Group Members:
Taylor Ximines
Ananda Knight
Tyikenyua Anthony
Tsion Habtamu

What Our Group Discussed:

Chapters 8,9, and 10.

How We Discussed It:

To discuss this we started at Chapter 8 and went in chronological order by chapter numbers. We had an open discussion about what we read. And then end the end we all explained what we may have or have not learned from this book. 

Any Points of Conflict/Disagreement In Discussion:

Yes when it came to what we learned from the book in general and the way we interpreted the questions for the last chapter. Everyone did not agree on what they learned from the book. This in all of the podcast and discussions was probably the biggest conflict/disagreement that we as a group came up with.

Questions:

Ending this book we are all wondering now how we can use this to look at statistics differently in the future.

Group Members:

Taylor Ximines
Ananda Knight
Tyikenyua Anthony
Tsion Habtamu

What Our Group Discussed:

Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7.

How We Discussed It:

To discuss this we started at Chapter 4 and went in chronological order by chapter numbers. We talked with each other and brought up points that we liked or may not have liked.

Any Points of Conflict/Disagreement In Discussion:

Not really but Tyi was the only one that was constantly finding things that she did not like in the book. Or it would be something that she disliked. Other than that there was no disagreements.

Questions:

There were really no questions that came up. Sometimes we would ask for each others clarification on certain topics but other than that none.

​

Name: Taylor Ximines

Mentor Name: Ms. Martin

My capstone is about making my community aware about what Breast Cancer is, and I made a team for the 2014 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure that was on Mother's Day. 

For my Capstone I wanted to do something that would actually be special to me. I did not want to do a project that wouldn't be meaningful to me. So I started to think about issues that affect me gender, culture, race, and age wise. And something that seemed to be a common factor among those were breast cancer. For me personally my family has been affected by the disease, and I know for millions of other people it has to. I wanted to make a difference in anyway that I could. So my initial plan was to recruit students to join the team that I would make to participate in the race that took place on Mother's Day. The process for this Capstone was one that was long and hard at times. Things did not always turn out like I wanted them to. It took a lot of  patience on my end to carry through with what I wanted my project to be. In the end I did make a team for SLA for the Race for the Cure and did the walk/run. I learned along the way that things to do not always happen like I want them to. That no matter what we always have to remember what the end goal for everything is. I hope that by me starting this somebody in  the years to come can do the Race for the Cure under the SLA team; as well as help to take steps toward finding the cure for breast cancer.

Bibliography

1. "WebMD Breast Cancer Center: Types, Symptoms, Causes, Genes, Staging, Tests, and Treatments." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. -

This source basically explains what breast cancer is. It tells about the disease and what it does. I used this source to explain to people exactly what breast cancer is. Some people may be unsure about what it is. So I used this resource because WebMD is one of the most credible online medical journals. So I can be almost one hundred percent sure that the information on here is non bias and correct.

2. "What Is Breast Cancer?" Www.nationalbreastcancer.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

This is the website for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. I used this website as a source for breast examinations. One of the main ways to see if you have breast cancer is to have an examination done. It could be done at home or at a doctors office. This website explains each step and what to do when it comes to checking to see if you have breast cancer.

3. "50 Fundraising Ideas." 50 Fundraising Ideas. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.

This website gives 50 ways on how to fundraise. For my project I will need to raise money in order to make my team for the walk. Having money is something I will need in order to make my team. But since I am not rich I must receive donations  and get money my own way while trying to put my team together. So this website has given me some new ideas on how to raise that money.

4. "The Big Pink Footprint:." Susan G Komen Philadelphia. 27 Jan. 2014

<http://komenphiladelphia.org/>-

This is the website for the Susan G Komen Philadelphia Chapter. This is probably my most important source. It tells me what to do when it comes to making my own team. As well as giving me resources to people that will help me. When I do the walk I will need to be registered with them and they will tell me exactly what to do. So this is my most important website for doing my whole project.

5. "What are the key statistics about breast cancer?" What are the key statistics about breast cancer? 26 Jan. 2014 <http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailedguide/breast-cancer-key-statistics>.

This websites gives the most recent statistics when it comes to breast cancer. I used this because I will need to tell people just how serious of a problem this disease is. That somebody they know has breast cancer or will develop it statistically speaking. So doing this walk.run is something that is needed to help support research for this disease.

2. 6. Schawbel, Dan. "5 Ways to Network in the Real World." 5 Ways to Network in the Real World. 27 Jan. 2014 <http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/5-ways-to-network-in-real-world>.

This source gives various ways to network. It includes whether it be on social media, or by people that I know. It gives key details and tips on how to make my circle bigger. Networking is something that I will need to do for this Capstone. The more participants I get, the more sponsors, and the more money that can be raised for my Capstone.

7.  Kelly. "Welcome." Inspirational Breast Cancer Survivor Stories | Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. 27 Jan. 2014 <http://makingstrides.acsevents.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MSABC_FY13_StoriesOfHope>.

This is a story about a woman named Kelly. She talked about how breast cancer ran in her family and that she always did early screening and got regular mammograms. But that she still unexpectedly developed an aggressive breast cancer. But through different foundations and walks that the money raised helped her get the treatments to get rid of it. This can be used to show why my Capstone is important. That most families will be affected by this cancer and it is important to keep making teams who do walks and races to raise money to help people.

8.  "Financial Information." Susan G. Komen®. 25 Jan. 2014

<http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/FinancialInformation.html>.

This source is very important for this project.  A big part of my Capstone is the fundraising. That in order to make my team and do the walk/run on Mother's Day we have to raise the money. But I do not want to raise the money and then not see where the money is going. Or have other people committed to my team and not know exactly where their finances are going. So this source shows the Susan G Komen's finances for all of the past years. And it also explains how the finances are distributed back to breast cancer research and treatment.

9. "Corporate Partners and Sponsors." Susan G. Komen®. 27 Jan. 2014 <http://ww5.komen.org/allCorporatePartners.aspx>.

This is a source that tells just how big the Susan G Komen foundation is. There are a lot of breast cancer foundations. I wanted to make sure that for my Capstone I picked one that was renowned and very well known. So this is just a list of so many other famous companies that sponsor the Komen Foundation and are their partners. This just reassures my team and I that we are actually working with the biggest breast cancer foundation, and it will do the maximum amount of help.

10. "Careers / Internships / Volunteering." Susan G. Komen®. 27 Jan. 2014

<http://ww5.komen.org/GetInvolved/Careers.html>.

This is a source telling how else to get involved. I do not want my Capstone to be the only time that people are involved with this important topic. During and after my Capstone I still want people to care about Breast Cancer Awareness; including myself. So if people want to find out how they can still volunteer this is the source for it. Or even if somebody wants to continue this same Capstone idea by having a team for next year's walk then this is the source for them.

Writing is a concept that is very universal. It has the power to connect people from all different walks of life. Without it we would be unable to communicate with one another. We would not be able to learn and educate ourselves. For me writing has helped me ever since I was younger. Things like learning to write my name and address are memories that I still vividly remember. They are things that are very important to who I am. Writing helps us to figure out our identity because it connects us to who we are. I can also remember how writing does and still does help me connect to loved ones. It is impossible for me to always talk to people I care about all the time. So whether it be a letter, e-mail, or even text; writing helps me to feel closer to them. In my life right now writing is helping me connect to what my future will hold. College essays and essays in general that I have to write are helping to determine what my tomorrow will look like. For the rest of my like I know that writing will be a very important presence.  

This was honestly one of my favorite projects of this year so far. I say this because it was on a topic that I am passionate about in a way I guess. HIV/AIDS is something that I believe is a serious problem not only in Philadelphia, but in the world. So making an informative video to educate my peers on it was something that I truly enjoyed doing. We wanted to create a video and ads to help get the message across to teenagers that getting tested is very important, and that the disease itself is nothing to play around with. But as far as the actual process of doing the paper, it was not always the best for me.

So I can start by talking about the challenges that this project presented to me. Well as said above my group wanted to do a PSA video about the topic. So once we decided on the exact theme for the PSA we wanted to film the actual video. But with this we needed costumes and a script written. But the problem came up that everybody in my group (including myself) was busy with other work. So what wound up happening is that we waited until last minute to get everything situated and thoroughly planned out. Even with the plan on how we were going to present to our class. So I believed that if we were to invest more time into the project earlier it would have been a lot better than what it is.

Even though there were some challenges there was also a lot of success that came with and eventually from this project. Even though my group waited last minute to do a lot of the work, when we did come together to collaborate it was good. We would work hard together and make sure that whatever needed to be done got done. As well as we all did a good job at making sure everybody had their individual components completed. Which to me was important because everybody in my group usually has a passive attitude for when it comes to telling people to do their parts. Also we all work very well together just in general. So being in a group with people that I get along with was something that really helped with this project.

So in the end I can say that the successes of this project outweighed the failures. In every project there will always be problems. Not everything will be perfect. There will be disagreements, not everybody doing their part, and things like that. But for this project I have so say that it went good. It did not stress me out as much as group projects usually do. And as said above I can honestly say that this was one of the funnest projects I had this year so far.

1. Taylor, Daniel. "Teen Pregnanc'ys High Cost." Philly.com. N.p., 30 08 2012. Web. 13 Feb 2013. <http://articles.philly.com/2012-08-30/news/33477284_1_teen-mothers-teen-pregnancy-rate-teen-births>.

This is a magazine article written by Dr. Daniel Tosh, who is a pediatrician at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. In this he is talking about how at his office he sees teen mothers all the time. And even though the teen pregnancy rate in the nation is down from previous years, that the United States is still number one for teenage mothers. And that in Philadelphia it is a major problem. He explains that teenage pregnancy is not good for the mothers or their children for many reasons. This connects to my project greatly because they both are saying exactly what the problem in Philadelphia with teenage pregnancy is, and why it is a problem.

2. Basch, Charles Journal of School Health; October 2011, Vol. 81 Issue 10, p614-618, 5p

This is an article that was written by Charles Basch. He wrote it for the Journal of School Health. In this he is talking statistically about teen pregnancy. Saying things like how a teenage girl is less likely to finish high school yet go on to college. And that for urban youth it is even worst. Also that maybe one of the only ways to prevent is to enforce programs that better educate urban youth on the topic. This is a source that is great for our project. I say this because this article sums up everything our project is trying to show to people. 

3. Weiss, Robin. "Teen Pregnancy." About.com. N.p., 01 11 2009. Web. 13 Feb 2013. <http://pregnancy.about.com/od/teenpregnancy/a/Teen-Pregnancy.htm>.

        

This is an article written by Robin Weiss, LCCE. She is  a childbirth and postpartum educator, certified doula, doula trainer, and lactation counselor. In this specific article she is explaining teen pregnancy.  Exactly what risk come along when a teenager has a baby and things of that nature. As well as also explaining the fact that even though there are so many risk that teenage girls are still capable of being suitable mothers. This article is very important to our project. Because it addresses the problem that we are researching as well as give reasons to why it is a "problem".

4. Haswell, Jasmine. Personal Interview. 13 02 2013.

This is an interview that was done with an 18 year old named Jasmine who is my friend. She herself is a teen mother. She is not living with her daughter because she has to finish trade school now. But because she had a child as a 16 year old, she had to stop going to school to become a mother. She is an expert in the area of teen motherhood, and would be very beneficial to the project.

5. Williams, Wanda. 14 02 2013. 02 . Print.

This interview was with my Aunt Wanda. She had two kids as a teenager and still went to college and graduated from there. And a couple of her children had children of their own when they were teenagers. She is an expert because she herself experienced being a teen parent, as well as how the cycle that statistics show that have to do with teen pregnancy are right in some cases. It is because of this that she would be good for our project.

This interview is about a man overcoming an obstacle, and being something he never imagined he would be

For me doing this interview was a great learning experience. I believe that with anybody when you do an interview like I did it should always be a learning experience. For me I knew some of the boundaries that my father had to cross but I did not know them in depth. This interview made me more knowledgeable about my father and what he went through. This also taught me more about the relationship my mother and father have. That through this time in his life she was pretty much the backbone for him. My father showed me how much more responsible he is now because of what he went through and that he is truly a better man because of this. My life would be totally different if my father was still in his addiction. The lives of my brothers and sisters would be different if my father had not made this change in his lifestyle. Him going back to church and going back to school is a lesson for everyone. He is a prime example that no matter where you come from or who you used to be that you can accomplish any and everything that you might want to. 

New link for project: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/24271111/Interview%20-%20Large.m4v

Video doesn't work right on here so here is the dropbox link to the video : https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Public/Interview.mov?w=c18f705e

Taylor Ximines

 

Welcome to the jungle. Where people here usually end up in jail, where they actually do look like animals inside of a cage. Welcome to Hell on Earth. Some days you feel as though Hell is a wonderful alternative then being in this place. Drug addicts and dealers are on every corner like clockwork. Welcome to the place that will make you or break you. Where if you do live past 21 then you will not accomplish anything. Either you are making babies or making drugs, there are no other options. Here we have no real mothers. Instead we have women who had to give up their childhood and dreams to raise their own children. Here babies have babies. Women who repeated the dreaded cycle of nothingness. Bitterness and regret run through their veins instead of blood. And fathers? Half the people here don’t even know the definition of this word. All they know is that 9 months before their birth dates their mothers had sex with some man. And the ones who do know their father only know him by a tombstone or an inmate number.

There are no houses on the hill in this place. Instead, we have houses so closed to each other that you can smell what your neighbors are cooking through your walls. No one here lives in a condo, instead they have apartment buildings whose hallways are filled with filth and urine and elevators are never in operation. Nope, there are no backyards here, alleyways are what we have. And in these alleyways there are no Mercedes or BMW cars with the top down.

The streets are covered in nothing but filthy trash, so much people can’t even tell you what color the concrete on the ground is. There is a foul smell here also, not so much an actual stinky smell; but the smell of failure. A smell that once you’re here you are here forever.

College? The kids here can’t even spell that word. Most people dropout by age 15 or 16, or just stop going. You see education means absolutely nothing. The only “higher learning” that gets done here is the high people get from smoking drugs. Only a few people have gotten out of here and got an education and better life. And the ones that did get out? Oh trust me, they have no thought of coming back. Quite honestly I don’t blame them. I mean why come back? People here think of you as a sellout or snobby, because you did what they never could.

Welcome to the place where the sun don’t shine. Only good days here are the days when no gunshots are heard. And the funniest thing of all is that this is never going to change. Poverty is always going to be the driving force that keeps people here. Something that this place never had and never will is hope.

You see I am what causes all of this, I am the reason why these people will never know or do any better. I am what keeps these people from living a better life. I am Ignorance.

Why do I write? I mostly write because I am instructed to, well then again depends on what type of writing you are talking about? I mostly write because a teacher in a class tells me to. There are much bigger aspects to writing to just this though. I write because it is a form of communication and expressing myself. Writing allows for people to say things they would rather not say out of their mouth, or maybe can't say. I write because it lets me share my story with other people. It allows me to tell others how I feel about things and why I feel that way. Writing is something that we absolutely need. We only know the history that we know today because somebody was smart enough to write it down. Some of the greatest stories are told through writing. Yes people can re-tell stories through talking but that way mostly messes up information, but if it is written down then that changes everything, you are getting the story from the main source. Writing is nothing but another form of talking, and since I love to talk I guess that's why i write. 

Taylor Ximines

 

                                   

“Wow, That’s Interesting”

“Are you serious?”

“That is really cool!”

“What does that mean?”

These are all things that I have been hearing my whole life – and it’s always about my last name. People are fascinated, confused, or both when they hear or see it. The first thing they ask me is where does it come from and I always say that I don’t know or I’m not sure which both are complete lies. I know where it comes from but the story and history behind it is too long and I’ve said it so many times.

 

            So I guess now you’re wondering where it comes from? Well get ready for a long story! Originally it’s Greek, but eventually it made its way to Eastern Europe (Spain, and Portugal) and that’s where it got its numerous ways to spell it. My grandfather always told me that “no matter how you spell it, we are all related in some way or somehow”. And because of how uncommon it is I just always believed this to be true.

 

Some people say it in the craziest ways I have ever heard! I have heard everything from “ZIM-E-NICE” to “X-E-MIES”. The proper way to say it is “X-ZIM-A-KNEES” OR “ZIM-A-KNEES”. What frustrates me the most about this is the people that don’t even try to sound it out they just give up right away. I had to learn that it’s something that will always happen and I need to grow tolerance for it. This is the biggest lesson I learned from having these experiences.

 

            People find it comical whenever I get upset when people do it. My friends always joke and tell me to chill out. This upsets me because in my opinion a name is all we really have. I mean if you have a name like “John White” or “Mary Jones” you really cannot get where I’m coming from. I mean yes it is only a name, but it’s MY name.

 

            I will never forget this one time where this lady was arguing with me about my last name. She was very upset, she called my name “grammatically incorrect”. She spent about 5 minutes lecturing at me about how it should be spelled differently if I pronounced it x-zim-a-knees or how it should be pronounced differently since it’s spelled Ximines. I just sat there with a grin on my face as she screamed and yelled about it. After she was done I said to her in the sweetest voice possible, “Who died and made you grammar corrector of the year? Oh okay didn’t think so, so please go somewhere and stop disrespecting me”. It might sound like I was being rude but trust me, that woman deserved it.

 

            I also can never forget the time somebody told me that if I am this upset about my name to just change it. I paused for a minute after they said that and simply said “ Oh no way!” A name is much more then just a name. I just can’t wake up one day and change it. My last name has legacy to it. Great people before me have had this name, generations of great Ximines’s. Even when I get married I will keep my last name, to me it has power and history; things I just can’t simply just let go of.

 

            It’s amazing how somebody can see my last name and know everything about my family. I once had a substitute teacher who used to teach with my grandfather Robert Louis Ximines Sr. He was an educator and podiatrist someone who was well known. She sat down and she told me about my grandfather, a man I only knew for 6 years before he passed away. She told me how intelligent and caring he was. That conversation is something that has stuck with me until this day.

 

            My father once told me that “I’m an Ximines, which means that I am great.” I never really got what he was trying to say until now. My last name is way more then just a last name. It’s who I am, where I come from. I come from greatness.

 
Reflection: This portfolio shows how I changed as a 9^th grade student and also how much fun and passion I have when I do these projects. I have many strengths and weaknesses when its come to English. Some of my strengths are that I can be very creative and write a lot of great content into my work. Some weaknesses are that I get frustrated and give up to easily, so I don’t always put out my best work. I still would like to work on becoming a better writer, a skill that I have not fully grasped yet. It was hard for me to go back and fix things where I really didn’t see where I made errors. It was weird and humorous to go back and see how I used to write to how I write currently. The piece I am mostly proud of is the Macbeth Creative Project where I made the poem. I am very good at rhyming so me doing that project was very fun. Overall I am pleased by my portfolio. 

Creative project: Out of all my projects the one that I am most proud of is my Macbeth creative project. In this project I incorporated all of my quotes and gave a cute rhyme scheme to go along with them.

Macbeth Poem

“For brave Macbeth well he deserves that name”

This is the tale of Macbeth

A thane, brave soldier who never took a rest

King Duncan was his right hand man

But soon, very soon that didn’t help the plan

 

You see he was told of a new life

One that would sure please his wife

He was told he would move up the chain

Eventually to king, but for now just a thane

Aside he replied

“ If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me.”

You see Macbeth when told wasn’t in a rush

But for Lady Macbeth with her, immediately she blushed.

 

So she set it for the night

King Duncan wouldn’t make it to see morning light

Macbeth wasn’t sure how to feel

For that was his friend he had to kill!

“First as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed then as his host who should against his murderers shut the door.”

Guilt is overflowing within this thane

For Lady Macbeth I couldn’t say the same

You see he was ashamed of this act

But she felt as though he was breaking their internal pact

“My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white”

 

Soon Macbeth would dramatically switch up

His thirst for power started to empty out his cup

King being taken away from him, was creeping up slow

So he decided to eliminate Banquo

“Whose being I do fear; and under him, my genius is rebuked, as it is said, Mark Antony’s was by Caesar. He chid the sisters, when first they put the name of king upon me”

Lady Macbeth didn’t understand this

She was upset by it, maybe even pissed

“Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night, Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day, And with thy bloody, and invisible hand.”

By now Macbeth is cold blooded, cruel

Feeling apathetic, breaking all the rules

The sisters who first promised him of being king

Have now told him to beware of Macduff

Now he is going to kill his family this is no bluff

“The castle of Macduff I will surprise, Seize upon Fife, give to Th’ edge o’ th’ sword, His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line.”

All of the lands have now heard of his crimes

Malcolm and Macduff are talking about these horrible times

Malcolm the real heir to king

Hears from Macduff this thing

“ Not in the legions, of horrid hell can come a devil more damned, in evil to top Macbeth.”

Everyone is tired of this new era

They are going to defeat Macbeth and his reign of terror

 

Nobody is loyal to him this was clear

Orders were only being followed out of fear

“His secret murders sticking on his hands. Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith breach. Those he commands, move only in command, nothing in love. Now does he feel his title hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe? Upon a dwarfish thief.”

 

 

Macbeth’s life is about to end

Now you see that depends!

Kill? Sisters told him no man born by woman would

Ha , but this doesn’t apply to Macduff he could

“Then yield thee coward, And live to be the show and gaze o’ th’ time. We’ll have thee, as our rarer monster are, painted upon a pole, and under wit.”

Now the end is here for this greedy man

Karma has caught up with him, to end his plan

Brave Macduff ended his life

He is now in the underworld accompanied by his wife

 

This was the tale of Macbeth

A once honorable man but died much less

There is a lesson here to be learned

Power can’t be stolen, it must be earned

 

·      Journal Entry 1: The Journal entry I feel like I had a very strong response was on the one that asked how do we know whether somebody an adult and how do we know. I answered by saying that a person is never finished fully growing, that someone being an adult should be based off their maturity level and how well they handle responsibilities, not on age.

·      Journal Entry 2: This prompt asked us if we had a fresh start on one part of our life what would it be. Surprisingly I answered none. I believe that everything happens for a reason, we might not see the purpose for it because we’re only human. There are some things in our life that we have done that we are not proud of, but whatever I did on yesterday makes me who I am today.

·      Journal Entry 3: This prompt asked have we ever faced a situation where we wanted something from someone but instead of coming out and asking we pursued it by indirectly asking. I do all of this way too much. I am not the type of person who likes to ask for things unless I have to. The example I used is how I ask my mother for money. I don’t like asking her for things at all so instead of me just asking her I will beat around the bush for hours until I can finally get out what I want to ask.

·      Journal Entry 4: The last journal entry I will share is the one where I feel I had the strongest response. It was the one when we were reading Kindred, and Ms. Finlay asked the question how did it make us feel to see the word nigger used in the book. I told about how the word itself makes me sick. It reminded me of how far America has come and how much farther we still need to come. I explained how for over 400 years African-Americans have been discriminated against and it is still going on. How the word nigger has been changed to nigga and it has a whole new meaning, it no longer is an offensive term but a term that means brother; friend. 

One book report that is the one I did for Jason & Kyra. This book is about 2 African-American teenagers who are in love. This book tells about hard it was for them to keep a relationship. To me it showed how some teenagers actually have to live.

Title: Jason & Kyra

Author: Dana Davidson

 

 

Summary:

 

This book is a love story about two African- American teenagers who have a relationship. The story takes place in the Detroit area.  Their names are Jason and Kyra. Jason is one of the most popular boys in school and plays on the basketball team. Kyra is a girl who has less popularity status then most teenagers, she is very smart and focuses on school at all times. The two never hung out or anything of that nature because of they were in two different social classes; but all that will change. Jason and Kyra are paired together for a project. As they worked on the project they both started to see a side of each other that wasn’t there before. As time went on they fell in love and started to date. Jason’s ex-girlfriend Lisa is very upset by this. All throughout the book she finds ways to break them up. But despite all the rumors and hatred they received in the end of the book they stayed together.

There is person vs. person conflict. It’s Jason & Kyra against almost everybody. People are either jealous of their relationship or just want them to break up. Most of this is coming from Lisa; Jason’s ex. She spreads rumors and even attempts to personally make Kyra break up with him.

My favorite character is Jason. I say this because even when everyone was telling him that she wasn’t good for him he didn’t listen. Jason is the type of boy who could have anyone and anything, but he went with his heart. His ex-girlfriend was trying and trying to get him to go back with her, but Jason wanted no parts. He had Kyra and that’s what he stuck to; despite what people said or thought.

I believe that there is a very good lesson that can be learned from this story. It showed that no matter what to always follow your heart. Readers should take away the message I believe the author was trying to deliver. Love never fails. Those if your heart and mind are telling you to do something then do it.

 

I could relate to Kyra in this story. There was a boy that I really liked. He was very popular and every girl liked him or wanted him. I figured that there was nothing special about me that he would like. But as we got to know each other we started developing feelings for each other. There have been many times where I have also felt like Kyra. At times I’ve felt like some things that were given to me or happened to me were too amazing to be true.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Some strengths of this book is that it is very interesting. From the moment I picked up the book I didn’t want to put it down. A weakness of this book is that it is a “typical” teenage love story. It’s the love story that you would expect to read about. If I could change anything in this book it would be to incorporate another character that was strongly against their relationship besides Lisa.

 

I would recommend this book to other people. Even though it is a love story the message that the story delivers can be used in all aspects of your life. 

Reflection: This portfolio shows how I changed as a 9^th grade student and also how much fun and passion I have when I do these projects. I have many strengths and weaknesses when its come to English. Some of my strengths are that I can be very creative and write a lot of great content into my work. Some weaknesses are that I get frustrated and give up to easily, so I don’t always put out my best work. I still would like to work on becoming a better writer, a skill that I have not fully grasped yet. It was hard for me to go back and fix things where I really didn’t see where I made errors. It was weird and humorous to go back and see how I used to write to how I write currently. The piece I am mostly proud of is the Macbeth Creative Project where I made the poem. I am very good at rhyming so me doing that project was very fun. Overall I am pleased by my portfolio.

 

Creative project: Out of all my projects the one that I am most proud of is my Macbeth creative project. In this project I incorporated all of my quotes and gave a cute rhyme scheme to go along with them.

Macbeth Poem

“For brave Macbeth well he deserves that name”

This is the tale of Macbeth

A thane, brave soldier who never took a rest

King Duncan was his right hand man

But soon, very soon that didn’t help the plan

 

You see he was told of a new life

One that would sure please his wife

He was told he would move up the chain

Eventually to king, but for now just a thane

Aside he replied

“ If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me.”

You see Macbeth when told wasn’t in a rush

But for Lady Macbeth with her, immediately she blushed.

 

So she set it for the night

King Duncan wouldn’t make it to see morning light

Macbeth wasn’t sure how to feel

For that was his friend he had to kill!

“First as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed then as his host who should against his murderers shut the door.”

Guilt is overflowing within this thane

For Lady Macbeth I couldn’t say the same

You see he was ashamed of this act

But she felt as though he was breaking their internal pact

“My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white”

 

Soon Macbeth would dramatically switch up

His thirst for power started to empty out his cup

King being taken away from him, was creeping up slow

So he decided to eliminate Banquo

“Whose being I do fear; and under him, my genius is rebuked, as it is said, Mark Antony’s was by Caesar. He chid the sisters, when first they put the name of king upon me”

Lady Macbeth didn’t understand this

She was upset by it, maybe even pissed

“Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night, Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day, And with thy bloody, and invisible hand.”

By now Macbeth is cold blooded, cruel

Feeling apathetic, breaking all the rules

The sisters who first promised him of being king

Have now told him to beware of Macduff

Now he is going to kill his family this is no bluff

“The castle of Macduff I will surprise, Seize upon Fife, give to Th’ edge o’ th’ sword, His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line.”

All of the lands have now heard of his crimes

Malcolm and Macduff are talking about these horrible times

Malcolm the real heir to king

Hears from Macduff this thing

“ Not in the legions, of horrid hell can come a devil more damned, in evil to top Macbeth.”

Everyone is tired of this new era

They are going to defeat Macbeth and his reign of terror

 

Nobody is loyal to him this was clear

Orders were only being followed out of fear

“His secret murders sticking on his hands. Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith breach. Those he commands, move only in command, nothing in love. Now does he feel his title hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe? Upon a dwarfish thief.”

 

 

Macbeth’s life is about to end

Now you see that depends!

Kill? Sisters told him no man born by woman would

Ha , but this doesn’t apply to Macduff he could

“Then yield thee coward, And live to be the show and gaze o’ th’ time. We’ll have thee, as our rarer monster are, painted upon a pole, and under wit.”

Now the end is here for this greedy man

Karma has caught up with him, to end his plan

Brave Macduff ended his life

He is now in the underworld accompanied by his wife

 

This was the tale of Macbeth

A once honorable man but died much less

There is a lesson here to be learned

Power can’t be stolen, it must be earned

For Quarter 3 Benchmark we had to pick two characters from The Odyssey and compare them. For this I chose to compare Helen and Penelope. I compared how both of these women were beautiful but one of them used her beauty to get whatever she wanted (Helen). This was one of my most favorite projects. I am very interested in Greek Mythology so while doing this project I felt like a kid in a candy store. I completed it as early as I could. I got a 92 on this assignment and I feel as though I greatly deserved it.

 

Thesis Statement: Even though both Penelope and Helen had problems concerning men, love, and life; they both had different ways of dealing with them.

 

Helen of Troy and Penelope are two women that are featured in the Odyssey. Helen of Troy was considered a very beautiful woman. She was a demigoddess. There were many princes and suitors that wanted to marry her. Odysseus even wanted to marry her. In the end she chose Menelaus to marry. Eventually they had two children and Menelaus became the King of Sparta. Paris who is the Prince of Troy was sent by Aphrodite (goddess of love) to go wed Helen. While Menelaus was away at Crete, Paris took his chance. Paris took Helen back to Troy with him (it is unclear whether she went willingly or not). When Menelaus returned home he was furious to find this out. So he gathered his army and went to Troy; this is how the Trojan War began. She is known as “the face that launched 1,000 ships”. Penelope on the other hand is the complete opposite. She like Helen is beautiful, but she doesn’t use that to get her way. Penelope is a very intelligent woman. She is a mortal. She like Helen had to marry a suitor and she chose Odysseus. Helen is actually Penelope’s cousin, they’re relationship is very strained the two don’t get along. But Penelope is very faithful to her husband. For over 20 years he is gone from her life and not once does she cheat or have the desire to remarry.

 

 

          Penelope is a very intelligent and faithful woman. “And she begun to weave, and the weaving fine-spun, the yarns endless and she would lead us on” (Speaker: Antonius. Book 2, lines 103-204). Penelope did not want to marry any of the suitors. But she knew that just telling them no would not work. So what she had to do was come up with an elaborate plan on how to make it so she has a reason for not marrying one of them. So she came up with a weaving trick. Promising them that once she finished it she would choose one to wed. In actuality her plan all along was to unweave so she wouldn’t have to marry anyone. This is a very wise and clever trick that she pulls. In this sense she is like Helen. Even though Helen used her beauty to get what she wanted she still was very intelligent. If anything she tricked men more then anything. Both of these women are alike in the sense that they both have high intelligence.

 

 

Helen explains herself how she treats men. “I grieved too late for the madness Aphrodite sent me…neither brains nor beauty” (Speaker: Helen. Book 4, lines 301-304). Helen is telling them about what happened. Aphrodite sent Paris to go fall in love and marry Helen, and because of that the Trojan War started. This quote references to both Helen and Penelope in the sense of their differences. Because Helen was beautiful and lonely the moment Paris came along she went right to him. For 20 years about 140 have done nothing but try to marry Penelope. Because she is a faithful wife she did not once cheat on Odysseus or leave him for another man. She stood by him diligently, something that Helen doesn’t do when it comes to men.

 

         Even after a long period of time
Penelope is still not ready to move on. “Odysseus—if he could return to tend my life the renown I had would only grow in glory. Now my life is torment” (Speaker: Penelope. Book 19, lines 141-143).  This is Penelope talking towards the end of the Odyssey. She is explaining how she feels about Odysseus. For 20 years he has been away from her, for 20 years she has been without a husband. She is depressed and it feels like torment to her because she is without him. Her and Helen are dislike in this sense. Helen when her husband was gone for a little bit of time easily remarried. And when her new husband died she remarried immediately after that. Helen is the type of woman who feels like in order for her to be happy she has to be with a man, and the fact that she’s beautiful only adds to it. Romantically when it comes to men, Penelope is much stronger than Helen.

Conclusion: Even though both Penelope and Helen had problems concerning men, love, and life; they both had different ways of dealing with them. Helen was a very very beautiful woman and she used that to her advantage. While Penelope on the other hand used her intelligence and dedication to get through life. They were both very smart and clever, but approached love differently.  I believe that the Greeks made both of these women for a reason. To show the different personalities that people can actually have.  Because the world is filled with Helen’s and Penelope’s

​·      Journal Entry 1: The Journal entry I feel like I had a very strong response was on the one that asked how do we know whether somebody an adult and how do we know. I answered by saying that a person is never finished fully growing, that someone being an adult should be based off their maturity level and how well they handle responsibilities, not on age.

·      Journal Entry 2: This prompt asked us if we had a fresh start on one part of our life what would it be. Surprisingly I answered none. I believe that everything happens for a reason, we might not see the purpose for it because we’re only human. There are some things in our life that we have done that we are not proud of, but whatever I did on yesterday makes me who I am today.

·      Journal Entry 3: This prompt asked have we ever faced a situation where we wanted something from someone but instead of coming out and asking we pursued it by indirectly asking. I do all of this way too much. I am not the type of person who likes to ask for things unless I have to. The example I used is how I ask my mother for money. I don’t like asking her for things at all so instead of me just asking her I will beat around the bush for hours until I can finally get out what I want to ask.

·      Journal Entry 4: The last journal entry I will share is the one where I feel I had the strongest response. It was the one when we were reading Kindred, and Ms. Finlay asked the question how did it make us feel to see the word nigger used in the book. I told about how the word itself makes me sick. It reminded me of how far America has come and how much farther we still need to come. I explained how for over 400 years African-Americans have been discriminated against and it is still going on. How the word nigger has been changed to nigga and it has a whole new meaning, it no longer is an offensive term but a term that means brother; friend. 

One book report that is the one I did for Jason & Kyra. This book is about 2 African-American teenagers who are in love. This book tells about hard it was for them to keep a relationship. To me it showed how some teenagers actually have to live.

Title: Jason & Kyra

Author: Dana Davidson

 

 

Summary:

 

This book is a love story about two African- American teenagers who have a relationship. The story takes place in the Detroit area.  Their names are Jason and Kyra. Jason is one of the most popular boys in school and plays on the basketball team. Kyra is a girl who has less popularity status then most teenagers, she is very smart and focuses on school at all times. The two never hung out or anything of that nature because of they were in two different social classes; but all that will change. Jason and Kyra are paired together for a project. As they worked on the project they both started to see a side of each other that wasn’t there before. As time went on they fell in love and started to date. Jason’s ex-girlfriend Lisa is very upset by this. All throughout the book she finds ways to break them up. But despite all the rumors and hatred they received in the end of the book they stayed together.

There is person vs. person conflict. It’s Jason & Kyra against almost everybody. People are either jealous of their relationship or just want them to break up. Most of this is coming from Lisa; Jason’s ex. She spreads rumors and even attempts to personally make Kyra break up with him.

My favorite character is Jason. I say this because even when everyone was telling him that she wasn’t good for him he didn’t listen. Jason is the type of boy who could have anyone and anything, but he went with his heart. His ex-girlfriend was trying and trying to get him to go back with her, but Jason wanted no parts. He had Kyra and that’s what he stuck to; despite what people said or thought.

I believe that there is a very good lesson that can be learned from this story. It showed that no matter what to always follow your heart. Readers should take away the message I believe the author was trying to deliver. Love never fails. Those if your heart and mind are telling you to do something then do it.

 

I could relate to Kyra in this story. There was a boy that I really liked. He was very popular and every girl liked him or wanted him. I figured that there was nothing special about me that he would like. But as we got to know each other we started developing feelings for each other. There have been many times where I have also felt like Kyra. At times I’ve felt like some things that were given to me or happened to me were too amazing to be true.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Some strengths of this book is that it is very interesting. From the moment I picked up the book I didn’t want to put it down. A weakness of this book is that it is a “typical” teenage love story. It’s the love story that you would expect to read about. If I could change anything in this book it would be to incorporate another character that was strongly against their relationship besides Lisa.

 

I would recommend this book to other people. Even though it is a love story the message that the story delivers can be used in all aspects of your life. 

For Quarter 3 Benchmark we had to pick two characters from The Odyssey and compare them. For this I chose to compare Helen and Penelope. I compared how both of these women were beautiful but one of them used her beauty to get whatever she wanted (Helen). This was one of my most favorite projects. I am very interested in Greek Mythology so while doing this project I felt like a kid in a candy store. I completed it as early as I could. I got a 92 on this assignment and I feel as though I greatly deserved it.

 

Thesis Statement: Even though both Penelope and Helen had problems concerning men, love, and life; they both had different ways of dealing with them.

 

Helen of Troy and Penelope are two women that are featured in the Odyssey. Helen of Troy was considered a very beautiful woman. She was a demigoddess. There were many princes and suitors that wanted to marry her. Odysseus even wanted to marry her. In the end she chose Menelaus to marry. Eventually they had two children and Menelaus became the King of Sparta. Paris who is the Prince of Troy was sent by Aphrodite (goddess of love) to go wed Helen. While Menelaus was away at Crete, Paris took his chance. Paris took Helen back to Troy with him (it is unclear whether she went willingly or not). When Menelaus returned home he was furious to find this out. So he gathered his army and went to Troy; this is how the Trojan War began. She is known as “the face that launched 1,000 ships”. Penelope on the other hand is the complete opposite. She like Helen is beautiful, but she doesn’t use that to get her way. Penelope is a very intelligent woman. She is a mortal. She like Helen had to marry a suitor and she chose Odysseus. Helen is actually Penelope’s cousin, they’re relationship is very strained the two don’t get along. But Penelope is very faithful to her husband. For over 20 years he is gone from her life and not once does she cheat or have the desire to remarry.

 

 

          Penelope is a very intelligent and faithful woman. “And she begun to weave, and the weaving fine-spun, the yarns endless and she would lead us on” (Speaker: Antonius. Book 2, lines 103-204). Penelope did not want to marry any of the suitors. But she knew that just telling them no would not work. So what she had to do was come up with an elaborate plan on how to make it so she has a reason for not marrying one of them. So she came up with a weaving trick. Promising them that once she finished it she would choose one to wed. In actuality her plan all along was to unweave so she wouldn’t have to marry anyone. This is a very wise and clever trick that she pulls. In this sense she is like Helen. Even though Helen used her beauty to get what she wanted she still was very intelligent. If anything she tricked men more then anything. Both of these women are alike in the sense that they both have high intelligence.

 

 

Helen explains herself how she treats men. “I grieved too late for the madness Aphrodite sent me…neither brains nor beauty” (Speaker: Helen. Book 4, lines 301-304). Helen is telling them about what happened. Aphrodite sent Paris to go fall in love and marry Helen, and because of that the Trojan War started. This quote references to both Helen and Penelope in the sense of their differences. Because Helen was beautiful and lonely the moment Paris came along she went right to him. For 20 years about 140 have done nothing but try to marry Penelope. Because she is a faithful wife she did not once cheat on Odysseus or leave him for another man. She stood by him diligently, something that Helen doesn’t do when it comes to men.

 

         Even after a long period of time
Penelope is still not ready to move on. “Odysseus—if he could return to tend my life the renown I had would only grow in glory. Now my life is torment” (Speaker: Penelope. Book 19, lines 141-143).  This is Penelope talking towards the end of the Odyssey. She is explaining how she feels about Odysseus. For 20 years he has been away from her, for 20 years she has been without a husband. She is depressed and it feels like torment to her because she is without him. Her and Helen are dislike in this sense. Helen when her husband was gone for a little bit of time easily remarried. And when her new husband died she remarried immediately after that. Helen is the type of woman who feels like in order for her to be happy she has to be with a man, and the fact that she’s beautiful only adds to it. Romantically when it comes to men, Penelope is much stronger than Helen.

Conclusion: Even though both Penelope and Helen had problems concerning men, love, and life; they both had different ways of dealing with them. Helen was a very very beautiful woman and she used that to her advantage. While Penelope on the other hand used her intelligence and dedication to get through life. They were both very smart and clever, but approached love differently.  I believe that the Greeks made both of these women for a reason. To show the different personalities that people can actually have.  Because the world is filled with Helen’s and Penelope’s

For Quarter 3 Benchmark we had to pick two characters from The Odyssey and compare them. For this I chose to compare Helen and Penelope. I compared how both of these women were beautiful but one of them used her beauty to get whatever she wanted (Helen). This was one of my most favorite projects. I am very interested in Greek Mythology so while doing this project I felt like a kid in a candy store. I completed it as early as I could. I got a 92 on this assignment and I feel as though I greatly deserved it.

 

Thesis Statement: Even though both Penelope and Helen had problems concerning men, love, and life; they both had different ways of dealing with them.

 

Helen of Troy and Penelope are two women that are featured in the Odyssey. Helen of Troy was considered a very beautiful woman. She was a demigoddess. There were many princes and suitors that wanted to marry her. Odysseus even wanted to marry her. In the end she chose Menelaus to marry. Eventually they had two children and Menelaus became the King of Sparta. Paris who is the Prince of Troy was sent by Aphrodite (goddess of love) to go wed Helen. While Menelaus was away at Crete, Paris took his chance. Paris took Helen back to Troy with him (it is unclear whether she went willingly or not). When Menelaus returned home he was furious to find this out. So he gathered his army and went to Troy; this is how the Trojan War began. She is known as “the face that launched 1,000 ships”. Penelope on the other hand is the complete opposite. She like Helen is beautiful, but she doesn’t use that to get her way. Penelope is a very intelligent woman. She is a mortal. She like Helen had to marry a suitor and she chose Odysseus. Helen is actually Penelope’s cousin, they’re relationship is very strained the two don’t get along. But Penelope is very faithful to her husband. For over 20 years he is gone from her life and not once does she cheat or have the desire to remarry.

 

 

          Penelope is a very intelligent and faithful woman. “And she begun to weave, and the weaving fine-spun, the yarns endless and she would lead us on” (Speaker: Antonius. Book 2, lines 103-204). Penelope did not want to marry any of the suitors. But she knew that just telling them no would not work. So what she had to do was come up with an elaborate plan on how to make it so she has a reason for not marrying one of them. So she came up with a weaving trick. Promising them that once she finished it she would choose one to wed. In actuality her plan all along was to unweave so she wouldn’t have to marry anyone. This is a very wise and clever trick that she pulls. In this sense she is like Helen. Even though Helen used her beauty to get what she wanted she still was very intelligent. If anything she tricked men more then anything. Both of these women are alike in the sense that they both have high intelligence.

 

 

Helen explains herself how she treats men. “I grieved too late for the madness Aphrodite sent me…neither brains nor beauty” (Speaker: Helen. Book 4, lines 301-304). Helen is telling them about what happened. Aphrodite sent Paris to go fall in love and marry Helen, and because of that the Trojan War started. This quote references to both Helen and Penelope in the sense of their differences. Because Helen was beautiful and lonely the moment Paris came along she went right to him. For 20 years about 140 have done nothing but try to marry Penelope. Because she is a faithful wife she did not once cheat on Odysseus or leave him for another man. She stood by him diligently, something that Helen doesn’t do when it comes to men.

 

         Even after a long period of time
Penelope is still not ready to move on. “Odysseus—if he could return to tend my life the renown I had would only grow in glory. Now my life is torment” (Speaker: Penelope. Book 19, lines 141-143).  This is Penelope talking towards the end of the Odyssey. She is explaining how she feels about Odysseus. For 20 years he has been away from her, for 20 years she has been without a husband. She is depressed and it feels like torment to her because she is without him. Her and Helen are dislike in this sense. Helen when her husband was gone for a little bit of time easily remarried. And when her new husband died she remarried immediately after that. Helen is the type of woman who feels like in order for her to be happy she has to be with a man, and the fact that she’s beautiful only adds to it. Romantically when it comes to men, Penelope is much stronger than Helen.

Conclusion: Even though both Penelope and Helen had problems concerning men, love, and life; they both had different ways of dealing with them. Helen was a very very beautiful woman and she used that to her advantage. While Penelope on the other hand used her intelligence and dedication to get through life. They were both very smart and clever, but approached love differently.  I believe that the Greeks made both of these women for a reason. To show the different personalities that people can actually have.  Because the world is filled with Helen’s and Penelope’s

The next benchmark we were given was the memoir vignette unit. This benchmark seemed like more of a challenge then the first one. We had to take a moment from our life and basically write a paper on it, this sounds easier then what it actually is. In this paper had to be literary elements included, and we had to mark where they were. This to me was the most difficult thing about this benchmark. I did not believe that I was capable of making this work; but it did. This benchmark taught me that I am stronger then what I actually previously thought.

         “Back to Hell”

 

“If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise.” – Johann von Goethe. (Opener)

Growing up my family moved a lot. Up to the age I am now we have lived in 5 or 6 houses.  In the beginning of second grade I found out we were moving to Georgia. I felt like it was the worst possible news. There were too many friends and family up here for me to be okay with this. The only people we knew who lived do in Georgia were my aunt and her two daughters. My parents told my two brothers and I we were moving to Powder Springs, a suburb about 20 minutes away from Atlanta. I’d never heard of this place and couldn’t point it out on a map.

The next couple months it consisted of packing up rooms and throwing away old dolls that had one eye and half of her outfit (imagery). The biggest reason for my resentment of moving; our house was humongous. It had a basement, plus 3 floors. I thought no house could get better than that.

The car ride down there even though I didn’t show it, I was the saddest girl in the world. It was around a twelve-hour ride down there. In the car I would look over at the farms that we passed as we were entering the South. All I could think is what did we get ourselves into. There were papers that had to be signed and the real estate agent had to give us the keys to the house so the first couple of nights were spent in a hotel.

The day we moved in was scary for me. We pulled into a subdivision called “Taylor Farms”. I found it a little humorous that it had my name; as though it was telling me I belonged there (personification). When we drove into the subdivision I looked in amazement. There were mansion looking houses with perfect gardens and lawns. Kids’ played with each other in the street, and adult were engaging in conversation. Everyone seemed happy. We pulled up to a house that had a moving truck in the driveway and I knew it was ours. Suddenly my whole mood changed. It looked like 3 times of what our old house was. There was no chipped paint on the house, no driveway we had to share, and no loud noises around (magic three). In fact it was the most peaceful place I had ever been. My glass quickly became halfway full.

As soon as we moved in we were greeted with neighbors and open arms. They presented to be a little too nice, like they were the Stepford wives or something (simile). They brought by cakes and pies and went on and on about how excited they were to have new neighbors. A week went by and I simply loved it. My room was twice what it was before. There were three gigantic bathrooms, which meant not waiting for someone else to come out.  For the 5 of us it was heaven.

We started school about a week and a half after moving. I ended up at Baggett Elementary School. I quickly made friends with girls named Ayanna, Jillian, Taylor, and Danahja. Danahja was from Chester, PA and had just moved down there to live with her grandmother. I had lucked out, I found somebody who just like me was in a new environment and afraid. Ayanna lived in the same subdivision as me, she lived around the corner so she and I spent most of our time together. Almost every weekend I was staying at her house since all the people our age lived on her street and the creek was there. In movies they always show how kids in the suburbs have a hangout spot, well ours was the creek.

In fact life down there seemed like a movie. It was almost to good to be true. There hadn’t been not one fight to my knowledge. The whole time I was down there I only saw the police once. When my neighbors recently got a divorce and they were debating about who was going to get the dog. Our next-door neighbor Mr. Miles and his son were from Philadelphia also. So that was nice to have someone close who was from the same area. My aunt and cousins lived 15 minutes away, and surprisingly they were the only family I wanted and needed down there.

For two years my life consisted of watching Disney Channel, sleepovers every weekend, and birthday parties at a store called Lulu. (Magic three) Friday night seeing my older brother play basketball, going swimming in my back yard, and having barbeques. (Magic three) For two years my life consisted of nothing but pure happiness, but that was sure to change.

My father was having a hard trouble getting a good job down there. In Philadelphia he had a job that paid very well. So our only option was moving back to Philadelphia. One afternoon my parents called all of us in the living room for a “talk”. They both had sad looks on their faces as though someone had just died. My mom announced that there wasn’t enough money being brought in so we had to move back. I quickly burst out in tears. I felt as thought she had taken away my sanity. For two years I had been the happiest girl you had ever seen and in that second all of that was snatched from me.

Moving back meant living in a house that was squeezed tightly on a street with other houses. It meant every night instead if going to sleep hearing sounds of trees blowing I would go to bed hearing police sirens and people arguing. It meant moving back to the last place I wanted to be. Why would my parents put us through moving again? I hated Philadelphia and everything about it.

Why would we leave a place where the nicest people lived, to a place where rudeness stands on every corner? Trade a place where the most I got to do was go outside and play double-dutch for a place where I could ride my bike and go for a walk. Why would they trade Heaven for Hell? (Repetition for effect) Moving just didn’t mean trading my front lawn for nothing more than a porch; it meant changing my way of thinking. Moving back to Philadelphia meant whenever ever I go out I would have to put on a facade instead of my real personality.

My Pop Pop always would tell me to remember; when I die no matter how much I have or haven’t accomplished in my life was always born Taylor Jane Ximines. No matter what my environment or situation was I would always be me. The problem wasn’t me moving into a new place, but letting a new place move into me. Everyone feels like they have to transform but in reality if anything we’re find just the way we are. It doesn’t matter if I live in Philadelphia or Georgia, as long as I know who I am everything will be ok. Whether I’m in heaven or back in hell. 

Macbeth was the first benchmark project I ever did at SLA. It was one of the scariest things I had to do (no I am not exaggerating). I was unsure how to get through it. The project had so much that had to be included in it and the time I had to complete it was not what I was use to. I was one nervous rack! For the Macbeth project we had to choose a character (Macbeth or Lady Macbeth) and show how they changed during the book. I chose to do Macbeth. I felt as though his character showed the most change during the

play.

Macbeth’s Character Analysis - Benchmark

 

 

Thesis statement: Macbeth’s character has drastically changed in the play from a courageous, kind-hearted soldier; to a cold blooded killer.

 

In Act 1 scene 2, Macbeth is on the battlefield killing enemies, and his superiors are proud of him. He is ruthlessly killing soldiers for the honor of his country. Captain tells King Duncan and Malcolm about how Macbeth is doing on the battlefield. He states,” For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name. (Act 1, scene 2, line 16) It shows that Macbeth is a courageous soldier. Without any question he is on the frontline for his people. Everyone is proud of him and how he is doing.

 

When Act 1 scene 3 is taking place, Macbeth has just been told of a prophecy where eventually he will become the king. Banquo and him were both told a prophecy and some of Macbeth’s has already come true. While he is aside he says that if he is meant to be king then everything will fall in place. In lines 145-146 he says,” If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me.” This shows that Macbeth is aware that he might become king, but is in no rush to make it come true. He has just been crowned Thane of Cawdor so now he is wondering about what will be. Macbeth’s character is showing that he is not going to dwell on the prophecy that much. This also shows that Macbeth is kind-hearted.

 

In Act 1 scene 7 Lady Macbeth has decided that King Duncan needs to be killed so Macbeth can become king, but Macbeth is saying that he’s not sure because Duncan is one of his closest friends and if they do he wants to get it over with. He is alone in a room speaking and he says, “First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door.”(Lines 13-16) Macbeth is second guessing about killing Duncan because he is suppose to be there to protect him, and that Macbeth really doesn’t want to murder him for the fact that he’s his friend. Macbeth’s conscience is making him think it over. Macbeth is showing that he has a heart. This soon changes though.

 

The ending of Act 2 scene, Macbeth has just killed Duncan. He and is paranoid and is hearing/seeing things because of what he has done. Duncan was suppose to be one of his best friends and he murdered him. And he is upset, while Lady Macbeth is telling him to stop being so nervous and scared. She states,“ My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white.”(Lines 67-68). This shows that Macbeth’s character has feelings and his heart is troubled because of what he has done. Because Duncan was his friend and he killed him, now he is feeling the guilt. Lady Macbeth is trying to get him to calm down; this shows that Macbeth’s character is still not in a role where he is in.

 

In the beginning of Act 3 scene 1, Macbeth is now saying that Banquo is standing in his way of getting the position of king. And now he is ready to have him murdered to get him out of the way. Macbeth is starting to become greedy when it comes to him wanting power he says, “ Whose being I do fear; and under him, my genius is rebuked, as it is said, Mark Antony’s was by Caesar. He chid the sisters, when first they put the name of king upon me.” (Lines 55-58) Macbeth is now becoming power greedy. Banquo is supposed to be a very close friend to him, and now he is plotting to murder him. This begins to show what is to soon become of the new Macbeth.

 

In Act 3 scene 2, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are talking about killing Banquo and Fleance. She feels as though it is unnecessary to murder them. She feels as though it serves no purpose, but he is insisting that they be murdered, and he assures her he will take care of it. He tells her, “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night, Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day, And with thy bloody, and invisible hand.” (Lines 46-49) This shows that Macbeth’s character has changed, before now he felt unsure when killing Duncan. Now it seems as though him and Lady Macbeth have emotionally traded places. He is ready to kill Banquo with no question, while she is wondering whether to do it. This is showing how he has changed from the beginning of the book.

 

When Act 4 scene 1 emerges, Macbeth has heard that Macduff has fled to England. And even though there is no real reason to kill anybody besides Macduff, he has decided that anybody who is in his castle will be killed. Macbeth is furious and wants everybody dead. He tells Lennox, “The castle of Macduff I will surprise, Seize upon Fife, give to Th’ edge o’ th’ sword, His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line.” (Lines 172-175) This shows that Macbeth has turned into a heartless murderer who is just killing people now for the sake of it. It is becoming more evident that now he is just ruthless.

 

In Act 4 scene 3, Macduff and Malcolm are talking to each other about Macbeth. They are about to form an alliance against him, and Macduff is telling Malcolm that they don’t get any worst than Macbeth. They are ready to fight back against him and get Scotland back. Macduff Tells Malcolm,“ Not in the legions, of horrid hell can come a devil more damned, in evil to top Macbeth.” (Lines 56-58) This shows that everyone is aware of who Macbeth has become. That he is not the same. The character has now turned into an evil, cold hearted, greedy murderer. Malcolm and Macduff once thought of him as a noble man, now they are ready to kill him.

 

In Act 5 scene 2, the alliance against Macbeth is formed. Everyone is aware of the crimes he has committed. There is no turning back now, the once courageous soldier, is now a power stealing greedy King, and they are ready to fight back. Angus tells them, “His secret murders sticking on his hands. Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith breach. Those he commands, move only in command, nothing in love. Now does he feel his title hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe? Upon a dwarfish thief.” (Lines 17-22) Macbeth’s character and title is about to downfall. The fact that he is now wrongly king is coming back to him. His title is about to get taken from him. Because he was so impatient and was power hungry he made a lot of mistakes. Now he is about to pay for them.        

 

At the end of this book in Act 5 scene 8, Macduff and Macbeth are fighting; Macduff informs Macbeth that because he was born by from his mothers womb untimely ripped (C-section) that he is able to kill him. Basically he is telling him to surrender because there is nothing left to loose. It is all over for Macbeth at this point. So Macduff tells him, “ Then yield thee coward, And live to be the show and gaze o’ th’ time. We’ll have thee, as our rarer monster are, painted upon a pole, and under wit.”(Lines 23-26) Macbeth at the end of the book is a coward. He is in a position where he knows he is about to be killed. His title that was wrongfully given to him is about to be ripped away. It is nothing left that he can do. All hope is gone at this point.

 

In conclusion, Macbeth in the beginning of this book was a well-respected, decent man. By the time the book is over he is an evil murderer who everyone wants to be dead. He let the fact that he was told he would be king, be the cause of his downfall. These quotes have shown how Macbeth let his greed for power loose everything he had. Nothing positive came from his decisions. Shakespeare’s message to us was that you should always be happy with where you are, and never try to rush anything. This lesson can still be used today, as long as you apply it to your situation.

The last two Blog entries I wrote showed my anguish and upbraided feelings to the fact that the US Government were thinking about shutting down this program. This decision was averted but it still does not affect the way that I feel about this topic. Lawrence 'Donnell has a show called "The Last Word" on MSNBC. This show was dedicated to Planned Parenthood and how upset he was that Republican Senator Jon Kyl said a lie that Planned Parenthood's services are 90% abortion; when in actuality only 3% have to do with abortion. When asked about the statement Sen. Kyl said that "the statement intended to be a factual statement". Many politicians said that after something like that a lot of Senators cannot trust his information.
Then O'Donnell shared something heartwarming that made even him tear up. He read an e-mail from a personal friend who uses Planned Parenthood. She was laid her from her job and can't afford to go to a regular doctors' office. For 10 years she hasn't seen a doctor and for 5 she hasn't seen a dentist. This e-mail was more of a cry out for help. In the e-mail she said that Planned Parenthood does many other services; some I didn't even know they did. One example is that they give out mammograms for women. O'Donnells's friend has been getting lump on her breast that appear and disappear since she was 17. Now the lumps are getting worst and worst, and she said that Planned Parenthood is helping her out a lot with this problem. Women all over not just her go through the same thing. Not everybody is employed, not everybody has money to go to the doctors. Planned Parenthood does much more then what people see. They save lives and help you prepare for new ones.

 I am pleased to hear that the government did not shut it down, but personally I feel like it should had never been thought about in the first place. Even as a teenager I know some of my older friends who use Planned Parenthood. I truly and strongly believe that urban women would not be the same if this program did not exist. Birth control has become very expensive. Young adults need Planned Parenthood, despite what you believe or think young adults should have a right to have birth control available to them. I strongly hope that this is the last time something like this happens. 





Video:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/08/lawrence-odonnell-tears-planned-parenthood-government-shutdown_n_846953.html

 

So last time I told you on how the government was trying to shut down Planned Parenthood. I explained them shutting them down, but not to much the help that women actually need from Planned Parenthood. Statistics have shown that most women do not practice birth control methods because they simply can not afford them. Most of the women that use Planned Parenthood are high school kids and young adults (ages 14-24). 
Most young females know that if they ask their parents to take them get birth control then it will cause a problem within the family. Planned Parenthood also gives out information to females on how to be sexually safe and what precautions to take. I mean isn't it always better to be safe then sorry? The government really has no idea what goes on with urban women. They have no clue what it is like for a woman to go and try to get sexual health.
In the end it all comes down to proving the point that Planned Parenthood does to many services for it to be cancelled. 

The project that we had to do was about negative and positive space drawings. Negative space drawings are drawings where you draw the shape of the space before you draw the actual object. To find the negative space of the cutout I simply got the construction paper and that was my negative space. Then once I had my object I put it over another piece of construction paper (that was a different color) and cut it out; this was my positive space. For the stools I tried my best to focus on the shapes of the space that were not the object. So I shaded in my negative space for them. Negative space helps because it helps the artist to draw the picture easier. Also for the person viewing the picture it enhances the picture more. It's more contrast in negative space then in regular drawings, so it enhances it for the human eye.

I took this process day by day. The process I used was that everyday I would work on something new. To make sure I can complete the topic. It was easy when we first started. It was easy to draw the windows and everything. When I first started that was bout the easiest thing to do. The rest of the assignment was VERY hard for me. I knew what I wanted to do, but when I tried to draw it, it just wouldn't do it. Trying to make things seem 3D, and as though an actual person was looking at it, was very hard for me. So I tried my best to complete this assignment. 

 Nicholas Doroba's  project impressed me. When he drew it, I could actually feel like I was looking at the room. His drawing was very descriptive and captured the room well.

I enjoyed doing the 10-20-30 project. I learned a lot from it. For me the most satisfying part about it was the events’ part of it. The event that happened in 1986 stood out the most and stuck with me. It was very hurtful to know that an event like this could take place in such a present day.

            The design part was probably the hardest part for me. I am not “artistically gifted”, so trying to design a page was hard for me. I knew what I wanted my page to look like, but it was hard for me to try and do it. Overall I loved this project, not only because of the work I did; but what I learned the most is from other people. My classmate’s projects taught me a whole lot.

http://orange10-11.wikispaces.com/Taylor+X.10