Laura De Jesus

Senior Class Art

Vincent Van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in Groot-Zundent, Netherlands. Van Gogh was known as a post-impressionist painter, in the 20th century. His art was among the lines of notable beauty, emotion, and color. Van Gogh had a mental illness, and was poor as well as unknown for the majority amount of his life. When Van Gogh was 15 years old he was forced to leave school and get a job. He worked with his uncle and then got transferred to a gallery in London. He fell in love with the English culture as well as a women named Eugenie Loyer. She rejected his marriage proposal and he soon turned his life to God. He had dreams of becoming a minister. But failed to follow the rules and things that came with what it took to be one. Giving up on being a minister, he moved to Brussels to become an artist. His younger brother Theo supported him finically. Van Gogh had a different out look on women. He had a “catastrophic” love life. He wanted women who had troubles because he felt like he could help them. Fell in love with his cousin, then moved to The Hague and fell in love with a prostitute named Clasina Maria Hoorick. She became his model, his companion, and his mistress. But soon left. In 1885 he began his first project, “Potato Eaters.” Van Gogh moved to Paris and lived his brother Theo. Moving out Van Gogh spent all his money on paint, living off bread, coffee and absinthe. He began to feel sick and somewhat strange. He sipped on turpentine and had eaten paint. Theo had paid someone to watch over Van Gogh , but he soon left. Van Gogh ran after Paul Gauguin with a razor. He cut off his ear, and paid for a prostitute named Rachel at the local brothel. “Keep this object carefully,” is what he told her. The police found him and took him to the hospital. He was admitted to the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Remy-de-Provence after the people had signed a petition stating they thought he was dangerous. On July 27, 1890, Van Gogh went out to go paint but this time he went with a loaded pistol. He shot himself in the chest but it did not kill him. On July 29,1890 Vincent Van Gogh died in the arms of his brother Theo. Today Vincent Van Gogh is considered to be the greatest Dutch painter after Rembrandt. He completed more than 2,000 works of art. 

http://www.biography.com/people/vincent-van-gogh-9515695

   As a matter of fact, you can see how upset Hamlet is in the beginning of his little speech when Hamlet says, "Go thee (to) a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?" Nunnery means a convent, a convent is a community where priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns gather and live together. All of the same sex. But also it could be used in a different manner, used to refer to brawdy house, brawdy house is a place or community where men can visit prostitutes.   He is basically referring that Ophelia is a prostitute, the love of his life of being a sinful and wrong woman. She should not birth any children, because if she does then there will be more people like her which are sinners in the world.

   Looking a little further down, Hamlet is speaking about himself, he says he himself is an "indifferent honest." It sounds like he flipping his words around when he is finished his thought, "but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me." Hamlet is far from innocent or a person you could look up to a saint in the play he switches up his feelings. 

    One example is Act 1 Scene 5, when his two friends Horatio and Marcellus run back and inform him that they have seen and spoken to the ghost of his father. One night Hamlet stands watch with Horatio and Marcellus, and sees the ghost, which is his father. The ghost takes Hamlet away, to talk to him. He says that he was murdered by Claudius which is his brother, the new king. His father tries to convince Hamlet into murdering the new king of Denmark, step dad Claudius. 

"Murder?

Murder most foul and most unnatural murder.

But this most foul, strange, and unnatural." ( Lines 32-34)

"O, my prophetic soul! My uncle!

Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast." ( Lines 48-49)

The ghost Hamlet's fathers ghost is speaking about his brother, like an animal.

"So, uncle, there are you. Now to my word.

It is "adieu, adieu, remember me.

I have sworn't." (Lines 117-119)

The ending words are Hamlet saying goodbye goodbye, remember me. 

   Hamlet goes on throughout the disagreement with Ophelia in a different way. When he says to Ophelia "I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offenses at my back than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them space, or time to act them in." It sounds like Hamlet is speaking to Ophelia like he is in higher power. Like he is above her. He is saying that everyone messes up, and its normal. But somethings just cant be forgiven.

    As he continues in the talk with Ophelia he has a sudden change in character, "What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven? While Hamlet is saying this line, it sounds rather frustrated, like something is bothering him. Does it have to do with his father? The ghost? "We are arrant knaves (all;) believe none of us. Go thy ways to a nunnery. Where's your father?," are Hamlet's last few words said to Ophelia during the argument. Telling her to go and look back at her sins and see what she has done. 

   Hamlet is just one of Shakespeare's great works of art. Shakespeare uses his writings and plays to real life. The way it is written is what makes it so well known and read around the world. All throughout Hamlet, Shakespeare uses a language that sets off the tone of the play.

By: Laura De Jesus

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous is a 4 million best seller. It’s that good of a book, you never want to stop reading. Sends chills down your spin, keeps your mind wondering “What’s gonna happen next?” 

I didn’t want the story to end.

Go Ask Alice is about a girl named Alice, she’s your average 15 year old girl who lives in a small town. Her father was offered a job in new job in a slightly bigger town. Thats when everything started changing. Alice was no longer the innocent young girl anymore. She was not the most popular girl in her old school, she thought she could start again, with the wrong crowd of people.

After Alice attended a party back in her old town in the summer her world turned for the worse. She was introduced into the world of drugs. It was planned that she go to a party once a week and do it only it during that time period, that lasted barely anything.

This is when the story went into a turn.

Alice started using drugs daily, with people, by herself and with her new boyfriend, her boyfriend was a college student who did everything in the book. He took her into a new world of fun and excitement, but never was she sober. The high was what she looked forward to.

I knew I was reading an amazing story when I hit the first page. "Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice Acid & Smack & No Way Back." The quote explains the whole book. Once you  start to use drugs, especially heavily they play an important part, had to go back, thats what the quote is explaining.

I managed to read this book in less than a week, and me personally I dislike to read, but this book… this book made the way I look at reading change for the good.

As the story goes on you begin to see why the things that happened to Alice were her fault. She went so heavy into her addiction that she would sell drugs to kids in middle school. Working for her boyfriend is how Alice and her friend made money to support their habit. It was a shock to the both of them that their boyfriends were gay. Reporting them to the cops was the best option, but they had to escape before they got put into the issues too.

Alice went from the girl that her parents adored flaws and all, into the biggest bitch to walk the planet. She ran away on various occasions, she was never alone. In the mist of "finding herself" as she liked to call it, she went through rape, sexual harassment, and overdoses. Home sickness is what brought her back to her home.

Reading this far into the book, my jaw dropped. 

Trips back and forth, getting sober and falling right back into the trap was her biggest problem. There was no more hope for Alice. Her parents placed her into an Institute. She overdosed as she was babysitting, it was a trap. Bugs were eating her female parts away, her hands were gone, her feet was fractured in casts. There was nothing anyone could do for her. She was a lost cause at the moment.

Months and months went passed, Alice received an education within the Institution and figured she would want to work with people in the same predicaments as her when she got older. Home Sweet Home. Sad to say Alice died three weeks after she made her decision to no longer keep a diary. No one knows the cause of death.

The story did not end the way I thought it would which makes it even better, its an excellent book. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading books in general but more to the people who love reading books full of suspense. That's what Go Ask Alice is all about. Young adults would fall in love with it, just as I did.

Preview: My father dropping out of school when he was in the third grade, and he made it in the world with the little bit of knowledge that has.

The experience of doing interviews – what did you learn and discover, about others or yourself?
Through out this experience of interviews I learned that people know what they want to say but have a hard time saying it. I also learned that people have stories that are kept untold and they personally should be told. I discovered that doing an interview takes time and patience; you can't expect to get all of the stuff and the things that you need all at one time. Hearing other people's interviews made me realize that there are some things that I can do better with mines. Also, that music does indeed have an impact how your interview grabs attention.

Comments from your peers – agree or disagree, and why?
I agree with what they said because what they said was productive. Basically they both told me that I should add music and relate it to the interview itself. If it wasn't for them telling me to add the music I don't think I would like my finishing product as much as I do.

Your own strengths or weaknesses
My own strengths in my project were the questions that I asked my mother, I asked her questions that she would know about her husband, because my dad can not speak the best English my mother had to be his translator. Also, I like the background the music, and the way it all flowed together, I chose “Successful” by Drake because it reminds me of the whole theme of my interview. The main weakness in my project is the volume, I was it was a little louder.

My father crossed boundaries when he did not near complete school but he made someone of himself, and I am proud to say that he is my father.

Lupe De Jesus

Spanish Script

La Preguntas:

Hábleme de usted.

¿A dónde fuiste a la escuela secundaria y la universidad?

1. ¿Qué puede traer para la empresa?

2. ¿Qué tu tienes que es diferente de los otros?

3. ¿Donde trabajaste antes?

4. ¿Si usted tiene una de las principales en español porque está aplicando aquí?

5. ¿Por qué eligió el diseño gráfico y el español como su mayores?

6. ¿Puede trabajar bien con los demás?

7. ¿ En que es mejor en la comercialización o diseño?

Ella-Mi momma

Lupe- Yo

Ella : Hola

Yo : Hola

Ella : ¿Como estas Señor  De Jesus?

Yo : Bien.

Ella :Hábleme de usted.

Yo : Me llamo Lupe De Jesus. Tengo veinte uno años. Vivo en Filadelfia.

Ella :¿A dónde fuiste a la escuela secundaria y la universidad?

Yo : Yo fui a Science Leadership Academy, una escuela para bio química. Yo fui a la Universidad de Ohio para Español y el Diseño Gráfico. Tengo mi maestro en Mercadeo.

Ella :  ¿Qué puede traer para la empresa (Trill)?

Yo : Yo puedo traer mucho, como creatividad y cosas diferente para las personas.

Ella : ¿Qué tu tienes que es diferente de los otros?

Yo : Yo soy diferente porque yo tengo expiernca en diseño y en español. Tambien yo tengo muchos ideals para la ropa.

Ella : ¿Donde trabajaste antes?

Yo : Yo trabaje en el Instituto de Arte de Filadelfia. Y programas de mercadeo online.

Ella :¿Si usted tiene una de las principales en español porque está aplicando aquí?

Yo : Porque el español mi puede ayudar en el diseño. Pero el diseño es mas intersente

Ella : ¿Por qué eligió el diseño gráfico y el español como su mayores?

Yo : Porque mi mommas me anima en español. Y el diseño es como yo diferente.

Ella: . ¿Puede trabajar bien con los demás?

Yo: Si pero si yo soy la nuca trabajando no me gusta porque y no puede hacer lo todo.

Ella : ¿ En que es mejor en la comercialización o diseño?

Yo : Soy mejor en el diseño porque mi momma me ensenyo

Laura De Jesus

Your English, My English

“LAURA!!!!”

“What chu want Jordan, damn?!” I replied.

“Areeeeeeeeeed, you deff aint have ta reply like that, b.”

“Jordan, if you don’t just shut the hell, talking fa?” I replied with an attitude.

“What the hell is the matta with chu? Betta pipe that shit down young.”

“Ared, now who you talking to?!” I said with my fists balled up.

“YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!”

“Get the hell out of here, b.” I replied laughing.

“This why I don’t like you now, always think someone playing with ya ass!”

“Now Jordan you know . . . ” We both go into laughter.

            As I enter school every day this is a daily ritual that occurs often with me and my friend, least three times a day. People look at us all types of ways.  Like “What in the world is wrong with these two?!” That doesn’t stop us and the way we communicate with each other. People tend to stop and laugh or they join in the conversation.

            Thinking back on it the way I speak is nowhere near the same as it used to be when I was younger. Being the fact that Spanish is the first language I was taught, I was fluent. Learning English was hard, especially at the age of five. Entering kindergarten and not being able to speak the native language was very challenging. The main people I knew spoke pure Spanish. I felt like I didn’t belong with them. Once they opened their mouth words flowed right out, but once it came to me, the words stood at the tip of my tongue, stuck.

            Time passed and passed, my speech was still not on the needed level. Common words like “hello, yes, no, etc…” were easy to say. Words with similar sounding letters are what killed me, kitchen for example I would pronounce “kichin”.  Switching from public to catholic school made it easier for me. By the second grade English became my official second language. Went from phrases to sentences.

“ Hi my name is Laura De Jesus.”

“Hello my name is Chelsea” she replied.

“ Can I sit with you?”

“Yes, we can be best friends” she answered with the biggest smile on her face.

            From that day forward that is how I started to meet people and make new friends. It was difficult to keep it up being the fact that my mother and father had their own way of speaking. English was foreign to my father, somewhat known to my mother.

            Entering high school was when everything really changed, I spoke English but also created something called “Laura Language” few people have understood it. Laura Language is somewhat like English and Slang but put together. For example “Idunno, yaw’ll, hellur” are a few of the words that I use often. Just mean, “I don’t know, yall all and hello.” I was switched all around, placed in three different advisories. Mr. Lucci’s advisory is where I ended up. I hated it there with a passion. I missed my other friends that I had meet but I had no choice.

“ Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi, I’m Victoria!!”

“Umm, hello.”

“ Whatcha doinnnnnnnnn?”

“ Chillin’, actin’ like you ain’t able to see that.”

“ I like candy, do you like candy?”

“ Why the hell are you talkin’ to me?”

            So on and so forth. Ive been told I speak with an attitude which I know, but I really don’t pay attention to. It comes out to be “disrespectful” I don’t mean for it to be in that way, but I don’t necessarily stop it. Like Mike Rose says in I Just Wanna Be Average, “ But I did learn things about people and eventually came into my own socially” I learned a lot about the world and how they speak I just meshed it all together. My friends and I speak very similar, rude and not caring about what we say to each other because we know that we are all comfortable. When it comes to adults, or my parents my whole language flips.

“Hi, my name is Laura.”

“Hello, how do you do?”

“Fine, thank you and yourself?”

“I’m good as well.”

“That’s good to hear.”

            Growing up with a family who speaks only Spanish is harder than a child with English speaking parents. Jobs and higher positions are given to native speakers because they have more to offer. Society makes fun of people who have accents and speaking deficiencies only for the simple fact in their eyes we have “issues.”

            I learned to love myself and the person I am, even my speaking is not as well as others. I’m not saying that I sound like I don’t belong and cant speak to save my life, but people have to question what race I am, and if I’m telling the truth. I wouldn’t change the way I was raised or where I attended school, I like the fact that I am different, where people have to question “ Who is she?” “Is she white or Rican?”

Laura De Jesus

Monologue

Why did my mother marry an alcoholic?

            Its 11 o’clock on a Saturday night, where I would be usually out and about with my life I’m sitting here in my living room looking at my mother cry I wonder why. (Looking at her), He does not love her, or us. She continues to stay, while he continues to beat and threaten her. Love is a two way street and she is the only one trying. Every night he comes home, drunk. Now that he does not work, he has no reason to stay sober.

She says she stays for us, but I know she knows we don't need him. He does nothing for us, buying us the things we want; he thinks that’s good enough. In reality, all I have is hatred. I get tired of seeing my mother suffer. I don't want to come home another day after school, rather be out all day and night.

Seeing him tumble and slur out words is now old. Being born and raised with an alcoholic father is not the “dream”. Crying herself to sleep every night is stressful. Not even able to complete what I need to thinking is she okay in the back of my mind, I’m tired of seeing her hurt. The bruises my mother has are invisible, but I, her daughter can see.

Being at school, and out with my friends is what keeps me sane. Out of my house, I feel safe and feel free. Once entering the place I call home it’s a nightmare, I can’t take it anymore. Feeling threatened and unknowing of what can happen next is not normal for a person of my age. Fifteen year olds are supposed to be enjoying life. So why am I sitting here in my living room crying my eyes out?

Tears rolling down my face bring back memories. (Looking at my mother) I want to love and spend time with him; I mean he is my father. But the fear has taken over me completely. I’m scared to have the knife put up to my wrist again, scared to say what I feel because of the fist coming to my face. I should not be afraid of my own father; he is one of the reasons that I am here.

I’m sitting her looking dumb, when I want is for my prayers to come true. When my grandmother was alive, everything was great, always happy and smiling. After that, is when the addiction to alcohol came along. Depression is difficult thing to over come, but we were here, why did he not come to us? Feel as though we are not good enough.

Grand mom, please, (Looking at the photograph of grandmother), I’m begging you to please help my dad. I may not feel the same way I did before, maybe I don’t feel anything towards him, but I know that he is needed and wanted by my mother. Help my father be able to get through his issues and become the same person he was before he lost job. I am begging you, make it go back to the way it was when we were all happy.

“Excuse Me?”

“Like What Are You?”

These are the type of questions I get all the time. It all started when I entered a new school, outside of my region. I was mad but more upset that I was entering a school where I felt like I didn’t belong. It was still in Olney, but I knew no one. First day of second grade I came into the room, thinking “Why did my mother put me in here?” The feeling stuck with me for a while.

This girl named Sydney, came up to me and said, “What are you?” this was the first I ever heard this, I was shocked but more like disrespected. I just answered, “What?” she repeated the question over and over again, till I couldn’t take it anymore and I said “Rican!” She chose not to believe me and yet it didn’t bother me or affect me the way I thought it would. I mean I was mad that it concerned her that much what my nationally was, but it shouldn’t have mattered to her. She wasn’t me nor a friend at the time. She went and told all her friends about it, they ambushed me. It wasn’t a big deal. Her “friends” and I became real close while she chose to be difficult. It took one strike in fourth grade, when someone called me “FAKE”; I have never been called anything in my life.

Hearing that made me think that I didn’t have to prove myself to anyone, I am who I am and no one can tell me. I spoke Spanish to prove to them that I was a Puerto Rican, but not for their approval but more to prove to myself that nothing can affect me.

While I was walking to the Chinese Store around the corner from my house with one of my closest friends, some man stopped me as I was crossing the street “I don’t mean to be rude, but I noticed you walking and I have to know what you are?” I just stared at him, lost. Took me a while to think of what to respond to him. I just answered nicely, “Rican”. I was irritated and tired of it. I hate it when people and try and tell me who I am. Like you have the right to.

He just stared at me until he realized we were about to get hit by a car. As I was about to enter the Chinese Store, he said, “You can’t be, you’re to pale to be Rican, most have some color. So what are you really?” This is what made me tick, like how are you going to tell me what I am? I didn’t know what to say to him, I just stared at him.

I felt insulted but more disrespected. I walked away, felt like he didn’t even need an answer either way he was going to have an opinion about me and think what he wanted to. Through out the rest of the day, that’s what I was focused on. The way people speak to others is a shame; I know parents taught their kids manners.

Last year during the summer, I was heading to mothers job after my job. My headphones were on loud. I was in my own little world, paying attention to no one. I was a stop away from my mom’s job, as I was rising, this young lady stopped me and said, “Oh My God, you are very beautiful, skin and all. I don’t mean to be rude but what are you? Like your race.” This was the one and only time I did not feel any type of way.

I smiled and said, “Thank You, and I’m Rican.” She just looked at me, like she had something to say but just didn’t know what to say. “I can see it.” I was beyond shocked; it was like a miracle had occurred. She was the first person to ever say that and not start an argument. Right when I was getting ready to answer her, the bus had reached my stop. “Have a blessed day,” she said.

It amazed me how a stranger like herself, was able to keep a smile on my face all day. I was more thankful for the fact that she didn’t argue with me, but the fact that she believed me when I said, “I was Rican”. The compliments were just extra. I just felt the need to tell my mom, she didn’t seem to understand why I was so happy, but that wasn’t going to change my mood.

I think why is it that I’m the palest person in my household, and everyone else looks like they belong. Time passed and the questions continued and so did the people. I still get the question everywhere I go, but people start to believe and see that I am “Rican and NOT White”. I’ve grown to love myself for how I look and who I am.

Lady Macbeth

Laura De Jesus

Thesis: In the beginning Lady Macbeth was strong, persuading woman who would do anything to get what she wanted, but that all changes in the end when her guilty conscious gets the best of her.

In Act 1 Scene 5 in the play of Macbeth, Macbeth has just arrived home from war; he had an encounter with weird sisters the witches. They said to him that  he would be the new Thane of Cawdor, and King. When he told Lady Macbeth, this is when she hatches her plan to kill the King. Lady Macbeth says to her husband, “ Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it” (Act 1 scene 5 lines 64-65). What she is saying is that, be the innocent person, but be the evil underneath it. Lady Macbeth is thinking to herself, while talking to her husband that her plan might just work in time. She is hoping that her persuading ways would get her what she feels she needs.                                            

After Macbeth and Lady Macbeth had their “talk”, he begins to think to himself, whether he should do the requested deed or not. A few moments into thinking Lady Macbeth enters and says “Art thou afeard to be the same thine own act and valor as thou art in desire?” (Act 1, scene 7, lines 39-41). Lady Macbeth is trying to say are you afraid to be the same man you once were, or the man you wish to be? She believes that Macbeth thinks he will act different after the deed is done. Putting her strong foot forward, she is not letting her plan go away to fast. She needs to think of more ways to persuade him.

Act 2 scene 2, Lady Macbeth hears weird noises and begins to grow suspicion of what is going on. With confusion she starts to think what could it be, she left the daggers in plain sight so there should be no problem. Macbeth enters, Lady Macbeth “Alack, I am afraid they have awaked and tis’ not done, th’ attempt and not the deed”. (Line 8-10). What she means is that she is nervous with all the noise going on if he did the deed or not. She can’t deal with the anxiety.

With two bloody daggers Macbeth has announced that he has killed the king. He also states that they may not be all dead. She takes matters into her own hands and finish what he started. “My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white”, (Act 2 Scene 2, lines 67-68) Lady Macbeth says with a panic in her voice She feels like she just did the worse thing possible. The worse thoughts are flowing through her head. The fact that she helped with the murder is eating up at her. She thought that’s what she always wanted but maybe she was wrong.Lady Macbeth is preparing for the gathering, dealing with the fact that she just murdered

In Act 3 scene 4, the dinner is in action, every one is there but Banquo, no one knows where or what happened to him. When he was ready to get his seat he table, he realized he had seen Banquos ghost sitting in his chair. An outrage begins, Lady Macbeth confronts him and says “This is the very painting of your fear, this is the air drawn dagger which you said led to Duncan.”(lines 62-64) She means, that he needs to get it together there are guest that are present, so behave your self and act like a man. She maybe thinks that he will show that they did something wrong or had a part to play and blow their cover.

The suitors, Macbeth, the house has become worried that Lady Macbeth is going completely insane, they don’t know what she is capable of. The doctor is called in, is asked to help. The Gentlewoman says to the doctor, It is an accustomed action with her to seem thus washing her hands. I have known her to continue for an quarter of an hour”. (Lines 27-30) The gentle woman is completely clueless about what to do with Lady Macbeth, so she calls in reinforcements. Lady Macbeth is getting to the point where her guiltiness, is taking over life.

In Act 5 scene 1, Lady Macbeth is going around the house sleep walking, and spilling the facts. The doctor and gentlewoman have just found out that Macbeth is the one to blame for the death of the King, and she helped. Washing her hands Lady Macbeth says,” Here's the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”. (Lines 50-52). She believes that the blood from the daggers will forever be on her hands, never get off. Her thoughts are making her go crazy, no one can help. The changes that are going through her body are horrible.

In this stage of the play, the doctor is trying everything in his power to help her, nothing has worked. “This disease is beyond my practice. Yet, I have known those, which have walked in their sleep who died holily in their beds”, Doctor says. (Act 5 scene 1 lines 58-60). He believes that she will never be the same, she may just be at her last few breaths/days. Lady Macbeth can no longer take this, from being strong she went completely weak.

In Act 5 scene 8, Macbeth has heard that Lady Macbeth has passed away. He doesn’t pay much attention, he is worried about the fight he has headed. Little does he know that Malcolm and Macduff have planned to kill him. After Macduff has killed Macbeth, Malcolm has become the king and announces “Of this dead butcher and his friend like queen, who as tis thought, by self and violent hands took her life”. He is telling everyone that Lady Macbeth has committed suicide. Lady Macbeth was once a persuading and strong woman who let her conscious get the best of her.

 Basically Lady Macbeth is a woman who was thought to be of strong courage and bravery, but in the end wasn’t. The quotes above, the story relate to us today in many ways. Shakespeare is telling us that no matter how much  you want something you shouldn’t harm others. Killing gets you no where in life, and could also lead to your own death or a horrible life ahead of you.

The Day My Life Changed . . .

            Last year my life changed forever. It was during the summer, around the beginning of school. I went to visit my boyfriend not knowing what would happen minutes later. I arrived there at normal time, twelve noon. We did the usual met up, hug, and talk. As we were to his house, I could tell that today would not be the same. His attitude was more happier and more mischievous. Also there was a change in route, we were just walking through alleyways which was abnormal. My heart was beating like a drum but I kept quiet. We finally arrived reached his house, I was no longer comfortable in his presence but as usual I kept quiet to see what was to happen.

While the movie was playing we were just sitting there, talking, and laughing like old times. Nothing out of the ordinary, but then he began to touch me more then the normal. The feeling of uncomfortabliness came rushing back for the second time but once again I ignored it. I thought going along with it would make it better but it didn’t actually made it worse. After about two minutes I pushed him off, I kept getting further and further. Honestly, that was the dumbest thing I could have done, he groped me and threw me on the ground. Before I hit the ground I hit the glass circular table headfirst. That didn’t stop him; it actually made him smile and chuckle.

Once, I was on the ground, half way unconscious there was absolutely nothing for me to do but kick. While the beating started, I was crying like a baby without milk. After unsuccessful attempts of getting him off me, he went to my face, but busted it up terribly. That was just the beginning through, the worse hasn’t started yet. After all the blood and tears the harassment began. He began to feel up my shirt and tried to unzip my pants. Because I was barely able to walk there wasn’t much I could to get him off me. He was just there on top of me feeling all over me nothing I could do at that moment I just wanted to die. I started to think the worse things ever, but the biggest thing was “rape”. His smile that shone like the sun scared me instead of bringing me joy. As the tears were rolling down I realized that I shouldn’t let some boy take my precious gift from me, with all my force and might I tried to kick him. After a few attempts I finally got him off of me.

I ran to the door fast as lightning. I made it out the door to Godfrey but he caught up to me and pushed me into the street, almost getting myself hit by a car. People just walking by saying or doing nothing.  The only option I had left was to fight him, so I did just that. He beat me down once again, but one kick to his “private area”, he was done. While he was lying on the ground, I tried to get up as fast as I could, but the fact that I was barely able to walk made it difficult. After like three minutes I finally got up, and sprinted to the nearest pay phone and called my best friend. She came to my rescue.

To this day my mother doesn’t know what happened to me that day, I am afraid to tell her due to my past ways. She might not believe me and think that is what I wanted just to get attention. So I decided to keep it between him and I. I never regretted anything more than this but there is nothing I can do now. September 13 2010 will always be remembered.

Laura De Jesus

English Benchmark

March 11,2011

            Odysseus is the main character from the book the Odyssey. Everett is the main character from the movie O’ Brother Where Art Thou. While Everett and Odysseus both make it home to their families, the way they handled their adventure is what makes them different. Everett and Odysseus will face some hard battles and choices in the meantime of making home but in the end of the story it makes them stronger and better men. This adventure is life changing.

            Everett and Odysseus show some signs of similarities. Everett makes it home to his family with the two people he came and left with Delmar and Pete, his best friends. But it doesn’t end up as well as it seemed in the beginning. On the other hand Odysseus has lost all his partners and friends due to his selfish ways and disregard. Odysseus and Everett are both fathers, but neither of them is worthy enough to be good at being a father until their final return home. Also, Everett and Odysseus have issues with commands, they do what they think is best for them and don’t worry about their companions or any one else.

            Everett and Odysseus have two main differences one of them is there work ethic. Everett is an ex-convict who escaped from jail with Delmar and Pete, his two companions. While on the other hand Odysseus is the King, and has to go to war and fight. “What if his great father/ came from the unknown world and drove these men/ like dead leaves through the place" Book 1, lines 145-7. (Athena goes and tells the suitors to leave before Odysseus returns, but during the time she was daydreaming so Telemachus says this.)  But little did he know that the war would take ten years, plus the ten extra years he added on due to his ways. The way that Everett and Odysseus handle the work and the way they get home is what makes them different. Odysseus gives into much temptation, which leads to several affairs and unfaithfulness. While Everett is lead into them but doesn't give in, the main he wants to get home to his wife and children. In the end Odysseus isn’t so truthful to his wife about the affairs and his ways. "Go down at once and tell the lady Penelope/ that I am back from Pylos safe and sound" Book 16, lines 151-2 (He tells Eumaius.) This is telling Penelope his wife that he is finally home and has arrived for good.

            Although Everett and Odysseus both had companions on their trip, Odysseus wasn't the best captain/leader in the world. He was selfish and only cared about himself and what made him happy.  "Hearts of oak, did you go down/ alive into the homes of death? One visit/ finishes all men but yourselves, twice mortal!" Book 12, lines 25-7 (This is the point in time when Odysseus is only thinking of himself and what he wants and needs). He didn't care about what his team wanted or needed, as long as he was happy then everything would be okay. He was a self-centered man. While, Everett also started off that way that is not how he ended up. (In part of the movie he thought his appearance and hair were the most important parts of life.) After a few adventures he changed his ways, and instead of it being all about what he wanted he took into consideration what they needed. His appearance didn’t matter, as much to him anymore, there were more things to worry about. Although, he did have his moments, he still came out the bigger man.

            Both Everett and Odysseus learned a lot in their adventures. Although they faced difficulties returning to their families in the end it was for the best. The difficulties that they faced like returning home and realizing who are they are made them a better person. Everett and Odysseus learned that a lot during their adventure but the main thing that they learned was the fact that appearance shouldn’t matter as much as their family.

Journal Entries

Why Do We Write?

            Why do we write? Well me personally I write because it is my way to get away. I write because people can’t judge me because they can’t see me. Also, I write because I can express myself in different ways, I am a very shy person I don’t say what I feel aloud, so I write them on paper and feel like a weight has been lifted of my shoulder. Why do we write? People write to tell us their stories and experiences without words.

If You Really Knew Me…

            If you really knew me you would know that I am afraid of heights. If you really knew me you would know that I have a trust problem and am very afraid to express myself. If you really knew me you would know I feel like I have no one to go to. If you really me you would know that I have many issues, and am afraid to get judged. If you really knew me you would know that I cry a lot over things that maybe I shouldn’t care about. If you really knew me you would know that I blame myself for my brother’s death. If you really knew me I feel like I make people get out of my life, for the wrong reasons. If you really knew me you would know that I feel unloved and unappreciated in my own house. If you really knew you would know that it’s taking a lot in me to write this about myself.

How Important Is It To Fit In?

            Does it matter to fit in? I don’t think that it matters that much, I mean it depends on who you are and how easy you give into peer pressure. Personally I see no reason to fit in with the rest of the world. We are all different for reasons, if we were meant to be the same look alike, dress alike, and act alike we would have been born that way. The style and world changes everyday so often, it would be like changing who you are whenever someone comes out with a new sneaker or new perfume. It is pointless, just be yourself 101% of the time, and your better off.

Has Anyone Ever Exceeded Your Expectations?

No not that I can remember. Only reason is because I don’t expect much from anyone anymore, whatever they do or give me is what it is. Life has taught me a lot and that is one of the main ones, don’t expect much, you’ll usually get the unexpected. “Expect the Unexpected.” 

            Me, well as a ninth grade I feel as though I changed a lot throughout the year. My previous work is a sow case of how much progress I went through.  When I first entered Mrs. Dunn’s class I couldn’t tell the difference between compound and complex sentences, now it comes naturally. My form of writing has changed a lot, due to the help from the teachers and students in Mrs. Dunn’s English 1 Class.

            My main strengths in English are that I can speak my mind through my writing and not be afraid to express myself. Also, my vocabulary it has become much better and to the standards of a ninth grader. My weaknesses are that I have trouble making sense when I write paragraphs and stories. It’s hard for me to remember what I typed and how I typed it. But it’s getting better it should be better as we speak. I would love to get better at my parts of speech.

            My experiences on working on this portfolio were hard, and fun at the same time. Finding all my work and editing it was the hardest part because I don’t like to look back and edit. Also, the uploading it, it took a while but I got it to work on the second try. I had a decent time going back through all my work; it reminded me of all the work I did in the beginning and how much I changed.

            My favorite piece in my portfolio is my Me Magazine, because that was my first project that I actually cared about and took time to do. It brought back memories of the eighth grade. And how much fun I had.

Over the course of a year 1.35 million children are more then likely to become homeless in the U.S. Being homeless is devastating. People think that it isn’t that hard or anything major because they haven’t gone through any of it. One main of the things it affects is their education. School supplies alone is over 150 dollars, add the clothes and the transportation that’s close to 500 dollars. Most families struggle to afford that, if you are homeless there is no way you can make that!

  The homeless children that are able to enroll into public school suffer through obstacles. Out of 87% of the homeless children that are enrolled, only 77% attended almost everyday. In addition to money and enrollment problems, the fact that the children and their families move around in order to find shelter their education shifts from up and down. This is not healthy for the child's mind stability. 

 If homeless children were to attend private or catholic school would there education status be better? Would a stable place for them to live result in a better education?

 In my next blog I am going to be talking about the jobs the homeless people come out in life with. 

http://cflhomeless.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/how-many-are-homeless-in-america/

 http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=homeless+people+education&cp=18&qscrl=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1221&bih=701

For our English project we are doing a project called "You and The World", we basically had to pick a topic and research about it. I picked Poverty.

I chose Poverty, as my topic because I think everyone deserves to have a shelter, food and the need assets to life. But many of us don't have them all. The main question is why? So I am here trying to figure that out for myself but for also the people who care.

Poverty - is the lack of basic human needs, such as food, water, shelter, clothes, education and health care. There are three types of poverty:

* Poverty

* Absolute Poverty
Destitution

* Relative Poverty 
The condition of having fewer resources or less income than others within society or country compared to the worldwide averages. 

More than 1.7 billion people suffer from Absolute Poverty. Not everyone sees poverty as a problem in the world but more as a lifestyle they chose themselves to live. On a given night an estimated 672,00 people experiment homelessness. Meaning 22 out of every 10,000 people are homeless. 42% of those 672,000 are unsheltered. 58% live in shelters. 37% of the homeless people are in family units. 63% are individual adults. The rate goes up every year.

I wonder why people don’t take an action and help them. Why is it that it takes a killing or robbery for people to pay attention to what is going on un the world? Is the poverty rate different for different races?

For my next blog I will talk about the level of education and what poverty endures. So stay tuned!

These websites are great for information!

Hello fellow readers, thank you for choosing my lesson to help your spanish needs. In this lesson you will learn how to tell and ask time in spanish. But before we get to the hard stuff you must know the question. The question is "What time is it?". Also you must know all the numbers from 1 to 12. (Say them properly). 

The dates and months are difficult until you get used to them. I am here to make the process faster and simpler.

For starters you must know your numbers from 1 to 31. 

The spelling may be the hardest part.

1. January - enero

2. February - febrero 

3. March - marzo

4. April - abril

5. May - mayo

6. June - junio

7. July - julio

8. August - agosto

9. September - septiembre 

10. October - octubre 

11. Novembre - noviembre

12. December - diciembre 

The first letter of the month is never capalizied, it would be counted as wrong. Also the day comes before the month

For example:

Christmas - 25/12/00

Chritmas - viente cinco de diciembre

Thanks for using this blog as you resource, don't get off yet weather is next!

Your new to the school, and you ask someone in your class what month is the science fair.

Click on the link below.

Last but not least the weather!

It is hard to explain but I am here to help. Don't be afraid to be mad at yourself for not understanding.

It is hot- Hace calor

It is cold- Hace frio

It is windy- Hace viento

It is raining- está lloviendo

It is snowing- está nevando

It is cloudy- está nublado

You must remember to always add the "hace or está" if not the phrase is incorrect.

For example someone ask you what is the weather outside you would say "está nublado" is it cloudy.

The image below is going to help you better understand the weather!