TKAM Last Entry

I may not be sure of the exact destination, but I know that I'm headed towards great things. In ten years, I will be living somewhere up north with a boyfriend or husband and a stable career. I will still be much the same person that I am today, I think, just with added knowledge, wisdom, and sophistication. I will have graduated college, moved somewhere where I can see snow from my window, gotten a job that I love, and maybe be thinking about starting a family sometime in the near future.

TKAM Ch. 31

The most influential person in my life is my mom. She is, by far, the best friend that I have ever had. Throughout my whole life, she has encouraged me to be the best I can be at everything I do. One of the biggest things that she's taught me is not to make the same mistakes she did. She has always encouraged me not to smoke, do drugs, and have sex, not necessarily until I'm married, but until I'm old enough and ready. She is always willing to talk about any problem I may have with an open mind, and she's always answered any questions I've had. She has made me want to be a good person, for myself just as much as for her.

My mom and I:
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff299/bingbangboomxo/DSCN5603.jpg

TKAM Ch. 30

The first time I really felt the responsibilites of adulthood was during the first yearbook deadline of this school year. It was my first deadline as an editor, and I was definitely feeling the pressure. Because the Homecoming section of the book was going out the same deadline, I was the only one working on the Senior section. I've never felt as stressed as I did that deadline day, when I had to make sure that everything was perfect on every single page of my whole section. I've also never felt as relieved as I did when I finally turned everything in, and that huge weight was lifted from my shoulders.

TKAM Ch. 22

When I was younger, I always thought I wanted to be an ice skater. Ever since I was little, I've always loved watching the figure skating competitions. However, there was one small problem: I had never been ice skating before. The first time I ever went ice skating, I was twelve years old. I was on vacation in Michigan visiting my dad, and I went with a couple of the friends I have up there. I never expected it would be so hard! I was so scared that I would fall, I refused to let go of the wall. My body was so tensed up; my shoulders were up by my ears the entire time. The next day, my arms, back, and ankles were so sore, it hurt to move. So, that experience pretty much killed any desire I ever had to be an ice skater. As of right now, I'm not really sure what I want to be. I've considered being a teacher, guidance counselor, and therapist. School and helping people with their problems are two of the things that I like most, and two of the things that I'm best at, so they seemed to be the most logical choices for me.

TKAM Ch. 20

I most realized "the simple hell that people give other people without even thinking" one day during my science class last year. We were supposed to be doing some bookwork, but most people were just sitting around and talking. I was trying to concentrate on getting my work done, but I happened to hear one kid call another a "dirty Jew" because he had asked to borrow a dollar for lunch. I am Jewish, and I have learned to tolerate a few Jew jokes here and there, but this really offended me. Right in the middle of class, I walked over to his desk and decided to tell him, with a few choice words, just how much this had offended me. I was mostly just in shock, because I didn't think that anyone really said anything like that anymore. I'm sure he'll think twice about what he says from now on.

TKAM Ch. 14

My first "love" in elementary school was a boy named Brian. We were in the same class in third grade, and he was the first boy that I ever really liked. He was the first boy that had ever really talked to me and been nice to me, and in exchange, I helped him with his school work. The only other person in our class that knew how much I liked Brian was one of my best friends, Sam. One day, Sam and I got into a really big fight because she stole one of my erasers. As retaliation, she decided to tell the whole class how much I liked Brian. Of course, he was still at the age where most girls had cooties, so we never talked again.

TKAM Ch. 13

1) Don't talk back.
2) Respect your elders.
3) Do what you're told, the first time someone tells you to do it.
4) Clean up after yourself.
5) Treat others the way you expect to be treated.

TKAM Ch. 12

Ever since kindergarten, I have loved school. I was always that one kid that was counting down the days until school would start instead of dreading them. My first day of eighth grade had started out the same as every other first day of school I've ever had. I was so excited that it felt like my nerves were buzzing inside of me. However, as I went through my classes that day, that excitment was quickly replaced by nervousness and disappointment. I first moved here the year before, so the only people I knew were the ones that I had classes with previously. In eighth grade, I didn't have one single friend in any of my classes, and there were only a few classes where I even knew who anyone was. I felt more like an outsider that day than I did on my first day the year before, when I was a new student.

TKAM Ch. 11

In my childhood, I feel my friend Sarah demonstrated real courage. When she was four years old, she watched her father get hit by a car and die right in front of her. After that, her mom had jumped from guy to guy for years. When we were in second grade, her mom was in a relationship with a particularly bad guy. I had met him, and neither Sarah nor I liked him at all. Then, one day, Sarah came to school with a bunch of long bruises on her arms. It took me a minute, but I finally realized that the bruises were in the shape of big hands. Instead of being afraid to tell someone, she marched right up to one of the adults that ran the after school program we were at and told them that her mom's boyfriend had hurt her. I doubt that I would have been able to tell someone if I had been in her place, and I have always looked up to her for displalying such courage.

TKAM Ch. 9

When I was younger, my favorite relative was my cousin, Shoshana (Shoshi, for short). She was born six weeks before me, so we were always really close as children. Our grandma used to call us "the bookends." Although she's older than me, I've always been the mature one, and our difference of views often caused problems. Aside from that, we had a lot in common. We both started dancing the same year, and we both played the flute. However, as we got older, we began to drift apart. I still have great memories of playing with her on the weekends at my grandparents' house.

TKAM Ch. 8

TERRORISTS ATTACK NEW YORK, WORLD TRADE CENTER DEMOLISHED



On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, two airplanes hit the World Trade Center, killing hundreds of people and completely destroying the buildings.

The planes were hijacked by terrorists, reportedly from the Middle East.

Police, fire fighters and EMTs flooded to the scene from all over New York and a few neighboring states.

Many people lost their parents, children and siblings.

The reason for this attack is still unknown, although many have their own opinions.

TKAM Ch. 6

In elementary school, my best friend was a girl named Sarah. We met in kindergarten, through the after school program that our school district offered. She went to May Moore Elementary School and I went to John Quincy Adams Elementary School, so we only got to spend time together every day after school until five 'o clock. Growing up, no one could ever understand how we were such good friends. She was the epitome of a tomboy, and I despised any form of physical activity. However, it was our differences that allowed our friendship to become so strong. We easily balanced out each other's extremes. We remained close throughout elementary and intermediate school. We never had any classes together; the closest we came to spending time together during the school day was in fifth grade, when her class was next door to mine. The after school program was only offered for students up to fifth grade, so everything changed when we started middle school. Even with nine classes, we didn't have a single thing together. Without the after school program, we began to lose touch. My moving to Florida pretty much finalized the end of our friendship. We still talk over the computer, and I don't regret our drifting away from each other. She was one of the best friends I have ever had to this day.

TKAM Ch. 3

The best advice I ever received as a child was the same exact advice that Scout received from Atticus. Growing up as an only child, I wasn't used to thinking about how my actions affected those around me. When I started kindergarten, I was really excited, but a little bit overwhelmed at all of the children that were there. On the first day, I was playing with some toy or another when someone came up to me and asked if they could play with me. I proceeded to take the toys to the other side of the room and tell the person that I didn't like to share. The person got really upset and told our teacher. I couldn't understand why I had gotten in trouble. When I got home, I told my mom about it, and she told me that next time, I should try to see things from the other person's perspective.

TKAM Ch. 2

One of the most memorable days from when I was in elementary school was the first day of fourth grade. My teacher's name was Ms. Alfieri. I remember that I was really nervous because none of my friends from my third grade class had the same teacher as me. When I got to school, I was really worried because I couldn't find the classroom; the only area of the school I knew was the third grade wing. After walking around for about five minutes, I finally gathered up the courage to ask a nice-looking teacher where my classroom was. She pointed down a long hallway that seemed empty, and walked away without offering any further help. As I walked down the hallway, it seemed to grow ten feet longer with each step I took. First, I passed a janitor's closet, then the back doors to the gym, and it looked like the only place left to go was outside through to doors on the right at the end of the hallway. Just as I was about to turn around, a really skinny girl with tan skin and curly black hair suddenly appeared. It looked like she came out of the wall opposite of the doors leading outside, but I realized that there was a door there that I hadn't seen.
"Hi," she said, and I waved shyly at her. "Are you in Ms. Alfieri's class?" she asked me, and she waved me towards the classroom once I nodded, all of my worries fading away.
Fourth grade ended up being one of my favorite years of elementary school, Ms. Alfieri ended up becoming one of my favorite teachers ever, and the skinny girl, Amanda, is still one of my best friends.

My first day of kindergarten:
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff299/bingbangboomxo/alison1.jpg

TKAM Ch. 1 (#2)

My family tree:
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff299/bingbangboomxo/familytree.jpg

TKAM Ch. 1 (#1)

Personally, I don't consider myself to be "Southern." I spent the first twelve years of my life living in New York, and in the past three years I've lived in Florida, I still haven't adapted to many of the more "Southern" features of my town, and I don't plan on it. When I think of someone that is "Southern," I tend to picture what the general population of our school looked like on Hillbilly Day during Homecoming Week: it makes me think of people walking around in camouflage overalls with no shoes. I also tend to associate it with having a very strong, drawling accent, and raising some sort of farm animal, especially doing so as part of a class for school. I know that this is very stereotypical and that it isn't true for a lot of people that I have met while living here, but this is what comes to mind when I think of what it means to be "Southern."

"Much Ado About Nothing" Essay

In most story lines, love is a main component. Whether it be happy or sad, everything can usually be traced back to the love between two characters. Claudio and Benedick are both dealing with love in Much Ado About Nothing, but they both handle it in different ways.
Claudio, a fickle, young soldier in Don Pedro's army, is in love with Hero, the daughter of the governor of Messina, Leonato. He declared his feelings for her at first sight and wasted no time in arranging to marry her. Even through false accusations involving Hero and Borrachio, a servant of Don John's, Claudio still marries her and they lead a happy life together.
Benedick, another soldier in Don Pedro's army, has a completely different outlook on love. When Claudio tells Benedick of his intentions to marry Hero, he begins to rant about what a stupid idea it is and how he will never get married. This point is further proven by his constant bickering with Beatrice, Hero's cousin. However, on the inside, Beatrice and Benedick actually love each other. They come to realize their true feelings through the manipulation of Don Pedro, Leonato, Claudio, Hero, and other citizens of Messina. Once the truth is out in the open, Benedick immediately and publicly decides to marry Beatrice.
From the very beginning, Claudio decides to marry Hero. Although his loyalty wavers when Don John makes him believe that Hero is cheating on him with Borrachio, their love wins in the end. Benedick's outlook on love is very different from Claudio's in the beginning. He despises the very idea of marriage, especially marriage to Beatrice. Even though he doesn't consciously know, the audience can tell that he really loves her, and he just uses sarcasm to cover up his feelings. Once he realizes that he really loves her, he doesn't waste any time in deciding to marry her. By the end of the story, Claudio and Benedick are both madly in love with Hero and Beatrice, respectively.
In conclusion, while Claudio and Benedick start out with opposite outlooks on love, they each end up falling in love and getting married.

"A Place At The Table" Essay

Walking through the halls of Citrus High, I hear the conversation flow down the corridor. It isn't uncommon to hear students call eachother names that are offensive towards their race, followed by laughter. Having spent twelve years of my life living in New York, this still isn't something that I am used to hearing. I agree with Reina when she said, "We're not born prejudiced. It comes from our homes and families, how we're brought up."
When I lived in New York, I had friends of all different races. I am Jewish and my best friends consisted of an Italian, an African-American, and a girl that immigrated to the United States from Bangladesh when she was two years old. I never thought that racist people still existed today since I was brought up in such a diverse environment.
However, when I moved to Citrus County in 2006, I realized that I was wrong. On my first day of seventh grade at Inverness Middle School, I heard the "n-word" used for the first time. I asked my mother what it meant when I got home and I was shocked to find out that it was a racial slur against African-Americans. I couldn't understand by anyone would ever say such a mean thing about someone else, especially when that person hadn't done anything wrong to them.
It still amazes me to this day that people can say something derogatory to someone and then turn around and claim that they aren't racist. Since moving to Inverness three years ago, I have heard more inappropriate names for someone of another race than I ever thought could have possibly existed. I believe that the main reason that racism is so widely accepted in the south is how people are brought up. If someone has parents, siblings, or any other relatives that are racist, it is likely that they will become racist too, since they thing that it's okay.
In conclusion, I think that the way that people are brought up is one of the main reasons that they grow up to be racist. This is why I agree with Reina's quote, "We're not born prejudiced. It comes from our homes and families, how we're brought up."

"I Am" Poem

I am intelligent and creative.
I wonder what is in store for me.
I hear my friends calling my name.
I see success in my future.
I want to find happiness.
I am intelligent and creative.

I pretend that people care about everything I say.
I feel excited and nervous for what is to come.
I touch lives.
I worry about the people I love.
I cry about growing up too fast.
I am intelligent and creative.

I understand that everyone makes mistakes.
I say "Florida" and "orange" with a New York accent.
I dream about seeing my niece.
I try to do my best at everything.
I hope that I will get everything I want out of life.
I am intelligent and creative.

"A Separate Peace" Ch 1-5 Response

Gene and Finny had a very special, unique, kind of friendship. There were many aspects in which they were very different, yet, it seemed that these differences helped them get along. When it came to sports, Finny was a natural athlete who assumed he would always win, while Gene had to work a little bit harder, and he was much more modest about his success. In school, Gene was always focused on getting good grades while Finny didn't care about his schoolwork at all. Finny had a way with words, and he was always able to talk himself out of any obstacles that may stand in his way. On the contrary, Gene didn't really like breaking the rules, but he always did whatever Finny told him and stood in the background while Finny saved the day.
On the surface, their friendship seemed perfect. However, if you look a little bit deeper, you would be able to see some conflicting feelings Gene had about Finny. Deep down, Gene suspected that Finny was jealous of his accomplishments. While Finny had always been great at sports, Gene's forte was in school. If Gene ended up becoming first in their class, he would have, theoretically, have one-upped Finny.
It is easy to tell that Gene is much more emotionally mature than Finny. While Gene is worried about his schoolwork and making good grades, all Finny wants to do is go play a game of blitzball or play around in the river. While Gene had a few conflicting emotions when it came to his friendship with Finny, he is still more mature, overall.

Three Cups of Tea essay #2

Question: What lesson(s) can someone learn from reading this story? Are these lessons universal truths? Explain.

Three Cups of Tea is a book about keeping promises, doing what you think is right, and changing the world. It doesn't take a special person to do these things. Anyone can apply these lessons to their own lives.
In the book, Greg Mortenson was trying to find his way home from K2, the mountain he had tried, unsuccessfully, to climb. Disoriented, he turned down the wrong path and ended up in a small town called Korphe. There, he realized how desperately the children there needed a school. Before returning to America, he promised to come back and build them a school. After getting the money needed, he fulfilled his promise and returned to Korphe to build a school. Plenty of people had made the same promise in the past, but no one ever did anything about it. Anyone can keep the promises they make if they want to.
After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Mortenson received many letters from people all around the world, telling him that what he was doing was wrong. However, he decided to ignore them and to keep building schools. He did what he felt was right, and he didn't let anyone stop him.
Mortenson lived in Bozeman, Montana, with his wife and two children. He didn't have a lot of money or a high social ranking. He was just your average, everyday guy. Despite that, he managed to change the world. His work overseas changed the lives of thousands of people, and he did most of it on his own. His story shows that anyone can change the world.
In conclusion, the lessons told by the story Three Cups of Tea are universal. Anyone can keep a promise, do the right thing, or change the world. All they need is motivation.

Three Cups of Tea essay #1

Question: How has reading this book affected the way you look at your own education?

After the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, everyone was concerned with fighting the war on terror. The American government decided to do this by sending in the army and killing innocent civilians. However, Greg Mortenson had a different idea: he would fight the war on terror with education.
In Pakistan, schools are a rare thing to behold. Even more rare than schools themselves are schools for girls. Most people didn't think that girls needed or deserved an education. While building schools for girls in Pakistan and other countries in the Middle East, Mortenson ran into some problems with local leaders. They felt that girls shouldn't be educated and that Mortenson was going against the word of Islam. Eventually, with help from friends he met during his travels, he overcame these obstacles and continued to build schools.
I have always taken my education for granted. Ever since I was five years old, I have come to school every day from August to June. I never knew that there were people in other countries, specifically girls, who were denied of an education. After learning this, I have become very grateful that our government provides schools and supplies to help us learn. I hope that, one day, the Pakistani government will be able to do the same for the girls in their country.
In conclusion, the book Three Cups of Tea has definitely changed my perspective on education. I have come to appreciate it much more, and I no longer take it for granted.

"Into Thin Air" Cause and Effect

The story Into Thin Air tells the story of the deadliest climbing season Mt. Everest has ever seen. With the end of the season, thirteen lives had been lost. There were many different reasons that these people didn't make it down the mountain alive. First, there was a lack of oxygen. Because of this, many people experienced a decrease in their energy levels, and their judgement was affected. Also, the guides that were leading the climbers up and down the mountain didn't notice the approaching storm in time to warn everyone of its presence. The extremely cold weather also attributed to the number of people that died. Frostbite and other affects of the temperature made amputations necessary, and even killed some people. Finally, there were a number of other dangerous conditions that came along with climbing Mt. Everest. It wasn't very hard to slip and fall to your death.

Miep Gies quote

In the movie The Freedom Writers Diary (TFWD), Miep Gies says, "Even an ordinary person can in a small way turn on a tiny light in a dark room." She is saying that it doesn't take someone special to change something, whether it be insignificant or extraordinary. It only takes one small action to impact someone or something in a really big way.

For example, in the book Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson was able to change the world just by doing what he thought was right. By building schools for girls in the Middle East, he changed the way that the world viewed Muslim people.

Also, in TFWD, Ms. Gruwell is able to change the lives of her students by fighting the school system for what she thought was right for them. The administration felt that the students weren't worth their money or time, but Ms. Gruwell fought to make sure that they had the resources necessary to succeed.