Did you know that since 1976 more than 1,300 people have been executed in the U.S.? To Kill Or Not To Kill? by Patricia Smith is about the decline in the United States of capital punishment in recent years. It's surprising how un professional these executions are performed. Based on the outcome of recent botched executions evidence has shown that the drugs used to kill criminals have not been tested.

                          Two incidences where inmates were given the lethal drug suffered and did not die till 30 minutes later. The author writes "last April Clayton Lockett was strapped to a gurney in the death chamber of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and had been given an infection when he started kicking, twitching, and then writhing and moaning in agony". This clearly demonstrates that Lockett was used as a lab rat. Also in July Arizona state took over two hours to kill Joseph R. Wood a reporter counted 640 gasps before he finally died. This part of the article makes my wonder why political leaders haven't imposed a nationwide moratorium on the death penalty. The inconsistencies of these tragic events show that different drugs are used each time.

                          There are several reasons for these mishaps. The article states "because most doctors see participation in executions as a violation of their oath do no harm many lethal injections are carried out by people with little or no medical training". This illustrates that there is a lack of people with medical knowledge developing the death cocktail. The exact sources of where prisons get their drugs are vague, "it's forced prisons systems to try untested drug combinations". European drug manufactures refuse to sell drugs to prisons for the purpose of execution. Although these criminals are sentenced to death row we need to take a stronger look at how capital punishment is carried out.

                         After reading this article I am more convinced then ever that capital punishment should be obliterated and that criminals live out their life sentences in jail. I
feel that it is too final of a punishment in a judicial system where many mistakes can be made. Until our drugs can be tested and the final outcome of the executions can be ensured it should be ruled un constitutional. 

                   Teens can be effected in a negative way by reading Looking For Alaska! After reading "Looking For Alaska" by John Green it is clear to see that it's a dark book and a bad influence for teens. The book features the likes of sex, drugs, the over usage of alcohol, and hazing. Based on that evidence Looking For Alaska should be banned from school bookshelves.

                 Sex is something that comes up a lot in this book. In the beginning of the book
"Pudge" the main character learns why Alaska doesn't have a roommate anymore. It turns out her roommate Myra got caught having sex with her boyfriend on campus and then got expelled from Culver Creek. Also Pudge's girlfriend engages in oral sex, "she looked up at me, but didn't move, her face nanometers away from my penis". Having sex as a teen, like they do in Looking For Alaska has many negative outcomes. As shown in the book you can get in trouble for having sex. Also sex could end up with someone having a child. This book could encourage teens to have sex.

               Everyone introduced in the book you can say is an alcoholic. Threw out the book they always go out into the woods and drink till they vomit. Another example on how drinking is a big factor in this book is when Alaska dies from drunk driving, "Last night, Alaska Young was in a terrible accident and she was killed. Alaska has passed away". In this book they drink like crazy with no self-control. Drinking like this definitely has its consequences. Alaska got killed because of drunk driving. The amount of drinking in this book should not be used as a model for teens in middle and high school.

             At first Pudge didn't smoke, but then he went to Culver Creek and he smoked all the time with everyone else. For ever single day written in the book there is a "smoke brake". It was a time for everyone to let go and relax, to not feel the pressure of school while being far from their parents. At one point in the book Alaska says "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die". Unfortunately though the way they smoked in this book makes it seem cool. When you get sick or your friend dies because of smoking then will it seem  cool? These actions shown in the book shouldn't  be in schools.

            Reading this book has made me realize that some teenagers have this issue. The last thing they need is any encouragement from a popular book like this. Looking For Alaska could also make teens that don't have sex yet, drink, or smoke think that it's ok to do that kind of stuff. This book proves that it is important that teens don't do the things shown in Looking For Alaska. It should be said that you can't find Looking For Alaska on a school bookshelf.

                         In the book "Keeper" by Mal Peet, The character archetypes are evident. The author makes it so that the reader can identify the following archetypes "the mentor, reluctant hero, herald, and the shapeshifter".

                          "The mentor"  would have to be the keeper. The keeper is a wise man who trains El Gato to be the best goalie in the world. The mentor is the "character who aids or trains the hero, usually wise". This definitely fits the keeper, he is a smart man who doesn't really joke around and knows what he's doing. The keeper doesn't waist El Gato's time when training.

                            Another archetype that is clear in the book is the "reluctant hero" that is portrayed by El Gato. When El Gato is first introduced to the keeper, El Gato immediately thinks "No" to being a goalie. Then the keeper starts taking shots on El Gato. Soon El Gato's abilities are discovered. The definition of reluctant hero is "at first refused the adventure and denies his own ability". El Gato at first refuses the challenge of working on being a goal keeper and denies his amazing keeper abilities.

                              The keeper would hold the archetype of the "herald". He is the one who puts El Gato on the journey of becoming the best goalie in the world and teaches him to move past the obstacles that stand in El Gato's way. The Herald is the one who "announces the challenge which begins the hero on his story journey; the person or piece of information which starts the adventure"

                               The last archetype that I found was the "shapeshifter" which belongs to again the keeper. The keeper can be moody and makes El Gato  struggle to understand him. The archetype means "changes role of personality, and is hard to understand; alliances are uncertain and the sincerity of his claims are questionable; brings suspense to story".

                              In this story their are not that many characters but the characters
that their are the archetypes are obvious .

                            The book "Keeper" by Mal Peet is about a 13 year old boy from a small town in South America where all the males grow up to be lumber jacks. Keeper is told in pass-tense from "El Gato" ,the best goalie in the world, who is being interviewed by Paul Faustino, the top soccer writer in South America, about how El Gato got to where he is today. From what El Gato has said it would be fair to say that theres a special place for soccer in his heart.

                         An example that El Gato loves soccer is when he says "we had games that started as soon as we were let out of school and didn't end until our fathers came back in the trucks and darkness was falling". Also he says "after a big match, even if it was dark, even if it was raining, we would run into the plaza to replay the action, calling ourselves by names and nicknames of the great stars: Pelé, the Gray Ghost, Little Bird, Maradona, whatever". This shows how much El Gato is into the game and how he adores soccer and what comes with it.

                              El Gato explains to Paul he imagined wining the World Cup along with the trophy that comes with it,"I used to imagine winning this, and taking it home with me. At night, secretly. Unannounced. My father would be asleep in his hammock. I would lay the Cup gently on his chest and put his hands around it. So when he woke up he would find himself holding the greatest prize in the world. And I would watch his face". This captures the strong compelling emotion that he has and that he loves soccer so much he thinks that if you win a soccer tournament it would be the greatest prize in the world.

                          In conclusion it is quite clear to see the passion and devotion for soccer that El Gato has. I think that love for soccer and of corse persistence is was got him to where he is today.

                  The book "Looking for Alaska" by John Green is about a boy named Miles
Halters soon to be nicknamed "Pudge" who is now going off a high school called Culver Creek. As soon as he gets there he is pulled in to the madness of "the Colonel, Alaska Young, and Takumi" his new and first friends. When "Pudge" sees Alaska he immediately falls in love with her. Alaska is a very unstable and emotional girl, she smokes, drinks, and has had a lot of boyfriends. She does have a boyfriend named Jake that goes to another high school, so she thinks she has the right to always flirt with Pudge but not make any sexual contact. There are times in the book when Alaska has a break down in front of Pudge about something she has done wrong in her life, and Pudge has to put up with it because he loves her. Throughout the book Alaska likes to drag the gang (the Colonel, Pudge, and Takumi) out into the woods far away from "the Eagle" to smoke and drink. The Eagle is the nickname they gave a teacher at Culver Creek who is famous for keeping a close watch on students making sure they're not doing anything bad. He has expelled students before including Alaska's old roommate for being caught making love with her boyfriend in their dorm. Many times in the book the Colonel and Alaska like to do pranks. One night the Colonel and Alaska decided to get back at some kids for pranking Alaska, so the two of them involve Pudge and Takumi into this one. Since it was spring brake most of the school had gone away which meant their was going to be less suspects for who pulled the prank, so they all told the Eagle that they were going back home for the brake. The plan was that the Colonel and Alaska would go and send out emails to the parents of kids that their child was doing poorly in school while Pudge and Takumi distracted the Eagle by running through the woods shooting off fireworks. Then they would all meet up at the barn that they were going to stay at for that week. In the end the prank was successful and the Eagle never found out who did it. On the last night Pudge saw Alaska it was in their hideout in the woods with the Colonel. Alaska and the Colonel were drunk and Alaska wanted to play Truth or Dare, Pudge then said "Dare" to Alaska's question then Alaska said "Hook up with me", so they started to make out. When they were finished kissing Alaska said "To be continued" then they all fell asleep. In the middle of the night Alaska goes to talk to Jake on the phone, then comes back sobbing saying that she needed to get off campus. Without saying anything Pudge and the Colonel help Alaska get to her car by again distracting the Eagle with fireworks.


                          The next morning the Eagle comes to Pudge and the Colonel's dorm to tell them to go to the gym. When the whole school arrived at the gym the Eagle announced Alaska's death by car accident. The Colonel went crazy and was sobbing with his knees tucked in screaming "I'm sorry!" while Pudge was in shock. At first he thought it was one of her pranks. The rest of the book shows the arguments between the Colonel and Pudge because the Colonel wanted to find out why Alaska needed to leave campus that night and Pudge thought it best to leave her be in peace. After awhile Pudge decides to help the Colonel. They both find lots of clues together including talking to the police officer who saw the accident. Pudge goes through a lot of grieving and second guesses     continuing to help the Colonel. For a while they take a brake from this and focus on a new task, a huge prank in memory of Alaska. The prank was that at one of  Culver Creek's functions the students would hire a guy who would strip down to his under ware and start dancing. Towards the end of the book the Colonel, Pudge, and Takumi find out that Alaska had forgotten about her annual trip to her moms grave to put flowers on it, so that night she was freaky out and had to get there as fast as she could resulting in a car accident. All in all Looking for Alaska was a memorable book with an emotional roller coaster journey that kept you wondering what they were going to do next.