ALEKS?

  Pewaukee School District has a pretty unique take on learning. Why do I think that you may ask? Well everything middle and high school students do is on the computer. We are each given out own laptop to write essays on, learn Spanish on, and even communicate with teachers on. But the most relevant reason for our laptops, is ALEKS, the math learning program that is entirely online, leaving students to learn every topic on their own without a teacher teaching it to them. With ALEKS no teacher is necessary, the only things you really need are a computer, and the ability to read the explanations that are given for each topic. That is the entire point of ALEKS, to learn math independently, and (supposedly) more efficiently.  Therefore shouldn't it stay that way?

    Every Monday, the math pupils of Asa Clark are forced to participate in Focus Monday. Their purpose is to get us to "focus" hence the cleverly thought out name. But in my eyes, and in the eyes of several of my classmates for that matter, it should be renamed "A day to waste on a pointless activity, so that you feel as if we're actually teaching you." You see, us math students can use all of the time on ALEKS that we can get. When you're expected to teach yourself an entire course worth of math within a single school year, you don't really want to have silly interruptions like that. Mondays usually go something like  this: Start by finding a good spot by your friends, next talk the entire class period, finally copy down what the teacher has written on the board and turn your paper in! Easy and pointless all in one! There are many other interruptions as well such as emails home to our parents and ILP learning plans that we have to type out and keep track of, and instruction, where a teacher teaches you a topic in a completely different way, in twice the time it would take you to learn it yourself. As an ALEKS user, I simply want to make the most of my math time, but the teachers don't seem to agree with me.

     A typical day in math class starts with something called a daily warm-up, and it is eerily similar to Focus Monday. It has the same format: Come in, sit by your friends, pull out a piece of paper and copy what it says on the board. The worst part about these daily warm-ups, is the fact that they somehow take up 20-30 minutes of time. Don't we already waste an entire day on this same thing? How focused do we really need our minds to be? If anyone actually pays attention to the content of daily warm-ups, they would find questions such as "How many sides on a (insert name of polygon)?" Another big one is numbers that appear the same written backwards, or sometimes even upside down! Why are we wasting valuable ALEKS time on such things?

     Overall if it were up to me, our math curriculum would be more focused on actually using the learning program that we have invested in. There is no point in the ALEKS program if we can hardly work on it, and instead must work on a bunch of other activities.  The program is all about independent learning, not "focusing" and "collaboration." So what is the point of forcing such things on us?

Mistakes

   (Authors Note: This is my character analysis essay. I am doing it on Richard Parker from Life of Pi)

      If you're human, you've made a mistake in your life. It's simply a factual statement when someone says that nobody is perfect, because in reality that is the truest statement one can make. People mess up on a daily basis, on both small and large matters. For example you may have gotten a question wrong on an important test, or made a mistake during basketball tryouts, resulting in your placement on the second team.  In truth you'll probably be over it in a few weeks. Pi Patel's mistakes on the other hand can not be taken so lightly, in fact they alter his entire life forever.

    When poor Pi ends up on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific, he has but one companion and that is a 450 pound Bengal Tiger that goes by the name of Richard Parker. Unfortunately for Pi, Richard is a not just a 450 pound big cat, but a 450 pound man eating beast as well. Richard Parker's need for raw meat is sickening, yet it also proves to be helpful in the most unexpected of ways. Providing food for Richard Parker gives Pi something to work at, and eventually Pi becomes so wrapped up in feeding the two of them, that he almost forgets his situation and is able to form a strange attachment to his tiger friend. Think about it, if you provided for another living being for that long, wouldn't you become attached to it as well? The tiger becomes a way out for Pi, something to focus on other than the loss of his family and their future together in Canada. If it wasn't for Richard Parker, Pi just might not have made it off of that boat alive.

     Towards the end of the novel we find out something that not only changes the entire course of the story, but Richard Parker as a character. When Pi is being questioned about his experience he tells two stories, one with animals as the characters, and one with people to replace the animals. These stories are eerily similar, because in both of them the animals and people match up to one another. The even creepier part is that Pi is the person that replaces Richard Parker, who kills multiple people and things throughout the course of the story. Does that necessarily mean that the entire story Pi has been telling is a work of fiction, and that in reality he is a murderer? Not exactly. But Pi is Hindu, who sees most animals as sacred, and is a devoted vegetarian. But that is exactly why Richard Parker isn't real. Pi could not face the vital mistakes he made against his morals and religion, so he decided to cover it up with an intricate lie.

    As an animal, Richard Parker was a creature who hungered for fresh meat. It was like an addiction, and it turned him wild. Alone on a lifeboat Pi figuratively became that tiger. His only companion was his need to kill and devour, at one point in the book after killing a turtle and ripping it's shell off he begins  to see the still alive turtle as a gourmet soup. This lust for murder kept him occupied as well. He quotes "feeding Richard Parker helped me to almost forget my situation." The entire time he is on the lifeboat, Pi's main focus was feeding his carnivorous side. Strangely enough though, as soon as he acquires land Pi loses all traces of the tiger, in fact he doesn't even think twice about it. As a character, Richard Parker was nothing more than a mere figment of Pi's imagination. A figment that Pi wanted to rid himself off immediately. 

     Unlike most mistakes, murder is one that cannot be undone. One that cannot be forgotten or forgiven. Especially in Pi's case, where it ways so heavily against his religion. This murder was in fact so gruesome, that not even the interviewers (who had several doubts about Pi's first story) could swallow it. They chose to believe the unrealistic animal story, over the legitimate one. Humans may not be the most flawless beings, one thing they can do though is suppress their mistakes.

The Alarm

  The sound of her alarm is possibly the most degrading thing she has ever heard. It means another never ending day at school. It means finding an outfit in the morning to accommodate her current situation. It means an entire day of looking over her shoulder, refusing to go anywhere by herself, for fear of running into Him. She has come to hate the sound of her alarm. He doesn't stop at raising angry welts on her face and arms, for His complete satisfaction He must also manipulate her, play games with her that she has no way of winning. Games only He can win. Because of Him she is living one of the most unhealthy lives possible. Domestic abuse is often overlooked by other, more "important" issues, when really it is one of the most severe problems that has arisen in today's society.

     Domestic abuse usually occurs when one member of the relationship decides they need to have the upper hand on the other member. In her case, it is simply because He cannot stand the feeling of weakness. Like most boys, He often would compete with his friends to see who could bench the most, who could be the best on the football team, etc. And when this girl that he knew he loved popped into his already chaotic personal life, He could not let her take over. So he resorted to violence. Of course there are many other reasons this occurs as well, people could be overly possessive and not allow their partners to have friends that are of the opposite gender, they could be using their significant other for physical  favors and see them as nothing except that, or they could even believe that men and women are unequal. In reality more people than you realize are being violently abused, and the signs are everywhere. For example victims will become very conscious of their body at all times, the way they walk to and sit at their desk seems almost planned and mechanical. Also they seem to know every injury on their body and the elaborate cover up behind it. Less obvious signs is that they will flinch at almost anything that comes their way, even something as small as somebody flipping their hair over their shoulder. But the most painful part of domestic violence? The fact that the person that is hurting you, is the person that said they never would.

     Unfortunately abuse in relationships does not stop there. In some cases, like the case of our friend , there is physiological abuse involved as well. This type of abuse is very different from violence, but the effects are just as bad. For example, she has a very low self esteem, and her self confidence is basically nonexistent. It is even hard for her to answer a question in class. This may be have something to do with the fact that He is constantly reminding her that she has no redeeming qualities, or maybe it's because He makes it a point to greet every girl in the hallway but her. Those are not the only things that occur during this type of abuse though.  In severe cases the victim may have to follow a set of rules that the abuser has enforced, such as who they can and can't talk to, what they can and can't wear, and what  they choose to do with their time.  Oftentimes people overlook this aspect of the abuse, but overall this also plays a big part in the outcome.

     For her, the scariest part of the entire relationship is the changes. When she looks at Him she still sees the little boy who has liked her since 5th grade. She still hears Him calling her his angel, and she still feels his arms around her when he would dry her tears instead of create them. And because of this she can't let go. She doesn't know if he even cares about her at all anymore, all she knows is that she needs to move on from the past. But she is too afraid to.

Patriots Pen

(Authors Note: This really isn't my best writing ever, so don't judge me just based on this)

 When America was first formed, it was meant to be united. The Pledge of Allegiance even describes us as "one nation under god." But in reality, there is one thing that does indeed divide America: and that is political parties. The conservatives and liberals, the elephants and donkeys, yes each party even has a mascot of sorts. What is this, a sporting event? George Washington even said he never wanted to see America with political parties, because he believed it would divide the country. And it has, in some negative and positive ways. 

     Ever since political parties were created, a flood of different opinions brought on new ideas. Usually new ideas are a good thing, especially if they're good ideas. But do our founders agree with these ideas? Do they agree with the Democrat's belief that government is key? How do they feel about the Republican's take on weapons? One thing that I can almost say for sure, is that they are happy that the laws of freedom of speech are still in place. This allows people from both parties to express their thoughts, and in my opinion that probably makes our founders very happy to know that their rules have not been forgotten. But sometimes I do wonder if they wish that things would be expressed in a more civil manner. I think that when candidates are debating with one another, they would like us to remember that we are one nation.

    Sometimes though it is hard to remember that. It seems as if politics creep into almost everything! Friendships, relationships, and even family events can be soiled by the ongoing rivalry between the two parties. For example, last Thanksgiving my dad and uncle got into a wicked fight over politics. It was right before dinner and me and my cousin were hanging out upstairs somewhere, and from there we could hear their frustrated screams  Because of this, dinner became a very awkward affair, instead of something that should be fun and laid back. Is this really how they intended freedom of speech to express itself?

     So my final question for our founders is this: Do you agree with George Washington? Has politics divided our nation? My opinion on the matter is this: I think politics have divided our country in the most subliminal way. Political signs in yards declaring the views of that house, grotesque Halloween masks. It seems that the hatred between the two parties is indeed there, but it has been suppressed.

Phone Call

(This is my cause and effect piece, I used the novel "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson as my example. Beware! There are spoilers!)
 

 

8:00 PM

      The novel "Speak" surrounds a timid and socially awkward girl named Melinda. Just months ago, she had been an innocent 8th grade girl, who was beyond excited for high school. But after some fateful events at a rambunctious party, Melinda's life takes a turn for the worse. In a moment of muddled thinking, Melinda called the cops while at the party and turned everyone in attendance into them. Now this may seem like a weird move for a teenager to make, and in normal circumstances it would be. But these weren't normal circumstances. Prior to making her call, Melinda had been sexually assaulted, while she was intoxicated.

     Before her assault, Melinda could indeed be considered drunk. In fact on the way to the party, she had been hanging about halfway out the window of the car as they sped down the highway! If poor Melinda had chosen to stay sober, then she would have entered high school as a bright eyed and excited freshman. But instead she let the alcohol lead her straight to Andy Evans, who embraced the opportunity wholeheartedly. Originally Melinda had called the cops to report him, but ran her mouth off about the party instead.

     Because of Melinda's drunken babbling, all of her peers see her as a goody two shoes, and more importantly the girl who got them grounded for the rest of the summer. By the beginning of freshman year nobody will talk to her, and to put it bluntly Melinda is a friendless loser. Her best friend Rachel won't even make eye contact with her. Eventually Melinda becomes exceedingly depressed and lonely, all because of one simple phone call.

Conflict Resolution Piece

10:49 AM

     The last place Ronnie Miller wants to spend her summer is with her father in South Carolina, living in his beachside shack. Ever since he abandoned the family Ronnie has felt nothing but resentment towards him, and as a result doesn't make the best choice, this is the main conflict.This issue hasn't just affected Ronnie though, what she doesn't know is that her father is suffering from stomach cancer and wants to mend their relationship before it's too late. At this point though, it may not be possible. After several years apart, Steve doesn't know if he can reach his young and troubled daughter. 

     Eventually Ronnie's father does get through to her: with the truth behind the divorce. Even though she still believes that leaving wasn't the best course of action, Ronnie forgives her father and they build a much stronger and happier relationship as the summer wares on. Unfortunately though Ronnie has to realize that their time together is limited, yet this realization is easier for both of them knowing that peace has been made.  This non resolution somewhat resembles the Hunger Games, because both heroines deal with the loss of a father figure in their lives after a special bond has been formed.

Adventures of a Part Time Jellyfish Rescuer

(Author's Note: This is my narrative piece)

"Ew Sophie look at all the disgusting jellyfish bodies!"

"I'm scared, what if the jellyfish turn into zombies?!"

It was the usual day in Myrtle Beach, sunny, mid to high eighties, an occasional breeze that seemed to have the perfect timing....basically the weather could be summed up as perfect. So you'd think that convincing someone to walk along the beach with me would be simple. Wrong. Okay so there were a few dead jellyfish lining the shore, but they could easily be avoided. Where was my family's vacation spirit?

Eventually though I suckered my mom into accompanying me, and I will admit that at first I was pretty grossed out. I was surprised to find that almost everywhere we walked, me and my poor mother would have to dodge the half or fully dead jellyfish bodies that scattered the shore. If only I had known what I would be doing later, than merely walking around the limp jellyfish wouldn't have seemed so disgusting.

One can only be among dead jellyfish for so long before their curiosity gets the best of them. When I bent down to get a closer look, what I saw horrified me. Now I know that jellyfish are relatively lifeless animals to begin with, what with their microscopic brains and digestive systems...can they even see? But at that moment, I didn't really care what they were. What I saw when I looked down at the animal that appeared to be dead, was that it wasn't really dead at all. The bulbous head appeared to be taking shallow and gasped breaths. It sure didn't help that the temperature was slowly climbing as the day wore on, and that it was humid out. I could only imagine how it felt to have your body slowly melt and become one with the sand. Without thinking, I bent down and scooped it up. My mom proceeded to act in typical mom fashion.

"Sophie! What are you doing?! You're going to get stung!" my now erratic mother exclaimed.  

"Not as long as you only touch the head." I was delighted to hear that the voice had a British accent. I turned to see a girl  heading towards us.

As my mother continued to speak to my newly acquired British friend, I examined the baby jellyfish in my hands a bit closer. I noticed what appeared to be a large tumor on the side of it's quivering body. After a short debate inside my head, I decided that I should let the curiosity get the best of me, and poke it. When the lump began to travel along the side of my helpless comrade, I shrieked. Immediately my mother and the unnamed British girl ran over to see what was going on.

"What is that?!" I held out the writhing jellyfish for them to see.

But before they could answer my question, a giant white crab scampered from the safety of the jellyfish onto my hand. At first I wasn't exactly sure what to do. I definitely didn't want to drop the jellyfish and injure it further, which was a knee jerk reaction, but I also didn't want an albino crab on my hand. These thoughts ran through my mind in a matter of seconds, but before I could think things through any further I sprinted to the ocean  and deposited the jellyfish and it's friend. I stood back to look and make sure my jellyfish could swim, and once I realized he could I knew what I was going to do with the rest of my afternoon. 

After several hours of strolling along the waves, and gently reuniting the victims to their homes, I returned to my room hungry and fishy smelling. But despite my stomach's pleas for food, and the sea like aroma that lingered on my skin, I was glad. I was glad I had sacrificed my afternoon to save some innocent lives. And yes, jellyfish do have lives. Life is life, no matter if you are a human or an ant. No matter if that life has large purpose or a small purpose. No matter how worthless it may seem. Whether you shoot a gun or squash a bug, you are indeed taking a life. But the same goes for saving one.