English 2017

English 2017

Welcome to my English Blog.

Everything I do for English will be posted onto this exact post. I like to keep things connected together rather than on a separate blog post, to me it looks a lot tidier.  

This year my goals in English are:
Pass with a Merit Endorsement and learn the language features that I don't already know.

Creative Writing 

War was brewing.

Emotionally the black sky cried out for help. The wind howled and thunder clouds clashed. Lightning strikes beamed down to earth, igniting the land. Branches drooped sadly as crows cawed, swooping down from the bare oak trees.  Queen Robin demanded the soldiers scout the area. Obeying her, they guarded every inch of the land. Citizens gathered in the courtyard to find shelter, fearing for their safety. Children wrapped up in multiple layers of clothing, long leather raincoats, cuddly woolen socks and gumboots. Their sad pale faces, rosy red nose and bright pink cheeks, laid in their mother's arms weeping. After a few weeks of battle darkness flooded the entire Kingdom. Moss emerged from cracks in the concrete. Fog drifted through the empty streets. Every river and pond froze to ice. Fields of grass died off from the frost and thick blankets of snow covered the land. No fire was strong enough to survive the lethal chill. Queen Robin had lost all of her power. The Kingdom had fallen.

Citizens returned to their damaged homes and prayed for a miracle. Gradually day’s were getting warmer and lasted longer. Strong, sweet scents of tulips lingered in the humid air. Fantails danced gracefully singing their unique song. Birds searched endlessly for mud and twigs, to build new nests for the smouldering season ahead. Slowly leaves grew back on each tree and flower buds sprouted. White and pink blossoms bloomed everywhere beautifully like magic. The feeling of hope came in forms of magnificent monarch butterflies, fluttering their delicate wings. Happiness beamed off the innocent faces of children. Their laughter echoed through the streets like a blissful harmony. Playfully running around and stomping their feet in the chunky clunky mud, splashing it against their shins as they dived into the grass. Queen Robin laid restlessly in her fountain. In order for her to sustain her position as Queen, she needed to regain her strength. The entire Kingdom aided in trying to help her heal with every herb they could find. Meanwhile her loyal soldiers continued to check the perimeter, in case darkness returned. Thankfully, rays of sunlight peeked from behind the dim cloudy sky and light was finally being restored to the Kingdom. War  was over.

Christmas was near. Soldiers returned home for the holiday. Jingle bells rang as the church choir sang. Joyfully children played, the boys kicked around a rugby ball while the girls were mermaids in the pool. Despite the war, citizens of the Kingdom were thankful to be alive and healthy. Happily, they all bowed down to their Queen Robin. In honor of her becoming her strongest ever, The Kingdom held a feast to celebrate. Crispy bacon, kebabs, juicy steak and sausages sizzled on the barbeque, luring everyone towards it. It was heavenly. Refreshing slices of fruits, hot savouries and creamed pavlova's were prepared. Spectacular views of Mother Nature surrounded the Kingdom. Fields of long fresh grass smelt like mint. Pine trees swayed from side to side and the branches waved. Intensely blinding sun rays beamed brightly down from the sky. Flowers with stunning splashes of colour flourished in the garden. Ducklings wandered down the swampy river bank and lilypads floated down the stream. Cicadas and crickets chirruped peacefully high up in the trees. Dandelions drifted through the warm breeze, and butterflies tangoed in the blue sparkling sky. The Kingdom was finally at peace.

Close Viewing 

In the advertisement “Siblings” directed by The Meth Project, a sister finds her brother rummaging through their house looking for money to buy meth. When she tries to reason with him he lashes out and hits her, then goes to the extent of threatening to kill her if she tells their mother. The Meth Project created this ad to show the viewer that meth can be a very destructive drug, and it will not only destroy individuals but also many families in the process. Throughout this ad - Dialogue, Handheld Camera Shots, Wide and Low Angle Shots - work together to show the viewer that anyone could become addicted to meth, and it can result in a life of violence and crime. This ad showed us that meth can affect anyone, and strongly influence them to do things they wouldn’t normally do.

The Meth Project uses Dialogue and Handheld Camera Shots to show us that anyone could become addicted to meth, even someone as close to us as our siblings. Dialogue is used when the sister is trying to reason with her brother by saying “This is your life, this isn't you. Please we're a family, I love you. Please don't do this”. This was used to show us that he has a good family who care for and support him.  Even though he is under the influence of meth, his sister’s concern and love for him is unconditional. While trying to talk some sense into him, a handheld camera shot shows us a portrait of their once happy family hanging from the wall. The Meth Project used this technique to give us insight into their family life before the son had tried meth. They looked so happy and were what you’d call a “normal” family, but meth soon destroyed that. Not only did meth ruin his own life, but it also had a big impact on his families. These techniques work together to show us that anyone could become addicted to meth, despite how good their family home and relationships are. After watching this ad, this helped us to understand the consequences of using meth. It made us think about our own siblings and pray that something like this would never happen to them. Although it’s become clear to us that in fact this could happen to them, and realistically it could even happen to ourselves. When we think about meth addicts we picture them to come from rough and scummy backgrounds. However this ad contradicts that stereotype, because he’d come from such a wealthy and loving family. He may not of died from using the drug, but we know that once he’d tried it his life was already over. He will be forever under its control, unless he can get the right help and support. As a sister I empathise towards the girl in this ad. It would be horrible knowing someone you’ve known and cared for your entire life, has become such a different and monstrous person because of drugs. If my brother became addicted to meth, I too would do everything I could to try help support and guide him to a clean life without it.

The Meth Project also uses Wide and Low Angle Shots to show us that being influenced by meth could lead to a life of violence and crime. While desperately searching for money to buy meth, a wide shot is used to show the brother throwing things across the lounge. When he can’t find any money he starts to become frustrated, and the anger inside of him slowly builds up. This was used to show us how strongly meth can influence someone into doing things they wouldn't normally do. After she tried to persuade him into leaving, he violently lashed out and hit her. A low angle shot is then used to show him dominantly standing over her. The Meth Project purposely used this technique to show us that meth can have full control over the way someone acts. These techniques work together to show us that the meth is controlling him to become violent, and making him capable of stealing from his own family. By using them it has shown us that meth can make you commit violent and criminal offences. A New Zealand study in 2004 has confirmed the link between meth and violence. It showed that frequent methamphetamine users were more likely to be involved in violent and criminal activities. Since 2004, a research study done on 350 meth users showed, 59% of them had violent and criminal behavioural traits. As a New Zealander it’s horrible to hear statistics like this. We already know that family violence is a serious problem in our country that many people face each day. Maybe meth could be contributing to this? The statistics prove the link between the two, and it’s clear to us that meth can strongly influence someone. The real question is, why hasn’t someone done something about it? If we could find a way to reduce the amount of people using meth, the rate of family violence may decrease as well. As New Zealand teenagers, it’s important to us that something is done to help resolve this issue. Sadly our own  generation has already become affected by meth, but if no one stands up and fights it now, future generations will also grow up to be consumed by this drug. That will then only increase the rate of violence and crime that currently goes on. If something is done now maybe we can free our country of meth, to better our future.

The Meth Project, used - Dialogue, Handheld Camera Shots, Wide and Low Angle Shots - in the advertisement  “Siblings”. These techniques worked together to help us realise that anyone could become addicted to meth, and it can result in a life of violence and crime. We now know that even someone as close to us as our siblings could become addicted to meth, and that it can strongly influence them to do things they wouldn’t normally do If the weren’t addicted to meth. After watching this ad a message we can take away from this is - “Don’t do Meth. Not even once.”

Significant Connections 

Can a drug addiction cause people to make terrible, regrettable decisions that affect their future? I believe it does, and this is evident in the texts - ‘Go Ask Alice’ a novel written by Anonymous, ‘Walk the Line’ a film directed by James Mangold,  ‘A-Team’ a song written and performed by Ed Sheeran, and also ‘Sisters’ a meth advertisement directed by The Meth Project.

In the beginning of the novel ‘Go Ask Alice’, Alice is completely oblivious and naive to the drug world. She has a loving family and her parents are hard working, especially her dad. However she manages to get involved with the wrong crowd, and when she is invited to a party her drink is spiked with LSD. The day afterwards Alice wrote in her diary “Now that I think back I should have known what was happening! Any dum-dum should have known, but I thought the whole party was so strange and exciting that I guess I just wasn't listening or maybe I didn't want to listen—I'd have been scared to death if I'd known. So I'm glad they did it to me, because now I can feel free and honest and virtuous about not having made the decision myself.” Although Alice had no initial knowledge of being under the influence of drugs, she willingly wanted to try it a second time. Alice’s peers were all drug users and she just wanted to fit in with them, which led her to develop a serious drug addiction. Alice’s addiction striked a rebellious side in her, causing her to run away from home and become a drug dealer. While on the run and trying to make a living, she is invited to a party by someone she thought was her friend. Then at the party Alice was brutally raped by that same person, while she was passed out on drugs. Eventually in the end Alice payed the ultimate price of death, because she didn’t realise the harmful effect the drugs were having on her wellbeing. This showed us that because of the decisions Alice made while she was under the influence of drugs, it affected her life to the point where she didn't get to have a future. Teenagers have become particularly vulnerable to this because they’re at the age where they just want to fit in amongst their peers. They’ve also never known any better because they were never educated on the harmful effects of drugs. Unfortunately teens like Alice don’t realise that the choice to take drugs even just once, could put themselves or others at risk and potentially affect their futures. In 1971 when this text was originally published, the subject of drugs wasn’t talked about like it is in today’s society. Maybe if Alice had been educated on the drugs that she was taking, then maybe she would’ve known to stay away from them? Something we can take away from this is that no matter how small or big of a choice you make, it can impact the rest of your life and that is the message the author of this book wanted to convey.

Alice’s situation is similar to Johnny’s in the film ‘Walk the Line’. This is because like Alice, Johnny’s drug addiction forced him to make decisions that affected his future. At first Johnny only took the drugs to be liked and accepted by the other celebrities. However overtime he became more dependant on them, and abused them especially when things got hard for him. For example, in the scene when Johnny and June have not long woken up, Johnny gets out of bed and swallows some pills while June is on the phone to her daughter. Not long after that they have an argument because June knows the drugs are bad for him, and because Johnny is frustrated he goes back to his room and takes more drugs. Johnny’s addiction causes him to lose his first wife Vivian and his two kids. His career derailed after going out on stage completely wasted and passing out. As a result he was arrested, the rest of his tour was canceled and because of this his fans became interested in other musicians. Johnny’s relationship with June was also strained, because she knew that Johnny wasn’t himself when he was on drugs and didn’t believe what he was doing was right. James Mangold wanted us to understand that because of Johnny’s drug addiction, it led him to make regrettable decisions that did affect his future. Johnny abused drugs whenever he felt like it without realising the harmful effect it had on his life or the people around him. If there is one thing we can learn from this is that no matter how small or big of a choice you make, it can still impact your life temporarily or permanently. Luckily for Johnny, June loved him enough to believe he could get through his addiction. Everyone deserves to have a chance at redemption, however in today's society would people be so forgiving? Even though a person's decision to take drugs can affect their future in some cases you are given a second chance, like when June said to Johnny “you’ve been given the chance to make things right.” Unlike Alice, Johnny’s decisions only temporarily affected his life but he still lived to regret them. In the end Johnny defeated his addiction after realising the harmful effect it had on his well being, and because of that his life changed for the better. June had finally said yes to marrying him and his tour was back on. He’d learned from his mistakes and the old Johnny was back.

This contrasts with the song ‘A-Team’ that is about a girl named Angel who is addicted to drugs, and living on the streets because she can’t afford rent. Compared to Johnny and Alice, Angel doesn’t have the same lifestyle as they do so their situations are different. Although they all have one thing in common, a drug addiction that causes them to make terrible and regrettable decisions that affect their future. At first Angel tries to sell magazines on the street but no one would buy them from her, so she resorted to selling her body to men. Although Angel didn’t enjoy what she was doing, it provided her with an income that allowed her to feed her drug addiction. However after awhile she just couldn’t bear the pain any longer. All Angel wanted to do was end it all, because she didn’t feel like life was worth living anymore. So for the last time she sold her body to another strange man, so she could buy the drugs and end her suffering. In the beginning of the song the first lyrics are “White lips, pale face. Breathing in snowflakes. Burnt lungs, sour taste.” These lyrics already indicate that Angel is on drugs, and it paints a clear image in our heads of the harmful effect it is having on her. The word ‘Snowflake’ can be a slang reference for cocaine that is heated and inhaled. From inhaling the cocaine it created a burning sensation in Angel’s lungs, and a sour taste in her mouth. This is why her lips are white and her face is pale, because that is the effect the drugs are having on her. Angel’s addiction led her to become a prostitute so she could afford the drugs, because when she wasn’t making enough money selling magazines she couldn’t get her daily fix of the drugs. This has shown us that because of the decisions Angel made while under the influence of drugs, it pushed her to the point of wanting to escape and overdose. This is the reality for a lot of young women in today’s generation. It’s become common for these young women in particular, to sell their bodies in order to be able to continue fueling their addictions. If only young women would realise the harmful effect it is having on them and their wellbeing. For some it seems like the only way to make weeks rent, but the harmful effects it will have on them mentally will affect them for the rest of their lives. Ed Sheeran wanted us to understand that the decisions you make while on drugs will affect your future either temporarily or permanently. In this case similarly to Alice, Angel payed the ultimate price of death because of the choices she made while under the influence of drugs. If there is something that we can learn from this is that no matter how small or big of a choice you make, it can still impact your life because a drug addiction can cause you to make reckless decisions that will affect you and your future.

A similar thing that happened to Angel also happens in the meth advertisement ‘Sisters’. This is because like Angel, without thinking how it would affect their futures, the two sisters sold their bodies to older men in exchange for money to buy Meth. In the advertisement two sisters who look so young and innocent, walk to the back of what looked like a gas station. A group of men are standing around having a conversation, as the oldest girl walks confidently in front of her younger sister and says “Hey guys, you can do anything you want to me for 50 bucks.” The men stood there for a moment contemplating weather or not to take the girl’s offer, then one of them says “What about her?” An over the shoulder shot is then used to show the younger sister standing towards the back, hunching her shoulders looking up at her sister absolutely terrified. The Meth Project used the over the shoulder shot to emphasise the body language of the younger sister, to show us that she felt uncomfortable in that situation and didn’t want to do it.  The sisters then walk into a bathroom with the men and the youngest sister stood up against the wall. Looking at her sister through the mirror, the men started to take their jackets off. A close up shot is shown for the first time of the oldest sister’s face and it is covered in scars and bruising. This is clear to us that she is the one with the addiction and has forced her younger sister into selling her body for more money, to get more drugs. Although the younger sister didn't want to do it she felt like she didn’t have much of a choice so she did it anyway. This has shown us that a person’s drug addiction can make them unpredictable, and they will do anything to get their ‘fix’. In contrast with Johnny’s situation, these two girls will also grow older and live to regret the decisions they made while under the influence of drugs just like Johnny did. Although the decisions these girls made didn’t kill them like it killed Alice, they will forever feel like nothing but an ‘object’ because of the way they allowed themselves to be treated. The effect of the drugs may of only felt temporary for them, but the harmful effect of the drugs will permanently affect them for the rest of their lives. If there is something we can take away from this and remember is that even the small choices you make can still impact the rest of your life. A drug addiction can force a person to make terrible decisions that they will regret, and when under the influence of drugs they are more likely to make poor choices and that is what the Meth Project wanted us to understand.

Using the texts - ‘Go Ask Alice’ a novel written by Anonymous, ‘Walk the Line’ a film directed by James Mangold,  ‘A-Team’ a song written and performed by Ed Sheeran, and also ‘Sisters’ the meth advertisement directed by The Meth Project - I have proven that a drug addiction does cause people to make terrible, regrettable decisions that will affect their future. A person’s choice that they make while under the influence of drugs could temporarily or permanently affect them for the rest of their lives, so I would strongly recommend that you don’t do drugs, not even once.

Formal Writing 

The Powerful Influence of Drugs 

Could a drug addiction cause people to make terrible, regrettable decisions that affect their future? I believe it could, and this is evident in the texts Go Ask Alice a novel written by Anonymous, Walk the Line a film directed by James Mangold, A-Team a song written and performed by Ed Sheeran, and also Sisters a meth advertisement directed by The Meth Project. 

Despite being born into loving and hard working families, some people cannot escape the negative consequences of a bad decision. In the beginning of the novel Go Ask Alice, Alice is completely oblivious and naive to the drug world. However, when Alice was invited to a party her drink was spiked with Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). The day afterwards Alice wrote in her diary “Now that I think back I should have known what was happening! Any dum-dum should have known, but I thought the whole party was so strange and exciting that I guess I just wasn't listening or maybe I didn't want to listen—I'd have been scared to death if I'd known. So I'm glad they did it to me, because now I can feel free and honest and virtuous about not having made the decision myself.” Although Alice had no initial knowledge of being under the influence of drugs, she willingly wanted to try it a second time. Alice’s peers were all drug users so she just wanted to fit in amongst them. Which then led her to develop a serious drug addiction. This struck a rebellious side within Alice, causing her to run away from home. While on the run and trying to make a living, she became a drug dealer to earn more money. She was also then brutally raped by someone she believed was her friend, while under the influence of drugs. Eventually in the end Alice payed the ultimate price of death, because she did not realise the harmful effect the drugs were having on her. This showed us that because of the decisions Alice made while she was under the influence of drugs, it affected her to the point where she did not get to have a future. Teenagers have become particularly vulnerable to this because they are at the age where they just want to fit in. The author of this book wanted us to understand that no matter how big or small of a choice you make, it can impact the rest of your life. Unfortunately, teens like Alice do not realise that the choice to take drugs even once, could put themselves or others at risk and potentially affect their future.  In 1971 when this text was originally published, the subject of drugs was not talked about like it is in today’s society. I wonder if Alice had been educated on the drugs she was taking, would she have known to stay away from them? 

Even high class celebrities can develop drug addictions, that force them to make decisions that will affect their future. In the beginning of the film Walk the Line, Johnny took drugs to be liked and accepted by the other celebrities. However, overtime he became more dependant on the drugs, abusing them especially when things were hard for him. For example, in the scene when Johnny and June have not long woken up, Johnny gets out of bed and swallows some pills while June is on the phone to her daughter. Not long after that they had an argument because June knew the drugs were bad for him. Johnny went back to his room in frustration, and took more drugs. Johnny’s addiction eventually caused him to lose his first wife Vivian and his two kids. His career derailed after passing out on stage from being too high on drugs and as a result he was arrested. The rest of his tour was canceled and because of this his fans became interested in other musicians. His relationship with June was also strained, because she knew that Johnny was not himself when he was on drugs and believed what he was doing was wrong. Without realising the harmful effect it had on his life or the people around him, Johnny abused drugs whenever he felt like it. James Mangold wanted us to understand that because of Johnny’s addiction, it led him to make regrettable decisions that did affect his future. So if there is one thing we can learn from this is that no matter how big or small of a choice you make, it can still temporarily affect your life. Luckily for Johnny, June loved him enough to believe he could get through his addiction. Everyone deserves a chance at redemption, although in today's society would people be so forgiving? Even though taking drugs can affect your future, in some cases you are given a second chance. For instance, when June said to Johnny “you’ve been given the chance to make things right.” Unlike Alice, Johnny’s decisions only temporarily affected his life but he still lived to regret them. In the end Johnny defeated his addiction after realising the harmful effect it had on his well being, and because of this his life changed for the better. 

In today’s generation young women in particular, sell their bodies to men to feed their drug addictions. The song A-Team is about a girl named Angel who is addicted to drugs, and living on the streets because she can not afford rent. Compared to Johnny and Alice, Angel’s situation was different because her lifestyle was not the same as theirs, although they all had one thing in common; a drug addiction that caused them to make terrible and regrettable decisions that affected their future. At first Angel tried to sell magazines on the street but no one would buy them from her, so she resorted to selling her body to men. Angel was not proud of what she did, but it provided her with an income that allowed her to fuel her drug addiction. However, after awhile she could not bear the pain any longer. All Angel wanted to do was end it all, because she did not feel like life was worth living anymore. So for the last time she sold her body to another strange man, so she could buy the drugs and end her suffering. In the beginning of the song the first lyrics are “White lips, pale face. Breathing in snowflakes. Burnt lungs, sour taste.” These lyrics indicate to us that Angel was on drugs, and it painted a clear image in our heads of the harmful effect the drugs were having on her. The word ‘Snowflake’ can be a slang reference for cocaine that is heated and inhaled. From inhaling the cocaine it created a burning sensation in Angel’s lungs, and a sour taste in her mouth. This is why her lips were white and her face was pale, because that was the effect the drugs were having on her. Angel’s addiction led her to become a prostitute so she could afford the drugs, because when she was not making enough money selling magazines she was unable to get her daily fix. This has shown us that because of the decisions Angel made while she was under the influence of drugs, it pushed her to the point of wanting to escape and overdose. Sadly, this has become the harsh reality for a lot of young women in today’s generation. These women believe it’s the only way they will be able to pay a week's rent. However, the harmful effect it will have on them mentally will affect them for the rest of their lives. Ed Sheeran wanted us to understand that the decisions you make while on drugs will affect your future. In this case similarly to Alice, Angel payed the ultimate price of death because of the choices she made while under the influence of drugs. If there is something that we can learn from this is that no matter how big or small of a choice you make, a drug addiction can still cause you to make reckless decisions that will affect your future. 

Without thinking of the negative consequences, young women become prostitutes to earn more money to buy more drugs. In the meth advertisement Sisters, two girls who look so young and innocent walk to the back of what looked like a gas station. A group of men were standing around and having a conversation, as the oldest sister confidently walked up to them and said “Hey guys, you can do anything you want to me for 50 bucks.” The men stood there for a moment contemplating weather or not to take the girl’s offer. Then one of them asked “What about her?” An over the shoulder shot was used to show the younger sister standing towards the back, hunching her shoulders and looking at her sister absolutely terrified. The Meth Project used an over the shoulder shot to emphasise the body language of the younger sister, to show us that she felt uncomfortable. Both sisters then walked into a bathroom with the men. A close up shot was shown for the first time of the oldest sister’s face. It was covered in scars and bruising. This became clear to us that she was the one with the addiction, and had forced her younger sister into selling her body for more money to get more drugs. Although the younger sister did not feel comfortable doing it, she felt like she did not have much of a choice. This has shown us that a person’s drug addiction can make them unpredictable, and they will do anything to get their fix. In contrast with Johnny’s situation, these two girls will also grow older and live to regret the decisions they made while under the influence of drugs. Although the decisions they made did not kill them like it did Alice, they will feel like nothing but an object because of the way they allowed their bodies to be treated. The effect of the drugs may of only felt temporary, but the harmful effects of it will permanently affect them for the rest of their lives. If there is something we can take away from this and remember is that even small choices you make can still impact the rest of your life. The Meth Project wanted us to understand that a drug addiction can force a person to make terrible decisions that they will regret, and when under the influence of drugs they are more likely to make poor choices. 

Using the texts - Go Ask Alice a novel written by Anonymous, Walk the Line a film directed by James Mangold, A-Team a song written and performed by Ed Sheeran, and also Sisters the meth advertisement directed by The Meth Project - I have proven that a drug addiction does cause people to make terrible, regrettable decisions that will affect their future. I believe that the decisions people make while under the influence of drugs, will affect them for the rest of their lives, so I would strongly recommend that you don’t do drugs, not even once. 

Reading Log #1

Title: Mean Girls

Director: Mark Walters

Text type: Film

Date Finished: March 3rd 2017

'Mean Girls' is a film about a 16 year old girl, Cady Heron. After living in Africa for 12 years with her zoologist parents they move back to the United States. Cady was home schooled for the first 16 years of her life and is now thrown into the deep end, having to face High School. After being targeted by Queen Bee Regina George, Cady turns to Janis and Damian to help take her down. From ‘zoo freak’ to ‘spring fling queen’ Cady becomes one of the most popularist girls at school.  Throughout the film Cady is put to the test to figure out who she truly is and what she stands for, and fighting fire with fire was only going to get someone burnt, or in this case run over by a bus.

I thought that Cady was the most relatable character in the film. At the beginning she is the new girl, and people instantly don’t like her or want to talk to her. I know exactly how she is feeling because I too have been the new girl once. On her first day she approaches a girl standing in the middle of the classroom and introduces herself. The girl then replies “Talk to me again and I’ll kick your ass.” It wasn’t in Cady’s nature to react to it, but she just couldn’t understand why people were so mean, because where she came from people were so kind and nurturing. I think a lot of teenagers around the world can relate to Cady when they’re starting high school for the first time, starting a new one, or even moving to a new country and starting school. People can be so mean. For some it’s so daunting they drop out of school. 20% of teens also suffer from depression and anxiety everyday, and a teen takes his or hers life every 100 minutes. In this generation, teenagers believe that someone’s social status and appearance is what makes them who they are. Particular teenagers (girls) think that popularity is power, and that power is desireable. Girls gossip to one another and reinforce their own rules of what is “accepted” and what’s not. While maintaining friendships with each other it is also crucial for them to obtain their position within the group, which is result of teens not feeling good enough.

I thought the theme of acceptance is very relevant and important in today’s society. Like a lot of teens Cady is put into a situation where she has to change herself and everything she stands for to be accepted by her peers. For example, throughout the film Cady drastically changes her appearance, attitude and academic skills to prove she is worthy of Regina’s acceptance. She was very sweet and innocent at the beginning of the film. Although towards the end Cady is just as fake as the plastics because of her dramatic change. Near the end of the film, Janis and Damien drive by Cady’s house where she is throwing a party. She didn’t invite them and said she couldn’t because she was pretending to be plastic, but Janis then replies “You're not pretending anymore. You’re cold, hard, shiny plastic”. Afterwards Cady finally realises that she was wrong to transform herself. She knew she had to suck all of the poison out of her life and be true to who she really was. This film shows us how easy it is to be pressured into being someone you’re not in order to “fit in”. I think teens find it hard to feel accepted by society and each other because of the expectations that are made by others. We are all individuals who should be accepted for who we are and I don’t think it matters if you’re popular, awkward, white, black, skinny or fat, you should be treated equally and accepted. I also think It’s important for not only teens but the entire human race to aid in making the world a better, caring place.

To conclude this I think Mean Girls is a good film that sends a strong message to teens around the world. I would strongly recommend this to schools to show senior students so they can understand and empathise with teens going through situations like this.

Reading Log #2

Title: 13 Reasons Why

Text type: Netflix Series

Creator: Brian Yorkey

Date finished: April 11th 2017

'13 Reasons Why‘ is a Netflix series created by Brian Yorkey, based on a 2007 novel by Jay Asher. The show is about a young High School girl Hannah, who took her own life. Before the tragic event of her death occurred she recorded 13 tapes containing the reasons behind her death, leaving them with a trusted friend. Each tape was dedicated to a person who helped aid in her death. The tapes were delivered to each person on the tapes one by one, having to pass it onto each other. Tension rises amongst them, some accusing Hannah of lying about everything on the tapes. However the truth soon unfolds.

I think an important lesson to learn from this show is to take into consideration how other people around you are feeling, because you never know what they’re going through. In this show Hannah takes her own life because as she said “No one cared enough” to stop her. It all started with a photo that was soon sent  to everyone. Rumours began circling around school and she soon became the “class slut”. Throughout the show Hannah was blamed for everything that happened to her, like when Zac said  “Have you ever thought that all of the stuff that happens to you is your fault?”. Except none of it was Hannah’s fault. It wasn't her fault that she thought good people still existed in the world, or that her friends would stay by her side. It wasn't her fault she was stalked and had bad taste in guys. In some cases like going out to parties maybe she could've stayed at home, and things might’ve been different. She could’ve at stayed home everyday and things still ended up the same. Hannah just desperately wanted to give life as many chances as she could take, like a lot of teens. She certainly never asked to be raped. No girl or woman ever asks for it, it just happens to them. For Hannah she was already at breaking point, but that is what killed her inside. She couldn't have possibly prevented anything that happened to her leading up to her death, but I don’t think suicide is ever the answer. Not for Hannah and not for anyone. There were so many other options and sadly like a lot of teens in today’s society, she couldn't see that.

After watching this show I think a lot of teens in this society don’t actually realise the damage they are causing to someone. Even the littlest things that you may think are silly and pointless could possibly hurt someone else. Bullying is one of the worst issues teenagers face, and more teens will die from suicide rather than cancer or diseases combined. Everyday over 5,000 teens attempt suicide, and each week in New Zealand there are 20 people admitted to hospital because of self harm. It’s upsetting when you think 5,000 people don’t find themselves valued or think life’s worth living anymore. Those who need help are constantly let down. Like in the first paragraph how Hannah said “No one cared enough”, a lot of other teens feel the same way. I don't think there is enough being done by the health or educational systems to help prevent bullying and suicide, and it’s disgusting. Teens are the next generation of the future. There are not enough resources and information at school’s about what signs to look for when someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts, how you can support and guide them through it, and who you should contact to get them further help. Although students have access to counselors in their schools, sometimes for teens it can be really hard to open up to someone, especially after your trust has been broken before. I think it is really important for schools to be constantly taking action with these issues. They need to bring more professionals in to speak in assemblies, run more workshops like ‘Be The Change’, put up posters around the school with Help Line contacts, positive quotations and work on building the confidence of the students.  

To conclude this, I would definitely recommend this show to teens and adults. It conveys such a powerful message that could actually be a teen’s reality’s right now. It gives you the insight to what many teens face today. Watching this show has personally changed my life for the better and my perspective on how I interact with others. Before Hannah took her own life she felt so alone because most of the time she was alone. No one bothered to stop and talk to her in the corridors, in class and at lunch, so she felt invisible. The only place she felt like she was noticed was at parties when everyone was intoxicated. Since watching the show I've noticed students around my school who look alone like how Hannah did. It’s changed the way I analyse situations and has given me the courage to approach students, who I think could do with a new friend, or even just to have someone to talk to.

Reading Log #3

Title: Go Ask Alice

Text type: Novel

Author: Anonymous

Date finished: April 14th 2017

‘Go Ask Alice’ is a novel based on a true-life story about a 15 year old girl. Alice babysits her neighbours kids and is doing well in school. Someday she wants to get married to Roger and raise her own family. One night she is invited to a party where 10 out of 14 bottles of coke were spiked with LSD. Alice’s drink was one of them and her life was never the same again.

This novel gave me insight to the many dangers of teenage drug abuse, and how the effects of them can ruin lives. In America majority of High School Seniors that drop out of school use drugs, 50% of teens will have used an illegal drug before the time they have finished school and 17% of them will use drugs within their everyday school week. Alice was only 15 years old when she was exposed to drugs unknowingly at a party. Although she did have the choice to never use them again, she soon developed a habit of needing more finding pleasure in each trip. While being under the influence of drugs, the effect it had on Alice forced her to lose her virginity to a guy she’d only just met. For weeks she took sleeping pills so she would stop worrying about the fact she might be pregnant. She ran away from home multiple times, ending up dating a college guy who used her to sell drugs. She was introduced to heroin, marijuana, speed, ecstasy, mushrooms, tranquilizers and was brutally raped while being stoned. She also hitchhiked to several cities across the country and supported her drug habit through prostitution. Then eventually she died from a drug overdose. This novel has definitely shown me how horrific the effect of drugs can be, because it could actually kill you. I think it’s really sad how a lot of teens have possibly lived like this before. In reality, situations like this can be so easily prevented if one thing had of gone differently. After reading this I would never use drugs. I want to be able to live a long healthy life, and If other teenagers can become more aware of the dangers and effects of drugs, they'd know not to use them as well.

I think this text is very relevant to many people my age. Not enough teenagers are being educated on how easy it is to become addicted to drugs. This novel is from a 15 year old girl’s perspective who slowly developed a drug addiction, because she thought trying it a few times wouldn’t harm her. In some way teens can relate to Alice and put themselves in her shoes, thinking about what choices they’d make if they were in her situation. 50% of High School students don’t think it’s harmful to try crack or cocaine twice, and 40% believe it’s not harmful to use heroin once or twice either. However it is very harmful and it will change their lives forever. I believe teens are being poorly educated on drugs, therefore they don’t see a reason in why not to try it. I think it is extremely important for a teenagers parents and school to get involved and help them become more educated on drugs, so they’re never tempted by them. I don't think the health and educational systems are doing enough to help prevent this issue. They need to put more of an effort into making teens and their parents aware of this, so it is being noticed and talked about. From personal experience I have not yet learnt a lot about drugs at school. It has been briefly talked about once, but never treated seriously in an assembly that discussed it thoroughly. I know a lot of teenagers my age who have dropped out of school, lost all motivation whatsoever and can’t hold down a job because they weren't educated enough before they used drugs. I think maybe if the health system funded workshops or hired professionals to come into schools and talk about these issues at least each year, the number of teen drug addicts would be reduced.

To conclude this, I think this novel is such a tragic but extraordinary story that is eye opening to many people - Teens, parents, teachers and society. I would recommend this book to any teen tempted, curious or consuming drugs. It could change your whole perspective and influence your thoughts and feelings on drugs.

Reading Log #4

Title: Meet Facebook’s Mr. Nice

Text type: Article

Author: Nick Bilton

Date finished: April 27th 2017

Most people in today’s society know Social Media is an online Hunger Games. ‘Meet Facebook’s Mr. Nice’, is an article about a man who has one of the most difficult jobs out of the 7,185 employees to work for Facebook. Arturo Bejar teaches over 1.3 billion users to be nice and respectful to one another online, and especially the millions of teen users. To some his job isn’t as glamorous as others but it is just as important. 

This text has helped me to understand more about Facebook “tools” and how they are very useful to have. Mr. Bejar's team designed these tools for users to report things that have hurt them or someone else in anyway. In the article it says “Researchers have learned that a few letters can have a profound impact.” So when reporting something, they are given vague emotions like ‘embarrassing’ to communicate why they want the post to be removed. You can also leave a comment in a textbox to further explain what has happened and why you’re upset about it. From personal experience online I have been targeted and had horrible comments thrown towards me. People I didn’t even know said all kinds of nasty things about me and it made me wonder what I ever did to deserve that? And what could I do to stop it? I was really upset about the situation and didn’t leave my room for a week, or attend school. I wish that I had of known about the tools Facebook has to offer, then maybe the posts could’ve been taken down from the public eye too see. Right now, there are so many teens in this world who have been in my position and experienced cyberbullying, and they probably didn’t know what to do either. A 2015 survey of nearly 750 students aged 11 to 18, found 87% of them thought cyber-bullying was an issue, and 30% had experienced it the same year. I think it is important for teens to know more information about this, so they are more aware of the tools they can access online. In the future, knowing these tools could seriously help someone if they are being targeted online. 

I think this text is relevant to people my age because it helps give us insight to how differently people can act online versus real life situations. In an interview Mr. Bejar said “The way our brains work, we have evolved to understand each other by the tone of voice or seeing facial expressions, but that gets lost through the devices we use to communicate.” By saying this Bejar is trying to create empathy among Facebook users, so they can compare real life scenarios to online situations through the use of social cues. He believes that some Facebook users aren’t intentionally trying to be mean, and will delete any posts or comments soon after they have realised it has hurt someone. I think as humans we can understand each other's perspectives a lot better when we communicate face to face, rather than through social media. If we could visually see someone's facial expressions while talking to them, we could get a better understanding of the situation and react to it in the right way. In online conflicts we know that most people aren’t intentionally trying to hurt others. However because we can’t visually see facial expressions or hear the tone of someone’s voice online, these messages are perceived in many different ways.  From personal experience I have misunderstood what people have said to me online, and instead of thinking about where they were coming from I assumed it was out of spite. Also, people have misinterpreted what I’ve said to them as well. I think this is because our minds all individually think and work differently, so we lack being empathetic and understanding towards one another. We’ve become so consumed our phones that they are starting to become the only way we communicate with each other. Although recently, Facebook has added a new feature to help people relate to each other online, called “emotional reactions”. You are able to react to anyone’s post, photo, comment etc; to show them how you feel about it. The choices you have to react with are - Love, Sad, Funny, Grateful, Angry, Wow and Pride. I believe adding this feature is the first step to understanding and connecting to each other emotionally online, and I love the fact that Facebook is encouraging this. 

In conclusion, ‘Meet Facebook’s Mr. Nice’ is an article that should be taken very seriously. I would definitely recommend this article to teens, and even parents to give them more information about the tools you can access online if you are being harassed. 

Reading Log #5

Title: Dear Ex Dad

Text type: Short Story

Author: Jillian Sullivan

Date finished: June 22nd 2017

‘Dear Ex Dad’ is a short story written by Jillian Sullivan. It is about a young boy named Luke, who writes a heartbreaking letter to his father to inform him that he is now his ‘Ex Dad’. Luke hadn’t seen his dad in over 5 years since his parents divorced, and his dad moved to Auckland. When Luke’s dad forgot his 10th birthday and promised him a new bike that never came, in Luke’s eyes he thought his own dad didn’t want to keep in contact with him. Although after exchanging a few letters, Luke and his dad seemed to start getting along reasonably well. Luke talked about the National Cross Country he was invited to take part in and his dad was going to cover all the expenses, and said that he’d be there cheering him on the sideline. However, Luke’s mother had to borrow money from her boss because his dad missed the due date, and never made it to the race. Instead his secretary wrote to Luke apologising about his dad having an important meeting and being unable to attend the race. Once again Luke was let down by him.

This text explores ideas that are important, because in today’s society it has become common for children to grow up without their fathers being involved in their lives. The first thing Luke wrote in his letter to his father was “When you left us 5 years ago, I wish you hadn’t made promises. That you didn’t say “Nothing much will change, you’re still my boy.” After Luke’s parents separated, he still wanted to keep in contact with his dad. However as things changed and promises were broken, Luke thought that his dad didn’t want to keep in contact with him. Unfortunately for some children they wouldn’t even know what their father looks like, and that is the harsh reality for some kids in the world. In America they’ve called it “The Fatherless Generation” and have proven that 63% of youth who commit suicide are fatherless. It has also been proven to be that children who grow up not having a father figure in their lives, are more likely going to doubt themselves and lose confidence easy. As a result it will ultimately affect them in adolescence and adulthood. This is upsetting because children at that age are trying to find a place to belong in the world, and they shouldn’t have to carry around extra burdens this early in life. 

In conclusion I think as simple as this story is, it has a huge meaning behind it. I would definitely recommend teenagers and even adults to read this, because this text is an eye opening insight into a lot of realities children face every day, that some people aren’t actually aware of.  

Reading Log #6

Title: My Sister's Keeper

Text type: Novel

Author: Jodi Picoult 

Date finished: July 26th 2017

‘My Sister's Keeper’ is a novel written by Jodi Picoult. This novel tells the story of Anna Fitzgerald who is born specifically to be her sister Kate’s saviour who is dying from leukemia. At first the procedures were successful, but the cancer still continued to haunt Kate throughout her life. Anna’s parents then asked her to donate one of her kidneys to Kate when she turned 13, so Anna decides to sue them for medical emancipation. The matter was taken to court and it is revealed that Kate had initially asked Anna to sue them because she was ready to die but she knew her mother wouldn’t understand. The judge ruled in Anna’s favour, granting her lawyer a medical power of attorney. However, unfortunately moments later when she was driven home their car was hit. When her parents arrived at the hospital they are informed that Anna was brain dead, and they consider donating her organs. Anna’s kidney was then successfully transplanted to Kate, and then her family turned off her life support. 

I thought Anna was the strongest character in this text. She was born into the world having to deal with the fact that in order to save her sister's life, she had to allow her body to be used as spare parts. It is clear to us that she feels like she wouldn’t have a place in their family if Kate wasn’t ill, when she says “It made me wonder, though, what would have happened if Kate had been healthy. Certainly, I would not be part of this family.” Anna’s entire existence was because Kate was ill and for a 13 year old girl it’s a hard situation to be in, especially when you're at the age of trying to figure out who you are. Although it was in Anna’s caring nature to want to support Kate in whichever way she could. Anna fought for her sister's wishes until the day she died. This made me really admire her because of how brave and willing she was to help her sister for someone her age. She was so much younger than her sister, yet she stayed strong and protected Kate at any cost. I would love to think that everyone in this world was as nurturing as Anna, however I don’t think there are many people like her. In today's society majority of people only care about themselves and how they’re going to benefit from others, but Anna did it for the pure and genuine love for her sister. 

The theme of ‘love’ was strongly shown throughout the text. Being younger and born only to be her sisters saviour, you'd expect Anna to grow up resenting Kate. Which in a way Anna did feel excluded from her family at times. However, Anna loved her sister so much that she would do anything Kate asked her too. Throughout the text Anna and Kate’s bond is strong. Usually Anna would help Kate through bone marrow procedures, but this time Kate didn’t want anymore procedures. She just wanted to die in peace, but their mother would’ve never listened nor understood where Kate was coming from. The only option was to sue them. Anna looked up to Kate and all she wanted was for her sister to be healthy, but if that wasn't going to make Kate happy then Anna had to do something that would. Anna’s kind hearted nature allowed her to put aside her own feelings to worry about the ones she loved. This reminded me of the bond and unconditional love I have for my brother. Although I haven’t experienced anything similar to this, I would do absolutely anything for my brother. The bond that siblings share is unbreakable, and personally as an oldest child sometimes I take it upon myself to mother my younger brother. Even though siblings can be annoying and drive you crazy at times, you know they will always be there for you. 

In conclusion even though the story itself ended tragically, I thought the love that was shown throughout this text was beautiful. After reading this novel, I’ve been able to step back and look at life in a different perspective. It has made me realise how lucky I am compared to others in the world and for me to alive and healthy, I’m grateful.