Miami Heat Thrice

The Miami Heat this years are known by the Miami thrice. They call themselves the Miami thrice because this year they have three of the best players in the NBA Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and Lebron James. Everybody thought they were going to be like the Boston Celtics this year, but to start the year they were in a slump barely winning a game. Now they're on a 15 game winning streak and better than ever just like the predictions say. I believe this year my favorite team might have a chance at the Championship. 

New Berlin and Pewaukee

 

It was the opening tip as one of our juniors had won the tip. As we broke into a fast break for a layup, the ball traveled down the court in New Berlin Eisenhower's freshman Reed Timers hands as he lays it in the basket for two points time out on Pewaukee's end. The momentum had changed the New Berlin fans were screaming as our end was quiet the Pewaukee players were nervous turnover on our end New Berlin ball the referee yelled, as coach Reuter was screaming at one of Pewaukee's senor guards. The crowd was panicking as New Berlin swung the ball around the three point line the shot goes up "Swish" was all you could hear when it came down a three pointer for Eisenhower. Their crowd was roaring and we were almost silent, just hoping for some sort of luck to hit. We subbed in our best shooter John Czerwinski. Running down the court a quick pass to the corner to John for three "Clank" Miss Eisenhower freshman Reed Timers runs down the court fouled. After he nailed both free throws we had nothing to work with, their crowd roaring, making shots what are we going to do? But then we had stole the ball going for a fast break David Reese he lays it in two points they missed next possession three pointer Pewaukee we're on a role time out Eisenhower. Now the momentum had changed once again this time in Pewaukee favor.

After the time out Eisenhower had about 15 seconds to work until halftime they gave to their freshman who is one of the best in the conference. Dribbling   5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.. He throws up a shot "Clank" he missed now we were going into halftime only down two points. When the team came out of the locker room the coach was furious. You could tell by how red his face was and how the players were acting. Just despite all of their actions and how mad the coach was, we all wondered how it happened looking at the scoreboard they were down two.  

To open the second half it was our ball. As my friends and I were up in the stands talking and laughing with each other we somehow discovered that we had six players on the floor. When you have six players on the floor that would be a technical foul when you get a technical foul it would be two free throws and then their ball. So we thought to yell it out to the coach but then if we yelled it out they would hear and it would be a technical. Luckily there was a time out within about a minute. Nobody knew and it was kind of our little joke we had then in the stands. So far in the second half it was a little chaotic with the six players than in the stands it was a couple of my friends Evan Hansen, Will Olewinski, Jack Wirth, and Drew Barth. Well it got a little chaotic after the six players but then Drew went to get some food, Jack went to find his parents, Will went to get a drink, so it was just Evan and I. Well Evan dropped his phone in a corner of the bleacher and it was wedged in. So we spent the whole time trying to get the phone out which then we finally got it right when everybody got back.

We looked at the scoreboard it was tied at the end of the third quarter. So it was the start of the forth we decided to start watching again, but boy was Pewaukee in trouble even though the game was tied their star freshman was back in the game and he had twenty two points. There was about 3 minutes left in the game and we actually had a lead, holding on barely there was 30 seconds left and we were up by one. Therefore they had to foul us trying to get the ball back. As we swung the ball around to our best shooter John Czerwinski they fouled him. He went to the line missed them both. We were now kind of in trouble with it being Eisenhower ball. Their freshman Reed Timers comes down for about a fifteen foot shot he missed as we got the ball we gave it again the John Czerwinski, they fouled him again. This time he made them both. Eisenhower now comes down, down by three with fifteen seconds left they get an open three pointer they missed it, we were all fighting for the rebound but we left the freshman wide open. When they got the rebound they passed the ball to Reed he shot the ball as the buzzer rang “Swish.” The Eisenhower fans were louder than ever, we were completely silent not a word. It had to go into overtime then. We did the tip again but there is only four minutes in overtime. We won going down the court now taking our time nice and easy, the next thing you know the freshman stole it for a layup two points. Now they had the momentum on their side we were nervous couldn’t think straight another steal and two more points. Now down four can we make a remarkable comeback, yes we can there was 50 seconds left we were down four. The stands started to empty until John Czerwinski hit a three pointer now down one point, everybody got back in their seats. With 35 seconds left we had to hustle we got the ball again down one point we couldn’t get a shot and they ended up stealing it again. They went up for a layup we fouled them. With 5 seconds left he made the first free throw and then missed the second. We got the rebound ran down the court 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.. they went for the win the three point shot “He missed it He missed it” The crowd roared players on Pewaukee were in tears as it was a quiet night, then slowly my friends and I came down the bleachers depressed. Then we were all saying we will get them next time.    

  

Response to Deep Waters

                                   

It was dark; scary the water was tumbling over me. Looking for the bottom of the pool after being dunked there was one clever move up my sleeve. While sinking to the bottom I was going to push off the bottom tile to try to get myself up to the surface, but I had one problem it was slower than what my situation was calling for. In the short story "Deep Waters" by William O. Douglas there are two life lessons. One always use whatever your common sense tells you to do. Second never be afraid of what you can accomplish.

             In the short story "Deep Waters" by William O. Douglas he talks about how his childhood was, as in what he did during his childhood. He was just a boy learning to swim at the Y.M.C.A. When he was just about 10 or 12 at the Y.M.C.A. he was alone and was waiting for other people to get into the pool. Then about an 18 year old boy came by and suddenly he was dunked. He only wishes he could take that moment back because some of his greatest fears happened to occur at that time.  

In general to be dunked means to be thrown or pushed under water; it's just second nature for us to not like being dunked. However everyone needs to overcome that fear that’s a life lesson the story brought to everyone. If you're afraid of something and won't try it you'll always be afraid of something. There have always been a couple of old sayings "You miss a hundred percent of the shots you don't take." In other words William did the right thing by going in the water even thought he had nearly died under water, but because of his vital mistake and because his courage that brought him to a higher level of overcoming that fear.

Now after being a reader of William’s short story, it makes you want to explore and find new fears to overcome, because  the number one most important lesson and word phrasing in the story was never be afraid of what you haven't tried. Then the next one was never be afraid of what you can accomplish. If anybody hasn't tried something it is second nature to be scared which is why his story was to tell us what he wishes he could take back and redo. There's an old saying "Don't repeat the past" and that is what he is telling us, don't be afraid and don't repeat your same mistakes.

  

The Pearl

                                                                The Pearl                                     by    Alex Clement

After finishing the book The Pearl, by John Steinbeck most people would have found the life lesson to the book. So far with all the symbolism and the chart fitting the tragedy plotline, you would come to see what the book is trying to tell you, and now with the whole point of the book Kino finding the Pearl. Was it worth all the madness, but while this Pearl is causing chaos people looking for jobs, other people are dying you might think what was John Steinbeck's purpose to the book?

            John Steinbeck rights with such enthusiasm, when you read the book you notice to things he does. When the book starts off kind of slow he progresses into a faster tempo, as an example he starts off the book with Kino as a brave man fearless, but later on Kino wises up he takes things slower gets rid of the aggressive attitude. Then John Steinbeck has another twist to this book right away when he has Kino all aggressive he has another character that his more passive and wise Juana. Juana was the smart one of their two team group at the beginning, but that's when he makes his turning point when Kino starts to become wiser and more passive Juana becomes kind of more active and less caring at the end than Kino. The next character was the baby Coyotito, now the baby plays a big role with the Pearl even though it doesn't seem like it in the book. How Kino and Juana are changing in the book the baby has the same attitude the same looks doesn’t really change. The Pearl was causing Kino stress as the baby was causing Juana stress, but when Juana changed in the book the baby played a different role it was almost like the baby was its own independent parent, which caused them later on in the book to then grow apart.

            There were some miner errors in the book The Pearl, by John Steinbeck his usage of boring and very confusing words was very challenging to overcome. Multiple times in the book there was a typo error or there was even a grammar error on words. Many times he would forget to add an S, or ES. Most people would have noticed, but overall the book was outstanding when you overcome the errors I would recommend this book to anybody. 

            In the book there were many ups and downs, from the beginning to the end. The book fits the tragedy plotline, the world started in chaos then they had a rise to power. When Kino found the Pearl he assumed he was going to be rich and have all the money and power or his family, but there was some errors to his plan which lead to a tragic flaw. Kino had the pearl and was assuming that he would be rich and would be able to support his family; until he didn’t realize that with his control of the Pearl and that he found the Pearl he was putting his family in great risk. Which ended up leading to the tragic fall, when the buyers of the Pearl couldn’t take that Kino wasn’t selling the Pearl yet they had become inpatient as in their ways of either stealing the Pearl or killing Kino to get the Pearl. In the book also there is a doctor this doctor is out for the Pearl he fails on purpose healing the baby and then he finally heals the baby so it could seem like they were close.

Overall the book by John Steinbeck was phenomenal, and I really enjoyed reading it as I hope our next class novel would be like the book The Pearl, as I also hope that more people would like to read the book as well.            

Final Reflection for The Pearl

         After finishing the book The Pearl, by John Steinbeck I found a life lesson in the book for me and the way the book was written.  The lesson was you can't turn your back on anyone because at the time no matter how mad you are you never know when they're going to be there for you. At the end when Coyote dies Juana and Kino are there, when Kino throws the Pearl in the Gulf Juana is there. Then to get through the long journey climbing through mountains going through long paths struggling to find water Juana and Kino fight through the whole thing together. Then when I was reading for clues I noticed that John Steinbeck knows how to make things realistic but he has his moments where there are dry spots in the book and also very exciting parts.

           John Steinbeck has a way of writing that can be boring when you are reading some parts that could be really exciting he kind of kills his ideas. In chapter four how they bring the baby to the doctor because they think something is wrong, the doctor had no interest until he found out that Kino had the Pearl. When John Steinbeck wrote that he didn’t put that jumpy word or act into it. But then again it makes his exciting parts double the excitement and you want to keep reading. As in the last chapter they are going across a plain dry land Juana, Kino, and Coyote are traveling and they reach a mountain, when they go to climb the mountain they have no energy. When they finally get to the top they're all dying for water. When Kino keeps walking he finds a pool of water to stop their thirst. In that point of the book John Steinbeck was a very good writer because they couldn't afford to be thirsty nor did they have time to stop moving. John Steinbeck also has a way with words that show the book out, as in bad usage of words, but overall I did like the book and I would recommend it to a friend.   

Will the Pearl destroy them

While I'm reading the book The Pearl, by John Steinbeck I have came to a chapter in the book that has sort of brought out the book's real purpose. When Kino got the Pearl their whole life has changed. Most of the people they meet now they can't even trust, every single person is trying to get the Pearl from Kino. When they brought the baby to the doctor the doctor had a plan to steal the Pearl along with the rest of the people. So the question is, is this pearl putting them in great risk?

Reflection for The Pearl

        So far while I am reading the book The Pearl, by John Steinbeck I have become to observe his style of writing and I have started to like it. One reason the vocabulary in the book isn't an elementary book level even though the book is under a hundred pages. Although I started to like his style of writing it also has bored me, he has a lot of dead parts in the book that bring up the exciting parts but brings down the book overall. There was many exciting parts like when the baby needed the doctor to help him but the doctor was all for himself. He wanted to steal the pearl and become rich and have it all. Then the baby suddenly became sick when they went to him, so then the doctor fixed the baby to try to somehow become almost friends.