Farewell AP Englishers

Dear Journal,

I write this as my bitter-sweet feelings surface from the thought of departing this classroom and school for that matter in less than one week. I will never forget my first day of AP English junior year, when Ms. Serensky passed out the classroom syllabus with the oxen on it. She asked for volunteers to describe the metaphor implied by this clip-art. Everybody, in some form or another said that it foreshadowed a heavy work load, causing us to feel weak and vulnerable. Flashing back to that moment, "heavy work-load" was an understatement. Not only were the class assignments and reading very difficult, but for some reason, this year we all decided to carry the class as extra baggage in our lives outside of Ms. Serensky's class. For example, at my friend Sammi's all-girl cookie-exchange party over winter break, we (girls in AP english) found ourselves debating over characters in the book "Othello" and how it compared to the play we watched downtown. Sammi,who takes Honor's English, along with Molly Stancik, finally started angrily shouting at us and telling us that, "After all guys, this IS winter break, a time where we DON'T talk about anything related to school". Following that mini-eruption, Tina shrieked and said she had just realized that she forgot to write her blog that was due at midnight that night. That caused another uproar among the AP-Englishers present because then most of us soon realized that we, too, had forgotten to blog. Instead of just taking the hit of a single bad grade, like most other normal high schoolers would have done, we all just had to take turns on Sammi's computer and wrote our blogs, one by one, before midnight. I think this moment really says a lot about the true, determined character we have built throughout these past two years. However, most of all, it shows the profound respect we all have for our teacher because we were all afraid to "let her down". This is because despite the grueling tasks she made us do all year, their difficulty has really taught us the value of hard work and determination. And the Importance of Being Earnest.

Fondly,
Meghan


yes, we were matching that night.

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Take AP English

1). You can argue with your classmates, however in a constructive manner.
2). The seats are situated in a circle, so you can see everybody's cheerful faces, especially your twin's.
3). The posters in the classroom are quite intriguing. Especially the one about the pigeons. I won't reveal the message, because it is important to read the life-changing statement for yourself.
4). The books we read are for the most part entertaining, causing heated classroom debates, which bring energy into the classroom.
5). There was not a mid-term exam. Instead, we blogged each week about a topic of our choice and presented them on exam day. This reduced a lot of stress during finals week.
6). Everything we do in class has a purpose. There is no such thing as busy work, unlike the rest of the classes in this school.
7). The sophisticated style of writing that we learned will prove as a very beneficial skill in college.
8). Ms. Serensky's wit keeps us entertained. It especially surfaces when she makes fun of the dream-team.
9). It is allowed to talk during class without raising your hand.
10. Our hands are very fit and in shape because of all the writing exercises we do.


Flashback of Alex and Thomas in 3rd grade English:

Algernon: Literary criticism is not your forte, dear [Meghan](3).

Amy: I'm starting to worry about [her] taking too much time(207).

Algernon: It might make [her] very unwell(42).

Othello: That's strange (4.2.11)

Amy: Maybe [she] is broken (204).

Algernon: When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me (41).

Amy: I'm reminded by her grim expressions of just how serious that is (210).

Othello: 'Tis monstrous (2.3.216).

Algernon: Oh! [I Agree] It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't(4).

Algernon: Bring me that cigarette case (4)

Amy: No (211).

Algernon: Well, I don't like your clothes. You look perfectly ridiculous in them (30).

Amy: Did I hear you correctly? (88).

Algernon: [silent, observing meghan]

Amy: [Anyways] it's her who's the zombie (204).

Narrator: The Proctor indicates that the time is up.

Othello: I here engage my words(3.3.458).

Othello: News friends! [Their] wars are done (2.1.199)

Quality of Life

Reading "Everything Matters!" this year was undoubtedly a life-altering experience for me. I learned many important lessons, which I can use throughout my life. First of all, before even reading the novel, the exercise Ms. Serensky made us write about what we would all do if we knew the world was going to end at age 35. We all wrote our papers with our life dreams and locations of where we would ideally want to spend the rest of our lives. I decided I would move to San Diego after graduating college and train my kids to be bilingual and professional surfers. During our discussion, Ms. Serensky said, "All of these things are possible, so why don't you just do them regardless [of your knowledge of the world's projected date of obliteration]".

Then it hit me. I wondered why I would only "live life to the fullest" if I knew the date of the world's end. I concluded that this novel really emphasizes the importance of "quality" of life over "quantity". I would define "quantity" as years of life wasted by going through the motions and ignoring one's problems rather than facing them. For example, after John Sr. asks Debbie to stop drinking, she says, "Why?"(156). Here, she denies she has a serious problem and refuses to face treatment. This shows that she is living a miserable life, and is incapable of facing reality. Another example of this is when Amy decides to move away from her seemingly ideal life with a husband and dog living in beautiful California. She bitterly mutters, "The only thing I'll miss is the dog"(201). Here, Currie indirectly characterizes her as desirous for positive change in her life which evokes pathos of admiration in the empathetic audience.

Therefore, why not live in California and teach my children to be bilingual and professional surfers? If that is what seems enjoyable and will make me a satisfied, happy individual, I have no objection to that lifestyle. I believe Americans today are too caught up in living the idealistic life with an abundance of money and material possessions, and ignore the simple pleasures in life. They need to realize that "Anything, anything, anything, is possible"as Ron Currie, Jr. emphasizes throughout his award-winning novel.

Yes, this is my future child:

My Top Ten (In no particular order)

1). Seeing Ms. Serensky on the highway during winter break of junior year. I thought, "Have mercy on me!"(Shakespeare, 92). I started freaking out because I thought that maybe I forgot to put my name on my paper and she was literally hunting me down for it, but as soon as I made eye contact with her, she simply burst out laughing.

2). Committing to Colgate University and receiving an athletic scholarship made me finally feel as if I were "in a state resembling happiness"(Currie, 196).

3). Spending two weeks in Cadiz, taking spanish classes and living in Charro Bastrecche's lovely home with the one and only Jilian Ertel in the summer of 2010. We had a few language-barrier mishaps along the way. For example, when attempted to tell her she felt embarrassed but instead said, "estoy embarazada" which means "I am pregnant". We knew we needed to get the dictionary out after seeing Charro's jaw drop to the floor. I'm sure she was thinking, "please stop trying to confuse me"(Currie, 131)

4). Getting an "A" on my Angela's Ashes paper. After all, it "[was] a tedious difficulty, I think"(Shakespeare, 71).

5). Performing the final project and authentic African dance for AP English 11 with Jillian, Lizzie and Jackie. I was very nervous before. " I hate crowds"(Wilde, 37).

6). Receiving all A's in my advanced-level spanish class through the Mundolengua program in Cadiz, Spain. After noting that this grade would not help my high school transcript in any way, my mother still proudly remarked, "[This] matters, too"(Currie, 299).

7). After sitting in a lower-level English class at the University of Richmond during my recruiting trip, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy this class seemed compared to AP English 12. I was also somewhat bored by their flat, non-energetic class discussion. I thought sarcastically to myself, "what a lesson!"(Wilde, 26).

8). The day I was forced to speak 24 hours of Spanish. I had a great deal of fun confusing my teachers and classmates all day long, even though at times I thought, "It is impossible to bear it out"(Shakespeare, 30).

9). The day we went to see the Othello play. Although it "is very painful for me to be forced to speak the truth", I was truly pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it very much (Wilde, 40).

10). Switching seats with Jackie in Mr. Ricci's class. He failed to realize this until the bell rang, and our class started laughing and he replied something along the lines of, "I'm always willing to consider the possibility that I'm a fool"(Currie, 145).

So Short, Yet So Enjoyable

Although I do not enjoy poetry at all, the poem "This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams really caught my attention because it reminds me of something I would do in the face of food temptation. As many of my friends know, I am constantly eating. When I am hungry I get very grouchy and unpleasant, so often times I do not mind stealing from my family's refrigerator even if somebody labeled their name on it. People like my mother think "It is so silly" of me to act this way, but honestly, when I am hungry, I could care less (Wilde, 17). On the other hand, however, when somebody in my family eats the food I have carefully labeled for myself, I become very irritated and "I think it is most ill-natured of [them]"(15). I will scream and yell, "how idiotic you are!"(15). Didn't you see my name labeled clearly on the container? And then they scream back in my face and tell me that I am a huge hypocrite. I just accept it, because personal humility sometimes can usually take a back seat to my ingestion of delicious food. Go ahead and try to verbally rip me apart. I dare you. When I am on a mission to enjoy my favorite foods, I will ignore you until I have eaten the last morsel.

Therefore, I feel like this poem has my name written all over it. The lighthearted and careless tone creates pathos of admiration for the speaker, because he or she has described an instance in a straightforward, yet enjoyable manner, rather than straying from the purpose and giving unnecessary information.

Favorite Day in AP English

A week or so ago...

Today, I woke up and just knew it would be a great day. First of all, my dog (Foster) never pays any attention to me, and usually prefers to play with my other family members. In fact, he has not once slept in my bedroom at night, but takes turns sleeping in Britt's, Stacey's, or Jakie's room. This unkind gesture deeply hurts and offends me, but I will spare the blog world the depressing details of my pathetic feelings. However, this morning, a revelation occurred. I was awakened by Foster, wagging his tail and licking my nose. At first, I was in disbelief, but then I realized, maybe today is just The Day. Driving to school, Jackie and I were laughing with each other, not screaming at each other for a change.

I then arrived to Ms. Serensky's AP English 12 class with a giant grin on my face. Nothing caused this grin, I had it just because I was finally "in a state resembling happiness"(Currie, 196). I sat down in my seat, next to the infamous Thomas Donley, my very own writing partner. He was indeed wearing pastel shorts with sperrys, a pink button-down collared shirt with a few of the top buttons undone. He only saves his savvy glasses for special occasions, so of course he was rockin' them today. Because "my first impressions are never wrong", it dawned on me that he was dressed up for his lacrosse game (Wilde, 34). The cheeky comments from Ms. Serensky just began pouring in and I could not stop laughing. She began her "Dear Journal" impressions which indeed lightened the mood of the stressful enviornment the English room usually has. Thomas then whispered over to me, "Hey Megs, nice sperrys". I looked down at both of our feet, and yes, we had almost identical-looking shoes on. I guess this moment bonded our relationship, because he went on to tell me, "Our love and comforts should increase/Even as our days grow"(Shakespeare, 2.1, 90-91). I know that our days of school are waning and most of us seniors are trying to savor these last high school moments, but never in a million years did I expect Mr. Thomas Donley to say such a thing to me after simply realizing that we have similar taste in shoes.

Oh how I would have loved to read his "Dear Journal" entry for that day.

Reggie's Revelation

Lane: Sir, I just made your bomb for you. It is sitting on the kitchen counter.

Reggie: "That's very kind"(111). Thank you so much.

Lane: "I do my best to give satisfaction, sir"(18).

Reggie: I've been meaning to ask you, Lane, why have you been such a loyal servant to me for all of this time?

Lane: Well, your condition is very depressing. I pity you. Meningitis is a horrid disease. Want to go to the bar and get a drink? I feel as though we need to get out of this house for a change.

Reggie: Why do you want to take me out of the house all of a sudden? Do you want to parade me around because I look like a freakshow? Do you think I'm your "pet ni****" or something? "Buy Reggie a drink and its affirmative action night."
Lane: So this is how you repay me for how nice I have been for all of these years? Treat me as though I have done nothing for you all this time?

Reggie: Yes, in fact I have some other things to tell you. But first, what is your take on marriage?

Lane: "I have only been married once". "And that, was in consequence of a misunderstanding between myself and a young person". I have not seen her in ages. Sometimes, I wonder of her whereabouts.

Reggie: Well, here goes. I'm gonna get real weird this. Could that misunderstanding be the fact that until now, you did not know that your wife is now in prison for selling me the materials necessary for me to make my bomb?

Lane: "No, sir. It's not a very interesting subject.

Reggie: So, you don't care that your wife is a criminal?

Lane: Well, "I never think of it that way". I believe that she can do as she pleases because it gives me more alone time.

Reggie: In that case, what are we waiting for? Lets get to the bar. I've set us up with some hot chicks.

Even the Poster Lashes Out

Dear Amy,

I write to you even though it has been years since we last talked, but right now you are the only one I feel comfortable expressing my emotions to.
I cannot even begin to describe how miserable my day has been. First off, while walking into school on this couldy day, the pigeon on the poster in Ms.Serensky's room came to life and pooped on my head. "Eat sh** and die", I muttered to this horrible creature (209). First and second period blurred by, and I found myself in Ms. Serensky's 3rd period AP English 12 class once again. As soon as I sat down, Ms. Serensky walked up to me and started cackling. She began to scream in my face and asked how I could POSSIBLY be sitting in the wrong seat when it has been assigned for an entire quarter. I just sunk down into my seat because I was in no mood to argue after staying awake for days, desperately trying to find a cure to my father's cancer. "My insides feel raw and hollow"(179). I need to eat something immediately or else I will pass out. Ms. Serensky then announced that it was time to turn in money for our new books. I handed her a $20 bill and she then asked me, "So the world now revolves around you?" just because I did not have the EXACT change (Ms. Serensky). I just had no energy to reply so I accepted this low-blow. "God help me, I'm actually starting to feel beholden to the son-of-a-bi***(178). Amy, please call me. I need to feel your warm embrace and I know you will somehow be able to put a smile on my face after this wretched day.


Warmly,
Junior

One Moment Can Change your Life Forever

Dear Junior,

It is summer right before my junior year of High School. I am currently sitting at the Chagrin Valley Recreation Center, my place of employment. There are several incoming seniors who have already experienced their AP English 11 journeys and I am asking them what I should expect and what to focus on in my summer reading book. This book, "Lucky" is currently in my hands,waiting to be opened for the first time.

What a coincidence it is that you have the same name as my most pivotal class in High School-my "Junior year" English class, otherwise known as "AP English 11". The voice in your head which informs you of future events in time seems to have a striking similarity to my the words of my wise co-workers' advice. They tell me, "you need to make sure that you annotate your summer reading and take very detailed notes". I respond, already intimidated, by saying, "Please stop trying to confuse me"(213). "I have no idea what "annotate" means. Is this some sort of sick joke? I mean, I always expect the worst"(244). They then go on to tell me that I will be very scared of Ms. Serensky upon my arrival in her classroom the first day. But not to worry, because at first, "she tolerates [everybody], but nothing more"(277). They then advise me to stick with the class, no matter how challenged and confused I may feel, because it will all be worth it in the end, somehow.

As the year progresses, my in-class writing skills remain mediocre. However, as soon as the AP test occurs, the lightbulb in my head finally flips the necessary "on" switch and I realize that "anything, anything, anything is possible"(302). I realize that this has been one of the best decisions I have made in high school thus far. The single moment I decided it was time to challenge myself and take this grueling class significantly changed my educational life for the better.

The Absurdity of our School

Lately, I have begun to feel quite suffocated by the way our school is run. I believe that we students, especially seniors, deserve much more freedom than we that amount what are allowed. For example, today during commons, I was studying for a test which happened to be the following period. I realized that I did not have the necessary book, so I quickly left the cafeteria in a swift power-walk to my locker in order to save as much time as possible. However, behind me, I heard Mrs. E yelling "JAAAACKIE, JAAAACKIE". I knew right away that she was talking to me because she never has been able to tell us apart. Each time she sees either one of us, we are both referred to as "Jackie". I

guess this method of attempting to tell us apart is easier than the Meghan or Jackie guessing game? Although it was probably disrespectful of me to continue walking down the hallway, I was, after all, in a very big hurry to get to my locker. She finally caught on and realized that my name is Meghan and said, "Oh. Meghan, Im sorry honey, but you cannot leave without a hall pass". Inside, I was screaming. First of all, I have never in my 3.75 years at CFHS have been stopped in the hallway for not carrying a pass. Second, I am almost eighteen years old. Why can't I not be trusted to walk about 100 feet down the hallway to my locker? She then forced me back into the commons and made me wait for the bell to ring in ten minutes. I did not have the time nor patience to obey this rule, so I quickly went to the bathroom in order for her to wait to turn her back. Once she turned her back, I took off running and reached my locker in about thirty seconds without her noticing me.

Looking back on that moment, I laugh thinking about how sneaky I had to be in order to enable myself to study for a difficult upcoming test. It makes me realize how little trust most of the administrators have in the students. Does anybody feel the same way?

My Inspiration

With lacrosse pre-season already in full-swing, I can hardly contain my excitement for the first game and the rest of the season. Our favorite assistant coach from last year, K.C White is now our head coach. She brought with her Coach Gus, a new, odd, yet energetic and optimistic assistant varsity coach. Beginning monday, their coaching quote for the week is "pain is fear leaving the body". This quote exemplifies our grueling conditioning and muscle soreness as a result of our hard work. However, none of us have experienced as much pain and setbacks as Coach White.

She was born with Cystic Fibrosis (CF),an inherited disease that causes thick, sticky mucous to build up in the lungs and digestive tract. It is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in children and young adults, and may result in early death. This mucous builds up in the breathing passages of the lungs and in the pancreas, the organ that helps break down and absorb food. This collection of sticky mucous results in life-threatening lung infections and serious digestion problems. Millions of Americans carry the defective gene but do not have any symptoms, It is the most common, deadly, inherited disorder affecting caucasians in the United States.

Each day, Coach White spends about three hours on a machine which vibrates her lungs to loosen up the mucous build-up. She lives a life of uncertainty, not knowing when there will be a cure, or how much longer she has to live. Her positive outlook on life has really impacted me. She really puts life in perspective for me, because I often take my life for granted and fail to realize how lucky I am to be healthy.

Nerves

As I sit in the hotel room in Massilon on my coach's laptop, my mind cannot concentrate on anything besides swimming. This weekend will reflect my entire life of hard work and dedication to this brutal, yet rewarding sport. My mind is on autopilot, similar to the poem we studied today in class- "Out of Sight, out of Mind". I am constantly thinking, "drink some water, shave my legs, stretch my shoulders, eat a power bar" in a rythmic pattern in order to prevent myself from becoming incredibly stressed out. The more systematically I think, the more I will be able to push out my dramatic emotions and think logically. This idea is very similar to an audience and purpose of today's poem. The author speaks to those who act on their heartfelt emotions, and encourages them to make decisions and think more from a logical and mindful standpoint. If I acted on my emotions right now, I would probably curl up in a ball and cry out of nervousness. So, thank you group one for indirectly helping me prevent a nervous breakdown.

Although I am about to rip my (leg) hair out...

College preparation.
Less Time.
Papers Win.

Some Days You're the Bird, Some Days You're the Statue

I always find myself staring at this poster in Ms. Serensky's classroom, and I equally enjoy this message each and every time I read it. So, I came up with a list of how you know when you are living your day as the bird, and another list of how you know you are living your day as the statue. Feel free to comment with additions to the list!

You Know You're The Bird When...
1). In class you rudely cut someone off during the discussion and do not feel bad about it.
2). You glance over at your writing partner's graded poetry paper and nonchalantly shove yours in their face showing them you got a higher score.
3). You make the blog banter.
4). Ms. Serensky comments on your comment during a discussion.
5). Ms. Serensky praises your blog banter theme song

You know you're the statue when...
1). You forget to do turnitin.com
2). Someone steals your best point during the discussion.
3). You are belittled and ridiculed about your pathetic attempt at a blog banter theme song.
4). You walk into the classroom and see the journals sitting anxiously on your desk.
5). On the calendar you see the words Data Sheet Due

Mother Kills Two Children for Being "Mouthy"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41319561/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

How many of us "talk back" to our parents or say something they deem "disrespectful"? If some people say they do not then they are definitely lying. It is teenager's second nature to question authority and challenge the status quo. First, "talking back" is a term used very very commonly by many parents in the average argument in a typical American household. I feel as though this term is made up by parents for them to assert their "authority" over the younger ones. For example, today, when I forgot to clean the dinner dishes, my Dad stomped up into my room and demanded why I did not do my chore. I simply replied (without an attitude of course), "I'm sorry Dad, but I forgot". He then proceeded to yell at me for "TALKING BACK". This tends to happen a lot in my house with me and the rest of my siblings. And every time, I find myself scratching my head with confusion. Does my Dad not want me to respond? Because If I do respond, I will be "talking back". However, if I do not respond, that would be "disrespectful". What is a kid to do when they're damned if they do and damned if they don't?

This article included shocked me and definitely makes me begin to watch what I say to my parents, because apparently, this mother of two from Tampa "was your average housewife and soccer mom who loved spending time with her family and neighbors". This description probably describes about 75% of our mothers. So, this blog post is a warning to all of you disrespectful back-talkers out there. Wear a bullet-proof vest even when you're blogging just in case your mom decides to get revenge for all of those times when you questioned her authority.

"La Amistad"

Hoy, en la clase de Espanol AP, discutimos sobre la relevancia de nuestros amigos. For all of you non-spanish speakers of the blog world, the previous sentence means, " Today in AP Spanish, we discussed the significance of our friends". Mrs. Fahey then proceeded to ask us, "como describes un amistad de mucho valor?" Or, "what does friendship mean to you?" I thought about it for a while, and I realized that in today's world, the word "friend" seems to be used pretty loosely. We then discussed how many "friends" we each have on facebook. I could not think of a concrete number at that moment, so tonight I did a little investigating. I thought, hmm, maybe I have around 400-500 friends? I then logged on and my jaw immediately dropped. 907 friends. Nine-hundred and seven. NINE-HUNDRED AND SEVEN. I became slightly alarmed. I then began browsing my friend list, and came across people who I do not even know, or have never met in person. The fact that they have full access to my profile, pictures, and conversations (not like I am trying to hide anything), scares me because I feel personally invaded. However, on the other hand, I am equally as guilty for "creepin hard-core". While I struggle to find topics to blog about, or how to start my AP Stats homework, for example, I sometimes find myself mindlessly clicking through the pictures on someone's profile who I do not personally know. So, today, I decided to do something about this vicious cycle. I went through my friend list and deleted those who I have never personally talked to, nor care if they appear in my newsfeed. However, I am only on the 100th friend or so. This might take longer than I expected...

Thoughts on the Blog

Although I usually forgot to complete the blog assignments until about 11pm before the due date, I enjoyed doing the blog assignments for the past weeks. It provides a way for those students in the classroom who may not always be able to get a word in during in-class discussions. This way, I have learned much more about their personalities and perspectives on AP English 12. I also liked the freedom of the ability to choose what we write about because it allowed for diversity and humor. The blog banter stresses me out, though, because when I am not on it (which is most of the time) I become frustrated and wonder why I cannot be as creative or intelligent as my fellow classmates seem to always be. I definitely love how the blog assignments make up our mid-term exam grade, providing for a less-stressful exam period on thursday. However, I did not like how two blogs were due each week. If there was only one, I would be able to put more time and effort into it and maybe even make Bobbi Jo's Banter. Overall, I feel like this was a positive experience and a nice change from the typical english writing assignments and helped me reflect more about the class.

My Nut Allergy

As long as I can remember, I have been allergic to tree nuts. These include walnuts, pecans, almonds, and pine nuts. However, nobody believes me. Even though when I accidentally eat them when they are slipped into a brownie or cookie, for example, and my lips swell up and my throat and tongue become incredibly itchy, everybody still thinks I'm lying. I do not deserve this maltreatment. HOW CAN THEY KNOW IF I'M ALLERGIC OR NOT? ARE THEY THE ONES WHO EXPERIENCE THE UNBEARABLE ITCHING OF MY ENTIRE MOUTH? NO! Tonight, my Mother sprinkled roasted pine-nuts in the salad she made for dinner. I politely said, "I'm going to chipotle because I cannot eat this salad". She then become very angry and said that I am not allergic, I just don't "like" nuts and am too much of a picky eater. Then my family began yelling at me and telling me how I just "over react" when I accidentally eat this poison, and need to stop complaining about it. I never thought I would say this, but I am the only sane one in my household. Their complete ignorance and lack of compassion appalls me. All of the mental insanity analysis that we have been doing in AP English 12 has influenced me to research into certain aspects of mental illness. Tonight, I chose phobias. Therefore, I am convinced that my family all has agateophobia, which means that they all are frightened of being wrong. I did a little research and found some very interesting phobias on phobialist.com. This website will diagnose any fear imaginable. Some examples include:
1).Allodoxaphobia- Fear of opinions.
2). Angrophobia - Fear of anger or of becoming angry
3). Caligynephobia- Fear of beautiful women.
4). Doxophobia- Fear of expressing opinions or of receiving praise.
5). Helminthophobia- Fear of being infested with worms.

Looks May Be Deceiving

http://www.posters.ws/images/275311/leonardo_dicaprio.jpg

This photo is one of Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie "The Titanic". In that movie, he portrays a sweet, caring young man who falls in love with Rose. I watched this movie a few days ago, and became very jealous of Rose. Why couldn't Leonardo fall in love with me? He is the most good-looking actor in Hollywood, if you ask me. Before monday, I had never seen "Shutter Island", but from watching the commercials and listening to my friends discuss the "creepiness" of it, I expected this film to be a horror movie instead of the psychological thriller it really is. Once Ms. Serensky turned on the movie on Monday, I was very pleased to see Leonardo Dicaprio call himself the "Marshall". I thought to myself, "So HE will undoubtedly be the hero of this movie, and take down the bad guys". Throughout the movie, I became very frustrated with the uncooperative staff members and their apparent reluctancy to give Teddy (Leonardo) the proper information for him to successfully solve the case. Despite the strange visions and apparent hallucinations that he has throughout the movie, I failed to infer that he is really a paranoid schizophrenic. This is because in movies, I, along with many others, tend to root for the narrator because from their point of view, their opinions usually seem to be the most logical. His drop-dead gorgeous looks also may play a role in my ignorant assumption also. "Shutter Island" does an excellent job portraying how it really is to be a paranoid schizoprenic. Therefore, what I have learned from this is to have more empathy for those suffering from mental illnesses, because in their minds, mostly everything appears to be real and they have much difficulty distinguishing reality versus fantasy.

The Last Hurrah of Winter Break

I just got home from the University School vs. St. Ignatius hockey game. I never thought that a hockey game would remind me of AP English, but of course it did somehow. After the first two periods, the US preppers were loosing by 3 goals, and from the looks of it, St. Ignatius was completely dominating this game. I am a pretty pessimistic person when it comes to sports teams making a comeback because I never want to get my hopes up and disappoint myself. I was almost positive US would lose. However, I decided to stay at the game to watch the last period and be a good girlfriend anyway. I am very glad I stayed because in the 3rd period, US looked like a completely new team, as they were refreshed and ready to play hard. They had two minutes to tie up the game and get out of their 2 goal deficit. I couldn't watch. However, they remained calm, kept their composure and did what they had set out to do: take this game into overtime. The energy of the stands was electrifying and as the puck dropped for the sudden death, it dawned on me. This is exactly how I feel when I do timed writings in English class. The pressure builds up inside of me and looking around, the faces of my peers tense up and their feet begin tapping when Ms. Serensky says, "5 minutes left!!" For a second, I felt as if I was having to write my third paragraph and conclusion in the 5 minutes, like usual. Then, I snapped out of it. "THIS IS NOT A TIME TO BE THINKING ABOUT ENGLISH", I muttered to myself. I looked at the people surrounding me, and they, too, had tense-looking faces and were stomping instead of tapping their feet in frustration and nervousness. US WON THE GAME! Everybody was screaming and jumping for joy. I smiled and thought to myself, "never in a million years did I expect this to happen".
Looking back on that moment, which only happened an hour or so ago, I realize that I should be more optimistic in pressure situations, whether it be during a hockey game or an in-class writing. It is too much of a waste of energy to psych ones self out when the outcome is still unknown!

The Affect AP English Has On My Mother

As winter break winds down, and the year 2011 begins , I have reflected much about how much AP English 12 has become a large part of my life. However, this morning, it hit me like a head-on train. I woke up to the sound of my Mom waking me up for swim practice. This time, she not only yelled at me to get out of bed because she was afraid that Jackie would hit me, but she sat on my bed and asked if I wanted to hear about the nightmare she had last night. I rolled my eyes and said with my eyes still closed, "Surrre, Mom. Tell me. I'm sure it's VERY interesting." She first asked me if I smoke marijuana. I became a little angry due to this very false accusation and asked her why she would ask such a thing. And then she began telling me about her nightmare and said, "I woke up at 4am because this dream seemed very real. It all started when Ms. Serensky called me on my cell phone and asked me if I was aware that you come to class under the influence of marijuana on a daily basis. She then accused me of being a negligent mother because I failed to notice your chronic problem. Ms. Serensky then suggested that you should start a journal to express your reasons for smoking so much, and then she offered to analyze it and help make a detox plan". My jaw dropped. I was speechless for a moment and then burst out laughing. Only would my AP English teacher come up in my MOTHER'S dream. For the record, though, I DO NOT do drugs. I am above the influence, but I am glad that Ms. Serensky expressed her concern for me in my Mom's nightmare.