Comparison of “For Colored Girls” and “Out of Our Father’s House”

While viewing the films “For Colored Girls” and “Out of Our Father’s House”, I noticed distinct similarities and differences between the two. For instance, in the movie “For Colored Girls”, African American women describe the hardships they have faced and continue to face as they stumble through trying to find an identity for themselves. They describe instances of rape, domestic abuse, love, abortion, and abandonment. Each woman wears a distinct color that describes their experience and personifies their overall feeling such as yellow for hope. However, in “Out of Our Father’s House”, the women are Caucasian are describing their struggle for equality in the man-dominated era. They describe the pain and ridicule they faced as they try to make men believe women can be educated, have the privilege of suffrage, and be treated as equals. They even show how Elizabeth Cady Stanton was vital in the women’s suffrage movement. The dress and manner of being of the women was also different. In “Colored Girls”, the woman wore modern clothing in distinct colors and spoke in the Harlem accent. In contrast, in “Our Father’s House”, the setting was the late 1800s and the manner of dress was much more conservative. Evidently, there are similarities in these movies. Both movies show how women suffer for their beliefs and yet society tends to brush their problems aside. However, all the women demonstrate the strength that lies within every woman that pushes them forward and propels them through life.

Persuasive Essay 10

Prompt: If an alumnus donated a large sum of money to your school, how do you think that money should be spent? Write an essay convincing school officials to allocate the money in the way you think is best for the school.

Generosity is occurring less and less in our self-interested day and age. People tend to keep the money they have worked hard for for themselves. Therefore, it is nothing short of a miracle that an alumnus has donated a large amount of money back to our school. However, the question now is what to do with the money. The donated money should be invested in the students’ education and be used to purchase necessary materials and support extracurricular activities.

            It is no secret that students need the adequate materials in the classroom in order to learn. The most important material that we need are textbooks for our classes. Many teachers are forced to teach material from their own minds or using their own teacher’s edition book; this oftentimes does not help the students learn. Teachers are forced to make their own Power Points and slide shows so that the students take notes and then expect them to study them at home. This, as we know, does not always happen and notes can easily be misplaced or copied incorrectly. If we had textbooks, however, notes would be supplements and the students can be assigned pages to read at home; this will reinforce their learning of the material and allow them to understand and receive higher grades in the class. A textbook shortage is rampant in our school due to budget cuts, however with the donated money, officials can make a decision to make learning easier for students.

            Extracurricular activities such as field trips, music programs, and sports teams are vital in every child’s education; unfortunately our school is lacking in this area. We do not have any sports teams, take little field trips, and we have a nonexistent music and art program save for a theatre arts college class. Studies have shown that music programs and sports teams actually boost students’ performance in the classroom because they learn various skills such as critical thinking and time management skills. Field trips provide students with an opportunity to go out and see the world and experience things they otherwise might not be able to experience. This experience transcends into the classroom and gives students the chance to apply those real life experiences to the material being taught in the classroom. Yet, our school does not have the funds to administer these programs that benefit the students. We need to fix this problem and the generous alumnus has given us the resources and opportunity; we just need to act upon it.  

            School officials may argue that there are many other places where the money is needed more urgently; for example, the buildings might need remodeling or teachers may want new televisions or computers for their instruction. It is true that the school is in need of many improvements and it can be hard to decide where to spend the money. However, we all need to think of the students first and what they need now, not what could help them hypothetically or in the long run. We need our textbooks so that we can better understand the material being taught and alleviate the unnecessary suffering cold teaching causes teachers. We need more extracurricular activities so that we can learn beyond the classroom and textbook and discover real-life experiences. The combination of textbooks and extracurricular make for well-rounded students set for success in higher education institutions.

            We should be thankful for the alumnus’ generosity for donating his money to our school. He obviously would want his money to be put to good use, so we should respect his wishes. The students need the necessary learning materials; we need our textbooks. We also need extracurricular activities to discover hiddent talents and hobbies that we may enjoy and combine the academics of the school with real-life experiences to have a better understanding of this world and ourselves. We have a rare opportunity to better our school, our students, and our teachers. Let us be intelligent about the situation and use the money

Persuasive Essay 9-A Cause Worth Fighting for

Prompt: Some people are actively involved in promoting and supporting a cause, such as the release of international political prisoners or protecting the environment. Is there a cause you actively support? Write an essay convincing readers to support that cause.

Few things are as precious to a woman as carrying a child inside of her.  It is a gift for some women and a blessing to others. Yet, there are some women who view this gift as a curse bestowed upon them. For women with this mindset, a simple option to solve this problem is receiving an abortion. But, are you murdering the unborn child inside of you, or are you just getting rid of an embryo? When does a fertilized egg stop being a cluster of cells and becomes a human child, complete with natural human rights?

            In the first trimester of a fetus’s life cycle, a women experiences ovulation. During this time, the chances to become pregnant are high. Once a sperm cell enters the vagina through sex, it travels up the Fallopian Tubes to fertilize an egg cell. A zygote is formed after this conception. Once a zygote is formed, the chromosomes of the sperm cell combine with the egg cell, resulting in the future baby’s gender. If the combination is XX, then it denotes a girl and YX denotes a boy.   During the first 4 weeks, the embryo begins to rapidly develop and a process called differentiation occurs and produces the various cells such as blood cells, kidney cells, and nerve cells. Then, in the 5th week, the first heartbeats begin to take place and the umbilical cord begins to develop. The blood is now pumping through the four heart chambers and other organs are beginning to develop. The embryo becomes a fetus at the end of the 8^th week. By the end of the first trimester, the fetus now has developing vocal chords, hands, legs, early organs, facial features and has probably started to suck its thumb.

            In the second semester, the fetus develops even further. A mother can now feel kicks as the baby moves around the uterus. In the 16^th week , the fetus is now learning to breathe and 6 gallons of blood is getting pumped into its heart a day. Nourishing the fetus is the woman’s placenta, which delivers nutrients from the food the woman eats to the fetus, as well as any harmful substances the mother may consume. By the 22^nd week, the fetus can now hear conversations in the outside world and the brain is rapidly developing. By the end of week 27 and the 2^nd semester, the fetus can now hear, has developed the eye retina, and is growing larger and longer every day.

            The fetus is almost fully developed by the 3^rd trimester. Its head is now proportional to its body and fat continues to accumulate under the skin. It’s also more sensitive to changes in light, taste, and smell and its brain can now control breathing and body temperature. In the next few weeks, it will go down the uterus to get in the birthing position. The bones begin to harden and strengthen, however the skull is still soft. It is safe for a baby to be born in the 35^th week because it is around the 35^th and 36^th week that the baby moves into the birthing canal, causing the mom discomfort when walking. Once the amniotic sac breaks (water breaks), the mother goes into labor. In  an average time span of 16 hours, the mother will push the baby out her body and voila! A child is born.

            A different path is taken for women who choose to have an abortion. When women choose to have an abortion, they end their pregnancy with either medications or surgical procedures. The medications all work in their own way, but the ultimate product is the loss of the fetus (baby). Abortion is often chosen by teenage mothers who aren’t ready to be parents or women who will not or cannot have a child in her life. Although there can be complications, having an abortion is safer than child birth.

            However, is abortion murder? Some advocates against abortion argue you are killing a life, even if it is unborn yet. Prochoice advocates argue that precisely because it is unborn, it is not yet human and thus cannot be murder. Yet, when a pregnant woman is killed and so is the unborn child, the crime is a double-murder. Abortions usually occur in the first two trimesters. By the end of the first trimester, the fetus already has a developing heart, brain, and limbs. By the end of the second, its heart now beats, it has hearing ability, and moves around the uterus. A living human is defined as having a beating heart. The fetus’s heart beats during the time an abortion can still be preformed.

            A fetus’s development is a long and arduous journey. A human is growing little by little in a women’s stomach. Abortion is a procedure that destroys that life. Yes, I do believe abortion is murder. If the fetus has a heart, then it is already considered a human, especially once that heart starts beating. The fetus can’t cry out or argue its rights but because it is a human child, it has the same rights as a 1 year-old infant or 99 year-old man. It is not a question of ethics; it is a question of if you were that unborn child would you have wanted to be aborted? Fight against abortion because a woman can choose, but a baby cannot.

Short Story-Alice

Alice Vanderbilt was born into a life of glamour and wealth. Her father was a New York Senator and her mother was the CEO of a successful department store. The family of three lived in renovated Victorian era mansion in upstate New York. From an early age Alice was spoiled and given everything her heart ever desired. She was involved in the most exclusive equestrian competitions and was a decorated rider.  Her success as a rider mirrored her parents’ success. To outsiders, Alice appeared to have a perfect life; however that was far from the truth. Due to the travelling nature of her parents’ jobs, Alice was often left alone at home and in fact was mostly raised by her family’s nanny, Dorota.

            Alice never had serious health problems except for the frequent headaches she endured every day.  When she was 10 years old, she attended a social party hosted by her mother, which was a rare occurrence. Throughout the night Alice suffered her worst headache yet and began to hear random voices. Many things the voices said were directed towards her or her parents but there was also small talk that didn’t concern her, as if she were eavesdropping on various conversations. She realized she was listening to people’s thoughts. This continued for days until she finally couldn’t handle it and told her parents. Alice believed her parents would help her, but they were alarmed of their daughter’s condition and thought her to be crazy. They immediately sent her to an asylum and had her locked up there until she was cured or died, whichever came first.

            Alice spent 6 miserable years at the asylum. The thin walls of the building allowed her to hear all the prisoners’ thoughts and she forced the guards to throw her into isolation where she could hear nothing due to the far distance from the main building. No one visited her except for the nurses who daily brought her food she did not eat and the doctors who came to check of she was still alive. Psychiatrist tried talking to her, but Alice knew what they thought of her and saw no reason why she should talk to them. After all, she wasn’t crazy. She soon began to learn how to control all the thoughts and how to listen in on one while shutting out all the rests. This allowed her to be moved back into the general population and have a bit more freedom. Her favorite thing to do was watch the sunsets because they reminded her of home. A part of her began to tell her she needed to escape and go back to her parents. One night she told the guard she really didn’t deserve to be locked up and surprisingly, he agreed! It was then that Alice realized that not only could she read people’s thoughts, she could also control them. That same night, Alice escaped the asylum and using her “powers of persuasion”, she made it back to her parents’ house.

            As she was nearing the living room, Alice heard her parents having a conversation about her and her condition. She was excited to show her parents she wasn’t crazy, only gifted, when she heard a mutual thought between her parents that neither said aloud; “It was such a relief to have sent Alice away before rumors about her began and she ruined our lives.” Alice was completely devastated. She always thought her parents loved her but now she knew the truth. She stormed into the room and willed unimaginable pain into both her parents and they withered on the floor in agony. She didn’t touch them, nor did she use any weapons. She was only using her mind and the pain they felt was only mental. However, Alice increased the pain with every second and soon both of her parents’ hearts couldn’t handle the stress and they gave out. Satisfied, Alice went to grab the only things that mattered to her at the moment; her phone, her parents’ credit cards, and a gold necklace her father gave her. As silently as she walked in, she left the house leaving 2 cold bodies on the living room floor. There was no evidence that a crime occurred in the house, save for a brunette with glowing pink eyes hurriedly leaving the property.

            Upon leaving her family’s house, Alice took the first plane to California to start a new life. She dyed her hair blonde and created a new identity for herself but she kept her name, the name her mother gave her 17 years ago. She wanted to put everything in the past and make herself believe never ever happened; she never had parents and thus they never sent her to an asylum for their own interests.  She used her powers to get anything she needed so she never lived in poverty. She went out, shopped, and even socialized. However, she never let herself have a true friend, despite the fact that she knew when people were being sincere with her. To an outsider, she seemed to have a perfect life but as we know, looks can be deceiving.

Dogs and Cats

Cats and dogs, two very different companions and lifelong rivals. They have competed to win the title of “Best Pet” for years now and this biased writer has made her decision. I believe dogs truly are man’s best friend. They are loyal, fun, and will always stay by your side. When you are sad and can find no one to talk to, your dog will listen and be with you because the love having companions. Cats, on the other hand, are solitary animals. They prefer to be alone and will only come up to you when IT wants to be petted or had its head scratched. You can easily forget you have a cat because cats will leave the premises of your house and only come back for food. Dogs, however, thrive on your love and affection. They always want to play with you and spend time with you. I have never heard of walking a cat. Cats are also very temperamental animals and can turn on their owners if they annoy them enough. Dogs are vicious as well, yet they acknowledge their masters (owners) and would never dare to hurt them. They will protect the house and all their masters from any stranger or intruder. That is why they bark like mad when the mailman comes; they are not part of the family and the dog sees them as a threat. Cats are not good as protectors because they always choose themselves over families. This is why I believe dogs are better pets.

Formal and Informal Dressing

Dressing for a formal occasion is extremely different from dressing for an informal occasion. A formal occasion can mean anything from a ball, to prom, a party, or family gathering. You must look your best. If you are a girl, this often means you need a nice and respectable dress and for men, slacks and a nice shirt will often suffice. Jeans are best left for causal occasions. Women shouldn’t be overly exposed either because this can translate to being trashy, not sexy. The makeup should be nice and not overly done so as you look as if you belong at a Halloween party. Your clothes and makeup should emphasize your natural beauty. Men should be clean and their clothes ironed and presentable sloppiness is not allowed for formal dressing. When you’re dressing informally, you can wear whatever you like. Jeans, t-shirts, sweats, anything goes. The main goal is to be comfortable and confident in what you wear. Still, however, the women should not be showing too much skin. This is never a good look and no matter where you are, people will look down on you for it. The boys may be prone to sag their pants because that is what is “in style” right now, but this look is horrendous as well. The goal of informal dressing is to achieve a casual look and not a homeless, sloppy, or disorganized mess. People will still be looking at you and judging you and whether you like it or not, your clothes will help people make their first impressions about you.

Raw and Cooked foods

It can be astonishing to think that we can ever eat any raw foods but the reality is we eat many of our foods raw and anyways. Fruit, for example, is a food we eat raw all the time. Apples, oranges, grapes, and bananas are all foods that we just wash, peel, and eat. We do have the option to cook them, however, we oftentimes choose not to. Certain types of vegetables can also be eaten raw as well. Tomoatoes, avocados, cucumbers, and pickles are vegetables we eat raw on a daily basis. The other vegetables can also be eaten raw, such as broccoli, but most people like to cook or steam them so as to make them softer and easier to eat. Meats are foods that I would only eat cooked. I have heard that many upscale restaurants serve raw meat as one of their delicacies, however I prefer my meats well-done. I will, however, eat raw salmon. I have tried raw salmon with lemon and I will admit it is delicious. Yet, I hate sushi, which is raw fish. I will never understand how people can eat raw octopus, raw shark, and other types of raw seafood. All the seafood I eat, with the exception of salmon, must be cooked. This includes crab, lobster, and oysters. Our grains, such as bread, pasta, and tortillas are oftentimes cooked as well. We need to boil our pasta otherwise we are unable to eat it. We must heat up our tortillas but in order for them to be eatable, someone had to cook them too and bread is already cooked for us.

Sweet and Spicy Foods.

Oh Sweet and Spicy Panda Express Chicken; how delicious you are! Yet, sweet foods and spicy foods are two completely different foods. It is a miracle they can be combined together to make a dish. Sweet foods play up your sweet taste buds. They can be sugary and well, sweet. The main ingredient is sweet foods is often sugar of some sort. Spicy foods are much different. Spicy foods give you an exhilarating kick that can wake you up at times. The main ingredients of spicy foods are usually some type of chile, pepper, or anything else that can cause a fire in your belly. This is why some people describe spicy food as being “hot” because the spiciness warms up your whole body and if it is an extreme degree of spiciness, you can start to perspire because you really will feel hot. Sweet foods don’t affect your body temperature in anyway. The worst sweet foods can do is male you hyperactive because of the sugar in your bloodstream. Spicy foods have a higher health value than sweet foods do. The spiciness of spicy foods can actually speed up your metabolism and prevent the storing of fat in your body. It can also act as a detox and cleanse your body. Sweet foods have large amounts of sugar and if sugar is not worked off, then it gets converted to fat that stays in your body and causes weight gain and clogs pores to cause breakouts. Sweet foods and spicy foods, however much they may differ, are still two delicious foods to eat.

How weather affects mood

Have you ever noticed how your mood is different when the weather is gloomy in comparison to when it is nice and sunny? That is because the weather definitely affects your mood. If I wake up and see that the sun is shining, the birds, are singing, and there is not a cloud in the sky, my whole outlook on the day just got a little brighter. However, if I wake up and it is raining cats and dogs and I know I will have to venture outside myself and be in the cold wet rain, then I have good reason for the bad mood I would now be in. However, there are other types of weather that can produce moods and not every situation is synonymous with one mood. For example, if it is a blaring hot summer day and the sun burns everything in its sight, I will be cranky because it will be uncomfortably hot. However, if it is raining and I am indoors snuggled under my blankets with a cup of hot chocolate, then I find the rain and peaceful and I even welcome it. When it is snowing, people who are outside may be in a terrible mood because snow makes for dangerous conditions. Yet children rejoice in the snowflake’s fall. The weather affects your mood in relation to what your plans are for the day; if the weather makes your planned activity miserable, then you will also be miserable. Otherwise, you will be able to see the beauty that is nature.

Home School vs. Public Schools

No one can settle on an agreement as to what type of education system is best for their children. The debate includes private, public, charter, and homeschooling. Homeschooling and public schools are not very different from each other. Of course, they greatest difference is that homeschooling takes place in the student’s actual house and the teacher is often the student’s own parent or relative, however at times a professional teacher does do the instruction. At a public school, students attend classes surrounded by hundreds of other students in large buildings that can be run down and dirty. There is a high concern for security in public schools and a student’s safety is not guaranteed because of the high volume of students there are. At a homeschooled environment, children are sheltered and kept under close supervision because they are oftentimes the only ones in the “class”. Safety and security are almost a guarantee and perhaps this leads to a child’s higher success. Peer pressure and bullying is very common in a public school environment but in a homeschooled environment, where there are hardly other students learning together, this problem is nonexistent. Thus students can focus more on their academics and not have to worry whether or not they have the coolest brands of clothes or shoes. They can choose to go in their pjs if they want to. Homeschooled children, however, may not be as social as public school children. Public school children are exposed to a variety of students everyday and can improve on their social skills. However, homeschooled children can be isolated. So you decide, which is better?

Knowledge Vs. Understanding

How does one differentiate knowledge and understanding? Webster’s dictionary defines knowledge as “the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association”. It also defines understanding as “ a mental grasp and the power of comprehending”. These  are two very distinct concepts. Knowledge is when you have gone through an experience and thus you know how something works. Understanding can be considered being “book smart”; you only know what you have heard, read, or seen. You know why something works but you don’t know how it works or how it feels to work. Consider, for example, riding a bike. You can read how to ride a bike and learn how everything works. This is your understanding of riding a bike. However, it is not until you actually ride a bike that you have the knowledge of how to ride a bike. You need understanding to receive knowledge but you don’t need knowledge to get an understanding of something. Yet, acquiring both of them is essential for a balanced state of mind over a concept. Imagine how you would feel if you knew how to ride a bike but you didn’t know why the pedals make the bike move or you know how a bike moves but you have no idea how it feels when it moves. It would be a very transparent intelligence. Knowledge and understanding are two very different concepts but they go both go hand in hand to help each and every human being reach their state of intelligence that we are blessed to be able to have.

the Most Interesting Person I know

The most interesting person I know will have to be myself. Really, it is. Now, I understand this may be selfish and conceited, but it is precisely that that makes me interesting. Who else when given the prompt “Describe a person who is especially interesting” would choose themselves? That’s why im interesting. Well, it’s that and a lot of other reasons. First off, I’m not your typical high school senior with dreams of going to some college. I am a girl with huge dreams of going to New York City. My dream schools are NYU and Columbia and my ultimate goal is to live in New York City. I play tennis and I love shopping. Let me elaborate; I absolutely love shopping! It is my favorite pastime and my best stress-reliever. I am a self-proclaimed shopaholic, no doubt about that. I also love to write. I write about anything and everything, however I don’t write what’s really on my mind. I have always kept that part of me to myself, even from myself. That’s an aspect of me that makes me a mysterious person. People always tell me they would love to know what’s going on in my head because I never let anyone in. I like the aura of mystery that surrounds me but at times it can be complicated and a bit lonely. However, I always pull through. I find that I have a tendency to not care about other people yet at the same time care with an enormous ferocity. This complexity of my persona is what makes me the most interesting person I know.

Most Effective Teacher

I have had many amazing teachers throughout my school career each with their own unique way of teaching. The most effective teacher I have had though was Mr. Love, my eighth grade algebra teacher. I never liked math and I always struggled with understanding it. However, Mr. Love was somehow able to transcend all that and help me actually learn the material. He a had a very nonconventional and unpredictable way of teaching. Some days he would use the projector to display some problems and some days he would have problems on the board for us to solve. Although he would use the math book for reference, he preferred to teach from his own mind and memory, using his own knowledge to ensure we can learn the material. A question I always had when faced with a difficult math concept was when I am I ever going to use this in real life? Mr. Love made sure we knew why we were learning the concepts we were learning. He related the material to real life applications and sure enough, there was some material that will be necessary and useful in everyday life. I still have to know how to take off a percent discount when I go to a mall and algebra helped me learn how to do that. Mr. Love was also very passionate about his students. He wanted his students to achieve the highest scores on the California State test and even made Saturday classes to get in extra help. Mr. Love obviously cared about his students and our education.

Effects of Lack of Sleep

When we were younger, we never wanted to secede to sleep’s seduction. We fought against it with all our might and refused to take naps. Ironically, now we crave our sleep and count those precious hours of rest and relaxation or else suffer terrible consequences for the lack of it. I know that when I don’t sleep well or enough, the rest of my day is a horrible 12 hours. I am moody, sad, detached, and easily annoyed. I can never pay attention to what I’m doing so this negatively affects my schoolwork and regular work. Driving becomes dangerous; research shows that driving while drowsy is as dangerous as driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. I also feel quite lethargic and my only thought is when I will be able to go back to bed. This causes me to fall asleep in class and is another reason why sleep negatively affects my schoolwork. Also, when I am sleep-deprived, I tend to eat more because my hormones are out of balance. I crave fattier foods and foods I normally would have the sense to stay away from if I hadn’t been sleepy. Thus, less sleep is equivalent to gaining more weight. Research also shows that the more you sleep, the less likely it is that you will gain weight because when you’re sleeping you’re not eating. I hate whenever I don’t get enough sleep. I don’t feel like myself and I don’t function properly. I should get at least 9 hours but with all the homework I have, I usually get about 6.

My Favorite Movie

My favorite movie is “Mean Girls”. “Mean Girls” is an entertaining movie that combines all aspects of a classic film; an entertaining and dramatic plot, excellent cast, and memorable quotes. Mean Girls” is centered around the typical high school clique drama. Cady Herron is the new girl in town that just moved from Africa. She has been homeschooled all her life and is then thrust into the vicious world of high school. Regina George, Gretchen Weiners, and Karen Smith make up the “It” clique, The Plastics, and they invite Cady to join their exclusive clique. Suddenly, Cady has to learn how to maneuver the feral and unpredictable world of “Girl World” and realizes how alike it is to the animal world she knew of in Africa. Things become even more complicated when Cady’s love interest turns out to be Regina’s ex-boyfriend (“Girl World” Rule Number 1 is you can never date an ex-boyfriend) and she becomes the new Queen Bee. At a party Cady throws to fully initiate herself as the new Queen, she loses the respect of Aaron and the first 2 real friends Cady made when she first moved. She also lost the respect of her parents because she lied to them and destroyed their house. Regina wanted to take revenge on Cady and made her Burn Book public and blamed Cady for the whole thing. However, this turned out to be a good thing because the girls at the school learned to respect themselves and each other. Cady was then chosen to be the Spring Fling Queen and ripped the crown apart to share her victory with the other contestants. In the end, Aaron gave her a second chance, Regina joined the lacrosse team, and the Plastics were no more. It is an amazing movie.

Learning a New Language

I am so excited to spend a year abroad in Italy! But what do I need to do to learn a new language? The answer is quite simple actually; I need to practice, practice, practice, and practice. I should buy books that teach me the language and study them everyday for at least 2 hours a day. I should probably invest in the Rosetta Stone, a computer software program that is said to be an excellent tool in learning a new language. It has received rave reviews so it is worth a try of course. Then I should also enroll in a class to learn the language. I could take it at my local high school or community college. Going to a class will force me to study, do work, and ensure that I learn the language because I will have to take tests and do projects. This combined with my own personal study will have to force me that I at the very least learn the basics of the language. Once I learn the fundamentals of Italian, I need to keep practicing it every day. I could annoy my friends by using Italian phrases everyday in unrelated situations, but this will guarantee that I understand how to speak like a regular Italian. Instead of using English words, I should trans;ate them to Italian and then explain to people what they mean. In this way, I will be able to determine if I know the language well enough that I can personally translate it.

My Favorite Music Video

I find it difficult to believe you have never seen the music video “You Belong with Me” by Taylor Swift! It is an amazing video! The video begins with Taylor, dressed as a hopeless nerd with glasses, spying on her attractive neighbor arguing with his girlfriend like he does every night. He notices and then they start writing messages to each other on dry-erase boards. Clearly, the boy is tired of his girlfriend’s drama. Then Taylor starts dancing and singing in her room but she doesn’t notice that her neighbor is spying on her and finds it amusing. Then Taylor and her neighbor are talking and sitting on a bench together before the boy’s girlfriend pulls up in her convertible and makes him get into the car; just to make Taylor jealous, she kisses him in front of Taylor. Then the scene skips to a high school football game where Taylor is in the band, her neighbor is the quarterback, and his girlfriend is the cheer captain. The girlfriend is obviously flirting with another guy and Taylor’s neighbor is hurt and walks away. That same night is homecoming night and Taylor is in her room. Her neighbor asks her if she’s going to the dance but he says no, which her neighbor sadly replies with a wish that she was. Unexpectedly, Taylor does show up at the prom with no glasses and in an elegant white dress. Her neighbor begins to walk towards her and his girlfriend, dressed in a revealing red dress, tries to stop him but he pays her no mid. He goes up to Taylor and kisses her. It’s a really beautiful video that you need to watch.

Teenage Fad of Failing

“Look both ways before crossing the street,” “stay in school,” “don’t count your chickens before they hatch”. I’ve heard these and countless other aphorisms and valuable pieces of advice throughout my short 17 years of life. I’m sure we all have heard them as well and while some simply fly over our heads, others find their way into our hearts and stick with us for life. I could’ve sorted through my head trying to decide which piece of advice I’ve received stands out the most, but I realized I didn’t have to look too hard.

            I was given this piece of wisdom my junior year of high school by my English teacher. The class was discussing their college goals and where we all wanted to go.

            “I’m going to try to apply to NYU,” I stated. NYU was my dream school but I was apprehensive on whether or not I’d be accepted.

            My English teacher looked at me and simply said, “Oh, you’re not applying then.” Excuse me, I thought. How are you, my teacher, who’s supposed to encourage his students to attend college, going to say I’m not going to eve apply to a university. After seeing the shocked look on my face, he explained, “You said you were going to ‘try’ to apply. Therefore, you are not going to apply. Trying equals failing.”

            Trying equals failing. I literally had to ponder for days what this could mean. As it was, I simply shrugged it off at the moment to hide my ignorance. But as I thought about it, it began to make sense. Think about all the things you’ve “tried” to do. You’ve tried to lose weight. You’ve tried to get better grades. You’ve tried to be more understanding. You’ve tried to be a better person. More often than not, you never succeeded in doing these things because you just tried to do them. In essence, you failed in what you “tried” to do. Using my college story as an example, I can’t try to apply; I have to apply to NYU, otherwise I won’t even be considered for acceptance. Then I might say I’m going to try to attend NYU. No, I’m either going to attend or not. However, if I do go to NYU and then get homesick or whatever the case may be and come back home, have I necessarily failed? No I did not, because I did go to NYU. Whether I come back or not is irrelevant. Thus, failure is simply black or white; failure is when you don’t do what you wanted to do because you didn’t do it, no outside variables considered.

            It’s been a year since I heard my English teacher’s advice and I am still applying it to my everyday life. Never mind that I heard it on Star Wars first. Trying equals failing; you either do it or you don’t. So don’t try to be a better person; be a better person. Don’t try to get better grades; do everything possible to get better grades. My hope is that you take this advice, as I did, and keep forever in your life and not have it go through one ear or out the other.

Animal Relationships

What did I do wrong? Why did they hurt me? Why did they abandon me? Will I die today? Imagine asking yourself these questions. You at least can speak up and seek help but others who are victims of these thoughts cannot. In the United States alone, hundreds of animals are abused every day. Around 10 million are abused every year from multiple methods. What’s the preferred way to carry out this sick pleasure? Burning and shooting animals. This sounds horrible, but it doesn’t happen around you, right? Of course not. You might be in your homes, with the doors closed to all the unpleasantries of the outside world, enjoying your mother’s cooking, while your neighbor’s dog is tethered by a rope-burned neck to a tree stump. Its movements are restricted to the length of that rope, so it walks back and forth in its own filth.  I believe it would be too sad to tell you about the sweet kitten who was hung from a belt in an apartment and had its suffering videotaped for a Halloween prank. How many times have you turned a blind eye to little Billy from across the street when he pulls his dog’s ears and later when he gets older, when he kicks him whenever he’s mad and then once that dog becomes boring, when it  becomes Billy’s shooting target? It’s time for a reality check; animal abuse is all around us. Next time you walk pass an act of abuse, think about this; that dog can whimper and bark but it can’t say stop. That animal can cry and cower all it wants but it can’t cry for help. But you can. Use your voice to stand up for yourself and for an animal that needs your help.    

Decadent Dessert

One of the toughest tasks anyone can accomplish is to make a meal; fortunately, for foreigners of the kitchen of all ages, a sandwich is the easiest and quickest alternative to creating a full course meal. A Nutella and banana sandwich is a type of sandwich that combines the sweet and sticky chocolaty taste of the hazelnut spread Nutella with the soft texture of banana. It doesn’t require many ingredients to make this sandwich besides Nutella, one small banana, and two slices of bread.  With little effort required, a Nutella and banana sandwich is a quick and delicious meal to make.Once a person realizes they are hungry and decides to make a Nutella and banana sandwich, a person must first retrieve the Nutella jar, one small banana, a cutting board, a cutting knife, a butter knife, a small plate, and bread-the type of bread used is up to the discretion of the maker of sandwich. Peel the banana and throw away the skin. Place the banana on the cutting board and use the cutting knife to slice the banana into medium-thin slices. For the moment, place the cutting board with banana aside. Then untie the bread bag and take out two slices of bread. Place the slices of bread into the toaster, push down on the toaster and then place the toasted bread onto the plate. Twist open the Nutella jar and scoop out the desired amount of Nutella with the butter knife and spread on one side of one bread slice. Repeat this step with the other slice. Then take the cutting board with the banana slices and with your fingers carefully place the banana slices onto one slice of bread and then cover that slice with the other bread, Nutella side facing down. Then twist to close the Nutella jar, place cutting board and the butter knife into the sink or dishwasher, and close the bread bag.  Next, take the plate with the sandwich on it and use the cutting knife to cut the sandwich diagonally from one corner to another and place that knife into the sink or dishwasher afterward. Finally, take your plate with the sandwich and enjoy!As simple as a Nutella and banana sandwich is to make, it taste even better once you get the chance to finally eat it. The toasted bread slightly warms the Nutella so as you bite into it, the crunchy exterior gives way to soft creamy chocolaty goodness with a bite of the firm fruit slice. You would think you are savoring a devilish dessert but in reality you are enjoying your own healthy meal but if you want another sandwich after as a dessert, by all means. The results of your labor in the kitchen are a delectable product and a content person.

No Cell Phones

Without a doubt, communication has changed drastically in the last 20 years. Twenty years ago, if you wanted to have a conversation with someone that lived in a different state, then you’d have to dial the number on a phone and see if the person would pick up. Or, you could also go and talk to your neighbor or someone who lived in close proximities to you. Now however, computers and cell phones have revolutionized communication. With social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, we no longer have to call people if we want to talk to them. We merely have to send them a “Tweet” or write on their wall. We also don’t need any sort of face to face interaction either since the Internet provides us with all we need to know about a person. Cell phones have also given us the liberty of texting. Instead of calling someone and wasting our precious vocal chords, we just need to type our message, send it, and we can be assured that the person will receive it. Communication has gone viral, for the most part. Technology does all our thinking and talking for us. It has even created its own language. Teachers are far too aware of the notorious texting language that includes such phrases such as “lol” (laughing out loud) and “ily” (I love you). What does all this mean for us? It means that our communication is becoming less and less personal with the more new antics we discover we can use. We know there is a problem when we are chatting on Facebook with someone who is in the same room as us.

I Want to go to Italy!

I want to go to Italy! There is no question that if I were given the chance to go anywhere in the world, I would want to go to Italy. My obsession with Italy was around long before I read the book “Eat, Pray, Love” but that book intensified my longing to go to Italy. I want to try the best food Italy has to offer. I love Italian food; Olive Garden is my favorite restaurant in fact. I simply adore pasta, chocolate, and pizza. I’m pretty sure I would gain twice my current body weight in Italy, however I wouldn’t care because I’d be eating such delectable goods. Aside from the food, I like the Italian language. The accent that it produces is just so damn sexy! I love the way the words roll of the tongue and even the simplest words seem to be said with such great enthusiasm. It is no wonder Italian is one of the Romantic languages. Speaking of romantic, I also want to meet the Italian men. While they may be short, Italian men are mysterious and have an interesting aura to them. I am not merely talking about the drunks popularized on MTV’s “Jersey Shore”. I am describing the real Italian men; those that society knows treat women correctly and love their mothers. That’s actually the last reason why I am obsessed with Italy; the family feeling. Every Sunday, the family gathers around to eat a festive 3-course meal. I want to be a part of that close family atmosphere Italians have. Let’s go to Italia tonight!

Going to an out of state school

So you’ve finally decided to attend college out of state. Congratulations! Did you get your acceptance letter? That’s your first step in attending an out of state college. If you haven’t gotten your acceptance letter, then you better pray you get it soon otherwise you can’t go out of state. Obviously. If you did get your acceptance letter, then you need to see how much financial aid you will receive. Once you discover the amount, then you have to calculate how much money you will spend on transporting your items to your new school. If it’s not too far from your hometown, then I’d suggest driving to the school and renting a U-Haul truck to carry your stuff. If you live far from the school, then you’d best fly out to the school and ship your stuff the your dorm. Once you realize how much money you are going to spend on transportation, it is time to buy all the items for your dorm. Your dorm is going to be your home for almost 8 months so you need to buy items to make it a functional living environment. The essentials every college student will need are bedspreads, towels, a desk, a laptop, a television, and basic dishware. Then you will need are your personal toiletries. Finally, you will need new clothes! If you are going to a state where the weather is different than what you’re used to, then you will need an all new wardrobe to ensure that you will be living comfortably. Going to an out of state school can be stressful but it can also be the most exciting period of you r life.

Unforgetable Birthday Party

I am so excited! It’s my best friend’s birthday tomorrow! This will be a birthday she will never forget. I rented the roof top of an exclusive Los Angeles hotel complete with a rooftop pool and DJ. Oh, but not just any DJ will be spinning tables; no, the one and only DJ Pauly D will be providing the music for most of the night! She loves MTV’s “Jersey Shore” so she will faint at the sight of him! The décor for this party is very high class and sharp angled. The main colors used for decoration are hot pink, silver, and black. These are her favorite colors and the three of them together is her favorite color combination. The food will be provided by the hotel and it is an assortment of finger food; small sandwiches, heur d’ourves, sushi, and a fruit and cheese platter. Since this is her 18^th birthday, alcohol will be present but only in the form of the finest champagne and wine I could fine. The entertainment will be the pool in the center of the rooftop, a large dance floor complete with rainbow lights, and of course DJ Pauly D. However, I will surprise my friend when she sees I was able to get Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga to perform at her party. If my friend can’t remember the party, at least she will distinctly remember Gaga’s outfit. Finally, the 5 foot high cake will the perfect end to an unforgettable party. Happy Birthday.

Living in the late 1800s

If I could live during any decade, I would live in the late 1800s-Early 1900s in New York. I would want to be part of New York high society class. I absolutely love how carefree those privileged people lived their lives. There was always a ball they had to attend and the girls always wore beautiful, elegant dresses. The boys would have to make appointments to see the girls they liked and everything was formal. I would love to experience this. There would always be something I had to do and somewhere I had to be. My name would be in the papers and my every move would be scrutinized by the papers. My milestones (birthdays, boyfriends, etc) would have the complete attention of the public. My tragedies would be their misfortunes and they would feel my pain. Whenever I had a new boyfriend, the papers would run hundreds of articles on when it occurred, what type of flowers he brought, and if marriage was in the near future. Oh and the scandals! My family would be rivals to another family and it would be simply unthinkable that I should be in a relationship with the son of that other family because our families hated each other. Yet, what we would feel would be true love that transcends beyond all family squabbles and lineage roots. I would go shopping in all the best stores and the store owners would close down the stores just so that I may shop in peace. Oh, and the details of my wedding would be of the utmost secrecy and even a small detail would spur an explosion of the press. Oh, perhaps this is a fantasy but the girls who lived in this era lived this same fantasy.

Respecting our Parents

We love them, we hate them. We can’t stand them but we absolutely need them. They are our parents and like it or not, we absolutely need them. However, many of us forget this simple fact and end up disrespecting our parents. We fail to remember that our parents brought us into this Earth. If it wasn’t for them, we would not be here and so owe them our lives. That’s reason enough to respect them. However, there are much more. Our parents will always support us in whatever endeavor we may face. It is their duty as parents to provide us with what we need and oftentimes all we need is their support. They will not judge us and will always want what’s best for us. Perhaps we won’t like what they believe is good for us and we will try to rebel. Yet, they have years of experience over us and they often no better than we do. Overall however, they will always want us to succeed. We can trust them that they won’t send us down a river for a few coins because they love us and when we disrespect them, we hurt them in more ways than one. We are their flesh and blood; imagine if your child told you they hated you or you’re stupid. It obviously would hurt you but you would still support them, wouldn’t you? You would because parents are there to love their children unconditionally, even if we are disrespectful and inconsiderate.

Article on a recently arrived Immigrant

Everybody, say hello to Ms. Anna Granganino. She has recently arrived from Italy to America to study at UCLA. She is very excited to be here in America, especially California and Hollywood! She is 21 years old and is originally from Venice, Italy. She is studying business communication and public relations. Her ultimate career goal is to become involved in the business aspect of the fashion culture of Italy working with a major fashion designer. She is a tall brunette with deep brown eyes. She tells me her favorite food is still her mother’s spaghetti; however she admits she’s developing a taste for In-n-Out burgers. Don’t we all share that guilty pleasure with her? Unlike the wild Italian party girls shown on MTV’s “Jersey Shore”, Ms. Granganino is not a party animal in fact, she does not like to go to a club. She prefers long walks on the beach and reading books. What she does share with the Jersey girls is their love of tanning. Anna is obsessed with achieving the perfect tan; she admits that she has spent hundreds of dollars on spray tans and tanning lotions. She also likes to be kept in good shape and works out at the gym for 3 hours every day. I wish I had her endurance! Anna also confesses to me that her secret talent is her excellent cooking skills. Apparently, Anna is a n extremely good cook and loves to whip up a traditional Italian 3-course Sunday night meal. I wish Ms. Granganino the best in all her future endeavors and hope that she enjoys her stay in California.

Asking older Relatives

Do you ever feel intimidated by your elders? They can seem so wise and unreachable, but in order to preserve some family traditions, it is often necessary to talk to them. You should ask an older relative where they come from. Ask them where they specifically come from and where the entire family is from. It is very necessary to know where your family roots are because that helps form an identity. Then ask them how your parents were as children. You might think it funny or ludicrous that your parents were ever children, but knowing how your parent’s childhood was will help you better understand why they act the way they do now and what was important to them. You can also compare how different or similar the two of you have grown up. Then you must ask them what family traditions have stayed intact over the years and if they remember how they were started. It’s important to know what is important in your family but if you don’t know why they were created in the first place, then there’s no point in knowing what they are if you don’t know of their history. Once you know why your family does a tradition or activity that they do, then you will appreciate it more and be more inclined to keep the tradition going. Finally, ask them what they would like to see the future generations do. The past is  important, however, we are the future and the promoters of the family. Thus our opinions and ideas are vital to keeping a family intact.

Blueprint of my House-My Living Room

If the walls of my house could talk, the stories they tell can be seen in a socialite’s magazine. The walls of my living room in particular have the grandest stories to tell. My family loves throwing extravagant parties and while the parties take place throughout the whole house, the living room is the main area where people converge.

            The most brilliant parties my family throws take place during the holidays; our annual Christmas party is always something to look forward to. The living room is decorated lavishly from top to bottom. Christmas lights twinkle as they are hung across the ceiling giving the room a soft glow when combined with the flickering candles perched on the walls. The rest of the room’s light emits from the large twinkling Christmas tree and its golden start atop its peak. The tree and the candles also gave the room the distinct smell of Christmas festivity; pine, cinnamon, winter green, and peppermint. These smells drown out the fruity and sultry scents of the attendees’ perfumes.

            Christmas music is the soundtrack to our festive night and accurately portrays my feelings. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”. Yes it is Andy Williams, it is the most wonderful time of the year; the feeling of good joy that is in the air for two months and the feeling of family and belonging that is present in my living room that night makes it so. “Rocking around the Christmas tree”, the guests dressed in their finest attire swirl around the room, their sequined and glittering dresses catching the light of the room. Joy and warmth is present in every corner of the room.

            My entire house is full of precious memories; yet my living room has been the setting to the one’s dearest to me. More than a simple room to sit down and watch TV, it is the stage for festive events with family and friends. Everyone in my family has at least one good memory that takes place in there. It is the room that brings our family closer together and creates the memories that make a house a home.

How to Choose the Right College

Seniors, it's that time of year; college applications time! No doubt we're all busy researching colleges, writing admissions essays, and filling out applications to send just in time for those deadlines. However, with so many colleges and an abundance of choices of where to attend, how does one choose the right college? It can be difficult decision, one that can define the rest of your life. The first step is to decide what you want to study. What interests you and what career do you see yourself in for the rest of your life? One you discover what it is you want to do, then research the colleges that have your interests as a major to study. Figure out which college has been acclaimed or is famous for the study programs that can get you into the career field you want to get into. For example, if you want to become a lawyer and study law, Harvard is a good school for law, with many famous lawyers serving as professors at the school. Next, decide whether you want to remain in your state close to home or go out of state. Perhaps you feel more comfortable staying close to your family and if that’s the case, then you should narrow your school choices to those schools that are in your state. However, if you want to go out and explore the world, then you should pay particular attention to out of state schools. Finally, the cost of the school should be the final factor in your decision. Calculate how much federal financial aid you will receive and choose the college you can better afford. Don’t forget that schools will also give you money to study at their schools, so while cost shouldn’t be the only factor in deciding your college choice, it should the last factor in your quest for college.

Persuasive Essay 8-Bullying

Prompt: Elementary and secondary schools around the country are beginning to actively address the problem of bullies. In your opinion, is bullying an issue that should be addressed by schools or left to the parents? Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.  

Imagine having to wake up every morning with dread. You get dressed slowly, thinking all the while about the horrible place you are about to go to where you are abused both verbally and physically. This is the reality of school children who are victims of being bullied at school. This is an atrocious epidemic spreading across American schools. As education is a double relationship, both the school and the parents are equally responsible for preventing and stopping bullying at school.

            Children spend at least 8 hours a day at school every day, making teachers and school officials faces they see more often than even their own parents. Thus, school officials have a strong influence over matters that occur at their schools and they have a responsibility to take care of our children. If a child is being bullied and suffering at school, then the school officials are not doing their job. Some teachers may argue that they are only paid to teach children and give them an education. How are you going to teach a child if they are too terrified to go to school and are so miserable at school that they cannot process the information? School officials cannot reach students who are being bullied and, more often than not, the bully is a student who is not understanding from class instruction and takes out their frustrations on other children. Therefore, if a teacher is truly teaching, they are able to reach students who find the material hard so as to prevent them from attacking other students.

            It is an undeniable truth that parents hold the most responsibility of their children; they are, in fact, their, children. Parents must always take care of their children and watch out for their well-being. Many times this means parents must protect their children from harm. If their child is being bullied, parents must take matters into their hands and put a stop to it because someone is harming their child and as parents, it is their duty to protect them. They must cooperate with school officials and find ways to stop the bully from abusing their child.

            When parents and school officials work together, they can actually help stop the bullying problem. Everyone must first recognize the signs of bullying. If a child is uncharacteristically silent, moody, jumpy, and their school work is suffering, there is a high chance that that child is being bullied. If parents notice this first, they must go to the school and discuss the problem and ways to solve it that could include a meeting with the bully and his parents or a complete expulsion of the bully from the school. If school officials notice the problem first, they have the responsibility to notify the parents and then make the appropriate afterwards.

            Bullying is becoming a widespread problem in American schools and everyone wants to put a stop to it. The two most influential participants are the parents and school officials; they both have the responsibility to protect the children from bullying’s destructive effects. If they work together, they have the power of saving a suffering child’s innocent life.