Final blog post- blog reflection

          Using my blog over the year has been a great tool for me, as it has helped me analyze and think about the books I read, as well as help me appreciate the genius concepts, morals, and themes that the authors put into their stories. By writing on my blog, I found out that I didn't pay attention to detail enough when reading, as I often times failed to see subtle themes. Reflecting on my book forced me to go back in and look for these things, and I think it has helped me pay attention to detail more when I read. Personally, I think that writing online is much, much better than writing in a notebook- if you can limit online distractions. I feel that writing in a notebook can be a bit more restraining, since it's a bit more physically tiring to write everything you think, and because when writing on a notebook you have to worry about erasing and keeping the work neat. On a computer on the other hand, I can write as much I want, and then keep the best. The internet also offers a wide variety of ressources for writing, but also many distractions just clicks away. In the end, I think that online writing can be more liberating because there are very little restraints.
          It may be just me and the people I see online, but I think that many people's online personas are very much like their real ones. I think that's it's a bit of a myth that people are fake online, and I think that social media is actually a good place for people to show who they really are, and not a fake version of themselves. Of course, there are some who share certain things to make people think they are a ceratin type of person, but the majority of the people I see online are often true to themselves. On the other hand, I completely agree that many people type things that they wouldn't dare say to people's faces. This can be beneficial in some cases if people are afraid of a person's reaction in face to face but really need to get it off their chest, but often times the things said are harmful, and no things that people would say directly to others. This is one negative effect I think social media has: it makes us feel safe, as if a screen can protect us, but in reality social media can be just as dangerous as the real world, and our actions online often have consequences.
          In conclusion, I definitely enjoyed my first experience of having a blog, and I think it really helped develop my writing skills, as well as my reading ones. I think blogs are a great way to change the way we think about books, and also a great way to express out thoughts and opinions, and I am grateful for the experience.

Non-fiction critical analysis "The crisis in Venezuela"

          The non-fiction article "The Crisis in Venezuela" by Patricia Smith, in Upfront magazine issue #147, talks about Venezuela's economic crisis and the impact it's having on the country. The main idea of the text is that the economic situation in Venezuela is forcing the country's people into poverty and destroying the country. The examples of living conditions for the Venezuelan people used by the author helped me see just how serious the issue is. For example, the author describes the lack of goods and the how difficult it is to obtain even some of the most basic things. Smith says, "Diapers are in such short supply that some shoppers carry their babies' birth certificates in case stores demand them before letting them buy." Smith specifically talked about the lack of materials in hospitals by quoting a pediatrician who said, "I've seen people die on the operating table because we didn't have the basic tools for surgeries." Hospitals are some of the most important facilities in a country, and the economic situation doesn't even allow them to have tools for important procedures. Finally, the violence, and specifically the killing of a young boy, helped me understand how serious the situation is, and how outraged Venezuelans are. The author writes, "In February, police allegedly shot and killed a 14-year old boy during a demonstration in San Cristóbal," showing that the situation is turning bloody and that worse things could be to come.

          The author wants me to feel alarmed about the situation in Venezuela by, first using the examples from the previous paragraph, but also by using vocabulary that is supposed to make us feel scared about the economic crisis and what could be to come. When the author talks about prices of goods and the inflation in the country, she uses the words "skyrocketing", and "soared". These two specific words are there to give us a view of just how much the prices of goods, and the rate of the country's inflation, are risining. When Smith talks about discontent and riots in the country, she says that "anti-government protests [are] erupting across the country." This word brings to mind things such as bombs to show just how furious the people are, and how violent the situation is becoming. Finally, Smith says, "...the nation's democratic institutions are crumbling," using this vocabulary word to really explain how the the country is falling apart.

          After reading and reflecting on this article, I know much more about the dire situation in Venezuela. I think that changes in the regime and the way the country runs have to be made for the country to return to prosperity. I also think that, if something is not quickly done to put Venezuela back on its feet, it could possibly never be the way it was before. I'd like to learn more about Venezuela's dependency on crude oil, and why oil prices have dropped so drastically recently. My opinion on Venezuela's situation has been greatly changed, as I had no idea just how serious the situation was, and I now know that it is imperative that Venezuela does something to get back to its old self, and quickly.

The Hobbit Blog Post

        The book "The Hobbit", by J.R.R Tolkien, tells the tale of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who embarks on a long and dangerous journey with 13 dwarves and a wizard named Gandalf. Their goal is to kill a dragon, Smaug, who long ago destroyed the dwarves' kingdom and now lived inside a mountain with all of the kingdom's riches and treasure. Throughout the book, the crew encounters various creatures, some friends and many enemies. So far I’ve found that as the story moves on, Bilbo’s role in the team and confidence changes and rises, especially shown in a few key events.

            When the story first begins, Bilbo wants nothing of the adventure and simply wants to resume his quiet and peaceful life. The dwarves think he is useless and mock him by calling him a “little fellow” and saying he was “more like a grocer than a burglar”. Calling him these names sets a small fire in him that is enough to make him agree to the adventure, a move he regrets many times later in the journey. I think this event in the story showed that all Bilbo needed to give him some confidence and set his adventurous side free was some motivation and having something to prove.

            The second event that really showed Bilbo taking a further step with his bravery is when he gets separated from his friends in the underground tunnels of the Misty Mountains. Bilbo encounters an evil creature named Gollum, and happens to find Gollum’s invisibility ring, and escapes from him. Bilbo finally achieves something on his own, and this alone makes his bravery rise. He can finally show that he may only be a small hobbit, but he can still survive and do brave things. Also, when he returns to his companions, they congratulate him and praise him, and although he had the help of the ring of invisibility, this makes his confidence skyrocket, showing that all that Bilbo really needed was some recognition and appreciation to kick start his bravery.

            Finally, Bilbo’s bravery and warrior side comes on full display when he must save his companions from a horde of giant spiders in the Mirkwood forest. He fights off dozens of spiders and saves his companions from sure death. This act of bravery shows he can really be of use to the team. After this victory, Bilbo’s confidence skyrockets, as well as his leadership role in the group. This display of bravery boosts his confidence enormously and makes him a valuable asset.

            I think these events showed that sometimes it only takes a few things to completely change a person. Bilbo goes from being a small hobbit with a quiet life fearing adventure, to a giant-spider slaying hero, and mostly all it took was some recognition from his friends, having something to prove, and helping the team in small ways until he finally he really demonstrated bravery with his slaying of spiders. Not only did these things boost his confidence and bravery, they also greatly changed his role in the group. Gandalf the wizard leaves near midway in the journey, and once Bilbo becomes more confident, he slowly becomes the leader and decision maker of the group. This shows that it doesn’t take much to change someone to be a leader who can make their own decisions and change lives.

Revised Blog Post Literary Essay

          The young adult fiction novel "An Abundance of Katherines", by John Green, tells the story of a child prodigy named Colin who, after getting dumped by a girl named Katherine for the 19th time, decides to embark on a road trip with his friend Hassan. He ends up in a rural town in Tennessee named Gutshot, where he discovers new friends and a new life. It's a novel that teaches a lot about what life should be about. These morals defined the book and its storyline, as well as the characters. And although many of the morals were very clichéd, they were truthful and meaningful.
          One moral and theme was a large one, and it was that you don't have to be famous and remembered by thousands to be important. Throughout the book, Colin repeatedly states that he wants to leave his mark on the world and be remembered as important. Colin says "“What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable?”  (page 106, line 8) and this is shown as one of Colin's flaws over and over again. This line shows how the characters change to mold to the morals through the book, as Colin's opinion on what it takes to have a meaningful life changes from start to finish. He thinks that solving an algorithm that would predict a relationship will help him to be remembered, and he spends his time trying to do this instead of actually living life. This starts to change once he develops a relationship with his new "family" he starts living with, mainly Lindsey and her mother, since he realizes that being who he is is important enough, and that he needs to start living life instead of trying to be a prodigy. Colin decides that he doesn't need to leave a permanent mark on the world to be important, and that's what this moral achieves with his character.
          Lindsey is a character who specifically displays changes in behavior constantly represented by the moral that you should only be yourself, instead of trying to pretend being someone else. Again, the character starts the story not fitting this concept, but ends the book by changing to fit this moral. Throughout most of the book, Lindsey constantly acts differently around different people, thinking this will help everybody like her. For example, she acts more Southern and puts on a thick accent around elderly people, acts bubbly and girly around her boyfriend, and tries to act like a "nerd" around Colin and Hassan. She thinks she can please everybody in her life by putting on fake personas for each group of people. She admits her identity issue when she says, "I'm never myself. [...] I'm nothing. The thing about chameleoning your way through life is that it gets to where nothing is real. (page 203, line 12)". She realizes she has lost her true identity by being so many things, but having a relationship with Colin helps her find who she really is. She becomes her own person and discovers that, while she can't please everybody in her life by being herself, it's their problem for not accepting her identity. In the end, she realizes that those who accept her for who she really is are those that are most important to her.
          These are just two examples of clichéd morals in the book, and there are many more. And though many morals of fiction stories are prosaic and dull, the ones in this novel are meaningful and really show how they can change a person's life. This book taught me many valuable lessons and altered the stereotype in my head that clichéd morals and lessons are only boring and repetitive, and that they can instead be important themes to the book that shape the plot and define the characters.
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=752394996237813788#editor/target=post;postID=6916911987413669268;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=8;src=postname

Blog Post

          At the moment, I'm not reading a book in English because I just finished "Flowers for Algernon" recently, so instead I'm reading a French book called "La Gloire de Mon Pere", which means 'the glory of my dad', so I hope it's okay I'm reviewing a book in a different language... The book is written by the famous deceased French actor Marcel Pagnol, and is a story of his childhood. When his family goes to the South of France for the summer, he discovers a whole new world that's almost magical to him, where hunting is the main activity. It's a very fun and enjoyable book to read, and it really brings you into his world when he was a child. I find it interesting how this vacation really seems to change his life and who he is, and how much of an effect hunting, and this part of France, ends up having on him. I also found it interesting how much close he and his father get through the sport of hunting.
          When he in his family first arrive at their summer home, Marcel is a bit reluctant to leave the city behind, but is also intrigued by this new world he's about to enter. Once they arrive, he discovers a magical place of animals, insects, sun and plants. He immediately starts spending his days outside with his little brother, and discovers the millions of amazing things that the countryside has to offer. I found it amazing how much one summer changed him, as he was very reluctant to leave at the end of the summer, and actually considered running away from his family to live as a hermit in the countryside. I think this shows how having the kids of my generation spend maybe just a summer at the countryside, or somewhere where they'd be surrounded by nature, could help them appreciate the outdoors more, and focus less on electronics. This book taught me a lesson and showed me incredible aspects of France and nature.
          I also found it interesting how much of an impact hunting had on Marcel, and his relationship with his father. Midway through the summer, his father and uncle decide to go hunting, and they leave out Marcel from their plans. He sneaks out at dawn and follows them, accidentally disturbing a flock of birds and sending them towards his dad and uncle to be easily shot. Once he reveals himself to them, they decide to have him replace the role of a dog, running in front of them to scare animals and make it easier to hunt. Marcel finds a whole new passion, and he and his father bond over it. He and his father have a strong connection, but his father isn't very good at hunting, which causes Marcel to feel humiliated. Once his father finally kills a large animal, Marcel feels so proud, showing just how much of a connection they had. After that summer, he and his dad's relationship was never the same he says near the end of the book. I think this shows just how much a common passion/interest can change a relationship, and someone's life. Hunting helps Marcel appreciate nature even more, and he discovers a new facet of the wild.
          In conclusion, I loved this book and how descriptive and enjoyable it was. It felt like I was right next to him, running through the grass and seeing a partridge run away, the smell of the countryside around me. I, personally, have been to the South of France, and I think the author really captures the essence of the beautiful place it is. I also liked how well Marcel Pagnol capture the essence of his childhood, and it really allowed me to see how he thought as a child, and what his childhood felt like. All in all, this was a great book, and I'm very happy to have discovered recently that there is a sequel to this chapter of his childhood.

Blog Review

          The blog post I reviewed is Natasha's, and it's titled "Why Ellen Hopkins May've Wanted Readers to Feel Uncomfortable". I find that what she wrote about Ellen Hopkins' choice of disturbing details in the book "Burned" is very accurate and interesting. I too read the book, and whole-heartedly agree that some of the content in the book really stuck in my head. I like how Natasha gave examples of some of the disturbing events to further prove her point, and I think she clearly summarized the main disturbing events that take place throughout the story without going too deep into the summary. I like how she chose the two disturbing events that were wrote about the most and used them to show that the author uses them to promote awareness.
          I like how Natasha went in-depth to try and figure out the reasons behind all the disturbing content, exactly how we analyzed the reasons Meghan Cox Gurdon used disturbing scenes from books in her article about dark young adult fiction earlier in the year. In this case, I think Natasha is absolutely right by saying that part of the reason Hopkins give such explicit detail is to show the reader how Pattyn felt in the situations, and what these horrible situations are like to those who go through them. I find it interesting that she connected this to helping victims of these situations fuel their emotions to stop them. It's a great point, and I think her point that showing the readers exactly how these situations look and feel like, they can dissuade readers from, for example, having unprotected sex or not doing anything about child abuse. This analysis by Natasha into the reasons Hopkins chose to write some of the things she did was very interesting and showed how she thought deeper about the book.
          I also like how in the final paragraphs, Natasha describes a thoughtful idea in just a few sentences. She says that by adding description of disturbing situations, Hopkins makes the reader feel empathy and made the ending more upsetting. Having read the book, I agree that Hopkins' style of writing and use of description of what Pattyn goes through does create a bond with the reader, and that the ending then becomes heartbreaking and very frustrating and disturbing. I like how Natasha summarized this idea in just five sentences, and I think this was a theme for her entire blog post. She had concise, thought-provoking ideas that were not too wordy or complicated, but caused me to really think back to the book and see for myself that it was true. I think her points showed how deeply she analyzed this book, and overall, her blog post was very interesting and well written.
http://natashasbookblog26.blogspot.com/

Non-Fiction Critical Analysis on Upfront Article "The 6th Extinction?"

          The non-fiction article "The Sixth Extinction?" by Elizabeth Kolbert, in Upfront magazine issue #15251292, talks about the fact that we may be headed towards another mass extinction. The main idea of the text is that, in various ways, humans are causing species to disappear at an alarming rate. The many different ways that humans are causing species to disappear helped me understand what was happening and why. For example, Kolbert explains that by, "... inhabiting every corner of the planet, razing forests, and burning fossil fuels..." we are causing the world to change very quickly and in many ways, which is causing thousands of extinctions. The author also helps demonstrate her point by pointing out that moving species around the world is having a huge impact and is a big part of the issue. Finally, I understood her point and the main idea better through her explanation of how deforestation and use of fossil fuels has, "... led to a buildup of carbon dioxide and other gases that trap heat in the atmosphere," and how global warming forces species to, "...adapt to new climates or move to cooler habitats. If neither of those strategies works, they die out." Understanding the different ways that humans are causing species to disappear helped me comprehend the main idea and the topic altogether.

          The author wants me to feel scared and alarmed by letting me know that humans are the ones who are causing history to repeat itself. She does this by using factual evidence that shows the damage humans are causing, such as the fact that extinction rates are 10,000 times higher since humans appeared (Science magazine). The author also uses other intimidating statistics, for example, "within this century, 20 to 50 percent of all living species - from plants to mammals - might be headed towards oblivion." Kolbert also gives data showing how the movement of species caused by humans is causing extinctions, by saying that "Hawaii, for example, is acquiring a new species each month, according to the Center for Invasive Species Research. [...] Hundreds of species that existed only in Hawaii for thousands of years [...] are now gone forever or disappearing because other species have taken over." Not only does the author uses daunting statistics and factual evidence to show the reader just how big the issue is, and how involved humans are, but Kolbert also uses some vocabulary that gives a bit of a sense of 'impending doom'. For example, in the statistic quoted previously, she says that up to 50 percent of all living species might be headed towards 'oblivion'. The word oblivion is very strong and gives off more of a feeling of how serious and important the issue is.

          After reading this text, I know more about how we might be headed towards a mass extinction, and why. I think we have nobody to blame but ourselves, and that we need to fix the mess we made before it's too late. I'd like to know more about ways that we can help salvage our planet and stop the damage we've caused, and perhaps a little more information on what caused the five other mass extinctions. Although my opinion has not been changed, it has been greatly reinforced, and now I know how imperative it is that we start making changes, or we will soon enough be going through a sixth mass extinction.

Flowers for Algernon Social Issues Response

          The book Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes, tells the fictional story of a mentally disabled man named Charlie, who goes through a surgery that has been tested on a mouse named Algernon to raise his IQ. In it, a large social issue is the way that Charlie is treated when he is mentally disabled. Of course, Charlie doesn't understand what's going on and doesn't know he's being made fun of, and he only realizes that people have been laughing at him, and using him, through flashbacks after the surgery. What's horrible about the situation is that the ones making fun of him and using him the most were the people he thought were his friends at the bakery where he worked.
          In the days where Charlie was mentally disabled, he thought that those that he worked with at Donner's Bakery were his friends (his only friends). Little did he know, they were making fun of him all along, and he had been the source of mockery since he had first started his job there. During a flashback, he shows us just how much they mocked him, and how innocent he was. "He's a scream", one of the girls said. Everybody was laughing. 'Oh you were right, Frank,' choked Ellen. 'He's a one man side show.' Then she said, 'Here, Charlie, have a fruit.' She gave me an apple, but when I bit into it, it was fake." One of the bakers also used Charlie to make a profit for himself, making him deliver cakes and pastries to customers who he gave discounts to in exchange of a side payment for himself. Of course, Charlie was clueless and simply did what he was told. The bakers weren't the only ones making fun of him, as boys on the street laughed at him and threw garbage at him, when all he wanted to do was play with them.
          I think that the bakers' perspectives are left out because it leaves the reader thinking about why they treated Charlie this way. It first seems like Charlie couldn't have possibly done anything wrong to them, but he could have possibly threatened their job security. We are given insight into why they treated him this way though once he returns to the bakery after the surgery. Since he's now smarter than them, they despise him. They made fun of him to feel superior, and since they weren't the most intelligent people, he was the only one they could use to make fun of, the only person below them. I think not giving this perspective actually shows us more of what these people are like than if their perspective was shown: if their perspective was shown the reader might feel sympathy for them if they had a tough life and Charlie was the only person they could mock, when actually that would be no excuse for them to laugh at a disabled and innocent man.
          The situations in this book show the social issues of how disabled people may be treated, and how hard it is for someone who is mentally disabled to live a normal life. Charlie thinks he has friend, but they are his enemies, and once he starts living his dream and becoming more intelligent, they reject him because he makes them feel less superior. Charlie's situation shows that people are sometimes not what they seem like, and can hide a dark side when you think they are your friends, not your foes. This book shows how horrible society can be, and how innocent people like Charlie can wind up facing it alone.

YA fiction argument essay

            Young adult fiction has been the center of a large debate over the past years, and cases of schools or libraries banning or removing books keep popping up. For example, a school in Stockton banned the controversial book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, because of themes such as sexual abuse and because “the book would create controversy in the classroom.” Even though YA fiction can be dark or offensive to some, inspiring books help suffering teens and teaches other ones about what the world is really like. Teens should have the choice of what they read, and their access to books should not be limited.

            “Dark” YA fiction doesn’t scare or hurt teens, because they are aware of these dark subjects. Many teens have been victim to or seen cases of domestic violence, and according to the U.S. Department of Justice, 1.8 million teens in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault (2014). Teens are not as innocent and ignorant as many adults may think they are, and trying to shield them from what the real world is like, even if it can be a dark place, is a futile approach to the matter. Sherman Alexie, the author of the aforementioned young adult book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, says in a Wall Street article of his, “[would-be saviors] wanted to protect me from sex when I had already been raped. They wanted to protect me from evil though a future serial killer had already abused me.” This quote shows that shielding teens from horrible things they are already experiencing is pointless, and that adults should stop trying to protect teens from the real world.

            These YA books not only don't harm most teens, they actually help many and inspire them. Teens that have suffered hardships, from drug abuse to anorexia, can relate to characters experiencing the same things. Sherman Alexie once again tells of teens he met who had suffered various hardships and told him that his book was the only one they had read entirely. This book that many adults had deemed threatening to teens helped teens who went through the same controversial topics in the book! Mr Alexie himself said that he would have loved to read his own book when he was suffering as a child, because he could have related to it and it would have helped him face the monsters of his world.

            Those opposing YA fiction say it shocks and hurts readers, and causes them to lose their innocence to horrible things too early in their life. Meghan Cox Gurdon says in her article Darkness Too Visible, "If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a fall of fun-house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously portrayals of what life is." Although young adult books can indeed give a very dark and sometimes depressing view on life, it is not a distorted view on the world. These dark topics may not always occur in everyday life, and some may be fictional, but many are very real to millions of people. These books are not meant to show what life is for every normal person on the Earth, they instead show the individual struggles of some teens.

            Although many may disagree, YA fiction helps teens more than it hurts them. Banning books only has negative effects xXZS as it stops teens from observing a view on the world they should be informed about, if they aren’t already. Sometimes adults do more horrible things to teens than books ever will, and such was the case of a boy from an Ivy League school Sherman Alexie met, who explained to him that his father was forcing him to join the army instead of letting him follow his dream of being a writer. Even the most privileged teens go through horrible things, and as Mr. Alexie says, “he was old enough to die and kill for his country. And old enough to experience the infinite horrors of war,” but according to some adults, he was too young to read disturbing material? Young adult books are meant to be read by young adults, and adults need to stop trying to change that.

Flowers for Algernon response

          The book Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes, tells the fictional story of a mentally disabled man named Charlie, who although he works hard and tries to "get smart", never seems to make progress. He goes through a surgery that has been tested on a mouse named Algernon to raise his IQ, and he takes us through the experience through his diary. He experiences emotional hardships and discovers that some things are not how he used to think they were. He also takes us through his troubled past through flashbacks, where we see just how hard it was for him his whole life. One of the interesting relationships in the book is of his with Algernon. They are not constantly together throughout the book, but they are alike in many ways and have a deep connection.

          Algernon and Charlie have very similar situations, as they both were born with very low IQs and underwent the procedure. Since Algernon underwent the surgery before Charlie as a test subject, he can show the reader in advance how Charlie will be affected by the procedure in some ways. At first, Algernon passes through the mazes with ease while Charlie struggles, giving us insight that Charlie will improve and become more intelligent as time wears on. But when Algernon starts behaving strangely and having trouble with simple mazes, we can tell that Charlie will soon start deteriorating too. It's an interesting way of foreshadowing, and while it gives us an idea of what will happen, it isn't blunt and doesn't spoil the storyline.

          The two also have other connections that are shown when they are presented at a scientific convention near the end of the novel. Charlie is tired of being treated like a "guinea pig" for the experiment. He's also frustrated that the scientists are acting as if he wasn't a human before the operation and that they act like they created him. Since Algernon went through the same thing, the two understand each other and decide mutually to escape from the convention and the experiment altogether. Charlie opens Algernon's cage and creates mayhem, allowing them to escape from the convention. This is the turning point in the book where Charlie starts deteriorating, but also realizes that he should cherish his time instead of trying to prolong it.

          Although Charlie and Algernon are different things (a mouse and a human), their struggles and changes make them very alike. They go through hard times, lows and highs, and have the same train of thought. They know that they are their own being and are not guinea pigs. This story and relationship shows the struggles of life for those who are disabled, but also how hard it is to change.

YA Fiction Article Critical Analysis

          In the article "Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood", by Sherman Alexie, he explains how so-called "dark" books help suffering teens, and how he himself suffered when he was a child. Sherman Alexie uses examples of teens he has met that have already suffered the hardships of life, showing they're not as innocent as adults think they are. He speaks of one girl he met who, after becoming pregnant as a teenager, almost dropped out of high school but continued on. He also writes about a 17-year old teen he met, who was in an Ivy League school, but was forced to join the military by his father instead of following his dream to be a writer. Mr. Alexie uses these examples to show that normal teens experience the horrors and hardships of life, even those who would seem to be problem-free and innocent. He implies this to the reader to show that adults shouldn't shield teens from dark books and what the real world is like, since all will find out, and some already have.
          Sherman Alexie hopes to persuade the readers to see that "dark" YA books help suffering teens, or those who have suffered already. He achieves this by citing a ceremony where he was a speaker, and were dozens of teens who had experienced the hardships of life and had been inspired by his book were. This shows that these books help and inspired these suffering teens, instead of, as Meghan Cox Gurdon says in her article, taking away their innocence and hurting them. He also uses the idea that he can relate to suffering teens so readers will be more convinced, since he knows first-hand how suffering feels at a young age, and if books would have helped him. He achieves this by citing the ways that people tried to protect him from horrible things that he was already experiencing when he was just a young boy, a theme his book is focused on. He uses the quote "Wow, you are way, way too late" to show how trying to shield teens from horrible things is useless, since many experience them firsthand. Instead, he says, reading his book would definitely have helped him to relate to somebody else. He is trying to form a connection with the reader, and have the reader feel empathy and sympathy through these points.
          I completely agree with Sherman Alexie that instead of trying to protect teens' usually non-existant so-called "innocence" from the hardships of life, we should offer support in the form of books and characters that can help these suffering teens get through what they're dealing with by being able to relate to characters going through the same things. Using his personal experiences, and those of teens he'd met really convinced me that many teens go through horrible things at a young age, and that trying to protect them is useless. Although I think some very dark YA books may frighten some kids that are more innocent than others, and who have experienced and witnessed less horrible things, in my opinion YA books do more good than harm, and help teens more than they hurt them.

An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green response 10/19/14

          The young adult fiction novel "An Abundance of Katherines", by John Green, tells the story of a child prodigy named Colin who, after getting dumped by a girl named Katherine for the 19th time, decides to embark on a road trip with his friend Hassan. He ends up in a rural town in Tennessee named Gutshot, where he discovers new friends and a new life. It's a novel that teaches a lot about what life should be about, and I felt there were a lot of morals. And although many of the morals were very clichéd, they were truthful and meaningful.
          One of the clichéd morals was the biggest one, and this was that you don't have to be a genius or somebody famous to be important. Throughout the book, Colin repeatedly states that he wants to leave his mark on the world and be remembered by everybody. Colin says "“What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable?”  (page 106, line 8) and this is shown as one of Colin's flaws over and over again. He thinks that solving an algorithm that would predict a relationship will help be remembered, and he spends his time trying to be remembered instead of actually living life. This starts to change once he develops a relationship with his new "family" he starts living with, mainly Lindsey and her mother, since he realizes that being who he is is important enough, and that he needs to start living life instead of trying to be a prodigy. An underlying moral in this main one was also to be who you are and not pretend to be someone else.
          Two characters display changes in behavior that represent this moral that being yourself is the only way you should act, instead of displaying a fake attitude and pretending to be someone else than who you really are. Lindsey and Colin both learn a valuable lesson from this, as Lindsey constantly changes what she acts like around different people because she thinks this will help everybody like her. She acts like a very Southern girl and puts on a thick accent around older people, acts bubbly around her boyfriend, and tries to act like a "nerd" around Colin and Hassan. When Lindsey says"I'm never myself. [...] I'm nothing. The thing about chameleoning your way through life is that it gets to where nothing is real. (page 203, line 12)", she has no real identity, but having a relationship with Colin helps her find one and become her own person. Colin, on the other hand, is his own person and has a unique personality, but he only realizes at the end of the novel that being himself is enough to be important and leave a mark on the world and the lives of others.
          These are just two examples of clichéd morals in the book, and there are many more. And though usually a prosaic moral is, well, boring, the ones in this novel are meaningful and really show how they can change a person's life. This book taught me many valuable lessons and altered the stereotype in my head that clichéd morals and lessons would be boring and repetitive, and that they can instead be important themes to the book that shape the plot and define the characters.

College Sports Argument Essay

            Have you ever watched a college football or basketball game, and seen the huge stadiums or arenas packed with thousands of fans? Each of those games generates hundreds of thousands of dollars, and almost none of it goes to the players who play the game itself. The NCAA has deemed them amateurs, and therefore they don’t receive any payment. These athletes base most of their time around the sport they play, especially the biggest sport football and basketball in which they play dozens of games, and aren’t rewarded financially. This is different then being on the swim team or another extracurricular sport, where there aren’t too many practices or meets/games, and the athletes can focus mainly on their academics. For the players, this is their focus and academics usually take a lower priority since less time is left for them. Since they don’t receive any of the money they generate in the first place, college athletes are, in a way, exploited by the NCAA and they should be paid at least a minimum wage and receive other benefits.

            In college, most students get a job outside of school to help cover expenses, and for college athletes in top sports this is almost the same thing, except for the fact that they aren’t paid for it. Athletes shouldn’t spend this much time doing the sport and not receive any compensation to pay for expenses. How could they possibly find the time to obtain money a different way between spending almost 60 hours per week practicing and playing the sport and focusing on academics? Some of the athletes’ basic needs aren’t covered as shown in this quote from Shabazz Napier, a star point guard for the University of Connecticut basketball team. “There are […] nights that I go to bed and I’m starving,” he said, the year he and his team won the hugely popular ‘March Madness’ college basketball tournament. In Upfront Magazine issue 15251292, it is stated that “the average full-scholarship athlete accumulates $3,200 in debt for each year they’re in school, because meal plans and other incidentals often aren’t fully covered. Even though athletes receive some benefits, they must receive the best benefits, such as top health insurance that covers almost all expenses, since they can succumb to serious injuries that can affect their careers and cost a fortune, even to the players who don’t plan on having a sports career. Colleges need to start taking responsibility for these athletes that dedicate so much time to them. They need to start being paid, and though the fact that a federal judge decided that college basketball and football players must be paid if they are shown on TV is a start, they need more. Their living expenses need to be covered, and they need to start earning something for the “job” they do. The ones profiting the most are the adults who don’t take part in the games, such as people of the NCAA and the coaches.

            The NCAA has been using the “amateur” status for decades, and it’s slowly developed into a way to exploit the athletes by not letting them profit from their own fame and success. The sports generate billions of dollars, “800 million alone from the ‘March Madness’ basketball tournament” (Upfront Magazine, Issue 15251292, Page 15). The NCAA forbids student athletes to profit

 from their own likenesses or names, showing how the amateur status is a cover for exploitation and a way for the NCAA to profit as much as possible from these sports without having to spend on the athletes themselves. According to www.indystar.com, “The highest-paid public employee in 40 states is a college football or basketball coach,” showing just how much money coaches and other NCAA and college executives are paid. The amateur label needs to be removed, and NCAA rules must be changed, as the only ones not profiting are the players, and the NCAA is exploiting them in every way possible.

            College sports are a very heated and debated topic right now, but there is clear evidence that the athletes aren’t profiting enough, and that coaches and NCAA executives are profiting too much. Evidence shows that the NCAA is using the players to obtain huge sums of money and preventing the players from profiting themselves from their own image. Although some changes are starting to be made, many reforms need to happen, starting with payment and benefits for the athletes. It’s important for change to be made so that a balance can be established in college sports, with all the people involved profiting fairly, and I think these reforms should be made because it’s unfair that students don’t profit from their job. Changes are happening, and college sports are being changed for good, and for the best.