Class 8/31, Five Step Plan

1. Set aside time after school and on the weekends to do my homework- By doing this I will have better time management skills for the future. Also I will be creating good working habits for myself by designating time for work in that I will be more efficient and productive knowing that I need to get a certain of work or an assignment done in a select period of time.
2. Always go to class prepared and ready to learn- By doing this I will not be taking time away from my learning and from my classmates' learning time. Also by coming ready to learn, in a good mindset, and ready to be actively engaged, I will be making retaining information easier along with being ready for graded assignments like tests and quizzes.
3. Getting an adequate amount of sleep the night before to be able to function and learn properly- Getting enough sleep is very important so I can be ready to learn and be attentive in class. Also that I will be in a better mood all throughout the day. This well help form relationships with others and understand and pay attention to what is being taught.
4. Ask plenty of questions- Asking questions to clarify any confusion is only going to help me and my understanding of the material I am learning. I'm going to make sure that I ask thoughtful questions in all classes.
5. Build and develop positive relationships with my teachers and peers- Developing these relationships will help me now and in the long run. Having positive relationships with my teachers will help me in there class and when it comes to applying for colleges in a couple years when I need teacher recommendations. Also making good relationships with my peers will help me feel more comfortable in my first of high school and if I have any trouble with a class I can ask for help if I need to.

Class 8/31, Interpretation of "Message to Garcia"

          My interpretation of "Message to Garcia" by Elbert Hubbard is that basically the workers in today's world are lazy, not trustworthy, and do not take the initiative to do anything on their own without instruction. He believes that the work ethic people have is absolutely terrible and cannot do anything for themselves. Hubbard talks about a man named Rowan who lived during a time when Cuba was controlled by Spain. Rowan was told by President McKinley of the United States to take a letter to General Garcia in Cuba. Rowan did not question his task that was given to him and just went with and found a way to get it done. Elbert Hubbard uses Rowan as the model or an exemplary worker in his paper. He thinks that the work force in his society differs from Rowan in all ways. Hubbard's message to readers to was slightly motivating but it was more degrading than anything.
          My opinion of "Message to Garcia" and Elbert Hubbard's is that the point he makes is correct but he is rather harsh about it. The issue he describes is still very present in today's society, way more present to be exact. We are a generation reliant on instant gratification and having whatever we need right at our fingertips. We don't have to work very hard to find the answers to almost any question. Due to this, work ethic of young adults continues to dissipate year after year. This effects society as a whole in that these are the people who one day may be leading the country which is scary to think about. I think Hubbard had the right to be as angry and frustrated as he was because ultimately the attitudes and efforts of others begin to bring a community as a whole down after long time. For example, if you were to live in an house with multiple people and everyone took the trash in their room but one roommate, the house would begin to smell bad. Then the others would either have to do it for the one roommate or remind them. When people are lazy or cannot do anything for themselves it becomes bothersome and inconveniencing to the people around them. This is the point that Hubbard was trying to communicate throughout his paper. I agree with his message and I think that we all as individuals need to make a better effort of doing things the best we can. This way, as a group we can all thrive together, but we can only do that if we equally pull our weight.

Class 8/30, Class Syllabus

     Today in Human Geography we went over the class syllabus. We learned more about how the class is going to be run this year. We were taught Mr. Schick's policies regarding late work, blogs, etc.. For example, on Friday's when we have class, our blog posts are not due until Saturday before midnight. This varies from the rest of the days we have class in that the blog posts are due the same day. We also watched Vlad struggle get his blog to work and get his posts to go through. It was rather entertaining.  We also had the pleasure of enjoying the wonderful soundtrack that the band was playing outside which helped build the tension of awaiting Vlad's email. Mr. Schick also described to us what the Human Geography course is all about and the type of material we will be introduced to through out the semester. I am really excited to learn more about the different cultures present within different countries and regions around the world this semester.

Class 8/29, My First Day As a Patriot

        My first morning at John Carroll has been a little but overall really good. First, it took a really long time for me to get into the school because all the traffic. When I finally got into school it was 7:51 am. I thought I was going to be late because I had to go to the locker room to put my soccer stuff away and then go to my hall locker and put my books away. I then found Faith in the halls and we walked to Human Geography together. We arrived on time and waited for the rest of the students to enter and for Mr. Schick to start the lesson.
        After Human Geography, I went to English with Mrs. Zurkowski as my second mod of the day. There we got to know each other and we handed in our summer reading papers and discussed what we would be doing in the class this year. I then made my way to advisory, and did not get lost and I was able to open my locker first try. Following advisory, I had biology with Mrs. Deroba. Biology seems like it is going to be a lot of fun with all the labs we are going to do. The final part of my morning was lunch. I ate with my friends and I had a ton of fun talking to them about their day so far.   All in all, my first morning at John Carroll was a success and I'm extremely excited to see what the next four years here will bring me.