Tales of Tenth Grade

Recently as an assignment we read "The Minority Report" which proved that your actions and your choices are what untimely determine your destiny.  We also read the play Oedipus the King  which demonstrated that your destiny is predetermined or unavoidable. These are contrasting arguments regarding destiny. Which leads us to contemplate, do we have individual freedom of choice or is our lives already set in stone? Predetermined destiny is defined as a course of events that are bound to occur to a particular person or thing. Which based on the definition tells me that no matter what I do in my life what is meant to be with happen. This is unrealistic because a persons life is unpredictable. Your life is made up of a chain of everyday choices one effecting the other. According to psychologist Eva M. Krockow the average person makes approximately 35,000 choices per day. Whether its something big like choosing whether to go to college or smaller like where you want to go tonig...

So far this year, we've completed three units and I've enjoyed the books I've read for each one. I'm glad there are categories for the books we have to read because it's gotten me to read books that I never would have read before. In unit one, we studied author’s structure and we had to compare the structure of our summer book to the structure of the book we chose. For this unit, I chose to read The Pact by Jodi Picoult and I loved it! This book was one of the books that Mrs. Kopp recommended in class and it was about two teenagers who are dating and the girl is killed, and the boy is the prime suspect, but he claims that they had discussed a suicide pact and he backed out at the last second. This book was really interesting, and it had alternating narrators so you could see the story from several perspectives which was especially interesting because it involved someone being accused of murder. The ending of the book was really shocking and in...

On the last day before winter break, we spent class reflecting on our past year and looking forward to 2020.  After class, I couldn't help but think about this more.  Reflecting on the past year, I feel like so many exciting things have happened.  However, I'm looking forward to the start of a new year, and hopefully picking up some good new habits. So, I decided to reflect and look ahead for my blog this month. 2019 Reflection Favorite Song: Lost in Japan - Shawn Mendes Favorite Books: 11/22/63 - Stephen King 1984 - George Orwell Killing Kennedy - Bill O'Reilly To All the Boys I've Loved Before (book series) - Jenny Han Becoming - Michelle Obama Favorite Movies/TV Shows: Designated Survivor Favorite Memories  Sparta Music Disney Trip (March) Irish Dancing World Championships (April) Track and Field Sectional and Group Championships (May) May 31, 2019 Qualifying for Open Championships in Irish Dancing (May-June) May 11, 2019 ...

When we read Josh Gardner's Grendel  in class, something that immediately caught my eye was that absolutely stupid cover photo. I get that it's supposed to be a wholesome and tragic depiction to get me to sympathize with Grendel, but all it really did was completely eliminate any chance that I could take this story seriously. They made Grendel look like 'blind cat meets man who stubbed his toe on his coffee table'. The only vibe I get from this photo is that Josh didn't want to bother hiring an artist and searched "How to draw a sad wolf step-by-step for beginners" on YouTube. Often I wake up in a cold sweat because I am haunted by his overwhelmingly unalarming and timid expression. It makes me want to apply garlic to a freshly opened wound to immediately intensify the pain. My friends will text me with the words, "I just remembered Gretel" causing me to seize on the ground in shock. I know I will never fully recover from this absolutely abhorre...

For an assignment, we read in class the notorious play, Oedipus the King which dealt with the idea that destiny is predetermined. With our analyzation of the play, I started to wonder how destiny affected my life. With the start of the new year tomorrow (which is absolutely crazy that it is going to be 2020), I wonder if everything is already set for me. Where I'm going to go to school, who I am going to be friends with, and so much more feels controllable and that my decisions affect it. The things that I choose to do or not do determine the path that my life goes down. But there is the thought that I don't have control of it and my life has already been planned out for me. The idea of fate is scary to me. Really thinking about the fact that you might have no control or input over your life. The endless possibilities of how someone's life can work out is frightening. The fact that one decision can cause you to go off course from your dream, makes me nervous about the b...

Mel Schweizer So, this month for blogger, since the requirement is about something we've discussed in class, I thought I'd write a short story from the perspective of Grendel _________________________________________________________________________________      Submerged in the filth of the swamp I call my own, I watched as the amphibians and fish were snatched up, in the mouths of their silent predators. They all strayed away from me, knowing that I'm the top carnivore in the area. The murky, muddy water surrounded me in a calm blanket. I sat in wait for my next meal, feeling hungrier than ever. But my main goal wasn't to gain sustenance. I just thought the swamp was pretty.     The green hue of life filled my eyes in this underwater scene. The sound of violent attackers sounded muddled in my ears, as the victims' blood diffused around me. Everything here is beautiful . Everything was beautiful, it's just hard to see past the blood and guts, but the cyc...

Many people find themselves on their phone too much. If You want a detox and have no idea what to do. Well I've got five things that I do, which you can do also. For the less active people you can read a book. Good books are always great for spending time away from a phone or other electronics. Another thing you can do is invite your friends over. You don't have to be alone for this detox. Talk with your friends play sports or games with your friends. They're your friends they would love to help you have fun instead of be bored without your phone. Another great thing you can do is hang out with your family. Your mom, dad, siblings or guardian would love to play a game or hear updates on whats going on in your life. Take a walk. It could be in nature or in neighborhood or a business district. You can go shopping while you walk or just look around see whats new in town. The last activity is working out. Now this is not for everyone but I find it as a great distraction that is...