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Ameer Johnson Public Feed

Santa, Where Are You?

Posted by Ameer Johnson in College English on Monday, December 17, 2018 at 9:30 am

I remember Christmas in 2007 very vividly. I would have just turned 7 years old by this point, and I remember this day as a time where I was flooded with a rollercoaster of emotions. Like most children, I was extremely excited the night before Christmas. With Christmas approaching fast, the excitement I felt from wondering about what gifts I’d receive was so high up through the roof, I knew Santa Clause would be able to feel it as he passed from house to house delivering presents to all the good boys and girls. The Nintendo Wii was the hottest thing at the time, and I just had to have it. I asked my mom for it some time ago, but it was sold out nearly everywhere. The expectation was that Santa Claus couldn’t disappoint. He never did before. My mom always got me what I wanted, but Santa Claus got me what I wanted and more. Christmas was my favorite day of the year and nothing, and I mean nothing, was going to ruin this day for me.


I was up early Christmas morning because my brain wasn’t going to let me lose any time during this glorious day. Getting out my bed, I felt like a champion from Sparta. I rushed down the stairs, with the cheesiest smile on my face. When I got downstairs, I couldn’t believe what I had seen. One gift and it was a sweater! What did I do wrong? I didn’t know what to do, but I couldn’t contain my sadness and disappointment. I had a good report card, but what I could have done to deserve this. I rushed upstairs to my mom’s room crying, asking her what was wrong. Surely, I should have received something I liked. My mom brought me downstairs and “explained” to me what was going on. She told me that I needed to go upstairs and pray that Santa would come back. She told me I was a good kid and if I prayed hard enough, there’s no reason I wouldn’t receive have any gifts. So I went upstairs and prayed my ass off. I cried and prayed until my mom called me back downstairs. I had zero hope anything would be there, but to my surprise, there was a Nintendo Wii and much more. My mom stood there by the tree, with the most “surprised” look on her face as I dived into my gifts. I couldn’t fathom what had just happened. Truly at the time, I didn’t want to know. An important lesson I learned this day couldn’t be summed up in words, but at this moment in time, I was simply grateful.


Author's Note: ​

I chose to emulate the Atwood style of letting the readers know exactly how the narrator felt. With the story I chose to tell, I felt that vague about the character’s emotions, feelings, and most inner thoughts would not do the narrator, the reader, or the overall memory any justice. The scenes in the Handmaid’s Tale where the readers knew how Offred felt while still being able to follow along with what was going on felt really coherent to me. I felt that going with a light-hearted story such as this would make this process easier.



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The Never Ending Cycle

Posted by Ameer Johnson in English 3 on Friday, January 26, 2018 at 3:02 pm
The Never Ending Cycle
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What Decides What's Good and What's Right?

Posted by Ameer Johnson in English 3 on Friday, November 3, 2017 at 8:00 am
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Appearance & Charisma vs. Qualifications and Experience

Posted by Ameer Johnson in English 2 on Friday, March 31, 2017 at 2:05 pm

Choosing leaders in almost every way is some form of a popularity contest. Whether it’s  the presidential election or a dozen boys choosing a leader while they’re trapped on an abandoned island, what someone looks like and how likable they are almost always plays a role in the final outcome of the vote. The Lord of the Flies is a novel about a group of young British boys that are left to fend for themselves after they crash on a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean. The boys in Lord of the Flies turned what was their most crucial decision in the entire book into a popularity contest without thinking too much about their decision and the consequences of it The boys did not choose the leader of their group based off of who was qualified but off of other criteria. These fictional characters are not the only ones who can fall victim to this -- it happens in real life as well. People choose leaders not based on their qualifications and experience but on their appearance and charisma.


After a short time on the island, one of the boys, Ralph, suggested that the boys vote for a chief so the group would have a leader that would be able to decide what the boys do next. The boys end up choosing Ralph but how they came to a conclusion so fast, considering everyone just met each other, is very interesting. A quote that captured this moment is “None of the boys could have found good reason for this; what intelligence had been shown was traceable back to Piggy, while the most obvious leader was Jack. But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive personality, and most obscurely; yet most powerfully, there was the conch.” (22) At this point in time, none of the boys know each other well enough to know what the others are fully capable of doing and accomplishing as the leader. From the boy’s standpoint, it's obvious very early on that Piggy is intelligent and Jack seems fit to be a leader. However, it would seem as if they chose Ralph without much thought since the narrator says “None of the boys could have found good reason for this.” However, the narrator goes on to describe some of Ralph’s characteristics. “His size and attractive personality” are among the things “that marked Ralph out.” It would make no sense for the boys to choose Ralph over Piggy and Jack unless their criteria for choosing the leader was not based on who was qualified for it but on what they looked like and who they liked the most. Ralph was also in possession of the conch, who the boys associate with power when the voting process began. It is very clear that it was Ralph’s image that won him his role as leader. Also, the boys did not take Piggy very seriously because of how he looked. Piggy was described as the “fat boy” (7) after Ralph, who was described as the “fair boy” (7) for his British good looks and attractiveness. The boys also mistake his name for “Fatty,” (21) before Ralph tells them that his name is actually Piggy. Jack is not considered attractive either. According to the narrator, he is “tall, thin, and bony.” (20) He’s redheaded, and “his face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without stillness.” (20) Considering the nature of the boys at the age they are, with most of them being twelve or younger, it is understandable to see why they chose Ralph over Piggy and Jack. In the mindset of an immature, pre-teenager, fat people are a joke and redheads are these evil, mean beings. Ralph is also a very good looking kid compared to the others who wanted to be the leader. Human nature explains why Ralph was chosen as it is normal for people, especially children, to gravitate towards who or what they consider attractive. Charisma is another one of Ralph’s traits and charisma is an important trait of a successful leader.


In the real world, attractive people, in general are more successful. Studies have proven that attractive people are hired sooner, promoted quicker, and are paid more than their co-workers than their less attractive co-workers. According to Daniel Hamermesh, professor of economics at the University of Texas, people who are considered attractive earn about 3 or 4 more percent than people who aren’t considered attractive with below average looks. A study published in Psychological Science showed that people played closer attention to people who are more attractive. One of the researchers said that this is because people are generally more motivated to pay closer attention to more attractive people because of curiosity, desire for friendship or a romantic interest, or social status. A quote from one of the researchers, Prof. Jeremy Biesanz, UBC Dept. of Psychology, is “Not only do we judge books by their covers, we read the ones with beautiful covers much closer than others.” This is similar to how the boys in Lord of the Flies chose Ralph as their leaders because it was not Ralph’s experience or intelligence that earned him the leadership role, it was his attractiveness that earned him the role.

Like attractive people, charismatic people are also very successful. Charisma is defined as “a personal magic of leadership arousing social popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (as a political leader) and “a special magnetic charm or appeal.” Successful people are usually leaders that possess the quality of charisma. Charisma is necessary for success because, without it, it is harder for you to get the people around you to help you achieve your goals. Leaders are essential for humanity, and charisma is what drives people to those leaders. While a good leaders possess intelligence, experience, and qualifications for the task at hand, this is not necessarily the case for every charismatic leader. Donald J. Trump, the 45th and current President of the United States is very charismatic. However, prior to becoming the President, he had never run for office in any kind of capacity. Nonetheless, he was a very successful business due in part to his very charismatic, and somewhat charming personality. Donald Trump is a very controversial figure, and although he lost the popular vote against candidate Hillary Clinton, Trump still managed to persuade almost 63,000,000 people without having the slightest experience in the world of politics. A similarity can be drawn to Ralph in Lord of the Flies when Ralph was selected as the leader without much experience as being a leader. However, like Trump, Ralph’s charisma was one of the reasons why he was chosen to be the leader.

In conclusion, there are many examples of people getting ahead of others because of their attractiveness and charisma. In the real world, people tend to favor charismatic and attractive people and this is why these kinds of people are very successful. At the beginning of Lord of the Flies Ralph is successful because he looks powerful, strong, and has an attractive personality. It is not uncommon for charismatic and attractive people to have intelligence and experience, but more often than not, people who display their charisma and attractiveness are more successful. Usually, they are chosen to be leaders over people who are not.










Golding, William Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin: 2006


Stanger, Melissa. "Attractive People Are Simply More Successful." Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/attractive-people-are-more-successful-2012-9


"Rice study suggests people are more trusting of attractive strangers." Rice News. http://news.rice.edu/2006/09/21/rice-study-suggests-people-are-more-trusting-of-attractive-strangers/


Staff, Elite Daily. "Why Charismatic People Are More Successful." http://elitedaily.com/money/entrepreneurship/charismatic-people-successful/


Minton, Tam Warner. "The Charismatic Appeal of Donald Trump." TheHuffingtonPost.com http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tam-warner-minton/the-charismatic-appeal-of_b_12406854.html


"Charisma." Merriam-Webster https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charisma


7 Comments

E2U4- Mi Barrio

Posted by Ameer Johnson in Spanish 2 on Monday, March 27, 2017 at 6:44 am
Mi nombre es Ameer Johnson. Mi barrio no está mal. Vivo en South Philly. Hace diez años que vivo aquí. Mucha culturalmente diversa gente vive aquí. Pienso en niños corriendo alrededor y personas viejas sentadas y hablando. Me gusta que mi bloque es tranquilo. Aunque, mi barrio puede ser ruidoso a veces. Me gusta pero lo haría prefiero vivir alguna parte más diversión. Nadie de mi edad vive aquí. Yo cambiaría lo aburrido que es, a pesar el número de la gente de mi edad. Quiero unir a todo. Quiero personas ayude cada otro. Quiero proteger la comunidad. Voy a tomar la iniciativa ayudar. Un mural me ayudaría a expresar esto.Todo el mundo actúa distante. En fin, mi barrio podría mejorar. Mi mural será bueno para la comunidad.

La pared que elegí está en mi bloque. Vivo en 22nd y Moore.  Mi mural está al lado de una guardería popular. Muchos niños van aquí todos los días. El mural alegra su día.Creo que este es un gran lugar. El 7 autobús pasa por el bloque. El mural recibirá mucha atención. La gente de South Philly quiere protección. Necesitan protección. Por eso, creo que apreciarían mi mural. No les importa ver arte positivo.

El propósito de mi mural es expresar un mensaje. Voy a incluo el mensaje en el escudo. El mensaje se leerá "Unir a la comunidad, protege a la comunidad." El mensaje es sencillo pero poderoso. Un escudo y una espada son dos artículos que representa la unidad y protecció. Quiero hacer este diseño porque quiero unir mi comunidad y protegerlo.

Mi pieza captura la esencia del arte público. Está afuera de una pared. El público puede verlo. En fin, Me gusta el diseño y el mensaje de mi mural.

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Ameer's Monologue- The Big Debut

Posted by Ameer Johnson in English 2 on Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at 9:25 am
Hey, thanks for welcoming me into the locker room. It's a great honor to have finally meet you, Mr. Orton. I’ve always dreamed of the day I would be standing face to face with one of all the time greats in this business.  This is just a whole lot to take in. I can’t believe it. I made it. I’ve finally made it. All of the deals are finalized. All of the paperwork is finished. I’m here now. Nothing is in my way anymore. I am a WWE Superstar. In about an hour’s time, my entire life will change. All of the hard work will have finally paid off. With all the blood, sweat, and tears that I’ve shed to get to this one moment, It's so surreal that my dream is actually coming true. I’m booked to win the battle royal tonight, and after the match, I’m supposed to cut a 3 minute promo about who I am and why the fans should care about me. I don’t know what I’m going to say. I need to think of something I’m very excited, but also very nervous at the same time. There’s no other way to describe this feeling. Don’t be nervous? I mean that’s kind of hard you know. It’s a confusing crowd out there. They cheer and boo for whoever they want whenever they want. Hell, I could walk out there and they could react to me like they’ve never even heard of me. That’d be a career killer for sure. Yeah...yeah. I guess you’re right. That won’t be the end of the world. That’s what happens when a lot of wrestlers debut anyway. I just want to make a good first impression. I want this to be memorable. It was announced that I will be debuting soon, but no one knows that it’s tonight. I just hope they know that I’m ready for a fight. Ha, that kind of rhymed. Maybe I should be a rapper for my gimmick. Wait. That’s exactly something this company would do. You know how it is for black wrestlers. They only get a handful of certain gimmicks. They’re either your stereotypical thug that dresses in street clothes when they wrestle for some reason. Either that or they’re your stereotypical happy black guy that claps and dances all the time like it’s Dancing with the Stars. Or they’re your stereotypical angry black guy that acts like the world owes them something. I don’t want my gimmick to be that of a racial stereotype. I don’t want to have shoot dice or sing gospel music to get over with the crowd.  I want my gimmick to be a representation of myself: an ambitious young black man that does whatever he puts his mind too. This has been my dream since I was 15 years old!  I will not become just another black wrestler in this business! No, no. I’ve worked too hard to get where I’m at today. I’ve worked TOO HARD to get to the point! I’ve wrestled all over the country. Hell, I’ve wrestled all over the world! Japan, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, you name it! I have over 10 years of experience in this business. I had my first match when I was 19. My friends were studying to become doctors and lawyers when they were 19 while I was busting my ass to become a professional wrestler just like you. And yeah, that doesn’t make me any different from anyone else in this locker room. But my desire to be someone in this business sets apart from everyone else. As a kid, I was constantly bullied at school. That’s where I learned to defend myself. I started doing workouts everyday, just trying to get in shape. Taking boxing lessons to learn how to effectively defend myself. And when I came home after a long day of school, wrestling was there for me when my mom was out working late at night trying to provide a living for us. Deep down inside though, I just wanted to entertain people. That’s exactly what wrestling did for me. So, I don’t want to be another racial stereotype in this business. Yeah, this is “fake” and all but if I’m going to be up and down the road 300 days a year, I want this to be real for me! Oh my god, you’re right! I just cut the greatest promo of my life and no one even saw it! I should say that when I go out there. Thank you, Mr. Orton. I should probably get ready.

https://www.soundtrap.com/play/b-P3wAAkTPea6tZT4Dgj0Q/ameers-song-3/
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Ameer Johnson- Emulation Handbook

Posted by Ameer Johnson in English 2 on Tuesday, November 8, 2016 at 6:21 am
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My Love/Hate Relationship with Glasses

Posted by Ameer Johnson in English 2 on Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 11:42 am
AmeersPersonalEssayDraft (3)
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Growing Up Online - Reflection

Posted by Ameer Johnson in Technology - Freshman - Hull - y2 on Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 6:20 am
  • What TV show did you watch in class? I watched Growing Up Online in class.
  1. What was this show about? The show was about teenagers and their experiences with the internet and how being online affected them.
  2. What is the most memorable thing to you about this show? The most memorable part of the this show to me was the segment about the girl who acted like a model on the internet and became famous online but didn't have much going for her offline. 
  3. Why/Why not -  is it important to watch shows like these? It is important to watch shows like these because you could possibly relate to some of these people and you can learn from their mistakes and experiences.
  4. How will you keep your future family safe online? I will keep my future family safe by limiting computer access to a couple of hours a day and activating safe search.
  5. Why is it important to talk with your family about internet safety? It is important to talk about internet safety with your family so you can prevent them from seeing or doing things on the internet before they actually occur/
  6. What advice would you give to parents that don't know how to keep their children safe online? I would tell them to take away all online devices to cut off all communication to the internet or enlist them in a fun program to reduce their time online.
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Español Benchmark Q2 - Ameer J, Zoey T, Nicholas R, Bronwyn G

Posted by Ameer Johnson in Spanish 1 - Manuel - B on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 11:00 pm
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Home Network - Ameer Johnson

Posted by Ameer Johnson in Technology - Freshman - Hull - y2 on Friday, October 16, 2015 at 10:40 am
​My home network is composed of a Verizon FIOS router that is connected through a coax cable from the bottom of my living room floor. That router connects wirelessly to every device in my house. I have 2 smart phones, 2 game consoles, one handheld, a printer, and 2 laptops that connect to my router. I learned a lot of stuff about the internet and home network. One of the biggest things I learned is what the difference between a router, a modem, and a modem-router was. Prior to this, I had no idea that they were different things. If I had to tell someone something about their ISP/Home network, I would tell that person that everything you do on the internet is tracked and so technically, you don't have any privacy online.
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