A blog dedicated to the most beautiful, incredible, amazing, perfect person I know....Alaina.

     If I ever had to argue with someone on whether or not there is such thing as perfection, I would win without a doubt. If I ever had to argue with someone about whether or not there is such thing as an incredible friend, I would win. If I ever had to argue with someone on whether or not the sweetest person in the world exists, I would win that there was. All I had to do was mention one name...and that name is...Alaina.
     Now, I probably sound crazy or obsessed, but the moment you meet Alaina you can't help but just fall in love with her. She is such an incredible friend. If I never need someone to turn to, I know I can turn to her. She helps me think of things in class that otherwise I would have never thought of! She's such a positive contribution to the classroom and to my life! In the morning, when i'm half-dying and not looking forward to the day ahead, Alaina makes it so much more bearable. She always puts a smile on my face. And HER smile just lights up.
      Billy, Casey and I depend on her so much. She is the rock that keeps us up. She SAVES us. American Literature without Alaina? I would feel like there was an emptiness in my soul. Whenever she is absent, the class doesnt feel complete. But alas, we know she's doing something crazy like delivering a baby, so its all okay.
     Now that Alaina is in my life, I can't imagine a life without her. Our laughs, Harry Potter Jokes, sweet comments, everything. It means so much to me. Alaina, you are a real best friend. I love you(: <3

Plow

I try to be different
I try to be me
But its never been easy
Being a teen in society
Wear this and wear that, who knows what to do
Watch everything you say
It can come back to haunt you
I don't wear the lastest fashions
I don't spend billions when I shop
I may not know everyone
I'm not on the social mountaintop
The crazy party last night?
Sounds like fun, I can see!
But losing control?
Nah, thats not my cup of tea
I like giving my opinion
It can be social suicide today
I'm sorry I let my imagination go wild
It sometimes runs away
Who decided what to look like?
How to talk and what to wear?
The sad thing is though
That deep down we all really care
We want to fit in, you as well as I
But what are we fitting in to?
Is it something concrete? Or is it just a lie?
I know who I am
You know who you are
With a little self-confidence
We can both go far
We only have one life to live
But the question is how?
Don't be a follower...
YOU be the plow.

There's Modern Slavery? What?

       Slavery is a system in which people are the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation.  In some societies it was legal for an owner to kill a slave. In others it was a crime to kill a slave.
        The number of slaves today remains as high as 12 to 27 million,  though this is probably the smallest proportion of the world's population in history. Most are debt slaves, largely in South Asia,  who are under debt bondage to lenders, sometimes even for generations. Human Trafficking is primarily for prostituting women and children into sex industries. It is the fastest growing criminal industry and is predicted to eventually outgrow drug trafficking.

        The slave trade in Africa was officially banned in the early 1880s, but forced labor continues to be practiced in West and Central Africa today. UNICEF estimates that 200,000 children from this region are sold into slavery each year. Many of these children are from Benin and Togo, and are sold into the domestic, agricultural, and sex industries of wealthier, neighboring countries such as Nigeria and Gabon.
   This is just one example of slavery today. Though we may not give it much attention, its happening. To be honest, before this blog, I had really given modern slavery a second thought. I knew that it was happening, but i didn't know it was this severe. There are kids being mutilated in Sudan so that they don't run away. Making carpets in India for little to no pay. People are being shackled together. Many AMERICANS think that slavery was abolished when the Emancipation Proclamation came around, but the scary truth is that the horrors of slavery still flourishes today.

What Happens in the Classroom...Stays in the Classroom?

class·room

[klas-room, -room, klahs-]

–noun

1.

a room, as in a school or college, in which classes are held.

2.

any place where one learns or gains experience.

 

     The Classroom, I spend about...7.5 or 8 hours in a classroom. Class Discussions, taking tests, quizzes, etc. To be completely honest, I don't even mind being in a classroom! I love listening to what other people have to say and I love learning. There are so many things in the world that we have yet to even think about, and the classroom helps us think about that.

     Along with classwork there comes **queue the horror music** the homework. Oh the Homework. The crazy **or sometimes invisible** amount of outside classroom work that takes over what I like to call my social life. Now, don't get me wrong, sometimes I enjoy doing homework. There's a feeling of success and pride when you finish a 15 step proof or complete a science fair paper. Homework is necessary, though many of my peers would challenge me on that. Homework is here to reinforce what we've learned and prove that we understand it...but what if we don't?

      I think that teacher should set aside maybe once or twice a weeks to spend fifteen minutes or so doing homework IN class. If a student doesn't completely grasp a concept, then goes off and does the homework, then they're just reinforcing the wrong things. If time is set aside to do homework in class and thoroughly go over homework, I think people will understand the ideas better. And plus, if you understand a concept, isn't it so much better doing the homework because you ACTUALLY know what you're doing?

     Also, I think that every once in a while, taking a break from the typical classroom surrounding will benefit the students. If you look at the definition (above) you will notice that a classroom is ANY PLACE where one learns or gains experience. Teenagers get tired and bored easily, especially of the same things all the time. If teachers maybe tried to spice up class a bit, take us to another classroom, the tech center, ANYWHERE, it will keep us interested.

     I have a bittersweet relationship with the classroom. But then again, can I really blame the classROOM on what I think is wrong or should be change...or should I blame the class itself?