Second Reading Response by Demitrius Hilerio

   In the book "Bystander" by James Preller the main character Eric is a Bystander in a few bullying situations because he is friends with the bully himself. Eric doesn't know this at first then discovers this later on in the book. The bully is Griffin. Eric's feelings for Griffin change throughout the events that occur in the book. Griffin does things that makes Eric think different of him and avoid him.
 
  At the beginning of the book Eric feels that he can trust Griffin and that truly he is his true friend. Eric felt that he couldn't reveal something about himself so secret like his father to anyone but Griffin. "Sure, Griffin was a different kind of guy, there was no question about that. He had his rough edges. He wasn't like his old friends back in Ohio. But for one day, during those few hours, Griffin was what Eric needed. He was, Eric believed, a friend." (Page 60) This quote is important because it explains what Eric wanted whiches was a friend but it also explains that he thought Eric was a different type of friend, which is something he needed. This quote also explains only during that time of that day was when Griffin was actually acting like a true friend towards Eric. This shows that even though Eric didn't know much about Griffin for that time in the book he really thought he could trust Griffin.
 
  During the middle of the book Eric gets suspicious and starts to find out a little more about Griffin that changed his feelings towards Griffin. For example during one part of the book Griffin beats up a boy name David Hallenback and Eric stands on the side and watches and talks to Griffin after the situation is over. " 'Hallenback's fine,' Griffin snapped. 'Besides, he won't say much. He knows better than that.' Eric measured his words carefully. 'It just seemed . . . unnecesary.'" " 'Shut up, Eric. Or maybe next time it will be you.' " (Page 82) This part of the book shows that Griffin be very aggressive when enraged. This part of the book also shows that Eric is starting to see that Griffin has another side that Eric doesn't know about until this part of the book. At this point in the book Eric knows how Griffin can act towards people and he is a little more alert of what he says or does around Griffin.

  During the end of the book Eric is irritated with Griffin's act. Eric learns that Griffin will go very far to bother and enfuriate someone and make them furious until they feel publicly embarrassed. I know this because in one part of the book Griffin reports to the principal that Eric has a knife in his locker. Then the pricipal checks Eric's locker and sees that he doesn't have one. Eric then shows that he is angry with Griffin. "His body vibrated with anger, knees pumping, feet tapping. Why would Griffin, if it was Griffin, put Eric through that? Just to embarass him?"(Page 176) This part of the story shows that Eric now knows the truth about Griffin and how far he will go to embarass Eric. By this part of the book Eric knows Griffi is the good listener or good friend that he thought he was.

  All in all Griffin does things throughout the book that changes the way Eric feels about him. Eric goes from thinking Griffin's a good friend from being a little alerted about what he says around to completely being annoyed with Griffin. The character change in the book can relate to my life because this book shows that a person can seem like something they're really not. This book also relates to my life because it tells to find a friend that you can really connect to not a friend that can be aggressive towards you.
 

September Blog Post 33 Minutes by Todd Hasak-Lowy Reading Response

      In the book "33 Minutes" by Todd Hasak-Lowy the main character Sam Lewis is the cliche of a nerd and a confused eighth grader that has a former best friend (Morgan Sturtz) that doesn't like him anymore. Sam still tries to hang on to a friend he had really good times with. Throughout the book Sam turns into a person that is confused about their friendship with a person they care about his best to a person that has to end that friendship for the better. At the beginning of the story Sam thinks about the times him and Morgan were best friends and about what they used to do. For example "Just this last September, me and Morgan were still together all the time. Or at least a lot. He was over at my house on the weekends, his playbook filled with Xs and Os opened up on our living room floor, while I helped him memorize plays." (Pages 23-24) The author included this into the text because he wanted the readers to see that Sam cannot let go of the fact that the days when he helped Morgan with his Football plays are over even though they weren't that long ago.

      

      In the middle of the book Sam starts to remember why Morgan sometimes wasn't a good friend and starts to think about why they still were friends after those events. In the book Sam remembers when the principal made an announcement about the math rally team winning and Morgan laughed about it even though he knows Sam was on the team that won. "All five of whom stopped when, a couple seconds later, Chris yelled: MATH SUCKS! At which point everyone laughed. Except Amy and (most of) the teachers. Everyone including Morgan."(Pages 42-43) Sam remembered this as one of the times that Morgan ignored one of Sam's math tournaments for a football game. 

    

      At the end of the book Sam's school is forced to go outside because of a fire in the school. When they're outside Morgan beats Sam up because Sam says he dumb earlier in the book. "I turned to a blank page in my notebook. I wrote Morgan is so dumb right in the middle." (page 109) Even though Sam seems like he would never do such a thing he did it because he was mad at Morgan for laughing at him and making fun of him, which is also mentioned on page 109. "Maybe I finally got sick of Morgan laughing  at me then and at the pep rally and about twenty times in between." This quote explains that Sam got fed up with Morgan making fun of him and took action about it. Maybe he took action the wrong way but he still stood up to Morgan. As a result of this Morgan beat Sam up and everyone was cheering to fight and beat Sam up. At the very end Sam realizes that he cannot be Morgan's friend anymore for the better. "My mouth and jaw still hurt, but I have no problem saying the word as clearly ad I've ever heard anyone ever say it: 'Good-bye.'" (Page210) 

   

     This book is so unique because it shows the point of view of from a person that has social issues more specifically having trouble making friends. This book is also an example of character change because not only does Sam change from a person that doesn't want to lose a friend to a person that is better off losing that friend but Morgan has also changed because he used to be best friends with Sam and recently he has changed to a cliche of a jock. Which relates to real life because in real life people do change which makes the characters Sam and Morgan so believable.

Demitrius Hilerio Class 707 Literary Essay

Demitrius Hilerio Class 707         Literary Essay

Page 1

      There are two poems that have the same theme and have something in common. These poems are “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden and “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke. These poems are about fathers that are in the working class. And even though these fathers are in the working class they still express their love and in general love their close ones. These fathers express their love to their children in different ways but they both succeed.

       In the poem “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden we’re introduce to the father of the speaker in the poem. The speaker’s father is in the working class (As mentioned in the introduction). In the poem the readers infer the father works a lot and very hard because according to the text the father has “…cracked hand s that ached/from labor;” The author described the father’s hands to give the reader a hint about the father’s job and it takes a toll on him physically. Not only does the father work a lot but he also does many things for his family. In the poem the speaker thinks about the regret for not thanking his father for the things his father did. “…made/banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.”, This quote explains that the father got no appreciation from anyone in the house hold and the speaker regrets not thanking his father. Speaking indifferently to him, who had driven out the cold/and polished my good shoes as well./What did I know, what did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices?” The author included this part in the poem to inform the reader that the father does many things and works for the family because he loves them and wants them to live in a hard time like the one they’re in.

   

Page 2

 In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke” we’re introduced to a father that is in the working class and likes to drink a little bit of alcohol after work as seen in the first sentence in paragraph one. “The whiskey on your breath/could make a small boy dizzy;” Paragraph two says “We romped until the pans/slid from the kitchen shelf ;” This quote means that the father drinks alcohol but still has fun with his son (the speaker) by dancing with him. Later in the poem it says “The hand that held my wrist   

Was battered on one knuckle;” and “With a palm caked hard by dirt;” The author gives a physical description of the father’s hands to show how his job has effected physically and to make the reader infer that the father does work hard for his family. The father expresses his love to his by dancing and having fun in more of a playful way.

     These two poems are related because they both contain working class fathers. These poems teach no matter what a close person to you does they still love you. In “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden the father expresses his love by working a lot and doing lots of stuff to make his family’s life much more easier. And in “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke the father expresses his love through dancing with his son in a playful way. From this it’s clear these two poems are similar.

   

Sold last blog post about sold

 Lakshmi has lost many new friends and lots of things has happened but Mumtaz is still asking for money and Lakshmi is at the point where she will do anything just to get out of the happiness house. Lakshmi is not scared anymore she is just focused on one thing and that is getting out of the happiness house. She wants to do this so badly that she wants to take Shilpa's customers and make money off of them.
    The happiness house has made Lakshmi very strong as a person and has made her more desperate for money. Lakshmi is not scared of much because she has been through so much already. Hopefully this bravery will carry on with her for the rest of her life.

Sold (character change)

       At first Lakshimi was oblivious to the city life and thought the city life was the best. Now she's sold into prostitution and she knows how cold hearted the people in the city are. And now that she knows this she wnats to go back home instead of being mistreated by many men and paying her family's debt.

       Now she has to make friends with people she never thought she would just to survive in this harsh cruel world.

Should College Athletes get paid for playing for their Colleges? By Demitrius Hilerio

    College atletes have trained alot and have put their all into each game they play. Coplege athletes don't get paid. Because of this many college athletes live under the poverty line. This faused a huge debate whether or not college college athletes should get paid. College athletes desserve to be paid because some college athletes live a bad life at home but in college they live like kings.

    Lots of people can make money off of one athlete. These people can be fans, colleges, and more. For example. "And in 2012 he helped lead Alabama to a national title. According to a USA Today report the school made about $82 million in revenue, and about $45 million in profit that year. Fluker just like every player didn't see a dime." (Should College Athletes get paid by Aaron Cheslock). This quote supports my claim because it shows the schools make money off of the players but the players cannot make money off of their own hard work that they put into their games. Which is unfair to the players.

      Some college athletes can be having a great life in college but at home they can barely afford to eat. They do not have enough money fir the neccesary things in life. "The room and board provisions in a full scholarship leaves 85% of players living on campus and 86% living off campus living below the federal poverty line." (By National College Players Ascociation). This quote is explaining how many players live off campus and under the federal poverty line. Which means that they can't afford basic necessities.

       Some people may say college athletes shouldn't get paid because they're not professional athletes. For example "Take away the universit/college "label" ascociated with college football and what do we have? The NFL. Do the same for all of the other college sports, and the professional equivalent to that sport comes up as the answer. This has beenour reality for decades." (The myth of parity by Scoop Jackson). This quote tells college sports is not the same as professional sports and that is why college athletes should not be paid. Although college sports aren't the same as professional sports college athletes work almost as much as professional athletes. And they shouldn't get paid as much but they should still get a decent amount for making money and playing for their college.

       College athletes make make money for their colleges but don't get one percent of the money that they make for their college. They don't even get a stipend. Some athletes don't have as much money as alot of other people this is why they at least need a stipend to pay for necessities. It's not fair for players that live under the federal poverty line.

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie Brief Essay

     In this book Steven does not feel a certain way towards a person until he is proven why he should feel this way. For example Steven didn't like his brother Jeffrey until he was diagnosed with Leukemia. In the beginning of this book Steven was embarassed because his brother Jeffrey talking in front of his friends. After Jeffrey was diagnosed with leukemia then Steven started to act caring and loving towards his brother.

     In this book Steven also felt like Anette was an annoying girl that was always in his buisness. At the end of the book they became in a realationship and Steven started to look at Anette in a different way in a more beautiful way. This supports my thesis because Steven and Anette were never as close as they were by the end of the book.

    And the last example of this is when he thought his mom was living it up with Jeffrey in Philidelphia. When Steven's mom was sick and Steven and his dad had to go to the hospital with Jeffrey he experienced the struggles his mother has to go through when she is with Jeffrey.