Non-Fiction Reading Response: "Guess Who's Looking at Your Facebook Page?" Alessandra Potenza (Upfront)

          According to the Upfront article, "Guess Who's Looking at Your Facebook Page?" by Alessandra Potenza, college admissions officers and employers are using social media, like Facebook, for a background check on school and job applicants. Many people are losing their jobs and being turned down from big colleges because of their interactions on these online sites.

          Throughout the article, the author wants readers to understand the negative impact of social media on your economic and academic life. For example, Potenza begins with a huge sentence starter that gets you hooked right in to her piece, "she posted her Facebook status update on a Friday night in July. By Monday, she was fired.", here the author not only makes you want to read her story to figure out why she was fired, but also gives you a hint as to what her article is going to have to do with. Potenza then continues on to give more real world examples that social media can have that you don't want it to have. The topic makes me want to get rid of the social media that I use, like Instagram. The way she presents her reasons make you realize how enjoyable things can turn their backs on you. Here's another example from the text that convinces me into getting rid of my online profiles, "At Pitzer college in Claremont, California, an applicant was denied admission because of offensive comments he had posted on Facebook about one of his teachers.", by the end of the article, my mind was made up. I think that it's a fair way to give these types of background checks, it's simple, don't post negative things and don't be impulsive, think before you post.

          However, the author didn't show much bias in the article, in fact none was actually present. Although, there is a small box that explains some tips "to tweet or not to tweet". Potenza stated her facts and supported them with evidence in an objective tone, giving a full summary on her main idea. Something I admired in her article, were the small anecdotes she included throughout her whole plot. Each of them explained the different ways that social media can be used for background checks, all in real life situations. I cherished each of these anecdotes because of the way they were presented, and because they made me understand what I should and should not do on social media.

          Now that I have read this article, it has changed my thoughts on Instagram, Facebook and many more of these types of applications. I realize that everything students post from my school might just affect their future academic life. Tons of kids on social media like Instagram, are always cursing and posting weird stuff that are certainly questionable. I would also like to further investigate on these "background checks" and maybe get some results and tallies on young adults who have been rejected from school or work because of their interactions with social media. I predict that in the next few years the numbers will rise sharply.

 

Upfront Magazine, New York Times, "Guess Who's Looking at Your Facebook Page?", Alessandra Potenza

          

                                                                  Trip Reflection

          The trip my classmates and I took Friday was great, it was a nice opener to the year. We got to learn something new, activism. We visited the "Museum of the City of New York" and got a small tour of the activism section. During the tour, we got to look at visual presentations and listen to verbal interpretations. At the end we even got to create our own pins, depicting an idea of activism that we supported.
          Aside from being an exciting trip, it really helped me in learning a bit about activism and to get a first glimpse as to what it really is, since we're going to focus on activism/social issues in class. For example, I learned about some well known topics that produced many activists. Women's suffrage was one of them. The fight to uplift racial segregation was another topic. Surprisingly, creating more bike lanes and ensuring biking safety was also a big one, that's still currently taking place.
          We also learned some of the common tactics used in activism. Portraying things through political cartoons was and is a huge way to convince and persuade people, you don't only want to keep to the point and be serious about it, you also want to add some humor into the topic. The other main tactic is to get out and make your self noticeable in a non-violent way. In a place like New York City, there are tons of people you can persuade and get into supporting your side of an idea by getting noticeable. This is where using some humor really works, of course there will be people noticing you regularly if you dress in a certain way, but if you add some comedy into the mix, you are sure to have more of a crowd noticing you. Hopefully that crowd will also be able to understand the serious side to what your doing and get themselves involved in what you want them to support.
   
 Check this example out! 

          Bike Lanes by Casey Neistat - YouTube

Here's an example of a political cartoon used in activism
       


   
















       
          Attending the exhibit at the "Museum of the City of New York" made me understand what activism is and what you can do to be an activist yourself. I think that the trip is also going to support me when we write and read about activism further into the year. I just want to say thank you Ms. Galang and everyone else for making the trip possible.


Some other photos of activists/activism

                                                   "Huckleberry Finn: Reading Response"

          Throughout, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" written by Mark Twain, there were plenty of reasons that popped up in which could have contributed to why the book is banned. For example, things like language, violence and alcohol/alcoholics were some of those reasons. Some of these things got very intense at certain points and many people think that young children shouldn't be influenced by.

          The first and largest reason that the book is banned is language. In the book, many curses like nigger, bitch and more appear multiple times throughout the story. Huckleberry Finn uses the n word plenty, for it was normal to call African-Americans by it," ' You borry'd store tobacker and paid back nigger-head.' ". Another example is, "...and she doesn't bray like a jackass.". These types of sentences repeat many times and many parents don't want their children learning new kinds of curse words, especially dangerous ones, like nigger, they can start conflict. They can leave an impact on young readers, but children older than eleven or twelve should be able to read Huck Finn.

          The second reason is because of violence. In the book, Huck is abused and more violence is depicted as he is constantly on the move. Here is Huck's father directly from the text, threatening his own son, "...said he would rest a minute and then kill me. He put his knife under him, and said he would sleep and get strong..." another example of violence is when a drunk is shot in the street, because he didn't leave the town as he was ordered to, " 'O lord, don't shoot!' Bang! goes the first shot, and he staggers back, clawing at the air-bang! goes the second one, and he tumbles backwards onto the ground, heavy and solid, with his arms spread out." This isn't even the worst, fist-fights and dog fights take place in the book as well. These things also happen in real life, in the street and in certain areas, it can occur often. Sometimes, murders can even happen, though, less often. Since all these things take place presently, it shouldn't be introduced to a young mind in such a way. Yet another reason the book may be banned.

          The last reason, is alcohol/alcoholics. In the book, Huck's father is the main alcoholic, but as the plot progresses Huck encounters plenty more of them. Here's an example of other alcoholics that are encountered, "There was considerable whisky-drinking going on, an I seen three fights." not only is drinking present, but it also leads to fights. Here's an example of Huck's father, "He drank and drank...He groaned and moaned and thrashed around this way and that..." Huck's father keeps on this way through the whole book and completes many violent acts because of that alcohol. Plenty of people believe the topic of alcohol shouldn't even be discussed. However, many people - especially in New York City - are alcoholics like Huck's father. the sad thing is that it's hard to control it and it can lead to very negative things. So the book is aimed for older readers because of its dominance of alcohol.

          "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" shows plenty of points that lead to the banning of it, and children under the age of twelve shouldn't be able to read the book. On the other hand, it should be up to the reader to decide whether or not they want to be exposed to certain things and let themselves be influenced.

Synthesis (archetypes) Page: "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"

                 Synthesis (archetypes) Page: "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" Mark Twain 

                 Warrior: Tom Sawyer
         
            Tom and Becky were stuck in a cave near their village at a point in the book, they thought it was all over and that they were gone for good. They had been stuck in the cave for a good amount of time and had searched for a way out, but it only seemed to make them get even deeper into the cave. They settled down one last time, Becky could no longer go any further. However, Tom recollected himself and gave one last attempt in hopes of finding an escape for both of them. He followed two avenues as far as the string he was using to track his progress could go. Eventually, he sees light and a small opening that he can fit through, he can't believe it! He runs back to Becky full of joy and they run to the opening, "...was about to turn back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight... .". They had made it and were able to breathe fresh air again because of the courageous Tom. I believe that this act justifies Tom as the Warrior of the book.

                 Reluctant Hero: Huckleberry Finn

            Huck was the reluctant hero, because of the one time he saved the old widow of the village. Tom and Huck had been tracking down Injun Joe (a murderer) for his treasure. Tom wants Huck to watch for Joe during the night. At first, Huck doesn't want to, but he does watch for him that very night anyway. So, as Huck watches, out of all his luck, he spots Injun Joe. He also overhears Injun Joe laying out a plan with his comrade," '...you go for her looks. you slit her nostrils-you notch her ears like a sow!' ". Injun wants to hurt the Widow and Huck makes sure it doesn't happen. He rushes to the town Welshman and his two sons. The Welshman gets his gun and brings his sons along, they go out for Injun Joe secretly, accompanied by Huckleberry. The Welshman steps on a twig and Injun and his comrade run off. He fires his gun a few times but doesn't manage to get the criminal, he only scared him off. However, it prevented the criminal from carrying out his plan. Huck was a hero, but didn't want anyone to know, surprisingly, he was reluctant.

                 The Mother Figure: Aunt Polly

           Aunt Polly may not have seemed to be much of a mother figure to Tom, but deep down inside she really was. She took care of Tom, she kept him in a warm house and cleaned, fed and provided him with clothes. She watched out for him and really did love him. For example, in the book, Tom and two friends run off to an island and pretend that they are dead, Aunt Polly feels horrible and regrets all the bad thing she had done to Tom over the years," '...poor boy, poor dead boy. But he's out of all his troubles now. And the last words I ever heard him say was to reproach-' ". She really stands out to me as the mother figure because of all the the things she's done for Tom.

                 The Shadow: Injun Joe]

           Injun Joe is the shadow, he is a murderer and a liar. At court, Tom reveals the truth as to who Joe actually killed and before Tom finished, Joe had already jumped out of a window and left the scene on quick feet, "Crash! Quick as lightning the halfbreed sprang for a window, tore his way through all opposers, and was gone!". After the scene at court, Tom thinks that Injun Joe is going to get revenge on him and Huck. The boys proceed to watch out for him all the time and are extremely frightened when they think they notice him. Injun Joe lurks in the shadows most of the time and I feel that he is literally the shadow in the book.

               

Reading Response 2 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Xavier Marzulli                                                                                                                             9/30/14
811                                                                                                                                                     ELA          

                                  Reading Response 2 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer


      "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain was a very pleasant book. However, what stood out to me, were the variety of moods that were displayed. Tom changed all the time, from his mood or even his character. The people around Tom were often found in deep sorrow. There were also many fearful moments that Tom and his friend Huckleberry Finn shared. Tom even had his own little love life. Love, sadness and fear all showed up multiple times through the books plot.

      Love, this was something that really surprised me in the book. I thought that Tom was just a mischievous boy who only cared about adventures, but he did show his feel towards one girl. His eyes fell on Becky Thatcher and they very rarely came off of her. Take this from the text, " ' No, I'll never love anybody but you, Tom, and I'll never marry anybody but you-and you ain't to ever marry anybody but me, either.' ". Tom even goes so far as to make sure Becky swears loyalty to him, he says that they were getting engaged. Further on into the book, Becky and Tom get into arguments, but they really do love each other deep inside. By the end of the book they get back together until the last pages. Tom's love life effects the book plenty and it also effects Tom's character.

      Moving on, it isn't just love that occurs, but sadness is a big part of the emotion factor. The whole village in which Tom lives in feels deep sorrow, more than once. For example Tom and his friends create the sadness, " 'And god forgive me, I cracked Tom's head with my thimble, poor boy, poor dead boy. But he's out of all his troubles now. And the last words I ever heard him say was to reproach-' ". Tom, Joe and Huck all go out to a secret island for a few days and the whole village realizes they're gone and after days of searching they weren't found. Soon the village deemed the three boys dead and here, Aunt Polly explains how she feels about it. Another example is when Tom and Becky get lost in a cave near the village, the village searches for them and again they fail to find them. The same feelings are shared of deep sorrow, but Tom manages to get Becky and himself out of the cave through a small hole and a sigh of relief is exchanged between the town's people.

      The last emotion that was clearly displayed in the book was fear. Tom and Huck experienced many moments of shock and fright that lurked them for a long time. The one I thought was the strongest explanation, was the time Tom and Huck went to the old cemetery during midnight, out of all their luck they managed to witness a murder, "Presently Tom seized his comrade's arm and said: 'Sh!' 'what is it, Tom?'... 'it's the devils, sure enough. Three of 'em! Lordy, Tom, we're goners! Can you pray?' ". In this excerpt the boys obviously get carried away, their fears get into their heads and they freak out. On future adventures, Tom and Huck experience many more moments like these, but they survive. Similar moments make the book exciting and this emotion is essential to the plot.

      In the end, the book wasn't only exceptional due to the emotions the author created, but it was certainly more fun to read because of them. I really find the writer's choice of scenes strong, because they present each emotion clearly and sometimes in a humorous way. Now I would also like to read the adventures of Huckleberry Finn and see if the writing style is similar or if it has a change.

   

Xavier Marzulli 811 ELA No Man's Land: summer reading response

             Xavier Marzulli     No Man's Land: summer reading response     811 ELA

   This summer I read, No Man's Land, by S.T. Underdahl. The book was very thoughtful and deep. The reason I say this is because it contained plenty of conflicts and moments that really made you think about the world and what may be happening in certain families. The story explains a certain time in a teenage boy's life, specifically, Dov's life. Dov, the main character has a brother named Brian. Brian joins the National Guard so that he can pay for college. Sure enough, Brian's squadron is sent out to provide more troops in Afghanistan. His whole family worries about him everyday, Dov especially. However, life continues with Brian away as Dov faces his own highs and lows. What really struck me were the family conflicts that occur while Brian is away. Also interesting were the imaginary conversations between Dov and his pet lizard, Leo, which Brian had gotten Dov for his birthday. Lastly, I was moved by the author's explanation of what happens to Brian after he gets back home and what scars the war has left on him.

      A powerful thing the author includes in the book are the indept descriptions of the conflicts that
happen between Dov's mom and dad. For example, she creates brutal arguments that the parents exchange, "'...I don't know what the answer is, Mick. I'm just saying ... you're gone all the time. I need ...' '...Oh, you need? You need? It always comes back to that, doesn't it, Laura?! When do I get to say what I need for a change?...'" [pg. 8-9]. This shows what happens now and then according to Dov. Dov's dad really does go hard on Laura, in the book he even makes fun of her old job's company name. The name is Hook, Burns & Miller and he calls it, "Hook, Line and Sinker". Although he has many conflicts with his wife and son while Brian is gone, I feel like these conflicts may be produced, because he wants to cover up how he feels now that Brian is gone, as if finding someone to blame.

      Moving on, I find the "conversations" between Dov and his lizard, Leo, very strong. Leo acts as another brother to Dov while Brian is gone. In the text, Dov shows us that bond, " 'Hey bud,' I call softly. 'What do you think Brian's doing right now?' [new paragraph] Well, considering the nine-hour time difference, Leo opines, your brother is probably washing the dirt off his hands in 
preparation for dinner. [paragraph finish] 'Yeah, I guess you're  probably right.' I hope it's something like that."[pg. 16-17]. Sadly, by the end of the book Leo dies and a deep moment is carried through Dov. This type of writing and textual feelings are essential, they add quiet moments to the book, but keep those moments exciting for the reader.

      Finishing off, I find the book exceptional in the way she doesn't just finish the book off  with a happy "yay!" feeling that Brian is back. She explains the effects that Afghanistan left on Brian.
Brian has horrible dreams and even carries a gun with him while he's sleeping (secretly) without his parents knowing. Only, Dov, noticed as he was sleeping one night and this really shocked Dov, it even seems to scare him, but he decides to keep quiet about it. Another mark that Brian picked up was, Post-Truamatic Stress Disorder. PTSD, is something that many soldiers pick up once they're back from a war they fought, typically one like Afghanistan. Brian is one of those people. In the book something very dangerous that happens is when Brian, Dov and Mick all go on a hunting trip. As the three go out to hunt for deer, Brian starts to have the visions of Afghanistan (this is obviously
triggered because of the rifle he was carrying while they were hunting). Once Dov realizes what is happening, he tries to "wake Brian up", but is unsuccessful in doing so. Soon, Brian spots their dad and thinks that he's an enemy. Mick almost gets killed, but Brian snaps back out of it before any bullets are fired. The crazy part is, that Brian doesn't remember the visions he sees, only the people around him notice the visions. Obviously, PTSD is the worst effect that Brian picked up from the war and giving him a rifle wasn't the best idea.

      In the end, the book may not have been my favorite book of "all time", but it was definitely a book I recommend reading. It's just wonderful in the way that it's written, with powerful tone and real life scenarios. Also, a positive point of the book is that it really connects to the real world. It gives a plot that could have happened to families and individuals in the past and could still be happening to this present day. I still wonder whether Brian shapes out his life and sets it back on track, or if the war effected him so much that it completely changed his whole mindset and feelings about life.