Why I am the Best at Life

Courtney Olexa
January 7^th, 2015
Blog #5 English 11
College Application Letter-Parallel Structure

 

Why I am the best at life

                I don’t just think I am the best, I know I am the best, because I am richer than Carlos Slim Helu. Sports come easy to me. Playing volleyball is just a walk through the gym for me, because I crush the ball so hard it dents the floor. In basketball everyone knows I am better than Michael Jordan. When I hit the ball in softball people mistake it for a shooting star. I jump so high people mistake me for a bird. I rescued a baby bird when I was young. I don't just run faster than Usain Blot, I taught him how to run. I am such an amazing skier the National team thinks I am too good for them.

                I finish my homework before it is even assigned. I taught Albert Einstein math.   My name is held in all the slots in the "Genius World Record Book". And they re-named it "Courtney's World Record Book." I am so strong the Hulk is jealous. Kids adore me. I taught Dr. Carlos do Amaral Freire how to say the alphabet in 151 languages. Not only did I set the world record for Fastest Jigsaw Puzzle time, I brake my record. I am so powerful I created God. Saturdays consist of  hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle through the Rocky Mountains.


              
                 Every Monday I wake up, meet the president for tea, and  adopt six kids. Publishing "A Tale of Two Cities" was only a starter package for my fame. I wrote the Bible. I taught William Shakespeare how to play write. I taught Michael Jackson how to do the moon walk. Inventing Microsoft was alright. I am the manager of the Bill and Melinda Foundation. I don't just surf the waves. The waves surf  me. I don't just open doors. Doors open for me. People don't use calculators anymore, they use me. My parents don't make the rules, I make them for them. I don't just want fame and money fame and money wants me. Therefor I am the most successful, smart, famous, and best at life.



 

The Exam

Courtney Olexa
January 5^th, 2015
Blog #5 English 11-Writing with Detail

                                                                           The Exam

Walking through the doors into the gym where a gush of wind hits you like when you walk under a ceiling vent. Looking around the room seeing the desks fill quickly, I rush to find my name and I sit down on the cold hard seat. It finally hit me. How was I supposed to pass this exam? The stress was too much for me to handle, my vision started getting blurry and I was re playing my teachers voice in my head, “You won’t be prepared. You won’t know the materials in order for you to pass my classes’ exam in the spring”. Not worrying a bit back in the winter when I thought that everything was going to be okay and I will just leave it till spring to catch up. Knowing that I am the procrastination queen, I still didn’t have any reason to worry. Trying to control my heavy breathing as my teacher walked by me and tossed the exam at me towards my desk. No eye contact was made. Everything was silent except the flipping of pages and the screeching pencils on the paper. I had never noticed the pattern of movement and the sound that the ceiling fans made. It was hard to focus and the occasional coughs from my fellow class mates caught me off guard. Trying to get comfy in the hard metal chairs; that I am pretty sure no one can get comfortable in, was not only one of the only things that had been bugging me. My mouth is now extremely dry and I am now regretting not bringing a water bottle of some sort to this dreadful situation I had gotten myself into. The stress of every teachers footsteps walking up and down the aisles like there was no end to this madness. Gazing around the room to keep myself occupied from anything but this exam, hoping that if I sit there long enough that this exam won’t be here anymore and teachers staring me down will all go away like I had never walked into the gym on that warm spring day. I had decided the only way out of the situation was the solution sitting right in front of me. I flipped to the first page.    

Poetry

Courtney Olexa
November 3th, 2014
Blog #4 English 11

              Remember How We Forgot?
              By: Shane Koyczan

              The poem is describing how once when we had been young and wish that we could grow up already, and now that we are older we forget every little thing we had been told. "Remember how our parents told us never to look directly into the sun". This may never had meant a lot to us back then but now its memories that make us wish we could go back into time and be young again.

              There is a lot of imagery in this poem that can come from old memories where you are connecting with his words, "And we all wish Recesses would last a couple years or so". I can guarantee that every child that had gone through elementary school would wish that.

              I like this poem because I can connect with it, and the poem describes how we have to remember old memories and dreams we once thrived for when we were once a kid. This poem took me back to many old memories. "Remember how we forgot? Once upon a time we were young."




              Pretty
              By: Katie Makkai

              This poem is describing how society describes pretty by "Woman who will prowl thirty stores in six malls to find the right cocktail dress" just to be pretty. Woman who spend thousands of dollars changing themselves entirely, just so they can live up to societies standards of "pretty". Mothers having to tell their daughters that wanting to be "pretty" is not an option. Having to explain to them that it will ruin their lives believing something that everyone has hope for.

              This poem could be a Lyric because it expresses the feelings that the author has towards society and their definition of being "pretty". Having to explain to your daughter(s) when they come running to you asking, “What will I be? Will I be pretty? Will I be pretty? Will I be pretty? What comes next? Oh right, will I be rich?”, that you can not be pretty and if you do want to be "pretty" than you have to be rich to be able to buy all the next line designer clothes.

              I like this poem because it shows how wrong our world is and how much society is changing us for the worst. When people say "Just be yourself", How are we suppose to be ourselves when we choose to do so and people judge us for not doing it right?



             
              Trolls
              By: Shane Koyczan

              This poem compares trolls to cyber bullying by explaining that "your keyboards [turn into] catapults". This means that writing your mood or anger towards someone and that "turning freedom of speech into freedom of cruelty" is okay, that you are saying hurtful and awful things to someone that "[It's just] freedom of speech".

              This poem used a lot of metaphors and that because it was a darker type of poem it really got you thinking of what you have done and how much of an impact it could have on someone that cyber bullying another person, it also has a lot of effect on the person reading or listening to the poem.

              I think this poem can be a really big eye opener for people who have been the victim, been a witness, or someone that has been the bully themselves. It gives a lot of impact on the reader and shows that one poem can make a difference in anyone's thoughts or perspectives of cyber bullying.

            
               

Homework Blues

  

Courtney Olexa
November 3, 2014
Blog #3 English 11

Homework Blues

       As I shuffled into the classroom, I knew that Mr. Van Camp would never believe me. I looked at my scuffed shoes and mumbled, “My homework is not done, Sir. I do have a good excuse though."

       " This is not the first time your homework has not been completed. Perhaps," Mr. Van Camp suggested, "it's time to speak with your parents."

       "Please, you have no idea what will happen to me if you phone my home," I moaned. It looked as if he was going to fall for my story.

      "Well, let's hear your excuse. It better be good."

      I felt a split second of relief, knowing that he was going to give me a chance to clarify myself, I began to speak.

      "That is why It would be a very bad idea for you to call home" I explained.

      Mr. Van Camp had this odd look on his face, and then he spoke. "Ah, I see," and that's all he said.

      Confused, frustrated and worried, wondering what his next words would be. 

      "I believe your parents need to be informed of the complications of why your 'Book Club' comes before your English work," declared Mr. Van Camp.

      All I was thinking at that moment was, "Why.. Why was this day just getting worse and worse for me every second I am standing here.
   
      Mr. Van Camp had cleared his throat, waiting for a response from me.

      Everyone said he was a nice calm teacher that is understanding. But I must of been wrong.

      As the tension started building up within me, he let out a laugh. Then I was confused and insulted that he would have the nerve to laugh at me! I was stunned out of my mind.

     "I am kidding," he exclaimed, "I understand the dilemma you are going through, and I will give you an extra week to finish the work."

     I didn't know what to say. So all I said was, "um, thankyou?"

     Mr. Van Camp got up out of his foam chair, and left me standing there in a stunned silence.  

     
     

Guilty or Not?

Courtney Olexa
October 20, 2014
Blog #2 English 11

 

Guilty or not?

            “Oh, she’d answered all the questions, but that wasn’t the same as telling the whole story. How could she, when it still wasn’t clear?” Gabriella alleged to why her boyfriend is currently in Jasper hospital. She is one of the characters in the short story “Bluffing” by Gail Helgason. Liam who is a self-absorbed arrogant mountain guide who thinks he so high end and is very over confident with his work. “One day,” he would exclaim “[I will] have [my] photo in Glossy Magazines for high-tech outdoor gear. Prestigious companies [will] seek [my] endorsement.” Gabriella had been so content about wanting to settle down and put a lease down on a house with the one she loves, but Liam clearly only has interest in himself and his job. “I’m glad. I thought you would have been here before this,” states Liam. He has not paid attention to Gabriella and her visits to the hospital for the past three weeks after the bear attack during their hike up to the lake. Knowing that Gabriella is a biology teacher and that Liam is a mountain tour guide. You would assume that Liam would be more educated in the outdoors and know what to do and what not to do in a predicament with a Grizzly Bear. But as a result, Gabriella was the one who did the right thing in this situation. “I meant for the bear to come after me instead of you” exclaimed Liam. To Gabriella’s defence she has heard enough of Liam and his falsehoods. Does she still believe that he is going to keep wanting to tour guide and want to travel to New Mexico after the incident? Or will she leave him if he doesn’t want to sign the one-year lease demand because she believes it will keep “holding them [together].”

Smoking Out Depression

Courtney Olexa                                                                                  
October 1, 2014
Blog #1 English 11


                                                                           

Smoking out Depression

            Aging is a natural part of life but not everyone ages gracefully. This aging lady who is trying to maintain her youth by her fine clothes, jewellery and smoking is doing quite the opposite by her apparent addiction to cigarettes. Knowing that the jewellery she wears has been passed down from generation to generation and that one day she will have to give up a piece or two of it too. Having to let go of her prise possessions and give them to who? Who will they be passed down to? Why would she want to let herself trust someone she doesn’t even know? But then again her ancestors probably said the same thing; meaning her. Every morning getting up and applying the same amount of lipstick and a new color of eye shadow. Just knowing that she would soon be heading out to go release all of the evil spirits inside of her body. Making her feel like a new person every day. All the creases beside her eyes, between her eyebrows and around her lips make her realize she is not young anymore and that soon after many of these years of freeing these vile essences, she will soon not have to do that anymore.