Row Boating Gone Bad!

"Abbi, come on!" I yelled, trying to keep her to keep rowing.

 "I can't! I'm too tired." Abbi whined, struggling to keep rowing.

"You know what, I'll row then." Kaitlin problem solved.

 Relief flooded Abbi and the three of us were almost to the doc.

"We have 5 minutes to get back or we pay $15 more!" I said, worried that we weren't going to make it back.

 "We'll be fine. I can see it now." Abbi exclaimed!

"Great, because I'm tired." Kaitlin relieved.

We were almost there and I was sure that we'd be okay but that's when it happened…

I heard a huge bump under the boat.

"What was that?" Abbi questioned, confused.

"No idea." Kaitlin said, "But let's keep going. Come on, we are almost there!"

All of a sudden the boat bumped again, but harder and we all fell out! No one had life jackets on and I started to panic! What hit the boat? Where are Abbi and Kaitlin?

"Guys! Where are you?" Kaitlin screamed, struggling to keep aflout.

"Over here!" Abbi  yelled.

I was so happy they were okay I almost forgot to keep treading water!

"Guys, lets get the boat on the right side. We need to get back in time." I said, swimming over by them.

So, we lifted the boat onto its side and hopped in.

"What tipped us?" Abbi asked, worried.

"Oh my gosh! Guys, look!" Kaitlin screamed, a surprise look on her face.

There in Pewaukee Lake, was a giant fish. Yes, a fish. It had to be as big as a baby shark!

"That's what tipped us! Look how big it is!" I said, shocked at the size.

"Poke it!" Abbi told Kaitlin.

"Are you crazy? Do not poke it! We have to get back to the doc." I explained, taking control as the most mature one.

Abbi and Kaitlin muttered a small fine and we were off again to the doc, soaking wet and so tired we could pass out.

When we got to the doc, all the employees gave us a weird look but just took our boat.

"Don't ask." Kaitlin explained.

We paid and started to wait for Abbi's mom.

"What are we going to tell my mom?" Abbi asked.

"The truth! Some massive size fish tipped us over!" Kaitlin said, always wanting to be honest.

"Like she'll believe that." I muttered.

"She probably won't believe it, knowing us. I'm surprised we didn't tip sooner! But it was fun! One thing done on our summer list!" Abbi exclaimed!

All three of us, got into her mom's car with the biggest smile on our face, always knowing that we'd be best friends  till the end.

Too much Power

In the story, "The Lottery" By Shirley Jackson everything happens around the theme power and control. At the beginning, everyone is gathering for the lottery that takes place every year. It seems like a normal day but really it's not. The government controls the people of the village to come and draw out of a box for the black piece of paper. Whoever gets the piece of paper, their family has to draw to see who will get the black dot, meaning they will die. The government has brainwashed these villagers into thinking that this is right and completely normal. They have total control on everyone! When Tessie draws the black dot, she screams in panic. "It's not right! It's not fair!" And when a man tells the people to start throwing the rocks at her, everyone does. The villagers can't really do anything about it but to throw big stones so she dies quickly and less painfully. As you can tell, the government has all the power and control and the villagers can do nothing but obey.

This story also relates to one of the huge, best selling books, the Hunger Games! In the Hunger Games, 24 tributes have to kill each other to win. The government has all of the control and think that they have to keep continuing this tradition, like The Lottery! They have all the power and basically can do whatever they want to the children who are fighting and even before they are in the arena! They have so much control that each district has to do whatever the government tells them to do, no matter how stupid or how huge of a project. This book is exactly like "The Lottery" because of control and powering covering this whole book. Both of the books have the exact same overall theme, power and control.

A Crack In The Mirror

One day, I was just sitting on the dresser making sure I make the best image back at the person standing in front of me.  I loved seeing all the beautiful faces that look into me and especially, my owner, Dakota. She was the most beautiful of them all, inside and out! Yes, I saw other pretty faces but nothing like her. She was one of a kind. I was waiting for her to get home from school when all of a sudden I hear the door open. The person looks into the mirror and CRACCCKKK! I felt like I was going to die, right there in front of the stranger. I looked at myself, cracked like a sidewalk. This never happened to me before and I started to feel weak. Who could have done this? I tried to see who was the person and finally saw that it was a burglar, trying to take all of Dakota's stuff. I was getting tired, dropping into unconscious when I knew I had to do something. With all my energy left I slammed into the intruder, now unconscious and so was I. Before I drifted out, I thought to myself, I just saved Dakota and all her family. I guess that was my purpose in life. Goodbye Dakota, you will and always be the most gorgeous human I've ever saw….

That One Serve- District Writing Assessment

Author’s Note: This is a persuasive piece on why you should play volleyball. This will also count for my DWA. This will be graded on the writing rubric. Enjoy!

            You’re in the championship volleyball game at the state finals. You’re exhausted, so thirsty you might just die, but you have to keep going if you want to win.  It’s your turn to serve; its 23-24 and you’re up. Everyone is counting on you to make the serve that could potentially affect your whole life. It’s so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. You throw the ball in the air and serve it over the net. Next you hear screaming and cheering from the stands. All of a sudden your team is picking you up and cheering your name. You have just won the state finals! Moments like these are really what volleyball is all about. You should play volleyball for many reasons!

                        First of all, volleyball is all about being part of a team. If a specific team does not get along with each other or if there is drama between the athletes, you will never win a game. You have to be like one, big, happy family, always cheering other girls up if they make a mistake. This will create such a bond between a group of girls and might even change your life. A connection I can make is the first time I started playing volleyball I didn’t know a lot of the athletes on the court, but eventually we all became like sisters! I also met for the first time, my best friend, Abbi, who now, I could not live without. As you can see, being on a volleyball team can have so much impact on your life and you will never, ever want to stop being part of a team.

            Even though being part of a team is an important reason why you should play volleyball, the actual game of it, is extraordinary! In this wonderful sport, you never know what’s going to happen. Since the ball could go anywhere, you have to be ready at all times! Everyone has their own positions and knows exactly where they are supposed to be on a serve, hit or a free ball. In volleyball, there’s a position for everyone. Whether you are amazing at passing, a great setter or just love to spike it down at the other team. Also, if you are not a runner, like me, this sport is just right for you!

            On the other hand, volleyball is a terribly amazing, very active hobby. In this activity, you’re never standing still! You have to be on your toes all the time, always moving toward the ball or toward your position! You get very exhausted trying to not let the ball touch the ground, kind of like how you played with balloons when you were a kid. Volleyball is a very hard-working sport, always keeping you in shape! If you are in a very serious and competitive team, you usually do a lot of conditioning to get you ready to dive for the ball any second. If you’re looking to get in shape and have tons of fun doing it, play volleyball!

            In conclusion, for many reasons, you should play or at least try volleyball! It shows you how to be part of a team and what beautiful friendships can happen in this sport. The actual game of volleyball is so intense that it just gives you a thrill every time; you’ll never want to stop playing! Also don’t forget that it is a very active sport! It can help you stay in shape and be healthy while being with your friends and having the time of your life. So, will you try volleyball? How might it change your life?

The Blood Red Car

I stood there in the middle of the road, playing with my jump rope. I started to count how many times I could jump! Fifty, fifty one. Have I really jumped that many times?! Excitement and determination filled me and I started jumping more and more, not paying attention to anything else. All of a sudden I hear a horn and finally the screeching of the tires, trying to come to a stop. The car didn't stop and that's when I flew. By the time I woke up, I couldn't feel anything. I didn't really think much about this at first because all I could see was a blob of random colors. Something was seriously wrong....

To be continued

Who did it?- DNA Fingerprinting Uncovered!

Author’s Note: This is a research paper, informing the reader about DNA fingerprinting and how it has helped us. This will be graded on the writing rubric. It will also be used for my science project! Enjoy learning about DNA fingerprints! 

            BOOM! You hear a gunshot and then someone running away. The only way you know who did it is by the DNA fingerprint left on the gun. Would you know what to do if you were at the scene?  This is exactly what happens in many crime scenes these days! DNA fingerprinting has helped improve solving crimes and many other cases.

            First off, what exactly is DNA and where does it come from? Well, DNA is a big molecule made up of smaller molecules located in the nucleus of a cell (Deters). Even though it’s a big molecule, you still can’t see it with just your eyes (Deters). It has chemical information from your parents, half from both, that determines what you look like and who you are (Deters). But DNA fingerprints are different than just plain, DNA. DNA fingerprints are formed from the fetus rubbing against his or her mom’s womb (Where do fingerprints come from?). They are not made in early pregnancy, but become noticeable around four to five months down the line (Where do fingerprints come from?).  So, everyone has their own, unique fingerprint!

            Even though knowing how DNA fingerprints are formed and what exactly DNA is, is important, knowing how it can determine a suspect’s guilt or innocence is a key point! Your DNA fingerprints cannot just be found by dusting fingerprints, you have to get DNA from cells of your body to really determine who did the crime or other options. It can be a skin cell, hair root cell or even a cheek cell. DNA is the same in all of your cells .Also in a crime scene, if a type of DNA is left behind, you can find out if that person did the crime or if he/she used, for example a weapon, to commit the crime. If the police do find their fingerprint on the weapon, automatically they are probably guilty. (Cline)

            Next, what is the process of analyzing DNA fingerprints? When you record a person’s fingerprints, you take two sets. The first one is called “rolled” prints. Each finger and thumb is inked and recorded on paper. Then the same ones are taken plain. This is to make sure that both sets are made in the same sequence. Some examples are when suspected criminals had held out their fingers in a different order or do the same hand twice! If it is in the case of a criminal crime, it is relatively simple but in many other cases, the question of identification arises. Now these days, computer databases make it really simple to identify fingerprints but in 1927 it wasn’t so easy. Technology has really improved throughout the years! (Innes)

            Even though knowing the process of DNA is very valuable information, important facts about DNA fingerprinting is a big part! DNA fingerprinting is when you identify a specific pattern within a person’s DNA. Each person has a specific pattern which repeats them. To be able to use DNA identification the same way fingerprints are used, every human being would need their DNA tested and electronically placed into a database. This database, by the FBI, is called CODIS. DNA is used to identify a certain person related to the sequence of base pair patterns rather than just looking at one patter. Scientists have to narrow down base pairs. Even though the patterns cannot create an actual fingerprint, it can reveal whether or not the identified stands are statically likely to happen in the same person or a relative. (Guide to DNA Fingerprinting)

            On the other hand, how has DNA Fingerprinting helped us? Well, it has improved so much throughout the years! It can help solve many crimes, identification issues, if someone was adopted and needed to know their parents or to prove innocence. You can only find someone’s parents though by only their DNA because everyone has their own, specific fingerprint.  They are also used to diagnose inherited disorders in both prenatal and newborn babies. Also by studying the DNA fingerprints of relatives who have had a specific disorder, compared with people with and without the disorder, it can help identify DNA patterns similar with the disease. The FBI and police labs have started to use DNA fingerprints to link suspects to biological evidence-blood or other types of objects found at the scene of the crime. Also, the US armed services have started to collect DNA fingerprints from all the soldiers in case they need to identify them later on. Where would we be without DNA fingerprinting?  (Betsch)

            Lastly, an interesting question that was brought to my attention was if twins have the same DNA and fingerprint. I discovered that no, any kind of twins do not have the same fingerprints. Everyone has their own, special fingerprint. However, twins do have the same DNA because they came from the same egg. This is called monozygotic-rising from one egg. Fingerprints are made by many things, nutrition, blood pressure, womb positioning and growth rate of fingers. Some patterns should be the same but there also many differences. Everyone is their own person, even if they do look the same! (Do Identical Twins Have the Same Fingerprints and DNA)

            In conclusion, DNA fingerprinting is a very important tool in our world today! This helps us in many ways! Without it, we would not be able to solve many crimes or identify brave soldiers who have died fighting for our country! Imagine if we didn’t have our amazing technology we have today. It seems like such a little thing that wouldn’t really matter, but really, it would change everything! How would your life change if DNA fingerprinting didn’t exist? 

 

Bibliography

Betsch, David F. Biotechnology Information Series. 1994. 16 April 2012 <http://www.biotech.iastate.edu/biotech_info_series/bio6.html>.

Cline, Erin. "DNA Fingerprinting is everywhere!" Understanding Genetics. 18 April 2012 <http://www.thetech.org/genetics/news.php?id=16>.

Deters, Joseph T. Where does DNA come from? 2011. 17 4 2012 <http://cms.hcpros.org/node/821>.

"Do Identical Twins Have the Same Fingerprints and DNA." 3 December 2008. Stumblerz. 19 April 2012 <http://www.stumblerz.com/do-identical-twins-have-the-same-fingerprints-and-dna/>.

Guide to DNA Fingerprinting. 19 April 2012 <http://www.forensicscience.org/resources/guide-to-dna-fingerprinting/>.

Innes, Brian. "Analyzing Prints." Innes, Brian. Forensics Science. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest, 2003. 28 and 29.

Where do fingerprints come from? 4 AUgust 2011. 18 April 2012 <http://www.somersetwestcpf.org.za/node/533>.

My perfect match

 I will never, ever you let you go 

You are like my nail to my toe

My ever so perfect match

And I know you will always catch

Me and you. Ahh. it really flows.

Come back! - Response to Big Yellow Taxi & Field Below

Author's Note: This is a short response to Big Yellow Taxi and Field Below. I explain the meaning, author's purpose, mood and tone of both of the poems.

The meaning and purpose of Big Yellow Taxi is to inform people about what is happening to nature and how the author feels about this! The poem is explaining that you don't really appreciate the little things in life until they are gone and that they are pretty mad about technology taking over our beautiful world. The meaning and purpose of Field Below is not having something you really want. It shows what the author is longing for and how she wants to maybe be in a more peaceful environment. The mood of Big Yellow Taxi is sad/depressed and wanting to help as much as possible! The tone of the poem is angry and sad at everyone who is taking away their precious nature just to build more technology throughout the city. The mood of Field Below is feeling bad for the author and having feeling of depression. The tone is miserable and longing for something, just so she can finally be happy. The author is clearly very unhappy with her life.

The mood/tone of the song, Big Yellow Taxi is completely different than just reading it and understanding the lyrics. In the song, the mood/tone seems happy and joyful, but that's not what the song is explaining at all! This shows us that the tone/mood of the poem and song can be completely different even though they are the exact same. This makes me feel kind of frustrated because why would you make a happy song about something horrible? The tone/mood is all wrong for this poem! The mood/tone of  the song, Field Below is exactly what it sounds like when you read the actual poem in your head. It is not different than you would think it would be. It's actually a pretty sad and depressing song to listen to. This shows us that some songs and some poems can be exactly the same but have a totally different tone. Or in this case, have the exact tone you thought it was, put into a song. I feel happy about this because the tone/mood of the song fits perfectly with the lyrics.

"Free" is Just a Word

Author’s Note: This is a formal, writing piece about how free blacks were in the North. I explain my thoughts and ideas with support from different websites.This is a research paper, completing one of my quarter 4 goals.

Imagine being told what to do all the time. You couldn’t eat, go to church or even mingle with someone just because of your race. How would you feel? Not very good, right? This is exactly what was happening to free blacks in the North. Blacks in the North were actually not free at all, even though they were so called “free”.

            First of all, there were many restrictions on the blacks in the North. Blacks were not allowed to dine or associate, with the whites, share with deliberations in our jury, and attend our courts. They also couldn’t represent the country in legislature, attend anyone at bed, sickness or pain, mingle with any white or marry their daughters! (Document B) That doesn’t sound very free to me. They were faced with racism, segregation and discrimination throughout the years when they were supposedly free. Even though the North emancipated its slaves, they were not ready to treat them like citizens and sometimes not even like human beings! Segregation was rampant, especially in Philadelphia, where African Americans were excluded from concert halls, public transportation, schools, churches, orphanages, and other places. (PBS. Org.)So, even though the right of being free was extended by law, the whites still let things happen!

            Even though the restrictions on blacks are very important, the rights that blacks had before everything happened is very valuable information. Before 1800, free blacks had normal rights of citizenship!  In some places they could vote, serve on juries, and work in skilled trades. (PBS) But as the need to justify slavery grew stronger, and segregation started to unfold, free blacks gradually lost all their citizenship rights. Through intimidation, switching up laws and horrible violence, the whites declared racial supremacy and forbid blacks their citizenship! In 1857, the Dred Scott decision formally declared that blacks were not citizens of the United States. (Pbs.org). The only states in which black men never lost the right to vote were Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts.  (PBS)Otherwise, they lost everything else in all of the other Northern states that they had just gotten after the Revolutionary War. Fortunately, the free blacks did not just sit around and take Northern racism, they fought.  The blacks found their own schools, orphanages and churches where they did not have any restrictions!  So overall, the whites had won for now.

            Although what they had is a huge portion of my reasoning, how free they actually were is too! One of the big things free blacks could do in the north is to vote, but only in the New England States. The Mid-west and Mid-Atlantic states still did not let them vote or they were very restricted from voting. Another thing that they could do is to be in a jury, but that only was agreed on in one of the New England states, Massachusetts.  So some of the things that they were actually free of was not making them a slave or buy or sell them. The free blacks had the privilege of having no fear of ever again being sold or bought, like a candy bar. Also they could be free to live and to thrive, and if he can to pay taxes and to perform specific duties. Although they could do all of this stuff, the free African Americans still were not free at all! If they were really free, they would be able to do whatever the whites did! (Document A & B)

            In conclusion, free blacks in the North were not actually free. They were in a state of semi –freedom you could call it. Yes, they did have the right to do some things but mostly they could not do anything the whites could do! They were separated from the whites completely, not letting them even talk to them at all! That’s not free at all! How would you feel if you were in their position? Would you like being a grown man, being told what to do, like you were 3 years old again?

Better off Now

Author's Note: This is a parody to the poem, Just to Say. This poem is based off of Where The Heart Is, by Billie Letts. Enjoy! :)

I left you.

At Wal-Mart

While you were in the bathroom.

I waited for you,

You were taking to long,

So I drove on

Sorry to say

but I have a record now

I'm way better off

 So glad, I left.



 

This parody is about the book, Where the Heart Is, by Billie Letts. Willy Jack leaves this note outside of Wal-Mart when Novalee comes back and finds it. It explains why he left her all alone with the baby! The speaker is Willy Jack and the audience is Novalee. The tone of the poem Is sorry and sad In the beginning but then rude at the end! The mood is dreadful the whole way through!

Never Give Up

Author's Note: This is a short response to the short story, Mother to Son. I explain the figurative language and what is it's purpose. I also explain the tone and mood of the poem. This, combined with my character description, will be graded on Word Choice and Context.

An example of figurative language in the poem, Mother to Son, is Life for my ain't been no crystal stair. This is a metaphor comparing the author's life to a crystal, glass stair. The purpose of this metaphor is to explain to the reader what her life has been like. She says her life has not been a crystal stair, so that means that her life has not been perfect or  really good! She's had bumps in the road, but has gotten through them and keeps on climbing. She compares everything in this poem to the stairs or you can say, her life, which is a personification. So her life is not perfect like a crystal stair, its got some scratches and splinters along the way just like her life. The mood of this poem is encouraging and inspiring. It makes the reader feel encouraged and wanting to never give up, just like she is telling her son. The tone of the poem is to sound strong, but exhausted. She talks about how she has gone through so many obstacles  but fortunately fights her way through them. Although she does go through them, shes exhausted by how many things she had to overcome, but still is saying to never give up no matter what.

Sorry Kate, Nothing Can Stop True Love

 Author's Note: This is a writing piece about character development. I explain how the main character, Kate, in the book, The Juliet Club, is a dynamic character and how she changes throughout the book. I use examples and quotes from the story to support my opinion. This will hopefully help me reach one of my goals.

Imagine your perfect boyfriend just dumped you for the gorgeous, most prettiest girl in your grade. You thought he was the one, the one that you would go to senior prom with, the one that you would spend the rest of your life with. You loved him and he dumped you. So now, you've sworn off love. Not wanting to get your heart broken again. But when you travel to Italy, the heart of romance, will that swear stay or will it be broken with a charming, Italian boy? This is exactly what is happening to Kate in The Juliet Club. Kate is a very dynamic character for many reasons.

First of all, in the beginning of the story,  Kate is suffering from the hard break up between her perfect, straight black hair, and hazel eyes boyfriend, Jerome Hollis. It all started when she fell for him in the science lab, when he smiled at her and then she was caught in his trap. They started to get to know each other better and went to all the high school dances together. They were officially a couple, but there was one problem, Jerome wanted the relationship to be at a "steady state." Kind of weird, right? There was something fishy going on..Then one beautiful, spring morning in May, Jerome called her up and shattered her heart, stomping on it on the way. He had dumped her for the Practically Perfect Ashley Lawson. "The fact that Practically Perfect Ashely Lawson was everything Jerome had said he didn't want- frivolous, flighty and shallow- only made matters worse" This quotes why Jerome dumped her and how shallow he was for dating another girl that was exact opposite of Kate.    So now, Kate retired from the terrible, bloody battle called love.

Throughout the book everything changes. Kate finds out that her and her father won a magnificent trip to the one and only Italy, the country of romance. Kate won it for a Shakespeare contest, where she will attend a seminar about, of course, Romeo and Juliet. When Kate's best friends find out about this trip, they exclaim it’s the perfect way to get over the breakup. But Kate forbids herself to fall in love with some Italian boy. " 'I,' Kate said, enunciating as clearly as possible,' am never going to fall in love again!'" This quote shows how she made it absolutely clear that she was not going to get mixed up in the game of romance ever again! So when Kate and her father finally take that plane to Italy, Kate is in for a shocker that will change her whole perspective of teenage guys.

When she gets to romantic Italy, Kate discovers some Americans there in her seminar and some from  Italy.  Everything is going perfectly fine, Kate is happy to be learning about Shakespeare,  but then waltz in Giamco, an all Italian boy. Kate does not get along with Giamco at all! They start bickering about everything that they are talking about at the seminar and don't stop. Giamco and Kate despise eachother very much, but when Kate hears two other teenagers planning to play a joke on Kate and Giamco, Kate informs Giamco about this and both agree to trick them back. So Kate and Giamco pretend to fall in love, even though they have nothing in common nor, can they stand each other!  Everything is going according to plan, having the two teenagers think they got Kate and Giamco but really they got them. But something happens along the way, that they never thought of happening. Kate and Giamco, pretending to be in love, start really falling for each other, which is how Kate changes from swearing off love, to falling head over heels for the cutest, Italian guy in Italy. " 'I said I loved you.'" This quote shows when Giamco told Kate that he loved her and this time, really meant it!

Overall, Kate is a very dynamic character. She retired from the war of love in the beginning, but ever so slowly she starts to go in and fight again. And this time, she wins the battle. Kate learns a lot throughout her journey in Italy, knowing that maybe, just maybe, love is a good thing to have in her life.  Kate does think about her swear that she made, but eventually just lets it go and changes. Giamco also changes from being a flirt and a player to an amazing person who finally gets what true love is. How would you feel if you were in Kate's position? Do you think you would change for a attractive, charming Italian sweetheart?

Novalee- The Troubled Teenager (Revised)

 Author's Note: This is a character description about the main character in the book, Novalee in Where The Heart Is. I use imagery in this piece. This will be graded on the reading rubric in the section word choice and context.

Novalee is like a tiny puppy, standing up to a monstrous bear. She is weak, just like the puppy and if she stands up for herself Willy Jack will attack her, just like the bear would. Her insecurity is shutting her in, closing the door on the world. Novalee has no one on her side! She is 17 and pregnant. A teenager's worst nightmare! She's scared to death about how she will take care of herself and her baby!  Her hair is like a smooth, silky bed sheet that is as soft as a pillow! Lastly, Novalee thinks the ground shakes when she walks, thinking she's as fat as a pig when really she's just pregnant!

Novalee's role in the story is basically a hopeless teenager in need of a good family. Her family, well she doesn't really have a family, which is killing her inside. Novalee's personality is a teddy bear, wanting to be held. Novalee needs someone to take care of her! Bump, bump, bump her baby kicks inside her stomach!  How much she loves her baby is speechless! Love is everything and that is what she needs! Love, love love!

Novalee- The Troubled Teenager

 Author's Note: This is a character description about the main character in my book club book, Where the Heart is. I explain her physical description, characteristics and features in the first paragraph and I explained her role in the story in the second paragraph.

Some features of Novalee are insecurity, weak and brave. Novalee is very insecure about herself because she is overweight and she thinks she is horribly ugly. Her belly is getting bigger by the days! She is weak because when she was in the car with Willy, she never stood up for herself but also stayed with him until he dumped her at walmart. That is very brave because it seems like he is a horrible person.  Some characteristics is she is 17, pregnant and very pale. Novalee looks like a long, brown haired teenager, with skin as white as snow and is taller than most people, which unfortunely makes her stand out. 

Novalee is a teenager that does not have a good family! Her family doesn't care that she ran away with some maniac that dumped her or they don’t care that she's pregnant at 17! She loves her baby more than anything and wants to keep it safe from anything. She is a loving, caring girl that just got mixed up with the wrong guy. She is looking for someone who will actually love her and take care of her.  Her role is a carless teenager in need of help from a loving person!

She finally Spoke

She Finally Spoke

By Kennedi Bates

Author’s Note: This is a cause and affect formal non-fiction essay of the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson. The purpose of this essay is to explain that I understand how to analyze the climax, causes and the effects of a story. I support my thoughts with details from the story and quotes. This will help me reach my goal and I will hopefully improve.

Imagine you are at a crazy, summer high school party. You’re just about to start high school and you need someone to look after you. You see a senior that’s pretty darn cute and he takes you in the woods and before you know it, he’s covering your mouth and doing stuff to you! You try to scream and tell him to get off of you but he won’t. When he’s finally done, you call the cops. Bad decision. Now, every teenager at that party hates you. This is exactly what happened to Melinda in Speak, by Laurie Anderson. Melinda got attacked by senior, Andy Evans, at a party and was scared so she called the cops. That got everyone in trouble at the party and everyone that was there, now despises her more than anything. Even though they don’t know what truly happened.  When school finally starts Melinda is mute and won’t tell anybody what really happened to her on that horrible night. In the novel, Speak even though Melinda speaking up is the climax, the cause, effects and what led up to it is very important.

First off, the climax of the story is when she finally told one other person what happened. The one person she told was her former best friend, Rachel who was at the time dating Andy. Rachel couldn’t believe Melinda would make up that Andy did that just because she was jealous, but Rachel was wrong, it really did happen. Melinda finds out that Rachel confronted Andy about it, but Andy got very angry and tried to hurt Melinda again.

Even though climax of the story is very important, what led up to it and the causes of it need to be known about. There were many causes of the climax. One of the main causes were Melinda was just tired of being ignored and being despised for something that nobody knew the true story of what happened. Another cause was that it was basically eating away at her. Melinda needed to get it off her chest before she did something very drastic to herself or somebody. Melinda couldn’t stand it any longer and finally told! “I should probably tell someone. Just... *anyone*. Get it over with. Blurt it out.” This quote shows how it was killing her inside and how she needed to tell somebody, anybody! Lastly, another cause was that she was losing friends. She lost friends because Melinda was always depressed and never talked. Would you want to talk or be friends with someone like that? I didn’t think so. “Heather: You don't like anything. You're the most depressed person I've ever met. And excuse me for saying this but I think you need professional help. Melinda: So you're blowing me off because I'm a little depressed? Heather: Once you get through this "life sucks" phase, I'm sure lots of people will wanna be your friend. But for right now, I don't think we should have lunch together.” This quote shows how Melinda lost her true, only friend she had in 9^th grade. So, she decided to tell. Maybe her old friends would forgive her and everything could be just the way it was before that party!

Although the causes of the climax are a huge portion of why you need to know about the causes, effects and what led up to the climax, the effects are very substantial!  One tremendous effect of the climax is how all of a sudden no one liked Andy anymore! When Andy found out that Melinda told Rachel about how Andy attacked her, Andy got very, very frustrated. He found Melinda hiding in a closet and started attacking her again! Andy started beating her as much as he could! Another effect of the climax was Melinda gaining friends and becoming quite popular! Melinda finally found friends and was slowly improving her life style over all. Everything was back to normal!

In addition to the causes, effects and the climax, how would it be different if the climax never happened? What if Melinda didn’t tell anyone what had happened? A possibility could be that she would still be depressed for some or rest of her freshman year or worse, her high school life! Another possibility is Melinda doing something very drastic. Melinda could run away from her family, seeing how they don’t care about her at all or possibly start cutting herself more severely. This could ruin her whole life just because a stupid, ignorant senior wanted to have some fun with a brand, new freshman.

In conclusion, what led up, causes and effects of the climax are very valuable information to know. There are many causes and effects of the climax that need to be known. There are also many different possibilities if Melinda never told about what happened. She could run away or possibly hurt herself even more or hurt somebody else. This could cause many problems for Melinda that could destroy her life! What would do if you were in Melinda’s situation? How would you feel?

The Beginning of Her New Life

By Kennedi Bates

Author’s Note: This is a creative writing piece. This piece will show that I know how to analyze a story and how to predict what will happen next in a story. This piece will be in a “play” theme. This is a new scene to the book Speak, about Melinda and her new best friend, Rachelle. This will be graded on the reading rubric on predicting and text analysis.

Characters:

Melinda- main character that got attacked at a high school party

Rachelle-Melinda’s best friend

Andy Evans- The teenage boy that attacked her

David Petrakis- Old lab partner that is secretly in love with her

(1 year later...)

Narrator: Melinda just got out of class and was slowly walking to her locker when she heard the click-clack of Rachelle’s high heels behind her.

Rachel:  Melinda! You have to come over tomorrow. I’m having this huge party at my house!

Narrator: That set off a bomb. “I’m theres’!” and “Count me ins” erupted from the hall.

Melinda: Umm, Rachelle. You know how I feel about parties, ever since IT happened.

Narrator: Melinda tried to keep her voice low, but she could see people staring.

Rachel: Oh come on! That was a year ago. I promise that won’t happen again. He’s not even in this school anymore or somewhere he could find you. We’ll stay side by side the whole time!

Melinda: Umm, okay. I guess I’ll go. Why not?

Rachel: Yay! Call me later!

Narrator: And off she went. Melinda started to feel nausea and ran to the bathroom. She didn’t think she could go to another party. Not after what happened to her. Melinda will never, ever forget about how Andy Evans attacked her at that party. They were both drunk, two helpless little teenagers wanting to have some fun. But Melinda tried to stop him. Ever since then, she didn’t tell anybody about what had happened. Melinda actually didn’t speak for a year but finally she told somebody. Then people started to find out about it and Melinda started to talk again. She and Rachel have been the best of friends ever since she told her what happened. See, they were best friends before the incident but since Melinda called the cops everyone hated her. But now everything was different. They hated Andy Evans, the teenage boy now in jail for attacking a thirteen year old girl, Melinda.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Narrator: Today was Friday, Rachel’s party. Melinda tried to think of excuses why she couldn’t go. Her mom wants her home, she was sick or she’s not the party person, but Melinda knew Rachelle would never let her live it down.  Melinda finally decided that she was going to go to that party and finally have some fun. When Melinda got to school she saw Rachel talking to a handsome guy. Of course. When Rachel saw Melinda her eyes lit up.

Rachelle: Melinda! Hi! You have to come over before the party so we can get ready together!

Melinda: Of course I’ll come before! 

Narrator: Melinda smiled at her best friend and walked to her first class.

   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Narrator: At the end of the day Melinda and Rachelle rode to Rachelle’s house with Rachelle’s mom.

Melinda: So what are we going to wear?

Rachel: I was thinking some casual but not too causal?

Melinda: Hmm. Jeans and a nice shirt?

Rachel: Perfect!

Narrator: The two girls went into the house and got ready. Melinda started remembering all the times she had went here in middle school. How different it felt now! They set up for the party and started blasting music. They said goodbye to Rachel’s mom and dad because they were going out that night. Rachel’s parents were so worry free and probably thought that nothing was going to happen tonight, but who knows? Maybe Melinda will find her true love.

Narrator: All of the sudden the door bell was ringing nonstop!

Rachel (smiles): Party time!

Melinda: Woot!

Narrator: Melinda was finally going to have some fun, after the awful year she had last year. Deep down, Melinda was a bit nervous about what would happen at the party. This was the first party since the incident and she did NOT want to go through that nightmare again!  As people started to arrive she stayed right beside Rachelle.

Melinda: You won’t leave my side right?

Rachel (smiles and giggles): Of course not silly!

Narrator: In the mix up of the party. Melinda lost Rachel and couldn’t find her anywhere! There were too many people in this house! All of a sudden someone pushed her into a dark room. She thought it was a bedroom but couldn’t tell. Then out of nowhere she heard hard breathing. Someone else was in there with her.

Melinda: Who’s there?

Andy: Hello Melinda.

Narrator: Melinda’s heart stopped. No, this was not happening. Andy was supposed to be in jail!

Melinda (gulping): Andy?

Andy: Yes Melinda it’s me. The one you through in jail?

Melinda: You...you’re supposed to be in jail

Andy: Ha. They don’t know I escaped. As soon as I’m done with you, they’ll probably finally figure it out. But it’ll be too late for you Melinda.

Melinda: Andy. It was your fault! You were the one that attacked me at that           party and practically killed me in that closet!

Andy: I already told you. I didn’t attack anybody!

Narrator: Andy was getting very, very mad.

Andy: It’s time for me to finish you, Melinda. Forever.

Narrator: Andy took out a butter knife from the kitchen. Melinda’s face lost all of its color and looked like a ghost. Andy kicked Melinda on the ground, causing her to lose her breath.

Melinda (crying): Andy don’t! Please!

Narrator: Just then the bathroom door slammed open, revealing David, her old lab partner. Melinda hadn’t paid attention to him in over a year!

David: Don’t you dare touch her.

Andy: Oh you little nerd! You think you can save her? I would like to see you try, geek.

Narrator: Andy was practically suffocating Melinda. David charged at Andy, throwing him to the ground. They punched, kicked and fought like there was no tomorrow! Melinda tried to breathe again and unsuccessfully tried to stop the fight but Andy succeeded to kick her again to the ground. Andy heard sirens getting closer.

Andy: Oh, shoot!

Narrator: Andy ran through the window, shattering glass falling everywhere. The last words that Melinda heard before she blacked out were…PUT YOUR HANDS UP! YOU’RE UNDER ARREST, AGAIN. David picked up Melinda and carried her to the living room of the house. Cops started pouring in the house, telling everyone to leave. The medics took Melinda to the hospital to make sure she was okay.

Narrator: The next day, Melinda woke up to David, her parents and Rachel all sleeping on the couches in the hospital room she was in. David awoke and sat down on the bed.

David: You okay?

Melinda: I’m fine. Thank you David. But can I ask you a question?

David: Anything.

Melinda: Why did you risk your life for me? Andy could’ve killed you...

David: Melinda, I would never let anything happen to you.

Melinda: Why?

David: I’ve been in love with you since we became lab partners in 9^th grade.

Melinda (shocked): Re...Really? Why didn’t you tell me?

David: Well you were kind of depressed at first and after everything happened you seemed too popular for me... (Looks down)

Melinda: Oh David... I’m so sorry.

David: That’s okay. All that matters is that you’re okay now.

Narrator: Melinda smiles and kisses him on the cheek.  The next few years David and Melinda develop an amazing friendship with each other. Rachel, Melinda and David are all now going to college together, being best friends the whole way through. Nothing could ever split them apart.