Dear Sara-Bear,
                You are one of my best friends. You are so funny and goofy that I can be myself around you made us sit back to back and get to know each other better. You make my day, all day, everyday! I love how honest we can be with each other, that we are always smiling and laughing when we talk and that we have so much in common. Last year, we were not as close as we are now and I am so glad that we have gotten to know each other better and become good friends. I remember in ropes course, (it took me almost four months to realize this)when we first met at freshman orientation, all we talked about were panda bears! You may be silly- just because you think red is better than green- but I love you. Every time we are together, we make it legen- wait for it- dary!
                                                                                                                          Love,
                                                                                                                                  Sammy

Papa

One person who inspires me would have to be my grandfather. He is the most generous, kind, and caring person I have ever met. When my grandmother became ill, my grandfather was ALWAYS right by her side. He stayed with her through thick and thin; everyday, he told her how much he loved and cared for her. To me, for him to never give up on her or the situation they were faced, that is the sweetest and most generous thing a person could do. This reminds me that they are genuine and caring people, but it just depends on who you find and keep in your life. I am so grateful for him and for the way he treated her. One day, I hope to meet more people as genuine, kind and caring as he. I adore him and am glad that he is in my life.

If I could live anywhere in the world, I would live at the house that I live at now. I have grown up there since the day I was born. Sure I moved a couple of times here and there but I always ended up right back where I started. My grandparents own the house, and it is my ultimate favorite place to be! Since I grew up here, I feel safe, relaxed and feel like this is where I belong. I love the house because I have so many amazing memories there. I know the area, and I know what my neighbors and neighborhood is like which makes me feel safer and secure. My family has also helped fix the house up with their own two hands, which makes the house even more special to me. If I look through photo albums, almost every photo would be in that house. This house means so much to me and my family and I could never picture my family without it.

If money were no object..

         If we could benefit society without worrying about money,  we would could all do what we are most passionate about. Of course, some of our jobs we could do no matter what. From doing these videos, I have learned that some people follow their dreams and others do jobs that could benefit them the most. My aunt, is persuing her dream job of becoming a nurse. Anyone could persue their dreams but it is up to them what they do in the end.

Chose 5 things you'd give up to save energy! Extra Credit.

I will honestly admit that I waste electricity everyday. I leave my cell phone charger and computer charger  plugged in most of the day, leave lights on when I am not always in that particular room, take longer showers and leave my television on while I sleep. I want to change these habits because, for one, they are not habits that are good for me or the environment, and it can save my mother money. I leave my television on because, at first, I would just fall asleep while watching television. Now it is because I am so used to the lighting of the television and the sound, it is so hard for me to fall asleep without it. I always leave my chargers plugged in because I never really think about unplugging them. Leaving lights on when I am not always in that room is a bad habit, but I do it because it is very dark in my house already and the lights just help me see better. I already know that taking long showers is bad for the bill and the environment and I do not always do this but I do sometimes. I will change -or at least try to change- these habits and help save money and the environment.

My favorite book? :o

One of my favorite book would have to be Marked. I love this book because I believe the authors, P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (mother and daughter), combined many different ideas, that are hard to maintain throughout the story. This is book one to the House of Night series. Zoey, a girl who attends a regular high school, is chosen by a "tracker"- someone who chooses vampyres- and marks her. "Marking" is when either someone attends the House of Night and change into a vampyre or the body rejects the change and dies. Her parents do not approve of her new lifestyle and believe she deserves this because she had been a "bad" child and deserves this. Her grandmother, although, helps and understand what she is going through and would do anything for her. The rest of the book and series is about the challenges she faces as she transitions into her new life as a vampyre.

My Dreams

Most people chose jobs for an extrinsic reasoning- more money. What if there was a balance between both an extrinsic and intrinsic job? Could people make money doing what they love? Robert Frost wrote “After Apple Picking”, which I believe has a bigger meaning than just ‘picking apples’. Through the use of metaphors and imagery, Frost conveys a message if whether people should live their lives for intrinsic or extrinsic reasons.

            In “After Apple Picking”, Frost uses metaphors to describe how he lived his life. Frost states, “My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree/ Toward heaven still,” (L. 1-2) I believe this means that ‘apple picking’ is his life and the ladder on the tree is the beginning of his death. (The ladders on the tree are pointed upward towards heaven.) Frost says, “Beside it, and there may be two or three/ Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.” (L. 4-5) The apples represent some decisions Frost may have mad, whether good or bad or even a regret. Frost uses metaphors to get across a point as well as imagery.

            In the poem, Frost states “Magnified apples appear and reappear,” (L. 18) I believe Frost is using imagery to tell how glorious the ‘apples’ are to him, or his life. These ‘apples’ can also be the chances he has taken and others he has passed. Frost says, “Essence of winter sleep is on the night” (L. 7) I believe this means; death is coming upon him so he can no longer pick ‘apples.’ I also think the ‘apples’ may represent the choices or events that can occur in his life, or he can no longer control his fate.

            Frost’s message in this poem is to pursue a passion and live with no regrets. If money were no object, I would take care of the elderly. I would love to help them in their time of need. My grandmother was very grateful to the nurses at the hospital and my family for taking care of her before her passing and I would love to do the same for others.

Grandma

If I could change one event that occurred in my life, it would be that before the death of my Grandmother, I would have spent more time with her. Since I was a child, my grandma has had cancer. Her first cancer was Multiple Myeloma, which is basically a cancer of the bone.I never truly understood the effects of her cancer until I got older, and even then growing up, it became usual for my family and I. Of course, being a teenager, spending time with my family is almost never a top priority. She was a survivor for almost ten years. In January, we discovered, from the treatment to the first cancer, she had developed a new type of cancer, Leukemia. She became very ill and her body began to reject the chemo. She was in great pain, and passed away on Feburary 14, 2012. Although I miss her, I have come to terms with her death. I do regret not spending as much time as I could have with her because I know how much I meant to her and she means the world to me. The time we did share though, I cherish and I cannot wait to meet her in heaven again one day.

Crocheting

Over the summer, I started crocheting. When I was in seventh grade, we had a time every Friday where we got to do almost any activity of our choosing. I chose to try "Arts and Crafts." The teacher, Mrs. Clark, handed us a ball of yarn and a crocheting needle, then taught us. After the class was over, I never really crocheted again, but I found the old yarn she gave to us and started to remember how to crochet. Since then, I have made four purses, a hat and a whale. I believe crocheting is fun because there are so many different ways to create new creations. To create the whale, I used a Japanese form of crocheting called amigurumi. To do this, you start off by creating a circle, instead of a line. Amigurimi is used to create various stuffed animals. I love crocheting and all the creations I can make!

Usher, Usher!

   I absolutely adore Usher's music. He is probably one of my favorite artists.
I love his music because he not only has an amazing voice, but his music
connects with different people. I went to see his OMG concert a couple of years ago and it was an amazing show. When I went to see him it was around the time Micheal Jackson passed, and did a performance to honor him. Usher is an amazing performer and a talented musician. He was featured in a song with one of my mother's favorite artist, Romeo Santos, he's a Latin artist. When I heard the song, I thought it was amazing how Usher could do different genres of music. He has been an artist for years and he connects to people of all ages. That is probably one of the main reasons to why he is my favorite. To this day, I adore his music, as well as my family does.

Free Daycare Services

For the parents who both work full time, the government should provide free day care services. If the parents both work and their is nobody to watch the child, one of the parents must change their work schedule or even their job just to be able to responsibly take care of their child. This can affect the income of the family, whcih will make it harder on both parents; but if the government provides the free daycare then it will make it easier on the families who need it and would otherwise have to drastically change their lives. Although, there is a bad part to the free daycare, which will be an increase on taxes, i still stand by my opinion. The increase would not be that big because statistically speaking, most children in the U.S. live with a single parent or a seperated couple. For these reasons I personally believe that the government should provide free daycare services for the children and families who truly need it.

'Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten.

My family means crazy, loud, funny, silly and supportive. Throughout thick and thin, whether we are happy or sad, they are always supportive and right by my side.Without them, I would not be the person I am today. I am very close to my family, especially since my grandmother recently passed away. Through this tough and emotional time in my life, my friend has been very supportive. He was not only supportive for me, but my family as well. My family adores him like he is part of the family, to have their approval means so much to me. He means as much to me as my family does. They both make my life amazing and I would not know what to do without them. Although my family may disagree or argue, they mean everything to me and I would never change or trade them. I love and value them with all my heart and soul.

My Summer Vacation

                 One interesting thing that happened this summer was I went to an African safari with my family. The African safari is a theme park in Sandusky, only minutes away from Cedar Point.  You drive through and are able to feed the animals as they walk up to your car. There were many types of animals including: giraffes, zebras, llamas, buffalo and deer. Something they didn’t inform us of, was the llamas spit and bite! The animals also lick and jump on your car as well.  My aunt only fed the little llamas because she was afraid of the larger ones. My mother was driving, and to mess with us she would lower our windows unexpectedly. The scariest part was when a group of buffalos and a large bull tried to walk up to our car. At the end of the drive, there were giraffes and zebras. Although we weren’t supposed to, we got to pet the giraffe! The giraffes were my favorite part because I loved seeing their purple tongues wrap around the carrot. It was definitely an unusual, yet fun experience.

My Name

I have a truly common name. Wherever I go, it seems there is always at least one more Samantha in the room. It can be confusing at times, but Samantha can have so many different nicknames, thus making it easier. I personally prefer to be called “Sammy.” When I mention it to others, they often tell me they did not think to call me that. It kind of makes me feel unique, or at least a little different from the other Samantha’s. Another reason I prefer to be called “Sammy” is because my cousin, his name is also Sammy, passed away from cancer at the age of sixteen. His death stung like a bee and broke my family's hearts. He was extrovert and could be a buffoon, my family adored him. When my family calls me Sammy they always remember him, and I like that it ensures he will never be forgotten.  The name Samantha means “listener.” I believe it fits my personality because I would rather listen then talk. My mother actually named me Samantha because she was choosing between two names: Samantha and Sabrina- both names of witches because she believed I would be a rambunctious child. In the end she thought Samantha was a better choice for me.

#1 Rule

                 A rule I believe everyone should follow, whether in the classroom or at home, is to treat others the way you want to be treated. The wat toy act towards others will affect the way they act towards you. If you are rude to someone, they will respond by being rude as well. They may make comments to you and others, not only affecting the way they view you, but how others may view you. If you were to act kind to someone, they would want to be around you often and do kind things for you. Everyone should treat others the way you want to be treated.