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Lily Rivera Public Feed

TCP Podcast #3 // Author's Intent

Posted by Lily Rivera in College English · Giknis · C Band on Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 12:46 am
​Welcome to the final episode of The Hydrangea Effect!

I, Lily, wasn't able to be in the actual podcast itself, but I will add on to my group members' thoughts here and pose some questions of my own! 
First, I agree that Alice Walker and her writing were directly affected by her own personal experiences. I also believe in the idea that the story could have very well been based off of/inspired by a member of Walker's own family. My group talks about the fact that one of walkers great-grandparents could have likely been a slave given the time she was born in, so it is very likely that her own personal history affected this novel in one way or another. Another point I would like to make is about the inclusion of Nettie and her travel to Africa. I believe that Alice Walker had a great intention with the inclusion of this part of the story. I feel as though she wanted the reader to draw the comparisons between being black in a country such as the U.S. versus being black in a country like Africa. African-Americans have to go through so much while living here in the U.S., and I feel as though Walker intended to bring attention to that in her writing. 
Some questions that I would like to pose for both listeners and my other group members are:
1. Why do you think the author chose to have a main character such as Celie who is more introverted and soft spoke instead of a stronger female lead such as Shug Avery or Sofia?
2. How do you think the reaction to this book differs between when we are reading it today versus when it first was released? Bonus: How do you think people in the 1910s-1940s (The time the book is set in) would have reacted to this book?

Evidence Used: 
-"Why did they sell us? How could they have done it? And why do we still love them?" (57.4-5)
-"I love children, say Sofia. But all the colored women that say they love yours is lying… Some colored people so scared of whitefolks they claim to love the cotton gin." (87.56-57)
Thanks for listening~!
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The Color Purple Podcast #2 // Lenses

Posted by Lily Rivera in College English · Giknis · C Band on Monday, January 14, 2019 at 9:53 am
​Hi all!

     In this episode of The Hydrangea Effect, we continue to talk about the progression of Celie's character as well as her relationship with her sister Nettie and other people in her life. We discuss Nettie's experience in Africa and how that relates to her and her sister's past and self-love. We even talk about the difference in community between the U.S. and tribes in Africa and what that means.

Evidence Used:
“I felt like I was seeing black for the first time.”(141)
“Us each other’s peoples now” (183)
and more!

Thanks for Listening~!
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The Road Hunt//Rivera, Rogers, Wentzell

Posted by Lily Rivera in College English · Giknis · C Band on Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 11:47 pm
​The Road Hunt

The Rules of The Road:

Players:
Man, boy, army, cannibals

Order of the game:

Identity:
Everyone is given an identity card. You can’t share it with anyone else and nobody else knows who anyone else is. 

Significance:
In The Road, nobody has a true identity. It’s dangerous to tell anyone who you are, your name, or anything personal. It’s every man for himself. 

Beginning:
After everyone is given an identity card, they are sent on a journey throughout the school. There will be more around the school are note cards with different things written on them. 

Each player starts with 90 years of life. At the end of every challenge the players’ years of life are deducted and calculated. The the top 50 percentile players (with the most life remaining) will move onto the next challenge. If a player loses all of their life, they are removed from the game.

Challenges:
Apple Picking Challenge
Race
Obstacle Course

The player with the most years on their life at the end of all of the challenges is the winner. 

Character Special Abilities: 

The Man:
If gets attacked by another player, or gets the trick human card, the one who is the man gets to use their gun one time to either fend off the trick card or kill the other player.

Cannibal:
If you are a Cannibal from the beginning of the game, you get to attempt to form an alliance with someone, and if your life is threatened at some point during the game, you get to make a Moral Decision; Will you kill your partner to survive? Will you lead them on and gain their trust, but eat them at the end of the game to better your chances of winning? 

Army:
You are part of the army in this world. If you happen to make an alliance with a Cannibal without knowing, and they attempt to kill you at some point in the game, you can counter and decide to kill them instead. 

Justifications:

The courses are specifically designed to make players lose just enough lives for each round to continue as planned. The most average players will lose naturally without being weeded out by the mechanic of the top 50% of players moving onto the next round. This is to ensure that players must actually be good at the game and not rely on just being better than everyone else. In The Road, survival of an individual is just as important as strength over others. Characters in The Road must not only face other characters, but also face the wrath of nature. 

The point of the food hunt game is to demonstrate how hard it is for the man and the boy in The Road to find food that wasn’t human. There are less real food cards than there are human food cards which also represents how much harder it was for the man and the boy to live without them. Human food cards don’t give you more life than regular food cards but when you’re starving and the point of the game is to survive, you’ll take what you can get. The purpose of having two types of human cards is to reenact the risk the man and the boy take every time they come face to face with another human. They never know if they’re good guys or bad guys. There were a number of times where they took risks, Ely is only one example. 

In the book the man has a disadvantage since he has to take care of the boy. All the food he gets he has to share with the boy, all the supplies have to be split for two people. In the piggy-back race it is purposefully easier to win for those who are on their own. It makes it harder for those who have been forced to make an alliance with someone because they have to piggy-back race down the track. Not only is this inconvenient all around, but it forces you to quickly problem solve and it can potentially slow you down. This is true for the man and the boy because the man would be much more efficient and faster by himself but with a child to take care of, it makes the whole journey harder, especially when they’re trying to run quickly. This also represents how hard it can be to lug a cart around the woods in the mud and dirt. 




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Advanced Essay #3: Identity and Change

Posted by Lily Rivera in English 3 · Block · E Band on Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 11:18 pm
​Introduction
In this essay, I aimed to discuss the connection between friendships and relationships with one's identity and sense of self. I tackled the topic from both a logical perspective as well as my own personal perspective and discussed my experiences with the matter. I am proud of the arguments I presented and the questions I raised. The topic is deep and there is no real answer to it; only more analyzing and hypothesizing to be done. I feel like there could have been a better flow to the paper, but I do feel it portrays my writing and arguing style pretty well. 

Advanced Essay

It has been said by many people that a person does not begin to really shape their identity or become self-aware until late in the toddler stages. The way they start to communicate with others, be it screaming when upset, or giving high fives when they meet someone new, are what people say are the early stages of developing one’s identity. As these toddlers grow up, and interact with other toddlers, they will meet those who will want to continue being with them, who enjoy their company. They call this special relationship between humans friendship. This connection called friendship can deeply affect a person’s identity and sense of self over the course of their entire life.

From a young age, all humans are very impressionable. When their little minds start working and understanding the world around them, it is first up to the parent’s to teach them right from wrong. Parents’ end to mold their kids to think and act like them; like a mini-me of sorts. They can teach them to think like them, and act like them all throughout their life. Parents have a big effect on their child’s identity. This effect, however, can become completely reversed as their child begins to form friendships.

Once kids become teenagers, even tweens, they hold their friends’ opinions on a much higher threshold than they do their parents’.  Teens will often go against the ways they were taught by their parents in order to be more like their friends and peers. Why is this? Everyone, every human being, has the unconscious desire to fit in, to be liked. This desire is present the most when a kid is in school, because of concepts such as peer pressure. Peer pressure can be both harmful and beneficial, at all ages. These friends may change as the child gets older, but the effects they may have on that person’s identity will be just as impactful. A person’s friends, teenagers especially, are closer most of the time than that person’s family to them. Their opinions often matter more, and they can usually have a greater influence and impact on that person’s life and decisions. Why? Well, people, and again, teenagers especially, like to ‘fit in’. Everyone, despite it being a conscious thought or not, longs to feel like they belong somewhere; to be accepted and loved by the people around them.

I know, from personal experience, that people will often change parts of themselves in order to satiate that need for acceptance. These changes can be as simple as using new slang, buying a new lipstick color, to more extreme cases such as drinking alcohol or doing drugs. Now, obviously, all of these cases vary in extremity, but that brings up very important questions related to how friends can affect a person’s sense of self and their identity. Does it make it okay to change who you are if the changes are minor? Does the variety of change outweigh the broken morals? In my opinion, and according to many others, no, it is not okay to let someone, anyone, change your identity.

Upon doing a lot of research on this topic, I found everything from personal experiences to psychology theories. Leslie Becker-Phelps, PhD wrote an article for WebMD titled 4 Ways Your Friends Shape Your Future. In this article, Phelps writes, “Friends influence each other’s personal preferences and lifestyles. When friends share music and see each other’s clothes or decorating, their tastes can rub off on each other. This influence might be relatively trivial, but it might also have a more significant impact. For instance, it can affect how you choose to spend your money, such as buying more things, going on more vacations, or saving for a rainy day. It can also affect how you spend your time, like choosing to do charitable work versus spending more time chilling out with a glass of wine. And friends can influence each other’s lifestyles, such as their eating habits and how they prioritize exercise. These kinds of decisions can directly affect your health and happiness.” I agree with her and can relate to this quote.In my experience, I have changed so much about myself- my hairstyle, the makeup I wore, and the way I spoke-just to fit in with people who, in the end, abandoned me and hurt me. I did so much, lost who I was, just for those five seconds of middle school popularity and fame.  Many people prioritize their friends opinions and will often change themselves if their friends think their current self is lackluster. A lot of people can be sensitive to suggestion. If they see a friend they trust and consider close spend a lot of money on clothes, they will most likely trust their judgement and want to do the same. They will often do this despite maybe not being able to afford it or using their parents’ money without their permission. These decisions and changes may seem small, but can affect a tween for the rest of their life. Those small decisions can change their identity well into their adult lives.
All of the ideas and questions that were discussed all  come back to one simple claim; Friends and relationships in a person’s life can greatly affect their identity in their future both for better and for worse. Speaking for myself, I can easily confirm this idea. I have changed my identity and the way I present myself countless times just to get a small taste of what it’s like to fit in, only to be left in the dust, hurt and lost. Those changes helped me realize my true self; pushed me to become a better version of myself in the future. I let the hurt caused by those lessons remind me to stay true to myself and not change for anyone but myself. I changed for myself because I realized it wasn’t worth it to change for others. My identity is my own to create and express. It is mine, and no one else’s to decide; and neither should yours.



Works Cited
Becker-Phelps, Leslie. “4 Ways Your Friends Shape Your Future « Relationships.” WebMD, WebMD, 28 Sept. 2016, blogs.webmd.com/art-of-relationships/2016/09/4-ways-your-friends-shape-your-future.html.
Ragelienė, Tija. “Links of Adolescents Identity Development and Relationship with Peers: A Systematic Literature Review.” Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1719-8429, 1 May 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4879949/.
Ulene, Valerie. “A Teen's Friends Are a Powerful Influence.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2011, articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/11/health/la-he-the-md-teens-friends-20110411.
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Advanced Essay #2: CodeSwitch

Posted by Lily Rivera in English 3 · Block · E Band on Monday, December 11, 2017 at 12:27 pm
Introduction
In this essay, I explore the many aspects of the communities I belong to and how literacy between each differs as well as how these differences make up my identity. 


Essay

Literacy is a quite complicated idea, you can’t just look at it on a surface level, it is an idea that needs to be explored and thoroughly discussed. In my life, the way that I understand the world and the way that I understand human language and communication definitely affects me in my everyday life and continues to with every new person that I meet.  James Baldwin reveals an interesting element of language in his article If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?, “Language, incontestably, reveals the speaker.” I relate to this quote very strongly in the sense that know that the way I present myself and the way I speak reflects who I am as a person. I belong to many social communities, where the culture varies and the people are very diverse.

Many, including myself, love to be close to their families in any way they can. Personally, since I am mixed, Puerto Rican and white, my family is quite diverse. At home with just my mother, I can be myself and speak the way I want to because I know she’ll understand and accept me that way. When I’m with her side of the family however, I tend to be more reserved. My mother’s side of the family is composed of people from Jewish descent; very sophisticated and successful people that are nice to be around. Even so, when I am with them, I don’t speak as loud, I don’t express political views, and I don’t talk about my personal struggles out of fear of not being understood and accepted. My belonging to other communities such as the LGBTQ+ community might not be as accepted with certain members of my family, so I often keep my voice to myself to avoid conflict. I sit a little taller, hold my tongue, and eat a little more proper to avoid judgement and resentment. Though I do often doubt that I will be judged, I fear that my form of literacy, the way that I see and understand the world, might not be as accepted as I hope it might be.

On the other hand, my father’s side of the family  is quite different. My dad was born in Puerto Rico, so his side is very loud and hilarious. I love being around this side of my family, but I can’t help but feel a disconnect. They speak spanish quite often, and when they do, I don’t feel as close to them as I should. I always end up thinking does that even really matter? Just because I don’t speak their language, does that mean I’m not as close to them? I always wonder if the language barrier between me and my father’s family is one of the reasons that we aren’t as close. Even so, we do find ways to communicate when we are together. We speak a mixture of spanish and english to almost create our own form of literacy. A way only the Rivera Family speaks to one another. Our form of literacy in our family means alot to us.

Regarding the LGBTQ+ community, I always feel more comfortable when I’m around others that are like me. I feel way more comfortable expressing my social and political views, because I feel like I’m around more accepting people. I never have to hold my tongue, because I  know they’ll understand me and my beliefs. The way that members of the LGBTQ+ community speak to others and each other are definitely different. Making jokes and sarcastic comments is more fun with others like you who will understand and get them compared to trying to make a “gay joke”  around someone with no knowledge of the community who might think you’re being “offensive.” This happens quite often, and it’s hard to explain to people who aren’t a part of the community just why certain expressions are offensive. There have been many times where I’ve stopped to correct someone, and have given up trying to explain out of frustration due to lack of communication. There was a specific time that I can recall where I’ve had to speak up to ignorance.

Everytime I enter SLA, I remember how lucky I am to be in such an inclusive school. ‘Safe Space’ stickers line many windows and door frames to assure that the good intentions and message of the school and staff are clear, “You are safe here.” I see the colored flags on the shirts of my teachers and I always release the breathe I didn’t know I was holding each time.

The staff has never been much of the issue, but it is a different story when walking the lone, spacious hallways; you’ll never know just what you’ll hear.

It was mid-morning, around the time of the first lunch period. The hallways were crowded with teenagers and echoing with the mixture of songs from individual speakers. I was walking from the office to the store when overheard one conversation that was louder than the rest.

One boy had sat down quite harshly on another boy’s lap, and he didn’t seem to happy about it as I could tell from the groans and sounds of protest coming from underneath the first boy. I had stopped to speak to a friend when I heard an exchange that made the breath catch in my throat.

“Hey, what the hell are you doing? What are you gay or something?”

The boy on his lap laughed and stood up quickly at the ‘accusation.’

“No! I’m not a fag!”

I looked at the person I was speaking with and we nodded together and turned towards the two boys.

“Hey,” I started, “That’s not okay, you can’t say that.”

The boys snickered.

“It was just a joke! Come on.”

I rolled my eyes, not like I wasn’t expecting that one.

“Look, it’s a slur, so you shouldn’t say it especially when it’s not your term to reclaim anyway. You’re not gay.” I tried to explain it as simply as I could.

“But we were just joking, it’s not like it means anything,” one of them argued, the point soaring over his head.

I shook my head in disappointment and turned away, I couldn’t be bothered to try to explain more to two pieces of drywall.

There have been many more times like that moment, some more upsetting than others, but the frustration comes from the same issue. The lack of communication between both LGBT and Non-LGBT is frustrating. Appropriating the forms of literacy each community has to offend the other is harmful, especially when one side doesn’t understand why they are wrong. It’s an issue I and many others have to deal with on a daily basis.

When I was young, I wasn’t sure who I would grow up to be. I wasn’t sure what career I wanted to pursue, what city I wanted to live in, what school I wanted to go to, I was just going through the motions of growing up. Literacy means alot to me in many aspects of my life. At my current age, I am a part of many different communities and families, and I don’t completely act the same when I am with each. The kind of code-switching that I do between each community makes up my identity, it doesn’t split me into different people. Every side of myself that I show to different groups of people are all individual aspects of myself, and all together those traits and forms of literacy that I speak with and see the world with come together to make up all of who I am today.


Works Cited

Baldwin, James. “If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 July 1979, www.nytimes.com/books/98/03/29/specials/baldwin-english.html.

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Advanced Essay #1: Free Spirit

Posted by Lily Rivera in English 3 · Block · E Band on Monday, September 25, 2017 at 8:47 am
​Introduction:
This piece is a glimpse into my past and how I've come to be as expressive and free as I am today. There are many factors from my childhood that changed the extremity of my expressiveness from being so caged and restricted when I was growing up.  I have changed a lot over the years and have finally come to accept and embrace my free spirit.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Spirit

For as long as I can remember, I've always been a free spirit. I was someone who, when comfortable, could express my opinions and thoughts without caring what other people think. I was raised to make my own choices, and those lessons I learned stuck with me, even when I felt like I was being caged in. I always remembered that no matter what, no matter who you were, nobody, not even myself, could cage my free spirit.

From the time I was born, my family was always open, there were no such thing as secrets. We were raised to be the same way. If we ever had a question, my parents would always provide an answer as best they could; like the time when I was at my uncle’s house for Christmas. The house was beautifully and intricately decorated. There were strings upon strings of both colored and white bulbs lining the railings and walls along with long strings of shiny green, red, and white garland. The whole house shone and sparkled as bright as the pretty star on top of his six foot tree.

“Mommy, why is Uncle Billy holding hands with that other man?”

    “Well sweetie, that’s his boyfriend. That's the way Uncle Billy always been. He loves boys, and always will, and that's okay.”

“Oh, okay, Mommy! Do you think they will get married?”

We were always taught to be ourselves; dance like nobody's watching, sing like nobody's listening, dress for your own fashion show, walk to the beat of our own drum. It's just how my life was, and I loved being able to be myself and make my own choices. I loved feeling so free as a child.

However, things started to change when I started elementary school.

All throughout elementary and middle school I was forced to conform, and shamed for being different. It didn’t matter how small the issue was, I was punished for breaking rules and being a “distraction.”

The dress code for my old school was ridiculous. Every shirt you wore had to have the school logo on them, all bottoms must be khaki or blue for gym days, and every shoe had to be brown for regular days and all white for gym days. All shirts had to be tucked in, no exceptions. Boys were not, under any circumstance, to be without a belt, or have their hair lay past their collar. Girls were not, under any circumstance, allowed to wear pants or shorts, have crazy hairstyles or colors, or have a skirt that was too short. That is just the short of it.

I used to get dress coded and punished often, even if the issue was minor. There was the time when I was in sixth grade. It was lunchtime and I had gotten out of my seat in the middle of the room to go buy a snack from the display of starches and sweets they had at the back wall of the cafeteria. The lady running the table gave me a bright smile and let me select and pay for my snack with ease. As I was turning around to return to my seat, I was met with the dark blue fabric of a sweatshirt, and stumbled back in surprise. I looked up to meet the cold sneer of the cafeteria security guard, Mr. Moon.

“H-hi, Mr. Moon…” I said softly.

He continued to stare blankly at me

“Your shirt,” he deadpanned.

My eyes moved nervously side to side in their sockets.

“What about it?”

“It’s untucked. Why?”

Oh crap.

“Oh uh...it felt too tight and I got uncomfortable, so I untucked it.”

“It’s still against the rules, go to the bathroom and fix it, or it’s a demerit.”

I gulped and accepted my defeat, retreating into the bathroom.

I felt caged my entire elementary and middle school career, and I knew I didn't like it. So when I got into eighth grade, I finally took charge. I started leaving my shirt out more often, and after multiple warnings, the teachers eventually gave up. I started listening to my music louder; the sound of long guitar riffs and heavy drums physically making my peers flinch in fear. I stopped letting people treat me as if I was below them, I started to stand up for myself and argue back. I remember the feeling I got when I would beat kids in an argument and see them slink away in shame and embarrassment.

Things got better when I graduated. I felt free from the chains that middle school put on me. At my new high school, I was able to express myself how I wanted. I took my new found freedom and flew with it. I cut my hair and dyed my hair crazy colors, I bought more clothes that were my style, and I stopped keeping secrets and came out to my immediate family and friends. I wanted to go to my new school as the real me, not the me that my middle school tried to make me.

With that attitude in mind, I’ve managed to make it to my junior year of high school confident and happy. I haven’t let anyone hold me back from expressing myself how I wanted to, whether it be how loudly I spoke in a class discussion or how I wore my hair. I love the freedom that being at SLA gives me, it feels good not to be in a cage anymore. I want everyone to feel the same way I do. I want everyone who is too scared to be themselves, to know that it’s okay to be you. It’s not easy being comfortable with yourself, but with a little practice, and the freedom to be as expressive as you want, I know that everyone can fly just as high as I can.


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E2 U4: Mural Proyecto- Lily

Posted by Lily Rivera in Spanish 2 · Hernandez · B Band on Tuesday, March 28, 2017 at 9:03 pm
IMG_3475
IMG_3475
Nací y me crié en el parte noreste de Filadelfia. Honestamente nunca he sentido demasiado conectado a mi comunidad, porque el crimen y la violencia son común. Tendió a alejarse de él por estar en otras partes de la ciudad.Fui a una escuela fuera de mi barrio. Sin embargo,pienso queun mural definitivamente puede embellecer la área y aportar una luz agradable a la comunidad. El barrio en que vivo es  aburrido y lleno de graffiti grosero, especialmente en las áreas donde un montón de chicos jóvenes están. No quisiera futuros hijos crezcan viendo las mismas cosas que hice, por lo que me gustaría tratar de embellecer la zona con un bonito mural.
Por esta razón quiero poner el mural en la pared lateral del centro de recreación en mi barrio. Intento hacer todo el lado del edificio, para los niños cuando caminan en la acera, así como personas en coches en la calle.
Mi mural va a centrarse en los temas de unidad y felicidad. Para representar la unidad y felicidad en mi mural, voy a tenerlo muchos imágenes  abstractos con colores brillantes, así como un collage de palabras asociadas con esos dos temas.
Creo que mi diseño obtiene el mensaje de la felicidad y tiene un montón de buenas palabras que puede inspirar a los niños a incorporar en su comportamiento. Me gusta mi diseño para alguien de mi nivel y creo que puede convertirse en un simple pero agradable, mural de mi barrio.
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Independence Starts Here

Posted by Lily Rivera in Spanish 2 · Hernandez · B Band on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 7:39 am
2006-038_Independence_Starts_Here_s
2006-038_Independence_Starts_Here_s
This is a mural at Hahnemann University Hospital. It seems to me this mural portrays the different kinds of patients that come to the hospital or that study there. It is to show that all are accepted and will be helped no matter who you are. It portrays the different stories and lives that all of the patients there have. 
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Finding Home por Josh Sarantitis & Kathryn Pannepacker

Posted by Lily Rivera in Spanish 2 · Hernandez · B Band on Monday, February 27, 2017 at 9:18 am
2009-033_Finding_Home01_copy
2009-033_Finding_Home01_copy

-Ludlow & 13th Street -This mural shows how the community it is placed in is like a family. The mural gives a warm message about feeling at home in your community. The community is very accepting of its residents and welcoming to those who want to join it. -The pictures on the side -The hand holding the word ”Family” -It is a symbol of the togetherness and acceptance of the community

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E2 U3 Proyecto: La Salud y El Cuerpo- Lily, Greg, Katie, y David

Posted by Lily Rivera in Spanish 2 · Hernandez · B Band on Friday, February 24, 2017 at 7:22 am
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E2U2;Alta Moda-Christina,Lily, David, & Mekhi

Posted by Lily Rivera in Spanish 2 · Hernandez · B Band on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 2:03 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUdlL-IVZUs
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Nothing to Be Ashamed Of- Lily Rivera

Posted by Lily Rivera in English 2 · Pahomov · C Band on Thursday, November 24, 2016 at 10:30 pm
​Audio

I did it...I actually did it… I actually did it! I mean, I don’t know how, but I did it. I guess all of that studying really paid off! I’ll have to remind myself to go and thank Liz for those notes! I seriously couldn’t have done it without her! The only real reason I passed was her. I’m not even remotely as smart as her.

She really is great. I mean... it’s no wonder she has so many friends. No, no, no, this is not about Liz. This isn’t about Liz and her smartness, or how pretty she is, or how nice she is to everyone....how skinny she is and how all her clothes fit her nicely, or even about how all of those guys seem to just always want her, or-

It’s not about any of those things. Shit, why am I mad at Liz? She was just being nice. God, I gotta stop. This is about me...how I passed the test. So what if she helped me? I mean, I was the one who took the test, not her. It’s not like I cheated! I just got some help...and help is...okay.  It’s fine to get help sometimes.

Yeah, right….help. Of course I needed help, I mean, when do I not. I’m practically fucking useless in class anyway. I never pay attention, I can never ask questions because that’s too freakin’ stressful. I mean, it’s terrifying! I can’t handle that kind of attention on me. What if I ask a really dumb question? How freaking embarrassing would that be? That would just show everyone just how fucking dumb I really am, hah…

Look at me having a pity party for myself. I can’t believe how selfish I am. There are people who have it so much worse than I do, and I’m complaining? Wow, what gives me the right to be sad anyway? I should just...stop. God, I am just so...ridiculous. I’m always sad for no reason, like what the hell even is that? Every little thing makes me upset; even if someone even raises their voice at me. I mean, hell, I probably deserve it.

I probably do deserve it. I mean...look at me. All I ever do is complain; I’m selfish, I’m senseless, and I’m practically irrelevant. I’m moronic, I’m careless; all I ever do is let everyone down. I’m bitter, I’m pathetic, I’m inadequate. I can’t do anything right, I can’t even ask my teachers to go to the bathroom half the time! !

    Alex?Huh I wonder…

  “hey i know you've been really sad and stuff so i thought we'd go out to lunch tomorrow? idk, if you feel up to it. good job on your test today! i knew you could do it! ily, hon! stay strong!”

    ...I...you know what, what am i doing? I'm completely overreacting. Getting help is…okay. Anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of. I don't know what i was thinking. Heh...I guess I still haven't beat my demons huh?





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E2 U1-"Campaña de Max"-David, Ariana, Lily

Posted by Lily Rivera in Spanish 2 · Hernandez · B Band on Monday, October 31, 2016 at 9:36 am
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Unique-Lily Rivera

Posted by Lily Rivera in English 2 · Pahomov · E Band on Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 12:47 pm

I stepped back a bit to let the bus slide in front of me. The doors opened and stepped up, sliding my trans pass through the scanner. I turned on my heel, glancing around the bus for a seat. I noticed an old lady staring at me, face contorted in disgust; I shrugged her off. I couldn’t find a seat, so I instead started to walk towards the back door to lean against the wall. I was stopped by the little old lady sitting in the front.

Without warning, she screamed, “Shave it off, whore!”

I looked at her, frozen in slight shock. The rest of the people on the bus turned their heads at the shout, eyes blown wide. Once I got over the slight shock, I looked at her in the eyes, stomach slightly shaking and eyes watering. My head bowed, slight hiccuping noises escaping my taught mouth; I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

I threw my head back and let out a hearty laugh, extremely amused by the outburst. Her face got angrier and angrier the more I laughed. I laughed right in her face and turned away, going to stand in the back of the bus. I shook my head in amusement, giggling quietly to myself.

The concept of a society is a funny thing, isn’t it? This thing that we call ‘Society’ practically rules our lives and determines our place in the world. The real definition of society, “..the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community,” does not seem to match the definition us as a society created and live by. What we know as ‘Society’ has become its own entity, becoming more of a sort of rule book rather than a group of people. Society tells you how to exist has a human in a society, with rules on: what to watch on T.V., what to eat, who to worship, what celebrities to have a crush, but the biggest ones have to be what to wear and what to look like.

Me? Yeah, I definitely don’t fit into those standards. I have my head shaved in a masculine way, my hair is dyed an unnatural color, I have piercings in places that aren’t my ears, I either wear clothing that is too masculine or too revealing, I am not lady-like in any sense, I swear like a sailor, I’m not heterosexual, and I voice my opinions and stand my ground. All of what makes up me goes against mainstream standards for teenage females. I get comments all the time about how pretty I would be if dressed like a girl, or how I am a sinner for going against God’s ideal for how a woman should look, but, personally, I don’t really care. As I grew up, I grew a thick skin and sense of self-love, so I learned not to care about what people think. I never follow society’s rules, because frankly, they’re stupid. I am a leader, not a follower, and I believe that everyone should be one too. Be your own leader, make your own decisions, screw society. Be your own person, and love yourself.

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E2 U1 D8 Premios-Lily Rivera

Posted by Lily Rivera in Spanish 2 · Hernandez · B Band on Wednesday, September 21, 2016 at 12:22 pm
Certificad de Excelencia
Certificad de Excelencia
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E1 U5-Loco Pero Juntos

Posted by Lily Rivera in Spanish 1 - Manuel - D on Monday, March 28, 2016 at 8:48 pm
                            Loco Pero Juntos...

Mi nombre es Liliana Rivera.

La hija de un papá que vive Puerto Rico,

Y una mamá de Filadelfia,

Pero la nieta de inmigrantes.


Tengo tres hermanos,

Tres hermanos quíen son muy diferentes,

Pero toda mi familia es muy diferente.


Veo…

Veo pelo loco.


Saboreo…

Saboreo el arroz amarillo y frijoles de mis padres y mis abuelos,

Una tradición de la familia Rivera.


Oigo…

Oigo la música rock,

La favorita de la familia Rivera.


Huelo…

Huelo el perfume “Angel” de mi mamá,

Es mi favorita olol.


Toco…

Toco las manos de mis sobrinos,

Los niños de mi hermana.


Escucho música rock, es muy importante para mi.

Cocinamos con mi mamá, nos conecta.

Celebrando con mi familia siempre y es divertido.

Necesito mi familia, me importa mucho.


Nosotros, mi hermana y yo,

Somos productos de Puerto Rico y Rusia.

Nacimos judios puertorriqueños norteamericanos.

Nacimos en la encrucijada.

Somos diferentes pero juntos.

Mi papá está muerto, nosotros nunca lo olvidamos.

Nosotros queremos ser fuerte.

Desde que nací, me encanta mi familia.

Somos todo lo que tenemos,

Nosotros somos una familia

Lily's song
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Macbeth Creative Project- Lily Rivera

Posted by Lily Rivera in English 1 - Giknis - A on Monday, January 25, 2016 at 1:51 pm

For my Macbeth Creative Project, I decided to create a Playbill. I choose this option because I thought it would be interesting to create a modern version of Macbeth with actors that are popular today. I know that it has been done before, but I thought it would be fun since I get to make the casting decisions and such.

One of the main aspects of this project was the actors/actresses that would be bringing the play to life. What I did to decide, was sit down and really think about the personalities of the characters that we really got to know in the play, and see if I knew any actors/actresses with similar personalities, or who I think could do a good job taking on that personality. Some of the easiest casting decisions was Macbeth (Johnny Depp), Lady Macbeth (Helena Bonham-Carter), and Hecate (Maggie Smith) to name a few. I choose Johnny Depp to take on the role of Macbeth because I know how much of a versatile actor he is. I have also seen him act as many characters with such different personalities, for example, he was Edward Scissorhands in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Willy Wonka in Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). I also chose Helena Bonham Carter for the same reasons, her being a very versatile actress, and her ability to become very cruel and kind characters, for example, Bellatrix Lestrange in David Yates’ adaptations of the final three Harry Potter books made into four movies: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1&2. I also choose Maggie Smith as the head witch because of her amazing performance as Professor McGonagall in all the Harry Potter movies.

For the costume decisions, I basically just created a set of my own choices for the tops, bottoms, etc. The website I used is called Polyvore, which contains a lot of modern day clothing, with the ability to make a collage of the ones you choose, which was perfect for this project. I chose to focus on our two main characters, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, and choose what they might wear in this production.

When deciding on the stage layout, I kept it very simple. I based on most stage/set layouts of other productions. I also incorporated what I thought was best and made the most sense.

Lastly, for the ads, I decided to base them around the actors and actresses seen the the play. I know that when I go to see a movie or a play, I always see one of the really great performers and wonder what else they have done. That is what I based my ads around. I knew that Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter were going to be acting together in an upcoming movie, so I incorporated that, and I also know that Tim Curry stars in a movie that is celebrating their fortieth anniversary this year, so I put that in as well.


IMG_6777 (1)
IMG_6777 (1)
MERRREEREre
MERRREEREre
HSSSSSS
HSSSSSS
Macbeth Creative Project- Playbill (2)
(Click on to see full playbill)
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Internet Safety #8-Rivera

Posted by Lily Rivera in Technology - Freshman - Hull - b2 on Friday, January 15, 2016 at 8:03 am
In class, we watched the show called Frontline. 
1. This show was about teenagers growing up in the age of technology and how adults are growing accustomed to it and learning how to deal with their children using it.
2.The most memorable thing for me was hearing about the boy who committed suicide and the girl with anorexia. It was really upsetting for me that they didn't get the help that I knew they could've gotten on and off the Internet. 
3. I think its important to not be ignorant to the problems that the Internet can cause and the problems with/on the Internet, even if you haven't faced/seen it yet.
4. I will educate my family early on about how to use the internet safely and smartly. I will, however, give my children freedom to use the internet on their own and leave them to face the consequences when they make a mistake. I will help them and be behind them 100% when they get run into problems on the Internet, but will discipline them when they are in the wrong. 
5. It's important to talk with your family about Internet safety to ensure that everyone stays safe and is doing the right thing whilst using the Internet. 
6. Don't crowd/smother your children while they use the Internet, trust them and ask them occasionally what they are doing on the Internet. Also, make sure that they know that they can be 100% honest with you and can trust you with what they are doing without you jumping to conclusions/judging them. However, if it sounds like something that could be potentially dangerous to your child or is something dangerous, you have every right to discipline them. 

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E1U3: Mi Amor (Alyssa, Lily, Messele, Eli)

Posted by Lily Rivera in Spanish 1 - Manuel - D on Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 10:28 pm
SpanishQ2BMVideo
​ In this episode of Mi Amor, Brock and Mateo, a married couple, have gone to see Señorita Rosalina Rivera, a therapist. Before, Brock and Mateo were happy and in love, or so it seemed. Secrets come out and lies are uncovered. Who had secrets, you ask? Who lied? Find out in this episode of the new hit telenovela, Mi Amor.

Starring:
Alyssa Eastwood, Lily Rivera, Messele Asfaw, and Eli Zimmerman.
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Media Fluency-Lily Rivera

Posted by Lily Rivera in Technology - Freshman - Hull - b2 on Friday, December 18, 2015 at 6:51 am
Media Fluency-Me Mag. Slide
From the critique of my slide, I was able to learn a little more about how people see billboards and what affects how they see them. I saw the things about my slide, as well as other's, that people thought were pleasant to the eye. I was able to see the things that people thought made a good sign/billboard. It was a very beneficial project, in my opinion at least, because the things we learned can also be applied to presentations in other classes.
To go about changing my slide, I took a lot of the critique that I got from the class, and applied it into the second version of my slide. I was able to darken my photo a little, by changing the gradient, and getting rid of the harsh line that separates the picture from the text. I also changed the spacing of my words on the side by putting them each in their own separate text box. By doing that, I was able to get almost-even spacing between each word. I saw how this did change how I viewed the slide, I personally think that even that small of a detail can make a rather large difference.  
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Soy Lilianna

Posted by Lily Rivera in Spanish 1 - Manuel - D on Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 6:58 am
 

Soy Lilianna

Casi siempre, soy

tranquila y fiel

Cuando tengo tiempre libre, me encanta jugar videojueogs,

hablar por teléfono  con mis amigos y escuchar musica por muchas horas.

No soy ni codiciosa,

ni deshonesta.

Yo soy...

YO!


IMG_6327
IMG_6327
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Media Fluency- Lily Rivera

Posted by Lily Rivera in Technology - Freshman - Hull - b2 on Tuesday, November 24, 2015 at 9:09 pm
Media Fluency-Me Mag. Slide
I originally got the idea for my slide when I kept seeing the words simple, big, to the point, and short repeated often in the articles I found when researching for this assignment. The samples of the Ikea billboards on Presentation Zen were a big inspiration for my slide. Basically what I got from the articles that I read was to not have any unimportant details, just give the main idea and be straight to the point. I chose to display the title of my Me Magazine because it really does the job of summing up my slide in one short sentence..while also not giving enough information for the viewer to really know what my magazine is about. This will most likely make them want to know more about it and therefore pay more attention to me when I’m talking about it (the magazine). For my slide, I decided to use 4-5 of the 8 lessons from Presentation Zen. The first one I decided to incorporate was, “(1) Make it visual,” which states, “Slides are visual aids, not ‘text aids’...” Using this lesson, along with numbers 2, “One slide, one point,” and 3, “Make text big,” I decided to make the two main focuses of my slide a picture of myself (visual) and the title/main idea of my magazine (big text). Together, they give my slide that ‘one point’ aspect. Lastly, I chose the background color and the text color with the contrast lesson in mind to really make the bright colors in my picture and the color of the text stand out.
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Who am I ONLINE Reflection- Rivera, Lily

Posted by Lily Rivera in Technology - Freshman - Hull - b2 on Friday, November 13, 2015 at 7:39 am
1. In class, we watched a video on iwitnessbullying.com about a little boy who was being bullied by people at his school. 
2.I think this video really shows how bad bullying can be for some people and how it can also affect people. The whole 'clicking the eye' thing shows how you can help someone who is bullied and how you can change it by just being nice to them. 
3. On online, I appear not as myself, but as a lot of other people. A lot of famous actresses come up with either the same last name or the same first name. I appear to either be a famous actress or a random person on Facebook. 
4. They probably think that I am an actress or something of the sort.
5. The goals of internet trolls is to get a reaction our of someone or a group of people for their entertainment. 
6. Positive results of online anonymity are a small/temporary feel of reassurance that no one will know who you are when you say horrible things on the internet to other people or post private things about yourself. Negative results of online anonymity are when you find out that someone is smart enough to look up your IP address and figure out who you are, and when someone actually finds your posts and find out it's you who is saying/doing bad things. 
Screenshot 2015-11-13 at 8.51.07 AM
Screenshot 2015-11-13 at 8.51.07 AM
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Proyecto E1 U1: Jayla Wright, Lily Rivera, Ahlik Muhammud, James Klenk

Posted by Lily Rivera in Spanish 1 - Manuel - D on Thursday, November 5, 2015 at 8:06 pm
In Unit 1 of Español 1, we learned how say the days in español and how to tell someone what day it is In this video, Jimmy and Jayla go about their normal school day, and then head home. As per usual, Jimmy goes to bed, but he wakes up to quite the surprise.
In U1 of E1, we learned how to use Ud. when formally greeting/conversing with someone, and how to use tu when casually greeting/conversing with someone. In this video, Lily gets the chance to meet President Obama and have a friendly conversation with him! She then meets with her friend Jayla later on.
In U1, we also learned how to correctly order in a restaurant, and manners to use as well. In this video, Jimmy goes to a restaurant and orders a burrito. The outcome of this simple event will shock you. 
Lastly, we learned how to ask for someone's birthday as well as telling someone out birthday.In our last video, Jayla, Lily, and Jimmy just casually walking together. Lily asks Jayla's birthday, and she tells her. Turns out, it happened to be that very same day!
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Home Network, Rivera

Posted by Lily Rivera in Technology - Freshman - Hull - b2 on Thursday, October 8, 2015 at 9:27 pm
On my home network, I have 2 laptops, 1 PlayStation 3, 3 tablets, 2 iPhones, 1 printer, 1 SmartTV, 1 Roku Streaming Device, and 2 DirecTV cable boxes. These are all connected wirelessly to my modem/router that is connected to our Ethernet Cable (all provided by our ISP, Comcast) which brings Internet into our home.
 
I never really knew a lot about the actual internet itself and how the packages work and such. I thought that was really interesting. I mean, it wasn't exactly an "OMG" moment per se, but it was a moment where I learned something completely new.

I would tell other people to really do their research and ask their ISP plenty of questions so that they know that they are getting what they pay for when they pay for their internet at home. 
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