Semester Review

     We have finally drawn an end to our first semester of sophomore year, this means that finals are coming up.  Mr. Dunn has asked us to make one more blog before the semester is over about how our first semester of English II went. We were taught many things through out the semester such as learning about the Holocaust, to figuring out how to word our sentences correctly.  One of my favorite things we learned about was the Holocaust.  Mr. Dunn incorporated knowledge that we already had about the topic, and introduces us to new books and information.  Writing the journals as if you were in the Holocaust was a lot of fun.  It wasn't just the usual five paragraph essay that we usually had to write.  It really made you think about what you should write, and how to make it interesting. 
      I also really liked reading the book, I am the Cheese.  Mr Dunn really made us turn the book inside out and think about all the possibilities the author had in mind when he was writing.  We didn't not just read the book cover to cover like most classes did, we read articles about the topic of schizophrenia and actually understood what Adam could have possible been going through.  I just really enjoyed coming into class and having a class discussion on what we read the night before.  Soon after Mr. Dunn would also ask us questions that we never would have thought about if we were just reading it by ourselves.  This really got me into the book, and understanding it better.  We also got to watch a movie called, A Beautiful Mind.  In this movie you can really relate to what Adam might have been going through.  This movie does actually have a lot of connections with I am the Cheese. 
     Another thing that I liked about fist semester of English II was how Mr. Dunn taught. I loved how we never just focused on one thing.  Just like when we were reading our independent reading novels.  We didn't just sit in class and read them, or answer questions about them we did many other things.  During the same time, we were reading Night in class and discussing the Holocaust.  He also would incorporate  little lessons on English, like learning how to make a DED.  This really made me enjoy coming to class because I never knew what we were going to be doing that day.  English was never one of my favorite subjects, but ever since this year I really have began to like it. 
    

Heres to the end!

     Mr. Dunn has asked us to find two different quotes that go along with the theme of the book.  He wants the quotes to have importance to them and keep coming up in the book.  One quote that I found that went along with the theme of the books is, "The harder you work, the luckier you become.” Carl Karcher’s father gave him this advice when he was a child (p 13). This quote seems to have a theme through out the whole book, since the majority of the book talks about how to work hard and become rich.  Karcher was a kid who dropped out of high school, and worked at a bakery, and then somehow made it big in the world and opened up a fast food chain and make millions.  The book seems to talk about many of these kinds of kids and there stories to fame.  


     Another quote that I found that fit the book was, "Nobody in the United States is forced to buy fast food. The first step toward meaningful change is by far the easiest: stop buying it. The executives who run the fast food industry are not bad men. They are business men. They will sell free-range, organic, grass-fed hamburgers if you demand it. They will sell whatever sells at a profit….The real power of the American consumer has not yet been unleashed… Even in this fast food nation, you can still have it your way.( p 269-270)   This is a long quote, but everything was important in it.  This quote pretty much states that the only reason that all of the companies are doing these bad things is for us.  They do it because most of us don't care and we just want the food.  It trying to tell us that if we want to change the way fast food is made, we can.  The company will do what ever they have to so they can make money.  Not very many people realize this so they go along. But in reality its true, we can really have it our way.   


Our teacher also asked us to take one step farther into understanding the book.  He wants us to look for news articles or videos that are about the fast food, and link them to the book. Fast food is brought up a lot in our society since we tend to care about what we eat, and how we look.  One article that I found interesting was an article asked is, "Is Fast Food Killing Us?"  It talks about how the meat is made for the hamburgers just like in the book.  It gives many statics about how much fast food in consumed in their life time as an American.  It really just summarizes generally what the book was about.  
http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/articleid/475542/newspaperid/4702/Is_fast_food_killing_us.aspx

I read an article that was called, "Fast Food Nation: Expands its Borders."   This article didn't really talk about much that the book talked about, but it is still generally the same.  It focuses on fast food outside of the country.  It talks about when you go visit a new country and you are not for sure how the local food is going to taste, where are you going to go?  Well of coarse you are going to go to the McDonald across the street since you know exactly what is being sold their.  It also talks about road trips you take.  We all know while we are driving we talk about which fast food place we are going to stop by.  It think its the same for everyone.  Know one is going to pack their own food, or go to a nice restaurant, we are all going to go for the fast food so we can get back on the road.
http://www.cwruobserver.com/opinion/fast-food-nation-expanding-its-borders-1.2695728

On with the questions..

Mr. Dunn has asked us to go one step futher from last weeks post.  He wants us to go back to question that some of my other classmates have made with respondes by other people, and now we have to talk about the question in more depth than before.  So here it goes..


On Calli's blog, she asked:
1. How would you deal with the pain of losing a family member?


Mckenas response 
I would respond to this question with very few correct words to say. I feel like I would probably just take things day by day because there isn't an actual healing process that's the same for everyone. The question is kind of personal, which I understand because Columbine is written in a very personal view. I really don't know what I would do if I lost someone in my family. I can imagine I'd be angry at the person who took them away from me, but everyone's greiving process is different, and I couldn't tell you until I was actually put in that position. Devistated is probably the most accurate word to use to decribe how I'd feel.


My response 
I complete agree with Mckena.  I lost my grandma not to long ago and that was a very hard time for me, and also my family.  It is very hard to see your family members so sad and devastated.  We soon all got through the loss and moved on, but every time someone brings her up, you can tell that everybody's mood changes a little bit.  I have never really thought about how I would handle a death that was actually on purpose such as the one in Columbine.  I mean we all know that my grandma was getting old, so we knew it was coming.  I would be devastated if something were to happen to one of my family members like that.


Macayla asked:
Have you ever done something just for the popularity? 


Sam responded:
I my self have not done something just because I thought it would make me more popular/give me more popularity. Sadly, many people in todays generation do however.  I think that they need to realize being yourself will make you a lot more friends than you trying to be someone else or by acting different.  


My response 
I agree with Sam with she says that many people today do change the way that they are just to be popular.  I think that is sad that you have to change the way you are just to feel like.  It probably will come back to if you were being yourself people would like you just as much.  I am not going to say that I have never tired to become more popular, because I would be lying.  I like my friends for who they are and they like me for who I am.  I am not going to change just to say that i am "popular."


Brad asked,
"Have you ever worked so hard to get or to do something and it failed to happen?"

Malik responded,
"To answer that question, i can say yes i have. Recently in fact. There was this math test that was coming up and it was worth a lot of points. I really want ed to do good on it so i started studying two nights before (its kinda hard to study for a math test alone). The day before the test I even stayed after school to practice some problems with my teacher. we practiced for about an hour and was feeling pretty confident about the test afterward. That night i practiced the same problems just to make sure i didn't forget how to do them. When test time came the next day I was feeling pretty confident and prepared. That was until I got the test handed to me. I looked at the problems and was almost immediately confused. I wasn't even able to finish the test before class ended. Ina couple of days we got are test back to see our grades. when i got mine back, i saw in red letters "35/70". I was so sad to see that grade. It was the first math test i have ever failed."


My response: 
I feel like that happens a lot to me actually... I know exactly how Malik feels, ever since Sophomore year started I just seem not to understand math.  I mean last year i got all A's on my tests, and if I was to get a B I would be mad at myself.  This year is totally different, I  am happy to get my test back and get a B.  I realize this is not good, and i shouldn't get use to this, but lately it just seems so hard not to be happy with a B.  


Jason asked
 "Do you enjoy high school?"

Jay responded
   "I do enjoy high school for the most part. I believe this is one of the better high schools, because we are allowed to have some say in what we want to learn about and that makes it a much more enjoyable experience. Friends also help make the high school years that much better because the friends you make here help shape who you become and how the time her goes. But on the other side sometimes stress can get to you and it can come from anywhere such as over zealous parent, school work, peers, teachers, and even the sometimes overwhelming idea of the future." 


My response: 
   I agree with Jay, I do love high school.  Don't get my wrong I don't love all the work that we have to do, but I do enjoy learning new things, and being involved with so much stuff.  During middle school I thought school was great.  All the teachers were nice, they helped us with everything and we had many classes that other middle schools didn't offer.  Since we were in middle school the teachers were very strict one what was to be done.  I mean we have to walk quietly through the halls in single file lines and if we were in the wrong spot during recess we would get in trouble.  Thats why I think high school is so great.  There aren't very many ridiculous  rules that we must follow and they give you a chance to grow up.  Also it is great because all of your friends are in one building, not spread apart into three or four different schools.  

Interesting quotes found within the book! ;D

In this blog, my teacher has asked me to find quotes or statements that I found interesting and expand on what i think they are saying.  Since my book is mostly written on facts and the truth about many restaurant, it will not be very hard to find something interesting.

One statement that I found cool was one on page 68 were the author tells about fast food restaurants saying that, "Instead of relying upon a small, stable, well-paid , and well-trained workforce, the fast food industry seeks out part-time, unskilled workers who are willing to accept low pay." This show that many fast food places try to only  hire teenagers, because they fit the job perfectly.  As you read on in the book he talks about how these restaurants try and make tasks very simple.  Many places think that their should be no training involved when hiring someone.  They think it should be that easy and can picked up fast.

On page 83 the author states that, "America's fast food restaurant are now more attractive to armed robbers than convenience store, gas stations, or banks."  This is sad but makes a lot of sense.  I mean think about it, if you were trying to rob somewhere a fast food restaurant would be the perfect place.  There is going to be lots of loose cash, mostly teenagers working, and going at night when their are few people around to see, and few people that are working.  Many banks and gas stations use credit cards mostly, and a lot of these places are starting to have shields to protect their costumers.

On page 107 we started to hear about the event that Dave Feamster took some of his employs at Little Caesars too.  He talks about many famous people and their speeches that they gave.  One that popped out to me was the one by Christopher Reeves, or "Superman" where he speaks about the meaning of success.  "I see people who achieve these conventional goals, none of it even matters."  He is trying to tell people that only caring about how rich or successful you are doesn't really matter.  He was a very successful man after filling "Superman", but then had a terrible accident which caused him to be paralyzed from the neck down.  He soon came to realize that none of that actually mattered.


Mr. Dunn has asked us to look on to another one of our classmates blog and find a level three question about our book that we posted last week.

Ben asked:
2.  What kind of affect does fast food have on your everyday life?


There are so many ways that fast food plays into your everyday life.  Whether it is sitting at home watching T.V or driving through town going by all of the restaurants.  There have been many times that I have wanted to stop by and grab a bit to eat at one of the fast food places since their food and drinks are so cheep.  I try and stop myself by realizing how bad it is for you.  It is also very convenient  if you are in a hurry and are needing some food just to pull into one of the many restaurants along the side of the road. So yes fast food does effect me everyday, and I know that it effects many other people in the same ways it effects me. 

As the book continues... so does my blog

     Recently in the book Fast Food Nation I have been reading about the discovery and the innovation of McDonald and Disney World.  I would never have thought of the two different ideas being so similar when being created.  Both creators of these two place had one dream, and that was to make money.  As the book goes on, it tells us many ways on how they bring in money and who these companies target.  In this case they were targeting on little kids.  McDonald and Disney World both knew that parents will do anything in trying to keep their kids happy.  So in doing this they made commercials, that would attract little kids to ask their parents if they would take them to these places.  In doing this these places created lots of money, and hired more people to make new ideas on how they could keep on growing.  In all these companies have found ways in our environment to succeed, sometimes they ideas weren't the best for us, but it sure did help their business.



Mr. Dunn has asked us to create five level two questions about the book, here are some of what I came up with.

1. How is McDonald's similar to Disney World?
2. Do you think that  Ray Kroc and Walt Disney had one main idea, and that was to make money?
3. Why did McDonald's come up with its Playland?
4. Why do you think the boy at Greenbrier wore the Pepsi shirt?
5.  Why do you think that coming up with names like Happiest Place on Earth, and buy a Happy Meal make kids want to go there, or buy them?

He also wanted us to make two level three questions.

     1.  When they talked about how kids used their parents to get to go to McDonald's, do you ever remember doing that to your own parents?

     2.  Have you ever been to Disney World, if so did you really feel like you were in a new world, "The Happiest Place on Earth?"

Getting Started!

I am Emily Bleyer.  I go to Carbondale Community High School, and I am a sophomore in Mr. Dunn's English II class.  He has asked us to create a blog on one of the four non-fiction books he has chose for our class.  I have chosen to read, "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser.  Over the next six weeks I will be blogging about what is happening in the book, and all of my questions and thought on the book.

"Fast Food Nation" is about a man trying to get into the dirty secrets of fast food.  He tires to go behind the scenes of many different restaurants, especially McDonald and see what they are actually giving us to eat and why is it changing America.  This book has many facts that really get you thinking about what America is turning into. Schlosser is starting from the beginning of how fast food was born.

The main point of this book is to get people more educated about what fast food restaurants are selling us.  He claims that fast food in america started in California and has been revolutionized in many ways to become what we today call fast food.