Semester Reflection

One thing I learned while studying colonization was that the natives were treated poorly. We studied Australia, Rwanda, and South Africa. In all these cases when the people colonizing landed on the new place they looked down on the natives because they were different. In many cases the natives were killed, enslaved, and their culture was changed. After Germany came into Rwanda the Tutsi’s were put in charge. The Hutu’s were treated bad and looked at as not important. The Germans put Gave Rwanda to the Belgians, but after a while the Belgians pulled out. After they left massive killing started breaking out because of the trouble that was made. This is just one instance of how settlers have disrupted and destroyed the natives’ ways of living.
When we were having our debate on the Rwandan Genocide I realized that there was more than one person or group to be blamed. One group that could be blamed is the Belgians. This is because they gave the Tutsis power for most of the time and then right before they left, the power was given to the Hutus. If they would have just given each group equal power then there would be less tension between the two groups. Another group that could be blamed is the Interahamwe. This group of Hutu extremists did most of the killings. If they hadn’t taken part in the genocide and worked things out with the Tutsis then the problems could have been solved.

Another thing I learned throughout the semester was to improve my writing through blogs. Doing these weekly blogs really helped me to practice my writing. Before writing these I would write a paragraph as three or four undeveloped sentences and not know how to build on. By writing the blogs and having to make them 400 words long I learned to make long and developed paragraphs and ended up finding myself trying to find a place to end it. I also really improved on my thesis statements while writing these blogs. In one blog about the Rwandan Genocide I wrote “My opinion on the conflict in Rwanda is that it was started by Belgium, but the Interahamwe are the ones who kept it going.” Before writing these blogs I wouldn’t have known where to start if I was asked to write a topic sentence.

Also when we read weekly articles it helped me with both my reading, and writing skills. It helped me with my reading skills because every week’s article felt like it was harder than the week before. This made me really have to think while I was reading them, in order to understand it. Since we had to write one or two paragraphs after reading, I not only had to understand it, but I had to be able to write about it also. I really had to work my brain in order to come up with highly developed paragraphs to go with the hard readings. So not only did I improve my reading and writing, but also my thinking skills.

The last thing that I learned hurt my brain even more with only four words Man-In-The-Well.
after listening to this tap for the first time I had no idea what they were talking about. But after listening a few more times of listening to it I came up with a few ideas. The whole point of this activity was to get the class thinking and using our imaginations. I got an idea that the man in the well counld represent the conscience of the children. This was a very difficult story to understand but by doing this activity it helped me think about things in a different way.

All of these things that I learned have helped me a lot. They have changed the way that I read, write, and think.

Country Natives

If I was a native in one of the countries we disgusted I would choose to be a native in South Africa. I would be from here because the natives were treated better here than from any of the other countries. Even thought the natives were not seen or treated as equals, at least in the future they became important to society and a part of the government. In the beginning the natives were discriminated and in some cases even killed. At one point South Africa was split up into "homelands". People were placed in homelands depending upon their race. Different homelands had different rights including voting. In order for people from the homelands to be allowed into the South Africa they had to have passports that included their information and fingerprint.

The natives here were discriminated in other ways also. Though they were treated bad, natives in other countries were often treated a lot worse. In Rwanda after the Belgians took over they put the Tutsis in power, and then right before they left they put the Hutus in power. The Hutus and Tutsis had so many problems that a genocide broke out, leaving almost nobody safe. People couldn't even leave their house without the worry that they may not come back alive. These natives along with many others including those from Australia and the United States, had much worse living conditions than those in South Africa.

Rwandan Genocide: Who did it?

My opinion on the conflict in Rwanda is that it was started by Belgium, but the Interahamwe are the ones who kept it going. This is because when Belgium gained control of Rwanda they had to have known about the ongoing conflict between the Tutsi’s and the Hutu’s. After they got into the country they caused more of a conflict by making identity cards, so that they would know who was a Hutu and who was a Tutsi. While in power, Belgium put the Tutsis in charge of the government, while the Hutus were not favored and acted as peasants. Finally as Belgium was leaving power they decided to change it up, and put the Hutus as the government.

After the conflict started up, the Interahamwe started their killings. They turned on their neighbors, families, and friends. They either killed for land, money, or simply because they were convinced to. One way they were convinced was by a radio station run by Juvenal. He was a Hutu, who wanted the Tutsis dead. On the radio station it said that you should kill the Tutsis, every chance you get. Some claim that the station brainwashed the Interahamwe. They turned their backs on people who considered them friends.

In the opinion of my assigned person, Paul Kagame, I would still blame the Interahamwe and Belgium. Another group I would blame is the Rwandan Armed Forces and the UN. I would blame them because neither of them did anything to help the problem.

The Rwandan Armed Forces were a Hutu army who was involved in the killings of a great amount of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. This group forced the Tutsis to leave their country, in order to live. As one of those people I, Paul Kagame, became the leader of the RPF(Rwandan Patriotic Forces). We were called Rebels and Terrorists, but the only thing we were fighting for was to be treated as an equal to the Hutus. Everything could have been resolved if the Rwandan Armed Forces would have just compromised with us and seen things from our point of view.

The UN did not start the genocide, nor did they help it continue on, but they also did nothing to stop it. The UN sent forces into Rwanda and were going to help the problem get resolved, but whenever help was needed they looked the other way. The UN soldiers were not allowed to use their weapons unless they were being shot at. They weren't allowed to use their weapons, even if someone was being killed right in front of them. Now, what help is that?

None of these groups or people did anything to stop this genocide and some helped to keep it going, this is why they deserve the blame for this horrific time in history.

The Best Time Of The Year!

It's the best time of the year. It's when everyone is happy, the smell of cookies and pine trees fills the air, and the nights are cold. There are Christmas decorations everywhere you turn and the malls are filled with Santas. It's one week until Christmas break and the countdown to Christmas to has started. My chocolate Christmas calendar is almost half way empty and the excitement is quickly filling me. All I can think about is Christmas morning and all the fun events leading up to it. The whole school break is filled with time spent with my family.

We go Christmas shopping, make cookies, and pick out a tree together. On Christmas eve we all go to Church and then to my grandparents house to open our first Christmas gift. Then my grandpa reads The Night Before Christmas to all of us. After finally making it back home we go to bed with butterflies in our stomachs.

The next morning I wake up to the joyful shouting of my little brother and before my eyes even open a big smile spreads across my face. It's Christmas morning! My family goes into the living room and starts opening present after present. After an hour of unwrapping, all the presents are gone.

The fun isn't over though, we play with our presents for a while and then go down to my cousins house were more presents are waiting. All of my family gathers at the house. We eat breakfast, open presents, and the kids give their dollar store gifts, that we had all gotten a few days ago together, to the adults.

After the morning ends we all go home. My cousins all come to my house so that we can show them our presents. We hang out all day in our pajamas until dinner time comes and we had out to my aunt and uncle's house. We eat, talk, and have a good time for hours. I feel sad that the day is coming to a close.

Night falls and the day is ending so my family(along with my cousin) go back to my house for the night. I start to feel like all the joy of this time of year is ending. For a few more hours we have fun playing games, talking, and watching our last Christmas movie for the year. As I start to fall asleep and the sadness falls over me I think about how we still have New Years!

American Scholar

Emerson's argument in "The American Scholar" about American society still holds true today.



One reason Emerson's argument still holds true today is because people only have one job and not multiple. In Emerson's paper he says "Man is not a farmer, or a professor, or an engineer, but he is all." Emerson believes that this statement should hold true, and the problem is that it doesn't. When people go to college they study one profession and there for they are only ready to do that ONE job. This limits what people can do in the world.

Another reason Emerson's argument still holds true today is because people become the job that they perform. Emerson says "The priest becomes a form; the attorney a statue book; the mechanic a machine; the sailor a rope of the ship." This is because people become so involved with their work that they make it their number one priority. Emerson's argument in "The American Scholar" about American society still holds true today, but maybe someday that will change.

Best Day of the Year!

Chocolate, bubble gum, lolli pops, and more. The best part about Halloween is the costumes, the friends, and candy. I trick-or-treat for hours, until I can't feel my feet and I have cleaned out every house in the neighborhood. After a long nights work, my friends and I head down to park for cider and donuts. We grab our food and walk across the leave coated ground to the giant bonfire, which took weeks to gather wood for.

I talk with my family and friends, and meet some new people from the neighborhood. Then my friends and I meet up with my cousin, Nathan, and his friends at the fire. The park is crowded and after 10 minutes of standing in front of the fire I need to get away from the heat. We go to the swing set and sit. We trade candy and talk about peoples costumes.

After a while of talking we go out for some last minute candy gathering. We hit all the major "must go to" house and start our walk across the neighborhood to Nathans house. There we meet up with the rest of my family. We eat more sweets and go down stairs to the candy filled pinata. We go in the order from youngest to oldest and as usual, the pinata is down before my turn comes. The older kids just stand there while the younger ones fight for the candy. Our parents saved some of the candy for us older kids, so that the younger ones would get a chance to retrieve some of the pinata candy.

When we're done socializing my friends and I go back to my house to eat our candy and watch scary movies. We watch all the classic horror films and some of the new ones. We all hide under the blankets when the scary parts come on and our screams cause my dad to come down stairs and remind us that my little brother was sleeping. We stay up half the night watching Halloween episodes on t.v. and Degrassi. We then go on our separate sides of the room and sort our candy. We see who has the most candy, the least candy, the best candy, and the worst candy. Then we talk about our favorite candies and ideas for what we want to dress up as next year.

Finally we start to get tired from walking around Coventry Gardens all night and settle into bed for the night. After an hour of trying to fall asleep I finally dozed off, dreaming of next years Halloween.

The Game of My Life

The starting whistle pulls me away from my fears and the game starts. My mind is in the game and all the thoughts flood out of my head. This is it. It's the final game of the season and this game determines if we move up a league or move down a league. The nerves start to come back, but I immediately push them away knowing that if I let them in my head I have no chances of playing well. Before I know it the ball is at my feet and I'm dribbling down the field, looking around for someone wearing the white and green canton jersey to pass the ball to. Out of the corner of my eye I see one of my teammates running down the opposite side of the field and I quickly turn the ball around. I wined my foot back and hit the ball as hard as I can. The ball flies across the field and lands at my teammate's feet. She takes the ball to the middle of the field and with one last look around hits the ball straight into the back of the net. It's one to nothing!

After over an hour of playing the score was tied at two all. There was three minutes left to play and we were all felling the pressure. I got the ball and passed it over to our team's top scorer. She dribbled it down the field, shot, and missed. The other team took the goal kick. Now there was only one minute remaining. They took the kick and before their player could get to the ball, my team got it. I got the pass and shot it before I even had time to think about what I was doing. I turned to watch where the ball went, and the first thing I saw was the goalie fall to the ground. The ball rolled on the ground and within seconds it was placed in the far right corner of the net. Goal!! We all ran back to our places ready to defend our lead for the last 30 seconds of the game. Each second felt like a forever. The rest of the game was filled with sweat and screams from the other team's parents. Finally the final whistle blew and we had our victory. This was what I lived for, the thrill of playing a soccer game. After a long day of hard work on the field I got into my car ready to take the long ride home with my heart filled with joy and a smile across my face.

A New World

When the two liter amount of water was found on the moon a wave of commotion was sent throughout the NASA community, and the world. NASA's workers scrambled to find ways to back up this new discovery.





They decided to launch two spacecrafts into the moon's south pole. This was supposed to help scientists discover if there was more water on the moon or not. After reading the article NASA Crashes Probes Into Moon I think that this is a great idea.

Let's say they do find water on the moon, this could open up thousands of jobs for people in U.S. If there is water, than we could actually set up stations on the moon where people could maybe live for a little bit, or at least get closer to completing this goal. The whole idea of water on the moon opens up so many new doors, such as finding extraterrestrial life, and other things like that. This discovery is a huge milestone for science. For a very long time we thought it was amazing that there used to be water on Mars, but now, there may actually be a moon that has water now currently.

On the other hand, I'm not sure if it's right to be using people's tax dollars for this. If people had a choice on what their money was spent on, I don't think that a lot of people would even consider research on the moon to be one of them. Many people would want their tax dollars to be put toward other things that would affect them.

The government should have put off this study until after they were sure that the United States was out of the recession. This way people would have more money for taxes and be more willing to give the government this tax money for the research.

Finding water on the moon could lead to a whole new world in science and life. It would change life on earth and outside of earth. It could lead to new discoveries on the moon, and maybe even the discovery of life.

If we found life on the moon we could study the life for years and find out a lot about other species in the universe. The discovery of life could lead to more discoveries of life in other places around the universe. There could be life found on many other planets because we could use the same method of finding water as we did on the moon. This would create a major change in the world.

Heaven on Earth

It doesn't take sitting on the beach for an hour to make me realize that the six hour car ride here was worth it. The second I see the wooden state park sign my heart beat doubles and I cannot hold back the smile on my face. This is my favorite two weeks of the year. The week that is filled with family, love, and relaxation, knowing that all of my troubles were left behind at home.

My family finally arrives at the campsite we booked on the first day of the year, to be sure we got the best site in the park. I swing the door open the moment the car comes to a stop and run straight through the site and up the sand dunes with my brother and cousin beside me. We fall to the ground when we reach the top and let the heated sand warm us as we stare off into the lake . This is our fairytale.

We have come here every year for as long as we can remember. This is where we can be anything we want, anytime we want to be it. This is where we are Pirates, Indians, Soldiers, and Animals. When we're here my brother, sister, cousins, and I become best friends and forget about our lives back at home.

When we are there it seems as though we have escaped from life, we have no problems to worry about and no plans to obey. We wake up when we want, and go to bed when we want. We go to town when we want, and go to the beach when we want. Everything is up to us when we are here.

There is so much to do that two weeks doesn't seem to be enough time. Some days we just want to relax by staying in the park. On those days we lay on the beach and at night we enjoy a campfire. We sit by the fire for hours telling scary stories and stuffing our faces with peanut butter cup s'mores, hotdogs, pies, and doughboys until we are all so full that we don't even have enough energy to make the walk to the bathrooms (which isn't all bad considering how unclean they are).

On the days that we have energy to burn, we go into town for a day of shopping or to explore the local beaches. Most of these beaches we discovered and named ourselves. To end our day we go to the bay for a walk on the boat pier and to watch a local baseball game. Each night, we fall asleep to the soothing sound of my grandpa's singing and the gentle strumming of his guitar.

When we get into the car to leave at the end of our trip, I feel hot tears filling my eyes, reminding me of the warm sand I had rested my head upon just two weeks before. I go through the rest of the year imagining my next trip the Petoskey State Park.

Lunchroom Daze

The faces of hundreds of students turned to me as I stood dead in my tracks at the center of the entrance to the cafeteria. I knew this was a place I would come to know well over the next four years. My brain was telling my body to move but I had forgotten how. Clutching my sack lunch, I took one last deep breath as I stepped into the crowded room. My heart raced as I begin to search for someone familiar. All of the faces blurred together as I scanned the room. Finally, I breathed a sigh of relief as I spotted someone I knew and safely seated myself next to my friends.
Our group had been together for as long as I could remember, through elementary school, recess, and girl scouts. Even though I was in the safety of my clique I still felt the worries of whether my outfit was cute enough or if I should have spent that extra five minutes on my make-up this morning. I felt like I was under a microscope and that everywhere I turned there was someone there to judge me. All that was going through my head was how this was my first impression. This was who I would be known as for the rest of my high school career.
It was completely overwhelming. There was way too much to take in. I closed my eyes and took one deep breath before opening them. I felt like Alice walking through the looking glass into a whole new world that made no sense to me. I had been anticipating high school all summer and now I realized it was nothing like I had expected.
The students were like swarms of bees. Everyone else seemed to know what to do and where to go. I just felt lost and unaware of my surroundings. The more I looked around, the more I realized how truly new this place was. I was a child in a world filled with adults. I was now a part of a whole new world.

My Life in ABC's

A- Animal lover. Ever since I was little I have loved animals of all kinds. I first realized it on the Christmas when I was 5 years old. My dad came home from work with a little kitten for us and she made me see how much I LOVED animals. Ever since that Christmas I have gotten 3 more pets and wanted to be around animals as much as possible.



B- When I was a kid I would always play with my Barbie Dolls. Every year for my birthday I would get another doll for my collection. My friends would come over and we would play with our little friends for hours. They were the coolest new thing, before video games and computers took over. I still keep my barbies to remind me of my childhood memories.



C- I play on a soccer team called the Canton Celtics. I am new to the team this year and it has been an amazing experience so far. I have made many new friends and have an amazing coach. I used to know some of the players and the coach when I was younger and reconnecting with them was like finding a long lost sibling. I hope to make the team again next year so that I can get to know the girls better and have more good times.



D- One thing about me that everyone knows is that I love dessert. I have had a huge sweet tooth for my whole life and it is uncontrollable! I will eat just about everything with sugar in it. My vision of heaven is a candy store.



E- Eddie Edgar is an ice arena that I have gone to since my brother started playing hockey for the Tim Bits. I go there every weekend for my brother and cousins hockey games. I have wanted to play hockey forever but I can't skate so I spend as much time as possible watching my brother and cousin play.



F- The summers are hot and long, but I keep myself cool with fudgesicles. They are so creamy and chocolaty. They are the one treat that everyone in my family loves. I could never live without these wonderful snacks.



G- Google is the one thing I could never live without. I use that to find everything I need for school or outside school.



H- My friend Alexi plays soccer for a team called the Hawks. We have been friends for years and I go to all of her soccer games and support her with signs and banners.



I- For my soccer biggest soccer tournament I went to Indiana. It was a lot of fun and all of the team got to spend a lot of time with each other and the parents. We stayed at a hotel that is a ski resort in the winter and had fun running up and down the hills in our free time. I was a great experience for the team and we all became better friends by the end of the tournament.



J- A jumbo pack of gum is in one of my greatest memories. On day at the end of the school year my friends and I bought a jumbo pack of gum before school. We had a goal to eat it all by the end of the day. We chewed all day and had to switch pieces every minute. By the end of the day we had met our goal, but our jaws really hurt. It was a day none of us will ever forget.



K- Kelly Clarkson is my favorite singer. I have listened to her music ever since she won American Idol. She has great music and seems like a wonderful role model.



L- My last name is Licata. It is an Italian name and it will make me sad when I lose it. My last name is a big part of me. It shows where I came from and who I am.



M- My little brother's name is Michael. He is 12 years old and full of energy. He annoys me all the time but in the end his is still my brother and I love him.



N- Nathan, my cousin. He's just a year older than me, and we do everything together. Over the summer, we spent many weeks up north with our families; it was a lot of fun. Nowadays, with school and sports, I see him much less but we still have the best times together.



O- Oscar the Grouch, my least favorite child character. His negativity always makes me feel bad for him. Personally, I try to always find the good in all situations because pessimism takes you nowhere in life.



P- Pooh, my favorite childhood character. He is a very simple character, a very simple life, and though he is not very educated, he does the best with what he education he has, and is always trying to find answers to his questions. Pooh's personality is what a the young Einstein, Aristotle, and all great minds such as these would be similar to, I imagine.



Q- Quarters, every time I find one in my pocket, I have a mental shout for joy in my head. Though a single quarter cannot buy you much, when you team them up with other quarters, you are capable to buy virtually anything. This is why I collect quarters, one day I hope they will buy me a Ferrari!!



R- Rollercoaster's, I have never ridden one. I have a really weak stomach and I'm scared I might lose my cookies. All my friends tell me they're really fun so I hope that one day I will get a stronger stomach and be able to ride the Dragster.



S- Songs, they help me get through everything. Whether it's just doing my homework or getting through a harsh breakup, music and songs make every situation a little easier to do.



T- Trampolines, one of the most exhilarating things I can do at home. I love how you can jump so much higher than you ever imagined you could on the ground. I could never do a back flip on the grass, but the moment I step onto the black mesh trampoline, I am a stunt man, I can do anything.



U- Upside-down, when I was little, I would lean really far back on the swing so I could look at the playground upside-down. Upside-down views always intrigue me, you notice things you would never have noticed right-side-up.



V- Vacuums, my least favorite noise. The moment the vacuum turns on, I have to retreat to my basement, where the noise is just a light sound in the back of my head. Though I hate the sound, I love vacuuming, so sometimes I just use earplugs when I vacuum my room.



W- Water bottles, I love them. I always carry one in my purse. They keep me hydrated and focused throughout the day. The moment the water trickles down my throated, I am immediately quenched.



X- Xerox copies, every day we get 5 or 6 copies of worksheets and homework in school. Personally I prefer copies better than bookwork because then you don't have to take home a book and there's less weight on your back.



Y- Yodeling, one time I was watching my favorite movie, the Grinch, and there was a Who who was yodeling. I remember I was so hyper that when I saw it for the first time, I squirt orange pop out of my nose!!



Z- Zebra, my favorite animal. They are just so vivid and it's amazing to look at. Each on is different and similar at the same time, like humans. We are all human-looking, but then when you look around, not one person is the same as anyone else.



Thanks for reading! Comment pleasee!! (:

A New Spartan

High school so far can only be described as a journey. It's as if I entered a whole new world in the blink of an eye and everything is changed. The school is bigger, the people have multiplied, and the work is harder. The halls are so filled with students I only move an inch a minute. Every face was new."I was a child in a world filled with adults."

There are clubs, sports, and activities to join. These are just some of the ways to get to know all of the new people. These are the people who will be my family for the next four years. My new brothers and sisters surround me and I don't even know their names.

After a while the school days started to feel more normal. The routes started to make their way into my memory and where to go throughout the day became as normal to be as breathing. Everything started to fall into place and everyone moved like robots to their next stop in the school day.

The sound of hundreds of gossiping students filled the halls. Making my way through the halls I caught pieces of different cliques conversations about the students outside their clique. The time it took to get to each class was multiplied because of the about of rushing people that filled the white and blue halls.

On the first day of school I felt like everyone was watching me no matter where I was or what I did. To this day I still feel everyone's eyes on me even if I'm all alone in the hall. I have grown a lot since the first day of school. I went from fearing what others think of me to not caring about it because I realized I cannot change who I am, no matter how many people do.

I have not forgotten about my last school but I have turned the page to a new chapter in my life. A chapter that will hold many adventures and help me to discover who I really am. I am in high school now and this is a whole new world. I am not only a high school student but I am a Spartan, a Stevenson Spartan.