Response to Section 3- Amanda Accaputo

2. What do you think the author, Don Aker, is trying to get his readers to realize about Reef?

I think that Don Aker is trying to get his readers to realize that Reef is not only an angry and mean teenage, but also a scared boy who has trouble opening to others about his problems. If he is too nice and opening, he thinks that people can wlk all over him. He always wants to use his roughness in any situation so cover up the soft side of him. he really isn;t that bad of a guy.

4. What similarities do Leeza and Reef's grandmother share that have an impact on Reefs life?
Leeza and his grandmother
-both make him a better person
-make him happy
-make him feel good about himself
-make him feel like he isn't that lost scared boy anymore

Tweaking

Hello Ladies,

Thank you for posting your work on time!  A few things to consider:

a) Make sure to add your feedback to each other's work
b) if you haven't already, please post or bring in your media work for Friday (Amanda, am I missing part of it?  Are you bringing part in?)
c) Contemporary relevance - make sure to be specific when citing - it's not enough to just list a source at the end, you need to either use "direct quotation" (source) or parenthetical citation (source).  One is word for word, the other is when you've used the idea, but put it in your own words.

Any questions, just ask!

~Ms. G

Section 3 Responses - Michelle Ku

1. Do you think that Reef is really a hard, closed, mean type of person that he portrays himself to be? What type of effect did his grandmother have on him?

1. No I don’t think Reef is like that kind of person because inside he always thinks about his grandma and how she died so quickly. He portrays himself to be a mean person because I think he’s scared to let someone love him like what his grandma did, and then if Reef lets that person into his life, they might just go away/die and leave him hanging. If Reef’s grandma wasn’t there for him, no one would shoe him love. Reef would be even sadder, worse, and I don’t think he would care if his life would be taken the next day.

3. If Leeza and Reef never met, do you think the volunteering that Reef had to do would have still changed him into what type of man he is now?

3. No I don’t think it would’ve changed to him to be the man he is now because if Leeza wasn’t there he wouldn’t have found anyone to connect to in North Hills; which would make him keep everything in and take it out on someone again. Reef would also get into a lot more trouble than he is in now, by making silly mistakes.

Positive - Good work. I like your contemporary relevance topic, self discovery.


Constructive - Spell check your words. Look it over, when your done.

Contemporary Relevance

Teen issue: Self Discovery

        It is very important to discover who are you and who you want to be in life.Once you figure out what you would like to do with your life at a young age, it helps you understand and manage your stressful insights and reactions to life which makes it easier for you to bring about healthier, and positive choices. Being heart-smart is all about taking responsibility for your actions and reactions. Growing in self awareness helps you understand why you feel what you feel and why you behave the way you behave. That understanding gives you the opportunity and freedom to change those things that you would like to change about yourself,and create the life that you would like to live. Without knowing who you are, self acceptance and change become impossible.

Some questions you may think about in order to discover yourself are:

1. What do you like to do?
2. what skills do you have?
3. What skills do you like to use?
4. What's your personality type? 
5. What type of person do others see you as?
6. What type of person do you see yourself as?
7. What do you do best?
8. What are your values?
9. what are you passionate about?
10. What do you think your purpose is?

 Some books that deal with self discovery and that can help you are:

• Lifekeys Discover Who You are by Jane AG Kise

• Teen Self Discovery: Helping Teens Find Balance, Security & Esteem by Doc Childre

Sources Used:

• http://www.amazon.ca/How-Book-Teen-Self-Discovery/dp/1879052369
• http://www.lifekeys.com/

   In the novel...

    Self discovery is a teen issue explored in Don Akers novel, The First Stone. the character that mainly deals with the self discovery is Reef. He starts off as a young lost,confused, and frightened boy; who then grows into a wild, free, unmannerly teenager, which then results to a very changed person from how he was in the start.

    When he was a young boy, everything was pretty good for him. though he didn't have parents to be there by his side, he had his grandmother who loved him dearly.His grandmother was the only one showing him love and showing him the right things to do.  After his grandmother died, his life changed completely. Without having someone guiding him in the right direction to a great life, he was left alone. He didn't have a life plan set out, he didn't know which path to take in life. Having someone there with you from when you are young, and guiding you in the right direction is very important. Having that security and reassurance all results on how your life will turn out in the future.

    Reef made the wrong decisions in life. Making the wrong choices in life got him into a lot of trouble. He hung with the wrong crowd, started doing drugs doing crimes, he was doing the things that he thought was best for him to survive in life. When ever he would make the wrong choice, he was never responsible for his actions. The only time he had no choice but to live up to his consequence was when the judge gave him a choice between community service or jail time. Of course he chose the volunteering instead of jail time because then when he was done, he could go back out and do the same thing that he was doing. Instead of coming out the same lost, rude teenager, he was changed. Someone in the hospital had changed his views on a lot of things.


    Leeza was the cause of Reef's self discovery. She was the reason why he has changed into the better man that he is now. She helped him realize that what he's been doing all of his 17 years of life have been wrong. He has noticed the wrongs in his life and he made a change. Once you are self aware, you can make that positive change within yourself that you want to make. As Reef goes around telling the grade schools about his story, he starts to understand himself as to why he was acting the way he acted in the past. Understanding his past behavior, he was able to change what had caused him to be that way in the first place and start being the well off man that he wished he was from the start.

Section 3- Questioning and Ctitical Thinking- Sophia Fagan

1. Do you think that Reef is really a hard, closed, mean type of person that he portrays himself to be? What type of effect did his grandmother have on him?
2. What do you think the author, Don Aker, is trying to get his readers to realize about Reef?
3. If Leeza and Reef never met, do you think the volunteering that Reef had to do would have still changed him into what type of man he is now?
4. What similarities do Leeza and Reef's grandmother share that have an impact on Reefs life?
5. If Reef grew up with a father and a mother, do you think that he would have still chosen the wrong path that he did without two parental figures in his life?

Character Analysis

Chad 'Reef' Kennedy

Quotes

 1.       He’d tried to tell Owen about her a couple nights ago, tried to tell him who she was, what she was like. But Owen had looked at him like he’d suddenly grown an extra head, and he’d felt like a moron even bring it up. Changed the subject. Because he really didn’t understand it himself. Had never felt like this before. ( Aker 185)

·         This quote is talking about Reef wanting to tell Owen about the new girl in his life that he met at the hospital named Leeza. He wants to tell him about her but he doesn’t to show the guys that he has a soft spot. He still wants to be the tough guy. If he shows Own that a girl is starting to have an effect on him, then Owen and the guys will look at Reef differently because Reef is known as the tough guy you don’t want to mess around with.  Also it shows that Reef himself doesn’t quite know how or what he is feeling for Leeza because he hasn’t encountered someone like that in his life.

2.       “Jesus, Scar, whaddya want me to do? Visit her? Hold her hand? What’s done is done … Ain’t nothin’ I can do about it now. Even if I wanted to. Which I don’t.” (Aker 36)

·         When Reef  tells Scar this, he is kind of hiding his true feelings about what he did to the girl in the car.  He is once again being the tough guy who doesn’t give two cents about anyone else but himself. He doesn’t care that he has caused someone very serious injuries. That’s the type of person he is showing off to everyone. Deep down, Reef does care. He does want to go visit her and tell her that he is sorry for putting her in the situation that she now has to get used to for a long period of time.  If he were to show people that soft side of him that he has covered up very well, then people can say a lot of things about him without having to worry about getting hurt after saying them.

3.       That person had never known his father, a boy not much older than himself who had gotten his mother pregnant and then run off. Nor had that person known his mother, a deaf girl whose shyness had kept her prisoner within herself until the boys attentions had drawn her out and then betrayed her. She’d wasted away barely pushing the scrawny baby out of her body before leaving it herself. That baby became the focus of his grandfather’s anger: the reason for their poverty, the justification for every drink, the root of every rage. That baby became the frightened, angry boy who lost his grandmother to a disease he couldn’t see, the boy who was then shunted from one foster home to another, one school to another. (Aker 222)

·         This basically sums why Reef is the person he was before meeting Leeza. He never had a father, nor did he know his mother. His grandfather wasn’t a male role model for him to grow up the right way.  The only one Reef truly had been his grandmother, whom he had lost to a disease (cancer). Having only one supportive person in your life when you’re younger makes it even harder for you to choose the right paths in life. Clearly after his grandmother died, that’s when things started to go downhill for him.

Reporter for D.A.K News

Hello Toronto! 

Sophia Fagan here on the D.A.K News, In tonights discussion, I will be telling you about a teen with whom I had a private conversation with. His story starts off a bit sad, goes into some confusion and finishes with a fairly good end.

Today i met with the one and only biggest bad boy in town, Chad “Reef” Kennedy. Reef is 17 year old teenage who has not had the best a teen could possibly have. He thought his life was pretty sweet at the time. Not having anyone running after you or telling you what to do and what not to do, and getting away with crimes. But little did Reef know once you are caught, you have to pay for the consequences. In his situation, the consequences were not to his liking. He has found himself in court numerous times and had gotten away with whatever he has done, but this time, what he has done was too big of a crime to let it just go away.

Reef is a very angry boy. Not only is he angry, but he is also scared, kind and caring guy; though he won’t admit it to anyone. Not even him. He wants to be known as someone who you can’t break. He always has to be the tough guy in every situation no matter what. He thinks that if he shows any act of kindness, then he is being a, as he phrases it “Pussy.” If anyone is that, then they aren’t a man. Reef wants to be a man.  He is his own man and no one can tell him what to do or how to do it.  

From what Reef tells me, he is a very changed man. There has been a lot of changes made in his life all because of this one particular girl named Leeza. She  is the main reason why Reed if the type of man he is now.  His goal was to become a better person. And he achieved his goal.  He reached his goal by learning from his mistakes. Leeza helped him learn by not talking to him again. You may be wondering how not talking to someone again can help one learn from their mistakes. Well, if there is someone in your life that you care very much about, and you told them that the reason why they are in that bad spot right now is because of you, how do you think they would react? Not in a positive manner, I can tell you that! They will stop talking to you depending on what you did and the type of person they are. But, if they were to ignore you, how would you feel if you know that nothing you can say, no matter how many times you said sorry, can change their mind? What if you were never able to talk to the one that had the most impact on your life? That would be learning from your mistakes. You would definitely not want to lose someone that special to you a second time.

                Now, that Reef has had that whole life changing experience, he is a new man. He has changed for the better, and is choosing the right paths in life. Now, he is going around in grade school’s telling kids about his story. Informing them on how he made a wrong mistake in his life, and how they can avoid that mistake and choose the right way in life.  I know for a fact that he has a great future ahead of him. All the best to you Reef!

Elizabeth 'Leeza' Hemming

 Quotes

1.       "Besides, i suddenly realized that I've spent the last three weeks thinking about nothing else. I want to put it behind me and move on. No sense dwelling on something you can't change, is there?" (Aker 182). 

•          Leeza is telling Brett that with the last three weeks that she has spent with Reed, she feels that there isn’t much of a need to tell Reef how she came into the hospital and why. She thinks that it isn’t as important to tell him anymore since what happened to her was in the past she can’t change the past.

2.       But something had stopped her, some part of her that couldn’t forget the rock and the windshield and the cars that slammed into her, sounds that she still heard sometimes at night, still made when the nightmares came too close, got too real. (Aker 223)

•          Leeza wanted to call Reef and see how things were doing with him but just remembering that he was the reason as to why she in that rehabilitation center made her not want to call him anymore. She only remembered the bad things that he had done. The mistake he had made. She didn’t think about who was the one that made her forget about the accident, or the person who made her feel like there was still hope, the person who made her see outside of her disabilities. She never thought of Reef as that person. She only thought of him as “He’s the reason why I’m in here.”

News reporter James Franco

James Franco: This just in, a young women named Elizabeth Hemming, also known as Leeza was just witnessed in a horrible car crash. Witnesses say that they saw a young man on top of a bridge that threw what seemed to have been a rock, into her windshield causing her to lose control of her vehicle and causing other cars to crash into hers. Reporter Dave Singh on the scene says that she will be suffering major injuries. Some people think that she is dead. All we can do is hope for the best.  Let’s get a better look at the accident with Dave on scene, Dave.

Dave: Thank you James, we are now here on scene with the parents of Elizabeth. Mrs. Hemming, how do you feel about your daughter getting in this accident?    Do you worry about her   health?

Mrs. Hemming: I’m frightened for my daughter! I don’t know what to think! What idiot would throw a rock at moving cars! Why would someone do that! Especially to my baby girl, the only one I have left!

Dave: What about you Mr. hemming?

Jack Hemming:  I am terrified. I really hope that she will be well. Whoever is the reason for her injuries will pay for this in court. She does not deserve this.  My wife doesn’t deserve to lose another daughter.

Dave: Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Hemming, we will get back to you later on when she is doing better.

*Months later – Leeza in Rehab*

Dave: So Mrs. Hemming we are back, here to check on the health of your daughter Leeza. How is she doing?

Mrs. Hemming: Thank you for coming Leeza is doing just fine thanks for asking, she is healing slowly but well. She is in a lot of pain but before you know it she won’t be feeling a thing.

Dave: That is great. So what can you tell us about Leeza? How is she doing here?

Mrs. Hemming: Leeza is a great child, she is now my only daughter, she lost her younger sister at a young age. She didn’t grow up with a father. Her dad and I separated when they were young. I tried to make her have everything she wanted. I wanted he to go in the right direction in life. She is very smart and independent. In this rehab center, she is doing just fine. It was hard for her to get used to things in the beginning. Getting used to all the moving around was really hard for her because of all the pain she was in but everything seems to be all better now according to her. She has met this boy named Reef who seems to have taken her mind off of all her pain.  Until she found out that this Reef character was the cause of her accident and the reason for her being in the rehab center. She was very upset when I told her that he was the reason why she was in here. She hasn’t talked to him since. I know that a part of her wants to forget about what he’s done, but she can’t. All of her injuries are his fault; I made it very clear to her. She is a nice forgiving person but this is the one time she can’t forgive him. I don’t blame her either.

 

Sophia's Response to Section One and Two

Questions & Answers 

   
Section One
6. Was Reef’s punishment fair?
I do not think that Reef's punishment was fare. He nearly killed someone while still sober, there is no excuse for his faulty actions. There is no reason for someone to throw a stone at fast moving cars. It is a dangerous and stupid choice that was made. 
 3. Why is it that Reef never lets anyone new into his life?
 Reef never let's anyone new into his life because he doesn't want to get hurt again. He also doesn't want to be left a lone again that's why he has his own little family with his friends. When one got hurt he was very scared because loosing Jink would be like losing his grandmother all over again.

Section Two
2.What do you think Don Aker’s motives were when he paired up Reef and Leeza at the rehabilitation center?

  I think that Don Aker’s motives when he paired up Reef and Leeza were to prove to people how different someone can appear. Though people make mistakes, they shouldn’t be defined by them. Leeza had no idea who Reef was, and she liked him. He made her feel better, he gave her hope. He gave her something to think about other than the accident. But, when she found out that he was the reason why she was in that state, she looked at him totally differently. I think Don Aker was trying to tell everyone that you should forgive people for their mistakes, because it’s not who they really are. A rush of adrenaline, or a moment of anger can cause someone to do something really stupid that they wouldn’t do if they were in the right state of mind.

5.     How do you think Reef feels after meeting Leeza, and vice versa

  I think that after Reef met Leeza, he changed into a new person. He always wanted to be with her, because he’s never met the type of person she was before nor had he felt that way about anyone. He suddenly felt guilty about all his previous actions. He became bothered with lying. He realized how fragile life is, and how bad some people have it. He could relate to her, because they have so much in common. And I think that’s how Leeza feels too. All day she would think about nothing  but the accident. But when she met Reef, she realized that dwelling on something never makes anything better. She decided to embrace the things she was able to do with an upbeat attitude, because that’s how Reef made her feel.

  

Most Memorable Journal

When I read certain parts of my section in the novel, I couldn’t help but think of a time in my life when I felt the same way Reef felt about Leeza.  The main part I read which had me thinking a lot was :

…He hadn’t been able to get Leeza out of his head, had lain awake half the night thinking about her. Reef had never felt like this before. (pg. 172)

This part of the novel basically talks about how Leeza isn’t like any of the other girls that Reef has been with before. The author makes it clear to his readers how much of an impact Leeza has on Reefs life. Having that type of person in his life also made him change in to a somewhat happier and a more kind person today then he was before.

This part of the novel relates to me because there was once a person who came into my life that also had a big impact on me and who I am today. They also changed the way I feel and look at other people, and also opened up a part of me that like people that I didn’t know I even had feelings for.  Just as Reed liking and going through a lot of girls at a time, I too had many “crushes” on guys at the same time as well.; until my ‘ Leeza’ came into my life. Meeting her changed my perspective on a lot of things. Getting to know her and hearing the sound of her voice, just as Reef got to know Leeza and talked to her every chance he got, made me feel just as happy as he did. Just knowing someone like that and having such an important role in my life made me happy.

Another reason why that is my most memorable moment in the novel, is because I thought that the way Reef was feeling about Leeza was very cute, not only did I find it cute, but it also made me happy. After all Reef had been through in the past, it makes me happy to know that there can be someone in his life who can make him that happy. Reef was never a happy child when he was younger. He was very afraid and hardened person.  I think it’s cute because just feeling like that is an “aww” moment for me. Anyone who has that feeling about anybody, especially if they have had a tough past, deserves to be happy.

The main reason why I think that Reed being very close to Leeza is my most memorable moment in this novel is because reading that part and about how he felt with her, brought back a lot of emotions and feelings for me about someone I had strong feelings  for and someone whom I’ve never felt that way  about before.

Section One Response - Amanda Accaputo

7. What is the relationship between Reef and stones?

When Reef was younger, he was in the car with his grandparents when he became carsick. His grandfather, much to his dismay, pulled over so that Reef could throw up. His grandmother slipped out of the car, and into a ditch, only to come back with a flat, smooth stone. She placed it in Reef’s hands and told him that whenever he felt sick to squeeze it hard in his hands and the sick feeling will go away. Every time Reef did that, it worked. He felt like he was in control. From that day on he became fascinated with stones. He would collect them, and bring them to his grandmother so they could sort them out together. During that time, his grandmother would talk about his mother, who he’d never really known. Collecting, and sorting out stones had become their thing. But then his grandmother died of cancer. Every time he came across a stone after that, he would pick it up, and throw it at something out of anger. Stones brought back painful memories of his grandmother, and throwing the stone made him feel better instantly. It was like an antidote.

4. Where do you think Reef would be if he kept up his attitude while he was at the house?

If Reef were to keep up his attitude while still at the house, I think that people would start to lose respect for him. People would get sick and tired of him, and want him out. I think that Frank Colville would try his hardest to deal with Reef, but eventually I think that he would call the judge that assigned Reef to North Hills and tell him he’s not co-operating.

Media - Michelle Ku

If you want to have a more better view of this picture please ask me in class. 

This picture depicts how both of the two characters lives are sort of alike because they both lost someone they love so much. Also it shows the only time they both are in the same scene. Also if you look at the bottom corners, there are the two characters, looking back at their lives. It's sort of like a timeline framed.

Contemporary Relevance - Michelle Ku

            One of the teen issues in the book, The First Stone, is having an abusive parent. Even though Reef‘s parents died when he was very young, he went to his grandparents. His grandpa was and abusive alcoholic and his grandma was the exact opposite! She was nice, caring, gentle, etc. Here are some key ideas about having an abusive parent/being an abusive parent.

             This affects you as the abusive parent’s child, not just emotionally, but physically and mentally. Having an abusive parent, makes the kid think, ‘When I get older, I will never be like my parents!’, but it rarely happens. When you grow up having an abusive parent, you sort of get used to getting hurt, and when you leave the house you’ll follow your parent’s footsteps, and your mind thinks it’s okay since you’ve gone through it and you survived. When the kid has grown up, they don’t really know what’s right from wrong anymore, so they do whatever they feel like doing.

            How do people become abusive parents? Most parents may not always have been abusive; they may have had a rough patch during their lives, maybe they were in debt, they may have lost a loved one, so they probably started to take all their anger out when you made a little mistake of forgetting to close the tap, breaking something, etc. because they’re so stressed and they can’t keep bundling it all in their heads. Or your parents may have started to drink to numb the pain, they got addicted to it and now they can’t stop.  So they start to take it out all the stress on their kids.

            There are many consequences when it comes to having an abusive parent. One consequence is that it changes the persons’ life forever. Knowing that you hurt you own creation, just because they made a small mistake, or even just taking out all the pain and suffering you’re going through, it makes a huge difference in your child’s life. It changes their lives and maybe even their kids’ lives too because they see what you do, and they copying your footsteps because they don’t know what’s right from wrong. That’s just one consequence of many of being an abusive parent.

            Having an abusive parent is an issue that relates to novel. It may not be that big of an issue, but it’s the issue that has started all the other issues. First off, it relates to the novel because it has the same effects. As I stated before, it doesn’t just affect the child being abused, but also the people around him. Reef is a young offender, that has followed parts his grandpa’s footsteps, by being abused, Reef probably thinks it’s okay to do the same, and take out all the pain he’s felt and make someone else feel bad. An example is that he changed Leeza’s life by throwing a stone onto the highway. He took out all his pain and tried to make someone else feel bad by throwing the stone while thinking about the only person that showed him love, his dead grandma. Another way it relates to the novel is that it has the same, as a doctor would say, symptoms. Reefs’ grandpa was probably dealing with a lot of stress before he became an alcoholic, then he probably began to take all the pain out on Reef when he didn’t have alcohol in his system. So then became an abusive alcoholic. Thirdly, it has changed Reef’s life by showing him that it's okay to swear, to give the finger, hurt others, etc. and it would be okay to hurt his future kids. It has already affected Reef’s life by getting himself 12 months of volunteering, moving away from the only people that he cares about, his friends. In conclusion, those are just 3 ways of many that having an abusive parent relates to the novel.

            A couple of ways you can get help if you have an abusive parent is that you can tell someone that you trust. When you tell someone, you’re not just getting everything out of your brain, but if the person knows, they can help. You can go visit http://www.oacas.org/ to find out more information on foster home care, if you’re under 18 and need a home, etc.

Section 1 - Questioning and Critical Thinking - Michelle Ku

1. What was Reef’s motive when he threw the stone onto the overpass?

2. What do you think the author’s motive was when he put Alex into the story?

3. Why is it that Reef never lets anyone new into his life?

4. Where do you think Reef would be if he kept up his attitude while he was at the house?

5. Would Reef and Alex actually become good friends if the talked more? Why or Why not?

6. Was Reef’s punishment fair?

7. What is the relationship between Reef and stones?

Most Memorable Journal - Michelle Ku

In my section of the book, The First Stone, there are these two characters that seem sort of alike in a way because they both lost someone so important to them and yet different because one takes all of his anger out and another rarely shows her anger. The setting of my most memorable moment happens on a highway at night where Reef was on top of a highway and Leeza was driving away. Reef was running away from someone and Leeza was driving home. At first Leeza thought it was someone who was waving to her from the overpass, but unfortunately it wasn’t. Reef had thrown a stone that had hit Leeza’s windshield. That moment was the most memorable moment in my part because that’s what the reason for the book to continue was. It depicted what Reef would do, and where Leeza would end up. This moment was the most thrilling in my part and it was the only moment with both of them in it.

            I liked how the author kept going back and forth with the two characters, Leeza and Reef. Especially right before Reef threw the stone. The story went from Leeza on the highway to Reef running away, then to Leeza still on the highway to Reef on the overpass, etc.

            This moment also relates to real life because every day there are people who make silly mistakes and do things that can really change someone’s life such as drinking and driving, and in this case, throwing a stone onto a busy highway. Those people don’t know how it affects the other person’s life. Our school has a group about that sort of stuff, OSAID. I remember one story from OSAID about a pregnant lady; she was texting while driving and a car came out of nowhere and killed her and her baby. Your life could be gone within seconds, but luckily for Leeza she wasn’t killed. 

Character Analysis + Interviewing Your Character - Michelle Ku

Reef - Character Analysis

Reef is a 17 year old young offender and the only child of his parents. His real name is Chad Arthur Kennedy. Reefs’ parents had died when he was very little so he was given to his grandparents. His grandpa is an abusive alcoholic and his grandma is the contrary. His grandpa died first and then his grandma died a while later from cancer. Reefs’ grandma was the only person that has ever showed him love. He has been to many foster homes since and he has never stayed long in each and now he is currently with, The Barkers. His friends are Bigger, Scar and Jink. They all hang out at a pit which is a closed down hotel used for partying. One day, they were hanging out at the pit and some Scotia Demolitions can come with their measuring tapes to try and rebuild this hotel and sell it. They were angry with the idea of their hang out place being destroyed, so they vandalized their truck. The demolitions saw and started to chase after them. Reef ran all the way to the overpass and threw the stone which hit Leeza. After that he was sentenced to North Hills Group Home, a place for troubled youth for 12 months.

  

Reef - Quotations

            Three quotations that best represent Reef are: “Jesus, Scar, whaddya want me to do? Visit her? Hold her hand? What’s done is done … Ain’t nothin’ I can do about it now. Even if I wanted to. Which I don’t.” (Aker 36) This quote was basically Reef telling Scar to stop wondering about the girl that got hit by the stone. It shows how Reef doesn’t really care/regret any of the mistakes he has made. 

“Yeah, well, thought Reef, that’s because you Ph.D. in Postal Delivery don’t include Reef’s handy Life Lessons for Dummies. Like Life Lesson Number One: What don’t kill you makes you stronger. That’s what his grandfather used to say. When he wasn’t drunk and cursing his … grandson for every breath he drew.” (Aker 49) This second quote is basically Reef thinking about telling Karl, his foster dad at the moment, about the girl that he nearly killed. Karl kept telling him how lucky he got for nearly killing the girl and that if you had killed the girl, the judge would be probably thinking of a worse punishment, etc. It shows how Reef doesn’t care about anyone else’s opinion on his actions, but his own.

“Reef watched as her lips moved, but he no longer heard what she was saying. Words, words, words. Meaningless, like the “KEEP OUT” signs on The Pit. His whole life has been a “KEEP OUT” sign.” (Aker 59) This last quote is when Reef is in the courtroom being announced what he did, the witnesses, etc. It shows how Reef doesn’t care what else he gets in his life; his life is already enough screwed up as it is.

 Reef - Interview

Fortunately I got a hold of Reef before he had to go to North Hills. Here is a short interview I got with him. (MM = Michelle’s  Magazine) (R = Reef)

MM: Mr. Kennedy! Mr. Kennedy! Now since you seemed so lifeless in the court while the judge was talking about what you did, what is motive for getting up every day and dealing with this kind of stuff?

R: Well… to tell you the truth, my motive if my grandma… I mean she got up every day and had to deal with me and her alcoholic husband, I mean, she was the most hardworking person I ever saw… She never gave up, especially in the evening, when grandpa comes home drunk and I had to take baths, I mean I HATED baths when I was a kid, but she managed to keep it all under control. That’s why whenever I wonder about even continuing my journey in life, I always think about her.

MM: Ahh.. very touching Reef.. Never knew you had a soft side. Now is it just your grandma or do you have a specific goal you want to achieve before you die?

R: Aha... Thanks... I hope that’s a compliment. Well my goal is to be as strong as my grandma, so she can see whaddya great boy she’s raised. Also, my other goal is to show love to someone, well I mean I love my friends but yeah… my grandma was the only person that has ever showed me love, and it feels nice… it feels like you’re needed on the earth, and I want to be just like her. She’s my only role model.

MM: Wow… That’s nice. Well do you value anything right now?

R: No... I don’t value anything in life right now. Well other than just my friends, Scar, Bigger and Jink… No… my family is dead, and I rarely talk to my foster parents.

MM: Oh.. Well let’s look on the bright side now, what are your interests?

R: Well when I have free time, I collect stones, smooth stones. Since I get carsick easily my grandma got me a stone when my grandpa pulled over and that was the first stone my grandma gave me, and she told me to grip it tightly and then I didn’t feel like I had to throw up anymore. Those were the times she also talked a lot about my mom… We spent hours collecting stones, sorting them, it was one thing that I loved doing.

MM: Aww… That’s so nice! So I’ve noticed you talk a lot about your grandma and grandpa, what’s with them?

R: Umm.. Long story short, my grandpa is an abusive alcoholic… Hate that guy. Then there’s my grandma, ha ha, total opposite! She caring, gentle, nice… she’s the nicest lady you’d ever meet!

MM: What about your parents?

R: Well my mom and dad died when I was small, so I went to my grandparents and yeah... Anyways I gotta go… Bye.

Leeza -Character Analysis

Leeza is 17 years old, and had one older sister. Her older sister, Ellen, was on the honour roll, basketball team, student council and in the lead in two of the drama productions, but before she graduated she had gotten cancer and died. Leeza is short for Elizabeth. Her real name is Elizabeth Morrison. Leeza has a step dad who is usually busy. Her mom is very supportive and protective of Leeza. Leeza usually hung out with her sister’s friends when she was around, but when Ellen had died, Leeza didn’t have many friends of Ellen’s calling her over, some friends asked her how she was during school, but nothing much more than a small conversation. One day, Leeza was volunteering at a Silver Meadows, while she was coming home, she had though she saw someone waving to her from above. So she waved back. Unfortunately no one waved at her. Someone was however there. He threw a stone onto the busy highway and unluckily it was Leeza’s car that had gotten hit. Leeza was then put into a coma. She had awakened later on and basically needs help to recontrol her body (ex. sitting up straight).

Leeza - Quotations

            Here are three quotes that best represent my character: “Don’t cry, Mom, Leeza intended to say, but her mouth wouldn’t manufacture the words properly” (Aker 42) This quote is basically after Leeza wakes up from a coma and sees her mom and Leeza knows her mom is thinking, I already lost one daughter, I’m so happy I didn’t lose this one. This quote shows how Leeza knows what’s going on around her quickly/ she is a fast thinker. 

“Someone did this? Leeza thought. To me? An image swam out of her memory. Someone waving. At her. Someone did this? The image shimmered, fragmented, dissolved.” (Aker 45) This quote is when Leeza woke up from a nap after she had woken from a coma, and she overheard her mother and the doctor talking about the guy that put Leeza here. This quote shows how Leeza doesn’t think anything bad usually happens to her because she never did anything bad to anyone else, why should she be the one to get hit by that stone. 

“Uh… Anybody die?” Leeza said nothing for a while, listened to the moaning that filtered through the doorway from the somewhere down the hall. The, “Just me”, she said. (Aker 72) This quote is when Leeza met her roommate, Brett. Brett asked where she was from, what got her here, etc. This quote shows how Leeza feels, she feels that she is now dead because she lost all her hair, she needs help just to get out of bed and she won’t be walking for a while. She feels that she’d rather be dead than here.

 Leeza - Interview

Fortunately I got a hold of Leeza in the hospital in her room. Here is a short interview I got with her. (MM = Michelle’s Magazine) (L = Leeza)

MM: Hey there Leeza, I was wondering if I could get a few questions with you.. Would that be alright?

L: Sure… I’ve got nothing else to lose.

MM: Okay, well what’s your motive for getting up every day?

L: Well I do I for my mom… She’s already lost one person in her life… I mean it was so sad to see her without Ellen, and I can’t let her down. I’m the only daughter she has left.

MM: Aww.. That’s nice! Do you have a goal right now? And did you have a goal before you got here?

L: Aha! One question at a time! And yeah my goal right now is to get on my feet and start walking by the end of this month. My other goal before I got… here was to help people as much as I can in hospitals, like volunteering. My sister died in a hospital that was low on staff, and I don’t want anyone’s life to be taken away simply because there was a shortage of staff.

MM: That’s so sweet! Do you value anything in life?

L: Yeah I do! I value this necklace my sister made me; it was that whenever she wasn’t around, I would always have her near me, to help me through the hard times. She gave it to me right before we found out she was diagnosed with cancer.

MM: Oh okay. Do you have any interests or hobbies?

L: Well I like to read… I like to volunteer at hospitals; well you already know my reason, but yeah… I’m pretty much a really kind of boring person aren’t I?

MM: No no! Not at all! So tell me a little about you sister? I mean you two seem so, alike!

L: We’re not alike, trust me! Well my sister was on the basketball team, she was on student government, she was on honour roll, and so many more clubs. My sister was like super woman… Everyone loved her. Then... she got cancer. I didn’t think cancer would get to her that fast, but she was gone within a flash… I miss her. (Tear rolls down) I don’t mean to sound impolite, but could you please leave?

MM: Oh yeah! Of course! Thank you for your time.

Character Analysis + Writing - Amanda Accaputo

Chad 'Reef' Kennedy:

      Chad ‘Reef’ Kennedy is a young offender who was placed in North Hills group home, and was assigned to act as a volunteer at the Halifax Rehabilitation Center. He values nothing but the soft surfaces of the stones he comes across, and the memories of his grandmother who died of cancer. Often people wonder what his motives are to act the way he does, but it’s very clear it has everything to do with the fact that his only role model was his alcoholic grandfather, who’s only philosophy was negative views of the world. Not to mention the only one he loved, his grandmother had died of cancer. Frank Colville, who runs the group home at North Hills, has set out to make Reef talk about what’s bothering him. But Reef’s only goal is to break Frank Colville down, and spare him the psychological bullsh**. Other than angering Frank, the only other goal he has is to get his volunteer ‘s***’ over with, and get out. Other than his obvious interest with stones, Reef spends his time creating chaos, drinking, and smoking. What many people do not see, is that Reef is misunderstood. He’s angry and confused, not to mention depressed. People need to look past his mistakes, and see who he is underneath.

Quotes:

And, truth be told, Reef preferred working alone. That way, only he saw the mistakes he made. ( pg.117)

• ·         I think this quote defines what type of person Reef is, because it shows that he doesn’t like other people noticing his mistakes. He doesn’t want to be judged, or criticized, because he gets enough of that already.

The truth was, though, it didn't feel okay, though he wouldn't let Colville know that. (pg.137)

• ·         I think this quote defines what type of person Reef is, because he doesn’t like showing his true emotions. He bottles all that he feels inside, and doesn’t let it out. He doesn’t like showing signs of weakness, because he tries too hard to make people believe he doesn’t care about what people think of him.

For some reason, he wanted them to know what it was really like. (pg.150)

• ·         I think this quote defines what type of person Reef is, because after he saw all those people in the Rehabilitation center, he realized that you should take things seriously. He wanted to let his friends know that not everything in the world is a big joke. He wanted to make a point that even though it may seem funny to others, those people are going through endless amounts of pain.

 Elizabeth 'Leeza' Hemming:

      Elizabeth ‘Leeza’ Hemming is the victim of a horrendous car accident, and has to endure months of pain and agony in the Halifax Rehabilitation Center. The only thing she values is her next morphine drop, and the many more to come. Her goal is trying to mask the pain she is enduring by putting on a fake smile, and convincing her mother, of all people, that she is strong, and can make it through. But that’s not how it really is. Although people think she’s fine, there’s a monster crawling through her veins, and into her mind. Her motive, also known as depression. The pain from the accident is almost too much to bear, not to mention the emotional pain she has to sit through every night, because of the fact that cancer ate her sister away, until there was nothing left of her. Ever since her sister died, all she took interest in was helping out others that spend their days in hospital beds, due to illness’s that take over their lives. During her time in rehab, she met a friend. Reef Kennedy. He made her feel better. She hadn’t seen the outside world for months, but suddenly he appeared, and took her outside. She admired the flowers. Nature. Things she once loved. She found herself always wanting to talk to Reef. He was a good listener. He was going through something similar, and they found each other. Although she is depressed, and doesn’t want people to see her true emotions, she shows them to Reef.

 Quotes:

I'm tired of every goddam part of every goddamn day in this place! But most of all, I'm tired of pretending to be strong. I did that enough for Ellen. I can't do it for you, too!  (pg. 154)

• ·         I think this quote defines what type of person Leeza is, because she tries very hard to make people believe she’s strong. She never tells anyone how she really feels, because she doesn’t want to let people see her vulnerability.

Leeza smiled, feeling none of the warmth she pretended. (pg. 156)

• ·         I think this quote defines what type of person Leeza is, because she tries her best to convince people that she’s okay. She doesn’t want anybody to worry about her, because it would be a waste of time, and wouldn’t make the matter any better.

Leeza struggled to remember the last time she had laughed as hard, really laughed with no holding back, and a memory surfaced of Ellen on the day Leeza passed her driver's test.

• ·         I think this quote defines the type of person Leeza is, because it shows what an affect Ellen death has had on her. After her sister died, she became somewhat depressed, and hadn’t really lived life to its full potential.  It proves that Leeza hasn’t been happy in quite some time.