Culture

2009-10-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

KYLE MARTIN

BLOG: GE:ENGLISH 3

American culture is one of the the most unique cultures in the world. one reason for this is the diversity of it. There are so many holidays that deal with not only the history of this country but with its religions foreign and national. Some of these would include: St. Patrick's Day, Christmas Day, and Martis Gras. I would also describe America's culture as patriotic. It's evident that the people who live here are proud of their country and its accomplishments, even if they immigrated here. Another example of this is Veteran's Day, it is observed as a national holiday, and you aren't allowed to work on this day.

I'am Christian, but mostly I am like any other American. I observe all national holidays. I participate in catholic holidays too. I also enjoy American foods such as: Taco Bell, Burger King, Arby's,etc. We use planes, trains, and automobiles to travel and to ship goods. I enjoy using the television and the computer. I also live in a heated home.

High School: A Month In Review

Old Friends/New Friends: I see my old friends a lot more often than I thought I would. Their names are: Brenden, Alec, Ryan, and Joe. However, I have met quite a few people at this school as well. Some of their names include: Jacob, Jacob, Spencer, and Simion.

SHS Activities Attended: I have attended some school activities. The activities I attended were: Invisible Children and mock Trial.

Funniest, Wierdest, Scariest Moments: I didn't find anything about high school to be wierd or scary. However, the students who do the announcements are quite commical.

Hardest, Easiest Class Assighnments: The hardest class for me is English. The Easiest class for me is Geometry. The paper Mrs. Bergeski Assighned us was hard.

Top Five Current Events: There have been quite a few important current events lately. A few of them are: The U.N. Meeting, Jennifer Grandholm cutting money to the school districts, etc.

Faces in the news: Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Mahmoud Ahmidinijad are some faces in the news.

Advice for a Freshman: Use a map and read signs to navigate. Attend class on time. Be confident. Join school clubs or sports. Regard your school work as very very important.

What I am Looking Forward to: I am looking forward to Christmas this year. This is because the party that me and my family go to won't take place at the same house as it usually does at my grandma's house, but it will be held at my uncle's house. His house and property is huge. It will also be fun to see my cousin's: Chris, Evan, and Bryant. They are very close to my age.

Homecoming: I never got a chance to go to homecoming this year. This is mostly because I didn't know it was this early in the year. It caught me off gaurd. Also, I am not someone who likes to dance.

Other Noteworthy Events: I went hunting last month. It was fun. I didn't see any deer. (which is what we were hunting for) I still got see many animals including: grouse, squirrels, and chipmunks. The food we ate in town was great. We had pizza and burgers. I hope to be more successful next season.

First Cultural Event: I did my first Cultural Event on Native American Heritage Day. It was interesting to see all the ceremonial headware and clothing. I found the music to be quite unusual, however.

Fads and Trends: There aren't really any fads and trends at Stevenson High School. However, students seem to be very spirited. I saw some seniors wearing jerseys, beads and Burger King hats.

Rumors or Gossip: I haven't heard any rumors or gossip really. All I heard was that Andy Koda had the swine flu.

Popular Movies; One popular movie I've heard of was "Paranormal Activity." I found out about it from kids in my sixth hour. They say it's really scary.

Popular Songs: One popular song I heard recently was "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock. I don't think it's better than "Sweet Home Alabama." However, it's still a good song.

Interesting New Words: I have learned some interesting new words. One of these words is "Aborigine." It means "from the beginning." We learned it from reading "Walkabout." It's a good story

10 Things I am thankful for

1. I am thankful for my mom. She is quite kind. She is always there for me. She also is a great cook.

2. I am thankful for my dad. He is funny. He works hard every day. He always takes me camping and/or hunting.

3. I am thankful for my house. It keeps me warm. It cools me off. It calms me down. I can't imagine life without one.

4. I am thankful for my school. It has a cool name, Stevenson. It's a lot of fun actually. It's where I met my friends. It's vital to my future.

5. I am thankful for my cousins. They are hilarious. They are always happy to see me. They are my age so we have a lot in common.

6. I am thankful for my relatives. They are nice. It's always a lot of fun to visit them.

7. I am thanful for my church. It keeps me on the road of faith. It helps me to realize that life isn't all about me and that some people across the world are in need of help.

8. I am thankful for all the restaraunt chains in the Livonia area. They make food that is good for your soul. I always receive excellent service when I buy food from them.

9. I am thankful for my parents' cars. They help me get to school, to the store or to visit my friends. Not owning a car at your house wouldn't make everyday life quite easier.

10. I am thankful for electronics. they are cool. Studying would not be possible without them.

Merry Blogging:

I thought that the Power of One was a very informative and action packed movie which was very surprising to me because I have never seen a movie in school that was more exciting and gripping than this one. The dialogue of each of the characters was very clear even though they tried to simulate a thick African, Afrikaner, or British accent. The setting and graphics of firing guns was very realistic. I could tell that the actors were talented and prepared for their roles tirelessly. Overall, this was a well performed film.

However, some things didn't make sense to me. Why were they trying to kill P.K? All he did was teach English to some Africans. How did that German dude who tried to kill P.K. become a German officer? Did he travel to Germany to do this? If so, then why did they accept him? He was a troublemaker. Also, I thought the Afrikaners consisted of people of Dutch and German descent. Yet, it seems that all the Afrikaners were Nazi supporters. Did the Dutch favor the Nazi party too, or did only the Afrikan Dutch like the Nazis?

Although this movie was enjoyable, I didn't learn much from it. I knew about the fact that there was tension between Germany and Britain during World War 2. I knew that there was much prejudice against blacks in South Africa. I also could have assumed that Southern Africans were slaves as well. Finally, the imagery was not scary or intimidating.

2. During Christmas time our family has some very special traditions. It all starts on Christmas Eve. By this time usually we have all of our gifts purchased and are ready for celebration. Also, on this day my mom cooks delicious morsels for the annual Christmas Eve party at my Great Aunt Pat's house, the Christmas day party at our house, and the Christmas party at my grandmother's house the day after Christmas. It's also usually a fattening time of year for us because of all these parties and food.

On Christmas Eve this year my mom cooked up deserts and then we drove to the party at my Great Aunt Pat's house. While I was there I got to see much more of my extended family than I expected. My Uncle Dick, Aunt Barb, their kids, Great Aunt Pat, Great Uncle Bob, Great Aunt Alice, and also my mom's cousins:, Mike, Steve ,Jack, Julie, and their kids. We ate large meals, drank pop and juice, had ping pong tournaments, and played a game called fact or crap. Before the game started we split up into 2 groups: boys and girls. To play the game someone had to be the reader. The reader would read a statement about any subject matter whether it was of academic or general knowledge. Then, when it's their turn, each team would decide whether it's fact (true) or crap (false.) The team with the most correct answers wins.

On Christmas, day I received great presents. I got an mp3 player speaker, another controller for my Xbox 360, The Terminator: Salvation, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, and some games for my Xbox. Then we went to Christmas mass. Later that day, we had a party and invited my: Uncle Dick, Aunt Barb, their kids, and my mom’s friend Doreen. We ate: ham, lasagna, cheesy potatoes, and pie. The next day we celebrated Christmas with my dad's side of the family just as we did the day before.

3. Many great things happened to me last year. I have gotten to know my classmates pretty well. Even though, I can't recall all of their names. Obviously, because of the size of Stevenson High School, I might not ever meet all of my classmates but, that is okay. I also found 2009 to be a calm and not stressful year for me. This first semester has brought me very little homework and lots of time to hang out with my new friends. I regret however, not attending any high school dances or the football, soccer, or basketball games at Stevenson. Either way I’m excited for the New Year and hope to attain more education in my second semester of school.

There are also some downsides to the year of 2009. I’m not happy that it was the beginning of the school year not too long ago. I also wish that I had invited some of my friends over who go to my school. I don't like how I have an average grade rating in two of what should be some of my more easy classes, as well. For the most part 2009 weren’t all that bad of a year. I have had worse.

I have some resolutions. First, I am going to invite over more of my friends in this year. If I don't do this then, they may not be my friends at all after a while. Second, I want to try to work harder in my English and Art classes in which my letter grades are a C. This bothers me the most because I should have a greater work ethic coming out of a Catholic school and all. Third, I’m going to attend more school activities so that I can meet more people.

efHigh School

Culture