd “Family-based Treatment of Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa: The Maudsley Approach”.  http://maudsleyparents.org/whatismaudsley.html. 24 Feb, 2015

 

Maloney, Michael, M.D, and Rachel Kranz.Straight Talk about Eating Disorders. New York: Facts on File, 1991. Print. Straight Talk.

 

The Importance of Individuality

    In English class, we read The Giver. In the Giver, there’s a community that has tried to give its inhabitants a perfect Utopia. They have done away with choices, ugliness, and cruelty. But by extension they have done away with color, beauty, and love. But perhaps the most horrendous thing about this community is their opinion on individuality. However I believe individuality is what makes life worthwhile and liveable.

    In the community described within The Giver, there is no diversity. One can assume that everyone is the same race, wears the same clothes, and basically is the same. In this community not only is individuality frowned upon, there are rules restricting you from being your own person. For instance, Jonas has a friend named Benjamin who is brilliant in the field of healthcare and has created amazing new procedures to help injured people. Jonas wants to talk to him about his accomplishments but he can’t because there is no comfortable or correct way of having this conversation without “bragging”. In actuality, making these great new innovations in the medical field sets Benjamin apart, makes him different. Something similar happens when Lily notices that Jonas and Gabriel have matching, “pale” eyes. But by mentioning this Lily has broken a rule because none of them have any pride for themselves and are ashamed of their individuality.

    In the community they have adopted Sameness because they feel as if differences between people are viewed almost as embarrassing. However individuality can be viewed as a muscle. The more you use it, the more comfortable you are using it. By training yourself to be individual you raise your own self-esteem. Because, like it or not, individual people are often mistreated and to survive this ridicule you have to hold yourself in high esteem. In my opinion individuality is one of the best qualities a person can possess and it can help you throughout your life.

In this world with no individuality there are many drawbacks, such as having very little pride, confidence, and self-esteem. In a world with individuality there are many positives such as developing a tolerance for all ideas, beliefs, and colors (another thing the community has done away with). But believe it or not, there are some advantages to having a community where everyone is the same. These advantages include: no racism, prejudice, or cruelty in general. However by doing away with these extreme bads, they do away with all extreme goods. Religion, color, race, have all been done away with. Love is viewed as an obsolete word!

The Giver community is less than ideal for many reasons: no love, color, diversity, or freedom. But perhaps the most horrendous thing this community has done to the world is obliterating individuality. Individuality can raise your self-esteem, help you appreciate everyone else’s individuality, and can help the worldwide tolerance and celebration of diversity. Individuality is what makes life worthwhile and livable. Let’s all try our best to embrace what makes us individual.

 

Earth Day Poems

 

Let me clarify before someone takes this the wrong way.

I am very happy that God has given us such a beautiful world.

That being said, I’m tired of hearing about it!

Global Warming, Recycling, Composting. I get it!

I just don’t need an assembly or PSA on it.

What people don’t get about students is that you only have to give us instructions and a reason to follow them.

Not an essay!

You want me to recycle?

Simply ask me and set up places for me to recycle.

You want me to compost?

Give me a place where I can compost.

I appreciate the world, I appreciate Earth Day.

I don’t appreciate everyone’s input on what to do

coupled with their inability to give me an opportunity to do it.

 

 

 

 

Birds in the trees

Oh, how they remind me of better times.

 

Orange colored leaves,

Oh, how they remind me of when I freed my mind...

 

Of every lie,

Imposed of me since the beginning of time.

 

Many months ago,

The world was covered in snow,

And the cold, frigid air reminds me of when I used to care

 

Stung by a bee,

Oh does it remind me if the first day of third grade.

 

All the memories that you have

Are in some way connected to this beautiful world that we've managed to ruin.

But I'm so glad we have it.

 

Happy Earth Day

 

End of the Year Reflection

 

In English class this year we completed a very diverse variety of assignments. For all of them we were given plenty of time and chances to get better. I hate working in a group with a passion, there was only one occasion where I had to work in one. There was never a time where it felt like you were wasting time. My favorite assignments were The Book Review, Persuasive Essay, PSA, Sci-fi story, Poem... who am I kidding? They were all my favorites. I feel like we were focusing more on dramatic expression this year than any other year of English. Even when we were writing essays and research papers, we could fill them to the brim with drama, conflict, and as strong of opinions as we dared. It was perfect.

 

This year in English class I learned how to pour my heart into everything I write whether it be a poem, story, or book report. I already had maintaining strong opinions broken down to a science, but this year I learned about expressing my strong opinions (much thanks to English class's open discussions). I also learned about many amazing books this year such as March, American Born Chinese, and Walk Two Moons. I also had the pleasure of reading some god awful books such as The Scarlet Letter (by way of the classroom library). I was introduced to The Twilight Zone this year as well as Jason Mraz (by way of pre-class music).

 

I was perfectly fine with using the wiki. It was no easier or harder than just having a special notebook. So I don't have much to say on it. Although it was easier to just directly put drafts online than typing and printing them up.