November Featured Writers!!!!

Better late than never. 

Yes, today is November 30th and the submissions are now posted.  We've had a very busy week back from Thanksgiving.  You may use this weekend to visit the blog and read the posts.  They are thirteen this month and for your assignment, make sure to read ALL of them.  Write comments for three of them (your choice).  Comments are due by Thursday, December 7th.

Remember, that this is a homework assignment. 

Also, we are in the middle of the research project and you have deadlines next week.  Group presentations are the following week.  Get organized and stay focused.  The semester is coming to an end and you want to finish strong.

Have a great rest of the week and know that I am THANKFUL for you, to see you, to teach you  and work with you each and every day.

XO,

Mrs. Solano

Honesty vs. Integrity--Taylor

The clear differences between honesty and integrity are evident in how people live their lives. Sure, they can be the same concept, right? The short, easy answer is no, they cannot be. Honesty is one of various components of integrity. One can be honest without having integrity but it’s not possible to have integrity without living honestly.  J.C. Watts, a politician, has said that "character is doing the right things when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught." This statement proves that people have the wrong idea of what living their life with integrity consists of and are most likely only living with a sense of honesty.

Honesty can be defined as being truthful and fair. It is quite simple to understand, people either live their life honestly or they don’t. There is no room to try and negotiate this idea. People may tell white lies once in a while to spare themselves from others but at the end of the day they still aren’t living a truthful life. Also, just because someone tells the truth, it doesn't mean that they have the right intentions or moral character. Honesty only requires that people tell the truth, so it leaves room for people to act immorally in many other ways. For example, if someone breaks a valuable object and doesn't tell anyone, they still remain honest. If they aren't asked about it, they essentially still haven't deceived anyone. However, just because they haven't lied, by them not owning up to it on their own, they don't have good moral character.

When we look at the definition of integrity, it consists more than just honesty. It is a person’s adherence to moral and ethical principles. Essentially, it is the soundness of a person’s moral character. People who abide by their morals follow them on a day to day basis and don’t disregard them when they potentially become inconvenient or unprofitable. A person with integrity would have admitted to breaking the valuable object, without being asked about it because they would feel that it’s the right thing to do. Not only is integrity composed of more than honesty but it also more rigorous to maintain. For example, companies that sell products can maintain honesty by mentioning the potential harmful materials of the product. But, if the company wanted to have integrity, they would refrain from using potentially harmful materials in their products all together for the safety and wellbeing of their customers.

In conclusion, living with integrity has more value and better shows a person's moral character than only having honesty. While having honesty is a good trait to have, there is much more that goes into a person's moral character. A person who tells the truth doesn’t necessarily have a good character but those with integrity maintain their morals and values no matter what they may encounter or how difficult it could be to do so.

“Integrity Quotes .” BrainyQuote, www.brainyquote.com/topics/integrity.

A Pessimist’s Guide to a Happy Life--Jonathan

There are two steps to being happy, at least in my perspective. These two steps
are crucial to being the best version of yourself you could be, and a way to stay true to yourself. The key to happiness is simple, take the time to breathe, and chase your passion. As corny as it sounds, it’s one of the few truths in life. Apply it and the world is yours. Life is all about growth and learning from experience. 

Take the time to breathe, relax and realize that everything will be okay. It’s november of your senior year, you’re submitting college applications, you’re drowning in AP homework, and bombarded with stuff going on at home. Let’s be honest, you’re probably reading this submission the day blog comments are due, stressing over making the deadline. Take the time to breathe. Our hardships are here to make us stronger and wiser people, be grateful that life presents you with challenges that make you see the beauty of life and the struggles and growing opportunities we’re given. Take the time to acknowledge where you’re at, and “smell the roses”, so to speak. High School comes once, and goes quickly. Appreciate all it has to offer, go to dances, games, events. Make the most out of what you are presented with, and let go of unnecessary stresses. Be good to yourself, we all know school, work, and family are incredibly draining at times. Take time to ensure you’re at your best mentally and stay healthy. Once you take the time to breathe and relax, you become the controller of your universe, and nothing can stop you, let go and realize that things happen for a reason.

Chase your passion. Don’t make the mistake of living a life that isn't on your own terms. Take that art class you’ve been dying to learn from, ask that girl out, post

that song you wrote! Our passions are the driving force behind our actions and the motivation that pushes us through the hardships of life. Your passion is who you are, and don’t be afraid to shoot for the stars. Nobody has ever regretted chasing their dreams. Don’t let anybody stop you, put a finger in your face and tell you you’re no good, you only have one life, don’t live it letting others dictate your world. When toxic people try to bring you down, you’ll prove them wrong because you are fierce, driven and passionate. It’s you against the world and when the opportunity arises, do not back down. Chase your passion because at the end of the day you want to know in your heart you chased your dream and didn’t let anybody stop you. Don’t let a parent, teacher, or anybody for that matter tell you that your dream is too big, too small , or unattainable because we all knows the greatest and most innovative people had to come adversity to reach greatness. You are the controller of your destiny. Remember that your situations do not define you- but your reactions to them do. Let go, breathe, and chase what drives you, and the world will be yours and you will be happy and live a life knowing you have been true to your heart. Live life at 100, because one day you’ll be looking back, and you’ll want to be smiling, not regretting.

What's Love--Leo

Her eyes, their beauty forever imprinted in my memory, they tell what words could never say. The laughter they hold and the pain they hide, her eyes draw me into their wondrous blue sky.
Love is a word that appears in all forms of our everyday lives. “You'll love it”, “I love him”, “we love this.” It's thrown around so often that I believe we no longer understand what love truly means. According to a quick Google search love is defined as an “intense feeling of deep affection” or a “person or thing that one loves.” Two contradicting definitions for one seemingly simple word. Is love a feeling or is love a person/thing? Who gets to decide what love is? Ask 100 different people what love is and you'll get 100 different answers. Suddenly love isn't so easy to define anymore. Many say that love is what you feel and share with a “significant other” but then does that mean that I can't say that I love tacos? And if love is only a feeling then why is that we look for love in other people and things instead of “feeling” love for ourselves? I'm no therapist and I don't claim to have the answers to these questions either. My aim with this article is to get all of us, myself included, to truly think of what love means to us. To me, love is neither a thing or a person- I refuse to confine love into what I believe it should be, rather I let it flow freely- coming into my life in whichever way it pleases. Whether it's through the eyes of a beautiful soul or through a perfect taco from the taco truck around the corner of my Tia's house. According to Corinthians 13:5-7: “Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures.”
This is one of my favorite descriptions of love simply because of its ambiguity. Rather than telling us exactly what love is, it merely states characteristics of love. When you do something you love you'll do it no matter what happens, on a good day or a bad day- because love endures. We give our love to others because love is not selfish. The embrace of a loved one can brighten our day because love holds no evil. You can see where I'm going here. There is so much more to this human sensation than what Webster and his dictionary can explain. My definition of love is simple. There is none. Love is a force in which I do not understand and cannot explain, and that is how I prefer it to be. For me, having all the answers takes the joy out of life. Therefore, I'll let love’s eyes draw me into her sea of blue every time, for they overcome me with a feeling greater than what I have ever known before.
What does love mean to you?