After reading Warriors don't cry I have noticed that when people are by themselves people actually dare to hurt others more than if the people were in groups. I think this is true because in the beginning of the story Melba the main character was running because she was being chased by a white man who she thinks wanted to rape her. If she was with somebody I think there would have been less of a chance.

Another reason I think this is true is because in the middle of the book a black student in the same school as melba named Minnijean was by himself and was getting bullied by a group of white people in his school, then the person that gets in trouble is him 1 beacuse he was alone and nobody was there to support him. 2. because he is an African American, racism was a big issue in those times. Minnijean was trying to defend himself but nobody could have backed him up even if they wanted to.

Another reason I believe this is because I have seen bullying in groups. For example even in an animal channel I saw a baby buffalo get attacked by a group of lions but when the bigger buffalo's came back the lions hurried off. Another thing related to this that I saw was in the karate kid the newer version. In the Karate Kid the other kids that knew karate were bullying the main character, and beating him up too. But when a karate teacher came and showed them a lesson they backed off.

This is why I think Warriors Don't Cry has to do with many things in real life like bullying in crowds.  

    My story Warriors don't Cry is about a girl that suffered alot of racism and she didn't lose her pride. For example the main character Melba went to school with almost everyone was white. They told her words like Negro and no blacks allowed. I think this is wrong because I don't think the people in the book would like it if they made racist comments about them. I have also experienced racism too in my life, and people sayng mean stuff.

 
Melba is a brave person because she knows that people will be willing to injure her. She reminds me alot of Martin Luther King Jr because they both wanted peace and they wanted everything to be equal. They got hit by many weapons and like Martin Luther King Jr she kept on fighting for what was right. This has alot to do with history because in the 50's and 60's it has been like the book with alot of racism.
 
 I have also experienced racism, I know that because I have been refered to as a hispanic and people saying things that were rude about my nationality by people who are not part of it. I think that this is also a part of bullying.

Monologue

Adriel- So, mom how would you describe your childhood?

Mom- I grew up with mu grandparents in the D.R. until the age of five. I think my childhood was a bit confusing because I came to new york at exactly the age of five, to live with my parents and my older sister. To me my grand parents were my parents. I was a very happy child with my grandparents though. It was difficult getting adjusted to a new family. Back in D.R. I was growing up with my uncle who is only two years older, and to me he is my brother, we were really happy together. When my grandparents moved to N.Y. from D.R. I went back to live with them.

Adriel- And how were your teenage years?

Mom- Well I was still living with my grandparents and totally happy with them, even though I wish my grandmother wasn't so strict, she also was a very negative person, she didn't really let me interact with my friends or go out with my friends always thinking of all the bad things that could have happened to me, you know the dangers out there . I know she meant well though I missed having fun with my friends like a normal teenager.

Adriel- Do you have any regrets?

Mom- Unfortunately yes. I regret not following dreams, since I was a child I was always fantasized with theaters, I always wanted to take drama in school but I was too shy. I wanted to become an actress but I never pursued my dreams (sighs). Now I know that you should follow your dreams whatever they are make them come true. I advise you as my son or any other youth to dream big and most important never give up. And you will succeed.

Blogs That I Liked

I like Guadalupe's reading responses because I can tell that she is into the series that she is reading because in her reading responses from January she compared the books after she read them, I think that she also has good structure in writing those responses. For example she writes in her introduction the two ways she feels then writes one paragraph on each reason. In the blog post from January 21 I realized that she wrote a paragraph on why she was right and one on why she was wrong.


I also liked Sofia's response on the Picasso's painting La Vie. I liked it because it looks like it wasn't rushed she stated many facts about Picasso and his journey throughout his painting life. For example she stated when he was born, that he moved from different schools alot. I also liked that she wrote about what she thought was going on in the picture and gave some opinions.


I think that I can improve my blog posts by getting into my books like Guadalupe did by comparing each book from the series,and backing up her statements in her paragraphs. Trying to write blogs with lots of effort like Sofia did by writing many paragraphs and stating how she feels about the topic she is writing about.

Why Plagiarizing Is No Good

Plagiarizing is bad you can get in deep trouble. after reading Ms.Galang's blog post I learned more reasons why plagiarizing is a bad thing to do. Something that the student who plagiarized did wrong was that he/she clearly highlighted a source that they found on the internet. I think that a 13-14 year old person do not have that kind of vocabulary and I also think that if he/she wanted to use the source they could have put it in their own words.


I think one way he can put it in his/her words is like this for instance "There is a peaceful essence flowing from the structures." and in my own words I would say I think there is a certain kind of peacefulness in this painting.


*I think that one way to avoid plagiarizing is reading a text but trying to phrase it in your own words.
*Another way to avoid plagiarizing is by just using a little bit of each source for example if it is a whole paragraph just put the two main sentences in your own words without putting 3 or more words from the actual text.
* Another way to avoid plagiarizing is by using your own knowledge of the topic.

Response on the Article

After reading "Andy Pettitte Pitches An Inning In Yankees Win Over Mets"at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/. I think that Andy Pettitte will do a big impact coming back to the yankees, I also think that after pitching one inning versus the mets he did good.


One reason I think Andy Pettitte will do a big impact coming back to the yankees is because he won 5 world series while being with the Yankees. He also pitched in the playoffs many times. I believe that the past 3 years the yankees needed better pitchers because C.C Sabathia in my opinion has been by himself as a starting pitcher. Because A.J Burnett in my opinion wasn't a strong pitcher. 


Another reason I think it will be a big impact is because the fans will enjoy it too. I think that the fans will enjoy it because he is one of the Core Four, now 3 of the four will be playing. The Core Four were Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada who retired this year. The reason that they were named the Core Four is because they were they group of teammates to to 17 years together on the same team.


The Reason that I think he did good after pitching one inning verus the mets is because he did not play for after a season and he allowed only one hit and no runs. he also threw 14 pitches and 9 of them were strikes. I think he did a good job for his first time back.


Another reason that I think he did good versus the mets is that Joe Girardi the Yankees Manager said that Andy pettitte did all right and that he will start a few games and se how he does. So I definetly think the Yankees are giving him a chance to officially be a starter. I hope that he can.


I have noticed that Andy Pettitte has a long history with the Yankees and that with the performance he gave versus the mets he can be a big impact coming back to the Yankees. 

Reading response 3/22

The story I am number Four is really good. Right now John the main character and his dad were in big trouble because their enemies were about to kill them. The reason they were caught was because Henri John's "dad" was getting suspicious that people were getting information of his species, because he read an article of aliens. So he went to the place that writes it and got locked in. Then John asked his friend that has a car to drive him to the adress Henri went to. Then the humans were trying to lock John in to because the Mogadorians (John's enemies) warned them that if they saw them to capture them or they'll be killed. And the coincidence is that the day the humans captured John is the same day the Mogadorians arrived again. But the humans didnt tell the Mogadorians that they got captured and John escaped with his dad and his friend. This story has alot of actionit is one of the reasons that I like it.

A Much A Do About Nothing

    In the play A much Ado About Nothing I liked many things about it like how they structured it out. For example in the night time the lights were dimmer and and in there was a circle on a wall that shows the mood for instance when it was a sad or bad mood the lighting was dark red or other dark colors. When it was a happy mood they would put bright lights. 

   Another thing that I liked was that the actors were very close to the audience and the actors were clear when they spoke. I also liked that the actors looked like how the people looked in the 1920's the men wore suits and the women wore dresses. Instead of the modern way that people dress. 

  These are the reasons that I liked the play A Much A Do About Nothing.

Reading Response 3/15/12

I currently reading I Am Number 4 it is basically about a teenager and his guardian that came from a planet that was destroyed by another planet, and now those same people are tracking them down in earth. But the Mogadorians the aliens that destroyed their planet are trying to hunt every single alien from the planet that got destroyed. So far John the main character is always on the look because there were 9 of the aliens but they already killed 3 by order, now the main character knows he is next because he is number 4. John knows when the others died because he always gets a burn on his leg he has three now he knows he's next. Since John is an alien he has powers and his guardian is the person that raised him, and the person who is training him. Although Henri John's trainer is an alien but doesn't have any powers. The reason I like this book is because the action suspense and how in every chapter something new happens.

Romeo and Julliet Response

  When Romeo went to the party that he was convinced to go he mentioned it as a bad luck. I think that he was right and wrong, I think he was right because Juliet was at the party but he went to see the girl that he did like Rosaline. But the coincidental thing that happened was that he met Juliet and he completely forgot about Rosaline, and after he fell in love with her he found out that she was part of the Capulet family, the family that his family was rivaled with for many year. I think that if he did not go to this party he would have lived longer. So I do believe that going to the party was actually bad luck because they were also very young, But on the other hand it was also good for Romeo and Juliet to meet each other because if not Romeo would have kept on trying to make Rosaline  fall in love which she wasn't,and Juliet probably would have married Paris which she didn't love. So it was good that they met each other because they loved each other even though it was a short period of time.

Romeo and Juliet

Dear,_____

I am reading Romeo and Juliet and I realized that there are many things involed in the story for example in act 1 scene 1 Gregory and Sampson servants of the Capulets Juliet's family do not like the Montague family. I know that the Montague and the Capulet family are rivals it's probably the reason Gregory and Sampson do not like them. Romeo doesn't know who Juliet is and he is in love with a girl named Rosaline. He doesn't know Juliet because of the family rivalry.

Sonnet

I like it when my team hits the ball hard 

I like the bat with a good amount of mass.

I like it when the ball goes really far

I like the color of the bright green grass.

I like the roughness of the orange dirt.

I like when my opponents miss an easy catch.

I like the color and the stripes on my shirt.

I like it when its a really good match.

I like it when we win an amazing game. 

I like when I see the ball in the air.
And look at the lineup and see my name.
I like it when I feel the sweat on my hair.

I like the sound with the ball with the bat.
I like baseball and thats a true fact.  

Poems

What is a poem

A poem is a piece of art
that you can read
or sing with a beat.
most songs are poems

Some poems rhyme
Some poems repeat
Since it is a piece of art
it can be anything you want it to be

Great painter
Realism
Artistic
Now inspired by many people
Talented

Was inspired by Jan Van Eyck
One of the well known artists
One of many impressionism painters
Determined

What happens when you die.
will people talk about you.
will they judge you for the things you did wrong.
will they mention the good things about you.
or would you be remembered at all.

Grant Wood

  

 Grant Wood was born on February 13, 1891. He was raised in a farm like environment for example he wasn't raised in the city. From 1920 to 1928 he studied painting styles like impressionism after he graduated high school  in 1910.

    Somebody that inspired him was a painter named Jan van Eyck. This person inspired Grant Wood by making a new technique of art. Jan van Eyck was part of the renaissance time period and he drew very realistic due to what the people liked at the time period. So I think that had to do alot about the inspiration of drawing realistic. 

Grant wood made this painting because he was inspired and sort of fascinated by a house known as the American Gothic house. He was inspired by the design of the house's window. One thing that I liked about this painting is that Grant Wood painted the people that he thought would live in that type of house at the time. Since he was not from the city and in the early 1900's this is how he would have imagined the wealthy people at the time.

Reading Response 1/26/12

I am still reading the story Cold Fire and one thing that is good about this book that is the plot. I am starting to think that the main character has supernatural powers, because as I said before he can predict danger and save people's lives.
Right now a news reporter named Holly Thorne saw one of the scenes when James the main character save a kid from a truck. Then later on in the story she searches up his name and she found a record of the people that he has saved and she found out that he saved more than ten people in two months, and each of the people that he saved were all on different locations and different dates.
  There was also a variety of ways that the characters were going to die, it was a mixture for example like murder, drowning, and other things like that. I think this book is good, has action, suspense, and is realistic.

Reading Response 1/19/12

Currently I am reading Cold Fire by Dean Koontz. I like this story because of the intense moments it has. This story is about a person named James Ironheart who has the ability to sense danger and save lives. Most of the times he either has nightmares or just knows where to go to the danger. But most of the time he doesn't know who or what is the danger until he is close to it.
 And a news reporter named Holly is trying to look for information about him because after he saves lives he either leaves right away or says very little about him.
I like how the writer describes the sounds and how people look it is hard to just drop the book because I always am curious on what is going to happen next. I think that this book could be a little bit like Final Destination the movie. The only thing I see that differs from it is that the main character in Final Destination just helps his friends, but In Cold Fire Jim the main character goes to the danger and saves lives.

Reading Response 1/12/12

I am currently reading Cold Fire by Dean Koontz. One reason I like this book is because it seems like a movie. It seems like a movie to me because it has good descriptions and a lot of action. One way that it shows action is by the pace the story is written. For example in one of the scenes in the beginning the main character James Ironheart was running at full speed because in the story he feels when danger is coming but he doesn't know exactly how it will happen. so while he was running full speed the book described every feature and all of the things that was going on. It reminded me of a scene in action movies that the show the main character running in slow motion.  The author Dean Koontz is very specific about everything that is going on. I think that it will be hard to find a moment this book that i didn't know what was going on. Right now I am on page 92 and I have no  idea what will happen in the future. This story also has a lot of suspense. These are the reasons that I like this book.

Reading Response 1/5/12

I am currently reading The Superman Chronicles and I realized that even though this is a Comic book I can see that it has alot of fantasies but somehow it makes it seem possible because the main character Clark Kent is a news reporter for news papers so he always knows when there is trouble.
  One thing that I like about the story is that every time that you think that the other characters in the story are going to realize that Clark is Superman something happens.  It has a lot of suspense.
   For example one time Clark's friend was telling her boss that she saw Superman nobody believed her. That was also realistic because I wouldn't believe it either. So then His boss saw Clark and asked him what he thought about him and then clark just acted like if he didn't know him.
   I also realized that other characters in the story have no clue because one of the characters name Lois Lane is always calling Clark Kent a weak coward and other words like that, but when she talks about superman she says he is so strong.
  Thats why I think that even things with fantasy can be realistic.