Music Feature Final Draft

     There is a 3 year old lying down in bed. The lights are off. It is a cold winter night and the wind blows the trees swiftly through the crisp evening air. The house is silent. Quietness creeps from room to room as if to overcome all aspects of life. The child slowly turns over, exposing one ear to the sounds of music coming from the small C.D player on the nightstand in the corner of the room. J.S Bach’s Toccata in D Minor is playing on repeat.

     This is a sight that can be all too familiar in some households across the globe. While the song and artist may vary, many believe in the positive effects that music can have on a person’s intelligence and ability to learn.

     Nico Osorio, a senior at Sierra High School, knows all too well the effects of music on a person’s academics. Aside from the everyday struggles of being a high school student, Osorio also spends his days playing, composing, and studying in the hopes to major in music in college. 

     While a music extraordinaire, Osorio also knows how to tussle the academic sides of life, being a B+ A- average student with a 3.75 GPA.

Osorio has enveloped his life in the aspect of music, being part of the schools marching band, concert band, jazz band, and the drum line. Osorio first developed his interest in music when he was in fourth grade, as he sat and watched a live band concert for the first time that was being conducted by his older brother’s middle school band.

     “It was the first time I ever saw a live concert band,” Osorio says. “That’s when my love of music started.”

     Dr. George Lazanov, a renowned Bulgarian psychologist did a study to design a way to teach foreign languages in a fraction of the normal or “average” learning time. Lazanov used the common concept that listening to a musical rhythm with 60 beats or more a minute activates the left and right side of the brain, allowing for faster learning and memorizing of vocabulary.

     Lazanov concluded that the method he used allowed for students to learn and memorize up to 1,000 phrases and words in one day, about half of a semester of a language class. Along with this conclusion, the average retention rate of his students was increased by nearly 92 percent. Lazanov is not the only person to conduct a study to the musical effects on learning speed and memory.

     The University of North Texas also did a study on 20 postgraduates to see if music had an effect on memory. There were two pretests and one posttest. All 20 students scored around the same average results on both of the pretests; however, the 10 students who were listening to Handel’s Water Music while in lectures memorized nearly 78 percent more vocabulary words in a week when the posttest was given.

     While studies show that music can and does affect ones learning abilities, many believe in the factor to start at a younger age. The sooner a child becomes interested in music, the better.

     Osorio would not recommend a student entering high school to try and begin his musical career at that point in time. Practicing and learning your instrument down to a pinpoint is something that requires a time frame that most high school students cannot afford to expand. Osorio believes that starting younger is the better route to take. It gives you the chance to grow with the music, not just learn it.

     Osorio can definitely be labeled in the group of “smart”. Music has played a huge role in his life as far as a passion as well with school. Grades don’t come easy in high schools these days, especially when trying to balance the schedule of extracurricular activities with the hardship and commitment of Advanced Placement (AP) college course classes.

     “When you have the creativity of music, in a way it motivates you to be more academically successful as well,” Osorio said.

     It is obvious to many that music has positive influences on learning and memory. However, music is not something that should be abused only for academic purposes, or to make someone “smarter”. Music is a love that grows from within. Music, to most, is a way of life.

Still Standing - Album Review

For the last 16 years, Monica has been raving the country with her strong-heart filled lyrics and smooth beats. Her first album released was a classic, and she continually topped the billboard charts with every smash hit she released into the mainstream music industry. In 2010, she released her 6th album, Still Standing. The album has had mixed reviews from "refreshing and inspiring" to "boring, not living up to her capabilities." I find the album to be filled with strong vocals and lyrics that can get anyone up and singing.

Music Feature Idea

I will be writing my Music Feature on the belief that music has positive effects on a persons ability to learn.

I will be using research from studies done by universities and psychologists as well as a first hand account from a student on how they feel that music has influenced their academics.

Feature Story Final Draft

     For as long as there have been relationships between two people, there has always been one partner who takes advantage of the other. While not all relationships suffer this problem, it is very common. According to WebMD, relationship abuse has been showing up more often in teen relationships since 2000.
     There is a young couple; around 16 year’s old, sitting at McDonalds eating their Big Mac and Fish Filet meals. The teenage boy, while enjoying his Big Mac, notices there is no ketchup on his sandwich
Relationship abuse is when one person uses a pattern of behavior through means of physical, verbal, or sexual intimidation to gain power and control of their partner. Relationships are no easy subject to understand; whether healthy, or abusive.
     Melva Hall, a counselor at Sierra High School, spends all day every day with more than a thousand teenagers. She says in her years as a counselor, she has seen every type of problem a teenager can run into, including relationship abuse. Hall says she has helped teenagers deal with the issue, and overcome the obstacles the students face.
     “Relationship abuse is extremely serious,” Hall says. “Most people believe that abuse is only physical, but when it comes to teenage relationships, it is almost nearly always emotional and mental.”
     According to Hall, mental and emotional abuse are the biggest problems teens are faced with when it comes to relationships.
     Many teenagers either do not realize the affect of the abuse, or they are afraid to get help. Hall says that some teenagers are even embarrassed to bring up the subject in fear of their peers opinions and thoughts.
Abuse, however, is a matter that should be handle immediately, and should be confronted as soon as the problem begins.
     “Just because they pretend and appear happy doesn’t mean they are,” said Hall. “Relationships can be a very positive thing in school as long as both partners understand what it means to be in a healthy relationship.”
There are key differences between a healthy and an abusive teen relationship, which allows someone to distinguish one from the other, and recognize when a teenager is the victim of abuse.
     According to WebMD, in a healthy relationship both partners work towards the relationship equally and contribute an equal amount of opinions and solutions to the relationship. There is also a system of checks and balances combined with equality, individuality, and compromise.
     An abusive relationship is the exact opposite of that of a healthy one. One partner takes advantage of the goals of the relationship and uses them against their partner as a way to manipulate them into doing what they want. There is little to no compromise, forced inequality, and your individuality is taken from you.
     According to KidsHealth.org, in the U.S alone, 33 percent of teens report some kind of abuse while 12 percent of teens report physical abuse. The majority, if not all of teen relationship abuse, is related to extreme possessiveness and jealousy.
     Like adult domestic violence, teen relationship abuse affects all types of teens, regardless of how much money their parents make, what their grades are, how they look or dress, their religion, or their race. Anyone can be a victim of teen relationship abuse, both boys and girls. The abuse also occurs in all types of relationships; whether heterosexual, gay, or lesbian.
     Hall says while no relationship starts off abusive, in fact, most relationships start out like fairy tales, full of love and affection. Over time the problem gradually builds until it escalates out of control, and one person ends up on the wrong side of the bullet.
     “People need to be more aware of relationship abuse. The problem isn’t that teenagers are having relationships, the problem is that most teenagers don’t know what exactly a relationship is,” Hall Says.             “Nothing can bring a smile to your face then a truly happy young couple lost in love.”

Feature Writing Story: Primary Post

Topic: Teen Relationship Abuse

The story will be addressing the topic of teen relationship abuse. What abuse is, and why the abuse takes place. I will also try to describe how to recognize when abuse is taking place.

Primary Angle: Mrs. Hall (Counselor)

SASy Quotes

1.) Tia jones

     Having to deal with uniforms almost all of her elementary and middle school years, Tia Jones says she was never more exited to be in high school where she could wear the clothes she wants. The freedom and individual express appealed to Jones as she entered her high school career.
    "Uniforms is a thing of the past and that's something I ain't never tryna go back to," said Jones.

2.) Towanna Dewitt

     Towanna Dewitt is the first to admit that even she has a curfew. Dewitt says the time she has to be in changes based on the situation. For instances on the weekends she can stay out much later then she can on the weekdays. Dewitt says depending on where she is going will also affect how late she is allowed to stay out.
     "Everyone has a curfew," Dewitt says. "I think the circumstances of the curfew should change as you get older though."

3.) Rayven Carter

     Homework is an essential part of school that every student must suffer through, including Sierra junior, Rayven Carter. Rayven says on average she only gets about an hour of homework a night, and some nights she gets none at all. However, she still hates having to do homework, because she says it takes up time she could be spending on other things, such as family, a job, sports, clubs, etc.
      "Homework is something that you just cant escape in high school," Carter Says. "You just gotta deal with it and move on."

Journal Week 5

9.7          After two back to back days of missing work, Amber DeJesus was fired from her job at the Peterson Air Force base commissary. It seems as though the base is not only strict on those who serve the country, but those who are citizens as well.
               "Time is important when working, use it wisely," says DeJesus.

9.8          Ice-T lived the life of a person surviving in and off the streets. Time in the army gave him his knowledge of warfare and weapons, while life in the streets educated Ice-T on criminal activites and raising mayhem. Ice-T admits to raising hell and getting the entire nation to hate him.
                  "How many of your guests can say they had the honor of the President of the United States say their name in anger?" Ice-T said