reflection of the different writing techniques

During the course of the semester we wrote a little chunk of the various writing topics. In the first five weeks of class we wrote rhetorical analysis and reflections based on articles and our own views. Learning how to write in these ways has really made in impact on various ways I can now write differently. Throughout the sixth week we learned how to write a person statement, in which we had to find something like a scholarship prompt where we can describe the qualities we have. During week seven we learned how to write a memoir where we had to explain a true story that showed a change of heart and mind. Doing that topic of writing that week I am glad that I chose to write something that really effected the way I now think today because I thought that it helped me understand how to write this different writing style. During week eight we wrote in the writing style of a profile where we had to write about someone who was noteworthy without giving any personal information like a biography. While writing my profile at first I found it a little difficult because I did not know how to start writing about someone without putting anything that you would normally start a biography with.

During the course of weeks nine through twelve we had to write in the ways of, short article, report, film review and a causal analysis. Writing the short article, report and causal were very similar because they were based on a trend or a new discovery but the way they are written are very different. These different writing styles also required information that was similar and different. Writing the film review we had to choose a movie and tell about the characters, director and give a brief summary without giving away the major details of the movie. While writing the review I felt that it was a little difficult writing the brief summary because I always felt that I gave away too much of the movie.

Throughout the semester we learned how to write in ways other than the basic five paragraph essay that has been built into our brains since sixth grade. From learning how to write a rhetorical analysis to learning a memoir and even learning a proposal, I would have to say that this course has definitely changed the way I am able to write. Having the chance to be able to learn a chunk of the different writing techniques will help in the long run when it comes to applying for a job or even when it comes to different classes throughout my college experience.

Judging others morals

In today’s society it seems that there are more people worried about what other people are doing and what they believe rather than their own business and people have no true right to say what is moral and what is not. In society there are many different values that people follow, such as personal values, family values and moral values. But the way people follow these values is done differently by each person. Even though everyone follows their own morals people are still judging people for it. For example, a family’s moral might be to go to church every Sunday at 8 am but another family might think that it is totally wrong to do that because that family might not share those same religious values. This is something that needs to be fixed with society because people just need to realize that not everyone believes the same thing.

Although fixing this issue would never be fully done, it just matters that it is not as bad as it has been. Even if this problem is fixed in just one town it is still being improved. Some ways to fix this issue is to create billboards, commercials, and have local informational events. In order to create the billboards and commercials you would have to get in contact with a company that creates them. Once you get all the information about it and find out the cost of a billboard and a commercial you would have to raise money by having something like a craft fair or even a huge yard sale. Once the money is raised and the commercials and billboards are out, this would start with raising awareness that not everyone thinks the same and that everyone has different morals they live by and follow.

Having this awareness spread would have many benefits to it such as the amount of judging of people going down. This would also give people the understanding that not everyone has to follow the same things in order to fit in. Another benefit that this would give is teaching the younger generation that not everyone follows the same things as you and not everyone is the same. With this as a benefit it is also something that would carry on further into future generations. Having this be taught to kids at such young ages could also help older generations from it since a majority would be helping these young children right from wrong.

banning hockey fights

Ever since 1917, one of the many things that the National Hockey League also known as the NHL has been known for is their fights. But throughout the years the rules of fighting have changed drastically and one of the biggest questions is, “Should the NHL just ban fighting for good?” There has been many different views on this topic where some people say, “Hockey just wouldn’t be the same without that type of aggressiveness”, or “Fighting should be banned because it is just exposing unnecessary violence.” In an article written by Stu Grimson he states, “If you’re going to make a change and ban fighting, do it for the right reasons. For starters, don’t do it to save the enforcers from themselves. These guys realize the risks associated with what they do, and they accept that risk. I understand the concern for player safety, but save it for the reckless, deliberate blows to the heads of unsuspecting, vulnerable players.” For example, in 2007, the fight between Boston Bruins’ Zdeno Chara and Chicago Blackhawks David Koci, even though Koci had a broken nose he still fought in the fight knowing what the outcome was going to be. Therefore, like Grimson states, it should not be based on the player’s safety.

In a recent poll, 31 percent of people said that fighting in the NHL should be banned because it is unprofessional and no other sports in the United States are allowed to fight but 69 percent of people said it should not be banned because it is a big part of hockey, meaning it is something the fans enjoy seeing during games. But a legitimate reason as to why it should be banned is to prevent brain damage. Christopher L. Gasper from the Boston Globe states, “I’m not anti-fighting. I’m just anti-brain damage. With all researchers have discovered about the link between repeated blows to the head of athletes and their deleterious long-term effects on the brain, it would seem self-evident that writing off taking punches as an occupational hazard is sporting negligence.” Although he is concerned about the safety of the players unlike the article by Grimson, he later puts in his article after speaking with Bruins player Shawn Thorton, “Not unexpectedly, Thornton, who said he has three career concussions, thinks taking fighting out of hockey is like taking oxygen out of the air.” Which ties back to the fact that fighting is just something that belongs with hockey and would not be the same if it was gone.

Skinny Jeans

Throughout the years there has been many different fashion statements that have been in and then quickly gone away, such as those high top reeboks with the straps, but skinny jeans have been the fashion statements that have stayed. People are always talking about skinny jeans are uncomfortable or they’re too tight or they just fit weird, but yet they are still the most popular pairs of jeans that never go out of style. These jeans go all the way back to the 1950’s where actors such as Marilyn Monroe and artists like Mick Jagger in which it gave the fashion statement as being a rock n’ roll artist or a “bad boy” look. But skinny jeans are even more popular today than they were back then, today you see more famous stars wearing them such as Kim Kardashian, Selena Gomez, and even country artists like Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean.

Although skinny jeans are huge for famous people the amount sold to the younger generation has also gone up by people looking up to their favorite famous icons. With stores such as, American Eagle, Aeropostale, Wet Seal, and Hollister, skinny jeans are the most jeans that are typically made with all the different types of colors, designs and prints that can be put on them it has made them the main seller in the typical younger generation type clothing stores. Some people may say that skinny jeans were only made for skinny people but in today’s world they are made for everyone. A spokesperson from the Levis Company stated, “Over the past few months men’s skinny jeans have been the most requested and top selling jeans.”

Throughout the years the fashion industry has tried to bring out many different types of pants butpeople would never buy them. In an article written by Kara Brown she stated, “Three years ago,clothing merchants tried to snuff out the trend with an innovation called flares. Women kept righton buying their skinnies.” This proves that even though fashion stylists are trying to get other statements out there people are still going to go for their favorite pant that they love. In a poll in skinny jeans versus bootcut jeans more people stated that they liked skinny jeans more because they were more comforting and were very appealing and which they stated that bootcut jeans are just harder to find appealing. Even though some people are always complaining about being uncomfortable in their typical skinny jeans, this is just a trend that will never fade out.

“The Notebook”

“The Notebook” is definitely a love story, but it is not like all the other love stories you here. Yes two people fall in love but the story behind it all is not something that is in every typical love story. The movie is based off of the novel The Notebook written by Nicholas Sparks, who also is known for A Walk to Remember and Message in a Bottle. This movie was definitely well made and one of the best drama/romance movies written.

Ryan Gosling (Noah) plays a young poor teen who potentially falls in love with a rich teen Allie (Rachel McAdams) who he meets at a carnival, where they instantly fall in love and have a summer romance, but Allie’s parents do not agree with this relationship which leads to a huge conflict between the two of them and causes them to separate due to their social differences. Noah writes to Allie 365 letters and hears nothing back and Allie “falls” in love with a military guy but then she sees a picture of Noah and everything changes. Throughout the movie, a man named Duke reads Mrs. Hamilton, who has Alzheimer’s disease, the same story from his notebook every day, in which sometimes she remembers certain points in time like she has been through it before. During times she remember things it brings happiness to Duke because he knows it is helping.

The director, Nick Cassavetes, who is also known for directing the movie “Alpha Dog”, definitely did a great job at directing this movie since it was a family movie make where his mother Gena Rowlands played Mrs. Hamilton who had Alzheimer’s disease and since this movie was a completely different story line than “Alpha Dog”. The visuals of the film definitely brought it back to the 1940’s by having the war, the way people were dressing, the way teens were acting and the conflicts between the different classes. This movie also showed a real connection that could happen between two people that are the complete opposite and proves love does not judge.

Saying this film is just like every other typical based on a love story type of film is like saying every crime is the same or every comedy movie share the same amount of humor. This movie’s story line differs drastically from every typical love story and just has a great story line, so if you are interested in having a great “lovey dovey” movie night for a date, “The Notebook” is a perfect choice and you will not be disappointed.

Undefeated to Defeated

On Friday, October 31^st, it was a big disappointment to the Apponequet Lakers football team after a tough loss in the first round of the play-offs against Dennis-Yarmouth, after being defeated all season long.

Jim Cabuccio, the athletic director states, “This is not the first time the Lakers played and lost to this team after a great season, this also happened last year except in the second round.”

This year the Lakers went undefeated all season, which is better than they have been in the past couple of years. After finding out who they were playing first in the play-offs, practices were all serious by working hard and even learning new plays that could help them defeat a team that is very challenging.

“All week long we were preparing for this game and basing off what we already knew about this team from last year”, states a senior player.

When it comes to putting blood, sweat and tears in a season, that’s exactly what the Lakers did this year. They never gave up, and put their all into each and every game. When the game was close, they played harder, when it was a score such as 32-0 by the beginning of the fourth quarter, they were allowed to loosen up a bit. “But I never allowed them to give up, they had to prove that winning a title was what they wanted and that is what they did, it is just a matter now at how the Thanksgiving game is going to go,” states coach Lomp in an interview.

“I have watched almost all of these boys play all of their lives and never have they played this great in one season, I am definitely proud of these Lakers,” says a senior football players mother.

This season, the boys definitely played their best to their abilities, with not many severe injuries, and being undefeated they have definitely proven a lot to the South Coast. They may not have won this play-off game but that does not mean that they are not going to be putting their all into the other games and come Thanksgiving when they face their rivals, Old Rochester Regional High, they are not giving up and definitely winning the South Coast Conference.

“This has to be the best year of football I have ever played throughout the four years pf high school, it is definitely a perfect way to end my last year and last season of my favorite sport,” states a senior player.

Women can play too

It is typical to see only men play in the National Hockey League, also known as the NHL, but, what is not typically known is that in 1992 the Tampa Bay Lightning changed that when they allowed the first and only woman to try out and play in the NHL. Although it was just an exhibition game, Manon Rhéaume was the first women to dress up in a Lightning goalie uniform and play in a pre-season game against the Saint Louis Blues. In the TSN feature video, Rhéaume stated, “everyone was telling me that I couldn’t do it because I was a girl and this league is a lot tougher than what she was used to.” But at camp in the first game she was put into, she had a shutout which she believed she proved everyone who told her she couldn’t wrong. In an unknown article it was stated that the Lightning put a woman on the team for two reasons. One for the publicity because they were a not well known team, and was an expansion team in the league since Florida was not really an area where hockey was big. Another reason was because Rhéaume wanted to try in the bigger league, the pro league, since she felt very accomplished in the junior leagues and all the other leagues she played in.

This was an overall positive outcome on Tampa Bay because it got them known by being all over the sports networks, news, and newspapers. In an interview with Rhéaume with the Tampa Bay times she says, “The whole experience was amazing, but the most rewarding thing is having an impact in young girls’ lives.” With this dedication of putting an impact on other girl’s lives there has been a Manon Rhéaume foundation created. This foundation is a scholarship made for girls who play in sports especially hockey and to help them fulfill their dreams. In a video about Rhéaume, Brendan Shanahan states, “She must have had a lot of talent to be able to have made it to the professional league, even if it was just an exhibition pre-season game.” They may have lost the game but that fact that she was able to have this experience is something she will never forget. Even though she was not the best NHL goalie and allowed two goals in within the first period of the first pre-season game, she was still put into NHL history for being the first and only girl to play in the league.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/hockey/lightning/goalie-manon-rheaume-time-with-lightning-has-lasting-impact/1271140

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryac_O6AwJg

http://www.manonrheaumefoundation.org/

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=186401

You don’t always need to be famous to be an inspiration

He was never the kind of kid to complain about his life to you. Always asked how you were and listened to what you had to say, without interrupting you or judging anything you say. Hearing the words “I am so disappointed in you” was something he hated to hear and never said it to anyone. He was the type of person who put everyone before himself. Brandyn always was the type of kid to light up a room and make a joke of anything. He was an inspiration to a lot of people and definitely a huge role model to his little brother Jayden. He shows Jayden right from wrong, and always helps him. But, Brandyn was never the typical super popular stuck up kind of kid, he was friends with almost anyone from any type of group in school and was also a dedicated basketball player all of his life. One day one of his tweets was a quote that said, “You may not always succeed but you have to fight for that goal, no matter what everyone else believes.” This tweet was so relatable to not only Brandyn but to everyone. Although he was a typically the quiet type, when he got to know someone he was the complete opposite. He definitely puts a positive impact on everyone.

If you ask anyone who knows Brandyn what they think of him you would get the same answer from everyone. Teachers and coaches would say he is very intelligent and dedicated to be able to succeed, his friends would say he has such a goofy personality but can be serious when needed to be. His friend Rob stated, “I just met Brandyn this year and I couldn’t be happier that we became friends, he is always there when I need someone to talk to, always someone who I can just joke around with and go to the gym with. He’s just one of those kids who you can be completely serious or just make jokes about anything with. He has definitely made a positive impact in my life.” But the most important role he plays is how he inspires everyone to be a better person and not to look down on themselves. He tells everyone how important they are and how great they are at what they do. Brandyn has definitely inspired everyone to become a better person at one point in time and has helped everyone through so much.

Never forget to tell someone how important they are

Up until this past year, everything seemed to be going right. My family was doing great, I was excelling in school and all the college acceptance letters were starting to pile in. But then one dark and rainy morning, my family and I received news that we never thought we would ever get. It was January 9^th when I lost my step-brother, someone who I was always close with and would always make me laugh on bad days and even more on good days. But it was January 14, the day of the funeral, that not only hit me but it also gave me a change in heart. I recall waking up that morning and not wanting to move, I was hoping it wasn’t all real but I know it was. The day was cold, cloudy, rainy, and dark as we made our way to the church from the funeral home. Walking into the church that morning, I never expected there to be as many people as there was inside; when my family and I arrived we were told that all the pews were filled and standing room was even filled so people would have to be standing outside. But knowing that there was so many people who went out of their way to come out and support my family and show their love for my step-brother was great.

As I was sitting at the mass, listening to the priest talk and my step-brother’s mom and aunt give their eulogy, it was so silent that you would only hear a pin drop in in the entire building, even after the mass was over all you could hear were the footsteps exiting, and that’s when it hit me, I was just about to go off and say my final goodbyes to someone so close to me. After the mass we got into the limo and headed to the burial. I remember while heading to the burial, I looked out the back window while we were going down a hill and being surprised at the amount of cars that were following behind. When we got to the cemetery, it started to down pour and I remember being scared to get out because I didn’t want it to happen, I also remember saying “this shouldn’t be happening”. After saying my final goodbyes that afternoon, I remember going up to everyone I knew and told them I loved them because after not being able to tell my step-brother I loved him one last time to his face, I didn’t want that to happen again, so now I never forget to let anyone forget how much they mean to me because I have learned that you never know what could happen tomorrow.

Describe your most meaningful achievements and how they relate to your field of study and your future goals.

As the oldest child in my family, I have been called upon countless times to care for my younger siblings in my parents’ absence. I recall one such occasion during which my five year old brother was sitting on my lap while I read a book to him. As I recited the story, I noticed that he was tracing the words with his finger, in an attempt to read along with me. As simple as that gesture was, the revelation that I was doing more than just providing him with entertainment was profound to me. I had another similar experience when I was in seventh grade while caring for my neighbor’s four year old daughter. We both felt a great sense of accomplishment when I helped her learn to write her name. These experiences ignited and instilled within me the passion and determination to become a kindergarten teacher. Reading and writing are basic skills upon which all other academic achievements are based. The better a child’s performance is in these areas, the better his or her overall academic performance will be. A child’s ability to understand and grasp these basic skills, however, is dependent upon the teacher’s ability to discover and engage the child’s interest and motivation to learn. The time I have spent with the children I’ve cared for has taught me that every child deserves to have the best learning experience possible, which is what I intend to provide when I am a teacher.

Between caring for my siblings and cousins, babysitting, and volunteering as a teacher’s aide at the Freetown Elementary School, I have spent a lot of time working with preschool and kindergarten aged children. Last summer I worked at the Children’s Development Center, where I spent many hours teaching individual children with learning difficulties their letters, numbers and colors, using various techniques and tools, such as play dough, blocks, and sand. I also helped enrich the lives of impoverished children when I volunteered with the Massachusetts Youth Leadership Foundation, an organization which empowers citizenship in high school students across Massachusetts, by getting them involved in various community service projects. We sorted and designed baskets of new donated baby items such as diapers, clothes, and bibs for a foundation called New Baby Bundles, to benefit homeless mothers and babies in Boston and surrounding communities. In addition to school, extracurricular activities, and volunteer service, I have kept busy by working for Dunkin’ Donuts for the last year. Interacting with the public can be challenging at times, so I’ve learned effective ways to resolve conflict with diplomacy and respect. Although I have always been a reliable person, my time at Dunkin Donuts has taught me to be more responsible. I am working hard to save money for college while honoring my obligations to my employer and co-workers. I am confident that my desire to help others and my strong sense of responsibility will lead to success in college and my career.

 

Working with children from diverse backgrounds with different learning capacities has led me to the decision to double major in elementary education and special education in college. This will undoubtedly prepare me well to not only lead a classroom of first grade students but to also recognize and supply those particular children who need additional attention and support so that all of my students may thrive and succeed in their academics. It is essential that teachers and parents be positive educators and role models so that children are inspired and motivated to learn. A child’s desire and aptitude for learning is established within their first few years in the classroom and their success ultimately depends upon the quality of the education they receive right from the start. Children need more than just a qualified individual to stand at the front of a classroom and dictate facts and information to them. Every child has different interests, needs, and capabilities and working closely with them to help discover those will be the catalyst to their success.