Evan

__ I BELIEVE __ I believe in happiness I believe in basketball and the superstars in it I believe in myself and what I am capable to do  I believe in love I believe in people who are supportive I believe in squirrels I believe in fate I believe in true friends I believe in swag I believe in music & songs can relate to any situation in your life I believe there is a God & he helps me in anything I do   I believe that you can do anything you want to do  I believe in due time I will be in the NBA

I know what its like to be in a clutch situation in a big championship basketball game. Before the game your pumped, your ready. When you get in the game you think too much & you don’t play like you usually would. That is my situation. I would start off with 6 points in the first 2 minutes of the game. Then I would melt down for most of the game. During the end of the championship game when we needed 2 big free throws, I failed to bring my team (the lumberjacks) to victory in a loss by 3. I waited all my life for that moment, to get a challenge & I took it head on. I’ve been playing basketball since 2nd, and now I currently play on the Buena High Sophomore basketball team. I never really thought of myself being in big situations like the one I was in, in the 2010 championship basketball game. Free throws have always been my weakness. I’ve had experiences in different big situations in a game but nothing like this one. I want to be in more of those so when it comes time to the big situation I will know how to win. Superstars are not only made in the NBA but in the clutch. Its when people know the basketball players are really stars, when they shine when it matters most! There hasn’t been one day that’s gone by when I haven’t thought about that day/game. My team had only lost one game, & I thought we had the championship game but we got to confident & shut ourselves down. I know what its like to have that feeling of putting the blame on myself when I could have changed the outcome of the game.

Larry King was a different person. He was gay & showed it in a lot of ways. After the death of Larry King, there was one question that came to mind. Who was to blame most for Larry’s death? There is a lot of different people ; such as Larry himself, Brandon, Ms. Epstein, and parents to blame.

Epstein was the administrator/Assistant principal at E.O Green Middle School who supported Larry the most, but she is the least to blame for his murder. Why do I say that? Because she couldn’t go against the law, she had to support Larry in some way. I thought she took it a little too far when she gave Larry a dress her grandmother gave to her when she was younger. Other teachers around the school had said that Larry was a disruption there & and that Epstein was letting Larry be the way he was because she was gay herself, but he had the right to be himself. Larry wasn’t murdered because he was gay. He was murdered because of the way he acted around other boys & more of his actions.

Eight grade boy, Larry King, was murdered for a few reasons. He wasn’t neither least or most to blame for his own murder. King did some things that’s pushed 14 year old Brandon McInerney to do something so tragic to put him in the position he is in today & put Larry King down to rest. Everybody knew Larry King whether they were his friends or not. He was the kind if kid who stuck out. Larry was gay & obviously couldn’t control his actions just like any other middle school boy. He would go into the locker room & sexually harass boys telling them they were hot. There was one specific boy King was interested in & that boy was Brandon. On Valentines day, Larry went out on the basketball court Brandon was playing on & asked him to be his Valentine. Brandon’s friends made fun of both of them saying “You guys are going to have gay babies!!!” That triggered Brandon to go home get a loaded gun & the next day kill Larry King.

The person I would blame most for King’s death is Brandon McInerney. McInerney found a loaded gun, took it to school, also took it in his own hands instead of going to the school for help , & most important planned everything out. Why didn’t he go to a school administrator? Was it because he was an eighth grade boy? Or was it because he wanted Larry dead? He had told some of King’s friends to say goodbye to King because they were never going to see him again. Brandon wasn’t mature enough to do something instead of killing Larry King.

So who was to blame most for Larry’s death? There is a lot of different people, such as Larry, Brandon , and Epstein. Least to blame is Ms. Epstein .Then Larry for his actions & most is Brandon for actually pulling the trigger & planning everything out.

30x30 1.Play in the NBA 2.Own a squirrel 3.Visit the playboy mansion 4.Meet LeBron James 5.Have a pet dolphin 6.Own a mansion in either Hollywood/Beverly Hills or Miami 7.Get married to Brooke Albright( 8.Get my ears pierced 9.Cuddle with Kim Kardashian  10.Go to Italy  11.Own a baby blue Lotus  12.Own a monkey named Dante  13.Beat James Suehs one-on-one in basketball  14.Drop kick my little brother  15.Throw a baseball at a house window  16.Tell Andrew he looks like a zombie when he’s tired  17.Graduate from high school & college  18.Play basketball for a college  19.Have a collection of chains & hats  20.Visit the Grand Canyon  21.Go to Hawaii  22.Tell Dakota he isn’t going to LSU{;  23.Finish this  24.Overcome my fear of roller coasters  25.Go to a Miami Heat game  26.Dunk on Dwight Howard27.Own the LA Dodgers  28.Change my name to Jamal Dante Carter  29.I have no idea what to put for this one  30.or this one……..

Adult court or Juvie? Brandon McInerney killed Larry King, on February 12,2008.McInerney showed adult actions. He went home, had time to think and then brought a gun and shot King. If Larry is dead, why should Brandon get another chance at life? He belongs in adult court.

Although McInerney was 14 when he committed this tragic crime, he belongs in prison not in juvie. Brandon went home and had time to think about all of this. He then brought a gun to school and shot Larry King in the back of the head more than once. No one will know what was going on in Brandon’s mind, but it’s the actions that he did that got him in trouble.

Brandon should not get out at age 25. He is a dangerous kid. Brandon comes from a messed up family; his drug addicted dad shot his crack addict mother, and his older brother is a criminal. How wouldn’t he be dangerous? His dad died soon after Brandon shot Larry. Knowing his family background and what he has already done makes me feel like he would be a dangerous kid if he got out at age 25.

Like I has said earlier Brandon shot King. King isn’t alive, he didn’t get a second chance at life. Why should Brandon? Also like I said earlier, he planned this out he had time to think he even told some of King’s friends that they should say goodbye to Larry because they were never going to see him again. That shows he already had some thoughts of killing King. I’m glad he being tried as an adult court. He should be in prison for life!

There are some things in life that just aren’t fair. Like in this situation, some people think it isn’t fair that Brandon should be tried as an adult but I am not one of those people. Since Larry is dead, why should Brandon get another chance at life? He belongs in adult prison for life.

Photography

Susan Sontag claims the photography limits our understanding of the world. Everywhere we look now a days there’s photographs. Text is also big in our society & can tell or explain things that need to be understood. Also to describe; people, places & other things. I disagree with Sontag’s claim not only do we need text, but photographs are a big part in our lives for everyone.

I can understand why Sontag thinks photography limits our understanding of the world. She is a writer & prefers words than photos. Yes, words describe & makes people think but most people are to lazy to read or think & prefers photos. Text goes back to religion such as the Koran & the Bible. Those are all about text not images. Also, school is all about text. We use literature books, books, read poems & more.

I disagree with Sontag’s claim. Why? There are a lot of reasons why. Photos are in our everyday life. There isn’t one day that goes by when we don’t see images or photos. Aesthetic Consumerism is an example, advertisements for marketing is everywhere. Billboards of food products included. These images help us people these days, by showing us what is on the market. There is a photograph for almost everything in the world besides personal images. Photos by Jacob Riis on “How the other Half lives” have helped people know how poor people lived & how horrible there lives were. After he took those photos people saw them & made a change.

Is it all chemicals? People might think that it is all chemicals but in my opinion it is not all chemicals in your brain that makes you love. Wedding vows, religions, law ,trust, commitment, & more is what makes u love. I can’t explain how we love, but I believe there is more to it than just chemicals. In evolutionary anthropology, both genders have characteristics each gender looks for. Men look for women who have curves & large breasts which symbolizes fertility. On the other hand, women look for a man who is strong with wide shoulders & who can protect her while she’s pregnant. In prehistoric times, while a woman was pregnant she would need a man who can protect her from tigers or just predators in general. Yes, there are chemicals in your body that basically takes over your body. For boys, testosterone is a big chemical in their body that gets released when they go through puberty. It’s a good thing & can be bad at some points. Then your hormones go almost insane for sex, it’s a sex drive. Girls have testosterone in them also but not as much as boys. They have something called estrogen that matures the girls. Dopamine is a natural drug in your body, it comes into play when you make contact with the other sex. When you do make contact such as kissing your body releases this chemical & makes you feel good. After being with someone in a long relationship a chemical called oxytocin is released. It is released when you have a sense of well being & have a bond/connection with someone. Love is a big part of life, to me its about 80% of our lives. Our purpose in life is to reproduce & keep our species going so we don’t extinct. Love is not just biological chemicals that get released in our brains, there’s more to it. Today, most pop singers write/sing love songs. There is one specific artist that sings love songs. His name is Ne-yo. When you are committed, emotionally attached to someone, you feel like you need them, can’t that be love? You would do anything for them. Die for them, is a big sign of love. Romeo & Juliet is a play where two star-crossed lovers die for one another. People are not like animals & look for sex 24/7. That’s why we have marriage, for love. When we do love someone & you want to spend the rest of your life with them you would marry them. Scientists & people that are involved with biology might think that chemicals is everything we feel, but in my opinion it isn’t just chemicals in you brain that makes you love. Wedding vows, religions, law ,trust, commitment, & more is what makes u love. I can’t explain how we love, but I believe there is more to it than just chemicals.

One Person Many people have one thing or person in their lives that is really important to them. For me there is a special some one in my life that means everything to me. My girlfriend, Brooke Albright Brooke Albright is the person I chose to be my “one thing” or person that means most to me. Brooke is not only my girlfriend but my best friend. When I first met her I knew from the get go we were going to be something. We talked for awhile before we started dating. On July 16. 2011; was the day we did become something. I am so lucky to have her. I would anything for her. Why is Brooke important to me? Because she is my girlfriend/best friend, she helps me with anything I need help with. She makes me smile 24/7 no matter what, even when I’m sad or mad or even upset. Even through the thick & thin she will ALWAYS be my best friend. Brooke is a beautiful glowing amazing angel. I can call myself the luckiest boy in the universe to have her & to be able to call her mine. Yes, people have different things in their lives that means most to them. I don’t have that “thing”. I do have that special some one though. Her name is Brooke Albright, my girlfriend/best friend.

Traditional or Romantic? There are people that get married in two different ways. There are people who get married in value of traditional or arranged, and the there’s the people that married in value of modern, or romantic marriages. In my belief romantic marriages are better than arranged marriages. I can see why people would rather prefer arranged marriage than romantic, but here’s why. The divorce statistics in romantic marriages are really high. Parents choose your spouse for you, there could be a chance it works out & there’s a chance it wouldn’t work out. Your parents should know you well enough & could know what you look for in people. Usually, people think modern relationships are based on sex. Which means both sexes look for sexual attraction & not for love. So if there is a couple who do get married it wouldn’t last long because they both or just one of them would only be in the relationship just to have sex. Your heart is the one that chooses the right person for you & not your parents. You have the freedom to choose. You absolutely know what you look for in a spouse. If your parents choose for you that could turn out to be a miserable relationship. You wouldn’t be happy unless you are emotionally & physically attracted. Yes, traditional marriage’s love comes in time but what if it doesn’t? Then your screwed. You can only choose your partner because your parents are selfish & could choose someone they would have chosen if they were you. I can sit here & say why each side has strong points but I’m not. I know that romantic side is the side I stand on. Why? Because parent, like I said earlier, don’t know what you want. Your best friends are the people that know you best. Some parents don’t even know what you do when your not home, I have personal experience. If you love someone, go for it don’t let stupid “divorce statistics” get to you. If things don’t work out that’s what makes you stronger & if you choose someone make sure its for real & you are positive you want her/him. There are people that have their parents choose for them maybe it works out & maybe it doesn’t but they shouldn’t have to choose for you because you have the freedom to choose whoever you want .In my belief romantic marriages are better to have than parent choosing arranged traditional marriages.