1st Semester Reflection

English class this year has been much more challenging that any of my previous English classes. I have done a lot more reading and writing this year outside of class than I have in my high school career! I have enjoyed the small group and class discussions that we have had this year, especially the existentialism discussion! My vocabulary has certainly improved as has my reading comprehension. Perhaps my biggest improvement comes with thesis statements - I didn't learn how to write a proper one until this year!

I don't think that I have been frustrated by the concepts we have learned in class this year. However, I was frustrated by Shakespeare and Hamlet. I despise reading Shakespeare and even though I have read three plays by him now (all required for school), I still can't seem to enjoy his works. Besides that, I was frustrated in the beginning of the year by the amount of homework we were getting, but I have adapted!

Next semester, I hope to learn more about different forms of literature such as poetry. I also hope to read novels and nonfiction works written by authors who I have not read before. I hope to gain better writing skills and reading skills before I run off to college where, as an engineering major, I will take very few English classes.

Senior Year Update

One week. According to some people, I am overreacting and over stressing. Unfortunately I just can't help it. I want to know where I am going to spend the next four years of my life now. You could call me an impatient baby.

I guess the reason I am so nervous is because I (along with most people) have a fear of rejection. I get sick to my stomach when I think about the holistic review process - everything I have done these past four years is being judged. 

What makes it worse is that I made the mistake of looking back at my essays (Note: NEVER open your essays after you submit them. You don't want to try it.) In addition, in order to compensate for my lack of a strong application, I have been looking at past statistics so that I can feel better about myself. Yup, I give you permission to call me crazy.

As long as I don't get deferred (possibly the worst decision, in my opinion), I will be content. I poured my heart and soul (and brain) into these applications. I have no regrets. I just want to move on with my life towards bigger and better things - snowboarding, Senior Dinner Dance, graduation, traveling the world over summer break. Ah, but for now, all I can do is wait for one more week. I'll keep you guys apprised. 

Why I Hate Sarcasm

I hate sarcasm. Nothing makes me angrier than when someone responds jokingly to a serious question. People use sarcasm in order to try to appear as the class clown. Well, these jokes are not funny. In fact, sarcastic comments, in certain situations, can result in a fatality. 

Let me give you an example. Let us say that an actor was having a seizure in the middle of a play. You, being a doctor, ask the person next to you whether or not you should go and help. In turn, that person sarcastically says that there is no need to go and help as this is just part of the play. Unless you caught on to the sarcastic comments made by your neighbor, it is likely that the actor who was having a seizure could be seriously injured. This is why sarcasm should not be tolerated in society today - a small misunderstanding can be devastating.

Another reason sarcasm should not be tolerated is because of its effects on someone else's self-esteem. Let me give you another example. Let us say you are talking to your friend about the most recent chemistry test. Your friend thought he did poorly, and you did too. Instead of saying that you thought you did poorly, however, you sarcastically say that you thought the test was the easiest one yet! If your friend doesn't catch on to the sarcasm, this will really put a dent in your friend's self-esteem. Having a poor image of oneself is never a good thing.

Finally, sarcasm should not be used because it can give people invalid information. For example, if you ask a friend who killed JFK and the friend responds sarcastically that it was a conspiracy theory led by Lyndon B. Johnson, then you might not catch on to the sarcasm and believe that for the rest of your life. This incorrect piece of information will eventually spread to your children and close family, and will create a misconception that will make you look stupid until you are corrected. This ties back in to the self-esteem aspect. 

Oh, man. Don't you just love writing satires? ;)

The Plot Against America: A Review

The Plot Against America was an interesting read, possibly even the most interesting school-required readings I have completed to date. 

The story takes place in the 1940s in the United States. It is centered around Philip Roth (who is also the author), a boy who grows up in a Lindbergh-led America. Lindbergh defeated FDR for the presidency claiming that a vote for FDR was a vote for war. This seemed to work as all races voted for Lindbergh except the Jews. The Jews disliked Lindbergh due to his anti-Semitic speech that blamed the Jews for World War II. After his election, the story follows Roth's life and all the obstacles that he has to hurdle. Programs like the "Just Folks" and "Homestead 42" aim to help Jews assimilate to American culture (according to Lindbergh and his advocates), but are protested by Jews. I won't give too much more of the plot away - it's quite interesting.

*Beware, if you continue reading, there may be a few spoilers*

If there was downside of this story, it is that it did not live up to all of my expectations. I expected something dramatic to happen; maybe Lindbergh would set up concentration camps or help Hitler in his conquests. Maybe he would use the civilians army to attack Britain and make a dual-headed monster (with Germany) that controls the entire world. Unfortunately, though, all that happened was Lindbergh went missing and FDR regained the presidency. The plot was interesting and his writing style made me want to continue reading, but I think he could have come up with a much more exciting ending. Maybe Philip Roth, the author, was trying to get across a much bigger picture that I am not seeing right now, but I wish this story had a commercial-esque ending instead of a mysterious one that relied on the reader's inferences.

The Ultimate Smackdown: Fiction versus Nonfiction

"Fiction tries to run, but non-fiction is too fast!"
*smack*
"Ohhhhh, non-fiction had one good body slam right there. I think fiction might be out of this fight."
*one, two three*
"And that's the fight, ladies and gentlemen! Non-fiction prevails once again!"


This is what I think should ideally happen if fiction and nonfiction ever fight to see which one should be read more in primary and secondary school.  After reading an article on the Washington Post, I found that there are other people who have similar beliefs. Fiction is a fun read, one that is used to divert one's attention. Non-fiction is more difficult to read and it requires an attention span. Although  reading non-fiction is widely regarded to be more beneficial to one's intellectual development than reading fiction, students in grade-school read fiction more because of one simple fact - students don't have an attention span long enough to sit down for an extended period of time to analyze literature.

Now, I must say that older fiction and realistic fiction, for the most part, do have some value, but modern fiction is primarily useless as it is only written for commercial value. Take, for example, the Harry Potter Series. I love the series, but what did I gain from reading all the books? Nothing. There wasn't really a moral to the story and the text was simple to read: no difficult words, no phrases to ponder, etc. An even better example is Twilight. Absolutely no literary value. These books are very popular with today's youth (and yes, it is still better than watching TV), but they don't help us in any way.

As college approaches, students like us need to be well prepared to think about what we read. If non-fiction is not integrated into our curriculum, then more students will be left behind. Forget, NCLB; NCLB only focuses on the grade-school education, but it should be more farsighted and realize that those who read very little non-fiction will be impaired when they seek higher education.

Existentialism in Oedipus Rex

One day in class, we discussed how self-importance was a characteristic of existentialism. Well, after reading the first par of Oedipus Rex today, I can't help but to notice the selfishness that Oedipus Rex displays.

Take, for example, his talk with Kreon. Kreon claims that he is a sane man, so he would never want to take over he throne because it would result in a lot of stress. He wants to have extra freedoms, but he does not want to be overwhelmed by too much authority. Oedipus thinks that Kreon is trying to sabotage him so that he can win the throne. After all, it is hard to believe a seer who says that you killed your own father. Eventually, though, this conversation exposes how self-centered he is because he wants to banish Kreon from the kingdom without taking his story into account. His greed for power blinds him.

Another example is the discussion the priest had with the Oedipus prior to Kreon's arrival to the kingdom. Oedipus claims that he feels the pain and suffering much worse than every other citizen because he is the people's king. This isn't exactly vanity, but it shows that Oedipus lies in order to connect with his citizens. He is living a comfortable life in the palace, while all the average citizens are struggling to survive through the plague. Stretching the truth can relate to being selfish because it shows how he is trying to maintain a reputation so that he won't be overthrown as king.

My DI group discussed existentialism in Oedipus Rex and we all concluded that there are plenty of examples that show this philosophy. I guess Jean-Paul Sartre wasn't the first to invent existentialism. That honor goes to Sophocles.

The Horror of Thesis Statements

I've been writing thesis statements ever since sixth grade. Why, then, is it so difficult? Well, for starters, thesis statements aren't a plug-and-chug equation anymore. I can't just write "In [story name], the author conveys [theme] utilizing [literary device 1], [literary device 2], and [literary device 3]." Thesis statements incorporate much more now. For example, the short story analysis prompts ask specific questions that make the equation-like thesis statement invalid. Prompt 1 asks the writer to talk about the significance of the spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation to the story and to cite evidence to support the claim. Literary devices won't work in this thesis statement. A general theme of the story also won't work. Instead, one has to use a theme that discusses the significance of the spiritual reassessment and use evidence (instead of literary devices) for support.

Thesis statements are the source of many nightmares. I think it's simply because I am having to step out of my comfort zone and analyze the text. Before, themes used to be a short phrase; now they are long and specific to the story. Every action, every word spoken has to be looked at with a critical eye.

A poor thesis statement will result in a poorly written paper. Perhaps the importance of the thesis is why it's scary. I just can't grasp the concept that one sentence has to summarize the whole paper. If that one sentence is poorly written or does not incorporate enough detail, then the rest of the paper is useless.

Catch-22 Review

Catch-22 was an interesting novel, to say the least. The typical story is chronological and authors often introduce their characters in the beginning of the novel. Mr. Joseph Heller, the author, chose to defy these unwritten guidelines. He took a risk, and it worked.

Mr. Heller jumps around in the story, manipulating time every chance he gets. I was often confused and had to reread several passages so that I understood the passage. Additionally, Heller often throws characters into the book as if he's adding ingredients to a soup. It's all very random and they get mixed into the plot very quickly. Take, for example, Milo. Milo is a major force in the black market in this book and he pops into the story at random intervals. It's almost as if Heller is trying to confuse the reader.

As for Mr. Heller's motives in writing his book in this atypical way, I believe that he did so because he wanted to "stand out of the crowd". It's a cliched phrase, but I think that was one of his main motives. I also think that his ordering of the events and chapters was symbolic. He claimed that many people in the novel were insane, so, by organizing his chapters in a puzzling way, he made a point (accidental or not) that he fell under the same category.

Despite all of the confusing and contradictory situations in the novel, I do believe that Joseph Heller's Catch-22 is worth everyone's time. It is a dense read, and it requires a lot of outside thinking, but the story has a lot of themes that are applicable to our life today. The ubiquitous humor is also a plus.

Go Digital or Go Home? That is the question.

In AP Environmental Science this year, there were about 20 books fewer than there were students. Guess who was one of those 20 students luck enough to get a digital copy of the textbook instead? Yes, that's right: me.

Now before I go into more detail about implications of going digital, I would like to talk about my own personal reactions to the online software. 1) It's inconvenient. I see all of my classmates working on their homework whenever they get free time. They just flip to the page with the questions and then back into the chapter to find the answer. I, on the other hand, have to wait until I get home and then load two pages (for convenience): one with the questions and one with the chapter itself. Now, I would be fine with the online forum if it were not so difficult to navigate. The user interface has not been developed to a point where it is as easy to use as a textbook, where one simply just flips the page. Honestly, it's annoying having to jog your memory so often to remember what page a certain definition was on. In a book, I use pictures and other 'landmarks' to find where I need to look for the definition. So basically, I only have the one problem of inconvenience. I can't utilize my spare time at school or in the car to do my homework, and instead have to waste time at home to do so. Additionally, the interface is not nearly as user-friendly as a textbook.

Okay, now for other factors that play a major role in this possible switch. 1) Going digital will save millions of dollars. Okay, so this is a nearly impossible statement to argue. Saving millions of dollars is definitely worth the inconvenience. The money saved can be used to improve facilities and teacher education. In addition, the money can be used to buy tablets, which will allow students to work on assignments even when they're not at home! 2) Going digital will allow juveniles to become more familiar with technology. Okay, let's face it. The world economy is being dictated by advances in technology. If students remain complacent over using technology, then they will be left with the worst jobs in the market. Employers are looking for applicants who are comfortable with using certain software because it allows for better organization and more efficiency in the workplace. Students are forced to use online books will be better prepared for the job market. And lastly, 3) Going digital will allow students to be exposed to new resources that will promote a better learning experience. Even though the software I am using does not have interactive videos and additional information on certain topics, I have heard of softwares that do have such accessories. These addendums will allow students to better grasp the information because they can find answers to their questions very easily. 

Athough I do not like my online book, I do believe that with some time and funding it is possible to create a very easy and interactive interface that will promote a student's academic growth. Saving money, assimilation with technology, and enhanced resources will allow students to grasp content an perform better in class.

Communication

Honestly, I was way too tired to re-read "Hills Like White Elephants" at 11:30 PM last Tuesday night. I still had to finish my other homework and get a decent amount of sleep so that I wouldn't sleep through all of my classes the following day. Little did I know that this would be a very bad decision. 

"Hills Like White Elephants" is possibly the most confusing short story that I have read to date. Granted that I have read very few in my life span, I must say that this will always remain at the top of the list under the "Most Convoluted Short Story" category. Never before have I read a story with so many allusions, symbols, and implicit themes. I would have picked up on a lot of these elements if I had read a short background on the historical time period during which this story was written, but not doing so resulted in nothing more than utter confusion. 

How was I suppose to know what 'to let the air in' or 'everyone does it' refer to? To an uninformed reader, it could mean a multitude of things! I remember thinking of travel and adventure when I was reading the story. The phrasing is a bit odd, but 'to let the air in' made me think of breathing fresh air at a national park. I thought 'everyone does it' meant that everyone goes on intrepid journeys. The context was perfect too - the couple had their bags packed, they were at a train station, and they were discussing their future. The implicit theme that Hemingway placed in the story is beautifully crafted and only a diligent reader would understand all of his allusions.

The lesson that I am going to take from this experience is that it is always good to re-read a story when it is understood the first time. It will allow for better comprehension skills and will advance my critical thinking ability as well. I hope that I do not have to learn this lesson the hard way again - through confusion and frustration.

Characterization

Characterization is possibly the most important element in a text. Long after readers forget the plot of a story,  they still usually remember the characteristics of the main character. For example, when I was in seventh grade, I read "Cry, the Beloved Country". This novel expresses the touching relationship that a father and son have with each other. Honestly, though, I don't remember much more in the plot than that. I remember that the story took place in Johannesburg, South Africa during a time with the apartheid was still strong -that's about it, though! I do, however, remember the characteristics/personalities of the character. The father was a priest who was very sincere and caring. He tried to help as many people as possible and was very donated his time to the public very generously. The lawyer, the priest's brother, was very arrogant and materialistic. He showed no affection towards his brother and shooed him away because talking to him was a waste of time...

You get the point! The characters have made long lasting impressions on me, while the plot only was a temporary impression. I believe that authors usually write an interesting plot in order to buy the reader's attention and interest. Some authors even try to convey their themes through the plot. Most, however, rely on the actions of the characters to highlight a certain unifying idea. The characters add flavor to the text because they bring their personalities and their backgrounds, which adds diversity to the story. I believe that characterization is the most important element in a text because it is the vehicle through which the author completes all goals he wants accomplish through the novel.

Literary Devices in 'The Child by Tiger'

The Child by Tiger by Thomas Wolfe got me thinking about all the different literary devices that an author has in his/her arsenal. Similes, metaphors, diction, imagery, hyperbole, ambiguity, euphemism, deux es machina, en media res, flashback, foreshadowing... the list goes on and on!  All authors of literary fiction (and in some cases, commercial fiction) strive to convey a deeper meaning to the reader. This deeper meaning can be a moral or a theme, but it usually is present to allow the reader to view a certain topic from a different perspective. Take The Child by Tiger as an example. The last few paragraphs use a multitude of devices: allusion, ambiguity, and oxymoron (I'm probably missing a bunch!). These devices make the reader pass judgement on what he/she just read. Does the story have a meaning beyond what is superficial? Honestly, when I read Thomas Wolfe's work for homework, I read like a commercial fiction short story. I stormed right through it without taking time to contemplate all that the author had written. It was a mistake. After the discussion last class, I realize that this story was more about how attitudes change when certain actions are undertaken by a man from a different race. This story was set in the pre-civil war era and yet, even though I live in the modern era, I still was racist and biased against Dick Prosser. I did not bother to think about his background, but immediately blamed everything on him. It is sad that I thought this way (something that I've been trying to fix). I believe that Thomas Wolfe's goal with this short story was to make the reader realize that there are two facets in every person in society.

Books n' Stuff

Over the summer (during the 4 weeks that I was home), I spent my time reading many novels and magazines. Some of the novels that I completed this past summer include Unbroken, Thinking, Fast and Slow, and The Hunger Games. In addition, I regularly read The Economist and National Geographic. 

My favorite book was Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. This book on psychology compares to systems: System 1 and System 2. System 1 is instinctive and very spur-of-the-moment, while System 2 is deliberate and logical. These systems show the two modes of thought and gives examples to demonstrate how the two different systems are used. This book was very interesting because I had never read a book on psychology before. After reading this book, I gained new insight on the human mind and also gained a new perspective on decision-making. Whenever I make a decision now, I try not to be rash, yet not to overload my mind either by devoting an appropriate amount of time to each decision depending on the circumstances. Think, Fast and Slow also had many examples of previous studies and experiments. These studies and experiments showed me that the field of psychology has not been explored much. Many scientists are studying the human mind, but no one has gauged how amazing humans are. It made me think about studying psychology for my undergraduate degree. It was really interesting to note that the author has won a Nobel Prize for Economics. I wonder why he decided to write a book about the human mind...

In addition to reading books, I also read periodicals. I found The Economist and National Geographic to be very interesting. The Economist helped keep me up-to-date with international and national events. In addition, The National Geographic helped me keep in touch with my passion for Geography. I have always loved Geography, but I have not found a way to keep in touch with it since competing in the State Geography Bee in 7th and 8th grade. The magazine remedies most of the problem, but I still miss studying Geography (I just don't have enough time!).

Hopefully my short review of some books and periodicals will make you want to share your favorite novels/periodicals with me! Stay tuned for next week's blog. And remember- "Keep it classy, San Francisco"!

The End of the Beginning

Wow. I can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm a Senior. That's right. All my hard work in middle school and high school has led up to this: the finale of a great secondary education.

I moved to Lexington in fifth grade from a small rural town in eastern Kentucky. I attended Athens Elementary in fifth grade. Even in when I was fifth grade, I was exposed to many new opportunities that I would not have been aware of if I stayed in my old town. For example, in fifth grade, I joined Academic Team and won the OCOV Mayor's Cup and Superintendent's Cup with the rest of my team. Had I not come to Lexington, I would have never joined Academic Team and had an opportunity to win these competitions.

As middle school approached, I started branching out and making more friends. I joined new clubs that targeted my interests, such as Track & Field and Math Team. I loved all my teachers and classes. Most importantly, I made sure to enjoy my three years at this school because I knew that everything would become a lot harder when I entered high school. I would have to grow up, which was an alien idea for a twelve year old.

High school came and hit me. Hard. I never received more than half an hour of homework a day in middle school. I had time to go to as many after school activities as I wanted, and still have time to go outside for a couple of hours. The concepts of stress and time management were foreign to me. After my first week at Henry Clay High School, I knew that I had to focus. I needed to become organized and learn the art of time management. I needed to mature fast. It turns out that freshman year was going to be the easiest year of my secondary education. Little did I know..

I transferred to MSTC as a sophomore. Wow. Compared to Henry Clay, Dunbar was college. By the time I had transitioned, sophomore year was done. I was not able to hit the ground running that year. It was by far the worst year of school to date. I hadn't made many friends in my MSTC class at the end of sophomore year either. Most of the MSTC students had already made their own cliques and I felt like I was always the odd one out. I was always with the "leftover" group in labs and I didn't have any friends to call to answer my questions. Then came Junior year. Most of friends were from the MSTC class of 2014. I thought that I would continue to talk to them more than the people in my class. Unfortunately, I found that I had very few classes with the underclassmen. I was disappointed. I thought it would be a long, mundane year again. I was starting to regret that I ever transferred to Dunbar. Surprisingly, some of the groups opened up to me and allowed me to join in on the friendship. I had study buddies. I felt comfortable with my MSTC Junior-only classes. I felt invited. It was almost like I was back at Henry Clay with all my childhood friends. I decided that I could not wait for Senior year.

Senior year has arrived. College applications are going to be tedious and aggravating. My classes are going to be difficult. I am going to confined in high school for another year (compared to the freedom in college). But Senior year doesn't just come with negatives. It has a bright side too! In fact, the good side outweighs the bad side BY FAR. I'll be with my friends for another year. I have the best teachers. I get to enjoy the rewards of working hard in high school when college decisions are mailed back. I get to relax and forget standardized exams. I can drive to any place I want. And most importantly, I can sleep in when zero hour is canceled (trust me, zero hour is rarely canceled for underclassmen).

I can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm looking forward to school. I have come a long way since I first moved to Lexington. I have matured, both emotionally and physically. I feel like I'm ready to conquer the world. Why? Because I'm a Senior.