Hey guys! I hate to say this, but this will be my last post as the end of the year has finally come...:( 
Anyways, I have a few lessons to share to with you guys....

1 - Stay Young. 
     I think this is one of the most important things to keep in mind as you grow up. Don't let the stress and daunting thought of school and college push you down.
2 - Live your life 
     Yes, school should be a priority, but it shouldn't control your life. Put effort into your schoolwork, but allow yourself some time to enjoy your life. Don't isolate yourself in a bubble of school and grades and totally miss out on some of the most exciting years of your lives. 
3 - But Do Keep up
     However, you shouldn't give up too much time to socializing. Falling behind now means falling behind forever, and it will be hard to make up and get prepared for college and jobs. 
4 - SLEEP 
     This is the biggest mistake I made during Middle school. Get enough sleep - it will make the biggest difference than anything else. Because trying to listen to a teacher when all you want to do is pass out is the hardest way to learn - and you will be miserable. 
5 - Step up and Be a Leader 
     When the time comes and your class is in need of a leader, be the one to step up and lead them. Getting used to leading now will help in a huge spectrum of jobs and life experiences - as long as you dont overuse your leadership and start to get bossy. 
6 - Take a Break 
     Dont be afraid to sit back and breathe for a moment if you feel overloaded. The best thing you can do is take everything at an even pace - don't stress yourself. 
7 - Appreciate your Friends 
     Your friends are the best support you have throughout middle and high school. Be kind to them - learn to trust them. But also, let go of people who are bringing you down, and dont hang out with people who make you feel uncomfortable. Dont hate them, but dont let them control your choices and actions. 
8 - Appreciate your Parents and your Families 
    Yes, right now most teenagers want to 'be independent' or whatever, but seriously guys, your parents pay loads of money for you to go to school and they devote their entire lives to you. So give back to them - dont ignore them, dont hate them. They deserve your love as much as you deserve them, and they will always be there for you. Dont be afraid to talk to them - trust me - they are the best friends you can have in sticky situations. 


So yeah, good luck with school you guys and dont forget to HAVE FUN! I am going to miss all of you guys a ton! 

Night - Essay Introduction Paragraph 


"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other”- Walter Elliot. When Elliot make this observation, he was speaking the truth. Whenever people are forced to complete task after task until their breaking point, their resilience is the motive that keeps them going. Perseverance is a trait that is often played with in stories and novels, authors using it to shape their characters. What better than to mold a character that people learn to care for and relate to than to show how they deal with problem after problem? Examples of this are seen in three different books - Night by Elie Wiesel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and Oblivion by Sasha Dawn. When forced through each wave of rigorous work and torture during his time in the holocaust in Night, Elie Wiesel never gave up, always pushing on. Similarly in Mockingbird, young Scout witnesses multiple life changing events that aim to push her down. However, Scout stays strong, learning and growing from each hardship. Finally, in Oblivion, Calliope's severe condition of graphomania leaves her struggling through her high school life - but despite the hardships she is forced through, she stays focused and determined to find a solution to her struggles. Throughout each book, the characters Elie, Scout and Calliope are pushed and pushed to grow strong skin and persevere through their troubles. As seen in Elie, Scout, and Calliope’s stories, their sense of perseverance is stronger than ever and can help transform the world for the better.

Hey guys! How are all of you doing today?
Have another quick question for y'all...

What innovation has most transformed the world? Why?

I personally think that the idea of helping others is the biggest innovation. It isn't exactly a product, or even a certain invention or thing, but it is an idea that has been transformed over the ages. And it has made one of the biggest impacts. Charities, organizations, benefit events and parties, financial aid, and everything along those lines have been aiming to help those who cannot help themselves. And I think that makes the biggest impact. How can we build our world up when some people are unwilling to help those with less then them? Fortunately, people put time and effort into helping others, into giving people opportunities and aid. That, to me, has transformed the world the most. 

Hey guys! Haven't talked in a while...
Anyways, have another quick question for you...

Out of all the issues that muckrakers focused on during this time period, (Farming monopolies, oil monopolies, election/political reform, factory worker's rights, FDA regulations, child labor protections, women's rights, African-American Rights, environmental protection, philanthropy, education reform.) which 3 do you feel are the most pressing issues today and why?

I think that nowadays, the biggest issues would be African-American rights, environmental protection, and education reform. Even to this day, there are still issues with unequal rights for people of color, immigrant or citizen. Also, people tend to ignore the rising threat of global warming and other environmental issues like the loss of water and more radiation from the sun slipping through our atmosphere. Education is still an issue as well, judging by the fact that there are still kids in other countries that can't pay for school, or doesn't even have one in their town. I say this because these three issues are growing bigger ever year - especially the issue of uneual rights for immigrants with the growing situation with ISIS and muslim immigrants. So I think that these three are the three that need the most attention and most thought to solve them. 

Hey guys!

What is it you hope to transform in the world? Why? 

   For me personally, the main change I wish to see made in the world is the quality of living and working for those stuggling with poverty. There are still millions of families in our world - our contry alone - that struggle for dinner every night. This needs to change. How is equality valid if we are still not allowing equal pay for women or immigrants in our country, if we still dont allow finacial aid for those who cannot pay for the insurance. How is this equality? 
   I don't personally know exactly how to make this change, but I know that the first step would be to create organizations that reach out to families that struggle and offer them help with no cost. Many of the organizations out there already do this, but they withhold information to try and wiggle their way into earning some cash for themselves. These families cannot pay for help - thats why they need it. So helping them and then expecting them to pay you back? How is that going to change anything?

Hey guys!
I have another quick question for y'all...

Who is the most courageous person you know? Why?

To me, one of the most courageous people I know is my mom. Actually, she is the most courageous person I know. She is always ready to take chances, and face her fears to accomplish her goals. She doesn't let other's opinions get in her way, and she never ever gives up. To me, these are all things that can make someone courageous. Willingness to do what you set out for yourself and never giving up are key to taking chances and having this notion of 'bravery'. Also, when you forget about what others might think of you, it takes the weight and worry of judgment off your shoulders. My mom doesn't have this weight - I don't know if she ever did. She is strong, brave, and will not give up on her hopes to bow to someone or something else. Also, she is always willing to help others and reach out where others might not. This is what makes her, undoubtedly, the most courageous person I know. 

Hey guys?
What two factors do you think aid justice? What about impede it?

For me, I think that the two main factors that aid justice are morality and the idea of redemption or forgiveness. The whole idea of justice is built off of what is right / wrong, and without the idea of redemption or forgiveness, most people wouldn't've be given 'just' trials. Two factors that I think impede justice are inequality and being bias. When people aren't treated equally, their basic rights are ignored just because of their race, economic standing, culture, religion, etc. This creates an unsafe environment for others because they see that their basic rights are thrown out the window. Also, biased judges and rules break down justice because they focus only on one category, whether it be skin tone, religion, or riches.
 

Don't do war

Hey guys!
This is a poem about A Confederate Soldier's Boot writing to Future Generations about Lessons Learned from the War


All I see is mud
And blood
There's a corpse
And look
I can see a dead horse

I am a boot
Leather and soft
Splattered with my comrades blood
Spilled by the Union

My owner runs fast
I pound against the ground
Thump, Thump, Thump
I jumped over another dead soldier

Kids, don't do war
Don't fight your brother
Or your mother
Or any of your family
It's just not right

I wish we didn't have to fight
To paint with blood
To stain the earth
I just wanted to live a sweet boot life

We didn't want much
Us Confederates
Just to keep our businesses running
And yes
I guess
We did need our slaves

But now I know
And kids, trust me
Stay in school
Be nice to your brother
And don't hold slaves

- An old boot

   Hey guys! How are all of you guys doing? I have a quick question for you...

What do you think being a "witness" means?

   For me, "witness" is a word with many definitions. Most people associate the word "witness" with the act of being present when something happens; either watching or glancing or stumbling upon accidentally, etc. However, I feel like there is more depth to the word than just that. 
   You see, witnesses can range from just people who saw or experienced the event directly, to people who have seen, heard, watched, or learned of the event through the direct witness(s), social media, the news, or anything like that. Just because someone wasn't there at the moment doesn't mean they aren't a "witness". However, they could have heard twisted stories or untrue facts, thus compromising their role as "witness". Therefore, it is difficult to fully sift out a true definition of "witness". 
   Personally, I think that both of these scenarios apply to witnesses. However, I do think that people who are directly involved with the event are more direct witnesses, rather than a secondary witness like someone who learned about the event through a different outlet. 

   During our trip to LA, many things changed about my look on the Holocaust and the Japanese internment. First of all, I had barely known about the Japanese internment at all, so I was very thankful I was able to learn about that. Second, I had learned about the holocaust in the past, but never in such depth as the museums tour explained. The unbelievable events of the holocaust were actually very interesting to learn about, despite the fact that they were one of the lowest points for mankind and truly inhuman and devastating to the Jewish religion. So I do feel like I transformed, at least, a bit, from not knowing much about either event, to knowing more than I ever expected and hoping that we can prevent anything like those events from happing ever again. 

“60 Acres” by Raymond Carver

     The protagonist, Lee Waite, in the short story “60 Acres” by Raymond Carver is faced with making two important decisions that change his way of thinking quite drastically. Waite, during the story, finds two boys trespassing and hunting on his land, but rather than punishing them severely, he decides to let them go with just a harsh warning. The other decision Waite makes is to lease his land, thus allowing the trespassing hunters to hunt without fear of being caught and punished. 
     These decisions reflect two traits in Waite that he might not have known about himself. In the beginning of the story, he is alarmed and enraged that others are constantly trespassing on his land, willing to bring violence upon the trespassers without a blink. However, once he finds out the trespassers were and could have been for a while, young boys, he realizes that he doesn’t want to punish the boys too severely. This shows that he is rational enough to let the boys off with a warning, but it also shows his sense of fatherhood. Waite himself had two young sons, and it appears that his sense of fatherhood broke through his inner barriers and kept him from punishing the young boys. When Waite decides to lease his land, it shows how he is finally able to let go of an old bug causing him too much stress to bear. He loves his land, yes, but he knows that by just protecting it from outsiders and not actually using his land will be useless and untimely. Therefore, he shows that he is able to manage and let go of his past fears, opening up new opportunities for many others. 

     In my life, there is one clear decision that I have made that has shaped my life forever; starting Hapkido. When I was 7,  my mother had joined a kickboxing school which offered Hapkido classes for all ages. She immediately wanted me to join, but I was unwilling to. However, after finally giving in to her wishes, I started up classes and ever since then, my life has been constantly changing. Now, I have been training for almost 7 years, already having earned my Black Belt and my Second Degree Black Belt. But, even though with every class I improve, I know that if I hadn’t decided that day to sign up for my Hapkido classes. Hapkido has changed my mindset; I think more of self-control, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, and having an indomitable spirit. Every day after class we repeat those five tenants, and every day they morph my mind into a more mature way of thinking. 

Hey guys! How are you doing?

I have a quick question... 

If you had to pick four items to put in a time capsule, four items that represented your family/childhood, heritage/culture, accomplishments/achievements, and legacy, what would you choose? What container would you put them in?

For me personally, I would definitely store all of my items in a leather backpack, but as far as the items themselves, I don't exactly what I would choose. As for the family/childhood item, I think I would choose a set of old Crayola markers. When I was younger, I always drew and colored with markers, and ever since, I have considered art as one of my higher skills. For heritage/culture, I think I would pick a small model of the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty to represent my four years in New York City when I was younger. I was born in Utah like I mentioned in an earlier post, but I consider New York more of my culture, just because my memories of Utah are scarce. For my accomplishments/achievements, I guess I would choose a sketch book full of fashion designs as I have always wanted to become a fashion designer. For my final item, the legacy item, I suppose I would choose a book, hopefully one that I write. Besides being a fashion designer, I have always wanted to write my own book, hopefully one that tells my personal story in different ways. 

Anyways, that's just me. What about you guys?