Tuesday, June 19, 2012

My Grandfather’s Remarkable Life

Joanna H
Period 2
English 11A
                                                         My Grandfather’s Remarkable Life



                                                            My Grandfather’s Remarkable Life
Along with numerous nomadic tribes people, two main indigenous groups existed in Argentina before the European arrival. In the northwest, near Bolivia and the Andes, was a people known as the Diaguita, while further south and to the east were the Guarani. Together the Diaguita and the Guarani constitute the origins of permanent agricultural civilization in Argentina, both developing the cultivation of maize. The Diaguita are also remembered for having successfully prevented the powerful Inca from expanding their empire into Argentina from what is now Bolivia. Why do I talk about Argentine history you may ask? Well it’s simple, my Grandfather is one of those little boys that were forced to immigrate into a different country because of what their Leaders were known for, “The Nazis.” Yes my grandfather is German. He immigrated to Argentina when he was just 10 years old in the year of 1942. My Grandfather has told me that he wasn’t aware of why he was moving into a different country with a different language, if everything seemed to be okay with his dad’s job (who happened to have a partnership with the Jews). But of course he was just 10-years of age, what could a 10 year old possibly to in such a critical time as that? He decided to just keep quiet and go along with his father’s decision of moving into the country of Argentina.
         My grandfather’s dad put him in this really prestigious school there in Argentina that promised to show my grandpa the perfect Argentine Spanish language and help him discover any talents he might have deep inside of him. That’s when things started to get really good according to my grandfather. He had already 10 years living in Argentina, Buenos Aires, he was 2O years old and was very already very fluent with the Spanish Language. He always been very bright and quick to learn, and from the privilege I’ve had to have conversations with him, I promise you he has the perfect brain intelligence to join the NASA, NO Kidding. Okay back to the topic, during his stay there in Argentina, he noticed that every time he heard happy music play, he found himself dancing along to what the beat made him feel. He says that Argentina is a Beautiful place in which music is Literally always playing music in most the places you visit. So of course you could imagine him always so very Jolly when it came down to hearing music play. He got to the point in which he’d dance in front of unknown public && simply danced his heart out, it was as if it was a new language all Over again && he wanted to explore the wonders of it. He didn’t know much about the art of dancing, but from all that passion people saw in him every day for music, one day he decided to find a professional school in which he’d be taught absolutely everything there was to know about dancing.
         He found the school he was longing to be in. Although he wasn’t yet well known in much places, he was way more than Happy to be on the Pursuit of His very own Happiness. After a few years, he was well known as a professional dancer there in Argentina. He was a four time straight Champion in the beautiful dancing industry, until one day his life took an interesting turn. He says it was a Beautiful sunny day with a couple of clouds, blue sky, and a fresh breeze he was able to feel through his shoulders. He was practicing his new choreography before the class he was teaching started, when out of the blue a Beautifully elegant lady asks him if he taught dancing, she apparently wanted to learn how to dance as a surprise for her upcoming wedding with a general from the country. My grandfather was just so stunned by her beauty and delicacy, that he was simply speechless when she was finished talking. He says both him and he were aware that she was engaged to be married, but deep inside they both new that the instant their eyes met, something in the air just clicked. My grandfather describes it as something supernatural that no human but God has access to define, he says it just felt right. That lady’s name was Dina and as soon as she realized she felt something different for a man who she’d barely met and wasn’t her fiancé, she immediately changed her gorgeous Orchid smile in to a strict women’s straight face. My grandfather decided to accept her as a student there in his school without a cost, he was delighted/honored to be a teacher to one of the most Beautiful women he’d ever seen there in Argentina, “Bellissima” according to one of my grandfather’s favorite phrases. My grandfather says Dina was pretty tough to work with because she didn’t want to admit something she was beginning to feel towards my grandfather. Dina was taught well by her parents to be true to her commitments; but to her it was just inevitable to stop feeling happy, full of life, and free when she was around my Grandfather. Dina had practiced with my grandfather Federico for weeks and the what they feared the most, happened, they had “accidently” fallen in Love.
Dina was just 3 days away from her prestigious wedding of the year, 3 days! And she was just depressed because she had no idea what she was going to decide; she knew she had a Huge commitment she couldn’t just break, but she also knew she had a heart that was BEGGING her to pay attention to it. She was in such big pain for what she had to decide, but she thought it was the best decision. My grandfather loved Dina so much, that with a slight sound of his heart breaking, to make it easier for her, he suggested that she went on and fulfilled her commitment with her soon to be husband. She was probably waiting for my grandfather to ask her to not do it, to stay, that there was another way to make things right and still be happy! But the reality was another, that she was already engaged and had to do what she had to do. My grandfather says she was so much in pain, that on her way home, she couldn’t think straight, she wasn’t watching both sides of the rode and as inevitable as it was, she was hit by a car and immediately taken to the hospital. Both my grandfather and her fiancé were notified of this horrible incident.
That night was one of the most devastating nights any one could ever have, Dina was in Intensive Care for 3 days and entered a stage of comma. My grandfather never told Dina’s fiancé that he was in Love with her, he simply said with a Devastating pain in his heart that he was part of a surprise she was making for him and that he grew a huge brother to sister affection for her and that, that was the reason why he was suffering to her that way. Her supposed fiancé who claimed to be strongly in Love with her couldn’t stand being in that hospital after a month and just cowardly called it quits with Dina and ran away. My grandfather knew about this and tells me that every time he’d see her every single day and sometimes even fall asleep in the same room as her, then he’d go in the chapel the hospital had, and cried his heart out to God, blaming himself for what Dina was going through once and over again. He then noticed that all that was doing was making matters worse. 3 weeks after he decided to go back to the chapel and act different; and instead of saying vulnerabilities as he always did, he made a promise to God, that if she woke up miraculously, that he’d give his dreams up to watch over her, to care for her, to be patient, and to simply Love her for the rest of his life.
Miraculously Dina woke up from her comma after 2 months of no responses, and my grandfather couldn’t wait to see her. He was just really anxious to see her, he bought her flowers and a special letter he’d made for her every day. And just as he entered the room, Dina’s ex fiancé was inside there with her, acting like what he did never happened. Flawlessly and hypocritically telling Dina that he missed her so much and couldn’t believe she was finally awake. Dina was confused at first because something deep inside her made her feel some type of rejection towards her fiancé. She wasn’t sure why but she decided to confess to him that she didn’t Love him, that she needed time to think. He was obviously unhappy with what she decided, and only ignorantly insulted her as though he were a 10 year old child that was angry at the fact that things didn’t go his way. Instead of insulting him back, she called it completely off with him and had ordered him to leave and never come back (that was the last time she saw him). My grandfather presence this happening with lots of joy and happily kicked him out of the hospital with other security guards. Three days later Dina was able to go home. My grandfather and Dina dated for a few months more until the day my grandfather popped the question and was then engaged to Dina. Dina was so beyond thankful for the second chance God had given her at life, that she became sign language teacher. Words couldn’t explain how Amazingly happy she was to marry the True Love of her life, she just was. For her wedding she decided to dance that special dance she had prepared a while back, made it better and much more special for her wedding with my grandfather. Marrying my grandfather Federico Poplowski is what made Dina Lopilato, my Beautiful Grandmother up to this day.
Buenos Aires Argentina
   
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Monday, June 18, 2012

Cheerleading


Tyesha H.
5-18-12
Per. 5

Cheerleading


Everyone has their own opinion whether or not cheerleading is a sport. The stereo type about us NEVER crosses my mind; I love it and think it’s a sport no matter what anybody says.
      Most people do not know that Cheerleading actually began as an all male sport. According to Wikipedia, “Princeton class of 1882 graduate Thomas Peebles moved to Minnesota in 1884, and transplanted the idea of organized crowds cheering at football games to the University of Minnesota” (Wikipedia).  This shows that although cheerleading is popular among women nowadays, it was common for males to participate. It wasn’t until 1907, during World War II when women started joining and the men who weren’t at war were trying to make a living by starting businesses.  
     Although some middle schools offer cheerleading, it is not usually as big as All Star and college cheerleading.  All star cheerleading, which are cheerleaders that do not cheer for a city or school, usually have teams of about 6 to 36 people. All star cheerleaders prepare all year for competitions.  “The squad prepares year-round for many different competition appearances, but they only actually perform for up to 2½ minutes during their routines.”  Unlike high school cheerleading, college cheering has a lot more freedom in stunting and uniforms. There is actually a state law were we can’t do a number of things that college cheerleaders can. Some advantages of joining cheerleading in HS are getting scholarships and the opportunity to meet former All Star cheerleaders who can help high school students join the All Star team and possibly be in a movie.
      Girls and boys don’t have to wait until HS to join cheerleading they can start as young as the age of 4 years old. The divisions used by the USASF/IASF are currently Tiny, Mini, Youth, Junior, Junior International, Junior Coed, Senior, Senior Coed, Special Needs, and Open International.”
       Cheerleading has been great experience for me. It has taught me how to humble myself and not to judge people based off their appearances and their actions.  I have learned to cope with people I dislike very much and their attitudes which will help me in my future career.  Cheerleading has really helped me become more of a young lady and has helped other girls to become stronger leaders and more confident. 

Double Voicing: Bell High School


Anthony G.
Period 5
4/24/12           

                                    Double Viewing About Bell High School           
           
During my time in Bell High School, I think Bell High School is a trashy school because the food is horrible, the education is lame but most importantly the students are ghetto. There have been students who think they are the shit just cause they smoke weed. Personally I think they are people who are wasting their lives, might as well not be in school and just stay home like lowlifes. Most students that are into the school stuff are the ones that just want to get it over with. Most things that happen in Bell are fights, which show students that who are tough, and who’s not, me personally I think that is stupid childish thing. Another thing is that what goes on with girls who get in with the wrong crowd, For example girls go with guys who have no interest of coming to school. The girls would think that they have a gentleman on their side that would get love by them. But in reality they are girls that are getting played on by one of another and that’s the true.   
  
It’s my first day of Bell High School, the whole staff and the counselors was nice when I was getting my schedules. When I went to go check out my classes some students were so welcoming to me and some weren’t. But being in that class made me feel nervous, the teacher had told me to introduce myself and I told her that I was a guy that like doing school work and try to keep up with my school. When she had told me to go sit down, I seen a pretty girl staring at me but I just ignored it. When it was time to go to my next class I felt like I wasn’t going to be able to fit in like the rest of the students. When it was time to go to nutrition I went to go see how the food was like. But when I saw it, it didn’t seem like the food was editable. As the bell rang to go to the next class, I seen the same pretty girl walking by me and for some reason she kept staring at me again, So I went to go talk to her and when I did I told her what’s up she just started blushing which I found that funny. And she replied by saying nothing just hanging out. After our conversation I walk to my next class. At the end of the day I found that Bell High School a good school.

Immigration in the United States


Carmen V.
Period: 5
05/14/12
Immigration In The United States
            Immigration is an issue in the United States. “The International Organization for Migration stated there are more than 200-million migrants around the world today”(Wikipedia). Many people immigrate to the United States because they need money and a better future for their families. Many immigrants want a reform so they could have better jobs and a better education. Immigrants get pay with a low salary and it is not enough for them to support their families. If the president and the congress pass an immigration reform life is going to be better for them. For example many teens that don’t have a social security number would be able too go to college or university. If the immigration reform is pass people would be with their families because if they don’t have papers they can e deported.” In the first six months of 2005 alone, more than 120,000 people have been deported to their countries of origin” (Wikipedia). Many families get separate because they don’t have papers and it is sad because they are not doing anything bad just because they didn’t born here they have to get deported to their countries. Everything will be better if they pass a reform, which can help immigrants, and then the country can be better and have a better economy because there would be more opportunities to have jobs.




Teenagers Involved with Drugs


Stephanie D. 
May 22, 2012 
Period 5

Teenagers Involved with Drugs

            Teenagers now a day get into doing drugs. They even get their other friends involved into doing drugs. Some guys drop out of school because they think becoming a drug dealer will get them money but it won’t give them education.
What I don’t like the most if teenage girls do drugs its just so nasty and most girls get into drugs because their boyfriend do drugs so they think its okay for them to do drugs but to me its just BULLSHIT!!!

           Teens just do drugs to get attention from parents or friends; maybe they just do drugs because their sad or I have no clue. I’m sure they suffer a lot and it not good. They force to do something they don’t want to do but it can be because their parents do listen to them, so they get into drugs. Kids end up going to jail for doing drugs or selling it. It painful to see a teen killing their selves with drugs. “Unfortunately teenagers often don’t see the link between their actions today and the consequences tomorrow”(American Academy of child Adolescent Psychiatry).  So I think parents should talk to their teens about drugs because “they also have a tendency to feel indestructible and immune to the problems that others experience” ”(American Academy of child Adolescent Psychiatry).

Dad


Guadalupe V.
April 12, 2012
English 11B
Per. 5
Dad


        My dad grew up in Michoacan, Mexico. I really don’t know any childhood stories about my dad because he hardly mentions it. All I know that he used to smoke when he was around 13 years old. He told it was rough sleeping back then because they had to sleep in the dirt. But the important thing that my dad ended up mentioning was the legend of La Llorona.
         Legend has it that it tells of this beautiful women named Maria killing her children by drowning them in order to be with the man that she loved. When the man rejects her, she had no idea what she had done until she notice that she had just killed her two kids. “After seeing this Maria went into a terrible rage, and turning against her children, she seized them and threw them into the river“ (legendsofamerica.com). It clearly shows that she took out her anger on her kids. She went back to the lake where she drowned her kids and started to cry and yell. She was looking for them and ended up drowning herself as well. “Some believe that those who hear the wails of La Llorona are marked for death” (Wikipedia, La Llorona). It could mean a lot of specific things but clearly it could just means that people could hear her weeping.
         My grandfather told my dad that the lake where the lady drowned her kids was right near where my grandfather lived back then. It was shocking because my grandfather could still hear La Llorona. Kids were getting scared that they could actually hear her and were afraid that she was coming to find them. Weeks or months past by and still, every night, you could hear her weeping. One night, certain guys from the town were saying that they should go out tonight to the lake. TO see if they could actually see this lady, La Llorona. Once it was night time, all the guys went down to the lake together and started walking down. Not even half way there, they heard her screaming and weeping. They started to walk a bit faster and got closer to the lake. All of a sudden, they could see this person in a white blank over it’s body. Then all the guys went to attack this lady. But in the end, it was just a guy playing around. They almost hurt this guy but ever since then, they have not heard anything or there were times where they could hear her spirit.
        In conclusion, really haven’t heard anything about my dad’s childhood. At least he told me this legend of La Llorona. He grew up with that legend and still today, it’s still going around now in days.







Work Cited

Weiser, Kathy. La Llorona-Weeping Woman of the Southwest. Legends of Ameican. July. 2010. Web. 12 April 2012.

Wikipedia. La Llorona. 8 April. 2012. Web. 12 April 2012.

Double Voicing about MY HOOD


Guillermo S
4/25/12
Per. 5

Double Voicing about MY HOOD


            My hood is the best. If you were in my shoes then you would fall in love. The houses aren’t that bad after a while. But once you go deep into the hood then that’s where all the nasty starts coming out, especially at night when you don’t want to be seen by yourself. Usually, the people are nice and greet you with kindness but if you don’t know what your getting into then good luck. You can enjoy yourself in this city because there are a lot of trees and when its really hot you can stand under them to keep cool. Even though it would be better to go out at night because its fresher but as I said before watch your back and know what you’re getting into. When you’re walking through the neighborhood you begin to wonder if there is anybody following you. That is if you are walking alone. I can say that you might even get a little paranoid and start worrying more of your surroundings. While your walking you can see that the houses are fair but as soon as you get deeper into the streets then that’s when you notice little changes and big changes on the houses. All I got to say when you reach that part of the neighborhood is GET THE FUCK OUT!

I was walking through the neighborhood and I can see that these streets are very decent for families to live in. There were even people who greeted me as I was walking by their houses. But once I walked deeper into the streets, I’ve noticed things started to get ugly and the people I saw are not good people. As I was strolling through a few guys were hanging out in front of someone’s house and were mad dogging me like if I was going to do something to them. Those streets are not good for anyone or any family. I’m glad I don’t live here and I’m just attending a birthday party. I felt unsafe when I started walking back to my house. It was like a shadow was following me at night. I hope I never move into that neck of the woods.



Grandpa’s Biography


Luis X
Period: 5
04/13/12
Grandpa’s Biography

       My grandpa Jose was born in San Juan Guatemala in 1935. He had enjoyed the culture and sowing in the fertile field when grandpa was younger. Grandpa’s family, he had three sons and three daughters who lived together for a long time. One of the biggest events and accomplishments that he did, was about to contribute giving public energy for all the people that had lived around the little town, even for those who lived in the rural area and to build a big catholic church collecting money from the street with a bunch of people who entered in the ministry helping the priest giving the consecrated bread to all the people who wanted a very special act of consecration during the Eucharist. It was really an interesting way in my grandpa’s life during his 38 years old. By the time passed he also learned about construction work and became a tailor.  In fact, he didn’t pass up a great opportunity to become a successful worker. My grandpa Jose is described as faithful, merciful, responsible, easy-going, and constructive. These are the ways that grandpa often excels every single day.