Nudity Vs Sexuality

In today's society, there's plenty of controversy when it comes too nudity. Many are affended by the display of nudity in society. Many find it innapropriate, too provocative and sexual. However is it really? I mean, everyone comes into this world naturally in the way they were created to be. Why is it so wrong to display the bodies we were given. People tend to be affended by the display of the human body, becasue perhaps they find it way of implying sexuality. There's a great difference between nudity and sexuality. One can artistically make a statement, whether in a painting or a performance, or a film, having nothinge to do with sexuality.

Until next time,

Ali (:

Activity Day

     For the past four years, the restrictions as too which grade is allowed to participate in Activity Day, have been changed, causing much frustration amongst the present Senior High School student. Activity Day, is a day in which the students are permitted a day dedicated to physical activity. This, for many students, is exciting because it means getting out of School for the day and enjoying a fun form of physical activity with friends with no studies attached. However, the current senior class of 2010 has been quite frustrated with the fact that they were only permitted to participate in grade 9, where as the rest of the grades have been given 3 years to participate...in grade 9, 10, and 11. You can understand the way it feels when you;re the only grade not allowed to participate in the exciting day off. The school board has changed the regulations for the outing, three years in a row now. This obviously had the largest affect on the senior class as they were robbed of two outings now. Come to think of it, why would the school board deside that grade twelves should not be granted this outing as well. If everyone in the school is given the same oppertunity would that not make it equal, and fair that every student be permitted to have the day to dedicate to physical activity?

Fretting Over the Future

            The future, for many young aspiring students, tends to draw up a blank. There are so many questions to be answered, various options to choose from, and strenuous decisions to be made. A large majority ofsenior students are constantly seeking answers to both academic and non-academic questions regarding colleges, universities and career choices. Students ask themselves; What is my passion and what is that one thing I want to study and make my career?, and then Where can I go to get my education and get the foundation I need to move towards my career goals?, and lastly How do I get there? Then there are other decisions to be made concerning location and financial matters. Am I going to attend University or College from home?, or Will I live on campus a couple of hours away? It’s no wonder students are constantly stressing…there’s too much to take into consideration.

            We questioned grade eleven, Gloucester High School student, Mackenzie Cooke what her thoughts were, pertaining to attending University. Mackenzie shared her concerns regarding the subject, stating with obvious unease; “getting to class on time, time managing, finding classes..." and it doesn't stop there. The school board requires all grade ten students to take a careers course, in order to better prepare students for their future by providing them with the knowledge they need to make there own decisions. One of the course requirements is to research and present your findings regarding a University of your choice. This is done in order to get students thinking about their own future and so that they can begin to consider their own options and goals in life.

            It can get very difficult for students that aren’t yet decided on what they want to do, as there are pre-requisites, admittance requirements, and scholarships to apply for before-hand. Not to mention, there’s also a chance that they might want to change career paths, and in order to successfully do so, go back and take other courses required for the program of interest. Sadly, even after you graduate from University, there isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get a well paid job, or a job at all for that matter. Anna Gut, a stay at home mom, cared to share a couple words of wisdom with us; stating that the scariest thing about finishing university, is finding a job. “I never got a job in my field; I didn’t know the system. I was living in Montreal and couldn’t speak French, so that made it harder to find a job as well” Finding adequate employment prior to university is a major stepping stone to becoming successful.

 

            It doesn’t stop here, education and career choices aren’t the only worries crossing the minds of many young adults. Not only are students concerned about their future education, but they’re already being pressured into thinking beyond that. Society expects the majority of people to get married, have 2.5 kids, live in a respectable house, and own genuinely nice things. Of course that sounds like a pretty decent life plan to the majority of us, however the reality of it all is, is that finding the perfect mate isn’t as easy as displayed in romantic comedies. Families sometimes break apart, and there are things called mortgages, loans, taxes, and bills. Love may come easy to television characters, but the “Prince Charming” that most girls dream of some day meeting and living “happily ever after” with, is simply an unrealistic vision Disney brainwashed us into believing from a very young age. Realistically, most girls tend to set themselves up for disappointment, and a whole lot of emotional damage. In fact, *“According to the Department of Justice, Child Support Initiative, Evaluation Report, August 1997, divorce rate in Canada is about 48%. What it means is one marriage out of every two marriages, ends in divorce.” Once married, couples are expected to buy a home and fill it with nice things and eventually a family. However so many couples go into debt. Some are forced to go on welfare, others can barely afford to send there kids to school and provide them the education they need to be successful to achieve their dreams.

 

            It’s hard to believe that sixteen/seventeen-year-olds would be concerned about marriage and kids, and contemplating how many children they’d want, what they’d name them, and how they would discipline them, but it happens. Everyone contemplates the future, no matter how intimidating or undetermined it may seem. From Universities, to career choices to societal pressures, High School Students and even adults feel anxiety when it comes to the future. The future is scary, and though it may seem far away, it’s only right around the corner. Before you know it, you’ll wish you could be a worry-free kid again.

*=http://divorcerate.ca

A Dozen Online Writing Tips - Summary and Personal Opinion

Jonathan Dube's article, A Dozen Online Writing Tips, lists twelve tips regarding Online Writing…which I should probably take into consideration when writing my blogs :)

A quick summary of the article:

1. Know Your Audience

·   Basically, when writing, keep in mind the audience you’re trying to reach, and know who you’re talking too and what you want to get across to your readers.

2. Think First and Think Different

·   This tip tells you that before writing, you should really think about what message you would like to come across in the story you are telling or reporting and then how you can best portray that. Considering that there are different forms of media to aid you in this process, it’s also best to take that factor into consideration as well.

3. Tailor Your News Gathering

·   This tip suggests the use of online interaction such as photography, and videos, to further convey the information you are trying to display. This way you will grab he interest of more online readers and keep it more interesting and professional.

4. Write Lively and Tight

·   It is suggested that online journalists write with attitude or in a conversational form, however it is still very important to keep to the point and on topic, avoiding run-on sentences, or ‘sloppy’ writing.

5. Explain

·   In writing, be sure not to tell just the story but to explain the reasons behind the story and why it’s important. Therefore giving readers the answers they seek.

6. Never Bury the Lead

·   This tip implies that when writing online, it’s important to inform the readers what you’re talking about and why they should keep reading, or else they could quickly loose interest.

7. Don't Pile On

·   This basically informs writers not to add developing news onto the same story in the hopes that readers have been following the story for however long it had come into focus. It’s important to separate each update to some extent and keep the most important information at the top.

8. Short but Sweet

·   It’s best to keep it short because readers could genuinely loose interest and may decide not to finish reading the article if it begins to become to wordy, however if the topic is something of great interest to both the author and reader, than it may be all right to add more.

9. Break It Up

·   This basically suggests that online journalists should pay attention to the appearance of the article or story they are writing and insure that it is broken up, and more visually appealing to readers. The more broken-up and simplified it looks, the more people will stop and take the time to read all that you have to say.

10. Eliminate the Guesswork

·   Let people know what they’re reading before-hand. Keep headlines simple and clear so that readers know what they’re about to read.

11. Do Not Fear the Link
     ·   Links could help enhance your article by giving more information on the story  at hand, however the links  must be reliable and must contain trustworthy information that will enhance your own writing.

12. Take Risks... But Remember the Basics

·   This is pretty straight forward. Take risks in your writing, but always remember the basics, insuring that what you’re writing is the truth and that there are other sources that will back you up.

My Opinion:

I agree with all of the tips Dube covers in this article. To me, this is common sense. In order to keep readers happy and satisfied, you must follow the majority of these tips. It’s the only way to be successful and to ensure that you are doing your job properly. It’s not so much about you as a writer, rather than the audience you are speaking too, and the people who are hearing your words. Therefore I find these online writing tips to be valid and useful to anyone aspiring to be a successful online writer or journalist.


If you're interested in reading the entire article by Jonathan Dube, feel free to follow the link below:
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/000118.php


Until next time,

Ali (:

My First Blog

So this is my official first blog, and I have  no idea what to write about. I guess I'll start off by saying a little bit about myself. My name's Alissandre, or to keep it simple; Ali. Umm...my interests include dancing, writing, reading, and music. If i had to choose a word to describe myself it would probably be...? Okay scratch that, I have no idea.So that's all I can really think about at the moment, but i'm looking forward to seeing how this works out. I've always been interested in starting a YouTube channel, but never thought I'd have enough time to film and edit videos like Shane Dawson...so I guess this is kinda like a step towards Youtube...okay not really but whatever :P The whole blogging thing is interesting, though it's kinda sad, because i'm sure people have better things to do besides reading what I'm doing or what my opinion is about something. In any case, I'll give it a shot. I guess that's it for now, i'm sure my blogs will improve with time...at least I hope.

Until next time,

Ali (: