Christmas Spirit

Christmas is my favourite holiday because of the music, the glowing lights, the decorations, and the family traditions. People always seem a little happier which makes me happier. It's like a chain reaction. The one default about Christmas is how busy the stores get. The act of receiving and giving a gifts is fantastic, but the amount of stress and the amount of people is very nerve racking for a lot of people. The build up to Christmas day, in my opinion, is more exciting than the actual day because of how busy Christmas day actually is. The early morning wake up for presents, to the delicious meal, and finally to the warm feeling of being surrounded by the people you love. Christmas is a time of happiness through family and friends and the comfort foods you consume. Christmas lights bring a new meaning to Christmas. They surround the tree and houses to bring a more welcoming and lovable feel to a home. The shinning glow of a multi colour tree or house brings a smile to my face and many others. When you drive down the streets you can't help but look inside someones' house to spot a tree or massive blow up decorations on their lawn. It makes the Christmas spirit a little more brighter. Every family has new and old traditions they start or continue every year for Christmas. Which brings a uniqueness to peoples' Christmas. The continuous tunes that play from the radio to get you into the Christmas spirit allows classics to become a new found favourite song. Christmas is a time for families to gather and a time for smiles to be spread.

Journalistic Ethics

Stephen Glass is a prime example of someone who doesn't deserve forgiveness or more fame for their lies. When a journalist lies multiple times or even once they should be fired from their job and lose respect as a journalist. There are many journalists in this world who tell truthful stories and earn less than the ones lying. Which is a disrespect to the profession. An apology is of course step one to forgiveness but I feel for someone who is like, Stephen Glass their apology should not be accepted. He tried so hard to cover his lies and purposely made websites so he could site them. I feel his one lie built up hundreds more, and as a profession that should be telling the truth he doesn't deserve forgiveness. If the journalist who lied gets fined the money should go to the company they we're working for. As a company they try putting out their best work to earn loyal customers. With the attention a journalist gets for lying it makes their paper or magazine look bad because they lied to their readers. They deserve to be able to rebuild from this mistake and give back to their customers. I don't feel prison would accomplish anything in this type of situation. Even though they lied and disrespected the system jail just isn't the place for them. Making them well known to journalist around the world for what they did is a good way to punish them because this will cause them to lose respect as a journalist. Stephen Glass made millions of dollars from the book and movie deal he got. I believe none of that should have been given to him. He didn't deserve to publish a book that was made up of his mistakes because many people work hard and don't get the same fortune as someone who built their story over lies. Also, the movie deal just made the profession of journalism look bad. He deserved the embarrassment the movie caused him but not the money. Someone who lies in a profession as truthful as journalism doesn't deserve the respect they once had.

Poetry Anaylsis

  My Favourite Chair

Sylvia DuVernet

Perceptions Poems for Young People of all Ages (pg 16) 

Sylvia DuVernet is a Canadian poet, lecturer, author, and literary critic. She was born in Hamilton, Ontario. Sylvia loved language, reading, writing, books and learning. She found Muskoka a place where she and her husband could relax and where she found inspiration for her writing. She felt very strongly towards the arts and took time out of her life to experience many. This poem relates to that favourite chair everyone has in their house. The one they go to when they've had an exhausting day. This poem describes where in the room this chair is placed and the comfort of this chairs home. It expresses this through these particular lines:

By the window,

Of course,

Or rather, between

The window and the fire-place,

This chair in everyone's life is the place where most thoughts and inspiration comes from. My favourite line in the poem is:

In the window,

Of both out and in,

Together,

And apart;

In my opinion, these lines express how in this favourite chair you can feel both in and outside because of the calming setting that is seen outside. You have the peacefulness of nature just outside to relax you, but also have that cozy chair where you can experience relaxation and comfort. The part Together, and apart in my thoughts expresses how you are there in the room but also far off into the unknown of your own thoughts. I really enjoy how Sylvia expresses certain feelings in a deeper meaning and how she talks about a simple favourite chair in a different understanding than most people. Maybe it's because of the comfort of the chair or the place the chair surrounds or like she says in the poem that window that allows her to escape to her own thoughts.

The Right to Vote

 

 

 

 

 

The voting result on Monday October 19th demonstrated that Canada wanted a change as the Liberals won the votes and Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister. The legal voting age in Canada is currently eighteen, but in my opinion, I feel it should be dropped down to sixteen. I believe this will be the right decision for Canadians as this may increase young adult voting. If more students voted we could hopefully change Canada into voting for what is better for students as well as adults. Voting at a younger age will hopefully make future Prime Ministers talk about student issues as well like; school tuition. I believe sixteen is a good age because that is when students are starting to make bigger decisions and start understanding certain topics in greater understanding like; politics. This age can also bring more discussion into high school classrooms about politics because of the closer age in voting. At the age of eighteen many students don't have that same need to vote because they don't have anyone bugging them. While, if it was brought down to a younger age, schools could discuss politics more hopefully convincing students to vote. Allowing students to hopefully carry the need to vote throughout their lives. 

 

My Adaptable Mind

The two traits I believe I have already developed are empathy and curiosity. I believe I am very empathetic when listening to others problems. I try my best to respect how they feel and learn how I can help them through the bad times. I feel curiosity is a trait I have had since I was very young. I've always been curious to new things and have always wanted to learn more of the unknown. Everything in this world is very intriguing to me and I wish to grow better understandings of things I am not sure of.

 I plan to continue my personal growth through being more creative and not being afraid of demonstrating something out of the ordinary. I hope to create new ideas in art and literature and not be afraid so much of what other people will think. I feel being creative is a great way to express yourself and I hope to do that one day.

Education Is The Key?

Society makes education sound like its the key to the greatest success you will ever receive because of the opportunities a degree will give you. Darryll Suliaman Amoako also known as Suli Breaks is known for his raw-written poems. He discusses over a video called "Why I Hate School But Love Education" that many inspiring, well off people like Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey have a net worth of billions of dollars with no education or degree. With this statement he begins discussing money. Many people say they aren't in it for the money, so what are they in it for? Money is the reason you get a degree so you can find a job and live a life you've dreamed of with no concerns about money. I believe education will bring you a long way, but I also believe the circumstances that help us get an education aren't right. Exam results are the fate of every ones future. Exams are pointless. They cause people loads of stress for what? To remember facts and dates so you can just forget them a day after. Studying for an exam doesn't allow you to remember anything but every result decides if you can learn anything. Many people achieve their dreams without education and I'm not saying education isn't the key I'm saying that it's not the only way you can be educated. Education is not a bad thing but school is just another place to show you how much you're worth in society's eyes.

Writer's craft Intententions & Guidence

My intentions for this course is to gain a greater understanding of writing through different abilities you can pick up through this course and to gain self confidence in my writing abilities. I enjoy writing and I wish to expand more on writing through the ability to create different stories or styles of work. I wish to be able to gain confidence in my writing and be able to show others my work without hesitation and also be confident with the work I have written. I want to be able to take well written criticism and use it for my better knowledge to become a greater writer. My intentions all reflect on who I am and who I want to be as a writer, through confidence and knowledge.

Writing skills can offer me many aspects that can improve my work as a writer. The ability to expand my thoughts into greater detail to produce a short story or releasing my thoughts into writing a poem. Writing skills will slowly help me generate into a greater writer and help me achieve things I never thought I could.  It can slowly offer me more confidence in my abilities as a writer which every writier needs to learn. I also hope the new writing skills I will learn will show me a greater picture to writing and how well it can affect my future in a positive way. The gain of these skills will help me overcome certain tasks I couldn't before without the right mindset or tools.