Night

Night by Elie Weisel is truly an inspirational and motivating story. This is a autobiography on how he survived the Holocaust. The novel was depressing with all that he went through to survive to tell his tale. His plot, characters, and theme are some that are unique.
The plot was interesting. Elie and his family were warned by a begger that the Holocaust would happen, but nobody believed him and thought he was crazy. Then it all happened when the German soldiers went to their town and captured them. Forcing them all into trucks to get to work camps. Everybody kept believing they would survive, but some knew better. Elie and his father were seperated from his mother and sister. They would never see each other again. They were moved from camp to camp beating selection each time so they wouldn't get thrown into the crematorium. When they were forced to run for miles on end, many people had died and his father had caught a sickness. Elie had to take care of his father, but he knew it was too late for his dad. His dad died and he had to live on by himself.
The characters of the novel were inspirational. Elie is the author of the book writing about his life during the Holocaust. He went through so much and lived to tell his story of how he survived the Holocaust. Elie's dad is a great fellow too. He had almost survived until the end when they had to run through snow for hours and miles. He caught a sickness and was going crazy.
The theme of this story is one that is like many others. Never give up. Even when things get tough like Elie's story of his survival; just keep trying. Even after his dad had died he tried to do his best to live on and he did. He lived to tell his story to everybody about the horrors of the Holocaust/
To sum it up, Elie Wiesel's Night was a great novel to read. Real life retelling of his life during the Holocaust. Even if you dont like autobiographies, I'd give this book a chance and read it just once to know of the horrors of Hitler and the Holocaust.

Semester Test

Have you ever been a new student at school? It's very nerve-wrecking to say the least because you don't know anybody most of the time and it's hard making friends being the new student. In High School Musical, Gabriella Montez was the new girl at East High after she had to transfer.
Troy Bolten and Gabriella Montez meet at the beginning at a party and have to sing in front of a crowd and realize they are attracted to each other, so they exchange numbers after Gabriella had to leave. Later, she transfers schools and it happens to be East High; home of the Wildcats. Troy Bolten is the captain of the basketball team there and he sees her at school and tries to get into contact with her right away and show her around. They get interested in the school's musical and both audition for it. The people that Gabriella hang out with don't like the basketball team and likewise for Troy's group. So they try to stop Gabriella and Troy from performing in the musical. They succeeded for a bit, but realize it was wrong of them to do that to Gabriella and Troy so they go and fix the problem by telling them what really happened. Knowing what really happen, Troy and Gabriella get back with each other and both perform in the musical.
High School Musical and West Side Story are very similar to an extent. Both showing how it could be like being from different groups of people who don't like each other. In High School Musical Gabriella was the shy genius girl who excelled in Math and Science while Troy was the captain of the basketball team. Their cliques they hung out with did not like each other and tried to stop them from performing together in the musical and just stick to what they know. While in West Side Story the Puertoricans and Americans did not like each other and started fights with each other to solve their problems. When things got really serious, leaders of both the gangs died and the rest of the gang tried to finish off the situation, but when someone gets shot the gangs stop their rivalry and know its not worth it to die for.
I enjoyed High School Musical more than the other plays we have watched. Reason being it was from our time period and it shows how life really can be sometimes being the new student at a school and how schools can be divided up into cliques. The musical was well thought out with great actors and characters and the singing was pretty good.
To sum it up, High School Musical was a great musical. Showing life as it can be sometimes with two cliques who oppose each other and being new to a school.

Darkness

Darkness in my conception is like Death himself in disguise. In Night he was always there for the Jews. Waiting on them to give up their life to him because he was willing to make life easier on them if they just gave up to him. The darkness drives people crazy sometimes and that could be Death that does so. When the Jews had to run in the snow in the darkness for miles on end, Death had been waiting for them to give up to him.

The Great Gatsby Book Review

F. Scott. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby was a great book for the 1920's. It showed how life was during the Roaring Twenties with people having parties everyday, just having the best times of their lives. The characters, plot, and theme are important in this 1920's novel.
First off, the characters were interesting to say the least. Nick Carraway is a genuine fellow who goes and visits his relative, Daisy, in West Egg. He finds Jordan Baker with Daisy and he falls in love with her for a little while. When he meets Gatsby, he is used by him to get closer to Daisy. Gatsby is a mysterious man. Nobody really knows of his past, but everybody gossips about him and goes to his parties he has every night.
Next, the plot was nicely planned out. Nick goes to East Egg and happens to live by Jay Gatsby. He is Daisy's relative and is used by Gatsby to get closer to Daisy and he tries to win her heart back by showing her all his posessions and his magnificent home. When Tom finds out about Gatsby trying to win back Daisy's heart he gets into a heated argument with him and tells Daisy to move away with him.
Lastly, the theme of the novel is don't judge a book by it's cover. Gatsby is a man with a mysterious past, but he is a nice, hard-working man who earned his own money after he ran out within a business.
To sum it up, The Great Gatsby was a good read. I didn't think it would be any good at first, but it turned out to be a pretty decent book. So give this book a try and don't judge a book by its cover.

I Am Legend Book Review

Richard Matheson's I Am Legend is simply a magnificent book. It has loads of action, drama, suspense, and much more. The characters, plot, and theme are very important in this action-packed adventure novel.
To begin with, the characters were very unique and stunning. Robert Neville, the protagonist, is the sole survivor of a plague that has wiped out all of humanity as he knows it. He lives in a house that he fortifies to protect against the vampires that attack his house every night trying to feast of on blood. Ruth, a girl Robert met on his daily routines, is an attractive girl. She is able to get Neville to trust her for a short while, and in that time she falls in love with him when she used to hate him because she did not know why he killed vampires. She steals information from him and gives it to the vampires who later capture him in his own home.
Next off, the plot was very intense. Neville is the only survivor of the plague he thinks could be vampirism. Everyday he goes and kills vampires in the morning when they are asleep to get rid of them, but one day he doesn't get back home in time and the vampires are already out and when they see him and his car, they race after him. He gets rid of all of them by tricking them and going around the block and runs into his garage. Later he finds a dog, he feeds it everyday for a while. But, one day it wobbles to his house and it was bitten by a vampire and infected. So he had to put it to death, the only companion he had found since the plague.
Finally, the theme was an appropriate one. Don't judge someone by how they look, which is like saying don't judge a book by its cover. Robert Neville had judged the vampires as evil and tried to rid the world of their existence as they try to his every night. The vampires think Neville is the bad guy though, because he is destroying their kind every morning while they sleep. He is the last human on Earth that he knows of and he tries to get rid of them. Ruth finds out Neville is actually not a bad person, but only doing what he does to survive.
In conclusion, Richard Matheson's I Am Legend is a splendid novel. A page-turner that keeps you going till the very end. This book would go on my Top 10 list for best books read. It was an inspiration for other apocalyptic and fantasy book writers.

Holocaust

The meaning of the word "Holocaust" to me was the horrible and cruel attempt of genocide for the Jews. The horrendous killing and torture devices were too much to bare for the Jews. The Nazis were anti-Semitic and tried to kill all the Jews they could find to eliminate them. They failed and Hitler committed suicide. The Holocaust was a horrible event and should never happen again in any situation.
This picture was borrowed from: Link

Fictional Acceptance Speech

I accept this reward for Player of The Year (PoTY) with heightened emotions. I knew I was good, but I did not think I would win this award. I have played for three years on and off due to personal problems, but I would not have won this award if people had not been there to support me and cheer me on. I would like to thank my family, coaches, and friends for being there for me when I needed it.
My family was very helpful during my seasons. They would drive to all my games and watch me play and cheer me on the whole time, even if we lost. They would say to me "Good job son you tried your best, you'll beat 'em next time." That really motivated me to try my best and be all I can be to win for our team. Thank you guys and I love you so much for being there for me all the time and for the support, without you guys I might not have won this astounding reward.
My coaches were great. They were mean and made us do a lot of training, but that was all worth it when we won a game. We needed 'em just as much as they needed us, the players, to win the game. The coaches always made some useful plays that gave us the lead. These guys were awesome, and I thank you for being there and being tough on me because you knew I had it in me to do my best and I did to win this award.
Ahh, now its all about my friends. These guys were awesome. Some of them played with me and we practiced with each other to get better. My other friends were great too. Coming to my games to watch me play and cheer me on. You guys are just important to my success as everyone else is. I thank everyone for my success and I take great pride in winning this great award.
If it wasn't for everyone being there for me, I might not have won this award because people cheering me on and encouraging me is what keeps me going to strive to do my best. Thank you everyone for being there to help me.

Westside Story

The Jets and Sharks have had a sort of grudge against each other since they moved to America and they got jumped by a Jet. They think they can't live together because of their race and they try to keep away from each other and stay with their own race. Tony and Maria meet at a dance together and kiss and they fall in love and keep trying to meet each other. Later, they arrange a fight with each other and some people get killed. Tony tried to stop the fight at first but no one would listen so Tony kills Bernardo after Bernado killed the Jets leader. Tony goes and sees Maria after the fight and she forgives him for killing her brother. The two gangs are divided about taking revenge on each other or just trying to stay out of trouble. The Jets are going to attack the Sharks first because of some false lead. Tony is told Maria is dead to keep him away from her. Chino shoots Tony with a gun when he sees him with Maria. The conflict between the two gangs is resolved when Tony is killed and taken away.

1920's

I would not like to have lived in the 1920's because it doesn't seem too great with all the drama going on around that period of time.

Prom Night

Prom Night was pretty awesome. I didn't go to Prom, but I went to go hang out with friends at a party and had tons of fun. I cant go all into detail on what I did, but it was an awesome party and I stayed there for Prom night.

Fiddler On The Roof

Tradition is very important. The kids go to Hebrew school and their parents pick who they shall marry. In the circle of their town there are certain people who are more respected like the rabbi. In a family, people will have kids to help with farming the land. Although, Tevye has five kids, they are all girls who cannot help with the farming. Girls are chosen their husbands when they reach the age of twenty. Without tradition, their lives would be shaken, unstable, and chaotic. Tradition is a foundation that Jews rely upon to hold stability for their civilization. Everyone wears a prayersha to show their faith in God. Spitting on the ground after cursing is what they believe will remove the curse from their mouth. On the Sabbath day, they say a prayer before super and do not work on the Sabbath day. The fiddler on the roof represents how the Jews are. They are just trying to live life to its fullest while not breaking their necks doing so. They like to celebrate by drinking and dancing in the pub.

Non-Verbal Communication

There are many ways to communicate non-verbally. Facial expressions are one of the more ways Mr. Bean communicated. He made faces to show how he felt. He also used hand gestures pretty often and body language. People could tell what he was doing by body langauge and hand gestures. Eyes are a good way to communicate without talking as well.

Locker Searches/Personal Searches

Locker searches/Personal searches at school is a debated subject in schools. I, for one do not support the searching of lockers or personal searches of the student's personal items. I can approve of locker searches because it is the school's property and the ability to check through them is fine, but checking through our personal belongings should not be allowed because it is our own belongings and people do not have the right to search through that. I found information to support my statements here. Three points I should note off are about locker searches, personal searches, and approval of the debate. First off, locker searches in school. They are allowed because lockers are property of the school and if you choose to use them. You also choose to let them search through it anytime. The school wants its environment to be safe and carefree. By searching through lockers for illegal weapons or substances, it rids the threat of harm a little. Next, searching of personal items. These are only allowed if the student is under suspicision and the school is then allowed to search through the student's car, belongings, and pat them. Checking through personal items should not be allowed unless you drive a car, and only then can the school check their cars and not their other belongings. Lastly, Approval of this situation. Searching through lockers is fine. It is the school's property and if you want to use their property, they can check it. Personal searching although, is not approved of. Being it is the student's personal items and should not be able to come to school without being checked and only their cars being checked. To sum it up, locker searches/personal searches are somewhat approved and disapproved of. Locker searches,personal searches, and the approval of it are what I took the most of it.

St. Patricks Day

When I think of this day... I think of like leprechauns, pots of gold, green, etc. As well as going to school and then forgetting to wear green. Thus, getting pinched by everyone, but when you go to pinch someone else you get hit back because they are wearing green where you cannot see it sadly. That is what I think St. Patricks Day is.

Tricks Review

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins was a pretty breath-taking book. The book was a little more on the mature side for young adult readers, but it was a great book. The characters, settings, and theme were interesting. First off, the characters were very interesting in what they did and how they were. I didn't think Cody would go into prositution. He was a straight guy who had an amazing girlfriend. Since his dad died life has gotten worse for him and he went into prositution with guys because he makes more money. Another great character is Ginger. She ran off with her friend because she was being sexually abused by her mom's dates because they pay her mom to have time with Ginger. Ginger and her friend were raking in the money with strip parties and bachelor parties because they were underaged. Her friend goes into prositution because she keeps thinking they need more money, but they really have enough money to go on. Next, the settings of the book varied. The book went from character to character in each chapter. The setting for Seth was in L.A. because he had gotten kicked out of the house when his dad found out he was gay. Whitney, a small town country Christian girl was sent off into Arizona for treatment because they had thought she was taken over by demons because of the way she acted around Andrew. Lastly, the theme was a good one. Never give up because things might turn around for the better even if your life seems like it can't get any better and you just want to slump over and die. Life can't always get worse just wait for the change and let it be for the better. In summary, Tricks by Ellen Hopkins was a satisfying read. It was a page-turner that was good from start to the end if you are mature enough to read it like so.

Civil War

Civils Wars are common between people of the same ethnicity, but it could happen to anyone. A boyfriend/girlfriend situation, family matters, people of the same country fighting over something they want. It can happen to anyone and it usually happens at least once in every person's life. I was in a civil war with my family. My mom and dad had a divorce. My mom left and went to Arizona and my dad just stayed in Arkansas. I had to go live with my mom for a year or so and her boyfriend was a loser to me. Then I went and lived with my dad for a while who is also a loser to me. He didn't like me very much because I always left to go hang out somewhere everyday and I didn't like him very much either. So I left both my parents and went to go live with my grandma. She gripes a lot about dumb things but its better than my parents.

Olympic-sized Commitment

I dont think I could commit to all the things they practice before the Olympics. All those days of training for many days before they are finally in it. That's a lot of commitment to make to prepare for the Olympics. I, for one, couldn't be commited to all of that.

Silas Marner

Silas Marner was excommunicated from his town and he left to go live in another. He lives there sewing on his loom in solitude and counting his money. Silas is robbed later on of all his money and finds a little girl instead of his money. He finds the mother of the little girl dead outside his house and he raises the little girl on his own. He teaches her to be a righteous person and disciplined her. She grew up to be a great person and later finds her Dad, but doesn't go to live with him after she finds out.

Banning iPods

Article

I think that banning iPods during school isn't a very clever idea. Students will still try to find a way to cheat either way anyways. Using iPods to cheat is a pretty good idea because it is not obvious and detectable. On the other hand not many students try to cheat using iPods. Some students just prefer to listen to music on them as a past-time during school. Students will find better and less detactable ways to cheat if iPods are taken away and then there will be more cheaters. Music helps in the long run because some students listen to music when they are doing their homework or studying to tune out all the other noises around them so they can concentrate. iPods should not be banned as well but only confiscated before tests or important exams so no one can cheat on the test and then give back to the students after the test is over. That stops the possibility of cheating on iPods.

Oral Com. Earthquakes, Global Warming, and European Storm

Earthquake:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_chile_earthquake;_ylt=Asvgs.kkTmBm2Gg.uvDxPX.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNqYmlkcW5yBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMzAxL2x0X2NoaWxlX2VhcnRocXVha2UEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwMxBHBvcwMyBHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3J5BHNsawNjaGlsZXRyb29wc3A-
The damage was devastating and horrendous. Many people died, screaming and crying for their lives. The government tried to help by sending satelites, food, water, and other basic materials to them to help them survive and rebuild. Firefighters urged citizens to stay inside but no one had heard it coming till it had hit their house. Many people are homeless with very few homes left to inhabit because many were destroyed. The government is doing its best to try to help the people rebuild their lives.

Global Warming:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100228/ts_csm/283713
Many people do not believe in Global Warming and the numbers have increased almost doubling. The IPCC are suffering with less public confidence and are having a hard time with this situation. Many people do believe in Global Warming as well but, some just do not care increasing from 29% to 33%.

European Storm:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100301/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_deadly_storm
In France there was a terrible storm that took many lives. The president donated $3 million dollars to help the cause to fix the problem. The storm destroyed many homes and left many of them without electricity. The president met up with residents in homes and promised to get recovery funds to help rebuild the area swiftly.