#7 - A Principle to Keep (minus not eating people)

          There are many fundamental principles that we as humans agree are the right things to follow or do, but many of us don't follow them. One such principle is confidence, or feeling or showing certainty about something. Many people aren't confident with their actions, they are afraid of failing which is another principle. Not being confident could lower your self esteem and lowered self esteem can cause depression and depression can cause death. Just be confident in yourself, you can do it no matter what other people say.
          Another such principle is forgiveness, the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven. Way too many people are just bent on revenge, whether it be for something as small as someone getting you into trouble for cheating on a test, or something as large as killing a family member. Revenge may be sweet, but sweet can be deadly. Too much sugar is bad for you. Instead of bottling up all that anger and letting the pressure build up for that revenge, just forgive that person. It may be really hard for you, but it will definitely be better for you in the long run. Even though it was their fault for you feeling this way, you are going to suffer more than they will if you carry our your revengeful plans. Forgiving them will put less of a toll on you.

#6 - Classmates I'm thankful for

I am thankful for all my classmates, but I am really grateful for the ones that sit by me and are in my group. Jake was the first one that talked to me and I'm grateful for that. Justin also seamlessly integrated me into his little group. I am also thankful for Connor's insightful contributions to our group work and for being a nice guy.

#5 - What did Margaret Do?

At the end of the story, Margaret shoots her husband. Considering she was mad at her husband and threatened to leave him, it could have very well been on purpose. But I don’t think it was intentional, because after she does this, she starts crying and everything. She also said that she was trying to shoot the animal.She could've just been a terrible shot and just missed in the worst possible way.

When Margaret kills Macomber, you don’t know if it was just Marge being a terrible shot, or if there was a deeper meaning to the shooting. Did Marge mean to shoot her husband out of jealousy? Did she only cry because of seeing someone dead, or was she genuinely sad that her husband was killed. By her nonetheless?!

#4 - Six Word Stories

Example - For sale: baby shoes, never worn. - Ernest Hemingway


Her lips were all I needed. - Eljasz Perez

Cardboard taste, cardboard smell, nothing else. - Eljasz Perez

Flaming hot, chilled to the bone. - Eljasz Perez

Waiting all day, no response today. - Eljasz Perez

Flying in the wind, a petal. - Eljasz Perez

To the top floats his helmet. - Eljasz Perez

#3 - John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

          The definition for hero is "a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities" The definition of Stooge is "a person who serves merely to support or assist others, particularly in doing unpleasant work." 

          Proctor doesn't fit the classic label of a hero yet he isn't the laughingstock of the town. So what category would John Proctor fall under? The short answer is that he doesn't fall into the Hero or the Stooge category, he falls in between. I call him, an Anti-hero.

          On the outside, Proctor looks like a hero, but we see what personal conflicts he's going through. His wife did nothing wrong, but was still sentenced to death. He feels that he owes her. He is willing to do whatever it takes, whether it be good or bad. This is not something selfless, he owes her and is going to pay her back in any way he can. An anti-hero is a person that does achieves what they want, when they want. But they generally aren't evil, they provide justice in their own weird twisted way.

#2 - There Goes the Neighborhood

          I was sitting in my jail cell on day 30. I stared at my cellmate snoring away. I guess there wasn't anything better to do. Then suddenly an alarm blared and our cell door opened. Two men were thrown in. Great, fresh meat. I thought. My cell mate was woken by the alarm and was dazed.
          When the men caught their breath, they started to take in their surroundings. They looked around the small room, glanced at me and then at my cell mate. (Who was still blinking after being startled awake.) Both men stand up and looked at each other, then walked toward us. Then suddenly something hit me. It hit me so fast, I didn't know where it came from or what it was.. Then another, and another, until all that was left of me were bones... That's how bad I looked. My cell mate wasn't faring to well either. What were these guys made of? I've never met anyone like them. Who do they think they are, barging in on our privacy? We were the leaders of gang here at this prison complex. Now it's all ruined, and worse yet... I look terrible.

#1 - Me

Hi, My name is Eljasz Perez. I was born on January 15 2000 on a Saturday in Chicago. I was born with red hair and still have red hair although it has darkened some. I love reading and doing anything with computers, but also enjoy sports and video games and of course, talking. I have always liked plays with words (get it?) and enjoy sarcasm. I love running and swimming and if I could last all day doing it, I would (as with reading or computers). I enjoy going to church to worship God and mingle with friends.
I transferred in from North Shore Adventist Academy. I have been a student of North Shore Adventist Academy (NSAA) since Kindergarten. NSAA is a great school that is focused on high quality education and Christ like character building skills for K through 12th grade students. Due to the financial crisis that many parents are going through, NSAA was faced with a hard decision. Three days before NSAA started the 2015-2016 school year, they decided that the traditional high school portion of the school would be closed down. It was replaced with a distance learning program which is made possible through video chat. Although I appreciate the school’s effort to accommodate their students on such a short notice, I didn't feel that distance learning is the right fit for me because I value and appreciate the interaction between teachers and students. 
During my time at North Shore I was a part of many extra curricular activities including Concert band (1st chair), Jazz band (1st chair), North Shore Trumpets (a sextet), Dixieland band, Bluegrass band, North Shore Hand Bells, 7-12th grade choir, a member of the choir drama team, and robotics club leader. In addition to these activities, I also was the Student Association President, the Newsletter Publisher, the school’s Tech Support, and a member of the Yearbook Committee. Throughout my years of learning at North Shore Adventist Academy I developed a love for learning, but computers became my passion. Because of my positive attitude and willingness to help, I was entrusted with maintaining and troubleshooting the technology at NSAA.
My first week at Whitney Young has been very nice and I think I'll fit right in and create more memories and possibly thrive even more than at NSAA. 
That's all for now. :D