To The Beach!

This past weekend, I went to Wildwood beach with the Softball team, the manager TJ, and Sam. We had decided to go in the middle of last week, and made plans with everyone to go if we didn't have practice on Saturday, which we didn't luckily. So we all met up at the Super Wawa on the White Horse Pike at left once everyone had gotten something to eat and some gas. I was in the car with Aliccia, so we were the first car leading the way, and when we were on the highway we left Jamie and Natalie way behind us! It was so crazy because Aliccia said she was driving "slow" which wasn't very slow at all but they finally caught up to us and we were all on our way (together) to the beach. When we got there we had a lot of fun. We played football and named our different teams. My team, or better yet Sam's team because she was captain, we named ourselves K.I.D.S, which stands for Keep It Deadly Son (or whatever other word that sounds cool and starts with an S). Aliccia's team was called The Untouchables, which was true because they didn't catch the ball at all. We stayed there for a while longer, waiting for Tina, Kasey and Ashley, who was still in Lindenwold because Tina had a job fair. A little while later, these college guys from La Salle University, came to the beach and we kind of hung out with them for a while until Ron and them came. Finally Tina and the others had came and when they got there, we were starting to pack up and leave! It was getting cold along the beach and so we all got redressed and took pictures to give to Maggi for the senior thing. After that we had packed up and left after exchanging goodbyes with our friends. I had a lot of fun that day and I'm glad that I went with them.

Old Childhood Memories

Today, all of my friends brought in old pictures from the Middle School years and the Elementary School years and it was soo hilarious! I've seen people in my first grade and second grade classes that I did even know was in there! Like Bosh and Sam P, people that I thought I met in like eighth grade, but in truth I've known them for like all of my life, which really surprises me. It was so funny seeing people that look so mature and older now, and see them as young kids. For example, Bob DiClementi, seeing him in first grade, with his big glasses and pointy ears! He looked like a little goblin but in an adorable way. Danny Mitchell, I've known him for a while so it wasn't as surprising but he still looked soo cute as a little boy. The ones who brought in the pictures was Abby and Bonvincent and even Saraphina brought in pictures from middle school with her. I, myself, brought in pictures from freshman year, when Mrs. Bubb's class went to DC on that English trip, and two pictures from my first sleepover. In one of them, Quiana was there and she looked so much smaller from how she is now, and younger of course. Her boobs were still bigger than the average fourth grader but they aren't as big as they are now. Haha. It's just so weird seeing everyone so young when they look completely different from how they looked then but still the same now. I called everyone I saw "baby" whoever, because of the fact that they were so young but we were all so cute at that age! When we were reminiscing I kind of wanted to go back to those days when everything was so much more simpler and we didn't have very many worries except for the "deadly cooties", which weren't very deadly at all. But now that I think about it, even though I miss them I'm glad that I went through everything that I did and learned from them. I know that I'll always have these memories but it's time to make more new and exciting ones in the future.

Mr. Levitan's Visit

Two days ago, Mr. Levitan and his companion Mr. Paul, came to our school to tell us more about the end-of-the-year presentation regarding our projects. They told us to be prepared by studying and practicing with our mentors before our presentations, gather as much data as we can, and to catch up on our blogs/journals as soon as possible. They told us to start figuring out what we are going to say during our presentations because we have to fill at least a 45 minute spot. The only problem is is that I'm afraid I won't be able to get as much stuff to take up 45 minutes. I could probably only take up at least 25 minutes to a half an hour just by saying everything I went through during this time. But now that I think about it, I could probably fill up that hour by focusing on my journey to get where I am. They said that we could focus on two main categories, so if I focus on my journey and my progress with becoming a better writer, I could probably take up the whole hour and have to need more time. I could take pictures and show them to everyone, tell them of my failure of as a fiction writer at the moment but then tell them how I was enlightened with the discovery of the joys of journalism. Anything! I'm kind of scared to do this presentation, or that I might not have enough material to fill an hour, but I'm going to try my hardest.

Fourth Sponsor Meeting

Last week, when I went to go see my sponsor, I received a bit of a surprise when I arrived there. The woman, whose seat I was occupying, finally came back to work after about two weeks of being M.I.A. Her name was Kristie Rearick, and she was the head of the "Prom" department. We were introduced, and Mr. Barna told me that Ms. Rearick would help me out if I needed it. However, the angle that I was going for, which was Prom Weekend, came to an end when Mr. Barna wanted me to start focusing on the cost angle of proms. He wanted me to find out the total costs of proms, and if proms were more a business instead of a fun thing. I was to come up with questions to ask and call a lady from the Delsea School District and ask her questions about ow Delsea's prom is, where it is located, how much did it cost them, how many tickets do they sell, etc. And surprisingly they were good questions and I received really good answers. I was told to also ask one of the people in charge of my prom and I decided on Hoopes because she is my first period teacher. And I had to ask a student about how much did/will they spend on prom, which includes hair, nails, transportation, dresses, shoes, tuxes, tickets, everything that comes with prom. I'm a little bit more excited to write this article each day.

Letter To Mrs. Carroll

Dear Mrs. Carroll,

As the end of the school year quickly approaches, the pressure of choosing a project for Senior Project has rained down upon us. Many of the students in the class have chosen a project that has reflected their time spent observing and getting hands-on experience during those times. My own project, however, does not reflect the time spent with my sponsor because I do not have the same amount of experience as the others do. I have just found my sponsor, only about 4 weeks ago, and I do not have much experience with the journalism world. However, my project is a written one, given to me by my sponsor, but I decided to use it as a product of my project, if that makes much sense. I am going to write an article, given to me by my sponsor, about Prom. He gave me this assignment, told me to choose an angle, and the angle I’ve decided to go for is the cost of Prom. There isn’t much visual details that will make you awed but I hope that my writing skills will be good enough to make the English teachers cry with joy. My project is unique and separate from the others because it is a written project, and it helps me improve my writing abilities as well as my problem with deadlines. This will fit into my presentation because I will be spending my time at a newspaper office, honing my skills as a writer, and I will accomplish something I’ve never thought of doing before. I never wanted to be a journalist, thinking that the things that they write about wasn’t for me, but the more time I spend there, the more I get excited about writing this article, and the more I start to feel that journalism might be for me.

When I complete this project, I will come out with better writing skills and more appreciative of deadlines. I hope to learn how to write better by being around those who love to write just as much as I do. I have already started my research for the project, interviewing fellow high school students about their experiences and thoughts on Prom Weekend. My sponsor, who is the editor, will be the main person helping me do my project. I still have my mentor helping me, and some of the journalists who work there, helping me as well, so I feel that this article should be a good one. I anticipate very few obstacles in my way because I have so many people helping me do my project. But I feel as though, I, myself, will be the main obstacle in my finishing of the project, but with a lot of help, I will get it done.

Sincerely,
Brionna Bell-Scotton

Third Sponsor Meeting

Yesterday, I went to go see Mr. Barna earlier than usual because I had an away game, or so I thought but I found out that it was changed to home because of the boys' field. I really got a move on my prom research, as I finish contacting the schools, expect Woodbury, who did not answer the phone, and I started thinking of questions to ask the students about prom. I came up with a few good ones that would help me out with the actual writing of the article, but I still have to show Mr. Barna and see if he approves of my questions. If he doesn't, I hope he can help me with making up good interviewing questions that'll help my research. There wasn't much going on during my time there because I was only there for an hour and 15 minutes, but there was a technical problem when I first got there. The phone, where I was located, wasn't working! I mean, come on phone! I kind of freaked out, and I thought that my mind was just playing tricks but it wasn't. The phone really was not working. I told Mr. Barna and he came over to check it as well, and when it was confirmed, he went over to the tech guys, I'm assuming, and he said they'll check it out. So, I had to use the phone in the cubical next to the one I was in. I found out that one of the schools, Gloucester County Technical School, does not have proms! What is that?! I mean, I'd be very upset if our school didn't have a prom. Proms are supposed to be a special night, where the students can be mature and elegant but have a lot of fun at the same time. I feel sorry for them, they're missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime high school event that really means something.

My Favorite Poem

A free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips his wing in the orange suns rays and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
can seldom see through his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

---Maya Angelou
"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"

This poem by Maya Angelou is probably the only poem that I really like. I don't know why I like it so much, but I do. You know how you like something or dislike something so much and you never know why? Well, this is how I feel when it comes to this poem. Maya Angelou is such an influential poet and writer, and all of her poems have a deep meaning to them, but this one, it really cuts the cake. This blog is just a spur of the moment-type blog, but it means something to me none-the-less. Whenever I think of this poem, an unrecognizable feeling overwhelms me and I cannot stop my mind from thinking about it. It's kind of like a love feeling but not love, because my heart beats faster thinking about and reading this poem but it's not the love-type of heart beats. This feeling is so queer that it scares me, but I'm not afraid of it, instead I embrace it. It's weird, I know, but I'm a weird person and this strange feeling is a part of me and I'm okay with it. My thoughts are so jumbled right now but it's all focused on one thing.