6th and Final Blog!(:

Hmm first semester.... lets see what has happened so far. First, I started out good in all my classes ready to learn and get good grades, then as time went on I got tired of trying and basically gave up. I soon realized that I had to have all A's and B's to get my license in November (Which I STILL don't have) so I started trying harder and it seemed like the harder I tried the worse I did, so of course I gave up.... again. Sophomore year has definitely been harder than Freshman year but it has gone by faster (a lot faster I might add) This year we have done presentations about the different types of educational learning. My partner (Macayla) and I went around interviewing students and teachers asking the basic questions, such as "What's your favorite class? Why? What can teachers do to make learning more fun? Are you a hands-on learner?" and all that good jazz. We also read the book Night, a tale of a young boy and the troubles he had during the Holocaust and all the hardships he had to overcome, including losing his mother, sisters, and father. We then listened to a Holocaust surivor and all that he had to go through to stay hidden and not get sent to the "camps". At the beginning of the year we wrote short stories and mini essays so Mr. Dunn could see what we are capable of. I enjoy free writing and making up my own stories because it gets my creative juices flowing and I can express the feelings I had in a story and just say I made it up. Next semester I wont be in Mr. Dunn's 3rd hour anymore. I have to transfer over to Mrs. Dullum's 1st hour. (Greeaaattt) ONe of my favorite parts about this semester has been all of our class disscussions and going over books in greater details. I will definitely miss this class. :(

Wrapping Up Friday Night Lights

There are many themes to the book. For example, Life isn't always fair, Racism, The ability to analyze and judge yourself and finally, The impact of adults hopes and goals lived vicariously through their children.


Life Isn't Always Fair- The team believes they should have won because of all the hard work and dedication they put into the season. They were hoping they would win so that scouts and recruters would come and offer them spots on NFL teams, but all those dreams were crushed when they lost the semi-final game to Carter High School.


Racism- H.G. Bissinger was shocked when he went to Odessa and discovered how racist the town actually was. It didn't seem possible that people who seemed so devoted to their children and the Football team would act in such a horrible manner. He knew he had to include some of the racism in his book so people would know even the smallest most nperfect looking town has it's flaws.


Ability to analyze and judge yourself- In the book Boobie discovers that he doesn't know anything other than football. That's all he was raised and taught to do. He knows if they don't win the State Championship then his football career/ everything he knows has gone down the drain. He doesn't love football as much as he is portrayed to. With all of the pressure from the coach, town and the rest of the team he feels that the most he could give them would never be enough. In his eyes if they don't win it will all be his fault.   



The impact of adults hopes and goals lived vicariously through their children- Tony Chavez who loves how well his son plays but is more interested in him getting into Harvard. Most of the parents are like Dale McDougal who lives for the wonder of watching her son under the Friday night lights. This reminds me of Kenny Chesney's song "The Boys of Fall" which is about high school football teams and the hardships they overcome and the coach even says "Tonight is your night! Everyone is counting on you! The people in those stands are living vicariously through you! Don't worry about what you are going to do after the game or tomorrow. This is the last game you will ever play on this field, years down the road you will have kids and wish you could come back to this moment and play your hearts out!"  


Kenny Chesney "The Boys of Fall"
         

Odessa's Permian Panthers

Getting Deeper Into Questions

Malik asked: Have you ever done anything that could drastically change your life or the life of many others?


Brad replied: I have done something, that could have drastically changed my life, and my families. It may sound stupid, but one thing that I do a lot, is ride my bike without my helmet. This may not sound like a big deal, but if for some reason I was riding, and were to fall, and hit my head, I could be in serious trouble. I could possibly even have brain damage, if the fall was serious enough. If this were to Happening to me it would definitely effect me and my family. I guess in a way, I'm being kind of selfish. 

I Commented:I agree with Brad... I myself have done some very foolish things. For example, the other day I was driving and I accidentally pulled out in front of another car. My mom and my sister were in the car. If the car wouldn't have slowed down we could have been rear-ended, badly hurt or even killed.

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Emily asked: When they talked about how kids used their parents to get to go to McDonald's, do you ever remember doing that to your own parents?  

Ben replied: Yes i do. I would always ask to go to McDonalds because of the Playplace. And then inevitably i would say "im hungry" and we would get food. And thats how McDonald's makes their money.  

I commented: I completely agree with Ben. Even if I was'nt hunger I would ask to go just to play in the playland. 

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Calli asked:What would you have done if you were one of the teachers at Columbine High School during the shooting? 

Tyesha replied:If I was a teacher at Columbine High School during the shooting, I would've told my students to hide until we were contacted otherwise. There was no way to tell if it was just a prank, but if that happened right now people would most likely believe it because of the events of Columbine. 

I commented:I agree with Ty, I would have my students hide under desks or in the corner where the shooter couldn't see that there was people in there. I would have also probably put black paper over the window in the door so it looked as if the lights were off and the room was vacant. 

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Jason asked:Do you enjoy high school?  

Jay answered:I do enjoy high school for the most part. I believe this is one of the better high schools, because we are allowed to have some say in what we want to learn about and that makes it a much more enjoyable experience. Friends also help make the high school years that much better because the friends you make here help shape who you become and how the time her goes. But on the other side sometimes stress can get to you and it can come from anywhere such as over zealous parent, school work, peers, teachers, and even the sometimes overwelming idea of the future. 

Calli commented:I enjoy high school very much.  Like Jay said, the friends that you make in high school help shape the person that you are gonig to be. High school helps you find who you really are. In high school you learn to branch out and find people that are like you. You also find out what you want to go after you graduate. So many doors are open in these four years. That is probably what I enjoy most about high school, the fact that I find out what I really want to do as a career. The bad part about high school though is having tons of homework. And most of it I personally feel we will not need after we graduate. 

I replied:I agree with both Jay and Calli. Like Calli said, high school friends help you figure out who you are and what you want to become. I believe that most of my high school experience so far has been fun but at times you wish you could just rewind and go back to Middle School where you know everyone and have been with them Pre-K through 8th Grade but once you are in High School you lose many of the friends you had some that you even promised "We'll be best friends forever." but you gain new friends as the saying goes "You have to lose a little to win a little." 

Interesting Quotes From Friday Night Lights

1) "In the Shreve High football stadium,
 I think of Polacks nursing long beers in Tiltonsville, 
And gray faces of Negroes in the blast furnace at 
Benwood, 
And the ruptured night watchman of Wheeling 
Steel, 
Dreaming of heroes." 
I think this means that they believe they we all become heroes one day in some way or another. The likely hood of this happening is very slim but it may be the only thing that makes them keep striving forward. 


2) "When he walked through the halls of school during the season it wasn't as a proud gladiator, but instead he seemed enveloped in an almost painful shyness, his head ducked to the side and his eyes shifting furtively,  fending off questions with one-word answers, especially hating it when people came up to him and asked,  "Do ya'll think you're gonna win?"" 
I believe that the pressure people put on him is too much to bare and that he has begun to not like football anymore but he keeps playing because he feels like he has an obligation to the team, school, and community. When someone asks him about an upcoming game he despises the game more and more.  


3) "This season he was leading the district in passing and had cut his interceptions down to almost none. A big game against the Rebels would be further vindication, further proof that he had what it took to be a college quarterback in the Southwest Conference." 
I think that he feels as if football were the only thing he was good at and without it he would be nothing. He would loose the popularity (what little he had), and the respect from the community and the team.  




P.S.-Re:Macayla  Have you ever done something just for the popularity? I my self have not done something just because I thought it would make me more popular/give me more popularity. Sadly, many people in todays generation do however.  I think that they need to realize being yourself will make you a lot more friends than you trying to be someone else or by acting different. 

Friday Night Lights Questions

Level 2 Questions: 

1. Why is Football so important to the small town?

2. Why is there so much pressure on the team?

3. Why are so many people getting killed in Odessa?

4. How come football is the only thing with importance to them?

5. Why does the whole town go to every game?

Level 3 Questions:

1. Have you ever felt like everyone was depending on you?

2. Have you ever done anything just for the popularity that comes from it?

About Me

My name is Samantha Strack. I'm a Sophomore in Mr. Dunn's English II class at Carbondale Community High School. I am currently reading a book entitled "Friday Night Lights." It is about a small town in Texas that is devoted to their High School football team. For the people of Odessa football means more than anything else in the world. Going to the State Championship would be the icing on the cake of perfection for the Permian Panthers. "Every Friday night from September to December, when the Panthers play football, this West Texas town becomes a place where dreams can come true."