People all have a conflict, or some type of pain they have to get through in their life. It might be trying to get over an abusive relationship, or just be trying to stand up for what you believe in. The novel, “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury and the lyrics to “Praying” by Kesha both express how getting over your conflict in life makes you a better person. In “Fahrenheit 451”, Guy Montag has to stand up for what he believes in even if it costs him everything he loves. Similarly, in the song “Praying” the speaker has to get over the pain of an abusive relationship. In both texts we learn that overcoming, or standing up to your conflict makes you a better person, and helps you feel better in the long run.

A common theme in both the novel and the song is that getting over a conflict will help make you a better person. In” Fahrenheit 451″, Montag has to overcome his conflict with the government. As a result of this Montag had to lose everything he had worked for in life, including his house, wife, and job. Even through these hardships, he makes his life better because he can live in freedom and realize what he was doing was hurting others. The speaker in “Praying” shows that she was in an abusive relationship, and that it caused her pain. Kesha expresses this by saying, “You brought the flames and you put me through hell.”  But in the end she ends up forgiving him, which makes her a better person, and makes her feel at peace. “Oh, sometimes, I pray for you at night.” Kesha writes this to show that even though he put her through pain and misery, she hopes that he finds what he did was wrong. Therefore in both text both character find that just because they went through rough times in their life they got over it, and it made them a better person.

Although both texts show that dealing with pain can be difficult to overcome, there are many differences between the two. In “Fahrenheit 451”, Montag brings pain to others who caused him pain. Bradbury shows this when Montag murders his fire captain, and everyone else who gets in his way. He also runs away from his problems in fear even though it changed him for the better. Montag never came face to face with his pain, he instead chose to leave them behind. In contrast, in the song praying Kesha  doesn’t live her life in fear, she keeps moving through the pain. When Kesha writes, “The best is yet to come,”  it shows that Kesha knows that she is going to get through her pain. Unlike Montag, Kesha wishes the person who caused her pain the best, and ends up forgiving that person. The lyrics, “I hope you find your peace,” and “I hope your soul is changin” shows that she hopes that this person realizes what they have done and hopes that they find their peace in life. So instead of running away Kesha comes face to face with her conflict when she breaks up with him, and never runs in fear.

In both” Fahrenheit 451″, and “Praying”, Ray Bradbury and Kesha both express the need to find the strength to overcome their pain. So, after reading both the novel and the song readers might conclude that there is two ways to overcome your pain. The first one is that you can hurt others that caused you pain, then run away in fear, or you can forgive the people who caused you pain and keep holding your head high as you overcome the pain. So the main theme in both readings is that getting over a conflict will make you a better person.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a dystopian novel based in a technology crazed future, where books are the most illegal of comities. In this twisted reality fireman starts fires in houses containing books rather than putting out fires. Guy Montag is a “fireman” who never questions the consequences of what he does, but when he meets his seventeen year old neighbor Clarisse he begins to question the “reality” he lives in. As Montag starts to unravel the governments secrets, his curiosity gets the best of him when he starts to steal books from the houses he burns. Montag’s secrets catch up to him when his books are discovered, and he is on the run from the government. One lesson in this book is that you need to question the reality you live in because what people say is right, is not always right.

From the very beginning of this novel Guy Montag never really questions what he does in his life. He doesn’t question how things were or if there was different way to live life. The character thinks that the world is perfect and never questions his actions. One detail in this story is that Montag is proud of himself and what he does, “He knew that when he returned to the firehouse, he might wink at himself, a minstrel man, burnt-corked, in the mirror. Later going to sleep he would feel the fiery smile still gripped by his face muscles, in the dark.” Montag likes to go to his job as a fireman. He always felt like things would go his way. Montag liked the feeling of control his job gave him. The word choice the author uses to describe this helps you know this. “With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history.”

In the middle of the story Guy Montag starts to question things he has never questioned before. This started because Montag meets Clarisse, Montag’s seventeen year old neighbor. Clarisse asks questions and expresses everything around her. The author describes this by using a simile, “She was like the eager watcher of a marionette show anticipating each flicker of an eyelid…the moment before it began.” This causes Montag to become curious. Captain Beatty, Montag’s boss, starts to see his curiosity grow. He then starts to talk about how he should just stop wondering about things, and that every fireman grows curious once in a while. “At least once in his career every fireman gets an itch. What do the books say he wonders. Oh to scratch that itch.”

Later in the chapter, Montag and the other fireman are called in to burn a house. His curiosity gets the best of him and he takes one of the books from the house he is burning. This shows that Montag is starting to question the government and his job. He wants to understand why books are illegal. “His hand had done it all, his hand, with a brain of its own, with a conscience and a curiosity in each trembling finger, had turned a thief.” This is how the author shows Montag’s curiosity start to grow. Montag later shows his wife the collection of books he has already acquired. The author’s theme starts to take place, because Montag is questioning what he has learned about books.

By the end Montag starts to unravel the governments twisted secrets with the help of his old acquaintance Faber. Montag was at first confused by the books when he first started reading them, but with the help of Faber he finally understands what the books mean. One night his wife tells the fireman what Montag has been doing. They burn down his house and Montag is now a fugitive. “Leg out, leg down, leg out, leg down. Twenty million Montags running, soon if the cameras caught him. Twenty million Montags running, running like an ancient flickering keystone comedy, cops, robbers, chasers and the chased, hunters and hunted, he had seen it a thousand times.” The author expresses what he is thinking because it shows that Montag is running in fear, but also because he wants to do what’s right.  Montag runs from the government because he knows that the knowledge he has is important and powerful.

So, questioning reality because what people say is not always true, truly helps Montag in the end of this novel. Montag begins to become curious of why the bomber jets still fly over the city, because they had not had a nuclear bomb threat since 2022. “A bomber flight had been moving east all the time they talked, and only now did the two men stop to listen, feeling the great jet sound tremble inside them.” When Montag was finally safe from all the cameras, bombs were dropped on the city. All Montag could do was watch the tragedy happen, and ask was why that had happened. Montag had to know what survived, so at the very end Montag started to travel back to the city. “Yes, thought Montag that’s the one I’ll save for noon… when we reach the city.”

Some people might say that the lesson in this book is that because Montag is obsessed, he ends up ruining everything he has worked for. Even though this is a good point, I don’t agree with it. Because Montag is curious, and asks questions he finds out that what the government says is not true, and he ends up changing his life for the better.

In this book Montag’s curiosity ended up saving his life. He also found out a lot of the governments secrets by asking lots of questions. Montag realized that the government was wrong about a lot of things, and that you don’t need to live in a perfect world to be happy. Montag might have lost his wife, house, and everything he has worked for by questioning his reality, but he changed his life for the better, and gained powerful knowledge that he can pass on to others. So, the one important lesson in this book is that you need to question the reality you live in because what people say is right is not always right.

The book I’m reading is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This book is set in a bleak, technology filled, dystopian future. The people live in a place where it is illegal to own books and everything is fireproof.  Every animal is mechanical, including the insects. They are currently in the season of autumn as the brown leaves swirl all over the place, and all the sidewalks are white and unused. This setting is different than mine because our houses are not fireproof. Also, because books are not illegal. It is the same as mine because it is autumn.

The main character in this book is Guy Montag. He is fireman. “His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses they are hidden,” states the author. He has a bland life, and never questions the destruction and ruin of his actions. But when he gets a new neighbor that tells him how the world used to be, and how nobody lived in fear. Guy then begins to question all he has every known. This character is different from me because he doesn’t question anything and he destroys books and houses. But,will Guy get through this struggle to understand the world he lives in?

It is first period at Blackhawk Middle School. Students are collapsing onto their desks. Some are “walking zombies” because they just woke up. Others are late to class because they didn’t wake up on time. While some kids are working hard, some are just trying to make through class. Is It fair to get in trouble and get bad grades because the students are tired?

Fort Wayne Community Schools changed the middle school start time in the 2015-2016 school year. All middle schools, including Blackhawk, now start at 7:20 a.m. The real question is, is this too early for students to be at school?

Why does middle school have to start the earliest? Research shows high school students could sleep until noon and still need the rest.  Wendy Robinson, Superintendent of Fort Wayne Community Schools, adds, “We don’t want elementary school students to wake up at 6:00 a.m. or earlier, so middle school will go first.” But what about the people who aren’t used to getting up that early. The new 6th graders are used to getting up at 7:00 or 7:30, now they have to wake up at 6:00.  This will cause them to be more tired and not be awake for school.

The AAP, (The American Academy of Pediatrics), recommends the start time of 8:30 a.m. or after for all middle schools and high schools. But over 83% of middle schools start before 8:30 a.m.  The CDC warns,  “Not getting enough sleep can cause several risks, such as becoming overweight, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs, as well as doing poor academically.” Studies show that teenagers tend to get sleepy later at night and sleep later in the morning. This means that waking up early is not helping them be the best that they can be.

There are many benefits to starting school later. The APA (American Psychological Association) has observed a few of these. Students had an increase in state assessment scores. They also, had a higher GPA average. These things are because they paid attention more in class, and had less disciplinary action. Students also, fell asleep less in class. The APA states, “Loss of sleep leads to students behavior and classroom conflict.” So, these benefits help the students and the teachers.

When students are able to get enough sleep they work harder, pay more attention, and do better academically. Sleep is important to a teens mental and physical health. If school were to start later it would help them do their personal best in school.

It is 1st period at Blackhawk Middle school. Kids are sitting down and have their heads on their desk. Their bodies are heavy with sleep. “I’m here!,” someone yells from the back of the classroom. When the teacher asks why they were late they reply with, “My alarm clock didn’t go off,” or “I overslept.”

Fort Wayne Community Schools changed the Middle school start time in the 2015-2016 school year. All middle schools including Blackhawk now start at 7:20 a.m.  Students are up and getting around by 6:00 a.m. The real question is, is this too early for students to be at school?

Why does middle school have to start the earliest? Research shows high school students could sleep until noon and still need the rest.  Wendy Robinson, Superintendent of Fort Wayne Community Schools, adds, “We don’t want elementary school students to wake up at 6:00 a.m. or earlier, so middle school will go first.” But what about the people who aren’t used to getting up that early. The new 6th graders are used to getting up at 7:00 or 7:30 now they have to wake up at the 6:00.  This will cause them to be more tired and not be awake for school.

The AAP, (The American Academy of Pediatrics), recommends the start time of 8:30 a.m. or after for all middle schools and high schools. But over 83% of middle schools start before 8:30 a.m.  The CDC warns,  “Not getting enough sleep can cause several risks, such as becoming overweight, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs, as well as doing poor academically.” Studies show that teenagers tend to get sleepy later at night and sleep later in the morning. This means that waking up early is not helping them be the best that they can be.

Dear Mr. Hoering,

The title of the book I read was All the Bright Places. The author of this book is Jennifer Niven. In this book, there are 2 points of view. The first point of view is in the eyes and ears of Finch. The second point of view is in the eyes and ears of Violet. Finch and Violet meet each other on the railing of the bell tower, above the school. Finch saves Violet’s life. When they get paired up for a school project they learn more about each other and all their problems. Soon a relationship forms, but it may not solve all their problems.

The character I like is Violet Markey. After her sister’s death, Violet feels like it is her fault her sister died. She is launched into a depressed state. When she is paired up with Finch for a project, her whole world changes. I like this character because she cares about the people she loves. She will never give up on anything even when times are rough. She is kind and loving, even though she’s had a rough time.

This book is a little different than the other books I have read so far this year. It is a little more depressing and deals with death and suicide. I would recommend this book to a friend because it was a really good book. Also, it is a heartwarming and heart-wrenching story. It has to do with real life situations that could happen to some people in their life.

I myself as a reader have been reading more books than in the beginning of the year. I have started to read more paranormal books. I have also started to read books faster than I used to. I read books all the time.  Nothing really surprises me other than the fact that I enjoy reading a book more than once.

Your student,

Madeline Martin

All the 8th-grade students at Blackhawk  Middle School were shocked to hear the news regarding uniforms on August 24th. As the 2nd-period language arts classes filed into their classrooms, they knew something was up. When they saw the enraged faces of the other classes file out of the classrooms, everyone began to worry. ” I thought we were in trouble,” states a student from the second-period class. “Everyone kept telling me good luck. I never thought it would come down to wearing uniforms.”

When we asked Ms. Oaks “why”, she replied with, “It will help relieve the everyday pressure off of students. Studies show that teenagers feel like they need to dress to fit in, which causes them stress.” She also explained to us that wearing uniforms help kids perform better academically.

After hearing the news, some students started a petition. They walked around the lunch room having kids sign it.  “We should have a say in this,” one of the students in the lunchroom said. Other students began organizing a protest, but for now, the students will just have to deal with the changes.

Other schools in the district have already started to wear uniforms. Eventually, every school in the district will be wearing uniforms. So on September 5th, every student at Blackhawk will be wearing uniforms. The real question is, will these uniforms really help, or will they just distract the students because they don’t want to wear them?

The last book I read was Alpha Unleashed by Aileen Erin. I liked this book a lot. The reason I liked this book was because it had a lot of action.  It also had a little romance, and the character learned a lot about family and friends. The book I got from the library is called All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. I choose this book because the design on the front cover was 8 crumpled up post-it notes with a design on them. I also decided to get it after I read the back and inside cover. The book sounded like something I haven’t read before. I think this book is going to be about a boy who is depressed and thinks about death and a depressed girl whose sister has died, are going to end up saving each other.

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