OR Blog #15: Today I read an article in Seventeen magazine called "A cop held me at gunpoint!". This was an article about a seventeen year-old girl who was driving home from a friends house when a cop car started to follow her. She turned on her hazard lights and headed home. Then two more police cars came toward her. When she got home one officer quickly got out of his car and pointed a gun at her. It turned out that they had pulled her over because she had expired insurance tags. The article says she was really upset. I don't blame her because I would be too! I mean the guy pulled out a gun and pointed it at her face! They put her in handcuffs, took her to the police station, and after being searched finally let her go.  She got revenge on the officer by filing a formal complaint and he was suspended for 30 days.

OR Blog #14: Today I read a poem by Shel Silverstein. It was a poem in his book A Light in the Attic. The poem was called "Unscratchable Itch". I could totally relate to this poem because it was about that one spot on your back that you can never get to when it itches. As the poem says, "Right between your shoulder blades". I hate it when that happens and you can't get to it. That's why I liked this poem. 

OR Blog #13: Today, I read a short story entitled Weslandia. I thought it was an interesting story. It was about a boy who is always teased and just doesn't fit in. During his summer break he creates this land in his backyard made out of an unknown plant. His little country becomes very popular and by the time school starts in again he has made lots of friends. One reason why I think this book is so cool is because everything the main character does in his land is very environmentally friendly. He makes everything out of his mysterious crop. That is my outside reading for today.

OR Blog #12: Today, I read some Guinness world records from 2005 from the Guinness World Record book. One of the records that caught my eye was the world's largest handbag. The handbag measured 12 feet 1 inch tall, 11 feet 7 inches wide, and 5 feet 3 inches deep. The picture of the handbag looks like a tent to me. It was made by the leather accessories company, Santa Marinella and was unveiled at the shopping center in Iquatemi, Brazil. "The giant handbag was used to store canned goods for charity" is a quote form the description. I think that's pretty cool that it was used to store food for charity. That is what I read this Sunday.

OR Blog #11: Today, I read an article in DANCE magazine "Wunder KIDS. Child prodigies in Dance". I found this article to be very interesting because it's about kids my age and younger who are on their way to becoming professional dancers. There is a flamenco dancer, three ballet dancers, a Indian dancer, and a tap dancer. I thought the 11-year-old flamenco dancer had a great personality. He just really loves what he does and loves expressing himself through dance. This is what his teachers had to say about him: "He's got an amazing talent. He belongs in Spain where he can be challenged, studying every day". That is what I read this Wednesday.

OR Blog #10: Today, I read an article in the StarTribune called "Hair Raiser". The article was about a fashion show/fundraiser for the Minnesota AIDS project at the Varsity Theater last Friday. This article caught my eye because the pictures were in color and showed some models with bright red hair and others with bride of frankenstein-ish  hair. For the people in the audience, there was a team of stylists in the lobby that ratted, fluffed, and sprayed your hair. The point was to make your hair stand as high as it could. I think that this would be a really fun thing to go to. It says in the article that many people looked like they were from the 80s. That's what I read for outside reading this Sunday. 

Athena for Odyssey National Hero of the Year

What makes a hero? A hero is someone who rescues people when in danger, someone who would risk their reputation with their friends to do the right thing, someone who has powers that no human has. These are all things that we are looking for in this year’s Odyssey National Hero. One person alone can define what a hero is in the Odyssey and that person is Athena, daughter of Zeus. Athena would make a great hero of the year because she rescues people from danger, always wants to do the right thing, and has super human powers.

The number one reason we are endorsing Athena for national hero of the year is because she rescues people from danger. A good example of this is when she rescued Odysseus from Poseidon’s storm. Homer writes, “A heavy sea covered him over, then and there unlucky Odysseus would have met his death—against the will of Fate—but the bright-eyed one inspired him yet again” (V, 479-482). Unlike Athena, Poseidon would not be a good choice for national hero of the year because he holds grudges. He makes the storm to kill Odysseus because he is holding a grudge against him for blinding his son. This quote shows how harsh Poseidon is, “ But just as great Odysseus thrashed things out, Poseidon god of the earthquake launched a colossal wave, terrible, murderous, arching over him, pounding down on him, hard as a windstorm blasting piles of dry parched chaff, scattering flying husks—so the long planks of his boat were scattered far and wide” (V, 402-407). By rescuing Odysseus Athena has proved herself the rightful winner of national hero of the year.

The second reason Athena should be the Odyssey’s national hero of the year is because she is always striving to do the right thing. She never wants to see Odysseus’s family upset, so she does the right thing in comforting Penelope when she is sad. Homer writes, “And again the bright-eyed goddess Pallas thought of one more way to help. She made a phantom now, its build like a woman’s build, Iphthime’s, yes, another daughter of generous Lord Icarius, Eumelus’ bride, who made her home in Pherae. Athena sped her on to King Odysseus’ house to spare Penelope, worn with pain and sobbing, further spells of grief and storms of tears” (IV, 893-900). Poseidon on the other hand doesn’t care what happens to Odysseus or his family. He probably wants all of them dead. Zeus explains to Athena, “No, it’s the Earth-Shaker, Poseidon, unappeased, forever fuming against him for the Cyclops whose giant eye he blinded” (I, 81-83). When she comforted Penelope, Athena shows why she should win this award.

The final reason why Athena should win the national hero of the year award is because of her super powers that she uses for good. She uses these powers when she disguises herself as Mentor when traveling with Telemachus. She uses her powers again when she gives Telemachus the courage to speak in front of others. Homer describes the situation, “Poised Telemachus answered, filled with heart, the heart Athena herself inspired, to ask for the news about his father, gone so long, and make his name throughout the mortal world” (III, 84-87). Even though Poseidon has super powers, he doesn’t use them for good. He’s usually trying to kill Odysseus. By using her powers only for good Athena has showed that she should be national hero of the year.

In conclusion, Athena uses her super powers, rescues people from danger, and always does the right thing. All these things make up a hero and all these things make up Athena. This is why you should vote for Athena for the Odyssey national hero of the year. She won’t let you down!

11/3/08 Homework assignment: 

1. Athena shows that she is most human in many ways.
2. Athena shows that she is most human by wanting to help humans, caring for what happens to them, and acting like a human.

• First of all, Athena shows how she resembles a human by wanting to help humans.
• Secondly, Athena cares so much about what will happen to Odysseus and Telemachus that this makes her seem human.
• Thirdly, Athena always disguises herself as a human. 

OR Blog #9: Today I read an article in DANCE magazine called "The Extra Step". It's the story of how a dancer became a full ballet company member with her perseverance. Kara Brosky is a strong dancer with clean, classical lines. Because she's not the best in her class she has trouble standing out in auditions.  Her teacher Jessica Lang, noticed Kara's talent in changing styles smoothly during a routine and when Kara asked for a recommendation for an apprenticeship with Richmand Ballet, her teacher was glad to do it. Brosky had to be calm and collected when her flight to her audition was postponed to the day of. She ended up getting the job. I think that if your determined enough you can get any job you want. Just like Kara Brosky, you need to be able to work with what your given. For example, if your running late to an appointment, make sure your calm and able to do what you need to do as if you weren't late. The person who wants to hire you will see that you can get things done under pressure. This is what I read for outside reading this Sunday.