Opinion Editorial

"Can Money Buy You Happiness?"

Can money really buy you happiness? Well yes, and no. You go every single day wanting and needing things that must be purchased with money. For example, when you go shopping, whether it be clothes, shoes, food, or school supplies, you must pay for then with money. After you buy them, you feel good and don't have to worry about it anymore. When you buy something you really wanted like a car or a new phone, you feel really happy because you're able to have it. Money can buy you the pleasure of having things that bring you happiness. However, like most people say, money can't buy you the kind of happiness that comes out of loving one another and being kind to someone. Money can't buy your emotions. It's up to you when and why you feel a certain way. We're not only always happy because of material things, but also by things that can only be felt. You can be happy because of someone's presence or because someone was kind to you today and more. That is the kind of happiness money can't buy. 

"Should school put tracking devices in students' ID cards?"

ID cards are meant to show a person or in this case, a student's identification. If schools were to put tracking devices in them, it would be an invasion of privacy. Schools do not need to know every second of a students life, at least not necessarily. Schools do not need to monitor where and where a students goes at all times. Students should be responsible enough to take care of themselves. It would be a waste of money and technology to put such devices in a students ID card and it would be of no use.

The Joy Luck Club Essay

     The bond between a mother and a daughter is unbreakable. Daughters tend to forget that mothers know best. Mothers tend to forget their daughters are still learning to grow up. However, there might be reasons behind all of this. Miscommunication and misunderstanding between a mother and daughter is much of a result if cultural and generational differences.

     In the book, The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan, these differences are clearly portrayed. Linda Jong becomes upset when her daughter, Waverly, wants to be American no mater how hard she tries to teach Waverly to be Chinese. This is an example of cultural differences because Lindo wants Waverly to be Chinese when Waverly has something else in mind

     Jing-Mei's, also known as June's, mom dies. She is forced to take her mom's spot in the Joy Luck Club. She feels like she can't quite fill her mom's shoes. This is simply because they're different. Her mother lacked affection and had high expectations as well as rare emotions towards her. This is an example of generational differences because growing up June's mom Suyuan forgot June was still learning. This makes it hard for June to fill her shoes. 

     When Waverly becomes a chess prodigy, Suyuan wants June to become a piano prodigy as well or a Chinese Shirley Temple. Suyuan expected June to be the best, better than girls on the television. However, this is not what June wanted. This is an example of cultural and generational differences. This is because Suyuan wanted June to be good at something because she was Chinese and other Chinese girls were good at things. It's generational differences because it's not what June, at that age, wanted.

     Mothers and daughters miscommunicate as a result of cultural and generational differences. Mothers usually want one thing for their daughters and it's usually influenced by where they come from. Daughters want something different from their mothers and it's usually influenced by people around them and the generation they live in. Mothers and daughters may argue and drive eachother crazy, but they share a live greater than all. That's what makes a mother-daughter bond special.

Diction Handouts

Low or informal diction:

Example of Jargon: awash

Elevated language or formal diction:

1.a).phosphorescent: of or relating to a type of light that glows softly in the dark and that does not produce heat

• "Before I could form a guess, a faint flash of glowing light, which seemed to issue suddenly from the naked body of an, flickered.."

b).cadaverous: looking very thin & pale; resembling a corpse

•"...a broad livid back immersed right up to the neck in a greenish pale glow." 

c).elusive: hard to find or capture; hard to understand, define, or remember 

•"...flickered in the sleeping water with the incomprehensible, silent play of summer lightning in a night sky." 

2. Elevated language makes the text & time more formal. Paraphrasing the passage makes the passage shorter and less formal.

Abstract & concrete diction:

4.a).saw

b).climbed 

c).clutched 

d).stare

5.The authors chose to leave the captain, ship, & crew nameless to creat a mysterious tone, where the reader can look for, create, or ponder the names.

Denotation & connotation: 

6. The Denotation of the title "The Secret Sharer" is that the sharer is secretive in a sense that the person says, or in this case, shares something that is not mean for everyone to hear or see.

Chart:

Word: 

1.cadaverous:

Denotation- looking very thing or pale

Connotation- 

2.darkling:

D-in the dark

C- someone or something that is dark

3.pale:

D-light skinned

C-

4.phosphorescence:

D-luminescence that is caused by the absorption of radiations

C-

5.ghastly:

D-very shocking or horrible

C-

6.headless:

D-having no head

C-mindless or can't think 

7.fishlike:

D-acting or feeling like the characteristics of a fish

C-something or something underwater 

Latin Roots #6

Roots:

1.corp(or)- body

2.cred- to believe, to trust

3.cur(r), curs, course- to run, to flow

4. dic(t)- to speak, to say 

Word list:

1. Benediction- a blessing or state of blessedness

• The priest offered a benediction for te sick.

2. Concourse- a broad public hallway

• There was a concourse path from my room to the kitchen.

3. Concurrent- occurring at the same time

• My violin lesson and cheer practice was concurrent.

4. Corporal- related to the physical body

• 

5. Corpulent- fat

• The pig was the most corpulent out of all the animals on the farm. 

6. Credibility- the quality of being trustworthy

• The girls credibility was outstanding, everyone could trust her.

7. Credulity- the willingness to believe easily without proof

• Kids have the most credulity because they don't understand most things yet.

8. Cursory- done in a superficial or hasty manner

• Honework and class work should not be done in a cursory manner, I believe.

9. Dictum- an authorities saying or maximum

10. Incorporate- to combine several different things into a whole

• I was able to incorporate a healthy diet in my everyday meals.

11. Incredulous- not believing, skeptical, or doubting

I'm incredulous towards anything that has no proof of.

12. Indicative- characteristic of or very much like; suggestive 

• Her promise ring was an indicative of her love.

Lit. Analysis Response to The Giver by Lois Lowry

1. The book starts off with Jonas becoming a 12 and is selected to be the receiver of memory. The previous receiver of memory, The Giver, transmits all memories of things such as snow and a sled to Jonas. Throughout the book, Jonas tries to save a baby named Gabriel from not being able to experience any of these memories. He takes Garbirel to "Elsewhere" where they discover a place much different from their community. Then they return home where everyone is waiting for them.

2. One major theme of this book is being individual is important. It's okay to be different in a world like ours and that's what we should do. Lois Lowry portrays this through Jonas who goes out on a limb and takes a risk to help Gabriel which isn't allowed in their community. Also, this book has a theme of, if you don't have the knowledge, you can't experience. We must learn about the things we want to do. Lois Lowry portrays this through the "memories" that is given to Jonas which he had never experienced before.

3. Jonas, the protagonist is a dynamic character. In the beginning of the book, Jonas went along with ha this community believed. He did what he was expected to do. Later on in the book, Jonas took risks, even if it meant disobeying the rules. This way, he found a whole new world outside of the community.

4. Gabriel was a symbol of hope, hope for Jonas and for the community. Gabriel wasn't a normal infant because he had breathing problems. Usually in their community, infants like this wouldn't last long. However, Jonas's family took him in and Gabriel was able to receive memories from Jonas. This symbolizes that anyone could receive these memories and if so, the community would and could be different.

5. I chose this book because my friend read it and said it was interesting. As soon as I picked it up and read it, I couldn't stop. The book kept me wanting to read more.

6. I think this book can connect to my own life. The memories that Jonas receives of snow and a boat and a sled, I know of, and I have experienced it. I also think that their community related to our society in a sense that society tells us to be something, but it's up to us to be ourselves.

7. I expect to remember that's it's good to be different and to take risks. I want to remember this because I don't usually take risks because I'm afraid to and because I should be different, no matter how people see me as. One passage from the book I'd like to share is when Jonas helps Gabriel sleep better. "Once more, toward dawn, the new child woke and cried out. Again Jonas went to him. This time he quite deliberately placed his hands firmly on Gabriel's back, and released the rest of the calming day on the lake. Again Gabriel slept." It's the slightest of knowledge of something that helps us feel a certain way.

Greek Drama Handout Questions

1. What kind of prize is given for dancing choruses of worshippers?

•The prize would be a bull or a goat.

2. How many spectators would gather in the open-air theatre of Dionysus?

•There would be 20,000 spectators who attended the theatre of Dionysus.

3. How does the mask affect the voice of the actors?

•It helps project their voices to their audience.

4. Why was Antigone suspenseful to viewing audiences?

•The audience could see and know of things that the characters of the actors didn't. 

5. How is the shepherd to leave the infant on the mountainside?

•The shepherd did so with pinned knees.

6. What is the riddle the Sphinx gave to Oedipus?

•The riddle is: What goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening? The answer is Man.

7. Who are Oedipus' kids?

Eteocles, Polyneices, Ismene, & Antigone are Oedipus' kids.

8. After Oedipus is exiled, who takes over Thebes?

•Creon becomes king of Thebes

9. What did the family do to the dead body? 

•Eteocles is given a proper burial, but Polyneices isn't buried and is left to be eaten away at.

Antigone Assignment

My choice would be to go against the king and the law & bury my brother. I would do this because it's the right thing to do. He should be buried as a national hero instead of my other brother because he didn't start the fight. I'd also try to convince my sister to join me in burying my brother, a burial & a title that he deserves. Even though it means going against the King and the laws he set, my brother deserves a proper burial where he can be remembered in honor.

First, I'd go look for his body where it was deposited at a city as a bird and maggot meal. Then I'd take the body and find my sister to show & try to convince her that we should give our brother the proper burial. If she is not in agreement with me, I will bury him myself. I will look for a proper burial site. Then dig up a hole big enough to fit his body. I'd lay the body in the hole. Before covering up the hole, I'd say a little speech in honor of him and say a few prayers. I'd lay a last rose on his chest and then cover the hole up. Then I'd go talk to the king and tell him I have done so. If he chooses to execute me, then so be it. If not, I will try to convince him that it was the right thing to do in hopes he will believe me.

I'd do all this because I have strong family values. I believe that no matter what the situation is, we should always try and help our families. I know I may fight with my sisters and my parents, but at the end of the day, they're the ones who will always be there for you regardless of anything. I'd also do anything to have my family name honored.