Second Semester Blogging

The end of the year is so close. I feel as if I am at the final stretch of a marathon, but as I step back to look at the big picture, I see that I have only been through half of my high school race. Sophomore year is coming to an end. Now, I must take the time to stop and examine my blog. I am briefly going to compare this semester to first semester on the different types of assignments my class had, and how they affected me. Blog posts were increased from three-hundred words to five-hundred words. Literature circle group letters were given a new format. They changed from addressing how one annotated a book, to more of a quote analysis type of assignment. But, just like last semester, my blog post topics vary from a wide variety of random topics with different styles of how I approached them. These are the very mild changes that have affected the way that I write.

I am positive that my writing has improved in at least one way. I am beginning to become a faster writer. This skill will certainly help me in the future if I am ever timed for writing. I believe that my speedy writing has been caused by all of these quick-writes that my English class does on some unique topics. Strangely, I wrote quick-writes last year in class for practice as well. They are an interesting task where a teacher gives their class a topic, and the class must write without stopping for a said amount of time. Sometimes the teacher can give the class a few minutes to arrange their thoughts on the topic. Over the two years that I have done them, I guess that I was bound to become a "quick-writer." An example of one of these awkward writing tasks would be my blog post called the "Quick Write: Rules of Love." This is not the best example of a quick-write because I put it in question format rather than attempting to form paragraphs about the questions (which is the normal format). Thanks to practicing these, I am capable of phrasing complex sentences for my blog posts in smaller amounts of time, and pretty much finishing them altogether in a short amount of time as well (roughly thirty to forty minutes). In "Chaotic Week," I discussed an unfortunate position I was placed in, and briefly about the book I would have to read over the weekend. "I am only forty pages through this four hundred page or more behemoth, which means that I have only taken a small glimpse of what is yet to come." I had hardly slept the night before, and yet I was able to formulate this sentence. I thought that it sounded perfect the way it came out. I did not even consider altering this sentence as I proof-read the blog post. The several minutes that I use to plan out a quick-write have also affected me. Every time I have to write a book review (e.g. Unwind, Hot Zone, and Parable of Talents). I now find myself using a sheet of binder paper to prepare for what topics I will write about and what quotes I may use from the book. It is a habit that I nearly find impossible to do without.

As I had mentioned in my "First Semester Blogging," I stated that "my blog has a lot of varying topics." I would still find this true. I still even blog about "either an event that recently occurred, or a thought that was lingering within my head for the past twenty-four hours." Some topics are not too out of the ordinary (well at least for other people). While I was writing "Avatar=My Hurt Locker Anticipation," I got to act like a legitimate sophisticated movie critic. At first it was a bit strange talking about the two most highly acclaimed movies of the year, but eventually I just let my ideas flow for whomever to see. Just the feel of writing like a critic was a bit different for me. Another blog post that appears completely bizarre is "Our Kitchen Sink." The title is not suppose to have some sort of double metaphoric meaning. That might actually throw off the reader before he or she begins reading. I even included "This weekend was not so good" as an intro. The whole post is just a plain and simple story telling the sequence of events that happened on my (at the time) recent terrible weekend which involved the replacement of my family's kitchen sink. I was still in a bit of a "handy-man" mode and decided to write about the experience the following day. Well, there was a familiar topic that I decided to write about with a new approach. "Easing Up" is about my somewhat new writing topic of skateboarding with a slightly new form I chose to write in. I decided to write as if it were just a journal entry. In the first two paragraphs, I mainly reflect on the distant past. But, things change in the last paragraph as I tell of a more recent event where my friends and I were "playing a game of L.I.N.E." For the ending half of that paragraph, I allow the reader to see exactly what I was thinking at the moment I was losing and also the feeling of triumph for being able to perform certain tricks under a certain amount of pressure.

I can hardly believe that I am at the middle of my high school career. I am beginning to feel concerned if the remaining other half will pass as quickly as the first one. All that I know is that I have become a better writer during the time I have been blogging. New assignments like quick-writes have given me the ability to write faster while being able to form perfectly coherent sentences. And now, I briefly, yet carefully, create a layout for what my essays (or book reviews) should include. My random blog post topics still continue to exist. New topics and new approaches to familiar topics are seen throughout my blog. They will continue to be posted onto my blog for as long as I want them to be. I think I might still blog even though it will most likely not become an English class requirement for the next school year. I want this to become a hobby of mine. For once, I have found a method of writing that I do not hate, and I might even conduct on my own free time.

Unwind Book Review

The novel Unwind, written by author Neal Shusterman, is an amazing science-fiction thriller. The book tells the story of three teenagers in a terrible future where a practice known as unwinding is accepted in there society. Parents may have their child (person under eighteen years of age) unwound, if they are displeased with them. For that, they must sign a waver, and from there, the child is picked up and taken to a harvest camp. Eventually (soon after the child's arrival), the child will be humanly taken apart. Their body parts will be donated to people who have experienced incidents and have lost a body part, or to just greedy freaks that want something as stupid as a new eye color. The main characters Connor, Lev, and Risa try to get escape from this cruel society and live to the age of eighteen (adulthood), so that way, the government cannot have them legally unwound. This is quite a challenge, due to the fact that Juvey-cops are everywhere on the lookout to captire and turn in any runaway Unwinds. Whenever I read this book, certain thoughts started coming to me. I began thinking about which audience would enjoy this story the most. The character that changed the most ever since they became an Unwind. And, of course, how did this book compare to other science-fiction books that I have read.

Identifying the intended audience was possibly one of the most simplest things that I have ever done in my life. The book centers around three teenagers and their struggle for survival by escaping the almost certain fate of every Unwind. The book has quite a bit of action, some mild blood and gore, and a few teenage romances. So, from what I am able to deduce from this, this book is strongly intended for teenagers and young adults. Primarily those that have a bit of knowledge of the Pro-life and Pro-choice causes. Unwinding was created in order to please both sides, in some strange way. All of the three main characters share some things in common. Like that fact that they are all were going to be unwound, and they all feel a bit like loners. Teenagers can relate to the arguments Connor Lassiter and his parents have all the time. Connor's parents want him unwound because he is a trouble-maker in school, always getting into fights. He does not have many friends either. So now, his parents are fed up with him, and have signed the unwinding order that will have the State send people to pick him up. At one point, when Connor was younger, his parents used to love him. Now, all that they do is argue with each other. "'Why do you have to get wound so tight?' his father once asked, exasperated, and Connor had snapped back, 'Maybe someone oughta unwind me'" (pg. 94). Connor later on runs away from home, before the people from the state come to collect him for unwinding. Risa on the other hand, has no parents. She is a Ward and lives at a Sta-Ho (state home), a place that is pretty much a large orphanage. As an orphan she has learned not to trust many people, except for Mr. Durkin, her piano teacher. He has become nearly a father to her. The third main character is Lev. He was a tithe (to be unwound as a proper sacrifice to God) with some pretty darn religious Christian parents. They were the ones that guided him down that path. It was quite lonely because, growing up, there are not many tithe, especially of the same religion. But, Lev's entire world begins to change once he and Connor cross paths.

Levi Jedediah Calder is one of the three young main characters. Of them, he is the youngest, but appears to undergo the greatest change. At the age of thirteen, his Christian parents threw him a tithing party before he was to be unwound. His oldest brother Marcus, was the only person who openly disapproved of his parents actions by simply letting Lev go with God. He caused a big commotion at Lev's party that Lev had not fully understood. Marcus goes and says, "'Gotta wrap up all those life events, all those parties, into one-birthdays, wedding, funeral'" (pg. 29). He wanted Lev to hear what sort of impact unwinding has on families. Lev did not fully understand what was going on because his father then shields Lev from the truth by asking Marcus to leave. A few days later, when Lev's time has come, and Pastor Dan and his parents are driving him to the harvest camp, there is a huge incident on the highway they were on. One thing led to another, and all of a sudden Lev is captured by Connor and Risa. Lev thought that he was being held hostage at first, so he plays it cool. Lev's tithing had been interrupted, and he was angry with these two Unwinds. So, Lev plans it all out. "Let them think they're earning his trust. And once they're lulled into their own false sense of security, he'll make sure they both get exactly what they deserve" (pg. 43).

The time does come. At a school where Connor, Lev, and Risa were seeking refuge, Lev called the cops and told a few teachers that he was kid-napped by two Unwinds. But, after a talk with Pastor Dan, Lev is told that he does not have to live the life of a tithe. His parents did not call in a search for Lev, so he felt pretty hurt by that because it showed his parents had a lack of caring. Lev helps Connor and Risa escape the school situation and gets separated from them in the process. By this time, Lev had made the transformation of tithe to Unwind, and gains a new companion on the way. The solder outhern accented umber skinned guy's name is Cyrus Finch, but goes by the name CyFi (he is a runaway, but not an Unwind). Lev and Cy grow quite close together on their voyage. All it took was one obsessive-compulsive shop-lifting episode, and Cy tells his secret. He had a whole piece of an Unwind's brain because of an accident he had long ago. The Unwind's name is Tyler. Tyler does not know of his unwound state, but for some reason really needs to go to the city of Joplin. When Lev and CyFi get to Joplin, CyFi 's parents are already there waiting for him to meet Tyler's parents, and Tyler takes over Cy's whole body. Tyler apologizes to his parents for all the bad things he has done (obsessive-compulsively steal shiny objects) and begs them not to have him unwound. All that Tyler's parents do is stand there holding each other feeling victimized that their son has come back to plague them. They do not feel any remorse for their son who they had unwound. Then, Lev yells and threatens Tyler's parents and commands them to tell Tyler they will not unwind him. When they finally do, Tyler gets his closure, and CyFi takes over again. This is when Lev escapes in all the chaos with the great feeling of change in him before the Juvey-cops arrive. "He knows he's been changed by this moment, transformed in some deep and frightening way" (pg. 193).

Lev later on shows up at the Graveyard, a place where run by Admiral Dunfree where worn down planes are stored, resold, and also where Unwinds can hide. Here is where Lev meets up with Connor and Risa. Their old conflicts are resolved, and they become dear friends. Risa and Connor notice the "new Lev" and just decide to live with it. But, also, the Graveyard is where Lev joins the secret group of Clappers. These Clappers have a solution injected into them so that in a few days, their bodies become dangerously unstable, to the point that they can blow up. All that it takes is a strong enough impact on the surface of their body, a clap or two should do. Lev became this suicidal Clapper because he wanted the world to "suffer a small part of the loss and the emptiness and the utter disillusionment he feels inside" (pg. 284). Lev and a few other Clappers are then sent from the Graveyard to Happy Jack Harvest Camp in Arizona. Their mission is to destroy the Chop Shop (the place where the adolescents are unwound) inside. At high noon, his two Clapper companions detonate (after experiencing a bit of hesitation). Lev gets ready to detonate, but realizes that his two friends, Connor and Risa were at the Chop Shop when it blew up. Connor walks out a bit dismembered (missing an eye and has a limp arm) while Lev has come to the conclusion not to detonate. Then he immediately runs to Connor's aid. Lev did not detonate not because he was scared. He was fully committed, but knowing that his friends were in danger was the feeling that prevented him from clapping. Hell, one of the reasons why Lev became a Clapper was to ensure that Connor and Risa were safe. Lev left to go out on his mission while thinking that "Connor was safe at the Graveyard... The one thing that Lev had taken comfort in-the safety of his friends..." (pg. 296).

Unwind by Neal Shusterman is a fascinating science-fiction thriller. It is one of the best, if not, the best novel I have ever read. Neal takes a highly interesting approach in telling the story of the three teenagers, Connor, Levi, and Risa, by rotating through each of their perspectives. Along the way, a few other character perspectives are included in the story (some more significant than others). In the end, all of these perspectives are put together in such a well-mannered way that just seems to fit perfectly. This book was full of so much action that I just had to read faster to find out what would happen next. After reading a certain amount of chapters, I would usually take a break and ponder about what could happen next. Some of my predictions proved to be true, others were close. The book appeals greatly toward the teenagers who have experienced times of loneliness and have a small understanding of Pro-life and Pro-choice causes. Out of the three main characters, Lev is changed the most. Throughout the book, he changes phases. He begins at the stage of a tithe, becomes an Unwind, gets angry with the world and joins the Clappers, but when the time came, he chose the righteous path and became a savior by helping Connor leading the rescue of the Chop Shop victims. Unwind is a great book. Unfortunately, I have to end this review in a "corny" matter by saying, I give Unwind a 9.5 out of 10.

Unwind Third Lit. Circle Letter

Dear reading group members,

As you both know, this is the final reading/lit. circle letter we are writing for Unwind. It might even be the last lit. circle letter we may write this year. After this, we have to get ready to write the last book review. But, I am glad to say, that I enjoyed reading this novel, almost and possibly even equivalent to being your reading group members. The quote that I am going with this week is:

"The Admiral grips his wife's arm. Neither can hold back their tears- not tears of sorrow, but of awe. If the rest of his heart were to stop now, in this moment, the Admiral would die more content than any man on Earth. He looks at the crowd and says weakly, H-Harlan?" (pg. 334).

This part of the book just seemed to leave me completely mesmerized. I was amazed at what event had taken place at the Dunfree's house. Just when I thought that the whole "Hunfree Dunfree story was correct, a small change is needed to make it true. I am not sure if it was the fact that the technology in this future did not posses the capabilities of bringing human beings back to life, or if the Dunfree's just felt if they gave their son to the people, then the people should give Harlan back to them. But, they ended up keeping all their guests alive, such as Emby. They did not kill anyone to harvest back their unwound son's body parts. They just invited everyone, and stood back to watch the magic happen.

The majority of the people being sent to harvest camps do not want to be unwound, even if others may say that Unwinds do not really die. They are still alive, technically. I am not sure if this was thoroughly tested before, but I am pretty sure that the true answer was discovered at the Dunfree's house. I am positive that when the scientists said "not dead," they meant it in terms of cells and individual body parts. They were not talking about awareness and consciousness. The ability to experience sensations such as love, hate, or jealousy. By bringing all the recipients of Harlan Dunfree's body part to one location, the Admiral and his wife had almost entirely unwound their son, Harlan. All of his body parts were there, just a bit scrambled up, but the fact that they were able to bring back his awareness, something that was lost by Roland during his unwinding, they were once able to react and communicate with their son once again.

Well. We had a good run my reading group buddies. I will see you guys some time soon to discuss the final book review.

Sincerely,
Jacob

Quick Write: Rules of Love

1. The rules and ways of behavior of young men and women includes certain activities that they do together as a couple. They generally go on dates, eat together (romantic dinners), talk together, and watch movies together. As long as they know that they are having fun together, then that means the relationship is going in the right direction.

2. "Nice girls" and "nice guys" tend to follow certain rules such as having fun with their partner and being loyal. Loyalty is the key to a great relationship. They must never cheat on their partner or flirt with other people. Entering numerous relationships at a time is another bad thing, and especially using your partner to only benefit yourself.

3. Consequences of breaking these rules are harsh, yet reasonable. A violation could cause the relationship to weaken, or even fall apart altogether. The relationship may become "on and off," or a break-up will inevitably occur. There is no point in being in a relationship if your partner is not committed and is probably "looking around" while he or she says that they are still with you.

4. I would say that these rules come from a mixture of friends, family, and the media. Movies, the romantic sorts, currently are creating the rules of love. They are setting examples of what to and what not to do in a relationship. Also, they sometimes show how to get revenge on an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend for whatever actions they have done. Family lends a role because they sometimes try to get you to date people of a certain age or ethnicity. Friends try to curb our taste in our interest of people. They, like parents, approve of who you date, but unlike parents, look more at what social group they are from at wherever you see them around at (maybe school).

Unwind First Lit. Circle Letter

Dear reading group members,

I know that the new form of the reading/lit. circle letters does not really encourage a letter form, and considering the fact that this is the first time that I am writing in the new format, please don't be surprised if you guys find this whole post awkward to read. This is the first letter I am writing about the new book that we picked, Unwind by Neal Shusterman. The quote that I choose to write about is:

"You Unwinds are all the same. You think that because no one loves you, then you can't love anyone. All right, then, if there's no one you love, then pick someone who needs to hear what you have to say. Say everything that's in your heart- don't hold back" (pg. 109).

I almost forgot to mention. You guys were right. I love the book. The first week of reading is nearly over and I have already finished half of the novel (it's not that impressive because I know you guys found the book so good that you have finished reading). It is something that every teenager in at least America can relate to in times of loneliness. Well, back to this fantastic quote. This is my choice because it is what Sonia says to Conner, and probably to about a hundred more Unwinds that she has taken into her safe house. Sonia has met so many Unwinds that she possibly has them all figured out. Unwinds are made up of two parts. The first half is a mystery containing the Unwind's personality and past. The other half is the fact that Unwinds feel that they are all alone in the world without any love to give or receive. This is the half that all Unwinds have in common and what Sonia sees in all of them. Sonia tells Conner and all the other Unwinds to write their own letters to someone in the world to let them know that they are not alone. But, Sonia had it all planned out. Conner learns of a second purpose of the letter after witting the letter to his parents. The importance of the letter is so that the Unwinds are not forgotten. Sonia is one of the very few people out in this ugly future that still has a respect for human life. She does not enjoy the fact that if people have problems, they just get rid of a child. So, if she is not able to save the child with the efforts of giving them food, shelter, and guiding them in the right path, she will still be able to save their story in a letter. The letter is what preserves the person even though they have vanished within the blink of an eye. The letter allows people to know the Unwind was not all that bad and most of all, they were human too.

Sincerely,
Jacobo

The Hot Zone Book Review

The Hot Zone is a scientific non-fiction thriller written by Richard Preston. I would have to agree with the San Antonio Express-News because he really does deserve a lot of credit for his "...great skill in turning interviews and scientific data into a compelling human story (San Antonio Express-News)." The book that Richard Preston has written is about numerous deadly viruses that are scattered around the world, but seems to focus mainly upon the viruses of the Andromeda strain. This group includes Marburg, Ebola Sudan, Ebola Zaire, and Ebola Reston. The actual plot revolves around the scientists that work with these viruses on a daily base within the highly confined walls of USAMRIID (United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases). To me, the book appeared to have a character that showed up the most throughout the story. I feel that this could be the main character. But, while reading this book, I also wondered why the author had written it and what was he trying to tell his audience.

I am not sure if it was just me, but Nancy Jaax emerged quite a number of times throughout the book. This was a bit hard to come to a conclusion that she could be the main character (I will just call her that for now) because the book exposes nearly all of the scientists' thoughts when they are undergoing certain events. Towards the beginning, it briefly mentions Lieutenant Colonel Nancy Jaax (was just previously known as Nancy Jaax) being a veterinarian before starting her work at USAMRIID. She assisted in the dissecting of monkeys in a specific area after they had died of an Ebola virus. She found this task difficult to complete from time to time because of her background. But then, "as a scientist, she believed that it was her obligation to perform medical research that would help alleviate human suffering" (pg. 79). After only working in this Level 4 research area (an place consisting of terrible deadly viruses which is pretty much all of the Andromeda strain thus requiring scientists to where pressurized suits to keep extreme caution) for a few times with Ebola, she discovers a whole in her outer glove of her suit and finds herself face to face with the virus and nearly gets infected. This seemed to leave a huge impact on her life because, she thought about if the incident had gone wrong, what would she tell her family.

Nancy Jaax is married to Jerry Jaax. They have two children in the book (one a boy and the other a girl). Jerry Jaax is mentioned in the book as an employee of the army and a veterinarian as well. Approximately half-way through the book, it fast-forwards quite a few years. Nancy and Jerry both get promoted in their army ranks, their children get older, and sadly her father (who does not leave too big an effect on the story) dies. Nancy does not have to work with Ebola for a few years, but then all of a sudden, as a Lieutenant Colonel, she finds herself being called in by the army to work in an operation where a possible Ebola threat has found its way into a little town in America called Reston (I am going to stop right there so I do not give away too much of the story). When she arrives home, she talks to her husband about it and says, "It's killing me- I'll never get away from this bug" (pg. 234). The way that I had annotated the book was by centering it on the viruses of the Andromeda strain, their history, and the way how it affects people that get infected and people that work with it in laboratories. Because of this quote, not only I, but Nancy Jaax also admits that the Ebola virus plays a huge roll in her life. And because of this, I had a whole lot more annotations for her than any other character.

While reading the book I kept wondering what the author wanted to accomplish in having other people (such as myself) read it. The story was just so filled with information that I decided almost right away that Richard Preston was clearly trying to educate the public in what diseases lurk around all parts of the world. I thought that it was just going to be a story full of information on how people get sick from viruses, what they do to the victim's body, how scientists test them, and where they originate. As always with all of my predictions, I was wrong. Richard Preston ends the story and just decides to go on and give a little talk to the readers. In this, he states, "Nature has interesting ways in of balancing itself... The earth's immune system, so to speak, has recognized the presence of the human species and is starting to kick in. The earth is attempting to rid itself of an infection by the human parasite" (pg. 407). I have never thought about it this way in my whole life. I was astounded by reading this quote and thought right away, what if he is right. The earth is an ecosystem almost exactly like a human body. We are killing the earth by robbing it of all its natural resources and multiplying within it, just like how a virus kills a human. And now, the earth is fighting back by using viruses to kill humans so it can try to return back to its previous naturally balanced state. This leaves me wondering, what kind of virus is the human race. Are we one that can be fought off easily like the "common cold." Or, are we the incurable virus (a lot like Ebola) that offers no hope for its victim whatsoever. In the end, there will most likely be only one of us remaining, unless we can find a way to cooperate.

Richard Preston's scientific thriller titled The Hot Zone is written on events that he obtained from interviews and scientific research. The book seems to place Nancy Jaax and her family in the limelight the majority of the time (second to the viruses). This allowed me to come to the conclusion of her being a main character. The Ebola virus has played a large role in her life ever since she joined the team at USAMRIID (also known as the Institute) and helped in the dissection of Ebola infected monkeys. Even as Nancy nearly succeeds in finally ridding her life of the virus, the army calls her back for a mission to stop a possible Ebola outbreak in the United States from spreading all over the country. Richard Preston created such a great analogy between humans, viruses, and the world. In the end, humans and the earth may never find a way in co-existing and end up wiping one another out. All that I can say is, only time will tell of Richard Preston is correct or not.

The Hot Zone Second Lit. Circle Letter

Dear reading group members (followers of my blog are free to read this as well),

I have just recently finished reading the book titled The Hot Zone, written by Richard Preston. I was given strict instructions to not give out any "spoilers" due to reading members reading at separate paces. So I will try my best in not giving out too much information of the plot to come. The book started off very strong with the gruesome death of a character given the name Charles Monet (the author obviously wanted to protect this man's identity) to a "level 4 agent" (agent meaning disease) called Marburg. The book was able to keep me entertained all the way through. Especially during the Ebola Reston incident (I am going to stop right there before I give away too much). This all kept me entertained while reading for numerous hours (because I am quite the slow reader).

As I stated in my previous literature/reading circle letter, I said that I was annotating about the viruses and how they affect us humans. Richard Preston does an amazing job by tying off the story with a perspective of the human problem of overpopulation through the eyes of Nature. In a way, he might be right. I never really looked at the situation in that sort of way. I will try to post the quote after writing my book review. I want to hear everyone's opinions on the quote in the comments section. It is definitely worth taking a gander at. The Jaax family is probably the most centered around characters because they are mentioned in the beginning and are later called back into the story for the Reston mission. Hopefully all this annotating on the virus will pay off in the end. Well, good luck with your book reviews.

Sincerely,
Your group member

My Goals for Writing

Well. It is about that time of season again. To go back and to examine my past past works of writing and also to set up some new goals for my future articles of writing. Looking back, I would say that my writing has gotten more of a casual and almost inviting style to it. It has become more appealing in such a way that it pulls readers in at the beginning so that they will have a good chance at making it through the whole composition without getting sidetracked. I like this style of writing. I feel that it suites me well. But, there are some more components that I would like to factor into my blog. The primary object that my blog seems to be lacking is more exquisite vocabulary (notice how I tried really hard just to use some in this sentence). Hopefully, by using more complex words, people will feel that they are not reading from a blog of a "stupid kid," but rather from a well educated teenager that has a good understanding on how the world works. Another weakness that I currently have is the fact that I simply do not revise my writings before posting them (or turning them in). I still find some various typos and some awkwardly phrased sentences or even paragraphs from time to time. I try not to beat myself up for this, but the fact that it could have easily been prevented, makes me feel terrible.

My other goals that I have right now are mainly for my blog, and what I wish to do with it. I guess that it would be a blog owner's dream for their blog to become famous or just plainly well known throughout the nation and or world. This would be cool, but more likely overwhelming for me. I guess that I can try working my way into writing about more current and popular events such as recent occurrences that are mentioned in the daily news because people of the United States seem to find these the most "interesting." For these events, I will display my point of view as a student and/or teenager and how these events affect me. I will most likely try writing about more of my hobbies and other things that I enjoy doing (i.e. slot car racing at the local track). By undergoing these two improvements, I am keeping high hopes for an increase in "followers" by obtaining a bigger audience and plan on getting more comments and good/bad feedback. I hope that I am able to fulfill these goals that I have set up in this small writing reflection. If not, I think I will be okay. I will not be heart-broken, but I will live. I plan to keep blogging as I am doing so right now. It might even become a small hobby of mine. I do find it quite enjoyable. So, in conclusion, have fun reading my blog.

What a Joke XD

Wow. This week went by pretty easy. I guess that I would have to thank the state of California for that. This high school exit exam was quite easy, but took a ridiculously long amount of time to do. I would say that it was worth it. I ended up receiving a bit less of the average amount of homework that I normally have. Some of the homework that I also received was easier too. When I finished certain parts of the exit exam I was able to complete some of my homework so I could get ahead and have less to worry about in the long run. Unfortunately, by doing this, I have more reading to catch-up on. I will just have to worry about that over the weekend.

This exit exam was a "joke." Learning about it in English class two weeks prior to the exam somewhat frightened me. The statistics of it seemed so scary. The fact that this one test was preventing about twenty percent of California's student population from obtaining their high school diploma made me fear for the worst. It kind of made me a bit angry too because the test does not really have a purpose to it. Colleges do not even care about what score a student obtains from said exam. At that moment I felt that it was just one more thing that the government was throwing at us to make us students suffer.

While testing, my whole mind-set had changed. The questions from both halves of the exam were so easy. From the English part, it just was about basic literature and grammar skills that learn in the sixth grade. Hell, I wish that I could have taken that test in the sixth grade just to get it over with. This part made people read prompts and answer questions about the prompt. Some of my friends said they did not even have to read the prompts the majority of the time because hardly any of the questions asked for information from the prompt. The practice questions were way more difficult to answer than the real test. Even the essay portion of the exam was quite simple to complete. It only took me approximately twenty minutes to complete that part.

The math section was not so hard either. It was basic seventh and sixth grade math. I am pretty sure that I got close to, if not all, the questions right. But, from the learning that I obtained in English class, I feel kind of sorry for the people that had failed the test. I think that it could have been the school that they went to in these tough times. If education cannot fund for schools, then where are they getting the money to test us? They should be spenging money on helping the students rather than evaluating and preventing them from succeeding. I forgot who is doing this (I am pretty sure it was the government), then I hope that they do something to change their ways before it is too late.