Highschool Senior Response

1)I relate most to the guy who wants to be a doctor. Ive always wanted to be a doctor since I was a child. I think the most interesting and must diluted at the same time is the Marijuana Baker. This seems so crazy because it seems so far fetched, yet he seems genuine in his goal to help others.

In 10 years I find myself doing a residency program for some type of doctor. I'm not sure what type of doctor I am going to be. In the next 4 years I will have finished college, and in 4 years after that I will have finished Medical School (hopefully). In medical school I plan on finally choosing what type of sub specialty I would be interesting in working. It seems so far yet it seems so close at the same time.

2) I have just read the article about the 21 year old poker kid who has won millions of dollars in online poker. This is quite an amazing feat. He listed a few reasons as to perhaps why he had such an upper hand compared to the older players. I agree with everyone of them. One of his claims were that younger individuals had access to video games which required quick on the go thinking, such as counterstrike and Call of Duty. These types of games require quick reflexes and a specific type of thought process. When these children are exposed to this process as such a young age, they have a lot of experience with it and are growing up with it. I also noticed that he didn't treat money for what it was. He described it as a "point system" in which he was only trying to get the most points. He didn't really relate the money that he was playing for with actual money. The other thing that I thought really helped him was that he is "not very materialistic". This means that of all the money he has made, he has more of it to use on poker. While the risks may be bigger, he seems to know what he is doing and will make more money. Since he is so young, he does not have a family or other major expenses to worry about. He has a larger amount of money to lose before he is truly in trouble.

Favorite Poem

My favorite poem from this semester is "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost. I really like how the author takls about fire and ice, which are opposites. He talks about how he would choose the world to end with fire, and not with ice. But then he also talks about how he would be okay if for the world to end with ice if he suffered a second time. In then end the two contrasting images really help portray an image of yin and yang.

Friday Movie Compare/Contrast

The movie we watched on Friday was really interesting. It told the story about two children named Cody and Chris. Both of these children have had some problems in their lives and have to tough it out. Chris seems like quite an interesting man. He has had some anger issues but really works to keep it under control. He also seems like a great individual because he volunteered to make the school newspaper and keep it updated. He seems very hardworking and focused, he wants to do something with his life. He does not want to end up a drunk like his father was. Cody on the other hand is a bit different. He has a girlfriend which he really uses to help him with his life. He saw his parents get killed and it has left a profound impact on his life. Without his grandmother being there for him there is not telling what Chris would have done. It is also apparent that he is very bold and does not really care what others think of him. This is definitely a great characteristic to have. He really seems to be his own individual and also wants to make a better life for himself.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone page 242-309

The end of the year is approaching and final exams are near. We learn that nothing really eventful happens during the exams and that they occur with little incident. Harry learns while talking to Hagrid that he told Voldemort that anyone would be able to get past Fluffy by playing him some music and making him go to sleep. They go to tell Dumbeldore who is away, so they realize they must take the stone tonight. They reach Fluffy only to find a harp, hinting that someone had already been there that night to pass him. Harry plays his flute and helps his friends get past Fluffy. They then fall into a moving plant which entraps everyone, but Hermione gets out and quickly uses fire to burn the plant. They then enter a room with many flying keys. They spot the correct key and then Harry uses quidditch skills to get the key and open the door. Then they enter a chess game in which they are pieces. Ron uses his expertise to win but had to sacrifice getting beaten in order to win. Hermione and Harry go to the next room to figure out the correct potion to drink. Hermione then goes back to help Ron while Harry moves on to get the Stone.

The next chapter is probably one of the most action packed sequences. Harry meets up with Voldemort and Quirrel. Harry finds out that Voldemort is a shape shifter and is using Quirrels body. His head is in the back of Quirrel's head. Harry has the stone appear in his pocket after using the mirror to find that it was the object he wanted most. Voldemort wants Harry to hand it over to him. Voldemort then tells Quirrel to grab Harry, but Quirrle's hands burn every time he touches Harry. The pain in Harry's scar is quite painful and he evetually blackens out. Dumbeldore comes just in time to save Harry from Quirrel. We find out that Harry couldn't be touched because of his mother's love. We also learned the reason he found the stone was because he was the only one to want it for what it was instead of for what it had to offer. Nicholas Flamel and Dumbeldore later destroyed the stone. Gryffindor also wins the house championship because of his efforts. Everything is well and it is time for everyone to pack up and leave.

The story here is quite accurate compared to the movie. The movie provided a great visual to use as a base for all the characters and setting. By then applying the text to the situation, it was very easy to see the situations of the story unfold. I think the combination between reading a book and then watching the movie really helps people out in their understanding of the story as a whole.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerrer's Stone page 195-241

In this chapter half of the semester has passed and Christmas is near. Harry gets teased because he has no one to go home to and he must remain at Hogwarts. Lucky for him though because Ron is also staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. They later decide to try to get more information on Nicholas Flamel, but get kicked out once they are found in the restricted section. On Christmas day Harry and Ron wake up to presents. Harry receives an awesome cloak which makes him invisible. There is a note that says that the cloak belonged to his father. He tests it out in the restricted books section only to find out that the book started to scream once he had taken it out. This made him quickly leave and find a room that had a mirror in it. However this mirror was no ordinary mirror at all. He looks in the mirror to find his parents behind him, but when he looks back he finds no one. Dumbledore comes in and explains that the mirror shows anyone the thing they want the most.

In the next chapter we find that Harry listens to Dumbledore's advice and does not return to the mirror every night so he doesn't become addicted to it. It is after Christmas break and the three friends are trying to learn more about Nicholas Flamel. However Harry has so much quidditch practice it is getting in his way. We also learn that Snape will referee the next match. Harry then later remembers he saw the name Nicholas Flamel and that he was a partner to Dumbeldore. We also learned that Nicholas Flamel created an item known as the Sorcerer's Stone. The stone turns any metal into gold and has an elixir that lets people live forever. The quidditch match is the next day and Gryffindor will be ahead in house points if they win. Harry is a great quidditch player and catches the snitch within 5 minutes.

So far reading the Harry Potter books are much more interesting than actually watching the movies. There is just so many more small details that really help us create this fictional world. Also the book does a better job in creating more vivid images.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerrer's Stone page 152-194

In this chapter we begin with Harry and Ron just coming back from Hagrid's house and seeing fluffy, who seems as if it was guarding something. They contemplate what he's guarding when the mail comes and Harry receives a quidditch broomstick. Around this time he also begins learning the basics of quidditch and how the game works, a very peculiar and interesting game. Then one night the defense against the dark arts teacher comes in and claims that there is a troll in the building. Everyone begins to panic and is sent back to their dorms. Ron and Harry don't know where Hermione is and go look for her. They end up seeing the troll but are able to trap it in the girls bathroom. However they then realize that Hermione is also in the girls bathroom. The three of them work together and use what little magic they know to somehow take down the troll. Then Hermione really comes through for them when Ron and Harry are in trouble and she then becomes their friend.

This chapter is probably one of the more interesting ones. In this chapter the quidditch season begins and will be playing against Slytherin. Harry finds a unique book that may help him while he is playing quidditch, but professor Snape sees it and confiscates it because library books are not allowed to be taken outside. The next day the quidditch match is starting and Harry plays the roll of a seeker. His job is to go after the golden snitch, which is the main purpose of the whole game. The game ends when the snitch is caught. However Harry's broomstick is moving around uncontrollably and Hermione sees that Snape is staring at it while muttering, probably a spell. Hermione then quickly sets Snape's cloak on fire, so the spell is broken. Harry loses control and plummets to the ground, while luckily managing to catch the snitch, end the game, and help Gryffindor win. Harry also gets Hagrid to mention Nicholas Flamel.

Overall I really enjoy the quidditch aspect of Harry Potter. Just the way the game is run and how it is played truly amazes me. It must have taken a large amount of imagination to come up with such a brilliant idea. I have to give credit to JK Rowlings for bring such an amazing and creative writer in her settings and characters.

Let Kids Rule the School.

The article "Let Kids Rule the School" By Susan Engel is a great project that works to alter the boring monotonous student lifestyle. I really believe this approach really opens a student's mind to change and learning. If there is an enviornment where a student wants to learn, then the student will be more active in pursuing his education and his other goals. It is much easier to have a student succeed in academics if he finds the subject material interesting. If the subject material is not interesting perhaps the method in which the material is introduced will spark interest in the topic. This program could possibly work here at Homestead. I have a number of friends who dislike the way some teachers teach and the way classes are run. There is no doubt they would volunteer themselves to experience a more relaxed and entertaining education that still provides an equal amount of substance

SAT

Test day was today. I have just taken my first ever SAT. It was at Southside and I drove their myself. I was fifteen minutes early only to find a line that stretched clear across the whole parking lot. When we got inside it was apparent that the line was snaking through the school. It took us an hour just to get checked in and directed to our rooms. On top of that the desks at Southside were about half the size of the desks at Homestead. This made it quite difficult and irritating to take the test with so many papers. I had a feeling I did really well on my essay. I also have a feeling the overall writing parts were quite easy. The time we spent in class over SAT was definitely worth it. I found that the reading comprehension and vocabulary sections were the hardest. Overall I think I did pretty good, at least I hope.

Harry Potter 112-151

Chapter 7 starts out with the students arriving at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall receives them and tells them they will be sorted into on of 4 houses. Each house will become a family. The houses also are a yearlong competition to acquire the most points. Points are earned by winning quid itch games and lost for rule breaking. They all go to the great hall where they see the sorting hat. He dislikes the Slitherin house after he finds that Voldemort was in it. It is Harrys turn for the hat. The hat is suggesting that he should go to Slitherin, yet Harry begs to go to Gryffindor and succeeds. After everyone is sorted there is a big feast. Harry meets many new students, including Neville. Harry also glances at the teachers and feels a sharp pain when he sees Snape. Dumbeldore then introduces himself and lists a few rules.

This chapter discusses Harry's life at Hogwarts. He finds life unfamiliar and confusing, as anyone would in his position. Harry loves his classes and finds them very interesting. Harry is also quite pleased to find that most of the other students are just as lost as he is. Harry receives a letter from his owl from Hagrid inviting Harry to tea. He also finds that professor Snape severely dislikes Harry. He brings Ron and Hermoine with him who are awed by Hagrids size and his big dog Fang. Harry also has many questions when he sees a newspaper saying a vault was emptied when he went to the bank with Hagrid. He is unsure what it was that Hagrid had put in his pocket that day.

Overall the first few chapters of this book are reproduced quite accurately. Again there is nothing noticeably variable between the 2 stories, just the fact that understanding the Harry Potter world is much easier at your own pace than the pace of the movie.

Harry Potter 46-112

I got a lot of reading done today. This book just keeps pulling me in, its amazing. It turns out I was right and that the thump at the Door is Hagrid. Who would have guessed? Hagrid is described as a giant that easily bends the gun that Mr. Dursely points at him. This scary man then pulls out a birthday cake out of nowhere just for Harry. He introduces himself and calls himself the "Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts". Hagrid is disappointed that the Durselys have not told him about hogwarts or his past. Harry learns that he is a wizard and has been accepted into a school where he can train his powers. He also learns his parents were killed by Voldemort. Mr. Dursely says he will not allow Harry to go to Hogwarts, yet Hagrid takes Harry anyways.

In the next chapter we find that Harry goes to London to buy his school supplies. Harry is concerned about money but Hagrid assures Harry that his parents have left him enough. They go to Gringotts bank to get some money. The wizards in the area automatically recognize and respect Harry for who he is. Then Hagrid leads him to the secret wizard street where all the shopping will take place. He then goes to get his uniform fitted where he meets Malfoy, who continually talks down to Harry because his family is not as great as his. They then go to Olivanders where Harry gets his wand. After trying many of them he ends up picking one. The only other wand that is similar to his was picked by Voldemort.

This chapter talks about Harrys last few days with the Dursleys. He then realizes that his train leaves from platform 9 and 3 quarters. He is unable to find such a number and waits between platforms 9 and 10. He then sees a group of red haired children. Their mother tells him to run through the wall. He reluctantly does and finds himself on the right platform. On the train Harry meets the Weasleys. He also meets Ron who is the same age as him. He debriefs Harry about the wizard world and everything in it. They also meet Hermione Granger. She seems to talk a lot and also becomes friends with Ron and Harry.

Overall this part of the book is quite similar to the movie. There are more small details which add to the overall experience of the story. For example it is easier to understand all the history and relationships of wizards through text instead of a movie. It is easier to slow down and reread anything that you don't understand.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerrer's Stone 1-46

I have always watched all the Harry Potter movies and have always been interested in Harry Potter. However I have never had the time to actually read all the books. I have heard from many individuals that the movie did not follow the book too accurately. For this reason I have decided to read the series and see how accurate the movies truly are.

The story starts out with us meeting up with the Dursleys. They are a normal reguarl status-conscious family who want to live a normal live. However one day Mr. Dursley starts to notice strange events. He sees cats reading maps, people in cloaks walking around. and random excited people saying smuggles should be happy. Later that night professor Dumbledore form Hogwarts arrives. He speaks to the cat who we find out is professor McGonagall. They discuss Voldemort and his intentions of killing Harry Potter and his parents. He failed to kill Harry and his powers have weakened ever since. Harry is then left on the Dursleys' doorstep.

In this next chapter we flash forward 10 years. Harris is now almost 11 years old and is living a miserable life. He is in a cupboard under the stairs in the house. Dudley, the Dursley's son, torments Harry. It is quite apparent that the whole family dislikes Harry and treat him as extra baggage. He goes to the zoo one day and sees a boa constrictor. To Harry's surprise he is having a conversation with the snake. The snake suddenly leaves his cage and slithers away. Harry is blamed for the whole incident.

Harry is locked up in his room until the summer. He is finally free and decided to have some fun and play outside as much as he can. He is excited he will start school away form the Dursleys. One day he finds that a letter is addressed to him. However Mr. Dursely and Mrs. Dursley are astonished and refuse to tell him anything. The next day another letter comes but again Mr. Dursely refuses to let Harry see it. On the third day Mr. Dursely decides to take the family to the hotel after dozens of letters are coming into the house. Here hundreds of letters arrive at the hotel. Then Mr. Dursely takes the family to a single room shack for complete isolation. The chapter ends with a knock on the door.

So far the book seems to be decently accurate. However there are a few added details that the book has. Nothing too story breaking though. Overall the Harry Potter book seems interesting and it has rekindled my desire. I have a feeling that the knock on the door will be Hagrid, using the movie as a source.

Jane Eyre 171-219

This section begins with the fact that Jane is sad that Rochester has been gone for a week. We also learn that he may continue on to Europe without returning to Thornfield at all. This sis bad news because according to Mrs. Fairfax, Rochester could be gone for over a year. We learn later that Rochester will be arriving back in about 10 days with some guests. While she is waiting for Mr. Rochester to come back Jane hears two other servants discussing Grace Poole's high salary. There is something interesting and weird about that girl and her role at Thornfield. Rochester soon arrives and has many high end gusts. Jane is forced to join the group of people but she prefers not to. Balanche and her mother are some of the guests that arrived with Rochester. They treat Jane badly and with cruelty. Jane tries to leave the party but Rochester doesn't let her. However he then lets her go and tells her she must come every evening. The guests stay at Thornfield for several days. Jane realizes that Balanche and Rochester will be married soon. However she also realizes that they do not seem to love each other. It seems as if this marriage was happening for social status and wealth. Also one day Mr. Mason arrives at Thornfield. He is a strange man from the West Indies. When Rochester finds out that Mason has arrived he looks troubled.

In this section of the book it is quite apparent that Jane has actual feelings for Rochester. She longs for him to comeback to Thornfield. She would be quite disappointed if she found out that Rochester would be gone for a year. However she must have been more disappointed when she found out that Rochester was bringing guests home. One of these guests was Balanche who treated Jane poorly. To make it worse she finds out that Balanche and Rochester are going to be married soon, not because they love each other but for wealth and social status.

Jane Eyre 149-171

In this section of the book, Rochester explains to Jane about his and Adele's pasts. He had a long affair with Adele's mother. She was a French singer and dancer named Celine Varens. He found out Celine had a relationship with another man. Rochester then ended the relationship. He also always denied that Adele was his daughter. However after Celine decided to abandon her daughter, Rochester brought Adele to England so that she could be taken care of. Jane is lying in her room and thinking about all this new information she has learned. She then suddenly hears a laugh and scratching sounds. She sees smoke from Mr. Rochester's room and finds that the curtains are ablaze. She puts out the fire but Mr. Rochester only goes to the third floor. He returns and says that he has figured it all out. He asks Jane if she has ever heard the laughter before, and she replies yes. He is thankful for Jane saving his life but asks her not to mention this to anyone else in the house. Jane wakes up the next morning and is surprised when no one knows about what had happened last night. The servants were told that Rochester had fallen asleep with a candle which ignited the curtains. We also realize that Jane is beginning to have feelings for Rochester. She finds out that he will be away for a few days she is sad. He left to go to a party with Blanche Ingram, a beautiful lady. Jane hates herself for being disappointed at the news and continues to think she will not stand a chance against Blanche.

In this section of the story many strange events had happened. We find out even more about Rochester's past and everything else that has happened. He seems to be quite a troubled man. Also the incident with his curtains on fire are quite interesting. The issue has not been resolved yet as to who or what actually started it. It was really crazy when we found out that Mr. Rochester wanted to keep this all a secret. We also learned that Jane has feelings for Mr. Rochester, which was bound to happen. The new woman, Balanche, should cause an interesting rivalry between herself and Jane.

SpellBound Assignment

Spellbound is quite a unique and interesting movie that follows a select group of students on their daunting journey to become the Spelling Bee Champion. One of the individuals was Neil Kadakia. Niel is a 14 year old 8th grader that is competing in the Spelling Bee. His main source of motivation doesn't seem to be his own intentions but rather those of his fathers. He seems to be pressured by his father to do well and perform well. He also had the added pressure of feeding 5000 people in India if he won. There seemed to be a lot riding on him winning. It seemed to me as if Neil's father was using Niel's spelling talent to project his own name and emotions into winning the Bee. On the other hand we have Nurpur Lala. Nurpur is quite an interesting contestant. She comes from a small town and has relatively few friends that respect her, as do most of the contestants. The one thing that I think sets Nurpur apart from Niel is that she genuinely enjoys spelling. Spelling seems to be more of a hobby or competitive sport for Nurpur, where success is important but the journey to success is just as important. I think for this reason she has a better base motivation for doing well in the competition since it seems as if Neil is being forced to participate and to well.

Jane Eyre 114-148

In this section of the book we find that Jane finds it pleasant and comfortable at Thornfield. She finds that the girl she has to teach is quite intelligent but somewhat spoiled. Most of her time here is uneventful. However one night she sees a horse coming into Thornfield. This first reminds Jane of one of the stories that Bessy used to tell. The horse trips and its rider falls to the ground. Jane goes to help the man to his feet. She then goes inside to find out that the man she had helped was Mr. Rochester, the owner to Thornfield. The fall had sprained his ankle. The next day Mr. Rochester has tea with Jane and Adele. He is pretty sharp and serious when he talks to both of them. It is quite apparent that he really enjoys Jane's drawings. We also learn a little bit about Mr. Rochester's history. He was considered a family outcast. When his father died, Mr. Rochester's older brother inherited Thornnfield. His older brother eventually died 9 years ago. Since then Mr. Rochester has been the owner of Thornfield. During Mr. Rochester's first few days at Thornfield, Jane does not see much of him. One night while Mr. Rochester is drunk he calls Jane and Adele to his office. He gives Adele a present and starts talking to Jane. He asks Jane if she thinks he is handsome. She says no and then Mr. Rochester becomes angry and says their relationship is not just a formal work relationship. Adele mentions her mother and Jane is quite interested at this, but Rochester says that he will explain it to her on a different occasion.

So far Jane seems to be settling in Thornfield quite well. Compared to her previous live at Lowood or at her aunt's house, Jane is living a life of luxury. She has access to so many different things. She also makes a good first impression with Mr. Rochester. Perhaps they will have a stronger relationship.

3.1 Diction Exercise: Poetry

a) gristle, explosives, inexorable, leap, crave, barrels, triggering, flesh

b) Elevation: candid, apathetic
Sound: Remorseless, Contentious

c) The remorseless and contentious eloquence of Brian Tuner's "Here Bullet" portrays a grim and candid image of this man's languid attitude towards his greatest assailant.