Reading and Writing After the Bell

For many years, reading has been a significant aspect of my life, whether I wanted it to be or not. My family has always encouraged me to read and I have learned to love sitting down with a good piece of writing. In elementary and middle school, I considered any sort of reading too similar to school work and therefore only read when I was forced to do so by parents or teachers. Every since high school began, however, I have learned to love reading for pleasure, and I make attempt to read some sort of writing daily.

I read a wide array of types of writing. My personal favorite type of writing to read is periodicals. I enjoy reading newspapers to stay alert on the happenings throughout the world. Newspapers seem to directly connect me to various cities and countries where important events are taking place. Magazines are another periodical that I regularly read. I am particularly interested in politics so political magazines are among my favorite to read. I also enjoy sports and music magazines and read these genres whenever time permits. During the school year, I usually read a piece from a magazine or newspaper daily. The summer time is my only opportunity that time permits me to read books. I prefer non-fiction books, generally biographies of interesting individuals. Whether it is a book, magazine, or newspaper, reading is a noteworthy hobby of mine.

Similar to my enjoyment of reading, I also like writing my own work. During the school year, I write much more than is required from me for classes. As the editor-in-chief of the Eagle’s Nest, I usually write two or three articles for this magazine per issue. As the sports editor of the Active Voice, I also compose a couple articles per issue for this newspaper. I write for these publications because I enjoy researching and reporting on the sports events that are happening around school. Finding creative ways to report what I research is a fun component of writing for the school periodicals. During the summer, I find other ways to express my creativity through writing. For example, this past summer I kept a daily journal as I coached basketball at a camp in Los Angeles. Recording the happenings around the camp was amusing. This journal will also allow me to remember the summer of 2007 many years from now. Compiling pieces of writing such as this journal allows me to express my thoughts in a creative and enjoyable way. (418)