Then and Now

You are not the same 25 sophomores I met at the beginning of the year.  You have had nine months of experiences inside the halls of WOHS and whether you are concious of the effect they have had on you or not, they have changed, shaped, and molded you into a newer version of your former self.

When you emerge in the fall as juniors, you will not only be older, but perhaps a little wiser.  I read in a recent article that our brains can absorb 34 gigabytes of information in a year.  My head hurts just thinking about it.  Reach to the farthest recesses of your memory and open the door.  Think back to the beginning of the school year and take a look at how far you've come.  What memories have you made? What lessons have you learned?  How have you changed?

 *Inspired by one of my favorite Blind Melon songs - check out the lead singer - he looks like Cesar will eight years from now.

Lyrics:
I don't feel the suns comin' out today
its staying in, its gonna find another way.
As I sit here in this misery, I don't
think I'll ever see the sun from here.
And oh as I fade away,
they'll all look at me and say, and they'll say,
Hey look at him! I'll never live that way.
But that's okay
they're just afraid to change.

When you feel your life ain't worth living
you've got to stand up and
take a look around you then a look way up to the sky.
And when your deepest thoughts are broken,
keep on dreaming boy, cause when you stop dreamin' it's time to die.

And as we all play parts of tomorrow,
some ways will work and other ways we'll play.
But I know we all can't stay here forever,
so I want to write my words on the face of today.
and then they'll paint it

And oh as I fade away,
they'll all look at me and they'll say,
Hey look at him and where he is these days.
When life is hard, you have to change.

Unlocked

I've given you the parameters of the Haiku to work within and now I'm setting you free.  No limitations, no rules, no restrictions. 

One word:  "Unlocked"

Go.

*** ADDENDUM:  Pay attention to directions children. Read between the lines.  "And now I'm setting you free" means NO HAIKUS.  This is a free verse poem with no limitations - any construction you want - just relate the poem to the one word prompt.  Ugghh. Pay attention Pay-Leeze.

If you wrote a Haiku as your response, change it and re-post. Don't get lazy with these posts.  They are a substantial part of your grade - low effort is going to drop your grade. Just so you know...  Follow Ashley's lead.  She consistently does a good job week to week - exemplary work Ash.

HAIK-WHO?

I have decided to test your skills at the art of Haiku.  Haiku is a poetic form with Japanese origins.  Its structure lends itself to a deep meaning in a compact form. The content is usually conveyed in simple grammar and follows a syllabic pattern. The first line contains five (5) syllables, the second line seven (7) syllables, and the third line five (5) syllables. A Haiku doesn't rhyme. Instead, it must "paint" a mental image in the reader's mind. This is the challenge of Haiku writing - to put the poem's meaning and imagery in the reader's mind in only 17 syllables over just three (3) lines of poetry.

Your task for this blog entry is to create your own Haiku in response to the following prompt:
Guilty Pleasures.

Here are some examples below from Escriptus members - see if you can guess the guilty pleasure in each:

A little white lie,
My footprints at the doorstep,
Escape from the cage.


I inhale, hollow,
The thick blackened worries that
My lips push away


Apt imperfections Dermatillomania
Perceived flaws unmasked.

 "Short is the joy that guilty pleasure brings." - Euripides

Who am I?

I know your names.  I can recognize your faces.  I have a sense of your personalities as they are shown in the context of the classroom, but do I really know who you are?  How much do we know about each other? 

I'd like you to express yourself and your identity through the "I AM" poem prompt.  You may follow it line by line or put your own creative spin on it.  Fill in the blanks to create your own poem that best reflects who you are beneath the 10th grader sitting in that row, in that desk, during that period of Ms. DePalo's English class.

To complete the poem, start off each line with the following prompts and then fill in the blanks with your own words:

I am    _____________

I wonder _____________

I hear   _____________

I see     _____________

I want _____________

I am    _____________

           

I pretend _____________

I feel   _____________

I need _____________

I worry _____________

I cry _____________

I am _____________

           

I understand   _____________

I believe _____________

I dream _____________

I try   _____________

I hope _____________

I am   _____________

*You do not have to comment on another classmate's poem, but some feedback is always nice to receive.

 

"Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in." - Amy Lowell

Out of the Wild

Christopher McCandless' story is not unique.  People throughout time have challenged authority, rebelled against aspects of society and endeavored to find freedom from what can be viewed as oppressive, confining and demoralizing aspects of how we live our daily lives.  Your responses and reactions to the information about McCandless's life have ranged from confusion to understanding and from criticism to acceptance.

Respond to one or more of the following thoughts your classmates have expressed after reading the final chapters of the book.  Do you agree or disagree with the statements or opinions?  Can you expand or add anything to them?  Can you make a connection to texts, discussions or lessons reviewed in class or in your own lives?

• "Chris McCandless was just another teen trying to prove a point." - Danny Gardner
• "It is the job of the adolescent to make mistakes and overindulge in his/her freedoms." - Olivia Taylor
• "Critics cannot criticize because they will never understand Chris's struggles, his point of view and what was going on inside his head." - Bianca Sanabria
• "Without companionship, happiness, fortune and power are meaningless.  They don't have any worth if you cannot share them with anyone." - Cesar Presa
• "Chris was smart, brave, and good-natured, but in the end, perhaps he was nothing more than a crazy fool." - Sai Mandalapu
• "I pitied Chris McCandless while reading the last few chapters of the book." - Nick Couper
• "This book only taught me one life lesson: Life should not be a game; life should be whatever makes one happy." - Efe Osemeha
• "If I met Chris, I would yell at him for not being prepared enough but then also at the same time congratulate him for opening up many people's eyes about nature and the power of being alone." - Joe Pedo
• "I have come to appreciate his course of action as well as the extremity of his optimism, for even as he knew he was dying he bid the world farewell with a smile." - Emma Rodriguez

Thank you all for your insights as you read this book.  It was truly a pleasure reading your reactions and watching them develop, change, or strengthen as you experienced Chris's journey the way Krakauer tried to envision it. Whether you appreciate Chris's intentions and beliefs, find them incomprehensible or refute them, his journey made you think and that is the most important aspect of life.  Life without thought is meaningless.

"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."  -- Oscar Wilde

Bad Boys, Bad Boys

Beelzebub. Satan. Lucifer. The Devil. All are names encompassing the same concept: evil. Open up any newspaper, turn on any news channel or any radio station and you will hear, read, or see a majority of the subject matter pertaining to violence, murder and criminal activity.  Does the world influence the behavior, or does the behavior influence the world? - Your classic chicken or the egg question left unanswered.

Think about the progression of the boys on the island from their arrival up until this moment in the novel.  What is happening to them and why?  Delve deep into the human psyche to figure out the reasons behind the evil occurring on the island.  Where do you think it all comes from?  Why are there bad people and why are they so bad?

She's Not Piggy, But She Can See ...

Sydney wears glasses. Glasses = Smart.  Therefore, Sydney is smart.  During their presentation of Chapter 6 Sydney posed some very insightful and perceptive questions connecting Lord of the Flies to the Survivor Game itself.  She didn't get a sticker for nothing (and I'm not on the front page of the latest issue of The Chronicle for nothing either!).

Just as the island in the novel acts as a microcosm for the world at the time it was written, so has our class become a microcosm for the novel during the time we are reading about the boys who are stranded.  There is a correlation between the activities you perform during period two and the events taking shape in Golding's fictional tale.  From the selection of your groups to your tasks, your leadership roles and responsibilities and the performance of your group members, you might start seeing clearly, as does Sydney, the parallel relationship between what is taking place with the British boys and what is occurring on our own island in 3201.

Think about the formulation of your groups, your choice of leader, your individual contributions to your team and the behaviors of others.  Think about your group's performance on tasks through challenges and everyday responsibilities during this unit.  What connections can you make between yourself, your classmates and your group's function during this survival game?  Try to connect to the plot of the novel, the characters, the themes and symbols.  Who is your Piggy, Ralph, Simon, Jack, Roger, or Percival?  Why? How do you see this challenge match the challenges the boys face throughout the text?

...Where do I fit in?

"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." - Vince Lombardi 



Having Everything yet Wanting Nothing

Chris grew up with advantages other children might not have: married parents, financial stability, a college education and an above average intellectual capacity.  However, he rejects, and some might think wastes, those advantages.  He cuts off all communication with his family except for his younger sister.  He donates and burns his money and the little he makes is used only for necessities to get him to Alaska.  He chooses not to go onto law school after graduating and he isolates himself from mainstream society. 

Why does he prefer to live a transient life disconnected from family, detached from possessions and critical of societal institutions?  Why does he seem to reject everything the average person would embrace? What is he really searching for out in Alaska and is it something worth risking his life for?

"Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stranded

There is an episode of The Office where Ryan sets the fire alarm off by burning a piece of toast in the toaster oven. Aside from the hilarity of Dwight overreacting like it is a life-or-death situation, the office employees entertain the viewer and themselves by playing an interesting game to pass the time while waiting for the building to be clear of all hazards. 

The game is one you may have heard of or played yourself.  The "If you were stranded on an island, what items would you want to have with you" scenario is, on the surface, a way to take personal inventory of things you just cannot live without.  On a deeper level, your choices reveal more about who you are and what you value by not only the items themselves, but the reason behind their inclusion on the list.

My question to you is:  What would be the top five items you would want to have with you if you were stranded on an island? (You are flying solo and not with your group on this hypothetical island).  State each of your items and provide the following information:

• A brief description of what the item is
• What value the item has for you (its significance)
• And the reason it is a necessity

The item can be a tangible object, something abstract, or symbolic to you.  Be sure to comment on a classmate's choice and offer more than a quick agree or disagree statement.  Really connect to someone else's response.

My Top Five:
5. My wooden hall pass
4. A copy of Into the Wild
3. All seasons of The Office along with my Jim Halpert bobblehead (thank you Angelo for the first season DVD)
2. Paper and a pencil
1. Remy - my dog


“The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.” - Aristotle

Hidden Agendas Revealed

Caesar denies the crown but really wants it.  Cassius kisses up to Brutus but really wants him to carry out the plans of the conspiracy.  Antony becomes just as power-hungry as his predecessors.  With all the secret motives it becomes unclear what the truth really is.  But one "thing" is clear: Shakespeare wrote the play for a reason. 

As writers the craft of story-telling takes the main stage and does more than entertain, pass the time or count as homework assignments and blog responses.  A literary work serves a more important purpose: to teach.  Experiences whether real or imagined are shared and reflections on people and society are made to connect with and enlighten an audience.

What was the main theme of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?  What are readers supposed to gain or take away with them after reading this piece of historical fiction?  Identify what you think is the most important lesson or are the most important lessons.  What does this play teach us through the characters, their decisions and outcomes?  In essence, who cares about Julius Caesar?

Violence Begets Violence Begets Violence

Death is everywhere in this play. Pompey is beheaded.  Caesar is stabbed.  Cinna the poet is tortured and killed in the streets.  Soldiers lay dead on the battlefields.  Portia burns her esophagus. Cassius orders his servant to run a sword through his body.  Titinius stabs himself and Brutus runs into his own sword.  With so much violence it is hard not to envision Rome in red.

Think of the various reasons and agendas behind the multiple deaths in the play.  Imagine a Rome without the morbidity.  Does the violence in this story have a positive result? Can violence ever have a positive result? Analyze the following statement:

Nothing good can come from violence and bloodshed. (Violence and bloodhsed can never have morally good results).

Do you agree or disagree with this statment?  Support your answer with references to both the play and real-world application both historical and current.

How to Save a Life

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for people aged 15-24 (teensuicide.us). 
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL):

• 19.3 percent of high school students have seriously considered killing themselves.
• 14.5 percent of high school students made actual plans for committing suicide,
• 900,000 youth planned their suicides during an episode of major depression.

Think about characters in the play who have either threatened suicide or completed a suicide attempt.  What causes people to consider, attempt and/or complete suicide?  What are your feelings about the action?  How might others perceive the act?  What are the ultimate consequences and the impact of suicide?

To prevent suicide it is important to show you care by:

• being attentive
• listening
• being supportive
• notifying those who can provide immediate help

What Went Wrong?

They met, they assassinated and now the conspirators are on the run.  From Cassius' sinister plan to Brutus' final speech to the plebeians, something had gone awry...

A.  Go back and analyze the conspirators' plan and action from inception to execution.  Imagine you were a part of their scheme to kill Caesar.  What would you change?  What goes wrong and how could it have been prevented, avoided, or fixed? 

B.  Take Cassius and Brutus' place as leader of the conspiracy.  How would you have executed the perfect murder?

The Wisdom of Women

Left in the hands of the men of Rome Caesar's blood is making a mess on the floor of the capitol, Brutus and the conspirators are being chased through the streets, Cinna the poet is jumped for no good reason at all and mayhem has ensued.  But where are all the women?  Shakespeare conveniently leaves out a dominant female presence, but the absence of women amidst the turmoil in Rome speaks volumes in it of itself.

We have only come across two main female characters: Portia and Calpurnia.  Although these two figures play subordinate roles, their limited interaction with the men of the play significantly impact the actions and choices of others, if only for a short while.  Imagine how the events could  have played out had they been given a louder voice, greater respect and an equal opportunity to participate in the politics of Rome.

Calpurnia and Portia never meet in the play, but imagine a conversation between these two strong women following Caesar’s assassination. What would Portia say to Calpurnia, and Calpurnia back to Portia? If given the chance, how could each character have influenced Caesar's fate and the course of history?

"Women belong in the house... and the Senate. " ~Author Unknown

Pros and Cons

Everyone has an opinion and everyone wants to be heard, especially regarding hot topic or controversial issues.  Intrinsic in human nature is the desire to be a part of something, whether it be a group, a cause, a movement or a decision.  However, historically and currently, people have been denied the right to voice their ideas and beliefs; never has this restriction been more true than in the political arena when a debated upon law has the potential to hugely impact the way of life for a large majority of people.  And it is usually when this decision directly affects a person, that the person feels an urgency to speak up.

As students and teenagers you may feel that you are rarely asked for your perspective on policies within the very institution you attend 180 days out of the year.  This is your chance to be heard.  Take a stance on one of the issues listed in the student handbook and create an argument either for or against it.  Be sure to use some of the persuasive strategies and devices learned in class to get your point across.  Assume that your audience consists of Board of Education members, parents, teachers and school administrators.  Attempt to convince them of your cause.

*Be sure to reference another student's argument in your own speech that either directly relates to your chosen policy or may indirectly add to your point (the name of the student and the argument must be clear or credit will be lost).*

Click here for a link to the handbook for selecting the policy you wish to defend or oppose.

Love Through a Eulogy

All good things must come to an end and even Julius Caesar claims,
"It seems to me most strange that men should fear
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it come" (II.2.35-37).

So has Finny's life ended, although some may say too soon.  Assume Gene is to speak at Finny's fictional funeral (yes, the alliteration there was intentional).  He must deliver a eulogy in honor of his best friend.  Be the pen (or keyboard in this case) for Gene.  Write a speech from his point of view to be delivered at Finny's funeral.  Be true to his character and the details of the novel.  For this post only, it is not necessary to comment on another student's speech - but it is always encouraged.

"It is a sign of a creeping inner death when we no longer can praise the living." - Eric Hoffer

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes . . .

Every seven years you become a new person.  If we think about our bodies and minds through a scientific lens, this statement is actually true;  every cell in our bodies renews over time and scientists claim that this process occurs during a seven year cycle.  If our biological being changes, are we really the same people we once were mentally and emotionally as well?

The influence our environment has on us is undeniable and responses and reactions to circumstances we either fall into (like Finny falling from the tree) or are forced to face (like Caesar's impending coronation) can often impact who we are and who we become.  In Chapter 10 of A Separate Peace, Gene visits Leper and it is clear that after his return from the war, Leper has changed. How have other characters, particularly Gene and Brutus, changed thus far?  Trace their development from our first impressions of them to their current states.  In what ways are they changing and what factors are prompting these changes?

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Maria Robinson

TO INFINITY And ...

Let's reach beyond ourselves for a moment.  Let's imagine we could truly be anything we wanted and not just because our parents tell us we can or because we have an over-active ambition like Caesar.  Give your mind a break from midterms and turn on your imagination.  What would it be like if you were a superhero?  And I don't mean Wonder Woman (I already own that title), or Teacher of the Universe (mine as well).  I mean a new and improved superhero - one never before seen or heard.

Think about the classic superhero scenario: a hidden identity, a super power, a chance to save the world. We are all familiar with Batman, Spiderman, Superman, the Hulk, the Flash, Wolverine ... wait a minute! Where are all the female heroes? Ladies, we have histrorically been virtually shut out of this profession! This is your time to shine!  This is everyone's opportunity to create a new kind of superhero for a new day and age.

Unveil a secret identity and unique super-human power. The catch: your super-human power must be an original, never-before-used-by-any-other-superhero power.  Be as creative as you want with it.   What is your power? How do you use it? When do you use it? Why do you use it? *Be sure to comment on another classmate's superhero status.*

May the force be with you ...

IN HIS SHOES . . .

Gene is in a predicament.  He feels guilty, ashamed and as Brutus, indecisive about how to proceed with his friendship with Finny.  If you were in his place, what would you do?  How would you deal with the tree incident?  How would you feel about the war?  Take apart his internal and external conflicts so far and become Gene.

Parallel Lines

Great minds think alike and Shakespeare and John Knowles seem to share the same brain.  The issues of friendship, loyalty and betrayal are common themes throughout literature and extend all the way back to Caesar's rule.  Whether ancient Rome or the Devon campus, characters in both works are experiencing internal and external conflicts affecting their relationships with others.

Draw parallels between both works.  Think about the situations, conflicts, behaviors and relationships when making your connections.  There is a method to my madness and the thematic unit of Loyalty and Betrayal combines both The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and A Separate Peace under the same literary roof for a reason.  Explore how they relate to one another and on what levels.

"Nothing so fortifies a friendship as a belief on the part of one friend that he is superior to the other."

Honore de Balzac

VENI, VIDI, VICI

Translated as, "I came, I saw, I conquered," this famous quote from Julius Caesar has been referenced and adopted by many, including the best rapper around: Jay-Z ("... with record sales and sold out concerts" - "Encore," The Black Album).  

Using Alexander the Great as his inspiration and motivation, Caesar rose up through the ranks and became a popular, feared and powerful leader all at once.  Although criticized for his ambition, it was that very ambition that propelled him into his political position.  The question becomes: what is the value behind being ambitious?  Support your response with your view of the role ambition played in Caesar's rise to power, as well as using a modern day example to support your argument of whether or not ambition helps or hurts.

 

"A man without ambition is dead. A man with ambition but no love is dead. A man with ambition and love for his blessings here on earth is ever so alive. Having been alive, it won't be so hard in the end to lie down and rest." - Pearl Bailey