Reading Response 7: College Antics

     Dave Barry puts college in a completely different perspective. College is a complete waste! If you don't like learning and having to memorize completely irrelevant information for your life then you just shouldn't go. According to Barry any science or mathematics major is just all about retaining information that you probably won't even use again. Sliding by easy through college can be done if you are wordy and create alternate information for your assignments if you major in English, Psychology, Philosophy or Sociology.
     I find the entire article to be hilarious. It's all about how college is useless and how most of the things you learn, you'll end up just forgetting in the long run. You know… I partially agree with what Barry has to say, but more of me disagrees. College is a necessity for people to go through in order to have a chance at what they want to do in the future. Of course not every one needs to go to college. There are trade schools and other opportunities that are given right out of high school, but if everyone went to the alternate schools then people wouldn't be employed in jobs like doctors, dentists or even teachers.
     Although I find this article to be very entertaining and interesting, I think I'll stick to my plans of going to college. I'll be in debt forever practically, but I'll have to go to college to achieve the goals I have planned for myself.

Plagiarism: Blurred Lines

     Access to the Internet is quite readily available to almost everyone in America. Whether is be going to the public library, or Internet access at home. Rich or poor it's available to pretty much everyone who needs to use it. Having the Internet to get needed information is so nice and easy compared to how older people just to have to do research. People used to have to find books and read and read for their needed information. Now-a-days you can get what you need with one simple click of the mouse. Although the accessibility is great to have, it also makes students lazier.
     In the article it mentioned how readiness has an impact on why plagiarism is so much more acceptable. In middle school and high school most English teachers don't truly prepare you for the next big step in your life. Going to college. Readiness going into college keeps you from making the silly mistakes, but in this case it can keep you from breaking the law. Plagiarism is nothing small to be dealt with yet people find that giving credit to where it rightfully needs to be given is just a waste of time. Because of all the access to Internet and constant social networking reading something off a website and copy and pasting seems to be the best way to get an assignment done. In the article it mentioned that taking information off a website people find it easier to claim it as their own work. While it's a lot harder to claim someone else's work in a tangible form. I completely agree with what they said. Having a tangible article helps in making people realize that it's not their work, and they cannot copy what people say.
     Plagiarism is an ongoing problem and I believe it will continue to be. Hopefully the problem finds a solution, but sadly I think as Internet and technology become more readily available the problem will increase. I just hope people will be smart enough and honest enough to create their own work, or at least give credit to thoughs who put in the work.

Analytical Essay Proposal: Title IX

     The equality between men and women seems to waver between various situations. I am not a feminist in the slightest, but I do believe that there are many things that could be better through the equality of women. Title IX has given the opportunity to women to be able to have the chance to participate as a whole. Most people believe that Title IX only has to do with college athletics, but the law actually has 10 different categories that fall under it; allowing the equality of men and women. There have always been controversy that comes with the law. For example the dispute that more men have interest in sports more than women. But all in all has the Title IX law been passed for the better? I believe it's made a tremendous impact on the equality of genders.

Reading Responce 5: Insurgent

The second book in the Divergent series is Insurgent. Beatrice who is called Tris most of the time, and Tobias who is also called Four are the main characters in the book. There are other important characters in the book also. There are Johanna, Peter, Marcus, Susan and Jeanine. Tris and Tobias like each other more and more every time they are together. Despite the fact that they are constantly having to deal with problems of all the factions they still find time to be alone and have a romantic love life. Their passion for each other comes from deep inside them from all of their experiences together and their pasts that they have confided in each other about. Tris and Tobias are originally from Abnegation and transferred to Dauntless. It wasn't until later that Tris finally discovered that Tobias was divergent, also! All the similarities between them drive them together and create a relationship that cannot be tampered with. Together they are unstoppable. In the beginning of Insurgent Tris, Tobias, Peter and Marcus escaped from the devastated faction of Abnegation in fear of the Erudite leaders trying to take over all of the factions. The faction Amity took them and the other survivors of Abnegation in and used their faction as a safe house. But little did Abnegation know that Amity was debating on keeping them safe from Erudite. Amity has a friendship with both factions and they did not want to disturb the peace that they have created for themselves. Once Abnegation found out that they wouldn't keep them safe they had to make decisions that can alter their way of living. They have to leave the compound of Amity and go back to the Abnegation compound without knowing what is in store for them. Before they were about to leave the compound, Erudite leaders made a surprise visit searching for the people who escaped from the Abnegation compound while they were under attack. At first the people of Amity helped the Abnegation people by keeping silent and keeping the peace in the compound. But as the Erudite and traitor Dauntless soldiers looked around they discovered Tobias because of the tattoos on his neck. Immediately things started to become out of control. Many people that were in Abnegation were killed; nearly all of them. The only people left were Tris, Four, Susan and Marcus. They are now out in the world outside of the compound on their own. What will they do? Will the Erudite leaders find them? "Where are the others?" whispers Susan. I say, "Gone." The quote above gives a slight view of what may happen in the rest of book. How many more people will they lose? I think there are going to be many sacrifices made here in the next few chapters and I'm excited to see which way Veronica Roth takes her piece of writing. Gone. Almost everyone is gone and killed by people who just want to have ultimate power. The Erudite leaders will do anything to get what they want. Are Tris and Tobias willing to do anything to redeem their original faction? Not only that, but how will the relationship between Tris and Four change?

Article 1 Response: Internet Integrity?

     In the online article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" it discusses how the Internet and being able to have easy access to the web is causing people to not be as smart and with it as they used to be before Internet usage became popular. Majority of people spend their time on the Internet or on their smart phones doodling with Facebook, Twitter, Google or YouTube, but almost all of them cannot see the effect that it is having on them. The author of this article discusses how he finds himself not being able to read as well as he used to. He also admitted that he hardly ever reads actual books anymore, also. He says that almost everything he reads is all from things online; whether it be articles, blogs or and social networking. The author of this article also states that because he is constantly online, he finds himself not being able to focus for long periods of time like he used to. He has also talked to many other people that agree to having the same problems.

     I can agree with what the author had to say. Sometimes I feel like things are a lot harder to read and a lot harder to focus on now-a-days. I also believe that it could potentially become a problem if parents or even teachers don't start limiting their sons/daughters or students usage of Internet. I personally love using the Internet because it is so accessible and quick, but it also almost feels like cheating because sometimes things are too easy. Before Internet their was a challenge in 'finding' the information that was needed; rather than just typing it into Google and boom there is the answer!

     At this point in time in the world just no longer had any access to any computers or Internet, it would be like starting life over again. The Internet has become a huge part of society and a way of living. There is definitely an addiction that people can obtain from using the Internet so much. They start to crave being on it in a way. I've seen it first hand! Most young adults either have a Facebook or a Twitter, and those people are becoming more and more addicted the longer they have the unlimited access to it. I see people on dates and both of the people are normally sitting their on their phones rather than interacting with one another! I find it crazy that something that seems like nothing can become such an ongoing habit. 
     While reading the article I honestly had a difficult time reading it. The article said, "Now my concentration often starts to drift after tow or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I'm always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle." This is what was happening to me while reading the article. The length and complexity of it began making it hard to focus on what was really being said. There was a constant pull of trying to get back into the text. I do believe that a lot of people, especially my age struggle with this because of using the Internet for so long. Long passages become novels, compared to reading short posts and status'.

Reading Response 4: Divergent

     Divergent is a book that takes you into an entirely new setting of life. The post-apocalyptic setting creates a new environment that can be taken as reasonable or completely unacceptable in life society. The way of life in the book is split into different factions; each being a way to function in society. Each of the factions are supposed to work hand-in-hand, holding to their duties and responsibilities to allow society to run as smoothly as possible.
     Nearing the end of the book the main characters, Tris and Four, end up secretly falling for each other. They keep their relationship a secret so Tris doesn't look like she is just given her place in dauntless during her initiation, but as initiation comes to a close bigger problems seem to find their way into their lives and Tris and Four are the only ones who are able to stop the madness. For one reason only; they are divergent.
     The faction of Erudite (the scientists/bookworms) begin to secretly form a plan to start a war between the factions. The Erudite leader, Jeanine, is the mastermind behind all of plans to start the war, destroying and killing all the Abnegation leaders. Jeanine is a scientists who creates all the simulations that the dauntless and other factions use during the initiation process, so she has an insight to all of the other factions without being detected. Secretly Jeanine injected every member of the dauntless faction to become "sleep walking soldiers". When they were injected they were told it was a tracking device, incase anyone ever got lost. Instead she took over their abilities to function for themselves and turned them into killing machines by almost completely wiping out the entire abnegation faction.
     Throughout the end of the book terrible things happen to Four and Tris has to do this on her own to fight off the war that is taking out her former faction, abnegation. Tris soon finds out that because she is divergent she has capabilities that no one else has. She learns that being self-less and brave are not all that different. Tris discovered who she really is.

     "I feel like someone breathed new air into my lungs. I am not Abnegation. I am not Dauntless. I am Divergent."-Victoria Roth, Divergent
     This quote is one that has the most impact on the entire story. The quote is by Tris who finally believes and states who she really is, and who she always has been; she just never knew it. After Tris said that she was able to overcome so many things that seemed to always be getting in her way. She came to face who she really is and how she was able to use every inch of it as strength.

     Victoria Roth is an incredible author. She expressed her writing in thought and dialogue, which I find to be very helpful to understand, and to feel like I'm in the story itself. I love her writing style because I always find myself wanting to read more and more. I will soon be starting to read the next book in the series called Insurgent. I can't wait to get started and become enthralled and engrossed in my next read.

     

Reading Responce 3: Divergent

     Over the past couple of weeks as Tris has been going though initiation she has been growing closer and closer to one of the instructors named Four. Four is only a couple years ahead of Tris. In the faction, Dauntless, they like to select the youngest and best to be the leaders of the faction. While other factions choose the oldest and most wise.
      In the section of the book I have most recently read; all of the initiates have to be given a serum and undergo a process in their own conscious while being overseen by Four. They call the process simulations. In the simulations you have to face your worst fears and learn to overcome them because that is what Dauntless is all about. Being brave and doing things that regular people are threatened and scared by.
      A normal simulation typically takes 10 to 15 minutes for an initiate to finish. The simulation ends once you find a way to overcome what is happening to you. While Tris was undergoing her initiation she was put in a situation to where she was being attacked by big black crows. Tearing at her flesh and pecking at her from every angle. Tris was so frightened that she was crying and calling out for help from Four even though he could do nothing because she was in her own mind. Once Tris came out of the simulation she immediately went straight for Four balling her eyes out, but with a huge amount of fury that he just put her though that. Four calmed her down and comforted her. Then Tris's worst fear actually happened. Four looked at her very seriously and said, "Are you Divergent?". Tris's heart sank into her stomach. Being divergent is the one this she is supposed to keep secret. For the safety of her life.
      Later Tris went and talked to the one and only woman who knew she was divergent. She warned Tris to be extremely careful. She said that the only people that know anything about divergent are either the people who are divergent themselves, (which is extremely rare) or the people who kill the divergent. What is Four? Divergent or deadly?

      "But becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it, that's the point."
      This quote is my absolute favorite in the entire book. It has such a powerful message, yet it is so simple. Fear is something that people will always and forever have in their lives. But being able to control your fears is such a great attribute. It makes you a stronger person and more able to overcome the difficult things in life. Instead of letting the fear control who you are; you can use it as an advantage. Its smart. This quote may be the single most important line in the entire book. Setting the ground for more to come. More fear. More fight. More overcoming.

A Class Divided

     While watching A Class Divided it gave me an insight to how prejudice people really can be. It's not the fact that someone is better than another, but whenever someone with more authority makes a rule or a judgement and others follow it, is when problems start beginning.
     Once Mrs. Jane Elliot created the rule that blue eyed people are greater than brown eyed people it created an outstanding amount of controversy. The third graders began being mean and spiteful towards one another if they didn't have the same eye color; even though just the day before eye color wasn't an issue or even thought about.
     It's amazing how much a person with more influence can completely manipulate people to think in different ways without even realizing that the person is changing the way they think and believe in things.
     I truly believe that this lesson should be taught to all people. Even though America doesn't have as many racial prejudice's today, doesn't change the fact that it should be taught. Not only does it teach against prejudice's, but it also allows people to experience being judged harshly and differently. Which allows people to see that they need to treat others the same way they want to be treated.
     It all comes back to the golden rule that everyone should live by.

Inspired by the Simple

     Inspiration comes in ways not see by all eyes or heard by all ears. It is unique to who you are. People can be inspired by their own personal lives; their willingness to write personal experiences to show themselves they have the strength to talk about the bad things in their life. Even being selfless in writing their own tragedies to be a light to others, not yet strong enough. People can find inspiration in the littlest things in life. Their dog, food, laughter! Anything and everything that has an important significance to your life.
      I am personally able to find the most inspiration in my personal life. With struggles I have dealt with and the challenges that have been throw at me. There always seems to be thoughts flowing through my mind that are just aching to be written down on that flimsy white sheet of paper. It's as if my troubles seem so heavy as they are inside me and weighing me down; yet they seems to just disappear on that piece of paper. Such a light, weightless object able to carry such heavy burdens. It doesn't seem like it can be that easy, but it is. That's the beauty of it.
     Focusing is the hardest part of writing that perfect paper. I have one simple fix for that. Music. Music is the best way to calm me; to clear my messy mind. The constant beat and rhythm of the music just soothes me and makes me feel at ease. My favorite type of music is smooth jazz. I'm in love with the one and only Frank Sinatra. Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Bing Cosby and Louie Armstrong. They are all my favorites! When I listen to them while I write, words just seems to flow right out of my pen to my paper. I always seem to have a clear mind while my music is playing. At moments it even gives me chills... goose bumps down my spine. It's a good feeling.
     To me, writing is an inspiration itself. I love to write. It gives me an outlet to just let it all go.

Reading Response: Divergent

     Dauntless: Arrogant, prejudice, self-sufficent, thrill seekers.
The tone of more than half of the people who belong to the faction called "Dauntless" fall under those characteristics. Some of which do not.
      Tris (the main character) is secretly known as "Divergent". Only Tris and another woman know she falls under this very uncommon grouping of people. Only as much as Tris knows, Divergent is very dangerous. No one else knows that she is a Divergent. Although, people do comment on how she acts as if she could be apart of Erudite, Candor or even still being apart of her own faction, Abnegation. Tris doesn't know why being a Divergent is a dangerous quality. Being apart of Dauntless, Tris has experienced a completely new way of living her life. It's all about bravery and showing your courage to be able to prove yourself as a helpful member of society. Fighting through the initiation of becoming a full Dauntless woman she has had to work harder than everyone to prove herself worthy. Each initiate being paired up with another, having to fight till the other is unconscious. Tris was paired up to fight with a boy who she agrees much with. His name is Peter.In the end of their fight, Tris ended up unconscious for a couple days recovering in the Dauntless Hospital. All the initiates believe that she is the weakest of them and won't make it through initiation. While Tris believes the same thing, she beings to become doubtful of herself and thinks she'll become factionless. All until the trial of capture the flag. Tris starts to realize that being weak may be a set back, but her undoubted bravery and thought process may be her key to success.
      This book really makes you think about what might happen next. Will Tris make it, or will she become nothing and live factionless? I used to not like the character of Tris because I also believed she was too weak to continue her journey. I didn't like the fact that she wouldn't stand up for herself or fight back because her past life wouldn't allow her to do it. She didn't know herself which caused me to become confused of the integrity she said she had. Although, She is starting to grow on me. Her true colors are starting to show through her thick skin. Which allows me as a reader to become more involved. She is keen to following her gut no matter what others may be up to. She is smart. Now, a character I look up to. Her character reminds me of Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Katniss's bravery to continue on and fighting to the death to be able to come back home to her sister and make a difference in the world they live in. While Tris shows her bravery by fighting through the obstacles in front of her to fully become Dauntless.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/divergent-photos-set-shailene-woodley-574441

Reading Response: Divergent

   Divergent is a fiction book written by Veronica Roth.
The book takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting generating the use of history in the book of how the world "used to be". The book is written in first person. The book is in the point of view of the main character, Tris. The other main characters are Caleb (Tris's brother), Christina (a Dauntless initiate) and Four (a Dauntless boy).

   Tris was born into a faction (group of people like a democracy in a way) named, Abnegation. Abnegation's way of life is influenced by selflessness. There are five different "ways of life" to choose from in there world. Each sector contributes to society in there different ways. Abnegation fulfills the need for selfless government leaders on government; Candor provides society with trustworthy sound leaders in law; Erudite supplies the intelligent teachers and researchers; Amity provides understanding counselors and caretakers; and Dauntless provides protection from within and without.

  Once a child is of the age of 16 they go to a choosing ceremony and are able to choose which way of life they want to follow. Whether it be the one they were born into, or choosing a completely different lifestyle. It was finally time for Tris to choose her faction at the choosing ceremony and she ended up picking Dauntless. which means she can never see any of her family ever again.

The writing style of Veronica Roth is extremely enjoyable. Roth writes with so much detail and description it's easy to mentally picture what is happening in the moment. "The air howls in my ears as the ground surges toward me, growing and expanding, or I surge toward the ground, my heart pounding so fast it hurts, every muscle in my body tensing as the falling sensation drags at my stomach. The hole surrounds me and I drop into darkness."
Her writing style is easy to follow and actually feel like you're the one in the book. The best type of writing is when you can see yourself in the book, almost like you are the watching as a character in the book.

Right when I started reading the book I instantly connected it to The Hunger Games. They are very similar, which is probably why I love the book so much already. I love The Hunger Games series, they are my favorite books! One of the most similar things is the fact that it's in a post-apocalyptic setting where the world has changed due to some sort of overtaking or war, which caused the way the world works to change. Divergent society was split into factions just like The Hunger Games was spilt into districts.

I Am

I am the little boy my parents never had.
The little girl who fir in with the boys; nasty, dirty, muddy boys.
The girl who was supposed to be Joshua Alexander, not Emma Grace.
The girl who saw the world as her playground.
Constantly running, climbing, jumping..until I fell to the ground completely out.
The girl they called, “Goes till she can’t go anymore..till she drops!”
I am the girl who hates ribbons and bows and would tear them off my body if they were ever in sight.
I am the girl who played on the soccer field with the boys during recess.
The one who truly believed there were no differences between little boys and girls.
The one who knew I was just as good, if not better than the boys in P.E. class.
I am the girl who is covered in bumps and bruises, shiners like no other girl could handle.

I am the girl fascinated with the human body.

The girl who was hit in the head with a driver golf club and decided to look for the chunk of my
head on the ground instead of crying.
Being called the “Tough cookie” that could handle anything!
The girl who has had more than one near dead experience: falling on scissors, or swallowing an
umbrella hook, and making her who she is today.

Tough, strong, independent.
I am the girl who as she grew up was focused on school and making good grades in hoping I
would never disappoint my parents.

I am determined and driven.

I am the girl in school who feels alone because of her beliefs, but never falls short of them.
The girl who keeps her head up strong, but falls when no one is looking.
The girl who seems to have it ‘All figured out,’ but secretly doesn’t know how to make it through
the rest of the day without shedding a tear.
I am the girl who was always best on her team, but as time caught up with her she fell back
behind.
The one who is told, “You have so much potential,” then never seems to reach it.
The one who can be very hard on herself and never see the good in what I can do.
I am the girl who has two, incredibly loving, parents.
Who always seem to know how to turn my thoughts of myself back around, taking my
‘potential’ and help me make it a reality.

I am a big blue eyed, frizzy haired brunette.

A girl who believes she is a woman.
A woman who is fully taking on responsibilities, whether she is ready to take them on or not.
Tossing around hours of the day as if they have no meaning.
Following such a planned schedule, feeling suffocated.
Wishing the woman she is was still that little girl.
Work, school, soccer, church, boyfriend, leadership roles...the list never seems to have an ending.
I am the woman who is smart, but doesn’t seem to have enough mental capacity to keep my life
from falling down around me.

I am a nervous tired wreck.
I am a woman who needs breaks in her life to feel free; to have the time to breathe...to appreciate
the little things in life.

Just like that little tom-boy she used to be who appreciated things.
The smell of the fresh air, the cool breeze, the chats that have no meaning except the use of
oxygen.

The cut elbows, the bruised shins, the scabbed over memories.
The laughter that kills your gut, the smell of grandmas house, and the touch of someone who
loves you.
The people, places, things, smells, memories that have shaped everything in her life.
The happiness, sadness, faithfulness, insecurities, and love are what make the little tom-boy the
woman she is today.

The woman who can live another day.