Race, ethnicity, and culture

Our race, ethnicity, and culture

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Martinez, David <dmartinez80@cps.edu>
Date: Fri, Jun 12, 2015 at 7:45 AM
Subject:
To: twinfrey2000.kennedykid@blogspot.com

David Martinez

Wrong color, bad timing

Living in a world where we can only wear black or white. Not being able to wear your favorite color just because you might get mixed up and shot. We teens live in a messed up generation in which we can't wear any type of color because we are too scared of the outcome. I've been in a couple of these situations, but the latest was the most terrifying since I had a gun pointed at me. I had just left a party in which my cousin and I were wearing baby blue shirts with black dress pants. We had barely finished pumping gas into his car when a black tundra just parked in front of us and a couple of people came out with guns pointed at us. This was all in pilsen and two weeks ago. Now imagine what has happened in the past years. There was a killing over wrong shoe color. On May 29, 2015 a special needs teen was shot and killed in front of his mother over shoe color. His name was Tavin Price he walked in into a store where he was approached by somebody who asked him to take off his red tennis shoes, assuming they were gang affiliated. Tavin walked out the store and told his mom in which she said lets go. Before they could leave a gang member approached them and shot Tavis in front of his mother. How sad is that the teen was shot only for wearing red tennis shoes.  When memorial weekend came there were 56 shot, and 12 killed. We cant have a peaceful weekend to remember those who gave their life for this chaotic city to go on. There have been 180 deaths this year only for Chicago. Most of the people that were shot were either blacks or Latinos. These gangs are taking over everything we care about. If they really want to kill or die they should just join the army since they have a opportunity to kill and die for their country, family, and friends. Many of these people rather kill innocent people to enjoy their lives not knowing the damage they do to the victims.  

David Martinez

Creative writing

Pilsen

My favorite place has always and will be pilsen. I was born there and have most of my family there. Pilsen has always been my favorite place to be, it always makes me calm down when Im having problems. The artists in this neighborhood are known for their murals and paintings. You can't go to one street without seeing a mural, painting, or tagging. The people there are mostly Latinos who are doing there best to make their kids have a better future and have more than their parent had, that's the goal of each Mexican parent. The only bad thing about this place are the gangs but where aren't there gangs to screw up everything that their generations before worked hard to built. That place is always busy, loud, and dangerous. There are many festivals that are made there which are pretty good. The many people that live there always wake up early since their jobs are mostly in downtown or in factories which start there day at five or six in the morning. The kids are expected to be more in life to later repay their parents for all their sacrifices that they have done to make a living for their kids. My grandma had to leave her kids back in mexico and didn't see them till they were fifteen or sixteen years old. Many families leave love ones back in their home country to come to this supposedly "land of money" which is all a hoex.

Kobe editoral

Violence in Chiraq

Why all the violence in Chicago? Have you seen people sneak dissing on social media? Have you heard about the gun violence and gangs in Chicago? Music in Chicago has a big influence on gun violence in gangs in the city of Chicago. Chief Keef a well known Chicago rapper who has put out music about gangs in Chicago. He also had beef with the late rapper little JoJo who was shot and killed for making a rap video that was dissing chief keef's gang. 50 to 80% of the murders in Chicago are gang related. Most of the reasons for them is social media. The only way to stop gun violence, gangs, and sneak dissing on social media is to bring awareness about these issues in the city of Chicago. The way to do this is by having marches and pep rallies. We as Chicagoans have to take action and let our Politicians know that we are tired of the violence in the city of Chicago. We have to make sure that we watch over our neighborhood carefully and closely. That we keep our neighborhood safe and secure for the little kids in the neighborhood. The killings in Chicago that happen are so stupid. It's these young teenagers and gangs trying to make a name for themselves and act tough to impress their peers. The sad thing about it is that they need a gun to do so. Once the parents start watching their child closely most of these immature killings and shootings happen in the city of Chicago. Some neighborhoods in Chicago are terrorized by gangs and gun violence that all the kids don't want to come outside and play. By all of this happening the teenagers between ages 13 and up are influenced by doing it. Only because their friends are doing it and they want their friends to think they are cool.   All in all I think the violence won't stop in Chicago until we take action. That we Chicagoans come together and keep each other safe. We must do this to insure that we live in a better city that is big and beautiful that is called Chicago and not chiraq. 

Is this really home? By Daniela Zepeda

Daniela Zepeda

Is this really home?

You hear about it all the time, in the news or the radio, a young boy was shot… mother wipes for her baby’s death… but you think to yourself “ that won’t happen to me.”

Dozens of homicides and about 80 percent are gang related. From month year old babies to teens who are being shot daily from a bullet that could have been prevented.

Is home really a home when your love one is gone? Think about it, can you really call a place home when you can’t even walk around your block without having the fear of getting shot? It’s the reason why so many families have been separated from their loved ones.

The quote “Don’t shot, I want to grow up,” is an example of how many gang related shootings involve an innocent child who was maybe on his way to school. A child that could have still been here and perhaps be able to graduate from 8^th grade.

In Chicago, according to ABC News there are 100,000 gang members but only 12,000 cops. Just in 2015 alone, since October 18, there are 419 homicides, more than the US soldiers in Afghanistan of 259 homicides. The murder rate in Chicago is 4 times higher than NYC and more than 2.5 times higher than Las Angeles.

Jonylah Watkins, a 6 month year old baby was shot on March 11, 2013 while her Dad, Jonathon Watkins, was changing his baby’s diaper in the passenger’s seat. Jonylah had 5 gunshot wounds and her dad suffered from several other gunshot wounds, but Jonylah died just a day later. Nine months to bring her in this world and 6 months for someone to open fire and take the life of an innocent.

How many more deaths does it take so Chicago can open up their eyes and do something about it. Nevertheless, it wasn’t your baby who was shot, right? And what if it was your child who died that gunshot? Its only when it happens to you when you decide to do something about it.

It’s scary to think that your children can be shot at any minutes in any place because even being in front of your house isn’t safe. But we tend to close our eyes to reality and act like it’s not our problem. It’s our home, the place you and your children grew up in and it’s definitely our problem.

We at least know one person who was shot from gang violence and died. If we don’t act now your son/ daughter could be the next victim on the news who has been reported dead from a gunshot. Like Dr. Sues ones said “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” 

Please don't kill me!

Please don't kill me

Don't shot I want to grow up! That's the posters around Chicago's neighborhoods to try to stop the violence. Without knowing we are so afraid of our little children to grow up in such a mess up world, where people fight to see who has more power. But by killing innocent children, killing others as well. As a matter of fact gangs have always taken a big part of Chicago's residents, ever since 1919 when the segregation started. Two different groups started fighting over territory over where they were supposed to be. Sadly this violence still happens until now, but now is not because of territory to see who has more power without caring about the ethnicity of the group. In 2014, on the month of July about 278 were wounded and shot and on August 54 murders. The rate of violence in summer is the worst; the gangs have no way to stop. Most of the murders also are students, innocent kids that might be playing outside their house. This innocent kids that are barely growing up seem to even be scare going home or on their way to school. Yet, these gangs take advantages of these kids and try to incorporate them into the wrong path. Chicago is known by "Chiraq" we can't call a place home after all this violence and killing. The killing of innocent kids, for example on a sunny afternoon more like a June day, Aliyah a 6 year old girl was killed, by several gunshots in her  abdomen. She later died at Mount Sinai Medical Center. No innocent kid should be killed; they don't get to choose their future. Later on, they had a memorial day to remember her, with lots of balloons and people saying the memories they had of her. But it doesn't stop there, more violence still happens.  Theirs more people kill in Chicago rather than U.S soldiers in Afghanistan. Violence is not going to stop ever, but what we could do is help those others that still have the opportunity to succeed. For example theirs this association that helps others, young adults and kids to feel safe to play in the park. Beyond the Ball for 7 years almost have try to get everyone out of the streets, by cleaning the community, doing art, sports, even some of them get to get jobs. It's just the effort you make to succeed in life. No other innocent people have to die, or be afraid of going out. This should be a safe country for those who choose the right path. Everyone has the right to live right and not to be afraid of the violence of "Chiraq's" streets.

 

 

 

Racism Can Kill The "Beautiful Game"

Racism and soccer cannot be one thing, soccer is the world's most played sport and racism being part of the "beautiful game" affects the way it is viewed. Will soccer players keep facing racism? According to fan's actions and comments it will continue. Mario Balotelli, the Liverpool striker, faces racism every so often. Each and every dark skinned soccer player gets racist comments yelled at them from the stands. All these bad compliments have made players walk out of the soccer field because of how bad they are looked down at. Another soccer player Gervinho, the Ivory Coast winger, faced a crucial racist assault at his game with his club Roma when a inflatable banana balloon was thrown at him and called a black monkey, the whole stadium started laughing at him because of that. These types of assaults are very offensive, therefore the fans should be fined or even banned from entering the stadium simply because racism shouldn't exist in a "beautiful game" like soccer. Another victim facing racism is FC Barcelona's defender, Dani Alves. An actual banana was thrown at him during a game, his response to this racial insult was to pick the banana up from the grass and took a bite from it. Another racial problem faced in soccer is a fan saying racial slurs to another fan. A white 8 year old boy turned to an opposing team fan and yelled, "black monkey!" Insulting a dark skinned fan once again because of the skin color, youths shouldn't be raised that way to put others down. People should educate their youth not to be racist since racism has been a big problem in soccer. Every soccer player, fan and people in general should be seen equally regardless of their skin colors because at the end of the day everyone is a human being with different backgrounds and cultures. Racism will never stop but if one wishes that it comes to an end then be the difference you wish to see in the world.  

Roberto Garcia

Editorial

Violence in Chicago

The high number of killings and violence in Chicago have given it its nickname Chiraq. Many people feel unsafe to even go outside in their own neighborhoods because of this violent city. People say that this violence is due to high gang activity in the streets of Chicago. Mainly gun violence and gang activity has put fear into the lives of the people from the Windy City.

In the news story “5 dead, and 29 wounded in weekend shootings across Chicago” it says, “Five people were killed, and at least 29 others have been wounded including an off-duty Policeman, in separate shootings across Chicago.” This tells us that in only one weekend 5 people were killed, and 29 were wounded due to the violence in Chicago. Chicago's local law enforcement isn't even safe on these streets. These gangs don’t seem to care who they point their guns at.

From October 18, 2014 up to date there has been 419 murders caused by gang activity. This is more than twice of Los Angeles’s murders. We also have to take into consideration that LA’s population is a lot higher than Chicago’s. This high murder rate due to gang activity has claimed the lives, not only of other gang members, but of innocent people through Chicago. You see on the news of innocent kids being shot because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. These gangs in Chicago are vicious and reckless.

Ultimately, it would take lots of time to cleanse these streets of such violent gangs but the best approach would be to reinforce law enforcement to areas high in gang activity and slowly regain our streets so people will stop being afraid to step outside their door. The numerous deaths caused by this violence is too high to go unnoticed and something needs to be done. People need to do something about this and act.

The Younger Gereration

I think the biggest problem in Chicago is how the younger generation acts. Nowadays it’s hard for many younger people to “fit” in or find the right place for them. The majority of the problems tend to happen in middle school and high school; maybe even elementary school. High school is a rough four years for many people.. Either going down the good or the wrong path. What happens to many people is that they tend to try and act like everyone else so they end in the wrong path. They start doing drugs or even gangbanging, but that’s not going to get them far in life. Everyday many lives are taken because of gang relation violence and the lives that are taken are sometimes the innocent bystanders. Not only the outside, but a lot happened inside schools too. Chicago Public Schools isn’t the best place to send your child to school. Not saying things don’t have in other schools, but students sell drugs, act out in class, and even start fights for no reason. For example students cuss out their teachers when they aren’t happy about their grades, but in all reality it’s because they don’t pay attention or try. Selling drugs have become easier to sell in school because they don’t have the police dogs come in the school and search around. In suburb schools the police dogs come in and check and when someone has drugs they get taken to jail. If that were to happen here in these schools they wouldn’t be sold as much. Also, violence in another problem. Fights over irrelevant drama happen often. So many things can be done to stop these problems from happening, but it’s almost out of control. This is partially the reason why the older generation doesn’t have respect for the younger gernations and judges everything they do.

Anthony Gonzalez CW Final

Anthony Gonzalez

Period.1

CW Final

Police Brutality

        Police Brutality is a problem that has been going on for decades in America. The problem is that police have too much power and they feel the need to abuse their power instead of protecting the people. Not all police are bad but a majority of today's police take advantage of what they have. Instead of serving and protecting the nation they're hurting the nation and many cases show that. Recently what's been going on with the news is police officers have been seen and recorded arresting civilians and trying to calm down crowds. The problem with all this is they're not only arresting people but they're brutally arresting them with excessive force and very unacceptable behavior. There has been unfortunate events where the police think it's okay to gun down civilians because they're "chasing down the suspect" and as they proceed to gun down victims they know before hand that the victim either didn't have any weapons, the victim wasn't resisting arrest, or the officer was well aware that excessive force was being used during the procedure, but as police officers they believe they have every right to "do their duty" and harm and or murder the victim. This isn't right what so ever. Not only are the police killing civilians but they're affecting the victim's loved ones. In recent time riots have broken out for cases like Freddie Gray in Baltimore who had his head smashed into a car by police, the teens who were arrested with extreme force in Mckinney Texas, and for teens who were shot dead by police in Chicago. Another major problem with all this is that most of the time it's a white police officer who commit these unjust crimes on African American civilians. The black community hasn't taken things very lightly and neither have other concerned American civilians. Protests that lead into riots goes to show how much the people are willing to take and that isn't much more. Anarchy is no answer to anything but a sign of horrible things to come if the police don't quit their non-sense. The people of America have more reasons to not feel safe on the streets and that new reason is that civilians don't want to be murdered because police officers feel it's the right thing to do. Officers that commit these crimes rarely receive the justice they deserve and it sickens many people. This proves that these specific police officers are the real criminals. Keep in mind not every police officer is bad because that's not true at all but many officers are just as bad the "criminals" roaming the streets and the only difference is that officers are protected by their badge and their gun. All in all the main problem in America is police brutality and the only way for things to get better is for the government to demand that all police officers have cameras in their cars and uniforms to ensure that only the real criminals serve time and not defenseless civilians.

Hailee Fitch

1st period

June 9, 2015

Socially Awkward

 As I'm writing this paper about 32.7 people may be raped.

  " Rape: the crime, typically committed by a man, of forcing another person to have sexual intercourse with the offender against their will."

   683,000 American women are forcibly raped each year. 56,916 per month; 1,871 per day; 78 per hour; and 1.3 per minute. 

  "Don't tell me how to dress, tell them not to rape."  This quote along with many others are carried around on posters around the world, yet no one listens. Girls are judged by what they wear, called sluts, whores, etc and because of this boys think it's okay to rape because their clothes "provoked" them.  Girls nowadays can't wear what they want or what they at one time felt combatable in because they have to be worried about being sexually attacked.

   Being sexually attacked can cause so many problems physically and mentally. Almost one-third (31%) of all rape victims developed PTSD sometime during their lifetime; and more than one in ten rape victims (11%) still has PTSD today.  PTSD is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Which means each day they relive the trauma of having part of their innocence torn away from them.  Rape victims will attempt to avoid thoughts, situations, or people that are reminders of the trauma. Their anxiety will increase so much most of them will be on medicine for it (not including the medicine for depression). Being constantly on guard for danger, and being easily startled is their natural reactions to everything.

  Men need to start understanding the word no.  Men need to understand that when women are raped they are never the same after this. The girls feel as if they are worthless. Most women who are raped usually go through serious social withdrawals, depression and most of the time substance abuse. The social part is because she doesn't want to be put in the same situation that got her raped in the first place. From the research I have done, it seems like many women feel "dirty" and like they did something wrong to deserve being raped. The rape makes them feel like if they can be used like that they aren't really worth anything. Drug abuse is fairly common since for most women it can be an escape from the feelings they have

  Now let's take a moment to pray for the 32.7 people that were possibly raped while I was writing this paper.

Jenessa Martinez
March 4, 2015

Short Story

A beautiful young women named Diana Rodriguez was only 17 years old she was born in Guadalajara Jalisco she moved to Chicago when she was only 4. She lives with her Mother, Adela and her 3 Sisters, Rossie, Alex, and Veronica  and her 3 brothers Armando, Jorge, Juan Carlos out of the 7 brother and sisters Diana was the baby. One night her Mom and her sister Alex decided to to the bar they wanted to take Diana for the first time, but the problem was that Diana was only 17 years old, her mom said " Diana let's go you don't have to drink any alcohol we just want to go because theres this really cute dj who plays really good cumbias and other types of songs" Diana said " Are you sure I can go I'm only 17 and it's my first time going to a bar" Her Mom said " Yes I'm sure, let's just go for a bit and come home right away" Diana said "Mom but what about my ID, don't I need one Just in case they have to see how old am I?" Her Mom said "Don't worry we will get you in some way" Diana said "Okay". Diana, Alex, and her Mom were getting ready to go out. Diana decided to wear a nice black dress with a bit of sparkles above the waist with a nice pair of black open toe high heels. In less than 30 min they were all ready to go out.It was only 9:16pm they were on their way to the bar called "Mexico Moderno" the bar was only 15 min away. Diana was a bit excited about going into the bar for the first time . "Hey Mom are we almost there" Diana asked. "Yes we're almost there" Diana's Mom said. In about 5 min they finally arrived to the bar. Dianas Mom parked behind the bar since there was a parking lot there. All of them got off the car and started walking to the bar. " Hey Diana are you excited or what?" Alex said. "Yes I am just  abut nervous" Diana said. 

jackie

It's always going to be my family over anything and anyone. Even though we fuss and fight with each other and argue. My mom can be annoying to me at times but I know it's only because she cares. But there was one day. A day where I didn't know why I was acting the way I was. I was surprised, everyone was. My mom and I had gotten into an argument over something so small. Many kids parents let their children be out late and they don't have curfew. While on the other hand my parents are nothing near those parents. My parents are stricter. So one day I had asked my parents permission to go out with my friends. My mom said I had to be home at 8:30 because it was a school day. So I had went out to enjoy being my friends for a little while because I really don't go out. My friends and I had went to downtown. I remember that we went to the ice skating ring, we went out to eat and we went to the water tower. It was a pretty good day. I had totally forgot about the curfew. I forgot that I still needed to take the train back. It was 8 and I was worried. I told my friend that I had to leave already. So we left the water tower since it was the last place we were at. Then to make it even worse nobody knew how to get back to the train station in downtown we spent at least one hour trying to figure out where it was. We asked people for help but they weren't being specific enough. I was really worried because I knew that if I didn't make it back to midway by 8:30 my mom would be really mad and I wouldn't be able to go out for a week or two. My mom was already blowing up my phone. She was really mad. By the time I got back to midway I was in trouble. My mom was cursing me out she said my stepdad was mad at me. She told me she was trying to cover up for me and lied to him. After I heard that my mom and I started arguing to the point where I was going to leave my house. My stepdad and her argue because of me. So I thought it was the best if I left. But I realize that the only reason I get yelled at all the time is to learn my lessons. If you want to earn your parents trust you have to follow their rules. It's always for your own good not Thiers. Their always going to be your real friends and stick by your side through thick and thin.

Hailee Fitch

Winfrey 1st period

Food memory

Dance girls

My favorite food memory is that after every dance competition my dance team and I would go eat at portillos. After a long weekend of only being able to eat healthy we got to go and eat the food we actually wanted to eat. It is such a good memory because we would all go together and pretty much take up the whole place. We would push all the tables together and make one big one. We would order so much food it looked like thanksgiving dinner. We would sit around while waiting for our food talking about the weekend and how great we did. Once we all got our food we would say a prayer. It sounds cheesy I know, but we were so grateful for us being able to dance and how good we did over the weekend. We had to do it every time. It was one of the biggest traditions we had. After we prayed we all ate and the whole place got so quite. We were so excited to finally eat something unhealthy nobody talked. All you heard throughout the whole place was chewing, crunching, slushing, munching, gulping, and swallowing. This is such a great memory because these girls and boys will forever be my family. Being able to all sit down and enjoy and amazing meal makes me very happy. After a long, crazy, scary, and emotional weekend I knew we would always come together and be happy to hangout as the big family we were.

David Martinez

Creative writing

May 14, 2015

Dear mom

You will always be there for me, there’s no one in this entire galaxy that  can take your possession as my mom from you, you’ve showed me everything I know this day , I will always be grateful to God that he made me your baby, I don’t care if your dropping me off at school and people see me give you a kiss and call me a mama’s boy, I will say call me whatever you want because that’s a title I’ve earned by being your son, thank you for being there whenever I needed you even if it was for the good or the bad you always stucked by my side. Mama I LOVE YOU!!! I’ve seen you grow older and I pray to God to leave you here with me a while longer, but we all know God sooner or later takes his children back and entitles them eternal life, I will always appreciate you for taking me to church and showing me the bible, I have learn so many things from there, made many friends and also learned to teach on the front and to do a prediction on what the story is going to be, I will ALWAYS be your baby mama never forget that. If you ever need me I will be there and won’t care if I need to go across the world to be with you because I would do it in a heartbeat. You will always be the queen of my world and no one can take that title from you mom, I know I sometimes get you mad by doing my stupid stunts, but it’s just that I have to learn sooner or later right? And I rather learn it from you since you’ve been the care taker of this stupid little boy who likes being hurt or learning the hard way, I’m sorry if I ever made you cry, its hard for me to see you cry. I always feel like someone shot me or even broke my heart, but in the end you’re my jefa and the best person I’ve ever known. I love your personality and the care you have given us. You’re the one who knows my struggles and knows from past experiences on how to help your little stupid boy, I know you really care about me since you always tell me to cover up or to have food on the table, just by seeing your smile makes me feel a lot better. I will never forget your smile or laugh. Now you got me crying by making you this little note full of memories that I just can’t explain since I’ve had so many with you.

Chipotle Kobe

My food memory would have to be the first time I had shrimp tacos. They were so good I remember telling my Dad like "shrimp tacos that's nasty" that was before I had my first one. The first time I had was like April and I didn't want to eat but I just took a bite and it was so good. It felt like I was in taco heaven, but there is no taco heaven. If it was a taco heaven shrimp tacos would go before any kind of tacos. It wouldn't matter if it was stake or beef shrimp tacos to me hands down are the best. I have to have it at least like 2 times every other week at my house. It's just so good I don' care people say about my shrimp tacos. Everybody on this earth needs to try shrimp tacos because they are life. If you try it you will love it forever because they are just so good.  

LaCocos Pizza

Ive always loved pizza, pizza is just so good ! Once in a while I eat pizza because I use to like eating Pizza everyday my Dad was starting to think I was getting a little too crazy with Pizza. I usually like eating Pizza from Pizza Nova, Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, Little Ceasers, Dominos they are all good but I mostly order Pizza from Dominos and Pizza Nova in my opinion they got really deliocus Pizza. One day my Sister got back home from her friends house, she walked into the room and she said omg I just ate this really deliocus Pizza! and I said "Oh really where did u go? " I was a bit jealous because she got to eat Pizza and I didn't, so she said " I went to this Pizzeria called LaCocos with my friend" and I asked " What? Where is that at?" she said " It's on 47th Street, we should go there tomorrow with Dad and Pico" I said " Okay that pizza better be good". The Next following day in the afternoon around 6pm we all decided to go to LaCocos Pizzeria, so we all go in the car and drove to LaCocos it wasnt that far from our house it seemed close to us. Soon as we got to the Pizzeria I told my sister " This Pizza better be delicious!" she said " Don't worry your going to love the Pizza". The Pizzeria place looked like a bar from the outside, we walked into the Pizzeria there was a bar inside but were allowed to go because it was a Pizzeria Restaurant and a bar. We sat on a table, the waiter came to our table and put the menus on the table, she asked what would we like to drink, the 4 of asked for Sprite. The Pizza looked so good on the menu, they had wings, pastas, etc. We decided to get the family pizza for $9.99 it was a Large Pizza, on the side we decided to also order some sweet hot wings cause they also looked really good on the menu. The waiter came to the table and dropped off our drinks, she asked we were ready to order. We said yes, so my dad ordered the $9.99 Family Pizza with peperoni and to the side 20 sweet hot wings. Soon as we ordered the waiter left to put in the order, meanwhile we were talking and laughing. In less than 20 min the hot wings came in first, they looked so delocious and good! they put some rach to the side. I grabbed one chicken wing and dip it into the ranch soon as I bit the chicken wing, omg it was so good I continued to grab more chicken wings, the Pizza came 7 min after the chicken wings. Soon as the lady placed the pizza on the table, the pizza smelled so good and it smelled different than any other Pizza I've ever taste

The Pizza looked so cheesy and also looked really good. I grabbed one slice of Pizza soon as I put the slice of pizza in my mouth I was so surprised on how it tasted. The cheese, sauce, peperoni tasted so different I was amazed. I’ve never tasted a Pizza that delicious ever in my life. I honestly fell in love with that Pizza. Don't know what ingredients they use but the Pizza sure did taste deliocus! Ever since I tried that Pizza I couldn't get enough of it. Mostly every weekend I ask my Dad if we can go to LaCocos to eat pizza, he gets tired of Pizza but I don't.

Dondal's Hotdog by Fatime

'One chicken gyro please!". As a tall, tan, brown curly haired man takes my money and order i turned around and browsed around searching for a seat next to the TV and window where you can soar through the busy street of central cars zooming from left to right.As I sat down by the TV hanging above my head I look onto the side and see a chicken and beef stand turning in a 360 degree slowly baking,crispy on the edges and still half baked on the inside but tender and soaked with flavors all around.While sitting down I'm patiently waiting but in the inside I'm dying a little every minute waiting for my chicken gyro.While waiting anxiously my eyes roam the little place and see other people with families or just business people eating their food pizza, hamburgers, tacos, roast beef etc.and thinking to myself what are these people eating their whole lives.If you've never had any type of gyro your absolutely missing out on food.As a man walks to the side with food ready im thinking to myself that it'll be mine.That feeling you feel  you know your foods coming up."Chicken gyro!".I stand up anxiously,got my food, and went back to my seat.As my mouth starts to get watery,napkins all over me on my lap,neck ,everywhere knowing you'll get messy.NOM-NOM as I took a bite that flaky,crispy,soft,fluffy,white and burnt spots on the pita bread.The chicken,oh my goodness every bite you take you fall deeper and deeper in love. The crispy edges of the meat and oh so tender so fragile it falls apart just by picking it up. The cucumber sauce flows perfectly cools everything down.Oweey,Gooey,cheese sauce dripping from the holes of the pita bread.This food has changed the way I eat.

Raymundo Hernandez Jr

1^st period

Baby Cakes

So about a month ago I seen this one very I mean VERY beautiful girl while I was working and she walked in with her family. The best part of it all was that I know her mom. So this girl sat where I could've seen her, she was on her phone, and I kept staring at her since she was looking down at her phone, she really caught my attention. This girl was very attractive and just so outstanding of all girls I've seen. She ended up ordering a McFlurry and that's when we made eye contact, when we made eye contact it felt like we clicked right there and then. After that I kept staring at her because she was just that beautiful, the sad part of it all was that she left and I thought I'd never see this girl ever again, I couldn't let that happen so after work I told my sister to talk to her mom and tell her I said wassup. My sister told me she got me, I thought she was playing until the next morning my sister grabbed my phone and put the girls' snapchat in my phone and added her, to be honest I couldn't believe it so I got super happy and hugged my sister super tight. I couldn't let another second go by so I snapchatted her, she snapchatted back and we started talking. We started as just a simple conversation and talking normally until she called me cute, I couldn't help but to say it back. After those messages we got more and more into one another, we started drifting away from having normal conversations and started having more cakey and cute conversations like calling one another cute and then arguing about who's cuter or what not, our days went on like that until we confessed to each other that we have feelings for one other. We would talk all day and not get tired of each other, we would have those goofy, serious, cute and cakey conversations. We have been there for each other since day 1, we always talk about the first time we seen each other and always seem to smile because of that day. I had to cuff this girl so I let her know wassup and she did too, we confessed to take each other serious and ever since we have kept it 100 no matter what and we've been showing each other how much we like one another.  

Re: Are we really free?

   Emmanuel Cortez                                    

                            Are we really free?

Have you ever realized how everything has turned from the past to now?  You can't get away with doing anything because it ends up in social media, but then again social media has its pros and cons because it let many people learn more about the world that is out there and not just in your city. That is if you use it for education purposes, if you use it to go online and talk smack about other people or to just talk to your friends about your boyfriend talking to another girl you're obviously not learning anything.

The pros that we have thanks to social media we can show police brutality and how they take advantage of their job which is why people are so informed about protest because of the news but unless if it's a peaceful protest then obviously they won't cover it, I don't understand why we can't live in a peaceful world everything has to lead to violence maybe because it just catches our attention seeing somebody die but never helping them live instead they'll comment saying #SaveHim on their facebook or twitter post, a person life should not be cried about over the social media.

Many people can say our generation is advanced and I can sort of agree with it thanks to all the electronics but why isn't the rest of the world advanced with us? The USA isn't as advanced as you think if you go to Europe and China and look at their trains they don't look like the ones here they're mostly running through electric rails and the trains themselves look much nicer than ours, Another thing would have to be in America why do we not have free education?  How can we be called the land of the free or the land of opportunity if we can't even get educated? Countries like Germany, Finland, and Norway. A student's union in Norway said "changing their free-education policy would be discriminatory, given that Norway is hailed worldwide as custodians of human rights and free education" wouldn't it be great if the United States was like these countries? For example if they began to think of Education as a basic human right? if anything the cost of education in America has risen even more which means its harder to get into a school because of money problems.

If getting information is that easy why haven't the people in the United States reacted to this? If were advanced why are we still living with laws from the past that affect us today? And that's why I ask myself everyday are we really free?

On Thu, May 14, 2015 at 8:17 AM, Emmanuel C. <rudeboy97ska@gmail.com> wrote:

                                                                     Dreams  

You are asleep.

You suddenly wake up feeling the presence of someone else in the darkness.

Your muscles are weak.

You're paralyzed.

You feel this presence pushing on you til you lose your breath.

All you can do is watch.

You are unable to speak.

You are unable to move.

All you can do is watch the dark silhouette in your sight.

You are struggling to free yourself from the Hell you were brought to.

You are awake.

Your muscles are strong once again.

You're able to move.

You're able to talk.

The presence has vanished.

All there's left is you.

You're heart is racing.

Only to find out it was all just a dream.

 

 

 

Mia Reich

Pd.1

5/19/15

Are we really free?

Alma Alfaro 1st

My amazing neighborhood

My neighborhood is Little Village located in the south side. The culture around there is mostly Mexican, and theirs always something to do there. Well it depends on the weather also, during winter its sore off hard but anyways we get to play in an open gym and play basketball. I don't get bother if i'm the only girl playing basketball. Around where I live theirs a lot of corner stores, everything its pretty much close to my house. Going down cicero theirs a Little Village High School. Going all the way to Cicero that's where the stores are at like for example Target, Ross, Wal-mart and panda express and much more. Also we get to play in the Chicago Fire Club. On the summer, the day is not enough to finish everything. During my summer I volunteer a lot . Monday to Thursday I helped my old teachers in my old school . where they have summer sport camp. Where you get to play any sport you want, then I get to pass lunch with my old friends. Its from 12-5pm after that Monday and Wednesday we have soccer practice , we stayed there until night. Theirs this house infront of us ( well in front of the park) that plays whatever music we like to all of us. Tuesday I volunteer to help this program called "Beyond the Ball" that we get to play any little kids sport. We make up games, one of this games is called cookie monster. This program takes 5-8pm after 8, we put up a movie, we bring this screen and projected. It always Disney movies, and everyone gets to spend time with their family. Around them their is people selling corn, ice cream, the famous mangonadas and raspados. On Thursdays we get out at 5, me and some friends go out to eat Mexican food. In little village they serve the best Mexican food ever, love eating tortas, pozole, flautas and all of that. The culture their so so strong everyone sticks together. On Fridays' we close blocks, where we know theirs a lot of violence. Many young adults and gangbangers come to play, we give out food and try to help them out. Some Christian churches come out and support the program. Once you know their stories and why they do that, you'll have no way of judging them. Actually when the program barely started the founder Coach Rob, his house was burn because he was going into a territory he shouldn't. The gangbangers burned his house and he still didn't give up he knew exactly what he wanted to do and he went to talk to the guys that burn his home. The gangbangers apologize and worked with him. Love that feeling of helping others, makes you feel like for once you are doing something right. But the most important time in my community is being with my family and boyfriend and protect them from everything outside. 

Brazil by Daniela Zepeda

I look back at those pictures we last took as a team. The team that stayed together through tough times, the team who motivated each other to do better. It was the same team that accepted me in even if I was the only girl that was going to play with them. It was called Brazil. Before I decided to join this team that would later become my second family I would go watch how they played. I remember in the last game I came to watch them play I went up to Jando, the couch, and asked him if I would be able to join them in their next games as one of the players and he told me it was fine. I felt a rush of delight as I heard him say I would be part of Brazil. Being the only girl in the team my couch would push me to do better than the guys. In practice he would give me advice and would tell me not to give up. And the one thing that would stick with me was his strong personality. He was a crazy couch always yelling, singing, and dancing to celebrate each goal we made. That was one of the reasons I tried my best because I wanted to make him proud of having a girl in his team. He would pay us every time we scored and take us to eat after a great game. He dedicated his time to us and that’s what I loved about Jando. I grew love towards my teammates and my couch. We had times when we played so bad and we would get mad at each other but what team doesn’t fight. But even in those bad times my couch would keep his pride up and cheer us up to keep doing better. One of the ways I remember he would boost our confidence was by yelling at the guys and saying, “Even a girl can play better than that!” In some way it made me push myself harder. Knowing I’m playing better than a guy is an accomplishment for me. That last game we had was our finals. I gave it my all and I showed my couch why I came into this team. I scored four times in a row, two were shot right in the top left corner, one with my head, and another was a soft kick that rolled right thru the goal’s legs. My team was going crazy! Jumping up and down and screaming. That day I felt like I made my couch very proud of his only girl in Brazil.

Anthony Gonzalez

Period.1

5/11/15

Wing Ho

         

          I remember all the the times I've ever gone out to eat at this place and the memories never serve me justice. That's only because the food is better in person than thinking about it. It always makes occasions last more and the first time i went there was a huge occasion. I remember it was my 5th year old birthday and my dad's 35th year old birthday. I remember being told to pick out some nice clothes because I was going to go out to eat and it made me excited so of course I rushed into the shower and into my nice clothes just waiting to leave to see where I would end up. The drive took 30 minutes and all i saw was the beautiful scene of downtown in a nice summer evening. Once we were done with the drive we pulled up to some restaurant that I never went to it seemed pretty weird to me because it was no where near any other restaurants that we had passed up. We all got at that car and entered and when we entered the fresh aroma of Chinese food hit me and suddenly my mind was filled with food. My dad told the cashier “Table for 4” and we were taken to our table the second my dad spoke almost like the people working there knew him. We waited for minutes drinking water , looking at the huge menu that was filled with all different types of Chinese food, and waiting to have our order taken, then the waiter arrived and took our menus and order of course I didn't get to pick anything because I never ate there and all i saw was my mom and dad smiling just ordering exactly what was on their mind. I was in awe as i heard the names of everything that was ordered even after our waiter left and shortly after bowls of soup were brought to us. The soup was amazing and gave me a new a feeling for eating Chinese food. I sat and ate my soup and exactly when i finished the egg rolls arrived and I picked one seeing all them were evenly huge. As soon as my egg roll hit my plate and was given to me I devoured it in minutes. I got to relax afterwards only for minutes before the main course came. I saw the mountains that sat on the platters. My mouth was watering and in seconds i was picking what i wanted. I gladly picked chicken fried rice, kung pao chicken, Mongolian beef, and young jo noodles. Those four huge piles of food were gone in minutes. I had seconds afterwards and started a conversation with my parents.  had wondered why they brought me here and when I asked them they told me it was because they had been going their for years since their teenage years. I was in wow and felt good knowing that my parents had gotten t eat their again with their small but new family. After all the eating we sat down and drank water while my dad paid for the bill. We then drove off into the highway enjoying the drive home.

Hailee Fitch

May 13, 2015

Period 1

 

Highschool

 

    “Highschool is the best of times and the worst of times.”

 

  I truly believe this quote, 100%. You can have all these great memories from all your friends and peers but at the same time you can get into a big fight and lose those friends. Highschool is the time for teens to figure themselves out and figure out what they want to do with their live. In that process you might realize that you have changed and you no longer get along with your old friends. Losing friends is one of the hardest things you can go through. But then again gaining friends is one of the greatest things you can do. Highschool is not your whole life. It is just 4 years that will go by very fast. Highschool does not define you. It is where you have fun. You meet new people and have good times. I honestly do not believe highschool prepares you for anything. Others might think differently and that’s okay but in my opinion nothing prepares you for the real world, especially highschool. Highschool is not where you go to learn its where you go to talk to your friends and sleep in class. Even if we did learn it wouldn’t help us in life. If I want to grow up and be a dancer, why on earth do I need to know trigonometry. The teachers teach you pointless things that I will most likely never use in life. So as I said before I on think we go to school I think we go just to talk to our friends and sleep. Highschool is just a chance to meet new people, create good bonds and have good times. The teachers don’t really care about you at all, they have stupid rules and give you pointless work. Highschool is just a time for you to have a good time.

Roberto Garcia

May 11, 2015

English

Locos “Tacos”

This past Saturday my friend Edward called me like at 9am. He asked me if I wanted to go skate at this park in Indiana called Pulaski. I said yeah and called up my friend Juan and another named Jessie. They all said yeah so I got the car and I went to go pick them all up. Right next to the skate park there was a Family Dollar. We bought 4 boxes of pop-tarts because they were only 1 dollar a box, which I thought was amazingly cheap for a box of 8 pot-arts. We ate the pop-tarts and then we skated at Pulaski for a good 3 hours. We left because these little kids kept throwing things inside the bowl and they were getting frustrating. Once we all got in the car Edward asked me if I could drive to the mall in Orland because he wanted to buy new shoes. It was still like 2pm so even though it's about an hour drive I said yeah because it was early. So we drove to orland park and got to the mall. Edward went straight to go buy the shoes he wanted. He bought a pair of Janoski's for 80 dollars. We were all really hungry at this point so we went to the food court and checked what they had. Pizza sounded good at the time but 5 dollars for just one slice wouldn't do it for me. So Ivan said we should get a variety 12 taco pack from Taco Bell. It costs 14.99 so we all put in 4 dollars. The case of tacos came with 6 normal tacos and 6 Doritos locos tacos. 2 nacho cheese, 2 ranch and 2 spicy cheese. We took the case to the car, split the tacos and we ate. They tasted amazing, this was my first time having Taco Bell. I never ate there because I always heard it gave you diarrhea, so I stayed away from it. The taco had 3 things inside it; it had meat, lettuce and cheese. First we ate the normal shell ones. But after I took my first bite of the nacho cheese flavored taco it was amazing. The shell tastes like a warm, softer nacho cheese Doritos and everything in the inside compliments it even more. I was automatically hooked, Taco Bell tastes amazing. Next time we all head to the skate park we are going to have to pick up another case of Locos Tacos.

Sierra Brady

Mr. Winfrey

Creative Writing – 1^st Period

13 May 2015

400 Words

Come Back 

            You never know what you have until its gone or taken from you. I never though losing a best friend could be so hard. Texting and talking all day and night, seeing each other at school, hanging out every weekend to nothing. One day just packing up and leaving states away and not a word said since then. I know if I ever needed you, you would still be there, but things will never be the same. I miss the old times we used to have and how we used to tell each other everything. Or how I could come to you about anything. I used think you were my hero because you always helped me get through any struggles I was having or if I ever just needed to talk you were always one to listen. You were also my shoulder to cry on; you know I was always there for you too. We’ve been through hell and back and I wouldn’t change that for the world because even though it’s not the same ill always love you. We might have said the worst things to each other or treated each other bad at times, but we never left each other’s sides. Not just us, but knowing each other’s families and being accepted for who we were. I know it was extremely hard for my mom to accept you, but I don’t ever think she’d accept anyone else. It was something about you that got me. You found the best in me and always made me confident. You’re someone who had the biggest impact on me and taught me who I want to be. Whenever I made mistakes you never looked at me different when my family turned their backs on me. The world could have been against me, but you always stuck by my side. Each and every day I hope you move back because it’s hard without you. I don’t want to be distant anymore. I love knowing when we do talk you still care and as much as it seems like wee drifting were not. I’m glad we connect every time. I can’t wait until summer so I can see you and hang out with you every day just like old times. I know summer is going to go by quick, but we have to enjoy the most of it. I hope no one will ever take your place like you said no one could. Because no one has took your place or even compared to you.

Sierra Brady

Mr. Winfrey   

Creative Writing – 1^st Period

12 May 2015

Food

            Every summer my family and I go to the Sugar Shack; it’s an expensive ice cream place, but it’s really good. They sell all types of ice cream, shakes, malts, funnel cakes, mini funnel cakes and many more things. The lines get as 2 blocks long. When it was our time to order we had a really long order and it took them like 20 minutes to make everything. When the lady was handing out our food she dropped the ice cream cones and a funnel cake. My little she was standing under to the counter and got a face full of ice cream. As all my cousins and siblings started laughing, my mom went into flames yelling at her calling her every name in the book. And they gave us a refund on our money as well as a whole free order. The food was really good. Now every time we go there they give us free food and because I work there they give us a bigger discount. At first I thought I would hate it because my mom yelled at them and that gave a bad impression of me, but they are actually really nice and like me. I have a lot of fun and I get to eat whatever I want and I can give my friends free things.

Ernesto Cardona

Favorite Place

My favorite place I visited in my life was New York. I was about 9 years old. I remember my dad saying that we were going a on a road trip. I wasn't sure where we were going but I knew it was going to be excited. We packed up and the next morning like around 6 a.m we had left the house. I was tired to stay up so I knocked out in the car. I remember waking up a few hours later seeing we were still in the car. At first I thought we were going to Wisconsin I knew we had passed it already. Then I said to myself that maybe we were going to New York City. I asked my dad to tell me where we were heading and he said New York. I was so happy that we were going. I just got full of excitement that i couldn't even talk at that moment. I was fill with joy. I told my mom if he was telling the truth and she said he was. I couldn't believe that I was going to a big city. After 18 hours of driving we had finally arrived. We went to my aunts house to stay there while we were on our trip. The next day we got ready to go to downtown. I was so excited to see many things in the city. I was full of joy, as if i was going to have the best day of my life. As we  got out the train, I could hear the noises of vehicles and foot steps. We were underground because usually the trains would run underground. Once I got to the upper surface I could see a lot of people, car, stores, it was just absolutely crowed. We started walking around going to one place to another. I would see a lot of trash out in the streets. They wouldn't have alleys like Chicago. People would put their trash in the front yard and it would smell. I would go to the M&M store and get candy. I would go to the most expensive stores there even though I didn't have that much money. The stores would always be packed and busy. The time I went was an unforgettable time. I will visit the city soon again.

Jakob Lucas Creative Writing, period 1 3/31/15 “Bell Ringer Blog Post”

  We were asked, “If you were to leave home, and live on the streets, what 15 items would you want with you?” I responded with “My phone, my phone charger, my laptop, my laptop charger, clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, first aid kit, basketball, shoes, a picture of all my nieces and nephews, a picture of my family, a backpack and a .44 magnum.” The reason I would take these things, is because:

1)    I need my phone in case anything were to happen to me, so I can contact family or 911.

2)    The charger is self-explanatory.

3)    Laptop so I can look up nice hotels to stay in.

4)    The charger is self-explanatory.

5)    Clothes so I don’t run around filthy, or nude.

6)    Toothbrush so I can keep my hygiene up.

7)    Toothpaste because what is a toothbrush without toothpaste?

8)    Deodorant so I don’t smell like a wet, decomposing dog.

9)    First Aid Kit, in case I need medical assistance right now.

10) Shoes, so I don’t step in dog crap or broken glass.

11)Basketball, so I can keep up my physical abilities.

12 and 13) The photos are to remind me that everything is going to be alright, so long as I have my family with me.

14) A backpack to keep all this stuff in.

15) A .44 magnum, because let’s be honest, a 16-year old wandering the streets of Chicago, he needs to be protected in case anyone wants to step.