What Book Did You Choose For The Independent Reading Project? Why Did You Choose This Book?

    The book that I chose for the independent reading project is a book called "Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi. I don't really know what the book is really about, but from what I read on the back of the book, it's about a girl who has this type of ability. I don't know what it is, but when people touch her, stuff happens. I chose this book because I was interested with what little info. the back of the book gave me, so I figured I would have to read the book to find out (also because I was too lazy to go to the book store or to Ms. Smith. I got the book as a christmas present and I haven't read it yet). 

What Does "Postmodern" Mean To You?

    I'm not going to lie. I forgot about the whole "postmodernism", "postmodern" stuff. I don't really remember what they are or anything, so I am going to make a guess at the definition of "postmodern". I think "postmodern"has to do with some type of literature or art of modern times or events. That's all I've got. That is the only thing that comes to mind... at this moment. 

What Can You Remember About The Feminist Lens? What About Critical Race?

    I don't remember much about the feminist lens. All I remember form the feminist lens is that it is from a feminine point of view. They look at perspectives from a woman's point of view about anything. It's kind of like a gender lens so it could be looked at from a man's point of view also. I don't remember anything about the critical race. To make a guess about what it is, I would say it analyzes things about race. That is all.

What Are The Id, Ego, And Superego? How Would You Apply Them To A Text You Have "Read"?

    The id is kind of like the little devil on someone's shoulder. It's apart of our personality that just wants everything. The ego maintains the balance between our impulses and our conscience. The superego is the part of our personality that represents the moral part of us. You could apply these to some of the things you have read. Like The Cat In The Hat story form last week. The Cat In The Hat could represent the id in the beginning of the book, the kids could represent the ego or superego throughout the whole book, then at the end of the book The Cat In The Hat could represent the ego. 

What Do You Think Psychoanalytic Criticism Is?

    I think psychoanalytic criticism is kind of like psychoanalysis because it has to do with the human mind. Although psychoanalysis a type of theory/therapy to treat mental disorders, I'm going to guess that psychoanalytic criticism is your mind criticizing the psychoanalysis theory, but in a form of some type of literacy... I think. I don't have any other guesses. I'm just going to go with that because we are in American Literature, so it has to do with some type of literature, right? Right?

How Do You Think That YOU Learn Best?

    I don't really know. Usually if I don't get something in class, I would stay after school and spend some time understanding what we learned in class. In class if we are doing in class work, I like working by myself and just turn on my music and get working. Hmm... maybe I learn best if it has o do with music... I think. Gosh, I don't know. I could learn whatever if you just explain everything. If I don't get it, I would either stay after school or e-mail you.

From What You Can Remember From Earlier This Year, What Is The Marxist Lens?

    The Marxist Lens? Well, I don't remember much about the Marxist Lens. All I pretty much remember is that the Marxist Lens has to do with money and power. It's like you are looking through the perspective of a rich man's perspective, I think. OR, it is kind of like looking at something from a money or power-looking point of view (again, I think). I don't know if what i just said is right, but it's what I remember.

Why Do You Think You Chose This Book To Bring In?

    I chose to bring the book I brought because it is probably the only book that I actually stayed up for. When I first got that book, I immediately started reading it. Before I knew it, it was 12:00a.m. I didn't care, I just kept reading. I stayed up the whole night until it was about 5 or 6 a.m. (when my mother woke up) and she would tell me to go to bed. No other book has ever made me stay up to keep reading it. NO. OTHER. BOOK.

When You Don't Want To Read, What Would You Rather Be Doing?

    When I don't want to read, I'd rather listen to my music or download more music to put on my iPod. You cannot keep me away from my music! I just love it. I can't any good words to explain my love for music. I guess you could say it's unexplainable. There is probably not a single day that I can go without listening to music. When someone "taps" on my headphones, I spaz out on them. If you see my headphones on, DO NOT TOUCH THEM. I am in my own little world where music takes over my life. Also, DO NOT TOUCH MY IPOD. Don't mess with my iPod, none of that. I never let anyone near my iPod. It's like my child hahaha.

What Is Your Earliest Memory Of Reading?

    Hmm....my earliest memory of reading is, well, I only remember one chapter book that I read for the first time. The name of that chapter book is (I think) "The Princess Diaries: Cleopatra VII". I think I read that book in the 3rd grade. Or 4th grade, either one. The earliest book that I read, in my life, I don't remember. My mom says it was a barney book, but I have no memory of that what so ever. So I am just going to stick with saying 'my earliest memory of reading is "The Princess Diaries: Cleopatra VII" book.

What Are Your Plans After Graduating High School?

    Well...I don't know yet. I mean, I want to go to the University of Minnesota after I graduate high school, but I don't know if I would get in or not. I don't even know what my back up schools are yet. I'm still looking at colleges and researching about schools in Minnesota and schools out of Minnesota.
    I know, I should have already found a school I want to go to, I should already have planned this out, blah blah blah, but it's hard. All schools make it seem like they are the best schools to attend to. My weakness is decision making. I am HORRIBLE at making decisions, especially under pressure. Finding the school and back up schools that I want to go to under pressure is difficult. I'm under pressure because of the small amount of time we have, and I have to decide what college or university I want to go to, what I want to major in, if I'm going to work while in college and if so what job am I going to do, scholarships, applications, etc. It's a lot to take in. I thought I had more time, but time just flew right by. I'm going to be a senior next year and I don't even know what my plan is yet. [Sigh].....

At This Point, What Do You Think The Strongest Part Of Your Paper Is? What Needs The Most Work?

    The strongest part of my paper is probably the research. I have been searching and searching for some more information about the Ethiopian government and the history of Ethiopian politics. Because there is so much controversy surrounding Ethiopian politics, you have to be careful on what sites you are getting your info. from and where. One part that needs more work is probably the family perspective of my paper (since the paper is about MY roots). It is difficult to get a hold of family members who are CONSTANTLY SENDING YOU OFF!! (All caps= I'm pissed). I need to know about my family and how they were affected by the political oppression in Ethiopia, leaving Ethiopia to Bahrain, then from Bahrain to the U.S. (specifically Minnesota).

What Mistakes Do You Make Most Often In Your Writing? What Would Help You Fix This Mistake?

    A mistake that I make most in my writing is probably....hmmm, I don't really know. I think (if I don't fully proofread) the mistake that I make most often in my writing is being vague. When I write something, I write it like how I would understand it. When someone else reads my paper/writing, they don't understand what I'm saying, even though I do. I guess what I'm writing now is like an example of me being vague in my writing. Did that just makes sense?

Why Is It So Important To Have "Evidence" In A Paper? What Would Be Considered Evidence?

    It's important to have evidence in a paper because if you don't, then people are going to wonder how you got your information or where you got your information from. If you don't have evidence then others will think that you just made it up; fiction. Things that would be considered evidence is quotations at the end of the paragraph. In the quotations you need to have the page number or authors name or the person who said its name, etc.

 (P.S. Excited to see The Hunger Games this weekend :D )

Summarize What You Have Learned So Far From Your Research/Interviews Into One Paragraph.

    Well, I haven't gotten to interview my uncles yet because they keep rescheduling on me. But through my research on the web, I learned that during the "political oppression" in Ethiopia, there was famine and a bit of a drought. Also, it is said that the war between Ethiopia and Somalia caused "a national mood of depression".  What i know so far about my family is that they moved from Ethiopia to the U.S. in search of a better life and education. I also know that my uncle went to jail while in Ethiopia during the time of "political oppression". He and a couple of the neighbors were (I think) protesting (about what, I don't know, that's why I need to interview him) and he was arrested.

What Topic Did You Choose For Your Research Paper? What Academic Sources Do You Plan On Using?

    At least for now, my topic for my research paper is the political oppression in Ethiopia and the experience of immigrating to America. The academic resource sources (if that even makes sense, you know what I mean) are frustrating. IT SUCKS ! I type in what I need to know, like "immigration in Ethiopia", and I would get the highlighted words that I typed in the search engine, in a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DOCUMENT/STORY THAN WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR !! It's so frustrating because I have been searching through that website for hours last night, and I found NOTHING. So far, all I'm sure about is who I'm interviewing (my uncles) and my topic that I will be discussing in my paper. That's it.

What Is Your "Go To" Source For Reasearch? When Beginning A Paper, Where Would You Look First?

    My "go to" for research is Google, obviously. If I have a subject I have to write about on a paper, I would go on Google. When I am on Google, I would search the subject and usually use the first site that comes up, which is  (most of the time) Wikipedia. If my subject doesn't have a Wikipedia page, then I would use some other site that shows up on my Google search. I would mostly use any site on the first search page.

What Do You Know About Graphic Novels? Have You Read One Before? How Are They Similar To Conventional Books? How Are They Different?

    I don't know much about graphic novels, except for the fact that they are drawings with captions. Graphic novels consist of more drawings than narration. The characters speak more than the narrator (well, that's how I feel like when reading a graphic novel). I never completed reading a graphic novel, but I started reading one before. I read my cousins Twilight graphic novel. Graphic novels and conventional books are similar because they both have some type of narration. Graphic novels may have pictures, but also require words, captions, narration, etc. just like conventional books. Conventional books don't have drawing. They make you picture what's happening in the book through words, instead of pictures like graphic novels.

When Have You Felt Like You Didn't Fit In? Did The Situation Change? How?

    The first day at IDDS (now FAIR School Downtown) is when I felt like I didn't fit in. I didn't know anyone and I felt alone and different. I got made fun of, but eventually made some friends. The situation doesn't change really. I mean yeah, I have friends NOW, but I feel like if you are outside your comfort zone or in a unknown habitat, you are going to feel like you don't fit in. For example: say you move to a new school or you started a new job or something like that, you are going to meet people who already know each other and you are just going to feel like you are completely alone and don't fit in. Like you don't belong...

Respond To The First Chapter Of "The Namesake". What Was Interesting To You? What Do You Have Questions About?

    The first chapter of "The Namesake" was interesting, yet a little difficult to read. It looked like they were going back and forth between present memories and past memories. Since it was the first chapter I wasn't sure which was which. Like when the mother was giving birth to her child, then it goes and talks about (it think) her husband and his past. The parts that were interesting is when the husband (I think it was him that was talking at the time) is when he said he has lived three lives at or until the age of 30. 

To What Extent Does A Person's Name Shape His/Her Identity?

    Maybe it is to the extent of their nationality. If someone is really into their own nationality and trace their roots of their name into their nationality, it could shape their identity. For example: my name in Amharic means "light". I have looked further into my heritage as an Ethiopian and learned things about my nationality that I never knew. When someone asks me what my nationality is I say I'm an Ethiopian, which is also apart of my identity. I hope that just made sense...

What Is Colonialism? What Are Some Examples Of Colonalist Ideologies?

    Colonialism? I don't even remember what "colonial" means! Doesn't it mean like having political control over a country? Like a president? Well, not like a president (at least I don't think), but a person who is given political control over a country. Something like that... An example of colonialism: (I'm just guessing here) when a very powerful political person becomes a leader of a country.

What Does The Phrase "Double Consciousness" Mean To You?

    The phrase "double consciousness" means having two consciousness to me. It's like one side of your conscious is telling you the right thing to do. The other side of you conscious is telling you, well, to NOT do the right thing. It's basically saying to ignore your instincts and just do "this" or do "that"; to do things opposite of what your other conscious is telling you. It's kind of like going back and forth with yourself, except in your head...if that makes sense...

Why Do We Tell Stories? What Value Do They Have Beyond Entertainment?

    That is a very good question. Why do we tell stories? Hmmm.... I guess we tell stories so that we could expand our imagination. Maybe we tell stories to see how far our imagination and creativity goes. Without stories, we probably wouldn't have the books we have in book stores now. We also probably wouldn't have the imaginations we have without stories. The value of stories beyond entertainment is the power of imagination and creativity in words and in the mind.

What Are Similarities And Differences Between Movies & Books?

    I think movies are more physical than books. What I mean by that is that when you are doing a movie, you have to act out everything and dig in to your own emotions to feel what the character is feeling. Whereas if you are doing a book, it's all in your head. You make up plots and storylines in your head and jot them down on paper. For both books and movies they both require an interesting storyline, plot, etc.

What Makes A Movie Interesting? Is It The Same Or Different From What Makes A Book Interesting? How?

    Understanding what's going on in the movie could make the movie interesting. If you are interested in the storyline/plot then you could find yourself liking the movie. I think the same things apply for books. If you don't understand what's going on in the book and just look at the words, you will most likely not like the book. If the beginning of the book captivates you enough to make you want to read more, or if the storyline also captivates you, then you would be interested.

What Goes In To The Conlcusion Of Your Essay (The Last Paragraph)?

    I think your summary of your thesis/introduction should go into your conclusion paragraph. The only reason why I remember that is because since I was never good at writing my intro. paragraph. My English teacher from 9th grade always used to make us review the ways to write an essay, but he would always talk to me about the conclusion part of the essay because I had difficulties writing it. That's all I remember though, and if that's not it...then I'm screwed.

Write A Short Poem (At Least 7 Lines) About Writing.

Creativity.
Expressive.
Freedom of writing.
Yet there are so many rules to writing
That it diminishes our imaginations piece by piece.
What happens if we just ignore all of the rules
And continue to write what we want and how we feel?

1. What Did You Learn Yesterday About Writing Thesis Statements? 2. What Do You Think Makes A Strong Introductory Paragraph?

    1. Yesterday, I learned that in a thesis statement you can't just say something is "awesome" and not go into detail on the things that make it  "awesome". Also your thesis has to be worth arguing about. What I mean by that is like when you give detailed facts on the things that make your subject "awesome", you have to argue about why they are awesome.

    2. A strong Introductory paragraph.....hmm, I am not very good at making introductory paragraphs. Actually, I was NEVER good at making introductory paragraphs! I'm not sure what makes a good intro. paragraph so I'm not sure how to answer this question.

How Would You Describe A Thesis Statement To Someone That Had Never Heard Of Them? What Do You Think Are Three Essential Elements Of A Strong Thesis Statement?

    I don't know how to describe a thesis statement to someone who has never heard of it before. I can't describe something to someone of I don't even know for sure what it is myself. I sort of know what a thesis is, but I can't explain it into words. I remember doing thesis statements in middle school for 5 paragraph essays, but that was a long time ago. Now that I am in the 11th grade, I cannot even sum it up to words. If you gave me a subject to write an essay on, You would probably see the thesis statement as like "The three best subjects in school are English, Science, and Art" or something like that. And if that's not a thesis statement, then I don't know what it is. At all.

Reflect On Your Project. What Are You Proud Of? What Would You Have Done Differently If You Had Infinite Time/Resources?

    I think Jaquel and I's project is looking good. The pictures are looking good, we were able to find quotes for the pictures, etc. I think it was more difficult to find some quotes form both the web and from the book. If we had more time, I think our video would have been longer. We could've found more pictures and maybe even add some background music if we wanted. I am still proud of our project because when we were first assigned the project, I thought it wasn't going to look this good (p.s. I also learned a little bit of how to work iMovie!!) and we actually took time and worked hard on it.

If A Genie Granted You Three Wishes, What Would You Wish For? You Can't Wish For More Wishes Or More Genies.

    If a genie granted me three wishes...hmm.... what would I wish for? I guess I would wish for being a little smarter, say, like, I would wish my IQ was 160. I would also wish for a time machine so I could go back in time and fix some things in my past (WAY in the past). My last wish would be to read people's minds. I don't know why I would want to read people's minds. I just always thought it was interesting and it would probably make me a better psychologist in the future.

How Does O'Brien Embrace Or Reject Binaries In The Things They Carried?

    I think he rejects the gender binary. When Mary came to visit she came to visit her boyfriend, looking all pretty and girly. Her boyfriend on the other hand is a soldier who fights in the war so he's all macho-man. It kind of changes in the book when Mary disappears and she comes back looking like she can cut you with a stick (a.k.a. she looks like a soldier, therefore manly).

Do You Trust Tim O'Brien (The Narrator, Not The Writer)? Why Or Why Not? Does Whether Or Not You Trust O'Brien Change The That You See His Stories?

    I really don't know at this point. In the beginning of the book, I believed him. As I am going through and reading more of the book, I kind of began to feel that he is not telling the truth, or at least all of it. Then again, there is a part of me that sort of still believes at least a part of what he says. The other half of me is kind of skeptical about what he says. I'll just keep reading the book and find out along the way because I'm kind of torn between believing and not trusting what he says.

What Do You Wish Someone Had Told You About School When You Were Little?

    School isn't all that's cracked up to be. I mean, educational wise, it's god (in some schools). But when you work with other people you don't know, it gets complicated. The other person might not want to compromise or want to do anything at all, but you want to do and finish the work. I wish someone would've told me that working with strangers was going to be difficult. I also wish someone would've told me that school was going to get difficult as you get older. I was never told that. I was just told to focus on the work I had at the time and do good on that.

What Is Courage? What Kinds Of People Have Courage?

    I think that courage is when you stand up for yourself and have the ability to say or do whatever you feel like saying or doing when you are in fear. Courage is kind of like having confidence in yourself while your in fear. Everyone has courage in them in some way. I don't think it's different kinds of people that have courage. Every person is different. Every person's situation/definition of courage is different, so they would approach it a different way than what I just said.

Is This Sort Of Exaggeration The Same As Lying? Where Do You Think O'Brien Has Done This In The Book So Far? Do You Believe Rat Kiley's Story About The Sweetheart Of The Song Tra Bong?

    It is kind of the same thing as lying. I mean, Rat might be telling some truth in his story, but I bet most of the stuff he says are just lies. I'm not sure where O'Brien has done this in the book so far. I don't completely believe Rat's story. In the book it says that "Rat had a reputation for exaggeration and overstatement" (O'Brien 89). So little parts in his story could be true, but most of the story could be made up, a.k.a. lies.

What's The Most Difficult Moral Dilemma You Have Ever Faced? How Did You Cope With The Situation?

    I don't think I have ever faced a moral dilemma. I am not quite sure what a moral dilemma is, but I have heard of it a couple times in my life. I don't even remember how it was used in a sentence, but I do remember hearing the word.