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Descriptive Essay: Toms. One for one.

Posted by Drue Boccuti in English 2 - Block on

  Drue Boccuti

I love giving back, and giving help to ones in need. I try to do as much as I am able to. I love knowing that what I just did helped out someone, or even just made them smile.  I don’t do really gigantic things like help build houses or anything major like that, but I do as much as I can. For example, my mom’s friend teaches in a school were the kids aren’t as fortunate as I am, so I donate what ever I can to help them and make them smile. Sometimes I don’t always see it his or her reaction but I know someone somewhere is appreciating what I did. Just that feeling is enough.

The last time that I helped someone was sometime near my birthday. What did I do? I bought a pair of Toms shoes. You’re probably wondering what’s so special about that. Well, when purchasing Toms shoes you help a child in need get a pair. I was ecstatic to get the Tom that I’ve been wanting since last January! I remember opening the box like it was yesterday. The first thing I noticed in the box was a bag that serves as a bag or you can hang it up as a flag. Then a small sticker that has the Toms logo and then I finally grabbed the shoes. I slipped them right on my feet, and ran right to my mirror to see how great they looked. Once I stopped looking at my feet, I went out. I didn’t take them off the whole night even when I got home!

The last time that I’ve been this excited for a new pair of shoes had to be Christmas! I had gotten two new pair’s of Uggs that I wore everyday of the winter last year. I love Christmas, spending time with my family and friends. One person that I really love spending time with would have to be my dad. He’s such a caring person who is nice to everyone and he always makes me and everyone else laugh. I think me wanting and liking to help people out comes from both my parents, but more him. My dad is the type of guy who will help an old lady carry grocery bags, or cross the street, help a little kid get a cat out of a tree. Just all around good things to help anyone. I remember this one time he even shocked me.

“Bye thank you for having us” I said hugging my grand parents while dragging my feet out of their house.

“Thank you for coming!” My grandma said to me as she shut the door behind my mom walking out of her house.

“Where did we park at dad?” I asked looking around for our baby blue mini van, like a child looking for a parent in a supermarket.

“Were right on that corner. You look very tired.’’ He said with a smile on his face.

“I am! All I want to do is get to my bed!” I said.

            On the ride home which felt like it was taking much longer then it normally did, I kept my eyes closes and occasionally looked up. Then all of sudden our car had pulled over. I was so excited because I thought we were home. We weren’t, we were only on Broad and Synder.

            “Oh my gosh. What’s going on over there?!” My mom was shouting and she sounded extremely worried.

            “I jumped up and suddenly didn’t feel tired anymore. My dad had remained calm and pulled the car over and jumped out and ran across the street. That was when I laid eyes on the old man.

            “Oh my gosh!!! What happened?” I was freaking out.

My dad went over to the corner grabbed the old man from under his shoulder and him and 2 other older man began to lift this man off the ground. At first they were struggling but then they finally lifted him off the ground. I thought my dad was going to let him go, but my dad had helped this man all the way back to the senior center.

After seeing that, I believe that made me gain more respect for my dad. No one else that I know would ever do that, yeah they might stop and look but no one else would actually get out and help. I do kind of feel bad because the biggest thing that I had done to help someone out is donate a pair of shoes.

Tuesday September 7th  2011, that was the first day of school as a sophomore for me. I was extremely nervous because it was a new school year, and I have all new teachers. I was more upset then nervous because I didn’t want summer to be over, so I tried to think of something that would make me excited to go back to school and leave the shore. All I could think of was seeing my friends. I didn’t really keep in touch with anyone over the summer except for Lexy, Karly and Goldie. I was excited to see them and everyone else. The first day of school was the prefect time for me to show off my new shoes! I was really excited to wear them to school so I made my outfit match them and everything!

“You’re wearing your toms!” Goldie said all excited.

“Yes! I love them! They’re so comfy and adorable!” I said just as excited. Every time I wear them I think of the time I unwrapped them for my birthday.

Every time I wear my Toms which is almost all the time, or see my flag hanging in my room, I am reminded that I helped out a child who isn’t as lucky to have what I have. Sometimes when I see my moms friend I think about all the things that I gave away so some kids to have a better Christmas and that always makes me feel good.



descriptive essay. The Dark War For The Guild of Light.

Posted by Sean Mcaninch in English 2 - Block on

This is about a game that becomes real. A story of death and murder. A story of power and love. Video games become real. I think if you play something enough you start to feel like you’re in it. And this a story of war and victory with lose of a friend. You will soon know of his story his name is Ox kin.    

The Game Start. Load character Ox kin. Load guild banner. “O.k. men we need to take this base by force to kill this Dark Lord and save over homeland. Well if you don't know I'm Ox kin raid commander of the guild”. As the ship lands the light that shines out the window is soon replaced by a dark Aura. “O.k. opens the door we need to move do you have the guild banner.” well yelling over the doors gears a man yells yea I got it.

Mission starts the assault on the dark lords frozen dark base. O.k. men charge. As the guild members charge past me I feel a dark feeling whisper into my mind: saying you will die like the weak. Before I can react all the men run into a full wall of undead knights. As I charge into the battle the natural powers swarm arrowed me and I get pulled into the form of a bare. “Men don't stop fighting life is too good to die now.” As I say that a lowed yell comes out of the dark castle you will never defeat me you slime. “Look out here comes more knights.” A dark flash of lightning; black bones and decaying flesh get up. “Kill them before they get out of the ground.”

A lot of the men around me die as a frozen bone dragon fires frozen bolts down at us. I look around for help as an old wizard I didn’t want to bring fires a fire bolt shaped like the guild symbol at the dragon hitting it in the head. singeing a mark on its head showing we took the Court yard of the base.

“Ok men now it’s time to force owe way into this crested place. Watch your step here there could be traps any ware.” As I sad that ten men fall into the dark abuse of death. “Well we came here we knew there would be losses now lets keep going.” As we turn the corner a large bone monster is floating at the bottom of a frozen pillar using a frost to stay in the air. ”Attack it” As we all charged in it yelled bone storm and started to spin like a top ripping throw any in its way luckily the rangers were abele to kill him. As we reformed the team we plunged deeper into the citadel were confronted with more and more challenges. But the worst of all was when we need to get a war gunship up to the ramparts to continue thrown the citadel.

There we are at the gate to Hell lights fall a death knight emerges from the large door shaped like a skull as he yells “ death knight yells: now all of you mortal scum will meet your doom.” while we prepare for battle the dark warrior charges me and him clash in combat as a young paladin walks up and casts a burst of holy light into the death knights chest killing him. Into the next room the hallways were set up so if you went to fast throw them then you would freeze to death. So we get past and there are three ways to go so we start from the left.            

When in there were two big decaying dogs with there masters decaying flesh giants. As we killed them the giants got mad and started to attack with different goo and slime attacks. When we killed them there creator came to play with us. Turning him self into a monster and using chemicals to bother the fight then as we killed him he pozinded the flag carrier making him drop it luckily the paladin name Mustaang grabbed it.

We went to the next room were there dead people were with a vampire above them as she raised them we saw they were linked in a way so I gave the command to kill them. She flew up to her chamber. We quickly followed and as we got there the doors locked us in so when we were fighting she killed the wizard and turned him into a vampire as he began to call all of his arcane magic into one bolt of purple and blue casting it at me and the other warriors. A warrior named Gottoms charge up a wall jumping of it and killed her in mid air.

The next room we go into we have to kill the dark undead. Then we find a dragon but it wasn’t a dead dragon well not yet any way we need to use its power of healing to save it form the waves of undead attack. When we finished healing it in natural holy waves we keep going were we meat the bone dragon queen when we walked in the room with her she froze 10 of the men and killing then as we charge in she fly’s up into the air firing frost bolts down at us as Gottoms and I charge up walls to get on her back while we cut at her she flails around knocking us of. When we finally kill her. her body drops to the ground and freeze all of the people in the ice.

Then on to the Dark Lord Gokuen. When we get there he was waiting for us when we charge agents him he starts to kill all the men we have. Then he froze me in ice. Then attacked gottoms as they fought for a while showing a display of devastating power. As he stabs gottoms in the chest freezing gottoms internal organs when I broke free I charged him and throwing the sharp blade flying like a boomerang at the dark lord as he deflects it I see a flare burst out of it. Then I charging at him as we sit in the middle of the field fitting he cast a dark spell on me I feel a dark shadow looming over me as I cast a bolt as green and blue hitting him to the grown. I pull my sword out putting it to his neck. I sad to him “you aren't event worth killing you will suffer in a world were you can be killed.” as I walked away from him I feel a paralyzing feeling to my back I look back at him. I see him casting a spell with dark Aura swarming around his hands then delivers his final bolt to me as I fall I hear him say “ you were worth killing ha ha ha ha” and that's why I'm here in the after life now. As the game over sign flashes and I get turned back into Sean.

Game start. Dark lord gokuen loaded health low. “Now that I was humiliated by that low class druid now its my tern that stupid blue flag” as he spits a dark flaming bolt on it igniting it in a flash “I know were that Little camp they call a Base I will Bern it to the ground. Arise my undead knights”. With a flash of lighting black bones and decaying flesh gets up.

“Mustaang yells Why should we resurrect him it will make us no different form that slime of a empire gokuen” “guild master commands back yes but if we don’t then we won’t be strong enough to fight back agents his dark forces we don’t need him you insolent boy you don’t know what we need” “Mustaang yells back yes I do Kalazar”. “Kalazar yells Oh and were is that young Mustaang” “Mustaang I’m just saying that we don’t need him” “Kalazar you know nothing boy your gust a kid” “mustaang fine resurrect him I will be going then ill take down the dark lord by my self” “Kalazar you will die and he’ll resurrect you as a mindless slave” “Mustaang then so be it.” “Kalazar Arise champion arise and fight once more for the guild” in a bright yellow flash of holy power Ox kin gets up and proclaimed we need to get this base ready for war.“Ox kin slime of a wrecked you will pay for the lives of that you slain” with a flash of natural light terns into a bear charging him. Kalazar throws Ox kin a guild battle stand. With a flash the screen goes dark and I feel normal once more.

I think if you play a game or something enough. you start to feel like your in it. This is why I think if you play a game enough you feel like you start to live it. But it is a just a game. But its just for fun not to talk your life up.



Descriptive Essay: Not Just Any Living Room

Posted by Jasmin Hussain in English 2 - Block on
​
Jasmin Hussain
9-12-2011
English

Not Just Any Living Room


If you walk into my living room, you’ll see nothing out of the ordinary. Just a cozy little room with two sofas that lay against two of the four walls. The third wall has a TV and VCR case with many pictures and certificates put on display. The fourth wall has a computer table with a little desk on the side. In the middle of the room lies an oval rug with swirly patterns and on top of that lies a small coffee table. This room has everything that any other living room would have in it, but for me it has more than just something normal. In this room are many artifacts that carry memories that belong to me.

On the left side of the TV case, on the second shelf towards the bottom stands my 8th grade graduation diploma. Whenever I look at the certificate with the leather bound cover I remember of when I first received it.

It was almost done. Just ten more minutes. She was almost done calling all the names. Five more to go till my name was called. One down, my hands are sweating like mad, two down, I can feel my heart drumming, three down, I think I’m feeling dizzy, four down, oh crap!

“Jasmin Husain,” called Ms. Knight, our school counselor.  It was time for me to go and take my diploma from Ms. Sydnor. I slowly walked around the empty and barren stairs in front of me until the top of the glossy wooden stairs of the stage. I went down the stairs one by one carefully holding on to the cold steel railing in case I trip on my dress because of these ridiculous heels. After I make it down the stairs I walked two feet over to Ms. Sydnor. She shook my sweaty hand saying the words “Congratulations Jasmin, you’ve come a long way and you have a long way to go.” She handed me the navy blue, leather bound diploma. Caring the thick diploma I started to follow my friend out of the Gymnasium door.

This is one of the most important memories in my life. It was a moment in my life where I made a transition from middle school to high school. I felt accomplished, like a just arrived at a goal that I was waiting to reach my entire life. I feel like my diploma represents that goal that I’ve reached. It shows that I am in a way that I was growing up. Not in inches or centimeters but from feeling completed.

As I look back at the TV case more artifacts start to bring back more memories. On the bottom shelf of the TV case lies an old, dusty, black VCR with two buttons missing. I start to remember how many times in my childhood my family had to replace the VCRs because my little sister and me breaking them. As I observe the broken buttons another memory runs across my mind.

           “AAh NO! Not again Tajnia! Did you really just break all of those buttons out of these holes again? This is like the third time!” Yelled my dad to baby Tajnia’s slobbering, and glowing face.
           “I can’t believe we have to go out and buy another VCR, this one wasn’t even a year old!” Dad continued to complain as we all filed in to the car.

This was the fourth time that we were going out to Wal-Mart to buy a TV since we had come to Philadelphia. The first two times it was my fault. The first time I stuck sugar daddy candies into the new cassette holder. The second time I’d spilled Pepsi. At least now I was a big girl, I was seven years old and I knew how the world worked. I’ve matured over the past two years. I know all the specific things that make dad upset. So I have long ago stopped committing those crimes. Tajnia on the other hand still hasn’t learned the lesson.

       This is another very important memory that also belongs to me. This memory to me stands for family. There are many different definitions of family. But, family to me means a group of people who you can look up to. People who understand you, accept your mistakes, and helps you to become the best person that you can be. In this memory Tajnia looks up to me, hoping that she will one day learn not to make the mistakes that makes dad upset. That she will also mature and learn from her mistakes like I did when I was her age.
            I start to laugh at myself thinking of all of these now old memories. My living room has many if the same ideas as any other living room. But it has memories that are very specific to my family and I. Every small detail in the room has something special to it. From the vase of artificial flowers to the knitted tissue box cover. From the stains on the walls to the spills on the carpet.

Sierra Dinvil Refrain

Posted by Sierra Dinvil in Spanish 3 - Gierke on

Soy de ..

Soy de ..

Soy de filadelfia 

que es donde yo vivo

pero yo so Haiti 

que es mi casa 


My refrain is supposed to show that I live in Philadelphia, but my heart is in Haiti.
I'm happy that I have a refrain that flows together.
I think that I would like to make it longer..
It was difficult to find things that flow together and would fit well in a song.

Mi Refrn

Posted by Shamarlon Yates in Spanish 3 - Gierke on
Vengo de donde hay las playas
Las granjas y el sol hermoso
Gente amable y deliciosa comida.


- What is your refrán supposed to communicate?

My refrán is supposed to communicate a general description about the people, geography and food of Jamaica.


- What are you especially happy about with your first draft?

I am happy that it flows and the lyrics just go together. All the lines come together to  paint the picture that I want the audience to see.


- What would you like to improve about your refrán?

I want to make my refrán longer and maybe improve the quality of the lyrics.


- What was difficult about writing your refrán?

The only difficult part was coming up with a topic that I wanted to address in the refrán. After I got this, it was pretty easy.

Refran

Posted by Pauline Garcia in Spanish 3 - Gierke on
​Hola chico 
Ha estado en la Filipinas?
¿Puedes oír el océano?
¿Puedes sentir el viento?
Bienvenidos a mi madre tierra!

~ On the first stanza of the song, the singer is talking to a kid. She's asking if the kid knows about the Philippines and if the kid can feel the things that the singer feels. 

~ I was happy about my first draft because I already have an idea on what my song is going to be about. I'm planning to have a ballad. Kind of a poem or song, story telling for short. 

~ I wanted to improve some because I'm still thinking on what sounds good for the song. 

~ Matching the words to the rhythm of the song. 

El Refran First Draft_Middlebrooks

Posted by Manna-Symone Middlebrooks in Spanish 3 - Gierke on

Refrain:

De alimento para el alma de sonrisas y risas, yo vengo.

Los árboles de alta en el cielo con los brazos abiertos rama.

Siempre buscando

Basta con buscar

El futuro y el pasado están aún por definir.


The refrain is intended to communicate highlights of where I am from. Those highlights include smiles, laughter, food from the soul, nature, past, and the future. I think that the words flow nicely together and, hopefully, will be easier t put to music. The refrain could be a bit more literal instead of abstract to allow some grounding. Finding words and attempting to make tim flow was the most difficult part of writing the refrain.


Keiasha Lumpkins ( Refran)

Posted by Keisha Lumpkins in Spanish 3 - Gierke on

yo vengo amo

yo vengo filidelfia

yo vengo me

yo vengo todos por encima 

(refran)​

My refran is just about who I am and what i do. That's could be described where I am from. I am happy that I can write about what I want in my song. I would like to improve by adding more to my refran and make it better. I was difficult because I didn't know what to write about at first.

Refan De Anastsia

Posted by Symone Smith in Spanish 3 - Gierke on
Vengo de un lugar tranquillo.

Una casa de amor.

Vengo de la musica

Y bailar.



Its supposed to communicate that I come from a place that is quiet but at the same time some things that go on can be loud.I'm happy that it was extremely hard to write my first draft, it simple but captures what i want to say.As an improvement I think that I might want to make the lines rhyme.

NaQuan's Refran

Posted by Naquan Harding in Spanish 3 - Gierke on

Es el olor

Es los vistas

Es el sabor

Es las memorias

es la dicha

es filadelfia

  • What is your refrán supposed to communicate? 
My refran is basically just listing the things that I like about Philadelphia.
  • What are you especially happy about with your first draft?
What I like most about this is that it sort of gives me a list to go off of. It gives me things that i can describe in the actual verses to make this an actual song. Also, just looking at the words gives me a basic idea of what the beat may be like.
  • What would you like to improve about your refrán first draft?
I may consider trying to shorten the number of syllables used in each line. Looking at the words, some lines have too many syllables to keep the beat flowing. I may also consider finding lyrics that go a little deeper than what I have now.
  • What was difficult about writing your refrán? 
The difficulty for me came in trying to think of words for the thing. I wasn't too worried about beat, but I was worried about coming up with a chorus that'll effectively describe where I live.

Refran

Posted by Maximilien Marton in Spanish 3 - Gierke on
​​Soy de Filadelfia
de la música árabe
y la cultura francés
Soy de mi familia
Los personas Locas
soy de mí

My refran is a summery about my family and culture.
I like the rhythm of my refran
I would mike to add some rhyme to the refran
Making the refran sound catchy was hard.

Stewart-McDonaldRefran

Posted by Sabrina Stewart-McDonald in Spanish 3 - Gierke on
​Yo vengo de una ciudad.
historia, arte, y música
Mi corazón vive en ese ciudad.
Mi alma pertenece aquí.

I wanted my refrain to give an overall idea of where I'm from and how I felt living/being from there. So, I basically wanted to just write a few short lines that gives the general idea of where I'm from and make the verses go into the detail.
I like that I started using a type of figurative language. I usually find it easy to write poetry, but thinking about writing a song usually makes me think of how hard it can be to incorporate poetry into music, so I'm just glad that I just delve into writing the refrain and didn't really think about the fact it was going to be a song.
I would like to make it longer and maybe make it a little more poetic. I think it may be too short and that there's so much more I could possibly do with it.
I found it hard to make a rhyme scheme or make a certain flow, I feel like it needs more a flow or something that will make it seem more like a song than one of my freestyle poems. 

Maggie's Refran

Posted by Margaret Long in Spanish 3 - Gierke on
​Soy de Filadelfia
Cheesesteaks, pizza, las papas fritas.
No muy colina
Todos los días muere alguien.

My refrain is supposed to tell the person where I am from. What I like, and what happens in a short chorus. I am happy with the Spanish that I added into it. I think I did an ok job at translating using wordreference. I would like to make it longer and a little less depressing. I had a hard time making things in Spanish rhyme. 

Danny's refran

Posted by Daniel Wirt in Spanish 3 - Gierke on
vengo de america
vengo de filadelfia
vengo de fútbol al béisbol
vengo de mis amigos a mi familia 

It just talked about the things that have made me who i am today. Also the things that are very important or were very important to me at some point in my life. 

Chelsea Janette Smith

Posted by Chelsea Smith in Spanish 3 - Gierke on
La musica estallido 
Personas danza
Todos disfrutar se quieren
Eso es mi barrio
(Repetir 2x)

My refrain is suppose to show were I at and how it is around in my neighborhood. 
Im happy with how easy it is to flow with and how it makes sense and is easy to comprehend for anyone.
I just want to make sure that the draft makes a lot of sense and if there is a way to improve it that I can do that. 
The only thing I found difficult was actually choosing something to write about and being able to base a whole song on something that I can make sense of.

Bee - Ahorita 20/9

Posted by Breeanna Noi in Spanish 3 - Gierke on
​"Mi familia está muy grande y todo por el mundo."

My refrain is supposed to communicate about how my family is the main part of where I'm from and I have no original home since I moved so much at such a young age.

I'm happy about the fact it's all about me. It's not about my location, but all about the people in my life. Even if they're not biological relatives, I still consider them family.

I would like to add more to my refrain.

The problem I had with writing the refrain was to find a theme to go with the song. To me, choruses are like thesis sentences. Every other verse has to relate back to it.

My Refran

Posted by Gabriel Pingitore in Spanish 3 - Gierke on
​Yo soy de vuelta en el día.

Essentially, my refrán means "I am from back in the day." And it's suppose to show that even though we're all growing up, I'm from the times I grew up in. And sometimes people forget that. Childhoods mean so much, because they create who we are now. And I'd just like to honor the "back in the day" for me.

Generally, it's a short yet very effective refrán. After words explaining my childhood, I can simply end it with "​Yo soy de vuelta en el día." Which, I feel would compliment the rest of the song. Kind of like a nice little spice on a bland meal. 

Really, I have nothing against my ​refrán. I may need to check the grammar to make sure it means what I'm implying, but other than that there's nothing that needs to be added. Maybe if I wanted to, I could add something specifically I liked about "back in the day" onto it to emphasize its meaning.  

I had no real problems writing my refrán. I knew from the beginning I wanted to write about my childhood. Given, it's not the most amazing childhood around, but I have to give credit when credit is deserved. Because of how I grew up, I became who I am today. So I owe everything to those times. From my parents to my own experiences. And I'm sure I can interpret that in a very excellent way.

Yang Refran

Posted by Allen Yang in Spanish 3 - Gierke on
Yo vengo de tierra de mi padres 
Vengo de Estados Unidos 
Vengo de Filadelfia 
Vengo de Patria

This refran basically speaks of my background, where I am. Although I wasn't born in a foreign country, my parents were. And I'd say that half of me belongs there and the other big half is here. I'd still call it the homeland, because of my ethnicity. 

I'm happy I even got something out of it. It might not be an original idea, but it's where I'm just from, and that it was hard to describe something that wasn't physical.

Adding more lines, make it sound more advanced or at least not so simple as to where I'm literally from, more like something you'd have to think deeper into. 

The only thing that was difficult was actually trying not to sound like everyone else. 





Mi cacion :]

Posted by Longnu Nhan in Spanish 3 - Gierke on
​Refrán:
Yo vengo a Vietnam
La comida es increíble

My refrain is suppose to tell people about where I'm from and about my food. I love food! I'm happy to say that I'm from Vietnam. I would like to add more than 2 lines. It has to go with the rhythm. One thing that was difficult for me was to go with the syllables to my original english song. It just has to go with the beat. 

De dnde vengo yo? - refrn

Posted by Jessica Hinton in Spanish 3 - Gierke on

¿De dónde vengo yo?
¿De dónde vengo yo?
​Vengo de pequeño ciudad
Famosa comida y museos
Es gran... lugar... estar. 

- My refrán is supposed to communicate just a small glimpse of Philly. Just something short.
- I think for my first draft I did well with organizing my thoughts.
- I think I should make sure that it goes along with the music.
- The difficult part was making sure I didn't put anything in the refrán that may fit better in a verse.