Chapter 7: Writer's Notebook Suggestions

1.  Japanese cuisine is based on rice and miso soup.  Miso soup consists of stock called "dashi".  There is a large focus on seasonal and natural ingredients.  For example, Wappani is a unique, miso-based soup found on the island of Awashima Island.

2.  A family ritual of mine is to attend church on Christmas Eve and then have dinner after and open presents at night.  This is important to me and my family because I am the youngest of three kids so during this time we are all together.  Church is a time to pray for and be thankful for all my family has given me through out my life and for us to reflect on how lucky we are to have each other.  Christmas is a time of joy amongst all of us and unity as a family.

3.  There are objects on our planet we call pants.  These pants are considered articles of clothing and clothing is what we wear on a daily basis to be warm or match our weather conditions and keep ourselves from being exposed to others.  When putting on pants, us humans have two legs that we must push through two "pant" holes.  First step is to grab the waste of the pants.  Next, lower the pants to the floor so they are easy to step into.  Take each leg one at a time and proceed to pull the pants up to your waste.

4.  When looking at jerseys, these are articles of clothing that represent sport or competition.  There are typically two types of jerseys in one competition that represent the two teams competing against one another.  This jersey could give someone a sense of pride and that they are playing for their teammates and the organization as a whole.

5.  The rite of passage is an important stage in someone's life such as birth, puberty, marriage, or death.  When looking at an important time in my life, it could be going off to college or becoming an adult.  This is an opportunity in my life to become independent and mature enough so that I am ready for the next stage of my life.

6.  When I attended a Lewis University Men's basketball game, during halftime there was a game played by people with special needs from an organization within Romeoville.  The looks on the faces of these men and women no matter what age they were was a sight to see when they scored a point or made a great play.  The crowd was roaring and you could see the immense amount of joy radiating from the court.  We have to realize that although some may suffer from disabilities, they still have the drive to want to compete and be the best they can be.

7.  Something I realized when I went off to school and transitioned from high school to college is how important family is.  When you are in high school, there are tendencies to fight with your parents and take them for granted, but the minute you are away from home for an extended period of time, you realize how much you miss them.  There is a huge truth within the statement that family is forever.

8.  Volleyball is a term people take for granted.  I have had the opportunity to play collegiate volleyball and has essentially become my life.  Day in and day out I am either playing volleyball, practicing, watching film, working out, or doing mandatory study halls.  Volleyball has created so many new friendships for me as well as taught me the true definition of good work ethic.  These are skills and relationships that will last with me a lifetime.

9.  Now, class I know photosynthesis is a big word, but I will explain it in a way that makes sense because it is actually very simple.  We all know how the sun gives off light and warmth, so when a plant needs to grow, it absorbs this sunlight or takes it in and changes it into energy that can be used for it to function.

10.  The concept of gay marriage has recently changed.  It went from being a taboo concept to accepted nationwide.  People should be able to lead the lives they want and no law should be in place to stop a home sexual couple from marrying if that is what they want.  The principles of marriage is that if two people love each other they should be together for a lifetime whether it is a straight couple or gay.

11.  A word that has become taboo to me is "retard".  I don't even like typing it in this small paragraph right now or hearing myself in my own head say it.  It is a word that people use very aggressively when describing something they strongly resent.  The fact that someone uses a word that resembles another person's disability to show how much they dislike something blows my mind.  It is a word I will never use for the rest of my life and when I am with others and they use it I will let them know that it bothers me.  Most of my friends are able to refrain from saying it around me which will in turn help reduce the amount of times they say it.

12.  When looking at the sport of volleyball, one team serves while the other team receives.  When looking at the side receiving the serve there are typically three people who are ready to pass the ball.  Passing the ball consists of putting your hands together and keeping your fore arms straight out in front of you, forming a "platform".  Your passing platform will determine how accurate you are while passing the ball.  You want you platform to be as straight as possible and be able to angle it towards the setter so he can set the ball to your attackers.  While passing, there needs to be a bend in the passer's knees and they must be still while passing the ball.