Bullying

        Throughout the years, bullying has become a world wide issue. Bullying does not target a specific race, gender, sex, etc. Anyone can be a victim and anyone can be a culprit. There are many lasting effects to bullying. It does not just effect the victim but it also effects the bully. Teens often watch bullying happen or they walk away and do not get help. For bullying to stop there are several things teenagers need to do.

There are four groups of people when it comes to bullying, bullies, victims, bullies/victims and people unexposed to bullying aka bystanders. Lasting effects to a victim of bullying consist of depression, increased risk of suicide, poor school performance, lack of interest and low self esteem and often suffer from panic attacks. Bullies suffer from drug abuse, depression, anxiety, hostility and often become abusive and engage in sexual activity at a young age. Bullies and victims suffer from all of the above especially anxiety. Whether the bully physically, mentally, or emotionally bullied the victim the effects remain the same. Studies have shown that anyone involved in bullying adapts badly to adulthood. Bullies also become anti-social and surprisingly do not have any emotional problems at all. It does not just stop there bystanders of bullying also have lasting effects to bullying. They use tobacco, alcohol and drugs, they skip school and they also have anxiety and depression. Bullying has a lasting effect on so many groups of people. 

Teenagers often watch bullying and do not do anything about it. Several things need to change to stop the pattern of bullying. One thing teenagers can do is when they see someone getting bullied is tell an adult. Another thing teens can do is stick up for the victim. Teens need to stop being afraid to help. The best thing teenagers can do is speak up, stop being a bystander and help raise awareness. Bullying will become an even larger problem if people do not try to help and just walk away. 

         I think bullying will become a leading cause of death if it is not abolished soon. People do not know what is going on behind closed doors with victims or bullies. Everyone has their own story. When I see someone getting bullied I like to let the bully know a piece of my mind. I do not care if its my friend or a random person. I could never imagine being a victim of bullying and I wouldn’t want to know what it feels like, especially if it is causing people to commit suicide. I want to stop bullying because I have six nieces and nephews and it would kill me to see them get bullied or be a bully. 

My Not so Fairytale Prom Weekend

                                          My Not so Fairytale Prom Weekend

Every girl expects prom to be equivalent to a fairytale. I for one use to until this year. My prom experience this year was a nightmare. Last weekend was suppose to be my fairytale prom. On Saturday I had my own prom (Norton High School), but I also made a commitment to go to my boyfriends prom (Xaverian Brothers High School) on Friday. I said I would go before I even knew the date because I knew he wouldn’t want to miss his senior prom at his school as well as mine because he is friends with everyone from Norton. What are the odds of them being on the same weekend? When I found out they were on the same weekend my biggest worry was finding two dresses.

For the Friday prom I figured I could just get dismissed an hour early to get ready for it, completely forgetting that last year my friends were late to school the day before prom and had to stay after as many minutes they were late. I went to Mr Zini, the assistant principal, and asked if I could get out an hour early. The answer was no. I explained that I was going to the prom that started at 6:30, I don’t get home until 2:30 and the pictures were 45 minutes away in Dover, leaving me an hour to get ready. Everyone knows girls take at least an hour to get ready on a regular day never mind prom day! I was already frustrated with the two proms one weekend ordeal. I called my step mom and asked her to call the school to make sure. The answer remained no. Prom for Coyle and Cassidy High School is on a Friday and all the people going to prom have a half day while the rest remain in school. I would only be missing my last period class. We watched a movie the whole class anyways which frustrated me even more. I wouldn’t object to a compromise. Detention for the rest of the year would have been ideal rather than having to get ready in an hour for a formal event. 

Friday came and I woke up sick with a sore throat and stuffy nose. I went to school and stressed myself out the whole day. Every time someone would ask me about prom my mind would start racing and thinking about all the stuff I had to do in such a short amount of time. Considering I had an hour to get ready I didn’t have time for a hair or make up appointment and had to do it all by myself. I stuck it out and was thankfully ready in time. Saturday wasn’t much better, I was even more sick and didn’t want to go at all. I blame all my stressing out for the reason I got sick. Ever since that weekend I will never go to another prom again. It wasn’t even fun for me. All of my stressing out took away from my fairytale prom experience. 

Boston Strong (the page)

The Boston Marathon terrorist attack was like a dream or a movie to me. I didn't believe it was really happening. I was in such shock that I didn't even react to it. I was scared because Norton isn't that far away from Boston and no one knew where they were going. Seeing the picture of Dzhokar dropping the bag off next to the little boy was really upsetting. How could someone do that and not feel any emotion at all? My thoughts go out to those who were injured. 

Boston Strong (article)

            Last week at the Boston Marathon two bombs went off and two bombs were detonated. One hundred plus people were injured and three people died including 8 year old Martin, who was sitting right next to the bomb. The city of Boston was in shock because this was the first terrorist attack since 9/11. Boston Police reacted quickly to help save injured people. Citizens helped and comforted each other. Runners finished the race and continued running to the hospital to give blood. Everyone was there for each other. The FBI worked hard to find the bombers. Two brothers from Russia were on the run. They stole cars and had a shoot outs. Thursday night the oldest brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev was shot and killed during a shoot out and the youngest brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was still on the run. Finally on Friday he was found in a Watertown civilian’s back yard hiding in a boat.

            As a teenage high school student I feel like this is all a dream or some movie I watched at the movie theater. I never thought my city of Boston would be attacked. I was with my boyfriend when I found out. We were sitting in my room watching a movie on my laptop without our phones. Half way through the movie we checked twitter to see a hundred tweets about how something happened at the Boston Marathon. We went downstairs and turned on the news and I was in complete shock. My eyes were glued to the television and I swear I didn’t speak a word for about an hour. I felt like I was watching the wrong television station. If I could ask Dzhokhar one question it would be why? Boston is such a powerful and strong city there was no way they were getting away with it. It’s funny to think that they thought they would get away. WE are Boston and WE are strong.

Interview Assignment Article

                Since 2008 my nana has been battling lung cancer. The sickness has shown up in multiple spots on her lungs. She found out she had lung cancer after going to the emergency room for a heart attack. She said “they took an x-ray to my primary care doctor and there was something there.” It was the most disappointing surprise our family has gotten in a long time. Not knowing much about the disease before she got it, she had to get surgery to get it away. She went almost five years until “it showed up on a different area on my lung. So I went for a biopsy and it was cancer. I went on radiation [and] now its scar tissue.” There have been multiple outbreaks of theories that there is a cure for cancer. I asked what her opinion on that was and she replied, “I heard that a long time ago. It probably is true… all these doctors would be out of a job. But I don’t know how true it is. If they did have one you’d think they would come forward with it.” Usually when doctors tell a patient that the cancer is gone they are so ecstatic about it. My nana said that her doctor just said, “It is just scar tissue don’t let anyone tell you different.” In my opinion that is a rotten way to tell a patient that their cancer is gone.

With New Techonology, Trust Has Been Lost.

            Because of the new technology we have, many parents have invested in car cameras, house cameras, tracking devices and more to see their children’s every move. New phones have apps that can put a GPS in a phone to see where someone is. Car cameras and a GPS to see where their child is going and what they are doing in their car. House cameras to see what their child is doing in every room. Parents go as far as reading their children's text messages and looking through their pictures. Whether it’s going on the website to spy on their child or they leave their phone on the couch to go to the bathroom. Is that messed up or is that just me?

        Parents do not realize how this makes us feel. We feel like we cannot be trusted and we feel like they are invading our privacy. How are we supposed to gain trust if the parents do not trust them in the first place? My father said, “I would never do that to you. It shows how insecure some parents really are. I wouldn’t know how to work it anyways.”

        My opinion on these kinds of devices is that they are really weird. I would feel uncomfortable if my parents ever had one of these for me. I also think that if parents shelter their kids they are going to rebel even more. For instance there is a new show on TV called Preachers Daughters. One daughter, Taylor, is 17 years old and her father will not let her date. He said she can date when she moves out. So she went behind his back and went to a hotel party. Her mother’s curiosity of where she was led her to ask the mother of the girl where Taylor said she was staying. I know my parents would never do this. I think even if they thought I was doing something bad they wouldn’t want to know. 
       Parents obviously want to know what their children are doing but there is a line between being a crazy obsessive parent and a concerned parent. With parents and there children there needs to be trust, and in order to trust your child  you need to set them free. I will never be the parent who looks through my children's bags and room while they aren't around because I know I will need to trust. When is too much, too much?

Pageantry

Beauty Pageants: Degrading or Rewarding?

Pageants can be extremely rewarding. I have participated in a beauty pageant and although it wasn’t for me I found that coming out of it I gained skills that will benefit me in the future. Pageants teach you commitment, responsibility, friendship, interviewing skills and public speaking skills. Meghan McAlpine, a former NHS student and 2010 Teen Miss Massachusetts, says “People tend to stereotype pageantry as being only about “a pretty face” but there’s so much more behind it.” She agrees that after five years of pageants she makes connections with someone new every year across the country. People in pageants often do volunteer work for non-profit groups and help many people. Meghan also states that “as much as people stereotype and disregard pageantry I wouldn’t take back a single second I have learned so much.” Brittany Lefavbre says, “Pageants could be taken either way. If you win its rewarding but if you lose it could be degrading and you could feel bad about yourself.” Which is true but if the people who lose cannot take losing they shouldn’t be doing pageants anyways. There is a slim chance a person will win. If there are 50 girls in a pageant there is a 2% chance of winning. If you have participated in a pageant it will become clear the skills and friendships you get out if it is way more rewarding than winning. Of course winning makes you feel good but it’s what you get out of it that is the best part.