Reflection...

When I started out this semester I believed that it was going to be a breeze. I have been writing stories and many different kinds of blogs and poetry since I was a kid. This class has pushed me towards being a better writer as well as giving me the courage to post on a website. This has taught me that review and reflecting are a necessary part of creating a great piece of writing. This class has taught me that I have to be open to other ideas. I have to be open to different teaching styles as well.

Editing my writing has always been the most difficult part of my writing. I hate criticism even if it makes me a better writer. When I receive it I always take it to heart and what usually ends up happening is after I get it I usually stop writing. I am a perfectionist so when I do something wrong I feel like kicking myself over it. This class has taught me that I need to take it in stride and try and improve my writing when I receive it.

When people give me ideas for what I should write about I usually will take it the exact opposite way of what I think that they meant by it. When I write normally it is only for me. Writing with a script of what I am supposed to do has never been my style. I write what I want to write and how I want to do it and usually that is all that I will do. I greatly dislike when people tell me what I can write. This semester I had to do just one writing that I did not want to do and that was the What’s Wrong with Cinderella paper. That one held absolutely no interest for me which was probably why that was my worst paper this semester. When I don’t want to do something it is impossible for me to do a good job with it. This semester I learned that I have to have some diversity in my writing in order to move forward.

Through out my entire time in high school I was praised for my writing especially from my favorite English teacher Mr. McMeel. He pushed me to use every ounce of emotion inside of me to make me a better writer. At one point in time I actually managed to scare him I think with something that I wrote. It was very dark but even he had said that it was very well written. In all four years of high school I usually had the same response to my writing after my teachers read it so adapting to a different teacher was difficult. After I got the first grade back on my paper I was upset because I had every thought in my mind that I was going to be getting a good grade on it. It was exactly how I wrote in high school with my own personal experiences.

This semester has taught me many different things that I am thankful for. I know that a lot of what I learned will stay with me. This has improved my writing and it makes me happy to know that I have progressed this semester.

Sexting

Cell phones are a great tool if they are used correctly. Many people think that phones are the way to get away with things that you never thought you would. As a belief that you can get away with anything, these days we have a lot of disturbing images being sent over cell phones. People in these times believe that all of the material that they send is a secret. All texts can be traced back to not only the sender but the direct person and location that it came from. Sexting is a major issue and in order to stop this we need to understand a few different consequences to these actions.

Texting is a wonderful tool, but the issue is Sexting. Sexing is the exchange of sexually themed messages and pictures between mobile devices. Sexting has been an issue that has been all over the news. Three years ago, nineteen year old Vanessa Hudgens was caught sending nude photographs by cell phone to her boyfriend Zac Efron. There was a major issue with this as well as the photos that are still all over the internet. Not only does this serve as a privacy issue, but it is also a moral issue. If people feel comfortable enough to reveal themselves as they do on their cell phones, what will happen with other things in their lives? Will they just allow themselves to be objectified?

The way that we can shy people away from doing this is by putting more harsh consequences in place for the people that get caught committing this crime. According to Guardian.co.uk, “American teenagers are increasingly facing prosecution as sex offenders as a result of the rapidly spreading practice of sending explicit photos of themselves by mobile phones.” There is not only punishment for the people who take the pictures; also the people that receive the photos face prosecution as well. “In the latest case, three teenage girls in Greensburg Pennsylvania who sent nude self portraits and the three male classmates who received the images have all been served with child pornography charges. The girls have been charged with manufacturing and disseminating child pornography while the boys are accused of possessing it.” These are not charges that go away. These charges stay on your record. There are many jobs that will not hire people with these charges. Not only that, but take this as a personal and moral defeat. When these people grow up, these issues will haunt them for the rest of their lives. That isn’t something that most people can consciously handle.

Another reason that this is a problem is that it promotes the usage of cyber relationships. According to the Social Behavior& Personality: An International Journal; One of the reasons that people get into these kind of relationships is because not only does it eliminate most chances of a physical relationship there for also eliminating the thought of being let down or emotionally hurt. That offers the freedom in relationships as well. These relationships are not a replacement for the human contact though which causes a major issue. People need the human contact in order to function. That is why these people are resorting to sexting these pictures to each other. This isn’t something to be laughed off. This is serious issue that without being brought to the public attention will cause further problems in the minds of our future generations. Imagine how you would feel to look at your child up in court because you allowed them to have a cell phone.

Issues are also arising with the fact that most children by or even before the age of 12 already possess a cell phone. Children at that age do not possess the knowledge or comprehension to understand the consequences of taking that action of taking a photograph of themselves like that.

Let’s look at the percentages of people that have openly admitted to taking part in Sexting. According to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy “Teens and young adults are conflicted about sending/posting sexually suggestive content- they know that it is potentially dangerous, yet many do it anyway. 39% of teens and 59% of young adults have sent or posted sexually suggestive emails or text messages, and 20% of teens and 33% of young adults have sent/posted nude or semi-nude images of themselves.” Those numbers are almost too high for the demographic that they are studying. Seeing these results is almost sickening. Understanding that the number of people that took part in this survey was few compared to the owners of cell phones that are in our world. If this number was studied not only through just under 2000 people and was spread across every cell phone user in the world these numbers would definitely have an increase.

This is a difficult issue to deal with. According to Guardian.co.uk, “Prosecutors are facing increasing dilemmas because case law has not kept up with the impact of digital media on teenage behavior.” Not as many laws have been set in place for the issues of Sexting as of yet. In order to stop this growing epidemic we need to create harsher laws to try to shy people away from trying this behavior. Thinking back to the early 2000’s when this type of technology was first coming out there was a song put out by N’sync called Digital Get Down.

I lose my mind just when you're speaking/I see you on the screen I get to freaking'/So get down babe/And I'll get down for you..(I'll get down for you)/I get so excited when I'm watching' girl/I can't wait to see you touch your body girl/It's just me and You,/So we can do what we gotta do yea.

This was in the early 2000’s before this technology was even widely available. This music was exposed to kids. Thinking back I am able to recall that at the age of 10 I was dancing around singing this song. Older teens may have taken this a different way thinking that this behavior as appropriate.

According to Cincinnati News, Two Mason teenagers charged in Sexting case, they found nude photographs on a cell phone. The Warren County prosecutor’s office charged the two juveniles in contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a first degree misdemeanor. The children whose pictures were found were of a fifteen year old student on another student’s cell phone. “The way that the statue reads, these teenagers could be charged and labeled as sex offenders. I do not believe that these teenagers are felons or sex offenders, but these are illegal and dangerous actions that must be stopped.”

In order to get rid of this issue, everyone needs to be on board with punishing those who break the laws and trying to teach the cell phone users before it even gets to this point. People being prosecuted and images ruined of model students isn’t anything that any of us would like to see. This isn’t something that we would want to see our kids doing when they get older. We need to start setting an example for our peers and for our future. This isn’t something that we can shove off as kids being kids. This issue continues to grow and there needs to be something in place to stop this from occurring. Please practice safe texting.

Journal Four - Designer Babies

This is one topic that I am sort of in the dark on. I am not too into the idea of picking how my kids look or anything like that. I want them to be healthy. That is all that I really care about when it comes to my kids in the future. They can be little ginger kids with tons of freckles and as long as they are mine and they are healthy that is all I care about.

People that are that determined to have that kind of control over how their children turn out need help. They need to understand that this is supposed to be a beautiful, natural thing. The only exception that I am open to is if a woman is infertile and they have to do a procedure in order to get pregnant. I understand that. People want to be able to be parents and if there is no natural way to do that then medically they should be able to.

I want people to stop trying to change the natural. I want people to see and love the world around them for what it is and stop trying to change it. Scientists need to stop trying to mess with the natural order of things in this world. They need to back off and let nature take its course and worry more about how to stop diseases like cancer. They need to focus on what is important, rather than the cosmetic. If all the scientists in the world focused more on cancer and all other diseases rather than what they can do to change the natural order of things, there would be no more diseases and dying for no reason.

Whats wrong with Cinderella

“Cinderelly, Cinderelly Night and day it's Cinderelly Make the fire, fix the breakfast Wash the dishes, do the mopping And the sweeping and the dusting They always keep her hopping” The work song from Cinderella. This song is the first thing that I thought of when I read the title of this piece. Being a Princess in my eyes is just a way to be a kid. Most girls are able to grow out of it by the time that they hit their teens. I honestly do not think that all of the stock that they put into princesses is a bad thing. Honestly the belief of the feminist that wrote that is wrong. I understand that it is a belief of others but that is just a woman that is out of her mind.

Boys will be boys and girls will be girls I absolutely dislike the stereotype but it is true. All of us have our different things that separate us, and maybe believing that we are princesses could be a help rather than a hurt. Being a little girl has its absolute upsides. I myself am a tom boy who loves cars, grease, video games and sports, but when it comes to a pretty dress and a special occasion I am always dressed for success. This woman is taking the wonders of childhood and cutting them short. The fact that she in the open voiced her opinion about princesses that her daughter was able to pick up on it was ridiculous. The children have nothing to do with anything that is going on in their parent’s life. As a kid they should be able to enjoy their childhood as a pretty in pink character. Children should be able to enjoy the make believe and the feelings that they get from pretending that they are a princess.

Everyone has their own childhood experiences. Mine happen to be playing in dirt and listening to music. My best friend was obsessed with Barbie dolls and was a princess in her eyes. As well as my cousin who from day one had a book in her hands. Girls take whatever path that they decided. It is not some predestined fate that they have to have the princess mentality that they cannot do anything without a man’s help. I personally see relying on a man as a sin even if I want one in my life I would never let him take care of me. Women need their own independence. Even from their own mother if she is instilling items in her child’s brain as this woman is.

“When colors were first introduced to the nursery in the early part of the 20^th century pink was considered the more masculine hue.” That just falls in line with everything that I have heard from my friends and family over the years that it takes a true man to wear pink. I believe that a real man can wear pink and shouldn’t be criticized or judged for it but on that hand if we are ok with men wearing pink, why is it a big deal if girls wear pink and consider themselves princesses.

Journal Three - Cosmetic Surgery

I honestly do not understand why people want to do this to themselves. My own body isn’t exactly something that I am proud of but I would never risk going under the knife just to fix a flaw that I am uncomfortable with, It is one thing to add things to skin, like a tattoo or piercing or something like that but to take things off of yourself or to get yourself bigger breasts is just crazy!

Years ago I convinced my best friend in the world to not get a breast augmentation. She wanted her double Ds to be smaller. As soon as I brought up how stupid it would be to go under the knife for something that others would kill to have. Now she is engaged and happy exactly the way that she is, and I am happy for her.

In my family I have had one person that received cosmetic surgery. My grandmother 5 years ago was diagnosed with breast cancer. In order to get rid of the risk they had to take her whole left breast off. So that it didn’t look weird, she had them do cosmetic surgery in order to replace the one that they removed. That I believe is one of the only reasons that a surgery should be done for the purposes of looks.

If this world has come to the point that you cannot be comfortable in your own skin then how can we ever have our own identity? I want people to see that they do not have to change themselves to be beautiful. Sometimes it is better to have your own quirks than to get rid of what you were born with.

Journal Two - A More Perfect Union...?

Honestly reading through this speech, it is long winded. Barrack speaks about the diversity of people and yet the poverty that he probably faced in his life was less than honorable, he speaks about his family, how he comes from a black father and a white mother, The poverty that he would have faced would have been more of his family and their racial differences of the time. While others who come from a purely black family were just discriminated against in general.

He states that we have to unite, black, white, Asian, and Latino as one in order to face of problems of today, I agree with that statement completely. The problems that we are facing as a country needs to be face together.

Coming from a multi racial family, I understand how important it is to work together in harmony rather than fighting each other at every turn. How Barrack speaks about how his pastor used incendiary language to express views that have the potentials to widen the racial divide was something that spoke to me. There are 3 sides of my family. There is the Greek side, who are straight off of the boat from there in a big family and my Cuban side who is also straight off of the boat, everyone on the Greek side hates the Cubans, as well as anyone who is a Cuban/ Greek mix. The divide has gone on for over 30 years because of the fact my grandmother decided to marry a Cuban.

Racism is not an easy thing to overcome in any generation. No matter how long the slavery has ended, there will always be derogatory comments that float around in the world. One man as the president of the United States may be able to get a million people to stop the racism but it only takes one to start it back up again.

I lucked out being lighter skinned and taking the characteristics of my mother’s side. The lighter skin as well as the clearly polish forehead, although looking at my dad, I am a lighter version of him. I was never subjected to the name calling, to people calling me a spick, I never had to deal with the problems of me not being able to speak English. I lucked out on a lot of fronts.

I believe that this is one of few issues that time might be able to resolve. Sadly I do not believe that one man will be able to change the views of a whole country.

My Identity...

What makes me who I am is my music. I love the way that it makes me feel. I love how the songs all tell a story, and when I am writing how it tells my story. My family surrounded me in music when I was little. When I began writing my own music the feeling that it left me with was incredible. When I went to my first concert part of me was determined to have that experience, to be up on stage singing and having thousands of people cheering and screaming to hear me play my music. That is the feeling that I strive for. One day I will have people listen to me sing and feel how I feel just by the words I am singing.

Starting out when I was growing up, both of my parents were singers. They surrounded me with music constantly. They owned a Karaoke business for seven years and I was always able to come and sing with them. My dad raised me on country music while my mom wanted to get me into all other kinds of music. To this day I am still into just about every kind of music. When I sing with my family, I feel as though it makes me stronger. My parents are my toughest critics when I am singing. They always have more feedback for me then anyone that I have had with me in my life. I have been singing since I was three; that is the one constant thing in my life that hasn’t ever gone away.

The first time I started writing my own music it was difficult. I could always come up with the music but could never come up with the words to the songs that I was making. The first time that I started writing was when I was in 5^th grade; at that point the music I wrote was fairly simple. I wanted to have that writing experience where everything that I would think would just come out on paper the way that I was thinking it. I want to show everyone the things inside my head. My music, just like anything that I do, is a huge part of who I am and what makes me who I am. The first time that I sang my own music in front of others I wasn’t even scared, granted I was young and I wasn’t really afraid of anything. Music is just something that flows out of me and I love it.

The first time that I picked up an instrument was in 5^th grade. I started out playing the oboe, but that didn’t hold my attention for very long. Not long after that I started playing piano. It felt amazing to start learning how to play other peoples music and hearing it coming out of the piano. Being as eager to learn music as I always have been, I had to learn more. After hearing and feeling the sound on the piano, I wanted to know what it would be like to play the guitar. I loved the feeling of the strings beneath my hands. It was empowering and the moment that I picked up that guitar I knew that it was a part of me. I haven’t stopped playing the guitar in over 6 years. I love it. That is just three of the instruments that I play.

The first concert that I went to was Nickelback this past May. When I went to that concert, I was enjoying every minute. I kept thinking about how it would be to be up on that stage singing. To have people all around me singing my songs and having all of the excitement to have everyone listening to my music it would be incredible. When I was at that concert looking down at Chad Kroeger I was able to see that he loved it when everyone was singing his songs back to him. I want to have that chance. Half of me wanted to jump up on stage and start singing with them. Music is my life and I know that it has to be for anyone that tours and sings in front of crowds regularly. They have the heart and the drive to keep going and they always strive for more.

Music is what makes me who I am. I love my family for getting me into my music. I love the feeling that I get when I am writing my music. I love the way the first concert that I went to because I saw what I wanted to be without a doubt. Music is my life and my love. Music is the only constant part of my identity that never changes. “What’s worth the price is always worth the fight, every second counts cause there is no second tries” From If today was your last day by Nickelback. Everything that I do has a price, but it will always be worth it because it is keeping a part of my identity.