Reminiscing and Reflecting

About a year ago I was cruising along the deep blue sea on the great Titanic, aka my inflated perception of my writing abilities. It was all fun and games on the Titanic until the iceberg that was junior year approached. Controlling the reins of my own essay without the aid of a rubric or generic formula was too much for me, I trembled at the thought of such great power (I struggle not to include "and along with it great responsibilities," but let's put that cliche away for a bit.) Of course, academic rigor had no regard for my worries and pushed me off the plank into the seas, who mercilessly threw me around. Sharks crowded around me, awaiting my blood to taste, signaling that it was time to devour me. It seemed as it everything had come to an end...

Eventually I learned to tread, wishing for some life boat to save me. It was hard, as wave after wave of timed writings plunged me back into the cold waters. By the time I finally acknowledged that no life boat would come, the waters, seemingly gray and filled with terrors became calmer; while not the cerulean blue I would have sometimes preferred, it wasn't the terrifying but fascinating challenge that was AP Lang. I found my strengths and how to utilize them best (shout out to Dimmesdale, who's mental torture I continuously use in argument essays, whether it be in AP Lang or the SAT) through the timed writings, as I began to found what worked and what was really just a hot mess. This isn't a repeat of my Titanic experience in the beginning of my junior year; I still realize I have a lot to go in terms of crafting my arguments stylistically.  After all, you can never stop learning :D (too cheesy?)

If I had a near death experience and AP Lang flashed before my eyes (now, if that was the most significant thing in my life to rememeber...), I would most remember the big video projects we had to do. Both the Crucible and the satire videos were both fun to make and watch (and rewatch, as most of them are on Facebook and Youtube!) and helped solidify the themes of the Crucible and the nuances of satires. The Socrates seminars were also thought provoking and helpful, as we slowly had to stop leaning on the teacher for support and lean to stand for ourselves. Not many were done this year, and it would be nice if more could be done for next year's classes so that a healthy discussion could come from the students!

All in all, AP Lang was great in not only helping me mature as a writer, but also creating memories that stand out in my high school career. I HOPE WESLEYAN IS THIS FUN MS. ZAVITZ :(

My favorite ism!

Although The Old Man and the Sea was not one of my favorites, I really enjoy the literature from the modernist era. The stories use vivid imagery, but not words that are so old fashioned that it obscures the plot. The symbolism that modernist literature holds is something that not everyone can necessarily see when they first read it; instead as you read it more, the story reveals extra information that you were not previously aware of. The stream of consciousness also appeals to me, as I also frequently ramble as well; modernist authors do a good job of portraying the human psyche. These new techniques seemed refreshing after the too stiff rigid structures of colonialism or the overflowing transcendentalism. It was like Goldilocks: just right!

The American Dream

America, the land of opportunity! The places where all your dreams come true!
Don't shoot the messenger, but that beautiful beacon of hope has died. Yup, you heard it here first: the grass on the other side of the fence has decayed into a field of brown, essentially suitable for insects and other creatures which I imagine would enjoy digging around in dirt.
Let's be honest: America's been, to say the least, lacking in a couple areas. The main issue would be the economy; while its not quite in the gutter, it's pretty darn close. There seem to be no major signs of improvement coming soon, which means we should bunker down and really start buying those fuel efficient Prius cars so you can laugh at people's faces when oil becomes $100 a barrel (of course, assuming you even have the money to even begin that endeavor.)
Now, businesses, who would normally help the American people out a little bit by providing for those lovely jobs which bring home the bank, have instead run across the seas. Outsourcing has become popular among those big corporate tycoons who want to save a couple of bucks and escape a few regulations. This obviously doesn't help out the people back here at home, and so unemployment soars. The concept of rags to riches no longer applies. The rich get tax breaks, and everyone else must pay up. Social Security will run out in the next ten years, meaning people who have paid for this their entire lives will not be able to reap its benefits.
We're not even liked by a lot of the world, as proven by our stay in Afghanistan and Iraq. We struggle to impose our ideals onto others, and are instead faced with resistance. No longer are we America the great.

The night before the research paper: "Lol it's okay, I still have time..."

I fell prey to the mind of the masses after reading the rampage of Facebook statuses complaining about this paper. Granted, this was no easy task; no one could finish this paper in one night and expect a good grade. However, it wasn't as bad as our teenage minds portrayed it to be: when browsing my sites on LiveBinder, I began to appreciate the annotations I previously raged at, and I was pleased to have an outline to dictate the direction of my paper as I constructed my rough draft. Yes, it was tiring - I spent a lot of time on this paper that could have been directed at sleeping or watching random Youtube videos - but now that I no longer have to slave over such a demanding paper, I can objectively say it increased my research and writing abilities that I will definitely be utilizing in the future.

Of course, this positive reflection may change depending on my grade, but that's another story...

Valentine's Day: A Day of Love or Failed Expectations?

Valentine's Day has curiously turned into a day that is no longer about love, but rather a day where high expectations are set for your love life: are you in a relationship? Will your significant other give you flowers? Chocolates? Teddy bears? What have you done to properly display your relationship to the public?
This holiday really breaks down into two segments: "single awareness day" and "lovey-dovey day."

Section One: Single People
Although every other day, single people walk around living their daily lives, today is the day where people suddenly realize their apparent loneliness from not having a special companion. Because the idea of couples in love are forced in front of their faces, single people wallow in despair and resign themselves to the fact that "at least I have my _____" (whether the blank is filled with friends, food, or video games.) They have been labeled  inferior today, so they join together in "forever alone" forces and scorn those who are in love. How disgusting, to feed into this commercialized holiday, they say. Now, it is important to note that not all single people are in fact secretly eating away at their desire to be part of these couples; some are in fact, vehemently opposed to this holiday. To each his own, and so we move on.

Section Two: Couples
If two people are deemed "lucky" enough to be in a couple, this might be the very day to show it off, as today is the one day where it is okay to show off how in love with each other they are without being shunned. Of course, high expectations are set in place for this special day: it no longer becomes a question of how much they love each other, but how much they are willing to show it. The pressure is on to be the best girlfriend or boyfriend - everything has to be perfect, from the flowers to the restaurant. To fail is to fail in front of everyone - and who wants to be negatively judged?

So who really benefits from Valentine's Day? The answer is easy: Hallmark and all of those corporations out to eat your money because you desperately needed to appease yourself or your significant other.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone <3

Obama Causes Three Years of Aging in One Year?

Browsing the popular satirical website The Onion, I came across this article:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-photos-reveal-stress-of-obamas-first-term-in-o,27311/

Now, just in case you're too lazy to click on that, here's a quick rehash: so "photographic comparisons" have shown that the American population have significantly experienced major stress under Obama's term, experiencing accelerated aging. The article cites one of the reasons for this: "Think about it: You're a United States citizen who has to live with the decision to elect Barack Obama every single day, a decision that constantly affects the entire planet. You'd only sleep four or five hours a night, too."

Of course, this is a bit crazy, but with further contemplation: that is kind of true, isn't it? While many citizens won't be voting in this year's election, they're missing out on a crucial opportunity to shape not only their futures but the world's future as well. America is always experiencing stress because the president is doing a bad job with the economy, foreign policy, the environment, etc.

Conversely, this article also emphasizes the impact the president has on his constituents, in kind of a backwards way. Because despite the lightheartedness of the article, it's somewhat true - the president can affect the health and even the health of his constituents. So be wise who you choose for our leader for the next four years! As the article cheekily concludes, "Medical experts agree the overwhelming stress of a Mitt Romney presidency would kill the entire populace within seconds of his inauguration."

I really love the Superbowl!

Except not at all - hence why I'm doing a blog assignment instead of watching it. I mean, once I have football explained to me, it becomes this whole new game that's so intense and suspenseful. At the Georgia Dome last year when our school got the state championship, I only have my friends to thank who actually knew what was going on and took the time to explain it to me. Without them, I would have been lost in translation (points for referencing to a movie title?).
The Superbowl itself is actually not that bad - the commercials are fun and the halftime shows are mostly crazy (sometimes in the good way, sometimes in the bad) - but I feel like I would have to be more into football to enjoy the whole "SUPERBOWL YEAAAH GO [PATRIOTS/GIANTS]" effect.