Rebecca Research Paper Final (1) by becharlan

Digital project

My Movie

Free write 4-3-13

                   

                   This week has been really rough. The flu is passing through our family. Everyone has got it except for me. My husband was the last one to come down with it. When he was throwing up he threw his back out so I had to take him to urgent care. We spent two and a half hours there. The dr gave him some IV fluids and told him if he wasnt any better in a week that he will need a MRI. I was at school yesterday and my son's daycare called me up to tell me I had to come pick him up because he was running a fever of 99 degrees. I left school and picked him up. He was running around acting just fine! I was not very happy I had to leave school. So I drop him off with my husband and then head back to school. I made it there just in time for my A and P lab. thank goodness! I know that I am the next victim of this bug! It lasts for about 3-4 days.. absolutely horrible! Im not looking forward to it. I hope and pray that it just passes over me because I am way to busy to be down for that long            .

Narrative essay

Becky Harlan (Lee)

Mr. Neuburger

Eng. 101-104

30 January 2013

                                                                  Narrative Essay

My Fifth Born

I found out I was pregnant with my fifth child in November of 2010. I was very surprised because I thought I was finished having children. This was going to be a challenge because I had already given away all of the baby things. My youngest child, at the time, was almost two.  So there was no need in keeping the things that he outgrew. The journey of starting all over begins.

The first trimester of my pregnancy was filled with the haunting presence of morning sickness. It wasn’t just during the morning it was more like all day sickness. It was absolutely horrible! Smells and the thought of certain foods would make me throw up a little in my mouth. Not really but that’s what I thought was going to happen. It would hit me as soon as I opened my eyes till I lay down at night. And it would be like that till the beginning of my second trimester.

During my second trimester I started feeling a little better, but the nausea was still nagging me from time to time. No energy and not feeling like I was part of everyday life were taking its toll on this old lady. I still had four other children to take care of so I couldn’t just lie down and die, even though that is exactly what I wanted to do. It was time to get up and put my big girl panties on and toughen up a little.

When the third trimester finally approached me, it turned out to not be so bad. A little pain here and there but it was bearable. A lot of kicking and stretching was going on in my belly. I really enjoyed feeling this little life squirm around and letting me know that there was actually a little person in there making my belly so big instead of just looking fat. Everything was going great all the way up to the Fourth of July. I decided to have a get together for the family. It was just a small gathering at my house. The kids were running around having a blast and everyone was enjoying themselves, all except me. I started to have some painful contractions towards the afternoon. This couldn’t be!! I wasn’t due for another month! I kept thinking to myself that this was just false labor. Maybe I ate too much or I didn’t drink enough water or even maybe I was on my feet to much that day. Whatever it was I needed to fix it and quickly.  I went through the rest of the day without letting anyone know about what was going on. I didn’t want to be the rain on anyone’s parade.        

Eventually everyone went home and I finally got a chance to sit down and put my feet up for a bit. I drank some water and just rested. The contractions started to lighten up and I started to settle down. That night while I was sleeping I kept waking up to a few pains, but they were nothing serious. When I woke up the next morning I was having just a few contractions here and there so I’m wasn’t too concerned at the time. I continue to go about my busy day.

The next few days I had a few contractions but nothing steady. They would last for about thirty minutes off and on sporadically throughout the day. My girls knew there was something going on because they were trying their best to help me out as much as possible. Such big helpers they were. Making me sit down and waiting on me hand and foot. I began to feel a little spoiled.

On the sixth of July, I woke up and something was not right. I had a bunch of energy and felt pretty good. I decided that there were a lot of things that just had to be done that day. So I start cleaning the house from top to bottom. Every little nook and cranny had to be cleaned. The children did not like me very well this day. They were so used to the mom that had nothing left in her, barely having the energy to get up and use the restroom. Finally I get the cleaning done so it is time to sit down and take a breather. I sit down and start to relax in the recliner and the contractions hit with no ending. I let this go on for about 3 hours till I say something to my husband. Of course he thinks it is just false labor, so he asks if he can take a nap after he finishes his sandwich. I told him that this was the real deal and we should probably go to the hospital since this was way too soon for the baby to come. At this point the contractions are like three minutes apart and not letting up. He finally gets the clue that I mean business.

On our way to the hospital I decided that I was hungry and if they are going to admit me into the hospital then I needed to eat now because once you are in there they will not let you eat till after the baby is born. This pregnant mama wanted buffalo wild wings!! And that is exactly what I got. I ate all of my food after I complained about how spicy they were. Off to the hospital we go.

We finally arrive at the hospital and we go in. I get checked in and the nurse checks me and then calls my doctor. His decision is to admit me because I live about forty- five minutes away. It still hasn’t dawned on me that I was having my baby soon. I especially didn’t think about the fact that he was going to be a month early. I breezed through the labor because as soon as I got into the bed I told the nurse that I wanted an epidural. This was my fifth child and I wanted this one to go by easy. All my other children I suffered through the pain. I think I deserve to have at least one pain free labor.

The time finally came when I was going to meet this little guy that was giving me so much stress. He came into this world as a six pound nine ounce bundle of joy. Just the cutest little baby boy. I thought he was doing very well until I was watching the reactions of the doctor and nurses. They let me hold him for a couple of minutes and then they took him without warning and had to take him straight to the NICU. After waiting in suspense a nurse finally came in to talk to me about what was going on with him. Since he was born four weeks early his little lungs were not fully developed. He was having a real hard time breathing. I was in shock! I asked her how long he was going to be in  the intensive care unit and she couldn’t give me an answer on that. I didn’t know what to expect because I have never been through anything like this.

I was taken to my room upstairs without my little man. That was a hard concept for me to accept. He didn’t room with me, I couldn’t hold him and I didn’t know when I would get to even see him. The first few hours should be bonding with your new baby. Not being all alone with the thoughts of what was to come. I could hear all the other babies down the hall and all I could do was cry because I didn’t have mine with me.

The next day I got to go down and see my son, Braxton. He was covered with wires and machines. He had a tube going down his throat to fill his little lungs with oxygen, which was keeping him alive. He was heavily sedated so he barely moved. I had a hard time even touching his little hands because I was afraid I was going to hurt him. I spent all day right there by his side. Just in case he would wake up but it never happened. The next day they took the tube out and he was now starting to breathe on his own. The nurse came to me and asked me if I wanted to hold my son? I said absolutely!!!! It was such a special, overwhelming moment for me. I just soaked it up.

He ended up having to stay in the NICU for eleven days. And finally it was time to bring him home. It seemed like eternity since I had him and now I was bringing him home. He was all mine and now it was time for me to experience the long sleepless nights and all the diaper changes that I longed for since he was born. Weird I know! But I looked forward to it. Since the time I brought him home till now he has been the happiest, easy going little person. I have definitely been blessed with Braxton.  I’m so happy things turned out the way they did. I couldn’t imagine not having him in my life. Braxton Lee is full of life and brings happiness and joy to each and every day I wake up to see his precious little smiles!

      

The lesson

Becky Harlan (lee)

Mr. Neuburger

101-104

24, Jan. 2013

Synopsis on The Lesson

By Toni Bambara

            Miss Moore just moved into a house on the same block as 8 children.  She is always so well dressed and has an education. The parents of the children allowed Miss Moore to take the children on trips and such to better educate them. One day Miss Moore took the children into the city on Fifth Ave. There was a toy store called F.A.O Schwartz, and Miss Moore allowed the children to look in the windows at all the toys and their price tags. The kids were astonished at how high the prices were on these toys. They couldn’t comprehend how someone could pay that much for a toy when they could take that money and it would feed them all year. It got the children thinking how unfair this world could be. They then went home and pondered about their trip with Miss Moore. I think they had a different outlook on the day when it was finally over

Graduation

Becky Harlan (Lee)

Mr. Neuburger

Eng. 101-104

7 February 2013

Synopsis on Graduation

By:  Maya Angelou

Maya is a black girl who us graduating from the eighth grade. She was in the class of 1940. She was very excited along with everyone in her family. This was a big deal for her. The day of her graduation the speaker that came in was a white man. He spoke about how he was so proud of the little Negros graduating and rambled on with a bunch of nonsense. Maya was getting really upset about how this man was ruining her graduation. She felt worthless and useless. She felt like none of this mattered and that everyone should be dead. The man finally finished blabbing and Her friend Henry Reed got up to the podium and gave his speech like he never heard the an talk. He then turned around and started reciting the Negro national anthem. Maya was back to feeling proud about being black again. She wasn’t going to let the white man’s speech bring her down.

to shoot an elephant

Becky Harlan (lee)

Mr. Neuburger

101-104

30 January 2013

Synopsis on Shooting an Elephant

By George Orwell

There was an elephant on a rampage. George was told to go take care of it because it was in the village. It already killed a man and it was in a field when George got to it. He really didn’t want to shoot it but there was about 2000 people standing behind him and cheering him on. The elephant was minding his own business. George continued to question himself if he should shoot this massive animal or not. The people were still waiting for him to shoot it so they could get the meat off of it. He finally shot the elephant but it didn’t die. He shot it 2 more times and still nothing. The elephant was lying on the ground gasping for air. So George tried to kill him by shooting him several more time. Finally he had to leave because he couldn’t stand to watch it suffer anymore. He was ashamed because the only reason he shot the elephant was so he wouldn’t look like a fool

descriptive essay

Becky Harlan (lee)

Mr. Neuburger           

Eng. 101-103

05 February 2013

The Loss

            There I was, out in the middle of nowhere. I rather missed the city for a moment, but then again, it was like I was still there; the wolves were my only friends and the trees would wave at me like they were my nosey neighbors. The wind was like an enemy, which would stab me in the back, as soon as my back was turned to it. The birds were hustling around, fighting to get as many seeds as they could. They reminded me of little old ladies, trying to get the best items on sale before anyone else had a chance to even look at them. I began to feel right at home, and remembered why I was there in the first place.

            I looked at the old, rustic, run-down cabin, and thought about how I was going to be as miserable as a homeless cat in the rain. I stepped onto the first warped plank of the makeshift stairs leading to the porch. It creaked as if I was walking into an old haunted house. I took another step trying to pay attention to where I put my feet. I could practically see the tetanus on the nails trying to ambush me, like a lioness does a gazelle. Finally, I reached the door handle, and when I grabbed it, it felt like my skin was going to stick to the metal. The agonizing pain of the coldness was enough to make a polar bear shiver. I tried to imagine the warmth of the fire that would soon be in the fireplace as it melts my cold achy bones, as if they were ice cubes in a glass of sweet tea on a hot summer day.

            This was no camping trip, I had to be there, and I had no choice. The memories flooded my head like water bursting through a dam. I walked through the door expecting it to be the same as it was when I was a child. There would be this fresh aroma of red toro tobacco, lingering in the air from a pipe. The sun rays beaming through the windows, with dust particles dancing in it. There would be chuckling of laughter and happiness that filled the room with warmth. Instead, I was greeted with this sense of a stale, stagnant stench of isolation and loneliness. I soon began to think I couldn’t do this. The sorrow and hurt I felt was enough to make a grown man cry. I had to pull it together, and overcome this avalanche of mixed emotions.

            The sun was beginning to set, and I knew I had to get a fire started soon. As I was gathering the firewood off the floor, it dawned on me that I was not the only one in the room. I heard the scampering footsteps in the soot covered fireplace. Instantly, I thought it was a rabies-infested monster out to get me. I reached for the small iron shovel beside me. As I leaned over to look up into the drafty chimney, a huge fur ball came flying down so fast that it knocked me on my rear end. My heart was pounding so hard, I thought it was going to break through my ribs and fall flat on the floor. As I hurried to get to my feet, I saw the intruder. A full-grown raccoon came out from behind the antique chair that sat next to the fireplace. At this point, I was still shaking in my boots from all the excitement. All of a sudden, I felt the warmth of the adrenaline, coursing through my veins. The visiting friend looked at me like I was out of my mind for waking him up. He slowly walked away nonchalantly to the opened door and disappeared behind the cabin.

            An hour had passed; the fire seemed to liven up the room with shadows dancing on the walls. Finally, I could remove my thick down coat. As I tossed it onto the chair, it knocked over a couple of pictures sitting on the side table. Flipping them over I had realized how long it had been since the last time I was there. My Daddy looked well, and I was just a zit-faced teenager. The softness in his eyes was like a warm cashmere sweater that made me feel all cozy and covered in warmth. He was so full of life when he came to this cabin. This was the place he could rejuvenate his soul. It could calm even the fiercest wolverine.  A flood of tears poured out of my eyes as I remembered all the love he gave me when he was alive and breathing.  Just then, it felt like his brawny arm was around me, comforting me with a strong sense of compassion. He was there with me, not in body, but in spirit. With a heavy burden lifted off my aching heart, I finally felt at ease.

            I gathered the rest of his belongings in my arms, and laid them easily in the cardboard box. The fire had dwindled down to nothing, and it started to get cold again. As I walked to the door, I looked back at the empty room, and smiled. I was not going to be returning to that place physically but I could come back through all the great memories that I knew would never leave me. I said one last goodbye, turned, and shut the door.             

           

             

             

Forgiving Dr.Mengele

Becky Harlan (Lee)

Mr. Neuburger

Eng. 101-103

03 March 2013

                                                            Report on “Forgiving Dr. Mengele”

            This is a documentary on Eva Mozes Kor. She and her twin sister Mariam were victims of the cruel and heartless German scientist, Dr. Mengele. They were brought to Auschwitz, alongside of their mother, when they were about ten years old. The twins were ripped away from their mother who was taken to the gas chambers as soon as they got off the train. The only reason Eva and Mariam were taken alive because they were twins. Dr. Mengele liked the fact of having twins because he had two instead of one; if one died, he had the other one to do more test on. Eva and Mariam survived the agony they endured while they were there. After the war was over they tried to live normal lives. They grew up, got married, and had kids. Nobody ever talked about the ordeal they lived through. Mariam had some major problems from all the injections she got from the experiments. She passed away and Eva was so upset.

            Eva eventually forgave the Nazis and soon even forgave Dr. Mengele for what they did to her. Many people thought it wasn’t right for her to forgive them and they gave her a bunch of grief for it. She stood her ground and said it was her right to be able to be at peace in her heart. I think Eva Kor is a very positive human being. She stands for what she thinks is right for herself and doesn’t care what others think. She has been through so much and for her to be able to forgive someone for doing such evil and heartless things to children, is a very strong thing to do. 

Becky Harlan
Free Write
March 25 2013

                 I am so blessed. There are so many things that I am so thankful for. For instance, I have  great children. They are crazy but I love them dearly. My children can drive me nuts at times but, I couldn't imagine living life without them. They run around messing things up which I just cleaned. But, I will miss this when they are older and out of the house. They eat so much I can hardly keep up with the grocery bill. But I love to cook and it will be boring when all i have to cook for is 2 instead of 9. They are loud! Running through the house like little hooligans. But when they are gone the silence is ear piercing. Bed time is absolutely chaos. They get out of bed and run to the other rooms, get up and say " I'm thirsty" or "I need to use the bathroom" 500 times. But it will make me feel old when I go to bed at 7:00 pm because I have nothing to keep me up  . The little finger prints all over things are just a reminder that they are still here to be taught and to be loved no matter what. They are a huge responsibility but living without responsibility would make me selfish, undependable, and spoiled. Who wants to be around someone like that? I love my children and I'm so thankful they are a huge part of my life.

Response to “The Film Unfinished”

This film was supposed to let everyone see a big lie. The Germans played it out like the Jews were living a life that people wanted. When in all truth it was nothing like that. People starving to death, dying of disease, and living in filth, which none of them asked for, is absolutely mind boggling  It was all a cover up so no one knew what was really happening.  How could anyone in his or her right mind stand back and not do anything while this was going on? I just do not understand it. The Jews were not there because they wanted to be there, they were there only because they were Jews. They had no choice in the matter. As I watched this film, I felt a deep sadness. The film brought to my attention how blessed we are today. The pain and suffering that the people went through during the holocaust is too hard to imagine. The inhumanity that went on was unbearable to watch and to think that people could do this kind of thing to others is horrible. I couldn’t imagine seeing people treated like that, especially the children. Little innocent lives being taken in such a manner is barbaric! It was hard for me to watch the survivors’ reactions to the film. It was as if they had to relive it all over again.

                The bodies lying in the street is an image I cannot get out of my head and the shot when they were sliding the dead into the deep graves layer upon layer was something I wish I had never seen. The poor men that had to stack the bodies on top of each other must have had nightmares for a long time. I am glad that I had chance to see this film because I didn’t really understand the extent of what happened in the ghettos until now. I am very thankful for the life I have because it could be much worse. 

The testimony of Joseph Morton

                                                     

Joseph Morton was born as Joseph Mortkowitz. He was born on July 24, 1924. His place of birth was Lodz, Poland. Joseph had four brothers and one sister. They were all about 2-3 years apart. The Mortkowitz family lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Lodz Poland. Joseph’s mother stayed at home as a homemaker while his dad worked to support the family. They lived in an all-Jewish neighborhood, which later became a ghetto since it was already concentrated with all the Jews. The children all went to a public school. Joseph only got to the 7^th grade before the war started. They enclosed the ghetto in 1940. After that is when Joseph started to see trouble happening. Starvation was a major issue. People were very malnourished and starving on the streets. He noticed that the Germans were taking people away and they never returned.

                After a while, his family was loaded onto a cattle train. They were packed into it like animals. No one knew where they were going. They were only told that they were going to a place to work.  The Jews were on their way to Auschwitz Poland, which was a death camp. When they finally reached their destination they were rushed out and separated from each other. His father, brother Abe, and his cousin Jacob along with himself were together but the rest were taken elsewhere. Later on, he found out that his mother, sister and aunts were all killed as soon as they were taken away. The men were all put in striped uniforms and placed in huge barracks, which were very crowded. Each Jew had a number given to them. Joseph’s number was 71324-VII-13526. It was too late in the war to have them tattooed on their arm so it was on their uniform. Him and his brother and cousin were shipped off to Germany to work only after arriving in Auschwitz for 2weeks. Shortly after they got to Germany, they were liberated. From there he moved to Canada and 3 months later moved to the States . In Canada he met his now wife and they have children together.

                “… Do the best you can, enjoy it and live it up. “   ~Joseph Morton

                “they made us wear yellow bands to tell us apart from the rest” ~Joseph Morton

Testimony of Malka Klin Baran

Testimony of Malka Klin Baran

Malka Baran’s maiden name is Klin. She was born on January 30, 1927. Malka was born in Warsaw Poland. She had a brother that was two years younger than she was. Malka and her brother did not get along that well. He was very mischievous and she always tried to do what was right. Her family wasn’t a very religious family. They would celebrate holidays but not to the extent, that many other Jewish families would. They lived in a non-kosher home. However, Malka had a strong connection with God. 1939 was when Malka said it started to get tough. The schools were closed and the teachers started to disappear. There were German officers all over and the Jews were made to wear yellow bands.

                Malka celebrated her 15^th birthday with her family and that was the very last birthday they celebrated together. Her parents gave her a little gold heart shaped locket. One early morning they were all rushed out of their apartment onto the streets. At gunpoint, they were separated to the right and left. Her father, her brother, and she were on one side and her mother and a family friend on the other. She never saw her mother again. Malka had severed memory loss after this morning. They were marched off to a work camp where her brother and father were later killed.

                At this work camp, a little boy about 2 years old was found and hid in the barracks. She talked and sang to this little boy every day. She said that he is the one that kept her alive. One day while she was working the german officers left and didn’t come back. Someone finally came running in saying they were liberated they could go. Malka ended up in Israel and met the man she would marry. She got married when she was 25 years old and moved to the United States. There she had 2 daughters. Her oldest daughter lives in Israel and her youngest lives in PA with her.

“There is always hope and there is always the possibility for change.” ~ Malka Baran   

“I still have faith in people” ~Malka Baran 

free write 3-6-13

Free write 3-6-13    

    3

                                     I am in the middle of packing my house that i have been in for almost nine years. It seems impossible to do this with everything else that is going on. I have midterms this week and i feel like i am drowning in a pool of misery. It seems like i can't accomplish the things that need to be done in a timely maner. My children are starting to get nervous about the move. a few of them do not want to move and they are asking a bunch of questions like why do we have to move and crying uncontrollably about the situation. I have reached the end of my rope and sometimes i feel like letting go. but I wake up the next morning everyday and keep on trucking. It is hard at times but somehow i keep going. There is going to be a time when i look back on these days and laugh. I hope!! I can't wait till i can breathe again.

Becky Harlan
free write
3-4-13



Over the weekend my husband and I went to find a house we could rent. Well we finally found a decent one in Springfield. We looked at a bunch of them that were all run-down and really small. And we thought we were never going to find one that we could live in. We paid the deposit and the first months rent so now we can move into it whenever we want to. I have so much packing to do in the house im in right now. I have lived there for nine years! So anyone can only imagine how much that has accumulated in those nine years with 5 kids. I have been so stressed out because this is a huge step in my life. Leaving one life behind and starting a new one with my new husband. Im sad but in the same sense im excited. The children are excited also. They keep talking about all the plans they have for this new house. It is so neat to watch them get all hyper and want to start packing their rooms up all night. I had to step in and burst their bubble when I told them it was time to go to sleep because of school. They finally fell asleep but as soon as I woke them up this morning they wanted to stay home and continue packing. That was not an option!

free write
feb. 20, 3013
                                    
                                 Saturday i went roller skaking with my family. I did pretty good until the very last min. then my feet slipped out from under me and i fell on my butt. the bad thing about it was i put my hands out to brace myself when I knew better. i ended up standing up and didnt feel my elbow but my rear end hurt really bad. i began to skate and realized my arm was hurt when i bent it and felt a bunch of cracking and popping going on.it instantly started swelling. i told my husband and we left. He took me to urgent care and they took xrays anf i had a fracture.

 

Becky Harlan Fee write

Over the weekend I was very busy. I had to clean the house after 7 kids decided to have fun and not pick up after themselves. You can only imagine the mess it was . Me and my husband have been searching for a house to rent and we finally came across one that we like. So now we have to get all the final thngs done before we can move in this weekend. So much to pack and move. I have been living in my current residents for 8 yrs now so there is a bunch of things that have accumulated since then. I have to pack 5 bedrooms and plus the living room dining room and bathrooms . I sounds like this weekend will be just as busy as the last one if not more. I’m so excited to begin a new life in a new place with my new husband and children. Everything is kind of hectic right now but it will soon calm down and we can get on some kind of schedule. My children are so happy to be moving which I thought I was going to have a fight on my hands.

Becky Harlan (Lee)

Free Write 1-28-2013

I am so excited to be in school. I have been waiting to go to school for so long and now I am finally here. It is such an accomplishment for me after having 5 kids and a divorce. I wanted to wait till my youngest was in school but life had different plans then I did. It is hard being newly married and having to take care of 7 kids but we all make it work some how. I am hoping to be out of school in like a year and a half but things can happen . My children are so proud of me. I see it in their eyes when I talk about class. They know all that I have been through and they only wish the best for their mommy. It gets kinda crazy in the house having all of them running around while I am trying to get my studying done but I am not complaining one bit. My children mean the world to me! Arian is my oldest and then Lexus and Shyanne is next then my boys Corbin and Braxton.

Becky Harlan (Lee) I Am From by

Free Write 1-16-2013

I am the 3rd born child of 4. I have 5 children. Their names are Arian Faith , Lexus Serinaty , Shyanne Hope, Corbin Michael, and Braxton Ross. My mother's name is Patti. My father's name is Michael , who died when I was 6. He was in the Army for a long time. Im very proud of my daddy. He was very special to me even though I was very young when he passed. My oldest brother's name is Joshua. He Died when he was 21.

My Introduction

       Hello there. My name is Rebecca Harlan, but I go by Becky. I was born in Michigan and raised in Arizona. Big climate change I know. My family and I moved from Arizona to Missouri in 1999. I just fell in love with it here and I do not plan on moving anytime in the near future. I recently got married to a wonderful man in December. Together we have 9 kids, which only 5 live with us. There is never a dull moment that passes with that many children. I had my first child in 1998 so I never graduated high school. Instead I chose to be a stay at home mommy. Four children later some circumstances came up and I made the decision to get my GED. I studied for the test in May and in June I passed it with no problems. I then set a goal to start college in the fall. I was very excited and nervous at the same time because I had no idea what to expect. I kept asking myself  "What am I thinking? It had been over 14 years since I was in school." I did not give up though. I got through the Fall semester with good grades while working and taking care of my children on my own. Here I am now on my second semester and feeling so good about myself. I feel I am on the right track continuing my education and living out my life dream of becoming a RN. I can not wait to see what the future holds for me.