Final Blog

It's crazy to think that this is my last blog. This semester has gone by so fast!
When I walked into class for the first time I was nervous, but excited. I wasn't sure how things were going to go and who my teacher would be.
I met some new friends and was glad I had an awesome teacher. The literacy narrative paper was a great paper to start off the semester. It let us express ourselves in our own way with a personal memory.
I probably didn't put as much time into each paper as I should've but I do feel like I have made a dramastic improvement in my writing.
From the first paper to the last, the instructors feedback has really helped me in revising my drafts.
Overall, this was a great class and I feel like a made a lot of progress from it since the beginning of the year.

My Thanksgiving

My Thanksgiving was absolutely wonderful. Aside from being surround by family and friends, I got to stuff my face with over 15 different foods! Now, that is something very difficult to complain about. Although, needless to say, I know exactly where all that food went.
Even though I am now suffering from the several pound weight gain, I would have to say that my break was a complete success. However, I do not recommend waking up at 8 AM on Thanksgiving morning and not going to bed until 42 hours later because it will put you in a very uneasy mood.
After all the wonderful happenings of my break, I was sad to see it go. Then, when I reached Vermillion on Monday morning only to realize I had to walk to class in a blizzard, sad was an understatement.

PG #224: The Most Dangerous Game

First off, I think a particular part of this story that really says more than it actually says is the title. The Most Dangerous Game.I have always thought that the meaning of "game" in the title could go beyond the double meaning to maybe include a third?  At first, Rainsford clearly 

states that he thinks hunting is the greatest game in all the world.  But once he becomes the hunted, he sees that this is not a "game" at all.  That word just has such a light definition, it doesnt really capture the violence and terror in the hunt.  It is not until Rainsford becomes the hunted that he sees this and realizes that the "game" is really a fight for survival. 

As far as symbols go, there are a few that I have considered to be significant.

1. Darkness- it gives off the scary feelings. Like boats passing by for instance, they look at the island as "scary" because it is surrounded by darkness.

2. Red- The story hints several times that the color red has much significance to death and violence. At the beginning of the story when Rainsford falls off the boat he falls into the 'blood warm waters' which could mean potential danger. Then, when he actually gets to the island he sees weeds 'stained crimson (red)'. Throughout the story he also makes references about Zaroff's 'red-lipped' smile. Rainsford becomes more and more aware of the color red as he realizes Zaroff's 'bloody' game. In addition to that, Ivan wears a crimson colored sash and even the soup that Zaroff feeds Rainsford is red. So, as you can see, there are a ton of references toward the color red that hint danger.

3. the Jungle- We all know the jungles are chaos and full of wild animals and plants. In this story, the symbol of the jungle refers to what is happening within the island. It could also be seen as Rainsford being restricted and losing control because when he reaches the island, he is now playing Zaroff's game and under his control.

Young Goodman Brown

My first thought about this story was the title. It is likely symbolizing a man who is obviously young and 'good' as in a follower of God and who is true to his faith.
Reading the first part of the story was a little bit confusing because I really wondered why he had to go on this journey.
I think the moral of this story is that everyone, no matter who they are, makes mistakes.
It gives the scenario of a guy who is very faithful to God but turns on his wife (who is a symbol of his faith) to meet the Devil. And this is where he realizes that all the other members of the community are 'sinners' as you could say.
But all in all, its a story about people making mistakes and learning to realize that not everyone is perfect.. and thats the beauty of life.

A Rose for Emily

   First off, I would like to point out that the title of this short story really makes the reader ponder what the story will be about first, before reading it. Questions like "Is there a character named Emily who may be receiving a rose for a reward?" or "What does this certain 'rose' symbolize for Emily?" Needless to say, I do not think anyone could have guessed what the story is about before reading it.
 
   The story is somewhat typical for a small town. There is always that one old woman or man who seems to be the 'odd' person around and in addition to that, the town stays away but continues to gossip and wonder.
   As we continue through the story we learn that Emily has lost her father, who was a significant figure in her life. I believe this was when Emily started to isolate herself from the others in the community. However, when she finds someone she does not want to let them go. I think the town was very skeptical of Emily and her life and what was going on inside of her house. This raised many questions from the people of the town that went unanswered.
   Needless to say, Emily turned out to be a complete weirdo in my book. Its really creepy to think about her sleeping next to a dead person. I was extremely shocked about that discovery. I mean, really? Somebody get this lady a therapist.

The Most Dangerous Game

I enjoyed reading this story, especially because it wasn't as long as the first story we read.
What stood out to me the most about this story were the similarities between Rainsford and the Zaroff. First, they were both very smart when it came to hunting and this showed throughout the whole story. At first, it's all about killing animals or so you think, but then Zaroff turns out to be a total nut? This is where the story starts to get a little weird and twisted. Before Rainsford arrives at Zaroff's he only hunts to kill animals but when he realizes that Zaroff has switched up the game, he starts to change too. So when these two start their challenge, its a totally different game. My question is, do they both want to be better than the other? Or, is Rainsford really just trying to survive? It's difficult to say, all I know is that Zaroff must have been a pretty messed up guy to want to hunt people.

Katrina Van Tassle

My teacher? Well, he was a different man. He always sang and had this weird shaped nose that stuck out. Oh but the way he looked at me; it made me feel great. When I noticed this, it had to be around the time that I had my sights set on Brom Bones. Brom was everything I wanted but what could I do? I couldn't ignore my teacher. But now that Ichabod is gone forever, I will never have to looked at in class and Brom and I can live together in peace.

Katrina Van Tassle

Buffy

Watching Buffy was quite entertaining I must say. I remember watching it back when I was probably in 6th grade but I dont remember it being that corny. There is definitely many different situations of stereotyping going on in this episode. Buffy is the knockout girl who kicks major butt even though most people would think it would be a guy. When she defends her guy friend when is about to be beaten up, he immediately feels he loses the "tough guy" image. But after the spell they all get put on, Buffy becomes a "dumbed-down" girl who has no idea what she is doing because she dressed as a lady from the 1700s who, in that time, would only use her looks to get her places. Also when this happened, her guy friend turned into a fighting machine. Buffy's lady friend also turned into the opposite of who she really is. Normally, she is quiet and reserved but when the spell was put on her, she became who she never was and wore what she never had worn. Because of this, she decided not to let what other people thought of her influence her decisions.

I think this episode has alot to do with how girls are today. Sometimes, changing who you are to please the opposite sex or just to fit in with other people in general. Even if it is not what makes them happy.

Overall, it was a pretty good show; I didn't mind watching it too much. It gave alot of great insight on different stereotypes and people.

A Child Called It

My favorite book is actually an autobiography by a man named Dave Pelzer. After all the books I have read, this one seems to be my favorite. It is a heart wrenching story about Dave's childhood and the abuse he suffered by his alcoholic mother and his father. When Dave is young he refers to his mom as "Mom", but as he grows older and she becomes more and more abusive he refers to her as "Mother". David's father was his hero at first, but eventually he becomes an alocholic and sinks into depression and is no longer thought of as his hero. It is amazing to think that someone who was so abused could survive and become such a remarkable person.

Super Nintendo

A regular day in my life consists of classes, homework, and of course, playing the famous game of Super Nintendo with my best friend, Gieddles. Gieddles and I have been through countless hours of beating levels, dodging bullets and yelling at the television screen. The best trait about this game is that it's for all ages and can be enjoyed by all. Although Gieddles and I are not experts at this game, we enjoy getting together and spending hours laughing and having a good time. I would recommend this game to anyone because it is a great way to get people together.

Ghost/Spirit Paper

Thesis: Some people do not believe that ghosts and spirits are real but if they understand what ghosts are, what they do, and where they can be found, it can change how people feel about their existence.

Ethos: I can research information on experts that follow ghosts and what evidence they provide.

Pathos- Find stories on people who have had experiences with ghosts or spirits and what happened.

Logos- Find scholary sources that give information and evidence from professionals and experts that prove that ghosts really do exist.

Ghosts/Spirits Brainstorm

Paper Topic: Ghosts/Spirts

Topic: Existence
#1: Has anyone seen or heard a ghost or spirit?
#2: Is there evidence or facts that support these sightings?
#3: When were ghosts first discovered?

Topic: Communication
#1: Can a ghost talk? Will it talk back?
#2: Could a ghost physically hurt someone?
#3: What is the best way to communicate with a ghost?

Topic: People and Ghosts.
#1: Why can some people sense a presense, and others can't?
#2: Is there truth to children seeing ghosts better than adults?
#3: Can a ghost follow someone home?

Class Period on 4/12/10

Today's class period was different than normal but not any less entertaining. For our quiz we just summarized what we had read, pretty simple I'd say. Than, we listened to Jessie, Marcus, and Kenzie talked about colons and semicolons. This was very informational to me because I had not known some things that they talked about. Next, we did a fun exercise to brainstorm about ideas for our next paper and I also learned some new things about the people in the classroom. We all sat in a circle and Ryan asked us questions about different topics and ideas, and then we went around the room answering each question. I think this was a great way to keep the class engaged while getting things done, and I had a great time doing so.

Reflections on Class

On my first day of Comp 101 class, I had no idea what to expect. I was scared of being stuck with an old, boring teacher who I would learn absolutely nothing from. So because of that, I came into class not having high expectations but really only wanting to be able to say I passed at the end of the semester. Much to my surprise, it was exactly the opposite.

I came into the room not knowing a single person but noticed a younger man standing in the front. Thoughts ran through my head about whether or not he was my teacher but I soon figured out, he was. In some way I was sort of relieved so it made me feel a little better. The first couple class periods were somewhat awkward but they got easier and more fun as time went on.

Overall, this class is probably my favorite. Not only because English is one of my better subjects, but because Ryan makes things easier to learn and keep an upbeat environment in the classroom. In high school I had troubles asking for help on assignments and papers but Ryan made it clear that if I had any questions at all, he was there if I needed it. That was very important to me because sometimes I just do not understand directions and Ryan is always available.

I really enjoy this class so far and I cannot wait to see what else it has in store for me.

Writer's Memo

This memo is in regards to my reflective "What has Shaped Me" paper.

Much of what your future holds is remembering but not dwelling on the past. When you lose people in your life that mean so much to you, it's almost like you lose a part of yourself but are capable of still finding a part of yourself that you may never have had before. I lost my two best friends in a go-cart accident five years ago. It was very hard on me because I didn't know who to talk to or how to act but my family and friends were there for me every step of the way.

When it came time to write this paper, I knew it had to be something that had made a difference in my life or shaped me in some way. I had a couple different events in mind but nothing really stood out like this one. This is one of those situations that is the hardest to talk about but the easiest to remember and that is why I choose it. I wanted to be able to share my story with readers so that they are get some sort of idea about how I felt at the time.

Since my first draft, I have made quite a few revisions that I am confident have made my paper better. I made the entire paper in 12 pt. font and removed all extra white space, which was a must. Then, I took out parts of sentences that weren't needed and weren't flowing correctly. I also corrected grammatical errors and fixed words that didn't quite seem to fit. I made these revisions to better my paper. It is very easy to rush through a paper and make mistakes but by going back and reading through it a couple times, it made sense to make some changes. The revisions improved my essay by making the paper flow better and easier for the reader to read. The peer review helped me alot in my revision process. When Kaitlyn reviewed my paper, she specifically corrected errors by commenting and giving her ideas, which was very helpful.

My goal for my paper is to elimnate all errors and revise it so that when it is being read, it flows nicely from paragraph to paragraph and the reader can understand the emotion throughout the piece. What I may still need to work on is how I word sentences so that is it not too confusing or hard to understand.

Proposal Essay

My essay will be about how girls and woman feel that they should look like people they see on the television. In today's society, celebrities are based upon the "perfect" image. Because of this, teens feel like they have to look like them to fit in or to have a beautiful "body image". This causes woman to feel depressed and want to change things about themselves to look like these celebrities. This is a problem because woman are constantly changing things about themselves and harming their bodies just because they compare themselves to celebrities. When woman dont feel like they look like they should, they turn to supplements or even end up with eating disorders and that is where things start to get worse.

Opinion-based news

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/224789/april-16-2009/the-colbert-coalition-s-anti-gay-marriage-ad

I watched a Colbert Report clip regarding same sex marriages. In the clip, he continuously remarked on how much of a bad idea same sex marriages were. I however, feel differently. Although my faith believes that only a man and woman should be married, I say that we should all respect how people choose to live their lives and who with. I think that if a guy wants to get married to another guy that makes him happy, than who are we to say he can not?
I do find this guy somewhat amusing but I think his opinions should be just that, his opinions. It is funny to watch and laugh at, but when it comes down to it, I think people should be allowed to marry whomever they want, end of story.

Lowering the drinking age

http://www.youthrights.net/index.php?title=Why_The_Drinking_Age_Should_Be_Lowered%3B_An_Opinion_Based_On_Research(article)

The opinion-based article that I chose to blog about today is about lowering the drinking age. This article presents some great points in which I totally and completely agree.
First of all, I would like to state that there are different meanings of "drinking". What I am talking about is casual and social drinking. The legal drinking age, now at 21, seemed to be working out for quite some time but now drinking is becoming more and more popular with younger adults. Even though 21 is the legal drinking age, a big percentage of college students and people under 21 are still drinking and not doing it in a very responsible way. Possible reasons that they do it could be to fit in with older crowds of people or because they feel rebellious.
So my question is, like many people probably have fought about before, why is it okay for 18 and even 17-year-olds to go off to war and fight for their country but not to have a drink at say a restaurant or club? This one question itself has raised MANY debates worldwide. It makes no sense. How is one person capable of fighting for their country, using weapons, and watching people die but they are not allowed to have a drink legally?
So, to end this beautiful discussion that the world loves so much, I would just like to say that 18-year-olds are adults. They are capable of having kids, taking out loans, fighting in war, traveling the world and should be allowed to legally have a drink with friends or family. However, I do believe in responsible drinking and there are ways that mature drinking can be acceptable.

Proposal

Topic: Best friend's passing away

I was thirteen years old that day I lost my two best friends. I woke up that morning just like I do any other morning and started my day. I did some house chores, got on the computer, talked on the phone, and then went to my friend's house. We hung out and watched some movies, but little did I know that when my phone rang, it would change my life forever. That fourth of July my best friends, Jordan and Allen, were driving a go-cart around town when they were hit head-on by a truck, in which they were drug underneath. I get chills now even thinking about it but losing them has really made me think about how short life really is or could be. I cried for days and having to sit through their funeral's was unbearable but I have learned that it's okay to cry and it's okay to miss people.

Brainstorming

Two Best Friends
Five years ago on the fourth of July I walked over to hang out with a friend at her house. We hung out for a couple hours and on my way home I got a phone call saying to watch the news. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but when I got home and turned all the TV it was a different story. The news had showed a story of two young boys who were driving a go-cart and got hit head on by a truck. My heart immediately dropped and I could feel the tears coming. My two best friends had been killed, when I had talked the them both a couple hours before it had happened. I couldn't believe that something could happen to such young people who hadn't gotten the chance to live yet. So what I am trying to say is, losing my two best friends really affected me in every way possible. However, there are many things I took away from this experience like knowing that life is too short to be upset and hold grudges, because one day you might not get the chance to tell people how you feel and that no matter how long you have been friends with someone, they can be gone in the blink of an eye so you have to cherish every minute.


First Job
I got my first job at Dairy Queen/Orange Julius when I was 16 year old and a junior in high school. I had applied for this same job two years earlier but didn't get it because I was too young. The biggest reason that I got the job was because a good friend of my family's was a supervisor there at the time and she knew the owner really well. So because of that, I felt very confident going into the interview. I worked there for 3 years and usually averaged about 30-40 hours a week, sometimes a little more. I pushed myself very hard to become the best worker I could be and it paid off because I am now a supervisor. My experience with my first job has taught me that pushing yourself for what you want might seem hard and tiring at first but if it is something you want than you should do whatever it takes to get yourself there. It also taught me to be alot more responsible in getting there on time and getting tasks done on time.


USD
Graduating high school was a big deal for me. Although I already had a job and did things on my own, it still meant things were going to change. When I moved to campus I no longer was going to get dinner made for me or groceries bought. The first week of being on my own was really a eye opener for me; I had to make sure I went to the right class and that I was on time, get all my books for class, do all my homework before it was due, keep my room clean and wash my clothes, and do the dishes. I honestly felt so overwhelmed, but being on my own hasn't been all that bad now that I know what i'm. It has taught my alot of responsibility with my schoolwork and great time-management skills. It has also taught me to be more independent and learn to do things on my own.

What Defines Me?

When I got asked the question 'What defines you?' by my teacher, I guess you could say I felt a little uneasy. I've been searching my whole life to find that one thing that really makes me, me. I mean, I could tell people a million things about who I am and what I like; but there is always that one question about yourself that sometimes you just cannot seem to find the answer to. In spite of my lack of knowledge about this question, I thought a lot about what is most important to me in my life and then I realized that maybe I don't have to have one thing that defines me. Maybe, just maybe, there are a thousand different pieces of life that define me.So what I am trying to say is, I could never fully define what or who I am because I know that I have endless possibilities in various aspects of life. Although, if  the question had to be answered, what defines me would be what principle guides me in my reason. The phrase "Dream big" has always been my reasoning for believing in myself and others, setting goals and reaching them, and going places i've never been to make me the person I am today.