Getting to Know O'Henry

• William Sydney Porter (O. Henry) was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. 
• age of fifteen he left school, and then worked in a drug store and on a Texas ranch.
• In 1884 he started a humorous weeklyThe Rolling Stone. When the weekly failed, he joined the Houston Post as a reporter and columnist.
• In 1897 he was convicted of embezzling money, although there has been much debate over his actual guilt.
• While in prison O. Henry started to write short stories to earn money to support his daughter Margaret.
• After doing three years of the five years sentence, Porter emerged from the prison in 1901 and changed his name to O. Henry.
• O. Henry moved to New York City in 1902 and from December 1903 to January 1906 he wrote a story a week for the New York World, also publishing in other magazines. 
• . Henry's last years were shadowed by alcoholism, ill health, and financial problems. 
• He married Sara Lindsay Coleman in 1907, but the marriage was not happy, and they separated a year later.
•  O. Henry died of cirrhosis of the liver on June 5, 1910, in New York.
• http://www.online-literature.com/o_henry/

http://campsmoke.fmallen.com/?p=2138

Masque of Red death

Edgar Allen Poe WebQuest

1. January 19, 1809. He was born in Boston. Poe died in October 7, 1849 .
2. His mom died in 1811 when he was only 2.
3. Both his mom and wife died of tuberculosi .
4. Some theory's are that he had a achool addiction and was into very serious drugs.
5. Baltimore is his hometown 
6. West point was the academy Poe left.
7. Poe married his distant cousin Virginia Clemm.
8. His cousin was much younger then poe.

New Quarter 2

My Goals

• My main goal in this quarter is to get better grades.
• Also, to be successful in my new sport wrestling.
• Also, Um pumped to start fresh and do a lot better.

Gang research paper

Gangs

            It’s sad how gangs threaten and kill people or even sell drugs to make money. The worse part of the all is that they recruit kids however way they can. Gangs are a problem on the street and we need a way to find out what they’re doing and shut them down.

Public schools and juvenile centers are having requirements for clothing’s for gangs. By gangs dressing into their gang colors causes problems in the school. Other reasons why they want uniforms is because gangs steal or threaten people with their jewelry. Clothing styles or certain colors address themselves from members of other gangs. (Marilyn source 3) Also, Public school and juveniles are doing this to promote discipline and posture. Kids go to school looking for violence by representing there colors (News Services). “Hundreds of public schools have begun implementing mandatory or voluntary school-uniform policies” (Marilyn Source 3).

 Elementary and Middle schools need to make stronger laws including Juvenile Centers for kids to succeed in life. Reasons of this are because gangs come up randomly to these kids school and recruit them to be a member. Also, at juvenile centers kids just sit in front of a television for hours a day. Kids need to be stronger disciplined to realize that there messing with their life. Inside the school kids create violence from inside the bathroom. “Turns out restrooms are where drugs, weapons, sex and gang assaults run rampant” (Marilyn source 2).

Gangs terrify the communities by their cultural background and what they do to represent themselves. Gangs are organized groups who use force or threaten to commit crimes on a community. “Statistics show that lower class people have a higher rate of being in a game then lower class”. Communities our running service’s to help reduce gang violence. They set up services to help kids stay away from gangs (News Services).

Many believe that making uniforms a requirement in schools will help reduce gang violence. Uniforms in public schools will not reduce the amount of violence because most students will not comply with the rules (Marilyn soure2). Uniforms can be very costly and expensive. In many cases, parents and students cannot afford to buy uniforms. People fight that wearing uniforms breaks the laws of the constitutions and some governments won’t force the law into public school (Marilyn source 3).

There are organizations that help kids to stay away from gangs and don’t belong to them. Reasons some communities stay away from these organizations is because statics show half of these organization are being controlled be gang member. Apparently, the gang member recruits them to be a part of the gang (Marilyn source 3).

There is a lot of violence and people are getting together to reduce this problem. Also, kids are learning from schools that gangs are a terrible group to be in (News Services). Finally, Gangs are a problem on the street and were shutting them down every possible way to reduce the amount of violence.

Loeffel, Marilyn. "Laws Are Weak in the Face of Rising Gangs." Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN). 23 Mar 2010: A.7. SIRS Researcher. Web. 29 Sep 2010ools

"Loeffel, Marilyn". Laws Are Weak in the Face of Rising Gangs. Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN). 23 Mar 2010: A.7. SIRS Researcher. Web. 27 Sep 2010

"Teen Gangs. " Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Servies, 9 Apr. 2009. Web. 15 Sept. 22 2010

Source three notes

ciatation: Loeffel, Marilyn. "Laws Are Weak in the Face of Rising Gangs." Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN). 23 Mar 2010: A.7. SIRS Researcher. Web. 29 Sep 2010.

• 70% of middle-and high-school principals believed that uniforms reduced the number of discipline problems and violent incidents in school.
• The presence of youth gangs in and around public schools has also led some schools to consider uniforms.
• Students may unknowingly wear gang colors and be targeted for violence.
• students wearing expensive items have been threatened, stabbed or shot as others attempted to steal their belongings(gangs).
•  The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) opposes uniforms on the grounds that they violate students' rights to freedom of expression as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution.
• Another criticism of uniforms is that not all parents can afford them.
• Moreover, they point out, uniforms make it easy for security guards to spot people who do not belong on school grounds and escort them off.
• . The poll found that 60% of principals polled believed that a mandatory-uniform policy would lead to increased academic achievement.
• Backers of uniforms believe that they allow students to concentrate on their studies rather than on clothing.
• MOstly private or religous school have uniforms

Article Notes 2

"Loeffel, Marilyn". Laws Are Weak in the Face of Rising Gangs. Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN). 23 Mar 2010: A.7. SIRS Researcher. Web. 27 Sep 2010

• restrooms are where drugs, weapons, sex and gang assaults run rampant.
• There our many middle/elementary schools involved in gangs.
• gangs come to elementary schools and recruit.
• the lack of meaningful reform to strengthen Juvenile Court's authority has resulted in gangs controlling the schools.
• In juvenile centers the kids mostly watch TV for hours a day and get no discipline.
•  They went to make juvenile centers stronger to decrease the amount of gangs in schools.
• security guards don't take no interests what kids are doing and don't care.
•  The boards of schools will near know whats going on because people are to afraid to report it.
• "Bunker suggested a military-style academy for our public school students" A representitive for public school.

Gang notes article 1

"Teen Gangs. " Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Servies, 9 Apr. 2009. Web. 15 Sept. 2010, <http://www.2facts.com/article/i0501120>.

• Gangs are organized groups who use force or thearten to commit crimes.
• Kids are recruited to gangs before turning age 18
• Some gangs deal around with drugs.
• Gang results show that in inner cities have a much higher gang rate then subburns.
• Many school insist on were dress codes so there no color that represent gangs.
• In towns that have Gang warfare you have to be careful were you are. People say that it breaks the law of the constituiton.
• Comunities our running servies to help reduce gang violence and help kids in school.
• lower class people have a higher rate to be in a gang then the upper class.
• Some of the gangs cultures is to rap in song or the way they dress to represnt the gang.
• 28% of highschool report of gang violence

Article story

Gus Lane

Mrs. Zurkowski

Aqua

9/14/10

Book: Auto Biography Of My Dead Brother by Walter Dean Myers.

Topic: Gangs and Drugs

Search Terms:

1.      Gang violence

2.      Gang dealing drugs

3.      Gang criminals

4.      Gang arrests

5.      Gang recruiting

6.      Gang symbols

7.      Gang member

Gang/Drugs

      Two main issues dealing with Auto Biography Of My Dead Brother by Walter Dean Myers is Dealing with violent gangs and drug dealing. The article made by Baltimore sun post’s that Todd Duncan, who accused of running a organization in the Black Guerrilla prison gang. Duncan had plans to admit he was guilty in the U.S District court in Baltimore to drug conspiracy charge. Duncan is a BGF member that was in a city-founded nonprofit organization to help guide young kids out of gangs but recruited him into the BFG. There our estimated about 30,000gangs in America. Finally, I belive that I am happy with my topic and think it’s a great example of real life and my book. Also, This relates to my life because gangs could put people I know or me into harms way. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-duncan-plead-20100914,0,6170784.story

http://bloodpiruknow.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html

Pen Pal essay

703 Churchville Road


Bel Air, MD 21014

September 6, 2010

Dear, Rise



My name is Gus Lane and I loved your story about your gang (counts) in the book Auto Biography of my Dead Brother. I am currently a freshman at John Carroll School located in Maryland. I know you had a wild messed high school life from all the drugs and not caring about your grades. My high school life is completely different because I plays sports and care a lot about my grades. Also, I’m not a gang leader killing people every day. Anyway my summer as been alright, I didn’t do anything but weight train for sports and hang out with friends.

I enjoyed reading your thug life in the hood. I just thought it was messed up how you brought drugs in the hood to make money even though your whole childhood you talked about how it was wrong. Also it’s sad how you made a hit on another gang member who was in your hood a lot and took his life away for no reason.

Thirdly, Rise I thought the authors character writing style was amazing. It seemed like all the characters were real people. Also, the book seemed current to all the gang related events that are happenings right now. There was also realistic issues and problem’s the characters were facing.

Rise, if you don’t mind me asking, why would you take over the counts and turn them into a gang? It was just a group of friends and you just had to go on and mess with everybody’s life and put them in harm. Also, how could you kill somebody that didn’t deserve to die!

The reason you’re dead right now is because you weren’t smart enough to get body Guards to protect yourself after you were getting into drugs. You were also, killing people you shouldn’t have been messing with. So, you could’ve thought about what you were doing before getting shot. Also, the novel didn’t leave me thinking about the issues because it doesn’t impact me so why think about.



Sincerely,

My Summer Reading Assignment

The book I read other the summer was Auto Biography of my dead brother. The author of the book is Walter Dean Myers.

Summer Reading questions

1. The main character throughout the book is Jesse. Ways I would describe Jesse is that he is a very respectful person to other people. Also, he is emotional person when it comes to his family and close friends. Jesse is very smart when it comes to his life path and making right decisions.

2. In the beginning of the book Jesse and rise our very close with each other and our basically brothers. Also the counts were all close and just a bunch of friends in a group. Almost like a get together. Towards the middle of the story Jesse doubted rise and his relationship with him because he was starting to change and talk and act different towards the counts. Then, rise talks about dealing with drugs and going to get the counts involved into drugs to make money. Lastly, in the end of the story rise has completely changed by running the counts as a gang and getting into drugs and women. Jesse isn’t very sure about being with rise because doesn’t really want to get involved but sometimes does because he doesn’t want to forget about rise. Then there is drive by’s in the hood. Then rise has died.

3. The author is trying to say that, people can change anytime. For instance it took less than a year for Rise to change into a completely different person. Also, the author is trying to say is one mistake can change your life forever.

1. One of the issues that affected Jesse was that Rise was dealing drugs. One reason, this affected Jesse was that when they were little they talked about how drugs were bad and didn’t want to ever bring that into that hood. Secondly, Jesse says that Rise’s personality is changing and his looks are changing. Lastly, Jesse isn’t sure about hanging with rise because he doesn’t want to be involved with his drug dealing.

2. The first big social issue was when Rise gave Jesse a girl and tries to set Jesse up to have sex. Secondly, When Rise order a hit on The Gang called the Diablo’s. This was very personal to Jesse because he was making the counts a gang and acting like a gang leader.

All about Gus

My name is Gus Lane and I come from Baltimore Lutheran School. I spent my 7th and 8th grade year there. Also in 6th grade I was at Perry Hall middle. The goals I have at John Carroll are to be successful academically and athletically. I am currently in football as my fall sport. Also, when winter comes around. I plan on wrestling. I have two dogs named Gunner and Buddy. I love them as if they were my brother. When I listen to music I like to listen to Drake and Al Green. My only hobby is paintball and I enjoy it very much. Lastly, my two cousins went to John Carroll throughout their high school life.