Katie's blog

Role Model

One celebrity who is a good role model is Taylor Swift.  Taylor Swift was born in Pennsylvania but moved to Nashville to peruse a life in country music.  After many years of writing songs for other artists and trying to get singed to a music company herself, Swift was finally pick up by Big Machine Record Company.  Swift’s fist big song was “Tim McGraw,” followed by “Teardrops on my Guitar.”  These songs got her on the Billboard Hot 100 and soon made her a house hold name. Taylor has also won many awards including CMA’s, Grammy’s, and AMA’s awards.  In all Taylor Swift has been nominated for 131 awards and has won 73 of them.  Most of Taylor Swift’s songs revolve around personal experiences or experiences that many girls face in their lives.  Her songs never swear and never have inappropriate lyrics which allow for young girls top also listen to her music as well.  Taylor is also a very good role model.  For example, she is never out partying like other celebrities such as Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan.  She works very hard and loves what she does. She never lets the fame goes to her head and is very humble with her fame and the way she is treated by others.  Taylor is a role model because she teaches girls that they can be successful and still be a good girl.  She also teaches that it is important to stay true to who you are and not change no matter what.  She also teaches that family and friends are important and that they can be the most important people in your whole life.  Many people can follow her example by working hard and not getting involved with the wrong types of people or activities.  They can also see her music and music videos appropriate to everyone and that you do not need inappropriate lyrics or sex to sell records. 

Facebook

Today many people are giving out more personal information than they should.  Many people are posting pictures and status that shares way to much of their personal life to other people.  Some people that I know post pictures of themselves drinking underage or dressing inappropriately. One of my friends on facebook has pictures up of herself drunk and making a fool of herself and now it’s up for everyone to see.  This is a bad idea since she and many other people are going to apply to colleges and if they see these pictures they probably will not want this person as one of their students.  Others have updates that are mean or are inappropriate or personal information that really should not be shared with people on the internet. Another friend always changes her status whenever she does something, even simple things like brushing her teeth, doing homework, or going somewhere.  She tells everyone what she is doing and to be honest it is annoying because no one is that absorbed in her life, yet she feels like she needs to share it with everyone on facebook. The only advice I could give is that people should really sensor what they put up on facebook.  I can also say that the best thing to do is to think carefully before posting or saying something online because once it’s up for everyone to see it can never be taken back.  Also I would tell them to think about how that status or picture could affect them ten years form today or affect their chances when it comes to apply to college or a job.  And to really scare them I would ask them what their mom would do if they found out what they said in their status or what they were doing in a picture that they posted on facebook.

Barbie the role model

When I think about Barbie I think about how when I was little I used to play with them all the time.  But while I was playing with them I never really thought if she was a role model or not.  But now them I am older I would have to say that to a point she is a role model.   Barbie always had a different career which ranged from teacher to doctor to ice skater.  This gives girls hope that they can do anything and that they should follow their dreams.  Also Barbie came in different ethnicities and never specified on religion or other beliefs that she had to have.  This gave girls a chance to make Barbie like them and also let girls like themselves for who they are rather than having to go along with what other people say they have to believe in or follow.  The fact that some people do not like that Barbie is not anatomically correct or has enhanced parts is very silly.  This is because most little girls do not notice this and really do not care.  They really just want to play with their dolls and do not pay attention to things like that.   If people should really not be worried that Barbie is a bad role model.  They should be more concerned about TV and media attention to other things that are bad for girls.  For example on Jersey Shore most of the girls do not work, drink dangerous amounts of alcohol, and sleep with random people.  We should not have this type of programming on TV because it sends the wrong message for girls.  Instead we should focus on women making differences in the world and have better role models instead of Snooki.  Barbie shows girls that they can be anything they want to be and still have fun while doing it.  

A Message for our Troops

Dear Soldier,

    I would like to thank you for all that you have done for our country.  It takes a very strong person to leave their home and risk their lives to protect our country. We really appreciate what you do for us and can not thank you enough for all your hard work and all that you sacrifice. I hope you have a safe holiday season and that you return home safe and soon. 

Life 101

When a teenager leaves high school they leave with a wealth of knowledge.  This knowledge varies form Math, English, Sciences, and Histories.  As important as these class are to a teenager’s education, some teens leave high school without knowing other important life skills.  These things include how to manage money, how to take care of a house, or other simple things like sewing or using a washing machine.  Most teens rely on their parents to get these things done or for their parents to tell them what to do.  This is bad because teens can not rely on their parents forever and have to learn to do these things for themselves.  To help these teens schools need to teach a course preparing teens for the real world which would be known as Life 101.  In Life 101, teens would be taught what they would need to know to live in the outside world.  Some thing’s that would be taught would be how to use loans, manage a bank account, and how to manage things like checking and other banking information.  This teaches teens how to take care of themselves financially so they make the right choices in decisions they make regarding money.  Other things taught would be sewing, cleaning, and other home-ec such as cooking or sewing type skills.  This would prepare teens how to run a house or apartment and how to take care of their clothes and other personally things.  Finally, other things that would be taught would be how to deal with relationships, marriage, and children.  This prepares teens how to deal with these types of close relationships and making right choices in the relationship.  Also the baby information will prepare both the females and males with some basic knowledge of how to care for their children or other children in their lives.  This Life 101 class would prepare kids about how to take care of them selves in the real world.  As important as a book education is it is also important for teens to know how to take care of themselves as adults since they will be in charge or their own lives and can not rely on their parents forever. 

Texting Problem???

Today many people text, instant message, or use some kind of social network as a mode of communication.  Everyone today seems to have a facebook or texts with different people.  When people text or instant message they tend to not use proper spelling or grammar because it is annoying to type out and is seen as unnecessary.  The problem is that it is now affecting how students write because many do not know how to spell correctly or know how to use proper punctuation.  People are spelling simple words wrong and also do not have a good vocabulary. Texting and instant messaging help students to be social because they are able to talk to other students that go to other schools or keep in touch with people in a quick easy way.  This also helps for students to have a wide variety of friends and also keep in touch with family and friends that they might not see day to day.   Doing this also teaches students how to multi-task.  This teaches them how to keep their focus on different important tasks at one time and handle different tasks that come their way.  Teachers can get involved by possibly sending messages via facebook, email, instant message, or even texting.  Teachers can also try different activities or projects that involve these types of communication so students can learn how to use proper grammar and spelling when using these types of communications.  This could help encourage kids to do their work and have a different outlook on technology and school work.  This also teaches students how their devices can be used for other purposes they might not have know they could have been used for.  

Cheating

Schools have been faced with the problem of cheating for hundred if not thousands of years. This problem is faced in many schools throughout the country and even the world.  Bishop Connolly High School is one of these schools. In schools kids help other kids with things from papers and worksheets to tests and quizzes.  Many kids do not see it as a big deal since they are always getting away with it and even kid seems to be doing it.  I also feel that cheating is taking place because kids are overloaded with school work and jobs or other after school activity.  Many people have to write a few papers a night and then go to work or practice, this makes it hard to study or do other homework.  As a result, many kids understand this and therefore help each other out when ever possible.  Still, this should not excuse cheating and students should instead find so way to fit everything in.

There will never be a real solution to cheating.  Many students will somehow find a way and therefore always cheat.  Still if there is someone to blame is should be on teachers and also school officials. No one at schools really try to stop it and in some cases ignore it.  In homeroom many people cheat off each others work sheets or make cheat sheets before taking a test.  Instead schools should make cheating a high offence and make a stricter punishment for cheaters and repeat offenders. To help, more tutors could be offered so kids who are cheating in classes they are doing badly in can get help so they can learn and understand the material without cheating. Schools should also teach their students that cheating is wrong and other programs that discourage cheating and instead encourage academic honesty and honesty in the classroom setting.  

Lowing The Drinking Age

When it comes to the subject of the drinking age changing, I feel that it should stay where it is.  No matter what young people are going to drink illegally no matter what the age is and lowering it will not stop it.  If we do lower it, it sends the message that drinking underage is not that big a deal and that lowering it is no big deal.  Underage drinking is not only harmful to a person’s health but also dangerous.  Every year, kids that drink illegally are harming themselves and put their lives and others in danger.  Some of these kids can sometimes drink themselves into alcohol poising or in car accidents that are fatal, like in Barrington a few years ago.   If anything, we should enforce stricter laws and teach more on the effects of alcohol. Kids that drink underage are more likely to later develop alcohol problems so lowering the drinking age will just increase those things from happening. The drinking age has been in place for years and should stay where it is because moving it would cause more harm than good.          

Senior Year

Now that I am a senior my one real goal is to get into a good college.  All colleges seem to care about is SAT’S rather than real grades from school.  This is so stressful since I hate SAT’S and don’t do really good on them.  My top schools are UMass Dartmouth and Salve. Both have really great nursing programs and I know some people who go there. I really want to be a nurse and to be so close but also at the same time feel so far away is very stressful. I also want to do well in school and keep my grades up, especially in Math.  I need to keep my grades up so I can go to my top schools and not miss the program.  Getting into college is not really my problem it is getting into the nursing programs.  Even though I need to worry about this I still need to have fun.  With the plays coming up this year and prom and other things I will be busy and plan to enjoy them all.  I also want to spend more time with my friends since many plan to go away and I won’t see them as much. In spending time with them now I hope that when they leave it might not be as painful. I also want to have fun and have no regrets about what I have done and just want to have a really great senior year!!!! :)