Taylor Stover Public Feed

final benchmark

Posted by Taylor Stover in Globalization - Herman on
http://www.wikispaces.com/user/view/tstover

personal statement:
This benchmark was very interesting I learned a lot about global trade and how important it is to society and how we aren't always told the truth about what's going on. I think that as citizens we have a right to know everything that's going on within our country especially when it pertains to things that we're buying and selling to other countries. This is also ties back to how things are created. I'm really happy I decided to do this as my 4th quarter benchmark

final project post

Posted by Taylor Stover in Science and Society - Best on
Isralie Cous Cous 

Olive Oil-2 tbps

Parmasan cheese - sprinkle

Grape tomatos

pepper 

hot pepper flakes


Preparation 

First you heat the olive oil on a low heat

Add the cous cous to the dish along with the mixture



Cook until it gets hot, make sure to stir constantly

turn heat down when it looks ready 

put in bowl

Either refrigerate or eat :)

When this dish is made the serving size 3/4 cups has about 200 calories and 15 grams of protein


During this unit, i've learned a lot about various topics that relate to food. I learned about foods that can destroy my body and foods that can help my body. My role in the larger food system is to eat as healthy as possible. I mainly live on a green diet and eat a lof organic tofu, no meat. The biggest problem with our food system is that its too expensive to eat healthy food so a lot of people cant afford to live a healthy lifestyle. I don't want to change my diet maybe. Im not making any changes to my diet. 

Personal Reflection 
Eating healthy has been important to me since the start of 11th grade. This unit was interesting, I feel as though it helped people engage themselves and learn about foods that they would have never thought to eat before. Everyone always says that veganism is hard and disgusting. But it's delicious and one of the healthiest diets in the world. Most food places are becoming more vegan friendly, now vegan doesn't always mean healthy. For example Oreos are vegan but they're full of calories and fat. But many vegan foods are good, like what I made. It's full of protein and low in calories. I hope that this unit did as much for others as it did for me. 


iChat Image(1837478379)
iChat Image(1837478379)

The patriot act

Posted by Taylor Stover in American Government - Herman on
The Patriot Act will remain a controversial issue for the days, months, and years ahead. The Patriot Act is looking to stop terrorists and make our country safer. We as people have safety concerns everyday and there's always a risk of getting hurt in some way. In the NYtimes article they say that although the threats from Al Queda have diminished that the Patriot Act is still necessary to protect the people from possible threats. It also said that the Act isn't only for terrorists and and Al Queda, but ordinary criminals that affect our everyday lives. The tracking of communications is what throws me off. But thinking about it logically if you aren't doing anything wrong, then there shouldnt be a problem with someone tracking your calls right? Yes that is a complete invasion of ones privacy but in the long-run it could be helpful to stop henious crimes. In my opinion this ACT should remain a law. It's helped us and who knows what's going to happen next it could be very prominent in the future. 

enemy of the state.

Posted by Taylor Stover in American Government - Herman on
-In the film the government is portrayed as effiecent and intelligent. But the thing about them is that they are fruads. 

-When privacy is lost, I consider that completly arbitrarry. The community doesnt deserve to have its privacy invaded. After 9-11 a lot of people's privacy was invaded, some people didnt deserve to have that happen to them. Setting up wires to track people is completely and utterly crazy. Of course if this person has committed a felony in the past its understandable, but if they're just suspcious i dont think its ok. 

-I feel as though the governmetn shouldn't have access to anyone life unless the person has committed a previous felony. I feel this way because I wouldnt want the government tapping into my phone seeing texts that cause absolutly no harm. I know this wouldn't happen but its just an example. People shouldn't be sayign things such as "i'm going to kill the president" or I'm going to cause destruction or things along those lines. Its unesscary and if they say things like that, they need to check themselves before they wreck themselves. 

-Indivuduals freedom should be restricted when they seriously hurt somebody or they have made continuous threats and nothing stops them. Then at that point they should be put into a mental instituttion 

Teens and prescription drugs

Posted by Taylor Stover in Physics - Echols on
I did my 10% on why people specifically teenagers shouldn't to prescription drugs. In my project I included the science and the reasoning behind it . I added the motivations for abuse and other things that have to do with it. My project is a reflections of what teens and parents should look out for and why these drugs are no good
iChat Image(249746002)
iChat Image(249746002)

Process paper

Posted by Taylor Stover in English 3 - Pahomov on
I was put into a group with Dylan, Jesus and Stephen. At first I was quite skeptical about working with them. I didn’t know how we would do together as a group but as soon as we started discussing our problems I stopped worrying. I’m not very good with computers or making videos so when Dylan and Jesus said they wanted to make a video I wasn’t excited. But film editing and making videos are their specialties so all I had to do was read lines. There wasn’t a single argument within our group. We all agreed on things and no one was angry about the decisions that were made. The first day of a free work period Jesus and Dylan were both absent from class. That made it really stressful for Stephen and I for the simple fact that we didn’t want to make posters without the rest of our group being present. I got in contact with Jesus and he made sure to help us out with the script and e-mail it to all of us so we knew what we had to work on for the upcoming week. On Monday when we had class again my group was ready to work. Dylan and Jesus already had all the video materials put together and we started filming that day. It made me glad that my whole group got along and there was no bickering about who would do what and how much work each of us was going to contribute. Our only real challenge was that we only had two days when all of us were there together. Usually it was just Stephan and I. If I could work with this group again I would. It was a good eclectic mix of skills. I was good with the finding information Stephan was good with

 

Great president or man of mysteries.

Posted by Taylor Stover in American History - Herman on
​process paper. 
During this project I learned a lot about president John F. Kennedy. Most people relate him to Marylin Monroe and the scandals that involved her. But there was a lot more to him than that. He was a man of many successes and many failures. His family always came first and he took risks that weren't always worth taking. Through my tumblr and Weebly viewers will learn about how people adored him and how people hated him. He had a very private life, which is still being exposed to this day. In the beginning I didn't even know what I was doing. At first I was just listing facts about him but I wasn't focusing on a particular part of his life. But as the project went on I figured out where I wanted to take my project and I took it there. I wrote a personal letter from a fictional character named Gracie. I made her a young girl who witnessed the assassination of her president, someone who she felt close to.  I focused on two parts, the assassination and the Bay of pigs which involved John F. Kennedys younger brother Robert, who was also his closest ally. This rocked the nation and was a huge disappointment and embarrassment for the United States. 

Gracie’s story.

November 22nd 1963 is a day that has a home in every history textbook and will be remembered by so many. It was they day president John. F. Kennedy was murdered. A young girl witnessed it with her own eyes. The harrowing event took place in Dallas Texas. JFK’s car was riding by, when Gracie Mack saw her president shot 3 times, once in the head and twice in the throat. Gracie witnessed him fall into his beautiful wife, Jackie Kennedy’s arms and heard her shout “Oh No”.  The car was sped up and went straight to the hospital. Upon arrival the president was still alive, but died 35 minutes later. Gracie couldn’t believe what she saw, she lost herself in her own mob of thoughts. Moments later more chaos arrived. She saw a white man, on the thin side, arguing with police officers, he gave her a look. One she had never seen before. She saw hate and death within his eyes and she instantly knew who he was and what he had done. His name was Lee H. Oswald, he was 24 years old, and he killed Gracie’s president. Oswald was under heavy investigation for two days. Gracie listened to her parents and others conversations around, on November 24th she heard that Oswald had been murdered. Murder was bad. So why did Gracie feel so good about it. Jack Ruby, someone that many knew seldom about. Even though most found it the right thing to do, murder was still a crime. Ruby tried to say that it wasn’t premeditated and that he didn’t know about where Oswald was being held. There were many different sides to JFK’s assasination. Gracie heard her great grandfather say that it was all Robert Kennedy’s fault, that he got the mafia involved the Kennedy administration. But Gracie didn’t want to hear the blame game, she didn’t want Lydon B. Johnson in charge of the country. She didn’t know what was going to happen, but she knew that it would change the way America was forever.


Annotations 


In this article by Tom Wrecker, the assassination of John F. Kennedy was exposed. Kennedy was shot on November 22nd 1963. He was shot at 12.30 pm and pronounced dead around 1 pm. Lee H. Oswald who was quite active within the Fair play for Cuba committee  ,was arrested later that night on accusations of killing John F. Kennedy. Oswald hit Mr. Kennedy with three shots, he fired the rifle from a building off the motorcade route. 106 minutes after the death of Kennedy, the vice president Lydon Baines Johnson swore into oath as America’s new president. "KENNEDY IS KILLED BY SNIPER AS HE RIDES IN CAR IN DALLAS; JOHNSON SWORN IN ON PLANE." NY Times Advertisement. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/1122.html>.

Jack Ruby was the man who killed Lee H. Oswald as he was being transferred from Dallas police headquarters to a nearby county jail. In an interview with Ruby, he said that he had no idea that Oswald was being moved, but many believe that the murder was premeditated. He claimed to have no idea that Oswald was being moved earlier, he said that nobody had told him, he thought it was going to be done at 10.00. Ruby had no prior knowledge as to whom Oswald was before the scandal. He said that the murder wasn’t intended but for the two days after Kennedy’s death all he felt was letdown and remorose "JFK: Jack Ruby's Deathbed Interview." JFK Online: JFK Assassination Resources Online. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. <http://www.jfk-online.com/rubydeathbed.html>.


Interviews with Jacqueline Kennedy were hidden for almost 50 years, the interviews with Mrs. Kennedy were conducted four monthes after the assassination of her husband. She talked a lot about how JFK was as a person, about how much he loved his children, and how he would always come to his family before going to the office and getting to work. She talked a lot about the Cuban missal crisis, which was the closest the U.S came to a nuclear war. It was a very stressful time for JFK, but Jacqueline stayed by his side the entire time, she refused to go on any sort of vacations, and made sure he was given the comfort that he needed. "Jacqueline Kennedy Tapes, Recorded After JFK Assassination, Reveal Intimate Secrets - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voDCp6-j1FI>.


Robert F. Kennedy was not only JFK’s brother, but also his closest political ally. His role today would be almost impossible. He had plans of getting rid of Americas biggest enemies. He feared that it was his fault that his brother was killed. He believed that his drive to prosecute the mob and kill Castro had backfired and resulted with the assassination. He felt as though the death was supposed to be for him and it came to haunt his family. When he got news of his brothers death, there was no emotion or grief, just utter shock, the moment he found out that his brother was dead, he quickly began making phone calls in search of who killed JFK. There were questions as to why Robert Kennedy didn’t play a bigger role in helping to find out who killed his brother. Some say the main reason was simply denial that his wound was too big, and others say that he didn’t want the government to find out what he was doing on the sides with Castro. "Robert Kennedy Struggled With JFK's Assassination - ABC News." ABCNews.com - Breaking News, Latest News & Top Video News - ABC News. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=131457>.


In The Wink a book by Barr McClellan, he opens up to the controversial idea that vice president Lyndon B. Johnson was behind the assassination of JFK. McClellan said that Johnson had the moves and the motives to do it. Some say that the theories are complete bogus, but McClellan and his family, speculate that Johnson, was in it for the money power and blood. He also involved Edward Clark, who was an embassador saying that he covered the assassination for Johnson. Jeong, Hye. "LBJ Behind JFK Killing - New Book - Remember 'The Wink'" Jeff Rense Program. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. <http://www.rense.com/general40/thewnk.htm>.

http://jfk92394.tumblr.com/

http://www.weebly.com/weebly/nhdHome.php





Machuca y Frida

Posted by Taylor Stover in Spanish 4 - Manuel on
Hola, me llamo es pedro Machuca. Los murales muestran mas de lo ojo. Estoy interesado en el mural Dos Fridas. Fue pintado en 1939. El pintora es Frida Kahlo. Ella tienen una vida difícil, pero ella no hablo sobre pequenas cosas. Mi vida es dura en que el gobierno es malo. Es difícil vivir cuando su todos movimiento es visto por el gobierno. Soy en la clase baja y Frida también. Ser pobre no es divertido personas ricas tienen mas fácil y no tienen que sufrir. En el arte de Frida veo triste. En dos Frida hay dos lados de ella. Frida quieren la paz durante la revolución in Mexico. Durante su vida la guerra civil ocurría. Frida fue un comunista. 


Frida no estaba preocupada por las cosas materiales y ella era siempre, incluso en sus momentos mas oscuros. Machuca es el mismo. La patria de Frida esta Mexico. Frida fue confundido de si era Mexicana o Americana. La situaticion era difícil con ela.


Quiero en Chille. Ella quieren la clases baja en subir al poder. El arte era su forma de expresion. Ella fue un comunista ella creció asi. Fridas pinturas muestran el dolor pinta en la forma en que ve la vi. Frida tuvo muchos emociones. Ella expresso muchos por sus pinturas. Cuando verlos pinturas pienso en mi vida. Mi vida es muy duro porque el gobierno. 


Los colores son muy bien. Ella usa muchos naranjas y rojo. Los colores son brillantes. Me senti mas feliz porque no piensas el triste porque buscar para el bueno en la vida. Los objetos simbolizan los partes lindas del vida. En el fotos la vida de Frida es demuestra en muchas formas. Machuca mostró su vida en sus emociones. 


Machuca y Frida es muy similar. Sus vidas es differente y similar. Frida mostro su vida por arte, Machuca muestras por tristeza. Machuca sufriro much , Frida tambien. Dos personas hizo lo puedo para sobrevivir. 




frida-kahlo-las-dos-fridas
frida-kahlo-las-dos-fridas
images
images

pARAGRAph1.

Posted by Taylor Stover in Spanish 4 - Manuel on
Hola, me llamo es pedro Machuca. Los murales muestran mas de lo ojo. Estoy interesado en el mural Dos Fridas. El pintora es Frida Kahlo. Ella tienen una vida difícil, pero ella no hablo sobre pequenas cosas. Mi vida es dura en que el gobierno es malo. Es difícil vivir cuando su todos movimiento es visto por el gobierno. Soy en la clase baja y Frida también. Ser pobre no es divertido personas ricas tienen mas fácil y no tienen que sufrir. En el arte de Frida veo triste. En dos Frida hay dos lados de ella. Frida quieren la paz durante la revolución in Mexico. Quiero en Chille. Ella quieren la clases baja en subir al poder. El arte era su forma de expresion. Ella fue un comunista ella creció asi. Fridas pinturas muestran el dolor pinta en la forma en que ve la vi


Mi Barrio, Mt Airy.

Posted by Taylor Stover in Spanish 4 - Manuel on
​Taylor stover

January 10th 2011

Espanol 3

 

Mt. Airy, barrio es muy diversos. Hay muchas personas diferentes. Hay mucho familias, y todos son interesantes. La familia es muy grande en mi barrio, casi todo el mundo es agradable. La gente es muy de bienvenida, es por lo general tranquilo excepto en ave de Germantown. Durante los fines de semana, la gente va al ave Germantown para la diversion. Los restaurantes y las tiendas son grandes! Mucho de mi amigos vivir cerca de mi. Hay varias familias de todas las razas y muchas relaciones diferentes. Hay muchas formas de transporte y todo muy seguro. Hay muchas maneras de involucrase en Mt. Airy. La basura recoge, andar de perro, y ser bueno persona. Casas pueden ser muy largo y muy pequeno. Hay muchas cafes y resturantes. Escogi Mt. Airy por todas razones. No tenemos rico que hacer rico. Hay muchos lugares para comer, muchos opciones para los vegetarianos. La criminalidad es muy baja en Mt Airy. Todas personas es civilizada y saben como comportarse. Todas personas premite sus animals de correas y los gatos estan en todas partes fuera. Hay parques para los animals y a los ninos en Mt. Airy. En Mt. Airy los ninos se encuentran en la escuela, y el parque, los ninos son tranquilas. No hay nada perturbacion. Muchas balnearios y yoga y relajarse lugares. En Mt. Airy hay toda tipo de persona. Gay, rectos, blanco, negro, y la lista continua. Nadie los juzga sobre nada. Esta bein que usted mismo. Hay muchos homosexuals y transexuales en me barrio. Ellos son aceptados como lo deben ser no hay una persona los discrimen porque es no justo. Mi familia es biracial y sentimos suficiente. Mis vecinos son de Iraq, y son ejemplos como alguien puede vivir aca y sentir seguro. La gente puede caminar tarde por la noche y no tiene que preocuparse. Sugeririo esta barrio para las familias, es pecialmente con los ninos pequenos. En mi mural, representado la gente y idea de mi barrio. En Mt. Airy no hay graffiti o vandalismo, hay pintura mural y mucho arte. Todo es muy bonito y comfortables. 

Photo on 1-12-12 at 10.44 AM #2
Photo on 1-12-12 at 10.44 AM #2

Mujeres de jazz

Posted by Taylor Stover in Spanish 4 - Manuel on
33rd and Ridge
Es muy infulencial 
Es culture 
Es diverse personas differente

Los chicas negros 
Muchas colores

You've got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for any damn body's sermon on how to behave.-Billie Holiday



Es inspirting para chicas, ninas, y chicos 
IMG_0344
IMG_0344

Mar adrento Que es vida

Posted by Taylor Stover in Spanish 4 - Manuel on

MAR ADRENTO


En la pelicula Mar Adentro la importante persona es Ramón Sampedro. El es un tetrapléjico. Ramón ha sufrido mucho, queiren morir su dijiste "La vida es un derecho, no obligación" Ramón necesidades un abogado porque hay no oportunidad por su morir . En el sociedad quitarse la vida es un crimen. Por que, es una decisión de personas. 

La familia de Ramón y sus seres queridos quieres mientras vivir. Creo que eso Ramón es una  egoísta. No estoy de acuerdo, por que si el esta infeliz ¿por qué cojen viviendo, eso no tiene sentido, en vida nosotros somos supuesto. Antes del accidente Ramón fue bien, el esta guapo. Su vida emocional está muy bueno. Después del accidente todo cambio. La única personas que le apoyó era Julia. Julia esta abogada de Ramón. Ella y Ramón estaban muy cerca. 


Estoy de acuerdo de Ramón. Es su vida y él puede hacer que él quiere. Aunque las acciones de Ramón eran ilegales porque necesitan premission para juez, es su vida por qué ser infeliz todos las días? Entiendo seres queridos no acuerdo con Ramón's decisión pero ellos no saben como él siente. El no está contento. Si no está duele otras personas. Es su vida y su sufrimiento, derecho con el decisión. 


En mi opinion la pelicula es bueno. Algunas partes estaban triste, pero otros es cómico. Mar Adentro es no prejuicio, porque hay muchas opiniones considerades en la pelicula. Los personases es interesantes y los actores es talentosos. La pelicula fue larga, a veces es aburrido. But todos es bueno. 




images
images

Mentiroso personas

Posted by Taylor Stover in Spanish 4 - Manuel on
Situación: Tu mejor amiga Susanna es muy inteligente, pero Chica es muy loco, ella mentir en la todos tarea y es tener celos todos los personas! Chica no entenderse nadia. Y no apreciar amigos. Chica es antipática. Chica es no sensible, y ella es tacano!!!

¿Quién Estás

Posted by Taylor Stover in Spanish 4 - Manuel on
In this project, I tried to convey myself as honestly as I could. I talked about relationships with family and friends. The less obvious part was a lot harder, because I am a very open person, and people know a lot about me. So I got more in depth about my actual feelings on things. On the top of my mask I have a lot of designs, its kind of like the head piece. It shows how scattered my mind can be at times.



Obvio

Yo soy Taylor Stover tengo diecisiete años  vivo en Filadelfia. Soy biracial y alta, mi pelo es marón mi piel es de color canela, ojo son hazle. Mi personalidad es muy loca e interesante. Mi mamá es polaca y mi papa es negro Soy extrovertida y me siento cómoda con personas desconocidas y en nuevas situaciones. Yo puedo un serosa pero soy un cómica  Casi siempre digo lo que pienso Tengo muchos amigos pero solamente unos pocos amigos muy íntimos. Mi mejor amiga es Becca. Ella es muy cómica y cariñosa, y también bonita y muy importante en mi vida. En el chico busco inteligente. Chico necesitan simpático y honesto. No quiero son chico loco, es no bueno con mi, ella no puedo possesivo. Soy saltero y es muy divertito ahora no busco.  Soy aventurera y siempre busco nuevas experiencias que me emocionan me gusta la escuela porque yo pienso que es importante aprender cosas nuevas. Me encanta BURRITOS. Es mi comida favorita, en el verano como un burrito todos los dios. Mi bebida favorita es Snapple, helado con limon es muy bueno y reconfortante.

 

No obvio

-Yo creo que la amabilidad es muy importante. En mi opinión la karma es real y por eso es importante tratar bien a los otros. Creo la intimidación debe terminar. Todas personas es bonito en sus manera. Yo trabajo duro en escuela, escuela es mas importante a mi. A mi me gusta nueva cosas, mi clases favorita es ingles y español. Siempre estoy para un desafio. Yo quiero ir universidad. Quiero vivo en la cuidad Nuevo York porque la ciudad es muy grande a mi me gusta muchas gente y quiero vive en la ciudad que nunca duerme.. Yo soy feliz para conocer gente nueva. Mi mama es mas importante en mi vivo. Chica es mi mejor amiga ella es mi inspira, es muy bonita. Tengo no relación con mi papa chico es antipático y piensan dinero compro amor. A veces yo soy muy triste yo no se porque. Soy persona emocionante soy difícil de comprender. Soy indulgente yo no soy enojada para mucho tiempo. Hago muchas decisiones estupidas, pero yo pienso soy haciendo. Tengo control sobre mi, pienso cuando parar hace malo cosas.  Encontrado momentos difíciles en mi vida, pero donde estoy hoy si las influencias personales que llevo a través de cambie en lo que soy hoy. Yo solo ser una chica muy tranquilla que mi mismo, pero mis amigos comenzaron a tomar ventaja de que tipa de persona era. Trataria de cambio soy contenido y hago mis amigos contenido. Pero cuando la gente caminan todo que me, yo comprendo quiero yo y mis amigos reales. Me encanta ir de compras. Ropas de bonita me gusto, compro hago mi muy feliz! A mi no me gusta ver personas triste, quiero todos la personas son feliz. Soy diferente entonces otros personas, no te gusta me entonces no hables con mi. A mi me gusta me corte. Yo no cambio por nadie.





 

Photo on 11-2-11 at 12.04 PM #3
Photo on 11-2-11 at 12.04 PM #3

Humanities Portfolio

Posted by Taylor Stover in English 2 - Block on

Sophomore year was a hard year for me emotionally, the one class that always had me thinking was English, and I felt the class related to me a lot in a personal way. For example the journal entries, my favorite had to have been the rant. I remember that day clearly I was in a really bad mood, I had this rush of anger going through me, and a rant was exactly what I needed. A lot of the other journals had me thinking too, like the “Remember when” one during the Night course, I was also very sad that day and writing that poem came easily to me and for some reason I felt moved after writing it.

            MY favorite unit had to be the poetry unit. I really like writing poems and, at that stage of my life all of my poems had a certain theme, and that theme happened to be about my bad decisions. “As much as I hate you I can’t forget you” Looking back on my poetry it’s kind of sad to see how unhappy I was, I know I brought it upon myself but I had no idea what to do, and I think in some weird way writing helped me get through it for that moment for that 65 minute English class the poetry took my mind off of the person that was screwing me up physically and emotionally.

Art in the open was amazing. I loved working outside of the classroom, and I couldn’t possibly ask for a better group. During Art in the Open I think I was the happiest I’ve been all year; I started to put my life back in check. With the Leah Stein project I learned to not judge a book by its cover. When I first heard about this I was a little creeped out I thought it was weird. But when we started dancing and actually got to meet Leah I knew that it was going to be an amazing experience. My group Rocky Road came together and as soon as we picked our location we knew exactly what we wanted to do and how we wanted to move, our piece flowed together and in the end we had a great final product.

I think the greatest thing that I learned in this class, was about myself. I didn’t know my limits at the beginning of the school year I thought I was indestructible; I thought I could handle anything that came my way. But after millions of journal entries and Mr. Block saying, “make smart decisions” I think it finally stuck with me, it may have taken 8 monthes but it happened. Mr. Block I’m going to miss you dearly thank you for everything, you may have not realized it but your class helped me so much this year, and I’m truly thankful.





            poetry

letter outline

          Confessions of a Jailbird




 
iChat Image(2518426828)
iChat Image(2518426828)

Beautiful

Posted by Taylor Stover in World History - Block on
Act 1 Scene 1
I opened my eyes and rolled over to the side of the bed and made a disgusted face, the apartment was dirty, my hands felt clammy, my hair was sticking to the sweat on my face, just another normal day. I hate my job, well I guess it’s not really my job considering I get nothing out of it. One night I was with this guy, he didn’t want sex or he didn’t try and get me high or anything, he just wanted someone to talk too. He told me I was beautiful and to be honest he was beautiful himself he said that I could be a model or something, I wish that was true. Anyway back to last night, the apartment I woke up in was disgusting I felt so dirty, well in this job it’s normal too feel gross, dirt was sticking to the sweat on my body all I wanted was a cool shower, I walked over to the bathroom and it was just shit I can’t even explain I’m almost positive if I took a shower I would come out dirtier. I walked out, back to the bedroom, there was a big man in the bed he was also sweating he looked greasy I wanted too throw up, he wasn’t like the beautiful boy I talked to the other night. This man kind of reminded me of my father, poor and dirty, I missed him though. I used to live in Mexico with my parents and 6 well maybe 7 sisters for some reason I can’t remember the exact age.
(Starts to tear up)
Everyday I try to forget what happened too me, the day I was taken out my home and dragged into a dirty smelly white van, they calmly told us not to scream, this one girl with black hair and brown oval eyes started to scream and that’s when it happened a big man, I couldn’t tell if he was dark skinned or just dirty, well he smacked her she had a red hand print across her face and she shut up. They told us we were going across the border to America. I know it wasn’t something to be excited over but I had never been to America before and maybe it would be fun, I had no idea what I was in for. I tried to sleep in the car but I couldn’t get comfortable, I mean could you get comfortable in a tightly packed van with 5 other girls. Days went by we were given the occasional bottle of water no food no nothing. “Salga de la furgoneta”. I still remember Spanish, they have us use it sometimes for certain customers. “Usted está en Nueva York”. They ushered us out the big van and into a house that looked abandoned, that’s when I met him. Edgar, he was scary and big he explained why we were here. “You’re in a business now” he voice was angry, none of us were getting any sympathy. He looked at me he noticed me, he came over and touched my face than slipped his fingers through my hair,
(rubs her hair gently)
“you’re going to earn me anything I need.” he whispered that in my ear, I cringed every time I think about that whisper. He explained what we’d be doing, selling our bodies, in return for drugs, money and anything that would benefit him, if he owed someone a debt they’d get our bodies, every girl in that room was drained of emotion, they couldn’t even bring themselves to cry, I remember that day like it was yesterday, it feels like just yesterday I was 16 well it’s been 2 years I’m 18 and stuck in the same position. I think I have it easiest of all the girls. Edgar thinks I’m the prettiest, so he only uses me for his most important clients, sometimes he has me work when another girl gets sick like when I was in that cruddy apartment, I think they get jealous of me sometimes, I mean if I were in their situation I’d be jealous of me too. Some of the girls have serious problems, I’m not sure why I don’t have problems I mean I do but not like them, its kind of like they turned what’s happening to us into some sick game, they fuck around with these guys minds pretend like they’re in love I mean these guys are already sickos for participating in illegal sex trafficking but still. I guess I like to be alone in the house I only go out when I’m working. Jackie is my only friend in the house, and I wouldn’t even call her a friend she’s the only girl that doesn’t shoot me dirty looks kind of like this (She grimaces) We have no beds in the house just wooden cots and a blanket, there’s no heating for the winter and no air for the summer, we have one bathroom and the windows are covered by bars, Edgar doesn’t live with us, two big Mexican men guard us and make sure we don’t try to runaway or bring unwanted attention towards the house. I wish this could be over, I wish I could change who I was, I wish I could go back to Mexico, be with my family but I cant this is the life I’m stuck with, maybe not forever but defiantly for now.

Act 2 Scene 2
Woman, to me they are the most important creatures on earth, without them I’d be no one, I wouldn’t be where I am today, I am a millionaire, all thanks to woman. My father was in the same business as I am. Some say its wrong and on the news they criticize it but what they don’t understand is that I am helping these girls, these girls are beautiful but they have nothing , what would they do if they stayed in Mexico join a drug ring, sell their bodies there, grow corn? Who knows, but what I know is that they are in America, and everything here is better. I’m showing these girls how to be women, their bodies are my property. There is one girl though, she’s the best, I have white office men after her, I have to make sure she doesn’t complain or cry, I can tell she over thinks things too much, the girls aren’t allowed to write or draw well basically they cant do anything, but her I know she writes but I tell the guards not to say anything, I can’t let my feelings get in the way of business the other girls are starting to notice how I treat her differently, they give her mean looks and brush her off. But back to what I was saying, what I do used to make me feel bad stealing girls from their homes, raping them of their pride but it’s my job and I am good at what I do. After a few years the girls learn to accept that this is what their life is


Act 3 scene 3
Chloe is so beautiful we call ourselves CJ for Chloe and Jackie. We’re best friends, all the girls hate her, I really can’t see why, shes the only one in the house with manners and, she’s just so beautiful, she doesn’t deserve this life, I mean none of us do, but her she could be a model an actress, I treat her well because I know shes going to be something, I just know it everything will work for her, i promise


Act 4 Scene 4
That bitch, she gets all the attention, considering I’m stuck here pulled away from my life my family my friends I deserve to get treated the same way as Chloe, My names Rosie, that’s prettier and more exciting then Chloe. I hate America I can’t be here, no man back home would pay to do whatever he wants to me, no one would ever do that. Chloe, she falls asleep before the rest of us, I stare at her, she isn’t that pretty, she’s nothing. A couple of us spit on her at night once this girl Margarita whose younger and has more of a wild twist to her, suggested that we cut her hair off, man I wish we did. Edgar treats her like she’s royalty SHE’S NOT (Shout this, breaks down in tears) huh ( Looks to side) , shit here I come (Walks off stage)

Act 5 scene 5
I wonder how my younger sister is doing, she’s probably all grown up now, I’m sure she’s beautiful as well, god forbid anyone like Edgar or worse gets to her like they got to me, she doesn’t deserve that. I probably won’t ever see her again (Slightly sniffles) but the memory of her my mother my father and my brothers will always be close. Unlike the rest of the girls, I enjoy America, it’s not like I really get to go out, but when I do I see bright lights the happier people like that beautiful boy I saw, i’d never forget him. When I’m back with the girls in the house I get upset again, they hate me, secretly they all hate each other. I can’t do this anymore I know stuff like this happens all over the world but it never crossed my mind that it would happen to me

Act 6 scene 6
Sex trafficking is something my team and I have being trying to stop since god knows when. It’s hard, we can only arrest them if they’re caught in the act. I know it’s going on all around New York, I don’t have some incrediable 6th sense that tells me if a girl walking down the street is selling herself, I’m just a new york street cop. They’re usually the foreign girls, the ones that look lost and sad, they look around them cautiously eye down rich men skip glances over poor ones. That’s how it works. Most of them look sickly thin, they look drugged up, if we see a girl like that usually we get our undercovers to go in and try to talk to them, get them to offer sex and we make the arrest. If it were up to me I wouldn’t arrest these girls, it’s not their choice, they didn’t choose this life (Shakes head)



Act 7 scene 7
They say that beauty fades but love will remain, how do you get love when you’re fat, slimy and girls only look at you to laugh, that’s right you don’t. I know what i’m doing is wrong and yes I could get arressted but these girls don’t know what they’re doing they make me feel special loved. One girl was absolutly beautiful. I couldn’t bring her home, with my kids. Honestly I couldn’t bring her anywhere, how embaressing would it be if I got aressted, telling my wife, my kids having to explain it to the men at work, nope nope never that.   so I brought her to some shitty apartment that a guy at the fish packaging market lives it smelled and she looked disgusted but she did her job and let me tell you she did it well.

Beautiful.

Posted by Taylor Stover in World History - Block on
Characters
Chloe
Edgar
Jackie
Undercover Cop
Rosie
Fat man


Act 1 Scene 1
I opened my eyes and rolled over to the side of the bed and made a disgusted face, the apartment was dirty, my hands felt clammy, my hair was sticking to the sweat on my face, just another normal day. I hate my job, well I guess it’s not really my job considering I get nothing out of it. One night I was with this guy, he didn’t want sex or he didn’t try and get me high or anything, he just wanted someone to talk too. He told me I was beautiful and to be honest he was beautiful himself he said that I could be a model or something, I wish that was true. Anyway back to last night, the apartment I woke up in was disgusting I felt so dirty, well in this job it’s normal too feel gross, dirt was sticking to the sweat on my body all I wanted was a cool shower, I walked over to the bathroom and it was just shit I can’t even explain I’m almost positive if I took a shower I would come out dirtier. I walked out, back to the bedroom, there was a big man in the bed he was also sweating he looked greasy I wanted too throw up, he wasn’t like the beautiful boy I talked to the other night. This man kind of reminded me of my father, poor and dirty, I missed him though. I used to live in Mexico with my parents and 6 well maybe 7 sisters for some reason I can’t remember the exact age.
(Starts to tear up)
Everyday I try to forget what happened too me, the day I was taken out my home and dragged into a dirty smelly white van, they calmly told us not to scream, this one girl with black hair and brown oval eyes started to scream and that’s when it happened a big man, I couldn’t tell if he was dark skinned or just dirty, well he smacked her she had a red hand print across her face and she shut up. They told us we were going across the border to America. I know it wasn’t something to be excited over but I had never been to America before and maybe it would be fun, I had no idea what I was in for. I tried to sleep in the car but I couldn’t get comfortable, I mean could you get comfortable in a tightly packed van with 5 other girls. Days went by we were given the occasional bottle of water no food no nothing. “Salga de la furgoneta”. I still remember Spanish, they have us use it sometimes for certain customers. “Usted está en Nueva York”. They ushered us out the big van and into a house that looked abandoned, that’s when I met him. Edgar, he was scary and big he explained why we were here. “You’re in a business now” he voice was angry, none of us were getting any sympathy. He looked at me he noticed me, he came over and touched my face than slipped his fingers through my hair,
(rubs her hair gently)
“you’re going to earn me anything I need.” he whispered that in my ear, I cringed every time I think about that whisper. He explained what we’d be doing, selling our bodies, in return for drugs, money and anything that would benefit him, if he owed someone a debt they’d get our bodies, every girl in that room was drained of emotion, they couldn’t even bring themselves to cry, I remember that day like it was yesterday, it feels like just yesterday I was 16 well it’s been 2 years I’m 18 and stuck in the same position. I think I have it easiest of all the girls. Edgar thinks I’m the prettiest, so he only uses me for his most important clients, sometimes he has me work when another girl gets sick like when I was in that cruddy apartment, I think they get jealous of me sometimes, I mean if I were in their situation I’d be jealous of me too. Some of the girls have serious problems, I’m not sure why I don’t have problems I mean I do but not like them, its kind of like they turned what’s happening to us into some sick game, they fuck around with these guys minds pretend like they’re in love I mean these guys are already sickos for participating in illegal sex trafficking but still. I guess I like to be alone in the house I only go out when I’m working. Jackie is my only friend in the house, and I wouldn’t even call her a friend she’s the only girl that doesn’t shoot me dirty looks kind of like this (She grimaces) We have no beds in the house just wooden cots and a blanket, there’s no heating for the winter and no air for the summer, we have one bathroom and the windows are covered by bars, Edgar doesn’t live with us, two big Mexican men guard us and make sure we don’t try to runaway or bring unwanted attention towards the house. I wish this could be over, I wish I could change who I was, I wish I could go back to Mexico, be with my family but I cant this is the life I’m stuck with, maybe not forever but defiantly for now.

Act 2 Scene 2
Woman, to me they are the most important creatures on earth, without them I’d be no one, I wouldn’t be where I am today, I am a millionaire, all thanks to woman. My father was in the same business as I am. Some say its wrong and on the news they criticize it but what they don’t understand is that I am helping these girls, these girls are beautiful but they have nothing , what would they do if they stayed in Mexico join a drug ring, sell their bodies there, grow corn? Who knows, but what I know is that they are in America, and everything here is better. I’m showing these girls how to be women, their bodies are my property. There is one girl though, she’s the best, I have white office men after her, I have to make sure she doesn’t complain or cry, I can tell she over thinks things too much, the girls aren’t allowed to write or draw well basically they cant do anything, but her I know she writes but I tell the guards not to say anything, I can’t let my feelings get in the way of business the other girls are starting to notice how I treat her differently, they give her mean looks and brush her off. But back to what I was saying, what I do used to make me feel bad stealing girls from their homes, raping them of their pride but it’s my job and I am good at what I do. After a few years the girls learn to accept that this is what their life is


Act 3 scene 3
Chloe is so beautiful we call ourselves CJ for Chloe and Jackie. We’re best friends, all the girls hate her, I really can’t see why, shes the only one in the house with manners and, she’s just so beautiful, she doesn’t deserve this life, I mean none of us do, but her she could be a model an actress, I treat her well because I know shes going to be something, I just know it everything will work for her, i promise


Act 4 Scene 4
That bitch, she gets all the attention, considering I’m stuck here pulled away from my life my family my friends I deserve to get treated the same way as Chloe, My names Rosie, that’s prettier and more exciting then Chloe. I hate America I can’t be here, no man back home would pay to do whatever he wants to me, no one would ever do that. Chloe, she falls asleep before the rest of us, I stare at her, she isn’t that pretty, she’s nothing. A couple of us spit on her at night once this girl Margarita whose younger and has more of a wild twist to her, suggested that we cut her hair off, man I wish we did. Edgar treats her like she’s royalty SHE’S NOT (Shout this, breaks down in tears) huh ( Looks to side) , shit here I come (Walks off stage)

Act 5 scene 5
I wonder how my younger sister is doing, she’s probably all grown up now, I’m sure she’s beautiful as well, god forbid anyone like Edgar or worse gets to her like they got to me, she doesn’t deserve that. I probably won’t ever see her again (Slightly sniffles) but the memory of her my mother my father and my brothers will always be close. Unlike the rest of the girls, I enjoy America, it’s not like I really get to go out, but when I do I see bright lights the happier people like that beautiful boy I saw, i’d never forget him. When I’m back with the girls in the house I get upset again, they hate me, secretly they all hate each other. I can’t do this anymore I know stuff like this happens all over the world but it never crossed my mind that it would happen to me

Act 6 scene 6
Sex trafficking is something my team and I have being trying to stop since god knows when. It’s hard, we can only arrest them if they’re caught in the act. I know it’s going on all around New York, I don’t have some incrediable 6th sense that tells me if a girl walking down the street is selling herself, I’m just a new york street cop. They’re usually the foreign girls, the ones that look lost and sad, they look around them cautiously eye down rich men skip glances over poor ones. That’s how it works. Most of them look sickly thin, they look drugged up, if we see a girl like that usually we get our undercovers to go in and try to talk to them, get them to offer sex and we make the arrest. If it were up to me I wouldn’t arrest these girls, it’s not their choice, they didn’t choose this life (Shakes head)



Act 7 scene 7
They say that beauty fades but love will remain, how do you get love when you’re fat, slimy and girls only look at you to laugh, that’s right you don’t. I know what i’m doing is wrong and yes I could get arressted but these girls don’t know what they’re doing they make me feel special loved. One girl was absolutly beautiful. I couldn’t bring her home, with my kids. Honestly I couldn’t bring her anywhere, how embaressing would it be if I got aressted, telling my wife, my kids having to explain it to the men at work, nope nope never that.   so I brought her to some shitty apartment that a guy at the fish packaging market lives it smelled and she looked disgusted but she did her job and let me tell you she did it well.

Confessions of a Jailbird

Posted by Taylor Stover in English 2 - Block on

Everyone gets a thrill out of something, for some its running, for others its school, for me it’s doing things I’m not supposed too. Ever since I was in kinder garden I had a soft spot for being bad, for getting into as much trouble as I possibly could. I liked the feeling of being the most bad, I changed my language with each bad girl move I made having everyone gossip about how “out of control” I was. I was the first too kiss, the first to smoke, and the first to get arrested.  

It was Memorial Day weekend, my last few weeks at Germantown Friends School, the long weekend was perfect, I had a week of exams coming up and I just wanted a break. On Saturday afternoon my mom and I decided to go to the mall.  She went with her friend from out of the country, so while my mom was showing her all the stores that I hated, I asked to go to another store, and walk around for a little, she agreed and we made our separate ways. Leaving my mom was the biggest mistake of my life, I had a problem, I was a kleptomaniac, I couldn’t walk into a store without stealing something, I got away with jewelry, makeup and even shoes. The first store I went into was Saks 5th avenue, I took a look around found some things I liked, and snatched them. The adrenaline I had when walking out a store without the alarm going off, made me feel like the greatest person alive. The next store on my hit list was Neiman Marcus, little did I know it would be the last of my shop lifting days. I was feeling lucky and went straight to the shoe department. I found the pair I wanted I slipped them on my feet and walked out the store, no alarm no nothing, until out of no where two men and one woman ran at me, they took me into the back of the mall. I didn’t know what was going to happen

            “I swear I didn’t mean to take them, I swear” I said behind all the tears

“Please whatever you do don’t arrest me, I’ll never do it again” I screamed behind tears as I dug my nails as hard into my skin as I possibly could, thinking it would take the pain away, at that moment I wished I could have taken it all back, and just be with my mom. I knew she was worrying they took my phone from me, they took everything.

“Stop crying, it’s not worth anything, you’re not getting out of this” the tall man looked mad. I wanted to change his mind so bad, just let me free. He looked me in the eye, and let out a sly smile, not in a mean way just in a “I feel bad for her” kind of way.  I felt alone, it was honestly the first time I felt as though no one was there for me, my father didn’t know what was happening and neither did my mother, nor did my friends, only I did and the scary men that watched me.

“You’ll be in the cell for six to eight hours” The cop had a rather horse voice, it didn’t make me feel comfortable, but then again I had no merit to feel comfortable I didn’t deserve any comfort, I was going to jail not candy land.  In the back of the cop car I tried to slide the handcuffs off my arm but it didn’t work. When I got to the jail cell they put me in a room, one wooden bench and a bottle of water… nothing else.

“PLEASE LET ME GO PLEASE”

“Shut up, stop crying” the cops laughed at me, as if it were some sort of joke, as if I were a clown or something

“It’s your own fault you’re in here”

I couldn’t speak , my voice was clogged my head was throbbing considering I had been crying for 4 straight hours, it was too much I couldn’t handle it.  All I wanted was my mom, I wanted her hugs and her love, I couldn’t wait for it, I wanted my cell phone I wanted a large piece of greasy pizza, I wanted to be with my friends laughing talking in my most annoying Miley Cyrus voice.  But I was in jail that’s where I was, I was stuck no way of getting out, at least not for another 5 hours.

“All I want is my mommy that’s all I want” I kept repeating to myself quietly, I didn’t want to look crazy by talking to myself but I couldn’t help it the words just kept spitting out, I could barley understand what I was saying to myself behind all the tears.

“Taylor, your mothers here, you’re free too go” The cop didn’t have any emotion in his voice, this was the scariest moment for me, having to see my mother, when she saw me she ran up and hugged me, she didn’t look angry or mad she looked sad, I had broken her heart. In the car it was quiet, I tried to let out a laugh but it didn’t work.

“I’m really hungry can we go to McDonalds” I said, I couldn’t cry anymore my voice was just sad, empty to say the least.

“No, I have to drive you too your father immediately” My mother said, her voice sounded as if she was about to cry.

“I tried to hide it from him, but there was no way I could” She said to me after a long awkward silence. That night my dad was staying at the Ronald McDonald house, doing an overnight volunteer shift.  When I got there my dad came out to let us in.

“Did they put you in handcuffs” The first thing he said to me, I looked at him solemnly and nodded my head yes, his voice wasn’t angry either much like my mothers he sounded really sad. He hugged me tight, and sent me up to his room, he brought me cake and cereal and put the t.v on and told me to wait there. While in there I checked my phone, I had about 30 missed calls. Both my parents made me promise not tell a soul, it was something they wanted kept as a deep secret.

This changed me forever, it changed the way I acted and who I was, which resulted in a change of language, the way I spoke and acted like the nothing ever mattered changed, I started too care, I dropped the bad girl language and moved on too a more mature settled language, never would I want to relive 

RSS