Shark Nets and Shark Attacks

     In the article "Australian Catch-and-Kill Shark Policy, Meant to Reassure, Horrifies Some" by Michelle Innis, the problem of sharks on the coasts of Australia is catching peoples attention. In the past 3 years on the beaches of Australia, there have been seven fatal shark attacks on swimmers. Because of these attacks, the government has decided to make the new "catch and kill" policy in Western Australia, where most of these attacks have occurred. Because of this controversial new rule, there are many opposing opinions on it.
     The "catch and kill" policy refers to bull, great white, and tiger sharks, which 1 has been killed and several more small ones have been caught and released. This policy was made to reassure the swimmers of their safety, but has also horrified conservationists. The attempt to protect sharks because of their dropping numbers seems to be ignored by this law. People have even brought this issue of morality to lawyers, wishing to halt it in courts. Sharks are common along the coast, and the Australian government has installed nets along the beaches to keep them out. Even the nets themselves are controversial because other wildlife is getting caught in them. 338 sharks have been tagged with radio responders so far. When a radio responder comes within 750 yards of one of the monitors, a message is sent to a twitter account for Surf Life Saving Western Australia.
     The writer of this article in some ways hinted that she was against the new policy. When she was talking about the 10 foot tiger shark that was killed, her word choice made it seem like it was a really bad thing to do. She used blunt words in phrases such as "towed the carcass out to sea, where it was dumped". The word dumped implies that it wasn't really cared about that much and it was just tossed out. In the same 1st paragraph of the article, Innis used really graphic details to express the violence and unfairness if the situation. The author also uses a lot of quotes from the side that sharks shouldn't be killed and few from those in favor of them being killed. When Innis was talking about the consequences of the nets, she used very specific details about what kinds of animals were caught in them, which makes it more sad to think about.
     I think that the new rule is unfair to sharks, and the precautions are unfair to all sea mammals who are in danger of getting caught in the net. It is very scary to think about how it's possible to be attacked by a shark at the beach and it's good that the government recognizes that they are scared, but innocent sharks don't have to die because of it. The nets are dangerous to other harmless animals that have nothing to do with this entire issue. I believe that they should catch and release instead of catch and kill because not all sharks have the potential to kill a human.
   

Different Bodies Changing Feelings

All of the people on this world have a life that they have to live in everyday of their entire lives. Everything that they do, every moment, can impact their whole future. What they will look like, who they will end up in a relationship with, what their job is; every day could change all of that. In the book Every Day by David Levithan, A doesn’t have a normal human experience. Every day, A wakes up as a new person in a new body with a new life, and in order to be that person, A has to act and talk and move as that person. Some of the same emotions A had felt the day before in a girl’s body may be amplified or expressed in a different way the next day. Every body has its own way of showing emotion, and A has to endure it all.

            In the beginning of the book, A is only focused on getting the peoples bodies through the day. A knows how to forget the little things in people’s lives, such as where they put their car keys or their best friends phone number, because there is no use to retain that information. When A is Amy Tran, her day was mostly trying to make Amy’s day as normal as possible. Nothing else mattered except for not being noticed. When A met Rhiannon, all of the body’s feelings started to get less and less significant as A started caring less and less about the person’s life. When A was in James’s body, happiness and joy was masked behind a teenage boy’s language, making everything harsher. Once A gets close to Rhiannon, the body’s emotions all start to look the same… like A.

            As the book continues, A and Rhiannon become closer and closer. Every day A try’s to see Rhiannon, whatever shape or size he/she is and where ever he/she is. The most important thing in A’s life is Rhiannon, even if it means being out of character for the body. When A is in Ashley’s body, all of Ashley’s emotions are put on hold as A takes control over what she thinks or does. Ever since Rhiannon has become part of A’s life, A’s lifestyle has gone down the drain. The body was not important to A anymore… Rhiannon was. When A inhabits Rhiannon’s body, she goes back to her old routine of just getting through the day, even though this time, A wants her to know that she was there and cared for her in that day.

            Overall, I think that A met someone whom he wanted to spend the rest of his days with, but it just wasn’t possible because of A’s situation.  As I followed the emotions of the bodies A inhabits throughout the book, I saw that the people, in A’s mind, became less important than his own life and problems. A is an example that if you love somebody, you will do everything in your power to be with them and make them happy.

Fox

Honesty is a man’s greatest quality. It allows human nature and emotions to take its course without any doubts or questions to be asked. In a perfect world, all people would have no reason to be dishonest because they did whatever they did for a reason. Unfortunately, we live in an imperfect world full of flaws and problems that have shaped who we are and what our society is today. In the book Fox by Margaret Wild, the story illustrates these imperfections using something that is universally loved… animals.

Magpie and Dog are two friends that were meant to meet. They use their damaged parts of themselves to help the other. When Fox comes into the story, the whole dynamic between Magpie and Dog changes as Fox becomes a more important part of all of their lives. As Fox becomes more and more jealous of Magpie and Dog, he gets more and more confused as to why Magpie would rather stay with dog rather than go with him. Fox doesn’t understand friendship because he has never experienced anything like it before, so he can’t fully comprehend the damage he does when he tears this friendship apart.

“I will be your missing eye and you will be my wings” said Magpie. This is my favorite line because it represents something getting better; a light at the end of the tunnel. Even though it may seem as if everything would be alright in the end, the missing elements of the characters cause many problems, especially when Fox comes into the picture. Dogs missing eye shows that he cannot see below the surface of many problems. This was a very bad thing because when Fox came in, it was necessary to see the actual purpose of Fox befriending them. The loss of Magpies wings represents that she cannot get away from anything without the help of Dog. When the opportunity to do something out of the ordinary appeared, Magpie couldn’t help to try it out.

Overall, the honesty and loyalty in this story is merely a reflection on our modern day world. Many people can’t do many things without the help of another, and that is what friendship is for. Jealousy, rage, envy… all of these feelings was the definition of Fox. He was so full of anger and it showed among his actions. To be a good friend, you have to know how to be kind and give them the things that they need. No one deserves to have nobody, even Fox.

2013 Must-Reads

        When I read, the entire world disappears around me. The storyline and the characters, no 
matter how improbable, spring to life in my mind as the words on the page shape their very being. 
Over the year of 2013, the books that have come alive in my head have been some to the best I have read in my life. In general, every single book I read last year was powerful and every single one left its own memory in my imagination.  
            When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer was by far one of the best romantic books I have ever read. The use of feelings and emotions made the writing astounding, to say the very least. I loved the way the author made it seem like dancing, to Soledad, was just another boy that she was in love with. Ferrer described Jonathan as the one Soledad would be with forever, then introduced Taz, who abruptly changed the dynamics of the seemingly eternal couple. Overall, the way the author makes the entire book change in a just a page makes me want to read it over and over again.
            The Fault in our Stars by John Green is the best book I have had the pleasure of reading in 2013. Even though it is another sappy love story, Green manages to glue the reader to the story and understand all of the horrors and excitements that the characters face. No matter how unlikely Augustus and Hazels’ situation is, I couldn’t help but think that it was all real. The book taught me countless lessons that I plan on looking to when I need help. Hazel and Gus are the two most developed people I have been able to piece together in my mind. Every writers choice Green made about the story changed at least something in the grand scheme of things and I found that amazing.
            The last great book on my must-read list is Wonder by R. J. Palacio. Before this book, I thought is some places of my life I had it hard. Once I read this, I realized that I was lucky in those places of my life compared to August. August was born with a birth defect that affected his facial structure. The author brought us through the roller coaster ride of Augusts life through multiple points of views like through August himself or his sister or one of their friends. I found the most powerful view the book was written in was Augusts himself, but the other portrayals of his life told by different people really made the book something special.
           In conclusion, 2013 was an astounding reading year for me personally. I have grown in leaps and bounds as a reader and I am ready to take on new books and new challenges in this year of 2014. I discovered my favorite books of all time, and to me, that is a great accomplishment.

A Dancers Power

In every book, no matter the genre, style, audience, or author, there is a common issue that has to get resolved. There is often a hierarchy that causes problems for the characters throughout the whole time, but this greater being is not always as obvious as one might think. In the book When the Stars Go Blue by  Caridad Ferrer, the problems lie within the plot itself. Being a dancer has been Soledad’s dream since she was four years old, but she does not have the stereotypical dancer body like so many of her delicate friends do. Her forte is not the soft ballet songs, it is the songs where she can be larger than life onstage and fill up the entire performance space with her presence. When she gets an offer from a boy named Jonathan to express her and feel her kind of music washing over her for an entire summer, she is conflicted. In the duration of this time, many hidden enemies and problems emerge due to this one job offer, and I think Soledad will see her path once all of the fog has cleared.

            Not having the skinny body that most ballerinas have was a hierarchy that was very unfair to have to overcome. Being yourself and having ambitions should not be a crime that people judge you on. This power that the typical ballerinas had was very unjust because even though Soledad has a goal in her mind, this difference between her and them is so great that anyone who was in that situation would feel alone sometimes like her. This goal of hers is becoming foggier and foggier as she becomes closer to Jonathan. He has a power over her because of the feelings she has towards him. The emotions and her dream are getting mixed, which is causing these changes in her plans. I believe that this is a just problem because they have control over it and what happens to it. Once everything with Jonathan gets sorted out and once she has a new goal set in her head, the path will be waiting for her to dance down it.

            Overall, Soledad’s dilemma is that she needs to make up her mind about where her path in life is going to take her. For me, my plans are still unclear but with every choice I make about studying for a test or doing my homework to the best of my ability, I am taking another step to my future. Once these power problems are resolved, there will be nothing more holding her back to make up her mind about how she wants to live her life. The just moments and the unjust moments are all a part of the life that we have paved for ourselves; down this bumpy road.

Community: Social Justice

         Humans are the most powerful animal in the world. We dominate the planet with our population of 7 billion people, all with their own stories to tell and lives to live. Social justice and injustice is inevitable at our point in time, and current authors of books know that and try to ease us into the damaged world and its people. In the book Paper Towns by John Green, these right and wrong doings were hidden beneath a complex love story that illustrated these social problems through high school.

          Quentin and Margo have always liked each other from afar, but once the "fun" begins, they feel connected, like they were meant to play these pranks together and have this time together. When Margo runs away, the whole high school dynamic was disrupted. Green makes it known that when something unexpected happens, you have to just keep on moving forward or else you will be stuck in the past. As the book progresses, the element of community and togetherness were presented as another social justice piece, yet this time, it was a rewarding piece. When something horrible happens, everyone is affected in a negative way and all of these people have something that they can relate to each other with. This is a helpful thing to learn in life because there aren’t many good things in the world, but the sense that people know what you are going through makes it easier.

          By leading us into the damaged world, these authors help us realize that there are issues greater than us. Since there are so many of us with so many different stories, we can take action against these acts of unjust happenings and prevent these bad situations from occurring. We create an awareness of the social justices and injustices that happen in our daily lives. 

Darkness is Just the Same

What parents call depressing young adult literature now, is what we have grown up our
whole lives. To insult our past reading lives is a lack of understanding. These books help 
us understand that this has happened before like Maureen Johnson says in the article "Yes, teen fiction can be dark – but it shows teenagers they aren't alone".

This darkness that has been around in books for as long as we can remember has not been appearing more and more but has been appearing in different forms. The books are different portrayals of life that reflect the youth of today. In the article, Johnson argues that "There isn't a YA writer alive who is out writing books to corrupt youth". For example, like stated in the article, no author who writes about self-harm is teaching self-harm. I agree with this because we don't read about these things easily. They provide information about the teenage life.

Personally, I think that teen literature is fascinating. The complexity and depth that the authors provide engages the reader and also helps them understand more in life. “If subjects like these are in YA books, it's to show that they are real, they have happened to others, and they can be survived." This quote represents the entirety of the subject. This is because almost all of the themes in YA books relate to a current day teenage problem.

Overall, all teen books are represented badly by the label of "dark" or "gruesome". We are familiar with all the topics in the books so to us, the most common readers of his genre, it is no surprise. The article really represented that idea and spoke for those who are afraid to defend our generation’s books.