Futurist Paper

 

 
 

 

 

 

Self-Refelction

Self-Reflection

 

            So as you’re probably aware, since you’ve been teaching us all year, the majority of our class time this quarter was spent reading King Lear by Shakespeare. I am so, so, so extremely happy that we read it as a play in class. Just as when I have to read for French at home for homework, when I read Shakespeare by myself I get maybe about 20% of it. Reading it in class with your ‘translations’ made it so much easier to understand and therefore enjoy. Also, reading it with parts assigned to each person helped with comprehension, because it was easier to keep track of who was saying what and where the characters were. Watching sections of the play right after we read them was great as well, because not only was it easier to understand what was going on in the video, but going over it twice solidified the plot in my memory.

            The essays this quarter were a bit more challenging than last quarter because they were analysis essays, something I’ve never written before this class. The guidelines for the specific type of intro were very helpful, but I do need to work on reading deeper into literary devices for my commentaries, like how they portrayed the main idea, rather than just recognizing them. The futurist paper was, well, annoying. I think the fact that we had so long to do it kind of threw me off because I forgot about my topic in between the time we did the annotated bibliography, and the time we wrote the paper. My topic was extremely interesting, so I enjoyed the assignment in the learning aspect, just the actual act of gathering all the information AND adding commentary AND making it five pages at least was challenging. It was a very eye opening experience for assignments to come in college.

Artifact #2-Travel/Something I love

Samantha Kaplan

Ms. St. John

AP Language

Artifact #2

 

            Hey did you know that Reno, Nevada is farther west than San Diego, California? I told my friends right before we left and they didn’t believe me, but it’s true. And not only is it farther west than San Diego, but once a year, Reno is home to the National Pole Vault Summit aka the best trip I’ve ever taken in my life.

            Last year I didn’t go because I was scared to pay 900 dollars for travel and a meet, and still have the possibility of no heighting. But I remembered how jealous I got last year of the people who went, so I decided to go for it and it ended up being the best thing I’ve ever done.

            I didn’t jump amazing, but instead of being mortified like I expected, I brushed it off, and this trip made me realize why I can do that, and it’s actually very simple; when you’re with your best friends who all have the same passion and support you and love you no matter what, nothing else matters. This trip made me realize that yea, pole vault is about stick jumping and stuff, but the real draw of it is that for the first and only time in my life, I’m a part of a community.

            And it’s the best community I could ask for. Sam Kendricks, the American pole vault record holder taught us how to stretch in the airport. Mary Saxer, a 15’05 pro was in my snapchat story. Andrew Irwin used my hand sanitizer and made an ‘ad’ for it. I’ve never heard of any other sport where the professionals care about the success of the high schoolers. They know what it’s like to be us, and they haven’t forgotten. Whether you’re April Steiner Bennet or a 7 foot high school freshman, everyone has the same mindset and that’s what makes this sport so special. From middle school to professional, the goal doesn’t change, it’s always to clear higher heights and that’s why everyone connects so well. Everyone has the same goal.

            So my trip to Reno showed me how close the entire pole vault community, from high schoolers to pros, but it also gave me new friends. Everyone knows everyone, and if you don’t know someone, odds are you’ll be friends by the end of the meet. I value my vaulting crew more than ever because after staying together for four days, we are no longer teammates, we are best friends…family. I never would have met them if it weren’t for this sport, and we wouldn’t have become as close without this trip. Steve Chappell, owner of UCS, put it best. So well, in fact, that it made me cry right there. “The future of pole vault is sitting in front of me right now. We are all one community. The support and love is unprecedented.”

Artifact #1-My Art

Artifact #1

My torn up, worn down Converse have been on my feet since my freshman year. So when I found out I needed drawings from real life for my portfolio, I knew these are what I would draw first. I've never taken fine arts in school, so I was nervous that I wouldn't know what to do. But I drew what I saw, got advice from every artist I could, and took their advice to better my work. When I'm drawing something that means so much to me, it doesn't feel like work, and the time flies. I'm determined to learn more to make drawing not only something I love, but something I have a lot of knowledge about. I’m going to college for industrial design. I’m excited to learn about it, but at the same time I am terrified. I have a fear of doing things I am not good at around people that are already good. I’ve been on a math and science track for years and going to school for art is a huge change for me. I’m scared I’ll be behind the other students, but if there is any time to try something new, its freshman year of college when it is new to everyone.

 

Mason jars are a staple in the hippie town of New Paltz, as you know. These are the glasses my family drinks from every day. Some people might be embarrassed that their family doesn't drink from real cups, but I'm proud to be a part of a community where this is the norm. Reusing materials and items is commonplace in my house and community. I have learned to see treasure in what some think of as trash, a very useful skill, especially in a world where reusing has become so important to our environment. I drew this drawing because what seems like such a mundane part of my life, is something I probably won’t have in a few months. I’ll be drinking from regular cups at a cafeteria in Rochester. Drawing this reminded me that I have many changes coming my way, more than I will even be aware of until they happen. I want to embrace them with enthusiasm, but I want to make sure never to forget my home.

Chavez Essay

Samantha Kaplan

Ms. St. John

AP Language

Chavez Essay

Nonviolence for Change

            In his article published for the tenth anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, labor union organizer and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez discusses why nonviolent resistance is the superior method of issuing change. Nonviolence to promote change is more effective because it attracts more support, retains moral values, and has little negative aftermath. Chavez explains the reasons to practice nonviolence in order to both honor the teachings of Dr. King and pass along positive ideals and strategies to bring about social change. Chavez is addressing the readers of the religious magazine who are devoted to helping those in need, so he panders to situations that would be relevant to them, for example how nonviolence can help the poor.

            One reason Chavez believes in nonviolent resistance is because it “attracts people’s support.” If people see “the poor struggling against the odds,” it appeals to their “yearning for justice.” Chavez’s diction of “struggling” and “yearning” underscore how effective nonviolence is in gaining support compared to violence. People will support nonviolence when they do not hear words like death or revenge, but instead hear their rebellion described as a triumphant way to reach justice without the sacrifice of life or values; a way to help those in need without sacrificing them. Chavez refers to people who support nonviolence as people “who have a conscience.” This generalization causes the reader to want to support nonviolence because they do not want to be seen as evil, without a conscience.

            Chavez also argues that nonviolence keeps people’s perception of value straight. Chavez makes a numerical comparison to show the beliefs of the nonviolent. Fixing mass amounts of “misery, poverty, and exploitation” cannot be more important than “one human life,” and through nonviolence, social change can arise without the sacrifice of life. No matter how many tragedies exist in the world, losing just one life to try and fix them is not worth it. Chavez compares violence to a “shortcut” to change because change may come faster but at the cost of losing the morality that values human life upmost. “The rich have money, but the poor have time” compares the most valuable possessions of both groups, in that money can pay for violence, but time is more important because it allows the poor to wait for their change without having to make the sacrifice of life or values to get it faster.

            Another reason for nonviolence is the fact that it brings a “victory with no strings attached.” The juxtaposition of the repeated word “lose” in describing a victory expresses Chavez’s point that a victory with violence is not a true win. With a violent victory comes loss of regard for human life, loss of life itself, loss of sense of justice, and loss of strength, but with nonviolence there is no loss that comes with a victory.