English

Nik Jameson Accelerated English 10 1-5-08 Journal Entry

Eveline

The definition of paralysis means a state of helpless stoppage, inactivity or inability to act. When James Joyce wrote that Dublin “seemed to me the center of paralysis,” he most likely meant that Dublin (as a whole or the people in it) had the inability to live fully. I personally believe that this description of Dublin does apply to the character of Eveline. To me Eveline seems like a character who just lives her life inside her head. She has the inability to live life fully. She finally gets the chance with Frank to have a good life, but turns it down (and stays at home which she describes in the story as a bad life). I believe that Joyce was thinking about Dublin while making the character of Eveline. She completely fits Joyce's description of Dublin (and the definition of paralysis). Eveline is not completely helpless, but she is unable to act (she can't bring herself to go to Buenos Aires with Frank), and she does have the inability to live life to its fullest.

Nik Jameson Narrative 10-28-08

There Will Always Be Tomorrow I believe that there are many proverbs that can be used to highlight experiences that I have had throughout my fourteen years of living. Out of all of these proverbs, I think that, the African proverb, “Even when there is no cock, day dawns” from Zululand, South Africa, best describes many of these moments. The proverb “Even when there is no cock, day dawns” is one that can be used to get many people through tough times or times of hardship. This proverb means that there will always be a tomorrow, no matter what. It means that even if you have a horrible day, the sun will rise, and you will get a entirely new beginning. The one experience in particular that the proverb “Even when there is no cock, day dawns” describes, is my seventh grade basketball tryouts. When I was in seventh grade, I had never played on an organized basketball team, but because I loved to play it, I decided I would try-out for the middle school's team. It was an up and down week for me, during the week of tryouts. Though I played well, at many times I made costly mistakes, that would hurt the team. When the day that the coaches made the decision of who to keep and who to cut, I was thinking positive. There were around thirty kids trying out and about fifteen would make the final roster. At the end of the final day of tryouts (which was the same day that the coaches would make their final decisions) every player received an envelope with a letter inside. This letter would tell us the results of who would and who wouldn't make the team. When I opened my letter, I knew I was on the borderline of making the team, but when I found out that I was not going to make the team, I was distraught. I vividly remember shutting myself up in my room, isolated from all humanity. I cried for days. Eventually I got over the fact that I didn't make the basketball team, and I went on with my life. I knew that the sun would continue to rise every day. I knew that everyday was a new day, and I was determined not to let being cut from a lousy basketball team, hurt my schoolwork or any other factor of my life (including basketball). I kept playing basketball by myself, working on things that I knew I needed to improve. When the time to try-out for the eighth grade basketball team finally came around, I knew that it was a new day. I knew that this was my tomorrow. I tried extremely hard, in practices. I would not let my past failures, get in the way of my new day. After a long, tiring, and exhausting week of tryouts, I made the team. I was happy to make the team, but I was even more happy about the fact that I knew that there would be a tomorrow, and I didn't let my bad yesterday, effect my hopes for an even better tomorrow.



Works Cited  Arce, Josephine; Luna, Debra; Borjian, Ali; Conrad, Marguerite. "No Child Left Behind: Who Wins? Who Loses?." __Social Justice__. 3 2005. 56. __eLibrary__. Proquest CSA. GETTYSBURG AREA HIGH SCHOOL. 30 Sep 2008. < http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/curriculum >.  "Archived Summary of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001." __ED.gov__. 10 Feb 2004. Departement of Education. 18 Oct 2008 . Blanchard, Mark A.. Personal interview. Oct 21 2008. Caillier, James Gerard. "The No Child Left Behind Act: Are States On Target To Make Their Goals?." __Journal of Negro Education__. 4 2007. 582. __eLibrary__. Proquest CSA. GETTYSBURG AREA HIGH SCHOOL. 29 Sep 2008. < http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/curriculum >.  "How Standardized Testing Damages Education." __Fairtest__. 20 Aug 2007. Fairtest- The National Center for Fair and Open Testing. 29 Sep 2008 . "Whats Wrong With Standardized Tests?." __Fairtest__. 17 Dec 2007. Fairtest- The National Center for Fair and Open Testing. 30 Sep 2008 http://www.fairtest.org/facts/whatwron.htm.

__Narrative__

Nik Jameson Narrative Essay English 10 10-29-08

There is no hill that never ends The polite lie is better than the truth It is not only giants who do great things What is bad luck for one man, is good luck for another One who asks never loses his way No one knows the story of tomorrows dawn The zebra does not despise his stripes

Nik Jameson Narrative Essay English 10 10-29-08

**__There’s Always a Tomorrow__** Although many African proverbs can relate to my life, I believe that the proverb, “Even when there is no cock, day dawns,” from Zululand, South Africa. This proverb basically means that there will always be a tomorrow, no matter