Music Review

Song: Just a Dream (Cover)

Artists: Christina Grimmie & Sam Tsui

      If you haven’t heard of Nelly’s song, Just a Dream, I advise you to listen to that prior to this one. The beat of the original one is faster and has more pop than the one in the cover.

      I came across this song out of boredom, and the first time I heard this cover, I loved it. I liked it way more than the actual song. I have a taste for every genre of music, but if you are interested in slower music, you should check this song out. The two singers are not professional, but they are truly amazing. I chose this song because they aren't famous (yet) and some famous people create awful music, but the people who aren't discovered yet are really really good. They have other songs on their youtube pages if you want to hear more from them.

      In the video/cover, every beat, lyric is recorded by them. Both of them can hold long and high notes, their vocals are amazing, and it doesn’t sound bad or squeaky. If I rate them on a scale of 10, I would say 10. Both of them are truly talented and they don’t need any of their music to be edited because it sounds perfect just the way it is. They can sing different songs and still sound incredible. Honestly, I don't know exactly how to describe this song, but just go check it out to see for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT8gcZh_42w

Jay and Nick. - The Great Gatsby

Jay and Nick are different in their own ways. Jay is wealthy and likes to go according to plans. Nick goes with the flow and isn’t extremely wealthy, or extremely poor.

People may view Jay and Nick’s friendship/relationship fake. Jay is using Nick to see his love, Daisy. Nick is second cousins with Daisy so he could help Jay with seeing her again. However I disagree with that statement. Sure, Jay and Nick are different and come from different families, but they can still be friends.

Everyone has a friend who is nice and always there for you. They do favors for you when you need them to, even if it seems like you’re asking for too much. Nick is simply helping Gatsby and that is what friends do, so why is that considered fake? Is it not when a friend helps you, they are called a real friend?

Readers may believe Nick is using Jay for becoming more popular, or having the image of being luxurious. Or Jay is using Nick for Daisy. However, Nick does not like being a rich airhead, so why would he use Gatsby to appear so? Possibly, Gatsby only has his wealth as an option to repay Nick for helping him with Daisy. Nick also says Gatsby turned out differently than he thought he would, so possibly it could be a reason why Gatsby is not using Nick. I may be wrong since I did not read far enough to know what else their relationship is like, but at this moment I do not think that their relationship is fake. 

Winter Poem.

(By the way, this is not about anyone. I was just typing randomness and throwing it together. And since everyone loves Christmas and the holidays, I thought I'd write about the opposite. Also because winter is dark and cold.)

Goodbye fall, it’s back to December.

Did you forget when we’d dream about the times together?

Fighting for the cookie jar like it was a guilty pleasure.

Drink hot cocoa and have snowball fights for forever.

But please give me your eyes; I just want you to have a memory to take.

Look around and look at the snowflakes,

Doesn’t it remind you of our meteor shower?

We used to be so strong and have so much power.

You took me ice skating and played in the snow every day,

And you were always there for me during the holidays

But these things have changed and I surrender,

But don’t forget our December.

Thankful for a Classmate

I am a freshman at Whitney Young, therefore I do not know many people. But I am thankful for everyone in my class.

American Literature is one of my favorite classes, and it would not be the same without the people who made it that way.  Third period doesn’t make me tired in the mornings even though it’s my first class period. I am thankful for the interesting class discussions, and the randomness that occurs when we get off topic. Even though I do not talk much in that class, I still find that class fun and enjoyable. I am thankful for the creativity in the questions that are asked, the projects we are given, the blogs we have to write. I like the calmness of the class as well. Nobody gets in trouble or yelled at and class can be fun and serious at the same time. I am thankful for being placed in this class because this class is different from the other ones I take. My past literature classes were dreadful, but I am thankful that this one is not. The work we do may not be interesting but somehow I find it not that bad sometimes. I would like to thank everyone for making this class this way. 

I Am Plow.

A plow is a tool used to make the fields easier to plant crops and so they are easier to grow; it is pushed or pulled by a person to be able to use it.

I am not literally a plow, but I can relate to one.  My parents push me to do better. They want me to be better at everything I can do. They just want it to be easier for me in the long run when I get older.

My dad makes me do vocabulary 24/7; in the car going to school, over the summer, whenever he can squeeze it into my schedule. He never takes any of my excuses not to do vocabulary. He always says I’ll thank him when I have to study for ACT. He signs me up for extracurricular activities all the time, so I can learn new things, and not be accustomed to do the same things all the time. He forces me to go on vacations around the world so I can learn about the world, and to think about topics with a wider view.

Both my parents make me take Chinese classes. Everyday. I’ve been taking Chinese ever since I was about 6 years old. I’ve never paid attention to my classes on Sunday, so I still have to take them. My dad wants me to study Chinese in China next year, or to be tutored in Chicago all summer so I can take AP Chinese next year (not happening). I learned Cantonese when I was young, and my mom makes me speak it to her instead of English so I’ll remember the language. It sucks having to take Chinese everyday of the week, but my parents just push me harder to be successful in the future. 

Third Period American Literature.

American literature is one of my favorite classes and there isn’t anything I’d want to really adjust in that class. It’s enjoyable which is hard for me to say because literature isn’t my strongest subject. I like the idea of blogging, its creative and you can talk about your thoughts without worrying about grammatical errors. I like the journal entries and the music that is played during that time. The only thing I don’t like too much, is taking notes. Reading and taking notes is hard for me, it’s not fun to do at all. If I’m reading a good book, it’s hard for me to stop and write notes down if I can just remember it since it’s an important part in the story. If we have to take notes, we should be able to use them on a quiz or test. Besides notes, I like the class just the way it is.

Modern Slavery

sweat·shop

–noun

a shop employing workers at low wages, for long hours, and under poor conditions.

The thirteenth amendment officially abolished slavery everywhere in the United States in 1865. However, slavery still exists in other parts in the world, but we don’t know about it or possibly even care. Slavery is a worldwide issue and there are people working in sweatshops in many countries at this very moment.

I’m not allowed to do certain things because of my parents’ orders, just like other kids. However, they aren’t the type of regular things like be home before dark or finish your homework before you go out; but for me, I can’t purchase certain things, or wear certain shoes, like products of Nike. 

The first thing that immediately came to my mind for the topic of modern slavery was Nike. Millions of Americans are consumers of major industries that are associated with sweatshops, like Nike. A lot of people don’t know the Nike Company overwork people and the workers are only paid a very small amount. The largest producers of Nike shoes are the factories located in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, India and Thailand.

For example, Nike has been accused of taking advantage of children in Pakistan to make soccer balls. If we were to go to a store to purchase a soccer ball, the chances are that the soccer ball was made by one of the more than 200 children in Pakistan, which some are as young as 4 or 5. The more we purchase these items, the demand of the products is higher, which increases the demand for cheap labor.

Nike is a very popular company, so nobody cares about how the shoe was made, as long as they get to wear it. People don’t care about the hard labor on the children because they think, “well it’s the style, and a lot of other people wear Nike, so why do I have to be the one to feel guilty about wearing them? It’s not like one person can make the difference.” Or something like, “these shoes are so comfortable, so I don’t really care.” This is my opinion, but I know it’s the truth because people have said it to me before. I don’t believe the Nike Company will change the ways they produce their items, just like the way I don’t believe Global Warming will come to an end.

Indonesian workers make $2.46 a day, Vietnamese workers make $l.60 a day, and Chinese workers make $1.75 a day.

You pay over $100 for a pair of shoes that cost less than five dollars to make.

House of Seven Gables.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of The House of Seven Gables, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1804. His father, who was also Nathaniel Hathorne, was a descendant of John Hathorne, who was a judge in Salem during the witch trials of 1692. Nathaniel later changed his last name, adding the “w” in Hathorne to be separated from his relatives, such as John Hathorne and his great grandfather who were both involved with the witch trials. His ancestors were some of the first Puritans to settle in the New England area, and from the guilt he had from his relatives’ deeds, it inspired him the theme for many of his stories, including The House of Seven Gables.


The House of Seven Gables is located in Salem, like told in the book. In the book, Colonel Pyncheon fought Matthew Maul over land, who then “won” by the death of Maul. Colonel claimed Maul was doing witchcraft and was sentenced to hang. Puritans in the Salem area were a little overboard with the witchcraft trials. A few factors that influenced the trials were religion, family feuds, economics, imagination and fear from the people. 


Religion was a huge role in Puritans’ lives. Puritans believed they were building a society that God wanted, living the way they believed God wanted. They thought they were better than others, and they were a model for others to follow their rules. Today in our society, the government thinks along the same lines. We’re the “better” country than the others; we’re a first world country, not a third. We have “freedom” and apparently the model country for others to follow. In my opinion, Puritans were obsessed, and they weren’t a good model for others. However, American is obsessed as well, not with religion, but with wealth. Which isn’t a good model for others either. Puritan roots are hard to recognize in today’s society but they’re still there.

The Moment I Knew I Was an American.

What is an American? Someone born in America, and living in America. But is there a more concrete definition of an American? Are there certain rules you have to follow to portray an "American"? 

I do not agree that an American is a descendant from Europe born in America. There are so many more races than just white, which are American.

In America, you can choose what religion you want to believe in, what sexual orientation you choose to have, the language you choose speak (besides English), what job/career you want to do, what you choose to wear, what traditions you want to celebrate, etc. America provides all these different opportunities. So is being American mean being who you are? Without living/visiting in another country, or not knowing much about the world, how can you compare these differences? Say for example, someone from France was a tourist in Chicago; you could not tell if they were French or American from just looking at them. When they start talking, yes, you probably can tell then.

The only time I realize I am American is when I travel outside the country. When my family and I have to ask a pedestrian for directions, they ask (nine times out of ten), are you from America? That's when I know I am American. I see being American when you're different from everyone else who do not necessarily have the choice to make decisions for how they live. 

Us vs. Them...Us & Them.

I didn’t completely understand the “Us vs Them…Us and Them” topic, so I’m going to hope I have the right idea.

Everybody likes to be the right person in any situation. People have stupid excuses that motivate them to keep to their point which causes terrible outcomes. The worst part is when disagreements end with death, and because people don’t think about both sides of the story.

People usually don’t think about what they say until after they have said it. People don’t see the consequences of their choice of words, or what the other person’s views are. I have heard so many stories about young adults who have committed suicide because of what other people have done to them over the internet, or any bullying in general. It makes me feel disgusted that we people act in this way, and then no one does anything to stop it. Others are losing loved ones because someone else wanted to have everything go their way. That should not be a reason why someone should lose their life.

A great example is the Crucible. I cannot stand reading that book knowing Abigail and the girls are ruining people’s lives to cover up what they did and for what they want, and everyone else is in lala land believing in witches. The sad thing is the higher power people are usually the wrong ones, so the good people are defeated.

When we have these books/novels that show us how we can act differently, we don’t change anything to make everything become better. There are still wars, suicides, arguments. Why can’t people understand the fact they won’t always have their own way, that other people can be right at some point? Even in drama, the girls don’t like admitting that they are wrong, but is it worth being right then losing a friendship? 

John Proctor: Stooooge?

When I first learned John Proctor had committed adultery, I viewed him as a stooge. He kept his affair with Abigail a secret while innocent people were accused of witchcraft. He had put himself before other people’s lives. However, let’s be realistic. If you were John Proctor and you found out your friends’ wives were accused of witchcraft, would you tell everyone you had committed adultery in a flash to save their lives? Sure, it would be nice of you, but it wouldn’t happen. I know it’s one of the worse mistakes you can make, but everyone has sinned and aren’t proud of what they had done. For example, one our presidents had many affairs but people still love him, so why can’t John Proctor be considered a hero?

I agree that John shouldn’t have kept what Abigail had told him a secret (that everything they did was a sport). If he had said something in time, witchcraft possibly wouldn’t have become a big deal. But the consequences of John saying Abigail had lied about witchcraft and the devil, Abigail would say they had an affair. So if I were John Proctor, well, I would probably do the same as what he had done in the book.

Based off of John Proctor’s deeds, he is a hero to me. John was one of the few characters who didn’t believe the witchcraft stories, so he had some sense. People, who think Proctor was a stooge, probably believe a hero is someone who saves the day with some type of super power. A hero can be anyone with courage and fight for what they believe in. Proctor admitted to lechery and chose to die instead of confessing to seeing the devil. He was brave for what he had done and even though his death didn’t save everyone else, he should be viewed as a hero.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.

The first question that came into my mind while reading was “How does Jonathan Edwards know that God is fury with rage, and ready to make ‘his arrow drunk with blood’?” His speech was in his belief, which means it wasn’t necessarily true. So could he possibly be lying to everybody who listened to him? Wouldn’t it be a sin if he lied? And if it was a sin, how come Edwards didn’t drop dead while giving this speech?

I personally do not believe in God, but I know God wouldn’t be ready to kill his people in a second because of one tiny mistake. According to what I’ve learned, God loves everybody. Edwards claim God “abhors you” and “looks upon you as worthy of nothing else” which is definitely a lie. People make mistakes, and they’re still living because I know the human race isn’t extinct. We learn from our mistakes, people confess to what they did wrong, and they are forgiven. If this was a true statement, why is God so attentive with everybody’s actions if they may be forgiven anyway? God wants people to fear Hell so they know to behave themselves, not because Edwards says they can die any moment if they don’t watch what they do.

“But your guilt in the mean time is constantly increasing, and you are every day treasuring up more wrath”   
Not to offend people who possibly agree with Edwards, but he was probably a troubled man and an idiot. Possibly he had done something horrid, and lived in his own fear of possibly dying every day. Maybe his speech wasn’t for the audience, but for himself; he was the one building up with guilt, waking up and realizing he was still alive, not in hell. If he was very religious, he should have known God wouldn’t drop people into hell instantaneously, and what he spoke was not true, unless he had read it from the Bible.

If living in fear wasn’t the case for Edwards, he probably wanted to control people by fear. His listeners were probably easy to be brainwashed, so he had the ability to control them however he liked. If I had to hear him give that speech, I would be pretty scared as well. But I don’t believe what I hear until it can be proven to me, or I can see it to believe it for myself.

Oh, There Goes the Neighborhooood.

I live on a very small street, and I’ve had the same neighbors ever since I’ve lived on my block. Therefore, no one has moved in to change anything. I despise history, and therefore will not write about events where the situation changed for Native Americans, or whoever.

However, being a regular teenager, I was on facebook chatting with some friends, the conversation changing every 3 minutes. My friend and I came across the topic Mean Girls (the movie), which reminded me to finish my blog for English.

Cady, starts her first year in public school which changes the entire school, or “neighborhood”. Once somebody starts a new school, or being a newcomer, they want to be accepted, or to be liked and not become an outcast. So, Cady changed her entire life, and became one of the “Plastics”. Throughout the movie, Janis and Damien tell Cady what to do to overthrow Regina as Queen Bee, which is accomplished, however Cady becomes Queen Bee. Since Cady becomes Queen Bee, Regina’s life is already completely different just from one newcomer.

Guessing a majority of the students in WY have seen the movie, we all know there’s a huge riot caused by the Burn Book, which also changes the lives of everyone in the school. Somebody hates somebody else, and everyone hates everyone else.  However, the Spring Fling dance changes everything once again. Cady gives a speech for winning Spring Fling Queen, telling her class her victory doesn’t mean anything; everyone is amazing in their own way. From Cady’s speech, everyone starts to like everyone else once again. After the dance, the cliques from the beginning of the movie are broken up, and everyone is now friendlier to everyone else. The mood fluctuates throughout the movie, just because one person “moved” in.

This movie is a good representation of what secretly happens in every school, just not as severe. People can pick out who’s “cool” or who’s in the “weird/ lame” category. When there’s a new student, based on how they act, they fall into those categories. Since people prefer to be “popular” they change, which can change the neighborhood. It’s amazing how just one person can create such a difference in an environment, good or bad.

Hey there.

Taking the initiative to introduce myself usually is not my cup of tea, but I am always willing to try. But to start off, my name is Cecily Smith.

The first thing you should know about me is that I am a very shy person, but friendly. However, after you know me I can be very outgoing and crazy. I can babble about randomness and laugh uncontrollably hard. I love to play sports, mostly soccer and volleyball. What I listen to varies with my mood, but I love to listen to a variety of artists, however I prefer upbeat songs (I have more than a thousand songs on my iPod). I love colorful things; anything colorful always catches my eye. I’m a sucker for friendship bracelets, and scents that smell really good and just amazing.

Since I was around five years old, I’ve been traveling outside the country with my family. My favorite places are London, California, or Paris. I’ve been inside one of the pyramids of Giza, the Colosseum, the top of the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, and more. People say I’m lucky to explore the world, and I agree, but I hate airplanes. I hate it when my ears pop, the smell inside the plane, and the food they serve is terrible.

Airplanes are probably one of the things I don’t like, but I also have a couple of pet peeves. A couple of them that I can think of at the moment are: when people talk during movies, drivers that don’t turn on their signals, people who always believe they’re right, and working with decimals. Whole numbers are just so much easier.

I’m not a very picky person; I’m up for usually about everything. I love taking adventures and exploring, I’m not one of the girls who care about breaking their nails and wear high heels. I can be girly if I want to be, but in the end, I just love to be comfortable so looks aren’t always my top priority.

There are many more random and strange facts about me, but I’ll stop here. Along with my introductions, I’m never good with endings. So I choose not to say my goodbyes, but to create new beginnings. :)