My Abstract: I’ve loved writing since I was very young. It’s a passion I’ve explored further in my high school career in different writing classes. In my junior year, I held an internship at a newspaper named The Philadelphia Tribune. Writing is a theme that I stuck with for my Capstone project. At the Tribune, I was writing articles about education-related things, and I decided that for my Capstone, I’d like to give other students to have their own articles published for everyone to see. Science Leadership Academy has a focus on science, engineering and technology, so I thought it would be fitting for these Capstone articles to focus on the same subjects.
I worked with several different students to co-author small, supplemental articles that explained some interesting scientific stories that are relevant today. One might read about a new computer technology, and another some new information on the Hubble Space Telescope. I learned that people, even those who don’t normally like writing, are eager to share with others the things the passionate about. My hope is that by creating these short articles, they found that writing is one of the best methods to use if a story needs to be heard.
Annotated Bibliography
Source #1:
Gonchar, Michael, and Katherine Schulten. "Google." Google. The New York Times, 6 Feb. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.
I used this New York Times contest website to get another possibility for where the work that’s created in my project can be hosted or shared. I talked with my advisor about some other possibilities, such as SLA’s writing group or class, whichever it is(I’m not too familiar with this, but it sounds like a pretty good possibility). I’d originally planned on creating my own website for the articles, but my advisor, and this is something I agree with, my advisor suggested trying to get it out there on a site a lot of people know to get some more publicity.
Source #2:
Fong, Jing. "Spring 2015 National Student Writing Competition: Learning That Matters." YES! Magazine. Yes Magazine, 13 Jan. 2015. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.
This is a source similar to the previously listed one in that it is also a kind of writing contest. This is another suggested possibility by my advisor. It’s just another alternative to having work published on my own personal site. The one issue that I see with this is that the writing for this contest has to focus on a story that originates from YES! magazine, which takes away a lot of the creative freedom that I want for this project. This source does have some information on how to organize things, which I find a bit useful, but I don’t see myself pursuing this any further in the future.
Source #3:
Hacker, Diana, Nancy I. Sommers, and Marcy Carbajal Van Horn. A Pocket Style Manual. 6th ed. Vol. 1st. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2013. Print.
This is a manual that details all the intricacies of writing a professional paper. I’ll use this book to refresh some of the writing skills that I’ve gotten a bit rusty on. Skills that will become very important as I’ll be helping other students write their articles. I’ll have to know exactly what I’m doing or none of this will work at all. It has sections on clarity, grammar, punctuation and mechanics, research and other extremely vital writing skills. I’ll continue to reference this book as I delve more deeply into writing articles with other students and the written portions / explanations for my project overall.
Source #4:
Cialdini, Robert B. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. New York: Collins, 2007. Print.
This book on the psychology of persuasion is one I started reading a while ago based on my interest in psychology and how it relates to everyday human interaction. I’m now seeing that the topics discussed and explained in this book are definitely applicable to writing news articles, specifically opinion editorial pieces, because they are written to try and persuade someone reading it to a certain point of view or idea. I can take ideas and methods from this book and explain them to the students that I help to write their own articles.
Source #5:
Irv Randolph, Managing Editor at the Philadelphia Tribune
Mr. Randolph is the man I originally worked with when I first went to the Philadelphia Tribune in the beginning of my junior year. He was an invaluable source to me and helped me a lot when I was in the process of getting my footing at the Tribune. I collaborated with Mr. Randolph on most of the articles I wrote during my time there to make sure that they were ready to be published. He also worked with me on coming up with important topics for me to write about in my articles, which helped a lot, because when you’re young sometimes you don’t have the same wisdom that people who write award-winning works have.
Source #6:
Meenoo Rami, Science Leadership Academy Teacher
Ms. Rami, other than being my mentor in this project, helped me last year to succeed in my internship at the Philadelphia Tribune, which helped in turn to inspire me this year to come up with my current idea for my Capstone project. Ms. Rami gave me guidance a few times when I struggled with where to go with my writing both inside and outside of class, recommended me certain texts to read to help me through the process, and put me in contact with someone who works as a professional writer to help me out with some ideas.
Source #7:
Shonda McClain, Philadelphia Tribune Magazine Editor
Shonda McClain is another invaluable employee at the Philadelphia Tribune. Last year, while I was completing my internship there, I ran all of my writing through her as well and received important guidance as to room for improvement and places to expand on. Dealing with the intricacies of writing a news article, I’ve found, is a pretty tough skill to master. Ms. McClain was very important to me in making sure that my writing was perfect and ready to be published (in addition to the help I received from Irv Randolph, the Tribune’s managing editor).
Source #8:
"Writing Your Article | Scholastic.com." Scholastic Teachers. Scholastic, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.
This Scholastic site that explains how to teach to children how to write news articles is also very helpful to me in that it will assist me in implementing methods to do the same thing in my Capstone project. I’ve taught lessons in class to my peers before, but I’ve never had to teach writing to students below my grade level, and thus I’ll have to master how to present things to them in a way that doesn’t belittle them and at the same time encourages them to learn more; this project’s participants will need to be mostly self motivated to write these articles. I’m still working through this to come up with a solid lesson plan.
Source #9:
"All Issues." All Issues. Environment America, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.
This source gives a comprehensive list of some of the current issues in America that can be written about in the news articles for my project. I sometimes get ‘writers’ block,’ where I struggle to come up with good and interesting material that I know people will be inclined to read about in a newspaper. Having this list will help me to give guidance to other students who may run into the same problem. Who knows? Maybe they’ll be so excited and motivated that they won’t need guidance in this area, but I want to have a plan to deal with them promptly should they run into this problem.
Source #10:
"How to Design a Website Easily - No Experience Required." 2 Create a Website. 2 Create a Website, Jan.-Feb. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.
This is a site that explains to the user with little experience (criteria that I meet) in web design how to create a website that is clean, clear and concise, just like the articles that are created in this project should. I have created websites before, but they’re only been for classes. I’ve not had to create something that will be showcased in a public setting. I’m certain that there are skills I need to know in order to create the best website possible, and this website that contains a tutorial helps me in doing that. I’ll most likely look to a different source for this as well, since this website’s design is a little sketchy to me.
The uncut version of Stephen King’s “The Stand” has 1,153 pages and a quite honest preface. A commitment, but one entirely worth the read. King’s writing style takes all arduousness out reading such a lengthy novel. The original version of what is considered King’s best and most notorious work was published in 1978. This version was released in 1990 In one overarching story split into three sections, the fantasy/horror/apocalypse/action/adventure novel is probably one of the longest and best books you could have under your belt. The entire story is split into three segments: “Captain Trips”, “On the Border” and finally, “The Stand”.
Dismiss completely every notion that King only writes graphic, gory horror. ‘The Stand’ delivers on several different genres, from action to love, from religion to human nature. This is a story that will make you cogitate on many grim ideas, one of the most essential being the capacity man has to change (or end) the world. It raises questions of what magnitudes of suffering people are capable of subjecting each other to. Along with one ultimate question that’s even asked at the end of the story, and that reading the book may not even answer for you: Do people ever learn anything?
This version of the book also contains two additions to the story, an opening and a closing: “The Circle Opens” and “The Circle Closes”, with one at the beginning of the story and the other at the end, respectively.
In this uncut version, the story opens with a section named, “The Circle Opens”, in which the outbreak of the deadly virus ‘Captain Trips’ is explained. One slip up in a lockdown operation on a military base heralds the violent, tragic collapse of all human civilization. A fast-acting, deadly strain of the flu created by the United States specifically for the purpose of biological warfare is accidentally released within an isolated laboratory. After an emergency lockdown is operated, Charles Campion uses his one-second window to slip through a gate, unknowingly sealing the world’s fate. King describes with great detail the lives of this vast array of characters before getting to the gritty stuff, and once you get to that gritty area, you’ll know you’ll there. The ‘Captain Trips’ segment of the book mainly serves to set things up for the second two. We see what our main characters want in life, what they’ve done in the past. We see their pain, their happiness, jealousy, anger and fear. We understand why they do what they do later on in the story.
This is ultimately a tale of the battle between the forces of good and evil. The opposite sides try to bring in as many people as they possibly can, because post-apocalypse, you can either join up with one side or the other or get caught in the cross-fire. In one corner, there’s Randall Flagg. Flagg is known by many names in the story, but his most accurate alias is the “Dark Man”. Or maybe “The Devil’s Imp”. He embodies all the evil in the world and the bringing of the end of mankind is music to his ears. He draws power from the extensive suffering of others and his appearance is the first official supernatural occurrence in the story. King writes Flagg’s introduction with sickening scrupulousness and gives only the clearest image of what he is and why he’s here.
On the good side, we have Abigail Freemantle, more warmly known as just “Mother Abigail”. She’s a 108 year-old woman who lives a solitary, quiet life on a quaint farm left behind by her late father. A quiet life that suddenly drops on her shoulder a burden that only a woman with a faith as strong as hers could bear.
This book tells its story sometimes in the third-person narrative, sometimes in first-person narrative. King employs many different forms of storytelling. The book often switches between settings: in one chapter, you might read of the trials and tribulations of the physically handicapped Nick and his friend Tom, and in another, you’ll be following the story of former aspiring singer Larry Underwood and his companion Rita. There are very many characters and scads of subplots which are all very gripping. In addition to the main characters and the various quandaries that plague them (no pun intended), there are several individual vignettes of characters only mentioned once in the entire story. By fitting in these littles tales of accident and tragedy, King shows that not everything goes as planned, even when people are freed from the regular difficulties of everyday life after the virus is spread. Whether it be the plague or a crazed person who’s been off their leash since society’s disintegration, a person’s fate will always find them; a concept that’s portrayed magnificently throughout the story. These smaller stories only briefly take you away from the main plot, and it’s always intriguing what deadly snafus unsuspecting survivors will get themselves into.
Readers of science fiction and fantasy will fall in love with this book in no time. As will readers of a vast multitude of other genres. But one thing you must know before buying this book is that it dwells heavily in the realm of fantastical adventure and supernatural phenomena. I read this novel expecting something completely different than what I saw. It exceeded my expectations and there was never a boring moment. Sometimes it moves very fast, sometimes medium. This book widened my reading scope to other books King’s written, like ‘Cell’, ‘Cujo’ and ‘It’. All very good books. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something insightful, dark and thought-provoking. ‘The Stand’ is a must-read.
‘The Stand: The Complete And Uncut Edition’
Stephen King
Penguin group (USA) Incorporated
May 28th, 1991
1,153
Science Fiction / Fantasy / Horror / Action Adventure
Journal one:
(aside) I have rubbed this young quat almost to the sense,
And he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio
Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other,
(Here, Iago should be talking to the audience. After "he grows angry" he looks at the audience with an expression of epiphany on his face. As if he has just made a great discovery. A sly smile should spread across his lips and he should draw his words out slowly, but very clear and audibly, in a tone that makes him sound conniving.)
Every way makes my gain. Live Roderigo,
He calls me to a restitution large
(Here, Iago should change his tone to one of slight distress. He has just realized a possible slight folly in his plan, and he's thinking about the possibilities of fixing or preventing it. His face changes from one of confidence from the last line, to one of calculation and slight dismay, back to one of confidence.)
Of gold and jewels that I bobbed from him
As gifts to Desdemona.
It must not be. If Cassio do remain
( Start off this line slowly. As he continues on to "If Casio do remain", he should look down, talking more to himself than to the audience. Lower his tone down a little, but no so much that the audience has trouble hearing him. Still low enough so that none of the other cast members could hear him.)
He hath a daily beauty in his life
That makes me ugly. And besides, the Moor
(Here, a tone of indignity should take over his speech as he begins to talk more again to the audience. He spits the words out, as if in disgust, but he keeps his calm and calculating composure. He looks from side to side for one second, but then focuses his gaze once again on the audience, scanning every once in awhile to indicate liveliness.)
May unfold me to him—there stand I in much peril.
No, he must die. But so, I hear him coming.
(Here, rush a little, as if someone from the cast is coming, and may walk into hearing range. He will steady himself up as if he's about to go into a battle of words, and a false smile should spread over his face.)
Journal two:
Name a couple of important scenes that this character appears in. (You'll have to look them up, and include the act and scene numbers.)
Cassio appears in a few important scenes. One is Act four, scene one, pages 175 to 183. Also, there is Act five, scene one, pages 225 to 233. The first-mentioned scene is important because it shows one of the most important parts of Iago’s plan. He needs to show Othello that what he is saying reliable information. He plans to lead Othello to believe that Cassio is talking about Desdemona when he’s really referring to Bianca, who later arrives to confront Cassio. If Othello believes that Cassio really is talking about Desdemona, it will benefit Iago’s goal even more, because he will then want to kill Cassio. I see the second scene as important because it is the moment of truth for Iago. One of his main goals was to Kill Cassio, and this is where Roderigo is supposed to take action. We get to see if Iago’s dream will come to fruition, or whether it will all crumble on top of him. Eventually it does fall apart, but this was still a moment of suspense.
- What does this character observe first hand? (What do they see personally?)
Throughout the play, Cassio is just a piece in Iago's game. He's being used and manipulated without even knowing it, and the things he does that incriminate him are completely innocent acts. Iago’s strategic genius puts Cassio in a horrible situation. He knows exactly how people will react to what he says, and uses it against them. Cassio only sees what's happening truly when he is attacked in the dark street by Iago. He cries that he's been murdered by villains and such things, but he still does not see the acting hand.
- What does this character observe second hand? (What are they told by other characters?)
Cassio is not told much by other characters. He does work with Desdemona to try and get his position back, but she is just as ignorant as he is, so she couldn't have told him what was coming. Ultimately, Cassio does not become Othello’s officer. The only person who really knows what's going on is Iago, and he only tells his plans to the audience. Only in the last scene of the play does Cassio discover all of Iago’s lies and treachery.
- How can we understand this character's motivations better when we concentrate only on their scenes?
We can analyze exactly how Cassio reacts to certain situations involving other people and what he really wants throughout the play: to be Othello’s officer.. By studying his interactions with the people around him, we can better understand just what he wanted from them, and how they fit into his master plan. For example, reading his scenes with Bianca would show us how he acts with and what he confides in the people closest to him.
Journal three:
OTHELLO: Othello was once a slave. He was one for a long part of his life, but he showed the skills necessary to be freed. He showed the military power and resolve that would enable him to command men in war. So he was freed and became a soldier, then rose through the ranks and became a general in the Venetian army. His strong sense of body and mind is shown through his love and faith toward Desdemona. He also shows the great reserves of anger he possesses when he's told by Iago of her infidelity. He has always been close to Iago, and has a great sense of trust for him; this explains why he believed him without much hesitation about Desdemona, despite the love and faith he knows she has for him. Othello is a very determined and motivated man, which is why Iago had only to plant the tiny seed of jealousy in his mind; he knew that it would not take too much to convince Othello that Desdemona has been unfaithful.
Journal four:
- In the scene my group was assigned, scene six, I play Othello. Othello is angry because he thinks that Desdemona has given his handkerchief to Cassio as a gift, and that is one of his most prized possessions. When he tells Desdemona the story of how he got the handkerchief, he says that it was a gift from his mother, and that it has magical properties. Since Othello is a general, I'm going to try to be stern, but not too frigid. I'm going to try to bring that anger into his words and the way he moves.
- Since Othello goes away at the beginning of the scene so he can spy on Cassio and Iago speaking, I'm going to use my hooded sweatshirt as a costume to symbolize him hiding from them. I’ll raise the hood when I go to hide behind the pillar. The sweatshirt will be white so that I can better blend in with the pillar.
- Our group has gone through our scene very many times. We've tried it a few different ways, and we have come up with something that works for all of us. We're going to bring a lot of emotion to the stage, and we hope to make it flow nicely with the other groups' scenes.
Journal five:
-Analyze one of your lines from your scene. Quote it directly and then explain why it is important to the play, and how you showed its importance in your performance. How did you deliver this line
There is one line in my scene, Act Six, which is said by Othello: “By heaven, that should be my handkerchief!”. This is the point where he sees Bianca and Cassio with it. Bianca confronts Cassio about his finding it in his room and not knowing who left it there. She believes that she has been unfaithful to her and that the handkerchief belongs to another woman he’s been sleeping with. This quote is important to the play because it shows Othello’s anger at the fact that he believes Desdemona left it there while she was in Cassio’s room sleeping with him. But, however, that is not the case. It was strategically placed there by Iago to make it look like exactly that happened. It was also Iago’s plan to have Cassio and Bianc in the same room so that Othello would see them, and so Iago could trick Othello into believing Cassio was with Desdemona. This is the handkerchief Othello’s mother gave to him, and he has told Desdemona the story of his origin, so he’s furious to see it in someone else’s hands. I showed the importance of his anger by yelling the line from behind the pillar where I was hiding. I then stormed out to Iago and asked him how I’d murder Cassio, which speaks once again to his anger.
Did your group's performance go as you expected and planned? Now that it is over, what are you proud of? What would you have done differently in your performance?
I would say that it did go as we planned. I’d say it didn’t in that I didn’t think it would go by so fast. With all the scenes going on, ours, since it had so little dialogue, seemed short in comparison. But it did go well; all of us remembered our lines, and I feel like we brought the emotion we rehearsed with us to the stage. It’s different going up on a stage than it is rehearsing in the back of the room. I’m a lot more aware, and I go over my lines in my head a lot more before I have to say them. I was altogether satisfied with our performance. Our group also had a lot of fun rehearsing together. We got to try it out a lot of different ways and see which one worked best for us. That was a really fun process that helped ease a lot of the nervousness I had about performing.
How did performing the play change your understanding of it?
It helped me understand better where Othello was coming from on the whole subject of Desdemona being unfaithful to him. He is angry for this entire scene because now he’s seen some “proof” of her infidelity, and as I was trying to capture that anger, I found myself putting my feet in his shoes. I was imagining that I was him, and how I would feel if I’d been through everything he had. It gave me a closer perspective of all the characters in my scene: Othello, Iago, Cassio and Bianca. It made me better understand the perspective of Othello.
Geometry Q3 Benchmark
Reflection
Course Blog Post Directions:
• New post should include:
o Blue print and street pictures
o Reflection
Reflection Questions:
As stated in the original project description, many architects and construction workers use the methods we’ve used in this unit to measure the heights of buildings and other large constructions. It also relates to the real world because we used actual buildings in Philadelphia. We didn’t get them from some sort of online activity, we actually went outside and looked at real places that people have built (which is very cool). We used methods that required physical movement and not just sitting in a chair, and applied real-word situations to our techniques. These are some ways it relates to the real world.
I would say the most exciting part of the project was being able to go outside. It was a little fun walking somewhere, taking measurements of real buildings and recording them down in a notebook like some sort of mathematician. It was fun working with my group members to get the measurements; it kind of felt like a game. A fun, educational game. I also really liked being able to write a proposal about the changes we all wanted to make to our buildings. That was fun. I can’t think of any part of the project that I particularly disliked.
- What did you learn from completing this project?
I learned how to properly apply the methods we learned about to real-world situations, as mentioned briefly before. I also learned a little more about the street of 208 North 21st street, which was the block our group was assigned to. I learned more about how to manage time when you can’t just hop right on your computer and do everything at once. We had to factor in finding time to actually go outside when needed and get some measurements. I can’t remember ever having a math project like that here. Those are a few of the thing’s I’ve learned.
“But I can’t just carry all those bags back and have enough time left -- and I’m not going to try! So you can go and make that long walk there and back by yourself, come with me and actually help me do it, or find another way to get us some dinner.” This was the first of the conversation I heard as I gradually came into earshot from upstairs. Dustin and Ron were arguing again. This time, it was about who was going to get the stuff for dinner tonight.
“I told you already, Ronald, I have to clean up the living room before Felicia gets here. I don’t have time to walk you to the market, come back here, clean up the entire family room, and make sure the kitchen’s all set up for Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Nelly .” I’d forgotten they were coming. I’d meant to start gift-wrapping their presents from Christmas. In the half of a second it took Ron to respond, I already knew what would be coming next.
“There you go again with your smart little tone. I told you not to talk to me like that. I’m not dumb, hard of hearing or slow. So I could REALLY do without all the crap you put into your tone. And besides, it’s not like you’re the only one who has a lot to do. I have to wash the car and go get everyone’s dry cleaning for the play tomorrow. Do-”
“Guys”, I calmly interrupted. “What are you two arguing about again?”. “Oh nothing”, Dustin replied more to Ron than to me.
“Ronnie just doesn’t quite grasp the concept of time vs. amount of work to be completed.”
“Actually, I get that just fine. Dustin’s just too lazy walk to the store and get the food for dinner himself.”, Ron snapped back.
I could tell by the way they’d been going on and on before I heard the noise and came downstairs that they were getting no closer to a solution; the only way this would be resolved was by my intervention.
“I know that you have to wash the car and go pick up our clothes, and you have to clean up the living room and set up the kitchen for dinne-
“Yes, so obviously, it would make the most sense for Ron to go and get the food for dinner. Thank you. Okay, Ron, you do that while I get started.”
“Wait”, I objected, “Ron has a lot to do too. Maybe you could just help him carry the bags back - wait, why would you have trouble carrying the bags back, Ron?”
“Because we need so much more food than usual. Aunt n’ Uncle are bringing Rob, David, Tracy and Morgan. So we need a lot.”
“Oh I see”, I said, realizing. Alright. I’ll go with you to get the dinner stuff, come back, help you finish up the living room, then help you finish washing the car. How’s that? Oh yeah, the uh, dry cleaners. I’ll go do that. Ron, you can stay here and help Dustin while I get the dry cleaners.”
“Wow, that’s a lot to do. You sure?”, Ron asked me.
“Trust me, not a problem. I have a lot of time. We should all get started though.”
“Alright, let’s go”.
While reading the essay “If Black English Isn’t A Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?”, by James Baldwin, I came across a quote that quite stood out to me. It reads, “People evolve a language in order to describe and thus control their circumstances or in order not to be submerged by a reality that they cannot articulate. (And if they cannot articulate it, they are submerged.)”P1. This quote says a few things, in my opinion. It says that the reason people evolve a language in the first place is to have the ability to communicate all their emotions to someone else. To be able to control what happens in the situation they’ve been placed in by expressing their emotion through their language. I think it’s also saying that when a person cannot “articulate their circumstances”, they are really submerged in a reality, and they don’t like it, because they’re stuck in a world they have no control over anymore, and the basic human need for compassion and communication is not being met. I imagine it would be similar to not knowing a single word of Portuguese, and being dropped out of a plane over Portugal with a parachute, and trying to find your way back home. It would be extremely difficult, unless someone who spoke your language and who was willing to help you did something about it. You would be helpless and miserable.
In my opinion, a person’s language is one of their most important tools. It is one of the only ways for people to communicate. I say “one of the only ways” because someone might consider an email, text message or letter another form of communication. But, even when you get into those, it all comes back to your language. They way you word things, the way you structure the message overall, these are all personal to every different person. In addition to the possibility of influencing the outcome of a conversation, and thus an event, in person by using the right language, tone, and body language, it is also within the realm of possibility to do exactly the same thing when writing a message to someone else. This can be tricky, considering the person on the other side can’t really see you, and might mistake a genuinely kind sentence for an attack. Usually when people are expressing anger or frustration online, they use exclamation points, capital letters and such, in the same way that people use a lot of angry facial expressions and hand movements in person when expressing anger or agitation. If an argument does erupt on an online site, it’s always better to get off of it, and then discuss the matter in person.
All in all, there is a way to control the outcome of any conflict, and all you need is your language. Control the way you speak. Listen to what others are saying and how they’re saying it, and let your tone reflect that in a positive way. I’ve learned this very important lesson over the course of years and years. I’m not that old, but my point is that it’s taken a very long time. I hope this essay is inspiring in that it prompts the feeling to take this into consideration and apply it to everyday life. In the long run, that’s the best way to go.
A Cheesy Story
Everything would be better if you just gave me the slice, Jimmy. It’s just one measly slice. And it’s pepperoni and sausage. That’s not even your favorite kind. You like barbecue chicken. Look, the next time we get barbecue chicken from here, you can have the last slice. Matter of fact, the last TWO slices. How’s that sound? Yeah? Yeah? Okay. No? Alrighty.
I didn’t think I’d have to go to such desperate measures, but you’ve forced my hand.You know how much I exercise. I need the calories. And the soft dough ... and the cheesy goodness. No, I mean I just need the calories. For my body. You wouldn’t want me to become malnourished, would you? No. Didn’t think so. Right now, you have the power to decide my fate. If you don’t let me have this last slice, I’ll -- I’ll go into a coma. Yup, my body will be all like, “No, no, where's that last slice?! We need that last sliceee!” Okay, maybe it won’t do that, but you get it. Pizza = okay. No pizza = certain death. What if I paid you for it? Okay... five? Ten? Twenty? Thirty? Okay, that’s just absurd. I could but the entire Papa John’s franchise with that kind of money. How about I make your bed for a week? Two weeks? A mon- HEY, I see what you’re doin’ here.
Alright, rock paper scissors. Best three out of five. Okay, rock... paper... scissors, shoot! Darn! Again! Rock... paper... scissors, shoot! Darnit! Best four out of six. Rock... paper...scissors... shoot! Alright, rock paper scissors is for seven year olds anyway. Umm...Oh! I’m thinking of a number. Yes, that is fair! I have nothing to do with the fact you lack the ability to establish a telekinetic link between our two minds.
I’ll give you twenty bucks’ worth of itunes money. You know you want that. Which is better, like, a thousand new songs with that money, or one delic- disgusting, cold slice of pizza that probably has all types of fungus growing on it? Okay, maybe the fungus part is a stretch. Okay, maybe the disgusting part is a stretch, too. But still. That pizza is RIGHTFULLY mine. Because. It just is, okay?
Alright, you can have the pizza.
But wait!
Blog Post #3 / Post For Change
Introduction
The issue I chose for my “You and The World” project is bullying. Specifically, cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is any type of bullying that involves using internet or other interactive technologies, to repeatedly harm a person. It’s just like regular in-person bullying, but instead of being in front of the victim, the offender uses a social website, mostly, to deliver what they have to say. Most cyber bullying takes place on social networking and blogging sites, and is mostly done by users who are anonymous. Though cyber bullying may not seem to be as effective as in-person bullying, it is just as serious and dangerous.
Why Do People Cyberbully?
There are many different reasons that people cyber bully others. Some of the most common and frequent reasons are pique, revenge or vexation. Sometimes, people do it simply because they can, or because they’re bored, etc. Also, in many cases, people will do it because others are doing it. People will also bully for their own entertainment. People who like to be on top of everyone else may do it as a reminder that the victim is less than them, which is a moral of a corrupt dictator. Though there are very many reasons people cyberbully, whatever reason it is, is wrong.How Do People Cyberbully?
Just as there are many reasons why people cyberbully, there are also many ways for them to do it. Someone could make an anonymous post on someone’s blog making an offensive statement. Someone could make a page dedicated to put another person down, and invite many people into it. A group of friends could gang up on one person, and bombard them with horrible comments. The phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”, certainly doesn’t apply to everyone; many people can be more hurt by words than they can be by physical pain.
1. Negative space is the space in a drawing that is not the drawing. The negative space would be the space in between the lines of the drawing. If you were to draw a tree in a field, the negative space would be everything but the tree itself.
2. In my drawing, I found negative space by looking in between the legs of the stool. In my cutout I found negative space by cutting out the shape, then cutting around the shape.
3. It helps an artist to see in negative space, because it gives them an even better understanding of what they’re drawing, and helps them to visualize the end product.
4. I think that seeing in negative space does enhance drawing, because it gives the artist a better understanding of what they’re doing.
Poem one:
I’m a soldier, better than the rest
Until every enemy is dead, I will not rest
They all know my name; they tremble at the sight of me
If anyone were to cross me, my horrible wrath they’d have to see
I’m not a bad person really, just got to keep people in check,
Can’t be afraid to grab someone by the neck, to me human life is only a dust speck,
Macbeth’s the name, being boss is the game
If you have a problem with me, that’s a shame
-Macbeth…( “For brave Macbeth -
well he deserves that name - Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution...Till he unseamed him form the nave to the
chaps And fixed his head upon our battlements.”)
Poem two:
Lady Macbeth is pushing me
Pushing me to do something evil, something unspeakable
I do want the power; I do want to be royalty
But how far could I take it?
Could I really assassinate a king, could I really take Duncan’s’ life?
I consider doing it, I consider not doing it, oh what to do?
The decision has to be made tonight, and these daggers are sharpened
-Macbeth
Poem three:
I have done the deed, Duncan no longer draws breath
I am now the king, but was my murdering worth it?
The crown on my head is a bloody one, but a crown nonetheless
There are still people who would take it from me; they must be dealt with
The only option I see would be to do to them what I did to Duncan
Or maybe to hire another to do my bidding, to keep their blood from my hands
To keep more blood from staining these hands
I must act fast; every passing day brings closer the possibility of them taking the crown
-Macbeth…( “How now, you secret,
black, and midnight hags, what is’t you do?” )
Poem four:
My heart has been wounded, wounded by the arrow of death
My wife, my child, both slain, not by the hands of Macbeth
But the hands of his minions, so his minions I shall kill
This does not mean that Macbeth is any safer from my revenge
He will pay for what he has done to me; he will pay most dearly, just as I have
I should have seen this coming; Macbeth has of late been a wrecking ball
Ending the lives of everyone he sees fit for his evil cause
Never had I thought he would go so far as to do something like this
But it will not go unpunished, certainly it will not
-Macduff…( “Not in the legions of horrid Hell can come a
devil more damned in evils to top Macbeth.”)
Poem five:
I have lived a life of violence and bloodiness
And now it is coming to an end
I have only myself to blame for my demise
I chose the path I took, and this is where it led
So now, not far from now, I will be dead
-Macbeth
Macbeth: creative writing piece, Reginald Simmons
Poem one:
I’m a soldier, better than the rest
Until every enemy is dead, I will not rest
They all know my name; they tremble at the sight of me
If anyone were to cross me, my horrible wrath they’d have to see
I’m not a bad person really, just got to keep people in check,
Can’t be afraid to grab someone by the neck, to me human life is only a dust speck,
Macbeth’s the name, being boss is the game
If you have a problem with me, that’s a shame
-Macbeth…( “For brave Macbeth -
well he deserves that name - Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution...Till he unseamed him form the nave to the
chaps And fixed his head upon our battlements.”)
Poem two:
Lady Macbeth is pushing me
Pushing me to do something evil, something unspeakable
I do want the power; I do want to be royalty
But how far could I take it?
Could I really assassinate a king, could I really take Duncan’s’ life?
I consider doing it, I consider not doing it, oh what to do?
The decision has to be made tonight, and these daggers are sharpened
-Macbeth
Poem three:
I have done the deed, Duncan no longer draws breath
I am now the king, but was my murdering worth it?
The crown on my head is a bloody one, but a crown nonetheless
There are still people who would take it from me; they must be dealt with
The only option I see would be to do to them what I did to Duncan
Or maybe to hire another to do my bidding, to keep their blood from my hands
To keep more blood from staining these hands
I must act fast; every passing day brings closer the possibility of them taking the crown
-Macbeth…( “How now, you secret,
black, and midnight hags, what is’t you do?” )
Poem four:
My heart has been wounded, wounded by the arrow of death
My wife, my child, both slain, not by the hands of Macbeth
But the hands of his minions, so his minions I shall kill
This does not mean that Macbeth is any safer from my revenge
He will pay for what he has done to me; he will pay most dearly, just as I have
I should have seen this coming; Macbeth has of late been a wrecking ball
Ending the lives of everyone he sees fit for his evil cause
Never had I thought he would go so far as to do something like this
But it will not go unpunished, certainly it will not
-Macduff…( “Not in the legions of horrid Hell can come a
devil more damned in evils to top Macbeth.”)
Poem five:
I have lived a life of violence and bloodiness
And now it is coming to an end
I have only myself to blame for my demise
I chose the path I took, and this is where it led
So now, not far from now, I will be dead
-Macbeth
Saludos
desde Reginald. Como están usted?
Me llamo Reginald Simmons. Como te llama? Yo tengo catorce anos. ¿Quantos
anos tienes? Mi cumpleaños veinte y ocho de enero. ¿Cual es tu cumpleaños? Yo
soy africano americano. Yo vivo en Filadelfia. ¿Donde esta? ¿Que tiempo hace
hoy? Me gusta música de rock. No me gusta música de pop. ¿Que música te gusta?
Me gusta comida de Italiana. Me gusta comida de Mexicana. ¿Que comida te gusta?
Yo soy mas o menos alto, mas o menos delgado, deportista y moreno. Yo soy
serio, divertido, trabajador y simpático. ¿Como eres tu?
Sinceramente,
Reginald
Simmons
