Day 6 Response to JORGINA {{Sherrae'}}

If i was a juvenile delinquent I think my writing would vary. Of course I would be angry at the fact that I made a horrible decision to end up at a Juvenile Hall, but I think I would write about being placed behind bars to release anger. Writing for me, is a way to express myself. Then there would be days that I would be so angry that I wouldn't even want to think about it, let alone write about it. I honestly think that my mood would affect my writing for the day. In the novel True Notebooks, Jimmy states "Sometimes you cant think of anything positive. All you can think about is the negative, because that's all there is in your life." If your constantly thinking about the negative than you will never write about the positive things in life. I'm trying to really imagine being a juvenile delinquent and being in a writing class. I guess like I've stated above my mood would have a great affect on my writing for the day. Okay I have an example, in the novel Kevin writes about helping a former inmate. After helping that person he states, "I felt good that I helped somebody out, because I know that someone helped me when I was struggling." That would be a positive thing to write about.

Day 6 God

I do feel like God exists. I think to God about all the things that most people wouldn't know about me . I talk to god to tell him to help me I feel as if he could help me with the problems more than anyone else can. He help me wake up and I’m thankful for that. page# yes you are, celestial light,choice,my last and my last and my best choice.(8)

Day 6 responce Dacia Hill

I think writing about your misfortune's in life helps you to properly learn how to accept them. I believe writing is its own form of therapy and can be use by anyone. Writing give you a sense of privacy and it can be use to create change in the minds of others. If I had ever become a juvenile delinquent I would use writing to turn my life around. I would give people the real incite as to who I am. When you young and black, you sometimes have to instill a notion of respect into the minds of others. Once you mess up in so many ways the good thoughts go outside the window. You have to work and start all over to prove yourself. Writing can be silent so respect is already created in a sense.
Every once in a while I like to write about something that makes me happy. Each time I write I like to speak the truth. I say what really going on my mind. Honesty makes me content with myself. Happiness can sometimes and most times they are in small moments. In Marjane’s life, she is surrounded by violence and confusion. She is forcing herself to follow her parent and rush into adulthood. Rarely does she have a moment of happiness and when she does it is gone in an instant. For example, when marjane’s Parents return from Turkey she loves all of the gifts they bring her. She decides to put it all on and walk out into the street. Moments later she is approaches by two guardians of the revolution and put into danger. Happiness is gone. If I wrote I would remember how scared and upset I was after that. With the truth more people can relate and with happiness you are basically vulnerable.

Day 6 Response Tony Jackson

I come from a very culturally mixed family. There are Catholic, Baptist, Jewish, and Muslims beliefs all in one house hold so I don’t have a real strong pull toward which one is right and which one is wrong. I do feel that there is a higher being up there somewhere but I’m not positive if his name is God or Allah. Even though bad things happen I don’t think that people should pond it off on “it was an act of god” or sit back and do nothing and say “It's in God’s hands”. I feel that he doesn’t exists because of the simple fact that according to god, if I don’t do this I’m going to hell or if I do that I’m going to hell as if I’m suppose to fear something that I can’t see, touch or hear.
“Are you really out there” pg 82 is something that Jimmy and many people find themselves asking and waiting for an answer that won’t come. I do believe in a way but then I don’t believe at the same time. I don’t feel that he has done me wrong and I don’t feel that he has done me any good I just live with all the challenges that get thrown my way.
What he has done for me is helped me get through the traumatic experience of being robbed at gun point in my own house and have everything taken from me. But on the opposite side of things I can ask, why would he put me through something like that?

Day 6 Response to Jorgina (Christopher Johnson)

I would rather write about something positive because it would take my mind off of my current situation. There have been many times in my life when I felt as though everything around me was going wrong but I would always find something to make me feel better even if only for a few minutes (i.e singing, listening to the radio, etc.) I think if you focus on the negative you will never be truly happy because happiness comes from within. The Bible states life and death lie within power of the tongue. If you speak positive things then positive things will happen in your life the same concept goes for negativity. This concept goes for writing as well. I feel that writing is an escape from your current situation so if you continue to write negative things then negativity will always be your state of being. So basically what I'm trying to say in a nutshell is that the boys should write positive things in their classes because ultimately negativity surrounds them all the time so in the time they get to spend with Mark everything should be positive.I think this is the message Sister Janet is trying to get across to the prison guards and Mark as well."It all boils down to one thing; the kids want to feel that they matter to someone."(27) She wants the kids to have something positive in their lives so that's why I think all the writing the kids do should be positive.

TRUST

Yes, i am a true believer that god exist. It took time for me to start believing god really exist my life. I use to only run to god when i was in trouble or when i really wanted something. I question my self plenty of times asking if god was real , and if he so real where is he when im in my time of need. I had the same questions that jimmy had in the True notebook pg 82. "God allows certain things to happen because he's testing our faith". It took me some time to understand what faith was and how do i learn to trust and have faith in god. six years ago i almost lost someone very special to me she is my queen (my mother).The doctors didnt know if she was going to live because she had no blood in her body. They explain to us that a new born baby had more blood than her Right then and there i start praying and trusting in god that he will bring my mom out the hospital with good health. i prayed that every night and day , and when the doctor said no i now god will say yes. My mom came out the hospital two months later with good health . I know it was no body but god that kept her The doctors told us that they dont know how she even made it that far. every since then i build a stronger relationship with god. Many people run to god when there in trouble, not saying thats a bad thing but thats when every body calls on him. Now im able to call on him durning anytime of the day not only when im in trouble but im able to say thank you for blessing me and keeping through rough times and happy times. I learned sometimes we beg god for things and when we dont see nothing happen we start to think he's not real. But really sometimes god doesnt do things right away it takes time. I learn that i may not have everything i want but i have everything i need.

If i was a juvenile delinquent I think my writing would vary. Of course I would be angry at the fact that I made a horrible decision to end up at a Juvenile Hall, but I think I would write about being placed behind bars to release anger. Writing for me, is a way to express myself. Then there would be days that I would be so angry that I wouldn't even want to think about it, let alone write about it. I honestly think that my mood would affect my writing for the day. In the novel True Notebooks, Jimmy states "Sometimes you cant think of anything positive. All you can think about is the negative, because that's all there is in your life." If your constantly thinking about the negative than you will never write about the positive things in life. I'm trying to really imagine being a juvenile delinquent and being in a writing class. I guess like I've stated above my mood would have a great affect on my writing for the day. Okay I have an example, in the novel Kevin writes about helping a former inmate. After helping that person he states, "I felt good that I helped somebody out, because I know that someone helped me when I was struggling." That would be a positive thing to write about.

Expressions- Sam Johnson

If I were a juvenile delinquent I probably would write about my times that lead me to have to call the actual location my home. I would about it because I would want to share the experience with others so they wouldn't go down the same road and the story might persuade them to stay away from the danger of it. Sometimes it can be used as a remembrance for when you actually get out of jail to show yourself where you came from. It can also show you how many silly mistakes you have made. Writing how I feel is a means of therapy(especially when you are in that situation) that would help you come down and be able to relax. Its not so much of writing negative things down, its just about your feelings. Letting everything out will clear your mind. In my opinion I think the negative things have to be said rather than wrote down because by saying it you can actually show your full emotion. When you writing something down its just coming from your head and there's no emotion except when you actually writing it. By holding everything in your brain it can cause damage to you mentally and emotionally. So no I don't think its irrelevant to write down your feelings whether negative or positive, especially when you in certain condition where its really needed for you to do so such as jail. It would defiantly keep you out of a lot of trouble.

Response for day 6 -Jamahl Jackson

I believe that there is a lot of gods that people worship but i believe that there is only one true "enlighten one". This "enlighten one" in a way can control everything but cant control humans because he gave us free will.

I believe that everything happens for a reason.I believe that we all make choices that influnece how our future will turn out.I believe that there is no heaven or hell. I believe that even though we have free wil it can be taken away from us all with one act from the enlighten one or god..

I beleive that when we die nothing happens.i believe that we have pitfalls because of the things we do.Just like karma.I believe that how you treat people is how people wil treat you.

In the book persophilis ,marajane is beliieving in god but later on he kinda fades away because of the revolution.God really didnt play a major rule in her life .But later on she makes refrences to god not hearing her prayers because of the revolution.So in contrast people when they dont need god they tend to forget about him or let him fade away.I think that every religion is somehow connected in someway.I believe that through time there was a universal riligion.Then over period of time people explored conqured new areas, but used the same basis for the religion.

So in conclusion people believe what everyone else believe but in a diffrent way,shape and form.

Day 6 Answer to Chris(Jorgina Kelly)

I do believe in God very much. One reason is because that’s who I grew up learning to believe in, love and trust. My parents pretty much installed God in me then as I got older; I realized their reasoning behind doing that. I believe that he created everything to happen for a reason. With me being here at Columbia College is one of the positive ways he led me to. If I was still living in Galesburg, Illinois I probably would have just been sitting around the house and not furthering my education or my career. I also believe in him because once or twice before when my mother didn’t have any money and she was at her lowest we received many blessing. My mother just like the character in True Notebooks said “People always say God allows certain things to happen because he's testing our faith.”(P. 82) I believe that to be true because in the world you will run into test everywhere you go. You can and will sometimes be tested at school, work or even personal with your best friend or your mate. There are tests everywhere. Another way is him giving me the type of parents I have because if I had different type of parents then I probably wouldn’t have be the person I am today. I highly believe in God.

Day 6 Response to Jorgina Kelly -Arianna King

If I was a juvenile I would not write about my reasons for being where I was. I feel that anyone that goes to jail should not have a second chance. They messed up their life and should pay for what they have done. My family is a very strict family when it comes to doing bad things. If you are committing a crime out of no justification then you should pay for what you have done. Writing can be looked at as a positive and helpful hobby in the long run. It helps you get out how you feel so you are not suffering. Writing helps you express yourself and get out to others what you are saying. Negativity is not supposed to be written down. Writing down negativity can bring down the reader. If I had to write about something while in jail it will have to be something good. The type of person I am is that I have to keep on a good note. Writing to be happy helps me out and keeps me on a good note. If I have to understand why they wrote about their bad things then I would say that it is okay to write about what they did. Hopefully when they do write about it is so they can say how sad they are about what they did. That would be the time to apologies about their actions and not to remember what happen and feel good about it. Some people that go to jail may feel what they did was justifiable. Many that go to jail feel remorse and those are the ones that should be able to write about their feelings. “Bad people are dangerous but forgiving them is too. Don’t worry, there is justice on earth” (53). This shows that not only my family feels this way Marjane family feels the same way also. People that did not care “once upon a time” they will not care now.

Day 6 Reponse- Antonio Hill

Many people express themselves through their writing. Like me, some people elaborate more when they write instead of talking verbally and then stumble on their words. The art of writing is good to have, not everyone can organize what they are thinking and put them into words that make helps people to understand what's on their mind. Just a simple essay can tell so much about a person. It can tell what you're thinking, how you are feeling at the moment, your past or you’re present. Some may not know, but when writing, the choice of words you use depends on your emotion believe it or not. But if I was a juvenile delinquent, I would write about whatever I feel whether it was good or bad. I wouldn't have a specific, one-sided topic all the time because I have too many feelings. If I’m around bad things all my life I’ll write about it as well as write about the good things I have yet to experience. Writing about negativity can be both relevant and irrelevant depending on how you choose to express it. If you're just talking about negativity for no reason then it'll be considered irrelevant, however if you're talking about your background and it has some negativity then I guess it'll be relevant. On page 98 of the text, Kevin states “During difficult times, I think about freedom and what it really is. Some people say that I don’t have freedom because I’m in jail but I have freedom and lots of it.” With that being said, it depends on how people look at the negativity and how they choose to take it. Kevin makes a good thing out of a bad situation, so I would say it’s how the person defines negativity.

day 6 response to jorgina (Sean MacKenna)

Thats a very tough question. it all depends what i get locked up for. if it was something stupid like robbing an old lady or stealing something, i probably would leave that out and talk about the happy times in my life. in juvy there isn't a lot to do. you sit and think about past experiences and what you wish you could have done over. for me i don't like talking about my past because some of it wasn't there greatest and Ive done some things im not proud of. Im human though and we all make mistakes. unfortunately for Francisco his life choices ended him up in prison for a long time. i would probably talk about the good times i had before being locked up. the long days i would spend at Roselle with all my friends and talk about my family. the happier stories is probably what keeps people going in jail because it helps them keep there mind off all the distractions in prison, such as gangs, murderers and probably the food (Ive been told it tastes really bad) i would keep reminding myself of my time on the outside instead of being mad at the world that i was caught in whatever i did and sent there. Ive had friends in jail and they all have said that its the worst feeling ever because if you don't stay positive and keep thinking about the future your past creeps up on you and you either get angry and do something to someone to make yourself feel better or you get depressed and try to kill yourself. hopefully i never have to go there, so far Ive been lucky and gotten out of a lot of trouble that probably would have got me in but as long as i stay on the right track i should be able to avoid it and not have to worry about answering your question from experience other then what i have already.

Day 6, Response to Jorgina: Kiarah Lazo

If I were a juvenile delinquent I would write about everything that comes to my mind. Writing for me sets my mind free and puts me in a comfort zone. So if I were to be trapped behind bars I would write my little heart out. Then again, being in a juvenile hall might make me go crazy so I’m not too sure of what exactly I’ll be writing about. It would have to be all the struggles I’ve dealt with in my life. For example, what was going on in my head at that time, what was actually happening, things I could have done different, maybe things I could have done worse, etc. Come to think of it, I would write a book about my life. I would start it off really peaceful just because when we come into this world we don’t know what to expect. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say my life was perfect because it wasn’t; no one’s life is perfect. If it was or is, you my friend aren’t human. It would be interesting to tell people my life story and everything I’ve been through. All my positive and negative experiences, even things I wish I would have experienced. My book wouldn’t just have words; it would also include sketches and poetry. My book needs to be interesting, where people can relate to some things and hopefully learn from my mistakes so they won’t end up where I ended up.

Chris' Day 6 Question

In the book True Notebooks one of the prisoners states that he doesn't believe in God because he feels as though if God exists he wouldn't let bad things happen to good people. He states "People always say God allows certain things to happen because he's testing our faith. We are only human beings and there is so much we can take. Once we reach our breaking point, most of will just say fuck everything. People also say that the Lord is a jealous one, so if he wants us to rely on him one hundred percent, why does he allow certain to come into our lives and make us doubt his existence?"(82) Do you feel that God exists and if so give examples on how God has affected you in a positive way. If not then explain what made you feel the way you do about him?

Day 6 Question-Jorgina Kelly

In the novel True Notebooks by Mark Salzman, many of the prisoners wrote about negative memories in their writing. It's good to express your feelings because sometimes it relieves the stress that continues to build up inside a person. If you were a juvenile delinquent, would you write about times that lead you to have to call a juvenile hall your temporary or permanent residence? Or would you rather write about something that put a smile on your face? Do you think it is relevant or irrelevant to be writing about the negativity? Why?