Thank you Mrs.Reidel for all that you have done! :) If I could rewind time, I would still want to take this course, given the enjoinment and the pleasure with having you as a teacher ;) You're pretty awesome!

Your student,
Toby Le.






















P.s Btw, as for the package of pop, :P it'll be my reason to come visit u from time to time :P

No One is Above the Law

If I was on a consulting committee to a police force, I would suggest that all officers receive more training in regards to coping under pressure. With more confidence, officers can problem solve more efficiently and be able to prevent any irrational decisions. Furthermore, for officers that do kill unarmed citizens, I believe that they should face a one to two month penalty where they are stripped from their position. Within the given duration, these officers are obligated to participate in seminars that will provide additional training towards coping under pressure and that will educate them on how they could have done better in their certain situation. This penalty serves as a consequence and as a reminder that even though one may be an officer, he or she is still required to follow the law. If the officer kills another unarmed citizen, he or she should be stripped from his/her position permanently, because if this officer cannot serve his/her purpose as a responsible cop, then this person is obviously not qualified enough to be an officer. I will also suggest that these consequences be extremely strict and that those who face it, will not receive any sympathy from the officers' committee. It is absolutely important that everyone understands that an officer who kills an unarmed citizen will also face strict punishment because no one is above the law.

Look Backwards Before Moving Forward

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

Steve Jobs

     


        The previous quote was said by Steve Jobs, an American entrepreneur, marketer, inventor, who was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. With his leadership and technology expertise, he has lifted his company to become one of the most revolutionizing corporations in the communication technology market. The business is  currently valued at 418.15 billion dollars and is recalled by Forbes Magazine as the "#1 World's Most Valuable Brands."


     
         This year will be my final year at Our Lady of Lourdes because as I finish grade 12, I hope to move onto my post secondary education. Beyond the dedication I put into my studies everyday, I often find myself thinking about the future. What am I going to do when I grow up? Will I have a family? What will happen to my mom and sister after I leave to attend University? Thinking about the future, I sometimes feel depressed with the idea that I am going to have to leave my hometown, my highschool, my family, and the many other things that I love so much. The quote above, however, brings comfort to my worrying thoughts and allows me to realize that there isn't anything to feel nervous about. We sometimes think about the future so often that we forget the significance of our present and the past. Furthermore, this quote provides me the realization that in order for there to be a future, you need to have a past and present. Even though the future is an abstract and ambiguous idea, it's within the past and  the present that will lead us to a brighter future. On this journey towards our future, it should be remembered that we don't need to travel alone because represented by our identity , are people who surround us with their love and their affection that has shaped us the way that we are today.  Today I will  remind myself to be brave and I will have faith in myself, so that tomorrow I can be prepared to face my future and the many obstacles it may have.

There's a Hero in All of Us

When we think of the term "hero", many of us would imagine a prestigious warrior that has a unique ability or power that allows them to help those in need. This heroic individual would then be described as an outgoing and charismatic person that is very prominent in society. Romero Dallaire and Dr. Bill Winegard, however, demonstrated to us a new understanding of "heroism."  These men did not possess any type of power or special ability that is peculiar to our society, instead, they were just normal people like us. What distinguishes them as a hero, is their passion to change the world. Even though they were not young, strong, or  perfectly healthy, these factors did not stop them from accomplishing their goals. They showed us that heroism is defined from a passion within, and not from an external ability or power. Passion is what drives determination and hard work, and if we can all find the passion to make the world a better place, we can potentially save the world from its many downfalls. We have the potential to do great things, but we first need to realize where our passion lays, because that's where  we can find our source of motivation that will inspire us to persist towards greatness.

There's more to Trick than Treat in Halloween

Halloween is an event that comes once in a year, and allows students and teachers the opportunity to wear costumes. This event has been debated for the past few years in schools, and is sometimes recognized as a event that does not correspond with Catholic teachings. As a matter of fact, it's been considered as a event that encourages devil worshiping. It is very obvious that many students enjoy celebrating Halloween, but what some schools don't recognize is that there are students that find Halloween as a source of self-expression. This may sound odd to many of our teachers and principals, but there are a minority of students who are very passionate about costumes of characters they admire. A great example is Cosplay, a gathering that happens once a year, where fans come to show off their costumes of their admired characters. There are millions of people who commit hours of work and dedication everyday to create a costume that they can proudly wear at this festival. Similar to Halloween,  the event allows this minority of individuals to express their passion and their interests towards being like a character which they consider as a role model. Halloween may not be significant to many people, but to this small group of individuals, it is an opportunity that only comes once a year where one can show off their dedication and passion towards an admired character. Halloween is more than just wearing a costume and walking from door to door to ask for treats. More than anything, it's a day that celebrates the diversity of our interests and our passion. Most importantly, it's a day of self-expression.

Life to Writing

Poetry is like melody, containing series of ideas that connect with each other. Even though the content may not have a proper structure, this flexibility allows the reader to feel the emotions and expression of the poet. Unlike other types of writing, poetry is a type of literature that allows the writer to express their ideas in individual statements, without having to worry about the organization. Together these ideas combine to create a rhythm that can bring amazement and awe to the reader. After having to write poetry for a week, I realized that the hardest component of poetry is self-expression. Most of the time I will write with very minimum self-expression because I am usually writing for  a Science course where I am expected to have a content backed up by theories and logic. Even though self-expression is difficult and new to my writing experience, I find it very interesting when I'm able to create a rhythm in my writing. It amazes me that beyond music, literature can have its own type of rhythm, its own type of "life" to it.

Meeting Eachother's Expectations.

 There many ways to meet an instructor's expectations while following your own interest. Through communicating with your teacher, you can provide them an understanding of your interests which they can incorporate into their assignments. Every teacher's expectations are different and it is very important that you communicate with each individual instructor about your personal expectations. Through proper communication, both parties are able to understand each other's needs and can try to meet them in assignments and tests. As a manager of my own education, I ensure assignments meet my needs by this similar communication method. Assignments are meant to benefit you and if they are not meeting your needs, you need to stand up and speak with the instructor. It's your education, it's your knowledge, and it will be your future that you are standing up for.