When you blog, in the Title, write your first and last name as you would as if you are turning in a paper to me. Then you do not have to write my name because I know you are in my class. Write what CP English class you are in whether it is CP English 3 or 4 and what period.
In addition, for the title, if you are notetaker for the day, write "notes for the day" and put the date that you took the notes. However, if you are just blogging to fulfill those two required posts, write #1 Post or #2 Post, so I can easily keep track of them.
Of course, you are welcome to write more than the required two posts, and doing so, is another form of participation and does count in the participation grade. Perhaps, in class, you may not participate all that much but in the realm of the blogosphere, you can from the comfort of your own home, reflect on the day's class discussion or offer up an insight that you found particularly interesting, etc., etc.
Of course, I need not go on and on about being respectful towards your peers' opinions and beliefs. If you disagree with another student's views be discreet about it: Do not say so and so is wrong because of this and that. Instead, say, I disagree with so and so and here are the reasons why I do...
I may at some point have a different blog for each period but we will stay with one to make things simple.
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88 comments:
#1 Post
S Molen, CP English 4, Period 4
Yeah, it's a requirement so here it comes. In Lord of the Flies , Chaos and Authority and who gets that power seems to be the main idea running through out the whole book. Obviously, Jack and Ralph are contending for themselves to be the leaders, but less obvious I think is how Piggy and Simon could become contenders. Jack wants meat and to feel powerful, that's a little too obvious. Ralph wants them to be rescued and holds their situation as temporary. Piggy wants them also to be rescued and wanted strict order and rules while Ralph just wants to keep the other kids happy. Simon could become a leader of sorts since he seems to do whatever he wants and doesn't seem to mind the others doing whatever they want.
There, that's one post...
Mr. Molen~
So you are talking about authority in this aspect. The top three leaders are Piggy who represents civilization, Jack, savagery, and Ralph, an intermediary between civilization and savagery. Simon is always talked about in terms of goodness. What about Roger,Mr. Molen? What do you think he represents. Good work here.
Joe Musser
Period 4
Cp English 4
In Lord of the Flies, it seems that Jack is comfortable staying on the island as long as possible. Why would he let the fire go out if he didn't want to stay? Jack likes the power that he has over the choir boys and he enjoys the respect he gets from the Littluns. Ralph is the exact opposite. He wants off the island as soon as he can. He finally shows some leadership when he calls a emergency meeting in Chapter 5, but the meeting turns into a hunters rally and the hunters follow Jack off into the forest. Ralph has to step up and take charge before this gets more out of hand.
today i was watching a documentary about Latinos in the military and i remembered them saying that the people get to serve a "tour" in Iraq and it reminded me of Lord of the Flies. The word "tour" reminded me of the carnavalesque themes in Lord of the flies. When you think of the word tour you think of vacation maybe you think of seeing new things sitting on a nice bus maybe but the way they use the word tour to say people get to go to Iraq is crazy. They say one thing and mean something completely different. Also in this documentary i watched they called the Latino community, the Latino market. For some reason this title coming from a white man was kind of degrading maybe or insensitive? This reminded me of Lord Of The Flies because Mr. Shiao told us this book was about the holocaust. I'm not saying that anyone's plotting to kill the whole Latino race but the way they categorized the Jews as they were less than a person made me think of how Latinos are mistreated and called the Latino market like we are some kind of animal like cattle or something. "We get blamed for being foreigners..." but when time comes to fight the Latinos are the one stepping up to go. Kinda going off of topic on Lord of the Flies but this also kinda ties into what being a citizen is for me. This documentary i watched was really important to me and it really opened my eyes and i recommend anyone willing to take the time to watch it should it's free on itunes right now so go download it!
Mr. Musser~
Yes. Those people that are comfortable where they are at usually stay within that place. It is ironic how Jack goes hunting instead of keep track of the fire, right? He has misappropriated priorities. Jack is comfortable with living as an animal and becoming more and more evil--The descent into madness or a world torn apart and turned upside down.
Ralph does need to step up. This reminds me of sports and more specifically the Lakers. If Ralph is Kobe (not that he is but let us carry on with this hypothetical, shall we?), and he was letting the littluns and Jack (let's make him Shaq) walk all over him (similar to like in the Laker days), then obviously it would not be his team. It would be Shaq's, right? And is that not what Jack wants? Jack wants the island and all the boys to be his house: he wants them to be under his thumb and under his reign, right? Shaq even though he is now on the Heat, got into a scuffle with Dwayne Wade and made it clear to everyone that it was "his" team and his “House.” I see similarities there... with LOTF and the Lakers.
How about Piggy? Who would Piggy be? Poor Piggy always gets left out. "piggy" as you guys write him with no capital "P." He gets no respect. Maybe Piggy is Phil Jackson but then that analogy does not really have any wings to fly. Because first of all, Phil is not fat, and second of all, Phil knows how to lead...the only thing they have in common is that they have glasses...
Class, what do you think?
Mr. Musser, good job. I cannot wait until your presentation tomorrow.
Hhhhmm, I don't know how you can relate this to the Cubs but maybe you can? Maybe you can?
Sorry for the girls in class again. Men and their sports.
Ms. Calderon~
What is the name of the documentary?
Mr. Hsiao, ha ha. Don’t worry nobody gets that right? I don’t even sometimes?
I like the idea of the Carnivalesque.
Tour. It has two meanings, right? It has the meaning of going on a bus ride or summer cruise somewhere (field trip anyone) and there is the connotation of fun? Most people who want to go serve in the war are people who wanted to shoot off guns and experience war. In short, they thought war would be fun before going off “on tour.” The second meaning comes into play when they actually go off to war. Obviously, they became disillusioned very fast as soon as the war became more and more drawn out and prolonged. However, since I always like to go back to the darker subjects or “dark water” so to speak: the current Newsweek's cover story discusses the war's damaging effects on the veterans: missing limbs and other more grievous effects.
Nevertheless, Heather makes some good good points (not grammatically correct, I know). Is the war an excuse to ferret out those that are neither that intelligent nor economically stable? I don't know an answer to that question but it is a question?. I mean I do have answers but what is more important is one has to look at what are the common denominators here. I will not go into it nor can I? Nonetheless, Ms. Calderon makes some very good good points.
What I can say though is… In discussing this with my friend, who is Latina herself, and going to law school. She is very proud of her heritage and the fact that she is the first in her family to graduate with a B.A. in English and go off to law school. Moving along, in discussing with her this particular topic, she had this to say: “but since all non-latino people see latin people as poor, and uneducated, maybe your student is trying to say that by the number of latinos going off to war, people should take this form of sacrifice into account and change their view of latinos.”
My friend makes some good points and those are her words. I like the form of discussion here because it promotes further discussion. I enjoy what you had to say, Ms. Calderon because it started another line of thought with one of my friends who herself is very much Latina and has her views on the war.
But of course going off on a tangent is great. In relating this back to LOTF though, is this not always the course of history? History repeats, right? There is always an in-group and an out-group. In World War II, it was the Jews for the Germans. In LOTF, it is Ralph, Piggy, and Simon (RalphBritish Prime Minister, Piggy American, and SimonSavior-type figure). The Latinos are the out-group and maybe they are trying to bridge the gap and make themselves the in-group by making these sacrifices and proving that they are Americans? Ralph, Piggy, and Simon are trying to go back into the In-group but they never were in the In-group to begin with. So the tough thing is will they ever get in? What will happen to the Prime Minister, the American, and the Savior-type figure? Will the Germans have the last laugh? We know what happened in history? We know what happened in World War II? What will happen in LOTF? We will see. Interesting discussion though (fragment). I love tangents but always bring back to the text. Always do. Just a thought (fragments galore!). See how your discussion, Ms. Calderon, promoted more discussion. Good. Good. Nice work.
I know that this was last week, but I thought what Ms. Din did was very courages. It must have been really hard for her to get up in front of a bunch of high school seniors who usually don't care about much, but I think she really caught our attention. Well, at least I know she caught mine. It was really sad hearing about what she has gone through and how she is fighting for her brother so that maybe one day there will be a cure for his disease. In my eyes, that is truely amazing.It shows how much she really loves her brother. It seems like she is really dedicated and I really respect her for that. I really hope that one day there is a prevention or cure for MD and I hope there it happens before it is too late for her brother. He seems like an awesome kid and from what I heard on the tape it seems like he is a sweetheart. I wish her luck in everything she does.
As of right now I don’t have a favorite character. In my opinion I think they are all lame. In the beginning of the novel Ralph was a pretty good leader, then he just started to let everyone run over him. He really needs to step up and take the roll of leader of step down and let someone else be the leader. One person that shouldn’t be a leader is Jack. Jack is strong but yet he’d use the power the wrong way. He’d mostly likely abuse his power like Hitler and have a downfall. Also I don’t understand Simon, he’s not in a group at all. He used to be a forester but now he’s nothing. I think he’s trying to be an outcast with Piggy and Ralph but that isn’t working. He’s more of a poser. He’s trying to fit into too many groups at once. He should have just stuck with being a forester or just started off as an outcast. Roger on the other hand needs to stop being a suck up to Jack. He’s trying to show off because he’s older then the littleness so he throws rocks at them and smashes their sand castles. I guess he’s trying to establish his authority over the littleness but he’s just being a bully. I guess this leaves Piggy. He’s an ok guy but no one really listens to him. Granted Ralph and him became friends but I think it was more of a survival thing. I believe if Piggy wasn’t there to tell Ralph to stay the leader Ralph would have been killed or enslaved by Jack. I cant choose Piggy to be my favorite character because he’s too weak. Yeah he’s smart but Jack and Ralph could really care less.
-Chris Mansker
Friday when Ms. Din came into the classroom to talk to us about her personal life and brother is made me realize alot. Ms. Din had a lot of courage to be able to get in front of a class full of high school students and tell us all of this personal stuff. Listning to her made me realize a lot of things especially how i need to be grateful for everything i have. There are so many kids and adults who are so ungrateful its discusting, and i really wish they could have been in that classroom with us to hear this speech, maybe something would have finally hit them. I really admire Ms. Din for everything that she is doing to find a cure for MD and i truely wish her the best of luck. For in the future i would request her to come in and talk again to the future students it might help out alot.
TGIF! haha :]
i really really enjoyed the guest speaker today she was so relatable i found myself saying "oh my gosh me too" or "i totally know what you're talking about." Her whole identity thing is something i completely understand. I've always been kind of lost on who i really am being that i am a latina I'm mexican/cuban/american but the problem is I don't speak the language. Now to most people that probably wouldn't be much of a big deal and for me it probably wouldn't have been a big deal either except for the fact that I have this fear of dissapointing people. Who would i dissappoint? well obviously not my parents because if they thought it was important for me to speak spanish they would have taught it to me themselves. I'd dissappoint my grandma who weekly tells me of the importance of knowing MY language and MY culture, I'd be dissappointing my boyfriend who is Mexican American and speaks spanish fluently because if i ever want to have an actual conversation with his parents speaking spanish would be the way to do it, but mostly I'd be dissappoing myself because although no one has really instilled a sense of culture in me i still feel the need to be more than just an American. I really want to be able to live up to the name Mexican and Cuban. The talk with Cristy-Rose today made me think more deeply. The topic of my identity and who i am is on my mind constatly but she kind of gave me hope and inspiration to look out and find myself. I don't think I've ever had a guest speaker reach me so personally. I felt like she was my big sister giving me advice on being a good person or on being a person in general, how to act or how I'd like to be. I also thought it was great how she pin pointed the fact that community service is a great thing. In the past year i haven't been so involved in the community like i know i could be. I'm one of those people that always likes to be involved and she really made me think why have i stopped volunteering like i used to. I know we've only had 2 guest speakers this year but I'd definitely have to say Cristy-Rose could be the most helpful to me.
-Sean Weis, CP English 4
Yeah...so basically I posted this on friday right after school but instead of leaving you a comment I made my own blog and posted it on my blog as a comment...oopse
I really enjoyed class today. I want to thank you for coming today Cristina. I thought that it was uplifting, and made my day for me. To know that there is a person out there (Cristy-Rose) who truelly cares for others. I am the same way, I love to smile at people and say high as much as possible. I overall am a nice person and can't stand the people that like to put others down. It infuriates me when I see someone recieve that kind of treatment, it's just not right. I like for people to feel good about themselves and to be happy. I guess you can say it is a selfish act because it makes me feel better when I make someones day, but in actuality it is a good thing. This type of thing runs in the family, well on the guys side atleast, my older brother and my dad are the same way. It's what I would expect everyone to do, but unfortunately everyone doesn't have common courtesy. This is what I like to contribute to my community but I never looked at it that way, I always saw it as me just being myself.
#1 post Kendra Land, CP english 4
I really liked the guest speaker on Friday, Christy Rose. She hit so many good points that really opend my eyes. I like how she made it a goal to know about her culture. My culture is something i really wish i was more knowledgeable about. Everytime someone asks me what nationalities I come from my first response is "white" but white isn't a nationality, it's a color. So where do I come from? I know that I'm german and italian and english but im sure there is more and that is something I want to find more about. I also like how Christy talked about helping other people, like smiling at someone you don't know. These days everyone is so consumed in the chaos of there own lives and we are so absorbed with our ipods and cell phones, i mean I have friends that will text message as I am trying to have a serious conversation with them and it is so rude. Don't get me wrong, I am guilty of this too at times but my point is I want to start reaching out to other people even if it is as simple as a smile or a friendly wave because who knows maybe that will make someones day alot better. Ok well obviosuly Christy Rose really opened my eyes and i really enjoyed her coming in to tal to us and im excited for the next guest speakers to come.
Heather, Sean, Kendra, and everyone,
I'm really honored and very happy that what I said meant something to you. My search for a cultural and gender identity is such a normal party of my life, and I am trying to make community service a greater part. It's good to know that others feel the same way; our community is stronger for it!
Heather,
Again, I'm so honored by your comments! It totally understand about disappointing - My grandparents love that I try to speak Spanish (and would be ecstatic if I became Catholic). But, you are right; I am mostly disappointing myself. I went to Olvera Street yesterday and felt like a complete fool. I need to get my butt in gear and learn/practice Spanish, you know? Still, one step at a time. I think I'll take another Spanish class this Summer.
Sean,
selfish act, eh? I might have thought this too, but I recently realized that kindness is a "good thing"; I've come to see that just because we enjoy doing something, doesn't mean that it is selfish. It might mean that we are supposed to it, and it looks like being kind is being you. I think I'm the same way. Glad to meet you.
Kendra,
I love drinking coffee and having deep conversations...or just relaxed, enjoyable, focused discussions with friends. It seems to happen in Europe all the time, but, in Southern California -- particularly in High School -- not that much. Keep trying! Fight the good fight! Say no to the cell phone once in a while! (I'm saying all this myself of course)
Again, thanks for letting me visit. Take Care!
This is a poem that i wrote that in someways relate to LOTF.
Looking In the Mirror
Who are you when you look inside?
Do you really know what you’ll find?
When you’re looking in the mirror
Is it true that all you thought and all you bought?
Never fills that empty hole
Deep inside lies the mole
What does it take to be whole?
When you’re looking in the mirror
What is the answer?
Drugs, Sex, or Money
Will you ever find Nirvana?
Movies, Music, Media
Heaven or Hell
War, Politics, Religion
What is your idol?
When you’re looking in the Mirror
How can you teach or preach
When the leach sucked your heart to weep
What do we need to be complete?
When you’re looking in the Mirror
By: Brian Summers
The main idea of this poem is to find out who you are. Many people will change who they are to be cool or look good for a certain group or person. Many of the kids in the LOTF have a loss of identity and don't know exactly who they are. Many try to be cool and make fun of piggy and other small children to make themselfs look better but in reality they still are the same person lost trying to find themselfs. A loss of innocence is a theme in my poem and also in LOFT. The boys turn from once orderly and well-behaved kids to blood-thirsty hunters.
Brittany Reese
# 1 Post
CP English 4
period 4
Ms. Din's presentation really made me feel more appreciative about a lot of things. A lot of times I get really angry and jealous if I cannot go to a concert with by friends and they have a ton of fun without me. That whole day I am upset and I don't want to do anything. Now I realize that that is a really dumb excuse to be upset when there is people in this world, like Ms. Din's brother, who can't even walk. I'm sure that they can't do most of the things that I love to do. Such: as swimming, running around at the beach, playing broomball, and walking around Disneyland.
When Ms. Din's brother was talking to us on the tape-recorder, I felt like crying because he sounds like such a happy kid who wants us to appreciate everything that we have because he can't do everything.
I can almost relate to Ms. Din's story too. My uncle loves sports more than anyone I know. He loves running and he really wants to teach my 3-year-old cousin Haley how to play every sport and become a pro. One summer, he had really bad back problems. He went to the doctor and found out that he had a spinal tumor. The doctor set him up with one of the only 2 surgeons in the United States that can perform this special surgery. The surgeon told my uncle that the best thing that will happen is that he will walk out of the hospital the next day, the worst is that he would never walk again. Sadly, the worst happened. It was so sad at first to see my uncle in a wheelchair. He was told that he wouldn't be able to run or do the sports that he loved. Personally, I would hate to have to wake up one day and hear that. He looked so depressed all of the time and the situation was really hard on my family. Now, my uncle is learning how to walk again which is a miracle because the surgeon said he would never walk again.
What I am trying to say is that because of my uncle's experience and listening to Ms. Din's, I now realize that I need to appreciate things in my life a lot more. I have a good life and I can't be upset when I cannot hang out some days or go to concerts. I should be thankful that I have the ability to do the things I love most of the time.
Cristyrose was an amazing guest speaker in my opinion. She wasn't boring like most guest speakers are. I thought it was funny when she said she can pass off as so many different races of people. I too come from many backgrounds but you probably can't tell. To everyone I look just like a normal white person. I'm really French, German, Native American, Polish, and Hungarian. Ms. Smith was right about Socal being so diverse. We don't have just one race like some areas do. If you look around most people have more then one background. Also I can relate when she said she did different things on Christmas with food. I also do different things. We mix it with traditional christmas foods and Polish foods like Polish Sausage and pierogi, its like a raviloi but instead there is either sauerkraut, cheese, or apples in it. I know a lot of people have mixed culures like I do and some of them don't reallly know or understand their cuture, but I'm really greatful that I have a more then one cuture and I can be in more then one of them at one time. Sometimes I'll make traditional Hungarian food or I'll make Polish or French food. What I really like about Socal is that you might not know your own culture but people are more then willing to accept you into their culture. For example, I'm not mexican but last year for international week I had the pleasure of making tameles. So in a way, since I live in Socal I'm not just part of the cultures that I was born with, but I'm a part of everyone's.
-Chris Mansker
Katie Pegg
CP English 4
Period 4
Post #1
We wrote poetry today. I enjoyed writing the poem in class today. I normally despise writing them. It's like my creative juices aren't flowing or something. But it was pretty easy today. It was probably easy to write because we had to relate it to a theme. Normally teachers will just tell you to write a poem about something, anything. Those are probably the hardest poems for me to write, haha. Don't get me wrong, I like poetry. I like reading it or listening to it. Writing it... not so much. I like Heather's poem about the ice cream sunday. It made me want ice cream. And I ended up getting some after 5th period today. :)
this is for last firday:
When christy-rose came to our class i was excited to hear about what she does in helping to communicate with others. Not only did she talk about that, but she talked about something that has the same importance to my life. Where i am from. That night i went home and told my parents about what she talked about in class, i learned alot about my parents. My mom is hispanic and my dad is English/British. They were both born here ,but they grew up totally different. Although my mom is hispanic she still doesn't know alot of spanish, like me. I feel uncomfertable sometimes about myself, because i am hispanic but i don't know the language very well. For me to not know spanish does give me a big plus side though, that i get to learn and talk about the language and culture to my grandparents. They have so many funny stories and i love to hear about them. I just thought that Christi-Rose's presentation was wonderful and that it made me realize alot of who i and my family are today.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Today in English
Today in English people finished up their in class essay and chap 5&6 irac were due...... i hope my last blog got read maybe i am not doing this right...... well let see tomorrow some peeps are going to do presentations and chapter 6 and 7 reading check .... i think that is what he said..... poor little Simon and Piggy always getting in to predicaments that make them look even more sad....well not much to say talk to you guys later
Posted by AThompson at 8:10 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Guest Speaker About MD
Well there was this really inspiring young woman who came to our class named Ms. Din. She was to tell us about her organization she works for. She also told us about her brother who has MD (muscular dystrophy). She made me think of my brother who has gone throuogh stuff, and most people who are even really good friends do not even know. She told us a lot about her and her families' worries about her brother who will more than likely die between the ages of 18-20. Something i felt bad about is when the class started to discuss their feelings sbout her and her family to tell her brother that he will die young. in my mind it is the families business and some people would tell and some people wouldn't.
We have been reading Lord of the Flies which is good and sort of reminds me of Lost the t.v. show. I do not totally understand some things, well some characters like Jack. Jack is suppose to be the devil/ evil person, which i could see and oh yeah Hitler too. Both of them are definetly very emotional people. Ralp on the other hand seems to have no common sense, and he would be a great politican. Piggy is a good person very wanting to make things better even if he doesnt mess them up. Piggy i feel bad for but not really because he seems to be almost the smartest one in the bunch. well hope Piggy fights more, that will make the book interesting.
see mr.hsiao i have posted before this time i think i got it right though
Today I really liked the poems that were read. I'm not really that good at writing poems, it's very hard to express myself through writing, thats why I draw and play music. For some reason I had an off day today, it was very easy for me to write my poem. If people didn't understand my poem then I can explain it. I was basically asking why do we have in and out groups? Who created them and who gets to chose who's in them? When I said hand, feet, eyes and hair I was stating that everyone has these, so in a way we are all the same. After I stated that in the poem I went back and related myself to the poem. I have hands, feet, eyes, and hair so I'm equal to you. Then I ended the poem saying that I choose to not be in either of these groups. In my opinion there shouldn't be in and out groups, but hey I'm only one voice. I strongly believe there are in and out groups due to jealousy. If we eliminated that factor everyone would be the same. Also I believe judgement plays a roll in this scenario. Of course people are going to judge, it's part of the society we live in. This leads to groups of people. Those groups of people find a clique and they all become friends and judge people making them in group and the others the out group.
I just read Sean's post about ChristyRose. I have to agree with him. I knew Sean as a kid. I was on his team for soccer. His family is very welcoming unlike some. I've been to friend's houses and stuff and their family will give me a sarcastic hello. To me if you dont mean the hello you said to that person then don't say it at all.
-Chris Mansker
I wanted to post Chris's poem because I found that he related to the themes quite well in LOTF of In/Out Group to what it means to be an American, citizen, and within a community. Nice work here! And, yes, Mr. Mansker, I will definitely respond to your post as well as to Stephanie, Brooklyn, Kendra, Alexa, and Sean. Thank you! How about the rest of the class?
Chris Mansker's poem, "Where Do I Stand?"
In goup/ Out group
What is this?
Friend of foe?
I can't grasp the meaning.
Who has the right to say if you're in?
Who has to right to say if you're out?
Aren't we all equal?
Hands, feet, eyes, and hair.
We are all the same.
In group/Out group,
Where am I?
Am I your friend or foe?
Where do I stand in your eyes?
I can't grasp this meaning
I have hands, feet, eyes, and hair
I'm your equal
In group/ Out group
There is no need.
In group/ Out group
This will not belong to me.
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
A singular theme, Mr. Mansker, ties your poem together and keeps it focused (this is what I keep critiquing you guys on in your IRACs, right?)
I appreciate the refrain "hands, feet, eyes, and hair" because that points to a universality of man. One race. One humankind. There is that sense of oneness there, and, in terms of juxtaposition, Mr. Mankser, you do quite kindly in making In Group/ Out Group into you the speaker of the poem and relating it to a rhetorical question you pose to the world
(I am sure this last sentence was a run-on, but I hope you understand what I mean here?).
Good work!!!
This is Emily's (Emilie's) poem again about In/Out Group:
In Group/Out Group
What would you do to be in?
What did you say to get out?
Will you change everything you are within?
Will you alter everything you are about?
Would you do something that you knew was wrong?
Were you faking every(thing) (one) all alont?
Would you change how you look or what you wear?
Would you act or pretend like you don't care?
Would you LISTEN to your heart?
Would you completely fall apart?
Will you stay strong, for what you know?
Will you just sit and let your future go?
Would you think before you act?
Will your integrity stay in tact?
Why do you even want to be in?
You change all that is under your skin.
Why would you even take route
You must know they will kick you out.
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
I love the way you make this poem into a question with every line that gets stronger and more focused as you get further into the poem. I capttalized the word "LISTEN" because I see that people always ignore their heart and follow what will eventually be their ruin. We talked about it a little in class about how one sells his or her soul (principles, morals, values SACRED) to fit into the PROFANE: a clique, group, look, and what not. It always comes down to whether or not you can look yourself in the mirror after a long day or in the morning. Do you sell yourself short by not listening to what your heart is trying to tell you?
Good job here *Emilie*
Friends ---Brooklynn Boes
On such a special day,
a beautiful friendship was made.
With so many things going on,
you already step in and show me you care.
Already, so many great memories, and many more to come.
I'm thankful for meeting you.
I truly am.
I now know we will be best friends forever.
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
This poem did not really follow the assignment, Ms. Boes, but I wanted to publish it for you because you all are seniors and it in a way is your last "hurrah" before venturing out into the big big world
(No Danielle and Katie, I am sure Brooklyn did not write this work about you two). =)
A Man's Search for Happiness
---Alex King
(Alex, I will publish the part of the poem I like; remember, we talked about how you really do "bring it home" in the latter part of your poem in the last 2 stanzas!)
I've tried to fill the hole in my heart which only seems to be getting bigger.
People, I've found make me happy.
They bring out the light inside of me.
Give, Live, and Love.
Because it will make you whole
Don't fall into marketing to make you happy
But look inside and to others around you.
Inside you will feel complete
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
Mr. King~
My favorite part of you poem comes in the last line--which is basically your thesis of your poem (I know. I know. I relate everything back to IRACs or writing but it is true here!) You do an excellent job except my only misgiving is that "marketing" meaning advertising, mass media, consumerism, capitalism, and what not? Is that what you are talking about? That is, the detail, there, needs further explaining but again as a whole, nice work! However, if I were to play with words, I took a part of your poem so that leaves a hole there from your whole. I still enjoyed your (w)hole work though. Thank you!
The Diary of Anne Frank (Extra Credit Oppurtunity)
The closing dates are this final weekend:
Friday, March 9th 8PM
Saturday, March 10th 8PM
Sunday, March 11th 2PM
Turtle Rock Community Center
1 Sunnyhill Drive, Irvine
www.calmet.com/ICT
949-559-6797
From Fountain Valley-
405 South Exit University
Right at University
Left at Ridgeline
Left at Turtle Rock Drive
Left at Sunnyhill Drive
Right into Turtle Rock Community Park
(1 Sunnyhill Drive)
Ticket Prices
Students (under 18) $12
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before curtain.
There is a verification slip you need to turn into the box office people but if you do not have it, that is fine.
MDA Event: The Indian Princess Swimathon
Place:
1702 Nisson Road
Tustin, CA 92789
Day/Time:
Saturday March 10
1:30-4:00PM
Phone number (714) 832-8910
Muscular Dystrophy Challenge MD
Contact: Tiara Din
Phone # (714) 366-7723
e-mail tiara_d4@yahoo.com
Directions from Fountain Valley:
405 S
Merge onto 55 N
Merge onto 5 S
Take the Red Hill exit
Turn right onto Red Hill Ave.
Turn left onto Nisson RD.
You are there!
Mr. Hsiao:
I will be there from 12:45-4:00PM. Please come and check in with me.
We will be cheering families of the Blue Buoy Swim School or the young girls with Muscular Dystrophy and giving them the oppurtunity to swim and have the freedom and confidence to succeed.
Hello everyone!!
I want to first thank everyone who participated in the MDA Indian Princess Swimathon event. You guys were awesome!! Doraliza, Mr.Hsiao and I were very pleased with everyones anticipation.
Also just wanted to reply back on the comments in regards to my presentation. I'm very happy to hear that it has inspired alot of you to look at life from another perspective. I hope everyone will carry on the message of courage and persue your own personal passion.
well I wasn't in class today because i was filming something for the band instructor and I was honestly thinking I'd kinda rather be in English class right now which means Mr. Hsiao must be doing something right if I actually wanted to be in English class. Anyways, the point of this blog was to maybe make up some of the participation points I'd be getting in class today so I'm gonna blog my most amazing poem that I wrote so everyone can feats upon its splendidness :]
Ice cream sundaes are so good
I would eat one right now if I could.
Chocolate syrup swirled on top
Ice cream sundae and a soda pop
sugar cookies, cakes, and pringles
just the thought makes my stomach tingle
Mmm mmm all for me
eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat
Oh man i ate too much I'm going to be sick
I don't want not even one more lick
Throw it away get it out of my face
I'm going to throw up give me some space
Ice cream sundaes were so good
I couldn't help it I ate more than i should
the end. happy day light savings time or something
peaceeeeee
I wasn't in class today due to a band performance where we got the highest rating possible. We did the best out of all the bands today. Since I wasn't there I'm trying to make up some points. I'm kind of running in a circle because of planning for prom so I wrote a poem.
Title: I'm Not Elastic
Friends,
Can you truly trust them?
I am the one stuck in the middle,
Being pulled apart like a rope in a good game of tug-o-war.
Having a friend means someone you can trust,
Someone who is there for you when you’re in need.
Do they really listen or are they just pretending to care?
Would you be better off talking to the wall or a person who is there physically but off in space mentally?
Stuck in the middle I am pulled apart not knowing which way to go.
Do I go to the left and lose a friend?
Or go the right and lose the other?
Should I hang out with the one I've known longer?
Or give the other one a chance?
I'm stuck in a strut.
Burning my tires and not going anywhere.
I'm in the middle being pulled apart.
If only I were elastic.
-Chris Mansker
I know that you were talking about being always being busy & such. On things for sure i can relate to it. the only free time i have is sleeping but thats a requirement. Honestly, if i could change one thing about my life right now it would be to have balance. Its good to be busy dont get me wrong it gets things done but at the same time for me its an all or nothing thingi either want to give a 100% or none at all so when i do a bunch of activities its hard to give my all to it because theres only so much to go around.
One reason i put myself into all these different activities is because theres so much i want to do but so little time & also i think i'm trying to prove to myself that i'm worth something. I'm trying to show myself that i'm smart that i can do what i set my mind to. The problem is no matter how much i do i wont be completely satisfied because theres always going to be something else. I have to have confedence because i cant prove self worth only god can give me it. its very difficult to just let go & just loose control & have faith that everything will work out for the best, its actually a relieve. sometimes one just has to stop being so vain & just step back and see your life from someone elses point of view. We always see our own flaws but everyone else wouldnt even notice or care about.
Labels: Post # 1 draft by Lisa O'Toole 8:14:00 PM Delete
Our guest speaker today really reminded me of my grandfather. My grandpa came to America at a young age too, except he came from Budapest, Hungary. My grandfather came to America on the Queen Mary to escape horrors of the Hungarian Revolution. He ended up in New York for a while before moving to California where he met my grandmother. They got married and had a family, my mom and my aunt. My grandfather got a job as a machinist and was given awards for inventing new prodects for our U.S. Fighter Jets. Today he is still alive and well and married to his love and friend of his life, my grandmother.
Mr. Theriault really inspired me yesterday to do a little more. It being international week this last week I had spent about 12 dollars on food during international week. When I left the class room and looked out and saw all of that food and saw how much of it we have and we waste, it made sort of angry how selfish we are and how much more we should be doing for the poor and hungry. If we all gave our excess, the food we don't eat, the money we spend on "me-time", the time we put in for us could be used for other's benefit; there would be much less people suffering if we would just sacrifice those things that are eventually not going to matter anyways.
# 1 Post
Mr Theriault was an inspirational man. He definitely knows what his purpose in life is. That is a rare thing in these days. It isn't very often that you find someone who has found their purpose and has expressed it s openly. He is avery noble person, one that everyone should try to model themselves after. He is willing to use his free time, and his own money to help those who are less fortunate then him. I was very impressed by him. It is people like him who make this world a better place. It is a rarity to find someone that is that giving these days. The truth is that most of this world is selfish and only cares about themselves. It is such a pity. It is good to see though that at least some people are doing their best to help others.
This is Katie Hepler's poem. I just got around to publishing it for her. It speaks about all the issues that we talk about in class:
1) citizenship
2) being an American
3) community
This war we call Iraq
September 11 and Terrorist attacks,
Started this war we call Iraq .
Weapons of mass destruction,
Foreign dictator corruption,
Started this war we call Iraq .
The need for oil,
Caused tempers to boil,
Which started this war we call Iraq .
Troops were sent for months at a time,
With know (no) order or rise or rhyme,
Leading to this war we call Iraq .
Bombs were flying,
As people were crying,
At the beginning of this war we call Iraq .
People are dying,
Bush was lying
During this war we call Iraq .
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
I enjoyed the slow rising of the tone from one reason to disbelief to outrage that you expressed in your poem Ms. Hepler. We could talk about your views on the subject of politics but we need not go there because it is readily evident where you stand. Thank you for your contribution.
This is Brooklyn Boes's MDA service learning write up:
On Saturday, when I went to the MDA swimathon, it really touched me. Yeah, I was a little late and missed the speech and the event (but) I still saw some of the kids, and it was just really sad.
Watching the kids in the pool was probably the worst (for me); they look so normal and probably don't even know that there is something wrong with them. Just watching them have fun and laugh made me happy to see (be there).
Also, when Ms. Din was in our class talking, she mentioned how a sign is (that) the kids walk on their toes (a sign of Muscular Dystrophy). Well I noticed as I was sitting down eating, I saw a boy probably 8 years old walking around. He was walking on his toes, and I think he was getting to the point where he couldn't run anymore because, when he tried to run, it seemed hard for him.
Just watching these kids, (it was difficult) knowing that most of them could not be here anymore (by the time) they would be 20 years old.
It is really sad and makes me realize a lot. I really hope they find a cure for this disease really soon because these kids should not have to suffer with this. It is very sad knowing that most of them will never be able to experience at least half of the things I have done and makes me really sad and grateful (that I am healthy and alive).
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
I believe that once we compare ourselves to others with less than we truly understand how our life is blessed and worth living. Thank you Ms. Boes.
The () are mine to make it more grammatically sound; well, at least to me, that is. Ha ha.
These are some of your reading check responses about Piggy and Ralph's denial of what happened to Simon's death. I asked you to relate a similar experience of denial. Here are some of your answers (all of these reflections will be anonymous of course).
Denial:
I forget EXACTLY what I did, but it was something along the lines of punching somebody because they made me extremely angry. I wouldn't tell teh FULL story because it would make both of us look bad. We were both in the wrong, but I couldn't admit it at the time.
The week after my mom's death, I did not speak about it because I wished not to believe it.
Here is some more:
I ditched school once, and I did not want my mom to know. Even when the school called, I lied and said I did not know why. Eventually, I told (my mom) the truth and never ditched again.
When my grandpa died because everyone else in my family got to say their goodbyes except me and my cousin Matt. (I felt awful).
I was in denial (that my computer crashed) and I could not the truth (to my parents) for a long time.
I had gotten bad grades and denied that it was my fault... I had no time.
I was in denial that I couldn't play videogames good, so I lied to everyone and told them I couldn't play because I had a sprained thumb. (I should use that excuse too. Good one).
I got sick once because I didn't take my medicine... it tastes disgusting... and I told myself so many times that it wasn't because of that that (good use of 2 thats) when my parents asked me if I took it, I easily lied about it.
When I was in denial, it was when I did something wrong at the Boys and Girls Club. My parents found out, and I said it never happened but it really did.
If you saw someone do something wrong and the teacher asks you what you did, I cannot tell him; so I have to lie because I don't want to "rat out" my friends (run-on--fixed with a semicolon) (Good though).
My great uncle was diagnosed with cancer and was given 3 months to live. I didn't believe it and took me awhile to understand that he was really sick until I saw him (a little bit awkward here at the end) (Thank you).
I was in denial that my best friend (remain nameless for anonymity's sake) died. I really didn't want to believe because I was scared. I didn't want to tell the truth or realize it. It was the worst time for me.
The time when I was in summer school before the 4th grade, I broke the toilet...It was bad. And I was denying that I did it. Silly me.
(I am in denial) about me gaining weight. I always have been in some sort of denial about myself and my health.
When I was younger, I was throwing a baseball in the house and broke my mom's vase. I couldn't tell my mom the truth so I blamed it on the dog.
My best friend lied to me everyday or very often. They lied about doing bad things. I told myself they would never do that, but I was wrong, I didn't want to believe such nonsense, but they were bad to me, and (as a result,) I no longer trust them.
My boss asked me if I was going to quit my job, and I said no, but really I am looking for a new job.
I was in denial that my boyfriend wasn't treating me right, and I would defend him even though I was wrong (you mean you were right, right?).
I could not tell the truth to my mom when I drove my friend's car without a license or permit. She would go insane even though it was 2 years ago.
There was a time where I stole stuff from Walmart and denied everything. That's who I was but I am way different now.
I thought and thought about this qustion. However, honestly, I have never been put in that position. I usually am pretty honest with myself and other people when it comes to my problems.
A lot of times I cannot tell people what I am really thinking because it is not worth their reaction and turning their hurt into anger towards me.
My period of denial usually doesn't last long because I have a good sense of reality.
I'm lazy and whenever my boyfriend tells me "you're lazy," I get mad because I know it's true, and I am in denial because (I know) laziness is a bad trait (a really long sentence but good construction).
I had really bad pain in my stomach but I didn't tell my parents because I wanted to go to Disneyland. It got so bad that I had to tell them, and I found out that it was appendicitus, and I had to have surgery.
When my brother and I got into a fight and were wrestling, we ran into the open door, and it made a huge dent into the wall. We didn't say anything because we weren't supposed to be fighting.
This is the best part of being a teacher: reading your writing and you sharing a snippet of your life with me. In doing so, you release a little bit and feel freer, and my hope is that when you read about your other peers' experiences that it broadens your horizons to empathize or sympathize or laugh with them. Moreover, in relating this back to LOTF, well, we are almost done here. Try and bring your own experiences to the text even though it may be difficult. See, what a big reponse you guys gave just because Simon died. You reached into yourself and found a time when you felt guilty, ashamed or bad about some experience you might or could have handled much differently. In writing about denial, you have let it go and not denied it anymore. Good work.
ok all last week i was sick which really freaken sucked.... i was in the hospital on tuesday to get hydrated from not being able to hold anything down..... anyways i heard we had a lot of reading checks this week ... that sucks too... while i was at home, i started to remember my dad for some reason, probably because he tells me when i get sick that means i am weak... anyways my dad called me and asked me if i was done with his side of the family tree... see i have been working on my dads side family tree for about 4 years... well i told him i was finished and i took it to him on friday after school, when he read my story about his grandfather he started to get uncomfortable. Well what he told me was that even though he would never fight in a war for this country willingly, he gave his grandpa props for making it to America during World War 1.. See my paternal grandparents on his maternal side came from Yugoslavia but were Croatian people and my father's paternal grandparents came from Poland at the same time... what i am getting to is that it made me feel even more great to be an american after hearing my dad say that and hearing Mr.Theriault and that i was proud of him showing his feelings in front of all of us what it meant to him to come to this country. I have a lot more respect for people who have trouble getting a citizenship here after hearing Mr. Theriault's story..
I am trying to finish all my homework that i missed last week but it is purty hard. Lord of the Flies seems to be getting beter every time i turn the page, but then all of a sudden it has a dry spot. Ok now i really need to get back to work... I wonder if they do get saved, they probably will... oh dah i could just look at the last page, but i heard that ruins it for the reader. So i guess i will just have to wait for that......
Mr. Hsiao this was suppose to go up yesterday....
ok today in class we had a great discussion about how behind every man there is a woman.... and i know some woman say the man is behind the woman because they dont think before speaking. well i think this statement is true there is a great woman behind each man, no it be the mother, sister, aunt granma, wife, girlfriend, fiance. typically i woman raises a child ... there she is behind him everytime he cries, gets hurt, does something stupid. or a woman can be behind a man supporting him on his new asperation (not sure spelled right) in life. Another thing was that if Lord of the Flies had girls in it instead of boys it would be more sentimental... aaaahhh, no i do not think so. Yes the girls would not probably go beat up on a little un, girls have a way of getting to eachother just through a look, a touch, a smile.. so all the things girls can be nice with can also turn another girl scared of them. Such as some girls may not come out and say your a B^&* but others will. In a girl we can usually sense that, so that sense of knowing things before they happen can be a good thing or a really bad. Like a mother has a feeling that something bad has happened to her child, that is a good sense. A bad sense could be that a girl knows something about another and uses and then turns all her friends pitty on to her to keep them friends. Well anyways we also will be having a reading check wednesday...
ok today i was not in class because i went to OCC... i think i have made up my mind.... i am definetly going there.. they are in a good location, they are cheap, they have the classes i want... it is all good.... i hope i didnt miss too much.... i still have to make up for last week.... i am trying mr.hsiao..... see u tomorrow class
Ok, so there is a song by Ozzy Osbourne that I can’t get out of my head and it’s called “I Just Want You.” No, this doesn’t have to apply to a person, but I was just thinking of all the things it could apply to. But anyway, I really like this song because of the lyrics. For example here is the first line. “There are no unlock able doors,” meaning that there is no obstacle in the way. No matter what it is, there is a way to get around it and grasp what you want. This songs shows that there are cracks and bumps in the road to your goal but you’ll get there. The line I really like is, “There are no unnamable name.” If you really think about, not matter what you’re looking at there is a name for it, you might not know what it is but you’ll give it a name. Just for a second I’m going to relate this song to a person. Lets say for example a mother figure since we were talking about a woman figure in man's life yesterday in class. If you really think about, this song could relate to the death of a person. I will say a mother because she is the one that brought you into this world. The lyrics could be a person longing for their deceased one to come back. It could be that their mother showed them everything they know but they missed out on saying goodbye and thank you to her, so all they want is her back for that last moment. I could go on for hours about this song, but I’m not going to. If you look at the lyrics, maybe you’ll see what I’m trying to get at.
Here is the link to the music video on youtube if you want to listen to the song. http://youtube.com/watch?v=KoO7ub5waCA
“I Just Want You
There are no unlock able doors
There are no unwinable wars
There are no unrightable wrongs
Or unsignable songs
There are no unbeatable odds
There are no believable gods
There are no unnameable names
Shall I say it again, yeah
There are no impossible dreams
There are no invisible seams
Each night when the day is through
I don’t ask much
I just want you
I just want you
There are no uncriminal crimes
There are no unrhymable rhymes
There are no identical twins or
Forgivable sins
There are no incurable ills
There are no unkillable thrills
One thing and you know its true,
I don’t ask much
I just want you
I just want you
I just want you
I just want you
I’m sick and tired of bein sick and tired
I used to go to bed so high and wired, yeah - yeah, yeah, yeah
I think Ill buy myself some plastic water
I guess I should have married Lennon’s daughter, yeah - yeah, yeah, yeah
There are no unachievable goals
There are no unsaveable souls
No legitimate kings or queens, do
You know what I mean? yeah
There are no indisputable truths
And there aint no fountain of youth
Each night when the day is through,
I don’t ask much
I just want you
I just want you
I just want you
I just want you
I just want you
I just want you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I just want you
I just want you,
Hey, yeah
I just want you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I just want you, hey
I just want you
I just want you
This is Courtney's first post. Here it is.
i know this was last week, but when Mr. John Theriault came into our class and talked about his childhood and how he helps out with the needy, it really opened up my eyes and made me want to do the same. i really respect him for coming in and telling us his story. By the time he was done talking, i was speechless. i guess i had so much adoration for him that i didnt even have any questions. What he does for people is something ive always wanted to do, but never actually did. He is very self-less. i mean, he bought beans and rice instead of a birthday cake for himself. What a sweet man!!!! that was just so enlightening. i gave him a hug instead of a handshake. when i left the classroom, i just felt like i wanted to go out and feed everyoneee!!! ah! such a great day that was! by the way, i dont know if grammer and spelling and stuff matters, because if it does, then im screwed. but lets all try to focus on what i wrote instead. = ) i really like this blogging thing. its fun.. ok. byebye
This is Katie Hepler's poem:
Losing a Loved One
Losing someone close to you
Is something very sad,
It happens to everyone else too
But it especially hurts when it's your dad.
It all started six months ago
When Janeâ's dad was sick,
His time was short so he took it slow,
But the pain still made him scream and kick.
Month by month his health decreased
It worsened day by day,
But that one faithful time he finally deceased
On the 23rd of May.
Jane prevailed when she was blue
And if you need some inspiration,
Remember what she went through
And let it help you with your frustration
thank god were done with Lord of the Flies.
i did not enjoy this stupid book what so ever.
ps.
we better not read Hamlet in this class!!!!
The reality of the Concentration camps is expressed in horrifying detail in Man's Search For Meaning. I knew that they were horrible places and that the pictures showed gruesome pictures, but him describing the emotional trauma that they are going through and some of the things that they saw was almost unbelievable. It is amazing that even the survivors could live a functional life, and I am only about thirty pages in. What horrors has he not explained. It is almost sick fascination that I carry on reading this book.
hmmm... i just started reading the new book I'm getting ahead but not because i love it or anything more like my boyfriend went out of town and I'm bored but anyways the point of this blog is to express how i feel about this book so far and I'm not gonna lie i don't love it. I know that the holocaust was a major major major thing in history but i don't feel as though the author really emphasized on just how traumatic it actually was i don't feel as though it is actually real despite my own knowledge of what happened I feel as though hes making it up? maybe I just expected it to be more graphic or more detailed about the suffering and its not because thats the kind of stuff i want to read but it does make a little more interesting. On the other hand this book does make you think. So far I've highlighted a couple of quotes that I really liked from the book I've come to the conclusion that this book is less about the historical facts and more about the way that the author lived through the situation to tell his story. It's less about the description of the torture and more about the description on his mind set? his thought and ideas. I get the idea that he was very easy going through the whole thing and he really carries it out into the book. I just wish i could feel more with the author and the way he wrote it doesn't really give me that option.
Thank you Kris and Heather for blogging. Where are the rest of you guys?
Anyways, I wanted to blog some of your writing that you wrote for the last IRAC:
I think a lot of you were happy that LOTF was done and some of your best work shines through as a result of it.
These are anonymous of course. They are funny, touching, poignant, sad, and emotional. I am warning you beforehand though of the content.
When I was in fifth grade, I tried to get into the in group. I wanted to badly to be a part of them. They always had so much fun it seemed. I knew most of the people in the group, but they weren't very friendly towards me. Eventually, they warmed up to me, and I hung out with them occasionally. It took me a while, but I figured out that all that work I took into being a part of them wasn't worth the drama they created. I slowly stopped hanging out with them, and they didn't miss me. They never really accepted me because I didn't wear brand-name clothes. I wasn't a walking billboard. I have a group of friends where I"m accepted. And I am happy.
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
This writer is talking about the commericalization and commodification of being cool. Obviously this relates to the In/Out Group we talked about in relation to LOTF. Jack and the hunters are the in group similar to your so-called friends in fifth grade, right? And you are like Ralph in a sense that you knew that was not the right choice to be part of something artificial and fake. Good work. Nevertheless, you could have related it back to LOTF more... =)
These two are from the same writer:
This chapter reminds me of when I was about 6 years old. I went with my dad to Costco which was then called Price Club (good distinction!). I went to the bathroom, and when I came out my dad was gone! As you know Costco is a huge place, it seemed like it went on for miles, and I became scared. I tried looking around for him but I couldn't find him. I was lost in an enormous place and frightened. I walked to the front of the store and looked for someone who worked there. I stayed with the manager, and he announced over the loudspeaker for [my dad] and a few minutes later my dad came. I know I was lost for less than 30 minutes but it felt like days. I never wanted that to happen to me again.
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
I liked the conversational quality to it. Obviously you are relating your experience to the little boys on the island who are scared and lonely too. Good work!
Same writer #2:
The way that Piggy dies reminds me of a story my grandma told me about my uncle, Gordy. My grandma and her family including my mother were all fishin in Montana. Gordy and his younger brother Matt were fishing by themselves. Then Mimi, the youngest, caught (good use of commas!) a fish, and Matt went to see it. When Matt came back, he saw Gordy, floating 40 feet below in the pond. Matt runs and tells the other(s) to got get help quickly. A fisherman came to help Gordy, and my grandpa tried to revive him with CPR but it was too late. As my grandmother told me this story, I relaized how hard it must have been to hear that her oldest son was dead at the age of 16. Thankfully, she hasn't had any other tragedies in her life, and I haven't had any.
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
This is a very poignant story and thank you for sharing this. This relates to Piggy's death. Good work here.
This is one of my favorites (I mean everyone is my favorite but...):
I'll never forget the day I turned 13 because that was the day my life changed forever. My dad died. I was never that close to my dad because he and my mom divorced when I was little but I still kept in contact with him, and I loved him because well obviously he was my dad. I remember havign the same feeling Ralph had as he thought about Piggy and Simon being gone, that feeling of being alone, like no one is htere for you (excellent connection). Just like Ralph had to get through all of the chaos and thorough all of those obstacles to be rescued, I did too. It took time for me to accept that my dad was gone, and I had to face many challenges alone but as time went on it got easier and now everything is fine. Ralph was rescued by the naval officer, and I was rescued by my friends and family. They helped me so much through that difficult time in my life, and I am very thankful for it. Nothing will ever be the same for Ralph and his life but that doesn't mean he can't make the best out of a bad situation. I could have decided I wanted to use the death of my dad as an excuse to mess up my life and do some really dumb things, but instead I let it shape me into the person I am today and although it was hard for me, and it still is, I am stronger for it.
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
This is this writer's best writing because it is so honest and authentic and the writer does an excellent job of referring back to LOTF. Wow.
I can connect with Ralph's situations through my friendship with my five best friends. I love my friends, but during swim season I cannot hang out with them as much as I would like too. They know that I am really busy, so sometimes they don't even bother inviting me places. They tell me to ditch practice and hang out with them, but I will never do that because I made a commitment to my team. I feel like such an outcast when I do hang out with them because all they talk about is what they did that weekend and how much fun it was. I just sit there and listen to their stories. I feel like Ralph because in LOTF, he is friends with everyone in the beginning but toward the end, he shows that he has responsibilities as a leader and he refuses to join Jack's tribe. He knows that he is doing the right thing, but at the same time he feels like an outcast because everone wants to kill him and they are not treating him like a leader anymore. He wants to be with the in group, but he also wants to do what is right.
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
This writing has a good relation to community (some of the overarching themes we have talked about) and obviously identifies with Ralph as the previous writer did but in terms of authority and in/out group. Good work! This writer consistently writes well over the semester. Nice job!
I wanted to share this (I) paragraph whereas the previous 3 posts were (C) paragraph examples.
Look at the vocabulary and deftness of the writing:
The writer titled his work: The Final Hour
(A title ties a thread to make all your four paragraphs completely whole)
The final hours have finally reached the island. Everyone except Ralph has joined Jack's group, either by force or by choice. Ralph runs from Castle Rock to find the Lord of the Flies. By looking at it, he can tell that it is the very VISAGE of evil. He realizes that the TABESCENCE of good on the island is over, and evil has won (Wow!). Out of sheer frustration, he strikes the skull, causing it to break, only widening its grin at its success. Ralph returns to Castle Rock at the night because he doesn't want to sleep, worried that he will be attacked... [Ralph] leanrs that he is to be hunted like a pig through the island. They give him food, and he decides to try and hide from them to survive a little longer. His hiding spot fails, as they light the area he is hiding, on fire...When reaching the other side of the isleand, he encounters a member of the Royal Navy who had seen the island that was set ablaze by the fire Jack had set. Ralph begins to cry, realizing all that was lost when they were trapped on the island.
This is the Connection part--
(Warning--poignant, touching, and sad)
Everyone faces different trials, some of which they witness, others which they take part in. The naval officer acted as a finality to the insanity on the island. I have played that role myself befoer. After my ex step father got out of rehab... he began trying to get back into the family again. At first it was welcome because we knew that is what my mom would have wanted. Soon though, everything went sour. He started e-mailing my sister...He started attacking [verbally] my grandparents...An end finally came to it when my sister no longer spoke to him. He then sent me a message via Myspace. He kept asking if I wanted to see him or what not. When I didn't respond, he got angry and messaged me again, yelling at me to give him an answer. I told him we need time, but I was simply yelled at about that too... He went o to text message me and my sister what he considered to be vulgar messages. I went to my e-mail and promptly e-mailed him my answer to whether I wanted to be family or not, giving him a solid no...I relpied to him with one rude comment saying that I want him to leave me and my family alone. The next time I heard from himw as after an anonymous person, though I am pretty sure that it was his on who did it...I was the final acceptor. I ended the fighting by simply saying it was over. I decided that there no longer needed to be fighting and ended it the best I could, with dignity.
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
Because this writer uses such great vocabulary in the (I) section and meticulously summarizes the Chapter, the writer is given the necessary space to rousingly tell the story. All I can say is Wow. Good, no great work. This paper got one of my very few "A"s and not an A-. I believe you can see why. This is all working up to that personalized research paper you will be doing come a month and a half or so. And please do not groan! Good work!
This is unnrelated to LOTF because this student I gave an alternate assignment too but this writer writes about many of overarching themes we have talked about in class: Your story (citizen & community. In a way this is her story and it will be the makings of a personalized research paper:
It starts off a little breezy and sundry but builds strength and you can see why I love reading this writer's work:
Sometimes I think that I could be happy forever if I just locked myself in my room and watched movies and never stopped. I guess I always loved movies. I mean who doesn't right? However for me, it is thoroughly different. I look at things that people do not look at. I notice things: angles, shots, character, dialogue, plot, script, setting, costuming, music, etc. All of these small things contribute so much to what creates the perfect motion picture.
I am one of the only people I know who watches movies with the commentary on. Mostly, I just love the idea that while watching a movie I can create any kind of mood. I can change anyone's point of view. I can turn their train of thoughts around and maybe even change their mind. I can open up a feeling that maybe someone has never felt before. I can turn someone's whole entire day around. I learned to create film in the eighth grade. I made my very own PSA and short film with a class. I used to come to school almost an hour early so I could sit in the classroom and edit. When I create my art, I feel like I am in another world. I feel like I am not sick anymore. I feel like I am healthy enough to accompligh anything through MY STORY. It's the most liberating experience. To even think taht by doing that I could create a career makes me feel like jumping and screaming.
(This is where it is building--as if it is not already building, right?)
My goal in life really is just ot live in away that helps others, is surrounded by people I love and who love me, and that I will be able to wake up every morning and truly love waht I do. I know its going to take a lot of hard work and of course that is scary. However, I am willing to do whatever it takes. Hard work is so much fun if you are passionate about it (I agree. I do). I do love writing. I really do (I am so glad you do).
I am hoping to write, direct, and produce. Right now, my reality is filled with fear. Sometimes, I just need to get into it and escape. Escaping can be a good thing sometimes. You know what else? I can watch ANY MOVIE and find something I liked about it. I really can. Even the stupidest movies, I will learn something from it. I keep my eye on the ball (For some reason, I can hear Dr. Poff say that. I don't know why but I can).
I am determined to keep technique in what I create. I am very good at telling teh difference between a cheesy line that is supposed to mean something very sentimental like "It's about time" and words with actual meaning (I am glad you can because sometimes I cannot. I am gullible. I am sorry I am commenting on it. I just cannot help it). I will remember it too.
(Let me preface this by saying I love this part =) You honor me. Thank you)
I know that your goals as far as being a teacher have a lot to do with teachign us kids more about life and more about what is important. I know you want to give us value. That is waht I am hoping to do with my cinematography. I want to teach people lessons. Iwant to change people and what they believe and how they treat others. I jsut really hope that the Hollywood business doesn't suck me in and spit me out. I really don't want to wind up getting mixed up with stupid music videos or trashy advertisements (I hope that too. You have so much to offer to the world). I really want to make sure that what I do has content, valeu, and a lot of meaning and depth. I really aspire to change a lot of America's traditional values and create ones taht are more beneficial. I know I can do it. I really respect you for how you work hard to do the same and accomplish your goals. I guess I can do anything if I put my mind to it, just as you are.
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
Yeah, know, I do not have anything to add here. It is well written, thoughtful, intelligent, and I see meaning making in progress--I love reading a carefully crafted sentence that exhibits voice and comes from the heart. I need not say more here. Exemplary work!
I am not legally allowed to vote yet, however there are so many peopel who are that do not. It is said that the age least likely to vote ranges from 18-late 20s. It is so sad that people cannot even take the smallest bit of their time to give back to the country just by voting. I am truly baffled at why anyone wouldn't be honored to vote. Things like that make me wonder why people hsould even be allowed to stay in America at all, fi they are not even contributing to make this society the best it can be. If being a citizen is about giving back and making a difference, there are not enough citizens (such a stong but true statement!).
People of our nation are becoming desensitized to the deaths of soldiers fighting our war. Like I said before, they do not care unless it affects them directly. It shouldn't have to go as far as killing someone in your family to realize the issue that is going on. Innocent people are dying for us, and we don't even give it a second thought...
I do believe that if everyone had the mindset that we could make a difference, as a united nation we could create change. There are so many people in this country; we together have much more power than individuals who stand alone. Unfortunately though, too many people are too arrogant in their own lives to step beyond what they know and see the problems in someone else's. Something should really be done before our society hits rock bottom.
Being a citizen is about more than just living in a certain place. It is about being united as a whole. It takes you giving back more than what was given (beautiful statement!). It takes actual effort. It takes feeling, and it is not easy. I honestly believe that if more people stopped focusing on themselves and what they want/deserve so much, they would see that by helping others, they are making the most of who they are and that is the most rewarding satisfaction in itself.
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
This was in response to writing about the Newsweek article about the Black Hawk Down: The True Cost of War. This writer like the aforementioned writer is one and the same. She writes about citizenship, Americanism, and community. It is implicit and explicit in her writing. Wow!
These are just free writes about identity:
Some of you talked about race, occupation, gender, etc.,
I have many identities. First off, I am Dutch, Indonesian, Chinese, French, German, and Swedish. The first four are from my Mom's side and the last two are from my Dad's side of the family. I think it's actually cool but sometimes it can be a hassle especially like when you are filling out forms sor something and they ask you to mark your race/culture background. I don't really know which one to mark. some of the benefits of having a family from all over the world is to get to go on vacations and visit them. Overall, I would have to say that I like being from so many cultural backgrounds.
On Sunday mornings, I teach third grade girls about God. I lead a small group at my church and it is so much fun...Anyways, I talk to the third graders every Sunday in a way that they will understand what I am teaching. Sometimes, it is weird to go home and talk to my parents in way other than I talk to my kids. I do not know if that counts as my different identities but that is the closest example I have to write. I think I have the same identity in any environment.
Here is my identity; it can be summed up in one word: white. People see me as white while in fact I have a rich European and an odd mix of Japanese culture. When a latino man is mentioned on the news, they call him a "latino man." When a white man is caught, they just say a "man." While i may seem racially judgmental, it is racist to refer to people generally. A majority of my background is Croatian, Russian, British, Irish, and German.
My aunt lived in Japan for many years, so we have some of that culture as well. People see me as white, so they assume that I'm just like... It is stupid to be placed in a generality. I tend to bond more with those society calls Asian because they have so many diverse groups too. Racism is wrong but every other race gets their recognition; where's mine?
Mr. Hsiao's comments:
Very speculative and thought provoking and bordering on controversial but very good. Nice use of semicolons as well.
In my mom's family her father did not like Polish people. Well my father is Polish and Croatian. When my family meets a potential new comer, they always ask what they are. My grandfather calls my brother and I "running dumbies" because we are Norwejian/Swedish mixed with Polish/Croatian. My grandpa always treats me differently. When I got my first serious boyfriend, my grandpa said I couldn't date him because he was German. My grandpa still sends me cards saying my little running dumbie instead of my name. Oh to (humorous) top that off, I was named after my Polish Grandfather then after his side, that really ticked him off.
:)
I know when Mr T. came into speak was a while ago but i finally got around to it
Mr T. made me feel like i want to get put and help homeless people i remeber when was younger my dad worked up in LA. He always talked to my mom how he stopped and talked to this one woman with a familly that lived in a cardboard box on the streets. He would always give her food or money. I remeber one morning in the winter he was asking my brother and i if he could take some old blankets that we didnt use anymore and give them to her. My dad brought her the blankets.
On the other hand some homeless people only want your moneyto by drugs or whatever they want. My mom works in the ER at Hoag hospital. There she meets alot of homeless people faking a heart attack just so they can get the drugs they want. One day when my mom was at the store she saw one of the homeless guys that she took care of. She offered to bring him in and buy him 50 dollars worth of food. He refused and just wanted the money.
I am sort of double sided with homeless people wether they just want money for the needs or if they actually want help.
In relation to the journal entry today I wrote a poem.
So tired of it all
It won't leave me alone
I don't want to love her
But I know I still do
Nothing changes
It just stretches further
Forever it stays
Never goes away
Hard to stand it any longer
Can't wait until it finally ends.
Bridget Geck
CP English 4
period 4
I never really get into school books, but I can't put down Man's Search for Meaning. The line that really caught my eye and drew me into reading more was when Frankl wrote: " for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinker. The truth-that love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire."
I realized that so many survivors from the cruel Nazi camps clung to life for their families. When they were working as hard as possible, and still being ridiculed for their "laziness", they would imagine their husbands or wives, not knowing whether they were alive or not. Which brings me to the next quote I read: " Love goes far beyond the physical person of the beloved. It finds it's deepest meaning in his spiritual being, his inner self. Whether or not he is actually present, whether or not he is still alive at all, ceases somehow to be of importance."
I am amazed as I read what these men had to do, yet they still survived. I truly believe that love gave many men in the camps the want to survive through any harsh task.
I'm kinda getting to this whole blogging thing late in the year on account of i don't go on the computer that much but anyways i can't really think of anything to talk about in response to something we have done in class but i do want to share a poem i wrote with all of you on account of this being english class and all and i appreciate your comments/criticism.
Ambivalence in Me
I feel as though I had to get this out.
So people no longer look at me because I pout.
No longer can I look at you the same.
This person I see doesn’t have your name.
These feelings I get are tearing me apart.
I’m hoping to make some sense of this in the form of art.
It’s like I’m different from everybody else.
I’m trying to find some worth in myself.
I think I am a nice person.
I help people in everyway I can.
Why then do I think I’m a bad man?
It makes no sense to me.
I’m always striving for perfection.
And beat myself down if I fail.
I’m hiding my insecurities with humor and good faith.
Why is it I care so much what other people think?
Most people I’ve ever met stink.
Though I have met a few who stick out in the crowd.
But they still don’t understand me.
Doesn’t matter though because I don’t even understand myself.
I hope someday to find the girl of my dreams.
Someone to put loving arms around me.
To laugh, cry, and share life together.
That’s what I want most of all.
Everybody tells me I’m trying to grow up to fast.
I put this pressure on myself which seems to last.
I can tell though my bodies giving up.
Between spasms, not sleeping, and other stressful stuff.
I just can’t wait till this part of my life is over.
I want to move on and enjoy what life has to offer.
To pursue my dreams with a person to love.
And never look back again.
I wrote this poem a while back in the year when i was going through a tough time in my life and ive never shared it with anyone really except like 2 people so i figured why not share it now.
Wow I haven't blogged in a long time. Well anyway, a few days ago I sat down and asked my grandpa the qestions for our paper. His life really shocked me. I never knew how much my grand father delt with. From going threw tech school and being forced to join the Hungarian Red Army "Communist" controlled by Russia to working in coal mines. I don't waint to spoil my paper, but I'm so greatful that he fought his way just to come to American to start a whole new life. When he told me he cried about seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time really got to me. See I'll never know what it'll feel like to come to a free country like ours. There is not much that can compare with seeing the statue for the first time and knowing that you're in a safe place. If my grandfather never fought his way to get to America, I wouldn't be here today. I not only thank my grandfather for giving birth to my wonderful mother, but I also thank him for stepping in as a father figure after my parents became divorced.
I'm going to blog about what happened today in class with the whole stupid fight over what Mr. Hsiao can do and what not. To be honest, he's getting the class as a whole ready for English 100. Well the select few who will make it to English 100 because they care. I found it really pathetic that so many people just want to give up because we have less then a month left of school. The major I'm going into doesn't even require me to take an English class in college and I'm still pushing myself to get better grades. Don't take Mr. Hsiao for granted. Think of all the kids that are so illiterate in neighboring cities that can't even put a simple sentence together. Also for all the slackers that don't do their work, I find it funny that you complain. Here you are, sort of passing the class and complaining, when the students that do their work have to do more work because you wont. Yes it's our senior year and we have less then a month left, so what. Your grade can change fast, and just think you wont be able to walk because you felt like slacking the last few weeks of school. If you don't walk because you didn't want to step up and fishing your work, and just b*%#h at Mr. Hsiao, I wont feel pity for you. Everyone just stick in there and get English done and over with, because college wont be any better. You might no believe me, but I trust my family is telling me the truth, and college will be harder. If you don't do anything in college, your professor won’t care because they are getting paid no matter what. Just let Mr. Hsiao do his job. He's just trying to better us and let us express ourselves in our writing. He's not like a drone like most teachers, who follow some stupid guidebook that won’t let you express yourself in writing or anything. He's not even getting paid and he has done more then any English teacher I've ever had. I've had a good time this year in English, and this last semester has been a blast. I've gotten a better understanding of people in my own class. Well I'm done ranting, and I bet I'm going to hear crap from people about this, but I honestly don't care. I voiced my opinion.
Yeah, I'd have to agree with Chris. I thought all the complaining was pathetic. A lot of people in our class are working their butts off. They should be the ones complaining because of all the workload, right? But they're not. They don't mind having to work a little bit to get a good grade in a class. So maybe we have to work harder than most classes... OH NO! BIG DEAL! Just do the work. It's not even that hard. Mr. Hsiao isn't asking very much from us either. He's preparing us for college. And! It'll be over and done with in a few weeks. What will you do in college when you have to write a paper? Will you argue with your professor about it? Or are you just going to suck it up and do it? I know what I'd do. I also know that if I ever look back on my senior year, I'll remember pushing through the dreaded Senioritis to finish some work. But that's just me. You can go ahead and do whatever you want. Slack off, do whatever, don't walk. It's your problem, not mine.
I have one last thing to add. Life is just a game. We are playing it every day of our lives. We earn points by taking on challenges. Some gain more points then others aka grades. These points add up over time and help you win the game aka the life you wanted. Just picture Mr. Hsiao as one of the bosses in the game we call life. We have to take on the challege and do what he asks to move onto the next level. One thing I was told in band was that everything is a metnal game. It's like tetris. Each level becomes harder and harder until you figure out the pattern. Soon as you know it, the game is over and you enter your score seeing how you've placed with other people.
This is very interesting... nice way of interacting with students.
blog.
Hamlet relates to many events in our life. It has murder, sex, love, hate, tragety, and many other things. Though we will probably not all experience such events such as murder we can still relate to it because of tv. We are exposed to basically everything on tv. The average house hold watches 8 hours of tv. This can really show how Hamlet relates to our lifes more than we know.
I know class is over and all but I have to say Hamlet reminded of Jack Sparrow because he is so whitty. Anyway... I'd like to say thanks to everyone for making this year my best year of school ever. It went by so fast. Just think that we are all young adults and have to learn for ourselves in college now. Everyone take care, and I'll see you in the future.
Until then,
Chris Mansker
EDGAR HERNANDEZ
CP ENGLISH #20
SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAM
Every man at certain point of his life begins to think about who are them. I had begun to think about that but it is something very difficult to find yourself. For example, Plato, in “Allegory of the cave”, says, “but he will see himself in his own proper place, and not in another, and he will contemplate him as he is.”(Paragraph #23) As the story say I want to see me in my own proper place, and contemplate me as I am. I know I am not my body because in the human body every day lots of cells die and they are replaced by new ones, and in seven years there is not even one of the previous cells. For example: When I was five years old, I had a very different body than I do now, and I am still the same person. Therefore, I am not my body, I am neither my way of thinking because I like everybody learn something new every day so in some years I will think very different. I am not my name or the race I look like, I am not a smart boy, or whatever I think I am. I cannot describe myself with words, because describe something is like lock up it with words, the language is only for the practice, it is a false illusion to think that you can describe things with a vocabulary, because everything including humans, living things and everything around us cannot be locked up into words because its own proper perfection. Even though I am catholic, I do not describe me like a catholic, and although I do sports all the time, I do not describe me like an athlete, I cannot describe me myself with words, and certainly nobody can. Therefore, I can see myself as if I am and contemplate me as I am. I am still trying to find who I am and I will only found it out by an extraction process.
EDGAR HERNANDEZ
CP ENGLISH 20
#2 POST
SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAM
Every person needs to do something to earn the life. There are several ways of earning the life. There is one way of earning the life, I just tried this way and I did not like it. This way is the one that you have to work hard and you need to use your body more than your brain. Then I found out another way of earning the life the one in which you use your brain, for example, Sandra Cisneros, in “Only daughter,” says, “Use this,” my father said, tapping his head, “and not this,” showing us those hands. He always looked tired when he said it” as the story say, it is huge easer to work with your brain than to work with your hands. To work with your brain you need to study a lot, go to the college and university, it is hard but your lives will totally change.
Having a career is more than to choose something to study. Having a career is having a style of living.
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