Finals!!

Finals this week and I’ve experienced days were I’m nervous about a test that I don’t even want to go to school. Other days I have been confident and that just made my day better. I have seen people worried and studying on the bus or hallways. Now that its over I think students are just waiting on the results, which are the final semester grades. For seniors these finals are very important, for some its weather they have to attend night school and for others its if they will attend a college in fall of 09’. For me, I have been doing everything I can to get those grades for college. Like most of us in Burton we made mistakes throughout our high school years. Now I’m paying the price by studying and working my butt off X2 for those A’s. I hope all the seniors who applied for a college get in. I know it’s very hard to get accepted because of the economy right now but have faith and work hard because I know I will.

fish bowl

Today I participated in a meeting that involves leader of the school board and other adults that want to improve our public schools here in San Francisco. They showed statistics of attendances, if students feel safe at school and if they feel staff care about their future. It was not surprising for me to see the low percentage of students who feel safe and comfortable at school especially at the high school level. They had students from different high schools including myself go on stage and share their high school experience. We did answer the questions but I feel I wanted to say more. I think they wouldn’t know a teenager’s wants and needs by just six questions. I believe our pubic schools need improvement; I feel they should be more connected and caring for their students. In elementary we do have this relationship with the teacher because her main purpose is to teach but also to build a trust so that you won’t feel bad when your guardian leaves. It starts changing when you get to middle school. I believe middle school is where you start to see the dangers in the world. For example the drugs, physical violence against peers and feeling you have to be involved in a “click.” As you get to high school you bring this mind set was well as others. I think some high schools don’t really have the tools for teenagers. At this time a teen needs to be heard with their personal as well as educational problems. I believe college student should build programs where they work in high schools and share their struggles with the teens. A teen needs to know they can go beyond high school. That there is a world that they still need to explore.

Obama

08/28/08 forty-five years ago a great man named Martin Luther King Jr. recited the famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Now 45 years later we have the opportunity to hear from the first African American to be nominated, Barak Obama, the son of a man from Kenya and mother from Kansas. He now restates Kings Dreams. Giving us hope and promising change! With the power in his voice just as Martin Luther King Jr. he accepted the nomination. Making people see the reality of the economy. He pointed out that Bush still works on the past and does nothing to change the future. He also stated that his opponent John McCain has voted 90% of the time with Bush. So that leaves 10% chance for change. Obama made it clear that with education and the support of his family he wouldn’t be where he’s at today. To him education is very important. He is aware of the lack of support teachers and education in general has. He is ready to make education important again. He plans to raise there pay and hire teachers that do care and have the right requirements to teach. In my opinion Barak Obama is our chance for change. He has seen the reality of many here in the U.S and is aware of the struggles.

First Amendment

The first amendment is very important to me. I think that’s what makes the United States unique. Freedom of speech or expression is important because it means you are not limited to words. One can also express their feelings through music, art, or anything that can help us without hurting others. If this wasn’t around we wouldn’t be able to wear shirts that express what we feel. Like the Obama shirts or any that had a message. Freedom of religion is a big deal here in the U.S because we have to choice to choose our religion. We have the option to learn about different religions and see which ones fit our beliefs. It’s also a good way to have diversity of religions in our country. Without freedom of press journalism wouldn’t be the same. This lets the newspaper and journalist be more open. I think without this it wouldn’t be the same and we wouldn’t have anything to debate about. With freedom of assembly one has the opportunity to meet as a group. With this one can have clubs, sororities and other organization groups. If this didn’t exist then the Black Panther Party wouldn’t have either. This means the breakfast programs for the youth, health clinics and liberation schools that helped improve the community wouldn’t have happened. Also Freedom of petition is important because it’s a way of voting. If a group of people feel something should be changed they have the right to sign a petition and if accepted by a judge, it will be changed. This is important because this means we can change something if we feel it’s not right.

Observation

Observing two guys sitting in an empty classroom… hearing tupac while writing their personal statements for college. All you hear is the typing and tupac’s song “changes” in the background. Society would categorize them as “thugs” with their baggy jeans and black hoodies. They would never think that the guy’s goals were to attend a college. The guys didn’t need to say anything for me to feel their hunger for college. Three hours went by and you would still see them seating in their seats typing their life. This reminded me of the importance of non-judgment. I saw two guys trying to better their life while others would look at them and judge…

About Me

I am a 16 year old who attends Burton High School. I am Mexican and believe that family is important. I am a person who wants to learn more about her culture. I enjoy learning about revolutionaries because they have struggled and fought for what they believe in. As a writer I like to write about things that come close to home. Like immigration, shootings in our communities and not enough funding for our schools. I am a senior and I am working hard to achieve my goal of getting accepted into a college. I plan to major in Hispanic studies or become a social worker. I want to become a social worker because I like helping people, mostly people I feel are being mistreated. I hope I can reach my goal and in the future help others out. For now I have to maintain focus on my high school studies.