Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Journal 3: Carmen

Part one:
I find that I like the house on mango street just because of the poetic aspect to it. It is probably harder for other people to follow it if they had not already learned a great deal about it. I find that though I like the house on mango street more for its poetic tones I also greatly appreciate the straight forwardness that tells the story thoroughly and in great detail. My reading is actually going great. Since I am a person that can sit down and read for an entire day. these are also very easy reads so i find that my reading habits are very good.

Part 2:
For chapter 8 I chose the title for the chapter to be "The snake, old man and new friends" I chose this because I believe that it embodies the main parts of this chapter in a short and sweet way. In this chapter the boy is stuck in a thicket of Forrest that he cant seem to escape from in this forest he encounters an abundance of wildlife. After this he runs into a group of new companions and they head off for a village that they believe is safe from the war. When they get to a village that seems to be abandoned they find an old man. the old man seems like he will die soon but isn't worried for himself. He is only worried for the boys and showed them a way to get to the village that they believe is safe from war. I believe the theme of this chapter is the fact that there is no trust anywhere.
People cant even trust a group of young boys and its extremely sad. The group of boys were almost killed just because they were thought to be rebels. The vocabulary term that I chose was soukous which is a common dance that was very popular in the 80's. this is important because it is one of the things that saved the boys lives in the end of chapter 9.

Journal 3 - Miranda Beveridge


So far my reading is going pretty well and I am enjoying both of the books. Some of the strengths and weaknesses are how easy it is to read and understand everything happening within the stories like in  " A house on Mango Street" I like that every chapter is a story that intertwine together and they are  easy link's (insight). "The house on mango street " is going better for me because I like the way it is written a lot better than in "Along Way Gone" I rather read about what Esperanza and her family are doing rather than the war that is going on within "A long way gone" I do not find war stories interesting, they are upsetting and I do not find them enjoyable. My active reading habits are very good, I know that I highlight key concepts and things that I find are most important in the story so that it is easy to go back and disregard non important items that are of little value to the story, and be easily see all of the important information about the chapter.

Part Two: Chapter 9 Nutshell
They are near the Atlantic ocean walking along the beach, and stumbled upon an empty village, and began to explore it until fishermen ambushed them and then tied them up and took them to their chief. The villagers then began to question them as the boys were mistaken for the rebels. The boys then began to leave the village and continue on their journey. Their feet were raw from walking in the sand for so long, but began to subside during the fourth night. Eventually they ran into another village and stayed in one of their huts for a week.

Important vocabulary word is Mercenaries: (of a person or their behavior) primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics. I think this is important because it made the village chief believe that they were mercenaries or had belonged to the rebellion. 

Journal 3 from Kendell Miller

A Long Way Gone has been fascinating reading. When I first started reading I didn't think it would be something that I would find interesting. Seeing the war from the perspective of someone who saw it firsthand is something that has become fascinating to me.The biggest strength that I feel A Long Way Gone has is that it is so well detailed. You don't have to wonder whats going on or how things look, you know it. The book is detailed enough that you can picture whats happening and what Ishmael Beah is seeing and experiencing.
The House On Mango Street hasn't been going as well. I still find the book interesting but I'm not a fan of the way it jumps around from story to story I like books that have a clear path and are going in order. The House On Mango Street also does a great job of adding great details. Everything is described in a way that makes picturing it super easy. I also like the way a bunch of different characters have been introduced. I think it gives the book a certain quality that makes it even better to read.
The chapter I chose from A Long Way Gone is chapter 7. There could be many titles to this chapter because so many things happen in it but I chose the title "All Hope Is Lost". I chose this as the title for this chapter because of what I think stood out most about this chapter. The death of the Imam. This scene in particular stood out to me because of the absolute monstrosity it was. "...everyone quickly and silently realizing the rebels were in the village, leaving the imam by himself as he stood there leading the prayer. Some people tried to whisper to him, but he ignored them. The rebels captured him...". You have a man praying, which is something that is very sacred and meaningful, and he continues to pray even though the rebels have come and everyone ran. This, I think, destroys everyone's hope because if they are willing to torture and kill someone that was praying and was a man of faith. If they are willing to kill the imam than they are willing to kill anyone that they come in contact with. This title also fits when the boys go back to the village to see if any people have returned and they find over and over that no one has returned. Imam was one word that I wasn't completely sure what it meant. Imam is an Islamic leadership position. The main challenge in this chapter would be when Ishmael is separated from his bother and friends and has to venture off by himself. So to nutshell this chapter the rebels attack Kamator and captured, tortured and burned the imam. During the attack the boys got separated from each other and Ishmael ventures off by himself.

Journal 3 Nick

Part One:
     I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoy A Long Way Gone, the book is very easy to read and follow. While I find it hard to follow The House on Mango Street, Cisneros is a very good creative writer and really lets you feel what she felt when she was experiencing what was going on. I can definitely say that I prefer Beah's book though. His writing style is completely different, he approaches it as if he were telling you rather than painting a picture for you like Cisneros does. For me it is much easier to understand Beah's. While reading both books when I see something that really speaks to me and peaks an interest, I underline them then highlight the most meaningful ones at the end of the chapter. I find it really hard to actively read in Cisneros' because there is some much detail in such a small portion and cannot narrow down what I find to be the most important and it's hard to follow the plot of where she is now and who's there and keeping track of characters. In Beah's in the longer chapters, at halfway I usually try to summarize the halfway point or up to the climax and everything leading up to it then have a theme and a nutshell at the end of chapter. Along the way if there is a disturbing scene or a very powerful event or even something that sticks out to me, it to gets underlined or highlighted.

Part Two:
     I chose chapter 9, I titled it, Following the Current From Village to Village. I thought this title best suited this chapter due to the narrator's constant moving from village to village and the same thing has seemed to always occur, when they arrive at a village the six of them are perceived as either RUF (Revolutionary United Front) or spies. To the people of the village and the Chief of that village they are the same. The reason my title includes current is due to their arrival at the beach.
My nutshell for this chapter is, the six boys had arrived at the beach and had a moment for happiness and were all playful until finding the village that was presumably empty; village was in fact not empty but awaiting their arrival. The chief of that village took their shoes as punishment and sent them on their way, the children hadn't know how bad this punishment was until they arrived at the next village far away with torn flesh from the bottom of their feet. In this village just as the others they were taken captive and faced death, the only thing that stopped them from this doom was Beah's cassette tapes of rap music.
The vocabulary word that I chose was "soukous" on page 59. Soukous is a style of African music and dancing. The importance of this is it truly shows how hopeful, happy, and relaxed they were on the beach for the small instance.
The tolls of war is the theme I feel best describes this chapter. As shown by, "In truth, realizing that I would be eventually be caught, I had stopped running and offered my hands o be tied." (Beah 65). This really shows how much he has given up hope and use to this by now. To really show this, "I had been through this before, and wondered if it was a new experience for my present traveling companions." (65). He has been through the same situation a few times and last time there was a boy that saved him. This time there was no boy and he knew that. It drained the hope out of him as he was sitting there until yet again his cassette was found and interested the chief. The affect of every capture puts more and more strain on him and pushes him further away from people every time. There is this divide because he is stuck in another world just trying to survive and cling on to what hope he has left. When he said "present companions" it really shows the distance he has between people and that they really do not mean that much in the grand scheme of things. He is in pure self survival mode. In that village he may have been saved from sudden death, but by no means is he living.

Journal 3 from Miguel

Miguel Guerrero
English 1109
 

   My reading so far is going well. I feel my weakness in reading is reading for too long rather than a chapter at a time I tend to read all four chapters at once. This makes remembering all the details from each chapter a little harder. I have been highlighting important sections in each chapter which I think Is helping me remember some of what I read. I think both books are equally great. I don't really see as one going better than the other. I think both stories are great stories and I can't wait until we get to the end of both. I honestly read straight through the assigned reading the day before class. I am very forgetful and tend to forget things quite easily so I wait to read and I skim through the reading the morning of class to refresh my memory on the reading .

    Judgement is what I would call this chapter. It shows how Ishmael and his friends are captured by the villagers there. The villagers all believe that they are mercenaries which is obviously not the case. As it happens the villagers are ready to execute the boys thinking that they are spies.
They are obviously not. But it is interesting to see how they give up and wait for the villagers to pass judgement on if they believe the boys. Taffeta is important in this chapter. Obviously this village hs some wealth in order for the villagers to have clothing made of a silk like fabric.  The theme in this chapter is judgement. "You children have become little devils"... "I do not want to hear any word from a devil." This passage shows that from the beginning they are unwilling to speak to the boys because they have already judged them as devils.

Journal Three: Alyssa

Overall, I think that a Long Way Gone is going better for me. In that book there are a lot of section that really resonate with me. I can very easily make connections to my life, and some of the things that I have learned over the years. When I am doing my active reading I'll just write down anything in the margins that come to my mind when I'm reading the book. Sometimes I get really into the story line and don't really have in thought so I forget to write anything down. For the most part, I'll write down any of the new characters that I come across and even when Ishmael talks about the character I'll write down that characters name and a few things that stick out about them. In The House on Mango Street, the chapters are really short but the words are really powerful. I have always just liked stories that are longer because I like having more time with an author and reading about their experiences.

In chapter 8 I chose the title The Forest, and the Seven Boys.
Ishmael lived in a forest for several months where he survived on fruits (that could have been poisonous). He came a cross a batch of wild pigs that chased him and tried to kill him. After a while of adventuring through a forest he came across these 6 boys, three of them he went to school with. They decided to group up and continue their journey towards Yele.
I think Waleh is an important vocabulart word in this chapter, it means slate. It shows the different names and meaning one culture had from another.
A major conflict in this chapter was definitely Ishmael's will to move on. He said in the chapter that "When I was very little, my father used to say, 'if you are alive there is hope for a better day and something good to happen. If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person, he or she will die.' I thought about these words during my journey, and they kept me moving even when I didn't know where I was going. Those words became the vehicle that drove my spirit forward and made it stay alive." If it wasn't for Ishmeal's father and his wise words, Ishmael may have lost hope and gave up. There are very few things that are more motivating than a person's hope. Many times Ishmael was forced to come to terms with dying, all of those times some miracle happened that allowed him to continue living. This shows that there is still hope for him to come to happier days.

Journal 3 by Patrick Johnson

My reading this far is going ok. Its hard for me to read a long way gone because it is not my style of book that I like to read and it is very sad and its hard to read because of all the death of people. some of the strength of the book is that it shows courage and will to survive thru a civil war. a long way gone is to hard for me to follow it but the house on mango street is a lot easier to understand and to follow. the house on mango street is easier because I don't have to think so hard sometimes about whats going on and whats happen. my active reading could be better then what it is right now its just to hard for me to read three different things at once and I need to make more time for reading and I need to stop getting distracted so easy. My title for chapter seven would be the rebels invade. the rebels capture imam and tie his body to a post and set him on fire also that the rebels attacked during there evening prayer and the rest of the villagers are killed our get away and Ishmael escapes but he is separated from his brother and his friends. My vocabulary word is imam which is a highly religious and revered spiritual leader.  my theme is that Ishmael loses contract with his brother. it conflicts with people because he got separated from his friends and his brother. I had no time to go look for him since the attack was sudden but instead had to run into the bush alone.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Journal 3 by Naomi Hillman

So far my reading is turning out pretty well. Its hard for me to read "A Long Way Gone," because its so depressing that it makes me cry. To think that a little boy going to war sort of breaks my heart. This boy trying to survive throughout the war. As far "The House on Mango street" I loved this book because it funny, it has more humor. She goes back and forth between her name and other peoples name of how there name or nickname came to be. My active reading, I'm mostly reading the house on mango street. Usually I can finish a book in a week or so but its hard to read A Long Way Gone, so instead I'm listening to it. I have a audio book on my home and helps me get through "A Long Way Gone."


Part two: The title for this chapter is religion. In Chapter 7 it talks about religion. Another attack was going to happen in another town. One night the people heard rumors that a bunch of rebels were coming, they were just about 50 miles away from the village of Kamator where a bunch of people were praying. The person leading the prayer was am "imam," which meant that he was in charge of the whole prayer. Wasn't long before the rebels came to the village of Kamator, everyone suddenly got up to hide but the imam stayed back to finish his prayer.


Imam:the person who leads prayers in a mosque

Journal #3- John Hunter Bayer

My overall reading is going quite well. The strength of The House Mango Street is that it brings up a lot of meaning in each chapter, but one weakness I think it has is that its very short. As for A Long Way Gone, the strength about this book is the deep detail that is shared, giving the reader a lot of depth. This book doesn't struggle to do anything for the reader. Even though The House On Mango Street is much shorter, it is going better for me because it is more relate-able to me because of growing up in a new location meeting many new people. In all honesty, my active reading is going well though I don't highlight sentences while read. I normally just write down names, locations and events on a blank sheet of notebook paper and explain the chapter in a nutshell.


 In chapter 6 of A Long Way Gone, the chapter explains the events of how the boys find themselves trapped in a village who believe they are spires sent by the rebels. As they were about to discover there demise, a local boy said they have seen them before preforming rap music in Mattru Jong. The boys are then sent free and then travel to Gibrilla's uncle village, where they practically slave away on farm land until a  rebel attack seperarted Ishmael and his brothers form each other. A good title for this chapter can be called would be "Saved by rap, separated by war", because of it gives a good summary as to what the chapter is about.

I believe a challenge in  this chapter was trust. At the beginning of this chapter, the boys were nearly killed by the village if it wasnt for someone to back up there story. The people in this village has lost trust anyone outside of the village, including children. It proves that war can break even the strongest of trusts and beliefs.

Journal 3 from Matthew Glenn

Part One:

My overall reading has been going great so far.  When actively reading I highlight sentences of a chapter that I like the best and I jot down characters, places, and important events in the margin, so when I skim through the chapter it gives a good refresher. When I actively read I make sure I have plenty of time with no distractions and do it all at once. To me a strength both The House On Mango Street and A Long Way Gone have is the use of details. I feel both stories are showing you instead of telling and give great mental pictures as I am reading. For me, a weakness in The House On Mango Street is that the book isn't one story, but instead each chapter is its own story. However, the way Sandra Cisneros gives the book a comedic feel and includes so much detail, outweighs not having a main story. Personally, A Long Way Gone is a better read for me, but I definitely understand why some people may not like it as much and would consider the graphic details a weakness.

Part Two:

The chapter I have chosen is chapter six. The title I thought best suits this chapter is "Vigilance Fades With Passing Of Time".

Bypassing villages due to rumors about groups of boys, people had attempted to harm Ishmael's group. Eventually, the group was captured, then set free after the chief of the village learned the boys did not mean harm. The boys hear from a passing woman in the village that Gibrilla has family in a village thirty miles away. The group of boys go to Kamator. The boys work for in the village for food and shelter. After a while people began to wonder if the rebels would even come. Four months had passed and they finally arrived. During the chaos Ishmael had been separated from his brother and friends. That was the last time he saw his brother again.

A vocabulary word I think is important is vigilance. The definition of vigilance is the action or state of keeping carful watch for possible danger or difficulties.

I would say a challenge in this chapter that affected relationships between people would be that the village at first anticipated the rebels were coming, but after a while the anticipation disappeared. This became clear on page 40, the last sentence in paragraph three says "But we lost our vigilance to the gradual passing of time.". The people of the village lost expectation that the rebels were no longer coming and moved their focus on producing food. The fate of their actions lead to a surprise attack from the rebels and consequently a loss of their village.

Journal 3 By Tiff

My reading overall is going so far well.My strengths are reading to myself and not in front of people but i am doing my best to get better at that. My weaknesses is that sometimes i cant stay focus on a book for a long period of time i would say more then 2 hours The book that is going good i would have to say is The Book the house on Mango street book because it has a great title and the author really explains how things our in the book in great detail.My habits are i read for at least a couple hours a night its hard but i try to stick with it .The House On mango street makes me want to sit and read the whole book over and over again because its so good. The Book A Long Way Gone is good too it just makes me sad every time i read it so that makes it hard to read it. but it also makes you want to seat on the edge of your seat kinda book . 

i chose chapter 8 in A long Way Gone the title i named this chapter is Survive The Forest Alone!
a nutshell that i have written about this chapter is that beau walks for two days straight doesn't stop unless to eat and to drink water from the creak hes trying to get away from his village and this is where he starts at in the forest but he feels hes being followed by someone so he keeps walking.After getting lost he finally decides to sit and rest.


The vocabulary word i chose was Verandah-  is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure.Loneliness is a theme in this chapter, even though it's his isolation that keeps him safe. The loneliness becomes too much and leads Ishmael to take up with another group of boys even though he knows well the dangers. Through rumor alone, Ishmael and his group terrorize others. People flee or attack when they approach. They are treated as monsters, and Ishmael fears that that is exactly what they are becoming. i think this theme could have some possible relationship conflict between people one possibility is that loneliness causes depression and depression cause you to maybe lash out at some people because your alone and your feeling angry because your alone.
A direct quote  i found is that  loneliness of being in the forest affects Beah the most. Alone with only his constant thoughts, he cannot stop his mind from pondering the fates of his friends and family. He develops a fear of sleeping, anxious that his suppressed negative thoughts would come through in his dreams. As the days pass, Beah keeps searching for a way out of the forest; his efforts are in vain, however, for the forest seems to become thicker and more threatening no matter how far or in which direction he walks.



Journal 3 from Austin

I am enjoying both books so far, A long way gone has really got my attention because young children have to go through such cruel and unforeseen stress, and fear. I love all the imagery Ishmael beah gives us, it truly feels like an insiders prospective. Which i feel is a strength of this book, partially because you truly feel like you're apart of the war as well. As i read this book the imagery, and attention to detail blows me away, Ishmael gives you a full clear image and i think that's part of what makes this book great. A long way gone interests me more because i have a warm heart and feel for what everyone is going through, i always want to know, what's going to happen next? Having a reader want more is a good thing in my opinion, Ishmael beah has certainly done that to me. I am doing my active reading so far, i try to highlight something every page if i can. I want the information to be necessary and useful. I want to use the "nutshell" method as much as i possibly can, it should help me retain the information further down the road when i need it most. Also i think the "nutshell" method is useful for helping a reader fully comprehend the chapter and to help readers remember the key events that occurred in the chapter.

Part two:

"when it rains it pours"

This chapter(6) is a perfect description of how things have been going for the 6 young boys. One morning a group of people were walking through the village they were in, luckily a woman walking through knew Gibrilla. The woman told the 6 boys how to get to gibrilla's aunts village from where they are now,the young men then traveled to the village. In return for the field work they were asked to do, they were blessed with food and shelter. This is a huge upgrade from where they were. Everything went as planned for 3 straight months, no attacks or any violent type of activity from the rebels. After 3 months of working and good living (to them) the rebels decide it's time to destroy. During the attack the 6 boys got separated from her friends and most importantly, her brother junior. I think an important word in this chapter was Unbearable which means not able to endure or tolerate.I picked this word because I'm not sure how many times the 6 boys can endure or tolerate all of the tragic events that's happening to them. The main challenge to me would have to be how junior and Ishmael handles this. " It was during that attack in the village of kamator that my friends and i separated. It was the last time i saw Junior, my older brother" This could very well ended the relationship all 6 of them had. Everything they've all been through together and now they get separated, Ishmael and junior are brothers and now they have no idea what either is doing, They don't even know if one another is alive. That is a challenge i am not sure i could accept.

Journal Three- Alexandra Abrams

PART ONE: My overall reading is going really well. I enjoy the books that we are reading. My strengths in my reading is remembering what I have read after writing and highlighting notes in the book that help create a better image into my mind. My weakness in these books are trying to make a transition from a brutal disturbing book (A Long Way Gone) to a very humorous book (A House on Mango Street). I love both books very much though. My active reading has been consistent. When I have time to just  myself I am able to read more and more. I have trained myself to always finish the chapter to not make any confusion with what I have read. I feel as if I am jotting down some key points that I think are important to the chapter. If I don't have time to read, I always make time. I could be watching a movie and instead I would hold off on the movie to at least get a chapter or two done and analyze what I have read.

PART TWO: I have decided to name chapter 9 in A Long Way Gone, "Seven Boys".
    A nutshell that I have written about this chapter is that the seven boys had arrived at at the Atlantic Ocean. After running away for their lives from the villagers, the seven boys have had some brutal damages to their body starting from the bleeding of the heels to the disturbing memories in their mind. The seven boys mean no harm but rumors have been spread around to villages of the "danger" the seven boys are appeared to be. A man welcome them into their hut although the boys weren't properly welcomed by the start. When all good is to good to be true the boys nightmare of being kicked out again becomes true.
    A vocabulary word that I think is important is mercenaries. This word means: a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army. I think this is very important because the Chief of the village described the boys as these and this made me think of what a lot of the people in the village had thought of with just rumors that were told to each village. 
     A challenge in this chapter that really caught my attention was that the seven boys had to find a way to survive knowing that every village they came across to looked at them as enemies. This affects the relationships between each other in a negative way for both the seven boys and the villagers because there is fear upon each other that is losing the trust of between who is really the enemy and who isn't. This quote from the book really made me see the tension between the two. "The flesh on my face twitched as we waited for the chief to grant us life or death." From this moment I realized that trust has been broken even with kids in their early teens are considered to be enemies in this book. 

Monday, January 25, 2016

Christine Mailey
 Journal 3-Part One:




My overall reading is going very well.  I think both books have strengths.  I like "House on Mango
Street", it has corky stories about her life.  She has very descriptive and unique way of writing.  It is a
fun read.
 I also like " A Long Way Gone", I found myself wanting to read on.  I am wondering how
much more Ishmael can endure.  He is also a very descriptive writer.  His writing unfortunately, has
a tragic description.  As such a young boy, he has been through so much and we are only half way
through the book.  The mother comes out in me, when I am reading this book.  So many things
as a mother touches me.  How this young boy has to survive without his family.  The mother that had
the baby die on her back.
My active reading habits are going well.  I have not done this in the past, I feel
it is helping me.  Before, when reading I found myself getting lost at times.

Part Two:

"No Sight of Humans for Five Days"

This chapter focused first on their beliefs.  The imam (a preacher) was burned alive in the mosque by the rebels.  Ishmael's father had a ceremony to bless their new house (a reflection).  Ishmael decided he was tired of living in fear, and decided to leave.  He started his journey by himself.  He was separated from his brother and his friends during the rebel's attack on the village.  He was deep in the forest, to keep from encountering the rebels.  He did not see humans for five days.  On the sixth day of his journey he came upon a family swimming in the river.  They were not friendly at all.  People did not trust strangers anymore. "It was clear from the tone of his voice that he didn't want me around and didn't trust me".   The father of the family finally did tell him the direction he should walk in order to get to his destination by the sea.

Matthew Rimmer: Journal #3

Matthew Rimmer
English 1109
Journal Three

Part One:
My overall reading is going good. While reading I take the time to write down the characters and places introduced in each of the books. I also underline or highlight things that seem to stick out to me. These underlines/highlights usually include descriptions to people, places, and even important events that takes place. Now for "A Long Way Gone" I write a short nutshell to the chapters I read.

In my opinion the strength to "The House on Mango Street"  is that Cisneros really introduces us to herself and her own surroundings. She takes the time truly describe herself, her family/friends, and her environment in a way that almost makes you fell like you are there. To be honest I do not really see any weaknesses to this book. However, there is something that sticks out to me and this is the fact that a lot of the chapters are short. This is not really a issue but I do not really like short. To be honest I do not know why this is but I would guess it is because.
In my opinion the strength to "A Long Way Gone" is that Ishmael really brings life into the book. He strongly describes all of his experiences in such detail that it feels as if you are in his shoes. He not only just talks about his experiences but he describes what he was thinking, how he was feeling, etc., you know the whole dynamic of his experiences instead of just pieces of them. To be honest I do not really think there are any weaknesses to the book.

For me reading "A Long Way Gone" is going easier. However, I am not saying that "The House on Mango Street" is harder. For me it is the fact that "A Long Way Gone" has more to it in a sense. With each chapter there are new scenarios and/or a build upon from a scenario. For me this make it easier to take notes and write down thoughts while reading and building upon previous thoughts and notes. To be completely honest I actually enjoy reading both books but I like "A Long Way Gone" a little more though.

Part Two:
For "A Long Way Gone" I have chosen to discuss chapter six.

The title I came up with for chapter six is "Journey to Kamator, Only to be Challenged". The reason I came up with this name is because of the fact that Ishmael and his group traveled to Katamor where they were able to stay for shelter and food in exchange for work but months after the rebels came and turned everything upside down.

Ishmael and his friends had faced many challenges. Due to rumors they were feared so they were once attacked by villagers which caused them to decide to only travel around the villages instead. They eventually made it to the village of Kamator, where they stayed. They would work in exchange for food and shelter by keeping watch for the rebels. However, after months of no sign the village came to the conclusion that the rebels would not come regardless of Ismael and his friends' warning. So they were moved to work in the field until the day came that the rebels did come and turned everything upside down. As a result Ishmael was separated from his group.

A word that I find important is separated. Separated is the act of people or objects being apart from another. I think this is a important term because at the end of chapter six Ishmael becomes separated from his friends and he will have to face being alone (maybe for the time being at least).

The theme that sticks out to me is that people believe what they want to believe regardless of the reality. The sentence that best describes/supports this theme is on page forty-one in the top paragraph at the bottom. "Even though we tried to convince them otherwise, the villagers grew certain the rebels weren't coming, and so they ordered us from our scouting posts and out into the fields.". Even with the war going on the villagers believed the rebels would not come even though they knew it happened to other villages. So as a result they were blindsided by their beliefs and was vulnerable to the attack that came. As people we tend to believe what we want to even if reality says different. However, the thing is we do not realize this until we come face to face with reality. Then we are forced to open our eyes and accept that we are at fault for only accepting what we believe.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Journal Two - Miranda Beveridge



Hello I am Miranda. I have lived in Marion, Ohio my entire life. I went to Harding High school and was apart of the Marching Band for four years along with concert, symphonic, and pep band for seven years. We took many grand champion titles throughout my four years along with receiving "1 Superior" at state every year which is the highest ranking and is the equal to Grand Champion. The band also traveled to Tampa and Orlando Florida to compete in a battle of the bands over which band was best and whichever band had the highest score would be the band to be able to perform the pre game show at the Outback Bowl. Harding had the highest over all score from the judges and got the honor of being able to perform our own show for the pregame show and it was broadcast on national television for all of America to be able to watch our award winning show!  I was also in the school musicals as apart of the chorus for "
Beauty and the Beast", "Shrek the musical" and "Les Miserables the Musical edition" for three years.

My fun fact: Is that I hate doorknobs, hand rails, escalator rails and other things that people and students commonly touch on a daily basis. I hate germs, I hate being sick and that is the quickest way to get sick. I hate it.

My reaction to "A long way gone" I am just amazed by how vivid he remembers everything that was happening around him and what he was wearing when they were on their way to Mattru Jong, and he is able to describe his attire exactly.


Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Journal Two From Kendell Miller

Hello, my name is Kendell Miller I'm 18 years old. I was born and raised in Marion until 7th grade which is when I moved to a very small town just outside of Bucyrus. I went to a small high school called Wynford it was what you would call a country school. At wynford I  was very involved in the agriculture program. Being involved in this type of program I learned a lot about animals and agriculture. This lead me to chose a major that is similar to what I was involved in. My major is a branch off of Environmental Science, its called Forestry Fisheries and Wildlife. I am specifically interested in the wildlife aspect of that major which makes me a Wildlife Science major. After college I will most likely attend graduate school and go on to do something maybe in zoology or a wildlife researcher. I'm not completely sure of what I want to do after graduate school I only know I want to do something with animals. My fun fact is that all of my pets are named after Muppet characters.

A Long Way Home really surprised me because when I think of war I don't imagine how it began I typically imagine the war when it is well underway. The theme that is most obvious is war. This book shows how one day everything was fine and the next people are dying and the war is happening. Its a crazy thought to me that one second these people are living their lives doing the things they do everyday and then the next most of them are dead. This first chapter alone really shows what its like to be in a country plagued by war.


Sunday, January 17, 2016

Journal Number Two From Tiff

     Hi
          My name is Tiff i was Born and raised in the city of Marion Ohio.I am a very creative person i love science. I am a  Food business management major. If there was one thing that would help better understand me is that i have one of the greatest personality and sense of humors that you could meet  i am always smiling and laughing because that's just who i am. my dream is that i want to open a restaurant when i graduate college.  i am not sure what type of restaurant but i do want to open some type of business . One fun fact of mine is that i am a Green Bay Packers Fan.




What stood out to me in the book long way gone was in the middle of the of the first chapter where there was chaos happening children was getting killed by rebels family's were carrying there kids though the forest to get away from the war.I think this was important because if we keep sending our soldiers over seas to war this good happen to us one of the other country we are fighting against could take over and there wont be anything left. this theme doesn't have a whole lot of meaning to me but if were not carful we could be put ion to massive chaos and that means alot too me.


                                 
At My older sisters wedding

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Journal Two from Matthew Glenn

Hi, my name is Matthew and I am a freshman. I'm currently undecided on a major, but I am interested in business and law school. I was born and raised in Delaware, Ohio. I am easygoing, I like to travel, try new things, and go new places. I would say my hobby is music. I have a huge appreciation for music of all types and could listen for hours.  
 
 
 
The theme in A Long Way Gone that was most apparent to me is war. The book tells how quickly war can change things and how devastating the effects can be. It's important because it tells in a short period of time, how life the boy had once known, was gone and how he is uncertain about his family's well being. To me this means with the issues that he is facing, there will be many more to come in the book, but he continues to persevere.

Journal Two from Nick

My name is Nick. I have lived in Ohio all of my life. I am a middle child of two other brothers. I play games mostly and when I am not I am outside hiking , going to parks, or just enjoying nature. A fun fact about me is that I love jewelry, more specifically watches. The most watches I have ever owned at one point was twelve and realized that its an expensive hobby to collect watches especially with a minimum wage job. So I sold most and put the money towards school.

Above is a picture of myself.
The theme I took form A Long Way Gone, was carnage and dismay. There was clear evidence of carnage in the chapter where countless people were killed. The dismay and chaos was displayed though the reactions of Gibrill's response to why he was back so early and why the talent show had been canceled. Gibrilla informed his friends of the horrific news that the rebels had attacked their village and the their grandmothers village was next.

Friday, January 15, 2016

journal two from Patrick

My name is Patrick Johnson I grew up in a little town called Ashley.  Then I moved to Marion when I was in fifth grade.  I went to pleasant up to my senior year. I was in the marching band I played the base drum. when I was in tenth grade i built a working ballista and a catapult thats my fun fact.
when the war came to their village they where not there. because they left a couple days before their village was attacked. my theme is that they care about their family and that they agreed to go back and see if there family got out alive. to me that is courage and strength and shows how strong they care about the people they know and love.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Journal #2 from John Bayer

Hello, my name is John Hunter Bayer. I am freshman and currently exploring majors here at OSUM. I live near a small town about an hour away called West Mansfield. a little fun fact about me is that I remember every little reference I have heard some multiple types of media and use them on a everyday basis for no reason. The reason this is my fun fact is because is once you know me for a while, you will begin to hear and say the references that come out of my mouth.



In the first chapter of A Long Way Gone, I think the theme that caught my interest was the quick impact of war. The chapter escalates quickly by having the main character and his brothers and friends having a normal day to instantly watching mothers and fathers carry there own children that were killed. I think what made catch interest in this was how it wasn't just this event happening, this event happens almost every day for them. they see soldiers being shipped out to fight the rebels, as well as the refugees coming into town. I think this is important because these events are only the beginning of what is to come in the story

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Hello, my name is Naomi Lee Hillman I'm from Cincinnati Ohio.I love mostly write and listen to music half the time. When I write I tend to loose my train of thought for I write to fast that my grammar is poor, along with my spelling. One fun fact about me is that i love to watch anime(Japanese Cartoons). OTAKU!!!!!
            There are so many themes to this Autobiography, but the main theme I want to point out is "Survival." The first theme to this book would have to be survival because, it talks about a boy name Ishmael Beah who was distress due to the wars he had to participate in Sierra Leone. This theme is important to me because he was only a boy when he found out that he had to par take in the war and that to me is very important. To me this theme means that Ishmael had choice to either live or die throughout this whole experience. Will fight and die trying or will he chose to not fight and die because of the riots and shooting that been going on?

Journal Two-Christine Mailey

Journal Two: Christine Mailey

Hello, my name is Christine Mailey.  I love spending time with my husband Jeff and daughter Moriah.  I also enjoy being outdoors.  We live in the country on eleven acres and have six cats, three dogs, a horse, bunny, and chickens.  In the past we have also had goats, pigs, and a cow.  We also plant a large garden and I enjoy mowing our very big yard.

A Long Way Gone

The theme that stood out to me the most in the first chapter, is when the rebels were going town to town massacring town's people.  The author went into great detail describing the people that were fleeing from their war-torn town.  Some people did not even know they were shot.  A baby on her mother's back was killed and there was blood dripping from the mother's back, the baby was killed by the rebels bullets.  There was another description of a man that drove up in a Volkswagen, his family had also been shot and killed by the rebels.  He was wounded, but was not aware of it.  I think it is important for the author to tell his story, about what they went through.  I think it is also important to share these experiences, through writing and reading.  You will always take something away from the reading.  What I took away from the very first chapter, is how very blessed I feel living in a free country and do not have to worry about this kind of tragedy.

Matthew Rimmer: Welcome and Introduction

Hello my name is Matthew Rimmer, and welcome to my blog post. I enjoy reading to an extent as I mostly read Stephen King books although I have not read one in a while. I love to listen to my favorite band Skillet while doing just about anything. My fun fact is that when I listen to my music I tend to have it turned up as loud as possible to become oblivious to my surroundings so I can escape into my head.

The theme from A Long Way Gone that I got from it and that stood out to me is that war is and will always be present. This is important to me because their is always war in one form or another. Whether is is full out war between two groups or war with one's self. It has been with us for as long s time has stood.


Journal 2- Alexandra Abrams

Hello my name is Alexandra Abrams, but I prefer Alex because a lot of people mistake my name wrong all the time which is totally fine. I answer to anything that has Lex in it. I was born in Lubbock, Texas. I know very little about Texas because I have lived in Marion, Ohio since I turned 4. A lot of people may remember me by how short I am because I am only 4'9 and 3/4. In order to describe myself I will give words that other people pretty much described me as. I have been told that I am bubbly, energetic, funny, and clumsy. But the one phrase that I get a lot is that I am the type of person to brighten your day and I love it. My fun fact is, I love animals, plants, and anything that is living and non-living(includes rocks). I am all about nature.

A Long Way Gone really set me back into my seat. While reading this I was incredibly shocked of how things turned around so fast. From the beginning of chapter 1, that Ishmael Beah had wrote on page 5 said, " Some people felt sorry for them and offered them places to stay, but most of the refugees refused, because they said war would eventually reach our town". When I first read this I was concerned of the way chapter one would end. One major part in chapter one that showed so much imagery would be on page 12 paragraph 3. I won't spoil what happens but the theme of this section would be war. To me this important because it is showing a terror of a story that went from then characters doing what they love turned into a nightmare of returning to a place they used to call home.
This is my fiancĂ© and our dog, Katana 

journal two from Austin

Hi, my name is Austin Costlow, I am a freshman and this is my first semester on campus, so i'm still learning everything and trying to figure it all out. High school wasn't the best of years for me. But i'm trying to turn the tide in college. I hope to obviously graduate college and be a middle school teacher when i'm older, Along with that i hope to coach high school football as well. My fun fact would have to be my love for sports. It's my main passion, i have a lot of love and respect for sports.


The theme that stood out to me most was war and how it impacted the young children, junior, talloi, and the narrator. A war can change people lives, mainly negatively. I feel this theme is important simply because lives are lost and hearts are broken, towns torn apart, and buildings torn down. Those are all catastrophic events that would change someones life, and i feel for those people.

Carmen Curtis Journal Two

Carmen Curtis
Journal 2
Hello my name is Carmen Curtis. my major is art education and for this major I plan on becoming a high school art teacher. I like to do anything that gives me the chance to show my personality. I love all forms of art. Fun fact would probably be that I am really clumsy. When I was moving into a new house I had accidentally set my grandfather on fire and had to put him out with chocolate milk because we hadn't had the water turned on yet. He turned out fine but still doesn't trust me around electrical wires.
I find it interesting that the boys thought tat this war wouldn't last long even though the war had already hit heir home town. Even after this the boys hadn't realized how this would affect them or how their town might look once they get back, if they could even go back home after the attack.
They wanted to look for their families but didn't know what they would be walking into or who they would run into on the way there.

This is what I look like on a regular day.

Journal Two from Miguel Guerrero

     My name is Miguel Guerrero. This is my first year at OSUM. I was born in Miami and moved around a lot through out my childhood until I arrived in Marion. I joined the Military out of High school and had fun with all that comes with that. I am currently back in Marion to go to school and pursue a different career. I am married with two kids, two dogs, a cat and an iguana that refuses to pass away from the cold. My hobby is repairing or messing around with electronic software and hardware.



I believe the main theme of the first chapter is how war slowly creeped its way into their lives and started to affect how they viewed their lives. I think it is important because it begins showing how care free they were about the war. They believed it was a million miles away until they traveled 16 miles away only to find out their home had been ravaged by the far away war. As they traveled home to attempt to see if there was anything left they slowly learn of the horrors as people run away from what they run towards. Eventually after seeing the mother carrying her dead child they lose hope and they turn back. I believe the theme to me shows the start of this child losing his ability to grasp what humans can do to each other. It will be a start I believe to what leads him into being coerced into becoming a child soldier.

Journal Two from Alyssa

I suppose the right way to introduce yourself is to start with a name. My name is Alyssa. I have two children that walk on four legs. My first is a ten year old white cat. He is my baby. The second is a ten month old golden retriever. I love animals so much. Especially cats.  I also am massively in love with music, mostly rock or metal core. I also really love reading, and am in the middle of reading the Blue Fairy Book. My fun fact is that it would be frowned upon to have a thousand cats, so my goal is to have nine hundred and ninety-nine cats.


In A Long Way gone, there was one spot that really got to me. When the boy saw a woman carrying a child on her back with blood trailing behind them. He said that the child had a bullet partially sticking out of his head. That really got to me because it's like right there the author really had to grow up. Before that moment he said that he didn't quite understand what war was really about. Now reality really struck and he saw people dead. Many times people are always wishing to grow up, and then when they got old they realize they wish they wouldn't have grown up so fast. This boy thinks that his family are dead. He's on his own. That's really forcing him to grow up.

Introduction and Welcome from Mike Lohre

Hello students and welcome to our class blog.

Our goal today will be to familiarize ourselves with the features of the blog, gain authorship, and write an Introduction of ourselves for the class, so that we can get to know each other and have a basis for our writing community.

Once you become a member, write two paragraphs for your first blog post.

Refer to the handout I gave you for the prompt for this writing, and hints on how to use the blog.

Good luck and see you here on the blog!

Mike

This is Irene at our house, going out to feed the chickens.