The pains of everyday use

The once new utensils 

Now old and scratched from use 

They disconnected 

They stopped working

They were no more 

The package of the newer generation 

Crisp and clean with all the updates 

They said that they were 

Stronger, Better quality, More bang for you buck

But are they?

What determines good headphones 

The corporation that makes them 

YouTube videos

Telling you to what to think 

In this world we are told what to do so much 

Changing the way that we think 

And the way we make decisions 

So when making this decision 

You chose 

Whether you like the Sound, Fit, And quality 

Don’t let anyone make this for yourself 

You have taught me everything that I know 

How could I repay you for such a thing

You have seen my life and watched me grow

You’d be grateful if I gave you anything 

With Dad Maura Jack and Tommy by our side

 Watching the bruins and yelling at the screen 

 A great family that no one divides 

You do lots of stuff for us except for clean

Everything that you do for me is great

Laundry, cooking, driving for us 

Some days you need a break from you hustle around 

A day to chill on the couch and watch some bs 

Happy mother’s to my beloved mother 

Even though your going to her this one after another 

Is Philanthropy Worth it?

by Joe and Conor 

”philanthrop is greatly over rated.”

     Giving money is almost useless. You can’t just throw money at a problem and expect it to be fixed. Thoreau believes that charities aren’t that important and many people who participate are hypocrites.  Thoreau is talking about philanthropy. He believes that “you need to give yourself before you give money.” He talks about rich people believe that money will solve all the problems. 

Be sure that you give the poor the aid they most need, though it be your example which leaves them far behind. If you give money, spend yourself with it, and do not merely abandon it to them

When thinking about this quote and thinking about what Thoreau is saying brings the saying feed a man a fish he will be feed for a day, but teach a man how to fish he’ll be feed for life. Showing how rich people just give money for a short time, but if you go in and help people it will have a longer effect. Rich people believe that they can solve every problem with philanthropy, but they can’

Some Couches and Chairs

- Joe

“It is good people who make good places.”

     A place can have a huge effect. Something as simple as a place can bring change to my routine and my day. Having a sense of a community will have a big effect on the students and the school as a whole. The chairs outside of Stars office might not seem like a big deal, but to many people they mean the world. Fighting over seats and making sure to call fives whenever you get up. Everyone wanting to be apart of the group of kids that get to sit in those beloved couches and chairs. As a sixth grader I would walk past the gym lobby seeing everyone chilling out. I didn’t see why everyone wanted to be there until 8th grade. Coming into the 8th grade the first day many kids were sitting there; however, this time I didn’t walk by I sat down. Even though this didn’t seem like a big deal at the time this decision changed my morning for ever day. Now I sit there talking to kids. Getting to know everyone better by talking to the lower grades and hanging out. Building the sense of community even more. These couches have had their downs. Like Ben Lisa spilling a large coffee all over the seats; however, there have been many ups. The countless days with people having a good time and hanging out in the lobby. Looking up to see coach Ryan’s top quality memes on the TV. The gym lobby has become more than just a couple of couches. This is a place to hang out, a place to get to know kids in the younger grades, and a place to be more apart of a community. 

The Experiment and Cabin

     In the experiment Thoreau talks about himself chopping down the wood for his cabin. As well he describes his scenery and a snake. This snake he makes a connection to humans how they are afraid of many things, but nature can help us become not afraid. 

     The next chapter describes how he builds the cabin as well how much money he spends on it. He goes into great description on how he builds it. He goes into a weird description of the window how it is deep and high. I don’t why this happened but it was very interesting.

A Walk To the Pond 

“You can be a big fish in a small pond, but you're only going to be competing against people at that level.”   

-Finn Balor 

    As I walked down the street to the pond my mind began to drift thinking why would fitz send us into nature. Maybe to think more like Thoreau, or to just relax and focus on nature to calm down. The temperature Is beginning to change from the cold winter to the warm weather of spring. With this change the birds seem to instantly settle back into the north rebuilding nests and starting new lives. At our school next year we will be doing these same as these birds. Find their home, friends, and way to live their lives. The smell of the water with the splashed on the shore of the water sending a cooler breeze into the air. My feet resting on the ground with the unbalance of the dirt being shifted whenever someone walks upon the ground. When I arrive back at my house I realize how more relaxed and centered I am, making the walk very well worth it.

What is the difference between want and need?

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it”

-Henry David Thoreau

    Why can’t I tell difference between want and need. In “Economy” in Walden by Henry David Thoreau I learned that you don’t always need what you think you need in life. I have been a kid always wanting to be rich having lots of items that I think I need. Through reading this I have “woken up” realizing that you only need the necessity in life. I agree with him saying how you don’t need fancy clothes to be a good man, nor a fancy house. In “Economy” Thoreau wants to show how you don’t need fancy things too be a good man. He shows how many people want things, but don’t need all those items. Coming into this I thought that I didn’t want too much and my wants and needs were balanced; however, after reading it I realized that I was way off. Showing how I wanted too many thing that I truly didn’t need. 

How would you define necessity?

-By Joseph 

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

-Henry David Thoreau 

     What do you really need in life? 9th graders believe they need more than they actually need. In my life I get wrapped up in What I think I need in life. Thinking that we need flashy phones or cool clothes, when we really don’t. One day I was at my house asking my mom for sneakers and headphones for Christmas; however, she brought up a contradiction to my claim that I needed them.

She said, “who pays for school?”

I replied, “you.”

She returned by saying, “isn’t that enough for you?”

In our family, and what I believe that is one of the necessities of life is education, so it was a no brainer to put education over getting random things that aren’t that important. From this point on I realized that there is no point in asking for random stuff since they already do so much for me. In life there are a few things that you really need. 

Spring Haikus 

The creaky old door 

That no one opens 

Is this a path to success?

  ~Joe 

The new shoes stepping 

On the old and worn paint 

What are our priorities?

~Joe 

The small bud of the rose 

Pokes out into the cold air 

Wondering if it is their time. 

~Joe

The leafs

growing on the bare trees 

Like they were put into reverse

~Joe 

When writing the spring Haikus it was pretty easy since Fitz gave us a whole period to create them. When outside I tried to create as many as possible because there will be more Haikus that are not bad. I looked around and tried to creating ones with more images on images and images on action. 

Summer Haikus 

The large vast ocean 

To the tiny grain of sand 

At my fingertips

~Joe

The sun beating down 

With the cold water 

What a beautiful day 

~Joe

The umbrella’s shade 

Protects us from the scolding sand 

For a little while 

~Joe

The beach ball bouncing 

On the hot pavement 

Slowly losing air

~Joe

When writing the summer Haikus I was trying to work with more other ways to write the Haikus. I looked back on my times during summer when we were at the beach. Since the first thing that comes to mind when I think of summer is the beach so when it came to writing them, most of them were about the beach.

Fall Haikus 

The maple leafs fall

To the partly frozen ground 

The end is near

~Joe

The wind blowing 

Signaling the changes 

Nor good or bad 

~Joe

The ground begins to frost 

With green turning to white 

Breath becoming visible 

~Joe 

The signs showing 

Everting shorter 

Expect the clothes

~Joe

With the fall Haikus I tried to do almost the opposite of what I did for the spring, since the two seasons are basically opposites. Looking to what I remember and how the season replays in my mind. Hence why most of them are of leaves falling and the weather getting cold. 

Winter Haikus 

The tiny snowflake 

Falls to the ground 

Joining the masses 

~Joe

The days are short 

The nights are long 

Winter is in full swing 

~Joe

Boiling hot coco 

Begin too cool down 

With the marshmallows melting 

~Joe

It’s a white out 

No cars on the road 

Everyone’s which came true 

~Joe

When it came time for the winter Haikus I wanted to work on of all of the types of writing it. With trying to dive deeper and try and have more deeper meanings. They were fun to write since winter is my favorite season. 

Economy #1

-By Joseph Doherty

    As I sit here trying to write some essay for a class which I have no intention of doing well on. Starting a senior slide, which will not have a good effect in the long run. Only having my mind set only getting AirPods. Though from reading Economy I realized that you only need the necessity of life is all you need. Or is it?