Blog #12: Final Reflection

From the beginning, we decided that the best way to accomplish the task was to split up the work between the four of us. We each choose a part of the project that we thought would be the best use of our own skills. I decided that I would start writing the script because I thought I was the more creative person in the group. Once everyone got to work, I immediately noticed that some of the things my other group members were assigned, weren't going to be done correctly. All of us were working while Tucker was sitting at the computer shopping on Amazon. I assumed that he was going to finish his work at home but he never did. After 2 days of this I confronted him about it and he ignored me. Art and I wrote the entire script and found the majority of the quotes from each scene. Ajay didn't nothing up until the Sunday before it was due. We are the most creative group in the class, but if we all worked together, I thought we could make a script that would be amazing. Having only 2/4 people work on this project made it nearly impossible to finish everything on time. All of us have jobs outside of school so it made it difficult to meet up outside of school. This shouldn't be an excuse but when half of the group does nothing in class, it becomes frustrating. I made it very clear that I wouldn't be able to film outside of school, but the other group members did not take that into consideration when we allocated our time. Thinking back on the project, it was a complete failure and its my fault for choosing bad group members. Next time we have a big project, I am going to make sure that I have group members that will be responsible for their part of the project. These are group projects which means they require group thinking. The one positive thing that I got out of these project was how fun it was to recreate a classic story into a modern movie. I personally found Hamlet a little boring so being able to recreate it into a more modern style was awesome. It taught me a lot more about the meaning behind Hamlet.

Blog #11: Hamlet Video Presentation

Blog #10: Hamlet Potter Style Analysis Model

Blog #9: Heaven and Hell Compare and Contrast Chart

Post #8: Rebel Wilson

Rebel Wilson

Rebel Wilson is an actor/comedian who is most known for her acting in Pitch Perfect 1 and Pitch Perfect 2 where she played Fat Amy (yes that was her name). She grew up in Sydney, Australia before moving to the United States to pursue acting. After gaining fame from her role in Pitch Perfect, she began to advocate against the fat shaming of women in Hollywood. Even her name, Rebel, has gotten some criticism because of the uniqueness of it. Rebel has a very outgoing personality and isn't afraid to make fun of herself which makes her a perfect stand-up comedian. Even with all of the criticism of her weight, she is still one of the best comedians and one of the most funny actors to this day.

Quote: "There are so many glamorous actresses, but you know what? In the real world, nobody looks like that."

Fight Song:"All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk 

Poem:

Alone in Darkness

the night falls in a heavy, suffocating cloak, lost are we.

the salvation for which you pine

flares once, then dies,

crushed by your obsession.

all hope must die.

your love is no more.

how could you leave me?

our dark thoughts surround us, crying,

we have lost our way.

Blog #7: Final Memoir

Savage No More

Reid Wilson

Ms. Wilson

English IVA

28 October 2015

I have read and understand the sections in the Student Handbook regarding Mason High School's Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act, which could include a "0" on the paper, as well as an "F" as a final grade in the course.

Reid Wilson

Mrs. Wilson

English IV Bell 5

22 October 2015

                I was alone and I didn’t know why. All 6 members of the “Savage” group chat were gone without an explanation. Charlie left the group message. Sai left the group message. Paraj left the group message. The chat that had been buzzing the entire summer was dead. I felt something was off about the whole situation, but I ignored it. Half the day went by without any messages from the other guys as to why they left. As I got to the lunchroom, I made eye contact with Charlie and I knew something was really wrong. Charlie said, “Oscar got arrested last night and we are in some serious trouble.”

My best friend was arrested for an inappropriate text message. I started to panic. Was I an accomplice? Was I going to be arrested too? I knew eventually I would have to talk to a principal, but what should I say? Should I tell the truth? Before I knew it I was sitting in a conference room face-to-face with three administrators. I could tell by the looks in their eyes that no matter what I said or showed them, nothing was going change. Oscar was going to jail and I might be next.

Since I was one of the few people who saw the text messages, I had incriminating evidence. If I kept it secret I would for sure be considered an accomplice, but if I turned it in, I would betray my best friend since 8^th grade. I knew eventually the school would find out about the text messages since high school administrators have become Internet watchdogs, waiting in the dark to bust kids for a joke made in anger or sarcasm, even if it is harmless. The very next day I went to the principal’s office to turn in the texts I had, but before I gave them up, I made one thing clear.

“He’s a good kid Mr. Rice, he didn’t mean anything he said and I hope this doesn’t get him into any more trouble than he already is.”

The principal merely nod at me, solidifying the idea that no matter what I said, nothing was going to change. I tried and tried to convince him that Oscar was joking, but since I was a student and his best friend, they weren’t going to believe me.

It had been over 40 days since I last saw Oscar and I couldn’t wait to see him, but technically he wasn’t allowed to have visitors, so I had to stay outside or else police would rush to his house and put him back in jail for a year; no exceptions. It was a huge risk for both of us but we didn’t care. Nothing was going to stop us from seeing each other. As I pulled up and he walked out onto his front porch I noticed something different about him. He was way skinner than when he went to jail and had a large black ankle bracelet strapped to his leg. If he stepped of the porch, the ankle bracelet would go off and he would be taken away again. It was going to be a long time before things were going to be normal again but we didn’t care. I finally had my best friend back and I couldn’t be happier.

Thinking back on this day, there are very few things that I would change about the whole situation. Even though my friend had to go to jail for me to learn something, I feel like I am a better person today because of it. I learned that you have to watch what you say on the Internet or in your messages because you never know who might be watching. Every decision that I made before and after Oscar got arrested are decisions that I would make again. It’s only a mistake if you don’t learn from it and that’s why I’m thankful that I got to learn these lessons before something more tragic happened. 

Blog #6: Memoir Rough Draft

Reid Wilson

Mrs. Wilson

English IV Bell 5

22 October 2015

                I was alone and I didn’t know why. All 6 members of the “Savage” group chat were gone without an explanation. Charlie left the group message. Sai left the group message. Paraj left the group message. The chat that had been buzzing the entire summer was dead. I felt something was off about the whole situation, but I ignored it. Half the day went by without any messages from the other guys as to why they left. As I got to the lunchroom, I made eye contact with Charlie and I knew something was really wrong. Charlie said, “Oscar got arrested last night and we are in some serious trouble.”

My best friend was arrested for an inappropriate text message. I started to panic. Was I an accomplice? Was I going to be arrested too? I knew eventually I would have to talk to a principal, but what should I say? Should I tell the truth? Before I knew it I was sitting in a conference room face-to-face with three administrators. I could tell by the looks in their eyes that no matter what I said or showed them, nothing was going change. Oscar was going to jail and I might be next.

Since I was one of the few people who saw the text messages, I had incriminating evidence. If I kept it secret I would for sure be considered an accomplice, but if I turned it in, I would betray my best friend since 8^th grade. I knew eventually the school would find out about the text messages since high school administrators have become Internet watchdogs, waiting in the dark to bust kids for a joke made in anger or sarcasm, even if it is harmless. The very next day I went to the principal’s office to turn in the texts I had, but before I gave them up, I made one thing clear.

“He’s a good kid Mr. Rice, he didn’t mean anything he said and I hope this doesn’t get him into any more trouble than he already is.”

The principal merely nod at me, solidifying the idea that no matter what I said, nothing was going to change. I tried and tried to convince him that Oscar was joking, but since I was a student and his best friend, they weren’t going to believe me.

As I walked into the courtroom I could feel the tension in the air. I had never been inside of the gigantic brick building that they call the Lebanon Courthouse. Dressed in my brand new khakis and my J. Crew button up, I made my way through the metal detectors and into my seat in the main courtroom. As everyone began to sit down, the door on the opposite side of the room opened. Two police officers filed out behind Oscar who was dressed for the occasion. He began shuffling towards his seat in front of the judge, chains around his ankles and dressed head to toe in a bright orange jumpsuit that read Warren County Juvenile Detention Center. I couldn’t believe how skinny he was and how tall his hair had grown. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in a few weeks and it was obvious that they don’t offer haircuts in jail. The judge began talking but I wasn’t listening. All I could focus on was the chains around his ankles, chained like an animal, which he was not. Two testimonies and a lot of tears later, a decision was made on whether or not to let me out of jail and put him on house arrest. The judge ruled that he wouldn’t be released because of the risk he was to the public, meaning my best friend was locked in his cage for another few weeks and I had no idea when I would be able to see him again.

It had been over 40 days since I last saw Oscar and I couldn’t wait to see him, but technically he wasn’t allowed to have visitors, so I had to stay outside or else police would rush to his house and put him back in jail for a year; no exceptions. It was a huge risk for both of us but we didn’t care. Nothing was going to stop us from seeing each other. As I pulled up and he walked out onto his front porch I noticed something different about him. He was way skinner than when he went to jail and had a large black ankle bracelet strapped to his leg. If he stepped of the porch, the ankle bracelet would go off and he would be taken away again. It was going to be a long time before things were going to be normal again but we didn’t care. I finally had my best friend back and I couldn’t be happier. 

Blog #5: Memoir Topic Approval

Memoir Topic Approval

• The surface culture component of the Iceberg View of Culture addressed in this memoir is: Language
• The deep culture component of the Iceberg View of Culture addressed in this memoir is: Group Thinking, Social Interaction Rate, Concept of Self 
• This is because the way my friend got in trouble was by texting something inappropriate in a group chat. This social interaction is what caused him to go to jail.
• The turning point of the memoir is when I realize the severity of what happened to my friend and how it might affect me. This is the point in the story when I start learning about the importance of watching what you say on the internet.
• Im am going to show how I change after this experience by talking about how i've changed when I interact with my friends.  

Blog #4: Style Analysis Model

Lost and Found 

By: Colson Whitehead

The New York Times

• The surface culture component of the Iceberg View of Culture addressed in this memoir is: Food, Dress, Language
• The deep culture component of the Iceberg View of Culture addressed in this memoir is: Personal Space, Social Interaction Rate, Concept of Self 
• This is because the author is trying to define his personal New York where he will want to spend most of his time.
• The turning point of the memoir is when he starts addressing his personal New York City and how it varies from everyone's viewpoint. 
• The author shows he has changed after this turning point by discussing the differences between his view on New York City and the millions of different views others have of the same city. 
• A paragraph that demonstrates what I like about this writer's style is:

There are eight million naked cities in this naked city -- they dispute and disagree. The New York City you live in is not my New York City; how could it be? This place multiplies when you're not looking. We move over here, we move over there. Over a lifetime, that adds up to a lot of neighborhoods, the motley construction material of your jerry-built metropolis. Your favorite newsstands, restaurants, movie theaters, subway stations and barbershops are replaced by your next neighborhood's favorites. It gets to be quite a sum. Before you know it, you have your own personal skyline.

• The author uses Imagery to create a mental picture in the readers mind of what his personal New York City looks like. One thing that I found interesting about his writing is the variation in punctuation that he uses. By adding these things to my writing I will be able to articulate my ideas more effectively. 

Link to the memoir

Blog #3: TEWWG Say/Mean/Matter Chapters 1-6

Blog #2:Close Reading Poetry

Poem Annotations

Shifts Analysis

Blog #1:Close Reading of Fiction

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The theme of The Road would be man's inhumanity to his fellow man.

Example #1: "They're going to kill those people, aren't they? Yes. Why do they have to do that? I don't know. Are they going to eat them? I don't know. They're going to eat them, aren't they? Yes" (McCarthy 127).

Example #2: "Huddled against the back wall were naked people, male and female, all trying to hide, shielding their faces with their hands. On the mattress lay a man with his legs gone to the hip and the stumps of them blackened and burnt. The smell was hideous" (McCarthy 110).

If you were to place this excerpt onto the Campbell/Vogler continuum, it would land in Act II where the hero faces a test or is approached by allies/ enemies because in this passage, the duo meets an old man who is also travelling on the road. I decided this because when they approached the man, he looked like a pile of rags and it was obvious that he hasnt eaten in a very long time. We don't know if had encountered any other people before he met the father and son but if he did it's obvious that they didn't help him. My passage is the exception to the theme of the book because instead of avoiding the old man they stop to help him mostly because the little boy wanted to. The old man isn't an enemy but he also isn't an ally to the duo but he does not pose a threat.

My Passage: Pages 162-165

"They'd no way to answer the question. He wiped his nose with the back of his wrist and stood waiting. He had no shoes at all and his feet were wrapped in rags and cardboard tied with green twine and any number of layers of vile clothing showed through the tears and holes in it. Of a sudden he seemed to wilt even further. He leaned on his cane and lowered himself into the road where he sat among the ashes with one hand over his head. He looked like a pile of rags fallen off a cart. They came forward and stood looking down at him. Sir? the man said. Sir?

The boy squatted and put a hand on his shoulder. He's scared, Papa. The man is scared. He looked up the road and down. If this is an ambush he goes first, he said. He's just scared Papa. Tell him we wont hurt him. The old man shook his head from side to side, his fingers laced in his filthy hair. The boy looked up at his father. maybe he thinks we aren't real. What does he think we are? I don't know. We cant stay here. we have to go. hes scared, Papa. I don't think we should touch him. maybe we could give him something to eat. he stood looking off down the road. Damn, he whispered. He looked down at the old man. Perhaps he'd turn into a god and they to trees. All right, he said.

He untied the tarp and folded it back and rummaged through the canned goods and came up with a tin of fruit cocktail and took the can opener from his pocket and opened the tin and folded back the lid and walked over and squatted and handed it to the boy. What about a spoon? He's not getting a spoon. the boy took the tin and handed it to the old man. Take it, he whispered. Here. The old man raised his eyes and looked at the boy. The boy gestured at him with the tin. He looked like someone trying to feed a vulture broken in the road. It's okay, he said. The old man lowered his hand from his head. he blinked. Grayblue eyes half buried in the thin and sooty creases of his skin. Take it, he said.He reached with his scrawny claws and took it and held it to his chest. Eat it, the boy said. It's good. He made tipping motions with his hands. The old man looked down at the tin. he took a fresh grip and lifted it, his nose wrinkling. His long and yellowed claws scrabbled at the metal. The he tipped it and drank. The juice ran down his filthy beard. He lowered the can, chewing with difficulty. He jerked his head when he swallowed. Look, Papa, the boy whispered. I see, the man said. The boy turned and looked at him. I know what the question is, the man said. The answer is no. Whats the question? Can we keep him. We cant. I know. You know. Yeah. All right. Can we give him something else? Let's see how he does with this. They watched him eat. When he was done he sat holding the empty tin and looking down into it as if more might appear."