The Fright of the Football Star

      James was one of the popular boys in school. He was star of the football team, homecoming king, and an honor student. Due to his popularity, it was no surprise that James had many female admirers. He enjoyed the attention that he got from females, but it was one female who made him uneasy.
     Tara was a quiet girl with long black bangs that almost covered her eyes. She often wore a gray hoodie and black jeans with black combat boots. Everyday after third period, Tara would be waiting next to the water fountain across from James' locker. James would often try to smile at Tara, but she would never smile back. Tara would look down or look in the opposite direction. James never understood this behavior, but he tried to ignore Tara and continued to get his items from his locker.
    Whenever James was getting books for his next class, he would feel eyes following his every move. He would quickly turn around and the eyes would immediately stop following him. He then turned back around and proceeded to gather his books from his locker, but he still felt the eyes staring at him. James closed his locker and prepared to go to his third period class. He decided to walk in the opposite direction as Tara.
     James reached his third period classroom, he chatted with some of his classmates, gave his teacher a high five, and then took his seat by the door. About 30 minutes had gone by, when James saw a figure in the window of his classroom. The figure quickly disappeared once James looked up. He looked around the classroom to see if anyone else had noticed the figure. Everyone was still focused on the teacher discussing parabolas. James did not see the figure again, so he assumed it was just his imagination. James continued to rest of his day a little uneasy, but felt better once he was able to talk with his friends at lunch and right before football practice.
     During football practice, James was sitting on the sidelines while the coach worked with the defensive linemen. He was able to drink some water and take a rest for a few minutes. The football field was located towards the bottom of the school near a wooded area. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw that same figure that he had seen during his third period math class. The figure quickly disappeared into the woods. James was nervous. He continued to watch the wooded area until it was his turn to get back on the field.
    Football practice had ended at around 7:30 p.m. It was dark and cold and James left ahead of the rest of the team. He headed out to his car and carefully watched his surroundings to ensure that this figure would not appear. He hopped into his car and played some Pop music. He attempted to reverse out of the parking space when the figure appeared. James quickly stopped and tried to ensure his doors were locked. He stared out of his window, while the figure with chipped, yellow smiled at him. He was so terrified that he could not make out the face of the figure. James had no clue what to do, so he tried to go around the figure, but the figure disappeared.
    James was on edge for the entire drive home. He would check corners continually and would look all around when at a stoplight. He finally made it home and made sure he had all of his belongings before he exited his car. James parents and sister had gone out to dinner, so he would be home alone. James was running to the front door when he noticed something in the grass. They were combat boot prints. James looked as far as he could to see the boot prints. They led to a broken window in his house. The window had a small sign in it that read, "Welcome home."

   

Reviews of "The First Day" and "Cooling the House"

     In reading both "The First Day" and "Cooling the House," I was provided with a deeper understanding of writing stories from a particular point of view. I enjoyed reading both pieces and I was able to take some of the techniques used from each piece in my own writing.
   I enjoyed reading "The First Day" because it was well-written and a reality for many African Americans in the past. The story was very descriptive and helped to understand the setting and emotions of the narrator and her mother. The author did a good job in capturing the emotions, thoughts, and/or feelings of the other characters. I was able to sympathize with the mother in the story, due to the way her behaviors and actions were described.
     Although I enjoyed reading "Cooling the House," I was sometimes confused. I felt as if the ideas may have been slightly disorganized or a tad unclear. However, the perspective from an air conditioner was very unique. The author was able to capture the thoughts of an air conditioner very well.

The Concern of a Mother

     I stared as they huddled over me and watched my mother frantically try to keep them away. "Wash your hands please," she said to anyone who even looked my way. Her constant pacing and obsessing over clean hands made me a tad nervous. "Please be careful," she said to one of my neighbors. The lady with white hair and large black glasses looked at my mother with a look of confusion and a tad bit of frustration. However, she calmly said, "I will. Don't worry." "Why is my mother so concerned about my neighbor being careful and having clean hands?" I thought to myself. "Maybe she just got a new vase and doesn't want it to get broken or dirty."
     The doorbell rang and I watched my mother race to the door to answer it. I saw a lady and a man with two children standing at the door. "Please take off your shoes," my mother said. "I do not want dirt tracked in the house." These statements caused me to question why people even wore those things on their feet, if they were asked to take them off. "I don't want Aaron to get sick." "Who me?" I thought to myself. "How can I get sick from people wearing shoes?" I never understood what shoes had to do with my health.
    As I got older, my mother never changed.  Her worry went from people wearing shoes in the house, to worrying about me falling, eating from off of the floor, and getting lost. Due to her fear, I was never babysat by other people, not even family. My mother chose to work from home and took me everywhere that she went. "Why is she smothering me?" I think to myself. I am not like the other children who get to the park for play dates and go to daycare to meet new friends. I am constantly being watched by my mother.
    Now that I am in elementary school, I still do not understand why my mother was and still is such a worrier. She always asks me if I am being picked on, if my teachers are treating me fairly, and if I am making new friends. I do not understand why she continues to ask me these questions. I always tell her not to worry because people are nice and can be trusted. She makes sure that I do not play certain video games and watch certain shows on TV. I don't think this is fair, but it's something that I have learned to deal with. I still don't understand my mom's worry, but I guess I've learned to deal with that too.

News Story Point of View

   My name is Julia Wise and I am a social worker. I am married to a software engineer, Jeff Kaufman who is my best friend. My husband and I earn a nice living with our salaries put together. Combined, we make approximately $245,000 per year. Most people would love to earn this type of money to spend on expensive clothes, cars, and vacations. However, we spend our money differently.
    From a young age, I was taught that giving was better than receiving. This value still holds true to me. As a social worker, I am consistently helping people. However, I wanted to do more. When Jeff and I got married, we decided that we could give more to help others. My husband and I only live off of approximately $15,000 of our income. Where does the rest go? Well, the rest of our income goes to charity. We have been donating money to charity for 7 years.
     Most people think that we are crazy and are probably unhappy with our lives. However, I beg to differ. Giving is one of the best feelings I have ever experienced. It feels good to put someone else's needs before my own. I am still able to live comfortably and enjoy my life, while helping others. Living way below my means has taught me to enjoy the simple aspects of life and appreciate what I do have. I consider myself very fortunate to be in a position to help others.
       The decision to give so much to charity has not always been an easy one. There have been times when Jeff and I considered spending our money to get fancy clothes and take expensive vacations. We sometimes let people's opinions cause us to second guess our decision. However, we know what we are doing is right. Although Jeff and I have had our share of financial struggles, I would not want to live any other way. Everyday, I am able to wake up and realize that I have made a difference in the lives of many people.
      Being selfless and giving to others are characteristics that I want to pass down to my children and grandchildren. I want them to get the most out of life and giving to others will help them do so. My life would not be fulfilled if I spent all of my money on my own needs and desires. I am truly happy with my life and am looking forward to what the future holds!

Character Sketches

     The character sketches helped writing my scene much easier. I used the sketches as the basis for my sketch and was able to create different ideas based on the sketches. Overall, I stuck with the sketches in my scene. I was able to understand the characters better which aided me in developing the setting and situation. Due to the character sketches, it was easier for me create conflict between the characters. I did not feel the need to change the characters, once they interacted. I only made a few adjustments such as name changes, while writing my play.
     Overall, I enjoyed writing in the play format. I was able to be more creative and make the characters come to life. Writing a play was slightly more simple than other pieces of writing. The play could go in a variety of directions and I did not feel limited in my writing. In addition, the dialogue in my play did not have to be complex or fancy.
   

Two Different Worlds

Scene 1

Rachel Washington and Patrick Fritz are from two different worlds, but their interaction with one another is an experience they will never forget. Rachel and Patrick are at Patrick's IT company, so Rachel can learn more about a new software for BioSci, the lab where she works.


Secretary: Hello, welcome to Software IT. How may I help you today?

Rachel (friendly): Hi! My name is Rachel Washington and I am a lab technician looking for some new software for my lab. What are some of the options that you have?

Secretary: There are a host of options, but I am going to let you speak with the CEO of the company, Patrick Fritz. He likes to handle certain clients himself.

Rachel: Okay, thank you!

Secretary: You're welcome! He should be down shortly. You can have a seat in our waiting area.

(The secretary picks up the phone to call Patrick Fritz. Rachel walks to the waiting area and sits down. She picks up a magazine and proceeds to read. She looks up when she hears the elevator opening and sees Patrick Fritz walking off of the elevator.)

Patrick: Ms. Washington?

Rachel: Yes?

Patrick:  My name is Mr. Patrick Fritz and I will be meeting with you today to discuss some of the software options for your lab.

Rachel: Hello, Patrick. Nice to meet you! Sounds like a plan.

Patrick: We can discuss some of the options in my office. You can follow me.

(Rachel follows Patrick onto the elevator. They enter the elevator and Patrick presses the button to the fourth floor. The elevator reaches the fourth floor. Rachel and Patrick exit the elevator.)

Rachel (fascinated): Wow! This is a beautiful office!

Patrick (coldly): Thanks. You can have a seat.

Rachel: How long have you been working here?

Patrick: I founded the company.

Rachel (confused): Oh. When was it founded?

Patrick (annoyed): Four years ago.

Rachel: Well, you have had a lot of recognition to only be open for four years.

Patrick (coldly): Thanks. Let's start looking at some software options.

(Rachel looks confused and sits down. Patrick logs onto his computer and begins looking for information.)

Olive and Flo

     In the Odd Couple, I do not think that Olive was as positively effected by the experience of living with Flo, as Flo was. Olive seemed to be more angry and frustrated by the experience. She appeared to have some bitterness towards Flo and living with other people in general. Olive also was not as positively effected by the experience as Flo because she felt as if she was smothered. She was unable to live the way she was used to living, which made her feel trapped.
    Due to the experience, Olive appeared to want to no longer be friends with Flo. The experience also seemed to cause Olive to view Flo differently. Initially, she was compassionate and empathetic towards Flo. However, after being roommates, Olive had lost those feelings of compassion and empathy.

Smiling Through the Storms

                Each day of our lives, we should aim to be positive and not focus on everything that may be going wrong. This statement was true for a young waitress at Applebee’s. I was out to dinner with my family, when the cheerful and professional waitress walked over to our table. She immediately asked us how we were doing and proceeded to ask us about our desired beverages. We ordered water with lemon, and continued to look over the menu. The waitress left the table to go get the beverages. I noticed that the waitress had a smile on her face, while interacting with the diners. She did not seem overwhelmed by the fast-paced atmosphere. She was able to serve approximately three to five tables, while still being able to interact positively with everyone.

            The waitress came back to our table and took our order. The waitress went beyond just taking our order, she began to talk with us about some aspects of her personal life. She talked about balancing work, while raising a child with special needs. The waitress shared some of the concerns that she had, while trying to ensure her child was safe and successful in school. She talked with me about her college experience, and what she would have done differently. The waitress went on to offer me some advice to help me land a job in the future. She said that it was important to participate in organizations related to my major, and to line up as many internship opportunities as possible. The waitress also shared some of her dreams, such as opening a home for single mothers and their children.

            The experience with the waitress caused me to think about the importance of remaining positive, no matter what challenges have to be faced. It is important to hold on to our dreams and desires, and believe that they will one day be accomplished. The waitress allowed her circumstances to make her a better individual. Her heart was not hardened, and she was not bitter about certain situations. The waitress was willing to offer me some tips that can be beneficial to me, as I progress through my college career. This interaction helped me to realize that people in the world are dealing with very difficult situations and still manage not to complain. I must not focus on the negative aspects in life that sometimes pale in comparison to the situations of others. 

     "A Tree Falls in the Forest" and "Disastrously Unprepared" Comparison and Contrast

    
    “A Tree Falls in the Forest and “Disastrously Unprepared” by Heather Havrilesky had many similarities, as it relates to their styles. Both essays were written from the point of view of the author (first person point of view). The readers were able to understand the feelings and thoughts of the author, and were able to understand who the author really was. The essays were broken into sections, in order to show when particular events occurred. Each section included a tremendous amount of detail, in order to ensure the readers understand the event or period of time. These essays also focused on the unspoken fears and feelings that many people have, but pretend not to have them. These essays particularly focus on the issues that women may face.

            There were also differences in the styles of each essay. “A Tree Falls in the Forest” focused mostly on the past. The essay focused on how the author thought and felt, during a previous stages of her life. “Disastrously Unprepared” did include some events from the past, but the essay generally focused on the present. This particular essay appeared to have a more fast-paced style than “A Tree Falls in the Forest.” “Disastrously Unprepared” often jumped from many different thoughts, while “A Tree in the Forest” focused on and explained a few thoughts at a time.

            I liked “Disastrously Unprepared” more than “A Tree Falls in the Forest.” Although both essays were well written and relatable, the flow of this essay made me feel as if I was in the author’s shoes. The word choice and organization of the essay, caused me to feel as if I was busy and overwhelmed, like the author. The message of this essay was also more interesting to me. Although no one’s life is perfect, it is important to appreciate the positive aspects of ourselves and of our lives. Everyone faces challenges and disappointments, but it is important not to let those situations define us.