Journal Comment Assignment | Buy assignments online

Comment on two other students’ journals.

Journals topic:

Journal 2

Describe a moment where you lacked control

Journal 3

Something that people would have a hard time believing about you

Journal 4

Brush with danger

Journal 5

Movie character, favorite before you were born. (the character needs to be in a movie released before your birth date)

Journal 6

Write a letter to yourself in the future.  Choose a specific point in the future (five years, ten years, please not two hours).  Express what you expect of them at that time.

Journal 7

A gadget that everyone should have

Journal 8

Relay an argument that you’ve had with a family member, friend or co-worker.  Make sure to present their side of the argument too.

Journal 9

A personal triumph in sports or academics

Journal 10

Explain a skill that you have that took time and training to develop

Journal 2

(Olivia Freihon)

Last year in November, my family and I lost our home in the Woolsey Fire. I have felt a lack of control over my life since the moment we were evacuated. The night before we were evacuated, we had heard that some areas on the other side of the freeway were being evacuated, so we made a preliminary plan of which cars we would take, which pets would go with who, etc. We did not expect that we were going to have to leave our home. At around 2 A.M., we were woken up by sirens and a policeman on a loud speaker telling us we had to leave immediately. I live in an area where fire fighters don’t go in large fires because it is too dangerous. Because of that, we’re not given time to get anything together, we are just told to leave now. We managed to get our four cats, two dogs, bunny, guinea pig, turtle, and one bag each into our cars within about 20 minutes. We had been evacuated due to fires a few times before, so driving away it did not feel like it would be the last time any of us saw our house. We drove about two hours north to Pine Mountain Club, where my grandparents live. When we got there, we all crowded in front of the TV, watching the news and hoping they would talk about our neighborhood. Because the fire fighters weren’t even allowed in the area, news crews weren’t either. We stayed up for hours waiting for them to say anything. Finally after another day of waiting, we got a call from one of our neighbors who was able to get back. He told us our house was gone as well as six others on the street. This has been an experience that has taught me patience and excepting that I am not in control of my current situation, and I won’t be for a while. While my entire family is very unsure of most things, we are also very lucky to all be safe and have a place to stay.

(Victoria Dominguez)

A time I lacked control was when I was between eight and fourteen years old when I would over eat. I always ate so much food because I was bored but when I got to high school I realized it was a major problem. It took me a long time to know that it was a problem because it was a lifestyle when I was younger. I used to eat fast food everyday and snack constantly during the day. McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Del Taco, and Carl’s Jr. were what I ate the whole week. Doritos, Oreos, Chips Ahoy, and hot dogs were what I snacked on all day when I was not eating a meal. I ate food because it was a comfort thing that I could not get away from with all the things that happened in my personal and social life. These things contributed to my eating because everything was changing in a new chapter of my life, my friends were different, and I was starting at a new school. Then when it was my freshman year I realized that I needed to change because I was not happy in my own skin and the way I looked. I decided to join the high school basketball team and then I also joined lacrosse to do after basketball season so I would exercise constantly. I began to lose weight and gain muscle but I knew that I was not satisfied. I had not changed my eating habits while I was doing these sports but then I changed my eating habits and I ate better foods that benefited my body and not my hunger. I finally felt better in my own skin and had a boost of confidence. I realize now as a seventeen year old that I need to take better care of myself and know how careful I need to be with what I eat. And sometimes emotions and thoughts take control to cause habits that are very difficult to end.

Journal 3

(Victoria Dominguez)

People would have a hard time believing that I was sexually abused for three years by my stepdad. Just some back story: I was 12 when it first happened and 15 when it ended. I was a totally different person then and my life has been different ever since and I know how to hide some of my feelings very well. This incident eats me alive today because although I am a very happy person in general my life will never be the same after this.  Whenever I tell people they do not believe this ever happened to me because of how I carry myself and do not let it bother me as much as people expect it to. People tell me how strong and brave I am due to this major point in my life but it is just because I do not let it effect me, I am a normal person and I do not identify myself as a victim, I identify myself as a survivor.

This year was the first time I went to court for it and the first time I have had to talk about it in depth. I had a very hard time. Only a couple of my friends know about everything that has happened. When I told them they were so surprised because of how joyful I am all the time. My family always praises me for being so happy all the time. Sometimes people will tell my family how beautiful and happy we are but they do not know how much we have gone through the past two years since it has happened. People look at my family and I and do not realize how much pain we have gone through because of this. It just shows that I do not let my abuse define me or create the person I am today which shows why people would not believe this happened to me.

(Blake Hammarquist)

I think that I am a very simplistic person, so it is hard to think about something that people would struggle to believe about me. Honestly, it took a lot of thinking to find something that other people would find hard to believe. I think people would find it hard to believe that I would want to be a doctor. Everyone always says that they do not see me as being the type of person who would want to be a doctor, but I don’t know why. I do not know if there really is a type of person that fits into being a doctor. I have always liked the idea of potentially preforming surgery. I want to be a special type of doctor, because I really want to help people. I know that sounds a little non-descriptive, but I just like the idea of making a difference. That always seems to be something that people struggle to believe, because I am a very reserved person. I am much more laid back and not an outgoing type of person. It seems like a lot of people believe that you need to have a certain type of personality to fit into the typical future doctor. I know that this is not the most surprising thing that people are going to read, but it tends to surprise a lot of people. I would have liked to tell you guys something more exciting, but I really can’t think of anything else that fits into this journal topic. I do not think that everyone really has something that people would struggle to believe. I am pretty much a pretty up front person, so people tend to get an easy read on me. I do think it is interesting that I want to be a doctor, but even more interesting that people have a hard time believing it.

Journal 4

(Hayden Smith)

Gladly, there has not been that many brushes with danger I have had in my life. Even though there has not been very many, I can still remember the time when a fire went up on my backyard fence. About 7 years ago there was a very large fire that caused everyone in the community to evacuate and even many places near the community. I was in 5th grade when it happened and all of the parents had to go and pick up their children. I do not remember everything very clearly, but what I remember most is seeing smoke covering the outside of my class window. After my mom got my siblings and I we headed home. We were all home for only 45 minutes when we received a call that we need to evacuate. My mom grabbed everything that was super valuable like a safe and birth certificates, while my dad stayed at the home to see if the firefighters needed help and the make sure our house stays safe. We drove around our town for a little bit and stayed at my grandpas house which was very far away from the house. Later in the night m,y dad came over and said that we could head back in the morning. He also told us about how close the fire had gotten and how it started to burn our fence, yet the firefighters put it out right away. Just a few months ago this happened again and we had to evacuate to Calabasas, but eventually came back because we felt very safe at home. Times when you have to leave your home and almost leave everything you own can be very stressful, especially for animals. California is very beautiful, yet during dry times it can get bad very fast.

(Alberto Fernandez)

I remember having a brush with danger at a young age. I was eight years old and living in the City of El Monte, California. My cousins lived next door and we were always getting into mischief. There was a liquor store on the corner and we lived three houses away. My cousins and I would frequently go to the liquor store to buy candies or whatever we could afford.

On one occasion, I remember my cousins running out of the liquor store leaving me behind. I was undecided on what to buy, candy or chocolate. Isn’t that the ultimate question? I remember walking out and thinking that my cousins were hiding on the side of the building. The liquor store had two pay phones outside, they were on the left side of the building away from the store entrance. I walked to the side of the building and instead of finding my cousins, I found two grown adults. It looked like they were breaking into the pay phone. I remember running back into the liquor store and the two adults right behind me. The owner knew me and noticed the concern in my face. I was nervous that the two adults were going to try and do something to me. I remember one of the adults putting his arm around me and asking what candy I wanted. Luckily, my older sister’s best friend’s brother Renee was in the liquor store at that exact moment. Renee was in his early 20s and with friends. I recall yelling “He’s my brother” and pointing at Renee. Renee reacted quickly, questioning what was happening and the adult immediately let go of me. I remember leaving the liquor store feeling relieved.

Looking back, that visit to the liquor store could have been a tragedy had Renee not been there at that exact moment.

Journals 5

(Kaitlyn Adams)

Around 9 years before I was born, Jurassic Park was released in theaters on June 11, 1993. Out of all the characters in this movie my favorite is Alan Grant the paleontologist. If you have seen Jurassic Park 3 Alan is also in that movie, and I love that movie more than Jurassic Park! Alan Grant also goes by Dr.Grant in both movies. Alan is my favorite character because he is not a fan of kids but always ends up saving them, his humour can be intense, he is a handsome guy and he is a paleontologist which I have always wanted to study paleontology! Alan was both lucky and stuck in a terrible place when he visited Jurassic Park. He was Lucky because he got to see how the dinosaurs were created in his time and he got to see all these beautiful creatures. He was stuck in a terrible place because well if you have not seen that movie ( You should see it!) the whole Park is taken over by Dinosaurs because Dennis Nedry shuts down the Parks power letting all the dinosaurs get out. The Raptors and the Tyrannosaurs play the main roles of killing some and catching the characters until they finally get help and off the Island! I love dinosaurs and if you love dinosaurs you might like this movie too!

(Anthony Hernandez)

My favorite movie that was released before my birthday was Batman when he was played by Michael Keaton. Although this movie was released in 1989 and I was born in 1994, this movie is my all time favorite. I remember being about 3 or 4 watching this movie for the first time. At the time I thought Batman and the Joker were awesome. As I am writing this journal, I remember a simpler time where I was worry free. I used to watch this movie over and over again up until I was about 6. Batman to me represented a hero that I wanted to be for some odd reason. Even up to this date I still enjoy watching all the batman movies that have been released since. One of my first toys were a batman action figure and his bat mobile. My second car was all black and which I even called the bat mobile. I would trick my little cousins into thinking I had a true bat mobile because my key remote had a button that allowed the car to start without putting a key into the ignition. I’ve never been too interested in super heroes that were born in a different planet. I thought batman was invincible and he was even more cool because he was a human who had extraordinary fighting skills. I don’t think I really liked the actor now that I think of it but I think it was more batman’s attire that interested me. Personally, I liked Ben Affleck as my all time favorite batman but that is just me. Maybe I am a bit on the late train but I just started watching the series, Gotham on Netflix and it is cool to re-live my childhood by kind of going through batman’s story.

Journals 6

(Maxwell Oliver)

Letter to Future Self:

Dear Max of 2024,

College is in your rear view and the whole world seems like it is right ahead of you. This is the time to do the things that matter most. The time to make the decisions that shape everything moving forward.

I expect to be doing quite well in school and possibly have a job in my career choice. I want to, as I have discovered recently, to enjoy the things that I enjoyed in my youth. Such as being outside, or swimming in the pool; those things remind me of home and family, and growing up drifts me far away from my roots. I also want to be a free spirit, having the ability to roam as I choose. Not tethered to anything or anyone. That flexibility in life requires careful planning, but at that point, I think you will have that figured out.

I want to see change in the world. I hope that the problems we face today as a society have stopped, and that we move on to much grander situations that support our entire population rather than harm it. I hope that media and technology do not take over as much as I think they will. The media age is something to be reckoned with, speed and power, and watching society change over the past 10 year through social media strongly concerns me.

Most of all, I want you to live your life honestly, and not to the standards of someone else. There is enough to worry about already, there is no use in fitting a character that you really don’t assume

(Cristina Ngiraklang)

Dear Cristina,

By the time you read this it will be 10 years from the time I sat down to write this in 2019. If indeed it is 2029, I hope you have been able to raise a wonderful, intelligent pre-teen. Although this has not came easy, you are doing a great job and should be proud. I know that by know you have completed your degree and you may have even been working at your dream job for a few years. That is great! great things come to those who try and through the year and the bumpy roads you have never given up. If at this very moment you do not own a house, no worries you are still young and by this time in a couple years you will be more than comfortable. Always work hard for what you want in life so that the ultimate reward is the success that follows. The desire to give your family everything that you did not have growing up serves as motivation to continue to wake up every morning and accomplish those things you have set out to do. I hope that you are not only older but wiser and healthy, a healthy family and bright days.

Remember that in the event that set backs occur, it will only be momentary. After regaining your ground, bigger better things will come your way. Stay strong, Stay motivated and most of all keep your conscience and you will always have inner peace.

2019 Cristina

Journal 7

(Maxwell Oliver)

I believe that a gadget everyone should have is a mobile cell phone. Yes it’s pretty standard nowadays, but after I considered what my life would be like without it, I am so happy to have a cell phone. In todays age of widespread mass communication, it is vital to have access to information almost instantaneously. Having the ability to look something up, right when an idea comes to mind, rather than a few hours down the road, once you’ve forgotten, has saved me numerous times, and allows me to keep all my thoughts in one place.

Another reason I like having a cell phone is all the different programs that it can run. An iPhone is perhaps the biggest example of turning a cell phone into a multiuser tool. Containing a flashlight, compass, camera, even a ruler on the latest editions. The accessibility of movie phones makes them absolutely necessary to anyone in the current media climate. Having a single device that contains any and all, games, photos, contacts, etc. does come with its downfalls. If not backed up to a cloud storage unit, all of the data stored on a single phone can be erased if the phone is broken or lost. Thankfully, backing up information has become easier and easier as new models emerge from phone companies. I believe the phone is the most versatile tool a person can have, and it will continue to be, as new models emerge.

(Victoria Dominguez)

I think that a gadget everyone should have is pepper spray. I carry a pepper spray keychain and I love feeling safe whenever I have it. I think because nowadays you never know what is gonna happen, it is always good to be prepared for anything. With society nowadays you never know what is going to happen. I also think people should have the ability to feel safe carrying something that gives them comfort and for me that is pepper spray. People may not use it but if it makes you feel safe then it is definitely something people should carry. Also, you do not have to use it but if you are walking after work and someone is following you and you are scared you have the protection just in case. Pepper spray also can be useful for traveling as well as your daily life. Even though there may be a low chance of someone using pepper spray just having the courage and confidence of carrying it can help you feel safe walking alone to your car, going places, evening jogs, etc. Pepper spray also blinds a attacker for a short amount of time which allows the person to get away from the person quick enough to go to a safe place. Due to how society has been affected by crime I suggest that pepper spray should be carried and is an important gadget. Also, no one knows what is going to happen in a day so everyone should be prepared for the worst. Being prepared with something someone can defend themselves with can save their life if they go through a situation that allows them to use pepper spray. That is why I think pepper spray is an important gadget that everyone should carry because it helps someone be prepared for the worst if they encounter someone who is trying to attack, kidnap, or rob them.

Journal 8

(Kaitlyn Adams)

All my life I have been a loud person and I only know that because people always tell me that I am a loud person. But hey my excuse is that I cannot stop it, I probably can but I am so use to being a loud person that I do not notice how loud I can be. Due to how loud I can be, my parents have yelled at me and we have even got into arguments. I get yelled at weekly, and it happens so much that whenever I get yelled at it is like a joke now. Recently though my dad and I got into an argument because I screamed at my dog to stop barking out of my window. A few minutes after I screamed my dad came into my room to see why. He asked me if everything was okay, which I replied, “ Sorry Penny was barking”. He was so mad at me because he thought the reason I had screamed was that something bad had happened, such as the example he gave me which was that he thought my dog Ellie had got hit by a car. He told me to never scream like that again and I started to laugh, and he grew even more made at me. I told him that he needed to relax and everything is fine so It shoulder not matter. We ended up not talking for a couple hours until I realized that I was very wrong for screaming,laugh at the situation, and for telling him to relax. In the end we made up and I learned that screaming is only the answer when something bad happens because screaming will cause people to panic. That is was you don’t scream fire in a movie Theater!

(Blake Hammarquist)

I actually come from a family that does not argue much, but we have had a few big arguments. One of the main arguments I remember was about getting a new dog. When I was about 12 years old, my family decided to get a new dog. I wanted to get a dog that was big and fluffy. I was hoping to get the type of dog that I could take running. I wanted to be able to go do things with my dog and actually play with the dog. The argument started with my brother because he wanted a smaller dog. My brother wanted to have a smaller dog because he wanted a dog that he could hold and a dog that was easy to handle. He thought getting a larger dog would be a bad choice because we wouldn’t be able to control the dog. I was able to understand what he was saying, but I did not agree with what he was saying. It was a big fight that lasted for many days and weeks. We kept going back and forth and we both tried hard to get our parents to pick sides. Sadly, it seemed like it was an argument that I was not able to win. The rest of my family started to agree with my brother. There was a strong sentiment that a smaller dog would be better for our family. I am very competitive, so I like to win. I did not win this argument, but I tend to win the arguments that happen in my house. We ended up getting a small dog and I realize that my argument wasn’t really valid. I was able to do all of the things that I would have wanted to do with a bigger dog. Family arguments are interesting and I’m lucky I do not have to deal with a lot of them.

Journal 9

(Kaitlyn Adams)

I have not participated in any sports nor do I believe that I have had any personal triumphs in academics. Although ever since I was little I did like being active especially, at Recess back when I was just a kid.I guess a personal triumph I had in sports was when I use to play kickball so much that people started to notice how good I was. I remember how much I loved kicking and running for the balls every which way they would fly. I would use any type of ball to kick such as soccer balls, basket balls, and volley balls. If you could picture a cat chasing a laser, then you have a good idea of what I looked like running around. I became good at how to kick a ball properly and was able to kick a soccer ball very high. I remember I would kick a ball up in the air, wait for it to get close to the ground and before it made it to the ground I would kick it back up high. I could do that several times in a row. Once my P.E. teacher watched we do that and was so impressed he wanted me to join a soccer team. I kindly told him that was not for me, but now i realize that if I joined a team of any sport and tried my hardest I would have gone far. I have been told by other P.E. teachers in high school to join a sport, but I was too afraid that I would not enjoy being on a team where I could be yelled at by a coach. I will always love how much kicking a ball around made me feel, I felt so empowered.

(Maxwell Oliver)

While I have never been an avid sports person, or a person that excels in academics. I have always had my passions focused towards the arts such as theater, dance, and music. One of the biggest challenges when pursuing these interests is the reoccurring feeling of stage fright. Like hiccups, it never seems to go away, and always comes when you least expect or in the worst possible moments. Whenever I get nervous before I perform, my body tries to trick me into shutting down. I get super tired, as if I can’t go onstage to perform. Its a really interesting trick that my nerves are playing on me, but now that I have caught it, I use it to my advantage by warming up even further to prevent it from happening.

Personally, I feel that I have to overcome a new version of stage fright every time that I embark on a new show process. In 8th grade, I did my first big show, and was thrust into a cast of over 70 people. Finding my place in that giant group was difficult, and even more so because I was terrified of performing. Becoming a master of the text, and movement that I had to do in the show was the key to preventing stage fright. It may sound staright forward, but having the mastery of my work under my belt, helped me focus and be less nervous during the show. I have continued to master whatever it is that I am working on, as soon as I get it, so that I can make it my own during rehearsal and not be terrified onstage during performance.

Journal 10

(Maddie Boucher)

A skill I possess that took time and training to develop is training dogs with patience and love, without showing fear. I was able to learn this skill from the man who is responsible for training all police and search/rescue dogs for Ventura County. My training instructor helped me understand the true nature of training dogs does not correlate with the dog itself, it correlates with the trainer. I had to be trained to train, in an ironic way of putting it. The number one thing that I gathered from learning to train dogs is the importance of patience. Every dog is different, and just like people, to achieve the best results, you may have to cater to their learning style. Some dogs pick up a command right away, some struggle to put together what you want with the action of doing it, others just enjoy being stubborn. Achieving a fully trained dog doesn’t happen overnight, it takes patience and dedication. I was encouraged to help others trying to train their own dog to understand that the more they’d work with their pup, the better results they would achieve, which also meant instilling that same patience in the owners too, since now we live in a world of instant gratification where everyone wants what they want right away. Dog training doesn’t cater to that desire. The second-most important thing I learned was to show no fear. In my experience working with potentially dangerous dogs, I learned to work and handle them to prevent myself from getting injured. Many dogs require a heavy hand with training, especially if they suffer from an alpha mentality. Training these kinds of dogs is a delicate endeavor, because you need to show them that you are their alpha, while being aware they could injure you at any moment. Flipping a large, growling dog on its back isn’t really for the faint of heart, but this is so common in training aggression out of dogs, so being aware and not allowing fear to rule was an important thing to learn. Finally, I learned you can be dominant over a dog without being cruel. Showing the animal that they’ve done the right thing is so important, showering praise to raise their morale and encourage this behavior again. Love should be the biggest motivating factor when training your dog, in my experience, because without it you’re searching to make an animal a robot, not a healthier member of your family. Learning how to train dogs is harder than training a dog itself; looking for certain behaviors, correcting, and being fully aware are just a few of the components you need to be successful. However, I encourage anyone looking to train their dog to utilize the tips I’ve given, or to reach out to a local dog trainer. My personal mantra is “any dog can be ‘good’, but with hard work, any dog can be great”, exemplifying that if someone is willing to put in the time and effort to train their dog, they can unlock potential they didn’t even know they had.

(Hayden Smith)

In my life one skill that I have took time to develop is my painting and art abilities. I remember the first time I started to practice drawing and painting when I was 10. My dad was drawing spider man for me in elementary school and he wanted me to color it, and I was satisfied, but I also wanted to be able to paint and draw those type of characters. I asked my parents if we could go to an art shop and pick up the supplies that we needed and they said yes. Later that week my parents and I painted what we liked. I decided to try and paint a turtle because it was my favorite animal at the time. Ever since that night my love for painting and art just kept increasing. I still practice this day by learning how and when to use specific brushes and what kind of lines need to go where. Although I have never received any lessons for it, I have used my spare time to look up videos and tutorials that help me understand how to do art. Today, I have made large canvases that are paintings of thoughts and feelings I have while creating that painting. One thing that I really enjoy about painting is the ability to do whatever you like and make the painting as colorful or creative as you want. One day when I get myself my own home and I am able to remodel it, I will make many paintings that are fun and interesting and cover the inside of my house one day. The painting is a side hobby, yet I feel in life it has helped me become more creative and increase my ability to think. Without my parents I do not think I would ever have gotten into the art world.