Problem Solution

Drug and alcohol abuse in teenagers is on the rise. Many lives have been ruined because of this, either by losing their health, going to jail, or even dying. Many teenagers think that it is cool to do drugs, smoke or inject, and to drink. It makes them feel good on the inside and to get away from the stress inducing real world. It also acts as a social gathering. There are many ways to prevent this problem. The first is that communities should “crack down” on drugs. The second is that, although it is not the best option, legalizing certain drugs. The final solution is to seek help by outsiders, family, friends, or even a counselor.
Investigating support options, released in February 2008, revealed some shocking statistics on binge drinking and drug use among young teenagers. The main drugs used by teens include: marijuana, lsd, cocaine, cannabis, and prescription pain relievers like Adderol. “It found that one- in- ten twelve to seventeen- year-olds engage in binge drinking in any given week. This figure was even higher among sixteen to seventeen-year-olds, with one- in- five binge drinking on a weekly basis. The report also found that one-in-seven secondary school students have used cannabis” (Gross).
Communities need to “crack down” on drugs in neighborhoods. Searching in schools, and at home gives the impression that there is a lack of trust, but the teenager will understand that they cannot get away with bringing drugs or alcohol into the house. Parents who drink must make sure the alcohol is somewhere the teenager cannot get to. If paraphernalia is discovered then the punishment should be more severe than a slap on the wrist. Time in prison or boot camp would be making teenagers never want to get in trouble. Cracking down will cause teens to put the crack down. The trends would go down for adults as well in the future.
Legalizing drugs would be dangerous for the world, but would prevent teenagers from using. It is a psychological process. Reverse psychology is a persuasion technique involving the support of a behavior that is opposite to the one desired. The person will do the opposite of what is suggested. “This technique relies on the psychological phenomenon of reactance, in which a person has a negative emotional response in reaction to being persuaded, and thus chooses the option which is being advocated against” (Haymarket Business Publications). Reverse psychology is often used on children due to their lack of psychological understanding and higher rate of reactance.
Outside help can be very encouraging. Admitting you have a problem is the first step to overcoming the problem. Create a family- friendly work environment. The more comfortable the teen is the more he/ she will open up to talk. Most teens think that they cannot go to their family because they do not want to be judged or looked down on. Family is the best first option because they are the ones that care the most, so showing you care helps the teens. Friends are the next best solution, trust worthy and responsible friends help lead the teens to a better road in life. Finally going to a counselor; this may be a scary experience for most because there is not a strong bond between the counselor and teen. Counselors know just what to say to help, they are professionals at it. Encourage the teen to see the counselor about their problem and give support to them.
All the above things will help to prevent future abuse of alcohol and drugs in teenagers. Some teens will decide not to start, while others will give up on the drugs and drinking. This is completed by cracking down, legalizing the drugs and drinking ages, and encourage the teens to seek help.

Riddle

There we stalk, waiting to be used

We hear the whispers of the wind

Our body is glued in a green-glume

We can go in and come out whole

We go popping into a sight you know

Our best friend is a yellow-spread

Boast

My name is Joshua Bowman

Some call me arrow-launcher

Spawn of my supporters Angela and Reuben

Italian as the Spaghetti dinners

No one can best my gaming skills

My visual victories are violently won

My button mashing skills beat the best

The black box of entertainment belongs to me

Brute strength is all I have

Lifting mountains as simple weights

Punching canyons into the ground

I wrestled the dinosaurs to their grave

I am the brains of the family

Smartest kid in the region award

Intelligence higher than average

Memory compares to an elephants

Your future senator at you service

I will put politics in their slot

No more corrupt officials

I will rule boot-state

Journal 10

Gardner made the decision to use Grendel as the narrator to create a parody of Beowulf. He uses Grendel to develop his philosophies and to be against other philosophies. As a monster Grendel tells the story not like a human would. He tells more in a destructive and slower way, as if he doesn’t know exactly what to say. Grendel has the best view of the whole story; he is able to explain it like no other thing would either human or other monster. Grendel sees the world differently because he is curious and goes out not like his mother or the dragon. He takes a step away from the situation and looks at the whole while a human wouldn’t have. If a Dane would have told the story, they would only talk about the war and how Grendel is evil. The shaper told lies and the Danes believed him, Grendel however knew the truth. He had witnessed everything the shaper describes.

Journal 9

The most important bond in Anglo- Saxon society was that between a lord and his retainers. In “The Seafarer” the old sea captain is loyal to the sea. He has been away from land for many years being alone and separated from the rest of the world. He has no love but the sea, but at the same time he hates the sea. He regrets being on the sea for so long, for not finding a wife or making friends and being popular. The separation in “The Seafarer” is from the land. The land is symbolic for his lord, and he has been exiled from it. In “The Wife’s Lament” the woman is loyal to her husband. She was exiled from her husband, or lord, by his friends. They did not like the wife and they cast her away onto an island, where now she has a foot in the grave.

Journal 8

Grendel is a parody of Beowulf. Grendel is the story of Beowulf from the monster Grendel’s point of view. The story is also written in first person, while Beowulf written in third person. In order to understand the story, Gardner assumes that the reader is familiar with the story Beowulf. The number twelve is an important number that reappears multiple times. There are twelve chapters in Grendel. Grendel is at war with Hrothgar for twelve years. There are twelve months in a year, with twelve corresponding zodiac signs. As the story progress Grendel gains a sense of humor and language. Being that he is a dumb beast this is mocking Beowulf. Grendel also gains a philosophical view as he continues to narrate. Even though he is a monster Grendel falls in love with poetry and Wealthlow, because of their beauty. Beowulf is also a story of a hero, where Grendel is the anti- hero. He provokes Unfearth about being a so called hero. In Beowulf Unfearth was no hero.

Journal 7

In Anglo- Saxon poetry, Beowulf, “The Seafarer”, and “The Wife Lament”, you see the same ideas reoccurring. Death is a theme portrayed in all of the stories. “So he came to place, carrying the treasure, and found his lord bleeding profusely, his life at an end; again he began to swab his body. The beginnings of an utterance broke out from the king’s breast-cage. The old lord gazed sadly at the gold.” (Beowulf, line 796-801) “Certain which of Fate’s three threats would fall: illness, or age, or an enemy’s sword, snatching the life from his soul. The praise the living pour on the dead Flowers from reputation: plant an earthly life of profit reaped even from the hatred and rancor, of bravery flung in the devil’s face, and death can only bring you praise and a song to celebrate a place with the angels, life eternally blessed in the hosts of Heaven.” (Seafarer, line 69-79) “So in this forest grove they made me dwell, under the oak-tree, in this earthly barrow. Old is this earth-cave, all I do is yearn the dales are dark with high hills up above, sharp hedge surrounds it, overgrown with briars, and joyless is the place. Full often here the absence of my lord comes sharply to me.” (The Wife’s Lament, lines 28- 34) As you can see death is a big theme within Anglo- Saxon poetry. Each poem has someone dying it, whether they die before the ending or they are about to die, death is still written about.