Contact Sports 

Contact sports, one of todays most controversial subjects. Contact sports are sports in which players make contact with each other or inanimate objects. All sports keep people healthy and fit, but little did you know, some sports can cause long lasting consequences. 

Damon James, 16 year old running back died from an on-field injury after loosing consciousness from a head to head collision while playing football. This shows that although [contact] sports are enjoyable and keep you healthy, they can cause awful things such as life lasting injuries, memory loss, or even death. The article on Damon also spoke about how his family, friends, and school were mourning him and how tragic their loss was. How not only was Damon a football player, but he was a smart and kindhearted boy who didn’t deserve to loose his life because of a sport. "We're going to be recommending that nobody under the age of 14 be involved in collision sports," said Dr. Robert Cantu, chairman of the Department of Surgery at Emerson Hospital and co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at the Boston University School of Medicine. (WCVB Boston’s News Letter) according to “Boston’s News Letter” testing has shown that teenagers who played contact sports often, have already showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

The obvious fact that contact sports are dangerous has already been stated many times, but when will people get the message? On average, twelve high school and college football players die each year. Within ten years, that would add up to about 120 students dead because of a sport. The fact that a career in football can lead to lots of success is completely true, but not worth it. Risking your limbs, senses, memory, or even your life just so you can play a sport is not a smart idea. Playing contact sports at any age is dangerous, but is the most dangerous under the age of 14. The time between birth and the age of 14 are critical to the brains development of childhood and adolescence. The development of a child’s brain should not be interfered with, if it is, it may face a traumatic brain injury. “On average, 62,000 children sustain brain injuries requiring hospitalization as a result of motor vehicle crashes, falls, sports injuries, physical abuse or other causes each year.”  Over 2,500 of them result in deaths. states “Brain Injury Association of America”

As stated before, sports can lead to careers, but they can also lead to brain injury and memory loss. Why risk that when you’re born with a brain capable of pursuing other careers? Many retired NFL and NHL players suffer memory loss. “Concussions may damage areas of the brain related to memory in National Football League players. And that damage might linger long after the players leave the sport, according to a small study.” says HealthDay News. “Many of the former football players also scored low on memory tests, particularly those used to assess verbal learning and memory. While it's a small study, the findings suggest that molecular and structural changes occur in certain brain regions of athletes who've suffered numerous hits to the head, even years after they stopped playing, the researchers said.” this shows that just hits to the head can affect the human brain. Sports are not a reason to risk brain damage, or any other type of damage.

In conclusion, children in their adolescence or still developing should not be participating in contact sports because injuries can hurt them very badly and have long term lasting effects on them of even cause death. There have been so many disastrous and tragic mishaps because of contact sports and they could of all been avoided. Avoiding contact sports is a very safe decision and can benifit more lives.

China’s Cram Schools

  Waking up at about 5am everyday, to get to your first class of the day which starts at 6:20am. There, you will study for the annual exam that 9 million students take for college admission, the Gaokao test. Throughout the day, you study Chinese, mathematics, a foreign language (usually English), and three other topics drawn from a pool of electives. Along with 20,000 other students. This test determines your entire future. If you score poorly on this test, any work you did prior to it will not do you any good or get you any jobs.

This test is called the Gaokao test. It puts major amounts of stress on students and leaves them with very little sleep and free time. Students put in all the effort they can in order to do well on this test because with a change of just a few points, they could have no future. The Gaokao exam determines weather a student gets into college or not. Maotanchang, one of China’s cram schools which holds 20,000 students, does everything possible to eliminate distractions from a students everyday life. “Cellphones and laptops are forbidden, the dorms in which half of the students life have no electrical outlets, and dating is also forbidden. In town, where the other half of the students live, the local government has shut down all forms of entertainment. There is no video arcade, billiards hall, or internet cafe.” States Brook Larmer, author of “China’s Cram Schools” in Upfront Magazine. “There is nothing to do but study” says Yang, a former student at Maotanchang.

The Gaokao test is twice as long as the SAT/ACT exams and the stakes are much higher. Students reach the extremes studying and preparing for this test. “Its critics say it stifles creativity and puts excessive pressure on students. Teenage suicide rates tend to rise as the Gaokao nears. Two years ago, a student posted a shocking photograph online: a classroom full of students all hooked up to intravenous drips to give them the strength to keep studying.” states Brook Larmer, author of “China’s Cram Schools” in Upfront Magazine. This shows how intense and time consuming this test it and how far desperate students are to pass it. This also shows that there should be other ways to get into college other than this exam. If suicide rates raise when the exam is nearing and students feel the need to hook themselves up to ivs to continue studying, there is a clear problem, but since there isn’t, students know and understand how much this test means to them and they are willing to devote all their time to it.

Although a majority of the students in China take the Gaokao exam, those who come from wealthier families don’t necessarily need to. “The government is pushing reforms to reduce student workloads and allowing universities to consider factors other than Gaokao scores. But these efforts have met resistance from many parents, who fear that easing pressure could hurt their childs exam results and jeopardize their futures. Many wealthy families are simply opting out of the system, placing their children in private international schools in China or sending them abroad for education.”  Says Brook Larmer, author of “China’s Cram Schools” in Upfront Magazine. This shows that with money, some students can receive a better education (rather than going to cram schools or Chinese public schools)  and have other options from the Gaokao. Wealthy families can hire private tutors, pay for test-prep courses, or bribe their way into the cities best schools. In other cases, rural students face “severe” disadvantages. They have poor schools, few well-trained teachers, and most of those people can’t afford tutors. If a student does not pass the Gaokao exam they usually end up working in a factory or having a construction job. Those jobs are avoided in every way possible because they pay minimum wage.

In conclusion, there should be other ways for students to gain college admission than the Gaokao tests.These tests put insane and unimaginable amounts of pressure on Chinese students that are completely unnecessary. There are many factors that could affect a student while taking this test. Pressure, anxiety, lack of confidence and intelligence, ect. That does not mean a student is non-eligible to enter collage or get a decent paying job. Every single student who goes through all the preparation and hours of studying for this test deserves at the least deserves a decent salary in the future. Once again, the Gaokao exams should not be the only way to gain college admission. They are unjust and extremely too difficult to count for a students college admission in full.

Evelina Corcos 711

Poetry 

“Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden & “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke

A relationship between a child and their parent is extremely important and treasurable. However, some children don’t spend their youth maintaining the greatest bond with their parents. “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke and “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden both share the speakers memories of their father.

“Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden, is told from the point of view of an adult looking back on their childhood relationship with their father. “Sundays too my father got up early and put on his clothes in the blueblack cold, then with his cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday weather made banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.” The speaker seems to be talking about how when he was younger, nobody ever appreciated his father or noticed how hard he worked for his family. The way this poem is written, it is shown to the reader that the father cares very much about his family and tends to them whenever possible. “Speaking indifferently to him, who had driven out in the cold and polished my good shoes as well. What did I know, what did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices?” This line implies that the father is lonely and upset because of the work he does for his family, but he does all of the work out of love, and not to be appreciated or thanked.

“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke is a poem that is also told from the point of view of an adult looking back on their childhood. But instead of looking back and regretting his actions for not acting grateful towards his father, he is looking back on his drunk father. He is speaking about how his father would “miss steps” and how his “mothers countenance could not unfrown itself.” The speaker isn’t positive whatsoever about his father, he is talking about how poorly his father treated him, and how he was abusive and often intoxicated. The first stanza of the poem introduces the reader to the drunken father, “The whiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy; but I hung on like death; such waltzing was not easy.” In translation, the speaker is saying how his fathers breath was very strong, it almost felt like it was causing him [as a small boy] to get dizzy. But the child stayed strong although it was never easy. “You beat me on my head, with a palm caked hard by dirt, then waltzed me off to bed, still clinging to your shirt.” The speaker is saying how his father was abusive towards him but the father didn’t realize how badly his actions affected his wife and child. His child (speaker) was clinging to his fathers shirt trying not to let him go because even though he didn’t treat him right, it was his father, and he wanted to maintain hope in him. 

The prospectives of the two speakers are very different. In “Those Winter Sundays” (as previously stated) the point of view of the speaker is regretful, and his attitude towards his father is [now] very loving. The speaker is looking back and comprehending how much his father did for his family and how great and loving his father actually was, wishing he treated his father with some more respect and showed him more thanks when he was younger. In “My Papa’s Waltz”  (also, as previously stated) the speaker is looking back on his childhood with his father and wishing it were different, that his father didn’t drink, that he didn’t have to put up with his fathers abusive behavior, and that him and his mother could of had a normal, healthy, and loving relationship with his/her father/husband.

In conclusion, both poems have to do with adults looking at their pasts and wishing they could have gone differently. They are both very much alike because they are both told from the same point of views (the child’s), and the tones of the both of them are very dark and sorrowful. I think the authors of these poems wrote them intending for people acknowledge how good they might have it and how everyone should love and respect their family and cherish their childhood while it's lasting because they might not realize how it may affect them as an adult.

Evelina Corcos 711

"Building Bridges" Essay

At any certain point in someones life, they have family problems or have to make tough family decisions. Throughout the short story “Building Bridges”, by Andrea Pinkey, the relationship change between a teenaged girl named Bebe and her grandmother who she lives with named Mama Lil is shown, and how Mama Lil develops a stronger and deeper relationship with Bebe over time. In this short sort, the author shows that family relationships can get difficult, but in the end your family will always be there for you. Andrea Pinkey does this by progressively showing how Bebe’s relationship with her grandmother is becoming stronger, and how towards the end of the story Mama Lil finally feels like she understands Bebe.

The author wants the reader to think and understand how Mama Lil feels about Bebe working on the Brooklyn Bridge and how Mama Lil’s actions have an impact on Bebe. “Bebe, get that backward idea out of your head. That grit-work ain’t no place for you. And besides, I ain’t never heard of no girls be doing that. You need to be getting yourself a real summer job, something civilized.” This shows that Mama Lil clearly doesn’t want Bebe working on the bridge, and that she’s very apposed to the idea of Bebe working on the bridge. “I never got tired of looking at its steel girders and iron cables- and its beautiful crisscross rafters that had started out in somebody’s imagination, had been put to paper, formalized in an engineer’s plans, than woven together, bolt by bolt. Now Belle (the name she calls the bridge by) was a powerful giant who carried all kinds of people to all kinds of places.” To Bebe, working on the Brooklyn Bridge has been her dream for a long time and she has a passion for it.

Through the middle of the story, Bebe keeps trying to explain to Mama Lil how important this job is to her but Mama Lil doesn’t think its a civilized job, and that Bebe should get a job at a more sophisticated working facility. “I ain’t gonna be the one who allows you to take part in such foolishness.” She wants to make sure Bebe is aware that she doesn’t approve. The bridge is all she wants and she wants Mama Lil to expect that. Mama Lil is starting to open her eyes to this idea of Bebe being an engineer but she isn’t going to let Bebe see that. “Blow me away, try to make me disappear, like your puffs of smoke.” By Bebe saying it lets the reader understand that Bebe feels very rejected by Mama Lil and she’s hurt that Mama Lil doesn’t want, and isn’t going to let, her do what she wants. “She sat back on her sofa, blowing her smoke straight ahead, her eyes avoiding mine.” You can tell that Mama Lil’s coming to realize that maybe Bebe’s dream isn’t so silly after all and that Bebe is going to keep asking for this until she agrees to sign the form or give her a straight answer. But Mama Lil isn’t intending to show it. 

Towards the end of the text, Mama Lil starts being more open about the whole bridge situation with Bebe, but she still does not think that its the right decision for her to make. “Bebe, if you put your mind to it,you could be awfully good at doing hair. Give it a chance child.” Mama Lil says to Bebe after she brings up the bridge again. “Mama Lil, look at me.” Bebe says as Mama Lil is smoking a cigarette. “Im enjoying my cig Bebe, it tastes better with my eyes closed.” Bebe then says “Mama Lil your eyes are always closed, closed to seeing me.” Now, Bebe realizes something. That in order for her to live her dream, she needs to let Mama Lil let her go. “Let me go Mama Lil, let me dream.”

  In this story, it is shown that family relationships can be difficult at times. But after all, your family will always be there to support and love you. Most people have family problems, or things can get rough sometimes, but family will always help you get though things. So in the end, Bebe and Mama Lil did resolve their problems, and Bebe did end up working on the Brooklyn Bridge. Their relationship can be used as an example for many relationships between kids and their guardians at any certain time period in their life.

I grew up around a lot of people with accents, my dad who used to have a strong Italian accent and my babysitter when I was little used to have a Spanish accent. So when they would say my nam it would always be in European accents and thats what it reminds me of. My family also changed my name (not legally) from Evelyn to the European translation Evelina. Not many people have the same name as me, I’ve only ever met about 4 or 5 other people with my name. 
My name reminds me of the house I lived in for eight years in Los Angeles, California. It was always sunny and the house was so amazing. When I think about my name I think about how my dad and my babysitter and family friends used to say it. The fact that not many people have the same name as me makes me feel original. Some people might feel out of place because they have a different name but mine makes me stand out.
My name reminds me of a color thats like a mix between a red and an orange, like a scarlet or a coral. A color you don’t see every day, but every now and then you occasionally see it. I’ve never been to a store that has a keychain or flashlight with my name on it, Evelyn? All the time. I f I go to Starbucks with a friend I tell them that my name is “Ev” because they can’t spell Evelina. Once I tried and they spelt it “Balinda”. Sometimes when I meet new people or have new teachers they tend to call me Emalina or Evilena. My name is like the number seven which makes sense because my name has seven letters in it. Seven is a prime number which means other numbers can’t go into it. This makes me feel like I’m unique because the number seven is a number that isn’t similar to other numbers. 
My mom almost named me Violet after the Florentine soccer team. Which in Italian, translates to Violeta. My parents almost named that because my dads Florentine. I have both of my parents last names, Mazar and Corcos, but I only use Corcos which is my dads last name.
But in the end, I love my name and I would never change it. No, I don’t like the name Evelyn and have never gone by it but Evelina I have and I haven’t ever wanted to go by anything else.

Evelina Corcos 

711 

The Fault in Our Stars

By John Green

Over this summer my favorite book I read was The Fault in Our Stars. I know, typical right? But honestly this book is so amazing and heartbreaking, I couldn’t help myself, but I read it two times and had to write something on it. This book is so filled with emotion and during the book there are moments when you find yourself smiling and others where you find yourself bawling. Written my an amazing author John Green, who is also the author of Looking For Alaska, Let it Snow, and many more brilliant books.

The Fault in Our Stars is about two teenagers names Augustus and Hazel. Hazel was diagnosed with lung cancer when she was very young and Augustus had cancer in his leg. Augustus and Hazel met at a support group and talked ever since. After a several months, they become closer and Augustus decides to spend his wish on going to Amsterdam to meet Hazel’s favorite author accompanied by Hazel! They visit the author the 2nd day they’re in Amsterdam and he ends up being a drunk who is extremely rude. He makes fun of Hazel and Gus for having cancer and Hazel ends up cursing at him and his assistant apologizes to them and then quits. They then become friends with the assistant and go to the Anne Frank Museum together, where Hazel and Gus kiss for the first time. The day later Hazel and Gus are sitting on a bench near a river and Gus tells her that they found more cancer in him and that it spread through his whole body. When they get back he has Hazel and Issac (his good friend who lost his eyesight to cancer) prepare eulogies for his funeral since he knows he has a short time to live. They meet at a church and Hazel and Issac say their speeches. Hazel’s eulogy was absolutely heart wrenching. About a week later, Augustus dies. At his funeral the writer shows up. When the funeral ends and Hazel gets in her car, she starts sobbing. The writer opens the car for and sits down, and hands her a sheet of paper. He tells her to read it and she yells at him and throws it on the floor. He tells her that he was deeply sorry for his actions and that he was overwhelmed because his daughter died when she was seven of Leukemia. She tells him that she’s sorry but he needs to get out of her car. A couple days after, Issac asked her if she read the eulogy Gus wrote. She has no idea what he’s talking about, then runs to her car and picks up the paper. It’s the paper the writer gave her.

John Green by far is my favorite author ever. I also went to the premiere of the movie and met all of the actors. It was SO amazing seeing the book come to live by not only watching the movie, but meeting the actors, and they were so sweet and amazing. I decided to read this book because there was such a huge buzz over it and everyone seemed to love it. I had also read Looking For Alaska (also written by John Green) before hand so I knew that John was a great writer.