Rafe vs. Alex

Authors Note: This is a diagram  comparing and contrasting me to Rafe from Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life.

Rafe Khatchadorian	Similarities	Alex Guindon
·         Breaks rules during school on purpose. ·         Teachers are insane at his school. ·         School Bullies pick on him. ·         Parents are divorced	·         Hates school. ·         Hates Homework. ·         Both in Middle School. ·         Both have sisters who can be snitches when we do anything bad.	·         Usually nice and doesn’t break the rules. ·         Teachers are typically nice and friendly. ·         No real bullies at my school that pick on me. ·         My Parents are still together.

Beautiful Snow

Snow glistening on the ground,
like a blanket of white without a sound.
Flurries on every tree,
what a sight to see.
This poem seems really pleasant,
Almost as nice as a pheasant.
If only I could explain the actual sight I see,
Because it looks more like pee.

The Game Changer

Authors Note: This piece is an alternate ending to the book The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian. I am trying to work on word choice.

As I walked onto the court I saw Rowdy out of the corner of my eye like a tiger. He looked like some kind of mad warrior ready to kick our butts. As the number one team they looked like they meant business. As intimidating as he was, I had to guard him. As a Indian leaving his Indian reservation, and Indian school, and Indian friends to go to a white school,  I thought I was nothing compared to Rowdy. He was bigger, stronger, taller, better looking, and most importantly, a better basketball player. I was a piece of gum on the bottom of his shoe, and he was wearing me down. As the referee called our team captains over I swallowed my fear and joined the rest of the team on the sidelines. When the pep talk was over I walked on the court and saw my friends and family cheering me on as the game was about to begin.

I got into my position to the opposite side of Rowdy as the ball was about to be tipped off. The referee blew the whistle and threw the ball into the air. For a split second my heart dropped as the other team’s player reached a inch farther up and tipped it away from us. The ball then came to Rowdy and he was charging down the court. As his guarder, I quickly sped up to him and was running with him as he was getting closer to the basket. I knew he was quicker and stronger than me so I had to do something to stop him. I knew he would try to dunk the ball on our team just to show everybody who’s boss. As we got close to the basket he tried to pass me but I stayed with him the entire time. He then got seven feet away from the rim and jumped up to make the dunk. I then jumped too and see if I could stop him. He was at least five inches taller than me making him jump higher than me. I looked up and saw the ball in his hands inches from the rim of the hoop. I hoped I had blocked him but I heard the swish of the net as the ball went through the hoop. He was hootin, and hollerin with his teammates trying to send the message to us. I then never played the same the rest of the game. We lost the game 38-66 and Rowdy scored 28 of their points. I didn’t score anything during the game and didn’t start the third quarter. I left that court with a lost game and a lost friend.

For the past couple months I never really saw Rowdy. I saw him stroll by in the reservation and I would try to say “Hi,” but he never said anything back. It was hard going to Reardon since that game. I constantly tried sending emails to Rowdy but there was never a reply. Penelope would talk to me a lot but it was never the same. I wished I could take a time machine back to the start and never go to Reardon and still be friends with Rowdy. I hope he is still doing good. Maybe he already has a new best friend. Even if he does, I still think of him as my friend.

Luke

Authors Note: This piece is a character development piece about Luke from Percy Jackson. I am trying to work on my introduction and conclusion. 

Sometimes people run away from home because they think they have know where to stand in this world. Others get mad at their parents and decided that home isn't the right place for them. My parents occasionally get mad at me and then I’ll get mad at them. I sometimes think to myself what would happen if I did run away. Sometimes you feel like your nothing in this world and you should just leave. Believe me, its happened to everybody, but not quite like what happened to Luke in Percy Jackson. Luke had got so mad at his Dad that not only he left home, but he also turned evil. After wandering around, Luke found himself at Camp Half-blood. He then turned to none other than Kronos, the god of destruction. But how does such an act of Luke’s Dad change Luke so much? If you think about it not many people have a big reason for leaving home, but Luke did.

Luke was a content child before he left home. He lived the life of any normal demigod and acted like a typical kid. Until he figured out what his Dad had restricted telling Luke. While Luke was still a toddler, his mother would often shake him because she could see his future. His father on the other hand had not stopped his Mom therefore making Luke furious. Luke’s Mom later died but Luke still held a grudge against his Dad.

After Luke had heard what his Dad had done, Luke started planning payback on his Dad. But before he could destroy everybody, he needed to act like one of the good guys first. He hitched a ride with a few friends named Annabeth, Thalia, and Grover, and they were all friends who didn't know Luke’s secret. Luke was also the cabin counselor of the Hermes cabin. While managing everything that was going on, he started thinking up ways to be an antagonist against everybody at the camp and destroy the gods. Luke then teamed up with Kronos to defeat all the gods and destroy the world.

During the time Luke was at Camp Half-blood, he did some appalling things to start his vengeance off on his Dad. He started off by stealing Zeus’s Master Bolt, and poisoning Thalia’s tree. Escaping from Camp Half-Blood, he starts up his own army to destroy anybody who gets in his way. Luke then bathes in the Styx to obtain the curse of Achilles in order to help Kronos. When this happens, Luke is truly evil and won’t stop until he dies.

When looking back at the times I've thought about walking out that door and never seeing my family again, it seems good I haven’t done so yet. Luke on the other hand didn't think he was in the right place then. He thought turning dark would show his Dad just how powerful he was. People everywhere have thought about leaving home, and some even do. Home is the place for everyone when you have no place to go, that is unless your Luke. Leaving forever can be one of the most dangerous things a person does in their lives. Luke thought it was the right path because of what his father had done. It’s never good to leave home because that is where you are meant to be. 

Patriots Pen

Authors Note: This piece is a essay on what I would say to the Founding Fathers while the were writing the Constitution. I am trying to work on sentence fluency in this piece.

If I had the chance to go back through time and see our Founding Fathers writing the Constitution, I would inform them on what is needed. First off, we need to enforce a law about slavery. Slavery is one of the worst acts America has gone through and it never should have happened in the first place. Also, segregation is another crises America went through a while back but it never should have happened in the first place. While the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution, they could have provided a law about “No Slavery” and “No Segregation” in there somewhere.

Slavery was a terrible time during the seventeen and eighteen hundreds. Africans were imported to America because of their race and what they looked like. The Africans were used as slaves to work in corn fields, farming, and chores around the house. People believed that Africans were dirty because of the dark, black skin. Americans especially, used them as if they were animals that did their work for them. Almost all the slaves didn't get paid, and they were fortunate if they got a meal each night. Some tried to escape but then got shot down if caught. In the Constitution, the Founding Fathers should have added something about slavery and how wrong it was.  Because it wasn't until the mid-eighteen hundreds that slavery had stopped.

Segregation is also a very cruel topic about Africans not getting the rights they deserve. After the Civil War, segregation started up and ended in the nineteen sixties. Segregation is when Africans had to use separate bathrooms, buses, job areas, and lived in different neighborhoods. People thought Africans were ruthless people because of their black skin. Many blacks didn't have the same rights as white people. This affected a lot of people at the time and was a colossal impact on America’s history.

When the Founding Fathers signed that piece of paper, it meant a lot to America. Multiple rules and laws were on that paper, but some rules were unexploited. Slavery and segregation are two giant parts of America’s history. The Founding Fathers could have added laws about the two issues but had left them out. And because of that, America may never be the same.

Dubstep

Author’s Note: This writing piece was written for a school assignment called the DWA or District Writing Assessment. This assignment is used to see which writing skills a student needs work on or the skills that they have already achieved. In this piece I am working on my Introduction and Conclusion.

Drop the bass, wub, wub, wub! Have you ever heard of the word Dubstep or maybe bass, and not the bass you catch on a boat, I’m talking about real bass. Dubstep is a genre of music that has now been popping out of the crevasses of the music industry since 1998. When you hear strange bass amplified sounds or weird robotic noises in a song, its more than likely Dubstep. Dubstep can be some of the most ironic and original music you have ever laid your ears on.

The sound of Dubstep is the most outrageous part about the music. Dubstep is a mix from electronic and futuristic sounds, to synthesizers and heavy bass. The most common start to the beginning of a Dubstep is a simple snare and kick or cymbal pattern. While Dubstep starts easy and quite, it will almost always end up unexpected in the end. What makes Dubstep so unique is most the songs have hardly any words in them but all sound. If you have ever talked to someone about Dubstep, they may refer to a part in the song called the “drop”. A drop, is when the song takes a totally different path that has creepy sounds or devastating bass. If the beginning of a Dubstep is peaceful and sounds fun and happy, the drop would be exactly the opposite. Describing the drop in words, think of it as good and evil were fighting over who gets heard during the song. In which my case I think the drop is the coolest part of the song.

Some of the first Dubstep mixes came from South London and England.  One of the most common and oldest makers of Dubstep is Skream. Skream started things off when Dubstep just came out in 1998 and is still been making strong mixes since then. Most major Countries are all familiar with the wobbling bass in Dubstep like the U.S, U.K, China, England, and London. Some major Dubstep artists today are Skrillex, Bassnector, Feed Me, Knife Party, and Nero. Skrillex in particular has a very interesting look, but his music he produces is golden. Other  variations of Dubstep are called House and Brostep. House is more of a laid back Dubstep without too much bass and smoother sounds than normal Dubstep. Brostep has very hard bass and may have people rap during the song to enhance a dirty Dubstep. Many people listen to other kinds of music like Rap or Country but only few listen to Dubstep. Dubstep has definitely grown since 1998 but hasn’t been as popular as some of the hit genres until now. People who listen to Dubstep may look different or strange. I’m not saying you’ll look weird if you listen to Dubstep. But, many people who listen to Dubstep are Goth and can stand out in a crowd. Me on the other hand do not look anything like that but, I do crave the uneven electronic melody.

Present day Dubstep has taken a lift off in the battle of music this decade. When famous artists like Brittany Spears and Rihanna added a few Dubstep mixes into songs, they went off the charts. Multiple artists like Dubstep as their background music during a song. Since about 2010, the Dubstep industry has been skyrocketing to the top five and tens of Dance Music. Skrillex’s Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites was number three on the dance/electronic charts in the U.S. For the last three years, Dubstep has been taking over the music industry and is excelling into one of the biggest genres in music.

For how crazy and ironic Dubstep is, it’s pretty cool if you’re into it. Dubstep CD’s can be found anywhere if you want to give it a try. I remember one of my friends brought me into Dubstep and it’s now the only thing I listen to.  Between the heavy bass and futuristic sounds, Dubstep is something out of this world. So the next time you walk past a Skrillex CD in Wal Mart, pick it up and you may have just found a whole new world of music.

White Water Rafting

“Which one should we choose?” I asked.

“I don’t know you pick, but only one.” My Mom replied.

“White water rafting or the dinosaur thing.”

“Well pick it, this shouldn’t take all day.”

It was the last day of our summer vacation. We were going to head home the next day, but we wanted to end the vacation on a good note. We were on a two week vacation  in an RV. My family and I were driving through some of the states out west and right now we were in Wyoming. My sister and I couldn’t decide whether to go white water rafting or to a dinosaur dig. They would each take a day long and we could only choose one. The dinosaur dig was a giant open area where you take a shovel and dig for dinosaur bones. And white water rafting is when you and your family are in this big raft and you float your way through a narrow river of rocks and fallen trees. I wanted to do both but I could only do one. I kept thinking, it was pretty warm that day. Plus, the Go Pro I got for my birthday could capture all the exhilarating moments of white water rafting. I thought my last thoughts and then made my decision.

“I’ll go white water rafting.”

“Alright, Libby is that ok for you.”

“Sure.”

“Ok then, I’ll call the place up and set the time for when we’re going.”

The next day my Mom said we were going to get ready to go at about 10:00. The plan was for us to raft down half the river,  then eat lunch at a  rest stop. After that we would raft down the other way until we were at the closing stages of the river. I threw my swim trunks on and was ready to go. The place was next door to where our RV was parked so we walked to the place and grabbed helmets and lifejackets. We thought we were the only ones going to be in the boat until a group of adults came in at the last second.

Everybody had to wear helmets and lifejackets because people often fell out of the boats and the water was very deep. After everybody had their helmets fitted to the right size we hopped in the van to take us to the boat dock. When we got to the dock the boat was lowered into the river and we were ready to take off. The tour guide told us about the river and directions for paddling. My Mom and Dad sat in the middle of the boat where my sister and I sat in the front of the boat. The other adults and my parents took up everywhere else in the boat so we sat up in the front and didn’t paddle. She also told us that there will be four different kinds of waves when white water rafting. Type four waves were huge while type ones were small. After the explaining was done we got to the actual waves. The guide told my parents and the adults to start rowing. She would yell commands as to which way we should row or if we should stop.

“Forward.”

She would yell and everybody would paddle. The first waves we got to were type two which weren’t that bad. My sister and I would sit in the front and get splashed with water every time we hit a rock. It was pretty cold water but since it was so hot we could manage it. After we cleared the type two waves we were back into smooth sailing. The guide said next up were type three and four waves. She then told me to ride on the raft like a “bull”. I didn’t exactly know what she meant until she said it’s like riding a real bull. I got right to the tip the raft and hung my feet over the edge of the boat. There was a rope around the tube that I hung onto so I wouldn’t fall off the boat. I didn’t know how bad the type four wave was going to be but I was pretty excited. As the waves started to come up again the tour guide yelled commands and all the adults followed.

 I started to see why they called the waves type threes and fours because the rocks were getting bigger and bigger. You could see the rocks swallowing the water and it looked pretty big. The closer and closer we got towards the middle of the type four waves, I clenched the rope as if it was holding me back from death. Water was splashing and lashing out at me as I got wetter and wetter by the second. Then I saw it, a type four wave. The rock holding the wave was probably about seven feet in height and the drop into the wave was a good five feet into a black hole of water. I was now using a death grip on the rope in hope that I didn’t fall into the water. I was told by the instructor to lean into any big waves and never lean back. I thought that was a ludicrous idea but I did what she said and leaned forward. The closer we got, the more scared I was. The boat was five feet from the rock and we kept getting closer. I kept leaning forward as we got nearer. Our boat then was on top of the rock and my heart sank as I saw the drop. It was like getting sucked into a worm whole of water. The boat fell off the rock and we plunged into the type four. The wave sucked the boat under it as if we were cows in a tornado. In a heartbeat, the water rushed over me  and I then saw why we had to lean forward. I then found myself inside the boat and on top of my sister. I was drenched in water not knowing what had happened until my parents told me that I had been thrown into the boat by the water.

I felt water up my nose and it felt great. I had never done something like this but it was something immense. I had one of the prevalent smiles on my face after it had happened. For some reason I was resembling it. White water rafting was one of the unsurpassed things on our trip. It was so thrilling that I wanted to do it again. Thank goodness I picked white water rafting over the dinosaur dig because this was one of the most paramount things I’ve ever done.

Cause/Effect: The Westing Game

Authors Note: This is a short essay on the book The Westing Game. This is a cause/effect piece on a specific part of the story and what would happen if it as changed.

The book The Westing Game, is about Mr. Westing getting murdered, and how 16 people have to find out who did it. When Sandy dies in front of the heirs, it is soon after revealed by Turtle to be Sam Westing in disguise. Sandy dies because she drinks too much lemon juice in a glass and dies in front of everybody. 

Now because Sandy died in front of everybody, Mr. Westing died as well. If Sandy didn't drink the lemon juice, nobody would have knew it was Mr. Westing. Then Mr. Westing would have never been found and nobody would have won the Westing Game. Although Mr. Westing did die, nobody won the Westing Game because nobody killed Mr. Westing, and so everybody lost.

Conflict/Resolution: The hunger Games

Authors Note: This piece is a conflict/resolution piece on the book The Hunger Games. This piece is for the reading lab so we know how to write a conflict/resolution piece.

The book The Hunger Games, has a main conflict with a few secondary conflicts following after it. Katniss has to fight for her life against a bunch of other people in a winner takes all death match. It’s a person vs. person battle for their lives. Katniss later finds out she is also fighting against her government  with Peeta during the games in a person vs. society. In the rules of the Hunger Games, to win you must be the last person alive. But when she doesn’t want to kill her best friend she has no choice but to face the government.

In the end, Katniss and Peeta win the Hunger Games when everybody else is dead. Katniss and Peeta however, face up to the government and the government has no choice but to let both of them win together.

Retelling-The Hunger Games

Authors Note: This is a retelling piece about The Hunger Games, a science fiction novel. 

The Hunger Games is about a girl who nominated herself to fight for her life against friends and enemies in a game of life and death. When she finds out what the games are really about, she stands up against the government and won't back down. In the games she finds out who her true self is when her back is against the wall.