Responce Post to Communication

I read an interesting blog post from Amber Chan entitled "Communication."

"I can no longer remember the days when I used to have to send mail or make a phone call from the house phone to talk to a friend or relative that didn’t live very close to me, or just meet with them face to face. "

I feel this is true. Much of our society relies primarily on technology to communicate with others, whether they are friends or not. This is the new standard. Unfortunately, for many, it is a communication breakdown. Communicating solely with the use of internet and face-to-face are two majorly different forms of communication. With the internet, you can talk and have interesting conversations, but really, you will not be able to truly understand a person, their feelings, etcetera. Face-to-face allows people to truly communicate with each other and understand each other. Now, people are more and more relying on internet for communication.

With technology in use for communication, you cannot sense or feel any emotion between one another. A new language is also being created, such as what you use when  you text or IM. Unnecessary words are being removed and messages are usually very short to the point. With that, feeling is removed too. Eventually, people will not know the difference between "you" and "you're;" "there," "their," and "they're." Hopefully, humanity will not rely on pointing and grunting in the future. I feel it is much more pleasant to express yourself with talking with other people; that is true communication; not "?" for "I have a question," and "<3" for "I love you." As anyone can see, that is not true communication and never will be.

What most have forgotten is the fact that you can do what is called grammatically writing one another with correct vocabulary and expressing feeling with one another, through texting, IMing, and even emailing. Our standards for communication have changed and should not because with that change, society will be impacted for the worst. Emotion will no longer exist. I have even read a book call "1984" by George Orwell and in that book, lack of communication is used to control society. Communication is an art that we cannot loose.

Ender Game Post 3

At the beginning of "part 3," one of the most important event in the book happened. Ender was progressed to the position of being a commander. He is now forced to give orders, and to discipline. This new role change showed me an important connection; Ender is very very similar to Colonel Graff. In particular cases, Ender picks on a "launchie" named Bean. Although it may seem like he is pointlessly doing so, he truly cares about him and wants to help him. Ender believes Graff is using him, but does not know that Graff wants to help Ender too and cares about him. Some manipulation must be used to train his army, like Graff used to make Ender a commander.

Because of Ender's newfound success, Ender has made enemies. He truly is competing with the teachers, not the other armies. He wants to beat them. However, Ender's anger with the teachers caused him to make enemies, one in particular named Bonzo. He is eventually forced to fight him, and severely hurts two people. Immediately after the fight, he is forced to fight an impossible battle. This in a sense seemed to break Ender. He no longer cared about winning afterwards; he only cares about having no more enemies. When he left Battle School, the similar feelings of indifference towards life returned.

Ender again returns to school, this time Command School. He does not want to go back because when he does, he is forced to become Peter again. When he destroys the Buggers, he is the only one who does not celebrate because he is sad he destroyed another enemy. He simply wants to have no enemies. Ender also felt manipulated because he never knew he was actually fighting the buggers; he just destroyed their humanity. Although the was was justified, Ender is the only one who thinks humanity could have been saved without war.

When Ender leaves, he colonizes to the bugger worlds with Valentine; Peter would use him if he returned to Earth. He dedicated his life to understanding the Buggers and they both come to the understanding that they never meant to harm one another. The buggers forgave Ender for what he did because they knew he never wanted to hurt them. Ender finally finds his freedom because he has chosen the path he wants to follow, not someone elses.

Responce To Luise's blog post on substitutes

I found an interesting blog post that Luise wrote about substitues.

"I hate it when people try and take advantage of substitutes like if they do not even know the rules of the school. In my old school, taking advantage of substitutes continuously happened throughout the year. I admit it I also used to take advantage but sometimes there is a limit. Some people take it too far."

I have the same feeling about taking advantage of substitutes.  Many if the substitute teachers I have encountered at ASTI are extremely nice. They constantly try to give us meaningful information and do their best when subing, rain or shine. I find that whether or not students like a substitute or not, they still take advantage of them.

An example of a great substitute teacher at ASTI is the one Mrs. Corbally always hires. He is a great English teacher in general. He always has great topics and ideas to discuss regarding lesson plans and never asks much of us. He unfortunately cannot control a classroom properly. Literally, when he talks, no one listens to him; they talk in their own conversations. Yes, he may be boring, but the fact is, he wants to teach us and cares about what we learn. Does nobody understand that? When you are extremely disrespectful to a substitute like him, you are disrespectful to your own education.

I feel that no one respects substitute teachers because socially, that is accepted. I feel this is wrong. Substitutes were once teachers too. The only difference is their job is temporary now. They still care about us and our education. For example, Ms. Corbally's substitute has taken the time to learn all of our names. I have never seen a substitute ever do that. He also takes the time to try and teach us meaningful information. In a sense, you are almost slapping a sub in the face if you disrespect them like many do.

Subs want to help us and care about all of us. We need to in turn show our care for them too. If you don't appreciate your education, leave the classroom instead of wasting the sub's time. Teachers are extremely important figures in society and everyone should realize that; they care for our future, even subs.

Ender's Game: Post 2

As I have continued reading "Ender's Game," I have come to truly realize the importance Ender has concerning the fate of mankind. At the beginning of each chapter, a discussion between Colonel Graff and the highest official of the I.F. takes place; this shows the importance that is placed upon Ender. Everyone is concerned with his progress. Obviously, Graff's faith in Ender is well placed; he has made extreme progress through all the tests that he has been put through. One of the biggest breakthrough's he mad was become accepted throughout battle school by his peers. 


Ender is constantly put into situations where he has to save himself, which usually involves breaking the rules. Throughout battle school, he plays a simulated game that challenges him in certain situations. Throughout the game, he was forced to break rules in order to progress. Much of this is because Graff has put him in situations like this. Ender needs to be pushed in order to become a commander and save humanity. Graff even creates such situations as to make the battleroom scenarios unfair so that Ender can face situations like real war. This compromises the integrity of the entire school, but this again shows the emphasis on how important Ender is to humanity.


With the progress Ender is making, he is also beginning to realize that he is like Peter, and is hating himself for it. This is because Graff is pushing him to become like him. Even Ender's sister Valentine is realizing the same truth. As Ender begin's to realize this, Graff asks Valentine to send Ender a letter which basically allows Ender to "realize" that he has lost his most precious possession in life in life, which pushes him further. Ender is again pushed into becoming a commander.


One of the biggest steps forward for Ender in the book is when Ender becomes promoted to a commander of a group of children for the battle room. This gives Ender a new perspective on battle school because he is allowed to give orders. Ender is in the final stages of training to become what he was meant to do. Ender has realized that he is being manipulated throughout his progress as a commander. The only way for him to become a great commander is for him to blame his teachers on what happened to him, and he is right to do so.

Responce to Mercedes Post

I though Mercedes Thorne's blog post was extremely interesting so I decided to respond to it.

Argument is the root of all evil. A force opposing your own. And idea, a feeling, a person, an opinion. No, argument does not always escalate into something big, but it often turns your opponent more against you than they were before you fought.

I am in total agreement with Mercedes's opinion on arguments. These are a big issue on blogger. Arguments are widely caused over small response posts that turn in to controversial arguments. I too am tired of this. This is an unneeded source of problems. Everyone should recognize that these are only opinions and are not meant to be directed towards anyone. Everyone has the right to be opinionated; you can too, but why in such an attacking and negative manner? Blogger is a place where people can express themselves, not a place where people attack one another.


I feel that this is a problem that is naturally in humans. We are all defensive and argumentative. It is human nature, as Mercedes said. Being argumentative is fine, but not when you are specifically trying to attack someone and cause trouble. 

Enders Game: Post 1

Ender's Game by Orson Scott is a book based on a future society on Earth and that has been at war with an alien race called the "buggers." This war has greatly shaped this society. Everyone is considered to go to battle school at young ages to fight the buggers; Ender is one of these people. He is considered a genius and was taken by the I.F. to train and become a commander.

For Ender to become what he was "destined" to do, Ender was manipulated. Earth is desperate; they need someone who is able to command and lead victory against the buggers. They do this by isolating him from everyone because he cannot conform. He needs to be different. Although what has been done to Ender is immoral, the I.F. sees it as being for the great good of humanity. I feel they are right. Ender is their last chance and they must take every necessary step to ensure Ender saves humanity.

For Ender, leaving Earth to go to battle school was partly a relief and partly saddening for him. Ender is in constant psychological torment because of all the hatred and bullying he had faced throughout his life. Firstly, he is a "third" born; this society looks down on thirds because it is no allowed by the government. Also Ender has had a monitor(a device that has watches him) on longer than any of his other peers. These two factors caused everyone to hate him, but his sister Valentine. Valentine truly loved Ender. She was the only person Ender had. This became a conflict as to whether Ender should leave, but he decided to go when he came to the realization that he could possible become the one who would save humanity from the buggers.

Battle school for Ender became his former life on Earth. As I stated before, the I.F. wanted him to be isolated; they did this by turning everyone on Ender. Everyone hated him and looked down on him. Again, he was put in a situation where he had no friends and only enemies. The only way he could gain friendship was if he proved himself in his training. Training consisted of academic learning, and battle preparation. In battle preparation, children fought in a zero gravity room with fake guns and space outfits. It is extremely strategical. Ender needed to prove himself in order to allow everyone to like him and the I.F  new this.

Garcia Girls Essay

The experiences people face in life shape their personal identity. In “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” by Julia Alvarez, the four Garcia girls lives are shaped by the influences they have faced throughout their lives from the cultures and societies they lived in. Their lives are constantly altered by the surrounding influences in their lives.

The Garcia girls first grew up in the Dominican Republic. They lived a very sheltered and luxurious lifestyle. They grew up as ordinary girls, exploring their lives and culture. As they grew older, they found talents within themselves that they felt compelled to peruse in their future lives. The Dominican Republic culturally shaped their current lives.  

"It seemed with so much protocol, I would never get to draw the brilliant and lush and wild world brimming over inside me. I tried to keep my mind on the demonstration, but something began to paw the inside of my drawing arm. It clawed at the doors of my will, and I had to let it out. I took my soaking brush in hand, stroked my gold cake, and a cat streaked out on my paper in one lightning stroke, whiskers, tail, meow and all!"(247).

The four girls discovered themselves in their culture. They began to shape their future lives in the Dominican Republic. In the quote about for example, Sandra describes her compulsion to draw and explore her artistic talents. These talents are shaped by surrounding society the are influenced by. Sandra represents the Garcia girls cultural development in the Dominican Republic. 


Unfortunately, the Garcia girls were forced to leave when their father, Carlos, gets in trouble with the secret police for agitating against the military dictatorship. They are forced to leave the Dominican Republic and flee to the United States. There, they are obligated to shape their lives based on United States culture and society. This sudden cultural change in the girls lives brings about many issues, unforeseen to the family at first.

"Our next workshop, no one understood what my sublimated love sonnet was all about, but Rudy's brought down the house. Suddenly, it seemed to me, not only that the world was full of English majors, but of people with a lot more experience than I had. For the hundredth time, I cursed my immigrant origins. If only I too had been born in Connecticut or Virginia, I too would understand the jokes everyone was making on the last two digits of the year, 1969; I too would be having sex and smoking dope; I too would have suntanned parents who took me skiing in Colorado over Christmas break, and I would say things like "no shit," without feeling like I was imitating someone else."(94-95).

The girls soon became lost in the American culture. As life went on in America for them, they became exposed to the unforeseen part of the American culture. America became a place more than just where to find your dream. These troubles came from their old Dominican Republic cultural heritage. They were trying to adjust and expose themselves to American culture, while trying to keep their old heritage. In a sense, they became "lost in translation;" they were forced to find a mid ground between old and new cultures. The girls had difficult times adjusting and found trouble in this; an example of this is the quote above. Yolanda felt inferior to other Americans based on her cultural status and her inexperience in life. This inner turmoil caused a traumatic episode in her life in which she came to a realization of what a lonely life she would live in the future. She knew no one would be able to understand her mix of cultures (Hispanic and American styles). Also, people looked down on their old culture and heritage, which reinforced this idea in all the sisters. 


As their lives progressed, two of the sisters, Yolanda and Sandra, have mental breakdowns. I feel this is because of the cultural loss they experienced throughout their lives and the hardships they faced trying to transition into American culture.  They did not have a solid culture and were lost in their lives as a result. For them, life went on painfully. They were constantly haunted by their past and the memories of their old culture. 

"I grew up, a curious woman, a woman of story ghosts and story devils, a woman prone to bad dreams and bad insomnia. There are still times I wake up at three o'clock in the morning and peer into the darkness. At that hour and in that loneliness, I hear her, a black furred thing lurking in the corners of my life, her magenta mouth opening, wailing over some violation that lies at the center of my art."(289-290).

The cat Schwarz was a big part of the book because it is a representation of the girls childhood and their loss of culture. Memories like these are important to the girls because they can revisit them in an attempt to make sense of their present day life.

Yolanda tried to revisit the Dominican Republic in her later life. She wants to reconnect with her cultural roots and heritage. When she arrives, many of the family thinks she is crazy because she is so much more different than them. When she goes driving alone and is confronted by two men, she panicked and spoke in English instead of Spanish because she felt more comfortable. This is a sign that she had lost her Spanish culture and could never regain it. The shift in cultures during her younger life permanently changed who she was as a person. 

The Garcia girl's lives had been permanently changed by the cultural change in their younger lives. They became lost in two different cultures. They became unsure of themselves and saw themselves as inadequate and inferior to others. This cultural change reflects immigrants in the United States. Many new immigrants coming to different countries go through these troubles and faced with similar feelings throughout their lives. 

Garica Girls: Part 3

Throughout "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents," the main characters have been constantly exposed to new environments throughout their lives. I feel that this constant exposure led to the girls to all become emotionally and psychologically scarred during the process of transitioning throughout different cultures. They were taken from their motherland and were too young to survive without it. This is represented in the ending of the book. The helpless kitten symbolized the daughters of the Garcia girls and their slow and unsuccessful progress throughout their lives. Also, Yolanda's guilt over taking away the kitten's right to grow normally foreshadows the problems she and her sisters will face as they grow up. 

The psychological distress all the girls felt can be reflected throughout the story based on the kittens experience. Just as the kitten was stuffed in the hollow of the drum, time was "folded up." The trouble constantly occurred because time was folded up. It started when the girls were uprooted from the Dominican Republic, their cultures, and their extended family. This can reflect the structure of the book and why is chronologically backwards. 

The kitten is lost and will never be able to find its mother again, just as in particular, Yolanda will never be able to find her roots and culture when she returns home in the first chapter. It will be impossible to regain a place back in the Dominican Republic for any of them. Their personal identities and cultures will be based upon the the negative experiences they experienced when growing up.

At first, I felt that Yolanda was simply experiencing America, that she was developing her culture there. I know realize this was wrong. The backwards chronological order allowed me to eventually see this. Obviously in the ending of her book, she was culturally lost and could not relate the the Dominican Republic. The Garcia Girls would not have ended up this was if they had developed on cultural tie, such as with the Dominican Republic, but they didn't and became lost. Now, her future life, such as her writing, will be focused around her struggle to incorporate her past life into her future life and gain a culture. Her life will be constantly focused on finding her culture, which will never happe

Free Topic-School

I have always been extremely enthusiastic when talking about school. I have always loved to argue about the negative points people always look at, but have never bothered to talk about the positive parts of school.

Particularly, ASTI is a great opportunity to start your college career early. It allows juniors and seniors to reach their full potential in their educational life during high school. Because of ASTI many of their students have gone to extremely prestigious school, many of which are extremely hard to get in to. Its program prepares you for your future college life and what you can expect form a university, ect. . Because of ASTI, I know I am going to become extremely successful in my future life and career.

School is the basis of your life because your future is based on your career. If you mess up school now, you will have a bad career in the future. School has allowed me to realize that my current life is a basis for my future career and how I live it. I know to get good grades and have great study habits. I am preparing myself for my future career and life.

School is also important because it prepares you for not only your academic future, but also your future in society. I have gone through many rough times in school so far, and because of this, I can also expect the rough time I will face in the future.

Although school is a negative experience for many people, it can also be seen as a positive one too. The hard work always pays off in the long run and is shows in your future career. The most important thing is to never give up and remember that it will pay off; you will regret if you don't do well in school because it will severely affect the future job you acquire. I have learned this and am trying my best. I hope you do to for your own benefit in present and future.

Violence In Oakland Responce

I just read an interesting post from Alex Tang about violence in Oakland.

"I am tired of hearing about the on going violence that has destroyed the city of Oakland. People need to grow up and learn how to deal with their problems in a peaceful and formal way. Violence can not be the response to everything because that will only make the cycle of violence continue."

Violence in Oakland is currently a huge problem in Oakland. Much of it is a result from unneeded gang violence. Personally, I feel this violence is petty and impractical. It is all based on small disputes and tension between different gangs. The only results of this are unneeded deaths; many innocent people are killed in cold blood, including innocent people our age. Many people are sucked into gangs; they feel the need to be popular or are faced with peer pressure, ect. . In these circumstances, many people are brainwashed into believing gangs are the right choice.

Obviously, gangs are not a good choice to commit to in life. They do not help your life; they destroy it. Gangs are based on nothing but violence. They are not practical. There is no point to them. I feel that the only reason people, usually young adults, is for the reputation. Gangs are meant to be seen as threatening and a power in cities or regions; when a person is associated with this gang, they are also seen as being threatening and powerful. A gang gives thee appearance of power.

In one word, gangs can simply be described as stupid. They only result in the deaths of innocent people. Gangs need to solve violence and problems in a peaceful manner. For many, violence many seem like the answer to solving a problem, but it is not. It only promotes more violence throughout cities. A gang is irrelevant without violence; they are based on it. So simply speaking, without violence, gangs are pointless.

With gangs gone, a large portion of violence in the United States would be gone. They are unneeded. Anyone in a gang should be ashamed of themselves because they are promotes of unneeded violence and have no excuse for this.

Garcia Girls: Part 2

In the second part of "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez, the four sisters are continually exposed to new culture. This continuous exposure to different cultures caused the four sisters to "loose their accents."

At first, living in America was hard and a big change in lifestyle and culture for the sisters. They disliked it compared to the Dominican Republic. Eventually though, they began to appreciate and enjoy living in America. The girls developed casual attitudes towards sex and drugs, while also gaining ideas of feminist equality. In the Dominican Republic, this was the exact opposite. They had developed a freedom that was not in the Dominican Republic. That is why they felt much resistance to going back during the summer. They felt much resistance to the ideas of how women were seen socially there and views on American social standards. In particular, Sofia, one of the sisters, was faced with sexism towards her boyfriend.

In the Dominican Republic, women were forced to live their lives based on strict social rules. All women were forced to act "properly." America, however, was different. For the girls, it allowed them to explore aspects of their lives they had never faced before. They slowly became exposed to reality and the outside world. With this exposure, they all slowly "lost their accents." They became dependent on American culture; their mother, wanted them to stay in touch with their roots, but soon realized that there was no hope for the.

I feel that this extreme social change was a had negative and positive affects to their future lives. Of coarse, they sisters were taught to free themselves from the strict social standards of the Dominican Republic, but they did not fully learn the social standards of America. Many of the sisters faced many problems, such as taking care of their safety of using drugs. The girls did not realize this. Because of this, they faced many troubles, such as bullying, perverts, ect. . In a sense, they became lost between the two different cultures their mother wanted them to learn and respect.

"Kids These Days" Responce

I am responding to an interesting post from Vanessa:

"Usually, you will most likely see an adult say “What has happened to the kids nowadays.” They think that we have all changed for the worst. To them, we are so different to how they were back when they were our age. I think that the older people think that everything we do is wrong. Apparently to them, every aspect of what we do and how we behave is not right."

I personally feel that the "what happened to these kids nowadays" opinion of elders is extremely overrated and opinionated. This is because of the fact that elders grew up in a different time period as we did. We have been taught to act in society differently, whether it is from our parents or other outside influences. This goes the same to elders. That is why they sometimes look down on us; they see us acting differently based on their impression of how the younger generation of society should act. 


Personally, I feel that elders should accept the fact that we have grown up in a different generation. We do not have to submit to any earlier social rules/requirements because they do not and have never applied to us. This is a different generation, which mean we have a new set of social rules and requirements. For instance, while many elders think it is acceptable to hit children(because they grew up with that mentality), our generation sees this as abuse and as being extremely unacceptable. Earlier and current generations differ in many different ways. 


I feel that elders themselves should also submit to the new society's social standards. This is a new age/generation where different ideas have come into acceptance or have been slowly dwindling. Society is constantly changing, and our elders should accept this. They cannot expect the new generation to follow old rules when society is constantly changing. I feel that instead, they need to accept the new social standards. 


Old ideas are changing. The new generation is responsible for this. We make the decisions because we are the future generation on Earth. We are the future. 

Free Topic-Grant Mehserle Verdict

The controversial Grant Mehserle Case has finally case has finally come to an end. A verdict has been made; Mehserle is going to serve two years jail time, but the catch is that 292 days of jail time he has already spent will count to this sentence.

I personally feel that this is an extremely unfair and unjust verdict. Firstly, everyone has seen the murder video, the proof of the trial. Obviously from the video, Grant was cooperative, yet Mehserle shot him. This was not an accident. How could it have been. This was manslaughter, yet Grand was charged with involuntary manslaughter. This alone caused chaos in the streets of downtown Oakland. Yet another atrocity has just occurred though. Mehserle has been served a verdict of two years, but he has already served 292 days of this verdict. He will only be in jail for about one year. For "involuntary manslaughter."

This is an atrocity. Firstly, I believe that his sentence should have been manslaughter. He did not accidentally shoot Grant. Grant was totally cooperative. There was no reason too. Mehserle shot Grant while he was laying face down on the ground. That is manslaughter. And yet he was charged with two years for involuntary manslaughter.

I believe that this shows the legal system of the United States and how it is operated. A police officer can get away with anything. No matter what, they always have an excuse because they have the law on their side. This is why so many people are upset over the case. They see this connection too and are angered by it. That is why tonight, there are going to be numerous protests, all because of this unjust case verdict.

Part 1 First Impression

The beginning of “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” by Julia Alvarez was not particularly interesting to me. I have two main reasons which have made me conclude to this answer.

Firstly, the story is written in reverse chronological. This was extremely confusing to me. I did not understand any of the events in the story because nothing was explained. When you first being the story, you are introduced to multiple characters and multiple situations without any introduction into the story; I was forced to comprehend and guess throughout the story and how this relates to many of the main ideas introduced into the story. I feel that a story should always be told in chronological order because the reader can understand the story properly then. 

The way the story is narrated was also an extremely confusing factor throughout the whole book too. With each point of view being told, I was forced to guess who was narrating the story. I constantly confused Yolanda and Sofia in the narrative, sometimes reading whole pages mixing up the narrators. If the narrators were defined throughout the story, I would not feel the confusion I feel now while reading. 

Despite these negativities, I also think they bring about a main positive factor to the book. 

With each story that is told, a complex network is formed, connecting the sister’s stories together. Although this network is complex and confusing, it makes you think about the story and big idea’s, which can also be called level three questions. This confusion helps me realize what the big idea of each story is and how, when they are connected together, create a bigger idea. I feel that this complexity of the story is/will greatly help me with my comprehension skills throughout english class. 

I am actually looking forward to the second part of the book. The book has gradually grabbed my attention. This book is difficult to comprehend, but because of this, I can gain from it. I feel that I will learn to analyze and comprehend the book much more easily after the second part. 

Reflective Essay

Over the coarse of my student career, I have constantly faced problems regarding writing. I never considered myself to be particularly skilled in the subject; I have constantly battled my writings skills, improving them step by step. I have developed a specific editing process for my writing that has allowed me to finally become successful. As a result of my perseverance, I now feel confident while writing and have even felt some pride regarding some of the pieces I have written. Because of my perseverant attitude toward writing, I have developed a successfully consistent writing practice and now feel confident in my writing skills. 

As a writer, ASTI was a huge change for me. I went from being in a low expectations middle school to college expectations high school. I was in dire need of writing assistance. Before I went to ASTI, I knew nothing of writing skills; a thesis was foreign to me, concrete details and support were unheard of. My English teacher, Ms. Valdez, eventually straightened my skills up. I learned the basics of an essay, writings skills and techniques, and received feedback on each essay I wrote. This strategy was a great help to me. I carried this help to my sophomore year. Unfortunately, I needed to regain these skills at the beginning of the year. A great example of this is the first assignment assigned  at the beginning of the year, “Just Kidding and Ganging Up.” I had no structure, bad syntax, and much of the writing was repetitive. I was repeating the process I went through in freshmen year. Eventually, I regained these skills through Mr. Sutherland. Examples of this would be “Political” and "Dinosaurs Essay.” I have now perfected my writing skills, such as my blog posts “Religion” and “Night Essay.” Each year, I go through the same process of regaining my writing skills. As a result, I have developed an editing process that has helped me succeed and develop more writing skills. 

I have a specialized editing process that I have developed over the coarse of my writing career which I feel has helped me become a successful writer. I have also developed my writing skills as a result of this too. In my editing process, I have three drafts to an essay: third draft, second draft, and first draft. These drafts are all used to edit and examine different aspects of an essay. In the third draft, I look for general errors, which can include confusing segments, spelling errors, grammar, ect. In the second draft, I look for specifically syntax and diction errors. The final draft is the product of my third and second drafts. This process has allowed me to gain decent grades throughout my writing career.  I am slowly becoming a better writer. I have many pieces of writing that I have favored as a result of this process; I am proud of the work I have accomplished over the past years, especially in my writing two class. 

My favorite writing piece is “Religion.” This is my favorite piece because of my analysis on religion. I feel that I wrote about it in a meaningful way that allowed me to understand religion more myself. In the process of writing it, I began to realize critical aspects based on my opinion of religion. I feel that this process was a great realization to me because I analysis it so well. Analyzation is one of my strong points in writing and is a great example in this piece. I analyzed fairly and without opinion while writing. Usually, I always base critical subjects on my opinion. I feel that because I analyzed religion without opinion, I learned and realized more about it than I have in a lifetime. This free-write allowed me to learn about myself and religion, a topic that I have always been extremely biased and opinionated on.

As you can see, writing always develops and improves for me over the coarse of the year. I always need to review my old learning habits and techniques in order to stay successful again; final products result in essays such as “Night” and “Religion.” Currently, I also believe that from writing this, I have come to learn even more from my writing skills and techniques; I have analyzed my previous writing assignments. 

Throughout the coarse of the year, my writing develops. I feel that a great help to this development is my editing process, which has always been a great help to my writing strategies and techniques. I feel that this has been a great process for myself because I have stayed a successful student, in writing particularly. This is because each time I re-learn my writing techniques, I learn and gain more information on the process. Because of this, I now feel that my writing techniques are strong and I can produce decent works of writing that can reflect a college level of thinking(analysis) and technique(diction and syntax). This blog itself is proof of this development. As you would be able to see, the articles I published developed in many different aspects, until the end, which consisted of great writing, in my opinion. 

This blog has shown me the development I have made in writing and how I can generally improve to create even more efficient pieces of writing that could be considered college material. 

I have been able to learn from this experience and hopefully can continue learning throughout the year in my blogging experience; I want to open up my mind to new and techniques and writing strategies so that I can become even more successful. I feel this will be possible as long as my blog reflects positive change in my writing pieces. If I can successfully become a better writer by the end of the quarter, I will be extremely happy. Change and progress reflect hard work and good grades in my future writing assignments. This blog has opened up my life to new writing skills that will allow me to become a better student throughout the year.

"Night Essay"

Many people's lives are changed and shaped by their environment. In the memoir "Night" by Elie Wiesel, a story is told of the Holocaust, a genocide against the Jewish race. This event affected and changed many victims live's; this memoir particularly portrays Elie Wisel's life in the Holocaust. The horrific and profuse events Wiesel experienced changed the way he looked at life. The central conflict in "Night" is self because of the life changing situations Elie Wisel faced during the Holocaust.

When Wiesel and other Jewish people were taken to Nazi concentration camps, their former lives had been completely uprooted and changed. Holocaust victims had never been exposed to the horrors of the Holocaust. "People refused not only to believe his stories, but even to listen to them,"(Wisel 4). Many Jews refused to believe the horrific events told of the survivors. They couldn't accept it; it was the twentieth century, and no act had ever been committed so atrocious before. This alone is why many Jewish people's lives had been dramatically changed. During he Holocaust, their lives had been filled with ongoing events so abhorrent that many became disturbed forever. At first exposure, many victims hope's were high. They didn't know the full extent of the holocaust barbarity. They still felt the freedom and hope of their former lives. "Let the world learn of the existence of Auschwitz. Let everybody hear about it while they can still escape..."(Wisel 29). Many did not know of the reality of the Holocaust. Their lives had not yet been affected by it. Because of this, they felt their was still a chance of hope. These feelings were temporary though; their lives would soon change. 

Eventually, Elie had learned of the reality of the Holocaust. He and other victims were consequently beginning to loose the former hope they once possessed. "'Where is He? Here He is-He is hanging, here on the gallows.'"(Wisel 162). Victims began to loose faith in life. They no longer felt any need to live, not with a threat of death looming over their heads. They had been exposed to the worst; friends, family, and loved ones deaths. They felt their death coming too and began to accept their fate. This was the end for many victims. They no longer had a need to live. 

In Elie's case, he witnessed his father slowly die. Once his father died, he lost hope. He no longer cared about anything in his surrounding world. "'Here, every man has to fight for himself and not think of anyone else. Even of his father. Here there are no fathers, no brothers, no friends. Everyone lives and dies alone,"(Wisel 105). He developed a mentality based only on survival. He had nothing else to loose. The Holocaust had changed his mentality towards life; he had lost all hope. 

Eli's life was dramatically changed because of the Holocaust. He lost everything and because of this lost hope in himself. His life was based from hope to survival. He himself had been radically changed. I suppose Wisel wrote his memoir to send a message or remembrance; events like the Holocaust should never happen again. 

Responce to Aleah's post "Thoughts"

While reading numerous blog posts, I came across an interesting post written by Aleah. She says:

"Not to judge anyone but I think that if certain people at ASTI went to another school they wouldn't be the same person. I believe that other people do shape the way another human beings can think or act," (Aleah).

I believe that ASTI is a huge change for people coming in from regular public school, or even some private schools. It requires lots of work; you are forced to either learn and succeed or fail. Learning in an environment like this, I feel you are greatly changed as an individual. You are forced to shape your life around school and learning. These changes can have many impacts on you, whether negative or positive. 


Going to a "regular" school, you can pass while hardly doing any school work, have a great social life, and have fun in school. You have much more control over your life when going to an easy going public school like Encinal or Alameda. When coming to ASTI, much of your former life is forced to change. The biggest change people are usually forced to make is their learning habits. There is a much more intense curriculum while at ASTI; learning in execrated and you have to be prepared for college in two years. This requires lots of studying and intense learning. In this process, I feel that much of your social life is changed by this because school becomes such a big part of your life.


When I arrived at ASTI, I had to face these changes. I felt that I could continue my former learning life, soon realized that I couldn't when my grades began to drop. I was forced to adapt new learning habits. I will now always have these learning habits, at school, and even after. ASTI has changed the way I look at work, in particular school. Because of these changes, I feel that my social life has been changed though. I do not have the time I once had to hang out with friends after school or on the weekends. My life has been greatly changed because of ASTI.


Attending a school that has strict learning requirements has its consequences. I am prepared to make as many sacrifices as I need to become successful in life though. ASTI has definitely changed me as a person. 

Free Write: Religion

Religion is an issue of extreme controversy. For years, people have had to decide whether they believe God is real or simply unreal. I believe this topic has been so controversial because for many people, religion is one of the biggest ways humans define their identity; for many it is their most fundamental idea of who they are. Once you have defined your identity, anyone who disagrees with you is a threat to your being. One of the ways people defend themselves in this context is persuasion; this leads to groups of people debating about the topics of religion.

I personally do not believe in a God. I am considered to be an Atheist. Throughout the coarse of my life, I have never exposed myself to religion. I suppose that is why I feel God does not exist. I feel that the choices of religion are all based on the environment you are constantly exposed to throughout your life. For example, if your parents believe in God, they will most-likely teach you to believe in God too; I was never taught to believe in God, hence my belief. I do not feel that you can find God; I feel that you can be taught to find him.

Although I feel this way, I still see religion as a a source of morals and guidelines to follow throughout your life, and also hope. In the many religious books, there are usually stories that promote the ideas of morals and teach you ways to live life "properly." I also believe religion is a source of hope for many. For the people who are religious, it gives people comfort that when they die, they will go to a better place. Many people say religion allows you to go to heaven. I completely disagree with this. Even though I do not believe in God, I do not believe I am going to hell. I feel that religion in this context is simply being used as a way to persuade people to believe in God. 

I despise when people use religion in their own benefit. In many instances, it has been used in ways to control people's lives. When in history class, Mr. Fargher has emphasized this point time and time again. Also, religion can have many negative impacts when used to promote the ideas of something incorrectly.

For example, religion has been used to justify the holocaust, promote the idea that being gay is wrong, start wars, and many other negative instances. Religion should never be used like this; It is wrong and immoral.

What is your opinion on religion? I would be extremely interested to know and learn different opinions as  to your belief in God, what they feel religion is used for, ect. . Also, please do not take my opinion on religion negatively. It is my belief and opinion. If you wish to tell me what you feel, respond to my post. Thanks!

free topic: my learning styles

Intrapersonal Intelligence is the strongest aspect of the way I mainly choose to learn. In knowing I am intrapersonal, I know my own self very well. “The person with intrapersonal intelligence can be inroverted, prefers to work alone, and has a clear knowledge of what he or she needs in most settings,” (wisegeek.com). The reason I can work and learn so well by myself is that I know myself very well. Because I know myself so easily, I know the best ways to study alone that will allow me to be a successful student. I have a clear knowledge of what I need in order to study successfully. Although I have a clear knowledge of what I need to be a successful student, the biggest danger involved with intrapersonal intelligence is your social life. “The inherent danger of intrapersonal intelligence is that the person becomes too reclusive because he or she is most satisfied by his or her own thoughts or work,” (wisegeek.com). Intrapersonal intelligence sometimes keeps you reclusive and antisocial because of the fact that you mainly rely on yourself for help, and do not go to others for help as much as yourself.

My second most used way of learning is musical/rhythmic intelligence. Because of this, I tend to study very well while listening to a beat or music. “Just think of how music can calm you when you are stressed, stimulate you when you are bored, and help you attain a steady thythm in such things as typing and exercising,” (wikispaces.umb.edu). When I listen to music and do daily school homework, I tend to learn and absorb much more information quickly compared to if I wasn’t listening to music. This allows me to learn quickly. Also, music motivates me to finish my school homework; I am extremely motivated when I listen to music. Although I learn quickly and am motivated by musical/rhythmic intelligence, I sometimes tend to go off topic when I listen to music. I sometimes need to work on staying on topic while listening because it motivates me to do other things besides school work. Because of Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence, I can learn quickly and easily, which greatly helps my school career at ASTI.

Facebook Addiction Responce

If anyone has yet to discover facebook, I will give you a warning now: facebook is addictive.

Facebook is a big aspect of my life," (Andy Lau).

I find that from what Andy has said, I can easily relate to his opinion on facebook. I too, have faced difficulties regarding facebook and its addiction problem. I feel that I have acquired that problem because of one reason; facebook is your virtual social life. Facebook is meant to be used for one reason, which is to connect with all your friends and create a huge social network. It is used to connect with friends in ways such as emailing, instant messaging, sharing pictures, ect. . Basically, facebook allows you to virtually connect with all your friends in any way imaginable.

Addiction is a big part of facebook. I feel that many people have aquired the addiction because they simply bored, stuck at home, and have nothing else to do. Because of this, they simply go online to facebook , where they can virtually socialize, as if they were actually with friends. For many people, it can be used as a place to cure boredom. The second reason I feel that many people are addicted to facebook is because of procrastinating issues. I can relate to this because I used to have these problems. When, people procrastinate, they go to facebook and socialize. I always see a status that says "School is so hard, " or "I'm going to fail the quiz tomorrow." Instead of choosing to fail a test, get off of facebook and study!

Facebook have a huge potential of damaging a person's school career. That is why I feel you should stay away from facebook as much as possible. Make sure facebook is not a huge aspect of your life or you will face the consequences. If you are having procrastination problems, it is better to delete your account than to procrastinate and watch your grade steadily decrease. Do not become addicted to facebook.

In-class Essay: Final Draft

Many people face problems regarding pride and arrogance throughout the course of their lives. Q, a character in the short stories "The Aquatic Uncle" and "The Dinosaurs" by Italio Calvino faces these problems in his life. His pride and arrogance brought about extreme life changes, that could be considered positive or negative. Q's life has been dramatically changed throughout the coarse of his life because of his prideful and arrogant characteristics.

Throughout his life, Q has evolved and changed into various organisms. In "The Aquatic Uncle," Q portrayed one of the first vertebrate species. Q faced difficulties centered around his life, many of which involved prejudices. "This business about warts was a widespread prejudice among the old fish: a notion that from living on dry land, we would develop warts all over our bodies, excluding liquid matter....."(Calvino 72). Q faced much prejudice from his uncle in particular; he had evolved and never felt the need to go back to the water. He felt that it was necessary to evolve and was proud of who he was, no matter how many prejudices he faced. The problem was, his fiance, Lll, became enthralled with the idea of living in the water, having been indoctrinated by Q's uncle. Out of pride for himself and arrogance in his belief that living on dry land was a better life than in water, he refused to go live in the water with Lll. "And yet I wouldn't have traded places with any of them, "(Calvino 82). Lll consequently left Q. Although Q lost the one he loved, he felt it was a necessary sacrifice that was needed in order for positive progress and evolution in his future life. Because of Q's pride in himself, he lost the one he loved in order to follow what he believed in, which was to evolve and progress in life.

Throughout the coarse of his life, Q evolved, as well as the others around him. In "The Dinosaurs," Q had evolved into a dinosaur, while others around him evolved past him to become New Ones. Eventually, dinosaurs were all but myths to the New Ones; In these myths, the New Ones portrayed the dinosaurs as being monsters. This was a true fact, but Q could not accept that. "Sometimes I couldn't help but saying: 'Come, let's not exaggerate. What do you think a dinosaur was, after all?"(Calvino 103). Again, Q felt pride and arrogance for who he was, which blinded him from the truth. He could not accept the fact that dinosaurs were monsters, although he knew the truth mentally. Because he wasn't accepting of the truth, he realized he couldn't exist around the New Ones. "I had to escape as fast as possible, let them stew in their own juice, have nothing more to do with these old stories,"(Calvino 106). Eventually, Q left the New Ones. He new that he would never be able accept them because he could only accept himself. Q's prideful and arrogant personality was the cause of this change. He felt too much pride for himself and his species. Q knew he had to continue life elsewhere because his pride and arrogance for himself.

In both short stories, Q was forced by his mentality towards others to move on in life and adapt. This was because of his pride and arrogance that he felt for himself. "I traveled through valleys and plains. I came to a station, caught the first train, and was lost in the crowd,"(Calvino 112). Because of Q's prideful mentality, he knew he could not coexist with others. That is why he felt the need to continuously migrate and move from place to place. He could never accept others because he could only accept himself. Because of this, Q's life had faced many dramatic changes such as loosing the ones he loved and the ability to socialize because of his ongoing migration. Q's strong characteristics of pride and arrogance cause Q's life to continuously change because he could only accept himself.

Responce to Bianca's Press: "Political"

I found Bianca's blog post, "Political," to be extremely interesting and a great topic to respond to. This is so because so far, no one has written a blog post regarding politics; This is a great chance to voice your opinion on politics and your concerns.

"So my question about society is: Is it possible for someone to win office position without spending(in some cases, wasting) money or trying to sabotage an opponent through the underhanded ways?"

I personally disagree with Bianca's opinion regarding politicians and their use of money. She opinionated  that they are spending too much money regarding their campaign. She stated that instead, money should be spend for other purposes, because California is in a money crisis. My opinion is that money is a critical part to a campaign.

One of the most critical reasons money is so important regarding political campaigns is because without it, the politician would make no progress in their goal for winning a future election. Money is required because a politician needs to advertise themselves and send out their message. This allows them to gain support and power in their campaign. I feel that money is the key to winning an election.

If a politician runs for a office position and acquires it thorough campaign money, they can also fix what they feel is wrong that is associated with their office position. For example, the next governor of California will have the power help fix the money crisis at hand and make a difference. Basically, campaign money will eventually pay off and make a difference in the long run.

Kite Runner Analysis: Amir's Sacrifice

I am currently reading "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini and decided to write a character analysis on the relationship of the two main characters of the book, Amir and Hassan. I also hope this shows my ability to use quotes in an essay and show my strength as a writer. Thanks!

Amir's Sacrifice

Many people in society today face problems of choice. In the novel “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, Amir is faced with a life changing choice that would affect his life forever. Amir chose to sacrifice Hassan as a way to obtain a relationship with his father. Amir’s treated Hassan as a “sacrificial lam” to obtain a relationship with his father.

Amir and Hassan both knew that the kite fighting competitions were a chance to “rebuild” Amir’s relationship with his father again. Amir would have to win the kite and bring it back to his father, showing Baba that he was a “winner.” Unfortunately, during the kite fighting competition, Hassan captured the kite and was then bullied to the point of being raped by Assef and his friends. “Nothing was free in the world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba” ( Hosseini 77). Amir took Hassan for granted and used him for his own interests. He knew he could do this because Hassan always helped Amir and knew of Amir’s weak relationship with his father; Amir knew Hassan would sacrifice himself as the sacrificial lamb for Amir. Because of this, Amir and Hassan avoided contact with one another because they both understood the situation; eventually, Amir wanted to never see Hassan again because he was a memory of how he let his best friend down. Amir realized he was a monster in Hassan’s life. “There was a monster in the lake. It had grabbed Hassan by the ankles, dragged him to the murky bottom. I was that monster” (Hosseini 86). He knew that he had destroyed Hassan’s life; that is what made his friendship with Hassan so difficult. Knowing this, Amir wanted Hassan to leave because he could not handle the truth of what he did. He sacrificed their friendship for his happiness. Amir decided that was the only way he could live freely and happily. Amir sacrificed Hassan as a way to increase his life happiness.

Amir treated Hassan as a tool to shape his life. By using Hassan, Amir sacrificed his life for the improvement of his own. This is a big problem in society today. Many people consider themselves better than one another and use each other, like Amir used and sacrificed Hassan.

Ten Vocabulary Word Sentences

I have chosen ten vocabulary from the list Mr. Sutherland has given us that are particularly challenging for me. I will include each of them in a sentence to show the meaning of the word.

1. The birthday party is in ten days, hence it is on September 28, 2010.
2. The most important clause in the emancipation proclamation stated that all black slaves would become free.
3. The marginal amount of words assigned to the essay was 2000.
4. The man was charged with domestic violence for beating his wife and children.
5. So far, President Obama has failed to implement his campaign promises.
6. The man began to facilitate the woman in the wheel chair.
7. The man is an entity because he exists.
8. Donors are a fundamental part of the charity because they donate to them.
9. The workers went to an orientation at their office because it was their first day at work and they needed to learn in detail about their jobs.
10. His notion of democracy was that it should be spread throughout the world.

Annotating

When it comes to annotating, I always plan according to the future essays that will be assigned to us. To do this, I usually find great topics that can be used in essays; I call these "golden lines." They are "golden" because they bring up great discussion that is deep and meaningful in an essay. Besides "golden lines" being used for great topics and discussion in an essay, they can also be used for concrete details in an essay which make the essay even more meaningful. In collecting "golden lines," I can find good essay topics and discussion as well as concrete details.

Besides using annotating for topics/golden lines, I also use them because they help me understand and comprehend the story when I read. This is because I am forced to think about good essay topics and find deep, meaningful golden lines. It allows me to eventually understand and comprehend the story itself. Basically, annotating helps me gain knowledge of the story for myself; I personally benefit from it. This is because I am forced to find deeper meanings in the story which open up knew knowledge that I can gain.

Although annotating may seem easy, it truthfully can be hard; I have personally faced many problems when annotating. The problem I usually face is how to find deep and meaningful essay topics. I face this problem because I have to find "golden lines" throughout a whole book, without being repetitive. To solve this problem, I usually find individual topics in each paragraph that are deep and meaningful; At the end of the chapter, I choose the most important topics and write them down. This solves my problem with annotating.

In conclusion, annotating is a very helpful way of supporting you when reading a book. They allow you to find deep/meaningful meanings in an essay and also gain personal knowledge that you can gain. It is a very healthy activity learning activity you can use to enhance your reading experience as a student and personal reader.

-Jackson Follrath

Opening Statement. Born Gay. PRO.

People’s sexual orientation is determined at birth. Although it may seem sexual orientation is influenced by a person’s social manner, it is actually influenced by a person’s biological factors, including genetic or hormonal factors.

"During the past thirty years, a strong body of evidence has emerged to suggest that sexual orientation is biological. During this same time period, not a single bit of scientific evidence suggests that sexual orientation is learned has appeared,"( Frederick L. Whitam, PhD).

Much scientific evidence states that preference for male or female partners are related to hormonal balances, and the person’s genes. This starts the day a person is born. Before birth in embryonic state, people are bisexual, but in the coarse of their natural desire, most loose their desire for members of the same sex, (Magnus Hirschfeld, MD). Kenneth Cohen, PhD, lecturer in human development at Cornell University, states that recent scans of the human genome reveal that some gay males share a genetic marker for homosexuality on the X chromosome. The twin study, having been in the interest of scholars, such as the early physician Hippocrates, supports this case. The study shows that twins frequently share the same homosexual traits.

With the information described above, we have proof that human sexuality is developed at birth by their biological factors. They are born knowing that they are homosexual because they are attracted to the opposite sex or they fell different from others in their views of their sexual orientation. They are unable to control or chose who they want to be with; it is simply what they feel inside. Can people chose who they like because they are influenced by peers? Can the feelings they feel for others change? No, because it is part of who they are biologically; they were born homosexual.

We do not support most of what scientists say, but the evidence shown proves that your sexual orientation is determined at birth. Their sexuality is determined by genetics and so, they are born being homosexual. As we stated before, people cannot choose their sexuality. Homosexuals are born homosexual. It is not their choice. In conclusion, we believe that people are born without the choice of choosing their sexuality.

Odd Girl Out Quote Responce

School is always considered a safe place: a place or learning. It should never be considered a place students are scared to go to for fear of bullying. When a student is bullied, they begin to dread and fear going to school; They see school as an unsafe and threatening environment. 

"Bullying is a major issue in the school environment. If no one confronts it, the consequences can be dire. For the victim, school is no longer thought of as a place to learn in but a place to fear," (Kasia Metkowska, http://www.google.com/reader/view/?hl=en&tab=wy#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fkasiaiskesha.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault).

Because of bullying, many different forms of school regulations prohibiting bullying and inappropriate conduct with other students have been created; such as the ASTI constitution. At ASTI, learning and gaining knowledge is critical to becoming a successful student. Bullying cannot take place. The ASTI constitution reminds students the proper ways of socializing with other students. It is extremely effective because of one thing; The students of ASTI created the constitution themselves.


At one point during my school career at ASTI, a bullying issue was taking place. Many people were bullying others and victims were being created out of the situations. This kind of behavior between students is obviously unacceptable, which is why ASTI took immediate action. So one day of the school year, all students of ASTI were called to create a fair constitution that they felt would change the way some students felt toward the school.


I feel this was an excellent plan. During this activity, many students began to realize their involvement in these bullying activities and their faults; They realized they needed to stop their inappropriate behavior. All students wrote down fair rules that would go into the ASTI constitution and in the end, ten of them were chosen and combined together to create the ASTI constitution. This changed the way many students looked toward each other; as friends instead of enemies, as students instead of idiots, as equals.


The ASTI constitution united the students of ASTI and created a strong bond that can never be broken. 

'Just Kidding' and 'Ganging Up from Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons

I never usually tend to group myself into alliances. They are first and for-most usually consist of people who discriminate against certain people and selectively choose who can be in their group. Secondly, they usually are always trouble to certain people; in other words, they can sometimes simply be considered big groups of bullies. For many people, these groups draw to them. Everyone wants to be accepted; by going joining these “popular” groups, they feel accepted because of their social status. These groups are major lures for people of all ages, wether it be at school, the park, or even a friends house. Even I was lured into one of these groups. 

During elementary school, much of the school was divided into small, solitary groups of people; I was in one of them. I felt the need to have more than just good friends. Instead of having just good friends, I wanted to be popular and have many friends. Just simply friends. I was influenced by the need to have a “popular” social status. That is the reason I joined one of these groups. 

I knew these groups were mean, but I never knew they could affect my social mentality as a person. Unfortunately, my intuition was wrong. I changed from being a normal, accepting person, into someone who criticized every aspect of a person considered “unpopular,” “ugly,” “weird,” or any other rumor thought to be associated with a person. I became someone I never wanted to become, a bully. For part of fifth grade year, I became enthralled with being someone who I never wanted to be. I felt the need to be popular and accepted. Best friends weren't enough for me. I needed lots of “friends.” Luckily for me, my social status dramatically changed after a bullying event that I created.

At school, there was a boy everyone particularly hated. There was no specific reason, they simply hated him. I was one of those people; I had no reason too, I simply felt the need to feel “regular” and fit in. Because of this, I bullied this person to the point of leaving the school. When he left, I instantly realized the pain I had brought to his life and how I caused it. From that point on, I changed the way I socially operated at school. I made real friends and stopped the bad influences that had dramatically changed my life before. 

I now know the the bad influences of bullying and how they can affect others. I have learned from my mistakes, just as many others have.