Hi mom. What’s up? You don’t usually call around this time.

Oh, you can’t make it? Ok.

No, it’s ok. I’m not surprised.

Love you too.

[hangs up]

You know, I would be more upset about this if I did not have Jane and Noah. Sometimes I wish Jane was my mother. She watched me grow up, hugged me when I was in need and gave me a shoulder to cry on. Unlike you mother. Do you not love me? Getting emotional, I just go up on the roof and look at the sky, which made me think of Noah. Every since we were young, that was our spot to go to where we could talk to each other about ANYTHING. I could talk to Jane too, but I felt more comfortable with Noah.

Father with you at the Behavioral Analysis Unit at the hospital, you are always on the go. While mom is away for conferences, it seems like I’m not that important to you anymore. When you are both home you are asleep, then the next day there is money and a note on the kitchen table always saying the same thing…...

“Morning Liv, sorry to have missed you this morning. However, we will see you this weekend. We left Jane with instructions for dinner over the next couple of days and anything you need just let her know.”  

I give you guys a call, but I should have known a voicemail would appear.

“Please record your message after the beep.” “BEEP!”

No, it’s ok. I’m not surprised.

Love you, see you soon--- not, I ended with laughter.

I used to get so excited on Tuesdays and Wednesdays because it was a chance for me to talk to my parents. You would ask about school, my poetry I enjoyed writing and soccer. You are not the most perfect parents but at least you used to keep up with my activities. Now I have to constantly remind you what’s going on because “you are too busy.” “Did you get the gifts we sent last week while we were away?” They ask. Or as I call them, the “I’m sorry gifts.

I wondered if my nanny and brother who already has a busy schedule including attending medical school can make an effort to support me, you guys can too.

June 13th, 2018, the day I would be graduating. A very important and exciting time for me. I knew for sure Noah and Jane would be there,  but I wasn’t sure if you both would even show up. Showing up in the last five minutes of the ceremony would even make me happy. In my mind there's this place called,  “What-If Land.” In this land I think of how life would be if Noah and Jane were my parents. Jane is my nanny, someone who is just employed to care for me. She does not have to spend time with me, but she chooses to. Not only does she keep up with me and my activities, but the house duties as well. She does the things you supposed to do. I am not only talking about me, what about Noah---our family. You call yourself a mother but are you? Think about it, do you bring unity and structure to our family; and dad where are YOU. All around the world saving other people and their children, but what about me! Noah has been more of a father figure than you ever had.

“Olivia, Olivia, your parents are on the phone ?” Jane yelled

Something had to be going on. It was not normal for you to call around this time. Hearing that you could not come see me graduate did not bother me as much as I thought it would. I mean I cried for about a second but after 18 years of the same excuses, I’ve grown used to the disappointments.

Any second now your going to say “ I’m sorry.” So how about this, I AM SORRY that you call yourself parents, I AM SORRY that I will never look up to you like I do Noah and Jane. And sincerely, I AM TRULY SORRY that Noah and I could never fit into your schedule. I know now that work is a priority and your family and children are minorities.

Who is my character speaking to?

Her parents

Why is it urgent they speak now:

If her parents do not engage in conversation now, they may potentially lose their daughter forever.

“Ag-ner”

“A-g-ner”

“Anyae”

 “Onya”

It’s what they all said with an awkward expression. My answer was always the same.

“It’s Aigner - “On-ya”  

As long as I can remember I hated my name, especially when it came to the outside world. It would make me mad, because they had no problem pronouncing other people’s name but when they started to stutter I knew for a fact that they got to my name. Every so often I have flashbacks to when the teacher would say

“Agner”

and I would run out of the classroom crying my eyes out, as I heard the echoes of my class’s laughter.

“Why did she give me this name”,

is what I would constantly repeat in my head “Out of all names and I get stuck with this dreadful name.”.

The year of 2012 is when I started to dance. My hip-hop teacher, Mr. Balou had the hardest time pronouncing my name. It was so difficult for him to pronounce that it got to a point that he was purposely mispronouncing my name, insteading of getting to learn it. Hearing the name he gave me made me feel like I myself was not human, didn’t have no respect for me and I belonged somewhere strangely unusual. It made me wonder how my other teacher got the jist of it but he just shut downed and called me whatever was easier for him. My mom pulled me out of dance, not because of the name thing but...to be honest I don’t even know why she did such a thing. Next thing you know, I was playing tennis. For some reason I had a high hope of my coaches pronouncing my name right but I should’ve known that no matter where I go there will always be a mis-pronunciation. For the whole year I was there not once did they get it right. Based on the spelling of my name the word Ag-ner would just slip out there mouth. At time I use to think they would mess it up on purpose cause when they said it they will laugh it off. This ignorance made me mad, so I went up to her one morning and told her I quit. I never thought she would say “Ok, let me know if see other things that interest you.”.

When I would accurately pronounce my name, I would sometime say it’s french. Some people would ask numerous questions about my name. Hearing these questions would make me laugh or it would be so preposterous.

“Are you french?”

“Say something in French?”

“Were you born in France?”

“Do you have French in your family background?”

Still to this day I am ask such ridiculous questions about being French. Every so often when I explain my name to people they are amazed that the letters are silent and realize that they are adding more pressure than needed.

Seventh grade year, I remember that year because that was a year where we had a ton of substitute teachers. As soon as the bell rung at 12:15 me and my classmates rushed down to the computer lab, for the cool refreshing air. Of course, she had to do role call but I had gotten over the fact that my name was quite difficult to pronounce based on its spelling. After the words “Khairiyyah Tumaini” fled her mouth I just knew what was coming. For the first time, throughout all the substitute teachers I had she got it right, with no stuttering nor hesitation. Instead of saying

¨Present¨, I replied with a

“Thank you”.

She looked at my puzzle with her face saying

“Why so she say thank you?”,

“Everybody always messes it up”, my friend replies. For some reason hearing the pronunciation “On-ya” made me realize that I can't make assumptions and judge people's interpretation.

Long story short having this name makes me feel a lot of things, majority of the time feeling peculiar. At times I think to myself that I shouldn’t let this ruin myself.

• What is your element? Name and atomic number

My element is Ag also known as silver. The atomic number is 47.

• Tell the reader about your element, history, function/use and so on.

• There use to be silver mining back to 3000 B.C., in Turkey and in Greece

• They were used at family dinners as the finest knives and forks

• Silver forms in star explosions called supernovae, as does gold

• According to the Silver Institute 85 percent of the silver produced worldwide came from Bolivia, Peru and Mexico between 1500 and 1800.

• Silver was used on photographic plates in the first

• Used in electronics and batteries

• How did you get the idea for the imagery you chose?

Well, it took me a while to figure out the right piece on how to represent silver. As I did research on what is made of silver. I started thinking about the olympics and the different medals. 1st- gold, 2nd- silver and 3rd bronze. I then decided I will draw a medal.

• What process did you go through to make this print?

It took me about 2-3 class periods to get the whole print completed. I went through the process of trying to perfect my drawing. Then tracing and pasting. Waiting a week later to print and mat, printing it was hard because there was barely any paint left, but I mainly had trouble with matting.

• What would you do differently if you did this print a second time?

If I could print a second time, I would use my time wisely. Meaning if I need ideas come to you during my lunch to get extra help.

• What part of the project did you enjoy the most? Describe the step and what you liked so much about it.

Out of the whole project the part I enjoyed the most was researching silver made objects. I got a chance to learn about things that I didn’t know before. As I was doing research I was amazed by the multiple things made out of silver.

1. Tell your reader what printmaking is and why it is important.

Printmaking is the activity or occupation of making pictures or designs by printing them from specially prepared plates or blocks. Printmaking is important because of the use of there unique techniques.

2. Use the research about printmaking you did last class. Explain to the reader why the invention of printmaking was revolutionary and why it is so important.

The invention of printmaking was revolutionary because it was a art form, that made many artists famous and it became a way for artists to produce multiple copies.

3. Find a print that interests you. Download a copy of the print, upload the print with credits to your blog.

4. Tell why you find the print artistically interesting.To properly tell about the print you chose.

This print interests me artistically behind I am thinking of it in multiple views. I see this print as someone reaching for success or for help. When I think of it as someone asking for help I vision abuse and they are getting beating, the victim is just reaching out.

5. Use - I notice... I wonder… What if… to explain how you think about the work of art.

I notice that that the hand has marks all over it. When I see these marks I wonder if the artist made it in a sketchy way or in a way to see that it been through a lot of physical pain. What if the hand was painted solid, meaning all black. Will it tell a different story and having me wondering other things.