After carefully monitoring her grades throughout the semester and struggling to put full effort into each of her projects and all of her completed homework, an overachieving student destined for the Ivy Leagues finds herself facing a major obstacle. Although she had studied the night before, the multiple-choice test resting upon her desk that glared back at her now seemed to mock her, eating away any focus she could create. Racing thoughts of college, parents, teachers, counselors…too many thoughts cluttered her mind with each passing minute being pounded into her ear by the ticking of the clock against the wall behind her. She could not fail this test, she could not get a B, she could not upset her parents, and she could not give up her chance at a potential college. So many factors depended on whether or not she shaded a circle marked “A,” “B,” “C,” or “D.” Willing to sacrifice just a bit of integrity in order to save her future life plans, she glances to the tattered piece of paper in her pocket and mindlessly fills in the bubbles as if reading an instruction manual.
Archive for month: January, 2009
In this “new era of responsibility,” President, Barack Obama, has explained the personal engagement needed to solve the nation’s problems through his Inaugural Address. With an ailing economy, weakening school systems, and energy crisis, followed by numerous disasters and emergencies, he brought to attention the troubled state the nation has fallen into. With this awakening, he brought hope, however, introducing his ideas to help and the new responsibilities each citizen should carry out.
“Certain tasks … cannot be accomplished by volunteers showing up occasionally or contributing a few hours a week,” writes The New York Times, reflecting Obama’s ideas. Opportunities to serve the community need to be expanded, and plans for doing so have been introduced. Democrat of Massachusetts, Edward Kennedy, and Orrin Hatch, Utah Republican, have introduced their Serve America Act to the Senate, an act that should “expand the number of full-time and part-time national service volunteers eligible for minimal living expenses and a modest educational stipend.” These new positions will be targeted at strengthening education, cleaning the environment, repairing our economic state, responding to emergencies and disasters, and boosting energy efficiency. A well thought out plan, everyone is invited to become involved, including “people of all income levels and ages.” Along with the Volunteer Generation Fund the will help nonprofit groups with volunteers, our new President along with the Senate are aiming at creating new jobs and aiding the nation’s economy. Personal engagement is most needed at the moment, as the country won’t repair itself.
With our families and neighbors losing their jobs all around us and businesses constantly having to close their doors for a final time, it’s amazing how we can act as if nothing is happening. Citizen activity and willingness to help is essential to keep the country running. Where would the country be without her people? Amongst our diverse crowds, we need to grasp the idealism and unity that makes us who we are and increase the productive national and community service granted to our communities. With the help of the Senate’s proposed Serve America Act, “tens of thousands of meaningful new positions for people ready to work hard for the public good” should become available and with the Volunteer Generation Fund, volunteers will be gifted many opportunities to help nonprofit groups. By helping our neighbors, our homes, our communities, and our country, we help each other. We help restore our economy to the stable platform it once rested upon. We help deliver rich knowledge to the children of the next generation. We help the air become more pure and the leaves on the trees thrive as green as they once did. By volunteering and getting involved with programs in our communities and with the new acts proposed under our new President, America can be revived and once again become an inspirational land that bestows upon her people what they put effort into.
Every citizen carries his own responsibilities and plays a part in the restoration of America. To solve the nation’s problems, Mr. Obama declared that each person would need to become involved. The “spirit of service” that he spoke of in his Inaugural Address is within all of us, and it needs to be awoken.
Reference
“The Moment for National Service.” The New York Times 26 Jan. 2009. 26 Jan. 2009
© A cold and frigid morning, millions were anxious to hear from their newly elected leader.
After speaking the sacred oath, Barack Obama, chosen to become the first African American President of the United States of America, still had many words to speak. The moments were writing themselves in the history books and each word and idea he expressed needed to change the world, or at least the thoughts of its people. He was America’s inspiration, after all, and her citizens were waiting to hear his voice. The styles of his phrases, the choices of his words, and the organization of the ideas that made up his forecoming speech had been carefully examined with a single purpose in mind.
Using his skill of rhetoric, Barack Obama was expected to deliver hope to the world.
“The Crucible” by Arthur Miller
Carl Van Doren’s quote, “The race of men, while sheep in credulity, are wolves for conformity,” can be used to express ideas written in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. When a belief is stated, such as the belief in witchcraft within the play, people tend to blindly agree without sufficient evidence. Without thinking it through, people accept the belief no matter how ridiculous. This will create a calm and passive environment within the “herd” of people until a difference arises. Pleasant sheep will then transform into violent, aggressive wolves that fight the difference into submission, striving to keep the form and unity.
In The Crucible, John Proctor was one who would not confess to witchcraft. As he tried to convince the mistaken court into believing the children could be lying about witchcraft, he was attacked until he would agree with the crowd. The court would only believe that the children accusing him of witchcraft were correct and did not take time to logically think it through. Through this belief, they created a manner which would not accept difference. These wolves preyed upon their own flock, hoping to exterminate those who did not blindly follow.
Any of you interested on reading about my new school? We had an English assignment to write an essay comparing two things so I compared Minot High School with my new school, William Howard Taft High.
Adjusting from one high school to another can bring many challenges because of the many differences. Moving to San Antonio, Texas, from Minot, North Dakota, has introduced many new experiences to my life, and although adjusting to living just a few miles from the border of Canada to that of Mexico can be difficult, not everything is so foreign. Overlooking my past school, Minot High School, and my new exposure, William Howard Taft High School, many similarities and differences come to view.
“The Crucible” by Arthur Miller
As the camera fades out leaving the lone figure silhouetted in the solitary spotlight, the music swells to a dramatic climax leaving the audience breathless. Vivid imagery and compelling music that touches the soul thrusts the viewer into the heart of the story allowing them to see the pains, feel the joys, and truly understand the story. Books can have the same effect on a person but do so in a much different manner. When Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible was shifted from stage to screen he was given the opportunity to use film’s advantages to fully express his points on harmful, closed-minded thinking once more. One point that is more easily seen in the film is the constant self-saving motivation that many of the villagers have, driving them to continue their murderous lies.
When the entire town of Salem, Massachusetts becomes infested with the idea of witchcraft, innocent people are brought to their deaths by the accusations of their friends and neighbors. Motivated by fear of the unknown and the need for a scapegoat, many villagers blindly ended their neighbors’ lives while some used this new-found power to protect themselves. Changes to Arthur Miller’s play in the movie format clearly show these selfish acts, especially near the end of the film. After John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and many others are accused of witchcraft, suspicion continues to torment the minds of many. When the accused are excommunicated from the church in the film, Parris is shown to be using his power to get rid of those who oppose or frighten him. Because Parris had seen the girls’ childish act near the beginning of the story and was aware that witchcraft did not play a part he knowingly sentenced innocent people to hang and banned them from the Church, saving his valuable reputation. Following the excommunications Parris is then shown attending some of the hangings that were also not written in the original play. On film, viewers can see the nervous guilt that is buried within him along with his cowering stature and uneasy, scanning eyes. With such a strong visual, it is difficult to doubt that Parris knows what he is doing is morally wrong. Not only is Parris shown as having self-preserving motivations within the film, but Danforth and Abigail are as well. When Abigail comes running to Danforth claiming that one of the councilmen’s wives is a witch, Danforth calmly claims it couldn’t possibly be true although he had previously believed that anyone who was accused must have been a witch. He tells her that her evidence is untrue and that she cannot be believed, yet does not doubt her evidence or liability from before. This new scene shows that Danforth begins to doubt the entire witchcraft trials, yet decides not to speak up in order to preserve his reputation and career. After accusing so many people, another new scene shows Abigail pleading to Proctor, trying to convince him to run away with her. Through her conversation she explains that she knows she has done wrong and has been lying to save herself from punishment and is going to ultimately save herself by fleeing from town. Although Proctor declines her offer, this scene gives the audience a closer look at the true Abigail.
While the play and the film for Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, both give the same message and tell the same story, some may argue that the film shows the images much more clearly. With the addition of new scenes in the film version, Miller tried another approach to portray the inner workings of his characters. With images and atmosphere that couldn’t be seen and felt through the play, Miller takes advantage of the film and more clearly reveals the selfish murderers within his tangled plot.
Without even realizing it, people change and direct their lives by making decision many times a day. At times, choices can be minor, but occasionally these choices can be important. Before moving to San Antonio, Texas just recently, I had to make a decision that I feel I made the correct choice to in the end.
When I was told that I would be moving to Texas, I knew that I would have to leave my friends and my boyfriend behind, but there was a choice when it came to leaving my pet rabbits behind. Glancing at my two furry, white rabbits, it was difficult to think of giving away my precious companions. I would never again be able to stroke their soft fur, enjoy watching them happily hop about my room, or hug them in comfort when I was sad or troubled. I would terribly miss staring into their curious eyes and taking care of them to make their lives as pleasurable as I could.
These thoughts saddened me and quickly convinced me to ponder of the alternative; I could take them with me on the move. Of course there would not be much room for them in the car and the trip would be long and tiring. They wouldn’t be comfortable stuffed into small cages and most likely refuse to relieve themselves as they often did when caged. My rabbits, born in the North, might also have trouble adjusting to a new southern home.
After much thought and comparison, I decided that it would be best for my rabbits to find them a new, comfortable home. Months of searching for the perfect owner finally brought about a young family on my street willing to welcome two new animals into their home. After they prepared a new environment for my dear friends, I helped them make the small transfer. With a final hug and kiss goodbye, I left my rabbits to curiously explore their perfect, new home and returned to my empty bedroom. When I was greeted with unusual emptiness and felt a pain in my heart, I could not stop the tears from streaming down my face although I feel I made the right choice.
I feel like a failure, bottom-line, and I feel like everything I care about and work hard at…dies. I don’t know what it is. There’s just been way too many things for me to deal with at the moment.
I really kind of want, or need, someone to read this. I really need some feedback and this…dead silence…is killing me. Please, people! I need Magic Pens!
Attended another UIL writing competition today…(I am an official member of the Ready Writing team here at Taft High School now.) This competition was at Medina Valley High School. Ah, there’s so much to say about it…but basically, the topics this time were REALLY hard and I took the first hour (out of two) just analyzing them. I didn’t have a topic chosen by the first hour! Mostly everybody was done by then; one person was finished within the first half hour. Three went from my school (27 participants in total,) and all three of us were the only ones there after an hour and we took both hours. When I was finished I returned to the Cafeteria and told my English teacher that my essay was even worse than last time and I just did really bad. I didn’t think I had much of a chance. She reminded me that’s what I said last time when I got third place, but I assured her that I did a lot worse this time…Well we waited for 5 hours for results…The two others from my school got 7th and 10th place, but I got 1st! I was so shocked… On my scoring sheet, I got a perfect on every category. But I realized I forgot the comma in my title, (I can’t believe I did that! I realized it right after I turned it in…) so they scribbled out the perfect for punctuation and took off a point. Still 1st place though. 😀 Anyways, my essay is after the topic. Reading it now, I still think it needs a lot of work, and I should have done a lot of things, but I got 1st, so I’m satisfied.
Topic: “The broad masses of a population are more amenable to the appeal of the rhetoric than to any other force.”
-Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), Mein Kampf
Use force on a man and he may follow for a year, but feed his mind with your ideas and he will follow for life. Speech has been known to be one of mankind’s most valuable tools and treasures, but when sharpened, can be more powerful than any other force. Many memorable leaders throughout history have caused action from their mastership of rhetoric, bringing change to the world through persuasive speeches and convincing words. New leaders continue to arise even to this day, using their sharp tongues to control our minds and manipulate our thoughts. Control people’s minds and you control the world.
I’ve been feeling kind of down lately. I just…miss things. I wrote this rant up during English class but had to stop suddenly when the bell rang. It’s lame, I know.
This is stupid. Life is stupid. I’m stupid.
I don’t want to listen or think right now. I know that I need to know this and I need to pay attention because I wasn’t here for this, I never learned this, but I just want to rant…
Oh my gosh! I want to rant!