Food: Chicken & Shrimp Alfredo W/ Red Bell Peppers

Materials:

• Pot
• Sause Pan 
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Small bowl
• Large bowl
• Strainer 

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes of Reggano angel hair
• 3 bottles of Alfredo
• 1 cup of red peppers
• 1 1/2 pounds of medium shrimp
• salt
• pepper
• season/soul food seasoning (optional)
• old bay

Directions:

1. Cut small portions of the red bell pepper, take the tails of the shrimp off (if there is any), and the chicken into small portions on the cutting board

2. Place the red bell pepper, chicken, and shrimp into a small bowl and add the salt, pepper, old bay, and season/soul food seasoning (optional).

3. Carefully mix so the seasonings would evenly be spread.

4. Take pot and fill it halfway with warm water and wait for a medium boil, about 5-10 minutes.

5. Add the 2 boxes of angel hair into pot and wait for it to become stringy and soft, about 15-20 minutes. 

6. Once the angel hair is finished, place it in the strainer for the water to drain out. 

7. Place the angel hair into large bowl and add the shrimp, chicken, and red bell peppers into bowl.

8. Add the alfredo sauce to the angel hair and mix carefully but thoroughly.

9. Add more seasoning if needed to bring out spice.

10. Continue to mix until everything is evenly spread out. 

Analysis:

Processed Food:

- Angel Hair

- Salt

- Pepper

- Season/Soul food seasoning

Whole Foods:

- Bell peppers

- Shrimp

Health & Nutrition:

Large Shrimp - 100 calories, 1.5g of total fat, 460mg of sodium, 21g protein, 0g of sugar

Reggano Angel Hair - 200 calories, 1g of total fat, 0mg of sodium, 7g of protein, 1g of sugar

Bell Pepper - 46 calories, 0g of fat, 6mg of sodium, 1g of protein, 6g of sugar

With these ingredients, the body properly processes the food because the person that consumes the food is giving their bodies sugar, sodium, and lots of protein - specifically coming from the Reggano Angel Hair. If this meal is eaten everyday, it cause some problems within the person's body because it is not getting a good enough balance of the types of food that we are to consume everyday. Yes, there is sodium in each of the ingredients, however, too much of it can cause serious problems like high blood pressure which then leads to issues with the heart. In addition, the body wouldn't be getting enough glucose (sugar) because the ingredients have little to none. 

As far as the angel hair spaghetti, it is naturally grown from the ground, however it is processed through factories that make it possible for the distributors to sell it in stores. I know that the angel hair can be grown in Pennsylvania in farms. The red bell peppers do not have to be processed because they are vegetables that are grown. However, they must go through some sort of process to be clean and clear to be sold. The shrimp is from the Atlantic Ocean and then brought over by boats to be processed in ordered to be sold in stores. If the food is processed, then it requires more energy within the factories, which is then polluting the Earth because of all of the chemicals that is being exposed.

 The total cost of the meal was approximately $20.00 (rounded). It didn't cost so much because I went to Bottom Dollar where the food is sold at a cheaper price then regular food stores. For a serving of one person, this meal can cause a lot more than what restaurants sell it at. However, because I had to make it for a class, it amounted to be the same price. So basically I can make a meal that feeds 10-20 people for the same price as if one person was eating the meal. This meal is different then fast food because it doesn't contain a whole lot of processed chemicals that fast food meals does. It has been reported that places like McDonalds and Burger Kings causes more negative health factors. For example, weight gain, obesity, diabetes, etc. 

Most people that I know eat a meal like this, especially since it has seafood in it. The meal was purchased from a food market where the majority of people in America buy their food. The difference between the commercial process of the food and the self sufficient process is that there wouldn't be a problem with consuming the bad things that the food has in it because it went through the process in order to be sold. 

Self Reflection:

Personally, I have learned a lot in this unit. I learned that 1) it is extremely important for me to make sure that I am eating healthy and setting a healthy diet for myself. As a result, I force myself not to eat out as much as I used to and eat at home. Also, I try to make sure that I add more color to my food. I also learned that not all food are naturally grown and whenever I make a trip to the supermarket, I need to take into account to look at the ingredients and make sure that it would be health enough for me. I know that I am willing to make these changes and I know that it would make a major difference in my growth. If the government makes a change in the way food is distributed in this country, I believe that we would become a more healthier country and we won't be considered as obese.

The easy part about this project was working in groups. This helped me because it allowed me improve on my collaboration skills and sharing new ideas as well as listen to them as well. Overall, I think my group worked well together and performed our work well. We also was on time with our work. Communicating with our group was a major part that was to be played simply because we had to record a PSA talking about the importance of HIV/AIDS. 

The challenging part of this project was that there were days when some of the members (including myself) were not in school due to illness. For me, it was hard to communicate to my group because I was really sick. However, when I finally got a chance to reach out to them, they were responsive and got back to me about the things that I missed. That was helpful because since I was home, I was able to get the work done from home.

In conclusion, this project was a very fun project to do. My favorite part of it all was making a PSA. It was funny, yet informative so I think it captured the audience attention especially since we were mainly trying to target the 13-21 age range. 

We used a 9 Volt battery in order for the pumpkin to be lite up. We created a three series circuit. We did this so that the brightness in all of the LED lights could have the same brightness. After we did all of the calculations, we noticed that our light would only last eleven hours. As in the picture, you can tell that the LED are all at the same brightness. 

“Creativity comes from the heart of the person of how they feel.”

“Challenges lead to trying new things.”

 ¿Cuál es su nombre?

·      Mi nombre es Rosalinda Maddox

·      Yo tengo dieciséis años.

·      Yo fue Universidad de Delaware y Universidad de filadelfia.

·      Tengo un doctorado en bioquímica y una maestría en cosmetología.

·      Yo trabaje como voluntario en la Universidad de Temple. Tambien, yo trabaje en el laboratorio.

·      Porque yo soy inteligente y muy creativa.

·      Me especializo en la ciencia y la química. También me especializado en productos para el cabello.

·      Yo so importante, por que soy bueno en comunicación y socialización.

I want to show my point of view as a single mother that has 3 children on how I feel about the oil pipelines and the effect that it my have on not only my family but but community as well. I want people to know how I feel about and hopefully it will make a difference. I wanted to raise the importances of how dangerous that this can be and the health hazards that it can cause.  

Monologue 1:

(Setting: In the kitchen making dinner for the kids but you have a lot of things on your mind. After they eat, they get ready for bed)

My name is Kimberly Williams. Well, people call me “Kim” for short. I am 36 years old and I’m a long term resident, living in Fort Chipewyan, Canada. I’m a single woman. Have three children. Two sons and one daughter. I’m in trying to make dinner for them, and get them ready for bed, but so much is going on right now. But anyways “Am I married?” Well, no. Divorced actually. I’m more so married to the environment now, if that’s how you want to put it. The trees, the plants, the bugs, water…yeah, that’s all-important to me. “Kids come down for dinner!” (pacing back and forth shakes head) A lot of my family worked in the oil industry. My mom has worked in the oil industry for years, so it has been a big role in my family. I have always been vocal in my community and always a voice about the tar sands industry. I will always call Fort Chipewyan my home, despite of the situations. Me, well, I believe that my kids and I are being jeopardized by this. (leaning against the counter). You know, my kids love to swim in the lake near the house, but now…one of the hardest things to tell them is no because as a mother, I fear for my children, and I am afraid of what is in that water. When I was little, in 1970, there was an oil spill that only a few people knew about. As I was walking along the beaches, I saw a bird covered in oil and GUESS WHAT?? People were still swimming. I know, (acting surprised) it was mind-boggling. Now, what would you have done, if you saw birds covered in oil? Cause, I know that if I saw a bird covered in oil, I wouldn’t allow my kids to swim. The waterfront where we used to dive off the dock into the water has no water anymore. It’s bone dry. (pulls out the salt and pepper for dinner) The water levels are low and the flood lakes are not flooding. You know what my main question is (confused) “Where are the people that are responsible for this? This community is very close and everyone knows each other so if anything would happen, we would automatically know about it. We have meetings about the tar sands and we are speaking out against them. I just want the industry to take another look at this and realize that what they are doing is not right. Yeah, it’s hurting us and possibly killing us. Like I said I’m 36 years old and I want to continue to raise my kids and see them grow. (trying to hold back tears) My neighbor told me something and it was really true, now that I think about it. She said, “Everyone always thinks about the next dollar but in reality, we need to take time to develop something better than what we have.” Come on kids! Hurry so ya’ll can get into bed early for tomorrow. You can’t possibly tell me that there isn’t a better way.

Monologue 2:

(Setting: Outside cutting wood)

Hi, my name is Mike. Mike Daniels that is. I’m 45 years old, married, and have 2 kids. I live in Winsboro Texas. I am also a carpenter. As you can see, I am building this new tree house. Well, I’ve been one for years now. I fell in love with the community for its beauty and nature. Later on, I purchased the spot that I liked, and later on, got married to my beautiful wife, started building my house, and later down the line, I had my 2 wonderful kids, Mike Jr. and Melissa. I own 20 acres of land with spring fed creeks, and hardwoods. (puts wood down) Now look. It’s about to be destroyed by this stupid oil pipeline. My property now, is being threatened because they now want to run the pipelines through my grounds. MY GROUNDS! The Canadian oil company, TransCanada wants to run the Keystone XL pipeline through the heart of the community. But here’s the bad part. The pipeline carries the most dirties oil in the world and it can really harm myself, as well as my family. I don’t want them to get sick ad possibly die. “Hold up where is my wood?” (looking around for it)…oh there it is. Anyways, really, I didn’t know anything about this “project” that they were talking about doing until my next door neighbor came and told me that she had caught surveyors on my property. So I do some research about it and when I got home, I found all these stakes coming up from the ground all around my property. I was so confused. As the weeks go by, my wife told me that she had received some mail stating a request for looking at my property. I thought it was kind of to late for that being as though there were already stakes up coming out of the ground. (laughs a little) I don’t know what they were going to do. Now look, I love this place and I would die in this place. So I refused to give them the permission to make any more moves. Two months later, I received another letter from the Houston attorney saying that if we didn’t respond within a week, then they would have domain over the property and come anyhow and take me to court. But who are they to tell me what I can and cannot do? At this point, I just don’t know what to do. So I wrote them back telling them that they can come and do what needs to be done, as long as I have a 24hr notice that they are on my property. I watch them do what needs to be done and all but wait…I found out something that was very surprising. I talked to Harry Balswind from Nebraska University and he said that TransCanada did not have a presidential permit and that the EPA was not approved. So wait? I’m thinking to myself, “What was all that for then? Look, I was so mad (cuts wood really hard). Pres. Barack Obama needs to know that having these pipelines are not cool. I have a life to live and so does my family. Having them hasn’t proved anything for our best interest and neither has it created jobs for people to work. You have to treat the landowners with respect and they need to stop with all of the lies. Just tell the truth. Safety should always come first. I think I should stop now and check on my kids.

 Monologue 3:

My name is Victoria Meadows. My husband and me have been living in Channelview Texas for a while now. We both are business owners of a motorcycle repair shop. Were we live, is not far from the San Jacinto River so other oil and gas companies like ExxonMobil, Shell, and Chevron ship petroleum. Unfortunately, those type of companies pollute the are with toxins and most of the community is effected with the chance of having cancer. I am one that is active in my community and I am apart of a group called The Fight Against Pollution. We come together and think of ideas of trying to stop the air pollution and Channelview and make it a better place to live. (concerned)My community has struggled so much in the past 4 years and it’s our job as a community to stop the XL pipelines from coming through the grounds. In 1989, Shell oil blew up and it killed a lot of people and also polluted the air very bad. Uhh …what else happened? Oh, in the early 90’s there was an explosion. I can’t remember where it was though. Uh, Let’s see. The river flooded in 1994 but a lot of the oil companies refused to cut of their lines because of the pipelines that had exploded. So with all of that happening, you mean to tell me that you want XL PIPELINES RUNNING THROUGH OUR LAND?? Okay, I get it. You just want to hurt us even the more (getting mad) I don’t think it fair, Not only to me, but to all of the other families living here. This has to be the nastiest oil that we would be having if they still do decide to bring it to us. This is a really bad idea and they need to not follow through it. A lot of people ask me, (sarcastic voice) “Why do you live here?” It gets annoying after a while but I just say because I was born here. All of my memories were created here and I met my husband here. It will be like leaving a place where I spent my life. I don’t think it would be a good idea if I moved and let everyone suffer instead of trying to make a difference and helping my fellow peers and neighbors.

“Okay ladies, time for class. Get into your positions. Ready, first position…second position….third position.” The teacher just goes on and on and on. I was never late, always on time. I was the one who really was cool with a lot of people. I was always a part of the crowd that was social we were all stretching and hoping to relax before practice started. Bars are surrounding the perimeter of the rooms and bright clear mirrors around the whole studio. To be a dancer, it takes a lot of endurance, strength, and commitment. I need to use my legs, arms, and abdomen. In order for I to do that, they need to be strong enough. For some people, it can be a way to express your feelings or just do it, just to do it. Additionally, it can be a very good work out and keep you in shape. Taking ballet when I was little was fun. I would dance around at Philadanco in West Philly with my godsisters.

It was a couple years ago. I hop out the car and rush into the studio. Everyone is in their bodysuits and tights. Before everything starts, we are all stretching and talking among ourselves. Then the instructor comes in, “Hello girls, time for class!” Everyone gets up and is ready. Feet and arms move together in the five basic positions.  I’m moving to the rhythm of the music. “Run run run run, JUMP!” says the instructor. It has been a hour in a half practicing our moves, then we take a break. There are so many conversations going on at once. All the chattering from my peers talking about different topics. Then all conversations stop. It was sounded like we were in a library and no one was to make a sound. Shhhh, someone new comes in. No one knows her but me. Long hair, glasses, and tall. I stand there in amazement wondering why she’s there. I knew dancing was in her but I never knew she would want to do it.. Whether it was ballet, tap, hip-hop. Well, I’m not too sure about the tap dancing. I make her comfortable and introduce her to everyone. She’s pretty good. First position, second position and it keeps going on and on. Never ending. She makes friends quick and blends in but is a stand out. “Demi plié everyone”, says the teacher. Tick tock. The clock is moving by fast. Now it’s coming towards the end of the day and yes, I am very tired. The soles of my shoes are worn out. The long, thick straps leaving a mark around my legs. I think it’s time to go home. Hopefully, the new girl enjoyed her first day. Well, she did cause that new girl was me!

 That day was so much fun. For me, it was kind of nerve reckoning with all of the stares and looks only because I was new, but it all paid off well in the end. After walking in the studio for the first time, I immediately fell in love with it. The moves, the posture, and the technique of it all.

Okay, so now let’s move forwards some years. It’s been a long time since I have danced. Whether it was ballet, hip-hop, or whatever. Yeah, I might go on and dance with my friends at church or when we’re all at home just dancing for fun! I see people on T.V. moving to the beat. Whether the beat was slow or fast. It was years ago and now I’m feeling that I should do it again, along with other things. Every time I go out with my mom to the super market, or to the mall with my friends, I always end up dancing, and most of the time, there’s no music playing. My mom always tells me, “Raeven, I’m going to you back into a dance school.” I always blew it off but now that she’s said so many times, I think I would really like to do it. When she’s not home, I will always put on some music and learn the dances of different music videos …well, not study them, but just look at them and see how precise the dancers are with their moves.

It had been a while since I’ve danced. I have always loved doing it. Whether it was hip-hop or ballet. Sometimes, I do it because it can can be a way to express myself and it’s just fun. Now that I am older, I would like to get back into doing it and really becoming committed to it.

• used for electrical wiring, pipe water supplies,
• vacuum tubes use copper
• some structures such as the statue of liberty, are made with copper
• many musical instruments are made out of copper. 
• cookware

Introduction/ Reflection:

I think my work says that I am a very creative person and I put a lot of detail into my work. I love to use keynote, because it allows me to put color and be creative on my work. As viewers, you will see a lot of me in my work in the way I write and the way that I express myself. For example, the memoir vignette, you will learn a lot about me just by reading it. I think my strengths in English are comprehending the work and doing the work on time. Also, I think that I’m good at participating in class and engaging in the conversations that we have.

Quarter 1:

Macbeth Character Analysis:

This project was to demonstrate the one of the characters growth throughout the book. The goal was to have 10 quotes that the character has said and illustrate the transformation of MacBeth or Lady MacBeth.

Thesis Statement: Lady Macbeth is a greedy person but then turned into a regretful person who was soaked with guilt.

In Act 1 scene 3 of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth stating that he received a prophesy from the witches that he was going to be Thane of Cawdor and will be the King. Aside, Lady Macbeth reads, “Glamis thou art Cawdor, and shalt be what thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature” (Act 1, scene 5, lines 14-15). What this means here is that Lady Macbeth now wants this phophesy to come to pass. Now, Lady Macbeth is going to do everything that she can in order to make this happen. She fears his nature or his personality because he could react a certain way that Lady Macbeth wouldn’t like.

In Act 1 scene 5, Lady Macbeth wants to become like a man so that she can have the guts and the strength to kill Duncan. Her desire now is the make sure that she forms an alliance with Macbeth and set out to kill Duncan so that he will no longer become Thane of Cawdor. To herself, Lady Macbeth talks to the spirits and says, “Come you mortal spirits…unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe topful of direst cruelty…make thick my blood” (Act 1, scene 5, lines 39-42). What she means is that she no longer wants to be like a woman. She wants her blood to be thick as a man and so that she can think and fight like a man. She want the “feel” of a man so that she can have the ability to set out for Duncan.

In Act 1 scene 5 of Macbeth, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are talking and Macbeth states to Lady Macbeth that Duncan is coming home and staying over for dinner. At this time, Macbeth is unaware of what Lady Macbeth wants to do, so he is unmindful of what she wants to do. Lady Macbeth states to Macbeth, “O never shall sun that morrow see…” (Act 1, scene 5, lines 59-60). What she means is that Duncan will not live to see tomorrow because by that time, he will be considered dead.

In Act 1 scene 5, “Lady Macbeth thinks that she has everything under control and she’s going to do this all by herself. She is now starting to be very selfish and egotistical about killing Duncan. She explains all of what she is planning to do to Macbeth and says, “Only look up clear. To alter favor ever is to fear. Leave all the rest to me.” (Act 1, scene 5, lines 70-72). This means, she’s telling Macbeth to not to worry about what she is planning to do because she has it “under control”. Lady Macbeth’s ego is really getting to her, which causes her to act out in this way.

Act 1 scene 7, Lady Macbeth feels like Macbeth is trying  to back out from killing Duncan. She also feels like he’s  thinking twice about what he is going to do especially if it’s going to lead to him getting into some trouble. Lady Macbeth says, “And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.” (Act 1, scene 7, lines 50-51). This means, she doesn’t think that Macbeth has the guts to kill Duncan anymore and that he doesn’t have the courage anymore. He is second guessing  himself because he thinks that he is going to fail. That shows that Macbeth is now thinking that he isn’t thinking like a man and doesn’t show any signs of being a man. Lady Mac manipulates him to try and get inside of his head.

In Act 1 scene 7, Lady Macbeth is now planning in what they should do in order to kill Duncan. Her plan is to set him up along with his two chamberlains. She says to Macbeth, “Soundly invite him, his two chamberlains, will I with wine and wassail…shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason…when in swinish sleep their drenched natures lies as in a death.” (Act 1, scene 7, lines 64-69). She means that she is going to get the chamberlains and the guards drunk so that they won’t be aware of what is going to happen. She is later going to have Macbeth sneak in and kill Duncan. She is now being very mean and self-centered.

In Act 5 scene 1, Lady Macbeth has been found sleep walking with a light. The gentlewoman and the doctor are trying to figure out what she is saying. She is now regretting the fact that she has pressured Macbeth into killing Duncan. For her, she is now feeling guilty. While in her sleep, she says, “ Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will now sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!” (Act 5, scene 1, lines 50-51). What she means is that she still smells and feels the smell of the blood of Duncan. The Gentlewoman and the doctor found out that she was apart of killing him. Mentally, she is not feeling well and is struggling because she can’t figure out how to get the blood off of her.

In Act 5, scene 1, Lady Macbeth is sleep walking and is talking about her killing Banquo and Duncan. She says, “Out, damned spot!” (Act 5, scene 1, line 35). She is rubbing her hands because she still see’s blood and it is reminding her of the killing of Banquo. She is now blameworthy of what she did.

In Act 5 scene 1, Lady Macbeth claims that Banquo is now dead and that he is in his grave. She doesn’t realize that she is saying this but this is big news to the gentlewoman and the doctor. She says, “I tell you yet again, Banquo’s buried. He cannot come out the grave.” (Act 5, scene 1, lines 62-62). This means that Lady Macbeth is soaked with guilt now since she was the cause of killing Banquo. Not only is she talking to herself, but she is talking to Macbeth because she wants him to know that her work is done and now Macbeth is now king of Cawdor.

In Act 5, scene 1, Lady Macbeth is now going to go to bed and at least try to relax. She see’s that what she has done can not be undone so, she’s full of regret. Still sleep walking, she states, “ To bed, to bed; there’s knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed.” ( Act 5, scene 1, lines 64-66). That was the last time that Lady Macbeth had spoken until she died. She was not feeling well. She died full with regret and guilt.

These quotes all follow the path of Lady Macbeth. She was a greedy person who wanted anything and everything just do that her husband could be king of Cawdor. When she was done her deed, she realized that what she did was wrong and now she’s filled with guilt. She had to suffer the consequences of what she has done.

Quarter 2:

Memoir Vignette

This project was to take a snapshot of my life and make it into a small story. This was to utilize and create my personal piece of non-fiction. A vignette is a stand a lone story that you can fit into the bigger picture of your life story.

      The Miracle Child

             What? When? How? Why? She’s not going to live? Inconceivable. Confused, maybe? Unimaginable. Scared. What is going to happen to her at such a young age?  Is she going to live or die?  Is she going to live to see 5, 10, or even 15 years old? (Repetition for effect)These are just some of the questions that probably ran through my parents mind when they found out that I was really sick and possibly not going to live. Come to find out, I had this horrible sickness called sepsis. It was a horrible condition in which my body was fighting a severe infection that has spread to the bloodstream.

            It was on December 17, 1996, that I was transported to the hospital at such a young age. No one knew what was going wrong with me. Not even my parents knew. They only suspected that something wasn’t normal with me. When I arrived at the hospital, I was immediately hooked on to tubes and machines. I had tubes going in and out of my body. Breathing tube, feeding tube… You name it, I had it.  After doing multiple tests and blood work, the doctor noticed that I had this rare sickness and that there was a possibility that I wasn’t going to live. The doctor said, “I’m so sorry Mr. and Mrs. Maddox but your daughter has a chance of not living.” (Dialogue) It got even worse. I had to stay at the hospital for four months. (Dialogue) I wonder how they could’ve felt. Maybe scared, mad, or even upset. I just know that they weren’t happy.

            Hours have gone by. Tick, tock, tick, tock, (repetition for effect) and I’m still hooked onto these machine. Next thing you know, most of all of my family was there in the hospital praying for me and staying at the hospital for days waiting to hear any new news from the doctors. My mom was so scared. She didn’t want me to go, especially since I was her 5^th child to be conceived, but only one to survive. My mom had 4 miscarriages before she birthed me. I bet that had to be tough for her and my dad.  It would have been hard for her to hear that I have passed away. All they could do is not just depend on what the doctors said but what God had to say. They knew that if it was my time to go, then it was just my time to go. Would it be devastating? Yes. However, things would not have made sense as to why I would survive the birth but not the sickness. If I was the 5^th child to be conceived but then the only one to survive, then there had to be a reason why I was the only one to make it into what you call life. Hmmm. Now that I try to look back and listen to the stories and the pictures, I realize that as a get older, I have a story to tell and let people know that miracles do happen.

            It was the cold morning of Christmas Eve on December 24, 1996,  my mom was shopping at the Kids R’ Us shopping for gifts. As she was walking down the aisle, she bumped into this lady. Of course when you bump into someone, you say excuse me. The lady said, “Just know that your daughter will be fine and everything is going to be okay.” (Dialogue). My mom never met this woman or ever heard of her a day in her life. As soon as my mom turned around and looked back, the lady wasn’t there anymore. She looked for her all around the store. But the funny thing is that they were in the back of the store so the lady couldn’t have gone far. My mom looked high and low like she was investigating a crime scene (metaphor). It was like she was an angel sent from heaven just to let my mom know that I was going to okay. (simile). To hear that being said, I bet it was a sigh of relief. She went back to the hospital knowing that everything was going to be fine. Still, there was like a sea of people just standing around waiting and waiting and waiting. At least I know that my family cared enough about me!

            I stayed at the hospital for a couple more days. Doctors were monitoring me making sure I was doing okay. When they said that I was going to be okay, it was a miracle that I was even going to survived. I could have died right there on the spot. However, there was some bad news. The doctors said that I had to take physical therapy for a whole 6 months. I had to learn how to breathe and how to sit up again. Having all of those breathing tubes coming in and out of my body just messed me up big time!

As I look at the pictures of when I was sick, what I saw was something that I knew wasn’t going to control me for the rest of my life or even take my life. I know that I have a purpose for living on this earth and I am destined to do great things. It’s a miracle that I survived and I’m glad that I am here 15 years later healthy, and just fine!

Quarter 3:

The Odyssey Compare/Contrast Essay

The quarter 3 benchmark was to compare and contrast the book “The Odyssey” to either the movie “O’ Brother Where Art Thou?” or someone that you may know or a movie that you have watched. This was to see if there are any similarities and differences between the characters.

 The Odyssey (Penelope)

vs.

O’ Brother Where Art Thou? (Penny)

 In the movie, “O Brother Where Art thou?” and the book The Odyssey  both of the characters have families that they have to provide for and take care of them. The three points are that Penny decides not to take back her husband however, Penelope does. Both of these characters make decisions that can either jeopardize or bring together their families. Even though Penelope and Penny share many qualities, Penny is very selfish and unwilling to wait to work it out with her husband.

 Both Penelope and Penny show signs of untrust when rumors were going around that their husbands were back. While Everett and Delmar return back to Everett’s hometown, they all find out that Penny is engaged to Vernon T. Waldrip. He is willing to get back with her and tries to convince her that he has changed. However, she doesn’t believe that he has changed and he is the same way as he was before. She tests him to see if he would give her back the ring that she deserves. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the ring because it’s ten thousand feet below the water. As a result, she does not reunite herself with him. Instead, she stays with Vernon. This shows that Penny was very hurt by the fact that her own husband was sent to jail and she doesn’t want to get back with him. Similarly, when Penelope first finds out that her husband is back from being gone for 20 years, she doesn’t believe the suitors. During this time, Penelope is still faithful. However, she tests Odysseus and was asking him questions to see if it was really him. She said, “Come, hand him the bow now, and let’s just see . . . “ (Homer, The Odyssey 21. Line 375). She says this so that she can test the suitors to see if they can shoot the arrow and hit the target.

Even though Penelope and Penny may have some similarities, they also share some differences.  Penny is not willing to wait for Everett. When he was sent to jail, she wanted to divorce him. Overtime, she ends up being engaged to Vernon. She tells her children that Everett was hit by a train and that he’s dead. This shows that Penny was making decisions based on her feelings and what she wanted to do. In contrast, Penelope was always faithful to her husband. She spoke very highly of him. She loved him a lot and always cared about him as well. For example, while Odysseus was gone, she tricks the suitors so that she won’t have to get engaged to any of them.

 Penelope and Penny are very different when their husbands come back. When Everett comes back, Penny doesn’t want to listen when he asks to come back into her life and their children’s lives. She feels this way because she thinks that he is not a good provider for her and her children. Everett has no job and would have no way of taking care of his family. Instead, Vernon has a job and is able to provide and take care of the family. Unlike Penny, Penelope takes Odysseus back. After she tests him, she is still the faithful wife that she was before he even left. This shows that she stays committed to the relationship that she and Odysseus have. For example, when Odysseus comes back she said, “Odysseus- don’t flare up at me now, not you, always the most understanding man alive!” (Homer, The Odyssey Line. 235 -36) This shows that Penelope trust Odysseus and loves him very much and they sill have trust in each other.

 Penelope and Penny do share some things with each other. However, they share a lot of differences. Both of their personalities are different therefore causing them to not have many similarities with one another. Penelope and Penny share similar qualities that effected them when rumors where going around that their husbands had retuned back. Penelope made her decision to stay with her husband and remain faithful to him as well as her children. Unfortunately, Penny decided not to because of her Everett’s choice that resulted him to going to jail. Both families were infected by this in a good and bad way. In all, both families made a choice that they thought would benefit them as well as their families.

Creative Piece

Macbeth Creative

This creative piece was to describe either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth in how the have changed throughout the book. We were able to be creative and put in it our own way.  It was a fun project to it.

Independent Reading

First Independent Reading

In the beginning of year, we were assigned to read a book and write a book review on it. The book that I choose was called “Blessings In Disguise” by ReShonda Tate Billinsley. Not only did we have to read the book, but we had to understand what was being read and how comprehend it.

The book that I read was called “Blessings In Disguise” written by ReShonda Tate Billingsley is the second, of an 8 part novel series listed in Essence Magazine as a #1 bestseller. The book is a continuation of the first book, “Nothing But Drama”, which is about four teenage girls – Camille, Angel, Jasmine, and Alexis – who experience difficulties, trials, and conflict as friends. ReShonda also wrote many other books such as: “My Brothers Keeper”, which she received the Gold Pen Award for Best New Author from the Black Writer’s Alliance.

             “Blessings In Disguise” centers around two of the four teens, Jasmine and Alexis, who find themselves dealing with the dysfunctions, chaos, and challenges in their families and personal lives. Jasmine is raised by a single parent, who is in search for her dad. Jasmine is sick and tired of always being the one trying to sustain her family together and always cleaning up after everyone, so she escapes from her home and tries to find her father to go and live with him. Alexis seems to have the “perfect life”, however, no one can see what’s she’s really going through as her parents are heading to file for divorce. Both of the girls are terribly tempted to do something substantial that they know will get them into a lot of trouble but instead do it anyway. My favorite character in the book is Jasmine because she goes through a lot as far as family and friends. She tries to find her way through life and is searching for someone to talk to that will understand her in a way that they would know where she is coming from. After the reader is finished with this book, I think they should learn to obey their parents and never to steal. Following these lessons will help them in their everyday lives.

I can relate to the story more on Jasmines side. Even though I don’t have any siblings and my parents aren’t divorced, I have felt like I have wanted to run away and try to live a life that I wasn’t living in the past. I have never done any of the things that Alexis and Jasmine has done but I can relate to how they felt.

I really like this book and I hope to read the rest of the books to see what will happen has far as their relationships and attitudes. Some of its strengths are that the author explains each of the characters in a way that the reader is able to understand. To me, this book doesn’t have any weaknesses. I can apprehend the book very well and know where each of the characters is coming from. There is nothing in the book that I will try and change.

I would defiantly recommend this book to other teenagers to read because it teaches them life lessons that they can carry out and take with them in their everyday lives. Readers will take pleasure in the captivating characters, emotional power, and the down to earth messages of this novel and the other books that follow.

Four Top Journals:

My Choice:

Throughout the year, we occasionally were assigned to write in our journals. Sometimes, we got the chance to write what ever we wanted, however, there were times when we had to answer questions that the teacher wrote down.

Journal entry #47

Do I like being a female? Of course!! I wouldn’t change it for the world. However, in being a female, comes a lot of challenges physically, mentally, and emotionally. From deciding what to wear everyday, to body parts changing, to mood swings…it’s just a lot. Sometimes it can be very painful and uncomfortable each month. Each female is different and they can either take the pain or just can’t. These are the times that I wish I was a boy just for the couple of days. For me, I have mood swings and don’t want to be bothered with anyone. Sometimes I get so sick that I don’t even come to school. Not only the physical changes that I as well as a lot of other females go through, but we also go through a lot of emotional changes. Personally, they can get in the way a lot because you would have feelings that later on you would think about it and then it would be stupid that you even thought about it.

I would like to be a boy and have the mentality of a boy for one day just so that I can see and experience how they function on a day to day basis. To me, it’s kind of difficult to understand them and know their ways; for example, how they think, what they do when a girl walks by, etc. I think that it would be cool, however, I wouldn’t want to go through this for a long time. I think being a girl is better than being a boy J

Journal Entry: December 16, 2010

I really never wanted to be apart of a group. For me, it was mostly me hanging out with the same group of people. Hanging out with that same group of people has made me realize that hanging out with the same people is not making myself available to other people. I always that when those group of people weren’t in school, I thought that I was alone and there was no one for me to talk too.

But I realized that if I continue to hang with the same people over and over, then I won’t ever make myself available now and later in the future. Now that I am older, I now go up to people and introduce myself and network. Im not really good at meeting new people because I can be very shy in the beginning. It sometimes feels awkward, but I make the best of it.

Journal Entry: February 2, 2011

To me, a hero is someone that you look up too as a person of integrity. That person might have done something nice or has helped someone out in hard times. A hero must be someone that you can look up too and count on for anything possible. That doesn’t mean to take advantage of them but use them for legitimate reasons. They also are people who have wisdom and can guide you threw the roughest times that you may encounter in your life.

Journal Entry: April 4, 2011

Some of the expectations that are put upon by others aren’t always the best. They could be sometimes be uncomfortable for me and I won’t want to accomplish those expectations. On the other hand, some of the expectations that make me “uncomfortable” is good for me to bring me out of y comfort zone and explore and experience different things. Some of the expectations that are put upon me are to continue to get good grades, and continue to do what I do. Also, they want me to be a leader and not so much a follower. Some expectations for myself are too also get good grades, be an example for others that are younger than me, and some times older people.

Gonorrhea can be very dangerous if it's left untreated. In girls, gonorrhea can move into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries causing Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and can decrease the chance of having a baby. Gonorrhea infection during pregnancy can cause major problems for the newborn baby, including meningtis - an inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord - and possibly an eye infection that can result in blindness if it is not treated.

Gonorrhea in boys can spread to the epididymis, causing pain and swelling in the testicular area.

This can also effect other organs and parts of the body including the throat, eyes, heart, brain, skin, and joints, although it is less common.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/stds/std_gonorrhea.html

http://www.cdc.gov/std/gonorrhea/stdfact-gonorrhea.htm

Chlamydia is also known as the "silent" disease because the majority of infected people have no symptoms. However, if the symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks after exposure. Chlamydia is a common STD that infects the women's reproductive system. Chlamydia also can cause discharge from the penis of an infected man as well. In 2009, 1,244,180 chlamydial infections were reported to CDC from 50 states and D.C. Women who might have the symptoms might have an abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating. For men, they might have burning and itching around the opening of the penis.

Both of these STD's are serious infections and it can effect both males and females.

Untreated, STDs can have serious side effects, including:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/std/std4.shtml

In this blog, you will probably have second thoughts about making choices that might affect you in your later years in life. It contains information that is effecting teen’s age 12-19. Hopefully, this blog will change some of the lives of these young people and have them realize that having sex at a young age can affect them physically, emotionally, and financially. 

My issue on this project is teen sex and STD's. I strongly believe that in today's day and age, teen sex has become overrated. To some teenagers, it has become the "norm" to have sex. I am really passionate about this topic and I strongly believe that it's a topic that needs to be addressed to children and especially parents whether they have children or not.

STD’s (Sexually Transmitted Disease) are another important issue that are killing the lives of these children. Children as young as 15 are diagnosed with at least one STD. Some even have more than one. Unfortunately, the majority of teens don’t even know that they are walking around these streets with it.

Stats on Teen Sex:

•  Most sexually active females that are 15-19 years old have partners who are the same age or 1-3 years older (74%). 25% of girls’ partners were 4 or more years older. · 
•  In 2002, 11% of males and females aged 15-19 has had anal sex with someone of the opposite sex.
• In 2002, 55% of males and 54% of female’s aged 15-19 had engaged in oral sex with someone of the opposite sex. 

·       In 2002, 12% of all pregnancies, or 757,000, occurred among adolescents aged 15-19.

·       In 2006, an estimated 5,259 young people aged 13-24 in the 33 states reporting to CDC were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, representing about 14% of the persons diagnosed that year. 

·       In 2009, 46% of high school students had ever had sexual intercourse, and 14% of high school students had had four or more sex partners during their life.

·       In 2009, 34% of currently sexually active high school students did not use a condom during last sexual intercourse.

http://www.sadd.org/stats.htm#sexualactivity

http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/sexualbehaviors/

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200305/peer-pressure-and-teen-sex

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/health_med_fit/article_96d0ee57-e3dc-59d7-a5ec-e5cbc5b71ffc.html

http://www.bhg.com/health-family/parenting-skills/teen-challenges/stds-teens-a-reality-check/

Stats on STD’s:

Of the 12 million cases, 3 million cases of STD’s are among teenagers. About 13 percent of youth ages 13 to 19 contract an STD each year. The most common STD’s that youth contract are Chlamydia, HPV, Herpes, HIV/AIDS, and Gonorrhea, to name a few.

One in four teenage girls in the U.S. has an STD, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In Wisconsin, the rate of four of the most commonly reported STDs among teens jumped 53 percent between 1997 and 2007. Females and minorities, especially African-Americans, have been hit hard.

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/health_med_fit/article_96d0ee57-e3dc-59d7-a5ec-e5cbc5b71ffc.html.

I wonder if teens do this for the attention or if they do it because of peer pressure. I also wonder why teens don’t take a stand in what they know is right.

My plan moving forward, is to continue to do more research on teen sex and study STD’s and how they effect the human body.

In my first slide, I had a lot of colors and all my pictures were spread out. There is really no contrast. Everything was just colorful. The slide was vivid in colors and was visible to see. However, it had nothing that involved Presentation Zen. Also, I really didn't have any type of empty space or bleeding. Everything on my slide was bunched together.

My second slide was much better than my first. I thought of words that describe me best and put them in my second slide. Then, I put one big picture of me so that when people ride by and see my billboard, they would know that it is about me. My words are big and are easy to read. There is also bleeding and a lot of empty space in the slide as well.