1. I liked the college essay piece the best, for obvious reasons I'm in it! But in all seriousness, I liked how Lennon thought I was going to make him watch a boring "old" movie with me and was able to look past his preconceived ideas on how Rudy was going to be and actually enjoy it and understand the message of Rudy and was able to express this in his essay.
2. I like how well spoken and thought out the writings are. The only improvements I would say is a misspelled word here and there.
3. I would say ideas, because the subject matter was more personal.
4. I thought they were all great.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Angry Letter Final Draft
GameStop
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard
#1235 Honolulu, HI 96814
Dear Gamestop Management,
Over the past years, my family and I have been satisfied customers of your store. We enjoy the countless genres of games, toys and movies that you offer to your customers, We also enjoy the different types of services you offer such as trading in.
However, within the past couple monte or so, we have had quite some issues with your customer service and you're employees. About 2 years ago, I witnessed "un-friendly" service. While standing in line at the Ala Moana store, a senior citizen that was standing in front of me was asking about buying a Nintendo game for his grandson as a birthday present. The man obviously did not have a clue about what he needed to buy, but that wasn't the problem. The issue was that the employee did not have proper manners when assisting the man. I and other people in the store at the time were getting a little frustrated by the way the employee was speaking to the old man. This therefore caused my family and I to immediately leave. Another incident that occurred just about 2 months ago at a different location was while my brother was trying to return a game. My brother, still being a minor, received a game as a present that was inappropriate for his age. Being a gift, the game did not come with a receipt for obvious reasons. While trying to return the unopened, perfectly new game, we were told that we weren't able to do so because we did not have the receipt. The cashier, however, did not have the best attitude. The tone of his voice and his body language really offset my family, causing us to once again, leave.
While shopping at other video game/entertainment store such as "Best-Buy" or "Toys-R-Us", I have noticed a more friendly type of customer service. Not that all Gamestop employees are unmannerly, it is that these other stores have better trained their employees to handle all types of customer issues and situations. I would request that employees would be not only trained on the basic protocols of the store, but on also having better customer service.I have noticed that there isn't a training program for these employees. I see that there is a video entailing common customer service manners, but I feel that newly hired employees should be trained more efficiently in some type of program or mentoring.
Regarding the issues I do have with your store, I feel that is a wonderful place to purchase games and electronics. Your services are quite convenient. Also, I have no objection or disregard for your store policies. I just feel that the people in charge of your location could be more qualified in customer service.
I hope that you are able to fix the weak customer service aspect of your business, for it will indeed make locations more pleasant to purchase items from. .
Sincerely,
Lennon Sullivan
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard
#1235 Honolulu, HI 96814
Dear Gamestop Management,
Over the past years, my family and I have been satisfied customers of your store. We enjoy the countless genres of games, toys and movies that you offer to your customers, We also enjoy the different types of services you offer such as trading in.
However, within the past couple monte or so, we have had quite some issues with your customer service and you're employees. About 2 years ago, I witnessed "un-friendly" service. While standing in line at the Ala Moana store, a senior citizen that was standing in front of me was asking about buying a Nintendo game for his grandson as a birthday present. The man obviously did not have a clue about what he needed to buy, but that wasn't the problem. The issue was that the employee did not have proper manners when assisting the man. I and other people in the store at the time were getting a little frustrated by the way the employee was speaking to the old man. This therefore caused my family and I to immediately leave. Another incident that occurred just about 2 months ago at a different location was while my brother was trying to return a game. My brother, still being a minor, received a game as a present that was inappropriate for his age. Being a gift, the game did not come with a receipt for obvious reasons. While trying to return the unopened, perfectly new game, we were told that we weren't able to do so because we did not have the receipt. The cashier, however, did not have the best attitude. The tone of his voice and his body language really offset my family, causing us to once again, leave.
While shopping at other video game/entertainment store such as "Best-Buy" or "Toys-R-Us", I have noticed a more friendly type of customer service. Not that all Gamestop employees are unmannerly, it is that these other stores have better trained their employees to handle all types of customer issues and situations. I would request that employees would be not only trained on the basic protocols of the store, but on also having better customer service.I have noticed that there isn't a training program for these employees. I see that there is a video entailing common customer service manners, but I feel that newly hired employees should be trained more efficiently in some type of program or mentoring.
Regarding the issues I do have with your store, I feel that is a wonderful place to purchase games and electronics. Your services are quite convenient. Also, I have no objection or disregard for your store policies. I just feel that the people in charge of your location could be more qualified in customer service.
I hope that you are able to fix the weak customer service aspect of your business, for it will indeed make locations more pleasant to purchase items from. .
Sincerely,
Lennon Sullivan
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Angry Letter Draft
GameStop
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard
#1235 Honolulu, HI 96814
Dear Gamestop Management,
Over the past years, my family and I have been decently satisfied customers of your store. We enjoy the countless genres of games, toys and movies that you offer to your customers, We also enjoy the different types of services you offer such as trading in.
However, recently, we have had quite some issues with your customer service and you're employees. About 2 years ago, I experienced second hand "un-friendly" service. While standing in line at the Ala Moana store, a senior that was standing in front of me was asking about buying a Nintendo game for his grandson as a birthday present. The man obviously did not have a clue about what he needed to buy, but that wasn't the problem. The issue was that the employee did not have proper manners when assisting the man. I and other people in the store at the time were getting a little frustrated by the way the employee was speaking to the old man. This therefore caused my family and I to immediately leave. Another incident that occurred recently at a different location was while my brother was trying to return a game. My brother, still being a minor, received a game as a present that was inappropriate for his age. Being a gift, the game did not come with a receipt for obvious reasons. While trying to return the unopened, perfectly new game, we were told that we weren't able to do so because we did not have the receipt. The cashier, however, did not have the best attitude. The tone of his voice and his body language really offset my family, causing us to once again, leave.
While shopping at other video game/entertainment store such as "Best-Buy" or "Toys-R-Us", I have noticed a more friendly type of customer service. Not that all Gamestop employees are unmannerly, it is that these other stores have better trained their employees to handle all types of customer issues and situations. I would request that employees would be not only trained on the basic protocols of the store, but on also having better customer service.
Regarding the issues I do have with your store, I feel that is a wonderful place to purchase games and electronics. Your services are quite convenient. Also, I have no objection or disregard for your store policies. I just feel that the people in charge of your location could be more qualified in customer service.
I hope that you are able to fix the weak customer service aspect of your business, for it will indeed make locations more pleasant to purchase items from. .
Sincerely,
Lennon Sullivan
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard
#1235 Honolulu, HI 96814
Dear Gamestop Management,
Over the past years, my family and I have been decently satisfied customers of your store. We enjoy the countless genres of games, toys and movies that you offer to your customers, We also enjoy the different types of services you offer such as trading in.
However, recently, we have had quite some issues with your customer service and you're employees. About 2 years ago, I experienced second hand "un-friendly" service. While standing in line at the Ala Moana store, a senior that was standing in front of me was asking about buying a Nintendo game for his grandson as a birthday present. The man obviously did not have a clue about what he needed to buy, but that wasn't the problem. The issue was that the employee did not have proper manners when assisting the man. I and other people in the store at the time were getting a little frustrated by the way the employee was speaking to the old man. This therefore caused my family and I to immediately leave. Another incident that occurred recently at a different location was while my brother was trying to return a game. My brother, still being a minor, received a game as a present that was inappropriate for his age. Being a gift, the game did not come with a receipt for obvious reasons. While trying to return the unopened, perfectly new game, we were told that we weren't able to do so because we did not have the receipt. The cashier, however, did not have the best attitude. The tone of his voice and his body language really offset my family, causing us to once again, leave.
While shopping at other video game/entertainment store such as "Best-Buy" or "Toys-R-Us", I have noticed a more friendly type of customer service. Not that all Gamestop employees are unmannerly, it is that these other stores have better trained their employees to handle all types of customer issues and situations. I would request that employees would be not only trained on the basic protocols of the store, but on also having better customer service.
Regarding the issues I do have with your store, I feel that is a wonderful place to purchase games and electronics. Your services are quite convenient. Also, I have no objection or disregard for your store policies. I just feel that the people in charge of your location could be more qualified in customer service.
I hope that you are able to fix the weak customer service aspect of your business, for it will indeed make locations more pleasant to purchase items from. .
Sincerely,
Lennon Sullivan
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Cyberbullying Draft
Our society faces many challenges. Because of all these new advances and technology, our human natures become influenced to do the wrong things. This leads to a major problem in our communities, "cyberbullying". Cyberbullying, as defined on dictionary.com, "is the act of harassing someone online by sending or posting mean messages, usually anonymously". This crime usually affecting people between the age groups of 10-17 years old. Cyberbullying creates an unsafe environment on the internet that affects young people causing problems like suicide, low self esteem, and issues with social skills.
If you were to ask people why cyberbullying is bad for our society, their number one answer would be that it causes suicide. Researchers have found that 1/3 of teens cyberbullied will commit suicide. These numbers affect both their families ad communities. But why do teens commit suicide because of cyberbullying? It was found that they do this they have no other way to cope with or handle the situation they are in. 1/10 teens that are cyberbullied do not tell some type of adult. From being a teenager now and experiencing all that goes on in high school and at my age, I can say that victims of cyberbullying do this because they are afraid of the repercussions from the other teens in their community. Therefore, cyberbullying has become an issue that many officials have been looking into to try and stop.
Cyberbullying also makes the internet a more unsafe environment for both adolescence and matinee. The internet was created so that ideals and informations could be shared across all corners of the globe. Social networking was created so that you could meet new people or reconnect with past friends or partners. But cyberbullying turns these tools into weapons. Many parents do not want their children to be on the internet because of what they hear goes on. You may think that this is good thing that kids are not allowed to go on the internet, but at the same time, it is also really unhelpful for their social life and their future. Technology has become such a main part in our society that many people use it in their everyday lives. If someone is restricted from the use or technology, then it may affect them in the future. Also, if the Internet continues to get worse, the possibility of termination is eminent.
Lastly, it has been found that cyber bullying can lead to thee teenage problems such as drug or alcohol use, and family problems. Many uncredited people on the Internet have said that they have been influenced to do drugs and drink alcohol. Their reason was that they felt that it would help them cope and make them feel better. Another problem is that teens can have family problems. Some teens said they feel uncomfortable and embarrassed sharing issues that go on the Internet involving them and their friends. They have commented that they feel that their family has no way of helping. The way our society is headed, it isn't the best thing that teens get influenced by these bad substances.
Overall, cyber bullying is an obvious problem in our society. It affects many people, especially teens in the age group of 10-17. Because technology is such a big part of our society, it has the potential to become the major downfall for our social prospect of our community.
If you were to ask people why cyberbullying is bad for our society, their number one answer would be that it causes suicide. Researchers have found that 1/3 of teens cyberbullied will commit suicide. These numbers affect both their families ad communities. But why do teens commit suicide because of cyberbullying? It was found that they do this they have no other way to cope with or handle the situation they are in. 1/10 teens that are cyberbullied do not tell some type of adult. From being a teenager now and experiencing all that goes on in high school and at my age, I can say that victims of cyberbullying do this because they are afraid of the repercussions from the other teens in their community. Therefore, cyberbullying has become an issue that many officials have been looking into to try and stop.
Cyberbullying also makes the internet a more unsafe environment for both adolescence and matinee. The internet was created so that ideals and informations could be shared across all corners of the globe. Social networking was created so that you could meet new people or reconnect with past friends or partners. But cyberbullying turns these tools into weapons. Many parents do not want their children to be on the internet because of what they hear goes on. You may think that this is good thing that kids are not allowed to go on the internet, but at the same time, it is also really unhelpful for their social life and their future. Technology has become such a main part in our society that many people use it in their everyday lives. If someone is restricted from the use or technology, then it may affect them in the future. Also, if the Internet continues to get worse, the possibility of termination is eminent.
Lastly, it has been found that cyber bullying can lead to thee teenage problems such as drug or alcohol use, and family problems. Many uncredited people on the Internet have said that they have been influenced to do drugs and drink alcohol. Their reason was that they felt that it would help them cope and make them feel better. Another problem is that teens can have family problems. Some teens said they feel uncomfortable and embarrassed sharing issues that go on the Internet involving them and their friends. They have commented that they feel that their family has no way of helping. The way our society is headed, it isn't the best thing that teens get influenced by these bad substances.
Overall, cyber bullying is an obvious problem in our society. It affects many people, especially teens in the age group of 10-17. Because technology is such a big part of our society, it has the potential to become the major downfall for our social prospect of our community.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Final Draft College Essay
On a stormy Saturday night, I was left on my bed left with nothing to do. I constantly scrolled through Instagram hoping that someone had posted something. Then, my dad walked into my room and asked me if I wanted to watch a movie with him. Truthfully, in my mind I thought "No not again.... just leave me alone". As I opened my mouth, the word "Yes" accidentally slipped from my lips. As I walked into the living room, he already had a movie picked out. Logged on to Netflix, the title "Rudy" was spread across my giant television screen. I thought to myself, "ohh gosh... here's another one of my dad's old boring movies". Throughout the movie, I began to see why my father had wanted me to watch it. Besides the fact that it was a football movie, and I just started playing my first season of football, this movie taught me what no textbook could, perseverance and fearlessness. The story was about a man who dreamed of playing for Notre Dame college. Although he was probably the smallest guy, that whole ideal didn't stop him from accomplishing the goal he wanted. With the last game of his senior year at Notre Dame, he was able to play the last 11 seconds and sack the quarter back.
Why am I telling you this? Because I was the complete opposite of Rudy. I was always afraid of failure. I constantly told myself, "What if this happens..." of "What if I fail..". This mentality often acted as a personal barrier, hindering me from attempting new things. An example would be arriving to my new high school. As my freshmen year begun, I was to afraid to join a club or sport. I was always afraid of not being good at it and others judgment. "Rudy" taught me something that contradicted my mentality. It taught me to do what make me happy. It taught me to work towards my goals and not care about what others think. It taught me to not be afraid of failure and not fear trying over and over again. Overcoming this wasnt the easiest thing to do. I couldnt just wake up one morning and think completely opposite. But what really pushed me to change my thinking was seeing how happy he was. At the end of the movie, Rudy was screaming of joy, and crying tears for he couldnt believe what he had accomplished. After all the countless doubts, he never let any negativity change his mindset or quit on his goals. This example is what drove me to become like Rudy. I wanted to feel utter joy, I wanted to feel the feeling of accomplishing a long time goal.
From that point on, my high school goal was to try something new. It was to do something out of my comfort zone. Later that year, I signed up for the football team. You may say, "what is so special about that?" or "so what?". Well, I had never played football before, not even flag. It was something very different from the other sports I played. But something about this bloodthirsty sport intrigued me. It was the commitment and brotherhood that the team had for each other. Therefore, after the long reflections of whether I should do it or not, I finally bit down and signed up. From that moment on, I never regretted a single moment. I learned so much both physically and mentally, I feel that after that season, I grew and matured both on and off the field. I learned to prioritize and manage my time. I learned to be committed to something that I participated in. Although I wasn't very good at it when i first started, I feel that my want to be good pushed me to keep working and eventually keep improving. After really getting to play the sport a little bit, I started to see how much me and Rudy were alike. We were both pretty small guys, and we both kind of shared the same determination. The only thing that set me apart from him was my personal barrier. But after I had joined the football team, I had felt that I had broke that barrier. As you can see, the littlest thing like writing my name on a piece of paper has taught me so much.
Most of all, I learned to not be afraid of trying new things out of my comfort zone. The reason why is because I feared failure. But I learned that only success can be gained from failure. After messing up, I can only become better. This is why I feel that I broke a personal barrier. Because from this whole experience, I gained both confidence and apathy. Confidence in a sense that I am not afraid to try new things, to talk to new people, and to speak my opinion. I gained apathy in a sense that i don't care about the negative judgments of others. I learned to not let their negativity affect my life and my actions. Now, I learned that there is only one thing that stops me from feeling true happiness, and that one thing is myself.I am the that tells me "I cant" or " What if". Looking back at this whole football experience, I can really prove how foolish and goofy my mindset was. I am able to see how much the "comfort zone" mentality stops you from accomplishing so much. After a couple games, I was finally able to accomplish something that i never thought someone like me would do. For the homecoming game of my sophomore year, I was a starter on defense in the cornerback position. Although we did nor win, I still feel that my long time goal had finally been accomplished. And to think that all this could've have started with a movie on a stormy night. A movie that I would never think that would help me to this very day.
I may not be the most outstanding person, but i lack something that most people don't, that is empathy for others negativity. I am not afraid of failure, nor of things out of my comfort zone. I am not afraid of what others negatively think, because I know that it can do nothing but go through one ear, and out the other. It is like being afraid of the dark. We only fear because it is unknown. I am not going to let this affect me anymore. This is a personal barrier I have broken.
Why am I telling you this? Because I was the complete opposite of Rudy. I was always afraid of failure. I constantly told myself, "What if this happens..." of "What if I fail..". This mentality often acted as a personal barrier, hindering me from attempting new things. An example would be arriving to my new high school. As my freshmen year begun, I was to afraid to join a club or sport. I was always afraid of not being good at it and others judgment. "Rudy" taught me something that contradicted my mentality. It taught me to do what make me happy. It taught me to work towards my goals and not care about what others think. It taught me to not be afraid of failure and not fear trying over and over again. Overcoming this wasnt the easiest thing to do. I couldnt just wake up one morning and think completely opposite. But what really pushed me to change my thinking was seeing how happy he was. At the end of the movie, Rudy was screaming of joy, and crying tears for he couldnt believe what he had accomplished. After all the countless doubts, he never let any negativity change his mindset or quit on his goals. This example is what drove me to become like Rudy. I wanted to feel utter joy, I wanted to feel the feeling of accomplishing a long time goal.
From that point on, my high school goal was to try something new. It was to do something out of my comfort zone. Later that year, I signed up for the football team. You may say, "what is so special about that?" or "so what?". Well, I had never played football before, not even flag. It was something very different from the other sports I played. But something about this bloodthirsty sport intrigued me. It was the commitment and brotherhood that the team had for each other. Therefore, after the long reflections of whether I should do it or not, I finally bit down and signed up. From that moment on, I never regretted a single moment. I learned so much both physically and mentally, I feel that after that season, I grew and matured both on and off the field. I learned to prioritize and manage my time. I learned to be committed to something that I participated in. Although I wasn't very good at it when i first started, I feel that my want to be good pushed me to keep working and eventually keep improving. After really getting to play the sport a little bit, I started to see how much me and Rudy were alike. We were both pretty small guys, and we both kind of shared the same determination. The only thing that set me apart from him was my personal barrier. But after I had joined the football team, I had felt that I had broke that barrier. As you can see, the littlest thing like writing my name on a piece of paper has taught me so much.
Most of all, I learned to not be afraid of trying new things out of my comfort zone. The reason why is because I feared failure. But I learned that only success can be gained from failure. After messing up, I can only become better. This is why I feel that I broke a personal barrier. Because from this whole experience, I gained both confidence and apathy. Confidence in a sense that I am not afraid to try new things, to talk to new people, and to speak my opinion. I gained apathy in a sense that i don't care about the negative judgments of others. I learned to not let their negativity affect my life and my actions. Now, I learned that there is only one thing that stops me from feeling true happiness, and that one thing is myself.I am the that tells me "I cant" or " What if". Looking back at this whole football experience, I can really prove how foolish and goofy my mindset was. I am able to see how much the "comfort zone" mentality stops you from accomplishing so much. After a couple games, I was finally able to accomplish something that i never thought someone like me would do. For the homecoming game of my sophomore year, I was a starter on defense in the cornerback position. Although we did nor win, I still feel that my long time goal had finally been accomplished. And to think that all this could've have started with a movie on a stormy night. A movie that I would never think that would help me to this very day.
I may not be the most outstanding person, but i lack something that most people don't, that is empathy for others negativity. I am not afraid of failure, nor of things out of my comfort zone. I am not afraid of what others negatively think, because I know that it can do nothing but go through one ear, and out the other. It is like being afraid of the dark. We only fear because it is unknown. I am not going to let this affect me anymore. This is a personal barrier I have broken.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Word Choice Olympics
- Nothing could express the utter joy I felt that moment. After nights of laying on my bed, praying to the Lord that he would make it back home as tears fell off my face and moistened me pillow, I finally felt what I wanted to feel. As I walked onto our baby blue patio to get the news paper, I saw a black truck pull up in front of my house. At first, I thought nothing of it. In my head, I knew that I was probably getting my hopes up to high. Then...he came out of the back seat. My eyes widened as tears began to pour out, a faint feeling of relief hit my chest. He closed the door, turned around, and smiled at me. "Well Mary Elizabeth, do I get a hi?". I screamed bursting up to my father, and wrapped my arms around his waist. I squeezed him as if he was my favorite stuffed animal. And at that very moment, My two sister came sprinting from the front door, yelling "Daddy!! Daddy!!'. Our faces began to turn red as we started to look like tomatoes, for we knew that we could never feel happier.
- I knocked on the chipped wooden door. Again.. no answer. For a moment, I began to think if I should call for back up, or just take him on my self. I knew that if I did call, He would escape. I pulled my bright stainless steel hand gun from out of the red snaked skinned purse, it felt as if I could no longer carry it. I knew that my nerves were getting to me. I began to think of "what if". What if i burst throughout the door, and the next moment, i was in a puddle of my own blood. Screw it. I took a couple steps back, 8 feet or so. Running with all my might, I smashes through the barrier blocking me and the murderer who killed my brother. As loose shards and splinters of broken wood filled the air, I pulled my gun to eye level to aim at the faint figure i saw lying on the couch. I was startled. A par white, old woman layer on the couch, crying. I knew that I made the worst mistake.
- I kicked the sand around a bit. I thought to myself, " we got this". I knew that me and my sister practice for too long, and too hard to lose to a bunch of asian twigs. I took a deep breath, I then through the leather blue and white volleyball up in the air. Then, after waiting for a split second, I jumped, cranked my hand backwards, and hit the ball with an open palm. I saw the fear from my opponents as the ball came as fast as a bullet. With no time to think, the back player ducked with an intent to not get injured. My sister looked at me, wit her giant blue eyes, and yelled "WE WON!!" As we both jumped into the air, I couldn't thing of anything except how relieving it was, to finally be champions.
4. For a whole moment, I saw the entire audience
look up at the big monitor. I knew that it wasn't to see the play, but to pray. It was the playoffs, and it was tied during the final quarter. I looked to the black, empty ceiling and said "Lord, please help him get up." Our star player had injured himself after getting fouled from sooting a layup. As my eyes drifted back down to the basketball court, all I could feel was relief. He bounced back up, gave an assuring nod to the trainers, and
put a thumbs up to the worried crowd. I knew that this game...was ours.
5. She satt on the gum bleachers waiting. She eagerly sat and hoped that the coach would send her son in. Nervously fidgeting with the camera lens, she put the camera on the sports setting. Finally, with game in arms reach, the sweating coaching grabbed the player by his collar, pointed to the forward position, and gave a sertifying shove.
5. She satt on the gum bleachers waiting. She eagerly sat and hoped that the coach would send her son in. Nervously fidgeting with the camera lens, she put the camera on the sports setting. Finally, with game in arms reach, the sweating coaching grabbed the player by his collar, pointed to the forward position, and gave a sertifying shove.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
College Essay Rough Draft
University of Washington Prompt:
Tell us about the experiences that don't show up on your transcript:
Tell us about the experiences that don't show up on your transcript:
- a character defining moment
- the culture awareness you have developed
- a challenge faced
- a personal hardship or barrier overcame
On a stormy Saturday night, I was left on my bed left with nothing to do. I constantly scrolled through Instagram hoping that someone had posted something. Then, my dad walked into my room and asked me if I wanted to watch a movie with him. Truthfully, in my mind I thought "No not again.... just leave me alone". As I opened my mouth, the word "Yes" accidentally slipped from my lips. As I walked into the living room, he already had a movie picked out. Logged on to Netflix, the title "Rudy" was spread across my giant television screen. I thought to myself, "ohh gosh... here's another one of my dad's old boring movies". Throughout the movie, I began to see why my father had wanted me to watch it. Besides the fact that it was a football movie, and I just started playing my first season of football, this movie taught me what no textbook could, perseverance and fearlessness. The story was about a man who dreamed of playing for Notre Dame college. Although he was probably the smallest guy, that whole ideal didn't stop him from accomplishing the goal he wanted. With the last game of his senior year at Notre Dame, he was able to play the last 11 seconds and sack the quarter back.
Why am I telling you this? Because I was the complete opposite of Rudy. I was always afraid of failure. I constantly told myself, "What if this happens..." of "What if I fail..". This mentality often acted as a personal barrier, hindering me from attempting new things. An example would be arriving to my new high school. As my freshmen year begun, I was to afraid to join a club or sport. I was always afraid of not being good at it and others judgment. "Rudy" taught me something that contradicted my mentality. It taught me to do what make me happy. It taught me to work towards my goals and not care about what others think. It taught me to not be afraid of failure and not fear trying over and over again. Overcoming this wasnt the easiest thing to do. I couldnt just wake up one morning and think completely opposite. But what really pushed me to change my thinking was seeing how happy he was. At the end of the movie, Rudy was screaming of joy, and crying tears for he couldnt believe what he had accomplished. After all the countless doubts, he never let any negativity change his mindset or quit on his goals. This example is what drove me to become like Rudy. I wanted to feel utter joy, I wanted to feel the feeling of accomplishing a long time goal.
From that point on, my high school goal was to try something new. It was to do something out of my comfort zone. Later that year, I signed up for the football team. You may say, "what is so special about that?" or "so what?". Well, I had never played football before, not even flag. It was something very different from the other sports I played. But something about this bloodthirsty sport intrigued me. It was the commitment and brotherhood that the team had for each other. Therefore, after the long reflections of whether I should do it or not, I finally bit down and signed up. From that moment on, I never regretted a single moment. I learned so much both physically and mentally, I feel that after that season, I grew and matured both on and off the field. I learned to prioritize and manage my time. I learned to be committed to something that I participated in. Although I wasn't very good at it when i first started, I feel that my want to be good pushed me to keep working and eventually keep improving.
Most of all, I learned to not be afraid of trying new things out of my comfort zone. The reason why is because I feared failure. But I learned that only success can be gained from failure. After messing up, I can only become better. This is why I feel that I broke a personal barrier. Because from this whole experience, I gained both confidence and apathy. Confidence in a sense that I am not afraid to try new things, to talk to new people, and to speak my opinion. I gained apathy in a sense that i don't care about the negative judgments of others. I learned to not let their negativity affect my life and my actions. Now, I learned that there is only one thing that stops me from feeling true happiness, and that one thing is myself.I am the that tells me "I cant" or " What if". And to think that all this could've have started with a movie on a stormy night. A movie that I would never think that would help me to this very day.
I may not be the most outstanding person, but i lack something that most people don't, that is empathy for others negativity. I am not afraid of failure, nor of things out of my comfort zone. I am not afraid of what other negatively think, because I know that it can do nothing but go through one ear, and out the other. It is like being afraid of the dark. We only fear because it is unknown. I am not going to let this affect me anymore. This is a personal barrier I have broken.
Why am I telling you this? Because I was the complete opposite of Rudy. I was always afraid of failure. I constantly told myself, "What if this happens..." of "What if I fail..". This mentality often acted as a personal barrier, hindering me from attempting new things. An example would be arriving to my new high school. As my freshmen year begun, I was to afraid to join a club or sport. I was always afraid of not being good at it and others judgment. "Rudy" taught me something that contradicted my mentality. It taught me to do what make me happy. It taught me to work towards my goals and not care about what others think. It taught me to not be afraid of failure and not fear trying over and over again. Overcoming this wasnt the easiest thing to do. I couldnt just wake up one morning and think completely opposite. But what really pushed me to change my thinking was seeing how happy he was. At the end of the movie, Rudy was screaming of joy, and crying tears for he couldnt believe what he had accomplished. After all the countless doubts, he never let any negativity change his mindset or quit on his goals. This example is what drove me to become like Rudy. I wanted to feel utter joy, I wanted to feel the feeling of accomplishing a long time goal.
From that point on, my high school goal was to try something new. It was to do something out of my comfort zone. Later that year, I signed up for the football team. You may say, "what is so special about that?" or "so what?". Well, I had never played football before, not even flag. It was something very different from the other sports I played. But something about this bloodthirsty sport intrigued me. It was the commitment and brotherhood that the team had for each other. Therefore, after the long reflections of whether I should do it or not, I finally bit down and signed up. From that moment on, I never regretted a single moment. I learned so much both physically and mentally, I feel that after that season, I grew and matured both on and off the field. I learned to prioritize and manage my time. I learned to be committed to something that I participated in. Although I wasn't very good at it when i first started, I feel that my want to be good pushed me to keep working and eventually keep improving.
Most of all, I learned to not be afraid of trying new things out of my comfort zone. The reason why is because I feared failure. But I learned that only success can be gained from failure. After messing up, I can only become better. This is why I feel that I broke a personal barrier. Because from this whole experience, I gained both confidence and apathy. Confidence in a sense that I am not afraid to try new things, to talk to new people, and to speak my opinion. I gained apathy in a sense that i don't care about the negative judgments of others. I learned to not let their negativity affect my life and my actions. Now, I learned that there is only one thing that stops me from feeling true happiness, and that one thing is myself.I am the that tells me "I cant" or " What if". And to think that all this could've have started with a movie on a stormy night. A movie that I would never think that would help me to this very day.
I may not be the most outstanding person, but i lack something that most people don't, that is empathy for others negativity. I am not afraid of failure, nor of things out of my comfort zone. I am not afraid of what other negatively think, because I know that it can do nothing but go through one ear, and out the other. It is like being afraid of the dark. We only fear because it is unknown. I am not going to let this affect me anymore. This is a personal barrier I have broken.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
College Prompts
University of Washington
Tell us about the experiences that don't show up on your transcript:
Tell us about the experiences that don't show up on your transcript:
- a character defining moment
- the culture awareness you have developed
- a challenge faced
- a personal hardship or barrier overcame
University of Hawaii
1. Commitment or volunteer service- complete an essay describing what activities you participated in (i.e. Any activities including volunteer, leadership, membership and community services in social, school or community organizations which demonstrate your willingness to give back to your community).
2. Commitment to health care- complete an essay describing what activities related to health care that you participated in (I.e. Demonstrated commitment to health care, volunteer work, employment in health services, enrolled in a degree program in any area of health fields; career goals and plans in the health care field regardless of are of study; how you intend to impact the health of your community in the state of Hawaii.)
1. Commitment or volunteer service- complete an essay describing what activities you participated in (i.e. Any activities including volunteer, leadership, membership and community services in social, school or community organizations which demonstrate your willingness to give back to your community).
2. Commitment to health care- complete an essay describing what activities related to health care that you participated in (I.e. Demonstrated commitment to health care, volunteer work, employment in health services, enrolled in a degree program in any area of health fields; career goals and plans in the health care field regardless of are of study; how you intend to impact the health of your community in the state of Hawaii.)
Yale
In this second essay, please reflect on something you would like us to know about you that we might not learn from the rest of your application, or on something about which you would like to say more. You may write about anything—from personal experiences or interests to intellectual pursuits.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Coming of Age Final Draft
Trying something new can
always be difficult. We fear the notion of being judged and being rejected by
the standards set by society. But sometimes, the want to meet these standards
can hinder us from accomplishing what we should and achieving true happiness. I
feel that I have experienced this predicament first hand. And although it was
difficult for me stop having this "impress everyone" type of
thinking, I feel that I was able to overcome it and mature. My life before high
school was much easier and less independent that what it is now. Everything was
done for me. All I ever worried about was the latest toy, or the newest
cartoon. I never really cared about my social nor academic successes. But eventually moving to high school, i began to become very thoughtful of my 4 year journey. But I never realized how I really felt about trying something new.
As my first day of high school began, I was worried about making friends. I was worried about how I looked, where I would hang out, and most of all, others perspective and judgment of myself. As we all know, high school is a very diverse community filled with many different cultures and beliefs, especially at this particular high school. This truth frightened me. I came from a very small middle school. It was one class per grade, and everyone knew each other. Also, we had to wear uniforms. So basically, I didn’t have to worry about impressing anyone because we all look the same, and we all had something in common. Now, here at a public school with 10 times more people than my old school, anyone is subjected to different opinions. I felt that if I didn't dress or speak a certain way like how others did, then I wouldn't be accepted in the community I wanted to be part of. This mentality often affected my school wide participation and also my outgoingness toward activities out of my comfort zone. It made me more timid as a person. Therefore, I went through my first days or so just with nothing. I was afraid that if I tried something new and I wasn't good at it, then others around the school would look down upon me.
More and more days passed, and nothing changed. But I started to realize something. I noticed that no matter how nerdy someone was or how weird I thought they were, they always had friends and people to laugh and have fun with. They never seemed mopey nor unhappy. They seemed to be enjoying their time in high school. Later that week at a ministry for youth that my church held, the instructors spoke about the diversity of high school and finding true friends. Their lessons taught me that true friends accept you for who you are. And adding to that, they share beliefs and interests with you. I soon started to realize that maybe if I tried being myself, then friends that accepted me would come along. This ideal took a lot of getting used to. As the school year went on, I started to become more comfortable with my environment and the people in it. I started to be more outgoing and less afraid. I talked to people I didn’t quite know, I answered in class activities that I normally wouldn’t participate in. I also considered being in activities such as sports that i would have never done. I began to be myself once again.
Toward the ending of the school year was where I really broke out of my shell. This is when I decided to join the sport of football. Now, this may not seem like much, but I feel that this is when I really started to become a little more apathetic, in a good way. I have never played football before, ever, and I knew that compared to all the other sports I participated in, it was the most rough and the most physical. But for some reason, I had the urge to try it. This taught me the meaning of true friends. Everyone accepted each other, no matter how different they were, they all shared a common interest, football. And I think this is what drew me so much to join. Because I knew that I would be able to talk to other people. As I began to hang out with the team, I began to care less of what others thought. I began to like high school, and most of all, I began to act as myself. I was no longer trying to impress everyone, for I knew that I no longer had to. I feel that I grew and became more matured. I no longer cared about how others thought of me, whether they accepted me or not. I learned to stop trying to impress everyone that really have nothing in common with me. I learned that if i act as myself, then everything will fall into place, such as friends, school and sports.
This event taught me the trait of apathy, or not caring. In some cases, it could be a not so good trait to have. But in another way, it can help you. It helped me to become more outgoing and to care less of society's standards. It helped me to realize what true friends are and who they were around me. And most of all, it taught me to not care... to not care of others judgment. I feel that is have made high school a more enjoyable place for me. And I feel that i have matured. In the near future, i won't be afraid to try new things. I will work for what makes me happy, and not worry of what others think of it.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Blog Revisions
From last year, I was able to revise my freshmen blog to suite the needs of my sophomore year. First of all, I kept the title. The reason I did so was because I felt that this catch title, "Write State of Mind", really reflected was was in my blog and the way I write. Next came the header to help strengthen the meaning of my title. As you can see, my header is very cartoonish and comical. I put the big picture of the brain with wings to show powerful my thoughts, imagination, and creativity can be in the subject of writing. They are basically saying that in order to write well, you need to be in the write state of mind. The other things I did was change the fonts, text colors, as well as the background. Last year I was more worried about making my blog appealing to me. But now, i made it so that it complements readers and attracts their attention. Lastly was the organization. I organized everything by months. In each month lists the different writing pieces I did. Overall I feel that my blog is more matured now and will make readers more intrigued to read my pieces.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Coming of Age Draft
Trying something new can always be difficult. We fear the notion of being judged and being rejected by the standards set by society. But sometimes, the want to meet these standards can hinder us from accomplishing what we should and achieving true happiness. I feel that i have experienced this predicament first hand. And although it was difficult for me stop having this "impress everyone" type of thinking, I feel that I was able to overcome it and mature in a way.
As I arrived to Moanalua, I was worried about making friends. I was worried about how i looked, where i would hang out, and most of all, others perspective and judgment of myself. As we all know, high school is a very diverse community filled with many different cultures and beliefs, especially at this particular high school. This truth frightened me. I felt that if i didn't dress or speak a certain way like how others did, then i wouldn't be accepted in the community i wanted to be part of. This mentality often affected my school wide participation and also my outgoingness toward activity out of y comfort zone. It made me more timid as a person. therefore, I went through my first days or so just with nothing. I was afraid that if I tried something new and i wasn't good at it, then others around the school would look down upon me.
More and more days passed, and nothing changed. But I started to realize something. I noticed that no matter how nerdy someone was or how weird I thought they were, they always had friends and people to laugh and have fun with. They never seemed mopey or unhappy. They seemed to be enjoying their time in high school. Later that week at a ministry for youth that my church held, the instructors spoke about the diversity of high school and finding true friends. Their lessons taught me that true friends accept you for who you are. And adding to that, they share beliefs and interests with you. I soon started to realize that maybe if i tried being myself, then friends that accepted me would come along. This ideal took a lot of getting used to. As the school year went on, then i started to become more comfortable with my environment and the people in it.
Toward the ending of the school year was where I really broke out of my shell. This is when I decided to join the sport of football. Now, this may not seem like much, but i feel that this is when i really started to become a little more apathetic, in a good way. I have never played football before, ever, and I knew that compared to all the other sports I participated in, it was the most rough and the most physical. But for some reason, I had the urge to try it. This taught me the meaning of true friends. Everyone accepted each other, no matter how different they were, they all shared a common interest, football. And i think this is what drew me so much to join. Because i knew that i would be able to talk to other people. As I began to hang out with the team, I began to care less of what others thought. I began to like high school, and most of all, I began to act as myself. I was no longer trying to impress everyone, for i knew that i no longer had to.
This event taught me the trait of apathy, or not caring. In some cases, it could be a not so good trait to have. But in another way, it can help you. It helped me to become more outgoing and to care less of society's standards. It helped me to realize what true friends are and who they were around me. And most of all, it taught me to not care... to not care of others judgment. I feel that is have made high school a more enjoyable place for me. And I feel that i have matured. In the near future, i won't be afraid to try new things. I will work for what makes me happy.
As I arrived to Moanalua, I was worried about making friends. I was worried about how i looked, where i would hang out, and most of all, others perspective and judgment of myself. As we all know, high school is a very diverse community filled with many different cultures and beliefs, especially at this particular high school. This truth frightened me. I felt that if i didn't dress or speak a certain way like how others did, then i wouldn't be accepted in the community i wanted to be part of. This mentality often affected my school wide participation and also my outgoingness toward activity out of y comfort zone. It made me more timid as a person. therefore, I went through my first days or so just with nothing. I was afraid that if I tried something new and i wasn't good at it, then others around the school would look down upon me.
More and more days passed, and nothing changed. But I started to realize something. I noticed that no matter how nerdy someone was or how weird I thought they were, they always had friends and people to laugh and have fun with. They never seemed mopey or unhappy. They seemed to be enjoying their time in high school. Later that week at a ministry for youth that my church held, the instructors spoke about the diversity of high school and finding true friends. Their lessons taught me that true friends accept you for who you are. And adding to that, they share beliefs and interests with you. I soon started to realize that maybe if i tried being myself, then friends that accepted me would come along. This ideal took a lot of getting used to. As the school year went on, then i started to become more comfortable with my environment and the people in it.
Toward the ending of the school year was where I really broke out of my shell. This is when I decided to join the sport of football. Now, this may not seem like much, but i feel that this is when i really started to become a little more apathetic, in a good way. I have never played football before, ever, and I knew that compared to all the other sports I participated in, it was the most rough and the most physical. But for some reason, I had the urge to try it. This taught me the meaning of true friends. Everyone accepted each other, no matter how different they were, they all shared a common interest, football. And i think this is what drew me so much to join. Because i knew that i would be able to talk to other people. As I began to hang out with the team, I began to care less of what others thought. I began to like high school, and most of all, I began to act as myself. I was no longer trying to impress everyone, for i knew that i no longer had to.
This event taught me the trait of apathy, or not caring. In some cases, it could be a not so good trait to have. But in another way, it can help you. It helped me to become more outgoing and to care less of society's standards. It helped me to realize what true friends are and who they were around me. And most of all, it taught me to not care... to not care of others judgment. I feel that is have made high school a more enjoyable place for me. And I feel that i have matured. In the near future, i won't be afraid to try new things. I will work for what makes me happy.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Position Statement Essay
In recent times, there has been many accounts of dangerous incidents involving visitors to the state as well as popular visitation sites such as hiking trails and blowholes. These event have caused a spike in in casualties as well as money lose. There are many issues involving who's fault it is and who is to blame for all these incidents. Many people claim that it is the peoples fault for getting hurt, While others claim that it is the location and governments fault. Another position is that it is both of their fault for not becoming in compliance with each other. After reviewing all these incidents and reading about what caused them, the side that I take is that is both the government/locations fault as well as the people and participants fault.
Going into further detail, most of these events were caused for many different reasons. One could be that the person who got hurt didn't comply with the rules and regulations set by the state or owner of the particular activity. Another reason is because the state or owner did not alert participants and visitors of the potential dangers of the actual activity. For either reason, I see that there is no particular side to blame but both of them. My position is that is both sides fault for not upholding certain responsibilities and not complying with what they are meant to do. The reason is because both the location and the visitors have to do what they are supposed to do. It is the locations responsibility to maintain and keep the activity safe. And if it cant, then to shut it down. It is the peoples responsibility to follow the rules and be respectful for what the owners are trying to do. Another thing is that the locations should warn people of safety hazards and requirements to participate in a particular activity. And it is the peoples responsibility to now their capabilities and restrictions to prevent injury.
Overall, it is shown that each incident was caused for a different reason. So knowing this, you can see that the fault is on both the People's and the location's fault. In the near future it should be known that the owners and the people should do what they're supposed to do in order to be safe and to prevent injury.
Going into further detail, most of these events were caused for many different reasons. One could be that the person who got hurt didn't comply with the rules and regulations set by the state or owner of the particular activity. Another reason is because the state or owner did not alert participants and visitors of the potential dangers of the actual activity. For either reason, I see that there is no particular side to blame but both of them. My position is that is both sides fault for not upholding certain responsibilities and not complying with what they are meant to do. The reason is because both the location and the visitors have to do what they are supposed to do. It is the locations responsibility to maintain and keep the activity safe. And if it cant, then to shut it down. It is the peoples responsibility to follow the rules and be respectful for what the owners are trying to do. Another thing is that the locations should warn people of safety hazards and requirements to participate in a particular activity. And it is the peoples responsibility to now their capabilities and restrictions to prevent injury.
Overall, it is shown that each incident was caused for a different reason. So knowing this, you can see that the fault is on both the People's and the location's fault. In the near future it should be known that the owners and the people should do what they're supposed to do in order to be safe and to prevent injury.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Parent Comment for Portfolio
First off, I was very impressed by this assignment in itself...the amount of energy that he has put into it. Then again, I've noticed that throughout the year, Lennon has been extremely involved with this MeneMac projects. The amount of energy that the students are required to put into their various assignments, has help Lennon remain interested in school. Coming from a private middle school that challenged him, I was worried that he wouldn't be challenged in high school and he would lose interest in his studies. The exact opposite occured and I was thankfully proven wrong...I believe it is due to the MeneMac program. The other concern I had with Lennon transitioning into Moanalua High School, was his adjustment to a much bigger student population and how he would adapt to meeting new students in such a large capacity. Thanks to this program and the familiar classmates and smaller cohorts in their classes, he has adjusted very well socially and comfortably. I am proud of what he has achieved so far and look forward to his continued interested and involvement in the MeneMAC program, a program that Moanalua HS should be 200% proud of.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Merchant of Venice: Final Draft
In todays society, it is very hard to trust someone. The reason being is because many people could double ross you or not hold up their end of a certain deal. There are very little people that are able to do buisness with little stakes. The story, A Merchant of Venice, is a story that tells the story of many themes. When this story was written, the times were very much different from ours. The author, William Shakespeare, lived in a time were one could only trust anothers word. Business was corrupt from segregation with religion, race, and gender. The main character of this story, Antonio, is a prime example of a great business man that would survive in both modern and ancient times. He has the intellects and values of someone that thinks critically and outside the box. Throughout this play, it is shown that the character Antonio portraits a person of great intellegence that the people of both the 1500s and modern times need so that the aspects of society remain stable.
In the beginning of the story, we find Antonio very sad, almost depressed. "In sooth I know not why I am so sad: It wearies me, you say, it wearies you; But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn."(Act 1, Scene 1, lines 1-5) Unlike most depression cases, he knows not why he feels this way. Although not very touched upon further in the story, it is believed that love is the thing that keeps he spirit on the low end. But disregarding he inner feelings and self conflicts, he decides to help he "BFF" Bassanio. This is the first example of Antonio's kind side. "You know me well, and herein spend but time To wind about my love with circumstance, And doubt you do me now more wrong In making question of my uttermost Than if you had made waste of all I have: Then do say to me what i should do, That in your knowledge may by me be done, And I am preset into it: therefore, speak."( Act 1, Scene1, lines 153-160) This particular saying shows the audience how he feels to his friend. He would be more hurt if Bassanio told him none of his social foibles than if Bassanio squandered with his fortune. He also, toward the ending of the story, is willing to give his life so that his friend could remain happy. In this particular time period, kindness was a little difficult to come by mostly because areas would be over cumbered by business and religious segregation. Antonio breaks that barrier and shows to Bassanio the kindness that most certainly he wouldn't have received from anyone else.
Another trait of Antonio that is shown to us through the play is his slightly wise yet very clever way of thinking. We most see this we he is striking the deal with Shylock for the three thousand ducats. While discussing with Bassanio the terms of the actual contract, Shylock nearly has a change of heart when he finally meets Antonio. Reason being is that Antonio discriminated Shylock because of his religon being Jewish. But finding a way to talk him into loaning the money, Shylock was forced to give in. "If though lend this money, lend it not As thy friends- for when did friendship take A breed for barren metal of his friend? But lend it rather to thine enemy,Who if he break, thou mayst with better face Exact the penalty." (Act 1, Scene 3, lines 129-134) This line shows Antonio's true intellects. He doesn't beg that Shylock loans the money, yet, he basically tempts Shylock to. He persuades Shylock, knowing that with the way he thinks, he will do anything to embrace his enemies suffering. Although this is really the only evidence of his cleverness, it is proven to be a very powerful example. The reason is that you can tell by modern day examples and history that enemies aren't very well persuaded by each other. so you can see the cunning intellects that Antonio has.
Lastly, the main trait that basically makes the story so great is Antonio's way of keeping his promises. Antonio is a great example of a man of his word. In this story, he promises many things. He promises Bassanio that he would help him see Portia and get him the money, and He also promised Shylock that he would pay back all three thousand ducats, and if not, he would basically give his life. Although there are only 2 main promises, they are very divine in a way. He put himself in a life or death situation and was willing to suffer the consequences. Knowing that it wasn't gonna be easy, he still undertook the task of asking a loan from his archenemy Shylock. And after thoroughly convincing him, which wasn't a very easy job, he was able to get the required money. Also, he was willing to keep the promise of cutting a pound of flesh because he wasn't able to pay back the loan. Most people would have found a way out of the punishment, of escaped in hopes of relieving themselves of the responsibility. But Antonio was ready to go through with what he put himself into.
Our modern world has many problems equivalent to the historical world of Shakespeare. We still have racial and religious segregation in some places, we still have many people that do not keep their word. Although there may not harsh business or religious segregation, there are still major foibles that go against our values, such as unequal salary, incomplete deals, etc. The character of Antonio is someone that is still needed in the modern world. A person that is clever/wise, kind, and a man of the word, is a person that can survive through hardships and set the example for people who are corrupt. He has the intelligence of a business man, yet the somewhat values of a monk. Overall, Antonio is a very important character to this story that reveals one of the many morals that is to be learned by people of our society, and that is selflessness and respect to all.
In the beginning of the story, we find Antonio very sad, almost depressed. "In sooth I know not why I am so sad: It wearies me, you say, it wearies you; But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn."(Act 1, Scene 1, lines 1-5) Unlike most depression cases, he knows not why he feels this way. Although not very touched upon further in the story, it is believed that love is the thing that keeps he spirit on the low end. But disregarding he inner feelings and self conflicts, he decides to help he "BFF" Bassanio. This is the first example of Antonio's kind side. "You know me well, and herein spend but time To wind about my love with circumstance, And doubt you do me now more wrong In making question of my uttermost Than if you had made waste of all I have: Then do say to me what i should do, That in your knowledge may by me be done, And I am preset into it: therefore, speak."( Act 1, Scene1, lines 153-160) This particular saying shows the audience how he feels to his friend. He would be more hurt if Bassanio told him none of his social foibles than if Bassanio squandered with his fortune. He also, toward the ending of the story, is willing to give his life so that his friend could remain happy. In this particular time period, kindness was a little difficult to come by mostly because areas would be over cumbered by business and religious segregation. Antonio breaks that barrier and shows to Bassanio the kindness that most certainly he wouldn't have received from anyone else.
Another trait of Antonio that is shown to us through the play is his slightly wise yet very clever way of thinking. We most see this we he is striking the deal with Shylock for the three thousand ducats. While discussing with Bassanio the terms of the actual contract, Shylock nearly has a change of heart when he finally meets Antonio. Reason being is that Antonio discriminated Shylock because of his religon being Jewish. But finding a way to talk him into loaning the money, Shylock was forced to give in. "If though lend this money, lend it not As thy friends- for when did friendship take A breed for barren metal of his friend? But lend it rather to thine enemy,Who if he break, thou mayst with better face Exact the penalty." (Act 1, Scene 3, lines 129-134) This line shows Antonio's true intellects. He doesn't beg that Shylock loans the money, yet, he basically tempts Shylock to. He persuades Shylock, knowing that with the way he thinks, he will do anything to embrace his enemies suffering. Although this is really the only evidence of his cleverness, it is proven to be a very powerful example. The reason is that you can tell by modern day examples and history that enemies aren't very well persuaded by each other. so you can see the cunning intellects that Antonio has.
Lastly, the main trait that basically makes the story so great is Antonio's way of keeping his promises. Antonio is a great example of a man of his word. In this story, he promises many things. He promises Bassanio that he would help him see Portia and get him the money, and He also promised Shylock that he would pay back all three thousand ducats, and if not, he would basically give his life. Although there are only 2 main promises, they are very divine in a way. He put himself in a life or death situation and was willing to suffer the consequences. Knowing that it wasn't gonna be easy, he still undertook the task of asking a loan from his archenemy Shylock. And after thoroughly convincing him, which wasn't a very easy job, he was able to get the required money. Also, he was willing to keep the promise of cutting a pound of flesh because he wasn't able to pay back the loan. Most people would have found a way out of the punishment, of escaped in hopes of relieving themselves of the responsibility. But Antonio was ready to go through with what he put himself into.
Our modern world has many problems equivalent to the historical world of Shakespeare. We still have racial and religious segregation in some places, we still have many people that do not keep their word. Although there may not harsh business or religious segregation, there are still major foibles that go against our values, such as unequal salary, incomplete deals, etc. The character of Antonio is someone that is still needed in the modern world. A person that is clever/wise, kind, and a man of the word, is a person that can survive through hardships and set the example for people who are corrupt. He has the intelligence of a business man, yet the somewhat values of a monk. Overall, Antonio is a very important character to this story that reveals one of the many morals that is to be learned by people of our society, and that is selflessness and respect to all.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Rough Draft: Merchant of Venice
The story, "A Merchant of Venice", is story that tells the moral of being selfish as well as selfless. The setting of this story took place around the 1500s. This was a time of religious segregation as well as harsh business. Ideals and key points of society such as religion, money marriage, justice, chastity etc. were much different back then from how they are now. The character Antonio, is a clear description of a clever yet cunning person in that time period. From the way he thinks, acts, and speaks, he shows the intellects of a person that thinks beyond common knowledge. He is and example of the modern day business man. He knows the art of dealmaking and finding ways to getting what he wants while also showing kindness to people closes to him.
In the beginning of the story, we find Antonio very sad, almost depressed. "In sooth I know not why I am so sad: It wearies me, you say, it wearies you; But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn."(Act 1, Scene 1, lines 1-5) Unlike most depression cases, he knows not why he feels this way. Although not very touched upon further in the story, it is believed that love is the thing that keeps he spirit on the low end. But disregarding he inner feelings and self conflicts, he decides to help he "BFF" Bassanio. This is the first example of Antonio's kind side. "You know me well, and herein spend but time To wind about my love with circumstance, And doubt you do me now more wrong In making question of my uttermost Than if you had made waste of all I have: Then do say to me what i should do, That in your knowledge may by me be done, And I am preset into it: therefore, speak."( Act 1, Scene1, lines 153-160) This particular saying shows the audience how he feels to his friend. He would be more hurt if Bassanio told him none of his social foibles than if Bassanio squandered with his fortune. He also, toward the ending of the story, is willing to give his life so that his friend could remain happy. In this particular time period, kindness was a little difficult to come by mostly because areas would be over cumbered by business and religious segregation. Antonio breaks that barrier and shows to Bassanio the kindness that most certainly he wouldn't have received from anyone else.
Another trait of Antonio that is shown to us through the play is his slightly wise yet very clever way of thinking. We most see this we he is striking the deal with Shylock for the three thousand ducats. While discussing with Bassanio the terms of the actual contract, Shylock nearly has a change of heart when he finally meets Antonio. Reason being is that Antonio discriminated Shylock because of his religon being Jewish. But finding a way to talk him into loaning the money, Shylock was forced to give in. "If though lend this money, lend it not As thy friends- for when did friendship take A breed for barren metal of his friend? But lend it rather to thine enemy,Who if he break, thou mayst with better face Exact the penalty." (Act 1, Scene 3, lines 129-134) This line shows Antonio's true intellects. He doesn't beg that Shylock loans the money, yet, he basically tempts Shylock to. He persuades Shylock, knowing that with the way he thinks, he will do anything to embrace his enemies suffering. Although this is really the only evidence of his cleverness, it is proven to be a very powerful example. The reason is that you can tell by modern day examples and history that enemies aren't very well persuaded by each other. so you can see the cunning intellects that Antonio has.
Lastly, the main trait that basically makes the story so great is Antonio's way of keeping his promises. Antonio is a great example of a man of his word. In this story, he promises many things. He promises Bassanio that he would help him see Portia and get him the money, and He also promised Shylock that he would pay back all three thousand ducats, and if not, he would basically give his life. Although there are only 2 main promises, they are very divine in a way. He put himself in a life or death situation and was willing to suffer the consequences. Knowing that it wasn't gonna be easy, he still undertook the task of asking a loan from his archenemy Shylock. And after thoroughly convincing him, which wasn't a very easy job, he was able to get the required money. Also, he was willing to keep the promise of cutting a pound of flesh because he wasn't able to pay back the loan. Most people would have found a way out of the punishment, of escaped in hopes of relieving themselves of the responsibility. But Antonio was ready to go through with what he put himself into.
Our modern world has many problems equivalent to historical world of Shakespeare. Although there may not harsh business or religious segregation, there are still major foibles that go against our values. The character of Antonio is someone that is still needed in the modern world. A person that is clever/wise, kind, and a man of the word, is a person that can survive through hardships. He has the intelligence of a business man, yet the somewhat values of a monk. Overall I feel that Antonio is a vry important character to this story that reveals one of the many morals that is to be learned.
In the beginning of the story, we find Antonio very sad, almost depressed. "In sooth I know not why I am so sad: It wearies me, you say, it wearies you; But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn."(Act 1, Scene 1, lines 1-5) Unlike most depression cases, he knows not why he feels this way. Although not very touched upon further in the story, it is believed that love is the thing that keeps he spirit on the low end. But disregarding he inner feelings and self conflicts, he decides to help he "BFF" Bassanio. This is the first example of Antonio's kind side. "You know me well, and herein spend but time To wind about my love with circumstance, And doubt you do me now more wrong In making question of my uttermost Than if you had made waste of all I have: Then do say to me what i should do, That in your knowledge may by me be done, And I am preset into it: therefore, speak."( Act 1, Scene1, lines 153-160) This particular saying shows the audience how he feels to his friend. He would be more hurt if Bassanio told him none of his social foibles than if Bassanio squandered with his fortune. He also, toward the ending of the story, is willing to give his life so that his friend could remain happy. In this particular time period, kindness was a little difficult to come by mostly because areas would be over cumbered by business and religious segregation. Antonio breaks that barrier and shows to Bassanio the kindness that most certainly he wouldn't have received from anyone else.
Another trait of Antonio that is shown to us through the play is his slightly wise yet very clever way of thinking. We most see this we he is striking the deal with Shylock for the three thousand ducats. While discussing with Bassanio the terms of the actual contract, Shylock nearly has a change of heart when he finally meets Antonio. Reason being is that Antonio discriminated Shylock because of his religon being Jewish. But finding a way to talk him into loaning the money, Shylock was forced to give in. "If though lend this money, lend it not As thy friends- for when did friendship take A breed for barren metal of his friend? But lend it rather to thine enemy,Who if he break, thou mayst with better face Exact the penalty." (Act 1, Scene 3, lines 129-134) This line shows Antonio's true intellects. He doesn't beg that Shylock loans the money, yet, he basically tempts Shylock to. He persuades Shylock, knowing that with the way he thinks, he will do anything to embrace his enemies suffering. Although this is really the only evidence of his cleverness, it is proven to be a very powerful example. The reason is that you can tell by modern day examples and history that enemies aren't very well persuaded by each other. so you can see the cunning intellects that Antonio has.
Lastly, the main trait that basically makes the story so great is Antonio's way of keeping his promises. Antonio is a great example of a man of his word. In this story, he promises many things. He promises Bassanio that he would help him see Portia and get him the money, and He also promised Shylock that he would pay back all three thousand ducats, and if not, he would basically give his life. Although there are only 2 main promises, they are very divine in a way. He put himself in a life or death situation and was willing to suffer the consequences. Knowing that it wasn't gonna be easy, he still undertook the task of asking a loan from his archenemy Shylock. And after thoroughly convincing him, which wasn't a very easy job, he was able to get the required money. Also, he was willing to keep the promise of cutting a pound of flesh because he wasn't able to pay back the loan. Most people would have found a way out of the punishment, of escaped in hopes of relieving themselves of the responsibility. But Antonio was ready to go through with what he put himself into.
Our modern world has many problems equivalent to historical world of Shakespeare. Although there may not harsh business or religious segregation, there are still major foibles that go against our values. The character of Antonio is someone that is still needed in the modern world. A person that is clever/wise, kind, and a man of the word, is a person that can survive through hardships. He has the intelligence of a business man, yet the somewhat values of a monk. Overall I feel that Antonio is a vry important character to this story that reveals one of the many morals that is to be learned.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Parnter Questions: Lennon and Ryan
1.) The play opens with Antonio, the merchant, admitting that he is sad, but not knowing why. Think of times when you’ve been sad. Have you always understood exactly why, or has your sadness sometimes seemed strange to you? Explain.
2.) In Shakespeare’s time, lending money for interest was called “usury” and was generally considered immoral. How have attitudes changed since then?
3.) Think of the recent banking crisis and the state of today’s economy. Do you think it’s all right to lend someone a large amount of money based on their word and reputation even though they may not have any concrete evidence of being able to pay you back?
4.) This play includes romantic love stories and also ethnic and religious conflict. How well do you expect these elements to blend?
- Sometimes when we are sad, at most times, we know why we are sad. I remember a time when i was sad. But it wasn't cause i didn't know why, but because of the actual topic. And even when we don't know the actual problem then we are able to figure out why we are actually sad. We believe that when you are sad because you don't know, that just means you don't truly understand yourself and how you react to certain situations. Both of us, when we don't know why were sad, at least try to figure out what is making us feel down.
- We have noticed that now, it is okay to lend money to other people. Friends, even banks do this. But the problem now is whether or not you can trust that person to pay back the loan. People who don't pay back usually get into a lot of trouble. The thing that is immoral today is not paying back. But with that, some people today believe it is still wrong because not everyone can be trusted, but these people are usually the paranoia or the cautious.
- We think that in places of economic crisis, that is isn't okay to lend money to other people. Not because the people are bad, but because is could cause companies and the state to loose even more money. It is because not everyone pays the loan back immediately. Also, you don't know if someone could potentially change their way of thinking. They could be nice one day, but then show resentment the next.
- We think that through romance between two people of different religion or race could help societies of different beliefs live in harmony. An example could be Romeo and Juliet. Their love brought the to families to not hating each other anymore. So through this romance, a conflict could be resolved and no longer exist.
- Don’t rely on outward appearances when making judgments.
- Justice is always blind.
- A brotherly love between two friends can be just as strong as an intimate love between a man and a woman.
- You can break a promise as long as you have a good excuse
- Love is blind.
- Stereotypes are often right.
- An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is a good motto to live by.
- Agree. The reason I agree is because most people's, or things outward or physical appearance can be deceiving. You cant just look at a person and tell whether or not they are happy, sad, or cool or not. An example is when I was in 6th grade. Some of my classmates, even me sometimes, would make fun of a person based on the way he looked. But later through 7th and 8th grade, I got to know him better, and it turned out he was a good friend and a nice person to be around.
- Disagree. The reason I say this is because if you do something bad, no matter how well you try to hide and cover it up, justice will always appear you will always be punished for something wrong. An example is when I was younger. When I would lie or do something bad, I would always think that I would get away with it and not get in trouble. But i would eventually get in trouble. Not once, did i get away with doing something wrong. Justice always came through no matter what.
- Agree. The reason I say this is because these two types of relation ships although very different, still show the same types of relations and values. The bonds between each person can be equally the same. Whenever I am with my friends, I never feel intimate passionate love, thats just gross. But I feel something equal to that, a sort of brotherly bond.
- Disagree. A promise is your true word no matter what. If its between life or death, I feel is when is when you can break a promise. But when its a small excuse, it is inexcusable. I remember when i broke a promise to my friend and I had a "good" excuse, even though he forgave, the friendship never felt the same.
- Agree. You cant love someone because of the way they look. Like my answer for #1, looks can be deceiving. You have to bas e your love on a persons personality. When I younger, I thought I liked a girl, but i was only paying attention to her looks. In the end i didn't like her personality.
- Disagree. Stereotypes are judging people. And like my answers for #1 and 5, looks are deceiving. People could think different from the way they look. My personal experience for this is the same as 31, because we would tease that person because of his appearance.
- Disagree. Revenge, although very satisfying, can be very dangerous and distressful. I think revenge is only necessary in dire situations. It can cause people to get hurt and feel bad and also, it could out you in a position you don't want to be. I remember when i was young, when someone hurt, instead of taking revenge, i just let it go. And eventually justice got that person without me getting in trouble.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Monday, February 3, 2014
Final Draft: Poem
My life
is represented through the sky.
Two
sided; I never have one personality,
most
times, I reflect the daylight
Showing
my bright side,
and helping
others feel and look good.
It is
easy to see what goes on in my head
But other
times,
I show
my dark side,
which can
sometimes scare people,
or make
them uncomfortable.
I can
be harder to read,
harder to
depict,
especially
in my darker mindset.
And no
matter how hard they try,
I am
unpredictable.
The
stars and clouds represent my happy and sad memories.
Even if
they are the brightest or barely visible
they
make up whom I am.
My
imagination is showed through the constellations of the stars
and the
shapes of the clouds.
Some
ideas last forever,
and
some eventually fade away.
The sky
stretches long and wide,
never
seeming to have an end.
So will
my life and soul
As long
as I remain righteous and worthy.
I
eventually get angry and take my wrath,
as the
sky rains,
and
storms,
but it
always gives back.
My
heart is very rare,
but
nevertheless unbreakable.
As the
sky shows love to its people,
it never regrets what it gives.
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