Independent writing project

Middle School Manifesto

Middle school is a very important part of life. It prepares you for high school and has very important tests during those 3 years. This will help you throughout the middle school years.

             1.  Study! Study! Study!

  Whenever it’s for a test, your midterm exam, or just because you want to get ahead, studying is important. It helps your grades and it could help you get into the high school of your choice. Study a bit each day, and your grades will go through the roof.

          2.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help

  Have a problem with your homework? Studying for a test? Don’t know what to do for your project? The answer: ask for help. Even if you’re shy, you still need to ask, because nobody else will do it for you. You can still ask your parents, but it’s safer to ask your teacher or your school counselor. If you don’t have time during your school classes, you can always do it during 0 period or lunch.

        3.  The Right Friends, Or the Wrong Friends

  During your middle school years, you’ll meet plenty of new people. If you’re going to make friends, make sure they’re the right ones. If they have similar interests with you and have average or better than average grades, get their phone numbers. If they’re totally different, have grades plummeting, and probably might crash your house during a visit, you better stay far, far away from them. Chances are, they could make you fail in class, or kicked out of school.

                4. Homework!

You know what it is. Every class gives it. So shape up, and do your homework. Don't, and you'll face the consequences, such as giving up the school of your dreams. Homework is 20 percent of your grades, people! If you finish your homework, you'll be going to the best high schools and getting better grades.

           5. Pouring Cats and Dogs

  This may seem silly and absurd, but that changes when you get drenched in the rain forty blocks away from your house. Never forget your umbrella. Whether it's at home or in your locker, never forget it. You’ll end up drenched and cold. A word of advice, if you have any money with you, and you see a 99 cent store, and you don’t have an umbrella (though I advise that you should bring it to prevent it) buy one there if they have one. And keep a backup in your bag just in case.

                  6.  Defeat the Clutter Monster

  This happens all the time. You try to find your paper in your bag, and it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. So organize and clean up. Schedule your available time and sketch in projects and quizzes. Clean out your bag and your locker. Stack your textbooks somewhere safe and nearby. Keep your books in one place. Place your papers and projects somewhere safe from vacuums, pets, and little siblings. It’ll save time and stress. And remember, this goes for everything. Work papers, forms, applications, homework, charts, posters, and home projects.

                  7. Concentration

  This happens to me all the time. You try to work on your homework, and you get distracted. There's an easy solution to your problem. First, do your homework in a quiet room. Then clear away all things that might distract you, such as phones, computers and laptops (Unless you need it for any typing), and any electronic devices that is not academic. And when you're in class, don't take out your phone unless your teacher says it's alright. Plus, try to concentrate at the teacher, no matter how "boring" they are.

                 8. Socialize

  This might not be necessary for all of you. Perhaps you already have tons of friends. But for others, this may be important. People who spend their time studying and not enough talking to friends. I mean, it's nice to know that you study hard, but take time to meet new friends and remember what I said about the friend part. The right friends could help you but make sure you plan time for your studies as well.

New and improved Romeo and Juliet essay

   Characters have a purpose in all books. Without characters, there is no plot or story. In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the characters, Romeo and Juliet, are the main characters of the play and there are several supporting characters such as Benvolio, or the Friar. Tybalt's prejudice, Benvolio's peacefulness, and the Friar's kindness help either the love of Romeo and Juliet, or the rivalry between the Capulets and the Montagues.
   Tybalt is the Capulets' kinsman, and his prejudice fuels the anger between the two houses in Verona. For example, in the play, it says: "What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word/As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee" (1.1.71-72). This reveals that Tybalt is too prejudiced to be on friendly terms with the Montagues, and it clouds his judgement as well as starting and enhancing the rivalry of the two houses and the fights that occur in the streets of Verona because it is possible that he starts most of the fights.
   Benvolio is the kinsman of the Montagues and his peacefulness shows the reader that not all of the Montagues despise the Capulets other than Romeo. For example, it says, "Part, fools!/Put up thy swords" (1.1.65-66). This shows that he does not tolerate fights in the public and he tries to stop them so that nobody wouldn't get hurt. Another example is, "I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword,/Or manage it to part these men with me" (1.1.69-70). This shows that he asks people to help him stop fights that occur in the streets and that he may use his swords for moral purposes only.
   The Friar is a preacher in the city of Verona and his kindness helps the romance of Romeo and Juliet progress throughout the book. For example, it says, "In one respect, I'll thy assistant be;/For this alliance may so prove,/To turn your households' rancor to pure love. " (2.3. 97-99). This shows that he believes that the marriage of Romeo and Juliet will show the two houses that they can get along. Another example is, "That cop'st with death himself to 'scape from it;/And if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy" (4.1.76-77). This shows that he feels empathy for Juliet and her desperate attempt to escape from the marriage with County Paris, and he tries to help her so she could be happy again.
   In conclusion, the three characters help to the tragedy of the play because they help the couple through hard times, and they help with the enmity between the Capulets and the Montagues, whether if they rankle it, or if they try to reduce the hatred and fighting between the houses.

Romeo and Juliet Final assignment essay

   Characters have a purpose in all books, without characters, there is no plot for the story. In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet are the main characters of the play. Tybalt's prejudice, Benvolio's peacefulness, and the Friar's kindness help the love of Romeo and Juliet or the rivalry between the Capulets and the Montagues.
   Tybalt's prejudice fuels the anger between the two houses in Verona. For example, in the play, it says, "What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee" (1.1.71-72). This shows that Tybalt does not like Montagues, and he is prejudiced to see if they are evil, and his prejudice clouds his sight as well as fueling the anger and hatred between the Capulets and the Montagues and starts fights between the two houses.
   Benvolio's peacefulness shows the readers that not all Montagues hate the Capulets other than Romeo. For example, it says, "Part fools! Put up your swords" (1.1.65-66 ). This shows that he does not tolerate fights in the streets of Verona and he stops it because of that. Another example is, "I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword, or manage it to part these men with me" (1.1.69-70). This show that he uses his sword only to stop fights between the two houses and he tries to keep it peaceful, and asks people to help him, whether they are his enemy or not.
   The Friar's kindness helps the love between Romeo and Juliet. For example, it says, "In one respect, I'll thy assistant be" (2.3.97). This shows that he believes that their marriage will show the lords that they can get along, and they will accept each other. Another example is "That cop'st with death himself to 'scape from it, and if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy" (4.1.76-77). This means that he feels sympathy for Juliet's broken heart, so he tries to help her.
   In conclusion, the three characters help to the tragedy of the play because they help the couple through hard times, and they help with the enmity between the Capulets and the Montagues, whether if they rankle it, or if they try to reduce the hatred and fighting between the houses.

Outline of Romeo and Juliet essay

Intro: Characteers have a purpose, without characters, you cannot have a plot
Thesis: In Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt's prejudice, Benvolio's peacefulness and the Friar's kindness helps either the love of Romeo and Juliet, or the rivalry of the Capulets and the Montagues.

Paragraph 1: Tybalt
His prejudice fuels the anger between the Capulets and the Montagues.
Eample: He hates peace and all Montagues.
This shows that he is prejudiced to see if the Montagues are deemed nice, and he causes fights in Verona.

Paragraph 2: Benvolio
His peacefulness shows the reader that not all of the characters hate the Capulets,
Example: He draws his sword to stop fights.
Example: He calls Tybalt to help him stop the fight in the streets of Verona.
This shows that he does not want fights between the two houses, and that he only takes out his sword to stop others from fighting.

Paragraph 3: Friar Lawrence
His kindness helps the love of Romeo and Juliet.
Example: He is the one that lets Romeo and Juliet get married.
Example: He creates a potion for Juliet so that she can avoid getting married to Paris.
This shows that the Friar wants to help the couple so that the houses could resolve their problems without violence.

Conclusion:
They helped to the tragedy of the play because they help the couple through their love and they help with the hatred between the two houses of the Capulets and the Montagues.

Reading response: "Breeding Pigeons on Rooftops, and Crossing Racial Lines"

   This article is about people who breed pigeons on their rooftops and some people race with their pigeons. According to the article, Delroy Sampson had spent 50 years to take care of pigeons, and choreographs them by using a stick from a flag. Few people breed pigeons these days, and according to the article,"there are no more than 300 pigeon fliers left in the city." Another pigeon breeder is Aaron Marshall, who was hooked when he was seven. He was taught to keep new birds in the coop for four weeks and let them out when they are hungry, which teaches the birds to be trained to return. It also said that the pigeon taught Aaron empathy.
   Some pigeon breeders started by being inspired by other pigeon breeders. For example, Ike Jones helped George Coppola, who was an Italian rooftop breeder in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Jones said,"He had electricity and running water, and I only had a box made of scrap wood. On Sunday his wife would cook spaghetti and meatballs and I would eat with them because I was always there." Mr. Sampson started his hobby of pigeon flying when he was a 10-year-old immigrant when he saw the Walt Disney movie "The Pigeon That Worked a Miracle".  Later, he fell under the influence of Joe LaRocca, who is the president of a pigeon racing club.After learning the basics of raising pigeons, Mr. LaRocca and his colleague talked to his mother about pigeon flying.
   Mr. Marshall, now 56 and a maintenance worker, tells the NY Times that breeding pigeons makes you "experience what it is to having a living thing...It shows you how good you are at caring caring for it when it comes back. What good is it for a child to have a violent video game compared to having a living, breathing, loving animal that needs your compassion and care? If I hadn't been on the roof who knows what kind of trouble I would have gotten into."
  Cited Page
   Berger, Joseph. "Breed Pigeons on Rooftops, and Crossing Racial Lines." New York Times on the Web 03 April 2013. N.Y./ Region. 04 April 2013 <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/nyregion/breeding-pigeons-on-rooftops-and-blurring-racial-lines.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0>.

Reading response: The Sliver Bowl

   Everyone has heard of curses and kingdoms, and magic. The Silver Bowl by Diane Stanley is about a girl named Molly who sees visions, and they always come true. When Molly works as she polishes the castle's silver pieces, and she finds the king's ceremonial hand basin. Whenever Molly touches the hand basin, the silver warms, and the design in the bowl show a vision that only Molly sees. She finds out that 100 curses had been befallen on the royal family of Westria. With her friends, Tobias and Winifred, she tries to stop the curses before they kill the last heirs of the kingdom.
  In the book, Molly is mistreated by the other workers of the castle because she is just a scullery maid, and they couldn't care less about her. But throughout the book, she finds she has these abilities for a reason, and in the end, she comes out rich and a lady in the royal court. Turns out that she and her friend Tobias are so rich, they don't know what to do with all that money. This relates to bullying because some people who are bullied might be the ones who the bullies work for in the near future. It shows that because most of the servants despise Molly, but at the end of the book, she becomes a lady in the court because of her good deeds to her kingdom, such as saving Prince Alaric, who is now the king of Westria.
   In conclusion, The Silver Bowl relates to bullying because of the mistreatment to Molly since she is a scullery maid, and in the end, the other servants now work for her other than her companion, Tobias. This relates to bullying because people get bullied, but in the future, the victims would be in a higher status then the bullies that tease him or her.

Reading Response: From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, The War, and a Dog Named Lava

  This book is about how a marine named Jay Kopelman in Iraq, and how he tried to get a stray puppy named Lava back to the United States during a war in 2004. In the book, him and other fellow Marines learn the lessons about life and war while trying to get Lava to the United States. The book is written in many different perspectives like Jay Kopelman. In the book, many other people such as journalist Anne and several soldiers in the base at Iraq. Throughout the book, the author Jay talks about his feelings about war, life, and death, as well as his time of taking care of Lava and his time during the war. He also writes the difficult process of getting Lava to a safe place, and to avoid letting him roam the streets, where dogs eating corpses is typical. Some of them include getting Lava a passport, vaccinations, and to sneak him onto a plane to America.
   This book also includes the soldier's doubts about taking care of Lava when military laws forbid soldiers taking care of stray animals other than their dags that are trained to sniff out bombs and such. In the book, it also says that death in the war wasn't very rewarding, and that they don't get respect. Instead, they are taken and examined for any strapped bombs, and then sent to a camouflage refrigerator. He also says that either if you are an enemy to them or not, once you're dead, you're no longer dangerous to those people.
   I like how in the book, he talks about his theories of war and the rescuing of Lava, as well as his affection for the dog throughout the book. It shows that no matter how rough the war is, the caring for Lava can keep you sane and happy, sometimes.

Reading Response: "MetroCards Becomes More Flexible"

   This article is about the bus fares going up, but the MetroCards will be more flexible in the near future. The M.T.A (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) announced that on Wednesday, riders can fill their cards with unlimited-ride time and pay-per-ride dollars. According to the article, they produce almost 160 million MetroCards each year, and they costed almost ten million dollars. Also, a MetroCard that is loaded with a dollar value and either 7 days or thirty days of unlimited rides, a swipe will be drawn from the unlimited pool first, and when those expire, the fares will be collected from the pay-per-ride value of the card. That means that people can get a ride for a very low or no price at all. And that the authorities noted that the one dollar fee would not apply to people who bought MetroCards from vendors outside of the subway system, who got theirs from their employers, or people who bought a combination of railroad and MetroCard tickets.
    Also according to the article, it is said that the authorities voted that they will raise base fares on subways and buses by a quarter, which means that they will raise the cost to $2.50. They will also increase the cost of a thirty-day unlimited ride card by eight dollars, which also means that it will be raised form one hundred four dollars to $112. And the fares on the authority 's railroads will increase by nine percent and the tolls on many major crossings will rise as well.
   According to the article, Thomas F. Prendergast, the authority's executive director, says that "...by refilling your MetroCard, you'll reduce expenses and help the environment." This means that the new additions to the payment will help the people who live here and the local environment because it reduces the wasted cards and people can save money.
  All in all, the fares and cost of toll on major crossings will increase, but paying for it got more easier and flexible, and people will not be "trapped into buying a new MetroCard" says, Mr. Prendergast.

Cited page
Flegenheimer, Matt. "MetroCards Become More Flexible." New York Times on the Web 20 Feb. 2013. Transportation. 21   
      Feb. 2013 <http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/metrocards-become-more-flexible/>. 

Reading response: The Elegance of the Hedgehog

  This book is about two people who live in a fancy hotel in Paris. One of these people is Renee. She is a concierge who is an art lover and has a cat named Leo. The other person is Paloma, who is a 12-year-old girl who is also a genius and she hides her intelligence from her family and her teachers. She also wants to commit suicide on her thirteenth birthday, which is also the last day of school. They both have something in common, which is that they hide their true nature and that they are both very different from what everyone expects them to be. Then they meet a man named Ozu who changes their lives and is the reason why Paloma and Renee became friends as well.
  Throughout the book, the two main characters hide their true nature to the residents of the hotel because they thought that they wouldn't like them for their intelligence and talent, but when they meet Ozu, they realize that they each others unique personality and appreciate each other. They also slowly reveal themselves to the conceited community and accept themselves for who they are. In the book, both characters have many different reasons why they do not want to show others their talents. Paloma's was that if she shown her intelligence, her family would annoy her and she would never have time for herself. Renee's was that the hotel would be shocked and would be fired from her job and kicked out of the hotel. Ozu, who is the hotel's new tenant and who is also Japanese and cultural, shows them that it is the twentieth century, and that they should show the world who they really are. This book is mostly about people's expectations and that they can slow people down, like when Paloma was found hiding so that she could write in her Journal of the Movement of the World and her Profound Thoughts.
  Ozu also gains Paloma's trust and sees through Renee's worn disguise and her sad past. Another interesting thing about the book is that Paloma writes about what she thinks about the world and life, like grammar being a form of art instead of a trick that gets people into society. They learn that being different is good, even if they expect them not to be. For instance, when Renee went out to dinner with Ozu and was seen with some people who live in the apartment, they hardly recognized Renee. And when Paloma showed the therapist her intelligence, he was shocked. Paloma also showed a bit of her talent to her sister, Colombe, she was also shocked because that she made herself believe that Paloma was dumb, that she almost believed in it.
  I also think that the book is about life itself and the theories about adulthood and childhood that shows the true meaning of life. One example is that in the book, Paloma wrote that the purpose of life is that "...so we can track down those moments that are dying." All in all, the characters in the book learn to show who they really are and their thoughts about the world.

Reading response: "Education Dept. to Hear School Closing Complaints"

   I have recently read an article called, "Education Dept. to Hear School Closing Complaints" by Jon Hurdle. This article is about some schools in Philadelphia, Detroit, and Newark that are planned to close or reorganize because of racism and complaints of discrimination against black, Hispanic, and people with disabilities. Jon Hurdle wrote this article to tell readers that some schools are racists of some people with different cultures or disabilities, and that they are planned to be closed because of this. Daren Briscoe had said, if a school district has been caught to violate civil rights through a closing program, it is will be taken to court or denied federal funds (Hurdle, 1). The article also says that last month, in the district in Philadelphia, they published a plan to close thirty seven schools in order to close a 1.1 billion dollars budget over five years. the plan will be voted on in the month of March by the School Reform Commission, a body that looks over the schools of Philadelphia.
   Many schools have been filed because of violating civil rights, and some of those schools have been planned to be closed. One example that shows is that in the article it says that "community groups in New York, Chicago, and Washington have also filed civil rights complaints, although those have not been investigated." This shows that there are several schools that have been filed for civil rights complaints, but only a few that have been investigated or been sent to court, and have been planned to be closed down. Another example is that Jitu Brown, a community organizer from the South Side of Chicago, is quoted, "Racism is real in the U.S. ...there are different rules for the students in our community." This means that there are racism and it is a major dilemma and it affects our schools.
  There many results on Monday, which was when a department official confirmed the complaints about those particular schools. One example is that Action United, a group that opposes the closing of schools, presented data that shows that "eighty percent of the students affected by the planned closings are black; the district's enrollment is 55 percent black and 19 percent Hispanic." This shows that the closings will affect the students, or more likely, the victims of the racism, will be affected by the closing of the school greatly because many of those people are enrolled there (Hurdle, 2). Although, another example is that Fernando Gallard, a spokesman for the Philadelphia school district, is quoted, "The district understands that a higher proportion of students in under-enrolled, low-performing schools are African-Americans, and these are the schools that are most affected by the recommended facility closures." This means that it is best for the schools to close down because of schools that are low-performing and are too under-enrolled.
  In conclusion, because of some school's racism, they are decided to be closed down for the better so that the students with the unfair advantages will get their opportunity. However, many other schools do not get their chance to become a better student, but wvwntually, it will change.

Works cited

Hurdle, Jon. "Education Dept. to Hear School Closing Complaints." New York Times on the Web 28 Jan. 2013. . 29 Jan. 2013 <http:/www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/education/education-department-to-hear-school-closing-complaints>.

Reading response: A Room on Lorelei Street

    This book is about a girl named Zoe who rented out a room on Lorelei Street, and she works at a small diner slinging hash. She feels like she's in the shadow of her mom, and feels like she needs attention from her family.She also feels comfortable in her room on Lorelei Street, and she doesn't want to give it up when her grandma demanded her to come home to her mom. But she doesn't because she feels like it was all about her mom, and not her; it was also because she works hard to make ends meet, while her mom doesn't, and feels that she lived two lifetimes because she acts like an adult, she does all of the chores, takes care of Mama, and she just wants to relax and act like her age.
    Throughout the book, she goes to school and feels like her teacher controls her and doesn't respect her like an actual human being. She feels disrespected and she responds by acting immature like cursing, but then she tries to keep her patience during class. Zoe represents some teenagers in the outside world. Some work hard to pay bills, curse, and feel like everyone controls her. For example, her teacher, her grandma, and the guidance counselor. Some teenagers also do things so that they can get attention because they feel in the shadow. In Zoe's case, she moved out into her own room so that she would get attention and not her mom. She also feels like she owes everyone something. For instance, she owed the landlady her rent, she owed her mom her care and attention, and that she owed her grandma for not being kicked out of the family. In the book, Zoe feels that she worked hard to keep things together, like her grandma. In Zoe's case, she tries to go to a group session and work hard on her tennis team as well. In her grandma's situation, she tries to keep the family together and not fall apart when Zoe moves out, Mama drinking, and her Zoe's father's death.
   I also think Zoe represents some teenagers in the outside world because they have to grow up faster because of a parent's death, or their parents are not either healthy enough or sensible enough to take care of the family. So they are left to pay the bills, taxes, and work for the money they need. Sometimes they are stressed because of that early development, and they would crack, like disrespecting their teacher and they are feeling like that they don't need help from others, but to be honest, they do need help and are afraid to admit it.
  I also think that the book is a bit about second chances. In the end, Zoe decides to start fresh, and moves to Brownsville so that she could have her second chance in life. She feels that she has made bad choices, and  tries to begin a new chapter in her life.