The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I have just finished reading the book “Perks of Being a Wallflower’’ by Stephen Chbosky. This book is very powerful and talks about life in High School. The book is told from Charlie, the main character’s perspective. While he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Charlie is shy, and socially awkward.  Charlie is also smarter than he thinks he is.  He is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

        While Charlie does not speak much and usually prefers to be a “wallflower” he is a keen observer. He has a very hard life though. Starting his first year of High School, Charlie is attempting to find his way through the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all he needs is that perfect song on the radio to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. There comes a time to see what it looks like in the middle, “from the dance floor”. In the book, Charlie writes:

      “It's much easier to not know things sometimes. Things change and friends leave. And life doesn't stop for anybody. I wanted to laugh. Or maybe get mad. Or maybe shrug at how strange everybody was, especially me. I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and than make the choice to share it with other people. You can't just sit their and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can't. You have to do things. I'm going to do what I want to do. I'm going to be who I really am. And I'm going to figure out what that is. And we could all sit around and wonder and feel bad about each other and blame a lot of people for what they did or didn't do or what they didn't know. I don't know. I guess there could always be someone to blame. It's just different. Maybe it's good to put things in perspective, but sometimes, I think that the only perspective is to really be there. Because it's okay to feel things. I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite. I feel infinite.”

I thought “Perks of Being a Wallflower” was an excellent    book. It talks about a teenage life of a socially awkward kid and how he gets through it. This book has been one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. 

My Name

 

 

                My name is Jacob Henry Sutton and I was born in the year 2000, the year of the Golden Dragon. I would like to share the story of my name and how I came to be. My parents first met in high school, where they tell me they had a one day romance.  They did not actually start dating until they met up again here in Park Slope over seventeen years later, when they were in their thirties.  After dating for a few years, they decided to get married and have only one child (my brother Ben would be surprised to hear that).  A year after they got married, my mom became pregnant with me.  My parents decided to find out my sex before I was born. Once they learned that I was going to be a boy, they were able to focus on my name.

              In the Jewish religion, it is a tradition to name a child for someone in your family who has died.  When my parents had only been dating for two months, my mom’s step brother, who she loved very much, my Uncle Harvey, died very suddenly.  My mom wanted to name me Henry after Harvey, but my dad and my Grandpa had bad memories of a guy named Henry in their family.  Henry had a “close” relationship with my dad’s aunt when she was still married to my great uncle.  She ran off with him.  So given this issue, my mom had to compromise and my parents decided to use Henry as my middle name.  My Uncle Harvey’s Hebrew name is my Hebrew name, which is Chaim.  I am told that in Judaism, it is a great way to honor the memory of someone you love.

               You might be wondering where the name Jacob came from.  First of all, my parents liked the name Jacob.  Second of all, my parents only originally wanted to have one child.  If they were only going to have one child, my dad felt that this child should be named after his dad, my grandfather Joseph.  Even though my grandfather was alive when I was born, my dad felt like he wanted his father’s name to live on after he was gone.  So they named me Jacob.

My mom tells me that in some important ways, I am like my Uncle Harvey- kind and generous.  I am glad that I am able to know my family’s history through my name.

 

                                I am like the ocean,

                                And swimming in the pool

                                My name is the lion roaring              

                                 For if I was a lion

                                 I would say

                                “Now that’s good singing”

                                I love the color blue

                                I think my name sounds like it too.

                                Like fishes in the sea

                                Calling out my name

                                Shy, but always full of soul

                                My name is Jacob.                                  

 

I often feel as though I am one with the ocean.  When I am immersed in water, I feel free, light, and unburdened.  The rush of the waves makes my spirit soar.  Similarly, the cool, crisp, water in a swimming pool heightens my awareness of my body and makes me feel  like I am a fish in the sea.  I am like a lion as I love to roar, though my roar is more like a song.  My songs help me to express who I am, as I am otherwise more cautious and shy. I think these things identify who I am.

I am Jacob.

 

My Name Essay

This I Believe:  Follow Your Passion

By Jacob Sutton  708

            All summer long, I struggled and agonized over my decision of whether or not to sing in the senior division of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus.  After all, it was a huge time commitment – two afternoons a week where I would come home after 7:00pm.  My parents wanted me to consider my other commitments during the week such as Bar Mitzvah tutoring, Hebrew school, math tutoring, soccer practice and two other choruses, to name a few.  They were wondering that if I took on these additional two afternoons, how would I have time for my school work.   And I was feeling the pressure of keeping my grades up in the all-important 7^th grade year.  Trust me, if it was only my decision, I would simplify my life with only school and chorus.  Still, what was very clear was that somewhere in my heart, I knew that singing had to be a part of my life as it lifts my spirits and my confidence.  Singing is my greatest passion…and I believe that it is important to pursue your passions, no matter the obstacles.

            When I was four years old, I started singing, not seriously, but I started singing.  I committed to memorizing the lyrics from the musicals The Lion King, Mary Poppins and The Music Man, to name a few.  I can remember performing for my parents as I imagined myself to be “Curly” as he sang to Laurie his love interest from Oklahoma, or Macavity, as I imagined myself to be the master criminal and mystery cat from Cats.

            My parents watched as I matured into a more serious singer.  In third grade, I decided that I needed a place to formally explore my passion.  I auditioned for the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and at that time, I was placed in their junior division.  It was there that I started to think differently about genres of music and singing in general.

            Pursuing your passion as a student sometimes comes with conflict and difficult decisions.  In 6^th grade, I had an incredible opportunity to take on the role of Kurt Von Trapp in a one night gala performance of The Sound of Music at Carnegie Hall where I performed with famous Broadway stars.  It seemed obvious that I would follow this dream until I learned that the performance was scheduled for the evening before the first day of the New York State math test.  If I performed, I would need to miss the first day of the test and then I would need to take a makeup.  In the end, I convinced my mother that I should accept the offer, that this could be the chance of a lifetime to do what I love most.

            Now that I’ve had a chance to look back on my experiences, I realize that though pursuing my passion was complicated, these experiences were unique and enriched my life in significant and meaningful ways.  I imagine that there are many kids like me who struggle with similar decisions in pursuing their passions.  I hope that they are able to find the balance that allows them to follow their heart.  If you follow your heart and give it your all, you can never regret not exploring your dreams to the fullest.

           

Opposing The Soda Ban Essay

 

Opposing The Soda Ban: Persuasive Essay

Jacob Sutton 708

   The New York City soda ban initiated by Mayor Bloomberg restricts the portion size on sugary sodas larger than 16 ounces, and applies to food service businesses regulated by the Department of Health including restaurants, food carts, sports arenas and movie theatres. This ban raises important questions on the right of government to control individual choice with the reason that they are protecting the public from consuming large amounts of unhealthy and sugary beverages.  There are several reasons why I oppose this ban.  First of all, while the overall health of citizens is something that should be taken seriously, it should not be Bloomberg’s place to limit people’s choice of what to put in their bodies.  Second of all, there are many loopholes around this ban, and if Bloomberg is so concerned with halting obesity, he should know that limiting soft drinks is just the beginning of solving a much bigger problem. Finally, instead of creating this ban, Bloomberg should consider healthier choice initiatives with more far-reaching results.

      

    According to Veronica Majerol in her article Sugar Wars in the New York Times, many people have argued that citizens should have the right and freedom to choose as they wish.  In this article, a twenty year-old college student, Zara Atal, says that it is none of government’s business. “If people want to drink their twenty-four ounce drinks, it’s their decision,” says Zara.  I believe that Americans should have the right to control what they can or cannot drink. Mayor Bloomberg seems to clearly be overreaching government’s control in people’s everyday lives. This kind of control on the rights of New Yorkers leads us to ask what will be banned next. Mayor Bloomberg could then try to ban other unhealthy habits such as smoking.  While people do have unhealthy habits and don’t always make the best choices for themselves, there are other ways to promote good health for New Yorkers.  

   There are also loopholes in the argument around the large size soda ban. According to the New York Times in an article by Michael Grynbaum, restaurants regulated by the government are not allowed to serve citizens larger than a 16-ounce soda can, though fast-food establishments like McDonalds and Burger King can still serve them. Since this is true, people can go to their regular 7-11 and buy a 54-ounce bottle of soda.  If people are seeking ways to consume large amounts of soda, there are certainly other means for them to obtain it, though it might be inconvenient. Even in the banned establishments, if people want more soda, they may just choose to get two smaller sizes.  For these reasons, the ban does not get at the core of the problem.

   There are obviously solid arguments on both sides of the ban.  Some people would argue that since 2/3 of adults in New York are obese or overweight, this ban might lower the rate of obesity levels in the city. They might also argue that it would impose more self-control for those who have none. However, research shows that soda alone is not the biggest cause of obesity in New York. It is only 43% of the added sugar in sugary drinks of the American diet according to the Alice Park in the article Goodbye Big Soda in the New York Times.  Fast-food restaurants like McDonalds serve burgers up to 1,000 calories. Therefore, it is not reasonable to blame or cite soda as the only culprit and cause in the fight against obesity in NYC.  While Bloomberg’s intentions are in the right place, he has overstepped his boundaries, and has taken on the role of a nutritionist rather than mayor.

   Mayor Bloomberg does have the right intentions for making New Yorkers healthier, but it does not seem as if he is going about this in the right way.  Instead of this ban, a better option might be to put a high tax on fatty foods and sugary drinks.  The money from these taxes could then be used to create healthy eating/nutritional education programs in schools.  There is no doubt that we must focus on making people aware of how to lead healthier lives, but we need to create programs that get to the core of this problem.  

    

    

                       

      

    

                       



Go Ask Alice

Go Ask Alice

Anonymous

          Published in 1971, Go Ask Alice is the diary of a fifteen year old teenage girl whose life is turned upside down when she gets involved taking drugs.  At her friend's party, she is given a bottle of Coke with LSD in it and loves the way it makes her feel.  This begins her journey into drugs which leads her down a path where many serious and terrible things happen to her.

         I am only halfway through her diary, but it has really gotten me thinking about being a teenager and what can happen to a teen struggling with addiction and the social pressures of the drug world.  There are a few aspects to "Alice's'' personality (we don't know her real name) that seem to make her vulnerable and lead her to make some very poor choices for herself.  First of all, she is not very self-confident in the beginning of the story. She is not happy with her weight and she is having trouble finding new freinds and adjusting as her family has just moved to a new city.  At the party, this vulnerability leads her to accept the Coke with the LSD in order to feel accepted, boost her confidence, and fit in with other teenagers. I am hoping that "Alice" will overcome her drug use, but I will need to read on to find out if this is the direction she will follow.

Number The Stars

Number The Stars by Lois Lowry

Jacob Sutton

          This past week, I reread Number the Stars by Lois Lowry which is a work of historical fiction about the bravery of a family as they help their Jewish friends escape from Copenhagen during World War II during the rise of Nazism.  Annemarie Johansen, one of the protagonists, risks her life to help her best friend, Ellen Rosen by pretending that Ellen is Annemarie's older sister.  The Nazi's have demanded lists of the Danish Jews and they are planning to use these lists to arrest and relocate the entire Jewish population.  In order to avoid being relocated, Ellen Rosen, disguised as Lise (Ellen's older sister who was killed by a car) comes to live with the Johansen's while her parents are taken in by Lise's fiance, Peter Neilsen.  One of the main themes of this work centers on the bravery of the characters during a very traumatic time in history.

          Annemarie learns the real meaning of bravery.  At first, she does not know whether she can stand up for what she believes to be right.  When she is faced with the knowledge that her best friend Ellen and her family will be "relocated" by the Nazi soldiers, she helps them escape from Denmark and risks her life several times to do so.  Annemarie learns that faced with these circumstances, even ordinary people like her must be brave.  Her Uncle Henrick tells her that "it is much easier to be brave if you do not know everything," that even brave people are frightened and if you are determined to stand up for what you believe, you do not consider the danger.

        Other characters in the book also show bravery. Annemarie's parents and sister, Kirsti demonstrate great bravery as they are confronted by the Nazi soldiers several times.  They are confronted when they are hiding Ellen, when they are on the train going to Gilleleje and also during a gathering to pay respects to Annemarie's Great Aunt Birte.  They ignore the dangers and do what they feel they need to do to protect Ellen and the other Jews.  Peter Neilsen is also very courageous as a member of the Danish Resistance.  All of them, in their own ways fight injustice and do all they can do to get their friends, who are Jewish, to safety.







Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Gathering Blue

Lois Lowry

          I read The Giver last year and had been wanting to read its' companion, Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry and I have finally finished it.  Both books depict a futuristic society where the weak are cast aside, but in Gathering Blue, they are left to die in the fields.  Kiera, the protagonist, is an orphaned girl with a twisted leg whose mother, her only protector, has recently died.  After her mother's death, Kiera is brought to The Council of the Guardians.  Her life is spared when she proves that she can embroider well and is given the task of restoring the society's most valuable possession, a robe of the singer whose job it is to annually sing about the history of their civilization. They feel it is important to remember their past. Kiera is now considered valuable to the society because she can offer something that they need; she is able to dye colors in her embroidering, though neither she, nor anyone else can dye the color blue.

          Kiera's world is full of fear and a lack of security.  Kiera learns that people with gifts like her are treated well because they serve the society, but at the same time, they are held captive by the needs of others. She is motivated with her friend Thomas to find the color blue. On the day of the ceremony, Kiera is fixing the singer's robe and as he finishes the song, Kiera notices his chained and bloodied feet which are under the robe.  At this point, Kiera realizes that she must stay and change her corrupt society.  I believe she remembers her mother's words before she died and they help guide her to try to improve the world in which she lives.                                 

                                    "Take pride in your pain; you are stronger than those who have none."