Monday, September 29, 2008
HAHA
9/29 blog
9/29
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Blog 9/29
Blog 9/29
blog 9/29
blog 3
9/29
Blog 3
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
blog week 2
blog
blog 9/22
thanks
Rachael
Monday, September 22, 2008
blog entry
Saturday night, me my two roommates, one of my roommates boyfriends, and his friend went out to eat at chili’s it was nice because I love chilies, and I hate the dc food. It was so nice to actually have real food because I had forgotten what it tasted like from eating here for so long. Nothing in the dc has any flavor and it’s just so plain. They serve the same thing everyday and I just get so sick of eating the food in there. I hate the way the dc smells and the way you smell when you leave there. It makes me feel sick and I just try to avoid eating there as much as possible. Whenever I go home I make my mom make chicken broccoli and ziti that way I can take a ton of it to school and have it last me a long time. I also make my breakfast in my room because I just have oatmeal every morning then for lunch I get subway or pandini’s, and for dinner I eat stuff around the room or sometimes if I have to ill go to the dc, but that’s only when my friends force me to go because they don’t really mind eating there, but they are starting to get sick of the food. I go there when I have to but I would prefer not to sometimes.
journal entry#2
Today i had my first college test, in mass communications. I studied pretty long for it and it was very weird because i didn't ever study in high school and i got really good grades but that is only because high school is really easy and all you have to go is go to class and you get an automatic A because there wasn’t much out of school work and you usually did everything in school. This is mostly because school is 6 hours long so they don’t give much homework for you to do. I miss high school and being at home and the feeling of getting out of school and being able to relax. But now when you get out of classes you have to go back and study, do homework and write essay, research papers. Im glad im in college but I wish I was home sometimes, and being in the comfort of my own home. I really do like this school and I have no regrets on coming here and no feelings towards thinking I should’ve picked another school, being here feels right and i feel like it’s the school for me.
Blog 2
Blog #2
Has anyone every played freeze tag? I don’t know why I thought of this but I wish I could just jump back into elementary school where no one had a care in the world. There I could go to gym class and play freeze tag. It would be like a blast from the past. Now I don’t know how you guys used to play but I would play when someone was it and once they touched you then you had to freeze no matter what you were doing. I mean not to the extreme, because if you were lying on the ground you couldn’t be unfrozen so you would have to stand up and with your legs apart enough to let someone craw through. When someone crawled under you legs then you were suddenly unfrozen. To tell you the truth this is the only part of Freeze Tag that I remember. I bet there was a point to it but I can’t come up with it. Anyways take a moment it sounds weird but is there anything pointless you used to do that just made you happy? I think I’m going to take a step back and maybe just play a game of Freeze Tag.
Blod for 9/22
Blog
One Sunday morning my brother and I, with a couple of his friends decided to go to the beach. We all took separate cars to get to Rocky Neck beach, not the best beach but close enough to go for a day. We got out on the road around ten o’clock with our printed out map and a GPS just incase. On the road we got lost around Connecticut because the GPS wanted us to go through a city then around it on the highway. This little set back did not stop us because we were determined to get there even if it took us all day. We also wanted to reach the beach before the others did. We saw many buildings around us as we past the city on the highway and one of them reminded me of a building I saw back in Russia. Traffic was not too bad and we where making time. Until a few miles from the beach we hit a dead stop with cars bumper to bumper all the way to the next exit. My decided to go in the next lane and cut into the exit, which was a good idea because it saved us attest a half hour. It was fun there, we played with a ball swam in the cold water and went exploring on the rocks which were on the other side of the beach. When I got home I was bright read and looked like a tomato.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Journal entry #1
This weekend was very eventful and fun. I went home for the first time since I’ve been at school. Going home just made things worse because now I’m even more homesick. Seeing my mom and dad and them telling me how much they missed me was very upsetting. On Friday my best friend Amanda and I went to my sisters volleyball game and she did really well, they won and my sister got the winning point. Then we had to baby-sit which wasn’t too bad because I missed the kids that her and I watch together. On Saturday I went to sandwich, cape cod and we looked at boats that my dad wanted to buy. Coming home was also weird because my dad told me his huge plan for next year, he is going to buy another boat, get another house on the pond, that way we can dock the boat at and work on the house. My dad doesn’t want to sell our house right away he wants to build onto the house he is buying and make it fairly big and nice. My dad has these sort of ideas all the time and then he starts to obsess over them, my dad just got a ski boat two months ago and now he wants a better, newer one that the “professional” wakeboarders use. Looking at the boat was really cool because the guy selling it was putting it in the water for us to use, so we got to go on it and see how it runs. The owner of the boat also told us to bring our wakeboards that way pull us around a little. My dad was really excited so he put this gear on and was ready to go. When he was riding the guys couldn’t believe how well he was doing because he was already switching, jumping, and doing 360’s. They invited him to join a junior professional men’s league next summer. When I went I was in shock because the wake from this boat was huge compared to our other boat. With these kinds of boats you can also surf the wave, by holding onto the rope to get you started then when you are on the peak of the wave you let go and follow the boats wave. I am pretty excited to get this new boat and to go with wakeboarding with my dad. My dad and I do a lot of sporty things together because we always push one another to do better. It always makes us a lot closer and enjoys one another’s company. I think that getting a new boat will be awesome, and a lot of fun; I just hope my dad follows through with his new plan.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Journal 9/14/08
Kevin Gallant
School- Did I ever get beat up? No, I never got beat up in school, in my school it was more of watching other people fight. There was a fight just about every other day, so I got to enjoy that instead. Did I come out of my shell a particular year? Yes I would say I came out of my shell at the end of my sophomore year. I didn’t really hang out with a lot of friends freshman and sophomore year, until a group of kids (future friends) asked me to hang out with them a couple times, then they became my good friends and have been ever since.
Work- What was my first job? My first job was a bagger at Market Basket. I eventually got promoted to Assistant Head Cashier, and have been working there for three and a half years. Did I like or dislike it? I absolutely despised working there, although the money is nice, so it’s hard to quit.
Social Life- Did I have a lot of friends? Yes I had a lot of friends in high school, it was hard to hang out with them all the time because I’d always be with one group and the other group never really got along with each other. Was I ever asked to drink or try drugs? Yes I was asked to drink, and yes I tried it, and yes its funAnd yes I was asked to try drugs but I refused because I know the consequences of what they do to you, and the consequences of what kind of trouble you can get in. My first time driving a car was with my dad in the community college parking lot in my town. That day was one of the best days of my life, and I absolutely love driving now.
Family Life- Did we take family vacations? Yes we took so many family vacations its hard to keep track of where we have been. First off, the
Essay Topic
journal entry 9/1408
essay topics
School:
1.) Did I ever fit into a particular group? Yes in high school my friends and I were inseparable and we would go everywhere together. We changed our schedules so we were in the same classes; we always knew where one another was, and what we were doing after school. People we went to school with would call us “lakk” because those were each of our first initials. Now that I look on it I wish that I was never apart of that, and if I had to go back and change who I hung out with I would do it in a second.
2.) Did I ever win or lose a big sporting event? My freshman year in high school I was on the swim team and we had a pretty decent team, everyone was fairly good. We would work hard 2 times a day and really push one another. Towards the end of the season the south coast conference meet was coming up and we had to get ready for it. We knew we had a pretty good chance but the competition was going to be tough. When we got there we were overwhelmed with people and with the size of the pool room. We warmed up and all of us were extremely nervous. The meet started and we got off to a good start, we had the lead for a while but then we were tied with Brockton. It was my turn to swim an event and this event was win or lose for the team, for the conference meet. I was so nervous and I didn’t think I would be able to pull through. I won the race with a strong finish and my team was screaming and jumping. I will never forget that feeling getting out of the pool, my teammates going crazy and looking at the clock saying I came in first place.
Work:
1.) My first job was as a lifeguard, in Rhode Island at South Shore beach. I started working there as soon as I was old enough to when I was sixteen. I currently still work there, but only in the summer. I love my job and I’ve known the beach manager for six or seven years so I can have days off and pick my hours.
2.) Another job I had over the summer was working at a daycare as well. I loved working there, the people I worked with were my friends, and I enjoyed working with kids. Although, working there was also uncomfortable as well. This past summer me and my best friend got into a serious fight and it caused a lot of problems, we no longer talk. My boss is my ex best friends aunt so there was a lot of personal issues in the job as well, I felt that she was harsher on my then the other workers, and she would always pick out the little things that went wrong. She got mad at me a lot for no reason, so after a while I needed to approach my boss about the issue and she denied that it had anything to do with her niece and that it was how she would act towards me regardless and that she treated me just like any other. Talking to her only made matters worse and it didn’t help me out in the long run, but I did what I thought was right and I needed to stand up for myself.
Social Life:
1.) What situation leads to my first friendship? My first real friendship started when I was in 3rd grade and it was with a girl who lives right down the street from me. Her name is Alyssa and we were in the same class, her sister use to babysit me so we would always hang out. Alyssa was a true reliable friend who I could and can still tell anything to. She doesn’t judge a person until she knows them and that’s what makes her such a good person. We did everything together, she would come over everyday and we would just hang out and talk, my parents even “called her their other daughter.” My parents treated her as if she was their own and they genuinely loved her. Alyssa and I are still best friends to this day and we were planning on going to the same college, Framingham state. She really wanted to go there but I like Westfield more, she was pretty disappointed because even since we were little we promised we would stay together, but because she is such a good friend she understood that I had to do what I wanted.
2.) When was the first time I drove a car? The first time I drove a car was when I was six years old. My dad and I would always drive across the street in his beat up old car and I would sit on his lap and steer. I thought that it was the coolest thing, and that my dad was the best for letting me “drive.” My dad would act as if I was getting my license soon because she would always critic me, and tell me what I was doing wrong and make me do it until I got it right.
Family Life:
1.) Did I experience a sibling being born? Yes my sister and I are 2 years apart and I was in the hospital when my mother had her. When we were in the car to bring her home, I said “alright she’s cute, can we bring her back now?” and my mom and dad tried to explain to me that she was my sister now and that she was going to live with us. I was really young so I didn’t really understand, and I thought that I was going to be the only child for a while and that all the attention would be on me so when my little sister came into the picture I was not too happy with sharing the attention.
2.) Did you ever have a pet? When I was around ten and my sister was eight, my dad was at work and went to go visit him and he told us he had a surprise. He went over to his truck and took out a bucket and in the bucket was a baby bunny. My dad had told us he didn’t see the bunny and almost ran it over until he saw it at the last second. My dad wanted to let the bunny go but it was too young to survive without its mother so he knew that we had to take it home and take care of it. We named the bunny princess bun bun and we took it to the vet so we could see what it needed for food and nurture. The vet told us that the bunny was not a girl, and my and my sister were very disappointed that we had to change the name to prince bun bun. We taught him how to hop, and he became more comfortable with us. The bunny grew on us and we all loved him. We kept him alive for 3 weeks when the vet told us that he wouldn’t live past 3 days. My sister and I were heart broken when we found out that he had died.
Activity:
Visit a place from your past, what memories or feelings are most prominent? How have my feelings about the place changed?
Before I came to school, I was babysitting and I took the kids to the playground at my old elementary school. This was the first time I have been to this playground since I had been out of elementary school. When I went there I was very disappointed because then had torn it down and completely re-did it. So many of my memories from recess were at that school and playground and it was depressing to see that it wasn’t the same. I was expecting to go there and go on all my favorite tire swings, wooden bridges, rope swing, and tires. They had rebuilt it because it was “unsafe” and they needed to fix it. I was upset to go back because it was just not the same, and I wasn’t able to relive my memories that I had made over the 6 year period I was there.
Analysis:
How did I Change?
When I was younger, I thought that everyone was invincible and that bad things only happened to other people and that they would never happen to me. I would take my parents and everyone close to me for granted. As I got old I would see people in my family and in my friend’s family, pass away. This made me realize that you have to show the people you love that you love them and let them know you care as much as you can. You never know how much time you have left with someone and when something bad can happen.
When did the event or situation occur, what forces were at work?
I started to realize this when I was 12 and my aunt Betty had passed away. I never thought that bad things would happen to me or my family, and that it only happened to other people or in movies. When this event occurred it changed my whole out look on life, and how I needed to express how I feel more often.
Did I realize the significance of the event at the time?
Yes I realize the significance at the time, because I was old enough to understand. My sister didn’t, so I needed to be there for her because she was little and it was tough on her because she was confused. I knew what had taken place and it changed my perspective on life.
What do I see now that I didn’t see then? What did that younger person not understand?
I didn’t understand when I was younger, why people died and why they just couldn’t live forever. I was young and naieve so I didn’t know why this happened or how to explain it to my sister, But I know now obviously that it is a part of life and it happens for a reason.
Why was the even or situation important to me?
This situation was important because it made me look at things from a different point of view, and made me value the meaning of life and to show affection towards the ones that you love because you never know what will happen to either you or someone you care about. This event helped me to grow as a person, intellectually, and spiritually.
Chapter 1 questions
part 1
my name is lauren connolly, I'm from Lakeville MA, and i went to high school at Apponequet. High school was fun for the first 2 years but when junior and senior year came around it got to be getting old and i just wanted to move onto college, where i could meet new people and friends because i was sick of the same people i've gone to school with for 12 years. I am a very outgoing person i and i love life. My weakness is stress. I get stressed really easily and I'm kind of easily distracted.
part 2
Writing Strategies:
1.) The details that Bosley provides that work best for me is when she talks about how she would be relieved that she wouldn’t win, and that it was finally over. In this essay Bosley talks about how she doesn’t want to be in the pageant because, she knows she doesn’t belong and wont win. Bosley talks a lot about how her mother pressures her into doing it and wants her to win. “My mother, beside herself with embarrassment for me and disappointment for herself, and misunderstanding my tears, hissed loudly enough for the befit of everyone, STOP crying, they’ll think you’re not a nice loser.” I think this piece of the essay is interesting because her mother thinks that she is crying because she lost the pageant, but she is really crying because she is happy she didn’t win.
2.) This essay would impact someone who doesn’t care about pageants because, the essay is not only talking about the pageant but the message behind it is that you don’t always have to do what people want you to do or what they expect of you and you can speak for yourself. When Bosley says; “our mothers should not have such dreams for us.” This means that you should do what you want to do and what makes you happy, don’t let anyone pressure you into something that your not comfortable doing.
3.) If I had to workshop Bosley’s essay I would say;
What I liked most about your essay is that you put into detail what you were going through with money and family issues, and you also said how you felt about other people and yourself.
The main suggestion I have about your essay is that i think you should’ve put more details about how you felt towards your mom being difficult on you, and whether is really bothered you or not. You should have also told us more about how you felt towards things other then just the pageant and how this affected you in the long run and what you got out of it.
4.) Bosley explains to the reader how she lost the junior pageant throughout her essay. The point of her essay is to let the reader know how she feels towards her losing the pageant, and how her mother pressures her into doing well and wanting to win but it wasn’t what she wanted to do, and her and her mother did not share the same dream. Bosley feels that she lost the pageant because when the judges asked her if she could change anything what would it be and she said her mothers loneliness. This made her look bad because she could’ve picked anything in the world to change.
Exploring Ideas:
2.) Bosley’s essay is not just about beauty pageants alone; she is also referring to competition, class, tradition, and media. Bosley talks about how she didn’t have much of anything, such as expensive clothes to wear, money to get good looking leg warmers, or getting her pictures done professionally. She is trying to make a point that if you don’t have quality things, or top of the line accessories then it puts you lower in class and not “as good” as everyone else.
3.) Something that people look at a lot today in society is college. People often tend to judge others on what they are doing after high school, whether is be getting a job or going to school. People have the idea that the name of a school is important, and if you pay more to go to a school then it is better and you have a better education. Which is not the case at all. You get the same education anywhere you go.
Ideas for Writing:
1.) My freshman and sophomore year of high school I was on the swim team. I loved to swim and everyone would always call me a fish from when I was little. Swimming was my passion and I would do it ever chance I got; I started swimming on a team in 7th grade and took it seriously since. I would go to two practices a day to get ready for high school, I would do it so much that I wouldn’t have time for homework or for friends, but my parents paid for me to be on a private team and doing all they could to help me progress. When freshman year in high school came around I was ready to go and I loved it. My parents started to make it not fun and pressured me into trying harder and getting frustrated when I didn’t do my best. Swimming then became no fun for me and i began to hate, the one thing that I really loved. I quite my junior year because I realized I wasn’t doing it for me anymore or because it was fun, I was doing it for others and trying to please, my parents, coach, and teammates.
2.) My sister and I played beach volleyball tournaments over the summer and my expectation was that we weren’t going to do that well, but after our first tournament we won and got all kinds of prices. It was a lot of fun, we kept participating in the tournaments and continued to do well.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
part 2 (Kyle Cahoon)
part 1 (Kyle Cahoon)
part two pat nelson
1. I think the detail that best works for me would have to be when she is describing her ex-boyfriend. (The cassette tape had been given to me by my Hispanic, juvenile delinquent, just-released-from-young-boy-prison-in-California ex-boyfriend Jim.) I am a big fan of comedic writing and that just seemed to immediately lighten the mood.
2. This essay should matter to people that don't care about pageants because of the point that I think Bosley is trying to get across. Society doesn't look as favorably on being a good person and being truthful as it does beauty and saying what people want to hear. She was most likely the most honest person when answering the "what is your most personal concern?" and it ended up hurting her more than helping her.
3. What I like best about your essay is that no matter what kind of person you are or what your interests are, you can take away a good lesson or point from this. The main suggestion I have for your essay is that you not go off on so many tangents and tell more about the actual pageant and the results.
4. Bosley does deliver on why she lost the pageant in more than one way. She tells us the exact reason (she didn't answer the personal concern question with a "save the rainforest" type answer) and she gives us a more in depth answer. She believes that she lost the contest because of the type of person she is and the type of person she was born as, not because of the requirements to win.
Exploring Ideas
2. Bosley's point speaks to larger issues in the fact that the emotions that she feels during the pageant can be easily correlated to any of the before mentioned areas.
3. Whenever my hockey team went out as a group last year we were forced to wear windsuits and to act extremely proper and polite no matter what the situation. Our owner wanted everyone to think of us as perfect which required us to act differently than our normal personalities.
Ideas For Writing
1. I tried out for a team in the USHL last year and didn't even come close to making it. Even though I was extremely dissapointed it made me realize how much work I had to do to become the player that I wanted to be. So for the rest of the summer I worked extremely hard and it paid off during the next season.
2. After working out and running all last summer I came into training camp in pretty good shape and ended up leading my team in scoring for the season. It made me realize that if I put the work in, I can do very well at a high level.
part one pat nelson
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Part Two (Taylor Jenks)
Writing Strategies
1) The detail that works the best for me would have to be when she adds a bit of sarcasm. “And even in this town where if you want to go to college, you better know someone who knows how to get you there because otherwise it’s too far away and too much money and too much trouble and way, way, way beyond your own intellect and sense of self to do it alone. How scary (get married).How wasteful (get married). How expensive (get married). How strange (get married). How pretentious (get married). How escapist (get married).” “(The cassette tape had been given to me by my Hispanic, juvenile delinquent, just-released-from-young-boy-prison-in-California ex-boyfriend Jim)” [How I Lost the Junior Miss Pageant. Bosley, Cindy.]
2) Bosley’s essay matters to others who don’t care about pageants because the message it is trying to get across. The essay talks about how Bosley was unable to see to be that perfect person and in trying to please her mother she just ended up hurting her.
3) I would complete the following statements: What I like most about your essay is how you were able to add in some sort of comedic statements to it. The main suggestion I have about your essay is the tangents that you tend to go off on could be more controlled they really seem to not have a real point.
4) Yes, Bosley does indeed deliver she lost the Junior Miss Pageant because of her question and answer piece she told the judges that her most personal concern was her mothers loneliness.
Exploring Ideas
2) Bosley’s point about beauty pageants speak to larger (more general) issues, such as competition, class, tradition, media, and so on because as Bosley says that “everyone has experienced the angst associated with the quiet pageantry of every day life…” [How I Lost the Junior Miss Pageant. Bosley, Cindy.] The anxiety that comes along with something like a beauty pageant can be found in any of the previously mentioned situations.
3) Any one in a public of private high school is under the same amount of pressure as someone in a beauty pageant. Everyone expects you to look and act the part to be the cool on campus or you will be considered a geek and that is social suicide.
Ideas for Writing
1) When I was in high school I wanted more then anything to make a difference for the students who were coming after me. Ever since middle school I have played some role in the student council. I was never considered on of the popular students so as my sophomore year came around I ran for student body vice president. I had held a position the four years prior but I came about ten votes sort of the position. One student was persuaded by their peers to run and because of his social statues he took vice precedence. There was no helping it no matter how good my campaign or how much experience I had I was unable to retain a position during the year.
2) This same year students need to pass the MCAS test in Massachusetts. I was told by many that I wouldn’t be about to achieve the MCAS scholarship. It is given to students in your school district who have scores above average. I spent day after day in a class room studying with my English teacher and a math tutor. I took the test the same time as the other members in my class. I waited about a year before I got my results in the mall. But my efforts were reworded I was given the MCAS scholarship. The significant of this experience is more that I was able to persevere through everything and achieve something no one though I could. The pressure to pass was bad enough but through out my high school I choose to be the best that I could and it was one of many things I did to succeed.
Part One (Taylor Jenks)
Part Two (Joe Ballinger)
1. The details that I liked best were the reasons Bosley gave on why she didn't win the beauty pageant. Now when I say this, I don't mean just the immediate reasons she first gave (tripped during her walk, talking about her mom instead of world peace and all that jazz). Later on in the essay she starts to talk about how she'd lost the pageant because she didn't have nice things, because of the financial situation she was born into, and because her parents were the people that they were. Most people just like how Bosley explained everyone thoroughly, but I prefer details that are somewhat more meaningful when it comes to essays like this.
2. This essay matters to everyone because she isn't just talking about beauty pageants. One could say that she's talking about how people accept others a lot more for their looks and money than other distinguishing characteristics.
3. What I like most about your essay is how you relate it to everyone by talking about how you lost the pageant being born into the situation you were born into. The main suggestion I have for this essay is that Bosley shouldn't go off on a tandem on gettin married and moving to California. I think the essay could've been better if she'd not put that in, because it seems sort of random to be put in there.
4. Bosley answers quite well how she lost the beauty pageant. The point of her essay is that the beauty pageant can be incredibly nit-picky and, at times, heartless. Another point she could be trying to make could encompass more than just the judges. She could also be trying to get across the fact that many people accept others with certain physical and financial features a lot better than those with different features or those without them. She'd lost the pageant literally because she'd only talked about her mother, but in a more metaphorical sense she'd lost because she was who she was.
Exploring Ideas
2. Bosley talks more about how people are accepted in today's society. I believe one point she was trying to make was that how people are accepted better for having certain things in their lives, whether in the physical or financial sense (and somewhat in the mental sense but not as much). This ties in with how the media portrays people, how they're usually physically almost "perfect" and usually filthy rich. This also ties in with the media's version of perfect, this being those things that Bosley was checking off on her beauty pageant list.
3.
Part One
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Part Two (Rachael Kobey)
1. I think that she was very judgmental at first and then as the story continued she started to judge herself because she was in there position. When you are in a pageant you are judged and then on the other end you do not now to fell.
2. The public should know about Bosley essay because I think that people can read this and relate to her. At some point in our lives we can all feel the pressure to do well at school and in sports. Even if you do not know much about pageants you can still understand the pressure part of it.
3. What I like most about the essay is that she tells how she lost to pageant from the beginning to end and left nothing out. The main suggestion I have about the essay is that she should have never told anyone about her mom and being lonely.
4. The title to the story How I Lost the Junior Miss Pageant tells the reader about how Bosley lost in the pageant she was in. The point to her telling her story is that she was not the average pageant girl she was poor and wore whatever she had in her closet not the newest things. She lost the pageant because of what she told the judges about her mom being lonely.
Exploring Ideas
2. The pageant world can be very competitive there is the pressure to be perfect and on a child at the age for six or seven they do not understand why they are doing this because I know that I wouldn’t be able to. The mom’s sometimes what their child to win more than their son or daughter wants. When you see the pageants on TV you think why would they ever do this be perfect and stand in front of people who judge them on things that really do not matter in real life. Money is also a factor you have to be able to travel, have the costumes, and the people to help your child succeed in the business.
3. I don’t have any experiences with a social going-on my parents never put me in that position nor do I ever want to be. That is not who I am and not the way I was brought up and I always stand up for myself and what is right for me.
Ideas for Writing
1. When I started karate my goal was to get my black belt. So as the years moved on I moved up belt by belt. The one thing that was standing in my way it was the black belt training; it was extremely intense training for about three months. The training part was not the issue it was the three mile run that we all had to do. I am not or have ever been a runner and it was hard and I cried every time I had to run or do the run with the black belt training team. I got to the point where my instructor made me so mad that I quit and I have never quit anything. So I never got my black belt but I look back and I know that I should have kept with it but I was young and could not make a decision for myself.
2. Skiing is my favorite sport of all time if I only had start must younger I would consider competing. I have been skiing for six years and when I am out there flying down to slope I fell as if no one can touch me. Also the people that I ski with make a difference because they are my family and they do not judge me. Another thing that makes it fun it that my helmet that I have has speakers in the ear pieces so I can just hock my ipod up and listen to my favorite music and tune everything out and resently got new ski’s and I love them.
Part 2
Writing Strategies
1. The details that worked best for me was when she descried her system for judging the contestants in the pageant. She then used her system to judge the other contestants, and at the end she judged herself.
2. This essay relates to people because it involves a mother that pushed her daughter to fulfill her childhood dreams. It might relate to someone who doesn’t care about pageants because it is about the importance of family, the pressures of being a young adult, and the idea of parental pressures can involve any activity including sports or hobbies.
3. What I like most about your essay is how it can be easily related to anyone’s hobbies. The main suggestion I have about your essay is to tell more about the pageant. What happened to you, and what happened to your friends in the pageant?
4. She does deliver the reason why she lost the pageant, but she doesn’t make it the main point of her essay. The point of her essay is the dream her mother tried to make her fulfill. She lost the pageant because she said she would fix her mothers loneliness instead of talking about world hunger or world peace. Also because the judges prejudged her.
Exploring Ideas
2. Beauty pageants speak to larger issues like competition, class, tradition, and media because sometimes they aren’t fair. They are things you can’t control you can’t decide who’s going to win a competition, you can’t decide what class you’ll be born into or the traditions your parents will show you.
3. In school you are pressured by our parents, and the faculty to do your best and behave properly.
Ideas for Writing
1. An event in my life that had a disappointing result was when I took physics senior year of high school. The first term I received a D. I know I had to step up for the next three terms and on the final. I ended up with a C as a final grade.
2. An event that exceeded my expectations is at the awards assembly in junior and senior year. Junior year I was presented an award for shop and latin. Senior year I was awarded for shop and Social Studies.
Part One
Part One
Part Two
1. When Bosley explained each and every person to almost exact, thats where it was eye catching. Mainly, people want to know those kind of details to get a better understanding of who each character is and a better imaginary view of them as well. I learn best when i can picture the scene in my head.
2. I'm pretty sure everyone can relate to Bosley's essay in some way or another. It makes people feel as if they are not the only one with pressure in today's world. I think she tries to bring people up in spirit and tells them to go for their goals and dreams. You don't need to be in a beauty pageant to feel good about yourself.
3. What i liked most about your essay is the way you described every person you mentioned. The main suggestion i have about your essay is to explain more about your mother and hatred with fiance because that is a main focus on the essay and "why she didn't win the pageant".
4. She deffinately delivers this essay clearly, but in the beginning of the essay, it makes the reader feel as if she is going to deffinately win the pageant. The fact that there was a twist on it is good. The main point of her essay is to share to us to go after our goals in life and trying makes a difference. She loses the pageant because she didn't tell the judges what they wanted to hear.
Exploring Ideas
2. Pageants and competitions in public society are not always as "fair" as they should be. The questions given want responses that are "the same as everyone else".
3. I am an art major student, but i dont have "that look" of an artsy person. People tend to question if i really am because i dont "look" or "dress" like some who is interested in art.
Ideas for Writing
1. My senior year i played tennis and for our last game we played Westfield. Our season was better than usual and we didn't think we were going to win. But in my game i won the first set out of three and lost the second. We had high hopes for the third game and deffinately thought we could win. But we lost and it was dissapointing.
2. We had a junior awards night at my highschool with all juniors who were recieving awards but didn't know what award it was. They called my name for the Most Outstanding in Art Junior award. I was not expecting that.
Homework 9/8 Part Two
1. I agree with Kevin when he said that the smaller details, like her address work better. I think that when the author adds more unnecessary details such as the description of the siding on her house, and of her living room, it not only catches the reader's attention but allows the reader to create a visual in their mind. This makes the story more interesting and easier to follow as a reader. Her description of her ex-boyfriend as her "Hispanic, juvenile delinquent, just- released -from-young -boy-prison-in California" and the other kids in the pageant rehearsals, gave an idea of the culture of the environment she lived in.
2. Even though not many people have been in beauty pageants, or something similar, readers can appreciate her story because it expresses her journey trying to achieve something. That basic storyline is something everyone who has ever tried to something can relate to. It takes you step by step through her difficulties trying to make it with her compromising circumstances and negative influences in the media. It also talked about her getting support from her mother and doing whatever it took to try to achieve her dream.
3. What I like most about Bosley's essay was the substance that her descriptions gave and the detail she went into describing what was going on. I think she did a really good job getting the reader to follow exactly what was going on at what times and at keeping their attention. The main suggestion I would have for Bosley is to not give too many examples, like in the last 2 paragraphs of the essay. Or if you give all the examples to break them up into a few more sentences instead of just lists. That would make it easier to read and flow better.
4. Bosley does deliver the answer to the statement that is her title. She not only gives the answers she gave which is why she thinks she lost the pageant- which was because she said her most personal concern was her mother's loneliness- but also the social reasons she lost the contest, which were listed in the entire last paragraph.
Exploring Ideas
2. I think that one of Bosley's points, that mothers shouldn't have these kinds of dreams for their daughters, speaks to general issues because in other kinds of competitions such as sports, music or in whether you want to do something else, it should be your own dream. I think that it says that no one should be influenced by parents or others to accomplish their dream.
3. The first day of high school in any year always seems the same. Probably in any high school, one would find the same thing. Everyone trying to impress everyone else with their schedules and all the clubs and sports they were in. From the first week to the end of the quarter there is usually the pressure to be the best in high school.
Ideas for Writing
1. Before college there was orientation. For my orientation I had to take 2 days off of camp, which I had already been at for 2 weeks. I was up until around 4:30am the night before on 3am duty, and had to leave at 8am to drive from camp to Westfield. When I arrived at orientation everyone was in their best clothes and seemed all set on making the most friends possible. I was in a staff shirt from last summer and a pair of mesh shorts that didn't match. I walked around with a lime green back pack and wearing crocs on my feet. I felt really out of place and that I needed to try harder to look more like an almost college student. I felt embarrassed the entire weekend and that I was not ready to be with all these college kids.
2. This year was my second year as a counselor at camp, and I was one of the maybe 10-15 returning staff members. Most of us were skeptical of how the summer was going to go- since we had so many new staff to train and pull off all the camp magic with. I found out I was in the cabin I requested to be, it was a cabin with 6 counselors and 12 kids; ages 6-11. I was happy about that and found that I was a co-counselor to a best friend of mine who was also returning for her 11th summer. After our pre-camp training, and first session- which was 12 days- we were recognized by members of the admin team as a group of counselors that worked really well together and we received a letter about how good we were doing having only 2 returning counselors and 4 new ones, and that they look forward to seeing what we will do with the rest of the summer. It was really nice to get that letter from respected admin and we ended up hanging it up in our common room for the following 8 weeks.
Homework 9/09 Part Two (Roman)
1. Some of the details throughout Bosley’s essay that worked best for me were when she judged the girls in the Miss America Pageant because it showed what she thought was and wasn’t beautiful about the different girls in the pageant. Also I liked how she put in some details about her personal life which showed a little about her background.
2. Bosley’s essay matters to others because she talked about her family and her goals which others can relate too. She also explained that your goals and dreams might not always come true but you should try to achieve them despite that. The pageant was just a symbol in my opinion, for people’s goals in life so it didn’t matter if the reader cared about pageants or not they still can relate to it in some way.
3. What I liked most about your essay was the way you gave out points to the different girls in the Miss America Pageant. The main suggestion I have about your essay is to explain why your mother and fiancé had hatred towards each other you mentioned it in your essay but didn’t say why.
4. Bosley’s title says that she lost the Junior Miss Pageant and she did try to explain why she lost it. I think the point of this essay was more about her life and the trouble she faced more then losing the pageant. The reason she lost the pageant was because when the judges asked what her most personal concern was and Bosley didn’t give the judges the answer they were looking for.
Exploring Ideas
2. Bosley’s point about beauty pageants speaks to larger issues because they are a matter of opinion on who is beautiful and who is not.
3. One experience that speaks to the angst people is the race they are. Sometimes people think they are better then others just because where they are born.
Ideas of Writing
1. One experience that I had participated in and it had disappointing results was taking a honors art class. I was recommended by a teacher to join this class because I was doing well in art. When I took art honors I felt that I was the only one that couldn’t draw as well as everyone else and was I disappointed with the final grade that i had received. I really didn’t enjoy that art class like the previous ones I was in.
2. One activity at which I exceeded my own expectations must have been writing my senior term paper in high school. I never thought I could come up with enough writing to fill up the required pages for the term paper. It also was more enjoyable to write then the last term papers I did because the topic I choose was more intrusting then the others.
Homework 9/09 Part One (Roman)
Monday, September 8, 2008
Part Two 09/08/08
Part One
Homework 9/8 Part One
I'm Ali Burns. I've lived in Connecticut my whole life. I have 5 siblings-2 brothers and 3 sisters. Camp is the biggest part of my life. I have been going to Clara Barton Camp in North Oxford, Mass. for the past 10 years and am now staff. I work there in the summer where it's an all girls camp and over the fall, winter and spring where we have co-ed weekends and short bursts of camp. Camp is the main reason I came to Westfield because it's fairly close so it makes it easy to go for random weekends every month.