Brandon’s English Blog

 I want to retain my cultural foods for the rest of my life, as I believe they're so good that my future family should experience them as well. They're important in my family and should become traditions during specific events. I cannot live without major foods like pozole and tamales, as they are used to celebrate holidays like Christmas and New Years Day. Another food is Tres Leches cake, as we use it to celebrate and share during birthdays and weddings. Finally, I cannot live without barbacoa, as it's a staple food that everyone should eat once. Today, we made a cultural food presentation, explaining foods that are important to our culture and families. It was pretty difficult as most of the foods repeat during Holidays, meaning I had to share obscure foods that aren't as popular or well-known. I had fun however, as I felt I represented my and many other's cultures well through the foods I choose. Today, I feel tired. I want to go home but the Winter Drumline is ...

 I would be very upset if my privacy was invaded online, as I do not want people to know about my personal life unless I tell them. I feel privacy is a basic civil liberty unless you are under suspicion for any dangerous or illegal behavior. I believe if there is probable cause, you should be able to be searched as you could be hiding something bad. Today, we read an African-America poem about how someone will prevail even though they do not have rights currently. It turned into a lesson about our rights and us choosing which ones we believe are the most important. Today, I feel okay. I'm ready to go home and rest. 

 Over Winter Break, I knew the imminent would happen. I knew I would forget about work due the next week and have to catch up on it over the weekend. My procrastination is an impediment to my success sometimes, but I am slowly getting better. I did not let it impinge on my progress and fun however, eventually getting all my work done and having time to enjoy my break. One of those days, I had the urge to eat wings and wanted to try a new place. I desperately importuned my mom to let me go instead of her making something that day, which I succeeded at as she was lazy to cook. It may have let me impecunious after, but they were good wings. Today, we created a comic strip using all of Lesson 10 vocabulary words. It was kind of challenging to create a story as some of the words did not line up, but it was fun nonetheless as we got to let our creativity flow. I barely finished before classes ended. Today, I feel good. I have Jazz Band practice andI didn't practice, but I'm just exci...

 When I was younger, I would not be able to take care of myself when I was sick. I didn't know anything about what medicines to take, what remedies would help, and how to overall fight the illnesses. My mom would always be there to take care of me, allowing me to rest all day while she worked to give me things that would make me feel better. Sometimes, she would even get sick too, but would still continue to care for me until I was better. I think this led to me still not being able to handle sicknesses, as I've always been babied while I was sick, but I am slowly learning how to overcome them on my own. Today, we read and analyzed an African American poem called The Mothering Blackness. The themes were about how a mother's love is unconditional and how you can always have a place to call home if you're supported by your family. I enjoyed the poem as it was fun to analyze through the definition of words and the overall message of how much a mother loves her children. To...

 Life skills I learned in high school that will help me independently after high school are learning how to talk to people and have conversation, how to ask questions despite thinking they are not important, how to lead and contribute, and how to multi-task and be punctual. These are all essential skills I will be using in the workforce and my everyday life, being basic human skills that you need to interact with others. Today, we had an independent assignment on NewsELA about the bill of right. It was really boring and I did not like this assignment. I normally like them but this one did not peak my interest. Today, I feel sick. My mom has been coughing around the house with her mouth open for a week and it finally got me. I hope I get better over the week.

 My favorite part of big events like the super bowl is the combination of everything. I know understand football more as I am in marching band. I love Kendrick Lamar and am looking forward to his performance. I also enjoy the ads as sometimes they are funny and sometimes they make you feel emotions. The combination of all this leads to a memorable experience. Today, I am not in class. I was an alternative for District Honor Band, so I'm missing all day today. I'm nervous but I feel like if they wanted me specifically, it was for a reason. 

 The most challenging part of writing an essay for me is getting stuck and feeling like I am repeating myself. I also tend to use a lot of conjunctions, which is not formal writing. I sometimes run out of things to say, feeling like I am not getting my point across or I didn't have much evidence to support my claims. Today, I was absent. I feel good however, as it's the final basketball game of the season so no more staying after school.

 If I had to write a poem about my life right now, it would be about my journey to finish my final high school year right. I would list how I'm trying to keep my relationships close and tight as a way to preserve them once I leave. I would also explain how I'm trying to stay on top of my study and abolish any bad habits that still linger. I would list the things I'm doing to fulfill the time until graduation. I would write about the many applications, forms, and emails I've had to sent. I would also write how I feel currently and my hopes and goals for the future. Today, we continued learning about The Writing Process. Today, we covered thesis statements, specifically 3-point thesis statements and umbrella thesis statements. I like this lesson as sometimes I feel my writing is very bland or repetitive especially when it comes to essays, as I didn't know what else I could change while staying to the rubrics. These have taught me valuable skills I can use in college. ...

 I remember during Band Camp, I had to introduce myself to the new members, explain my position, how long I had been doing marching band, and that they could come and find me in case they needed anything. I was just beginning to get over my social anxiety, so this was a real test for me. My fears were embarrassing myself too much that people didn't respect me or knew that it was all a facade and I really didn't know what I was doing. But I thought about it logically, these kids are probably more scared than I am and it's now my job for them to get as comfortable as I am with the activity. Advice I'd give is to not think about what they're thinking and get your message across, because all your doubts are completely wrong. They are actively listening to you and value what you are saying, or else they would not be paying attention and be hearing what you are about to say. Today, we learned more about the Writing Process, covering Formal and Informal Language. We learne...