Valedictorian Speech

This is what I would say...

Friends, family, teachers, and fellow classmates the time has come for the class of 2009 to finally leave Wissahickon High School. It seems like only yesterday that we were "graduating" from middle school but now we are finally going off to college, facing the real world. I have always been scared to move to an unfamiliar setting and to possibly face failure, but we all need to remember that it is completely up to us to decide whether we seek failure or success. We may face many bumps along the road to success but we must keep in mind that our goal is near. Whatever you do, do not lose focus and do not stray away from the goal you have in mind. We have shared many memories together and I hope that all your goals become a reality for you all.

The Pact...

I'm enjoying the book more now than I was in the very beginning. The book is now in the past and talks about the relationships between Melanie & Michael and Gus & James. Gus and James are having problems and so far, Gus came over to Melanie's house and spent a couple of nights with Chris, her son. Chris is Gus and James' son and Emily is Melanie and Michael's daughter. Chris and Melanie are described to be almost inseparable. They play together and have a very loving relationship. So far from what I've read, these two are the main characters in the book and they will both have a very tragic ending.

I really like where the book is going so far. It goes back and forth between the past and the present. It's really interesting to see how Emily and Chris were like in the past and how they grow up and change into different people.

Forgiviness

Amir simply watched his best friend, Hassan getting raped by 3 other boys in the alley. After the incident, Amir acted ignorant and pretended he didn't see what happened. He reacted the opposite of what he should've and became angry with Hassan. Amir was frustrated with Hassan for being too loyal and not being angry with Amir. I think both the boys know that Amir saw what happened. Because of this, Amir feels a big sense of guilt but decides not to do anything about it. However, in the "present" part of the book, he wants to go back and make things right with Hassan.

I'm not sure what to say about the whole concept of atonement because in some cases, I think past mistakes can be forgiven and made "right" but there are others that can't be. I think everyone deserves a second chance at things but I don't know if that fits the definition of "atonement".

The Pact

I haven't really enjoyed the book so far. It's moving really slow and it hasn't really grabbed my attention. So far, all I know is that Chris and Emily are at the hospital. Emily was apparently shot and the detectives think Chris may have been the person who shot her. Emily was pronounced dead but Chris is alive at the hospital. After this "hospital" scene, the book goes back to the past and talks about when Chris's parents moved into the neighborhood. I think this is when they were newly married. They somewhat mention Emily's parents because they were living in the same neighborhood.

I haven't read far so I'm not sure where this is going to take me. But I think the book is going to write about the past, starting with Chris's parents moving into the neighborhood and then Chris meeting Emily and eventually falling in love. I'm wondering what happened with the "shooting" incident.

Tell a story

I was on a mission to go capture the enemy's base when they attacked me from the top of the mountain. I was so shocked and didn't know what to do. I started to panic because nothing like that has ever happened to me. I ran as fast as I could and jumped over the rocks and through the river. My heart was beating so fast and my breathing was so uneasy. I made it back to my base safely but I still have nightmares of the 5 minute run.

Good & Evil

I think the quote is trying to say that for evil to conquer, it only takes "good" people to not do anything. Evil is capable of taking over if people just sit back and watch. I agree with this quote because I believe that people are able to stop evil things from happening all over the world. I think it's the people's job to end evil in the world and prevent it from occurring.

Decisions decisions...

I think people's values and morals affect the decisions they make. People will act upon what they believe in. I make decisions based on what I believe is "right" and on what I believe in. If a decision I make goes against my beliefs, I probably wouldn't decide to make the choice. My friends and family impact me a lot but I think at the end, it all comes down to me. My family has taught me what's "wrong" and "right" but I have my own set of morals and values and I'll make decisions based on those. A lot of times I'm too quick when it comes to making decisions. I don't think I think long-term affects of the choices I make and it backfires in the future. But I think when it comes to "big" choices, I think a lot and I try to think about all the pros and cons of the choice I make. I think decision making is really difficult for everyone. It's scary to me because I know that no one, including myself will know all the consequences of the choices. I don't think there's always the "right" answer to things but I've learned to make the best decision with the help of my friends and family.