We all know that subways can be dangerous, like any other moving vehicle. But can some tragedies be avoided?
Recently in New York, a 58 year old man was pushed onto the subway tracks, right in front of an oncoming train. The man was not able to get out of the subway well in time to save his life, but a nearby journalist was able to take a few photos of the man's last moments. The New York Post published the picture on the front page with the words, "Pushed on the subway track, this man is about to die."
There are many debates going on about this subject, one being whether the New York Post should have put such cruel labels on a heartbreaking front page. Obviously not. But the debate I am focusing on today is, should the photographer have been taking pictures, or taking action?
There are many ways this event could have gone. The journalist who took the pictures says that he was too far away to help the man. But in the picture, it doesn't look like it was impossible for anyone to help him. It seems to me like the journalist was close enough to at least try to help the man, even if it was no use after all.
Another thing to remember is that the photographer may not have tried to help, but neither did any of the other witnesses of the event. There had to be other people there, but none of them tried to help save this man's life. As one man said, it's easier to blame the photographer rather than blame yourself or the others standing by.
In my opinion, I think this is a horrible thing that has happened. It shocks me that not only did no one seem to try to help, but someone was taking pictures. If it were me in that situation, I don't think I'd stand there and watch. I definitely wouldn't be taking pictures. It's disrespectful to the man in trouble, to his family, and to his friends. Even if the task was impossible, or seemed so at the time, I would've at least tried to get the man out of the subway well and to safety. The simple fact that no one was in that picture but the man facing death saddens me. I don't know what happened that day at the subway, so who knows if there's anyone to blame in the first place. But it has to make you wonder if anyone would help you if you were the one in front of that train.

Thanksgiving has come and passed, and my holiday was actually very nice. I didn't expect it to be very ineteresting or fun, since we just stayed here in Oklahoma. But we spent our time relaxing, and that was very refreshing, since the high school life tends to be very busy, even for your average freshman.
My holiday started the Tuesday afternoon before Thanksgiving. We got a half-day at school, so I was out of there at around 12:30. This detail is important to me beause it means I got out of school sooner than my brother. (Take that, Josh!)
The start of my holiday was nice, since we really didn't do anything. My uncle arrived the next day, and we went to see a movie with him - Red Dawn, with Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, and Josh Hutcherson.
Now, for my family (and most likely many others), Thanksgiving is a very popular time to go to the movies. That's great for me, because I love movies. I could go to the movie theater every day and see a film. So this whole blog might just sound like one big movie review.
Red Dawn is a movie I have been waiting for a long time to see, because I am a huge Josh Hutcherson fan, and the story interested me. The movie is about a group of kids who fight back when their town is taken over by North Korean terrorists. I was especially interested in the story because I wrote four novels that have a similar theme to Red Dawn, although I had never even heard of Red Dawn when I wrote the books.
The movie is a remake. The orignal Red Dawn featured people such as Patrick Swayze and Thomas Howell. The remake, however, has been in the closet for a while, waiting to be released, since there were financial problems with their production company. These actors (and I) have been waiting for four years for this movie to come out. It was a very good movie, in my opinion. It was well made, and the story was entertaining. Acting wise, Josh Hutcherson did a fantastic job, as well as Chris Hemsworth. The rest of the acting may have been a little bit dramatic, but I enjoyed it.
Now, back to my holiday. My mom cooked an amazing Thanksgiving dinner, and we spent Thanksgiving day throwing footballs and ignoring the score of the Cowboys game. Then we went to see the movie called Lincoln.
Lincoln was an amazing film. It basically follows the story of Abe Lincoln passing the 13th amendment and ending the Civil War. Somehow, Steven Spielberg made this movie entertaining, which is an amsazing feat in my mind, considering the heaviness (and boringness) of the subject. The acting was phenomenal, and even my ten year old brother liked it.
Really, my holiday wasn't that interesting. We didn't go anywhere. But it was nice to see my uncle, since it's been a while. Besides being teased about Josh Hutcherson and my love for One Direction (which is to be expected. My family is extremely sarcastic and loves to make fun of each other), we had a good time. It was a great opportunity to relax, enjoy each others company, and be thankful for what we have.

Thanksgiving is coming, and everyone is feeling many different emotions about the coming holiday. Most people, including me, are looking forward to getting the week off and having a holiday. We can't wait to watch the football games, stuff ourselves silly with food, and spend time with the family. That's what Thanksgiving means to us - relaxation and good times. It's just a holiday.
But for some, Thanksgiving is just another opportunity to open their emotional wounds.
Some people might not have a home to go to for warmth, or any money to buy all of that Thanksgiving food. Some people are spending their first Thanksgiving without a loved one. Some people will be sitting around their table at Thanksgiving, thinking about their son or husband or father who is fighting with the military. Some people don't have a family to spend Thanksgiving with. Some might even be spending it at the hospital. Some are just thankful to have another day to live. Life is a fragile thing. It's here one second, then it's gone.
This year, I am thankful for many things. I'm thankful that I get to lounge around for a week and skip out on school. I'm thankful that I get to go to school at all, as much as I dislike it. I'm thankful for the delicious food I get to eat, and I will be thankful when the Cowboys beat the Redskins on Thanksgiving day. But I'll be thinking about those who are in pain on Thanksgiving, alone or in pain, thinking about how fragile life is, and how life affected them. I want to be able to help them in anyway I can, in the best way possible.
Sometimes, I wonder if the importance of Thanksgiving is understated. I'm not even sure if I knew how important it was until just now, when I finally figured it out on my own. I don't know how I figured it out, and I don't know why, but being thankful seems to mean more to me now than it did last year. Every year in elementary school, I was asked, "What are you thankful for?" and I always said, "My family, of course!" Now, I realize that I need to be thankful for my family, my friends, my house, my pets, my school and my country every day, not just on Thanksgiving. Life is a fragile thing, and you need to really take in every moment before it's gone. I just hope that I'll never, ever think of Thanksgiving as just a holiday, because it's much more than that.

When it comes to jobs for teenagers, there are endless options. I know 15-year-old boys in ninth grade working at Chick-fil-a. Some kids turn to bigger restaurants, or go to work at the movie theaters, or grocery stores, or start their own small business or public service. There are tons of things you can do. For me...I've never had a job. But at my age, I've been thinking about where I'd want to start working, or what I would want to do to earn money.
One thing I have definitely considered is babysitting with my sister. It would be a somewhat unique business, because you'd get two babysitters for the price of one, unless one of us already had plans. Of course, I'd work out something so my sister and I aren't completely getting robbed at the job. But it could definitely work, and it's a great option, since I don't have specific hours.
Another thing I would like to do is work at a bookstore. I love to read - I could sit in a bookstore all day. Of course, if I worked there, I wouldn't be reading all day. But the setting is quiet and nice, and I wouldn't mind that job at all. I also love movies, so the movie theater isn't out of the question.
Then there's food service. I've heard people say that everyone should be a waitor or waitress at least once in their life, because it's one of the hardest jobs to do, and the experience is important. Plus, it'll teach you to be nicer to your servers. I agree with this statement, but I want to avoid working at any fast-food stations, unless for some reason it becomes my only choice. I think a fun restaurant to work at would be Chuy's, for example. It seems like a friendly environment, and plus, you get to wear those cool T-shirts.
I'm just kidding...No, I'm serious.
Also, ever since I was a little kid, I've loved making movies. I have always wanted to be a movie director. So if there was a job at my church or at a local theater that allowed me to help make videos or work with the children's plays, I would love that.
All of these options are nice, and I would be willing to do all of them. But there's one thing I really would like to do that not everyone gets to do as a teenager. I love to write stories, and recently, I've written a series of four novels. I've been working on them, making them better, and I've also improved drastically as a writer. If somehow I could get those published, it would be fantastic, but I know that's a big goal. If there was any way at all that I could have a job in writing, I would. It would be amazing to start pursuing my dream seriously at a young age.
There are so many options out there, not just for me. There's got to be something out there for everyone, no matter what your dream is. You've just got to go out there and get it, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

There's nothing like the holidays. From Summers at the beach to Winters on the ski slopes, there are tons of great things about each break, holiday, and season. Many students love Summer the most. Two whole months of being lazy, swimming, hanging out with friends, vacationing...or doing nothing. Yes, Summer is great for all of those reasons. Then there's Spring break, given to us for what seems to be no apparent reason. (Unless your Spring break is around Easter time. Easter is very important.) The possibilities are endless - you could ski, you could go to the beach, you could go to the amusement park, or you could lay around like you do all Summer. The weather's nice. You'll get occassional rain, depending on where you are, and it's all good.
But today, I was asked to write about my favorite holiday, and to be honest, Summer is too hot for me, and my Spring breaks aren't usually exciting, unless I get to visit family or something. My favorite holiday is Christmas, no doubt.
Of course, you're thinking, "Oh, this girl just likes getting presents." Which is true, I won't lie. Presents are exciting, I don't care who you are. But that's not the real reason why I love this holiday. Every year, no matter where I am spending my holiday, I sit and wait like a little kid for Christmas morning. Christmas Eve is a sleepless night, and when the moment finally arrives, I am bursting with excitement. Me and my siblings run out to see what is waiting for us, and we all sit down, our parents watching us with smiles, and spend the morning together. As I sit and open presents, yes, I am enjoying seeing what's under the wrapping paper. But then I look around me, at my family having a good time together, at the tree decorated with lights and ornaments I made as a little kid...It's just the happiest day of the year. The entire day is spent in the best way - with my family, watching movies, eating good food, in my pajamas, celebrating Jesus Christ's birth, which is one of the most important things mankind will ever celebrate. Every hour leading up to Christmas is agonizing, but it's enjoyed, and those few hours of splendor are incredible.

With Hurricane Sandy sweeping through the East coast, the nation is buzzing with conversation and anticipation. It's got us all on edge, with worry, fear, or even excitement, for the select few. There are some people who do enjoy storms, such as storm chasers, and are as happy as a kid in a candy store with this hurricane. They can't wait to study it and see it, so they go straight to the scene. For a reporter, though, sometimes you have to go places you don't want to go. Right now, if you turned on the news, you'd see a small woman standing in the middle of a raging storm with a microphone in her hand, talking about Hurricane Sandy. Whenever I see that, I think, "She's crazy! What on earth is she doing there?" I assume that the news company she works for made her go do it...But then I realize she might've volunteered to go do the job.
Now, I'm not a fan of storms, especially tornadoes. They creep me out, although I'm not as scared of them as my little brother, who breaks down and sobs at the sight of rain. But if there's a tornado, I tend to get scared, because I have seen what a tornado can do - it can literally blow your life and everything you have away in seconds.
Same goes for hurricanes. I think they're scary. I have family who lives near water, and I always worry that they're going to get hurt in a tropical storm. But as I was watching the news yesterday, seeing those people wading through flooding water in the streets, I asked myself, "Would you go report that news if you were a reporter?"
For me, as crazy as it sounds, I think you'd have a better chance of getting me to go to the scene of a hurricane than for a tornado. But I'm not saying I'd be the first one to volunteer to stand out there in a storm and tell everybody what's going on. Storms are unpredictable and scary, and I don't know if I'd want to risk my life when I can just let someone else go for me. If I had to, I might actually be up for it. It's an experience for sure, and as scary as storms are, they are also exciting and amazing. It would probably be thrilling to go see a hurricane in person, but it all depends on if you've got the guts, and if you've got something to lose. Right now, for me, I think that's a lot to ask, and a lot to think about.
So I send my thoughts to those of you who are being affected by the storms, and to all of the brave reporters who go out there and help us understand what is happening. We will be praying for you. Stay safe.

This weekend is the Red River Rivalry game between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas. It is a famous game that many, many passionate fans are going to - including my parents. Yes, my parents, but not me.
We are Texas fans (GO LONGHORNS!) living in Norman, Oklahoma, which is the actual town OU camous is on, so we tend to stick out. But that's alright. We are going to be shining lights in the darkness of crimson and cream. This weekend, when the Longhorns trample the Sooners, I will be the first one to make it known on Facebook.
Unfortunately, though, I cannot go to the actual game. My mom and dad are leaving me and my sister early Saturday morning to go to the famous game. Normally, I would be here with my sister and my brother, but my brother isn't here, either. He's spending fall break with a friend, on a vacation to the Great Wolf Lodge.
Hey, Josh. Hope you're having a great time...I'm at school, so that's fun and all...
Luckily for me and my sister, we aren't spending the entire weekend by ourselves. My dad's trusty co-worker Gina is coming to save us from boredom and the dangers of unsupervised internet-surfing. She's bringing her five-year-old son as well, and my sister and I couldn't be more excited to have them over. It will be nice to have a taste of what younger little brothers are like, since my brother isn't so little anymore, and who knows? Maybe we can convert them to be Longhorns fans like us!
At least, maybe the little guy. A little brainwashing never hurt anyone, right?
So this weekend, we will probably spend some time at the movies, maybe going out to eat and just doing fun stuff like that. If I find the time in between converting innocent souls to the good side, I might watch David Ash lead our team to victory once more, to add to our 59 Red River Rivalry wins. (OU only has 42. BOOmer Sooner.) Alright, Longhorns. Let's show OU that there's only room for one team in history.

There has been a lot of conversation about the death of OU student Casey Cooke, who died after falling off a building on campus in June. There were multile news reports about her death, but The Oklahoman gave a link to her autopsy report. This was a risky move, and there has been plenty of controversy.
Many are angry at the paper for giving a direct link to this information, especially people who knew Casey. An autopsy report can be very brutal to read, and I think it should be kept private. If it were one of my friends, I would be horrified to see a report like that and know that people were reading about my loved one. Things like that are personal, and to make it public is very wrong.