Masque of the Red Death Essay, Color purple

In “Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe, there are rooms in a castle that are different colors. In the castle there is a blue room, a purple room, a green room, an orange room, a white room, a violet room, and lastly, at the end of the hall is a black room. This book involves a lot of symbolism. These are the colors for which the stages of life go in. For instance, the blue room is the birth stage of life and the black room is death. After the blue room is the purple room. In the story, the color purple symbolizes happiness and fun.

The color purple represents the stage in life in which you would be around 5-9 years old, a toddler. It symbolizes the stage in your life in which you would be the happiest and you would have the most fun. It symbolizes youth. When you are in your youth you would be having the most fun. Once you his adolescence you have to start getting serious and considering your future.  It is in between the colors blue, which is birth, and green, which is adolescence. You need this stage to get to progress to other stages.

The color purple is important to “The Masque of the Red Death” because it represents a stage of life, just like blue represents birth and black represents death. It’s an important stage, because you need to be a toddler before you can become an adolescent, just like you need all the other stages to advance in life. The color purple relates to my life because I have watched kids grow up around me. For example, I remember when my neighbor’s first child was born. I remember when she was toddler and how much fun she always had. She always seemed so happy. Over the years I’ve watched her grow up. Now she’s in 4^th grade! I’ve also watched her brother and sister grow up. Over the years, I’ve seen their looks change and their personality. They all started out so careless and would just go with stuff, now their starting to realize that they have a say. They never had to worry about school, but now all of them are in school and have to worry about everyday stuff such as homework, friends and grades.

Advertise Your Book-of-the-Month

In Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen, fifteen-year-old Colie is spending the summer with her odd Aunt Mira while her mother travels. 

http://www.kdl.org/image_attachments/0000/3639/51c62qxxfvl.jpg?1192649898

Colie's celeberity fitness mom motivated her daughter Colie to lose almost 50 lbs, but Colie feels just as insecure as she did when she was overweight. During the summer, her mom goes on a tour of Europe advertising her new fitness book, and Colie is sent to live with her Aunt Mira in Colby, North Carolina. I am reading this book because I like reading about situations that happen to teenagers my age. I think that any teenage girl can read this book and can relate to what's going on in Colie's life. I would rate this book 8 out of 10.

O'henry

This picture is from: http://www.jamesnava.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/O%E2%80%99Henry.jpg

• O'henry was born September 11th, 1862
• O'henry died June 5th, 1910
• He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina
• He was best know as an American short story writer
• He wrote colorful short stories with surprising and ironic twists
• He spent 3 years in Jail
• After jail, he moved to New York to work full time as a writer
• O'henrys work appeared in magazines and journals across the country
• O'henry died of alcohol and being plagued by ill health
• He died broke at the age of 47

My facts are from: http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/ohenry.html

Edgar Allan Poe and his Spooky Life, Writings, and Death

When I was younger, my family and I stopped to see Edgar Allan Graves a couple days after his birthday. When we got there, there was a bottle and roses. I thought that that was pretty cool that after 60 some years people are still remembering him and his amazing work.

1. Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachussetts on January 19th, 1809. Poe died in Baltimore in 1849.

2. Poe was left as a orphan at the age of 3. I think that that definately infulenced his writing because he was left at such a young age. 

3. Poe's death is unknown but some people think that he died from delirium tremens, heart disease, syphilis, meningeal inflammation, cholera, even rabies. 

4. Edgar Allan Poe calls Virginia home.

5. The poe society doesnt like the claim that Virginia was his homeland because he lived in Baltimore for most of his life. 

6. The US Military Acadamey of West Point expelled Poe.

7. Poe married Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe who was 13 at the time of the marriage.

8. I think that for him to be marrying a girl that young is outrageous. Now a days thats illegal!

9. Murders in the Rue Morgue is the first detective story.

10. The 'Tell Tale-Tale Heart' and 'The Black Cat' were written in 1843.

11. 'The Raven' was written in 1845.

http://www.nndb.com/people/469/000022403/
http://www.poemuseum.org/index.php
http://www.nndb.com/people/469/000022403/

Welcome Back

Welcome back to my blog for the 2nd quarter! 2 weeks ago we had homecoming. It was really fun! I was so tired after from all the dancing. Also on Oct. 3rd i turned 15!

Head Injuries in High School Sports

picture from: http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-10-30/sports/17186145_1_injuries-michael-robinson-head

Head Injuries in High School Sports

Greens

Concussions in High School Sports

More than 750,000 Americans each year report injuries received during recreational sports, with 82,000 involving brain juries. Brain injuries cause more deaths than any other sports injury. Studies show that Emergency Room visits, for kids between the ages of 14 and 19 have more than tripled (Sports Activity After a Concussion Slows Recovery - NYTimes.com.). While awareness has increased, many parents, coaches and players don’t understand how serious concussions can be. Many players and sometimes even coaches and parents seem more concerned with when they can go back to sports. But when is too much simply too much? Everyone needs to pay more attention to concussions and how serious they are.

Concussions can cause permanent damage. “There’s strong evidence that children recover better’’ than adults from certain catastrophic brain injuries like strokes, as well from brain surgery, Dr. Giza said. ‘‘But concussions may be different,’’ he continued (Sports Activity After a Concussion Slows Recovery - NYTimes.com.).  Concussions can cause many problems down the road. Some people who suffer from serious concussions can never live a normal life. Concussions can cause permanent brain damage, which causes mental problems (Sports Activity after a Concussion Slows Recovery - NYTimes.com).

High School athletes are more vulnerable for getting concussions. Younger kids play football or other sports that can cause concussions. 60,000 cases of concussions occur among high school students (Sports Activity after a Concussion Slows Recovery - NYTimes.com). Researchers believe young athletes may be more vulnerable than adults to lasting damage from these head injuries because their brains are still developing (http://www.dailyherald.com). One Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson, NJ said “We’re playing Russian roulette with our children’s lives” (Sports Activity after a Concussion Slows Recovery).

Concussions can affect a student’s performance in school. “They had suppressed attentional resources,” said Dr. Steven Broglio (Sports Activity after a Concussion Slows Recovery). A new study shows that student athletes who return to sports quickly after a concussion appear to have a slower brain recovery than teens that stay off the field longer (Sports Activity after a Concussion Slows Recovery - NYTimes.com).  Students can have trouble concentrating in school("Heads Up": Concussions in High School Sports). Students may have trouble in class, which may cause failing grades which eventually might get them off the team ("Amnesia." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science).

However, some parents and coaches are saying that the doctors should be able to say if they can play or not. The doctors have the right tools, they say. Traditionally, the physician or school relies on the students' self-report on their symptoms (Heads Up": Concussions in High School Sports.).  Athletes are reluctant to complain about any symptoms because they are scared to get pulled out of the game (Heads Up": Concussions in High School Sports).

Now, even some coaches are saying that they need the player for the next game because they simply don’t have enough players. They say that “they are fine for the next game.” Truth is, they are not. A new study shows that student athletes who return to sports quickly after a concussion appear to have a slower brain recovery than teens who stay off the field longer (Sports Activity After a Concussion Slows Recovery - NYTimes.com). Any ways,  isn’t it better to miss just one game then miss next season?

If so much attention is being paid to concussions, why are coaches still playing players after they've suffered a couple concussions? Why aren’t more people concerned with this? 60,000 cases of concussions occur among high school students (Sports Activity after a Concussion Slows Recovery - NYTimes.com).  Everyone has seen that numerous high school students that continue to play often get hurt worse or are even killed. People need to be more serious when it comes to concussions because they can cause permanent and life threating problems.

Works Cited:

"Amnesia." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 4th ed. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Gale Student Resources in Context. Web. 24 Sept. 2010.

""Heads Up": Concussions in High School Sports." 3 Aug. 2004. Web. 28 Sept. 2010. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1069089/>.

SIRS Discoverer Login. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. http://discoverer.prod.sirs.com/discoweb/disco/do/article?urn=urn:sirs:US;ARTICLE;ART;0000124672.

"Sports Activity After a Concussion Slows Recovery - NYTimes.com." Health and Wellness - Well Blog - NYTimes.com. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/sports-activity-after-a-concussion-slows-recovery/>.

Amnesia

"Sports Activity After a Concussion Slows Recovery - NYTimes.com." Health and Wellness - Well Blog - NYTimes.com. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/sports-activity-after-a-concussion-slows-recovery/>.

•  concussed athletes showed noticeably less activity in portions of the brain associated with attention
• ‘They had suppressed attentional resources,’’ said Steven Broglio
•  ‘‘There’s strong evidence that children recover better’’ than adults from certain catastrophic brain injuries like strokes, as well from brain surgery, Dr. Giza said. ‘‘But concussions may be different,’’ he continued. 
• Student athletes who return to sports quickly after a concussion appear to have a slower brain recovery than teens who stay off the field longer, a new study shows.
• Every year there are more than 300,000 sports-related concussions in the United States, and more than 60,000 cases occur among high school students.
• More than 750,000 Americans each year report injuries received during recreational sports, with 82,000 involving brain injuries.
• Brain injuries cause more deaths than any other sports injury. Studies show that Emergency Room visits, for kids between the ages of 14 and 19 more than tripled. 

Amnesia

""Heads Up": Concussions in High School Sports." 3 Aug. 2004. Web. 28 Sept. 2010. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1069089/>.

• sports related head injuries occur frequently. 
• more than 300,000 sports related concussions occur each year in the United States
• many physicians serve as the team doctor for their community high schools
• over the past 7 years, more than 300 articles have been published on this. prior to this from 1982- 1996 only 101 articles had appeared
• high school athletes are more vulnerable to concussions than older athletes and may take longer to recover
• loss of consciousness is not an approprite marker for th eprescence absence for concussion
• high school athletes are 3 times more likely to experience a second concussion if concussed once during a season
• more than 5% of high school athletes are concussed each year while participating in collision
• nearly 1.5 million head injuries occur in the U.S. each year
• more than 20% are sports related
• traditionally, the physician or school relies on the studens' self report on their symptoms. 
• many are reluctant to report symptoms in fear they will be removed from the game

Amnesia

SIRS Discoverer Login. Web. 27 Sept. 2010. http://discoverer.prod.sirs.com/discoweb/disco/do/article?urn=urn:sirs:US;ARTICLE;ART;0000124672.

·         If you enjoy cycling, in-line skating, or snowboarding, here are some important safety tips about helmets:

o   Wear a helmet every time

o   The helmet should be worn low and level on your head, and the chinstrap should be snapped

o   All bike helmets now made in or imported to the us must met the u.s. consumer produckt safety commission safety standards.

·          If you hit your head in a crash, throw away the helmet worn during the crash and purchase a new one. While the outer shell of the helmet may still be intact, the inside cushion may be damaged and will not provide enough protection to prevent future head injuries.

·          The most common cause of in-line skating falls, according to the International In-Line Skating Association, are due to hazardous road conditions such as potholes, sewer grates, or unexpected conditions such as hills and heavy traffic. Wearing the proper protective equipment can help prevent injuries.

·         Don't wear headphones; they prevent you from hearing the traffic around yo

·          More than 750,000 Americans each year report injuries received during recreational sports, with 82,000 involving brain juries. Brain injuries cause more deaths than any other sports injury.

·         About 130,000 children a year go to hospital emergency rooms with head injuries suffered in bike crashes.

·         Bike helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent.

·         About 60 percent of all bike-related deaths involve head injuries.

Amnesia

"Amnesia." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 4th ed. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 24 Sept. 2010.

• Amnesia is a severe threat

• Amnesia can affect anyone

• Amnesia can occur at any age

• Amnesia is a disorder that involves total or partial loss of memory and it is usually caused by trauma.

• global or generalized amneisa is when the person forgets their identity: they forget who they are.

• in global or generalized amniesia, the person forgets who they are but the display no loss of general knowledge.

• Amnesia can be caused by trama. That’s called organic amnesia

• Head injuries, brain lesions, stroke, substance abuse, carbon monoxide poising, malnutrition, surgery and infections can cause organic amnesia.

• Their memory is antograde: evens after the trauma are forgotten.

•  they can remember distant pas well but not the immediate(what happened to naiomi)

• Amnesia can cause stress, economic hardship, and emotional distress.

• Amnesia causes no physical problems

Questions.

• How many kids suffer from Amnesia?
• What causes amnesia?
• How can it be prevented?

Amnesia

Elena Fernandez

Mrs. Zurkowski

English 9 Greens

9/13/2010

Book: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin.

Topic: Amnesia

Search Terms:

1.    Emotion and memory

2.    False memory

3.    Repressed memories

4.    Betrayal trauma

5.    Transient epileptic amnesia

6.    HM patient

7.    KM patient

Amnesia

One of the main issues in Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin is amnesia. 1 out of every 4 people is affected by amnesia. There are many different types of amnesia though. “However, among individuals older than 50 years, the incidence was 23.5 cases per 100,000 population per year.” (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1160964-overview) There are many different ways to get or develop amnesia. You could be born with amnesia, you could develop it as you get older, or you could get it from head trauma. Also alcohol can cause amnesia. I agree with the article. I think that amnesia is very important because obviously a lot of people each year are diagnosed with amnesia!

Picture from: http://scienceaid.co.uk/psychology/cognition/images/amnesia.png

Picture from: http://scienceaid.co.uk/psychology/cognition/amnesia.html

Pen Pal

Dear Naiomi,                                                          

Hi. My name is Elena and I’m 14 years old. I go John Carroll School! Over the summer I played a lot of tennis! I had a USTA tournament and we placed second so we are the best team in Baltimore for 14 year olds, and the 2nd best in Maryland! It was so much fun. I also went to North Carolina for a week. After I got back from North Carolina I worked at Bel Air Athletic Club as a counselor for a camp there.

I loved the novel! I thought it actually sounded like a real story and something that’s very realistic. However, I don’t think that you should’ve gotten mad at Will like that! After all, he was the only one that was trying to help you out when you couldn’t remember anything! He also made you a couple mix tapes and you threw one of them out the window of the car! I think you should’ve listened to them.

I think that the author made you sound really realistic! Some of the things that happened to you actually happen to real teenagers. I loved the author’s writing style. It made it easy for me to read and understand what was going on. However I thought that she could’ve described your life a little bit more before the accident.

So how did it feel to go back to school? Did you have any troubles with your grades? I’m assuming that since you forgot everything after 6th grade you forgot everything you’ve learned in school too!

I think that I could raise more awareness about this by writing more books with this kind of story line because I think that it will draw a lot of reader in! I know that this book has left me thinking more about Amnesia because it‘s a serious issue and it happens to kids and teens our age! I could also go to schools and talk to them about amnesia and I would recommend to them to read this book.

Well I hope that you read this letter! Hopefully this doesn’t happen to you again! Maybe you’ll even have a better relationship with your mom and your half sister! Good luck!

Sincerely,

       Elena F.

Summer Reading

Over the summer I read Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin.

The Book


1. The main character of this book is Naomi Sukuse. Before Naomi’s accident the author doesn’t really say her personality. But from what I can see, she seemed like she was popular, snotty, and cool. After her accident her personality changed. She becomes stronger, kinder, and jubilant. Overall she is just a happier person.

2. In the beginning of this book it started off with Naomi falling down the stairs and losing her memory. She was then re-introduced to her friends and family such as her mom, her dad, her boyfriend Ace, her best friend Will, and James. In the middle part of the book she started to hate the way her life was. She hated the way people were viewing her so she changed her appearance. She cut off all of her hair! Naomi and Will get into a huge fight and basically stop talking to each other therefore causing Naomi to quit yearbook. Naomi and James then start to date after Naomi and Ace break up. In the ending, Naomi starts remembering everything that happened before her fall. James basically breaks up with her after he goes back to a mental health clinic. Naomi starts realizing how good of friends her and Will were so she apologizes and they become friends again.

3. I think that the author is trying to say, live life while you can because you never know what could happen the next day.



The Issues



1. Naomi’s memory loss affects her friends, her family, and herself. When Naomi fell down the stairs, she couldn’t remember any of her friends. She had to rediscover her past friendships and her boyfriend Ace. Naomi’s parents are divorced and Naomi’s mom has a new family now. When Naomi’s dad called her mom she came down right away only to find out that her daughter, Naomi, wanted nothing at all to do with her. When Naomi fell down the stairs she had to rediscover whom she truly was.

2. Two specific events that make the book’s social issue(s) seem real important are her friends talking about her and people viewing her differently. One day she overheard her friends talking about her and how she’s completely changed and how she’s a new person. That seemed like a real issue that would happen in life. After she fell down the stairs people started to see a new Naomi. Some people didn’t like her, so people missed the old her, but some people loved the new Naomi. Naomi didn’t like the way people we’re viewing her so she decided to change her appearance. She cut off all of her hair and some people liked it and other didn’t.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vaBUDNHDFQQ/SwGieOydzkI/AAAAAAAAATU/tupW1G1Et5c/s1600/Memoirs+of+a+Teenage+Amnesiac.jpg

My Unique Profile!

Hi. My names Elena F. and I’m a freshman at The John Carroll School! I attended Harford Day School in Bel Air for nine years. I’ve been playing tennis for almost eight years and I’m on the John Carroll tennis team! At John Carroll I hope to get good grades and meet new friends! I love talking to new people. Something you might not know about me is that my friends called me Ferd at my old school because of my last name. I’m also half Spanish! My dad was born in Puerto Rico and then moved to New Orleans, Louisiana and then to Maryland. My Mom was born in North Carolina and then moved to Maryland. I have a dog, Two birds, and fish! I love to listen to music. I like hip/hop and rap or whatever is popular at the time! I hope to have a great year at John Carroll!