What can I say? The first term of AP Comp. was not nearly as intimidating as I originally thought. If anything, I enjoyed it. From the essays, to the class discussions, to the movies, and to the random tangents that we fall into, I'd have to say that this was a pretty good class.
During the summer I almost dropped. The course work seemed outrageous and unmanageable. The biggest thing that kept me going was that I could find any other English classes that I would be willing to take! From my previous blogs I have made it apparent that I have the reading ability of a fourth grader, so that kicks out a lot of the other English electives. On top of that, I already took Comm. Arts, which by the way is in my top three classes ever taken, and regular Comp. so I felt stuck. However, sometimes it's best that we don't get what we ask for. This class definitely proved worth the struggle.
A major facet of this class that I enjoyed were the class discussions. It was interesting to see the true colors of my classmates when they expressed their reactions to some pressing topics. For example, the "N" Word article. I have never heard that word spoken so much in a class room. Looking back at it now I laugh a little bit. It was just one of many discussions that we had that made this class unique and enjoyable.
The biggest thing that I will take away from first term is how it was taught. Most other classes ram information down our throat and hope that we retained some of it. With this class the information just seemed to settle in. It was a relaxing, low-pressure method that actually helped me greatly. My reading ability went from fourth grade all the way up to the sixth grade level! Also my first essay was a 5.5; my most recent essay was a 7 that is a jump of 16 percent in about 7 weeks.
All that is left for me to say is that I am looking forward to the third term. I know that I will become a better reader and a better writer. Hopefully I will be reading at the seventh grade level when all is said and done.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Goin' Back A Few Weeks...
The readings that had the biggest impression on me were the "What is Poverty?" essays. It was interesting to see a side by side listing of two contrasting ideas on the same topic. Dalyrimple was the cold, rational author and Parker was the biased, experienced author.
Dalyrimple seemed to have a factual set of ideas towards poverty. His ideas were basically against the poor. He was saying that they put themselves there through a lack of work ethic and pure laziness. The justifications for his attacks were that there are government programs and charity organizations out there dedicated to help those in need.
Parker seemed to have a much more aggressive tone in her essay. She used blunt, first-hand experiences that no other author can provide. The fact that she is in a state of poverty gives her essay a much greater sense of credibility. Parker can give something that no other critic of poverty can give--in depth insight.
If it were a contest of who had the better essay, the impoverished Parker would get the gold. Dalyrimple simply didn't get his point through. Parker, on the other hand, made us feel as she feels. There is no doubt that Parker's ability to appeal to the audience is better than that of the wealthier, more educated Dalyrimple.
Dalyrimple seemed to have a factual set of ideas towards poverty. His ideas were basically against the poor. He was saying that they put themselves there through a lack of work ethic and pure laziness. The justifications for his attacks were that there are government programs and charity organizations out there dedicated to help those in need.
Parker seemed to have a much more aggressive tone in her essay. She used blunt, first-hand experiences that no other author can provide. The fact that she is in a state of poverty gives her essay a much greater sense of credibility. Parker can give something that no other critic of poverty can give--in depth insight.
If it were a contest of who had the better essay, the impoverished Parker would get the gold. Dalyrimple simply didn't get his point through. Parker, on the other hand, made us feel as she feels. There is no doubt that Parker's ability to appeal to the audience is better than that of the wealthier, more educated Dalyrimple.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Draft
No I am not talking about final and rough drafts...which reminds me, shoot! I have to get on that for the op-ed piece. Anyway, The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, is an outstanding book so far and it does a good job of getting us in the heads of the people who were there. My favorite part so far has been the "Rainy River." In the chapter the narrator discusses a wide arrange of emotions that he has about being drafted.
I don't feel the need to repeat the same information that most of us read. However, I would just like to express my ideas on the draft.
First off, I hate the idea of having a draft. Through personal experience I have come to the understanding that most people simply do not belong in the military, let alone being thrown into a war. The people who do belong in the military, however, are the ones who list or pursue a commission. Granted that it is not always that simple, but it works most of the time.
After speaking with people in the military about joining, they all tell me the same thing--you have to want to be in the armed forces. I have experienced first hand the dedication that one needs to have in order to keep their sanity. The people who just aren't cut out for the job would suffer horribly. The mental torment from the drill sergeants, home sickness, and war, would all combine to form a giant pill that would be difficult to swallow.
On the other hand, if the draft were reinstated today, and you see Uncle Sam's name come up on your caller I.D., you should better pick up the phone. If you take the time to appreciate the gifts that the soldiers of past wars have helped secure for you, you would break down and cry. Our society is infinitely better than those of the countries that we occupy. The fact that we can live without the fear of death, danger, and famine, is a rare blessing.
The military has a quota of people that it needs to fill. For example if there was a draft for 5,000, then that means 5,000. Lets say that 1,000 people decide to bail on their country, join a drum circle, and smoke a bunch of cannabis. Due to their very selfish actions, 1,000 new families are going to have to feel the pain of their loved ones leaving home and going off to a far away land. If it were me personally, I don't think that I could live with myself thinking that someone died in a war that I wasn't brave enough to fight.
The big idea that I am trying to get at is that if soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we don't have to worry about making it through the day alive, then we should honor them and also fight for the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, for the rest of the people back home.
I know that my ideas conflict to some degree and form a paradox. Basically I am against the draft, but I am all for answering the draft's call. My ideas on the draft aren't always consistent, but the principle remains--if Uncle Sam knocks on your door, answer it, even if you are scared.
I don't feel the need to repeat the same information that most of us read. However, I would just like to express my ideas on the draft.
First off, I hate the idea of having a draft. Through personal experience I have come to the understanding that most people simply do not belong in the military, let alone being thrown into a war. The people who do belong in the military, however, are the ones who list or pursue a commission. Granted that it is not always that simple, but it works most of the time.
After speaking with people in the military about joining, they all tell me the same thing--you have to want to be in the armed forces. I have experienced first hand the dedication that one needs to have in order to keep their sanity. The people who just aren't cut out for the job would suffer horribly. The mental torment from the drill sergeants, home sickness, and war, would all combine to form a giant pill that would be difficult to swallow.
On the other hand, if the draft were reinstated today, and you see Uncle Sam's name come up on your caller I.D., you should better pick up the phone. If you take the time to appreciate the gifts that the soldiers of past wars have helped secure for you, you would break down and cry. Our society is infinitely better than those of the countries that we occupy. The fact that we can live without the fear of death, danger, and famine, is a rare blessing.
The military has a quota of people that it needs to fill. For example if there was a draft for 5,000, then that means 5,000. Lets say that 1,000 people decide to bail on their country, join a drum circle, and smoke a bunch of cannabis. Due to their very selfish actions, 1,000 new families are going to have to feel the pain of their loved ones leaving home and going off to a far away land. If it were me personally, I don't think that I could live with myself thinking that someone died in a war that I wasn't brave enough to fight.
The big idea that I am trying to get at is that if soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we don't have to worry about making it through the day alive, then we should honor them and also fight for the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, for the rest of the people back home.
I know that my ideas conflict to some degree and form a paradox. Basically I am against the draft, but I am all for answering the draft's call. My ideas on the draft aren't always consistent, but the principle remains--if Uncle Sam knocks on your door, answer it, even if you are scared.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
WRITER'S BLOCK!!
The night before the definition essay was due, I was all jacked up to start writing. I thought my first sentence was killer, but after that, I hit a block. At that point I realized that I just hit any writer's worst fear and enemy--writer's block.
I didn't get it. My ideas were so sharp and motivated that writer's block was expected to be nonexistent. It was almost like I was running, I started out great and then I trip over my shoelaces and biff it. What can be more frustrating in the writing world other than writer's block?!
I picked myself up from my nasty fall and I grudgingly started to limp toward the finish. Normally I can start running again, but this time I must have pulled something because the rest of my essay was weak. There was almost no direction to where my paragraphs were going. I repeated the same word multiple times where I could have easily used a synonym. My lead sentences set up the rest of the paragraph for solid gold, but instead I wrote a bunch of bull in order to finish.
Luckily I didn't run into writer's block when I was doing my final draft. It was a little difficult picking up the slack of my last draft, but I think that it turned out to be infinitely better.
Further down the road we'll run into writer's block again and again. When we fall, we have to get back up. Ultimately it comes down to how many pieces of the puzzle we can pick up and persevere through a writer's worst enemy--writer's block.
I didn't get it. My ideas were so sharp and motivated that writer's block was expected to be nonexistent. It was almost like I was running, I started out great and then I trip over my shoelaces and biff it. What can be more frustrating in the writing world other than writer's block?!
I picked myself up from my nasty fall and I grudgingly started to limp toward the finish. Normally I can start running again, but this time I must have pulled something because the rest of my essay was weak. There was almost no direction to where my paragraphs were going. I repeated the same word multiple times where I could have easily used a synonym. My lead sentences set up the rest of the paragraph for solid gold, but instead I wrote a bunch of bull in order to finish.
Luckily I didn't run into writer's block when I was doing my final draft. It was a little difficult picking up the slack of my last draft, but I think that it turned out to be infinitely better.
Further down the road we'll run into writer's block again and again. When we fall, we have to get back up. Ultimately it comes down to how many pieces of the puzzle we can pick up and persevere through a writer's worst enemy--writer's block.
Response to Times Have Changed for Student Protestors
I found myself laughing at the fourth paragraph. It said that students who wanted to protest the War in Iraq had issues with the meetings because they conflicted with their favorite Thursday night show.
After reading this article and thinking about Two Days in October, I started to realize how technology truely holds our interests. Protesting was huge and relatively popular compared to today. Now we are distracted with sweet technology. Who would want to go out and weather the weather and the ongoers when you can play Xbox? Even now as I type, I am listening to my iPod.
The police brutality has even changed. The article explained that there was a constant fear of being clubbed and beaten by the police during the 60's civil rights movement. Now the police are calm, curious, onlookers who are more likely to defend the safety of the protestors.
The end of the article mentioned that one of the protestors sought a plastic bag to clean up the mess that they caused. Times have clearly changed, and in relation to history, they have changed rapidly.
After reading this article and thinking about Two Days in October, I started to realize how technology truely holds our interests. Protesting was huge and relatively popular compared to today. Now we are distracted with sweet technology. Who would want to go out and weather the weather and the ongoers when you can play Xbox? Even now as I type, I am listening to my iPod.
The police brutality has even changed. The article explained that there was a constant fear of being clubbed and beaten by the police during the 60's civil rights movement. Now the police are calm, curious, onlookers who are more likely to defend the safety of the protestors.
The end of the article mentioned that one of the protestors sought a plastic bag to clean up the mess that they caused. Times have clearly changed, and in relation to history, they have changed rapidly.
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Three Bombs
When we were looking for op-ed pieces to get an understanding of what they actually were, I found myself clicking on everything. Most notable among the list, I found an article called "Our Three Bombs." It brought up some interesting points that would be insightful to share.
In the 1950s there was only one bomb, or threat to the world, and that was a nuclear war. We had a general fear of the Soviets and their nuclear capabilities and vice versa. Everyone was constantly biting their nails due to the anxiety of the Red Scare. According to the author, they had it easy.
Today we face three bombs, or in other words, three threats to the functioning of the world. Once upon a time we could be relatively calm due to the insurance program called M.A.D. or Mutually Assured Destruction. Basically if the Soviets, the known assailant, attacked, we would know about it prior to the impacts and fire back. Today we don't have the M.A.D. luxury. Terrorist organizations and small hostile nations are acquiring nuclear weapons at a relatively rapid rate. No longer can we rely on M.A.D. to give us some kind of iota of security.
The second bomb that is ever present is the debt bomb. The dollar has been depreciating in value over the past few years at an unacceptable rate. As the value of the dollar decreases our deficit increases. This contributes to a cycle. People lose confidence in the dollar which leads to an increase in interest rates, our deficit recovers slower, adds to the deficit projections, and further undermines the dollar. I would almost take a miracle to disarm this deadly bomb.
Ever since the burning of oil became useful, we have been polluting the atmosphere. Over a period of one-hundred years, automobiles have made a serious dent in the atmosphere. If you haven't guessed already, the third and final bomb is the atmoshperic bomb.
The pollution has been eating away at our o-zone layer, which provides a barrier that defends us against solar radiation. As we have noticed within our lifetimes, our pollution has been catching up with us. The North Pole ice caps have been melting at a never before seen rate. The water run off have been mixing with the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean which throws off the balance of the ecosystem. The author noted that as one ecosystem fails, an unpredictable changes start to occur in the others.
Without a doubt we are being pressed with the most difficult task in the history of the world - save the planet. The three bombs are all looming above our heads, and if one falls, all hell breaks loose. It is up to us to make sure that these bombs do not hit the ground when it is our turn to have worldly influences.
In the 1950s there was only one bomb, or threat to the world, and that was a nuclear war. We had a general fear of the Soviets and their nuclear capabilities and vice versa. Everyone was constantly biting their nails due to the anxiety of the Red Scare. According to the author, they had it easy.
Today we face three bombs, or in other words, three threats to the functioning of the world. Once upon a time we could be relatively calm due to the insurance program called M.A.D. or Mutually Assured Destruction. Basically if the Soviets, the known assailant, attacked, we would know about it prior to the impacts and fire back. Today we don't have the M.A.D. luxury. Terrorist organizations and small hostile nations are acquiring nuclear weapons at a relatively rapid rate. No longer can we rely on M.A.D. to give us some kind of iota of security.
The second bomb that is ever present is the debt bomb. The dollar has been depreciating in value over the past few years at an unacceptable rate. As the value of the dollar decreases our deficit increases. This contributes to a cycle. People lose confidence in the dollar which leads to an increase in interest rates, our deficit recovers slower, adds to the deficit projections, and further undermines the dollar. I would almost take a miracle to disarm this deadly bomb.
Ever since the burning of oil became useful, we have been polluting the atmosphere. Over a period of one-hundred years, automobiles have made a serious dent in the atmosphere. If you haven't guessed already, the third and final bomb is the atmoshperic bomb.
The pollution has been eating away at our o-zone layer, which provides a barrier that defends us against solar radiation. As we have noticed within our lifetimes, our pollution has been catching up with us. The North Pole ice caps have been melting at a never before seen rate. The water run off have been mixing with the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean which throws off the balance of the ecosystem. The author noted that as one ecosystem fails, an unpredictable changes start to occur in the others.
Without a doubt we are being pressed with the most difficult task in the history of the world - save the planet. The three bombs are all looming above our heads, and if one falls, all hell breaks loose. It is up to us to make sure that these bombs do not hit the ground when it is our turn to have worldly influences.
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