Journal #2

2. How does competition function in our society? To what extent is it healthy/unhealthy? Offer some real world examples taken from your life, community, culture, state, nation, or world.
Competition in our society is a big deal because everyone is competitve between each other. There is always that one person you want to outbeat. At times it can be healthy because it brings out the best in you to do better at something. Be better than the other person. It can also be unhlealthy because people take it too far and ignore everybody else just to beat someone. It can even make them sick, which is bad. People let it get to their heads and that is all they think about which can make them go crazy. It is okay to be competitive however at a certain extent.

Journal #1

1. Pretend that you are talking to a blind man and have to describe for him what "red" is. You should use narrative and descriptive writing techniques, and try to appeal to his other senses!
Red is an intense color and very powerfl. It can mean love or romanticism, fire, or hot. People can see the color red everywhere. Apples are red and it gives them that ripe beautiful color. Strawberries are also red, sweet and ripe. Red is the color of a rose which is a flower. Blood is the color red, and is pumped by the heart. It can be the hottest heat and the warm sun shining on someone’s face. It is a primary color which makes other colors. It can be spicy, like in food. It can also be a symbol for pain, anger, war, and revenge. Red means sadness and deaths of many people laying on the floor with blood everywhere like in a battle field. I know you are unable to see and perceive the color red I hope with these exapmples and descriptions I have given you, you arre able to imagine it. Red is a color of mixed emotions.

Journal #3

3. How have you taken something that you have learned in the classroom and integrated it into your nonacademic life?

A month ago I met this guy who was really cute and I really liked him, however he was was really smart and when he talked to me his vocabulary was very high. Sometimes I had to look up the words that he would write to me through text. Once i leard all those power verbs and tone words I was able to understand what he was saying to me. It also helped me study for my test, sometimes I would use them alot that I think he noticed what I was doing. He thought I was really smart and I thought he really liked me. Yet he did not like me he thought we were just friends and I was really sad, however I realized I did not want to be someone who I had to change for. I wanted someone to want me for who I was. Plus he liked someone else and had a cute little girlfriend who was just as smart as him.

Journal #4

4. If you could go back in time and be someone in history, who would you choose to be? Why?

If I could go back in time and be someone is history I would choose to  be Frederick Douglass. He was just an amazing person, he learned to read and write all on his own and his vocabulary is really high it is actually impressing. He was a great abolitionist and I would just love to be him. I would just like to know what would go through his mind when he was a slave and after. How he could  learn to read and write all on his own, and learn new words. He was just an impressing man. He was the greatest abolitionist and he had the nerve to write a book on his life, what he went through as a child. Being a slave and then being free. His emotions and the feeling of being with no family. Frederick Douglass would be an awesome person to be.

Journal #5

5. If you had the responsibility to decide where $1 million should be spent to improve conditions somewhere in the world, what project(s) would you choose? Why?

I would choose to spend it on world hunger. There are many people in the world who are starving to death and here in the United States people just throw away food like if it never ended and they do not care. Here in America people do not really know what starving to death is, thye just say it when they are really hungry, however they do not mean they are actually gonna die. Other countries have people starving and nothing is relaly done to help them. Their countries are so poor that there is no way to help them because they have no money. So if I had $1 million to improve conditions in the world I would help to improve wolr hunger. That would just make the world a better place. I would also feel really good about myself because I would be doing a good deed to help people out. Such a little necessity and alot of people take it for granted. I wonder how people who eat everyday and anytime they want would feel if they were starving to death. I can imagine it being a horrible feeeling. Especially if you have children and you cannot give them something they want which is food. That would be an even worse feeling. Food is a necessity, so I would donate this much money to an organization to help world hunger.

Journal #6

6. How have you tried to effect change in relation to an issue of personal, local, or national significance?

When I was younger my sister and I would always fight, I hated her so much and she hated me too. We never talked and everytime we did talk we always ended up fighting. Once I entered high school I noticed how much I could realte to her since we were both going through the same things. In high school trying to figure things out and realizing that your childhood is almost over and you are becoming an adult is alot to take in. That is how my sister and I relalted with each other and we become bestfriends and we didnt hate each other anymore. This was an issue for me because I never wanted to be home because she would just ruin my life and I did not like that. Now that we are bestfriends we always hang out and are always doing everything together. I dont know what I would do without her. Without her I would be lost and I totally would go crazy at my house. It is just a good thing we have each other.

Journal #7

7. If you could introduce one new idea or material thing to a primitive culture, what would it be?

A new idea that I would introduce to a primitive culture would be to be independent. Most cultures rely on their family alot. They cannot do anything without their family. They all are like a team and do everything together, nobody gets left behind. However what if something happens to their family? How are they gonna live without them? That is why they need to learn to be independent. They should learn how to survive on their own. That would make things more helpful for them. It is the easier thing to do.

Journal #8

8. If you were to describe yourself using a quotation, what would that quotation be? After you have chosen a quote, then write a bit about how it relates to you and reveals what kind of person you are.

A quote that I would use to describe myself is "I let my haters be my motivaters." I saw this in a movie however; I liked it so much it is like a motivation to do better. I think it applies to me because if someone is always hating on you and talking bad about you to other people then tat means you’re important enough to always be talked from them. They are always spending their time talking about you, so that just makes you important. People that dislike others, thier lives revolve around that person. So that just makes the other person important. This makes them the better person.

Journal #9

9. Given the authority to establish a holiday, what would you choose to commemorate? Why? What would the celebration look like?

If I had the authority to establish a holiday I would choose to commemorate Lumpia Day. I love lumpias they are just so delicious, and everybody likes lumpias you can eat them with meat bananas or other stuff. They can either be sweet or sour. Lumpias are the best invention Phillipinos could ever had made. It would be on May 1, because that just seems like an awesome day to have it on. Everybody would celebrate it by making whatever kind of lumpias they want, then they all have a party on their street and everyone on the block makes and eats different types of lumpias.Everyone shares and they all have a good time outside their home sharing and bonding with all their neighbors. It will be a great holiday and everybody would enjoy it. Having fun on Lumpia Day!

Journal #10

10. What is the best advice you've ever received? Explain.

The best advice I have ever received would have to be from my dad which was "Make it better than the last time." This means to do better than what you have already done. He always tells me this everytime he drops me off at school, he says that yesterday was a good day now today lets make it a better day. It always motivates me to have a better day and do better in school than the day before. When Iam having a bad day I just think about my dad and him telling me what he always tells me. It brings a smile to my face and makes me giggle and how much of a wonderful dad I have. It just turns my day from bad to good because it just helps me to realize that someboyd does believe in me and I can do a great job at what I do. I just have to do better than yesterday. Not only does this apply to school however also to a sport, like waterpolo. Since I practice everyday I have to try my best in my sport in order to get better at it. So if I did good yesterday I have to practice even harder today in order to get better at it. This quote always helps me do a good job. Especially because it comes from my dad, who I know will always be right by my side in any good decision I make. When I do something wrong I know for a fact he will tell me Iam doing wrong and I need to fix things. That is the right thing to do. So always do better than last time.

Journal #11

11. Ask and answer the one important question that a university won't ask you, but you wish they would.

Do you think your ethnicity and where you come from have an impact on their decision on picking you?

The ethnic group and background that you come from has a great impact on the decision a university makes on picking you over somebody else. If someone comes from a Mexican background and an area that is considered "ghetto" or a person who is white and comes from a nicer area and they are both equally the same in their knowledge then most likely the university would pick the white student who does not come from an area with problems. Students are choosen on who is the smarter and who has been involved in extra cirucular activities more than another person. Every student is up asgainst someone else and if someone comes from a nicer area they are more likely to be choosen than a person who comes from the "ghetto." They are turned down also because of thier ethnicity which should not be happening because it should just be based on the knowledge the student knows. Who knows maybe the Mexican student is way smarter than the white student who comes from a nicer area. I would like to be judged on my school activities and the knowledge I received from my school. Not which school I attended, where I came from, who I hanged out with, and who my paremts where. It should all be based off on me, myself, and I.

Journal #12

12. Your life is a movie. Describe the first 15 minutes.

Sitting in math class waiting for the bell to ring, praying it will ring soon so I will not do anything embarassing like tripping in front of everyone. Especially the new kid in school Josh Perez. The love of my life is sitting in the same classroom as me, breathing the same air Iam.

The bell rings and everyone is saved by the bell from a horrifying quiz, as I get up off my seat I trip over the teacher's overhead cord. Praying nobody laughs or says anything embarrassing, I get up and there he is Josh Perez asking me if i'm okay, I try so hard to say yes however nothing comes out of my mouth, he just responds "it’s okay don't say anything I'll see you tomorrow." My heart pounding as loud as possible, I walk out of class and off he goes a different direction.

I get home run to my room, lay on my bed and think over and over those beautiful words he said to me, running around looking for something to wear to impress him. Now i cannot wait to go to math class and see his beautiful face. The love of my life Josh Perez.

Journal #13

13. Write a letter to your future college roommate introducing yourself and your background. 

Dear Patricia,

            I received a letter on who my college roommate would be for this school year. My name is Rebecca Arechiga and I will be your new roommate. I live in Chula Vista, California. You might know it better as San Diego. Iam the middle child of an older sister and a younger brother. I also have my mother and father. This in total is a number of 5 people. I was born on May 27, 1995. My favorite color is pink. I hope we really get along together very well. I am really east to get along with so I don not think there is going to be any problems between us. I hope you really like me and we become best friends. I have never lived anywhere other than my home with my parents.  Iam not really familiar with LA so I hope you are so you can show me around. If not we can both figure it out as we go along. I would really like if you could write me back and let me know a little bit about you so I can have an idea of who my roommate is going to be. Iam attending this university because I want to major into the medical field and become a nurse practioner. That has always been my dream. I look forward from hearing from you pretty soon and have a nice day.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Arechiga

Journal #14

14. Please describe your reactions/ideas to the following quote: "He does not possess wealth, it possesses him."

The quote “He does not possess wealth, it posses him” is true in many ways. Humans rely so much on money; it is all they think about. If someone wants money they will do anything to obtain it. When money is earned rich people usually buy unnecessary, unwanted things. They rely on everyone else to do everything for them. They are not independent rather dependent on people to do everything for them. Money posses a human very easily they become selfish and do not want anything to do with anybody else. Humans tend to buy the fanciest things they can attire and show them off. When your mind is set to get and get money you get caught up in doing so and forget the basic necessities of life. Rich people tend to not pay much attention to their kids and miss out on special moments in their children’s life. You need money in life to do anything and everything. However once you make it your main priority you’re not making the money anymore, the money is making you.

Journal #15

15. What is the most valuable contribution you could make to a college campus? Explain. 

The most valuable contribution someone can make to a college campus is the simple gift of money. Just by attending that school the campus will be receiving a lot of money. A contribution towards a specific subject or aspect of the college may be looked upon as selfish by others so money for the whole campus will do everyone good. Then the college will decide where the money will go to. Either to a fund for everyone or one in specific. That would helpful for everyone and no one will be upset about it. Money also seems like a fair contribution as it is unbiased when viewed by other students. The college most likely will pay debts that the school has or for special equipment for a specific class. This will all come back to the student who paid for college. The money used is very important because then there will be more students to pay for things that the college needs to pay for. Money is always a good contribution to anything.

Journal #16

16. Explain a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. 

Two years ago my father got laid off from his job and that had a great impact on me because once he lost his job I was not allowed to ask for money and our money was tight. My mother was the only one working so that made things hard on my dad because he said he felt like he should be the one bringing in all the money and he was not. He would always be mad and yell at my brother, sister and I. he never let us do anything anymore, he was always mad and making mean remarks to everyone. 

Once he realized that it was not that bad and it was not the end of the world he went back to his old self and being our stay at home parent. He said he noticed how fast we were growing up and how much of our life he was missing out on because he was not so involved. I actually like my dad not having a job as bad as that sounds because we get to spend more time with him and now we have rides everywhere and he takes us to school and brings us home. My mother on the other hand had to take on an extra shift on certain days to be able to pay for everything so I do not get to see her as often mostly in the nights when either she is too tired or I am. We end up just going to sleep. I still have that special connection with my mother, however the connection I have with my father grew and it all just brought all of us way closer.

Journal #17

17. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

An issue that is of great importance to me is my education, well it’s not really an issue it's more of my grades.  I have never received a C in my life until last year in Intermediate Algebra 2. It really bothered me to get that grade not only were my parents upset it also made me sad because since I have never received a C I felt empty. This year, however it really hit me how hard school was and how much I had to step up my game to receive good grades. I had to set my priorities straight. Eleventh grade has been the hardest grade of my life and I hope on getting good grades. That is an issue that I need to resolve soon because if not it is just going to get harder and harder for me to bring all my C grades up.

Journal #18

18. If you could choose two things to change about our high school campus, what would they be and why? 

Castle Park High School, is a school with great spirit and I enjoy coming to this school ignoring all the negative remarks people say about it. I would not want to attend any other school than Castle Park becaue any other school would not be the same to me and I just cannot think of myself going anywhere else. I do awknowledge my school however if there was anything I could change to it that would be the name people have given to it which is "ghetto". This name has been stuck to Castle Park for a long period of time and I dislike when people say it. i do not think my school is ghetto, and if i could just show those people who think that how much our school has grown and it is not ghetto. it does not deserve that name, i have actually visited a ghetto school so i know for a fact that Castle Park is not "ghetto". it does not desrve that name at all. yes people have messed up and things have happened that would lead to people calling Catle Park "ghetto". however we all make mistakes and learn from them. so everyone should just move on from that.

Another thing that I would change about our school is the schedule. everyone i know that studies, or works at Castle Park dislikes the block schedule very much. it is not a good idea. three classes a day of two ours long and each day an extra hour for one class at differnet times is not exciting. noone likes to be sitting in one place for 3 hours with either alot to do or nothing to do. it was originally made as a tutoring class. however what about those who do not need it? what happens to them? well they just sit around doing nothing waiting for the bell to ring. thios schedule should be looked into one more time and changed immediately. that would make Castle Park a better and happier place to be.

Journal #19

19. Should school attendance be mandatory? In your answer, be sure to explore what the function of education is, and what our nation would look like if the masses were less educated.

Education is important in order for humans to be successful in life. It is the idea of "self-made man". in order to have an education people have to attend school, however if someone does not want to go to school then they should not be forced to and be allowed to drop out and go straight to working or anything else they want to do. In the United States everyone is given an education nomatter who you are or what you have done, however not everyone wants to be in school and since they are forced to attend they are more likely to fail because of the lack of good attitude towards school or support at home. Most likely there will be a higher percentage of drop outs in the United States, however they concord to dropping out. Less educated peopple would be working the less paying jobs that do not involve having an education but that is the life style they chose and so they should stick to it. Only people who actually want to be in school should attend school and go on to do bigger and greater things in life. There willl be no messing around and everybody would be serious about school. No one should be forced to do anything so therefore they should not be forced to go to school. Yes, ther would be less educated people however; if they choose to go back into school then they should always have the opportunity to do so. Though not by force.

Journal #20

20. If you had the ability to talk to one species of animal, which animal would you choose to communicate with? Why?

Communication is the key to understanding one another. Animals are the least understood creatures of this world. If I could choose to communicate with any animal in the world I would choose a lion. In the jungle the lion is at the top of the food chain and he is in fact considered "the king of the jungle." I chose the lion because I would want to know their point of view on life. A male lion is in charge of a den of all female lions. If I could communicate with lions I would want to know what goes on in their heads and what their instincts are to protect their family. A mother is programmed to protect their child in danger. Mothers are there for protection and comfort. A mother lion would do anything to protect her cub I would want to know what she feels she has to do when suspecting danger. If I could communicate with a lion I would keep him with me at alll times and since they suspect danger frequently I would have him tell me anything and that way I would be protecting. A lion is a dangerous creature and therefore if I could communicate with them I would always be safe and they will be considered a man's bestfriend. A lion would be the perfect pet I will be able to communicate with him and they can give me advice on how to live better with protection. Away from danger.