Response to Camal

I found this awesome quote from Camal's blog that basically sums up what I feel about the future.

I should be thinking about my future and what I want to be. I should be having thoughts on what jobs I want to have, what fields I want take my path towards, and I should by now have ALREADY nailed what I want to major in. But right now…I’m not even close to knowing how to answer even one of these questions.

      My parents are always asking me what I want to be when I grow. They are always telling me that I should be thinking about my majors and what college I want to go to. Right now I still don't have any idea about my majors or what I want to be. 

      The reason for this is because I don't really know about some of the fields I'm interested in. The number of jobs in the world are so diverse that it's so hard to find a job that I know about and like. One of my favorite subjects is Science, but there are so many jobs that have to do with science. The problem is that I'm so caught up doing homework, studying for tests, and living my life that I don't have any time to look into jobs or careers.

      I think that knowing what you want to do, is built upon throughout your years at high school. You learn a whole bunch of interesting things during the four years of high school and it can help you plan for the future. Plans don't always work, so if you plan to be the richest surgeon in the world, it may now work. My point is, plan something and change it according to your lifestyle, it helps to build toward the future.

      When I think about my lack of knowledge of what I want to do later on, I feel a bit scared. I always have thoughts like, what if I major in something I don't like? I try not to worry, but sometimes it just to hard. I WILL try to answer these questions throughout my years at ASTI and hopefully write my future.

      

Impressions of Kite Runner

      So far in Kite Runner, Amir is gradually beginning to redeem himself. He is becoming more and more like Baba, standing up for himself, and finally taking action. He is also becoming less of a coward. I also think that Soraya has really given him him a boost of self-confidence. There has been many twists and turns that I didn't expect. One was finding out that Hassan was Amir's half brother. The other was Amir getting married.
      One very surprising thing that I recently found out in The Kite Runner, was that Hassan was Amir's half brother. When Amir found out from Rahim, he realizes that "as if turned out, Baba and I were more alike than I'd ever known." This makes Amir feel like that him and Baba had a greater connection than he had ever known. I think Baba was so harsh on Amir because he didn't want Amir to take the same path as he did and have a better life. They both did something bad that they regretted, and they also tried to just forget about it, or cover it up. When Hassan came into the world, Baba probably  felt so guilty that he devoted his life into helping people, he also built an orphanage, hoping that one day someone would forgive him. This is similar to Amir because after Hassan got raped in that alleyway, Amir could see the pain and suffering just like when a sheep got killed. He then decides to frame Hassan so he could be sent away. They both have very similar personalities. Baba also says that lying is the worst sin a man could do, but Baba has been lying his whole entire life. I wonder what Hassan would do if he found out about it.
      Soraya is a great influence for Amir. She is like a role model. She's very truthful and is always there for Amir when he is feeling down or needs help. When Baba dies Soraya was there to talk to him and make him feel better. She is much less of a coward than Amir. She has balls to tell the truth unlike Amir. This is exemplified when she told Amir about her relationship with another man just before they were about to marry. Soraya acts like a role model that Amir learns form.
      This book has really given me some insight on what really happening in Afghanistan and how the people there are suffering while in relaxing using a computer and eating kiwi.

Of Mice and Men

In John Stienbecks novel “Of Mice and Men” Two middle aged men named Lennie and George are migrant workers traveling together. The encounter countless problems with workers on the farm, each other, and even themselves. Lennie has a mental illness that attracts trouble for them everywhere they go. George and Lennie’s goal was go earn enough money to start up their own farm, but their plans are complicated by many roadblocks.

The central conflict in Of Mice and Men is character vs. self. Lennie’s mental illness keeps him from fully interacting with people and understanding right from wrong, causing trouble for himself and everyone around him.

Lennie causes mischief for George all the time. George acts as a babysitter, 24/7. Trouble follows Lennie everywhere and his mental illness acts like a second personality that is on autopilot. Lennie forgets most of the things George tells him. When George tells Lennie not to tell anyone about their plan to buy a piece of land, Lennie is so excited about tending the rabbits, that he tells Crooks all about it. Another time is when George has to always take animals like mice away from Lennie. Lennie doesn't remember half the things he's done, so its like he wakes up from a dream every time he's done something bad.

”Voices were approaching from outside. George said, Don’t tell nobody about it. jus’ us three an’ nobody else.” Is what George told Lennie and Candy after telling them about their plan to buy a piece of land. “Lennie said quietly, “ “It ain’t a no lie. We’re gonna do it.Gonna get a little place an’ live on the fatta the lan.” That was Lennie telling Crooks about their plan about starting up a farm, the thing George specifically told Lennie NOT to do.

Lennie also has this obsession with petting soft things, which leads him to his death at the end of the story. Lennie has killed countless animals just by petting them. His mental illness tells him that he needs to pet something all the time to keep calm and feel good. I think by petting something soft his brain calms down and causes Lennie to feel comforted. Lennie needs to pet something so that he doesn't freak, just like a baby needs a pacifier when he/she is about to cry. Lennie starts out with petting mice, he kills it because he’s too strong, then he gets a pup, he kills it because it was too small.

                  “When I’m doin’ my hair sometimes I jus’ set an’ stroke it ‘cause it’s so soft.” “ She took Lennie’s hand and put it on her head. Feel right aroun’ there an’ see how soft it is. Lennie’s big fingers fell to stroking her hair. Lennie said, Oh! That’s nice, and he stroked harder. Oh, that’s nice. “Look out, not, you’ll muss it. And then she cried angrily you stop it now, you’ll muss it all up. She jerked her head sideways and Lennie’s fingers closed on her hair and hung on.Let go,s he cried. You let go! Lennie was as in a panic. His face contoured. She screamed then, and Lennie’s other hand closed over her mouth and nose. Please don’t he begged. She struggled violently under his hands. Her feet battered on the hay ad she withered to be free; and Lennie began to cry with fright. He shook her then, and he was angry with her. Don’t you go yellin’, he said. And then he shook her and hr body flopped like a fish. And then she was still for Lennie had broken her neck.”

Near the end of the story Curley’s wife tells Linnie to feel her hair. He touches her hair and his mental illness wants to keep touching it because hes never felt anything as soft. Curley's wife then tell him to stop, but Lennie pulls her hair, she starts to scream and Lennie starts to freak, he covers her mouth with his giant hand suffocating her, then he accidentally snaps her neck by shaking her killing her instantly.  This obsession with petting soft things  ultimately leads to his own death.

At the end of the story Lennie hallucinates. This was his real inner personality taking control and telling his illness that it really messed up. Lennie's mental illness was a second personality that was a little kid and bullied the real Lennie. When he hallucinates the real Lennie argues with his mental illness and reflects on all the bad things hes done. When he finally sees George he wakes up from his hallucination, Lennie's mental illness takes control. He then tells George to give him hell.

“Lennie said, “Geroge.” “Yeah?” Ain’t you gonna give me hell. sure like you always done before. Like, if I di’nt have you I’d take my fifty bucks. “Jesus Christ Lennie! you Can’t remember nothin that happens but you remember ever’ word I say. After George goes through his usual lecture Lennie says “And I get to tend the rabbits.” “an’ you get to tend the rabbits.” Lennie giggled with happiness.

His mental illness probably thinks that when George gives him hell, it is his consequence and that everything will be better once he is punished. When this happens Lennie is basically forgiving himself because he took his punishment and now there is nothing wrong.

In conclusion Lennie mental illness creates lots of unnecessary problems for the people around him, but mostly hiself. If his mental illness was not present then all the trouble would be gone and everything might have gone according to plan. George, Lennie, and Candy would have their farm and everything would be alright, but that's only if Lennie didn’t have his mental illiness.

Response to Leon Liang

I found this post on Leon Liang's Blog

At first, everything was easy and the amount of homework was not much, but as the year progresses, each of the teachers taught more and things got harder to understand. The amount of homework also increased; the average homework ASTI underclassmen have to do each night is about five to six hours of homework. If I haven’t applied to ASTI and went to Encinal High School, I think I would still be that lazy procrastinator back in middle school, copying homework from friends or finishing homework during passing period.

      I agree with Leon, ASTI is pretty raw. In middle school, I barely payed attention, I spent about thirty minutes a day doing homework and the other four hours watching tv, hanging out, eating, and playing sports. During tests, it was so easy to cheat. I would never study. I still barely study, I look at the main terms and then I'm done. When I came to ASTI I set a goal for myself. I promised myself that I was going to get a 4.0 at least once. So far ASTI is not so challenging. I get home at around 6:30 and start me homework aroung 7. I usually finish around 9 or 10. I also do some of my homework at the library. If I went to Encinal I would be off task and my friends would be such a distraction. Everyday I would probally hang out with them and not do my homework. At ASTI I feel like I'm achually accomplishing something rather than being forced to do it. I was not forced to come here, I made a choice and this choice is going to change my life because I said so, and everything I say is right.
      My homework load so far is not that bad. I am very organized and manage my time wisely. My concentration level might need to be raised a little, but that is fairly easy to do. My academic knowledge is pretty diverse I still remember what I learned in 6th grade science and history so it is easier for me to take tests in Biology and History. ASTI is the best school I have ever been to. Yay go ASTI. I hope this is at least 350 words cause I am not going to check.

Qfwfg

Q’s defining characteristc is that he constantly wants other people to try new things, but he wont try new things himself. He also goes back and forth between prideful arrogance and shameful embarrassment. 
    “We had made various attempts to get him up on land with us”

Q is always trying trying to make his uncle come up on land with him, but when his uncle tries to convince q to go back to the water, he doesn’t want to. Its basically the same thing for uncle N’ba N’ga he won’t go onto land and leave water because he loves it there and its his home. Hes been living there for for all of his life, why in the world would he leave his some to go to a place that was alien to him. Q also says that uncle N’ba N’ga is afraid of change, but everything that Q says about his uncle contradicts what he wants him to do. He wants his uncle to go onto land and live with the rest of the family, but Uncle N'be N'ga wants Q to come live with him. Its a contradiction.

“For millennia I had been used to striking terror all around me, and to felling terror of the others’ reactions to the terror I aroused. None of that now. “Hey You!” They came over to me casually, neither hostile or frightened.”

A million years ago Q was a terrifying Dinosaur. He scared other dinosaurs and probally was a big mean bully. I think that Q might have been a Brachiosauraus, one of those long necked dinosaurs that eat leaves on trees. They were about as big as twenty elephants. Now, Q is scared of the other animals that live there. He is very timid and thinks that they know he is a dinosaur and want to kill him. He is not used to the fact that now, animals just go up to him and say “Hey You”, like hes any other animal. The Animals there now are not scared of him. They think of him as any other animal that roamed the environment at that time. They acted normal around dino Q even though he is a huge Dinosaur.

“And what do you think you’ll do, all alone with an old fish; marry him, be a fish again with him. And bring still more fish into the world. Good-by

Q doesn’t get the point that Lll really likes his uncle and wants to hang out and get to know him. Q constantly feels that Lll really likes being a land animal, but he doesn’t understand what she wants. Lll desperately want to learn how to swim and be with his uncle. Q is also very angry with his uncle. He can’t understand why a land creature would want to go back to the old ways of swimming and living under water. I think these make Q a very special character in all the stories.

Response to Constance

I choose to write about Constance's blog.

You ask me why people bully others. I'll tell you: it's because it makes them feel better about themselves. 

Bullying is a vicious cycle. Many bullies were once bullied themselves.And the only way to escape the cycle is to refuse to let yourself be affected. Very few people can manage that. But eventually, perhaps, enough of them will change things for the better.

I agree with Constance, on just about everything she says, she makes a great point. People these days of all age groups bully other people, it natural, but not right. What gives you the right to make other people fell bad and make you superior to them. Constance's blog post basically is what happens when the Constitution is not followed properly. People will start to bend the rules and make something that is bullying seen like its not. The most important rule on the ASTI Constitution  is Respect People For Who They Are. Yea, I guess there are people that you might think are weird and scary, but bullying them isn't the right way to treat those people. Sometimes people don't realize that they are bullying someone and maybe was just a joking around. This might make the person feel good, but the person that they were joking around with might take it badly. The person you just joked around with might have been really hurt by you and you might have not realized it. This is why people should always think before they say something. It might take some "practice" but it will really benefit you and maybe keep you out of trouble. This is the problem with bulling, and Constance makes a great point "bullying is a cycle". It is true most people that have been bullied want to fell better about themselves, so they bully another person, and then the other person bullies another and then on, and on, and on. Its contagious, and can lead into some really bad habits. One way to stop this disease, is to stand up for yourself and others, or "just be yourself ". Standing up for yourself takes lots of courage and can be really hard sometimes, but if you really want to break the cycle of bullying, its worth it. Sometimes your friends might be getting bullied too, but if you help your friend, the bully might not want to mess with you anymore. Its strength in numbers. Being yourself is always a choice. If a bully messes with you because your different, you could always just be yourself and ignore them. Eventually they will get bored and just ignore you. I think Constance did a fabulous job in writing about her own experiences of bullying, and how to stop the cycle from going on. 


-Tony

Response to # 13

I thought about the time I had once teased a kid because he was saying something really stupid and me and my friends just kept making fun of him because we thought he was really nerdy and stupid. After a while I felt really bad about it because I felt really empathetic for the person we were teasing. My options in that situation was to not be apart of it, or be apart of it, or not be apart of it. I made the wrong decision of being apart of it. I think people bully others sometimes for entertainment, because someone is different, trying to be cool, or just trying to fit in with everyone else. They might want to hurt their peers because the person might have done something stupid or just are different for them. bullies usually pick on people that are smaller or people that appear strange to them. I think bullying is a bad thing and people should not be apart of it.