Greetings from the Writing Center!

Hi! My name's Alyssa Francis and I work in the DC Writing Center. I just wanted to encourage you to stop by our office for writing help. We're here to help you with any part of the writing process you're having trouble with. For example, if you're having a hard time starting a paper, come on in and we can work on brainstorming and outlining. Or, if Mike tells you that you should work on a specific grammar error that you often make when you write, we can help you with that, too. Another big thing that we work on is organization. A lot of people come in and say, "I've got all the ideas down on paper, but it feels like I'm jumping from idea to idea." We'll work with you to figure out how to connect and organize those ideas so that your paper reads more smoothly.

Lynda Behan, Sunyung Song, and I are the three tutors who work in the office. We're located in the little office in room 225 (the second floor computer lab). Our hours are Monday 8:30-5:30, Tuesday 8:30-5:00, Wednesday 10:00-5:00, and Thursday 1:00-5:00. You don't even need an appointment; just walk in if you see the door's open and the chair's empty!

Journal 4

Jamal Ali
English 109.01
Mike Lohre
Journal 4

The biggest factor that affects the children in Both Kozol’s Ordinary resurrections and Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street is the environment, the characters are affected by the neighborhood they live in, they struggle due to that factor.
My Papa, with his Thick Hands, and Thick shoes, who wakes up tired in the dark, who combs his hair with water, drinks his coffee, and is gone before we wake, today is sitting on my bed. And I think if my own papa died what would I do. I hold my papa in my arms I hold and hold and hold him. The writing here is more like poetry because Cisneros is painting a perfect picture, Esperanza goes on by thinking what if she was in the situation and she tends to get a little sensitive and just hold her father.
Esperanza’s is taking on more responsibilities by the day, she is becoming more and more of a women and picking up experience.

Marin

In the story of The House on Mango Street, I read a story that have both positive and negative about the story. The story name is Marin who is older and knows a lot of things. She always tells Cisneros something that she does not know. Marin is one of good friends for Cisneros. She wants to get a nice job in downtown. The positive of this story is Cisneros can get something she does not know from other older friends. She also likes to be a friend with them.
There are some negative ways in this story. The story tells me that when some children get older, they want to have nice clothes and want to meet some rich people. Marin really wants to marry with someone take her to live in a big house. She wants to get out in Mango Street after she marries. Louie’s parents are going to send Marin back to her mother because they say that Marin get lots of trouble. It makes Marin wants to get out this Street soon.
At the end of this story, Marin dances under the streetlight by herself every night. She is waiting for a car to stop, someone to change her life. This story a little bit sad of The House on Mango Street.

Journal 4

The House on Mango Street
One story that I really enjoyed reading in the book by Sandra Cisneros is “My Name.” This story talks about how Esperanza got her name and from whom. She starts the story by describing her name meaning in English, Spanish and compares her name to number nine. One thing that I found really interesting in this story was how she describes her Chinese culture. The thing I learned from this book was that in Chinese and Mexican cultures women are not allowed to be strong; which I thought was not right.
Later on, Esperanza tells the readers that her name came from her great-grandmother. One quote that really stood out in this story is “I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window.” This quote takes place in the story when Esperanza tells readers the story about her grandmother’s story. Her great-grandmother was forced to marry her husband and because if that she sat by the window looking out.

Bad Day

When we take a look at the common situations between the two books there are a number of similarities that come to mind. In both Ordinary Resurrections and The House on Mango Street, the main setting takes place in poverty stricken areas with extra everyday struggles. Another common idea between these two books is that they both of consist of minorities predominantly of Hispanics and African-Americans. When it comes to influencing these children to shape who they are and the roles they play in society relies mostly on the adults that they encounter growing up. If all the children know is working for minimum wage and barely making it, then many times the children will grow up and learn to expect that and be comfortable with that. One significant positive factor that comes into Esperanza’s life is her aunt Guadalupe. Guadalupe always welcomes Esperanza and her friends to come over to visit and tell stories. Not because she had to due to her illness that left her bed stricken, but she enjoyed the company and liked spending time with the children. Guadalupe encouraged Esperanza to write and to read them to her. For example, Guadalupe says “You just remember to keep writing Esperanza. You must keep writing. It will keep you free.” This greatly affected Esperanza positively as it was letting her creativity gears turn, as well as a subtle suggestion to keep her mind off the negative that she is surrounded by in her neighborhood.

There was a old woman she had so many childern she didn't know what to do!

I think this story is negative because cisneros is talking about a lady how have so many children and had no father who will take care he children.it is negative because mother only can't do every thing for children they need their father too .Rose Vargas' have so many kids she is the only one how happy her kids she do hart work."They are bad those Vargases, and how can they help it with only one mother who is tired all the time from buttoning and bottling and babying, and who cries every day for the man who left without even leaving a dollar for the bologna or a note explaining how come" he left with out given anything that is so bad.

four skinny trees

this is a positive, for Esperanza's because they have common, she saying iam the only one who understand them they are the only ones who understand me the time she talk about four skinny trees so Esperanza's is the only one the children love and anderstand them.

Journal 4-Born Bad

I thought the story called Born Bad from Sandra Cisneros’s book The House on Mango Street was a positive story on Esparanza’s life. I think this because it is about how her Aunt told her to keep on writing. Her aunt said “You just keep on writing, Esperanza. You must keep writing. It will keep you free” (Cisneros 61). What I think she meant is that if she kept on writing it could help her to have a brighter future so she could someday move out of this poor neighborhood.
Some factors that I see in both of the books that are positive are the people that are around these children. In the book Ordinary Resurrections was all of the people from the church, and in The House on Mango Street Esperanza’s family.

Journal four Lul Aden

I would like to talk about this woman her name is Rosa Vargas she has too many kids and she has no husband she is single parent.
The father is missing and they are really poor family and their economic is very low and the environmental too.Their father left without even leaving a dollar.its really make me sad when i read this page because the kids they don't even have enough food and cloth and the father left.
mr.benny's says,hey ain't you kids know better than to be swinning up there?

Snapshot 4...Four Skinny Trees

Four Skinny Trees is the story that stuck out most for me. She is relating herself with these trees saying she understands them and they
understand her. She says they do not belong, the Gov. had placed them there just as herself she thinks she does not belong there and to
be honest no one does. As she tells the trees story she talks about their secret strength, how they send roots plummeting into the earth
and grow up towards the sky. I think she is relating this to herself as a sort of comfort. She might be saying as long as we keep a strong foundation and not let the world bring us down we can continue to grow, and learn and prosper in life. Also on the other hand if we do not hold a strong foundation we will be ripped up from the ground and tossed about in a viscous cycle until we can reclaim our strength. She goes on to say when she is too skinny and too sad she looks at the trees for strength for they have overcome the concrete and in life that can be translated into getting into trouble ion school or feeling down because of hurtful things from other people. The reason I feel that this is a good influence in Esperanza’s life is because it shows she has found the key to survival in this chaotic world we live in she has broken it down into four simple little trees.

Papa who wakes up tired in the Dark .

This story talks about Esperanza's dead father. and how she deals with his death and the mourning process she is going through.I think is the best quote in the story and it talks about how they mourn the dead in her culture. "I know he will have to go away, that he will take a plane to Mexico, all the uncles and aunts will be there, and they will have a black and white photo taken in front of the tomb with flowers shaped like spears in a white vase because this is how they send the dead away in that country".
The good factor is that she has a job and goes to school. Esperanza lives at a poor neighborhood. Most influential person in her life is her aunt.

Journal 4-Emily Jacobs

My favorite story in The House on Mango Street is Edna's Ruthie. When Esperanza was describing her, she made her sound like a little kid. But, she was really an adult who pretty much wants to be a little kid. I thought it was sad that she pretends her husband is out of town and sleeps on her moms couch. In my opinion That was an intersting story.
In the story My First Job, that had a lot of postive factors for Esperanza, because she had to learn how to match pictures with there correct negatives and to really know what it's like to earn your own money instead of using your parents. the negative factors that her first job gave her was lying about her age to get it. The biggest influences I see in her life are her surrounding neighbors. She is always watching them and seeing all the new things they have leanred and eventually Esperanza is going to start a habit of what her neighbors are doing just by watching them so much.

influences I see in the chapter Born Bad

I really thought this story was vital to understanding how Esperanza deals with her struggles in growing up.  Cisneros writes so well in this chapter and it really stands out to me.  Esperanza is dealing with the idea of death, and how people around you can just disappear and/or get sick very fast.  Esperanza thinks, "But I think diseases have no eyes.  They pick with a dizzy finger, just anyone" (Cisneros 59).  So we see that she sees that life is not fair.

But what is really great is that she has positive influences in her aunt who encourages her writing.  This is so cool, because writing is a way out for Esperanza and it is a way for her to deal with her emoitons and struggles.  Even though her aunt is weary, she encourages Esperanza and I love this part of the chapter where her aunt states: "You just remember to keep writing, Esperanza.  You must keep writing.  It will keep you free, and I said yes, but at that time I didn't know what she meant" (61).

Later, we will see that Esperanza does know what her aunt means, as she starts to build her dreams, and realize them.  This is very positive!

It reminds me of the power of writing, and the movie Freedom Writers.  Have any of you seen it? What did you think?  I think it relates to what we are seeing in our two books!

Joarnal 4

Geraldo No Last Name
This a story that i think has a very sad memory of cisneros life. she met this guy at a dance and never so him again. it's a nagative thing that could have made her felling and way of life terroble. it's something that she will remember forever. maybe if he wouldn't have gotten into the accident he would have been her boyfriend. His name was garlado. this man wasn't a native country man who didn't had the chance to to pring his family with him. His family will never know about what happen to him becaus they lived in onother country.

Edna's Ruthie

I like the chapter Edna's Ruthie, and i thought it had a positive influence. It was positive because the children, especially Esperanza, likes Ruthie. They love to go shopping with her even though she doesn't go in the stores. Also, Esperanza likes to show Ruthie the books out of the library all the time. Also, Esperanza memorized a book so Ruthie would hear her. This chapter is very positive on the children's lives because it makes them happy hanging and doing fun things with Ruthie. There is one bad thing from that chapter and its Edna. She owns the building and is always screaming at people, and someone always has to move away every week, which is not a good influence on there lives. The only reason Ruthie is still living there is because she is Edna's daughter. If Edna kicked out her, Esperanza would be very upset, she would go from being happy to being upset.

Sire

Malak Miari
English 109
Journal 4
21 October 2010

Learning Factors

I like many stories in The House on mango Street, the one I like the most in our most recent reading is the titled Sire. In this story, Esperanza tells about a boy in her neighborhood that, with his posse, intimidate the other girls. Although Esperanza doesn't explain it well enough, I think that she may have a crush on Sire. She says she must look at him to show him that she is not scared. In this story there are some positive influence and some negative. The positive one is that she is confident enough to try to prove to herself and Sire that she cannot be scared by people just looking at her weird. Another is how her Mother and Father tell her to stay away from him.

A negative influence is the one from herself really; the one that really likes Sire even if he has a girlfriend, and even if her parents said not to talk to him and to stay far away. This also shows us that although she is burdened with many things like getting a job at a young age, the death of her grandmother, her neighborhood being not too great she is just like everyone else, and wants to be loved.

Journal 4-Papa Who Wakes Up Tired In The Dark

One of my favorite stories in The House On Mango Street is "Papa Who Wakes Up Tired In The Dark." This was probably one of the saddest Vignettes so far in the story. Esperanza has now experienced someone she knows death. She does not have a grandfather anymore and she is seeing her father suffer as well. The most important quote to me is, "My Papa, his thick hands and thick shoes, who wakes up tired in the dark, who combs his hair with water, drinks his coffee, and is gone before we wake, today is sitting on my bed." Papa's thick hands and thick shoes are symbols of his strenght. You can see Esperanzas father is a hard worker, he does what he can for his family. But, today was not a normal day he had to tell her that her grandfather had died. Esperanza had to see her father as not so much the strong person she knows. And since she is the oldest she has to carry the burden of telling her siblings, which could be a hard thing for anyone to do.

Esperanza has many factors in her life, some good and others not so good. A positive, is her family. Her family loves her and wants the best for her. Her Father, as shown, works hard for them. Another positive is she does not have bad friends, they could influince her in doing great things. Some of the negatives are the neighboorhood she lives in, most people are scared to go there. This neighboorhood could influence her in what she does in the future. Another is the things she has seen and experience. She has experienced the death of her grandfather and she knows of Geraldo who had died. I would say Esperanza is very observant girl, so its no surprise that she knows the things that are going on in her neighboorhood good and bad.

Journal four - Joel Caserta

Learning factors

The story that stuck out in the way of learning experiences to me was The Earl of Tennessee, which introduces a new character, Earl.

Earl is a neighbour of Esperanza, who lives in the apartment building owned by Edna that is next door to Esperanza's house. Earl is a man who can easily remind the reader of the Texas oil tycoon stereotype, He speaks with a noticeable southern accent, smokes cigars, and has a hat on every time they see him. He works nights as a Jukebox repair man, a trade he learned while living down south.

The children, being young, and naïve as they are, take notice to Earl's lifestyle. Rumours pose to him being married, with some people claiming to have seen his wife. Esperanza's mother describes a blonde, pale woman who she has seen around, while a neighbour boy describes a tall red-headed woman in tight pink pants to be his wife. The children are much too young to understand that neither these women are his wife, rather escort's that he has hired. It is obvious as to the profession of the women by a quote from the book. "Whenever she arrives he holds her by the tight of her crook of her arm. They walk fast into the apartment, lock the door behind them and never stay long." (Cisneros 71).

While the children do not understand what is going on, it reinforces the often negative environment that their neighbourhood poses to them. More than likely, crime, prostitution, and drug running are widespread in this neighbourhood, only the children are too young to understand as many a child is.

my name

Safia muse
Class 109.1
Assignment name Chapter one
10/1/10

My name
My name means is Arabic name from original. But, have a different means .When we use language of the Arabic is mean a haven name. And also my language is mean someone a who have get a rich like get more money and billion ere. So, My Mather reason gave me that name is a before I was not born. My Mather is a poor family. So, since I was born my family became richest family.
My Mather brought own houses and expensive car and became business person. That is why my Mather gave me a name. However, that name is like a luck name. So, my name is luck name. And also I like to call me that name. It is like for two reasons. First one is a haven name because of so, important for everybody haven when I died? I like go to haven and it is a so, beautiful name. I love my name, and I like to look a like my name, And I like to act my name, And also like to treat my name. I feel like to happy name to when hear my name. If I see someone have that name. I feel like to be friend his or her. That name is just so, wonder name.
I want to give my daughter her daughter in the future. If I can give my daughter. I can give my daughter before pick her name. But, I can not gave her because my language you can not use your name your daughter. It means that name is my property for me. And it is describe for me. What i, m and what I act pacific my personal. Although my name is a nice name. but, The problem is nobody call me excepted my Mather because of is my nick name.
The way I like that name is my religion name. And also why I way said? That name is I like to act. The person who act like that name mean is a not make mistake for my religion his or her. So, that a person my religion allow go to the haven. I believe that because my religion said that.
That mean is for my religion, The way I like to doing every thing to my name is mean a person who believe my Allah and worship Allah act mean that name. And also I like to treat always my religion; Because it is so, important for muslin. However, it is the Muslim so, important to doing thing ours religion because of Muslim for lives or died to ours religion is important to us.

Hi i,m saifa

Hollo everybody i'm safia nice met you all, i graduated from miffline hi school. by favoriet color is blue.

my childhood

Snapshot two: My Childhood.

I am abdulalhi. A man who have a very mind blowing story that I want to share with the readers, but I warn you that once you start to read you may never stop. So here goes nothing. I spent most of my life in a town called kismayo, Somalia. I had a lot of friends and I was very happy to live with such friends with my dear friend of any age. The most of us were in a soccer team. So we were more than friends. We shared the taste of brotherhood which can never be forgotten no matter what. We may have lived in very far places and my friend are still back home but, the memorable days we’ve spent together.
Childhood is a wonderful thing that many take for granted, but as people we always get lost in the moment of the current events in life which ever form it may come in. as a child I remember the only thing I had to worry about was nothing actually and that is one of the most things I miss dearly. As many people say in their adulthood, “I wish the hands of time could be turned back” that only means one thing that childhood is one of the most precious gifts bestowed on us by our creator. For me adulthood was like the honeymoon of someone. I also use to be a cheetah when I describe my behavior when I was a child.
I remember on a sunny day when I was only ten , I was talking with my best friend nabeel; he said to me we would be in America one day and open a business together and I told him if we go to America we should become singers and he laughed at me.
He then said why not become basketball players and make a lot of money and I remember telling him we were short for that sport and he said and I quote” we can drink a lot of milk” If only things we say as a child became true in life, many things as we know in life today as normal would not exist.

Snapshot two-Kunal Joon

The unfortunate snowball fight
When I was 10 years old I was having a snowball fight with my brother Deepak, my cousin Vikram, and my friend Robby. It was pretty fun because that winter there was about a foot of snow. What made it better was that it was that good packing snow not the powder that dissolves in your hands.
I remember it like it was yesterday, it was me and Robby vs. Deepak and Vikram. We were out there for about an hour and I found an ice ball. I yell across the field at my cousin and was like I’m going to blast you with this thing. I throw it at him and missed. After that he picked it up he looked at me and said I’m going to hit you in the face. He lobbed it in the air so I dove behind this snow wall that me and Robby had made. After I thought I was clear I turned around and the ice ball smacks me right in the mouth. Everyone looks over at me and sees that blood is pouring out of my lip and they run over to me. Vikram is freaking out because he really was not trying to hit me. He is apologizing like crazy. Then my friend Robby ran into his house and came out with a bag of ice and told me to put it on my lip. Robby said put this on your lip it will stop the swelling, trust me I learned this in cub scouts. Even though I was in a lot of pain I laughed when he said that.
After that I went home and showed my mom what happened and she started to freak out. She said look at your lip it is huge. I did not think that it was that bad so I went in the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror to look at it. I freaked out then because my lip was the size of the ice ball that hit it.
For the next two weeks all of my friends made fun of my lip and how big it was.

snapshot one

My name is ikran. Originally my name is Arabic. The meaning of my name is honor and respect. It’s a unique name since a lot of people don’t name their children that anymore. My mother gave me this name because my older sister’s name was Ilhaan. I was the next born child so my mother wanted names that sounded similar. My mom liked to name her kids close names like Ilhaan, Ikran, abdikhafar, Abdinajib,Sondos and Somayo.My grandmother did the same so its generation to generation. Some people have an interest to call their children close names and when u calls them that, it’s also sounds attractive. My grandmother wanted an easy way to distinguish the difference between her four sets of twins. She thought a simple way to remember them was to name them names that sounded alike. That was the way my name came to be and I’d like to the same tradition as my family .In future I will give identical names for my kids. I would give them similar names so it will be easy to call them and it’s also gorgeous. I really liked to follow the path of my mother and grandmother.

abdullahi

Hi friends. my name is abdullahi. what are friends to u.to me they are those who walks in when the rest of the world walks out!

Snapshot one: My Name

My Name

Kara is my English name. I have another name in Chinese which is Man Fong. Some people always call me “Man Cheung” because “Fong” is my middle name. I have two brothers and one sister and their first name all named “Man”. Sometimes people say our name “Man Cheung”, we will make confused about which one they want to talk with.

In Chinese culture, some people will think that what name they have and they will have their own destiny and disposition of their name’s meaning. If I check the meaning of my name in the Chinese dictionary, my name has some meaning about my disposition. “Man” in Chinese is “文” means virtue and literary talent. “Fong” in Chinese is “芳” means aroma and fragrance. My last name came from my father. There is another thing and that is my father and my mother’s last name is the same.
I was born in China and I went to school in China until I was 11years old. When I was 11 years old I go to Hong Kong and had school in there. I needed to learn Chinese again because China and Hong Kong use different Chinese writings. China uses simplified Chinese and Hong Kong use Traditional Chinese. So, my name has a little bit different between simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. My last have different writing and pronunciation between China and Hong Kong. Hong Kong is writing “Cheung” and China is writing “Zhang”. Something like ngng the N will do.

Hi

Hi my name is Kunal Joon. I graduated from Worthington Kilbourne High School. I work at Culver's. My fun fact is that When I was eight I went to India my family was chased by a mob of homeless people.

snapshot 1

My Name

My name is Lul originally is from Somalia; in English my name means diamond in beautiful in my family I am the only girl that named Lul.
The story that my grandmother named is because I was a little a cut girl and my Mather need a baby girl, the reason that my parents named me Lul because my Mather was so excited about me, But my father named me nimo when I was two years half of my family used called my nimo because that’s the name my father named. But my Mather and my grandmother used call me lul, when I was ten tears old my neighborhood used call me nimo and I love it. Because nimo is a great name but now everyone call me Lul because that’s the name my grandmother called.
My father calls me nimo until now and I love better and the reason is because nimo is a beautiful but all the people and my friends call me Lul but some of them call me nimo.
But I love my name Lul because its member for my grandmother and I love it so much I fell so comfortable for that name which’s Lul and I love nimo too because my father named me nimo.

hello from batulo

One of the most memorable moments in my life was the day when I and my father and brother, left Kenya.
I remember this day like was a day or two ago. When we reached the airport, it was so many people. And we had to stand on a long line to check our bags. I was nervous. This was my first time flying on airplane. And my firs time leaving the place I called home for so many years. After we checked our bags we waited in an area. Until we heard a loud voice telling us the number of our plain was about to board.

This is a preview of the Snapshot I will be putting up!

Thanks

Batulo

Snapshot One: My Name

My Name
Ravina Shah: a name came from India. In India there’s a custom that a sister names her brother’s kids. However, in my case my dad’s brother named me. Well, what I got to know from my parents is that I was given a different name at first. Riya! Which was from my Aunt, my brother’s sister, but I guess my uncle didn’t like that name so he decide to give me another name: Ravina Shah. Some of my close friends call me Riya because I just love that name very much.
In India, a born child gets their middle name from their dad. My middle name is Smitesh which is my dad’s name. After marriage, girl’s middle name changes to their husband’s first name. This is how it is for any girl born in India. India’s custom is unique.
My last name is Shah which is the same last name as my dad. The last name of a girl also changes if a girl gets married to a boy with a different last name. Boy’s last name as well as their middle name stays the same throughout their life.
My auntie usually calls me by Raveena Tandon. Raveena Tandon is an actress name in Hindi movies. Hindi is one of the languages in India. I enjoy hearing that name from my family. My family is like a huge castle.
Many teachers in my High School said to me that they love my name. “It is very sweet name, what a lovely name or you have got a great name.” I would hear from my teachers or my fellow classmates in High School. They always ask me if there is a meaning behind my name and my response would be No to each and everyone who asked. Only one cool thing about my name is that it similar to an actress’s name. Yes. Something like an actress will do.

Snapshot One: My Name

Hassan or Hasan is a masculine Arabic given name. The
Name Hassan in Arabic means “handsome,” “strong,” “manly”, “good,” or “benefactor.” As a surname Hassan may be Irish, Arabic or Hebrew.
In Hebrew it means “cantor,” or “good cantor,” derived from the Arabic “good,” and the Hebrew “cantor.” Hassan is normally an Arabic first or last name, but in Jewish Sephardic tradition, it’s a Jewish surname. I got my name from my great grandfather who was a great Tribal chief. My nicknames are Abdullah which means a “servant of God,” Said which means the “lucky one and Yusuf which means “God increases in piety, power and influence.” My eyes were as red as a blood. My hands are as big as an Elephant. One direct metaphor would be Hassan the giant Panda. Yes. Something like an Elephant will do.

Joel Caserta- Snapshot two

The Hunt

"Remember. Outside the court and the field is out of bounds." Said the leader of the group of boys. Allen, everyone agreed to this statement and headed off to hide.

Games of Tag almost always started like this, of course, we didn't always listen.
"Come on," said I; "I have an idea."

And of course, a group of people snuck into the out of bounds area where we intended to hide. Well not so much in the way of hiding. More like moving around to keep from being found.

the first chance we had, we bolted out of the court, running down the street in an attempt to get as far away from the other team as possible. We rounded Fraley drive, and bolted down Moorgate, Towards the northward boundary of our neighbourhood. We were definitely cheating, but we didn't particularly care.

What if we get caught?
We won't.
But what if?
We won't! Not if we keep moving. We can stay on the outer edges for a long time before they even suspect we're cheating.

As one can expect, this round of cheating was a response to a former episode of cheating by the others. Where they had one of our teammates pass information to them during a water gun fight which would end in our loss.

We're gonna get caught.
No we're not! shut up!

We were much too smart for that, so we hid, as luck would have it. We were not found, after about an hour or so, We eventually snuck back in the game area, our opponents never knew of our cheating, and were simply convinced that we had the best hiding spot.

SnapShot 2-Emily Jacobs

Adventurous Tours
When I was in seventh grade I went on my very first cruise. My sister and I were so excited to see what life was like outside of the country. One of the many places we went to was Costa Rica. When getting off at a port, many people want to have their plans set for the adventure that they’re about to take part of. But no, not my family we like to figure things out when the time comes. Once we get off the ship, we see tons of unreliable looking tour guides standing behind a fence asking each and every person that walks buy if they would like to be shown around the country. Of course we decided to go on one of these adventurous scenery tours. All seven of my family members (including my 60 year old grandparents) got into the taxi van. We stopped at this place that looked like a random back yard with a three toed sloth and a very cute baby monkey. That was one of the benefits of going on this tour was seeing all the wildlife in person and actually getting to hold things. “Awe I want to hold the monkey,” says my sister who never shares anything. “No I want to hold it. Gross it just peed on me,” whined my older brother. Then some random lady with an accent said that getting peed on by a monkey was good luck. That was about the time I was done with the monkey I didn’t want it peeing on me too! As we were finishing up our tour my grandma said she had to use the bathroom really bad and couldn’t wait to get back on the ship. So our tour guide took us back to his house which didn’t look like the safest place in the country. It had bars on the windows, chickens and stray dogs running on the street. And as we waited for my grandma, our tour guide was talking to my brother and wanted him to marry his daughter so she could be legal in the United States. My brother didn’t take him seriously but our guide looked to be completely serious! Once we finally got back to the side shops by the ship there was this random man that said, hey do you guys want to see a full grown three toed sloth over here in the tree? I was so excited to see more animals that I didn’t remember my stranger danger training in elementary. So my parents came walking very fast and told the man no thanks. Overall, my tour of Costa Rica wasn’t like normal ones but it made a lasting impression and funny stories to tell in the future.

Hey, its Lul

hey my name is lul, i graduated from East High, my fun fact was i lived in kenya for ten years. i tought islamic studies to little children.

My name :)

Malak Miari
English 109
Snapshot One: My Name
30 September 2010
My Name
My name, Malak, makes me feel unique and special. The word Malak can mean two different things with a slight change in pronunciation. My name means Angel, but if the name is given to a boy it means King. In the United States, I have met only one other Malak she was my soccer coach. She was an awesome person and I loved her a lot, which also helps me like my name better too. When I visited Lebanon, I met two. One is my cousin who was named after me, and the other is my neighbor’s cousin. I was named after her. I was the first child my mother had and she says I was the most beautiful baby she had ever seen almost like an Angel so, she named me Malak.
Sometimes unique names get in the way, like every year on the first day of my name turns into many different things like, Maleek, Malick, Maylack and I don’t blame the teachers, like I said, unique. Well last year my friend Andrew in attempt to help my government teacher told him my name was Malak like Attack. It helped because the teacher started saying my name right, but then everyone started calling me Malak Attack. I mean it was okay for them to learn how to say it, but really I am not attacking anything or anyone, and it became a nuisance.
Every now and then, I wonder what it would feel like to have a normal name, a name where there are other people that have the same name. When the roll call gets so confusing, that for the teacher to get all her ducks in a line she has to attach the first letter of our last name. Like, Ashley, or Katie, or Hana. Yeah. Something like Hana will do.

Snapshot Two: A Scene

Dead Meat

It was a hot, sunny day in Colon, Panama. It was Kathy, Sam, and me going on an adventure. My grandma has a huge backyard, so we decided it was time to explore. Her back yard was like a jungle, full of all kind of trees, plants, and animals. Coconut trees, cocoa trees, mango trees, and guava trees. Everything in beautiful colors, shapes, and sizes. We began our adventure early in the afternoon.
Let’s go to the pipa tree and get something to drink said Kathy. It was as hot as the Sahara desert and we were all dying of thirst. Kathy was the only one who knew how to climb trees so she went and got three pipas. We cut them and used some bamboo as a straw. Now that we were hydrated it was time to explore and see what was in store for us.
Our first order of business was to go to the creek. It was a small creek with only a few fishes, but we were determined to catch one. We came prepared with line and hooks and Kathy, Sam, and I went looking for sticks to attach them to. After about 10 minutes we found the perfect sticks. I’ll do it said Sam, but can you help me Kathy? Sam always wanted to be helpful. We were all ready to start fishing. We sat down and began. Ten minutes past by and Sam was the only one who caught a fish. We waited thirty more minutes and we left.
We ran across the creek and explored this abandoned, rusty, old car. To us it was the best thing ever. We pretended to be race car drivers. It was getting too hot so we ended up getting out of the car and headed over to the creek. We suddenly heard something loud. What is that? I said. We all looked back and we saw about eight dogs running towards us. We started running as fast as we could. We’re going to get chewed up in a million pieces I said. We ended up over the creek and to my grandma’s house. When we got there we told everyone what happened but no one believed us, I guess that story will only remain true to us to this day.

Snapshot 2

The Day That Went Bad
In seventh grade, I was on the Olentangy basketball team. There is one game that entire year that I remember or at least I remember parts of it. That game something big happened and it was very scary. That’s night we were going to face Delaware Hayes which is one of our county rivalries. The game was at Delaware Hayes, which was not a far bus ride from our school. I was a little nervous for the game, I have had a history of getting dizzy during basketball games and I didn’t eat all day because I was attending a funeral.
We were arriving to the game and Kris Smith, one of my best friends, said to me “you ready for this game.” I then said “yeah I am pumped but am nervous.” After I said that he didn’t even ask why so I didn’t mention the reason why I was nervous to him.
We were out on the floor warming up and I was feeling good about this game. I was shooting the ball well and playing well. After warm-ups the game started, I was playing well but then all of a sudden I started now feeling well. After the first quarter ended, I drank a lot of water to keep me hydrated. Then at the start of the second quarter, all of a sudden, something unexpectedly happened.
I got a steal and went for a layup, and my legs were wobbley like jello and then I fell over. I got back up, then ran to center court, then fell over again, and got back up and fell straight back over. I look up and see my mom running straight down from the bleachers. After that situation I don’t remember anything until I was lying down in the training room. I then said “can I go back and play,” “No” said my mom who was sitting right next to me. I then was just sitting there drinking water the rest of the time. I then got the okay from the training and went home after that scary moment.

Steel Rain

Dan Malorni
English 109.01
Snapshot 2, October 7, 2010
Steel Rain
When I found out about this project, there were many events that came to my mind about what to write about. The most important event that happened in my life was also a fight for my life. These moments of my life takes place in Al Habbyniah, Iraq on April 13, 2007 in the isolated desert.
Everything was normal that morning, no cars on the roads, small arms fire in the background through the night, and the sun bearing down on us as if it were on our shoulders. Our squad, of 13 marines, were given the mission late the night before to clear the roads of ied’s (Improvised Explosive Device) so the next unit can push through. This may sound like a rough job, but like a fisherman on the sea, this was our specific job and it was all we knew how to do.
As our patrol of 3 gun trucks and a mine vehicle slowly crept down a dirt road, all of our eyes fixed to the side of the road, looking for signs of danger. We noticed a very thin wire that led from the road in front of us to a mud and stone shack off in a field about 300 yards away. Our patrol stopped immediately, backed up, spread out, and set up a cordon around the suspected device like we have done hundreds of times before. As I look unto the direction of the device when we are set up, the sun disappears right in front of me as the road in front of me vanishes as well. This all happens so fast that I my body does not have time to react.
As I react to the explosion, the gun truck behind me calls out on the radio “Trigger man left, trigger man left”. I quickly react by spinning my turret left to the shack we had identified as where the wires came from, and I notice a young man peeking out from behind the building off in the distance with an Ak-47. I raise my rifle and switch it to fully automatic with the man in my crosshairs…BOOM! Before I could pull the trigger I was slouched over in my Humvee with blood all over my face, a severe burning sensation on both my wrists, and bells ringing in my head louder than a church on Christmas. My driver looks over to me and asks, “Malorni, you good?” I instantly respond, “Yea man, it’s not that bad.” Not knowing the extent of my injuries, I manage to stand back up in my turret and assess the damage done to our truck. But as I stood up I hear over the radio, “Holy shit” from the truck behind me. This was a good holy shit. This explosion looked a lot worse than it actually was; our truck had taken most of the blast disabling it leaving our injuries minimal.
After everything settled down and the threat was “eliminated”, I took some time for myself to reflect on the day’s events. This day had opened up my eyes to a whole new appreciation for life, and to never take for granted what we have here in America.

Hi, my name is Malak!

Hi, I'm Malak. I graduated last year from Dublin Coffman High School, I was co-leader of both my schools MSA & our French Club. I currently volunteer at the Ohio State Medical Center East, at NICC (Noor Islamic Cultural Center), and the Dublin Library. My fun fact was that I love to travel and have been to 11 different countries.

hello!

My name is ikran suleiman i graduated from Mifflin High school and I'm glad to be an Osu student!

Hi, am Hassan.

My name is Hassan Aden. I graduated from Westerville Central high school.I'm majoring in nursing/nurse anesthetist.I love boxing and video games!!!!

Introduction

Hi my name is Laura Toribio. My home town is Panama City, Panama. I graduated from Westland High School. I like to play field hockey and I did guard in high school. Some of my hobbies are painting, making things, and of course shopping:)

Snapshot#2

FUNNY HYENA


Its Friday afternoon the sun is right over my head I’m sweating like a pig and my house just seems to get farther and farther the more I walk, I’m walking home from school, usually my older brother comes to walk me but not today. I figured he forgot or he was busy playing soccer, because that’s all he did, in fact the only memories I have of him are him playing soccer or walking with a soccer ball. My school is just three miles outside the village. as I am walking in the scorching sun I sense the presents that I am being followed, I look around, there is no one there, I shout Out " is any one there?" no answer. I shout again "is anyone there" still no answer, but then I hear laughter coming from the tall bushy grass on my right hand side, I walk over to look. All of the sudden a huge hyena jumps out at me.
I AM TERRIFIED. my first instinct was to sprint and try my luck to see how far I get, the hyena is chasing after me like a dog chasing a bone, and I am running for my life, my older brother jumps out of nowhere with a stick long stick in his hand and he whacks the hyena in the head. the hyena stumbles and runs back to the bushes, I’m still running, too terrified to stop or to even check if my brother got attacked, I get home and I run straight to my room and I am crying like a little baby, my mother comes in and asks" what wrong with you ?"
"Mom I almost got attacked by a hyena on my way home" I replied
And where is your brother" she asked.
I replied breathless, mumbling at a high speed
"I was running from the beast, and he came and chased the hyena away" I said.

I sense a little anger in my mom’s tone after I had told her that I was walking home alone, but she didn’t want to punish me seeing as how I just had a life changing experience. She says in a caring but strict tone.
“Don’t you walk home alone anymore, Wait for your brother next time"
When my brother came home that day he told my mom to withdraw me from the school and to enroll me into a school that was closer to the village that way I wouldn’t be in danger. Until today I can never forget that hyena's laughter.

About Kara

Hey!
I am Kara Cheung. I am a freshman at OSU. I came from Hong Kong. I am interested in reading, there are lots of Chinese books in my house. I am very happy to have Professor Lohre and the classmates that I have in English 109.01.

Hey there

Hey ya'll, im Dan. I was in the marine corps infantry and served in Iraq in 2006-2007. Im originally from Akron, Oh, but I moved down here in January to start school.

Hi this is Emily

Hi my name is Emily Jacobs and I graduated from Fairbanks highschool. I am majoring in radiologic therapy.

hello im Doug

my name is Doug Wintzer. I graduated from Westerville North High school. I play lacrosse, Swim, Ultimate frisbie, and love goin to church i spend about 5-6 days a week doing activities with my Home church on OSU main campus it is a great experience and i extend a welcome to any one who might want to join.

Hello everybody - Joel Caserta

Hallo! My naam is Joel!

That's actually not a typo, but intentional. I'm currently in the process of learning Afrikaans. Which is one of the 11 languages spoken in South Africa, Afrikaans is essentially Dutch, with the influence of English, and a number of other tribal languages, including Zulu, Venda and Xhosa.

I consider myself to be a veteran of the internet. Having used it since 1998, I have come to the following conclusion: Internet Explorer is currently the most awful Internet browser on the market today. Which really says something as I used the beta version of Google Chrome. I recommend Safari to everyone in this class, as it has not only a built in spell check, But also a built in grammar check, something that I am sure that everyone in this class could use to great advantage.

Introduction

Hello!
I am Ravina Shah. I was born in India. I am a freshman at OSU. I like getting to know other people from other cultures and also enjoy learning about different cultures. I enjoy being in my English 109.01 class with Professor Mike and my classmates. Its a very fun class. I really like college; its a great experience.

Hey Im Jamal

hey, whats I'm jamal I graduated from franklin Heights High School, my fun fact was i speak several languages, I came to america from kenya when i was eight years old.

Hi i am Justin

Hey my name is Justin. I went to Olentangy high school. I played football, basketball, and baseball. I am majoring in Athletic Training and hope to eventually go into physical therapy.

Hi I'm Mike

My fun fact was that I went to China. I'm really happy to teach this class. You guys are cool!

Getting started on the blog

First, let's practice just using the New Post feature in the upper right hand corner. Introduce yourself in a New Post.

After that, practice writing comments to other writers in class. I will show you how and let's just use today to get familiar with our Blog!

Thanks!

Mike