my favorite thing

A furry ball of brown hair with a stitched on smile and dark marble eyes
A mixture of dryer sheets and my shampoo
Silent until it tumbles off the bed and the plastic nose clinks on the ground
Never tasted it, but it tastes probably hairy
Coarse, worn fur that has been matted down from overuse

He’s always smiling back at me with the same comforting face
He’s been through a lot from trips through the washing machine and dryer to being used as my pillow
When I was little, I thought him falling was him breaking, that little nose shattering, the fall from the bed being deadly
I’ve always been extra careful to not let him become my puppy’s chew toy, to him, everything tastes good
So many hugs given and tears wiped up, all shown in the stains and each and every tuft of fur

villanelle of spring break

Just one more day

Let’s soak up the sun

Just one day away

let’s lay out on the beach

let’s have some fun

Just one more day

Sip a margarita, our favorite, peach

Drink it all, till it’s done

Just One day away

Wanna surf? He said he’d teach

Forget a workout, who needs to run?

Just one more day

I need some highlights, break out the bleach

Gotta get tan, sunscreen? Nah none

Just one day away

Gather some shells, one of each

A week of sleep and it’ll be done

Just one more day

Just one day away

I chose a villanelle because to me, it was the most laid back and less structured form. With my topic being about relaxing at the beach and about spring break away from stressful schoolwork, I thought it would be the best form. I also liked how it didn’t have a structured meter. This gave me a lot more freedom to do what I felt would make the poem better, and gave me more ability to be lenient with form. I think that again adds to the topic of relaxation and a week of no structure or plans. I thought the rhyme scheme of only 3 rhymes would also add to the form because I thought it would help focus it. Some of the other forms had many other rhyme schemes, but I think the simpler it is, the easier it is to follow and the more the audience can connect to the poem and what it’s saying. The rhymes I chose were really just whatever I thought had the most words that would go with the theme of my poem, but I think the refrain is my favorite part because I think it reiterates the exact stress that my poem is about getting away from.

The Book Thief Panel Reflection

After going to the Panel about The Book Thief and young adult literature I’ve learned a lot about different genres of books and the target audiences they appeal to. The publisher of The Book Thief had a lot of interesting things to say about how the genre of young adult literature is growing. I had always thought of what is now called young adult literature as teen books, but I think this new classification is much clearer. Now there is a difference between a book for a preteen or early teen, and kids in their late teens. I also this this creates a distinction between middle school and high school and the topics of the books in which they should be reading. I think she was very knowledgeable about her field and definitely had a lot of insight about publishing children’s books whether it was a picture book or a young adult book. I was a little confused by the speaker who talked about the presence of the Holocaust in literature. This was in reference to the topic of The Book Thief, and since I have never read the book, I think it confused me and I zoned out a little bit at this point. I also think that his topic was so broad and there is so much to discuss within the holocaust and it’s place in literature that hearing a summarized ten minute speech about it just wasn’t enough for this panel. I thought it was an interesting panel to listen to, but it didn’t necessarily flow together with each speaker.

what's your sign?

Orlando Bloom, Tiger Woods, Mel Gibson

Me

Disciplined, self-control, humorous

Bri

Unforgiving, pessimistic, traditional

Hopefully not

Relationships, affectionate, genuine

Very true

Witty, loyal, family oriented

Very me

Ambitious, persevering, resourceful

I’d say so

A goat, an ox, a cardinal

A Capricorn

I scream for ice cream

Bleezer's Ice Cream
by Jack Prelutsky
I am Ebenezer Bleezer, I run BLEEZER'S ICE CREAM STORE, there are flavors in my freezer you have never seen before, twenty-eight divine creations too delicious to resist, why not do yourself a favor, try the flavors on my list: COCOA MOCHA MACARONI TAPIOCA SMOKED BALONEY CHECKERBERRY CHEDDAR CHEW CHICKEN CHERRY HONEYDEW TUTTI-FRUTTI STEWED TOMATO TUNA TACO BAKED POTATO LOBSTER LITCHI LIMA BEAN MOZZARELLA MANGOSTEEN ALMOND HAM MERINGUE SALAMI YAM ANCHOVY PRUNE PASTRAMI SASSAFRAS SOUVLAKI HASH SUKIYAKI SUCCOTASH BUTTER BRICKLE PEPPER PICKLE POMEGRANATE PUMPERNICKEL PEACH PIMENTO PIZZA PLUM PEANUT PUMPKIN BUBBLEGUM BROCCOLI BANANA BLUSTER CHOCOLATE CHOP SUEY CLUSTER AVOCADO BRUSSELS SPROUT PERIWINKLE SAUERKRAUT COTTON CANDY CARROT CUSTARD CAULIFLOWER COLA MUSTARD ONION DUMPLING DOUBLE DIP TURNIP TRUFFLE TRIPLE FLIP GARLIC GUMBO GRAVY GUAVA LENTIL LEMON LIVER LAVA ORANGE OLIVE BAGEL BEET WATERMELON WAFFLE WHEAT I am Ebenezer Bleezer, I run BLEEZER'S ICE CREAM STORE, taste a flavor from my freezer, you will surely ask for more.

EMMA'S ICE CREAM SHOP

I’m not Ebenezer Bleezer

In fact my name is Bri,

I do work in an ice cream store

So come and visit me!

We don’t have 52 flavors

But still we got a lot

Soft or hard we got em’ both

It’s sure to hit the spot

Vanilla, chocolate or twist them both

Perhaps you’ll try the strawberry

Peach and mint sell out fast

But we’re known for our black raspberry

Want a topping?

We got a ton

Sprinkles, Oreos, nerds, or cinnamon

So come of down the Emma’s

The best creamery around

Make sure to tell all your friends!

And soon we’ll be renowned!

Get your damn camera out of my face

BEFORE: Tears slowly fall from my eyes onto the frozen ground. I quietly wipe them away with the sleeve of my jacket. I sniffle a little, wishing I had a tissue right about now. As I listen to the voices of the acapella group, I look around to my friends. Their expression are all somber, but I’m the only one shedding tears. All of a sudden I think back to everything that has happened in the past week. Five days is such a short amount of time, but it feels like a year had gone by. Just five days ago everything was great. Five days ago there weren’t news vans parked along every street or reporters combing every inch of the campus looked for an innocent student to prey on. Five days ago we had a president, an athletic director, and a coach. Five days ago JoePa was prepping for the Nebraska game instead of being at home, now an unemployed man. Five days the faith in my university had never dwindled. Five days ago I had respect for the media, my future profession as a journalism major. In those five days, I’ve gone through what most outside of Penn State wouldn’t understand. I’ve suffered the loss of someone extremely important to me. JoePa is more than just a football coach contrary to what most reporters have said in their articles over the past week. I’ve seen people with the jobs that I will have in the future, let me down and report false facts and slander, and weave bias and judgment into their articles.

AFTER: I can’t believe I’m standing here right now. Tears slowly fall from my eyes onto the frozen ground. I quietly wipe them away with the sleeve of my jacket. I sniffle a little, wishing I had a tissue right about now. As I listen to the voices of the acapella group, I look around to my friends. Their expression are all somber, but I’m the only one shedding tears. I hate when my friends see me cry. All of a sudden I think back to everything that has happened in the past week. Five days is such a short amount of time, but it feels like a year had gone by. I really wish I had brought a candle. Just five days ago everything was great. Five days ago there weren’t news vans parked along every street or reporters combing every inch of the campus looked for an innocent student to prey on. Get away from me with your stupid camera. You don’t belong here, especially right now. Five days ago we had a president, an athletic director, and a coach. How are you gonna spin this story to make us look like savages? Five days ago JoePa was prepping for the Nebraska game instead of being at home, now an unemployed man. You’ve already gotten my hero fired, what else can you do to me? Five days the faith in my university had never dwindled. Look, I realized mistakes were made. Five days ago I had respect for the media, my future profession as a journalism major. You do realize you just made an 84-year old man your scapegoat just so that you could sell a couple more papers right? In those five days, I’ve gone through what most outside of Penn State wouldn’t understand. I’ve suffered the loss of someone extremely important to me. JoePa is more than just a football coach contrary to what most reporters have said in their articles over the past week. For the last time, yes, I’m a student at Penn State and I enjoy football, but do you seriously think that’s the only thing we care about? If you believe that, you’re even dumber than I thought. I’ve seen people with the jobs that I will have in the future, let me down and report false facts and slander, and weave bias and judgment into their articles. Get your damn camera out of my face. No, I’m not going to start sobbing for you so you can twist it around and say I’m upset about the wrong things. I’ve seen them judge students for reacting the way they have. Who the hell are you to say what should make me upset? Five days ago I was excited about entering the world of journalism, and now as I stand, quietly crying at a candlelight vigil, hearing the annoying click of cameras, all I want is to never see a journalist ever again.

I added in what I was thinking at the time. I didn’t know how to incorporate dialogue into this particular part, but I like wanted it to be more than narrative. I think I like the changed version with my thoughts. I might work a little more on editing the spacing, but I like the idea of have all my thoughts throughout in italic. I think it also helped me focus on the main thing I was feeling at this point, and the frustration I felt with the media throughout this whole experience.

On V Day

Every year on February 14^th, girls all around the world are suddenly extremely aware of their current relationship status. Whether this means they are reminded of their caring, loving boyfriend, or their neglectful selfish one, or their lack there of a significant other, Valentine’s Day is a day of acceptance. I've never been one for celebrating this day of flowers and romantic love notes. Personally, grand romantic gestures have always made me uncomfortable. In movies when the guy shows up at the girl’s house and starts serenading her outside her window, or shows up at work with a giant bouquet of flowers, I just thinking, “God, I hope this never happens to me.” I think my first reaction to one of these grand gestures would be to laugh. I would be wondering if they were serious or kidding and just break down into laughter. Valentine’s Day it seems, is either the best day of the year or the worst for many girls. It’s either the day you get to celebrate your budding relationship, or celebrate you old but everlasting love, or on the other hand it’s the day you want to curl up in bed and not step foot outside as to avoid seeing the temporary increase in PDA on every street corner. For some, this day which they might called “Singles Awareness Day” is just a chance for couples to rub their happiness in other faces.

Although I've admitted I would most likely laugh in the midst of romance, and am not a flowers and love letters kind of girl, I’m not someone who doesn't like Valentine’s Day for other reasons. Every year on Valentine’s Day I am reminding of how much I love my family. It’s a day of love, no one specified what kind. It’s a day to think about your family and friends in your life who you love unconditionally. It’s a day of letting yourself eat a little extra candy, not out of self-pity that you’re alone, but because every holiday is an excuse to treat yourself to something. This year it’s a day when I will learn the line dance for THON 2012. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a day of love then by learning what I will be dancing 46 times in 14 days for the kids who are loved by their families and friends and the Penn State community. THON is the best representation of love I could possibly think of. So come February 14^th everyone should forget about what their Facebook relationship status currently says and just celebrate the lives and love of the children we dance for.