Reading Details 4/22

Portfolio Work: 4/ 20- 2hrs . - edited remix and did most of revision
Requiem by Lauren Oliver- 4/21- 1 hr. 5%

Total: 3 hrs- edited remix, revision, and 70-75% (kindle)

Reading Times 4/14

Requiem by Lauren Oliver: 4/9- 1hr. 4/13- 2hrs. 4/14- 1 hr. 15min.

Total: 4hrs 15min. 30%- 70% (40%- kindle)

One Thing in the World

         Since I was 2. 2 years old. I have always wanted to be a veterinary surgeon. Everything I've ever done has been put myself in position to achieve this dream. Vet school. It's more selective than medical school. There are only about 25 in the country. But I believe that I have the drive. People are always asking me, "How are your grades so good? What's your secret? Do your parents put a lot of pressure on you?" Even: "Do you have to cheat?" In all honestly, that one stung. Who do you think I am? No. This is all me. I try: my grades are good. No, I don't have a secret- I study like any other person. Yes, my parents expect a lot, but I disappoint myself more quickly than I do them. And no. I absolutely do not cheat. My honor means too much to me. How dare you challenge that? And it all means so much to me- gets under my skin so deeply- because I have a dream that entails one of the most difficult roads of any profession. But that's okay. I don't care. It's mine to choose.

           With similar desperation, Tambu in Nervous Conditions wanted to be educated to lift her family out of poverty. Her situation was a bit more dire than mine- I could do something else if I had to. She didn't have any options. Just like Ralph from Lord of the Flies. Ralph had to get off the island, preferably with the majority of the group alive. One death? Eh. Sacrifices had to made. In theory, nothing should get as desperate for me as it was for these two characters. Work ethic, determination, and common sense should ease my road.

Basketball

I ache but I keep going.
There is nothing
that means more. This is
for redemption.
We lost last year.
Twice.
And the year before that.
I can't hear, I'm deaf
to everything beyond the sidelines.
Only the pounding of feet and
banging on the rim and
buzzer.
I ache.
I ache for this.
I ache to win.
I ache. I need to make
the next shot.
the next play is more
important. The last is not.
Win. What is it worth?
What is the prize for the fight?
Well, what's worth the prize
is always
worth
the
fight.


In this poem I used enjambment to emphasize words or phrases, anaphora to highlight a phrase, and consonance to repeat the "w" sound of "win."

Reading Response 4/7

          Well, its been a while since we've done one of these. Anyhow, this past week I finish Clockwork Princess, by Cassandra Clare. It is the third and final installment of the Infernal Devices trilogy. Main character Tessa Gray (part shadowhunter, part demon, shapeshifter extraordinaire) is stuck in the action packed issue of being the much sought after weapon that could bring down the entire race of Shadowhunters, while her best friends and the two boys she loves are just that: Shadowhunters.
           Clockwork Princess includes a great deal of foreshadowing, though some of it is misleading. The plot twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing. As Tessa does her best to save the world, you as the reader are left trying to decipher even details that may be considered minor in the grand scheme of things. This all creates a tale that is hard to put down, and I found myself leaving it only when forced to by sleep deprivation or homework. Cassandra Clare is an excellent author. I can only hope this is not the last of her works.
             As a reader, I would highly recommend this book and series. It's probably not the best guys read, but there are elements of it that anyone would enjoy. I didn't want the story to end, no matter how perfectly it turned out. I was disappointed that my constant reading allowed for only a few days of enjoyment, but for slower readers, that shouldn't be a problem. It may not feel like it, but the book is very long. If a three inch spine width is daunting, try this one first. You may be surprised.

So for the times:

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare: 3/31- 45 min. 4/1- 30 min. 4/2- 30min. (70%-100%)
Requiem by Lauren Oliver: 4/3- 1 hr. (0%-20%)

Total: 2hrs. 45min. 30% and 20% (kindle)

Bless the Broken Road: Rascal Flatts

Lyrics

             One of the poetic devices used by the band, Rascal Flatts in their hit, Bless the Broken Road, is symbolism. For example, the "broken road" and its "sign(s)" are not literally just that. They stand as an extended metaphor for the speaker's journey through his life, to finally find the love that brings him "home". The diction also lends special emphasis to the symbolism, as this road is repeatedly described as "narrow" and "broken." These words form a stunning imagery of the speaker wandering and lost, searching for something, when he doesn't even seem to know exactly what that something is.

             Alliteration and consonance add to the songs balladic nature. The repeated "l"'s of "long lost,""led,""like," and "loving"are just one example. "Blessed," "broken," "broke," "brow," and "but" are another set. These two sound patterns in particular give the song a softer, rejoicing sound. You can hear the speakers gratefulness in the lyrics and the sounds themselves. Overall, "Bless the Broken Road" is an extremely powerful and effective poem and song.

Reading Details

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare: 3/20- 30 min. 3/21- 10min. 3/22- 15min. 3/23- 2hrs. 3/24- 3 hrs. 0-70%

Total: 70%, 5hrs 55min.

Rework of a Paper

         For the fourth quarter revision assignment, I have chosen to revise and rework my literary analysis with particular attention to word choice and support. I found it exceptionally difficult to choose a piece of writing for this project. Looking at the rubric grading as well as the comments made choosing the areas of focus even more difficult. The scores on both of my first two papers were 95%, with a 9.5 of 10 in every category. To be completely honest, the prospect of trying to improve upon such writing is daunting. I fear more than anything else that I will do no more than unravel and have to rebraid the time consuming and carefully completed work. That is not a trap I wish to fall into.
          I chose the two areas of focus carefully, though I did  as well in them as in any other category. I remember from my writing of the literary analysis that in the last days of finalizing, word choice was something that gave me fits. I am loath to repeat the same word without particular attention to such repetition, yet I found myself doing just that. If memory serves, consulting a thesaurus was of little value to me, as it's synonyms are often inexact and falsely promising. Support, on the other hand, was something mentioned in the comments to pay greater detail and give more breaths to. I had the quotations and basic analysis that I needed, but it was said analysis that was lacking primarily length and marginally in what will hopefully become eloquence to my satisfaction.

Goodall's Plagiarism

          Plagiarism, on any level, is a serious matter. I must say that I was slightly surprised and to some extent offended by the use of the term "borrowing" to describe these mistakes. I honestly do not care that Jane Goodall is a world renowned author and scientist. She still plagiarized. At this point, intention is secondary to action and it will take work for her to regain her credibility if the world of publishers and readers responds appropriately. I believe that this is a very serious violation of information rights, and these are mistakes that she should never have overlooked.
          To resolve the situation and repair the damage done, Goodall will have to be exceptionally careful in her reworking of the citations and footnotes. She no longer has any margin of error. While her information may be valid, her name itself is sure to have lost credibility, and that is a reputation that may not ever come back. This severity of Goodall's current situation she be a warning bell to any who are tempted to plagiarize, or who do not believe that it has long-lasting consequences. It does. Be that a suspension listed on your permanent record as a high schooler, or as a career-joltig road block in the broader scheme of things, plagiarism is a huge issue. A word of warning: do not take it lightly.

Reading Details

Layered projects: 3/12- 1hr. 30 min. -B layer narrative. 3/13- 15min. -edited B layer. 3/16- 1hr 30min. -began writing and finding quotes for A layer Literary Analysis. 3/17- 2hrs. -completed Literary Analysis.

total: 5hrs 15min. B layer narrative, A layer literary analysis

Nervous Conditions Reflection

          Overall, I was not a fan of Nervous Conditions. I found it to be redundant, boring, monotonous, uninspiring, and, most detrimentally, unfulfilling. The novel never rounded out to a complete and satisfying end, and we as readers are left hanging by a thread, searching for a foothold of closure to put meaning into the hours of reading and analyzing and reading some more that we have put into the story. Closure that the final sentences do not bring. There is no mention of the seemingly foreshadowed success, no way to decipher the ultimate outcome.
         
          All this being said, one thing Nervous Conditions did demonstrate well was the answer to our overarching question. It is clear from the changes in main character and narrator Tambu's personality that your surrounding certainly change who you are. Culture is one of, if not the, major theme of the novel. To scrape up a positive, if answering the question was our ultimate goal, then we achieved it in this book.

          For the afore stated reason (i.e. the ability to answer the question due to reading Nervous Conditions), the novel should be kept in the curriculum, if no better option could be found. Personally, I would like to see more books like Lord of the Flies in the schedule. Racial inequality seems to have become a common theme in many of our readings, throughout middle school and now into high school, and I would like to get away from that. I am not saying that these novels do not offer great insight, but the theme has become overworked.

          As you can probably tell, I did not enjoy reading Nervous Conditions. In my opinion, doing the layer project was the best part of the whole experience. The ability to chose what best suited your skills was nice to the point of being liberating. If we must keep novels like this one in our readings, then a layered project is the way to go.

Reading times

Nervous Conditions: 3/4-finished chapter 7- 30 min. 3/5-chapter 8- 45 min. 3/6- finished chapter 9- 15 min. 3/7-finished chapter 10- 20min. 3/9- reading guides 9 and 10- 1 hour.

total: 2 hours 50 minutes; 2 reading guides and 65 pages.

Free Post

          This weekend my dad and I stepped into the woods in pursuit of the wild turkey for the last time as the partakers in a youth season hunt. Next year I will be 16.
          The morning dawned overcast but not the ugly green of light so natural it is unnatural as in a storm of great force. Just simply grey. Grey like dusty cotton balls. Nevertheless The trees were relatively still and the bird calls rang well, but none of these bird calls was the gobble of a wild turkey, either on the roost or on the ground. So we sat. And sat. And sat some more, until Daddy cut loud and sharp on a call that made the trees ring and I'm sure that the gobbler nearly jumped out of his tree as he gobbled in shocked response. Minutes later, a hen turkey began to respond to the call. Daddy matched her tone for tone as she got angrier and angrier and the attitude behind her puts and clucks was not unlike that of an old church cat who left his tail under the rocker a hair too long. They cussed at each other until I could only imagine what was being said in the language of Turkeyism, the specifics of which I am not privy to. Anyhow, I listened to the proceedings of the unruly court and not long there after saw the big gobbler bust out of his tree to join the hen, still cutting up and moving away down the road.
          Some time later, Daddy switched calls. On any other day, this would have been the gobbler's undoing. The hen came in, followed closely by a Jake (one-year-old male turkey) who joined her in kicking, pecking, purring, and generally whipping the decoy set in the field. With our poor decoy, dubbed Henrietta some time ago, but that's another story, standing catty wampus on its stake, the real hen still pecking at it in blind rage, the jake nervously pecking the grass, and me dealing with the burning in my legs and tailbone that comes with sitting at the base of a tree for hours without moving at all, a great black ball capped with a white head erupted onto the scene. Elvis was in the building. He blew into the field as I eased my shotgun towards my shoulder, puffed into a proud strut as the hen caught me moving half an inch, straightened out as she putted at me, turned and launched into the air as I finally got my gun to my shoulder, too late to take the shot. All three birds were gone in the blink of an eye and there was nothing to do about it. They weren't coming back. But I had enjoyed the show while it lasted.

Identities and Expectations

          Identity is a peculiar mask: easily altered, flipped, worn out, overworked, disguised, buried, put on display, flaunted, and ultimately defining the creature we call ourselves as what some of us choose to be and others are chosen for.
          I'd like to think I have chosen my identity, or identities as the case may be, for myself. I don't pretend to be someone I'm not, no matter the situation, but there are multiple facets in the concave surfaces of what are called personalities. Mine included.
          Ask any good friend of mine what I'm like in our circle of jokes and camaraderie, and (knowing my friends) you would likely receive a novel the size and density of that penned by the late, great Mark Twain himself. Perhaps I exaggerate. Perhaps I can explain. To my friends, I am random at times, quick to be critical at others, ready to laugh at anything, laid-back in stress, and always moving fast. It is all a part of who I am, how I choose to be. And if it takes others a trip down the River with Huck Finn to describe me, so be it.
          Home, I'd say, is not much different. I like to relax on occasion, but I'm willing to work. I can joke and use a little quick witted humor without the worry of offending poor soul who may hear only half of the statement. I know the expectations and the acceptable actions, and, in general, I toe the line. Maybe that stems from the fact that many of the expectations are my own. I find that more often than not, i disappoint myself long before I do someone else.
          As afore said, identity is a peculiar thing. However, I do my best not to wear a mask. If by any chance I do, I hope at least that it is the same face, and that I recite the lines of the same character, in any setting.

Reading Details

Nervous Conditions-2/25- ch. 4 with annotaions- 1hr. 2/26- ch. 5 with annotations and reading guides  ch. 1-2- 1 hr. 15min. 2/27- finished ch. 5 with annotations. and finished reading guides ch. 3-4- 1hr. 15min. 2/28- ch. 6 with annotations, finished reading guide ch. 5, close reading- 2 hrs. 3/2- ch. 7 through page 143 with annotations.

total: 5hrs 30min, 5 reading guides, 6 1/2 chapters of annotations, 1 close reading, 85 pages.

From Maiguru's Perspective

          I'd sensed it brewing for some time, but I could never bring myself to be too firm with Nyasha. How can a good woman be firm with a daughter that wants anything but to be a good woman by societal standards? Maybe being too firm would have prevented the fight. Maybe I try to keep the peace too much. Maybe I think too much. Yes, I reckon that's what it is. I think too much. I am too capable of reasoning and independence to be a woman with two children and a husband to look after and yet submit too. Perhaps that's why I couldn't stop that fight between Baba and my Nyasha. I simply don't have the power.

          But how can I not think? All this patriarchy... it's not fair. I have as much intelligence as Baba, but do I get the credit? No. Never will I either. Is it wrong to be jealous if you are capable of hiding it behind a smile? I hated sitting there and listening to Baba tell little Tambudzai how lucky she was to have such a generous uncle. As if he earns all the money in this house! As if he is the God of this universe. However, I suppose that, in a way, he is just that. Perhaps that is why I felt obliged to sit and quietly agree with his words, emphasizing his generosity and work ethic and kindness. And perhaps my sense of the necessity of such agreeing is why I am a woman. Why I am the lesser of two halves said in some places to make a whole.

C Layer 1 Reflection

          In the first five chapters of Nervous Conditions, reading was my main focus. I spent most of the time outside of class reading, and the time in class working on projects. I don't think that this was altogether a bad idea, but there are ways to improve my strategy. First, since I am doing reading guides again, I should probably get those out of the way as I read the chapters. Second, I should use my annotations to help with the reading guides: I write questions in the book, but often end up coming up with new ones for the reading guides.

          The most helpful project so far has been annotations. They help me to get my thoughts in order as I'm reading. I think the least helpful was the close reading I did of page 23. I don't think this was because I chose an insignificant passage. I noticed a lot that I would not have before, but in basic comprehension it was not that helpful. It could, looking back however, come in handy when I look towards writing the literary analysis in the A layer.

Reading/Work Details 2/18-24

Work on research paper:
2/18- reviewed comments on rough draft and added to those things: 1hr
2/19- continued using comments to revise draft: 45min
2/20- smoothed out  additions to paper and continued revising: 45min
2/21- edited- 45min
2/22- read through and made small adjustments where necessary: 15min.

Total: 3hrs 30min, completed paper.

Research Paper Reflection

           I feel that my final research paper turned out extremely well. It took effort and a concentrated focus on keeping by personal bias from bleeding through. Reading the finished product, I think I was successful.

          Most of the feedback I received, particularly early in the process, seemed to be negative. It was somewhat frustrating that, before I started the paper, I was up against the assumption that my report would be bias- a position paper rather than true research. However, this frustration led me to focus specifically on neutralizing my opinion, and i am proud of the success I feel there.

           The most difficult thing in this process was finding sources who were unbiased, credible, or finding an equally credible source whose bias was opposite and of equal strength as another. Once I had the information I needed, writing the paper wasn't a huge ordeal.

          If I had to redo this project, I would first keep my mouth shut about my personal passions for a subject, at least until I had produced an unbiased report. Other than that minor issue, I don't think i would do anything differently. I feel good about my work.

          I think the strongest elements of my paper are its sentence fluency, voice, and organization (particularly the integration of sources). I'm not sure what the weakest point is, as I made every effort to have it balanced in all areas.

Reading/Work Details: Mardi Gras Break

Prized by Caragh O'Brien- 2/9- 1hr 30min, 2/10- 30min. (50%-100%)
Promised by Caragh O'Brien- 2/11- 2hrs. 2/12- 2hrs 30min. 2/13- 1hr. (0%-100%)
Nervous Conditions- 2/14- 45min. 2/15- 30min. 2/16- 45min. (pgs 1-57)

Total: 9hrs. 30min. 150%?(on kindle), 57 pages

Work Details

1/28- made 6 notecards, started outline- 45min
1/29- completed outline- 1hr 15min
1/30- edited outline- 15min
2/3- edited thesis statement and began tentative drafting- 1hr

total: 6 notecards, outline, thesis statement, and beginnings of a draft: 3hrs 15min

Reading Details

Research: 1/22- found, read, and annotated 2 sources- 45min. 1/24- found, read, and annotated 3 sources- 1hr 15min. 1/25- made 1 notecard- 15min.

Prized by Caragh O'Brien: 1/23- 15min. 1/26- 2hrs. (10%-50%)

Total: 4hrs 30min. 5 sources, 1 notecard, 40%(kindle)

Research Conversation

         So Charles (my little brother), I'm doing this research project for English, and can you guess what I'm doing it on? The Second Amendment: the right to keep and bear arms. I wanted to know what had started  the argument over gun control, so I had to come up with a question to write my paper on. So I fiddled with wording and all of that until I came to "what were the original intentions of the Second Amendment and have we strayed from them?"So far, the primary sources have been the most helpful because they answer the first part of my research question directly. I've found tons of information including quotes, papers, and earlier interpretations to show the original intentions. However, the second part of my question is harder to answer straight from sources. I have to analyze modern opinions and actions to reach a conclusion. All that being said, I think that the original intentions were for the people to be able to stand up to their government and to have the tools equal to those in power in the possession of every citizen. I also find that we have strayed form that quite a bit, as many people today believe in strict gun control,  and some would have us believe that the amendment applies to collective groups such as the National Guard or Police Departments, not the the individual citizens.

          The debate over the Second Amendment has been heated and drawn out since shortly after its ratification. I was curious to find out what had spurred such a debate, and after reading through varied interpretations of the right to keep and bear arms, I composed a question: "What were the original intentions of the Second Amendment, and have we strayed from them?" In order to answer the first part of my question, I turned to primary sources, such as the Federalist Papers and the Militia Act of 1792. From them, I found those original intentions. According to James Madison (the author of the Amendment itself) the advantage of being trusted with firearms is one the American people hold over those of most every other nation. According to Thomas Jefferson, your firearm should be your most constant companion. According to George Washington, guns are of import near that of the Constitution itself. From there I moved on to secondary sources. People argue many points on this prominent issue, but the one most opposed to the original intentions is the wish for stricter gun control and the idea that the Second Amendment would not apply to individuals, but to collective groups such as the National Guard, Police Department, or a government organized militia. Therefore, I believe that the Framers intended every citizen to have access to arms, and we have veered dangerously away from their vision.

Reading Times

Reached by Allie Condie- 1/14- 15min 1/15-10min 1/16-15min 1/17- 15min 1/18- 10min 1/19- 45min (70%- 100%)
Prized by Caragh O'Brien- 1/20- 1hr (0%-10%)
Research- 1/14- found, read and annotated one source- 20min 1/17- found, read, and annotated three sources- 1hr
total: 4hrs 10min- 4 sources, 30%, 10% (kindle)

Free Post 2

         Well... this idea ties in nicely with my research project, but I think I will use this to get some thought and conclusions I've gathered from sources and interpretations into sentences.


          If you read my previous blog, you know that my research project is defining the intention of the second amendment (the right to keep and bear arms), and determining if and how we have strayed from it. For many, firearms provide a means for the widely enjoyed avocation of hunting. Those who have become erudite with their arms, and are adroit in the handling of such weapons, are often affronted by the idea that these possessions could just be whipped away on a whim. They have every right to be angry. That right is guaranteed in a document that was NEVER meant to be seen as a "living document." The Constitution of the United States of America grants the possession and use of firearms to the American people, both as individuals and as a full bodied militia.

          Militia is a key word in the phrasing of the Second Amendment. The fear of an overly powerful federal government drove the Framers to write into law the understanding that if ever the people would become dissatisfied and militant, they may fight- they may crusade- against that which they originally rebelled. Our government would now have us believe that this is not the case: that the Framers could never have imagined the weapons of today. However, the wording both in the amendment itself and in related documents is definitive. Arms. Not hunting rifles. Not six-shot revolvers. Arms. The people are the check on the government, as can be interpreted from the Federalist Papers. Anything the soldier can have, a member of the militia (that is: any man (or now citizen) between the ages of 18 and 45 as defined by the Militia Act of 1792) can also have. So, through my research thus far, I have realized that the American people no longer have the luxury of sitting tacitly by as our government twists our rights into indecipherable knots. With every right that is taken away, a new threat to the freedom and liberty of this country rises.

Research Update

          So far, my research has gone pretty well. I don't think I have as many sources as some people do already, but several of the sources I've found are extremely promising. For those of you who don't know my topic, my slightly revised research question is "what were the original intentions of the second amendment, and have we gotten away from what the Framers envisioned for that right?"Primary sources such as The Federalist Papers and the Militia Act of 1792 have been the most helpful so far, clearly and blatantly stating the intentions of Framers such as John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison. One issue I have run into is finding reliable secondary sources. Because my topic is one of such controversy (though from reading documents like The Federalist Papers it probably shouldn't even be in question), almost every secondary source is bias. People on this issue seem to be on one side or the other, with no in-between. To combat this issue, I am considering using sources that contradict my opinion to display how we as a nation have strayed from the path laid out for us, therefore answering the second half of my research question.

          One source I found is a list of quotes from people such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. It has citations for most of the quotations, but lacks any specific credentials for itself. I was disappointed by this last fact, for the actual information on the site is valuable. I'm thinking the best way to use sources like this is to use them as leads. I went ahead and cited it in my bibliography, making note that it was not considered a reliable source, but I won't be citing it in my paper. I have run across several sites such as this, and while it is frustrating to not be able to directly use the information, they could turn out to be useful in the end. Surprisingly, the databases have not been particularly helpful, giving me only a few relevant documents that often are just repetitions of each other. So far, the internet has been more helpful, presenting me with leads and sources both. As a whole, my research on the second amendment and the rights it gives to the American people, who, as James Madison said, hold the advantage of being armed over the citizens of countries whose leadership does not entrust them with the means to defend themselves, is going well.

Reading Response 1

          This week I read the latest addition of the Matched trilogy, Reached. It continues off the story with what seems to be a few weeks between the last chapters of the other books and the first of this one. It flips back and forth between three characters, spending a chapter at a time on the thoughts, actions, and challenges of each one, even when they are reunited.
       
          While Reached follows the same plot, the main conflict of the other two books is shifted slightly to encompass a plague that has brought the Society to its knees. The challenge for main characters Cassia, Xander, and Ky is to find the elusive cure to the mutated virus.

          One thing that author Ally Condie does extremely well is set up the talents and relationships of the characters to balance each other. Cassia is smart, logical, determined, and, generally, a good girl. Ky is quiet and mysterious, but kind and devoted. He expects nothing because of his obstacle riddled past. Xander loves people, and his talents lead him into a medical field, where he helps to work out a cure. The three have their differences and their issues, but in the end they seem to make up the perfect team of protagonists.

So for reading times:

Reached by Ally Condie: 1/6- 45min. 1/7- 15min. 1/8- 10min. 1.9-20min. 1/12- 1hr. 1/13- 30min. 0%-70% (on kindle)

Total: 3hrs. 70%

Free Post

          The game of the season. Number 11 vs. Number 10. University Lab High School vs. Episcopal High School. Two teams, each undefeated in district play and on a roll. We, the significant underdog, look at this game as a test of everything we have worked for this season. Can we pull the upset? I certainly believe we can.

          While people point fingers at scores like 87-20 in favor of U-High, I turn the attention to the psychology of the situation. We have every advantage. We are defending our home court. We have the memory of last year's wins. We have overcome every obstacle. We have the preparation and the information. They, they are angry, but cocky. They have that little voice telling them we shouldn't have won last year, but we did. It should be a dogfight.

          This game means the world to both teams. Our key will be defense. If we can score our average, and keep them contained, we can definitely pull it out. It might not be pretty- probably won't be. But I guarantee you, it will be a game played with passion and emotion and pride. Varsity basketball at its finest.