Angry Letter

Dear city and county of Honolulu,

Using the bus has been a pleasant experience these past years. For as long as I was allowed to go out by myself, the bus has been my only way of transportation if I couldn't find a ride.The costumer service and the conditions of the bus were good for the most part. And most of the time I have never had any complaints or concerns about the bus.

However one summer day when I took a trip to Pearlridge mall, the bus came later than usual, and at first it wasn't a big deal until we started going from bus stop to bus stop and I noticed that the bus was starting to get overly crowded. Their so much people in the bus that the bus actually was moving slower than usual and started to stop and have malfunctions. The feeling of dread, heat, and being very aggravated grew as we got to each destination, and it felt that people were still coming on, and by the time we got to the mall it was almost three hours later and all of the same people got off at the same place. Also as I was coming home on the bus I experienced the same situation going back. By the end of that night my aspect on taking the bus has changed a lot. That had to be the worst experience I have ever had on the city bus.

As a concerned citizen I feel that some changes need to be made to the bus system. I feel that their needs to be more bus routes going to the more congested areas like the malls or into town. I also feel that their should be a limit of people going on the bus at a time. For a while I really enjoyed my trip on the bus but I've noticed that lately these problems have been more frequently happening and I now try to avoid using the bus as much as possible now after that experience.

If these changes are made I think that the over congestion and over crowding will no longer be a problem, and riding the bus would be a more enjoyable experience for not only the costumers but also for the drivers, because then both the customers and the driver will enjoy the ride. So then the riding experience and environment should be much more pleasant, and that way more people will actually want to ride the bus.

Thank You so much for your time. All I ask is that you take some of these concerns into consideration and start to make some changes.

Sincerly,
Marissa Smith

Journal #18 angry letter

-The Bus company for thier customer service
-the Doller movies

Risky buisness essay draft

These days having a sex life does not only pertain to adults but also to teens. And being that teens are still considered children, they tend to not make the best decisions. So being that their parents have one of the biggest influences on their child, they should have some enlightenment on their child's sex life. And by enlightenment I mean knowing and answering any questions their child may have or knowing if their child knows how to have protected sex.

Most teens and even parents would disagree with the idea of knowing about their child's sex life because they may invade their privacy or is too uncomfortable to talk about. In one study of 700 students in Philadelphia 58% of the teens admitted having sex but only 1/3 of their parents knew they were having sex. This shows that a parent talking to their teens about sex is not something that's commonly done or enforced.

But on the other hand many actually think that parents knowing and talking to their teens about their sex life's helps teens build more understanding and knowledge of the consequences of sex and how to have safe sex. In one statistic it mentions that parents have the most influence on their children's decisions about sex. And that 2/3 of all teens share their parent's values on sex. So if teens have better values on sex and making better decisions about having sex then the number of teen pregnancies and STD's should slowly start to lower. So having talks about sex
more often with your parents is not such a horrible thing.

Also parents having some enlightenment on their child's sex life actually builds trust in their relationship with their child because it gives parents some reassurance that their child is making safe choices and makes teens feel safer when they know how to make the right decisions. In one article they mention that "open communication and discussion about difficult issues such as sex will build trust between you and your child and can help your child make safe decisions." This shows significance of how effective and important it is when a parent is aware of their child's sex life.

So as you can already tell from what I've said, as someone is a parent your responsibility is to know about your child's sex life because in the long run it will benefit not only both of you but bring you closer to your child, and help them to grow up into a responsible and smart person as they grow into becoming adults themselves.

Journal #15

Thesis: Parent’s responsibility is to have some enlightment on their Childs sex life.

Con: Teens tend to feel that if they do ask their parents about sex or tell their parents their having sex that they’ll get in trouble, that’s why a lot of times they just avoid even bringing up the topic. In a study of 700 students in Philadelphia 58% of the teens admitted having sex but only 1/3 of their parents knew they were having sex. This really proves how little parents and children talk about their child’s sex life.

Pro:
Talking to your parents about sex builds more understanding and knowledge of the consequences of sex and how to have safe sex.In one statistic it mentions that parents have the most influence on their children's decisions about sex. And that 2/3 of all teens shares their parent’s values on sex.

Also talking to your parents about sex builds trust and reassurance for both parents and their teens. As said in an article “open communication and discussion about difficult issues such as sex will build trust between you and your child and can help your child make safe choices.”

Sources:
· http://www.heritage.org/research/family/bg2194.cfm
“Many parents are also unaware of their teens' actual behavior. In a study of 700 teens in Phila­delphia, 58 percent of the teens reported being sexually active, while only one-third of their mothers believed they were.”
· http://teenhealth.about.com/od/relationships/a/teensexhub.htm
“You may be surprised, but parents are a major influence on a teen's sexual behavior. What is your teen learning about sex from school -- and you?”

“There are no easy answers when it comes to talking to your teen about sex. Being knowledgeable about sex can make you an ally, not the enemy, when trying to discuss the issues with your teen.”


http://www.onetoughjob.org/tips/teens/talking-to-your-teen-about-sex-and-sexuality

“Open communication and discussion about difficult issues such as sex will build trust between you and your child and can help your child make safe choices. Teenage sexuality can be confusing and overwhelming, and as a parent it is important to let your child know that you are a safe source of support and education.”

Or card

College Essay Draft

I plan on attending:
http://www.berklee.edu/ (california)
http://www.juilliard.edu/ ( New York)

Music! To most people it’s just a word but to me it’s so much more. To me music is a feeling; it’s not just some words to a beat. It’s that sound that puts your mind in a trance. Or that bass that just makes your body want to move. I could be the chillest down to earth person you’ll meet, but when I hear music you see my true colors.

Its one thing to listen to music but actually make music is a whole other thing. It’s like you’re in a whole new world. Your mind just goes, and you start to come up with all these stories in your head, and next thing you know it’s written on paper. When I write songs it feels like a mission; something that I just have to finish.

In one sense I am the music, weather I’m making it or just listening to it. When I hear music I feel like my voice becomes the melody to the song, my feet become the soul and rhythm of the song, and my mind becomes a place where I can see the story to the song. To me just listening to music is not enough I have to live and feel it.

Music is the one thing that I feel I can always depend on to take me on a rollercoaster ride full of emotions and feelings. The one thing that comforts me when I’m feeling down. And the one thing that gives me a sense of satisfaction and excitement. Music just sets me free.

Journal #9

The book I’m reading is “Perks of being a Wallflower” and this book is about Charlie (main character) coming of age. In this story it tells about Charlie becoming a man and the issues and experiences that come with it. When Charlie first starts high school he is very shy, and naïve. But as he starts to make friends he start to experience the transition from boy to man. When going through this transition he experiences parties, drinking, drugs, and sex. And slowly gets through the problems and consequences that come with it. This story is really a coming of age story because it tells the changes that Charlie goes to, to become a teen.

Journal #8

For college I want to venture out away from home. So I plan to go to school in either California or New York. I plan to go to University of California or to Julliard. I choose these two places because I feel that California has a variety of schools to go to but so far I’ve only been interested in UCLA. And I choose New York because New York is the place where they have the best performing arts schools. I still do have time to find the right school so until then I’ll keep doing research.

Coming of age Poster

Problem Child

I remember it like yesterday, it was a hot summer weekend. And like any other weekend I spend it with family so I was upstairs with my auntie and cousin. We were all having small talk and trying to cool down in the kitchen, everything was fine until we heard a one big “thump” and then that one thump turned into a bunch of little feet pounding on the stairs and up came the three kids running and yelling all over the place like a bunch of monkeys. The funniest thing was the horrified look on our faces thinking “Man this will be a long day”. LOL

That day had to be the most challenging ever because just when I thought things would get better it got even worse. But nothing could have been as challenging as getting my (sassy) niece Cherish to do a simple thing as drinking water, and like any other time I just wanted to give up and let her have her way, but to my surprise I decided to reason with her to make her drink it. We argued back and forth for a while, and I tried to tell her she could end up in the hospital if she didn’t drink water (like I did), so instead of just trying to scare her like I usually did, I made a deal with her, I said “If you drink a whole bottle of water you could drink as much water as your dad would let you” And at first she was resistant but after a while she agreed to it. And after she drank it all I gave her a can of soda.

That had to be the most proud moment of my life as an auntie because I actually got my niece to make a better choice that will probably benefit her more than she really thinks it will. Even if it is just a bottle of water it’s one more than she will have ever drank on her own. The most ironic part of it was that I was actually starting to sound like my mom, which made me realize how much I was maturing and growing up.

To most people this may seem like such a common part of life but to me it has so much more value. To most people it’s getting their license, or having their first boyfriend, or even taking their first trip. But for me it was being a better auntie and role model for my niece because the examples or mistakes I make, will impact the way my niece sees me and follow the things I do.

Coming of Age

Everyone has their own experience of coming of age. My experience of coming of age was becoming a aunty because even though it doesn’t seem like a big deal to me, being so young at the time made have a much more impact on me than it would have on most people.
Before I became a aunty I wasn’t as careful, patient, or as mature as I am now. To me becoming an aunty has made me really grow up because I had to become a role model so that required setting a better example and taking on responsibility. Some responsibility’s I had to take on was babysitting, preparing food, and helping clean more than I normally had to. This to me was really hard because I wasn’t able to do the things I wanted like going outside to play when I wanted to or act childish anymore because now I had followers watching and copying everything I would do.
I remember a while back it was an ordinary hot relaxed weekend day. I was upstairs with my auntie and cousins when all of a sudden a loud thumping sound came from the stairs and up came the three kids yelling and stomping all over the place like a bunch of wild monkeys. The funniest thing was the horrified look on our faces thinking “Man this will be a long day”. That day stud out the most of our crazy weekends because that day my niece cherish was the most sassy she’s ever been, that day she refused to drink water. I told her that she could end up in the hospital if she didn’t drink water( like I did), and at first she was resistant but I made a deal with her, if she drank a whole bottle of water then She could drink as much soda as her dad would let her. The ironic part was she actually did it and after wards I gave her a can of soda.
That was the proudest day I’ve ever had of being a aunty. I actually for the first time acted just like my mom and after that day I appreciate what my mom has to deal with a lot more (LOL). I’ve now realized that, that very day I grew into a more patient and mature person. It has taught me that growing up does happen but not at the time you think it would happen. For most people it’s getting their license or going on their first trip, but for me it was taking on the task of being a good aunty.

Writing experiances and Goals

Now that I'm a sophmore I really feel that I have inproved a lot from last year. When I first stared last year I didn't know what I was really doing but the more I got to learn the better I got. I can now say that when I write I put more thought into it and really brain storm on what I'm trying to say. The skill that I think I improved a lot in is the six traits because at first I had no idea what it was or how it works, but now that I know what they are I apply the skill to all the things I write.

My goal is to become a better writer by and to be more descriptive. Also I want to use what I learned and apply it to the songs I write.