With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility

A police offers job is to keep people from danger. Unfortunately the police officers job does involve taking lives if the situation requires but when I hear about these officers who  over react in a murderous manner then I think something has to be done.

Question:  If you were on a consulting committee to a police force, what would you suggest as a means to address the problem of police officers killing unarmed citizens?

Answer:  If I was on this police force committee, I would make a rule that says all trainees must take a psych test, extensive gun training and proper instruction on how to detain someone safely. To be deemed acceptable, they must be a rank 7 or higher with a ranking system of 1-10. As well, if It is reported that one of these policemen killed a pedestrian who made no violent action towards the police or other victims, then I would have them sent to jail because they have committed a crime. Even if a man or woman is armed with a knife, unless they pull it out and start using it they have not broken any laws, as a right to bear arms is the second amendment of the United States and it is part of some religions that one must carry a dagger to show their faith. Lastly understanding that a life should NEVER be taken unless the situation is the worst case scenario; should be the motto to live by. 

Live Your Life

The future can be terrifying, but honestly when it comes to handling the future, you gotta deal with your present. 

Most people let their fear feed their decisions of how they live their life. They get very concerned with not having the skills they need, and they spend too much time worrying, when they should just be doing all they can do to keep improving.

 We need to realize that life is a marathon not a sprint. Really, I could say any stereotypical quote about facing the future but the result will still be the same. Do everything you can to move towards your goal. Carpe Diem! If you can't do anything then there is no point of stressing over it. 

As well, the idea that doing something practical is better than doing what you love is a unending argument. Whenever I hear that, I get frustrated because there are so many angry pointless arguments about this. Yes, doing what you love is rewarding but you have to put time and effort into getting to your goal.

If you can grasp these ideas then you will be greater prepared for your future.

We Shouldn't Forget

On Tuesday November 11th Dr. Bill Wingarde talked about Canada's veterans and the government's lack of support and funding towards their mental health, post war. Before I get into this, I would just like to say, I cannot give a fair assessment  of war veterans as I have no existing war background in my family, therefore I cannot fully grasp what that life is like but I believe that all funding should be equal when it comes towards our mental health.  It should not just be for soldiers. In Canada, suicide is the second highest cause of death for youth from ages 10-24. Each year, on average, 294 youths die from suicide. Many more attempt suicide. The fact that they haven't even been to war and they already have those thoughts should be deemed unnecessary. We should have care for everyone who needs it , as the rate of suicide is increasing every year and that just can't keep happening. I am incredibly thankful for what the soldiers have done for me. Thanks to them,we can live a free healthy life. I do believe that soldiers need support maybe something better than what they're getting now but when It comes down to it, Canada has always been a country that values equality, therefore one group is in no way higher than the other. So, instead we should increase our care for general mental health, as no one deserves to live a life that is filled with depression and anxiety.

By:Andrew Wing

Hallowin

The popularity of Halloween has been dying down over the years. It started as an event where you got dressed up as your favourite fictional character. Carrying your pillow case filled with optimism and possibilities for upset stomachs and cavities. Lots of cavities but we couldn’t have been happier; due to the mass amounts of candy but now Halloween is mostly about promiscuous versions of costumes that don’t look at all like the originals. As well it gives people another reason to go partying and get intoxicated out of their mind. Since there’s only a certain age group who can go trick-or-treating those that are too old give up because some adults think that they are just there to mess around but the good thing is that, people haven't given up. It’s mostly adults  but there are people who are still doing haunted houses and giving out candy. Hopefully one day this holiday will get back to it’s original glory, where everyone can dress up in their best appropriate costumes and go out and enjoy it.

-Andrew Wing

POETRY= SOUL

During the time we spent writing poetry I learned that it is all about you. Although not in the selfish way.

You write what you want to write about, because there's always a story lurking in your head. Poetry gives you the ability to write it and share it with like minded people. You want to write about a goat enjoying his space adventure; perfect! Also if you don't enjoy what you are writing then you will loose interest in a heart beat. You get to choose what to say and how you say it, whether it is all rhyming or a freeverse.

Nowadays we are so worried about making perfect sentences with stunning punctuation and grammar. We are losing the actual meaning behind the story. Poetry to me is a way to get that story telling back because the message is the most important part of a poem. No one is going to care if your stanza doesn't have perfect punctuation.

Lastly there is no wrong answer in poetry. Even if you are looking at someone else's poetry, you have to ask yourself, what you think it is trying to say.

Education Systems

This topic has been burning a hole in my mind for the longest time.

To answer the question; "Is there anything I can do to make sure education can fit my needs."

For me the most important thing is the arts courses. The arts courses are cool in the sense that we get to practice some art. Other than that, there's not much we can change because the grade always come down to who's teaching the art class and what they have been taught. If you can't fit their style, then guess what, you may not get the grade you need to get into art college. I would say the only way of meeting the teacher's need is by copying the teacher's style and leaving yours in the dirt. I don't get to study what I need because the teacher didn't go for the same program, so they don't know how to teach it.

I would say give your all into the course but this isn't like math or science where there is a right or wrong answer and you can prove why. With art no matter how much work you put into something there will always be people who won't like it and unfortunately sometimes that's your teacher.


Thats my view, tell me yours.

Cyril Connolly

Cyril Connolly was a critic, he was born September 10th 1903. Connolly was a famous critic who had a strong influence on the writing community. He created Horizon Magazines where he was the editor. He was never considered a great writer but what he lacked in writing he made up for with his ability to edit. He had the rare skill to be harsh and precise at the same time. Even if he wasn't able to write he made a platform for distinguished writers to post their work and launch their own writing careers.

“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
― Cyril Connolly

I write for myself. Maybe I put in some occasional yuk-yuks here or there but in order for me to like what I write it has be 100%  me. There will always be people in your life who say, "I don't get your writing" or will tell you to change your writing style, to those people you can say, " Cry me river or write me a story." If you can't find or put any joy into what your writing then it's pointless to continue that writing. To write is to unleash the stories that you want to get out, not for your friends, not for your teachers but for yourself.

Gratitude

Dear Family,

 I was finding it hard to think of a word that could encompass how I feel towards you. After all you give me so many reasons. I’ll start off by saying you people are amazing, you've been with me through the good and the very harsh. To me family isn't only blood relatives though; it’s the people that are there no matter what. As I went through High school it had always been a giant question mark for me, but due to you being intrusively clingy I have been able to live my life without feeling alone and maybe having some "occasional" laughter, and I couldn't be happier. I've had some of my deepest moments with you guys; you were there when I needed to talk, to yell, to sing or to be a complete idiot. I have had days where I've been in the gutters emotionally or mentally, and with one word, you pull me out and I’ll feel like a million dollars! Every time I see you guys; I smile no matter what happened that day. Most importantly you've shown me time and time again, I don’t have to fake who I am.

Then we go to my true family. Every time I see you guys it fills me with an indescribable happiness. I can be one hundred percent me around you. I know I have messed up. But every time no matter how mad or disappointed; you were always there for me. You've always shown interest in the things that I’m interested in. You have tested me when I think I things are too easy. I realize that everything I say may be a big vocal maze but every time, you are focused on listening and helping; when you can.  When I hear other kids talk about their family it’s like a complete one-eighty. Where there parents are divorced or they don’t get along with certain members of the family.  I’m glad I've never had to know what that’s like. The most memorable moments are the small things. My mom and I are watching a show on Netflix and then dad makes his appearance.  Next thing you know my sister is kicking in the door to join in on the already crowded couch. My brother walks out of his room to find us all heartily beaming at him. As the positive pressure pulls him towards us, he takes his spot on the rocking chair. We’re all watching and laughing, and I couldn't be happier. Lastly if it weren't for you guys; I wouldn't have found my passion and drive towards everything I do.

To me personally, I’ll never be able to say this enough. You have done more for me than I would have ever possibly conceived. So to you I say, Thank You.

I'll Take Some Freedom Please!

Complete Freedom in writing; sounds beautiful right? It’s wrong, but not because freedom of writing is a negative thing, it’s because of the complicated situation it puts a writer into. I’m writing this in response to the event that occurred last week. There was a kid that got arrested for writing a story about killing his neighbour's dinosaur; with a gun.  Just hearing that makes my mind go numb. When we were younger we were told to create freely, with whatever our petite minds could come up with but due to all the violence that has occurred recently, we have all become very sheltered into what is considered acceptable in today’s society. A man can write the most gruesome and vivid horror stories and everyone calls him a genius, but if someone even thinks about writing a sad or depressing story, everyone thinks there's something wrong, and starts worrying about them. In reality we as humans all find inspiration from different sources, and then we are critiqued on whether or not it would be acceptable to release it. Sometimes the most dejected, dreadful and gratified content can completely change how we see and understand literature; I mean whatever happened to freedom of speech. To answer the question if I haven’t already; I think the punishment that the student received is nonsense. When it comes down to it, you shouldn't stop people from creating, you should celebrate it.

This is in response to the video about Banned Books Week.

A group on YouTube known as OpenRoadMedia, collected a bunch of writers and wanted to get their opinion on banning books. The idea of banning books confused these artists. There was a slight bit of anger residing with these writers, most of them just realized how pointless the idea is. My favourite quote from the video is, "if you don't wanna read it, don't read it." Because that is the main reason people ban books. It makes them uncomfortable or they think it is dumb so, they share there opinion and make a big fuss; when really all they had to do was put the book down and walk away. These people think they are doing the world a service, but really all they are doing is giving another reason for people to hate and put down out of the box thinkers. If we as creators didn't fight back against banning books then we would never have the breathtaking literature we do today.

Hey It's Me

Hey, my name is Andrew. Normally one wouldn't start an introduction with something so relaxed as “hey.” That’s just the way I am. I am also 16, I  have brown hair and apparently I’m a short person's worst nightmare (because I’m tall). I’ll start off by saying that I am an artistic person, everything I do involves the arts. I draw in art class, I act in drama and if you catch me on the right occasion I’ll sing a song or two. I know what you’re thinking, "what about Math or Science?" Yup, I’m drawing during those too. The reason I’m so artistic really breaks down to the people such as my friends, my teammates, my teachers and those I’m teaching. When I was a kid I used to be quiet, I felt judged for everything I did because everything I did would be considered pushing the envelope. That can make kids uncomfortable if they aren't the same way. When I got to high school I hid that envelope, so it couldn't be pushed; until I got to the drama room. The room had envelopes bursting everywhere I looked. I found that it’s not all bad, if you can find people who are like you. Now whenever you see me, you’ll see “that” tall guy laughing and smiling with whoever he’s with. The biggest factor in anything and everything I like doing is being free to do what I want and be me.This brings me to why I took writers craft. I took this course because I wanted to be free to write about whatever I feel like. As well it’s an added bonus that I’ll learn how to add proper grammar, spelling and punctuation to proper writing. Lastly, I want to be able to tell a complete story and have it make sense and evoke a chosen emotion.

That's me. 

The Key to Success Response

This post is in response to "Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Grit."Posted on TED's YouTube channel. The theme in this video is all about grit. The definition of grit is this: courage and resolve; strength of character. Angela wanted to find out what the common occurrence between kids who succeed or go farther in their studies, versus kids who don’t. She took in different types of data from completely different sources and found one thing in common; Kids with a strong sense of perseverance and courage (or grit) would strive farther than those who don’t, or even those who have natural talent. This makes complete sense, simply because if you want to gain something out of anything you must put time and effort into it. In the book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell says, "it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field." I believe that you are not going to get that by sitting on the couch; watching TV all day. The key to your success isn't in anyone but yourself, you have to make the choice to keep writing, drawing, singing, working and studying.

hi.