Held Captive by the Bank

     Chapter 5 in The Grapes of Wrath is a very sad, yet enlightening chapter in the life of the people during the time before the great Dust Bowl and also during the dust bowl.  One of the main themes of this chapter is reliance on the bank.  It says in the book, "the tenants, from their sun-beaten dooryards, watched uneasily when the closed cars drove along the fields," this shows that the tenants or the average home owner were used to the fact that the people all around them would most likely lose their homes due to not being able to scrounge around and find the money to pay the bank the money to pay their rent (31).  In this passage, Steinbeck clearly shows that during the late 1930s was a hard time for the Americans, because most families were farmers and there was not nearly enough rain to help with their crops.  When the drought came, many families were devastated that their crops would no longer grow and that meant that there would not be as much food for them and their families any longer.  Steinbeck would have done this to show that the people were so reliant on their crops for food and money, and now they were left with nothing but hope.  When the "closed cars" would show up the families knew that the men that would come out would be cold and merciless.  Even the bank owners were "slaves" to the bank, and they needed to do the bank's work so that they themselves do not become unemployed (32).  It seems as if the bank workers were afraid of the bank, due to their references of the bank being a "monster."  "We don't like to do it.  But the monster's sick," this reference is one of the many passages that prove that the people of the 1930s had to rely on the bank, and this is why the theme of chapter 5 of The Grapes of Wrath the reliance on the bank by the average person during the Dust Bowl (33).

I Am Thankful For....

   In the world today, especially the United States, it is often hard to see the things that we need to be grateful for.  There are many things that seem "normal" and we tend to take them for granted. For example, I am thankful for the freedom of religion.  I do not know what I would do without my beliefs and if they were illegal, I think that I would be a completely different person than I am today.  In other countries a person who shows their beliefs in public could be imprisoned or in most cases even killed for what they believe in, but here in the states, we are free to believe and practice whatever religion we want to.  I am also thankful for the family that I have, because I know that when I get home, there is no hatred, and I know that I will be loved unconditionally even though there is the sibling rivalry at times.  I am also thankful for the freedom of speech.  This is a huge thing that most people in America take for granted, because in other countries the people there will be imprisoned if they speak out about their government, or in some cases they will be killed as well.  I am thankful for the home that I am able to live in, and for the food that I get to eat, so that there is no way that I will ever starve and go hungry.  I am also thankful for all the friends that I have, because even though I may be in a bad place, I know that I can count on them to be there for me, and I hope that they find me to be a shoulder to cry on as well.  I am thankful for all the teachers at Skyview who are always going to be there when I have a question, or I am just not catching onto something.  I know that it is hard not to take certain things for granted, such as family, or even food, but when it is shown that other countries or even fellow Americans do not have the basic things that we have, it becomes clear that we need to be grateful for everything that we have.

Our School is Most Definitely Different

       At Skyview Academy, we the students have a different mentality about school than most other public or even private schools do.  When a student walks into SVA, they may still have the grogginess of being tired and may not want to be there in the morning, but as the day progresses onward, the sleepiness starts to fade away and the student begins to enjoy the school atmosphere of laughing, talking to friends, etc.  At any other school, a student that walks into school typically enters their school with the same tired eyes, and will leave school with the same emotion.  At the other schools, usually the huge schools, students do not have the same family type atmosphere that we have at SVA.  At our school, if we are struggling with a certain subject, we know that we will be able to be helped by our teachers, we will receive smiles from people that we may not have classes with everyday, and our teachers know us by name, even if we are the quiet students that like to sit in the back of the classroom.  At other schools, the teachers just pass different classes and hope that they do not have to see these students again, because certain students have to repeat a grade, but at SVA the teachers genuinely want to see you succeed in school.  The students at Skyview Academy even have a different view on school.  We know that our job as teenagers is to be a student, and that in order to succeed in life we need to do well in high school, and then get into a college that will help us get jobs in the real world and become responsible adults.  The students at our school also know when something is wrong with another student, and will try and find a way to make that student feel happy again, whether it be as simple as smiling at them when they pass each other in the hallway, or they will sit and talk with them until they have to sprint to class.  Students genuinely care about each other here, and that is something that no other huge school has.  Other schools will have big-time bullying and no one to stand up for another when it occurs, but at Skyview nothing of that sort happens.  The SVA students also have a huge encouragement and support system.  At home sports games, huge amounts of students come and support the teams.  Outside of sports, students will encourage other students in homework, projects, and even when it comes time to vote for student council.  We the students will also celebrate each other when they have done something great, such as getting good grades on tests, homework, or also in completing a community service project.  This makes Skyview Academy different from all other schools, and that is why students here succeed in school and in life.  We can take our school mentality into our community by simply smiling at the people that we may pass everyday, we can do many different community service projects, such as volunteering at soup kitchens, donating unused or unwanted clothes to a homeless shelter, etc.  It is not that hard to bring our school environment to our community, all we need to do is act out our mentality, and then we, the students at Skyview Academy, will truly succeed as students, but also as citizens of the United States.  

From Bellbottoms to Skinny Jeans

   Looking back into the depths of 1970s fashion, Bellbottoms were the bomb diggity of the time. Nowadays in the 21st century, Americans look back at that fashion and say "wow, people actually wore that?" It's the truth, our world has changed its fashion choices since the 20th century. The fashion in Hollywood now tends to be skin-tight jeans with belly shirts and stiletto heels, whereas the celebrities in the 70s were proud to strut their Bellbottom jeans and block heels (male and female). As for guys the fashion has changed as well from the disco era. During the disco, guys would wear really short shorts and T-shirts, or the famous mega flare jeans.  Now guys are afraid that their pants are going to be too short, so they wear shorts down to their knees and pants that have their waists at their knees, because they are afraid to wear a belt.  As for every day life for the average American girl, the fashion is skinny jeans, which can come in multiple colors such as green, bright blue, pink, etc., pioneer styled boots, and a cute sweater to go along with it. Guys on the other hand, will also wear either baggy pants or skinny jeans with shoes that are three times bigger than their feet.  All of this comes to show that fashion culture has changed over time, some for the better, and some for the worst.


Source:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=1970+Fashion+for+Women&FORM=RESTAB#view=detail&id=633D30D57E3DC9D6C156F6C26B397C97D6A9C2D1&selectedIndex=52

The Beauty of Friendship

   In our world today, all the craze is about how popular you are and how many "friends" you have.  Not many people who have Facebook know every single one of the "friends" who they have friended.  A lot of people say that they have lots and lots of friends whether it be at school, sports teams, etc.  But how many of them can you say that you would tell a deep secret too?  It all comes down to that.  You probably have only a select few of people that you would be willing to tell a secret to.  You may have thousands of "friends" out there, but deep inside you know that you have that select few that are your real friends that you would not let anything happen to.  That is the true beauty of friendship.  True friends are always going to be there for you when you need it.  They do not judge you, they make fun of you in a way that only you understand, they are the ones laughing when you fall or say something stupid.  Friends do not lie to one another, they do not spread rumors about each other, they are the first ones to stand up for you.  Friendship is something to be treasured, and you would be willing to die for them, and hope that they are willing to die for you.  This is what the true beauty of friendship is.

The Wonders of Color

       Color may seem like it is not necessary in life, but lying beneath the beautiful color lies deep importance to many people.  Since I was about 10 years old, my favorite color has always been blue. Light blue to be specific.  Ever since my uncle died of cancer and I was going through many rough times after another, blue has always been the color that seems the most forgiving.  Yes, blue is a color and cannot talk or move to make you feel better, but it does give emotional support when it is needed the most.  Blue is known to give off a feeling of trustworthiness and a want for peace, which is exactly what I find inside the depths of blue.  Colors do not judge and you can cry to your hearts content and they will not laugh, mock, or yell at you.  It may seem ridiculous, but the color blue has indeed been the color that I feel will not make me even more sad than I already am, which is how black makes me feel.  Something about the subtleness, the calmness of light blue always calms me down and I do not know what it is.  Blue reminds me of the blue sky above us, and it reminds me of beauty and magnificence that is life.  It is shown that the color blue tends to clam the human person, and instantly cool them down.  Colors remind me everyday of what a gift it is to be able to see all the beautiful colors that make up the world, green trees, blue sky, red flowers, etc.  People tend to take for granted the ability to see and absorb all the beautiful colors that are apart and that make up nature.  Colors are so amazing that they can change a persons mood as soon as they walk into a room or if they even eat off of a plate that is a certain color.  The color red, as it is most known for is at traffic light, and red means stop, green means go.  Color also has a deeper influence on us, for example it has been shown that pink will tend to make a person feel warm and comfortable, and the most known of course that the color pink is associated with are girls.  A girl's first favorite color is generally pink, because it is usually a really pretty color, and it is also a sign of sensitivity and delicacy.  It is truly amazing what a seemingly simple concept of color can actually do.  From looking and being absolutely beautiful, to calming the human person, color is most definitely not a simple concept, but instead, can be a successful place of solitude, comfort, and trust.  





Sources:
http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-meaning/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-blue-4322#.UmCY1DbnYdU
http://colormatters.com/
http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-pink.html

Stop this Fatness!

    In our world today, especially the United States, there is a huge problem with children and teenagers being overweight, obese, and even morbidly obese.  It is shown that on average 20% of all children aged 2-19 years of age are obese.  This is very sad to see, because when a child is as young as 2 years of age, they have virtually no control over their weight, because they are not old enough to play any sports or do any activities that can help reduce their weight or control it.  When they are that young, it is on the parents to keep their children healthy, and if their child is overweight, especially obese, that is the parents' fault and it is very important that they change their lifestyles in order to keep their children in shape.  Sometimes, the children of poorer families tend to be the ones that are overweight.  This happens mostly because healthy food is typically more expensive than junk food is.  A 12 pack of Root Beer is on average costs between $6-$12 whereas a 12 pack of water can cost anywhere between $15-$20.  This range in price shows that healthy food and beverages cost more, because is takes more to prepare the healthy foods and beverages and therefore making it more expensive to buy.  This is why lower income families will tend to be overweight, because healthier foods and beverages tend to cost more.  Another factor into the obesity in children is that when the child becomes a teenager, it starts to be their choice on what they do to keep themselves healthy.  Teenagers that are overweight usually tend to be lazier and as their bodies are growing they also eat a lot more in order to keep their body strong so as to keep up with the growing that they are going through.  Young children and teens who are overweight sometimes do not know what they are doing to their bodies when they are overweight.  When a person is overweight it puts them at a greater risk of having a heart attack or developing type 2 diabetes.  This is also critical when a child is overweight, because if a child is overweight as a kid, they are most likely to stay overweight into their adulthood and have a harder time losing that excess weight.  All of this can be prevented through a few changes in the child or teen's diet and exercising habits.  It has been shown that when a family eats together at HOME, they tend to eat healthier, because home-made meals have more effort into them, and more thought put into them that they will end up having less fat and calories in them.  It is also shown that if a child exercises for at least 60 minutes a day, it will help them to burn calories and fat, and help the child to remain healthy.  Cutting out fast food takes a load of fat, cholesterol, and calories out of a person's diet.  An average meal at a fast food restaurant tends to be within 1000-1500 calories, while an average teen should be taking in only about 1500-2500 calories a DAY, so eating ONE meal at a fast food restaurant covers the TOTAL calorie intake of the whole day, so when a child eats over 2 meals at a fast food place, they are already overeating what they should and if they do not then exercise after, the calories will then add up, which will then add weight to the child or teen's body.  In conclusion, childhood and teenage obesity continues to rise as the years go on, and there are many health problems that come along with it such as a heart attack or type 2 diabetes, etc.  There are many ways to fix this problem.  Simply by eating home-cooked meals and staying away from fast food restaurants, and exercising daily in order to keep in shape.  If a child or teen keeps to this healthier lifestyle, there will be no problem keeping a healthy weight.




Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
http://www.overweightteen.com/statistics.html
http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/8534/145207/childhood-obesity?ic=506048
http://www.livestrong.com/article/256927-how-many-calories-should-a-child-be-eating/

Eating with the Family

   Most everyday, my family and I have VERY long days, and we hardly see each other.  This is what makes dinner time the best part of the day.  For our family, dinner time is not just for scarfing down our food as if we are vacuum cleaners, but instead we use this time to catch up on life events.

   During the day, the Wilhoite kids have school, usually followed by some sport, and dad has long days at work, and mom is either subbing or filing paperwork.  With these hectic schedules, there is generally no time to settle down and get together as a family and do something.  We instead have a nice family dinner where we can take a breathe and take loads off our shoulders as we describe our day at school, work, or sports.  This time is always treasured, because not only does mom make amazing food, but we get to know our lives just a little bit better, just by talking to each other for 30-45 minutes every night.  On days that are not so hectic, we might get an extra 15 minutes to talk to one another, and my dad makes extra efforts to hear about our day, or if it is Friday, he wants to hear about our week as a whole, while all of us kids just want to go to bed.  The brothers usually gobble up their food within 10 minutes, in order to get to enjoy watching the full football game, or relax and watch a baseball game.  I am usually the one that yells at my brothers to chew with their mouths closed, because I cannot stand the sound of chewing.  For me, I really like to have this family time, and I treasure it every time it occurs, but like almost every high school student, I am loaded with homework every night to last a life time, and I will try and eat my dinner as fast as I possibly can.  Family dinners are very important, because it is shown that if a family eats at least 3-5 meals together a week, the children will be less likely to get into trouble.

   Family dinners in my house are not just eat and leave, they are instead a time where the family can sit down, and relax every once in a while and talk about our days and our lives.  These moments will always be treasured, because when a family can connect over a meal, it will build the bond between the family, making us closer and help everyone to know that they are important and loved, and that everyone around the table will always be there for them when they are feeling sad, angry, or alone.

Freedom has a Cost

   “…freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

    This excerpt from Martin Luther King's "A Letter from a Birmingham Jail" is very compelling to me, because it really shows the truth of how freedom is not free, in a way that is very matter-of-factly.  As shown through many examples from many different time periods, freedom is not in any way free, it always comes with a cost, but in the end freedom is always worth it.  The major example of this was the African-American people that Martin Luther King Jr. fought for, and was the reason he wrote this letter to the eight clergymen.  The African-Americans all through the 1960s, had to have riots in order to have their voices heard in order to gain basic rights, such as a cup of coffee at a lunch counter.  These oppressed people had to demand their freedom from the white oppressor through riots and public speeches.  Famous speakers such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X fought vigorously to gain their rights and freedoms, and in the end, their fighting was worth it all, and the African-American people were finally able to get the rights that they deserved and the segregation went away.  Other events like this happened as early as when the English colonists were demanding freedom from the English in the eighteenth century.  Before the American Revolutionary War started in 1775, the colonists in the British North America, were being oppressed by the English with several very high taxes on everyday things such as the newspaper, pamphlets, and most of all, tea.  Some of the colonists were willing to abide by these taxes and accept them as a "duty" to England and they wanted to be close and loyal to the king.  Unlike these particular colonists, the majority of the English colonists were not willing to follow these outrageous taxes and began to rebel, and eventually fought the British in the American Revolutionary War.   The oppressed Americans had to demand their freedom from their oppressors, the British, through war, and because of that war they were finally able to gain their freedom.  Any oppressor, whomever it may be, will never want to give up his or her power freely to the people that they are oppressing.  As humans, we like having power and authority over others, and we will do anything to maintain that power.  An everyday example of this is bullying.  Bullies love to mess with or hurt other people, because they feel powerful, this makes them the oppressor of the kids or even adults, and the bullied individuals become the oppressed.  The oppressed, in order to obtain their "freedom" from the bullies, have to either tell the bullies themselves to stop, which would be to demand that they stop, or go to a teacher or principal so that they will talk to the bully and demand them to stop.  This also shows that everyday "freedoms" have to be fought for.  This is why Dr. King's statement is so compelling, because he is not only addressing the lack of freedoms for the African-American community, but is also addressing the little freedoms that have to be fought for by everyone, and he puts it into language that everyone can understand.  Another example of the oppressed having to demand freedom were the women of America in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.  These women had to fight in order to get their right to vote, just like all the (white) men were able to.  During this time the African-American women were trying to get their right to vote as well.  Sojourner Truth, was a well-known black feminist who demanded for the right to vote when she spoke in the Second Annual Convention of Women's Rights in Akron Ohio in 1852.  Other famous women such as Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910), wanted to pursue a higher education and to become a doctor, also had to demand her rights and freedom just to got to school and become a doctor.  Blackwell fought diligently to be accepted into a medical school and she was finally able to get into a medical school in 1847.  These real life examples of oppressed individuals having to demand their rights from the oppressors are what Martin Luther King Jr. was talking about in his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."  This is why he wrote this letter to the eight clergymen who were attacking him and his actions to get rights for the African-American people.




Sources:
http://www.rise-of-womanhood.org/history-of-feminism.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Blackwell
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/biography_35.html

Banned Books

Some reasons why a book might be banned may be because the book may have had some inappropriate content, or can be offensive to a certain group or organization.  A group or person may not want a child to read the ideas of these challenged books so that the child's mind would not be spurred to think more about a certain topic, whether it be a different religion or racism, or something inappropriate.  It is important for a student to read these controversial books in order to see the other side of stories and history, so as to get the mind thinking in ways that the student may not have otherwise thought.  These controversial books could be used to help break down biases and stereotypes by showing the other side of certain stories, such as getting the point of view of a slave during the 17th-18th centuries, instead of a historian telling the story.  Since stories tend to be one sided and some parts may be more point of view facts, it is important to get both sides of the story to make it easier to find the middle ground and get the whole truth.

Sources:
http://www.ala.org/bbooks/

Introducing....Me!

Hi, my name is Claire Wilhoite, and I am 16 years old living in Littleton, CO.  I have 2 younger brothers, 2 dogs, and a cat.  I love to play soccer and volleyball, and I play competitive soccer and I am on the varsity volleyball team at Skyview Academy.  I love spending time with friends and family, and I love the  beautiful views that are in Colorado.  I was born in California and moved to Colorado in 2007.  I am now a junior in high school at Skyview Academy.  I hope that this blog will help me to become a better writer, and will not bore you readers to death!