Kennedy Coverdale Public Feed

Kennedy Coverdale Capstone

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Capstone - Thompson - Wed on
Abstract

My Capstone Project was to teach a class at my middle school that I previously attended: Greene Street Friends School. I wanted to teach them about math, which is a subject I’m passionate about. I introduced the students a new concept a bit ahead of time, which the teacher whom I was working with encouraged. I also worked with a partner; Peter Ricker, who was also teaching a math class in the same school. We collaborated with our mentor and the math teacher in order to finalize our learning plan and what concepts we were going to teach the class. We researched many topics on how to keep children engaged in learning and how to convey new concepts to children who may not get it the first time. Teaching the class proved harder than we though, and a newfound respect for teachers blossomed from my experience. However, it was an engaging and learning experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.


Digitized Portion

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After going over the warm up problem for the class, I walked around to help the students get an idea of what to do and see what their answers were. I wanted to see their progress and their work and what their thinking actually was before trying my best to steer them in the right direction without outwardly telling them the answer.


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This was after conversing with the teacher about the problem and how to go along with teaching the class about the new concept. Here, I write down the steps on the board and take questions as we go along, the class thoroughly engaged.


Bibliography

Canon, Chris. "Engaging Students | How to Keep Students Engaged!"YouTube. YouTube, 8 May 2013.

Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-39RPNvmoE>

This video provides me with more information about activities for students in the classroom. It also provides information on the types of activities and how they should be set up in order to keep students engaged in the activity itself. This source is very useful because it provides me with idea on how to set up the activities and drives me away from doing worksheets or a short quiz at the end of the class. However, one limitation is that the author talks about keeping them engaged during the entire year, not just on the first day, which is difficult because I’m only going to be with the kids for an hour during the day.


ESL5204. "The Toughest Class You Will Ever Teach: 9 Tips for Engaging Middle School Students."

BusyTeacher. BusyTeacher, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

<http://busyteacher.org/10666-teach-9-tips-engaging-middle-school-students.html>.

This source provides me information about teaching a middle school class, basically the age group I’m aiming to teach. It also provides me with information about to construct a lesson plan and classroom activities in order to keep the kids engaged. It gives me ideas about discussions and physical activities, and how the middle school mind works. They describe it as “... what does a teacher do when her students are too young to think like adults but are trying their hardest to escape childhood?” That quote helps me think about how their minds work and what I was like when I was in middle school. However, one setback to this source is that it’s not very detailed and doesn’t give examples of what I could do.


"Free Resources for Teachers: Middle School." Free Resources for Teachers: Middle School. National

Institute on Drug Abuse, Jan. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.drugabuse.gov/free-resources-teachers-middle-school>

This source gives me a lot of links and different resources about teaching about drug use to middle school students. This is extremely helpful because it gives me many resources to use and activities to do with the kids. It comes from the National Institute on Drug Abuse so I know it’s accurate information that’s being given to me, and I know it’s helpful in making middle schoolers understand the dangers of drugs. I knew I was going to have a hard time explaining drugs to middle schools in order for them to understand, and make them comprehend the dangers, especially since high school is right around the corner for them.


Johnson, Ben. "The Art of Managing Middle School Students." Edutopia. George Lucas Educational

Foundation, 4 Sept. 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

<http://www.edutopia.org/blog/art-of-managing-middle-schoolers-ben-johnson>.

This source provides me information about middle school student behaviors and how to deal with them effectively. It also gives me ideas about engaging the students and making them pay attention to me and what I’m teaching. One setback to this source is that the source puts down the advice, thinking that the teacher who is reading the source is an adult, while I’m a teenager, someone who is at most four years older than the kids I’ll be teaching. Demanding respect from kids as a kid myself is a bit difficult, since I know as a middle schooler I wouldn’t pay a senior in high school any mind at all. However, I shall still use this source because it’s still helpful in other areas, and maybe I can implement the advice given and be successful.


"Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know." Talking to Your Kids-Communicating the Risks. National Institute

on Drug Abuse, Mar. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuana-facts-parents-need-to-know/talking-to-your-kids-communicating-risks>

This source provides me with information about talking to middle school children about drugs, specifically Marijuana. It gives all the warnings about it being addictive and crushes some myths about it as well. This source is going to help me talk to the kids about drugs in general, not just marijuana. One limitation to this source is the fact that it’s only talking about marijuana and not any other drugs, which makes me think that I should only talk about marijuana since it’s the most prevalent in high school.


Milkova, Stiliana. "Strategies for Effective Lesson Planning." Strategies for Effective Lesson Planning.

Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

<http://www.crlt.umich.edu/node/520>

This source provides me with information on how to create a productive and interesting lesson plan, especially without having to teach kids about something they already know. It will help me formulate every aspect of the teaching/learning plan, and combined with other sources, will help me have a layout and be more organized with this learning process. It gives me detailed explanations on how to do each part of the lesson plan while keeping students engaged. I selected this source because it stemmed from a teaching department in a university, which I would think would be experts on how to teach children.


"Publications - Mind Over Matter." Publications. National Institute on Drug Abuse, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

<http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/finder/t/157/MindOverMatter>

This source provides me with information and games and activities about drug abuse and the effects it has on the brain and body. They seem really fun and interesting for the middle schoolers to play, and they don’t require any technology to play and do the activity. I chose this source because it’s from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, meaning these games are accurate and truthful and don’t contain anything that’s inaccurate or might throw my lesson off track. This source is very useful because it gives me ideas of activities the kids could do in order to enhance their learning experience and make the class interesting and fun and very engaging.


Strauss, Valerie. "Five Key Strategies to Get/keep Kids Engaged at School." Washington Post. The

Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/10/29/five-key-strategies-to-getkeep-kids-engaged-at-school/>

This source provides me with information regarding student engagement in the classroom. The content in the article comes from a book called “Classroom Q & As: Expert Strategies For Teaching,”, published by Education Week. It talked about how to keep students engaged throughout the year. However, one setback of this source is just that: it’s about keeping kids engaged throughout the year instead of just one classroom session at a time. Despite this though, I can still use this source to help me formulate a productive and interesting lesson plan for the middle schoolers in order to keep them from falling asleep at their desks or talking to one another.


Taylor, Miranda. "A Lesson in Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse for MN Middle Schoolers." Health Talk.

University Minnesota, 02 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. < http://www.healthtalk.umn.edu/2013/10/02/prescription-drug-abus-education-for-mn-middle-schools/>

This source provides me with ideas on how to teach the middle schoolers about drugs and the effect they can have on their lives. It even talks about talking to them about high school and making them realize they’ll be around drugs all the time once they come to high school, and learning how to politely turn away from people who offer them, no matter what they say. And even they give some examples as to what the kids might ask me and how I can even incorporate humor and some silliness into the conversation so that it won’t be so tense in the classroom. One limitation to this source is that it’s more of an article talking about what some people from the University of Minnesota did while teaching kids about drugs.


Wolpert-Gawron, Heather. "Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement. "Edutopia. George Lucas Educational

Foundation, 26 Apr. 2012. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

<http://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-engagement-stories-heather-wolpert-gawron>

This source provides me information about what keeps kids engaged during a lesson in the classroom. The quotes on the article come from actual eighth grade students, right around the range I’m looking to teach for my Capstone. This source is very helpful because it gives me ideas on classroom activities and things to do so the children can stay engaged and actually pay attention to the point of the lesson, along with having fun and giving them something to remember. It makes my job easier when creating a lesson plan so I know what to do and what to give the kids in order to have a productive classroom experience.


Final Food Project

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Science and Society - Best - E on

***Peter is working with me

Ingredients & Instructions for Enchiladas 

    • 1 can of black or pinto beans
    • 8-10 flour tortillas
    • 1 small onion
    • any vegetables you like
    • 1 can of diced green chiles
    • 3 cups of shredded cheese
    • 1 can of enchilada sauce
    • herbs for garnishing
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • *can add chicken or beef if you’d like


  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F
  2. Add some oil to a pan and sauté the onions and green chiles for 6-8 mins
  3. Add the other vegetables you want to use and cook them throughly
  4. Remove vegetables from the heat and set them aside for later
  5. In order to assemble the enchiladas, speed out a tortilla on a flat surface. Then, spread enchiladas sauce on it and fill it with the beans, cooked vegetables, and cheese. Then, wrap them up and place them into a long baking dish.
  6. Before placing it into the oven, cover the enchiladas with more sauce and cheese.
  7. Place it into the oven for 20 minutes uncovered. 
  8. Remove it and serve with fresh herbs as a garnish. 

Analysis

The ingredient for this dish are mostly processed foods, however the vegetables are fresh and not processed. There is a possibility to make your own tortillas and buy fresh beans from a farmers maker and cook them yourself for somewhat of a ‘healthier’ dish. However, for the sake of this project and our wallets, we decided to go with some of the processed foods, however it’s completely possible to make this dish more ‘whole’.The estimated calorie content of the dish per serving is 404 calories, 22.1g of fat, and 2g of sugar, which isn’t bad for one meal. One serving is one enchilada, and even that can be a little too much for one person (since they’re pretty big in general). You couldn’t eat this everyday because if you did, you would probably have bathroom problems from all the beans and a lot of carbs from the flour tortillas. Most of the food was processed and probably grown with ingredients grown on mass production farms with fertilizers and chemicals and whatnot. The meal cost under $15 which is really goo, especially when feeding an entire family. 

Personal Reflection

I’ve learned a lot about how food effects us in different ways, even after we consume it and feel full. I knew about obesity and why food contributes to that disease before coming into the unit, however I wasn’t aware that many of the top ways to die in this country is by food. It boggles my mind that we are more likely to die from the food we eat than under and being in an accident. However, what can we do? It’s difficult to really pinpoint the problem in this since there’s needs to be a systematic change in the way we eat and produce food. But it’d difficult to change a system that’s been working for so long, and that’s so important to millions of Americans. 

My personal role in the larger food system is somewhat hard to explain. Yes, I purchase food and consume it on a daily basis, however, I feel like my few dollars don’t make such a huge impact as everyone seems to make it out to be. If I solely stop purchasing unhealthy food, then what will happen ? It’s difficult to just say that I’d be willing to change my food choices since there’s not that many choices in the first place. Only a handful of corporations actually produce the food we eat. And they own so much of it, it’s hard to run away from them effectively. 

 So honestly, no, I won’t change my food habits. Especially since I don’t have a personal income and even when I go off to college, I’ll be worrying about my studies than what I’m eating. And ‘healthy’ foods are so expensive in the first place, it’s difficult to get them anyway.


Food Slide


This is my food rule. I picked this one because I see too many times on labels that the entire package isn't one serving, but only a couple of pieces of the product are indeed on serving. And most people think that the calorie count on a food product is the total amount of calories for the entire product, even though it's only for one serving. 

El Cuatro Piso

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Spanish 4 - Manuel - E on

Erase una vez, era una escuela se llamaba Science Leadership Academy. La escuela era nuevo en el Distrito Escolar de Filadelfia, entonces la escuela solo tenía un clase de estudiantes en el noveno grado. Había que dos estudiantes, eran un chico y una chica, cuando entablaban un amistad con juntos. Después de dos años, los chicos se enamoraron y eran juntos. Ellos les gustaban eran juntos todos los días y hacían todos juntos. Ellos tenían los mismos amigos y los interés, entonces ellos llevábamos. Ellos eran muy felices juntos y tenían mucho divertido juntos. Cercano el último del undécimo grado, el chico prometía el se casa la chica después de la graduación.


Un día, la chica quiso pasar el rato con sus amigas durante el fin de semana. Ella no pasó el tiempo con sus amigas en mucho tiempo porque ella siempre era con el chico. El chico no quiso la chica ir con sus amigas porque él tuvo un mal sentimiento sobre la situación. Pero, la chico no escucho para el chico, porque ella pensó él fue paranoico. Entonces, ella fue con su amigas. En la mañana en escuela, las amigas de la chica dijeron el chico que la chica se murió en una accidente de auto. Después, el chico era muy deprimido y llorando para la chica. Pero, él era enojado por las amigas de la chica porque una amiga se fue manejando el carro y fue la causa del accidente.


En un otro día, durante el funeral de la chica, su padre dije el chico que la chica le gustaba el cuarto piso porque lo un bien lugar pasar el tiempo. Cuando el chico regresó a la escuela, él habló con Señor Lehmann sobre dedicar el cuatro piso para la chica porque el chico se enamoraron la chica mucho y él quiso para la chica. Señor Lehmann dije que si para la dedication. Después, todos los estudiantes de la escuela asistieron al evento para la dedication. Señor Lehmann y el chico hablaron sobre la chica y cuando ella era muy fabuloso y una buena amiga.


Durante el año que viene, haría un anuncio dije que el cuatro piso cerrado por la chica. Nadie que dar un paso en el piso porque dando un paso en el piso más que dando en la chica. El cuarto piso no usen hasta el dia hoy porque la chica es dedicado en el piso.

The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso, por los ojos de Pedro Machuca

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Spanish 4 - Manuel - E on

Artista : Pablo Picasso

Nombre del Arte : The Old Guitarist ( El Guitarrista Viejo )


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Yo soy Pedro Machuca, un chico joven viviendo en Santiago, Chile. Vivo en un área pobre, con las personas de la clase obrera. Asisto una escuela privada porque el sacerdote de la escuela quiere los niños de la clase obrera y los niños de la clase alta contramos con los otros grupos. El no le gusta la separación en la comunidad, entonces el quiere los niños estar juntos. Creo que todas las personas necesitan estar juntos y la clase alta necesita dar dinero por la clase obrera. Estoy aliado con Allende porque me gusta su ideas y creencias. Pero, la clase alta no le gusta Allende, y no me importa para ellos.Old_guitarist_chicago.jpg

   En este pintura, yo veo un hombre viejo está muy triste. Él es tocando una guitarra cafe. El hombre se sentado en la calle. El hombre está muy triste, más que el fue llorando. A tambien, su cuello se ve roto y él está muy flaco porque el es pobre y tiene pocos recursos. Los colores en la obra son muy deprimidos y apagados. La artista usando solo azules y grises a pintar el obra. Pero, la guitarra es café, pero es todavía apagado. Incluso su piel y un poco de su cabello es azul. El tono de la obra es muy deprimido y no me gusta. La obra hace mi muy triste.


   Como yo lo entiendo, en 1973, las personas de la clase alta no les gustan de presidente de Chile, Salvador Allende. Ellos les gustan las comunistas, o unos momios, cuando el presidente fueron un socialista, o una izquierdista. Para mi, hay que siempre la tensión entre de los pobres y los ricos en Chile. Por lo tanto, hay que muchos manifestaciones entre los comunistas y los momios.Después, la guerra de Chile, con ayuda desde los americanos, se hacen un golpe de estado y Pinochet tomó poder. La media dice que Allende se suicidó, pero yo pienso que Pinochet o los soldados se mató a Allende. Yo recuerdo estando en las manifestaciones, entrega de banderas, y la tensión entre los clases en Chile. A también, yo recordé los soldados viniendo en mi barrio y mató las personas y mi vecinos. Los colores de la obra representa la pena de la clase obrera y la guerra en Chile. El hombre representa las personas en Chile más que mí. Pero, el color de la guitarra representa la esperanza de mi patria porque la guitarra está brillante a diferencia de la todas de la obra. El mensaje trae la obra es que las personas pobres tienen esperanza a pesar de que sus pobres. Pienso la artista la pintó porque el fue triste y deprimido.


Para mi, no me gusta la obra. Eso hace las personas vee mala y deprimido. Nosotros estamos felices ahora, a pesar de la situación. Nosotros hacemos el mejor de las situaciones en sus vidas.

Ave Que Emigra por Gaby Morenos

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Spanish 4 - Manuel - E on

El nombre de la canción es Ave De Emigra. La artista esta Gaby Moreno. Gaby Moreno se nació en Guatemala. Ella vendió a estados unidos cuando ella fue siete años. Durante un vacación con su familia en Nueva York, ella aprende su amor de cantando. Cuando ella tiene diecisiete años, ella fue a Los Ángeles para la contrato discográfico para Warner Bros. En 2013, ella gana un Latin Grammy por ‘Best New Artist of 2013’. La canción se trata de la inmigración de Gaby Moreno. Ella movió desde Guatemala por que ella tiene predicamentos en su casa. Dije que ‘Alzo en alto mi vuelo / Como el ave que emigra’ por que ella ‘emigra’ desde su país de origen. La canción se habla sobre el viaje desde a America.


El tono de la instrumentación es muy optimista y feliz. La instrumentación es muy optimista, pero las letras y palabras son un poco triste. Las líneas triste son: Vengo desde muy lejos / Buscando el azul del cielo / Siguiendo predicamentos / Vengo desde muy lejos’ Pero, estos trabajan juntos bien porque los mezcla bien juntos. A también, algunas palabras son feliz y muy calma. Los temas de la canción es inmigración, viajes, oportunidades, y la familia. Solo un frase que repiten en la canción : Vengo desde muy lejos / Buscando el azul del cielo / Siguiendo predicamentos / Vengo desde muy lejos’ Este es el coro. Lo repetía dos meses. Un mensaje de la canción es inmigración más que migración. ‘Recuerdos desde mi infancia / Que a veces parten el alma / Mi Guate nunca la olvido / La llevo siempre conmigo’ Las líneas me llamó mi atención porque yo no tengo los recuerdos desde mi infancia a también. Las líneas significan los recuerdos de Gaby Morenos fue permanecer detrás en Guatemala.


Me gusta le canción cuando yo lo veo para la primera vez. Yo no entendí las palabras al principio, pero cuando yo lo veo mas, entendí más. Me gusta las palabras y los temas en la canción. La instrumentación es buena y muy interesante. No tengo mucha conexiones personales porque yo fue nacer en los estados unidos y mis padres y abuelos fueron nacer en los estados unidos a también. Pero, yo puede ver las conexiones para otros personas. Para mi, yo estoy de acuerdo con el mensaje. El mensaje hace sentido. Yo no aprendí mucho por la canción, pero aprendí un tema : los recuerdos de su infante son importantes. Aprendí eso porque la artista dije sobre sus recuerdos y cómo ella perdido sus recuerdos.

Una oda de Pancho Villa

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Spanish 4 - Manuel - E on


Pancho Villa: Pancho Villia fue un general para el Division del Norte. El hombre fue importante para la revolución porque el comando el ejército.

Pon tu nombre en algún sitio en la página.

Una Oda a Pancho Villia

Fuerte, amable, y valiente

Cuando yo te veo pienso en soldadero 

Me haces héroe de la Revolucíon Mexicana


Tú, mi soldadero.

Aqui y Alla por Michelle Angela Ortiz

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Spanish 4 - Manuel - E on

Este mural ubicado en 1515 South 6th Street en Filadelfia de Sur. El mural revela que la mayoría de la comunidad son Mexicanos, los niños en Mexico y los Estados Unidos tienen similitudes, y las comunidades de Mexico y Filadelfia pueden vivir en armonía. Un mujer simboliza los niños en Filadelfia y el niño simboliza los niños en Mexico. Este mural es muy significativo para este comunidad porque el mensaje es los niños en países diferentes son el mismo. 


Quiero viviendo más

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Spanish 4 - Manuel - E on

Si pudiera vivir nuevamente mi vida, viviría más.

Jugaría más deportes,

Visitaría todos los países,

Trataría estar simpatica, y

Traería más riesgos.

Haría más viajes,

Pasaría el tiempo con mis amigos más,

Diría mas reglaos a mi familia,

Comería mas comidas exóticas, y

Iría más fiestas.

Si pudiera vivir nuevamente mi vida, viviría más.

E4 U1 "Mi personalidad"

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Spanish 4 - Manuel - E on
Yo soy inscrita en el registro civil de Los Estados Unidos el 26 de febrero de 1997 en Filadelfia. Peso a nacer 4 kilos. Mis padres llaman Valerie White y Howard Coverdale. Los padres divorciado cuando tenía  diez años. Los padres de mi mamá se murió con diabético. El padre de mi papá murió con cáncer y su madre de mi papa vive ahora. Yo tengo mucho amigos para mi escuela.

Mis compañeros dicen que yo soy divertida y muy graciosa. Me gusta río mucho y dijo bromas con mis amigos. Yo hablando mucho con mis amigos y estoy extrovertida con ellos. Pero no es verdad a veces. Estoy muy introvertida, antipática, y sensible con las personas yo no conozco. No me gusta hablar mucho con extraños, sin embargo me gusta hablar mucho con mis amigos. Soporto a con muchas personas y no me gusta. Yo estoy un poca antipática a muchos personas porque yo no conozco a ellos. También, estoy nerviosa sobre escuela y mi vida a todos los días. Sin embargo, soy inteligente y madura. Estoy muy perezosa porque no me gusta trabajar mucho. Yo trabajo solo cuando yo necesito. Durante proyectos, estoy muy agobiada porque tengo miedo yo saco un mal nota. Pero soy muy perezosa y cansada todos los días. Tengo confianza mis amigos les gustan a mi.

Mis compañeros son muy divertidos y cheveres. Tengo todos los clases con mis amigos y estoy muy feliz. Mi mejor amigo, Peter, es un buen amigo. Nos llevamos bien porque nos gustan los mismos cosas. El me da risa mucho. Cuando yo tengo un mala día, él me da risa. Por un lado está tranquilo y muy permisivo pero por un otra lado está divertido y gracioso. Mi otra amiga es Tytianna. Siempre ella me da risa mucho. Hablo con ella sobre todos porque yo tengo mucho confianza para ella. A veces, nosotros están antipáticos con el uno al otro, pero nosotros son amigos siempre.  Siempre nosotros pasarlo bien. Por eso, nos llevamos muy bien. En cuanto mis relaciones académicas, mis profesores y yo nos llevamos bien a veces. Me gustan todos los clases y los profesores. Mis favoritas profesoras están la Srta. Manuel y la Srta. Echols. Las profesoras me da risa siempre. La Srta. Manuel está muy simpática y graciosa. El Señor Reddy me da miedo mucho porque él está muy autoritario y serio. Pero el me da risa a veces. La Srta. Rami me caen bien porque ella está simpática y permisiva. La Srta. Thompson, (my advisor), me molesta a veces. Usted está alto mucho, y no me gusta. Pero usted me entiende y me  ayudó con la escuela y los otros profesores.

En realidad, soy muy insegura. Yo pienso soy fea y tengo una personalidad mal. Soy no talentosa  Yo soy antipática a muchos personas pero yo no se porque. Me siento sola y disgustada a veces. Me molesta muchas cosas. Me molesta personas llamativos, excéntricos, y extraõs. No me gustan los personas llamativos porque ellos están molestos. No me gusta decir mucho sobre mi vida porque me gusta intimidad. Soy muy reservada y huraño porque no me gusta hablar con personas yo no conozco. Yo no tengo un novio porque no me gusta dar el primer paso. Disimulo mi cariño. No me gusta cuando personas coquetean para mi porque yo enrojezco fácilmente. Me da miedo lombrices, mi futura, y multitudes largos. No me gusta hablar con multitudes porque yo soy muy nerviosa. No sé por que me da miedo los lombrices, pero yo a grito cuando yo miralos. Yo se yo quisiera en el futuro pero no se que hacer. Estoy muy preocupada por mi futuro. No creo en God o religión en general. Pero valgo mucho de mi familia y mis amigos. Soy introvertida, antipática, y sensible. No me gusta hablar mucho con extraños, sin embargo me gusta hablar un poco con mis amigos. Soporto a con muchas personas y no me gusta. No me gusta exponer yo mismo con todas las personas.

En general, me gusta con yo mismo. Mi máscara es de una gata porque el animal representa a mi mucho. Nosotros somos perezosos, reservados, y cansados todos los días. Nos gustan dormir y roncar todo el tiempo. También, me gustan unos gatos y yo tengo un gato perezoso.


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The Fault in Our Stars

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in English 3 - Rami - D on
​Untitled

This is a redesigned book cover for the book. I put my favorite quote from the book in the background, and just reformatted the lettering.


I’ve always wondered what the hype was about this John Green guy. I’m a regular on tumblr a blogging website. The links and ravings about his books and the author himself were just flooding my dashboard a mile a minute. This wasn’t the first time something had blown up on the website like this, especially something about books. Of course with the majority of Tumblr being avid readers, there was bound to be one or more book reviews. But this was alarming, the amount of praise this guy got. The book I saw the most buzz about was The Fault in Our Stars. So of course when it came time to pick a choice book, I had something to look forward to.


The Fault in Our Stars, or TFIOS for short, is about the life of a girl who has lung cancer. She can’t attend school because of her sickness so her friends soon become obsolete. She has to attend this meeting/group with other kids who have cancer. There she meets a boy who had his leg amputated because of bone cancer. Soon they become friends and then fall in love, the standard plot for a young adult novel. But the way the author went about it was captivating and completely different from what I have ever read before.


With most reviews I read about The Fault in Our Stars, a lot of people mentioned that this wasn’t John Green’s story to write. It would of made more sense for a cancer survivor to be talking about being a teenager and dealing with the harsh realities of cancer. But I did some research and found that he actually worked in a hospital for sick children. This inspired him to become an author, and those experiences formed the The Fault in Our Stars. This made me have so much more of a love for this book since it was unbiased and came from actual experiences, seeing how these kids lived with one foot in the grave.


Overall the book was beautifully written, keeping me interested through the ups and downs of the plot. It’s hard for a book to keep me interested for so long; that’s why I don’t tend to read things unless it’s a short story or a news article. But this book surprised me completely, with it’s complex characters and realities that aren’t saccharine. What really kept me reading was the limited amount of description. I tend to doze off when I read three chunky paragraphs about how the wind affects the trees. The outside description was kept minimal and focused more on human interaction and inner monologues, which I tend to appreciate more.


I especially loved the characters in this book. For teenagers, they were complex and interesting, their personalities and quirks not seen in most teenagers. Usually young adult novels about teenagers depict them as hormonal, unintelligent beings that live off of drama and the media, influenced by absolutely anything. To be honest, it’s not that far from the truth, but only a small population of teenagers are actually like that. Most of us are actually smart and have a lot more common sense than what we’re credited with. But here, the teenagers were actually decently intelligent and acted like mature people. As a fellow teenager, I really appreciated this and felt like we as a whole were being respected as human beings. However, they only thing that threw me off was the amount of complex and poetic conversation that was going on. We may be intelligent, but we don’t use poetic and novel references. Let’s be honest here: none of us talk like that at all. Yes, we have serious conversations that might dwell into some bigger issues and actually come out with an epiphany about the human race and society. But that doesn’t happen during every single conversation, especially to other teenagers. However, the romance that blossomed between the two main characters felt pretty realistic. Most teenage romance is full of awkward glances and awkward times together. But these two had a special connection: they both had cancer. I’m sure that connection made their romance a bit different, but strong than the standard teen romance.


What really made me love this book was that the reality of cancer was real. I’ve personally never knew anyone with cancer. It’s always been diabetes and heart problems for me, since both run in my family quite frequently. The deaths feel the same, since the death of anyone no matter the way the went feels horrible. But what I find different with cancer (or what I’ve heard about it) is that you can just see the person deteriorating from the inside out. They look absolutely fine one day, but then they get deathly sick the next, their cancer coming back to haunt them once more. In this novel, the threat of dying was always felt and was completely real. Most novels about sickness and disease tend to downplay this, focusing on how strong and happy the characters are, like their lives wouldn’t end at any moment. The characters in this book however always recognize that their lives can end at any moment, and live accordingly. They don’t ever talk about hope, in fact they’ve stated that they are hopeless and always expect to die at some point. They weren’t strong, they were real.


I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes young adult novels with a  twist, especially a grim one. I think this book would suit teenagers and adults alike. For teenagers it would be a relief to see that someone actually treats us with respect and depicts us somewhat realistically. For adults it would be nice to show that kids can be intelligent human beings with complex emotions that have meaning behind them. The twist and turns will keep anyone interested for a long enough time to finish the book and crave more. Similarly, Green’s Looking for Alaska is amazing as well, with the same complexity revisited. Honestly all of Green’s novels are amazing, and great for anyone to read.


Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Author : John Green

Publisher: Dutton Books

Publication : 10 January 2012

# of pages : 313

Genre : Young Adult


Kennedy

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in English 3 - Rami - D on
Writing helps me connect to life and the world by providing an outlet for me to express myself. I feel like I can be myself while I write because my voice comes out without any imperfections. Im not the best public speaker so writing gives my voice some meaning.

Diario #5

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Spanish 4 - Manuel - E on
Mis compañeros dicen que yo soy divertida y muy graciosa, pero no es verdad a veces. Me molesta muchas cosas. Me molesta personas llamativos, excéntricos, y extraõs. No me gusta decir mucho sobre mi vida porque me gusta intimidad. Soy muy reservada y huraño porque no me gusta hablar con personas yo no conozco. Pero me da miedo lombrices y la futura. Yo se yo quisiera en el futuro pero no se que hacer. No creo en God o religión en general. Pero valgo mucho de mi familia y mis amigos

Diario #4

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Spanish 4 - Manuel - E on
Mi mejor amigo, Peter, es un buen amigo. Cuando yo tengo un mala día, él me da risa. Por un lado está tranquillo y muy permisivo pero por un otra lado está divertido y cómico. Siempre nosotros pasarlo bien. Por eso, nos llevamos muy bien.

Diario #3

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Spanish 4 - Manuel - E on
En cuanto mis relaciones académicas, mis profesores y yo nos llevamos bien a veces. Me gustan todos los clases y los profesores. Mis favoritas profesoras estan la Srta. Manuel y la Srta. Echols. Las profesoras me da risa siempre. El Señor Reddy me da miedo mucho porque él está muy autoritario y serio. Pero el me da risa a veces. La Srta. Rami me caen bien porque ella está simpático y permisivo. Mis compañeros y yo nos llevamos bien porque están muy divertidos y cheveres. Tengo todos los clases con mis amigos y estoy muy feliz.

Diario #1 : ¿ Cómo soy ?

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Spanish 4 - Manuel - E on
Estoy introvertida, antipática, y sensible. No me gusta hablar mucho con extraños, sin embargo me gusta hablar un poco con mis amigos. Soporto a con muchas personas y no me gusta. Yo estoy antipática a muchos personas, pero yo estoy sensible. También, estoy nervosa todos los dias. Sin embargo, estoy graciosa, inteligente, y madura. 

English Journal #40

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in English 2 - Block on

English Journal #40 (4/25/13) - Describe what it felt like to be crowded together. In what ways do you think this compares to what they went through in the book ?

It felt like being in a cage. Everybody's body heat made the experience very uncomfortable. There was no place to sit down, so I couldn't imagine standing for hours to days on end. It felt dark. This certainly doesn't compare to the real thing in Night : we were just in a classroom. We had places to go to the bathroom and food in our stomachs. They didn't. But it does give some insight. It was probably dark and highly uncomfortable not being able to sit down. They had the fear we didn't: the unknown. We knew we wouldn't be held up in this position for oh so long. We had to sit back down and get on with class. But those prisoners didn't know what was going to 

History Journal # 27

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in English 2 - Block on

History Journal #27 (2/19/13) - In your opinion, what are the different messages of the cartoon ?

The smaller fish represent the poorest of people, stating there is no justice. He doesn't get anything, but he gets eaten. Behind him there is a bigger fish ready to eat him, saying there is some justice. He represents the middle class. He's still able to eat something, but he knows he is going to get eaten. Then behind him, there is the biggest fish, saying the the world is just. He represents the higher class. He gets to eat everything with no repercussions and nothing to worry about. The idea of this cartoon is that the higher-ups see everything as completely fine because everything is going their way, and they don't get reprimanded for their actions. They can ignore the lower classes without a care because their life is great. The poorest of people have the worst of luck, but they see the world as it really is because they can't help but not ignore the lives of people higher than them.

Humanities Final Portfolio 2013

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in English 2 - Block on

I remember when the class and I were sitting in a circle of chairs, around January. Block had written some roles and names up on the board. They all had to do with the French Revolution. He then explained that we were engaging in a roleplay, and we had to pick roles. People started to perk up and get excited; it was something we’d never done before. We assumed that we’d be acting the strange and foreign roles of French people. Block then explained each role to us before we started to pick. There weren’t that many roles, so some of us and to partner up and become the role together. Me and my friend decided to become Marie Antoinette, the insane queen of France. Everybody had picked their roles and started to type of introductions and reactions to different situations. We would then proceed to act out what we just typed. My friend and I made paper crowns for ourselves, just to make things more fun and interesting. We got to see the Revolution through the Queen’s eyes, making us see the Revolution in a different light.


This has continued throughout the year, with projects and assignments geared towards looking at things from a different ‘lense’ or perspective to gain a better insight on the world as a whole. This really struck out to me when we were at the beginning of our Sweatshop Unit in history. We had to complete a journal entry based off of a cartoon of three fish; each a different size. It made me look at things differently because since each fish had a different view of the world, it made the image of the world come together and reveal it’s true nature.


The way I learned this so efficiently was by hands-on work. During the year, we as a class have done two trials: one about the exploration to America and another one about the creation and management of sweatshops. The one that stood out most to me was the Cortes Trial. There was five different views on the colonization of the Americas, each one completely different. Especially between the System of Empire and Cortes. “Cortes interpreted the definition of the System differently than System wanted him to.” (Cortez Trial Notes). That quote sums it up. Cortes saw the System differently than what the System saw themselves as. It made me look at the conquest of America completely different.


We recently finished the book Night by Elie Wiesel. During one of the readings, Mr. Block wanted us to try and re-enact part of a scene from the book. It’s where Elie and a lot of other people were crammed into a train car. In the journal entry after that describing our experiences, I wrote: “This certainly doesn't compare to the real thing in Night : we were just in a classroom. We had places to go to the bathroom and food in our stomachs. They didn't. But it does give some insight.” Even though the reenactment was rough, it made us see through a different lense, in this case the lense of Elie, who was stuck in this traincar. It really made us think about the feelings and emotions the characters had and how bad the conditions were.


The action of being in other people’s shoes really gave me a better look at the world. Learning these things have opened my eyes up much larger and revealing things I've never would of seen without the help of these classes. Without them, I would be ignorant towards the rest of the world.

Here's other work I'm proud of:
OpEd

Screen Shot 2013-06-11 at 2.09.47 PM
Screen Shot 2013-06-11 at 2.09.47 PM

Kennedy Coverdale Q4 Drawings + Project

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Art Advanced - Hull on
​This quater we continued using Drawspace to help us improve our drawing skills. In the unit we did, (H13-I08), we learned how to sketch figures and draw fur-related things in different textures. We worked on a lot of shading with hatching lines. During this quater, we had to do an outside project not related to what we were doing in class. I decided to create a ceiling tile in the art room. It's a picture of a the Aperture Science logo from a video game called Portal.

Artwork

English Journal #40

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in English 2 - Block on
Idea : Seeing things in a different lenses helps create a better understanding of the world

English Journal #40 (4/25/13) - Describe what it felt like to be crowded together. In what ways do you think this compares to what they went through in the book ?

It felt like being in a cage. Everybody's body heat made the experience very uncomfortable. There was no place to sit down, so I couldn't imagine standing for hours to days on end. It felt dark. This certainly doesn't compare to the real thing in Night : we were just in a classroom. We had places to go to the bathroom and food in our stomachs. They didn't. But it does give some insight. It was probably dark and highly uncomfortable not being able to sit down. They had the fear we didn't: the unknown. We knew we wouldn't be held up in this position for oh so long. We had to sit back down and get on with class. But those prisoners didn't know what was going to happen to them or what they were going to be headed up against. 

History Journal #27

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in World History - Block on

Idea : Seeing things in a different lenses helps create a better understanding of the world

History Journal #27 (2/19/13) - In your opinion, what are the different messages of the cartoon ?

The smaller fish represent the poorest of people, stating there is no justice. He doesn't get anything, but he gets eaten. Behind him there is a bigger fish ready to eat him, saying there is some justice. He represents the middle class. He's still able to eat something, but he knows he is going to get eaten. Then behind him, there is the biggest fish, saying the the world is just. He represents the higher class. He gets to eat everything with no repercussions and nothing to worry about. The idea of this cartoon is that the higher-ups see everything as completely fine because everything is going their way, and they don't get reprimanded for their actions. They can ignore the lower classes without a care because their life is great. The poorest of people have the worst of luck, but they see the world as it really is because they can't help but not ignore the lives of people higher than them.

Quarter 3 Art Work - Kennedy Coverdale

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Art Advanced - Hull on
Just like the last two quarters, our class has been learning how to draw by using Drawspace.​This quater was really focused on shading and hatching with just a pencil. I found this highly difficult because I've never worked with something like this before. Every drawing was supposed to look three-dimensional, which was really cool. The other difference with this quarter is that we had to do some sort of outside art project. I chose to do a ceiling tile to put my permanent mark on SLA. The ceiling tile is of the logo from Half-Life 2, one of my favorite video games.

Below is a slideshow of all the art work I did this quarter. 


photo
photo

Quarter Two Advanced Art: Kennedy Coverdale

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Art Advanced - Hull on
​This quarter was really focused on shading and making separate shapes to construct an entire picture. At first, my drawings were completely black and white. But because of the advice from Ms. Hull, I decided to color some pictures in, like the first few pictures shown. They were all colored with marker and scanned with my home scanner. The artwork that focuses on shading and highlighting values were in black and white. A lot of the artwork was using the art of shading and blending different values of the same color, in this case black. It was really difficult to shade things and set values using one medium/color. But I found out that it's possible to do this and with ease. I can't wait for next quarters work !
C06
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C07
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C08
C08
C09
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C10
C10
C11
C11
D02
D02
E01
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E04
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E05
F01
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Code-Switch

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in English 2 - Block on

In this unit, we learned about the power and need for language. We learned the different applications of language. This essay talking about the pitches and tones that I use to define myself. 

The air around me was chilly, just like winter should be. I shifted my fists a bit deeper into my hoodie pocket, but it only let them go so far. I raised my lip towards my nostrils to check and see if my nose a bit cold. Of course it was, I was sitting on a ledge near a large window in the middle of January. I held my legs closer together and to my body. I shifted my eyes around me and everybody was basically doing them same thing, trying to keep warm. It sounds stupid that we’re sitting near a window in the middle of winter, but there was nowhere else quiet to go. SLA is a loud place in itself, with very few quiet areas. Anyways, it was the normal meeting spot for me and my friends during lunch: Peter, Edgar, Gabby, and Tytianna.


Everyone was talking, talking like they do with friends. We were joking around, making fun of each other and other things. I happened to use my naturally deep and smooth voice, in which I use around people I’m comfortable and close with. “... and then I told my mom no, and then I swear she was gonna -- “ I stopped right in my tracks. I heard footsteps of an unfamiliar person coming towards us. I naturally paused myself because what I was about to say could basically offend any teacher or adult nearby, so I hushed until whoever passed on by. Well it turned out to be Mr. Latimer, my Algebra 2 teacher. I actually had a question to ask him about my standard retake, to see if he got it for next week.


“Hey Mr. Latimer, I have a question to ask,” I asked in a higher-pitched tone, which I use for teachers and adults and the like. It was natural for me to do such a thing. Mr. Latimer perked his eyebrows up, signalling I could keep going. “Did you get my standard submission for next week? I was just wondering because I wasn’t sure you got it or not ... “ I ended in a quiet voice, still quite high-pitched in comparison to my voice from before. It wasn’t as smooth and didn’t flow out my mouth like it did when I spoke to my friends. “Yeah, I got it,” he said nonchalantly. I smiled and nodded, and he walked away like nothing ever happened.


I’ve always switched between tones and the pitch of my voice. I do it subconsciously, out of pure instinct. I usually notice the way I’m talking with certain people  in comparison to others. It’s not like a switch between slang and standard english. It’s a switch between the tone and pitch of my voice. Naturally, it’s deep. Not a grown man’s deep, but deeper than the average female. I’m able to speak in different pitches and tones. With my friends, I tend to use my unchanged, natural voice. It sounds really deep, especially when I get back from talking to someone I don’t talk to often. When around people I’m just acquainted with, my voice tends to raise an octave, becoming a bit more feminine than usual. Then with complete and utter strangers, I use a very quiet and light voice that can be barely heard. It’s not like I necessarily do it because I want to, it’s just natural.



When my voice changes, I feel a little bit of me curl up in the corner and hide away. Using a light voice doesn’t make me feel completely like myself; it’s like I lose a part of myself. I’ve been a bit embarrassed about my voice ever since I was little. Everywhere I went girls had high - pitched voices that sounded feminine. I wanted to be like them, to sound like them. It was even worse when I heard my voice recorded, when I didn’t hear it come out my own mouth. It sounded manly and disgusting, like sharp metal pieces grinding against each other in imperfect harmony. I believe I started to use different pitches around different people because I was embarrassed about how I sounded. Using the higher-pitched voice around people I didn’t know made me sound prettier and nicer than I usually sound. It was like creating a separate identity for the people who didn’t know me.


Everybody bases their thinking of a person on the first impression. Society bring forth these “rules” and expectations that females must sound like females and males must sound like males. Based upon what you sound, look, and act like, people will judge you accordingly. During first meetings, job interviews, even paying for something at a cash register someone will judge you on how you sound and speak. No one wants to sound ugly or funny to someone else. Everybody wants to sound like the way they’re supposed to. Some even go to the extent of changing their voice boxes to make their voice different and more pleasurable. And then you have people like me who just simply change the pitch and tone of their voice when around different people. When you think about it, it’s a shame. It’s a shame that we have to change the way we speak around others to make others happy. We lose ourselves when we try to change the way other people look at us. We feel like if we make others happy regarding us, we’ll be happy too. Personally, I would love to stop changing my voice around others, but it’s harder than you think.


Quater Orne Assignments

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Art Advanced - Hull on
​

Sugar skulls (calaveras de azúcar ) are a decoration for altars and tombs. They are used on Day of the Dead, and on November 2nd to adorn tombs and altars. Since they are made out of sugar, they are edible. The base is made out of white sugar. The decorations and colors are made out of colored sugars, icings, and bright foils.

I came up with the design of my skull by using several sugar skulls as a reference. Sugar skulls usually have a lot of floral and plant aspects, with lots of bright colors. They tend to look feminine, with lashes on the eyes. So I made the eyes big and round with lashes. Since sugar skulls are supposed to be colorful, I added some floral decorations on the side and on the top of the skull to make it more colorful. 

The process to make this took awhile. We had to make a plaster mask out of the material casts are. I wasn't comfortable using my face as a plaster mold, so I used a fellow classmate to model for my mask. After the mask was completed and dried, I was a bit iffy on what colors I should use. I first went with red for the background, but I quickly changed my mind and painted the red over with maroon. I forgot I had to make the mask like a sugar skull, so I repainted the mask completely white and did my current design. It didn't really resemble my sketch, but I still thought the mask was pretty.


Here's my mask
IMG_0349

And here's other assignments/sketches I worked on throughout the quater.
IMG_0352

 IMG_0353

IMG_0355

IMG_0357

IMG_0359

Pipeline Monologue Project

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in World History - Block on

Introduction


Our assignment for this project was to create three monologues portraying three different views on the Keystone XL Pipeline. The Keystone XL Pipeline is a pipeline that’s going to travel from Hardisty, Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska carrying Tar Sands oil, an unconventional petroleum deposit. This has sparked a lot of controversy regarding the environment and climate change. Even the presidential candidates have taken sides on the issue. My monologues are in the views of the Tar Sands oil, the Keystone Pipeline being built, and a regular man living in New York. The Tar Sands is at first excited to be used, but when they hear about her being mixed with water that could be possibly used, it gets upset and changes it's mind. The Pipeline is not excited to be built at all. She doesn't like the way she's being built and think she's going to be used for horrible purposes. And the last monologue focuses on Dave, a man with a newborn baby girl, worried about what her future holds with the Pipeline.



I learned that this pipeline can really impact the 2012 election. Many people are for it and against it. Both candidates are on opposite sides of this debate and their decisions regarding the pipeline can increase their votes or decrease their votes.


Like, Keep Your Water !

Phew ! Like, I’m getting so bored over here. I swear there is nothing to do ! All I do is sit here in this pit and just wait to be used. And I haven’t been used in like, sooooo long. I’m like, so lonely and I don’t have any friends here but like, me, myself, and I. And like, trust me, that’s not the greatest company in the world. I’m barely used for like, anything and it sucks. I’m bored, tired, and I feel like, absolutely worthless, like no one wants me --- Wait ! A visitor !


(pauses) ... Pipe ... line ? A pipeline ? Like, leading to America ? And like, me being used ?! Are you like, serious ? This is great ! This is like, exactly what I’ve been looking for. I was getting tired of like, sitting on my butt, doing nothing for the past ... who knows ? Took them long enough to get off their butts and make me useful. I thought I was going to like, waste away and not be useful for anyone. But all that matters is like, that I’ll finally be used and change people’s lives ! I’ll probably give people like, more jobs and everything ! Wow, this is nice ... Oh my gosh ! My visitors are saying more !


(pauses) .... Like, wait a second. Did they just say I’m getting like, mixed with water? Why do I need that ? I know I’m a little chunky and all, but I don’t need to be all ... watery. I think I like the way I am. I don’t need some stupid water. It’ll downgrade my quality and make me all gross. Plus, I like being by myself. I bet water is like, super annoying and everything. They’re probably a talk-a-lot and won’t know when to like, shut its mouth. I don't like, imagine being with something like that ! And don’t the humans need like, water ? Like don’t they drink it or something ? I always see the bottles that the humans carry and they always have like, water in it. I would like, think they need all that water that they’re trying to use on me. They can like, keep their water ! If water has to be infused with me for me to be sent down south, then I don’t think I want to move ... (pauses) Plus I’ll be moved down in America, which is like, really far from home ... (pauses, hears people talking more) ... Toxic waste from the water ? Gross ! Like, I told you that it’s a bad idea ! Water like, ruins everything. I really think I should like, stay ...


Don't You Know How To Treat a Lady ?


(southern accent) Ow! Watch it will ya! I’m fragile y’know --- OW WILL YOU STOP IT! That screw doesn’t go there and you know it! Do any of you workers know how to treat a lady with respect ? I understand you need to get your job done, but jeez ! That doesn’t mean hurt me in the process. It’s not like I really want to be built for this anyways. (sighs) Oh, you’re all done now ? I guess it is the end of the day ? Well go on then, shoo. (pauses, sits down) This is ridiculous. I mean, I appreciate not being separate parts anymore and actually becoming a whole, but its not like I’m bein’ built for a good cause. As parts, I was clean ! I was everywhere, in different countries and different communities. There was no dirt on me at all. I wanted to be built, because I was sick and tired of bein’ just ... parts !


And all I’m hearin’ from these workers is that even though buildin’ me is giving ‘em jobs, I’m actually bad for the environment. Or at least, the oil is. But I’m still bein’ used to transport it. The workers keep saying that the oil is dirty and crude. Yes, I’ve seen oil before, and let me tell you it does NOT smell or look remotely decent. I bet it’s disgustin’ too. My insides will be absolutely filthy. Especially if they’re mixin’ all the oil with water ! It’ll spread and such. (rubs sides a bit) And by the way they’re building me, I’ll break apart and the oil will probably leak everywhere ! I don’t care that they’re gonna be watchin’ over me twenty-four seven. It ain’t like they gonna get the leak under control in time ! I’m gonna end up like that oil rig out in tha’ gulf, explodin’ and causin’ all types of trouble. And I ain’t the one for trouble now am I.


Shoot, if I had it my way I would be used to transport water or somethin’. It ain’t gonna get me dirty and it’s good for the environment ! But whateva’, it ain’t like that’s gonna happen now will it. I’m only a little ‘ol pipeline, sittin’ here gettin’ built for the worst cause. I don’t wanna hurt the people and run through their properties and hurt the animals and spill the oil everywhere and just UGH. (sighs, stretches) I swear, this is ridiculous ! It sucks ‘cause I can’t even stop myself from being built ... This is just so stupid, I swear. (looks to her side, and sighs, it’s morning already) It’s already mornin’ and I got none of my beauty sleep !



Performance of Monologue: <iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/51530756?title=1&amp;byline=1&amp;portrait=1" width="500" height="375" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/51530756">PIPELINE MONOLOGUE</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user14116191">Kennedy C</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>


Everything's Gonna Be Alright

(father sets baby into crib, leave room and goes to sit on couch in living room, turning on the tv quietly to the news.) No, not this again. The news is always boring. Lets see if theres any sports on. I think the Steelers might be playing today. (flicks through a couple of channels, adjusts sitting position while doing so and ends up back at the news) ... I guess not then. The news it is ! (says this with a sarcastic chuckle, sits back further into the couch and crosses arms. the news starts to mention the pipeline) Oh, it’s another one of those things. The government is always trying to do something to make the economy better. Same old, same old ... Whoa man, 1700 miles long ? Are you serious ? Why can’t we just import the oil some other way ? I doubt there’s 1700 miles worth of free land to build this pipeline. (shrugs indifferently) Well, it ain’t going through my back yard now is it ? The pipeline isn’t even going near New York. But that’d be weird, having some big pipeline going through my property. Can’t imagine what those people are feeling ... ---


(news anchor starts to interview protesters and people against pipeline, he leans in closer, clearly interested) So this Tar Sands is the dirtiest oil around ? Why would we risk a leak with such crude and disgusting oil ? Even if we’re mixing it with water, it’s still gross. I think the water makes it even more nasty. (pauses to hear more) ... So the government’s stealing the land from the people too ? People have lives to run, things to do. No one should have the right to take someone else’s land, even the government. Those people paid fair and square for each inch of the land they live in. Most of these people are farmers and they have children and they just ... they just kick them out ! (getting a bit angry, voice raises slowly with each word) I can’t imagine getting kicked to curb with nowhere to go ... It doesn’t matter if our economy is getting “better”. The government is destroying lives and ruining futures ! Even the future for my child is in danger ! (standing and shouting by now, runs hands through hair roughly, pacing back and forth and looking at the ground) What if she wants to leave here and go to college or move there ? What if this makes our economy worse ? What if ---- (baby starts to cry in the other room from his shouting. he hurries to the room and tries to console the baby) ... It’s gonna be alright, ssh, ssh, it’s gonna be alright.



Appendix


  • It takes about three barrels of water to extract one barrel of oil. More than 90 percent of this water, 400 million gallons per day, ends up as toxic waste dumped in massive pools that contain carcinogenic substances like cyanide. (Friend of the Earth: Tar Sands)

  • It will cross the Ogallala Aquifer, a major source of drinking and irrigation water for Nebraska and seven other states (The Undead Pipeline Returns)

  • Companies must destroy fragile forest ecosystems, waste enormous amounts of water, and disrupt the lives of indigenous people in the area. The forest is clear cut, the wetlands are drained, and living matter and soil are hauled away to expose the tar sands. (Friend of the Earth: Tar Sands)

  • The Keystone Pipeline System is monitored 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Pumps and valves are remotely started and secured. In the unlikely event of a spill or leak, pump stations and valves will be closed to limit spill volumes. The leak detection system uses a variety of methods to detect a leak of any size. (Trans Canada)

  • It encourages production of a particularly dirty sort of crude from oil sands and would threaten sensitive lands and water sources along its route. (NY Times: Keystone XL)

  • Some pipeline safety experts and environmentalists have raised concerns that the tiny federal agency that oversees the nation’s expansive network of pipelines, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, is ill equipped to oversee a project of Keystone’s magnitude. (NY Times: Keystone XL)


Bibliography


"Keystone XL Pipeline Project." Keystone XL Pipeline Project. TransCanada, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.transcanada.com/keystone.html>.


"Friends of the Earth." Friends of the Earth. Friends of the Earth, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.foe.org/projects/climate-and-energy/tar-sands>.


"Keystone XL Pipeline." Keystone XL. New York Times, 16 Oct. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/k/keystone_pipeline/index.html?8qa>.


Ostrander, Madeline. "The Undead Pipeline Returns." YES! Magazine. YES! Magazine, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.yesmagazine.org/blogs/madeline-ostrander/the-undead-pipeline>.

Descriptive Essay: Into the Hole

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in English 2 - Block on
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“Tag! You’re it!”

“No way man! You didn’t even touch me!”

“Please, I got you by the back of your shirt. Plus, I’ve been it since for - ever!”

“Fiiiiiine, I’ll be it.”

“Kennedy! I need you here for a moment.”


Hearing my name, my head turned sharply to the right and looked in front of me. There was my mom, standing in the doorway with her blue jeans and orange shirt. My breath sharpened and became quick; I wondered what I did wrong. The tone of her voice when calling me was swift and piercing. Nevertheless I quickly ran to my mother’s side, waving at my friends signaling that I was going to be back soon in order to play some more.


Once I was in the door, I followed my mom from the foyer to the living room; where the stairs were located. The sight of black carpet took me in like a hole of complete darkness. I always felt afraid when stepping on the carpet because it looked like it could suck me in at any moment. Because of that fear, I bypassed my mom and trotted quickly to the stairs on the other side of the room. My black shirt floated at the bottom while my light jean shorts stayed tight at my thighs. I hopped onto the first pale purple step and took a glance at my mom. My mom sighed at the feat and I just smiled weakly, shrugging my small shoulders. I crawled up the stairs with my mom in tow, except she walked normally. Once I reached the top of the stairs, I stood there, temporarily towering over my mother, who was still near the bottom. I felt like a king until she reached the top where I was at. Then I took a couple of steps to the left, silently questioning my mom if we were heading to her room or otherwise. She gave me a look that said ‘Duh.’ I made another weak smile and headed down the hall to her room.


Reaching the doorway, I peeked in to the right and saw my dad sitting on the side of the huge king-sized bed that covered most of the room. I slowed my pace and started to make my way through the doorway with my mom in tow. She settled into her favorite pink chair, right next to the doorway. I settled for sitting next to my dad on the bed. So I jumped up, placed my feet on the frame, and climbed up. I took a peek at each of their faces, just to see what was up. I first took a look at my dad. His face was quite solemn and very upset looking. My brows furrowed at his expression and I offered him a small smile but he just glanced away instead. I frowned and glanced at my mom who did the exact same thing. I was about to open my mouth and ask what’s wrong, but my dad suddenly interrupted me.


“Me and your mom are getting a divorce.”


Suddenly, my mom snapped back almost instantaneously “Howard! Let her down easier! She’s only ten!” My dad was about to retaliate, but he stopped himself and looked down at the carpet underneath his feet. My mom cooled herself down and then looked at me, who was shaking. Tears flooded my eyes, my vision became blurred, and my words became non-existent. I started to sob softly, which turned into a full on cry - fest. My throat felt dry and my mouth felt salty. My hands fumbled to my face to quiet my sobs, but my dad suddenly grabbed me and pulled me into a tight hug. The room was filled with silence, except for my muffled sobs against my dad’s chest. I heard a soft ‘Sorry’ from my dad, and a quiet sniff from my mom.


I never knew that one minute and eight words could affect me to the point where it changed my life forever. Just in one moment, everything can change and the worse part is feeling like you can’t do anything about it. I felt helpless and weak, like all I could do was crawl into a hole and die. Actually, that’s what I preferred to do at one point. All it took was a minute out of the millions of minutes that I’ve lived through.


What hit me the hardest was the change involved in all of this. Not only were my parents not together anymore, I had to move out my decent-sized twin house into a small row home. I wasn’t used to the tight, cramped spaces in the bathroom, or random knocking on the walls from crazy, noisy neighbors. It was a big downgrade. Money became tighter and my mom couldn’t continue the luxuries I had when I was smaller. Things became worse when my mom introduced her own  spouse, who I didn’t take a liking to. It was just too much change happening at once.


Don’t get me wrong, change can be a good thing. Like changing your normal hairstyle or hanging out with a different social group than you’re used to. But in my case, it was a bad, bad thing. It took it’s toll on me significantly. Soon, more children from each side of my ‘new’ family appeared, craving and receiving more attention than I did. I was so used to being the only child and being the only thing in my parent’s eyes. I began to seep into the hole of depression, feeling like I wasn’t wanted and I was a waste of space. My parents were so into their new, separate lives that I felt neglected. I thought that nothing good could possibly come out of this. At one point, I thought that change couldn’t bring anything good with it.


Despite what I thought, change comes with opportunities. Once I got older, I realized this. I just happened to be coming home from a long day at school. It was in the middle of last year, around the third quarter of my school year. I was on the 4:02 Norristown train on my way up to my dad’s for the weekend. I sat in the two - person seat, alone and staring out the window with my earbuds in my ear, blasting some music. My cheek was rested against my loosely curled fist, with my elbow using the window seal as support. The scene the window was giving me was quite boring. It was just trees, more trees, and even more trees. It was like a family reunion of trees. I started to drift off in thought, completely ignoring my surroundings. I started my thoughts off in what to expect when I arrived at my father’s not-so-humble abode. I thought of my little step-sister, who was ridiculously annoying for being nine. Then my attention settled on the thought of my little half-brother, who only at two was being sassy and acting like a teenager. I smiled weakly at the thought and went onto my step-mom, with her thick Dominican accent, bossing me and my siblings around. I frowned a bit at the one but nevertheless, I was content.


But then my thoughts wandered to my two families as a whole.


Despite what I’ve been through with each side, I felt like I grew to love all of them. In the beginning, it was tough getting used to all the major changes taking place at once. But in the end, I got to learn about another culture with my step-mom, meet new and wonderful people, and learned what it felt like to not be alone.

Media's Idea of 'Perfect': Change Now !

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in English 1 - Dunn on
​Hello, it’s me again, Kennedy. I’m here today for my Post for Change, my third post about media’s impact on young girls. I’ve posted twice before, with Media’s Idea of ‘Perfect’ and Media’s Idea of ‘Perfect’ 2. In my previous posts, I blogged about the effects of airbrushing in fashion magazines had on teenage girls, leading to all types of eating disorders. Girls strive to be perfect, or close to it. Many girls look at a celebrity in a magazine with unrealistic proportions and thin bodies. The media worships these girls and praise them for being perfect, even though they’re not real and everything is Photoshopped or airbrushed.

In this blog post, I am sharing what I’m presently doing to change this issue and correct it. Currently, I am looking into making a petition to stop airbrushing in magazines. Many people have made and signed petitions, but I'll still make one to get my voice heard. I'll have a link up soon when I make the petition. I want everybody to sign and be apart of my change.

Also, I want to email the petition to certain magazine editors to ask them to change their ways and to inform their photo-takers to watch what they do to these models and celebrities. 

Bibliography

Heres a video I made:

Media's Idea of 'Perfect' 2

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in English 1 - Dunn on
​ You’ve might have seen my ‘Media’s Idea of ‘Perfect’’ blog post I did a week ago. Since then, I haven’t conducted more research. This is because most of the sources say the same things as others. Basically, everything is just repeated in different words. So currently, I’m quite comfortable with the amount of research I’ve done.

But I have taken a look at some websites I frequent, mainly Tumblr. Tumblr is a blogging website, where one can make his or her own blog. It can range from a blog centered on an item or a band to a random blog, in which you can post whatever you want. A good handful of blogs are personal to the owner, in which they share their struggles with daily life. While browsing some of these blogs, I’ve found what are called ‘Ana’ and ‘Mia’ blogs, referring to Anorexia and Bulimia respectively. These blogs contain emancipated images of girls in fashion shows or even some airbrushes females on magazine covers. The people running the blogs are usually referring to these images as ‘thinspiration’ or ‘thinspo’.

images

These girls think that this body is beautiful and attractive.

lindsay-lohan-skinny-2005-72100
'Thinspo'

Common Thinspiration are models in the media and girls from magazine covers and celebrities, who are also under this influence. Even the Internet is becoming a dangerous place for being comfortable with what you look like and who you are. Many celebrities have posed for magazines and complained about the editing they do to their bodies.

eating-disorder

I personally think that this is all ridiculous.

What is so wrong with seeing a person with flaws? Does the media know their impact on young girls’ lives?  


Sources

Media's Idea of 'Perfect'

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in English 1 - Dunn on

 

You know when you wait at the checkout line at a supermarket? Sometimes the line is long, but so are all the others. While the person in front of you is handling their groceries, you go ahead and pick up one of the many magazines at the checkout. You usually pick up the one that has the most interesting cover, or a magazine brand you’re familiar with. As you flip through mindlessly, you see ads and articles about being skinny and losing weight. There are also ads that have models with seemingly flawless skin and no imperfections to count for. They’re tall, ageless, and always thin.

Mass media’s perception of perfect has changed over the years. About forty years ago, it was all about being thick and having curves. Now it’s about having a slim waist and being skinny. Young girls have always looked at magazines of television and compared themselves to the models. Am I too fat? Am I too skinny? Those are the questions running through heads constantly. Once females see the media’s perception of ‘beauty’ or ‘perfection’, they go out and try to become what they’ve just seen.

Usually, there is no problem with this. Yes, it’s fine if girls desire to be a healthy weight. But currently, media has made this view of beauty deadly. Many models are now digitally altered and ‘airbrushed’. This means that they are photographed with their original proportions and skin flaws. But then the photograph gets to the magazine editors; they send it over to the people who have exceptional skills in Photoshop and other photo editing applications. There, they manipulate the thickness of the model, like slimming their thighs and elongating their legs. They airbrush their skin to get rid of age flaws and to destroy blemishes. Their arms are thinned also. After all that, the photograph goes back to the magazine and is published.


0720-faith-hill-photoshop-11photoshop, before and after, red

See the difference ? This is what happens to ordinary people

Most girls see these types of images and think that their body is horrible, repulsive, and imperfect. As young as nine, girls start to diet to try to live up to the image on the television screen. They begin to develop eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Some even go as far as to starve themselves to death.

All just to be perfect.

My question is: Why? Why would young girls do this to themselves just to try to live up to media’s version of ‘perfect’? What happened to the time where being thick and healthy was the way to be?  What kind of transition did the media take to end up like this? 


Sources

Negative Space

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in Art - 9 - Hull on
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IMG_0256

IMG_0251


1. Negative space is the opposite of positive space. It's the spaces in between objects, not the object itself.

2. I found the negative space by drawing the object, but coloring in everything but the object. For the cutout, I just cut out on side of one piece of paper and used everything i cut and pasted it on each side like I was supposed to.

3. It helps because it can give them a better view of the art and it can give them ideas to make better paintings. It gives them a better view of the object or objects they're painting.

4. Not really because seeing the negative space is like seeing the positive space. It doesn't enhance a drawing any better.

Coverdale Macbeth Creative

Posted by Kennedy Coverdale in English 1 - Dunn on

For the creative aspect of this project, I chose to create four pieces of artwork detailing Lady Macbeth’s journey. There is symbolism in the colors chosen. They show Lady Macbeth’s rise and descent in power, resulting in her death.

 

For the first drawing, it’s a simple crown. The crown represents the rise in Lady Macbeth’s power. She receives a crown after she is queen, but in some parts it’s red. This is because it currently shows how much blood is on her hands from participating in the killing of Duncan. For the second drawing, it’s the same crown but a little damaged. The damage to the crown shows that Lady Macbeth’s guiltiness is getting to her and her sanity is slowing coming to a crumble. More red color is shown, representing the blood on growing on her hands. As you look at the third crown, it has finally reached its crumbling point. The crown is now in shambles, pieces piled upon each other. More of the crown is colored in red. More blood is growing on her hands as the book goes on, from killing to killing. At this point Lady’s sanity has completely dissembled and ruined. By the end, the crown has turned to blood-covered dust because of the blood she put on her own hands by killing herself.

Photo on 3-26-12 at 8.47 AM
Photo on 3-26-12 at 8.47 AM
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