James Stewart

As Michael Morpurgo once said, “Encouraging young people to believe in themselves and find their own voice whether it’s through writing, drama, or art is so important in giving young people a sense of self worth.” In the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda Sordino feels that her voice is taken away after being raped by Andy Evans which he is referred to as IT, and Andy Beast. She goes into high school as a young teen, depressed and silenced. Melinda grows stronger throughout her…

Escaping the Grips of One’s Emotional Abyss “Every 107 seconds, another American is sexually assaulted.” (RAINN). Sadly, the statistic holds true for Melinda Sordino, a pessimistic ninth grader from the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Through Melinda’s battle with depression and acceptance, the author of Speak demonstrates a universal truth that breaking free from emotional bondage requires one to speak up. Melinda’s journey, from depression to self-confidence, allows her to reconnect…

Cosby scandal to examine the extent of bias by looking at headlines from four national newspapers and online news sites including The New York Times, The New York Post, USA Today and The Washington Post. It will look closely at the portrayal of Cosby’s character and whether the societal verdict was decided before the trial even begins which is set for June 5, 2017 (Ellis, 2016). Literature Review The man who started it all: Hannibal Buress It hailed as the wild and unsettling joke heard around…

The Butcher The smell of rotting meat forcefully entered my nostrils. The ground was covered in coagulated blood. The room looked like an art studio that hadn’t been cleaned for years. I tried looking for Sarah, but there was blood in my eyes and I couldn’t see very well. I shouted out to Jen and Rick. Both were laying on the floor side by side, as blood pooled next to their face. I heard a low moan coming from my left. Matt looked up at me and before he got a word out, I noticed his left eye…

My first thought was how unbelievably messy it all was. Nobody told me how much grime was involved in covering up a murder. The blood that seemed to go everywhere was the first problem. At least that could be cleaned up with things found around the house. Covering up the body was the worst part. I had to dig around the garage that my dad hadn’t cleaned since before I was born. It took me an hour to finally find a dusty tarp covered in cobwebs. At least that took up most of my time until dark…

Carrick Felix has a job he never thought he would have. He is a professional basketball player. He plays for the Washington Wizards (District of Columbia). He overcame many hard times to get to where he is. For this reason, he shares his story with others. Two years ago Felix hurt his knee very badly. The injury forced him to start over. Now, Felix can once again call himself a professional basketball player. On Sunday, the Washington Wizards picked him for their team. Scott Brooks is the coach…

CREEK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE Destruction of Private Property Deputy’s Assignment: I was dispatched to 28142 South 513th West Aveune for a larceny complaint. I arrived and spoke to Josh Billy, who said his vehicle had been broken into. Victim Summary: Josh said on Sunday, Febuary 4th, 2018 around 8:00am he noticed the passenger side window of his vehicle had been broken out. Josh said he noticed a pickaxe was in the floor board of the vehicle. Josh said the property inside the vehicle had…

On May 15, 1994, Officer Jim Thielen received a tip saying that there were several people sitting around in an apartment bagging a white powdery substance. The same tipster also informed the officer that those people in the apartment drove a blue Cadillac that had an Illinois license plate and that there was a possibility of a gun in the car. Officer Thielen began to investigate this tip. After approaching the apartment, Officer Thielen noticed a slight opening in the closed blinds that allowed…

Silence is uncommon today when sharing what is on everyone’s mind is just a click away. Malala Yousafzai expresses that, “We realize the importance of our voice only when we are silenced.” Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson follows the freshman year after the rape of Melinda Sordino who struggles between keeping her mouth shut and using her voice against her attacker. The novel explores the crippling power of being voiceless to illustrate the importance of speaking up. Melinda demonstrates the…

For this assignment, I chose to diagnose Demi Lovato. Ms. Lovato is a singer, songwriter, and actress, who started her career as a young actress in Barney and Friends. Later she starred in the Disney Channel hit show Camp Rock where she released her debut single “This is me”. I didn’t start listening to her music until just a few years ago, and I have grown to love Demi’s music. The lyrics in a lot of her songs have deep meanings and sometimes ironic inferences. This is what led me to look…