Forever in Love, Together They Die

By, Krystal Nacpil

Love never ends, at least that's what Romeo and Juliet had believed in before they took their own lives. Tonight, the end of a family's hatred for one another, the Montagues and the Capulets, had finally come to a tragic and most unexpected end. The madly in love couple was found dead this afternoon, in peaceful Verona, both with a single stab in the chest and both lying side by side. Soon after the discovery of their death, Verona's chief of police stated himself, " Such brutal brawls, so many lives lost, from one case to another, both have now come to an end! Your children, who chose to not follow in your hate, now lies dead! Both are punished!!!" Both households agree that the start of this love affair had began the night when the Capulets held a grand party and the Montagues decided to crash it. There at the party, witnesses had reported seeing Romeo take Juliet by the hand and dancing all around the ballroom. The Capulet Nurse soon confessed that she had helped in keeping Romeo and Juliet's secret love affair a secret, stating that the two were are already married. Through much research, investigators have come to the conclusion that this was no ordinary suicide. It has recently been reported that Mercutio, a good friend of Romeo's, had been shot to death by none other than the Capulet, Tybalt. Romeo, being Mercutio's best friend, quickly sought after Tybalt, and killed him, and because of Romeo's actions, Romeo has been banned from fair Verona. This then led to the conclusion of Romeo and Juliet, that if they could no longer be together in life, then in death will their love forever blossom.

Romeo Montague, son of Lord Montague, was a young and handsome man. At the age of 18, he had already been associated with a great many people, including the Friar and Verona's chief of police's cousin Mercutio. Family and friends of dear Romeo insist that Romeo was a good person, and certainly not a criminal. He was not as noble as other men, nor was he as rich, but he had a good heart. Never did his family suspect that Romeo would be so rebellious as to marry a Capulet. Yes it was a bit of a shock to the Montagues, but Romeo's parents now believe that Romeo's intentions were pure and that his love for Juliet was true.

Juliet Capulet, daughter of rich and powerful Lord Capulet, is barely 12!!! At such a young age, one would be surprised to think that a mere child could experience true love. Her dear friend, Nurse, cries that Juliet was as fair as fair Verona. Her parents on the other hand seem somewhat upset with these unfortunate events, "She would still be alive !!!" her father screams. "Oh, if only she had married Paris, my child would have lived life happy," sobs Lady Capulet. We have now confirmed from the Friar that it was he who had helped in the faking of Juliet's death by providing for her the potion that paralyzed her. "All she wanted was to be with her Romeo," he claims. From this perspective, her family believes that Juliet was a bit of a headstrong girl that was confident in her love for Romeo.

Interview with Capulet's Nurse

Reporter Krystal: "Dear Nurse, may I ask, what is your true opinion on Romeo and Juliet's secret marriage?"

Capulet Nurse: "Oh, I never really did agree with this whole affair, perhaps Lord Capulet was right about having her marry Paris. After all Paris is a good man. Romeo is nothing compared to Paris."

Reporter Krystal: "That may be true, but, honestly Nurse, do you really think that is what's best for Juliet? Marrying her off to a man she does not love? Romeo is not as much a man as Paris, but Romeo certainly loved her and Juliet loved him; Romeo was the only man that seemed to have put a bright smile on Juliet's face."

Capulet Nurse: "Well, in time, I believed that Juliet would have learned to love Paris. My Juliet wouldn't have died if it wasn't for that reckless husband of her's, that Romeo. Romeo was a nice man but he just wasn't the right man for my dear Juliet."

Reporter Krystal: "Juliet loved Romeo, Romeo loved Juliet. It's obvious that, through Juliet's perspective, that Romeo was the right man for her."

Capulet Nurse: "I suppose so."

Reporter Krystal: "Well, thank you Nurse for your time, we appreciated having you here and we understand that this is a very difficult situation in which you and the rest of the Capulet house hold must over-come."

Interview with Lord Montague

Reporter Krystal: "Lord Montague, what do you think about the deaths of your son Romeo and his wife Juliet? Do you think that their deaths will really end the hate between your house hold and the Capulet's?"

Lord Montague: "To be completely honest, I believe that what my son did was the right thing to do. Because of Romeo's love for Capulet Juliet, separate families have now become whole, and our hate for one another has been replaced by their love. However, some of the Montagues and Capulets may disagree and their hate may and/or may not increase but eventually the message of Romeo and Juliet's actions will come through. Enough said."

Reporter Krystal: "Very true Lord Montague, thank you for your time, and we wish you the best as you and the rest of your house hold work this entire situation out with the Capulet house hold."

The Result of The Two Love-bird's Actions

Earlier this afternoon, Verona's chief of Police held trial, and through much effort had finally come to the conclusion that both house holds, the Montagues and the Capulets, were to attend counseling together to resolve their hate and past problems. Both house holds were to also pay a fine, of the same amount, for disturbing the peace of Verona. Fortunately, no one was put on trial for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, however, Friar Lawrence was restricted from his Fatherly and Holy duties because of his help in conducting the secret marriage and because he had created the paralyzing potion the had faked Juliet's death. From my opinion, I believe that this conclusion was reasonable on behalf of the two house holds and that the love of dead Romeo and Juliet's love for one another will not only bring complete peace to the Montagues and the Capulets, but to fair Verona as well.

MY Views on Euthanasia

After reading Of Mice and Men and the two news articles, what is your stance on euthanasia? Is "mercy" killing a legitimate way to ending someones life?

I believe that euthanasia is an action taken to help an anguished person who is in need of a better place and thereby, is a legitimate way of ending someones life. Often times a suffering person would wish to be put out of his or her misery by someone they love, and if you really love someone, reluctantly, you let them go and carry out with their final decision. A person has the right to do what is the best for another person. Although a family member would strongly disagree and ominously tell them that they could make it through their situation, it's like they are going against that person's last wish of finally being able to help make them happy. If a person is unable to live their life freely, what more reason is there for them to carry out life? Many people who would like to die, have been wishing that they were dead for a very long, morose time, and often times, look very sullen due to all of the agony and pain caused by their condition. If you were to place yourself in a similar situation of an artificial life, you too, would experience the agony and pain and after a long period of time, would like to go through euthanasia. By putting a person out of their misery, you are agreeing to help them die in peace. Everyone has the right to live, but everyone also has the right to die.

"Mercy" Killing?

1. Reflecting on Of Mice and Men

a. Explain George's perspective for what he did to Lennie.

1a. George and Lennie have been best friends since the beginning of this book, so I believe that he didn't intentionally plan on shooting Lennie. I feel that, from George's perspective, that he had no other choice. It's seems to me that George knew that something like that was going to happen, leaving him no choice but to kill Lennie. Lennie accidental killing of Curley's wife brought a lot of hatred towards him and a lot of people wanted him killed, especially, Curley. George didn't want anyone to hurt Lennie.

b. Do you think that was the best thing to do for Lennie?

1b. Yes, I believe that what George did, was the best and only thing for him to do; to shoot Lennie himself. A lot of people that were after Lennie intended on killing him, but George didn't. He shot Lennie before anyone else could find him because he couldn't bear to see anyone else hurt Lennie. Being Lennie's only true friend, and having known him for a long time, George knows the situation that Lennie was always in; always getting in trouble due to his disability. He promised to look and watch over Lennie, and he did all the way till the end.

2. Father in Italy Accused of Murder

a. Using a "quote" to support your response, explain the father's reasons for what he did.

2a. Beppino Englaro's 38 year old daughter, Eluana Englaro, has been in vegetative state for 17 years, she has been bedridden and artificially alive. Over the years, her father has witnessed his daughter experience such pain of not being able to live her life freely. In other words, "his daughter had expressed a preference for dying over being kept alive artificially." Although she was not able to live a free life, she is still able to make her own decisions, and one of her main decisions in life was to simply be put to rest, ending her misery and suffering.

b. Using a "quote" to support your response, explain if that was the best thing to do for the
daughter.

2b."Late last year, 67-year-old Beppino Englaro, won an intense 10-year legal battle to allow his daughter's feeding tubes to be removed, saying that was her wish." I believe that what the father did was the best possible thing that could of been done for his daughter. She's already in a vegetative state so what more could of been done? The daughter had wanted to have her feeding tubes removed, knowing the consequence that she would die, and thereby, it was her wish so that she could be put to rest. It wasn't the father's decision to remove the tubes, it was his daughter's decision.

c. Do you agree or disagree with what the father did? Why?

2c. I completely agree with what the father had decided to do, he agreed to help his daughter carry out her last wish. If her father had decided not to help her, she could of become suicidal and tried to remove it somehow herself. Beppino Englaro must have loved his daughter very much, to let her go; other wise he would not have removed her feeding tubes and would have let her to continue to live an artificial life in pain. Everyday, Eluana had gone through so much pain, and at her side, so has her family. By doing what the father had done, he was not only able to put her at peace, but the rest of his family at peace as well.

3. Man Kills Family after Losing his Job

a. Imagine and list things that might have been going through the father's mind as he contemplated his "mercy" killing. (In the article, the father's suicide note gives specific evidence of why he did what he did. Elaborate on it.) Specifically, what could he have been negative or paranoid about?

3a. If I were to place myself in the father's shoes and in his situation, I would think that the following was going threw his mind:

• Frustration from thinking of how he could support his family of 5 children and wife, who has also lost her job.
• Depression for not being the kind of husband and father that the family deserves.
• Stress caused by the numerous bills that are over due and thinking of how he could pay them.
• Desperation of finding a job without his licence in order to keep a roof over the family's heads.
• The statement, "You should have blown your brains out", repeated constantly in his mind.
• The loss of hope and feeling that there is no one who could help them and no way out of the situation that they are in.
• The difficulty of finding the words to write on the letter.
• The frighten look in his wife and children's eyes before they were shot.
• Their final decision.

b. Unfortunately, with America's failing economy, many professionals are losing their jobs. While many do not resort to something as extreme as the man in the article, it does cause stress within families. What are some ways that parents can support children (to succeed in life) that do NOT require money?

3b. If the man and his wife took the time to really think about the problem and the possible solutions other than what he had done, he would of seen that there are a majority of ways that he and his wife could of supported their 5 children. A lot of parents think that all that their kids need is material items, such as the latest game utensils, clothes, i-pods, etc. But from a child's perspective, all we "kids" really need is the support and love of our parents. With that, we could strive to become better young adults, do better in school, and over, all live happier lives. With the love and support of our families, we "kids" could create a brighter future, even if our family is struggling. The greatest way a parent could show their love and support to their kids is to simply be there for them when they are needed, and tell them that they love them.

"Lord of The Pencils"

1. I chose Ash Ketchum from Pokemon to play as Ralph. Like Ralph, he is a good leader. He is a caring and daring boy who always does what is right. He is always willing to help those in need and gets things in order, but sometimes gets a little too demanding.

2. I had a difficult time picking out a character to play as Jack,but after a while, I chose Scar from the Lion King. Like Jack, Scar thinks that he could be a better leader. His intentions are somewhat selfish, mean, and cruel. He and his followers despise those that aren't on his side, similar to how Jack and his tribe dislikes Ralph, Piggy, and the littluns.

3. Although Miss Piggy doesn't wear specs, I find her really similar to Piggy. Just like Piggy, she could get really annoying and she is fat. Her loud mouth often gets her into trouble. Unlike Piggy, Miss Piggy is somewhat capable of standing up for herself, and so, I believe that she will play Piggy with more of a stronger personality and bigger attitude.

4. Shaggy from Scooby Doo, is perfect for the part as Simon. Like Simon, Shaggy gets scared easily, but is always there for his friends. Not to mention that his description is very similar to that of Simon, except for the fact that he is a lot older. Unlike Simon, Shaggy is not as shy, but that will only improve Simon's character.

5. Lady Tremaine from Cinderella, a.k.a. her evil stepmother, would make a great Roger. In some ways, she is a lot like Roger. She doesn't care how she makes other people feel, she also, doesn't take responsibility for her own actions and she plays as a very dark character.

6. I love Stitch! He is so adorable and sweet, and yet, a majority of people often think less of him, and would mistake him as a wild animal, similar to how the boys on the island misjudged a simple hog as a beast. Casting Stitch as the beast will provide a big twist to my movie.

7a. I honestly couldn't come up with a better place for my characters to be stuck on, so decided to have them at school during a lock-down, meaning that they are not allowed to leave class.

7b. Rumor has it that Shaggy said he saw a beast wandering around the school, and since they are not allowed to leave due to the lock-down, guess who enters, Stitch! In my version of LOTF, my characters are stuck at school, with nothing but the student store and water fountains as their main resources and key for survival. And when things get out-of-hand, these classmates become separated groups. Fortunately, no one dies, and instead of eating the "beast", they become friends with it. My movie takes on a totally different twist compared to the original LOTF, from the characters to the setting, everything has changed, but the main plot remains the same, in order to survive, they've got to stick together.

8. I would change the title to "Lord of the Pencils" or in shorter terms, LOTP, due to the school setting.

Hiroshima

1. This is a picture of the Yokokawa Bridge before the bombing of Hiroshima. It looks so peaceful, so calm, and it would seem that people there don't have a care in the world. The citizens of Hiroshima didn't seem to expect that an atomic bomb were to just drop down from the sky and destroy their beautiful city. The citizens of Hiroshima had nothing to do with the governmental decisions and so, didn't deserve to be attacked. It pains to know that innocent people are being harmed and killed due to the wrong done by their government.

2. After the atomic bombing took place on August 6, 1945, a majority of the city of Hiroshima had disappeared. Thousands of people have died and thousands more were injured. A lot of damage occurred and it seems almost impossible to rebuild it. Looking at this picture sends a chill down my spine and it makes me feel sorry for all of those people who were effected by it. I see buildings that once stood tall and feel the presence of those who's lives were lost.

3. This picture shows a little boy that was in the middle of his daily routine when he was paralyzed and incinerated, his organs boiled and his bones brittled. And he is just one of the thousands more who were also killed in the nuclear attack. Looking at this image I feel uncomfortable and for some reason I could feel as if my skin is burning. I see a little boy who didn't know that he was going to die that morning and it scares me to think that the same situation could occur here in Los Angeles at any time.

4. It's amazing how the survivors of the atomic bombing are not only able to tell their story of their experience but to also draw it.The artist of this drawing seemed to remember almost every detail of what had happened. Looking at this drawing, I see no source of life. I feel so alone and afraid and I feel that it must of been hard for the artist to draw something that reminds him or herself of their painful past.

Second Assignment: Views on Abortion

1. What is your stance on abortion? Give three reasons why (this is your own thoughts). Explain clearly and use a lot of detail. - 5 points

Life is full of choices, like for example, to be either pro-choice or pro-life. To choose between life and rights took me a while; eventually I chose to be pro-choice. Being pro-choice means that I believe that women have the right to do what they please with their body. Abortion also happens to be a much safer process when legal than it is illegal, so making abortion illegal will only put more people in danger. Although I don’t like the fact of harming or “killing” an unwanted or unborn child, it’s still your choice, I know that I wouldn’t do it. Being part of pro-choice doesn’t really mean that I hate life, it simply means that I am willing to help those in need of equal treatment, like for example, pregnant teenagers. Most women who have an abortion don’t do it to put a-side their responsibilities in life, but to simply keep moving in life.

2. Copy/paste evidence that supports that supports your views. Make sure you use quotation marks (" ") because these are NOT your words. - 3 points

• "A pregnancy to a woman is perhaps one of the most determinative aspects of her life. It disrupts her body. It disrupts her education. It disrupts her employment. And it often disrupts her entire family life."

3. Explain the quote you chose for number 2 in your own words.

Women, like myself, need to have the right to be treated the same as men, even if it means having to get an abortion. Being pregnant is a big disruption and a lot of responsibility, especially if it is an accidental pregnancy, it disrupts women from acheiving their full potential in life.

4.

• "women have the moral right to decide what to do with their bodies.

5. Explain the quote you chose for number 4 in your own words.

That's true, shouldn't we be able to do what we please with our bodies, weren't we given that right? It's your choice to be for or against abortion, and pro-choice gives you that choice.

First Assignment: Powerful Pictures

1. Insert the picture that is the most powerful for you. (2 pnts)

2. Answer in a complete sentence: What is this picture about? (2 sentences - 2pnts)

This picture is about a baby orangutan from a safari park in eastern China. The baby orangutan visited the vet after kidney stones were detected in a lion cub and two other baby orangutans that had consumed contaminated milk powder.

3. What message does this picture present to you? Why?(2 complete sentences - 2 pnts)

This picture is cute, I love animals, but to hear that it might be contaminated from the powder milk, broke my heart. Not only are small children that drink the contaminated powder milk harmed, but now the animals are harmed as well.

4. Can you relate your life to this picture? Why or why not? (4 sentences - 4pnts)

I can't say that I could relate to this picture, but what I could say is that I've had my experience of knowing what it feels like to be at risk. And not only me, a lot of people have had similar kidney problems, some even small children. I don't know much about the contaminated powder milk, but I do know that it has effected a lot of living things, harming and/or killing it, from infants to baby animals, around the globe. It's sad to know that manufacturers producing these products don't seem to care about the public's safety or their customer's health.