Support

Love. Trust. Friendship. These are all words to describe the relationship with a family. Although sometimes you may feel like they are not always there for you, they are. Fight break out here and there, you may say a few things that you wish you could take back, but just realize that you have grown up with these people, and they have never given up on you. Just think, did your family ever support you at games? If so, that is a thing that you should be thankful for because they took their time out of their schedule to come and watch you.

From the time you were little, until now, you have probably though to yourself, “wow, my relationship with my family has changed so much.” Whether it is a good change like getting closer and building a strong relationship, or a bad change like getting farther apart as the days go by. Growing apart from your family can be a good thing, or a bad thing. A good thing would be becoming more independent, but a bad thing would be not have a relationship with them anymore, knowing that you used to know what it was like to be close.

Most of your younger years are spent with your family. Holidays, going to sporting events, or just taking a road trip, these are the kind of memories that you want to remember for the rest of your life. Without those memories, you would not be the person you are today because the things that you have done with your family have impacted the person that you are today. Even the littlest of things can change your life and you should charish every moment that you can. Becoming you is the most azaming thing the think about and process because you have changed so much from when you were little. (372 words)

Equality

People are having trouble understanding why there is such a thing like gender role. To be honest, there really should not be such a thing. I believe that some girls are better than guys at thing and some guys are better than girls at certain things. Not ALL males are better at something and not ALL females are better at something. Everybody has something they are good at whether it is the same thing as the opposite gender or not.

First let’s talk about males. Most people think that males are all strong and they are all really good at weight lifting. The truth is, is that some guys may not be born with a lot of muscleto build, and I guarantee that there is a girl out there that could beat a guy at a weight lifting competition. Another thing is sports. For example, they think that hockey and football are both male sports, but I know many girls who play those two sports and are better than a lot of the guys.

The next thing is females. Females are consider the “maids” or “cooks.” Well yes a lot of girls are good at that, but guys are good at cooking too. For example, my mom and my dad both cook dinner for me and my family. Either by themselves or together, they both do an equal amount of cooking. Cleaning, I will admit that women are usually the ones to be maids. I think that the reason for that is because society makes it seem like males should not be maids, so none of them apply for that type of job.

As you can see, society is a big part of the reason why individuals believe that all male and female people are not the same. We may look different because of the long hair, and our naturally different parts, but when it comes to talents or being good at something, you cannot really judge someone for being a girl or a guy. A great example of being judged for being a girl is when the girls play the guys at my soccer practices. The boys come in to the game thinking that it’s and joke and they should take it easy. I come in thinking that it will be a good game. Usually it is a good game, and the guys don’t beat us and if they do, they do not win by very much. These are all reasons why you should not judge people by their gender. (424 words)

Best Friends

I often ask myself, what would I ever do without my best friends? I am constantly talking to them and hanging out with them. Although sometimes we talk back to each other and get frustrated, I always know that I can count on them for almost anything. Best friends are the people that you talk to when you are mad, sad, happy, or frustrated. You can talk to them about anything without them judging you at all. You can be goofy and silly and they still love you no matter how weird you are.

 

The one thing that I hate about having a lot of good friends is that sometimes they do not stay. Friends come and go very often and it is sad. Some might move away, some might not want to stay, some are cruel and some just give up on everyone and everything. It is sad to think that some give up because they start to not care about their future. For example, as they go on to bigger things such as college or getting a career, they might have trouble making it. College is something that takes a lot of hard work and you have to want to do well in school. Even the people who do not want to be there still work hard to get good grades so that they can go off to get a good career for their life after they graduate. When people give up on friends, it is very sad but it is most likely not going to affect your life as much as not going to college would. If you give up on school and do not go to college, then later, when you actually want to have money and find a good paying job, you will not be able to.

 

If you give up on everything, then you will find yourself to be lonely, and not having a job. If you give up on school and your friends, you will not have anyone to spend time with or anything to do in your life because you do not have anything to do. I find it very important to have friends. It does not matter if you have one thousand friends, or ten friends, having them there will help you through to tough times that you face in life, and that is something that is priceless and that should be valued.

 

Word Count: 406 words

Poem

I stand bare feet in the sand,
As the waves dance across the shore.
The dark sun peeks through the clouds,
And I break free by the crack in the door.
I become lost in the sparkle of the water.
The reflection mimics my every move,
As if it were a mime.
The flowers sweep the ground like a broom.
Birds chirp throughout the trees,
And fly across the sea with ease.
Even the fins in the water look at peace.
I collect the shells and make the memory,
Thinking about how tomorrow this will be gone,
Wishing that I could stay forever,
Knowing that I will come back never.


In line 3 the "dark sun" is an oxymoron because the sun is bright, but it appears dark because it is peeking through the clouds.

In line 4 the "crack in the door" is a surprising choice of words because the sun peeking through the clouds is like the crack in the door because you are peeking through the crack to see what is on the other side, just like the sun.

Line 7 is a simile because it compares the reflection in the water to a mime.

In line 8 is a personification because the flowers "sweep" the ground as a real person would do.

In line 9 and 10 the birds chirping in the trees symbolize freedom because they are free to chirp and fly where ever they please.

Line 11 is ironic because the fins in the water are sharks but are referred to as peaceful.

Line 11 is an allusion because the fins allude to sharks, even though it is not stated in the text.

Family

When you are feeling sad, and don’t have anyone to go to, who is always there? Family. Family is the people in your life that will never judge you, never give up on you, and will always love you. Although you may fight with your parents and siblings, they always seem to forgive and forget. Families also support each other. For example, when you have some kind of sports games, they are always there at every game because they are proud to watch you and they want to support you.

After you get in a fight with your friend, or you do something stupid like crash your car, your parents and siblings are the first people you want to talk to about it with. Sometimes there are things that you do not want to talk about with your family, and that is normal. Some things are just meant to be kept to yourself.

All families at some point in life have gotten into a fight with each other. Even if it was big or small, it always seems to fade away after awhile because if you stay mad at each other then who are you going to talk to about things? Who is going to go to your games? Who will drive you places if you need a ride? That is the reason why family is so important.

When you are playing a sport, most people love to have fans there to cheer and support your team. That is why family is an awesome thing to have at a game, especially if it is for a big title like state, regional, or national tournaments. For example, my brothers are in college and I barely get to see them so when they show up at my games, I get so excited and want to play well to show them how much I have improved!

As you can see, without family, you would have a part of yourself that is missing. Family is the reason why you are alive, and the reason why you are the way you are today. Holidays are time to spend with family, and you should enjoy every minutes of it.

Word Count: 375 words

Homework

Most families enjoy holidays, I mean, who doesn’t? There is no school, no work, and you can sleep in as long as you want. Sometimes teachers give out homework that you have to do and that is a killer. It is very hard to push yourself to get the work done on break because you are more focused on family, friends, and just having a little break from stress. Also, holidays re a time to feast, listen to music, watch movies, and sleep. Sleeping is the best part of break for teens because all teens do during the day is school, sports, homework, and all of the other extracurricular activities that they do.

Students absolutely love break especially if they have no homework, because if they do have homework, then it is always in the back of their heads and they just cannot stop thinking about it. On the other hand, others might forget about homework and just not do it and they could make their grades bad. During the school year, it is hard to get enough sleep. Some get up at 5 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 7 o’clock but do not even finish their homework because they had a practice that night or just had too much of it.

To help you concentrate, try locking yourself in your room for a couple of hours with no television, cell phone, or computer unless you need it for school. The sooner you get done with your school things, the better.

Break is not all about concentrating on homework though. It is about enjoying the time you have off. Family and friends are the main focus for break. Some of the best memories come from spending time with friends and family and you do not want to miss out on that! Memories such as Snuggling up by a fire and watching a movie, opening presents, telling jokes, and laughing at nothing are all memories that could be shared between you and your loved ones. Also, it is the best feeling in the world when you see your older siblings walk threw the door when they come home from college (if you have older siblings).

There are many reasons to not give out any homework and there are only a few that were mentioned. People are busy during holidays, and that is what teachers need to understand. If you did give out something to do over break, half of the students would probably forget to do it anyway. Kids get distracted easily, can you blame them? It is a holiday, and holidays are meant for fun.

Word Count: 436 words

Don't Eat Fast Food

Ever wonder why you are gaining weight? Try looking at what you are eating, is it fast food? Fast food is very unhealthy, and it will continue to get more and more unhealthy. Even though it tastes amazing, you should try eating fruits, vegetables, and protein. If you play a sport, it is very important that you have a good diet because if you do not, then you will not perform as well as you are able to perform.

Some people eat super healthy, and others do not. Most of the people that eat healthier are older because when they grew up, they had better food than we do today. Teens on the other hand, have grown up in a world of fast food and it really is not healthy at all.

The movie Super Size Me is a great example of how unhealthy fast food is because he only ate fast food for a couple of months, nothing else, and he gained a ton of weight because of all of the salt, sugar, and all of the other ingredients that are in the fries, burgers, shakes, and nuggets.

Eating healthy would be a good idea because it would help you in the long run. For example, if you eat healthier, you have a better chance of living longer because your heart and all of your other body parts will work better then if you eat fast food.

Also, drinking alcohol and smoking are very unhealthy. Drinking and smoking affects your lungs, and your heart, as well as your liver and other things throughout your body. If you look at a heart that has been affected by smoking, and compare it to a heart where it has not been affected by smoking, the one that has not been exposed to smoking looks a lot healthier because it is.

Word Count: 362 words

Push

Some strive for greatness and others have to work for it. Although working for it can sometimes be hard, just remember to keep going. When you have a bad day you probably think “my life sucks” but really, it is just a minor set back of your life. You live many days so if one of your days is not working out you can just think of previous days or days that are to come. Maybe you are looking forward to holidays, birthdays, or just a get together with your friends.

Every person has a bad day at some point and that is just something that people have to deal with. Some examples of bad days are when you may have made a mistake and gotten in to trouble, or your parents yelled at you, or you got in a fight with a friend. These are all things that are quite easy to get over although you may not think so.

Apologizing, that word seems to be the most difficult word to say. It is the word that could make your day better. The reason that some do not like to say it is because it means that they are wrong, or that they did something that was not allowed and approved of. Parents are a good example of this because they like you to say sorry for being wrong and that make you feel like they are superior over you. Some also do not like it because sometimes, you are not wrong, they may think you are, but you know you are right.

Sports are another example of hard days. You may have a running day where all you do is run your heart out and you get no cheer for it, the only thing you get is the satisfaction of knowing that you worked hard and that you gave it your all. Maybe you had an easy practice, where you feel like you went for nothing because you did not learn anything new or get better at anything. And lastly, maybe you had a practice where you were just off of your game and you were making a ton of mistakes.

The truth is, is that everyone has these types of days at some point in life. You just have to learn to face it and try harder to make it better the next day because that is how you will succeed in most of the things that you do. (414 words)

AP Classes

At the beginning of the year I was very excited to be taking two AP courses at Kennedy High School. I thought that I would enjoy them because it would challenge me and I had heard from other students that the classes that I signed up for were fun. The two classes that I was going to take were AP Lang and Comp, and AP psychology. I noticed last year that there were many people going around doing random experiments and saying how much fun they were having in AP Psych.

After taking these two classes for just a couple of weeks, I could already tell that this year would not be a good year because I did not really like the two classes. AP Psychology was a lot of note taking and applying terms to a bunch of stories as well as writing FRQs and learning many names that I will most likely forget in the future. I still thought that the class was very interesting, but I did not necessarily like it. I dreaded doing the notes every night, but after a while, I started to get faster and faster at taking them, and I actually found some things about the class that I actually enjoyed. I now enjoy the class a lot, and I love seeing what I get to learn about every day. I am excited to take the AP exam for this class because I know that I will do well. I am shooting for at least a four if not a five on the exam.

AP Lang was the complete opposite of the way I viewed psychology. I thought the class was very interesting and I loved to write about the topics that were given to me. Although it was hard work, I enjoyed it very much. After first term, I started to dread coming to class every day. All that we ever did was write random essays and blog about things that are not important to anyone. Blogs also got harder to write because after so much blogging, you start to run out of ideas and topics to talk about. The writing turned into boring topics that I did not like to write about and the surprise quizzes always killed me. I never knew when they were coming and I really did not like that. I am scared to take the AP exam for this class because I am not exactly sure how I will do, but I hope that Ms. A has prepared me well enough to get a three or higher on the exam.

Word Count: 437 words

Covergirl Ad Analysis

Conformity

When you are growing up, you never realize how much your family influences you. Most people would say that you grew up in a normal household. But did you really? Although you may think that you did, everyone is raised different and everyone has that one thing that they say or do that is different from what other families do. You may talk differently, or dress different, or maybe even look not normal to some people. The truth is, is that each individual is different in their own way.

If you were born into a family that likes the dress and talk southern, then you probably will do the same.  Most people think their family is normal and the way they grew up is normal because they are used to it. You are raised to know your right and wrongs which is a reason that some kids or adults do things that most people would not approve of. To you that is normal, but do you see what I’m saying? If you were growing up thinking that all animals are bad and they bite and hurt you, then you will most likely think that throughout your life living in a house that people believe that in.

Who is really to judge what is normal? Maybe what you grew up knowing is right, but not considered normal in today’s society. Today, what is normal is wearing the trend of the year (which in this case is PINK, Miss Me, and Uggs) because it is the new “hot” style. But being normal is not always about that, it is doing what is right and what you grew up thinking was right. Although it may not be right, as long as it does not hurt anyone, that is okay.

As you can see, the way you nurture your kids in the future will have a big impact. Parents should teach their kids about what is right, because that is the way to get them to be successful. Growing up in a good home with good parents is a thing that some kids dream about, so if you have been raised very well then you should be thankful that they care for you. Even if you tell your kids the right thing, it may not be considered “normal” but that is the right thing to do because that is what parents are supposed to do. (403 words)

The Future?

Thinking about college is a very scary thing, especially when you are only going to be sixteen years old when you go. I am fourteen at the moment and a junior in high school. That thought just gives me chills because it does not feel like I should being leaving for college in a year and a half. Some other people at Kennedy are a grade ahead and I wonder how they feel about it? Some may like it and others may not.

For me, it is a wondrous thing, but at the same time, it is horrible.  It is good because of the fact that it is challenging and you meet a lot of nice people along the way that gasp at the fact that you are so young. It is bad because you truly do not know very many people of the same age. Another bad thing would be that I play a sport, and probably will not be able to play division one soccer no matter how hard I work.

Being two grades ahead really did not take any time to get used to because being ahead at such a young age is often hard to remember. But trying to remember what it was like to be around people of the same age is frustrating because I cannot think of one time that I have had a class with someone younger than I am. Recently moving down to my own age group in soccer has helped me to make friends of my age and they are wonderful people to be around.

College has not hit fully yet but I know it will senior year. Not knowing where I want to go or what I want to do is terrifying, but hopefully it will get figured out soon or it could be too late. Vet school sounds pretty interesting, or being a teacher of some sort, but we will see where God takes things and that is all I have to worry about. (387 words)

Be Thankful

Ever looked at someone and think, I wonder why they are the way that they are? I seem to ask myself this question quite often and I just wish I knew they answer all of the time. One day I saw a lady sitting by herself at a restaurant and I felt so bad for her and I just wondered what had happened to her that caused her to eat alone. Maybe she has no family left, maybe her and her spouse broke up, maybe she never had the chance to make friends, and I mean anything could have happened to her.

When eating lunch at Kennedy High School I always take the time to thank all of the lunch ladies and lunch men because I want them to know how much I appreciate what they do. Getting older causes you to not be able to move around as well and that is why sometimes I feel sorry for them. I know I probably should not do that because some of them might like working there but I can’t help but to feel sorry for them. Seeing them work so hard and to get little appreciation is just so sad for me to see. And when I see them there, I always ask myself that same question, what caused them to work here? One day I would like to ask someone that just to see what their answer is but I don’t want to make anyone feel bad so I probably will not.

All of these examples are reasons why I would just like everyone to take a second to thank them as they walk by and clean the table, or give you the food that you are going to eat. I am thankful that I do not have to work there but hey, you never know what is going to happen in the future! I most likely will not end up like that but I am sure a lot of people will. Everyone should be thankful for what they have, because you could end up like someone that eats alone all of the time if you are not thankful. Also, eating alone is not always a bad thing, so If you like to eat alone, then no one should be able to judge you or think of you as a weird person, and that is why I look at people that work at different places and eat alone the same as I look at everyone else. (419 words).