Champion

            Once upon a time there was a boy named Kyle that wished he could be the champion of his favorite sport soccer. He lives in an environment that a kid his age shouldn’t have to live in.  He got sick a lot and they couldn’t afford to go to the doctor so he has to deal with it without if it wasn’t too bad. Every day after he comes home from school he goes in his backyard and practices drills and plays by himself. He is working up to the dream of going to a team that wins the world cup.  He knows that if he keeps his grades up and keeps practicing he will work up to  his dream. First he knows he has to get a job, the first thing he thinks of is babysitting because he is good with kids. He gets his job on Saturday of that week he thought it was going to be a breeze until he met the kids and he was stuck alone with them. Those kids were out of control they were acting like animals, but all he could think about was their living conditions and he knew he had to get this money.  He worked as a babysitter almost every weekend hoping to get enough money to pay for an apartment. They soon did get the money from him and his mom’s job combined after about two years. He was in high school now and he knew he had to start training like a champion. He tried out for the soccer team and the coach was amazed at his talent. He became a forward for the high school team. His mom videotaped him one game and she sent that video to a college. One scout watched it and they were amazed, he was getting phone calls from so many different schools. He chose a school and he was so amazed on how his life was all coming together and he was soon going to become a champion.  All he could think about was how he was going to keep everything around him together so he could achieve this goal. He worked through college and he was asked to come to be looked at with a bunch of other college kids seeing if they were ready to be on a U.S team. He had gotten picked and he ended up achieving his goal. He led the team in goals scored and scored the winning goal against Brazil to win the world cup. His life was accomplished he was the champion of the soccer world.

Tradition

Authors Note: This piece of writing is to explain a main theme in the story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.

            Have you ever read a story that has one main topic? These topics are called themes, every story has to have them, and it’s what makes a story up. In the short story called “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson it has one major theme, tradition. These them have good and bad effects on the story and what is going on in the story.

            They have tradition. The tradition plays a big role because every year in this town they have the lottery. Now, this isn’t any ordinary lottery this lottery is very different from what we know today to be the lottery. In this story everybody gathers in the town and they each pick a slip of paper and if your paper has a black dots your dead. Literally the whole town is forced to throw stones at you until your death. The boys begin to pick all the stones at the beginning of the day until the lottery starts. You know this is one of their traditions when Old man Warner says “I have been forced to go to this lottery seventy-seven years, and I still haven’t been picked.”  This story is a lot like the book called “Hunger Games.” Their districts (cities) all have to line up and all their names are in a bowl. A person draws your name and if your name is called you have to play until everyone is dead. You are left with the winner. Except in the lottery the person has to be stoned for it to end, it could go on forever.

            As you can see this theme tradition really has an effect on the story. Whether it’s good or bad you can connect to other stories, it is a common theme.

The Secrets Behind the Investigations

            Author’s Note: This piece of writing is to explain what DNA is and how people use it in investigations to help determine if a suspect is guilty or innocent.

          Imagine yourself arriving at a crime scene on the first day of the job. You find a wine glass and you think to yourself how do I get this DNA off and what exactly is it? Your wiping the fingerprint dust over it and you blow. You finally got your first real fingerprint. What exactly do you do with it again? Your thinking I surely don't want to ask somebody on the first day that would be embarrassing. Your memory totally goes blank and you think back and your trying to think what DNA really is. DNA shows your character; we use it in criminal investigations, helping to solve the mystery to find who’s guilty or innocent.

            First off, DNA shows character, it makes you who you really are. “DNA is a powerful tool because each person's DNA is different from every other individual's, except for identical twins” (DNA.gov) (Advancing Criminal Justice Through DNA Technology). DNA is in the nucleus, the center of a cell. It is a large molecule in the nucleus but it is too small for an eye to see. It contains part of your mom and part of your dad. It is what makes you, you (DNA.gov) (Advancing Criminal Justice Through DNA Technology).  I didn’t think that a little part in each one of your cells could tell who you really are. It tells a big part of our lives but you can’t even see it without looking underneath a microscope.

            Next, how do they really find out our DNA? Professionals collect the DNA from an evidence sample from an unknown person and, usually at a later time, they process both samples and compare the two DNA from the suspect and the unknown subjects to see if they will match. If both of the samples match, then we know whose DNA they have found. If they don’t match, then investigators have to do a little more digging at the crime scene. To me I really didn’t make sense of how they did this during the television show because they do it like it’s nothing because they see it every day. This really is a big process and they wouldn’t want to screw up. That would affect everything at the end.

            Although, they have a good process for direct DNA, they figured a clever way to find DNA using your fingerprints. “The notion of using DNA fingerprints as a sort of genetic bar code to identify individuals” (Practical Applications of DNA fingerprinting). When you’re at the store they scan your items to get the price or their “DNA” just like us. They take our fingerprints which are like a barcode of our DNA. Each of the rings on your fingers has a certain reason. It’s like a bar code so when they scan it, it shows your whole profile and they have your DNA.  “A person inherits his or her DNA from his or her parents, DNA patterns can be used to establish paternity and maternity, the patterns are so specific that a parental DNA pattern can be reconstructed even if only the children's DNA patterns are known (the more children the easier)” (Practical Applications of DNA fingerprinting).

            Another really important thing in an investigation, is how DNA helps determine whether  a suspect is guilty or innocent. They really do have a clever way of finding who was at the crime scene. “DNA is from blood, hair, skin cells, or other genetic evidence left at the scene” (Friedland). If you drop one little part of your body your cells are on any evidence, they are small too see but it plays a big role in the investigation. If your DNA is found in a crime scene then they know that you were there. They can use that against or for you depending on what all the other evidence is. Detectives just have an instinct when they find your DNA they could take it two ways. You’re guilty or innocent they just have to be the ones to figure that out. “DNA embraces the concepts of free will and moral blameworthiness” (Friedland).

            Now, I know what C.S.I investigators and Criminal Minds shows find: peoples’ DNA and how they get it from the crime scenes and use it in their investigations. Criminal investigators use DNA in their everyday investigations, it helps them really find out whose guilty or innocent, it shows who you really are.

               

Bibliography

Advancing Criminal Justice Through DNA Technology. 8 May 2011. 18 April 2012 <http://www.dna.gov/audiences/investigators/know/whatisdna>.

Deters, Attorney Joesph T. Where does DNA come from. October 2010. 18 April 2012 <http://cms.hcpros.org/node/821>.

Friedland, Steven I. "DNA Revolution." A vision of the Future (1997).

Practical Applications of DNA fingerprinting. 19 April 2012 <http://protist.biology.washington.edu/fingerprint/apps.html>.

What is DNA? 16 April 2011. 18 April 2012 <http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/basics/dna>.

We All Make Mistakes

Author’s Note: This piece of writing is to show the cause and effects of four girl’s actions in the book Pretty Little Liars.

            Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily are teenage girls that are having trouble in each of their lives. There had been five best friends and then one of their best friends was murdered. They soon will regret what they have done in their lives and the lives around them. They each have had something taken away from them, they can all relate to each other. Dealing with Ali’s death, troubles at home, and with the people they love, really makes them regret their actions, but they notice their actions and it’s too late, they have already hurt somebody.

            First off, you should never keep anything from your parents or family because it will harm you in the end like it did to Aria, this was the cause of her problem. Ali and Aria were walking home from school one day and she saw her father kissing one of his students. She knew she should have told her mother about it but she couldn’t do it, she couldn’t lose her family. Aria had known this would come back and get her someday.  The effect on her family was a year later her parents are divorced her mother had found out that her husband had cheated on her. Aria knew that she was part of the cause of this problem in her life. She could relate to Hanna now because Hanna’s parents are divorced also. She just wished she could go back to that day and fix her mistake, that would affect her life differently now and she really does regret it.

            Another, major issue in Hannah’s life other than her father leaving them was that she got a surprise on her doorstep on Saturday. This was not any good surprise it was the police. Going back to the moment in her head where she knew she wasn’t doing something right. She was looking in the mirror examining how her hair looked today with those sunglasses that she had to have. She looked at the tag and it was too expensive but she had to have them. She thought of the easy way out instead of working for them she slipped them into her purse everybody knew this was the cause for the problems that she has to deal with now. As soon as she walked through those doors she thought she was never going to be seen again. She was at home going to the fridge to get a snack when the doorbell rang and her mom got it. The police were at her door and she knew she wished she hadn’t taken those sunglasses.  Her mother said “Hanna wouldn’t do that, would you”, I’m really sorry mom I had to have them”. (Page 93) She went to the station but they let her off with a warning and community service. That scared her enough for her not to do it again. It really did wreck her relationship with her mother and now she has to try to mend it together again.

            Although Spencer is always trying to be the best at everything, trying to beat her sister with boys, tests, valedictorian, doing things in the community, she soon starts to figure out that she isn’t going to be the best at everything this was the cause of all her problems with her sister. Ali taught her that the day she died. Spencer knew she had to try to stop that but she just couldn’t do it. For example” Look at my PSAT’s I got a higher score than you Melissa”. (Page 130)  The result of this today Melissa and Spencer can’t stand each other. They both are going to need one another and when that day came, the day Ali died Melissa wasn’t there for her. She needed her to hold her and care for her but Melissa couldn’t do it. Spencer’s parents weren’t around very much because of their jobs, so Spencer has nobody now. She can’t take it and she regrets it now and she knows that she shouldn’t always have to be the best one there is. She needs to fix her relationship too, just like Hanna needs to do with her mother. 

            Finally, Miss Emily the girl that everyone thinks is perfect, except she wasn’t the little miss perfect this year.   Last year she was one of the top swimmers and she wouldn’t let anything or anyone get in her way of a scholarship that she was working for. Everyone knew on her team not to get in her way because it wouldn’t turn out so well. This year is different, Emily’s new neighbor moved in and she skipped practice to hang out and sooner than later that caused her coach to call her parents to let them know that Emily hadn’t been at practice for a week.  When Emily walked in the door and her mom said “Who are you and what have you done with my Emily?” (Page 166) That was all the effect of hanging out with one friend instead of practice.  That just about broke her heart and she was grounded for a long time. She could never disappoint her father he was in the army and Emily never I mean never got to see him and to make him disappointed when he was home she just couldn’t do it. She knew she had to change again and she was going to do it.

            These girls all knew what they did wrong, they knew the effects that would happen. They just took the consequences in the long run and maybe if they thought of it in the first place they wouldn’t have caused all these problems. All teenagers make mistakes and it’s hard to be a teenager but they really learned how much they would regret their mistakes.

Summer Romance Leads into Eternity

Author’s Note: This piece of writing is to create an extra scene at the end of the book the “The Last Song”.
Will and Ronnie had, had a summer romance this past summer. It was just more than a summer romance to them they were truly in love, but when they each have to go to college next week it becomes a problem. When they thought it was over it was just a turn in their relationship.
Ronnie had moved to New York to go to college as a pianist. She thought her love life was over. She was so depressed for weeks because she Will. Well one day she was practicing for her recital she had a special surprise that wasn’t on her agenda at all. Will was sneaking in to come surprise her.

“Your better in person” Said Will

“Oh my gosh, Will what are you doing here?” Ronnie asked
“I have a little Surprise for you and I didn’t want to do it over the phone”

“Well what is it” she asked

“I’ve decided to transfer colleges after the semesters over so we can be together, I want to be with you forever Ronnie” he was blushing
You should have seen her face her eyes got as bright as the sun and she ran up to him and hugged him for what seemed to be eternity she could stay in his arms forever.

“That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time” said Ronnie
“Maybe we could get an apartment and live together, that’s what I’ve always wanted” she said.
“I think we should talk to your mother first, I mean I want to be on her good side” he said with a smile.
So, they were off to tell her mother they called a taxi walking hand in hand. They finally arrived to her mom’s apartment and they walked up the stairs and she noticed her mom was home from work already which was unusual but she was ok with it she wanted this answer as soon as possible

“Will, what are you doing here?” she asked
“We have some news mom, Will is transferring here next semester and we were wondering if we could get an apartment together” Ronnie asked.

Ronnie’s mother had already known will was coming because Will had called her and told her that he was planning on asking Ronnie to marry him.

“I have something to say to you Ronnie” said Will.
He got down on one knee and while he was doing that Ronnie’s brother and her step dad and mom grabbed a sign with pictures of Will and her together on a huge sign that said Ronnie will you marry me.
“Ronnie I know we haven’t been together for a long time but I really do love you, Will you marry me? He asked.
You could tell her was worried by the tremble in his voice but he was excited at the same time.
“Of course I will marry you Will, you’re the best thing that has happened to me in a long time” She said
“So mom is that yes on the apartment, and you knew about this the whole time” she asked.
“Will had called me in the beginning of the week and he had asked if it was OK that he would propose to you and I said of course, and yes you guys can get an apartment together.
She was so excited and she knew she was going to have a great life with Will he was truly the love of her life and they were going to be together forever, and they were.

Poem vs. Music

Author’s Note: This piece of writing is to compare the music of “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Field Below” to the poem and analyzing both of them and showing how they are similar and different.
We have read two poems and listened to the music of them. These two poems were called “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell and “Field Below” by Regina Spektor. “Big Yellow Taxi” was about this girl that lives in New York and things start to be taken away from her, such as trees, her father, putting up parking lots taking down all the free land. She was telling us the reader, that you don’t know what you have until it’s taken away from you. The poem called “Field Below” this is also about people taking away what she has she isn’t able to see fields while she is looking out her window she didn’t miss it until it was gone. Both of the tones of these poems are depressed and the mood for both of them is sympathetic.
The music was very different than I thought it was going to be. The mood and tone for the “Field Below” poem was the same but the mood and tone for the “Big Yellow Taxi” wasn’t. The song made it seem like she was happy and made me feel happy just by how the music was so upbeat compared to the poem. I think she should have made the music more slow and sad because that’s what her lyrics were telling us. I didn’t like the way the music was played because it didn’t make sense. I thought the singer of “Field Below” did a good job expressing the tone because her music reflected her lyrics.

Change can be Good

Author’s note: This piece of writing is a letter to another character from the book Speak and how they have changed through her freshman year of high school.
Dear Rachel,
I have really changed since the last time that I saw you. I used to be so quiet and I just wasn’t fun to be around. The night that we went to the party was our last good time together. Well yours not mine because of Andy. I didn’t stick up for myself like I should have. Getting all those looks when I was walking down the halls, I just couldn’t deal with it. Wanting to hurt myself skip school miss out on my life, I should have just told you guys the truth. This has been a rough year for me but now I know how to take control of bad situations, tell the truth, and don’t judge people by what people tell you.
Andy had raped me, that will never change but when he tried to do it again I took control and he knew it. He doesn’t dare touch me or any other girl in this school again. I will always tell the truth now because it really can help you along your journeys. If I would’ve just told you guys about what had happened to me, I wouldn’t have had a hard time this year. Also, telling the truth can really help you in a situation, I used to lie to my parents all the time but after all that I had been through; I’ll never do it again.
You were one of the people that had judged me before I have even told you what happened. You took other people’s word over me, your best friend. I know now that judging people by what other people tell me isn’t right I am never going to do it again and neither should you. I would really like to be friends again. It has been a tough year but I have changed and I think we could be great friends again, just think about it.
Sincerely,
Melinda