(CE) Poverty is ALWAYS going to be in the picture!!!

Poverty has been an issue for many years but in 2010 poverty rates hit highest level since 1993. This article "US Poverty Numbers Hit Record High" Almost 46 million people are living below American poverty line. A government report released on Tuesday said the poverty rate rose for a third consecutive year to hit 15.1 % in 2010. I am a TA for Ms. Carmen's EXP class for freshman and the class got into a discussion about money issues and a student said "Blame the president!" Honestly you can't blame just one person for all this. Poverty is the way it is because of many reasons. In this picture there is a man in a food bank getting the little bit of food they provide because he has no money. There is poverty everywhere you go. I mean kids these days INCLUDING ME take what they have for granite. 

There are families in Alameda who barely get by. Those people you see on the side of the road holding signs may scare you but they are humans too just in a different situation. In Mr. Sutherland's class 6th period a group came in and talked about this club called BuildOn.

I am not posotive if I can join because of other commitments but they have the right thought. BuidOn is about community service reaching out to help people who need help. Have you ever wondered why some people don't ask for help? Sometimes I do. Maybe they want to be able to do everything they can before they ask for help. Poverty is an issue that is NOT going to go away as easy as that. It is a never-ending issue. Although you may not be "poor" doesn't mean you can't help those who are. 

(BC) DARKNESS....!!

       Its a pitch black bedroom and Sam doesn't know where she is going. She can hear her heart racing and she feels the nervousness creeping up her back. All Sam needs is her phone but she isn't sure what she could run into. As she walks into an unfamiliar room she waves her hands around seeing what is in the room. She feels something with a tip sort of like a TV. Sam keeps walking, she isn't sure what she will be next. Sam gets even more scared and is trembling after every step she takes. Sam is paranoid and she's heard stories about this room being haunted. She hears a creak and a deep terrifying laugh. She stands still in fright, Sam can't stay still for long all she needs is her phone. 
      Earlier that day Sam and her best-friend only went into the house because of a dare. They were fine at first till they heard a terrifying screeching that sounds like a woman being stabbed they both ran out immediately in complete horror Sam realized when she was halfway out that she must have dropped her phone, her friend was long gone by then. The house lights were flickering on and off but no one was there. Sam was on the verge of tears, she heard a ringing sounded like her phone so she speed walked into the room where she heard the noise she then discovered it wasn't her phone she got even more scared her heart rate spiked and she was feeling woozy she screamed "hello, is anyone there?" No reply. She could hear footsteps upstairs she said again "Hello" you could hear the terror in her voice. No one replied so she rushed to the room she was in before she ran out. 
      The room was as dark as could be she couldn't hear or see anything. The room looks like a cave, it doesn't help that Sam is deathly afraid of the dark. Her knees are trembling and she is clenching her fists in terror. A tear runs down her face as she is feeling around, Sam can't feel anything until she runs her hand across a uneven surface, not knowing what it is she feels around and she can't find her phone she drops to her knee frantically searching on the floor to see if her phone is there. She feels dirt and dust. Behind her she heard a creek and then a slam. The door had slammed shut and wouldn't open.
      Sam panics and rushes to find her phone she touches everywhere and runs her fingers over the floor twice and finally feels her phone she picks it up and runs to the door. She is banging with all her might, her heart is pounding and her muscles tighten she is in complete shock. Breathing heavily she runs to the window and punches it. Her hand appears to be red, blood is gushing out and she is in agony. The glass shattered everywhere she jumps threw the jagged  glass that is left on the window frame and runs her cloths are ripped and she has cuts everywhere she is screaming and crying heart is racing and all she can do is run.

(FREE) FRIENDSHIPS are NEVER-ENDING!!!

Since I was 5 years old I have had one friend who has always been there for me. Her name is Brianna Stagnaro-Green. 

This was taken when we were in Fresno at my Aunts house. Brianna has always been there for me and I know I can rely on her no matter what. Of course we get into fights but as they say "fights only make you stronger." Over our friendship we have had many memories that will be with me forever. We have been told that what we have is rare. Brianna and I have been friends for 10 years, We used to live together. This next picture is my favorite out of all of them 

Me and Brianna have always been different, Unique if you please. A lot of people would say weird. Brianna and I have been threw hell and back and yet we are still friends (: NO ONE WILL BREAK OUR FRIENDSHIP. We are indestructible. This girl in this picture is my sister i do not care what anyone says about her because they don't know her. I know the truth and thats that. When she has problems she comes to me and when I have problems I automatically go to her. Of course we have other friends but never in my life have/will I ever have a friend better then Brianna. 

Brianna and I are always together. She has stayed at my house for more than a week at a time. During the summer I had knee surgery and she was right by  my side during the recovery period <3 she means the world to me. I don't know where I would be without this girl. Anyone who tries to get between us will and have failed. WE ARE SISTERS can't beat that!!!!

So if you have a friend like this who never judges you, will never be fake to you, who is like a sister, who you know is completely reliable don't ever give that away! No matter what anyone says about this girl in this picture she is as STRONG as she can be! there are always going to be people who try to get between us but they aren't going to separate us! BRIANNA IS MY SISTER AND I LOVE HER NO MATTER WHAT!!!!! <3 (: What we have is RARE, UNIQUE AND NEVER-ENDING!!!

(RE) LOVE is louder... than the pressure to be PERFECT

"Three months ago, If you asked me if I liked Demi Lovato, I would have cringed while saying "ew, no." But ever since she went into rehab for her eating disorder/cutting, I've really been inspired. The media and america tells us that to be beautiful, you must be skinny and perfect. People ant to be "beautiful", so they develop eating disorders like anorexia, or in Demi's case - Bulimia. Which are looked down upon." - Kenna

I totally agree with Kenna. I have always liked Demi Lovato  Once everyone I found out that Demi Lovato went to rehab they thought she shouldn't be aloud to be seen on Disney Channel because she is a bad influence. But don't you think that is she kept it in and never went to rehab that would be even worse. Kenna totally called it that when someone is put down by others you don't know what happens. There have been stories about kids who kill themselves over what other people think, Demi reached out for help and chose to go to rehab. I personally think that she is inspiring for what she did. Demi started a campaign called "LOVE is louder... than the pressure to be PERFECT." Demi story was published in Seventeen magazine a few months ago and that is how I found out about all of this. Demi has inspired millions of teenage girls across the country. She is telling us that you don't have to be perfect, If you like yourself then you should not worry about what other people think. This campaign probably saved a lot of lives or just made someone's  day. Clearly no one is perfect but there is always someone who thinks they are and will make you feel like you need to be like them. Don't listen to them you are who you are and you should LOVE that. Always remember that no one is perfect and "LOVE is louder.... than the pressure to be PERFECT."  

(CE) Russia mourns hockey team air crash victims

On this past Wednesday there was a plain crash, on that plane was a famous Russian hockey team." It was a charted Yak-42 jet that killed 43 people and was one of the sports world's worst aviation disasters, shocking Russia and the international hockey communities of the 46 people on board, 36 of the people were Lokomotiv players,coaches and team officials, including many European former NFL players." this past Saturday they had a ceremony were over 10,000 people came dressed in the colors of the team. It was a tragic day for the fans and family member of the members who passed in the crash. Only two people survived the crash Lokomotiv winger Alexander Galimov and a crew member Alexander Sizov. These two people remain in critical condition. I am not into hockey but I feel for the families who lost a loved one. The plane that crashes had no malfunctions or any issues with the engine until the plane failed to gain altitude. This article says that more funerals will be held that are strictly for loved ones and other hockey players. I am not sure what i would do if i ever lost a loved one. I can't imagine the pain and heart break these families are having to deal. I hope that all the families could find a way to get closure. From this day on I will be praying for the families to be able to get closure and for the survivors to heal safely. I hope that you will keep these victims in your heart and wish the best to the survivors.

(RE) GUYS THESE DAYS....!!

"Most guys now-a-days think with their "lower" body. There's more to a relationship than just sex especially when you're like 14 or 15! It's dumb! Guys think it's "cool" of them to break a girls heart then go to someone else the next day. I mean please, all it does is make you look like a heartless douche-bag." -Brianna Stagnaro-Green

I totally agree with Brianna. Yes Brianna is my best friend and she is like a sister to me. We have had many conversations about boys. She has always been there for me whenever I go threw guy troubles. Guys in this time are heartless at times, I mean there are some genuine guys but most of them are all just looking for sex. Like seriously it seems like guys are just out to hurt girls. Sometimes they may not mean it but they seem to always do it. Sort of seems like some guys just act the way they are to look cool. Like "Monkey see Monkey do" once one guy does it they all sort of follow. I have had my heart broken and I believe almost every girl has. Girls fall a lot harder then guys do, Most guys can just bounce back and its as easy as that. Males need to start thinking about how it would feel if they had their heart broken. Some girls give into peer pressure and end up doing something they truly regret. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad for the guy to say "NO" for once. Ever thought of that? It wouldn't be horrible if the guy was the one who said "NO" for once. 

(CE) Six months since tragedy hit Japan.

 This is a video about Japan's Disaster. It has been six months since the first tsunami hit. When I first heard about what was happening in Japan I got really scared because one of my friends who is like my big brother is stationed in Japan. Everyday I would try to get ahold of him and everyday he didn't reply I got even more scared. Some people say that all these natural disasters happening around the world are the mark of the world ending. Personally I think it is just been waiting to happen. In this video people stand around one of the spots that were affected by this disaster and having a moment of silence. 23,000,000 millions of du-brief has been cleaned up. This man has been waiting for his wife of 40 years to come back he says that he does not care what she looks like and that yes it is possible she could be alive, He just wants her home. Japan has a nuclear plant in it and it was damaged by this disaster, so many people were afraid to go to Japan because of the possibility of a chemical leak throughout the country. Many lives were taken during this horrible disaster and many mourn today because of the loss of loved ones. The first earthquake that hit was after the tsunami at a 9.0 magnitude and did severe damage to the country. The tsunami caused houses to literally flout away as if it was never attached to the ground.  I pray for the families who were torn apart by these repeated earthquakes and the tsunami.  

(FREE) My Future...?

Some people have their futures planned out and know exactly what they're going to do after high school. Then there are the people who don't even want to think about their future till Senior year. Me I am not completely sure what I want to do after high school. I know high school is almost over and we should be thinking about exactly what we want to do. Honestly it scares me to think about my future, all on my own having to support myself. I mean I have ideas of what I am going to do but life is unpredictable no one can tell exactly what they are going to be. I would like to be a Vet or a Preschool teacher. Both of these would be really good for me because I love animals and I love working with kids. Of course I want a family and such, But almost everyone has a dream that they will become a millionaire and I have thought that before but we have to face reality and actually think of what we will do. We aren't able to depend on our parents forever. My parents are teaching me how to use money wisely and I am not the best at that. To be a Vet or even a Teacher I am going to have to be good in math and science. To be able to live on your own you will have to be able to use your money wisely and not spend it on worthless things. My future will not be perfect and I will hit some bumps in the road but thats what shapes us as people.

(FREE) Alameda Hornets vs. NorthGate Broncos

Last Friday our very own Alameda High School football team played against the NorthGate Broncos. I only watched the JV and VAR games. Sadly, we lost both. The final score for JV was 0 to 33, and for the VAR game it was 28 to 55. There were so many people there supporting our football teams first home game. Even though we lost we still did good! I got to see some people I haven't seen in awhile, like a few people who graduated. I met a few new people at the game had alot of laughs and had an amazing time. Going to thsi game makes me want to go to the Island Bowl even more.
I was really glad I went to the game cheering on our team was an awesome way to end my day. Even though I am not amazingly educated on football I know the basics. Throughout the JV game I kept hearing Biruk's name he was on a role! I don't know everyone on th e JV football team but the ones I did know I told them they did a good job! At first I didn't really want to go because I had a long day at school, But it was totally worth it to have gone! hung out with alot of people and just had fun overall. No matter if our football team wins or looses I always tell them good job because they try their hardest and don't give up! That is really important when it comes to sports.

(RE) The Time of 9/11

"Giving that i was only six when this tragedy happened, it never hit me how horrible this was. But I still remember watching the buildings fall." - Laura Jarecki 

I just read Laura's post and this is what stuck out most to me. I was only a year younger then Laura when this happened and like her all i remember is the building fall. September 11, 2001 was such a tragic day. Many people lost their life's'. I was only 5 when this happened. My parents repeatedly told me when I asked questions " You will understand when you are older." All I remember is waking up and on every new station the news caster played the same video over and over over again and I didn't know why. Two American Airliners (passenger planes) going straight into the top of the Twin Towers. They weren't directly one after the other they were about 10 minutes apart in time.

 I didn't understand what was going on, I just kept asking questions trying to understand. Was it an accident? What is a terrorist? Why did this happen? Why is everyone crying? Why did the bad man fly the plain into the building? These questions kept running threw my mind. It still does to this day, So close to the anniversary and people are again talking about it. Everyone was horrified at what had happened in when the first plane hit and just stunned and stared in disbelief with tears running down their faces covered in dust. Many people lost their life's that day. A total of 4 planes came down; two into the Twin Towers, one into the Pentagon, and one that was meant for The White House but crashed into a Pennsylvania field thanks to brave passengers who fought the terrorist because they had been warned by family of the other plane crashes. This is a day of  grieving and remembrance of those who gave their lives to save others. September 11, 2011 it will have been 10 years since this tragedy has happened and people are still trying to understand why and how they could do this?  

So many innocent people died on that day and even though I did not personally know anyone involved in this tragedy, no one deserves to have lost there lives nor do their families deserve to have to deal with such a loss. Nearly 3,000 people died because of the actions of these terrorist. I pray each year that the people will not forget these brave individuals actions, and not just focus on the actions of the terrorist. 

(BC) Est. 1996

Hello my name is Jennifer Nicole Cully, I was born in Santa Rosa CA on May 22, 1996 at 11:30am in the morning. When Mr. Sutherland assigned this essay I honestly knew I was going to have issues writing this. I have never really liked writing about myself, I feel really selfish. But I guess I have no choice right now so here I go.

         My school life isn’t very special. Last year I was a very bad student and I strongly regret that. Due to my bad grades I have to take two classes again and I truly think I deserve it. This year I plan on doing really good in school. My favorite subject in school is History. I have always been good in history, high school history won’t be exactly the same as middle school history but it will still be fun. Geography is also really fun learning about different countries cultures, religions, resources, etc. This year is going to be a good year I can feel it.

         My family history is actually not that interesting. All that I know about is that I am the whitest person you’ll ever meet. I am British, English, Scottish, Swedish, German, Irish, Russian and Cherokee Indian. Even though I and my immediate family may not get along I do still love them. The one quote I truly love is “Family is there when friends aren’t”. I have only met my entire mom’s side because her side of the family lives in California. My dad’s side of the family lives back east. I cannot wait till I get to meet my dad’s side of the family. Just a few years back my father’s Great Aunt passed away and it was really hard on my dad’s family. Nevertheless in the end family means everything to me.

         There aren’t many things people don’t know about me. I don’t really keep secrets from people. The people that are close to me know almost everything about me. I hold my friends very close to me. Without some of my friends I wouldn’t be where I am today. Some of my not very close friends only know certain things about me. I usually don’t tell my friends everything just because I feel like it may not be important to them. So yeah there really isn’t much to know about some people didn’t know that I went to a private school till 5^th grade or that I am a natural blonde. Well I guess that is it for this section.

          To finish this off I am going to talk about my writing goals for this year. My goals for this year are to be able to write an essay on the spot kind of like the “Quick Write” exercise. I also want to be able to get better with punctuation, grammar, and spelling. My goals are just pretty basic nothing major. I do like English and I hope to get better at it by the end of this year.

So that all I can think of that you could possible know About Me.

The End (: