Final Blog: My Verse

It was hell?

Year 1
Overall pretty great. I reunited with friends that I'd known since Elementary School, but hadn't see after 6th grade because I transferred to Ligon in 7th grade. This includes Madyson, Kamara, and Cassidy. I joined the JV soccer team, which was pretty fun. Freshman year, easy breezy beautiful.

Year 2
More interesting than Year 1. I endured the hell that was Apes and Chemistry. Although Carson ( a weird hilarious dude) made it more enjoyable.  Alone I Joined the Science Olympiad Club for the first time and that god I did. Again, I was apart of the JV Soccer Team. During that time a soccer goal was dropped on my foot, and I made a playlist to be played during practice that everybody hated.

I was completely naive in deciding to do the IB program. If I knew what I knew then (which of course is impossible) I would not have joined. But I did join, so how was my experience? I'll be honest It was really rough, heck it still is. Although, It was a life changing experience. Plus, I'm glad that I got to know so many amazing, brilliant people that I wouldn't have gotten the chance to meet without IB. I'm glad that this chapter that has been filled with so much unhappiness is coming to an end. I'm ready to start off in a new town with new people, and experience an entirely different kind of lifestyle.

It was a learning experience. That I never want to repeat. It's pretty surreal that this is happening. I moment that I've dreamed of for so long is about a month away.

Iman

Breland

To my closest friends this is for you.

Loved Digital Media content * Warning, this is an extensive list
- & this is mostly for me in the future
Youtube

Julian Smith
Source Fed
JK News
Casey Neistat
bill wurtz  
David Dobrik
h3h3 productions
shane
Just Between Us
Naptural85
Nuclear Family
Philly D
SORTEDfood
SoulPancake
SummerBreak
The Film Theorists
Thomas Frank
WilliamHanesTV

TV Shows

The Office
Jane the Virgin
American Vandal
How to get away with Murder
The Fosters
Girlfriends Guide to Divorce
Quantico
The Flash
On my Block
Scorpion
Are you the one?
UnREAL
Anne with an E
Atypical

Movies 

The Social Network
The Way Way Back
The Big Short *watching this movie changed my life, Highly Recommend

Stuck in Love

Me Earl and the Dying Girl

* I'll update this list when I have more time

Music

Iman 1.0

One Direction
The Vamps
Grouplove
Bridget Mendler
Hot Chelle Rae
The Summer Set
The Cab
Hoodie Allen
The Fray

* I used to mostly listen to Pop, Indie and Alternative music. 

Iman 2.0

BØRNS
John Mayer
Owl City 
Two Door Cinema Club
Twenty One Pilots
Rihanna
Fall Out Boy
Drake
Alt-J 
MGMT
Jon Bellion
The Weekend

Iman 3.0
M83
Bruno Mars
Post Malone
Panama Wedding
Alessia cara
Logic
Ed Sheeren
DNCE
Vance Joy
Adam Levine

Iman 4.0

Boy Pablo
Daniel Ceaser
Peach Pit
Rex Orange County
6LACK
Kehlani
Khalid
Blackbear
Jidenna
Teddy Afro
Bad Suns
Migos
Tobi Lou
Amar pelos Dois - Salvador Sobral

Blog # 14 Witty Walt

                    

STEP 1)  

It was quickly apparent that Whitman's notebook was probably used to make notes in a casual, unsystematic manner. There seems to be lots of random notes and unfinished thoughts. I figured this by the frequent use of question marks and the number of sentences that were crossed out and replaced. The notebook appears to contain names, random notes, poetry, and sketches. A reoccurring theme is a red stamp that says "The Library of Congress. Knowing that he celebrated democracy, and was a published author maybe he was given the stamp?  On page 930 the same red stamp is next to the word Libertad. Libertad is the Spanish word for liberty in English. Maybe, Whitman used the Library of Congress stamp as a symbol of democracy and free speech. This signifies his love of democracy. On the bottom of page 925 he wrote, "Dialogue between WW and "President Elect"". Does that mean that he actually spoke to Abraham Lincoln? Why are the words President Elect in between quotation marks? I have a few theories, the first is that he questions the validity of the Presidential Election, the second is he could simply implying that the dialogue was between him and Lincoln, and lastly the dialogue could entirely be made up. If made up these conversations may have served as inspiration for Whitman's poetry. Near the end, there are a few sketches of Walt Whitman. Although, the sketches get increasingly distorted, perhaps this signifies his vanity. This possibly reveals narcissistic qualities, or that he surrounded himself with other artists.  Also the appearance of the cover suggests that Whitman's notebook endured some wear and tear. I imagine Whitman carried his notebook around everywhere waiting for inspiration to strike. This possibly shows how dedicated he was to his craft.

STEP 2) 

The notes significantly helped my understanding of Whitman's notebook. As earlier stated on one of the first pages there are names, one of the notes explain how one of the names written down is the name of a friend that died in a battle. The note also states that shortly after Whitman volunteered to be a nurse, perhaps the fallen soldier was a former lover? I say this only because I remember Mrs. Genesky mentioning something about Whitman's possible sexual orientation. Regardless, maybe William Giggie (Whitman's friend) along with Whitman's newfound downtime influenced his decision in participating in the war effort. Writing Libertad instead of liberty was probably an intentional choice, and possibly a statement about how liberty and freedom was not limited to the United States, white people, or English speakers. This reveals how he was against slavery, and provides reasoning to volunteer for the North during the war. Whitman uses the well-known metaphor of the ship of state. The notes describe how Abraham Lincoln is now the ship's captain. Also, the notes shed light on the dialogue between Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln. It was not real, it was merely Whitman's imagination; this signifies how Whitman admired Lincoln, and used him to inspire future poems. Earlier, before the Civil War he described America as still and stagnant cesspools of water. Now, he describes fast winds and treacherous storms. This signifies his use of storm and sea metaphors. The storm is the tension built between differing opinions and the ship is the country these opinions pertain to. In addition, he says to welcome the problems ahead, that this war would  show what the nation was made of. He held the belief that war showed a nations true colors in tee rems of strength and philosophy. In his poem "Ship of Libertad" he states, "blow mad winds fall around black clouds-clouds of death". It seems that Whitman welcomes the Civil War. He sees the Civil war as a test of democracy's strength. I imagine that," black clouds of death" relate to gun shots going off (gunpowder) and fires. The most important things to take away from his notebook is his use of libertad, his dialogue with Lincoln, his idea on how the Civil War was a part of a large historical cycle, and his sea and storm metaphors. Although, I believe that most of the notes made in these pages were somewhat random and not super purposeful, he did remain consistent throughout his notebook with its themes and metaphors.

Blog #13 "American Dream"

I believe I was first exposed to the “American Dream” when my parents told me their story of how they both ended up in Raleigh, North Carolina. My father, the son of a truck driver grew up in a small town in Indiana. After struggling through school due to the lack of glasses and being unaware that he had dyslexia. Regardless he had big dreams of leaving Fort Wayne, Indiana. My mother, daughter of an successful entrepreneur in Ethiopia. My mother and her sisters were given the chance to go to America to learn English and go to college. After graduating, word spread throughout the family that my great uncle was arranging a marriage. With the help of her sisters she ran away to North Carolina where she had a friend from college. She also had dreams of living in America, a place of better opportunities for women especially. From similar and very different backgrounds my parents both understood that they wanted to do well financially in hopes of enjoying themselves as well as being able to give their children more opportunities.

One does not have to be an immigrant to have the American Dream. For me the main principles are Working hard for a better life of some kind. Most of the time The American Dream is related to wealth and how one created it. The American Dream is to have the goal to work hard to be able to sustain a life that you did not have before.The American Dream centers around the idea of social and financial mobility. In America it is feasible to work hard and one day enter a new financial class. Gatsby for example, gained his money through smart investments in the stock market. The entrepreneurial spirit is highly praised within American society. The entire idea of being self made inspires lots of people, and America especially incentivizes this idea. We, see this in today's tax reform, shows like Shark Tank, and the overall systems of creating for instance and LLC (Limited Liability Corporation). 

There is a difference between being rich and being wealthy. In my mind someone is wealthy when they hire others on their own dime. For example, a personal chef, a personal assistant/shopper, a nanny, a maid, financial planner. To be wealthy you need to be in the top 1% or at least close to it. 

Figure 1. The percentage of global wealth owned by the top 1% surpassed 50% as of 2016. 

Source: Oxfam 

America being the vast country that it is has a vast array of opinions. Oftentimes attitudes toward wealth and poverty are linked to socio-economic backgrounds and political affiliations. Many believe that the economic classes are being further divided due to income and wealth inequality that may or not be related to racial, skill, and gender bias.  Branko Milanovic believes that the income disparity is in part due to the Industrial Revolution. Which drove wages up in certain countries.

I believe that the wealthy should continue to help others on the bottom half of the income spectrum in effective ways. Bill and Melinda Gates are an excellent example of the wealthy using their power for good. I don't think a world will ever exist without a considerable gap between the rich and the poor. Mainly due to capitalism. I also wish their were better systems in place for the impoverished. I believe that people of color are the main participants of the lower income class in America due to their cultures. Peer pressure plays a sizable role, as well as representation, and support from loved ones. I don't see the American dream dying anytime soon. Most know that with money comes power. I value the American Dream it encourages people to follow their dreams. I also believe that the American dream is so popular due to the idea that wealthy people are admired, powerful, and popular. Like many others when I grow up, I want to of course be financially stable and secure. They say that money can't buy happiness but I disagree. Used in the right ways it absolutely can. Although being wealthy does come with it's own subset of problems such as fake friends. Regardless, you can still live a meaningful and valuable life.

Blog #11 Translations

........................................................................................

Translation 1:Gregory Samsa woke from uneasy dreams one morning to find himself changed into a giant bug.

• The structure of this quote is simplistic, short and to the point. The first words is the main character's name, this allows the reader to assume who the book is about. This is the only translation that changes the original name (Gregor) given to the main character. This is significant because it dilutes some of the historical context of Metamorphosis and the fact that it was originally written in German. Like the other translations it is written in third person. The purpose of the sentence is not to allow the reader to imagine the scene with great detail, because it is not very descriptive. Unlike other translations it uses "changed" instead of "transformed" when describing what Gregor became overnight. Changed is less descriptive and leaves less of an impact. The same goes with the use of giant bug, although it makes the situation appear more comical.

Translation 2:When Gregor Samsa awoke from troubled dreams one morning he found he had been transformed in his bed into an enormous bug.

• The use of the original name reinforces the origin of the book. The word enormous is used instead of giant this makes the reader to imagine an even bigger bug. The word bug is not very descriptive as whole this sentence is still pretty vague. There is more use of pronouns this verifies that Gregor is a male. The use of troubled makes it seem as if he has something negative on his mind that he can't help dreaming about.

Translation 3:As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

• This translation is more descriptive it uses the word gigantic an exaggerated version if giant. Gigantic and enormous are also very similar in meaning, it makes me wonder why they didn't use the word huge. The dictionary is slightly more formal due to the use of insect instead of bug.Interestingly enough when I compared the definitions of bug against insect, insect was found as more scientific and bug meant a small insect. This is significant because all translations reference the abnormal size he is. The use of as tells the reader that Gregor made the realization as he was waking up, not after like the use of when implies.

Translation 4:One morning, upon awakening from agitated dreams, Gregor Samsa found himself, in his bed, transformed into a monstrous vermin.

• - Like all of the previous translations third person is used this means that it is a significant characteristic to the plot. Also, this translation chooses to use commas unlike the others. The use of commas breaks up the structure, slows the reading speed down, and makes the reader pay more attention to the different sections. I also feel as if the commas make it seem more dramatic and enhance the imagery in your head. The use of the word agitated makes the dreams seem more negative, which adds more emphasis to them, it causes me to wonder what he dreamt about. This translation describes Gregor as a vermin, this makes the reader to imagine not an insect but a rodent, possibly a mouse. The word monstrous doesn't describe the size as much as gigantic or enormous, the word monstrous makes the reader imagine an ugly scary creature.

...................................................................................................................................................................

Diction and syntax can make the most significant impact on the overall meaning. Word choice like insect and vermin create drastically different images in a reader's head. The use of commas and without place emphasis on different things, diction also helps emphasize things. Of all the translations, i believe the third was the most effective. It uses the word insect which is more specific than bug (which is used in translations 1&2), and seemingly more accurate than the word vermin. It also provides a nice picture in the readers mind by stating that the insect is gigantic. The other translations were either seemingly inaccurate and too descriptive, or too simplistic and undescriptive.

This exercise shows how reading translated texts can be tricky. Translators have lots of power, and  incorrect assumptions can affect the tone and message of the text. We cannot truly experience a literary text that is not written in a language we are not fluent in. This is not a new concept my mothers side of the family is muslim. In muslim culture the Quran in Arabic is known as the "true Quran". Many do not consider the translations as accurate, some go as far as to say that you have not read the Quran if you have not read it in Arabic. Some words simply cannot be directly translated into other languages. For example the word Pana po'o is the act of scratching one's head in order to remember the location of a misplaced object.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/20/english-translation-words_n_4790396.html

Blog #10 Covers

   

                         Cover 1                   Cover 2                     Cover 3                  Cover 4

Cover 1:
- Shows Kathy H in a field or Meadow. On Page @the cottages mentioned on page 119
- main colors Green orange yellow black white
text is medium size and is yellow and white

Cover 2:
- shows the boat
the boat was a turning point i the film
- Main colors are Yellow, brown
text is bigger and in the center

Cover 3:
-Main color is blue
- shows a human vital organs the ones that would be donated
Strange font interesting arrangement
-authors is small & there is no quote praising the Book
In the background is  trees, perhaps they symbolize  the woods" the ones they were scared.

Cover 4:
Main colors are yellow and blue
shows kathy H dancing to Never let it go
you can see her arms holding a baby
Symbolism
Author name is huge

3 out of 4 mention teethe man booker prize
and a quote saying how awesome the book

Blog # 9 Storytelling

https://www.ted.com/talks/tasos_frantzolas_everything_you_hear_on_film_is_a_lie

Tasos Frantzolas talks about how our brains are conditioned to embrace the the lies of sound in film. When watching a TV show or movie almost all of the sounds you hear are fake, aside from the dialogue that is. Oscar Wilde established the idea that all bad art comes from imitating life and being realistic, and great art comes from lying and deceiving telling beautiful untrue things. Sound effects er commonly used because real life sound effects can often sound inauthentic, and/or obtaining the real sound is impossible or out of the budget. So, sound engineers and music producers have to be very creative when creating a sound. A commonly used audio tool is reverberation. Reverb is the persistence of sound after the original sound has ended . It is used give information on the space around the sound. They use tools like reverb, silence, room tone, and off screen tones to give the audience more information. Audio has a lot of power. It can transport us geographically, change the mood, change the pace, make us laugh or it can make us scared.

Tasos Frantzolas utilizes Pathos and Ethos really well. In multiple instances he makes jokes to keep the audience interested. He also establishes credibility in a few ways. First by proving to the audience that they cannot tell the difference between the sound of bacon sizzling and rain. Secondly, by telling the audience that he is the owner of a sound production company.

I picked the talk due to my interest in movies and the film industry. I enjoy learning about the different aspects of filmmaking so the title really interested me. Plus, I'd recently watched a video by Nerdwriter1 (youtube channel) about how you see with your ears. The Ted Talk reminded me of the dichotomy of appearance vs reality. How we hear something and believe it to be what we see. But in reality the sound was created in a completely different way. Frantzolas also mentions how hearing a sound without knowing its source can create tension. This reminded me of the discussion we had in class the other day about how tension is created in literature.

New quarter, old me

whoops,
 golly,
guess i need a
 freebie

Assignment #7

Netflix Recommendations: Lady Macbeth

1) Mulan is a movie about a girl that choses to disguise herself as a man in order to go to war and protect her family and country. Along the way she meets a magical dragon named Mushu and falls in love. Lady Macbeth would recommend this show because she sees a bit of herself in Mulan. They both exist in a male dominated society but want to push the boundaries masculinity. We see this in Lady Macbeth's unsex me scene and when Mulan dresses up disguised as a man. There are also aspects of the supernatural, for example Mulan's ancestors ordered Mushu to convince Mulan to abandon her plan. This plays into Lady Macbeth's belief in the supernatural and their ability to change the future.

2) Agents of  S.H.I.E.L.D. is a show about a peacekeeping and spy agency in a world of superheroes. The show revolves around a team of shield agents, that deal with supernatural cases. Lady Macbeth would likely enjoy this show because of characters Melinda May and Grant Ward. Melinda May is one of the toughest shield agents on the show. Melinda May is also tortured by the fact that she killed a girl many years ago on a mission. She feels guilty and often thinks of how it could have been prevented. Lady Macbeth would enjoy the show because of the similarities between herself and Melinda May. Grant Ward is a cut throat agent, Melinda and Grant end up in a somewhat romantic relationship. Grant is very masculine in the sense that Lady Macbeth believes in Grant is powerful and confident in his decisions. Lady Macbeth would admire Grant and somewhat envy Melinda to be with such a masculine man.

3) Reign is a show about Mary, Queen of the Scots or Mary Stuart. Lady Macbeth  would enjoy this show because to her its #relatable. In this show Mary has to contend with changing politics and power plays. Obviously Lady Macbeth is going through a similar time because she aims to be Queen of Scotland and Macbeth and her are orchestrating their rise to power. Fun Fact: James VI of Scotland or James Stuart is the son of Mary, Queen of Scots. This is only fun if you remember some of Macbeth context.

4) How to get away with Murder is a legal thriller about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor. Early on in the show they accidentally murder someone, from then on they take steps to cover the evidence and that leads them down a rabbit hole of sorts. Lady Macbeth would not be able to keep herself from binging this show on Netflix. Not only because of the suspense driven plot, but also because she would be able to relate to how driven and determined they are to do well in school and to not get caught. Lady Macbeth would likely admire Analise's (the professor) strength and would appreciate the knowledge (albeit fictional) on how to get away with murder. 

Assignment # 6

whoops, today kinda snuck up on me. Alas, i will cash in my Freebie from the play.
Here's a cool 25-minute video that relates to the question of whether life is ruled by fate or destiny. https://youtu.be/RTNZDosUaBY 

Assignment #5

#IBMakingArt

The Art piece I selected was the Pilgrim's Badge of the Shrine of St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury. It dates back to 1350-1400. The Badge is made of Cast tin-lead alloy. The dimensions of the work overall are 3 1/8 x 2 1/2 x 1/8in. (7.9 x 6.4 x 0.3cm).

The badge was likely made and purchased during the mid 1300s in Canterbury, England. The badge shows the premier shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.Thomas Beckett was the Archbishop of Canterbury before he was murdered in 1170. He publicly disagreed with Henry II, King of England over the rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered by followers of the king in Canterbury Cathedral. Soon after his death he was venerated as a saint. His shrine became a pilgrimage site almost instantaneously. Throughout the Middle Ages Christians went on pilgrimages to be closer to God, fulfill a vow, expiate a crime, seek a miraculous cure, or to deepen one's faith.Badges like the one above were inexpensive souvenirs, and often made of impressed pewter. Pilgrim's badges were purchased by the faithful at holy sites as evidence of their journeys.

Assignment #4

 #5

“And, ma’am,” he continued, “the laundress tells me some of the girls have two clean tuckers in the week: it is too much; the rules limit them to one.”

“Julia Severn, ma’am! And why has she, or any other, curled hair? Why, in defiance of every precept and principle of this house, does she conform to the world so openly—here in an evangelical, charitable establishment—as to wear her hair one mass of curls?”

“Naturally! Yes, but we are not to conform to nature; I wish these girls to be the children of Grace: and why that abundance? I have again and again intimated that I desire the hair to be arranged closely, modestly, plainly. Miss Temple, that girl’s hair must be cut off entirely; I will send a barber to-morrow.”

“(T)hree other visitors, ladies, now entered the room. They ought to have come a little sooner to have heard his lecture on dress, for they were splendidly attired in velvet, silk, and furs. The two younger of the trio (fine girls of sixteen and seventeen) had grey beaver hats, then in fashion, shaded with ostrich plumes, and from under the brim of this graceful head-dress fell a profusion of light tresses, elaborately curled; the elder lady was enveloped in a costly velvet shawl, trimmed with ermine, and she wore a false front of French curls.”

Analyze the author’s use of irony in describing Mr. Brocklehurst’s family in the second passage. How does the author contrast this description with Mr. Brocklehurst’s lecture to Miss Temple to provide social commentary on perceptions of class during this time? 

The reader can sense a strong sense of irony as the author describes Mr. Brocklehurst's relatives. leading up to the description Mr.Brocklehurst tells Miss Temple to limit the amount of clothing given to them to one and to not allow natural curly hair because he desired "the hair to be arranged closely, modestly, plainly." He even says that the curly girl's hair should be cut off. Later Mr. Brocklehurst's relatives show up with curly hair and fashionable, expensive clothing( fur, velvet, silk). This is significant because it shows that Mr.Brocklehust is quite the hypocrite.For an added effect the author includes the following text,"They ought to have come a little sooner to have heard his lecture on dress".The author references the lecture that was given some paragraphs back to ensure that the irony was felt.
One could assume from the passage that the ones in power are not ethical and hypocritical. It seems as if Mr. Brocklehurst is mistreating the girls of the orphanage under the guise of doing what God intended. Because Mr. Brocklehurst dominated the conversation when speaking to Miss Temple, I would assume that women were not seen as equals to men. In the society that the author lived in, I would expect that there was a sizable gap between the wealthy and poor. Also, that the wealthy were very religious and used it as an excuse to do certain things.

Assignment #3

freebie

Assignment #1

Instructions: Provide a summary of your selected photograph that includes: - A connotative examination of the text (big picture- what do we "discover" by looking deeper?) Next, respond to the following: How do Wing Young Huie (in your selected photograph) and Margaret Atwood (in The Handmaid's Tale) present the concept of "othering" through  image, layout/format, language, and/or color? You may compare the two texts/approaches, contrast, or both.

*You might choose to consider one or more of the following:  stereotypes, popular culture, elections, legislation, public information, the diversity of audiences, use of style and register,  forms of bias, deliberate manipulation of audience, and the selection of text type*

Photograph Collection title: We are the other
Author: Wing Young Huie
Date:2012-2013
Place of Publication: http://www.wingyounghuie.com/p709406511   

At first glance, one can see an Asian barber cutting the hair of an African American male. There is a chalkboard placed on possibly an African American, if you look closely (or zoom in) you can tell that it reads "I am a fair-minded person. I wish the world would do the same!". Assuming that the African American wrote the sign, he might be referring to the prejudices that he and so many other minorities have experienced. One can tell that the photo is taken at a barber shop because the Asian male is holding some kind of electric shaver. He seems very focused and determined to do a good job. I drew this assumption due to the lack of an expression on the barber's face, and the have his fingers are placed on the man's forehead. There is also a sheet on the client's body to prevent hair from getting on his clothes. Also, the tiled ceiling and typical office like florescent lights give the appearance that they are in a building meant for work. The photo is black and white, one reason that Huie may have chosen to make it that way is to show that the color of one's skin should not influence what one thinks of another.

Attwood and Huie present the concept of othering by showing a representation of certain groups of people, for example, women and minorities. Othering is when an individual or group becomes mentally classified in somebody’s mind as “not one of us”.Ultimately I believe that humans naturally have an inclination to engage in othering, due to evolution.Othering can be subconscious, and other times it's grossly blatant. The government and politicians continue to find ways to make use othering as a tool.