Taylor Jones
1. Put yourself in place of one of the boys who escaped the crash but was forced to watch "helplessly as Rob died." What is going through your head? How do you feel physically and mentally? How do you think that you will feel tomorrow? If I was one of the boys in the crash, I would have just start crying. Not being able to help Rob get out of the car, and have to watch him die alone trapped in the burning car would just be so devastating to me. I would probably be in shock for a while, and might even have an emotion breakdown, or go into a deep depression. I think that it would teach me a lesson, but it would be the worst thing in my entire life to have witnessed.
2. When you hear or read of a car accident that involved teenagers, what do you tend to assume was the cause of the accident? What about if you hear about an accident involving the elderly? Explain your answers.
3. Andy and Rob have their own slang and manner of speaking. On the surface they seem to be putting each other down, but it is clear to us that they are close friends who respect each other. What purpose does this style of language serve? Does it draw you closer together? Does it set you off from others? Explain. This language shows how close their friendship is. They always know if they are joking or serious with the tone, the words they say, or the way that they handle the situation. Since they have been friends for a long time they know each other's personality, and can tell the other's perspective of it.
4. In a paragraph rich with sensory detail, write about your own most frightening moment. My most frightening moment would have to be when I was in a shoot out in New York. It had happaned last year when I had went to New York with my grandma, aunt, and sister. We go ever year rite before Christmas, but this time it was different. We were on are way out of the hotel to get in our car and go to the airport. We were walking out of the front doors when all of a sudden, a man bumbs into my aunt, drops a bag of money, and pulls out a machine gun. My aunt yells at us to get down, but my grandma trips over a curb trying to get down. She had a big gash on her head and it was bleading very badly. Running after the gunman was an undercover cop that stops, and pulls out his pistol. The gunman starts shooting his machine gun when the under cover cop shoots back. He hits the gunman twice, and he falls to the ground, but then he got up, and ran off around the corner.We knew that we had to get out of there so ran out into the street, petrified, trying to get a cab to the airport because they were closing off the streets. My sister and my grandma had gotten in a cab, but my aunt and I could not find one. So it was me and my aunt standing in the middle of times square when the S.W.A.T team pulls up, and gets out rite next to me. They were closing off the area and the poliece on the horses had came to make sure everyone was ok. Thats when we had finally gotten a cab. We had pulled up to the airport and made sure that my grandma was ok. I was terrified, and very supprised that i didn't cry. At that point I just wanted to get home and see my parents. Later, we then found out that the machine gun had 30 rounds in it, but got jammed after 3 had been released. We were very lucky that day, and will never forget what happened.
5. Although many people did cry, Rhonda did not cry after the accident occured; she was angry. When or if a public tragedy occurs and it is not someone in your immediate family (9/11/01), how do you respond? Explain. I think that the way I react depends on the situation. If it has affected my life in any way then i might be more emotional about it opposed to something that has happened that I have learned a lesson from. If the tragedy is a very big tragedy that many people have lost my lives in then it influences me to take a minute and think of how short life is but that it is also dangerous and you always have to be alert.
6. One Herald editorial says that statistics don't usually "mean much, but this statistic (Rob) had a name, face,..." Do you agree that it is hard to feel emotional about the statistics when you do not have a face to relate them to?
7. In his homework assigment, Gerald writes that he would rid the world of 3 things. What 3 things would you rid the world of? Stick
to concrete items, and back up your choices with personal reasons why you are eliminating them. If I could rid the world of three things they would be nuclear bombs, broccoli, and homework. I would get rid of nuclear bombs because they are used all over the world now for violent reasons. They take so many innocent lives over something stupid. I would get rid of broccoli because its gross. I just tastes wierd n i dont like the fact that it looks like i am eating a little tree. The last thing i would rid the world of would be homework. I hate doing homework because it takes up all your free time after school. We go to school for like six or seven hours Monday through Friday, so i think that doing homework just fries ur brain of work.
8. Neither of Andy's parents bother to show up for the game. How important is it for you that your parents turn out for the events in which you participate? Explain.
9. In Rob's absence, Andy becomes the star of the basketball team. Write about a time when your talents were overshadowed by a friend or a sibling. How did it make you feel? Did you wish that something would happen that would give you a chance to shine? Elaborate
10. Andy mentions that some kids at school haven't looked him in the face since the acident;one even taped a mean note to is locker. How would you treat Andy now? Elaborate. I would treat Andy no different than any other day, but i would try and be more supportive and understanding that it wasn't his fault and won't ever be. I will give him advice and help him to talk it over when he's feeling down or depressed. I will try and be comforting to him, but just give him some space when he needs it.
11.Does doing homework help you to perform better on tests? Does homework seem purposeful to you, or is it basically a waste of time? What alternate do you suggest? Defend your answer.
12. Do you feel that your parents 'get' you or don't understand you at all? What makes you think this? Explain.
13. Andy believes that his friends would talk about him if he won academic awards, and then consider Marcus's unpopularity due to his achievement. Is academic failure or apathy built into teenager's notions about what is 'cool'? What effect does academic achievement have on you?
14. We learn about Andy's grades and study habits. Do you think the guidance counselor who advised him against pre-law was being realistic or unfair? Defend your answer.
15. In a class discussion, Keisha says, "All of us at one time or another feel like a "cinder among snowflakes. You stand out when you want to blend in. You get noticed whether you want to or not." In a paragraph, write about a time when you have felt like a "cinder among the snowflakes".
16. Andy envisions that Monty will have a future as a lawyer or a doctor. But when he thinks of his own future, he sees a blank or darkness. Can you picture who you will be in 15 years? What do you envision for your future? I'm not sure where I will be in 15 years. I hope that i will have went to college, got a degree in something, and have a nice boyfriend that gets me and respects me. I also hope that I will have a nice job that pays nice money, and have a nice house close to home.
1. Put yourself in place of one of the boys who escaped the crash but was forced to watch "helplessly as Rob died." What is going through your head? How do you feel physically and mentally? How do you think that you will feel tomorrow?
If I was one of the boys in the crash, I would have just start crying. Not being able to help Rob get out of the car, and have to watch him die alone trapped in the burning car would just be so devastating to me. I would probably be in shock for a while, and might even have an emotion breakdown, or go into a deep depression. I think that it would teach me a lesson, but it would be the worst thing in my entire life to have witnessed.
2. When you hear or read of a car accident that involved teenagers, what do you tend to assume was the cause of the accident? What about if you hear about an accident involving the elderly? Explain your answers.
3. Andy and Rob have their own slang and manner of speaking. On the surface they seem to be putting each other down, but it is clear to us that they are close friends who respect each other. What purpose does this style of language serve? Does it draw you closer together? Does it set you off from others? Explain.
This language shows how close their friendship is. They always know if they are joking or serious with the tone, the words they say, or the way that they handle the situation. Since they have been friends for a long time they know each other's personality, and can tell the other's perspective of it.
4. In a paragraph rich with sensory detail, write about your own most frightening moment.
My most frightening moment would have to be when I was in a shoot out in New York. It had happaned last year when I had went to New York with my grandma, aunt, and sister. We go ever year rite before Christmas, but this time it was different. We were on are way out of the hotel to get in our car and go to the airport. We were walking out of the front doors when all of a sudden, a man bumbs into my aunt, drops a bag of money, and pulls out a machine gun. My aunt yells at us to get down, but my grandma trips over a curb trying to get down. She had a big gash on her head and it was bleading very badly. Running after the gunman was an undercover cop that stops, and pulls out his pistol. The gunman starts shooting his machine gun when the under cover cop shoots back. He hits the gunman twice, and he falls to the ground, but then he got up, and ran off around the corner.We knew that we had to get out of there so ran out into the street, petrified, trying to get a cab to the airport because they were closing off the streets. My sister and my grandma had gotten in a cab, but my aunt and I could not find one. So it was me and my aunt standing in the middle of times square when the S.W.A.T team pulls up, and gets out rite next to me. They were closing off the area and the poliece on the horses had came to make sure everyone was ok. Thats when we had finally gotten a cab. We had pulled up to the airport and made sure that my grandma was ok. I was terrified, and very supprised that i didn't cry. At that point I just wanted to get home and see my parents. Later, we then found out that the machine gun had 30 rounds in it, but got jammed after 3 had been released. We were very lucky that day, and will never forget what happened.
5. Although many people did cry, Rhonda did not cry after the accident occured; she was angry. When or if a public tragedy occurs and it is not someone in your immediate family (9/11/01), how do you respond? Explain.
I think that the way I react depends on the situation. If it has affected my life in any way then i might be more emotional about it opposed to something that has happened that I have learned a lesson from. If the tragedy is a very big tragedy that many people have lost my lives in then it influences me to take a minute and think of how short life is but that it is also dangerous and you always have to be alert.
6. One Herald editorial says that statistics don't usually "mean much, but this statistic (Rob) had a name, face,..." Do you agree that it is hard to feel emotional about the statistics when you do not have a face to relate them to?
7. In his homework assigment, Gerald writes that he would rid the world of 3 things. What 3 things would you rid the world of? Stick
to concrete items, and back up your choices with personal reasons why you are eliminating them.
If I could rid the world of three things they would be nuclear bombs, broccoli, and homework. I would get rid of nuclear bombs because they are used all over the world now for violent reasons. They take so many innocent lives over something stupid. I would get rid of broccoli because its gross. I just tastes wierd n i dont like the fact that it looks like i am eating a little tree. The last thing i would rid the world of would be homework. I hate doing homework because it takes up all your free time after school. We go to school for like six or seven hours Monday through Friday, so i think that doing homework just fries ur brain of work.
8. Neither of Andy's parents bother to show up for the game. How important is it for you that your parents turn out for the events in which you participate? Explain.
9. In Rob's absence, Andy becomes the star of the basketball team. Write about a time when your talents were overshadowed by a friend or a sibling. How did it make you feel? Did you wish that something would happen that would give you a chance to shine? Elaborate
10. Andy mentions that some kids at school haven't looked him in the face since the acident;one even taped a mean note to is locker. How would you treat Andy now? Elaborate.
I would treat Andy no different than any other day, but i would try and be more supportive and understanding that it wasn't his fault and won't ever be. I will give him advice and help him to talk it over when he's feeling down or depressed. I will try and be comforting to him, but just give him some space when he needs it.
11.Does doing homework help you to perform better on tests? Does homework seem purposeful to you, or is it basically a waste of time? What alternate do you suggest? Defend your answer.
12. Do you feel that your parents 'get' you or don't understand you at all? What makes you think this? Explain.
13. Andy believes that his friends would talk about him if he won academic awards, and then consider Marcus's unpopularity due to his achievement. Is academic failure or apathy built into teenager's notions about what is 'cool'? What effect does academic achievement have on you?
14. We learn about Andy's grades and study habits. Do you think the guidance counselor who advised him against pre-law was being realistic or unfair? Defend your answer.
15. In a class discussion, Keisha says, "All of us at one time or another feel like a "cinder among snowflakes. You stand out when you want to blend in. You get noticed whether you want to or not." In a paragraph, write about a time when you have felt like a "cinder among the snowflakes".
16. Andy envisions that Monty will have a future as a lawyer or a doctor. But when he thinks of his own future, he sees a blank or darkness. Can you picture who you will be in 15 years? What do you envision for your future?
I'm not sure where I will be in 15 years. I hope that i will have went to college, got a degree in something, and have a nice boyfriend that gets me and respects me. I also hope that I will have a nice job that pays nice money, and have a nice house close to home.