A Road Trip Like No Other...

   In John Green's "An Abundance of Katherines," Colin Singleton and his best friend Hassan are on the run. Not from the law, no. These two boys are on the run from their pasts. Throughout his whole life, Colin has been seen as a prodigy. But, seeing how he has just graduated high school and has done nothing especially outstanding with his life, those days are just about over. It is not intellect, however, that Colin is running from. Colin Singleton is running from his romantic past. Colin has dated 19 girls in his lifetime, all named Katherine. He has also been dumped by 19 girls in his lifetime, all by girls named Katherine. In a desperate attempt to escape this romantic rut of his, Collin grabs his best friend, Hassan, and heads off on a road trip to the middle of nowhere, also known as Gutshot, Tennessee, where he meets Lindsey. She has a boyfriend named Colin (TOC), and lives with her mother, Hollis. Can Colin finally escape his rut? Is it possible that everything he was looking for could be found in this tiny, Tennessee town? Pick it up and find out.

New Quarter, New Flusters...

Welcome Back!

A new quarter means new challenges, new experiences, and plenty of new ways to just have a blast! I don't know too much about Shakespere, but that's why I'm excited for this unit to come along! In the past years, we read many short stories at my old school. I'm very interested in seeing what kind of stories we get to read an annalyze throughout this quarter. Finally, there's Edgar Allen Poe. I actually know a lot about Poe, because I studied him and all of his works last year. I have found that though he has quite a disturbing past, and a knack for eerie writing, he is truly an inspiration to any writer who wishes to work well with words. I could spend hours looking over that man's works, and I hope that is something we get the chance to do, at least a little bit of. Overall, I cannot wait to see what we get into this quarter, so bring on the English!

Poe Websearch!

http://rgbjr.tripod.com/poepicts/page12.html

1. Edgar Alen Poe was born on January 19th, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. The great dark poet died on October 7, 1849.
(all found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_allan_poe)


2. One childhood event that influenced Poe's life immensely was that he was orphaned quite young. Shortly after his father abandoned his family when he was a young boy, his mother passed away. 
(found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_allan_poe_)


3. Five possibilities for Poe's cause of death are: 
         1. Heart Disease
         2. Alcohol Poisoning 
         3. Cholera
         4. Rabies
        5. Epilepsy
(All found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_allan_poe)

6. Edgar Allan Poe was expelled from West Point Military Academy as a young man.
(Found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_allan_poe)




7. Edgar Allan Poe married his cousin, Virginia Clemm, when she was just 13 years old.
(Found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_allan_poe)

8. I studied Poe's life last year in my Language Arts class, so while I am a bit disgusted at this young age and marriage in the family, I am well informed to know that many people at the time had done the same type of thing, and it wasn't a big deal. So, I think that helps me to feel a little less strange about the whole situation.

12. The photo at this URL: http://poestories.com/view.php?photo=42bf37bf0e01e is probably the Poe that I see the most when I envision him and his works of literature. It's probably one of the most famous "photos" of him, which would explain my thoughts. 

14. I signed the guest book under the name Megan G.
(http://poestories.com/guestbook.php)

17. The Poe toaster is a "mystery man" who pays homage to Poe's grave, every year at the anniversary of his birth. The identity of this person has never been revealed.
(prior knowledge)





Last year, around Halloween, my Language Arts teacher did the same unit on Poe and is poetry, so that we knew that our city had such a brilliant writer in its history. I don't know too much else about Edgar Allan Poe, but I do know that he was troubled, even in his brilliance, and he deserves to be honored. I love reading his works of art, even when it's a little late and easy to be spooked.

Black Box Mysteries

Black Box Mysteries

Model: Tiffany R. Editing:  Megan G.

To experts, the concept of adolescent depression seemed unusual for years. In fact, it was not actually recognized as a disease until the 1980’s. (Youth Depression, 2) Today, somewhere around 20% of American teens have experienced depression by the young age of 18 (Docksai, 1). The cause for such a sudden uprising in statistics is unknown, but specialists are looking for different cures and treatments. Most adolescents who are ready for help with their depression would prefer to have both medication and psychological therapy for treatment. However, many patients do not receive medication for depression, because of the black box warnings that drug providers were required to include on their medications since 2004. Antidepressants have been used for years, but experts are shying away from them, because of suicidal behavior in teens; however, if doctors and parents monitored the teenagers carefully enough, antidepressant drugs definitely do more good than harm in a patient’s world.

            For years, depression wasn’t looked at as a disease. It was seen as a form of heave sadness that one would eventually overcome. Even after depression had been seen as a true illness, people still saw no need for a pill. In fact, Youth Depression states, "89% of clinically depressed Americans are not using medication for their condition," (4). This is part of the reason that the adolescent suicide rate has risen so suddenly. In fact, between 2003 and 2004, the suicide rate for teens shot up by 18% (Docksai, 1).  Coincidentally, that was the same year that black-box warnings started to appear on medication containers, and parents started shying away from the medications, for fear that their child could be affected negatively.

            Whenever we take a medication, whether it be for something simple like a cough or allergies, or for something complicated like the diabetes or a virus, there are always risks we take. We are made aware of those risks though the doctors’ warnings and the text on the container for the medication.  However, on depression medications, people seem to take these warnings more seriously, perhaps too seriously, at times. In fact, many people believe that black-box warnings just make it harder for depression patients to want help. (Docksai, 2) Some argue that because anti-depressants haven’t been as popular since the recent rise in the adolescent suicide rates, perhaps the drugs are actually causing these actions. However, there are plenty of other reasons that the suicide rate has gone up. Some believe that firearms are too easily accessed by teens, which makes committing suicide that much more of a reality. (Youth Depression, 3) Something else that is overlooked is that when the teen suicide rate shot up the most in recent years (18% in 2003-2004), it was the same year that the concept of black box warnings were introduced. (Docksai, 1)

Models: Anonymous volunteers. Editing: Megan G.

            Some are not completely against anti-depressants for teens, but they do fear that not enough research has been done on them. Up until now, Extensive testing with those under 16 and anti-depressants has not been performed. (Youth Depression, 3) However, minor research has been done, and the results from that research show that 56% of adolescents on an anti-depressant showed signs of improvement, compared to the 32% of teens given a placebo. (Youth Depression, 4) The true problem here is that the people who don’t have a problem with anti-depressants automatically assume that the medication will take care of the problem, and nothing should be monitored. Most of the people who have cured depression are the people who decided to use medication, but had enough knowledge to know that behavior needs to be monitored by the teen’s parents when they are prescribed to a pill with such strength in altering emotions. The parents who have the most knowledge about depression treatments are the parents who have an easier time finding help for their child (Adamson, 5).

            Overall, the causes of depression are, more often than not, the same reasons why a teen would not get help. The number one reason adolescents don’t want to get help is the perception their families will have, once treatment has started. (Adamson, 6) A welcoming and understanding environment is essential for helping a teen overcome depression. When psychological therapy isn’t enough, anti-depressant drugs, to a certain degree, should be encouraged. If a teen feels unsure about their treatment or medication, they are less likely to take it. Black-box cautions are appropriate, but they should not be stressed as much as they are today. With a watchful eye and a supportive mind, parents and doctors can work together and help to make every teen regain the confidence it takes to overcome depression.

Model, Photography, and Editing: Amanda S.

Works Cited Page

 Adamson, David M. <http://www.rand.org> "Teen Depression Awareness Project." January 26, 2010.

Docksai, Rick. "Youth Depression and Suicide." Futurist Vol. 43, No. 1. Jan/Feb 2009: 16-17. SIRS Researcher. Web. 27 Sep 2010.

"Youth Depression" Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 28 Apr. 2000 Web. 27 Sept 1010 <http://wwww.2facts.com/article/i0500920>.

Article Three Notes- "Youth Depression"

Article Citation:


"Youth Depression" Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 28 Apr. 2000 Web. 27 Sept 1010 <http://wwww.2facts.com/article/i0500920>.

• Since the 1960's, the adolescent suicide rate in the US has nearly tripled. (1)
• "...the psychiatric community did not officially recognize youth depression until 1980…" (2)
• Part of the reason adolescent depression wasn't recognized sooner was because many doctors didn't think children and teens were mentally mature enough to become depressed. (2)
• "According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 6% of young people between the ages nine and 17 suffer from some type of depression; 4.9% in that age group suffer from major depression." (2)
• Another suspected cause for the increased teen suicide rate is the easy accessibility of firearms. It is too easy for a teenager to get their hands on a gun, and use it for deadly purposes. (3)
• From 1996-1997, the number of teens on the anti-depressants Prozac, Zoloft, or Paxil more than doubled since 1994. (3)
• Extensive testing with those under 16 and anti-depressants has not been performed yet, so cautions are raised. (3)
• 56% of children in the minor testing showed improvement in illness when using an anti-depressant. (4)
• "89% of clinically depressed Americans are not using medication for their condition." (4)
• Many families have no choice but a pill, because therapy for their child is too expensive. (5)

NaNo WHAT?

Some call it torture. Some call it mental suicide. I prefer the term..... writing exercise. What am I talking about? Why, NaNoWriMo, of course!

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo is in November, and it is a writing exercise for quantity, not quality. The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. This task seems near impossible to many writers, and some may claim that any participants are not completely mentally stable. I have chosen to participate this year.


I participated last year, and failed, only reaching 40,000 words. This year, I took the time to do the math of the situation, and found that 50,000 divided by 30 is about 1,667 words a day. If I can manage to write that many words a day, I will have completed the NaNoWriMo challenge. This post is to spread the word to other writers who wish to join me and the thousands of others all over the world who are attempting this treacherous journey. Please know that if you do wish to participate, you are putting your social life on the line. Chances are, if you're really wishing to succeed, you won't be doing much after school.But, that is the price that we writers pay. There are exactly 31 days until NaNoWriMo, and I will be keeping a word count on my blog. Good luck to any fellow writers out there, and remember, QUANTITY. NOT QUALITY. 

(p.s. When in doubt, add a character who stutters!)



(also, become my writing buddy and keep track of others' progress here. My username is dancinerd. Be my buddy!)

~Megan

Article Two Notes: "Youth Depression and Suicide."

Article Citation:

Docksai, Rick. "Youth Depression and Suicide." Futurist Vol. 43, No. 1. Jan/Feb 2009: 16-17. SIRS Researcher. Web. 27 Sep 2010.

• Medications to stop depression actually make many teens suicidal. (1)

• In 2005, companies became required to include warnings about young suicidal behavior in medicines. (1)

• Some experts worry that these warnings put teens in more danger because they go untreated because of their parents' fears of suicidal behavior. (1)

• "According to FDA data, a young person suffering  from depression is 15% more likely to commit suicide than peers not suffering from depression." (1&2)

• "...suicides of Americans under age 20 years old rose 18% between 2003 and 2004…" (1)

• Many people believe that black-box warnings just make it harder for depression patients to want help. (2)

• One option for treatment is to prescribe these drugs, but keep a close eye on the patient to make sure they don't start acting suicidal. (2)

• The link between anti-depressants and adolescent suicide wasn't drawn until 2003. (1)

• Most doctors say that there isn't a need for a change in the black-box warnings just yet, and that data in adolescent suicides needs to change more vastly before changes can be made. (2)

Image Citation:

<http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQS0DSKcqtnXGhSrQIxhiq6grRnWu4f2LV8BtlXf5d7xlu-5qk&t=1&usg=__eA0vl3vWlKvG-qdbAOoU1J7aZds=>

Article One Notes: "Teen Depression Awareness Project."

Article Citation:

 Adamson, David M. <http://www.rand.org> "Teen Depression Awareness Project." January 26, 2010

• The more parents know, the easier it is to get help to resolve the depression. (5)

• Teens with depression are more likely to have behavioral issues . (3)

• Depression tends to play a part in low grades and limited class participation. (3)

• The  top concern for teens when seeking help is their family's perception of their issue. (6)

• The top concern for parents when seeking help for their teenager is that they will have trouble setting up an appointment. (6)

• Hyper-activity issues are more than doubled in teens with depression. (3)

• Teens who are more ready for help tend to be females. (4)

• Parents are more commonly more ready to seek help for their teen than they are. (4)

• Hispanic teens know more about anti-depression medication than black teens do, but black parents know more about the medication than Hispanic parents. (6)

• Depressed teens tend to feel like they don't have as much support from parents and friends as other teens might. (2)

• Depressed teens felt that they were physically impaired on more days than teens who were not faced with depression. (2)

• Those who are ready to seek help most often want combined treatment, with both psychological and medical care centered around depression. (4)

• "Across all racial groups, teen knowledge about treatment options was strongly associated with greater willingness to seek treatment." (6)

• "As many as 20 percent of American teenagers experience depression by the age of 18." (1)

• "Depressed teens who communicate more and share feelings with parents are more likely to be ready for care and know more about depression therapy…" (7)

Image Citation:

<http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9495/images/figure1.gif>

TWLOHA

This Friday is TWLOHA day. TWLOHA is the name of an organization, and it stands for To Write Love On Her Arms. TWLOHA is an organization that is out to spread awareness for self injury in teenagers. (mainly teenage girls) I have a close friend who has, in the past, been a victim of self-injury addiction, and this issue is very close to my heart. Self-injury is a big problem in the teenage community, in girls and boys, though it's more common in girls. If you want to help out, please write the word "love" on your arms this Friday. Help raise awareness and also help to give victims the courage to get help. Remember, all it takes is one voice.

Research Questions- Teenage Depression

1. How can teen depression be prevented?
2. Is depression completely curable?
3. What treatments are available for teenagers struggling with depression?
4. Who is more likely to have teenage depression? Teenage boys or teenage girls?
5. Is depression worse at an earlier or older age?

Teen Depression

9/13/10

Book: Is It Night or Day? By Fern Schumer Chapman

Topic: Teen Depression

Search Terms:

1. “Teen Depression”

2. “Causes for teen depression”

3. “Depression’s effects on families”

4. “Depression Prevention”

5. “Main causes of suicidal thoughts”

6. “Teens with depressed parents”

7. “Depression Cures”

Teen Depression

            In the book, Is It Night Or Day? By Fern Schumer Chapman, the main character, Edith, gets to the verge of teenage depression many times. Over the years, teen depression has become more and more common. In fact, “As many as 20 percent of American teenagers experience depression by the age of 18.” The causes are numerous, but studies show that the more parents know about depression, the easier it is to get the teen help before it becomes too serious. Many kids want help when they become depressed, but “most teens with depression have limited access to specialty mental health care.” Either because it costs too much, or its too far away, plenty of teens become and stay depressed, because they never receive help. Depression can easily lead to self-injury or suicide, and that’s why I think it’s important to make care for depressed teenagers available to anyone who wants it, no matter their race, income, gender, or anything else that sets them apart. (Information from: http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/2010/RAND_RB9495.pdf)

Image found at: http://www.tricitypsychology.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/depressed-teenager.jpg

A Letter to Edith...

703 Churchville Road

Bel Air MD, 21014
September 7th, 2010

Dear Edith,

This is me and my brother just before his graduation ceremony.

I really don’t know what I should be saying to you. Throughout this entire year, you’ve been nothing but as strong as our Lady Liberty. Having to live on your own for an indefinite amount of time is scary for someone who is 18 and going off to college in America. If I were your age and had to leave my home for probably forever, I think I’d go completely numb to the world. In your story, “Is it Night or Day?” by Fern Schumer Chapman, you go through things worse than any child should ever have to experience. However, I hope this past summer has been easier on you than the one before it, when you came to America for the first time. Actually, like you did on that very first day, I got to visit the Big Apple. I saw a show like you did, too, only it wasn’t at Radio City. We went to Broadway and saw a musical called “Wicked.” It was truly amazing. It’s a kind of twist on the story, “The Wizard of Oz,” which is a book and a movie. I recommend you see or read it, because I think you’d really relate to Dorothy’s adventure into a land that she knows nothing about. It’s kind of funny how similar your situations are. Also, I kind of know how you feel, when it comes to losing touch with a sibling. My older brother Michael just graduated from high school last June, so he’s living way up north these days. I’ll only get to see him on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then during summer break, which I have to wait a whole year for. I know it’s not the same, because he still lives at home when he’s not at school, but I do feel a little of your pain during the school year.

Your story was so inspiring. Going through loss after loss after loss, you were so brave at every encounter of a conflict. And I think what really opens my eyes is that your story isn’t all fake. Maybe she didn’t have your name, but your conflict happened to someone. It happened to many people. But especially to one girl, who had a daughter who grew up to write your story, something that desperately needed to be told. Any child who faced your situation had no choice but to be strong. And you did it so well, it seemed almost automatic. Every reaction you had to each situation was too mature for you to be only 12 years old. But, I suppose one has to grow up fast when there is no one there to care like a parent would.

Honestly, you couldn’t have been more real to me, throughout this whole book. Every emotion you felt as your story went on just panged right into my heart. I wanted to cry with you, laugh with you, and I wanted to see and feel the things you could. I know you had it rough. But for some reason, I felt like I wanted to be there, experiencing it with you. You are a very strong person, and I might even consider you a role model. The description in your story was enough to help me feel like I was right there the whole time. It was truly a work of art.

I think what I’d really like to know is how you felt when you became a mother, raising your daughter in America. How did you feel knowing that they would probably never see the village you grew up in? Did you feel like a traitor? Or did you feel comforted knowing that they would always be safe in this country?

Sadly, issues like prejudice and anti-Semitism are still a problem all over the world, even in America. But it’s really not only against the Jewish people. Many races and religions are prejudiced against, and even attacked, much like your family was so long ago. I think the only way we can make it stop is to spread the real information about cultures like Judaism or Islam. Awareness is important, so no one gets hurt. I don’t think there is any real way to cope with your kind of situation, but just know that you’re strong, and people admire and look up to you. There are others out there like you, and they know how you feel, no matter how impossible that may seem.

I hope this letter intrigued you enough so that I might be able to get a reply from you. You’re truly avery interesting person, with an astonishing story. Please keep living for those who couldn’t, and remember to enjoy America like you did Germany. It’s your home now.

Sincerely,

Megan

Summer Reading Assignment: Is It Night Or Day? By: Fern Schumer Chapman

Issues: Bullying, Racism, Anti-Semitism, Immigration

The Book:

1. Who is the main character and what is that character’s personality like? Type a complete sentence or two that include three different adjectives that describe your character.
 The main character in my book is a quiescent-minded girl named Edith Westerfeld, who did what she was told and knew her home to be Germany, up until around her 12th birthday, when she started to see the discrimination against her family. Because of this, Edith is forced to flee to America by boat and live with relatives that she’s never met before. This experience forces this small girl to become more independent and self-reliable.

2. Most good stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Type a complete sentence for each of these three parts that summarizes what happens.

Beginning: Edith Westerfeld introduces herself as a girl who has grown up in Germany and is now forced to leave on a ship to America because of the overtaking Nazi party’s discrimination against her Jewish heritage.

Middle: Edith spends days on a big ship, where she meets other of kids like her who are leaving Germany without their parents for a “better life,” whom she befriends and finds comfort in their shared experience.

End: Edith arrives in America and finds that the family she must stay with is anti-German, which makes it difficult for her to adjust, though she finds, through all of the mistreatment she had been given, she must live to tell her story.

3. Think about the experiences that the main character has and the changes that she or he experiences by the end of the story. In a complete sentence or two, describe what you think the author is trying to say about life.
 Since this story is based on something that happened to the author’s mother, I think Fern Schumer Chapman is trying to help others to remember the horrors of this time. I also think that she is trying to show us the side of the children who made it out, but whose parents didn’t, and what they had to go through, so we never forget what the Nazis did. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -George Santayana



The Issues:


1. Explain how one of these issues affects the character(s) in the story. Write three complete sentences – either three different ways that one character is affected, or one way each that three different characters are affected.
 Anti-Semitism flipped Edith’s life around completely, starting with her family’s fear of being harassed in their own home town because of their Jewish Heritage, like her father who was beaten by some drunken men on his way home from work. A while later, her sister had to be moved to America on a ship, and for that whole year, there was no contact between the two sisters, which worried Edith and made her feel alone. The final, largest way that Anti-Semitism affected Edith was forcing her to flee Germany like her sister, which makes her feel even more alone and frightened now, without any close family members there to help her.

2. In complete sentences, describe two specific events that make the book’s social issue(s) seem real and important. How does the author make a big issue immediate and personal?
 I think one of the biggest events besides Edith’s overall experience is the death of her parents in a concentration camp. She isn’t even in her home when she gets the news of their deaths, and there isn’t anyone there to comfort her. The whole reason she isn’t home is because of the major Anti-Semitism in Germany, and it’s also the reason her parents died. The death of any family member is always heartbreaking, especially if it is a parent or guardian. This makes the issue extremely personal.

Another issue that becomes very personal with Edith is immigration. This issue is very personal because she has to learn how to speak a whole new language, learn a new currency, and get used to a big city in a place she’s never been before. The pressure to fit in and to be liked as a teenager was magnified about 30 times, because she had to learn all of the new rules of this new society. Through this experience, Edith learns how hard it is to be taken from all you know and get thrown into an alien society.

My Unique Profile

A true heart's desire can only be found through the long road of a life's jorney. What we take with us is who we choose to be. My name is Megan, I’m 14 years old, and this is my baggage. I’ve been taking dance classes for about 11 years now, and it’s probably my favorite thing in the world. In the past, I’ve done community performances at nursing homes, hospitals, and local parades. I also have a history of competing dance with my studio’s company team. I take tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, hip hop, and pointe classes. I really love tap because it’s like a drum in your spirit, not only creating the dance, but the music as well. Speaking of music, I also play the violin. I wouldn’t consider myself anywhere near the level of

“professional,” but it’s something fun that I get a lot of inspiration out of. I’m also very inspired when I write, which is another hobby of mine. As you can probably see at this point, I like to write a lot, and sometimes things get… drawn out. I hope to be either a writer or a performer on Broadway someday. Maybe both, if I’m lucky. I was especially inspired by musical theater this summer, when my aunt took me to see Wicked on Broadway for my birthday. I also probably love the Harry Potter series more than any other work of fiction. I just feel like it’s an extremely inspiring work of literature made by such a great writer. J.K. Rowling is probably one of my heroes when it comes to writing. I also enjoy things by Robert Frost, J.D. Salinger, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis. I really enjoy fantasy works, because it’s literally like a completely different world, the second you open the book. My family consists of me, my parents, my older brother (18), and my little sister (12). My brother just started college at the New Hampshire Institute of Art, to become a concept designer. My entire family is a bunch of artists, and I’m very proud of it. I guess if you could sum me up in one word, it would be passionate.