August Featured Writers 2018!!!

We have started off this school year very strong with a total of 10 original submissions to our classroom blog.  I am excited to share these pieces with you.

So, this is how it works--

Take this week to read ALL 10 of the submissions.  Choose any three you wish and write comments on the writer's page.  Some of the things to think about...

1.  Why do you choose this piece to respond with some commentary?

2.  Does the piece "speak" to you?  How so?

3.  What do you find interesting, enjoyable, captivating?

4.  Any connections to the piece?

When you leave comments  remember to write with courtesy, respect, clarity and appreciation.  

The August comments are due Tuesday, September 11.  

All comments are approved by me before they appear on the blog.

If you have any questions, please see me during class or send me an email.

August Writers,

You are not required to leave comments for the month.  You may if you wish, though.  I encourage August Writers to watch your page and comments.  Feel free to answer any questions or respond to your classmate's commentary.

Have fun with this classroom literary blog.

See you in class :)

xo,

Mrs. Solano

How To: Take, Edit and Pose For Pictures--Payton

Photography is an art that is easily accessible to a vast majority of the population nowadays. However, how do we take that to the next level? Throughout this How To, you will learn how to take your photography to the next level, with tips I’ve learned from my own experience.

What you Will Need: 

·      A camera, I used a canon 70D with a basic camera lense (You may use a phone camera as well, cameras are easily accessible nowadays)

·      VSCO, an editing software app that is free in the app store

·       A person to pose with, and to take portraits of you 

TAKING PICTURES 

STep 1: Make sure your camera settings are to your liking, I prefer them to be the basic setting so I can have creative space within the editing of photos.

Step 2: When shooting pictures always be sure that the lense is in focus, you do this by looking in the viewfinder of the camera and adjusting with moving of the lense and tapping the screen of the camera. I am pictured below focusing my shot.

Step 3: Once your shot is all focused and to your liking press the black shutter button at the top of the camera in order to physically take the photo. In the photo below my point of focus was the ferris wheel, and I adjusted the focus in order to get the perfect lighting and amount of clarity for the shot. 

EDITING PHOTOS

STEP 1: Open the VSCO app 

STEP 2: Import your desired photos to your photo studio by clicking on the + symbol in the top right corner

STEP 3: Choose your desired preset, which is an already edited version of the photo that will appear at the bottom of the screen once you tap on the photo and click the icon with two bars and circles simulating the editing bars, for this photo I chose preset HB2. 

STEP 4: Then click that same icon again to begin editing the exposure, contrast, saturation, clarity, highlights, shadows, tone, white balance, skin tone, vignette, and grain of the photo. Mess around with everything until you get to the desired edit of yours, everyone’s editing styles are different and just remember to choose what you think looks good. Personally, I enjoy vibrant colors with washed out backgrounds, and I always add a little bit of grain to give the photo a vintage feel. However your editing style may be completely different, editing is all about personality and style, so don't be afraid to show yours off! Inserted below is the process it took me to edit this photo thoroughly. 

STEP 5: The secret to having the perfect theme is editing photos all the same exact way. VSCO offers a perfect way to do this by letting you copy and paste your exact edits onto other photos. Tap on the desired edit you would like to copy, click the three dots in the lower right hand corner, select “copy edits”, and then tap all of the photos you want to attain that same edit, tap the three dots in the lower right hand corner, select “paste edits”, and that is how you create the perfect theme of edited photos. 

Posing FOR PHOTOS

STEP 1: Find an angle that makes you feel confident ! I personally enjoy head on angles, and I look to the side to have a profile photo. Make various faces, even ones you think won’t look god, because you truly never know how good or bad a photo will turn out. Posing for photos may be frustrating at first, because you may not like any of the pictures you have taken, but after awhile you will get the hang of it and find angles that work the best for you! 

STEP 2: Have a gallery of inspiration photos, that you can mimic poses off of. Take them off of celebrity instagram posts, pinterest, or just any photo you see where you like the pose of the person in it. By trying new poses, and imitating poses you like to see you are bound to be posing confidently. 

STEP 3: Be sure to have someone behind the camera that you trust. If you don’t trust the person taking the photos you will be less likely to show your personality and end up with mediocre photos, rather than spectacular photos. 

All of the posing tips work for individual pictures, as well as posing with groups or just one other person

THANK YOU 

I hope that you learned something new today, and were able to implement the notes in this how to for the next time you are taking, editing, or posing for pictures. Photography is an art that takes time to master and learn, which I am still trying to figure out myself. Be patient and trust in the process because your skills will strengthen overtime, and hopefully you may be confident in your photography skills like you never have been before!

Homecoming--Deacon

Sam sat quietly on her bed; Her face tense and nervous. She had on her favorite dress, with a big bow across her waist, she had only worn it once before. This was a big day, her first school dance. She didn’t think she would ever be allowed and here she was, ready for her special day. She took a deep breath, slipped on her heels, and stood up. She said to herself uneasy, “ I’m ready.” With one step after the other, she made her way into the hallway; her breath started getting heavier as she made her way to the living room at the end of the hallway, she didn’t know what to expect. As she came into view her mother and father lighted up with joy. They quickly ran to her and hugged her with glee, knowing this was a big step for their daughter. While her parents were overwhelmed with joy her date, Ron, was astonished. “You look amazing,” he said. She blushed and pushed her bangs back as her parents slide away, “ Are you ready to do this?” he said as he held his arm out for her. She could barely hold herself together, Everything was playing out just the way she dreamed. They slowing made their way out the door and her parents waved her goodbye as they made their way to the car. Sam, already flustered by Ron and her parents looked up astonished as Ron opened the door to a limonene. He noticed and asked if she was okay. She could no longer talk, for she had no idea what to say, she simply nodded and slipped inside. As she sat down she looked up to see she was engulfed in darkness, Ron was nowhere to be seen. In fact, there were no doors, no seats, no ceiling, Sam was alone... A sharp sound surrounded her as she felt her entire body felt heavier and heavier until she sank into her bed and her eyes opened. When she woke up she was surprised to find “Ron and Claude” playing on her tv and her mother at the door. “Are you ready?” she asked. “For what?” she responded. “Oh for your dance of course!.” Her mother asked for her hand and led her out to the living room where she found streamers across the ceiling, party hats on her father, a small radio, and a banner across the back wall that said,” Homecoming. With a large sigh, she muttered to herself, “I’m never going to leave home, Homecoming is just as it sounds, at home.” Her mother quickly added before she pressed play off the radio, “ don’t forget to finish assignment 12  before you have cake.”

The Disunited States of America--Eddie

The 4th book in the Crosstime Traffic Series, The Disunited States of America by Harry
Turtledove, published by Tor Books, tells about an alternate dimension in which the Constitution was never written up, and the Articles of Confederation, which held the country together, were essentially forgotten as each state became its own sovereign entity. The Crosstime Traffic series is about a future in which an eponymous organization that has discovered the secret to traveling to alternate timelines and makes its money by sending traders to harvest resources and send them back to the main timeline. In this novel, Justin Monroe and his mother are sent to Charleston, Virginia in the alternate universe and are to pose as relatives of Randolph Brooks, an employee of Crosstime Traffic who runs a stamp shop. Simultaneously, Rebecca “Beckie” Royer, an inhabitant of the alternate timeline, and her grandmother Myrtle Bentley travel from California to the rural town of Elizabeth, Virginia so that Myrtle could return to her home state one last time. In this alternate timeline, California is a very strong global power that has been influenced by Mexico which can be seen in the Californian’s accent and in the fact that their currency is pesos, while Virginia is a poorer country that has a racial hierarchy that makes African-Americans second class citizens. Beckie and her grandmother stay at their cousins, the Snodgrasse’s, house while Justin and Mr. Brooks visit the household to trade and sell stamps with Mr. Snodgrass. Beckie befriends Justin and their relationship gradually grows, even though love between a person of the main timeline and the alternate timeline is forbidden. During their stay, Virginia declares war on Ohio because they suspect that the state is selling arms to their

black population in order to get them to riot. Ohio responds by introducing a virus into Virginia which kills many residents of Elizabeth. Beckie and Justin are now stuck in Elizabeth and they have to work together to get back to Charleston in order to heal her grandmother and get Justin back to the main timeline. Justin breaks rank by taking a dead soldiers clothes and joins up with the Virginian Army. He is then shipped off to war-ravaged Charleston where blacks have risen up using the weapons that Ohio has given them. Beckie, Myrtle, and Mr. Brooks are forced to travel to the city in order to save Justin.
One particular thing I love about this book is the grand world the author creates in his alternate timeline. I love all the small details the author inserts to make it seem like this would have actually happened if the United States never signed the Constitution. Some examples of these small details that immersed me into the book are the fact that Mississippi is a state in which blacks reign over whites or that how different states aligned with different sides in World War I. (which is called the Great War because there was no World War II) There are also states that don’t exist in our timeline such as Boone. The story on the other hand was very predictable and I kinda felt like I knew how the entire plot was going to come to fruition. I did not like the ending at all because it wasn’t satisfying, it just felt like a read a big novel for nothing in the end. To be fair, it is a young adult novel, so throwing in too many twists might alienate the demographic. The grand world-building helped what was for the most part a subpar plot and turned it into a very enjoyable novel for me. There aren’t too many central themes in this novel, but one prominent message is that war is pointless and it kills otherwise innocent people. A very prominent scene of the book is where Justin shoots a black kid right in the head after the kid shoots at Justin. This scene is loaded with details showing the different emotions Justin feels in this moment: disgust, shock, and pity. When he returns to the main timeline, he acknowledges that the situation has changed him, and has made him a man. This book made me want to read

more books about alternate history from Turtledove, and there are many more to explore. I recommend this book to people who love alternate history and war novels as it will never cease to entertain you with its compelling characters and stimulating setting.

Hate, Happiness, and Hope--Erika

What is happiness? Maybe it was your first Disneyland trip when you were five, maybe it was when you received your first phone, or maybe it was when your crush in 7th grade admitted she/he liked you. All of these events have something in common, you're gaining something for yourself. When did happiness turn into something tangible? Whatever happened to when coming home after school was the happiest thing in the world? You could play outside or spend time with your family. Although now going “home” is not always the better option. For me, I love being at home, it's my safe place and where I feel most comfortable. Although, school on the other hand,it is not my most favorite place to be but, I still have to come and do my work. The sad thing is, walking through the halls shouldn’t feel like the most judgmental place to be. This is because most happiness is taken from us, by other human beings. It shouldn't be fair that one other body can control your emotions or have that power over you. We let those who hold a higher position, whether that be popularity or another form of social ranking have control over what we feel we can or cannot do. Who gave that person the permission to take away your happiness? We were put on this earth to serve ourselves and others with caring compassionate hands. There is an entire world out there and a universe in you. Therefore, I challenge you to take back your happiness, grab control over it, don’t care what others think and definitely don’t let someone else determine your fate. As aristotle said, ​"Happiness depends upon ourselves." It is so simple to not give that girl you “don’t like” a dirty look, pick up someone else’s trash, hug your mom, admit when you're wrong, apologize, say please and thank you, just be decent humans. It takes more energy to ruin someone's day by being hurtful than to not bother them at all. I’m not saying everyone or even you are a bad person, but it doesn’t hurt to take a step back and examine your past. I’m also not saying that I am perfect, because who is? Literally, EVERYONE makes mistakes, and trying to fix those is always a good idea, second chances are given. So, spend time with your family, because time is limited and should be cherished at all cost especially with those you love. Having compassion for others spreads like a disease, but like everything in this world there is always an evil to go hand in hand along with the good. In my opinion the goal of life is to reach divine happiness in whatever you’re doing, and then continue to spread that to others. As I mentioned earlier, there is an entire world out there, you can do anything to get away from toxic relationships and go exploring for your happiness.


So, be good to people, and let that goodness shine in your soul.

How to Become a Professional Frontline Paladins Player (PS4)

So you want play Paladins on the Playstation 4 and you want to become a professional? Well look no further, because I am more than qualified to teach you the ways of becoming a professional Paladins frontline player. As of writing, I currently have 608 hours and 4 minutes on the game as well as a 55% win rate out of 2,914 games played. Their are well over 2 million players that play Paladins on PS4 and the highest rank I have ever gotten was 37th in the world! Not only that but last summer I was also renowned by the professional Paladins Playstation 4 community as a top 5 frontline player in North America. So yes I do truly believe that what I have to say is beneficial not only to Playstation 4 players but also to PC players. If any of you would like to check for verification go to Paladins.Guru hit PS4 under the search bar and type in ScrambledEggsGG.

What you will Need

●      PlayStation 4

●      A functional Controller that’s comfortable for you

●      Comfortable chair

●      Open Mind

●      Patience

Directions

1)    First and foremost you need to understand the core basics of the game such as champions, mechanics, and the current meta.When practicing champions you need to at least play each champion three hours in order to progress. This will also work hand in hand with mechanics because the more you play the game the more you will understand what that champion does, as well as what that champion can and can not do. When it comes to meta’s you will need to constantly be experimenting with champions as well as constantly be on top with updated information.

2)    Secondly a lot of people know in order to achieve this you will need time and practice. However, the setback that people unconsciously do is that they practice entirely wrong. When people say I want to become great at this game what they usually tend to practice multiple things at once and that is not the case at all. When practicing your craft you need to understand that you absolutely have to work on something one at a time. For example if you feel like you can’t hit an ability because of the hitbox, keep playing that champion, learn the hitbox and do not stop until you perfectly understand the hitbox. What you don’t want to do is play other champions and occasionally play that champion with that hitbox problem because you will give yourself a major setback and you will never improve. So yes you need to put in the time and practice but, you need to be productive with your time as well practicing things one by one in order to improve which will take a lot of patience

3)    When playing a frontline champion you need to fully understand the role of that champion. There are two different types of frontline styles that you will need to learn figure what suits you best. An offtank plays more of an aggressive role they roam around they tend to deal a lot of damage and they essentially play more like a dps. A point tank plays strictly on the point and are very passive and controlled play styles this also takes a lot of patience and understanding of your teams and the enemy teams positioning throughout the map.What you don’t want to do is play a control tank and play that champion like an off tank. However some champions can play both roles but you need to fully understand step 1 and step 2 in order to figure out properly what champions can play which role.

4)    Another major component that people need to understand are maps which also go hand in hand with positioning. Maps are essential in Paladins due to team compositions and trying to figure out what champions are the best on certain maps. For example in larger scale maps you would not want a champion that does not have survivability, mobility, or small base health, this is because damages champions will tear you to shreds without any of these components. However in smaller maps that are more enclosed, you will have more versatile options to choose from. Now you will be able to pick tanks that are melee and do tons of damage, you’ll be able to pick tanks that do more damage but may have a smaller health pool, and you might even get away with team compositions with only one tank. Now positioning comes into play when it comes to what tank role you are playing as well as what champion you are playing. For example if I am playing a high mobile champion that does tons of damage in a big mad that has highgrounds looking down at the point, your job would be to take high ground and reign the most damage you can on the point and enemies. The only time you should ever touch the point is when you need to trigger overtime or when the main tank dies. Now if your playing a super tanky champion with tons of health, survivability, and no mobility then it is your job no matter what map you are playing on to just sit on point. Nothing else matters you stay on point and try to survive as long as you can it does not matter what your KDA (Kills, deaths, assists) is, the only thing that matters is that you absolutely have to stay on point and gain that point time for your team, the only time you should ever step off is to regain health other than that never leave the point or objective. In order to fully understand the Positioning for champions and roles you first need to fully understand steps 1, 2, and 3 otherwise you will have a lot of wasted practice time as well as a lot of unnecessary frustration.

            Voila! If you can correctly follow these steps you will be well on your way to become the next hot up-and-comer to the Paladins scene not just for Playstation 4 but for any scene that you wish to be in. If you would like to play with me or have any questions for me follow me on Twitch.tv/ScrambledEggsGG I usually stream paladins gameplay here, or add my PSN which ScrambledEggsGG. Happy grinding!

How to--Forgive--Sofia

Life - known for all of its tests and trials. Throughout all of our lives, we experience so many different things, but no matter how different each of our lives may be, we all meet new people. Each and every person you meet has been put in your life for a reason, even if your conversation with that person only lasted for a quick minute. We learn and experience so many different emotions when speaking to others, even if we do not realize how each person makes us feel. Subconsciously, we remember every single face we have ever seen. Every individual is so differently important to us that sometimes we even dream of them, and every face that we see in a dream is someone that we have seen before, even if we don’t “know” them. The average person meets about 80,000 people in their lifetime. Out of that large number, we have around only six people throughout our lifetime that we can consider “close”. In certain cases, some of us completely stay away from making any close relationships, in fear of being hurt. This hurt, a pain all too familiar, can be caused by anybody - a friend, a significant other, a parent - and for many of us, letting go of this pain may sting more than the initial wound. Sometimes we feel that we may never trust another person again, but we are wrong. Trust comes as a process, and eventually we will learn how to believe in others again. Humans are a species that require love, affection, and human connections. In this step-by-step guide, you will learn how to forgive and trust again, even if the process may be faster or slower for each individual. As someone who feels that they have experienced multiple events of being deceived, both with friends and a long-term significant other, I truly believe that this personal guide will help you heal as it did for me. After truly taking in and understanding that I wanted to finally be happy once again, I took the time to analyze what exactly was taking such a strong toll on my happiness. Once these events had been found, I knew that my journey of forgiveness would begin. The only tools you will need for your journey are to truly want a healthier conscious and a happier lifestyle, as these two choices are both the results of forgiving. ​To begin​, think of a time that someone that you felt you could trust with all of your heart betrayed you. When thinking of this event, understand that forgiving is not the same as forgetting. Secondly​, understand that whatever event occured was not your fault. Many of us tend to believe that when something negative occurs it is our fault. For example, your significant other has been unfaithful. Understand that this is not your fault, and if you do

feel that you are to blame, this is a key sign of low self-esteem and your forgiveness should be targeted towards aiding your confidence in yourself. ​Next​, we often find ourselves angry and vengeful when thinking of the wrongs that have been done to us. Allow these feelings to melt away, grasp that revenge not only takes a toll on you and your health, but on the relationships you have with those who had no place in the event that occured. Constantly carrying anger with you pushes away those who are close to you and it is wrong to take out this anger on someone who does not intend to cause you any harm. ​Furthermore,​ allow events of the past to stay in the past. If you plan on continuing a relationship with the person who hurt you, you will not benefit the already weak relationship if you constantly use the event of the past as blackmail or as the way to win an argument. ​Lastly​, understand that, “to err is human, to forgive, divine” We all make mistakes, even if some are way bigger than others. Accept that the mistakes of others is human error, and we are all human. By taking meaning in the four steps that have been given to you, you will experience an improved self-esteem, better mental health, and healthier relationships with those who surround you. For some of us, these results will go unnoticed, and we will continue living normal, happy lives. For the rest of us, who have been holding onto our grudge for so long, the weight on our chest will slowly but surely lift. It will become easier to breathe again. Never forget - forgiveness is key.

School Safety--Megan

We heard a muffled yell over the intercom and stared at each other in horror.

May 2, 2014 was a day just like any other. It was a Friday, and I was looking forward to the weekend. The drought-induced heat was sweltering and I daydreamed of swimming in my pool after school. My classmates and I shuffled to third period around 10AM and sank into our chairs. In the middle of a lecture, a voice broadcast an intercom message to my entire school. “She’s down!” The class went silent as we listened close for any indication of what was going on. We heard muffled voices and commotion through the speaker, and then silence. Ten seconds passed.. then twenty.. We struggled to process what we just heard. I sat frozen in my seat expecting to hear a reassuring message from the principal, but minute after minute passed without any explanation from administration. Students around me began texting their parents and saying how much they loved them. Finally the principal’s voice rang out from the speaker and broke the stiff silence. The campus was going on lockdown. Mrs. Gonzalez moved briskly across the classroom, locked the doors, and shut off the lights. She put on a brave face to keep myself and my classmates calm. As our only means of shelter, we crawled underneath our desks. In my mind, any hopes that this was just a fluke were thrown out the window. Seemingly all of us came to the same conclusion: someone had been shot. We all assumed that the

intercom message had come from the front office and that we were in peril. I began to imagine my school in the news. “Shooting at Heritage Intermediate School,” played over and over in my head. Suddenly the headlines became real to me. I wondered if I would become another victim name on a news channel ticker tape. I looked around the room at my friends cowering in fear under the desks, thinking this would be the last thing I saw. We sat close to each other, hands shaking and clasped in the dark. It felt as if we were waiting in silence for hours. ​Tap, tap, tap.Someone knocked on our door. I could feel my stomach in my throat as we waited for whatever came next. The vice principal’s voice called to our class through the door saying that it was a false alarm. A collective sigh of relief swept through the classroom as my teacher opened the door, allowing a trickle of light to shine on us. We crept out from under the desks and stretched and hugged each other tight. We later learned from police that the false alarm was a practical joke played by one or more students who had learned how to use the use the intercom system in the gym.
I used to believe that I was safe at school. We've all heard of places like Columbine, Sandy Hook, and Virginia Tech, but no one ever expects tragedy to hit so close to home. This event made me realize that violence can happen at any school and any time, and anyone could be the next victim. I’m blessed that I only went through a false alarm, and my heart breaks imagining the terror that victims of actual school shootings experienced. Only twenty-two days later, a campus shooting took place at UC Santa Barbara killing seven students and injuring seven more. Shootings during the last two decades have made it clear that these events can happen at elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as colleges and workplaces, meaning that this risk

will follow me the rest of my life. I relive my experience every time I hear of another school shooting in the news. So what can my peers and I do to forge a safer future? We can follow the lead of the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. We can speak with local community leaders. We can advocate for more extensive background checks across the United States. We can register to vote. We can support political candidates who will promote more restrictive gun ownership requirements. We can vote to diminish the power of gun lobbies in America. We can oppose companies and products backed by gun lobbies. Personal activism is the mode by which my generation will begin to make positive change in our nation. It’s not good enough to sit back and be part of the 40%+ of American citizens who do not vote. With every small action, we’re one step closer to a future without gun violence.

Not a Normal Day--Giovanni

Throughout my life, I had never experienced any emotional situations; my life had been very lackluster with nothing extravagant or surprising happening. Little did I know I would soon go through one of the hardest times in my life, affecting me views and morals that I have toward the world. This day was normal as any other day, I woke up in the morning and got myself ready for school. That day my mom had a doctors appointment -a normal checkup- in the morning so she took her car and left, so my dad was tasked with taking me to school that day. I got my belongings and went into the car, we headed off for school. The ride to school was as normal as any other day, my dad made bad jokes I laughed, all was well. We eventually got there at school a little bit later than I would have liked to be. My dad said he’ll see me later and that my mom would be picking me up after school. I walked to class with some time to spare, and my day started from there just like how any other day had started. I went through my 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th periods just like how I did in any other day. I meet up with my friends and we started to walk to the parking lot. As I went over there I noticed that I saw my dads car; I took no notice and assumed my mom had driven my dads car. I said goodbye to my friends and I went to my car, to my surprise to see my dad in the car. I went inside the car, and I could feel that the

atmosphere felt somber, and that my dad looked glum, I asked him what was wrong he replied with, “I’ll tell you right now”. When started to head “home”, I noticed that we weren't going home, so out of curiosity I asked my dad were we were headed, He said we were going to the hospital. I didn’t understand then why, but I only assumed it was to pick up my mom. With that in my head I had an answer so I stayed quiet the rest of the way there. We finally got there, but something didn’t sit right with me, so I asked were and hows my mom; my dad didn’t reply. I assumed that something was wrong just from his response and from the look on his face (he’s very expretionative when it comes to his emotions). My dad lead the way, he asked the doctor were my mother was and we followed. I remained quiet, knowing my dad wasn’t going to talk; that is until the doctor told us that the room was here. Respectively enough I lead the way into the room only to find my mom on the bed sitting up. I thought nothing of it, so I asked how she was feeling; she jestered me to come here. I went over to her and she grasped me to give me a hug, so I did the same. The room was quite, the only noise was that of my moms tears, I was worried so I asked here what was wrong. She told me under her tears that she was diagnosed with cancer. I was dumbfounded, speechless, shocked; it was almost like I didn’t even hear what she said. My dad went closer and gave me a hug, and under his breath said that everything will be alright. The doctor started saying how this type of cancer is treatable under the right conditions, and that we were lucky in that they managed to find it only in its first few stages. This reassurance from the doctor kept my tears from breaking lose, but my thought were still the same. I sat down in a chair lost in thought, the doctor’s and my dads voice fading out. I thought it was over, that I’d lose her forever. My dad pulled me from these thoughts and say we could go home. We did just that and we walked out with my mom, we didn’t say a word; it wasn’t the

right time or place to do so. We got in the car and we started to head home, there was remote silence between us,not even the radio could lighten the mood. I couldn’t take it any longer so I asked what’s going to happen. My mom went back to her tears and my dad tried the best he could to explain what was going to happen, while trying to hold back his tears. Shortened down he told me that this type of cancer -lymphatic cancer- was the least harmful of the types of cancer, it was even more lucky that we found it while it was in its first few stages. The only problem was that my mother would have to go through chemo, radiation, and surgery, if we wanted to fight back the cancer. She did just that, for the next few months my mother went in and out of the hospital, all while still being with me and my father; still putting on a smile as if nothing was wrong. Until one day when she picked me up from school she broke down in tears, I did so as well after trying to hold them back for as long as I could. Under her tears she said that she couldn't take it anymore, that she wanted to give up, she was tired of this. I told her not to think like that, I had then showed emotions that had been deep within me, emotions hidden since the day I found out what was wrong with my mom. I let her know that, “I need you, we need you, me and dad both do; without you things will never be the same again, I don’t want to leave you, especially not when your so close from overcoming it and beating through it. Find the strength in yourself to keep going, because without you there is going to be no support to bring my and my dad together, our link.” My mom parked on the side of the rode, and all she did was hug me nothing more nothing less. She responded with, “I'm sorry, I thought that, giving up, just because of I felt like I had no one to support me, when my support was you two. Thank you.” My mom did just that she persevered onward with no signs of stopping. A few months passed and I so got ready for school just like any other day, my mom was going to the doctors less

frequently than often, and my dad was taking me to school. I got in the car and we started to drive off; he gave his witty jokes, and I laughed to them along the way; he dropped me off, and said he’d see me later like usual. I went through my 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th periods just like how do in any other day. I meet up with my friends and we started to walk to the parking lot, but this wasn’t just like any other normal day, instead of seeing my dad I saw my mom in her car, I said goodbye to my friends and got into her car. I got in the car and she was teary eyed again, I replied with, “everything is going to be alright”, she replied with, “everything is alright. She told me that at the doctors they told her that she was clear of her cancer, and that she was safe, that she persevered through it all. I gave my mom a hug, and I cried along with her. We drove home not in desperation and sadness this time, but with glee and happiness knowing that we were going to stay together as a whole family, I knew from the beginning of that day, that today was not going to be a normal day. From that day forward I learned something; that nothing is forever, to cherish everything in front of you, and to give love and kindness to everyone because you never know when you’ll lose them and you’ll never be able to give them that same kindness ever again.

The Broken Comedian--Brooke

The marquee read “Gregory Marcus, comedian.” But comedian was written with quotations as to be read sarcastically. That was his favorite joke I think, because he would always start every show with, “Hello everyone and welcome to my show, my name is Gregory Marcus, and I am a, quote, comedian.” It was funny, but not funny enough. Every single show he would say that joke hoping to get a good response, but that was the one joke that wouldn’t work out as well as he had hoped.
Don’t get me wrong, his other jokes were funny. Like the one about his air conditioning breaking down and him finally living out his dream of filling his bathtub with ice cream because of it. Or the other joke about how he knew he wasn’t allowed to eat in his meetings so he stole a donut from a little kid on the street to tide him over for the next few hours. He made sure that his audience knew for a fact that he was overweight. That I didn’t find very funny. There was something about his jokes that seemed like they stemmed from some sort of sad truth. He played it off like he didn’t care about his weight, but I think he did.
Everyone thinks I’m stupid for thinking this because Gregory Marcus is just a “funny guy” and he isn’t ever serious about anything he says on stage. But I didn’t listen. I wanted to figure this man out.
This may sound super creepy, but I knew where he lived. Not because I looked it up or anything, but because I happened to be walking home at the same time as him, and it just so happened he lived at the cul de sac right next to mine in a cute two story house with white shutters on the windows and roses surrounding the entire house. It looked like a house someone would invision living in if they wanted that “American dream.” His roof was missing a brick right in the hard to reach place, and the grass was unevenly cut. His garage door looked like it had been painted over ten times in the past year, and his front door was red. I always thought it strange when people painted their doors a statement color like that, but on his house, it really tied everything together. He walked up to it, fumbling with his keys, opened the door with a strong push that required him to lean his whole body into it. He slammed the door shut and I watched as the lights flashed awake on the first floor.
The next day, I was walking my dog and suddenly she stopped right in front of his house to sniff some papers that seemed to have missed the trash. My curiosity got the best of me and I picked one of them up. It read:
Gregory Lee Marcus, a Memoir of the Broken “Comedian”
I stopped before I could read on and picked up the rest of the papers. Then I did
something even crazier... I went into the trash, searching for all the other loose papers I could find. I found a good sixty pages before I heard something from across the street. I immediately ran as fast as I could back to my house, where I laid all the papers out on my bedroom floor, putting them in chronological order. Once I had finished, I noticed I had missed something, because the sentence was unfinished on the last page. Besides that, I couldn’t help but read it. I read up until page 73. Only six more pages to go, but I couldn’t bring myself to finish. I didn’t want it to end. He had such profound opinions about the true meaning of happiness and what laughter derives from. He spent three pages explaining how to write that perfect joke that will make everyone laugh, and went on to explain the human species as a whole and why we react

to certain things the way we do. On page seventeen he talked about children and their strong yet fragile outlook on life, and page nineteen talked about how he wished to be a child again. Page twenty-three talked about his own childhood. He grew up in Salem, Massachusetts and recalled a time when he was eight years old waiting for the witches to come back and take him away from his home. He said that at the time he would’ve much rather lived with witches than with his parents and older brother. On page fifty two he spoke about how much he longed to live in an elderly home even though he isn’t even near retirement age. And then came the dreaded page seventy three. He wrote about how much he was losing his inspiration to write jokes anymore, and hearing that made me not want to finish. I had to, though. I had already gotten this far.
Six more pages. Six more pages and all of my questions about Gregory Marcus would be answered. Page seventy four explained how he felt in times of loneliness, page seventy five talked about how he felt during his shows, page seventy six talked about how he feels guilty for some of the jokes he says, page seventy seven explained the in-depth consequences to being a comedian, page seventy eight talked about how he wished he could’ve been a doctor or lawyer to make his father proud, and finally, page seventy nine. On that page, the last few words were, “I wish there was someone who--”
I walked back to that house, knocked on the door, and when he opened it, I smiled, and holding all of the wonderful pages with poured out emotion on them, I said, “I understand.”
And he smiled back.

Extended Book Review: 1984--Alexis

1984, ​by George Orwell is by far one of the most famous novels of the negative utopian, or dystopian, genre. While in a utopian novel, the writer portrays the perfect human society, in a dystopian novel, her or she does the opposite by showing the worst human society he or she believes to be possible. This dystopian novel does so in an effort to convince readers to avert any path that might lead toward such societal degradation. In this case, Orwell conveys the audience his prophetic and nightmarish vision of what he believed to be the outcome of the totalitarian regimes reigning in the Soviet Union, Germany, and Italy during the 1940s. Orwell adequately demonstrates the power that a totalitarian regime can possess over a wide population who has succumb to the persuasion of radical ideals and desperate solutions in order to resolve what they believe to be a state of ceaseless anarchy. He emphasizes his interpretation by stating,“Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.”
In ​1984, ​Orwell illustrates the consequences of a totalitarian regime overseeing a country by implementing acts of terror, surveillance, and repressive bureaucracy that are used in order to

exert total power over the country. The main character, Winston Smith, rises against the omnipresent rule of totalitarianism in Oceania, a place where the Party (government) peruses human actions with the attentive eye of Big Brother (the authoritarian leader of Oceania). The novel takes place in London, where an authoritarian dictatorship is under power, leading a ceaseless war against opposing countries. In order to preserve and control society’s thoughts and actions toward the authoritarian system of government, the Party keeps a vigilant eye on all of their citizens. They do so by enabling a Thought Police (secret police) and utilizing hidden cameras and microphones to detect and punish individuals for any speculation or actions they consider to be a form of defiance or treason against their reign. Under the notion that all emotional energy should go towards idolizing Big Brother, The Party prohibits having close friends, being in love, dating, and having sexual intercourse with anyone whom you might have remote attraction towards. In addition, the Party requires all citizens to watch their mandatory programing and attend the Party’s pep rallies which include “two minutes of hate”-the time designated toward hate speech directed at enemies which the Party uses as a physically engrossing form of propaganda. Defying a ban on individuality, Winston dares to express his thoughts in a diary and pursues a relationship with Julia (a woman he works with). These criminal acts then bring Winston into the eye of the government watchers, who then must reform who they believe to be a nonconformist in their dystopian society.

The world in which ​1984 ​takes place in is one of tyranny, ignorance, and inevitable warfare. After reading this novel, I felt that Orwell accurately depicts the setting of a totalitarian regime and meticulously epitomizes the goal in which every existing fascist or communist leader has ever aspired to reach: absolute power. Orwell most effectively compels the audience of the

absolute power these totalitarian regimes aim to obtain by continuously referring to the Party’s slogan,”war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength.” This phrase introduces the novel’s concept of doublethink: the idea of an individual being able to hold completely contradictory thoughts simultaneously while believing both of them to be true. Contradictory statements such as these are upheld by the Party in order to justify their actions and cement their authority over the people. For instance,“War Is Peace” corresponds with the idea that all citizens of Oceania have a common enemy, thus keeping the people united against what they collectively consider to be the cause of all their dismay. The Party does this in order to justify their war expenses, so it appears as though all are in favor of the war’s continuation. The citizens belief that they are contributing to the wars end when in fact they are only advancing its continuation is a sheer example of how the Party is able to remain practicing their manipulation. Additionally, “Freedom Is Slavery” is upheld because, according to the Party, those who dispute social confines are doomed to fail. However, if they are subjected to the collective will of the Party, they will be free from the perils of independence. Furthermore, “Ignorance Is Strength” is enforced as the Party believes that the people are incapable of distinguishing between what they consider to be just and unjust thoughts and actions. Orwell’s insistence on emphasizing the Party’s aim to weaken the individual mind through constant propaganda-induced fear strengthens his grim perception of living amidst a totalitarian regime. In the novel ​1984, ​Orwell’s compelling and admissible persuasion of the power one can possess over a wide population definitely classifies it as a “good book.” Likewise, he captivates the reader’s interest with his climactic storyline while his eerie vision of the future remains applicable to our lives 74 years later.