Minnesota State Fair

I have mixed feelings about the Minnesota State Fair. My family goes every year and I still have not been able to decide whether or not I like it. I like the milk shakes, the all-you-can-drink chocolate milk, the Sweet Martha's Cookies, and the french fries. I also like seeing the art projects there, as well as watching the dog and horse shows. However, I do not like walking through the huge throngs of people and waiting in line. It also is nerve wracking to realize one of your little brothers is missing, which usually happens. I have three of them, and during the course of the fair, one of them is bound to get lost. This year it was the youngest. He stopped to look at a robot in the Education building, and did not see us leave. Luckily, I was able to spot him in the crowd and track him down. This year, my feelings were even more mixed than usual about the State Fair. I was disappointed because there was no chocolate milk! That is my favorite part of the fair (plus, it is probably the only dairy I get all year, because I usually hate milk). So that was a low-light. The highlight was the giant pickle on a stick I ate. Delicious! So, once more, I am unable to decide whether or not I love the Minnesota State Fair.

9/11

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of one of the days in America's history that will never be forgotten. I was in grade school when it happened. I remember watching the Twin Towers smoke their lives out into the sky. Then, I remember watching them fold in on themselves, collapsing like paper. Steel girders were twisted and broken glass littered the ground as I watched the smoke fade on television. I was too young to fully comprehend the damage, but a trip to Ground Zero some years later helped enhance my understanding a bit more. The place where the Twin Towers had once stood was now almost a crater in the ground. Flowers lined the fence around the perimeter, along with notes to loved ones who just hadn't been able to make it out. There were plaques and pictures of the day, and I winced to see some of the photographs of those injured. How terrifying it must have been, to be caught inside a building that was falling apart. However, the scene wasn't completely one of despair. Some of the plaques told stories of heroes. The firefighters who had worked to save as many lives as possible. The medical teams that had worked non-stop to mend people. The search teams that worked for days after, scouring the wreckage for any sign of survivors. Also, the everyday citizens who helped drag others out of harms way. So when I think of 9/11, I don't just think of how much of a tragedy it was, I also think of all of those who risked their lives to help others. It's a bit of a bittersweet taste. But bittersweet is better than just bitter, right?

Elevator Conversation

Oh, hey! How are you? What? You're the admissions counselor for Bethel? I just applied there! Why should you pick me to join your college? Well, there is a few reasons. First, I am very hard-working. I have set goals and am determined to reach them. This has helped my academic record stay in good shape. I also am creative. My father once told me he had to write a five page essay on a quarter, and it gave him extreme difficulties. I remember thinking that there were so many possibilities in terms of what to write about the quarter. You could talk about its history, its metal, the president that is permanently imprinted proudly on the front, the sayings inscribed in the coin, or the eagle arching its wings on the back. On the other hand, you could also fashion it into a memoir or a story. Maybe the quarter was the last thing your grandmother gave to you, or maybe it plays an important part in a counterfeit scheme. My father always said that the fact I was able to come up with so many ideas was that I am creative. I also have been told many times that I have the ability to lead, and I try to live up to that compliment. Another compliment that my friends and family have given me has been that I am loyal, and will stick with something or someone until the end. That includes a college, a course, or a set of standards set before me. Lastly, I consider myself to be artistic, by means of art, music, drama, and writing. These skills can come in handy in many places. They also add to my ability to understand and interpret different works of art, which is another important skill. I believe all of these traits would be beneficial to a college, and I am eager to use them in my future college years. Bethel is a place that I think would be a good college to practice and use those characteristics, and I am ready to do so.

In class we learned about the different steps to writing, and I found that I had overlooked some steps...or, not really known they had existed. The "Discovering Form" section was one that I have never heard of, but I have known subconsciously. I also was previously unaware that "Revising" and "Editing" are different. I have always done both, I believe, but I had simply grouped both in the "Editing" department. I also learned that writing is something that always stems from a thought, no matter how much poets or novelists might claim that their writings were random. Even if you do not consciously realize that the words you are writing are from a certain source, they are. That was an interesting concept of writing that I had never looked at before. All of this new info will come in handy when writing essays!

Today was my first day in CIS English! Our first assignment was to write about our writing process. I am not entirely sure what mine is like. However, I do know that I generally follow a three or more step process. First, I write words straight from my mind, thinking about them, but not looking at them critically. Then, when that first draft is done, I reread what I have written. As I do so, I make changes that I see are necessary, including grammar and adding more where is needed. After I have finished, I reread my work again. This time, I am looking to make sure it flows. I also look to see that I have added just the right amount of description. Not enough descriptive words can make writing boring and bland. On the other hand, too much description can make writing hard to understand. When I have finished my third editing, I am done. However, I sometimes may look over and change my work more than three times, depending on how important, how long, and how difficult the paper is.

Heartbeat

The book Heartbeat, by Shannon Creech, holds a variety of different poems by the main character. She deals with the struggles of her life by running and drawing. She always runs barefoot, sometimes with one of her friends. However, although she is fast, she refuses to join track, much to the chagrin of the coach and her friend. The book is a composition of all of the poems she writes to express her complicated feelings. Creech is the author of many books that include poetry. One example of these is the book Love That Dog. That is one of my brother's favorite books. It is about a boy who is sad that his dog died, and when his class has a poetry unit, he uses poems to show his emotions. Throughout the book, the boy comes out of his shell and tries new types of poetry, thanks to his role model, poet Walter Dean Meyers. In the end, the boy, who was so confident that he would never get another pet, receives a kitten and welcomes it into his family. These books often are bitter-sweet, with sad memories but bright futures. They are well written and enjoyable.

Size 14 is Not Fat Either

This book is the sequel to the book Size 12 is Not Fat, by Meg Cabot. Former pop singer Heather Wells seems to settle into her ordinary life, until a cheerleader, the most popular girl in school, is found dead...Her dream guy, her landlord, warns her to stay out of things, as does her dad, who suddenly shows up out of nowhere after being released from jail. Still, despite their chiding, Heather can't resist a little sleuthing, which leads to more and more detective work, which lead to...the discovery of the girl's murderer. While juggling the problems of her life, Heather seeks out the killers, and meets them, unfortunately, alone...and there is more than just one killer. There is in her college, as well as many others throughout the USA and the world, a cult. One of those secret ones that, like in real life, are very dangerous and involve drugs. Trapped with no escape, the cult members become increasingly agitated as violence occurs, but the ring-leader will not tolerate any cowards. Through confessions, Heather learns the reason for the girl's death, but it is not as anyone would have expected from a seemingly perfect girl...