Thankful!

One person that I am truly thankful for in our class is Sam K. I've know him since freshman year. He started out not liking me because I would harass him about not talking to me, but over the summer we became closer. We almost worked the same summer job, but I turned it down for another one! We eat lunch together just about everyday! He fills my day with laughter with his ridiculous stories. He reminds me what our homework is, even though I still don't do it. He also helps me with it, when he knows what he's doing.  He is also my buddy who I walk to 8th period with. We both have it on the third floor, so we complain about the number of stairs the whole way up. All in all, Sam is a good person and a great friend, and I am really thankful for him!

I Celebrate Myself!

While looking at the other blogs, I've seen most people say that they celebrate themselves because of their accomplishments, because they love their personality, they don't care about what other people think of them, or because they're cool or popular! A lot of people feel they should celebrate themselves for being a leader, but not everyone can be a leader! What about the people who are followers, or aren't as cool, or feel they haven't accomplished anything? Are they not allowed to celebrate themselves? I feel that you should celebrate yourself for just waking up! I celebrate myself for dragging myself out of bed every morning! I celebrate myself for attempting to have a great day! I celebrate myself for making other people laugh! I celebrate myself for the simplest things, the things no one else recognizes!

Edgar Allen Poe

Edgar Allen Poe was an American poet who was known for his gothic or horror stories. Some of the pieces he is most known for are The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Fall of Ligea. In most of his stories, it takes place in a spooky place, and he gives you clues that makes you want to know more. Poe leaves hints in his writing about his own life. In just about every story that I’ve read  from Poe, someone dies. I am aware that he lost three loved ones, all in a short period of time, maybe this is why he kills off people in his story. His wife Virginia was also his cousin, this refers back to his story “The Fall of the House of Usher.” In the story, he tells us that the Usher family likes to marry within the family, in order to keep the wealth. Funny how his uncle left him all of his wealth right before he died! All in all, I think Poe is a great writer! His stories are intriguing and leaves you wanting more. 

Are You American?

As said in most of our class discussions, most people consider themselves to be partially American. They claim these other nationalities because that is where their ancestors came from. To be honest, most of the people who put another nationality in front of American has never even visited their “home town”. They don’t follow the traditions of those people, and they don’t live there, so why claim it? We claim to be these other thing because we were once told by another confused person that we are. Although some people may try to recreate their cultures from their ancestors’ native land, we still change it to fit the American ways.

Some people may also see being an American as living in America. That does play a big part. If you live in one of the Americas, and live by the American ways, you can be called an American. Most of the people who claim to be something else cant tell you the simplest thing about that countries history.

Despite the fact that there are many different types of people who live in America, we are American first. There is no point in classifying yourself because, technically, we’re all American, so we’re all the same!

Modern Day Puritans!

 Although most people think Puritans no  longer exist in society today,  they technically still do! We are  more like the Puritans  than we think.  In the book  The  Scarlet  Letter, the Puritans  use the rose bush  as a  symbol of hope in what they wanted to be a utopian society.  We all  have different  items that serves as a " rose  bush"  in our lives. The Puritans  also used the bible as their  laws,  the government also used the  bible to help create some laws for today's society.  Last but not least,  the Puritans  believed in punishing their people  by  exposing them  to the public.  Many  people may  not realize it,  but we do that a lot!  Every time we see the  celebrities'  business plastered  across our TV  screens,  and  every talk show in the country is talking about their mistakes,  we are publicly shaming them!  All in all, I  think we should think twice about judging the Puritans,  because we are one in the same!

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

A hero is defined as a person who has distinguished courage or ability, admired for their brave deeds and noble qualities. John Proctor definitely shows these characteristics. Most people would consider him to be a stooge because he had an affair with Abigail and set the whole witchcraft trial in motion but, what they don’t understand is that everyone has flaws. Despite the fact that he cheated on his wife Elizabeth, and that he doesn’t attend church that often, he was a good man. He stood up for what he believed in and was a leader in his community. He told Abigail that he no longer wants anything to do with her, which lets us know that he regrets what he did. He feels guilty for cheating on Elizabeth, which is why he confesses at the end of the play. He knows that he has broken one of the ten commandments, and he must pay for his sin, one way or another. He was willing to confess of witchcraft, knowing he had nothing to do with it, just for the sake of his marriage and soon to be family. Although he bailed out on signing the document, he did it for a good cause. He wanted to save his name. even though he had sinned, he didn’t want to die with a bad reputation, especially since he had a child on the way. He wanted to be remembered as a good, courageous man who was a leader in his community, and in my opinion, he did just that! 

There goes the neighborhood!

In my opinion, the term “There goes the neighborhood” can be looked at in both a negative and positive way. When a person uses this phrase, they might refer to the disapproval of a newcomer who sets some example for change in the environment. They would be saying that their current social system is being taken from them before their eyes. This phrase can also be looked at as a good change for the neighborhood. The community might not approve of the current system in place, and be happy that a change is coming.

New arrivals aren’t always a bad thing, but in the case of the Native Americans and the Spaniards, they were. Columbus and his men came to the USA in search of claiming new land. They stripped the Native people of their cultures and religion. They forced them to convert to Christianity or they were killed. They brought over new crops that would eventually replace the old ones. In addition to taking the Native peoples land, they treated them poorly. They portrayed them to be evil people, when they were nothing but welcoming. On Columbus’ first trip to America, he treated them with respect, only to return and  take their land, gold, and enslave them. The Native Americans would be able to say, “There goes the neighborhood!”

ME!!!

                    Hi! My name is Karmyn Doughty, but some people call Sasha. I am 15 and will 16 shortly, in October to  be exact. At times I can have a bubbly personality and at others, I can be really laid back. I am outgoing and love to meet new people. I am not very good at sitting still for long periods of time, but I try. Although I am not good at that, I am good at sports. I play for the Sophomore basketball team here at Whitney Young. I also participate in Track and Field. I am currently the 4th best high jumper in the city and the only sophomore. I also take dance. Yes, I am very busy!
                    I have one younger sister and one older brother. My brother is my best friend! I don't have a lot of responsibility at home because I am never there. I live on the west side of Chicago with my mom and siblings. No, I am not scared of living on the west side. I have lived in the same neighborhood all my life. I actually thank my side of town for making me the person I am today!
                    All in all, I am a great, bubbly, and athletic person who loves to meet new people!