The Future

The interviews with high school seniors in San Diego was very interesting. They all had different goals and places that they saw themselves in ten years, but most of them seemed to feel strong and passionate about what they wanted to do. Some were undecided and unsure about where they saw themselves but the majority seemed to have goals. I think I related most with the people who said they wanted to interact with and help other people. The girl who wants to be a psychologist, the boy who wanted to be a school counselor, and others who simply just wanted to be interacting with others. The reason these interviews were so intriguing to me is because I like hearing and seeing all the different opportunities there are out there and seeing peoples different passions and interests. There are so many careers and opportunities out there and so many different types of people it just reminds you how diverse the world we live in is.

For myself, in 10 years, I have an interesting outlook on what I will be doing. I will be 27 years old and who knows where in the world I will be or what I will be up to. All I know for certain is that I want to be doing mission work somewhere in this world and helping others. Although a comfortable, stable life sounds nice, I feel like that is not for me. I want to be out of my comfort zone doing things to serve others. The cool part about it is that I have no idea where I will be helping others or how and that makes it all the more fun and adventurous. Where God sends me is where I'll go. But for now I am just waiting to graduate high school and eventually graduate college so I can get out there and start doing this as my full time job. Because I have been exposed to the continent of Africa so much already in my life and have fallen in love with the people there, I think that is a major possibility of where I may end up. But who knows, I guess I will just have to wait and see. All I know is that I am very excited about my future and my goal is to not sit around and make myself and my life comfortable but to go out and make a huge difference and impact in this world.

Stumble Upon

Zesto

Yesterday was my first day back at work at Zesto's! We closed for the winter and re-opened last Wednesday. During the winter I got a job at the movie theater Rave because Zesto's was closed. I quit my job at Rave a few weeks ago though because of some things that happened and because I was going to work at Zesto's again. I was excited to be back at work and not be the new person for once. Now I actually know how to do things by myself and can help the other new people. I love working there and I'm excited for it to get busier as it gets hotter!

Ana's Story

One morning when Ana woke up, she felt nauseous and got sick. For the next few weeks, she was queasy and sick almost every morning. During the day she felt like she had a fever and was very tired. At first she thought she may be pregnant but other things led her to rule that out. One day at breakfast she told Silvia about the way she had been feeling and Silvia took her to the doctor. She waited in the reception area while Ana went in. The doctor asked her what had been going on and she told her of her symptoms. The doctor decided to do an ultrasound to find out what the problem was. When the doctor turned off the machine, she turned to Ana and told her she was not sick. With a sigh of relief Ana thanked God. The next words she heard were unbelievable. "You are four months pregnant," said the doctor. She was sure that something was wrong and this could not be true. She started to panick and the room began to spin. Questions like how she would finish school and what would Berto think started running through her head. The next thing that came to her mind was what if the baby had HIV? She stuttered when asking the doctor this question. The doctor calmed her and told her if she took her medicines and remained healthy that everything should be fine and the baby should be healthy.

She put on her clothes and left the room. She was only sixteen years old, way too young to have a baby. She decided not to tell Silvia yet and told her everything went well. That evening, Ana went to Berto's room to tell him the news. She started laughing nervously and told him he was going to be a father. He seemed more happy than her and began to laugh. His enthusiasm comforted her. They decided that they would have to tell Silvia and Pablo so the next morning they asked to meet with them alone.

When they sat down, they told them there was something they needed to talk about with them. Nervously, Ana proclaimed that she was pregnant and Berto was the father. Silvia was very surprised and asked her how she could have done this. "You both are HIV positive, you can make each other sicker," she said. She asked them what they were thinking and told them they should have been using protection or not even doing it at all. Pablo then told Ana that she and her baby were both in danger and they could not keep a baby at the hogar. Ana's heart stopped. She had never considered having to move out away from all her friends and away from Berto. Where would she go? She began to sob and Silvia comforted her by saying they would figure things out.

"Let Kids Rule The School"

This article about letting kids rule the school is very prominent and relevant to our education at Homestead. Many people and students feel that information is being shoved down our throat and we are not even learning anymore. The way teachers try to fit all the information and units in before tests and deadlines makes students less willing to try their hardest. The idea of "letting kids rule the school" is a great way to get kids involved and learn how to do things for themselves. How they were responsible for critiquing and commenting on each others work rather than just their own. The kids got to give feedback to each other at the end of the semester instead of getting grades. They also got to pick their own books and go at their own chosen pace which helped them to work harder and be more determined. The studies and observations of the "Independence Project" showed that this process really does work. Students who were failing and about to drop out started doing well in school and wanting to participate. Like the article says, schools everywhere could take on a project like this and could transform their school. All it takes is students who are dedicated and teachers and faculty who support the kids in what they are doing.

Ana's Story

Some nights Ana would slip into Berto's room so they could watch TV alone. They usually watched comedies or soap operas, but one night he turned on Law and Order. In that episode there was a man attacking a young girl. Ana felt very uncomfortable and asked him why he watched that trash. He did not know anything was wrong and teased her about being scared. This reminded her greatly of Ernesto and the times he molested her and her sister. She became more and more tense and more memories kept coming back to her head. He finally asked her what was wrong and she told him about the night with Ernesto many years ago. She started crying and he held her and told her it was going to be okay. He told her it was not her fault and she should not feel bad about it. Now Berto and Ana knew everything about each other. All their secrets were not hidden anymore and nothing was between them to separate them.

The next week after they attended Mass together at the hogar, Pablo and Silvia took all the residents out shopping at the supermarket. Ana and Berto decided to stay back. They again sat next to each other on the couch while watching TV. They started kissing and going farther. Ana asked him if they really should be doing this and if they should be using protection. They were too caught up in the moment and let things happen without using protection. This became a usual thing at night, Ana would sneak to his room and they would make love. Every night but the first they used protection.

Ana's Story

Berto and Ana still did everything together and became closer and closer each day. Every night they would sit together on the couch and watch TV. Ana loved the warmth of Berto's skin. One night when they were alone, Berto leaned over and whispered the words "Me gustas (I like you)." Those words changed everything for her.

The next day was a big day for Ana, it was the first day of her ninth grade school year. She had transferred to a new school and was very nervous about her first day. When she returned from school that day, Berto was waiting for her. He asked her to go on a walk and so they walked through the neighborhood talking about Ana's new school. She was glad to have someone who wanted to know how her day was and was interested in her. They reached a bench in the park and sat down. Berto leaned over and kissed Ana. She had kissed other boys before but this one she felt a connection and it made her smile.

For the next several months, everyday when she returned home Berto was waiting for her. She now considered him her boyfriend but they tried not to act like a couple back at the hogar. They did not want Pablo and Silvia finding out and being disappointed in them so they kept it a secret. She felt a connection to Berto that she had never felt with another person besides her sister Isabel. She could not imagine either of them doing anything to hurt one another.

Ana's Story

All the residents at the Hogar went to meetings of an HIV/AIDS support group. Ana went to her first meeting about a month after she moved in. She had got the chance to learn about her disease before but never truly listened and took the time to think about it. She finally realized how the virus weakened the immune system and the importance of being safe.

That night when Ana and Berto were watching TV together, they started talking about their disease and about dying. Berto asked her if she ever thought about dying. She replied by saying "No, don't be morbid. Besides, everyone dies. I prefer to think about living." She had seen so many people that were special to her in her life pass away that death was the last thing she wanted to think about. She was not afraid of death but respected it. She knew that death was waiting for her and she would die one day, but for now she planned to live as long as she could. She had every intention of taking her medicine, staying healthy, and fighting her disease until the end.

Ana's Story

The first meal at the new place Ana was staying, called the Hogar, was at a long table with all the residents who stayed there. Silvia and Pablo, the administrators, were the only ones who did not have AIDS. They managed and ran the facility. Before eating, everyone held hands and prayed. Ana was amazed by the quality and tastiness of the food. It was nothing like the food they ate at the reform center. Around the table, everyone asked Ana questions about herself and her life. They then went around and introduced themselves, telling how long each one had been living with AIDS. She was so surprised about how open everyone was with their disease, this was the first time she had experienced anything like this. After dinner everybody, not just Ana, got up to take their medicine.

After dinner, Silvia showed Ana to her room where she was staying with four other women. She did not have many clothes so she took her to a large closet filled with hand-me-downs from other shelters. She picked out some new outfits that she was excited to wear.

Ana and Berto were the youngest residents at the Hogar. They both were fifteen years old and instantly became best friends. They did everything together. They did their chores, ate meals, watched TV, and everything else together. Berto told her about his childhood and why he was also an orphan. His story was very similar to Ana's in some ways, both of them leading them to the same place.

Dirty Duckers!

Dirty Duckers is a dodgeball tournament for junior and senior girls at our school. You have to make a team of 6 players and 2 coaches to compete. The tournament is tomorrow night and we are so excited! My friends and I are really hoping that we won't get out in the first round because that would be really disappointing. We are going to try really hard to do well and make it far, but who knows what will happen. We have two coaches who we are hoping will lead us to victory. One downside though is that we have not practiced at all and basically are going to go out there and wing it. But you never know, we could be amazing and surprise everyone with our awesome throwing and dodging skills, I guess we will find out!

Spellbound

In the movie Spellbound, kids are training and competing to win the national spelling bee. They all have different strategies and techniques they use to lead them to success. The parent's of these middle school aged kids play a big role in their journey to the national bee. I observed many different parenting types throughout the movie and saw the different ways these parents encouraged, supported, and pushed their kids. Neil's father was a prime example of a parent who is almost more dedicated then their child. Neil's dad trained him and made him practice as hard as he could. It almost seemed as if he wanted Neil to win more then Neil himself did. His motivation for Neil to win was for him to succeed and come out better than the rest. He was into education and was very smart himself. On the other hand, Ashley's mom was different. She was less into it then he was and was not pushing and excelling her daughter to practice and learn as much. Ashley's mother was motivated for her daughter to win but for different reasons. She was not unsupportive of her daughter, she was just less focused on helping her succeed as Neil's father was. Her motivation was just to see her daughter happy and to win something. Overall, the different motivations and strategies used by the parents of the kids in this movie vary greatly and create many different types of characters.

Ana's Story

One day Ana went down to breakfast and noticed Berto was not there. When she asked around, she found out that he had left the center. Someone slipped Ana a note a lunch that was from Berto. The note told Ana that he had left the center to go to a place with people for AIDS. He told her he would try to get them to take her too and he would never forget her. Ana was confused and didn't know what to think. Her only friend had left her. She tried to forget about Berto but she couldn't, he was all she could think about.

A few weeks later, a woman stopped by the administration office at the center. She heard a guard walking to her room and soon after tell her that she was being transferred. She had no idea where she was going. She gathered everything she had and did as she was told. She was not too upset because she did not really have any friends to say goodbye to. Ana got in the car with the lady who came to pick her up. She told her she was taking her to a new home especially for people with HIV/AIDS . When they arrived Ana walked in and notice how nice and much more appealing this place was compared to the reform center. On the other side of the room, Ana saw a teenage boy sitting with his back to her. When he turned around she saw his face, it was Berto. She screamed his name happily and asked what he was doing there. He told her he promised he would take her to a better place. She could not speak. Everywhere else people with AIDS were outcasts and not welcomed, but here she felt welcomed.

Ana's Story page 122-140

Ana is still living at the reform center and is about to turn 15. In the hispanic culture, at age 15, girls have a celebration called a quinceanera to recognize them as becoming a women in the society. The day is supposed to be filled with family and traditions. Women from the church arranged parties for the girls at the center who turned 15. On her birthday, they took Ana to get her hair and makeup done. Shen then came back, put on a fancy white dress, and had a celebration with all the other kids. For once, she thought of herself as beautiful.

A few weeks later, while outside playing volleyball with all the kids Ana noticed a new boy sitting by himself. She went over and sat next to him and asked him his name. His name was Berto. He was very shy and quiet but Ana felt a connection to him. She felt safe and comfortable around him. Over the next few weeks they started writing each other notes at meals and started opening up more. One night Ana unexpectedly told him about her disease. She was very scared to see his reaction. The next morning at breakfast, frightened she walked in and dreaded seeing the look on his face. Surprisingly he smiled at her and passed her a note that said "I have it too." Ana felt all the tension go away and finally felt accepted by somebody. She was so excited to finally have a friend who shared one of her secrets with her and who she could talk to about anything.

3.1 Diction Exercise

Once Upon a Time by Jack Gilbert

A) incidentally
stumbling
accidentally
intensity
innocent
baffled
tender
sweetness
melody

B) Connotation: poetic and imaginative
Elevation: monotonous and familiar

C) In Jack Gilbert's poem Once Upon a Time, the monotonous and familiar elevation of language juxtapose the poetic and imaginative connotation to create a poem about young love.