Summer

Beautiful weather and fun as well
School is out, now everything's swell
Clear blue sky and sunshine too
So much we want to do
Beach, shopping and sports
Wearing short shorts
The best time
of the
year

Risk and Reward

Every decision we make, whether it's easy or extremely difficult, ends up effecting us in some way or another. Hopefully, we make a good decision, and it has positive effect, but that doesn't always happen. If we make a bad decision, we have to deal with the consequences. How people deal with the consequences of their actions, shows their true character.

A teenager who decides to stay out late past his curfew has made a risky, and usually bad, decision. The consequences he'll face from his disappointed parents will be very severe. Maybe it's no television, no cell, or, God forbid, no Xbox for two gloomy weeks. Now was it worth it to stay out that extra hour? Didn't think so. Similarly, in The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago decides to go out too deep into the Gulf of Mexico, and many things result from that. To name a few consequences: he loses his harpoon, kills an innocent fish, and injures himself. However, unlike the teenager, it wasn't all for nothing, there was some good that came from his decision.

The first consequence Santiago faces is losing his harpoon. To the everyday person, a harpoon is probably not an important tool, but to a fisherman it is one of the most important tools. Some may think that if you lose a harpoon, you can just buy a new one, which may be the case for some people, but, remember, Santiago is not a rich man and he does not have that luxury. Also, when he loses it he is in the Gulf of Mexico, and even if he had the money, he would be unable to buy a harpoon because of his location.

Now, this harpoon was clearly important to Santiago because he used it to kill the marlin. If he used the harpoon to kill that large of a fish, it must be needed to kill other large fish as well. As most people know, large fish bring in the most amount of money, and if you are unable to catch a large fish because you have no harpoon then you are missing out on a fanciful profit. A quote that shows how much Santiago needs his harpoon is: "Now the bad time is coming and I do not even have the harpoon" (103). This quote shows the importance of the harpoon as a weapon, as well as a tool. Forget about profit right now, Santiago is just trying to make it to shore safely and without a harpoon to protect against sharks or other fish, he could be in danger. Therefore, a consequence of Santiago going too deep is he loses his harpoon, a necessity of a fisherman, which will affect his safety and profit.

Another consequence Santiago faces is that he kills an innocent fish for no reason. The apologetic Santiago even admits it, "I am sorry that I killed the fish" (103). Because he went too far out into the Gulf of Mexico, by the time he reaches the shore, all that's left of the marlin is it's skeleton. Santiago is a compassionate and noble man who, even though he is a fisherman, would never harm anything unless he had a reason to. He thought the marlin would sell for a lot of money at the market, but if there's no meat, there's no money, and the reason there's no meat is because he went too deep into the water. Going too far out, cost the life of a beautiful fish, and the guilt Santiago has to face knowing he killed the fish for no reason.

One other consequence Santiago faces is injuring himself. "The speed of the line was cutting his hands badly" (83). In his efforts to catch the marlin out in the deep Gulf, he not only hurts his hands, he deprives himself of sleep and food, and injures his back. His hands are all cut up and his left hand is cramped. He doesn't sleep for three days, except for the little nap he takes. He lives off of raw fish. Then, on top of all that, he has a sore back from sitting in the skiff for so long.

Even though he is a tough man, why would you endure all those horrific things for nothing? No one, Santiago included, should. As an old man, being that far out in the Gulf, alone, in his tiny skiff, is a big risk to begin with. Add his injuries to that, and, let's face it, a tired man like him is in a considerable amount of danger, just one more consequence he faces for going out too far.

Now, being the optimistic man he is, Santiago would forget about all the consequences he faces, and look on the positive side. He would be proud of the fact that he accomplished something he had not done in eighty-four days. He caught a fish. It doesn't matter that no one actually got to see the beautiful fish it was. He proved something to himself.

From the beginning of the book, that was the conflict. On the very first page it says, "he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish" (9). Not anymore though. He doesn't have to come back to shore after a long day at sea and see other fisherman with their catches and feel sad. Santiago's confidence will be renewed and he can feel like a good fisherman once again. That is the one positive result that came from his decision to go out deep into the Gulf of Mexico.

The consequences Santiago faces in The Old Man and the Sea because of his choice to go too deep into the Gulf to pursue the marlin have a long-lasting effect on the character. Losing his harpoon, killing the innocent marlin, and hurting himself are all things he will remember forever and majorly impact his life. The positive result, the fact that he broke his eighty-four day unlucky streak and caught a fish, however, is much more important.

Consequences are very serious, whether they're in a work of literature or in real life. But, I think it's necessary to see the positive outcomes of a decision too. Is it okay to make a risky choice if the possible consequences don't seem too bad? After reading The Old Man and the Sea, I think the answer is yes. Be a rebel and take a risk, if you really want something. Because if it's what you really want, or need, then it's worth it.

Third Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

Miles to go by Miley Cyrus with Hilary Liftin. Disney Hyperion Books, 2009. Genre: Autobiographical Novel

Miles to go is an autobiography of Miley Cyrus' life, so far. Cyrus was a normal girl until she auditioned for "Hannah Montana", and starred in the television show. Now everybody knows who she is. As a whole, this book doesn't have one main conflict; it's just about the ups and downs of her life. Some of the problems she encounters are: being bullied in sixth grade, her Pappy dying, and the break-up of her and Prince Charming. The setting also varies in this book, but she grew up in Tennessee, and that will always be the place she calls home.

"Fans will find this an effortless and entertaining read."
- Publishers Weekly

Each chapter in the book is basically a little piece of her life. However, it doesn't necessarily go in chronological order, and she doesn't tell us every single. She only tells us what she thinks is important for us to know. The writing style is exactly what you would expect from a teenage girl. It's not a hard book to read, and it doesn't use great vocabulary, it's just regular writing. There's a lot of sarcasm, which gives you a sense of her personality, and the comments in the margin make it seem even more personal. This is the only book Cyrus has written, and it's a hard book for me to compare. Most of the books I read are fiction, and I don't think you can compare an autobiography to a work of fiction. The fiction books I read are almost unreal because they usually have a problem that is resolved with a happy, fairytale-like ending, and this book does not really remind me of that.

"I spent what felt like an hour in there, waiting for someone to rescue me, wondering how my life had gotten so messed up" (31).

I'm not a huge fan of Miley Cyrus in general, but I wanted to read this book to learn about her life, and what it's like. I think many celebrities are misunderstood, and this book was a chance for her to let her fans, or anyone, get to know the real her. Overall, I thought it was a good book, and you learn things about her that you didn't know before. To me, it just goes to show you that you can't judge someone just on what you see or know because there's always more to it.

The Winning Shot

As I walked out the front doors of Evergreen Middle School, I hear a familiar voice calling my name.

"Hey Cody, wait up!" my best friend, Mike, yelled sanguinely. He was a tall kid, with brown hair that almost covered his brown eyes.

"Oh hey, what's up?" I asked him.

"I was just going to ask you if you were comin' to the arcade with us," He said.

"Oh right, I'm gunna have to pass man," I responded quickly.
"What? Just come with us," He said, almost pleadingly.

"Nah I gotta go home," I told him.

"Right, and work on that jump shot?" He asked, sardonically.

"Yeah, I am!" I told him, smiling.

"Whatever man, only you." He said as he walked away, laughing.

Mike, and just about everyone else in this tiny town, knows that basketball means a lot to me. Here in Ohio, basketball means a lot to many people, mostly because we all root for the Ohio State Buckeyes. For me, basketball has just always been important. I know it sounds cliché, but when I'm on the court, everything just feels right.

Most people don't understand how much basketball means to me. It isn't until I tell them about my pre-game ritual that they finally understand just how obsessed I am. Some of them like to call me crazy because of it, and other just call me superstitious. I started it when I was in fifth grade. There's three parts to my ritual, and I'll explain to you where each of them originated. Before one game, when I was ten years old, my mom made me breakfast, because it was a morning game. My mom says it was nothing special, but for some reason I ate those scrambled eggs and drank a tall glass of orange juice like a glutton. After that, I went to get dressed, and I put on my black, ankle-high socks with the white Nike logo at the top, along with my black Nike sweatband, and my uniform, of course. Then, right before I left, my dad said, "Hey Cody, I wanna show you something." He put an old videotape into our VCR player, and fast-forwarded until he got to the part he was looking for. He said, "Watch this, this is good basketball right here." So I did, it was an old game, Duke versus Kentucky, from 1992. After I watched a bit, I went to my basketball game. For some reason, I had the best game of my life. I scored twenty points and we won. The only thing that explained my success was everything I had done before the game. So I kept doing it, and it kept working. The one game I didn't do it, we lost. It was horrible, we needed to win that game to make it to the playoffs, and I couldn't make a shot to save my life. After, I was extremely doleful, and so was everyone else.

It's been two years since that awful game, I'm in seventh grade, and I've learned my lesson. Now, I always do my pre-game ritual before every game. This year our team had a great season, and we made it to our league championship. Yesterday was our last game, and since we won, Coach gave us the day off today. I decided to go out and shoot some hoops. I was working on my foul shots when I heard my phone vibrate.

"Hello?" I said, as a pressed the green talk button on my black enV2.

"Hey Cody, I got big news!" Mike said, almost screaming.

"Okay, calm down big fella, what's up?" I said, laughing.

"WE'RE PLAYING THE COURTLAND COUGARS IN THE FINALS!" He yelled, without any composure. He would be the first to know because his dad is our coach.

"Good, we're gunna get 'um this time!" I said enthusiastically.

"Dude, do you remember the last time we played them? Do you know who's on that team?" Mike said, getting even more worked up.

"Yes, yes, I know, they beat us in overtime, it was close, and I don't care about Johnny," I told him decisively.

"Well I care, that whole team is a bunch of no goods," He said.

"Exactly, so we're going to beat them!" I told him.

"Yeah, okay man, I gotta call everyone else. I'll talk to you later," Mike said.

"Okay, bye," I said.

I went back to shooting foul shots, but it was hard for me to concentrate. Even though I had acted like playing the Cougars wasn't a big deal, I knew it was. We had played them twice this year. We won the first time; they won the second time. It was our only loss of the season, it was tough. The championship game was going to be even tougher, no doubt about it, and I had to deal with Johnny. He was the best player on the Cougars; they would be nothing without him. He was cocky and conceited; he thought he was infallible. I always had to guard him. He guarded me too, and did whatever he could to make me look bad. Even more than that, he's basically out to vilify me, and it's a little ridiculous. All I know is that we have our work cut out for us.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We had a week to prepare for our meeting with the Cougars, and now that day was here. I woke up at eight so I could get ready. I walked down the stairs and there was my mom, in the kitchen, making me delicious scrambled eggs. I sat down at the table, and we ate our scrambled eggs and orange juice together. The game didn't start till noon, but we had to be there by eleven. I went upstairs and took my time getting dressed. At 10:30, when I was just about ready to leave for the game, I grabbed my basketball bag and ran down the stairs. I went to get the tape, knowing that I had purposely juxtaposed it next to the VCR, except there was one problem - it wasn't there.

"Dad, where's the Duke game?" I asked, trying to be phlegmatic.

"It should be right next to the VCR," He said as he walked into the living room.

"Well it's not, and I need to find it!" I said, growing more anxious.

"Okay, that's weird it should be there, are you sure you didn't put it anywhere else?" He asked me.

"Positive, I always leave it right next to the VCR," I told him.

"Okay, well we need to leave soon, so let's forget about it," He said, trying to assuage my worries.

"How can I forget about it? You know how important my pre-game ritual is, and you know how important this game is! I need that tape!" I said, almost screaming.

"Cody, you will do fine without that tape, let's go," He said, as he grabbed his coat.

"I can't leave yet!" I told him sternly.

"We have too, get in the car," He said, calm as he could.

I walked out to the car without another word. On the way to the game, which was at our home gym, I was very taciturn. I tried to imagine where I could have put the tape, and flashed back to everything I had done last night. I know I put it next to the VCR! It doesn't matter now though, I have a game to focus on.

When I arrived at the gym, some of my teammates were already there. I walked over and began getting ready with them. Of course, as I walked by the other team I saw pompous Johnny. All he did was smirk. As soon as everyone on our team had showed up, we began working warming up. We did stretching, dribbling, passing, and shooting drills before coach called us in for a pre-game talk. I had done fine during warm-ups, now all I could do was hope the game would be the same way. Coach's talk got us all fired up, even more then we already were. When we walked out of the locker room, we were ready to go. The starting five walked out onto the floor, and we prepared for the jump. The Cougars got the ball, and we got ready to play defense. I found Johnny, and guarded him. They passed it around, and shot, but we got the rebound. One stop for us, now we just had to go score. The game continued, and I tried to forget about the fact that I hadn't watched Duke versus Kentucky, and, surprisingly, it wasn't too hard. The first half flew by, and at halftime the score was 28-25 us.

In the locker room, Coach gave us a speech about what we were doing well, and what we needed to work on. He said that I needed to have another big half for us to win this game. I wanted to say that it wasn't going to happen, but then I remembered that none of them knew I hadn't done my pre-game ritual. If I hadn't said anything, and they still didn't know, then it obviously wasn't showing. I could do this.

We ran back onto the court to start the second half and win this game. The Cougars came out and made a little run, but we got ourselves back on track. We had gotten it down to thirty seconds left and we were winning 47-42. The Cougars were going to come out and run some fancy play to get a shot right here. They in-bounded the ball to Johnny and had another player set a screen on me, so he got a wide-open three-pointer. 47-45. Then, they threw on a zone press, something we weren't used to, and Johnny stole the ball. He threw it to another player who was wide-open under the basket. It's all tied up, with ten seconds left. Coach calls timeout and gives us a play to run. Mike sets a perfect screen, and I'm wide-open. I dribble up the court, and I hear the pounding of feet catching up to me. Soon, Johnny's trying to play defense, but I've got him. I think. I drive to the basket, and go up for a lay-up, but I miss. I hear the horn go off, signaling the game is over, and the referee's whistle at the same exact time. Foul. On Johnny. I'm shooting. I walk to the line. Everybody in the stands is elated and going crazy. I pretend like I'm in my driveway shooting. I've done this a million times; it's muscle memory. The referee bounces me the ball, and I shoot it. Miss. Still 47-47. Last shot, it's going into overtime, if I don't make this. "Maybe I really do need that tape," I think to myself, but I try to push the trepidation and negative thoughts out of my head. The referee bounces me the ball again, and I shoot it. This time, it's nothing but net. It's over, 48-47, we win!

The crowd goes wild, and so do we. As we go through the line, we shake hands and say, "Good game." After that, I walked over to my parents in the stands.

"Guess you don't need that tape," nefarious Johnny said, smirking. As soon as he said that I wanted to punch him, but then I remembered something - we won. He's the one that should want to punch me, so I decided to be the bigger person.

"Yeah, I guess not. See ya next year Johnny." I replied, and walked out of the gym, with my parents, feeling like I was on top of the world.

second quarter orb review

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand. The Random House Publishing Group, 2001.
Genre: Nonfiction

Seabiscuit is the true story of a racehorse and all the people that were in the horse's life. First, Hillenbrand introduces us to all of the characters. Slowly we learn about Charles Howard, Tom Smith, Red Pollard, and Seabiscuit. Hillenbrand describes the lives of all these main characters and how they all came together. It takes place during the Great Depression, and a few years before and after. The setting is mainly California, but also all over the United States and parts of Mexico. Also, there is not really one conflict. It chronologically goes through Seabiscuit's story and we hear all the ups and downs. Some of the downs, which you could call conflicts, are: Seabiscuit getting hurt, Red getting hurt, and Seabiscuit losing races.

"A terrifically appealing Cinderella story, but it's Hillenbrand's instinctual feel for the drama of the sport and her formidable literary talents that bring the tale to life."
- W Magazine

Although this is the only book of Hillenbrand's that I have read, I think she writes wonderfully. Personally, I am not a fan of nonfiction, and she made it interesting. She provides a lot of information, maybe too much, about everything. Just from reading this book, I learned a little bit about life during the Great Depression, and a lot about all three of the main characters' lives. Some would say this is too much information, it is a pretty thick book after all, but I think all this is needed to understand the type of people they are and how all their lives are intertwined. I think she did a good job because, to me, it is harder to write good nonfiction because it is about facts, not just ideas that popped into her head one morning like some works of fiction.

"Seabiscuit may have been trapped in the barn, but his idleness didn't hurt his celebrity. He was the hottest name in the nation" (357).

Although Seabiscuit took me a long time to read, and I am not a fan of nonfiction, I though it was a good book. In the end, this book is about a bunch of people, who have had hard lives, and, together, they all end up on top of their sport. I'm a sucker for stories like these because competition and sports are things that I enjoy. The happy ending also helps. Plus, you didn't have to know anything about racing to understand this book because I don't and I understood it. People who do know a lot about racing may find it even more enjoyable though.

First Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

Graceling by Kristin Cashore. Harcourt Books, 2008. Genre: Fantasy.

Graceling is a fantasy book. It takes place in a land with seven kingdoms. The main character, Katsa, is from Middluns, which is the kingdom in the center of them all. Katsa is the niece of the King of Middluns, King Randa. In this world, some people are born with Graces. Graces give you a special power/skill to do something remarkably well. In Katsa's case, everyone thinks she is born with the skill of killing, but it turns out to be more than that. To distinguish Graced people from all the rest, they have two different colored eyes. The main conflict Katsa has to face is saving the kingdoms from a manipulative ruler, King Leck who has a Grace that is unknown to most.

"A brilliant, unforgettable story that I inhaled in one sitting. For a first novel, for any novel, Graceling is extraordinary."
- Catherine Murdock, author of Dairy Queen.
This quote was found on the jacket of the book.

Graceling is all about Katsa's journey to find her true self and save the kingdoms from King Leck. Along the way she also finds love. Considering this is the author's first novel, it is very well written. The book is divided into three sections, and each section has a mini-conflict. The author is also very good at description and painting a picture in our minds of the characters and settings. This book reminds me of Eragon. There are not two many parallels besides the fact that they are both fantasy books, but they remind me of each other. The two main characters, Katsa and Eragon, are both blessed with special talents and have to learn to use them wisely.

Here is a quote from the book: "A long, blue carpet led from the doors to Randa's throne. The throne was raised high on a platform of white marble. Randa sat high on his throne, blue robes and bright blue eyes. His face hard, his smile frozen" (165).

Graceling was Cashore's first book, but I enjoyed it. I would definitely read another book written by her. In fact, I think a sequel to this book would be a good idea. I liked how she wrote the book. To me, her message (theme) was that people are misunderstood. Most people were afraid of Katsa, which they did have a right to be, but she was a very loving person if you got to know her. I think the author was trying to tell us not to judge somebody until we get to know the person. I liked the book because she clearly displays an important message and wrote an interesting read in the process.

"I Think I'll go to Boston"

In a changing society, such as ours, it only makes sense that our values would be changing as well. Economists say we're in a recession, and that means most of us are cutting back. Although, does that mean just because a flashy sports car isn't affordable, it isn't valued? Does that mean that we're finally learning to cherish the special moments with our friends and family? Maybe, or maybe not, but that is a decision for each of us has to make.

As I step into the car, I’m already about to fall asleep. The sun is slowly making its way over the horizon, but for now it’s still dark out. I get into the car, and before I know it we’re on the highway. I slowly take my iPod out of my bag. It’s the only thing that can keep me calm and relaxed on a day like today. I put the white and pink headphones into my ears as the black screen comes to life. I scroll down to shuffle songs because it's one of those times where I can't pick a song on my own. It just happens to be "Boston" by Augustana, which is one of my all-time favorites. I'm thankful that this car ride should only be about two hours, because my iPod battery only lasts for three. As we drive along, I stare out my window at the beautiful landscape and quietly sing the words to each and every song.

My iPod is a second generation, four gigabyte, white nano. It's a little beat up-actually really beat up-but it doesn't bother me. I like to think that every scratch that can clearly be seen on the shiny, silver back represents each time I've used it and abused it. And sure, there are bigger and better iPods out there today, but I wouldn’t trade it for any of them. My iPod has the ability to pump me up before big games, and soothe me when I’m upset. Whatever mood I’m in, there’s a song on there that fits it perfectly, and that is the most important thing.

The hour and a half ride to Boston goes by in a flash, and before I know it we're going through the tunnels. The tunnels are my favorite part of the ride, even though we're only in them for about two minutes. Soon enough, we're parking near my uncle's apartment building. As my dad, mom, and I walk to my uncle's apartment building, I'm already excited. He buzzes us in, and we start walking up the stairs. This has got to be the least favorite part of the day, walking up all the stairs to his penthouse apartment. It's Easter morning, and there's not any other way I'd spend it other than here. When we get to the door, we're greeted by my cousin, Maryanne. After a hug and a quick hello to everyone there, we're settled in. My mom helps out my uncle and cousin in the kitchen. I get to talk to my grandma, who I don't see very often. We always catch up on Easter. Then, I convince my dad to go into the living room with me. We pretend to play Chess, but I actually don't have any idea how. I just like to look out the window and see the cars drive by and watch people wander around the city.

When it's finally time to eat, we all go into the dining room. Year after year, the dining room always looks the same. A long, dark brown, wooden table takes up practically the whole room. On the left side of the room, there's a small portrait of van Gogh with no ear that always makes me cringe. It just happens to be right next to the dessert table that displays the Italian pastries awaiting us. As we sit down to eat, the seating arrangement chosen by my uncle, my stomach rumbles. He fills the wine glasses, and I get a glass of ice water. After we say Grace, we dig in. There are all kinds of food, but that's not what I remember always about these meals. I remember the conversations, and how much fun we had. How together we all felt. Some of these people weren't even my actual relatives, but I still feel close to them.

My iPod and Easter dinner with my family are both very valuable to me. My iPod is valuable to me because I can listen to it no matter what mood I'm in. It's was not too expensive, about $200, but it was also the first big electronic I ever had. The thing I value most of all about it is that it helps me forget about whatever I'm stressing about, even if it's only for five minutes.

I value Easter dinner with my family, because it brings us all together. I only get to see those relatives a couple times a year so it's nice to catch up and chat with them. Whether we're playing Chess or watching a movie, we always have a lot of fun. I have so many memories and I know I'll never forget them.

Although these two values seem totally different, they're actually not. My iPod and Easter dinner with my family both make me feel genuinely happy. Both of them seem to always to cheer me up when I'm down. No matter what day it is, my iPod can always be found on the table beside my bed; fully charged, and begging to be played. Then, there's that one day a year, Easter, where I'm with my family, and everything feels right. Those are the days, and the moments, I live for.