The Crazy Sub

One day, a class of grade 12 students had a crazy sub. This guy was insane! He talked for days and made the students' lives a living hell. The poor students were desperate to overthrow their evil oppressor! They banded together to defeat the crazy sub. Collectively they made a plan to overthrow his power and control within the classroom. First, they sent in Edgar, the class' own crazy kid, to distract the maniacal sub. Next, some of the boys crept up behind him, ready to pounce. One of the boys slipped briefly, causing a squeak of rubber on linoleum. The sub began to turn towards the sound when Edgear suddenly lunged forward, knocking the crazy sub to the ground. The waiting boys attacked as well, binding the sub's hands and feet. After an imperious nod and mild gesture from the girls in the class, the boys carried the sub over to the supply cupboard and shoved him inside. It took all of their combined weight to get the door closed but they were finally successful. They strategically placed a couple of chairs infront of the cupboard door for good measure. Suddenly, a joyous cheer rang up amongst the students. Their oppressor had been vanquished and they had been liberated. "Carpe Diem", "Seize the Day"!

Terri Something

     We were given the opportunity to have a real, "best-selling" Canadian author come to speak to our class. He was particularly inspring because he faced many challenges before finally obtaining a certain degree of fame and recognition. He was not a die hard writer but began to professionally write later in life. He is also an example of how difficult it is to be a writer in Canada. He maintains and full time job and has a family yet still finds time to write. His concept of a humourous book about Canadian politics did not appeal to any publishing houses in Canada so he made the decision to self-publish his first book. After some small success he submitted and won the Stephen Leacock Award, enabling him to sign with a legitimate publisher. After his first novel was selected for Canada Reads his book gained new recognition and enabled his book to sell over 70 000 copies.
     I found his writing process to be especially interesting. He is very meticulous. He spends a few months crafting a very detailed plan before he even attempts to write. This, I could never do. I rarely know the events in my story as the take place before I sit down to write. He chooses to have, from beginning to end completely planned out in advance. I would feel that this process would lose much of the creative thrill that I associate with writing but it works for him. Because of his very detailed planning he is able to write his very quickly. From his presentation I will take away some knowledged of the benefits of prewriting and will try to incorporate them more willingly into my own writing process.

Protests

     I actually watched the news today. This was a big accomplishment for me. I generally find the news to be extremely dull. What caught my attention and interest was a protest that was happening in Ottawa. I want to start out saying that I fully endorse a persons right to protest, especially when they are not being adequately represented by their government. This protest, however, did not make a lot of sense to me. Congolese Canadians were protesting infront of the Congolese Embassy. They felt that the recent election in the Congo was unjust and corrupt. They were protesting that Canada should interfere on behalf of the people living in Congo in order to secure a fair democracy. What I had a particular problem with is that they were not protesting peacefully, as is enshrined in their very right to protest. Police were present at the protest to protect the peoples of Ottawa, both protesters and bystanders. The protesters showed violence towards these cops by both verbally harassing them and throwing things. Canada vocally promotes freedoms for its people, however there is no excuse for harming another in the name of change. They are fighting for the rights of people in Congo while violating the rights of their fellow Canadians. It doesn't make any sense.

Visualization

     Today in class our journal was supposed to be about a visualization excercise. Unfortunately, a couple of boys in the class felt that it was neccessary to piss Ms. Cat off and end our journal early. They wanted to be immature and were craving attention. It felt that if the world was not completely focused on them they were not satisfied. I understand the need to go off topic sometimes and move the class towards some random tangent but there are limits. Why do some people find it imperative to make a teacher mad and force everyone in the class to suffer through a tense silence where eye contact is avoided. Do they think that we enjoy being a witness to a vicious stand off between teacher and student? Like honestly guys, choose your moments. Through the film the Dead Poet's Society we were encouraged to "seize the day", but this is only relevant at appropriate moments.

     Sometimes people need to learn to shut the fuck up and just go with the flow. I am not necessarily a fan of the visualizations that we do in class but I am able to grasp the evidently elusive concept of participating in class in order to succeed. I also agree that making everyone in the class close their eyes during this exercise is essential to make everyone more comfortable. So please guys stop the pointless confrontations and close your mouth! If it isn't the appropriate time then it isn't appropriate for you to talk!

The American Music Awards

I'm going to be honest, yesterday was the first time that I have ever watched the AMA's that I can recall. I used to watch the Oscars religiously but was never very interested in watching the many music awards shows. I have to say that I was actually impressed. Where the Oscars can be boring for the audience to watch and tedious for its audience members, the AMA's is more reminiscent of a big party. This is surprising considering the Oscars honours actors whose job is to keep an audience ENTERTAINED. There were countless performances offset by some awards. I also felt a sense of community amongst the artists. For each performances most of the audience members would get up and dance while singing along to the lyrics. This is on national television, broadcasted to billions of people in North America alone. These are world famous recording artists! They continued to party for each new performance, mindless of the cameras. In Gossip-filled world like ours it was refreshing to me to see such a high level of camaraderie between artists in the music industry.

Poetry Reflection

We have finally finished the poetry unit and I have to say that I have gained a new found respect for poetry. Through the countless classes or group work I have discovered how difficult it is to write poetry WITH OTHER PEOPLE. Everyone has their own thoughts and their minds work a little differently. The direction that I would sometimes like to take things may not necessarily work for other people. The really tricky part was coming to terms with that fact that this is okay. Through collaborations what was once a good poem to you could be expanded upon and become a very meaningful poem.

I have to say the the most difficult task that I had to overcome during this unit was not my blatant dislike of poetry, but was allowing other people to read my rough poems. As a writer I am strongly opposed to people reading any of my work, in any form of creative writing, before it is complete. I guess you could say that I am OCD that way. When compiling the poems for our final anthology, there were numerous classes devoted solely to the sharing of our poems with other students in the class. Regardless of the fact that I was reading their poems, just as they were reading mine, I was still very uneasy about it. To be honest I felt very exposed. Poetry is very different from story writing, it is more personal. Poems are like a direct expression of the writer's thoughts and emotions. My unpolished copies were very raw, at least in my eyes, and it hurt me to have to present these poems for criticism. Even praise was still taken with a feeling of discomfort.

But at least it is finally finished and my feeling can once again be my own! :)

Movie Magic

Our job in class today was to review the list of our favourite movies and determine why they were so great. What makes them memorable? I was supposed to choose only 5 movies but that certainly didn't happen. So the 7 that I was able to narrow it down to were:
- The Lion King (but really most Disney movies)
- Stand by Me
- The Wizard of Oz
- Taken
- Happy Gilmore
- The Princess Bride
- Harry Potter
These movies are not necessarily in preferential order but to me they are all amazing.
One movie that I would like to talk about is actually Harry Potter. Some people may judge me for this but honestly Harry Potter is the greatest. If I have time to kill and am looking for something to watch during that  time the first movie on my list is Harry Potter. Now when I say Harry Potter I do not necessarily mean the first one. I have found that pretty much all of the films in this series are engaging. I could watch the same movie twice in a week, not that I necessarily would, but regardless of whether or not I had recently seen it the movie will still capture my interest. My intense fascination with Harry Potter may stem from the fact that I have grown up with these characters. I feel a connection to them because of the many years that they have been filming. I was generally around the same age as the title character at the time of each release date. The film, although magical hits upon issues that children can relate to. There is also action and adventure. What kid wouldn't want to be a student at Hogwarts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSnfVlU_xFE&feature=related

Halloween

Halloween is actually a pretty ridiculous holiday if you think about. Do not misunderstand me, i really like Halloween and feel that it can be very whimsical and fantastical for both adults and children. My problem with Halloween, though is that it is very commercialized. Gone are the days of my own youth in which families came together to make their own costumes, yes i said make. In our society to today people as a whole have gotten lazy. It has become normal for parents to go to stores for costumes, willing to shell out upwards of $50 for a cheap, polyester princess costume or a corny batman ensemble that chafes. That is if they even bother putting on a costume at all. Gone are the days of magic and wonder, admiring costumes for their originality rather than its price tag. And parents are okay with!


I can remember  back to when I was about 9 or 10 and I was still excited about Halloween. It was back in my elementary school, back when I was innocent to the world's many atrocities. My parent had to go to a Halloween party for one of their friend's and some of my neighbours had decided to go as different characters from the movie the Wizard of Oz. This man that used to live across the street was Dorothy (yes i said man), the lady next door was the Scarecrow and my mother had the arduous task of finding a Tin Man costume. It may sound lame but as a family we went to Rona to purchase materials to MAKE a costume. My dad found the shiny duct tape, my sister the silver spray paint, my mom some metallic bubble wrap and I was in charge of picking out the ideal silver chain to hold our creation together. Later that night we worked to glue, tape, drill and paint a Tim Man costume that could not be copied. it was ORIGINAL!

When i think back to those crazy, costumes-making sessions I am disheartened. I recall all the corny joy that my adolescent self had making that costume and mourn for the lost childhood of today's youth. They must settle for cheap, itchy costumes that are repeated on every other boy and girl. I could not tell you how many vampires came to my door this year. And the worst part was that they were not scary, i want to suck your blood vampires, they were coiffed, pale kids with amber eyes from the twilight movies. They weren't even representing the characters of the books because who in our generation still reads?

2 Minute Poetry

Two minute poetry,
What can I say?
The pressure is mounting,
Hip hip hurray!

I could talk about flowers
Or nature or life
But then I would glower
Where is the strife?

The world keeps on turning
The angels don't sing
The rain forests are burning
The elevator goes PING!

the funniest thing ever

expand:

        (a + b) n
=    ( a  +  b) n
=  (  a  +   b ) n
= (   a    +    b   ) n

Some body actually tried to write this on a math test.
This is amazing because i never would have thought to interpret the question this way. I can relate to this person because math can be very difficult and frustrating at times. I applaude this person for choosing to attempt an answer rather than leave it blank or use profanity to express their lack of knowledge. It is also hilarious simply because, technically, it is now expanded form where it was originally.   :)

I would like to clarify

Poetry is... an UNDEFINABLE art form. It is undefinable because poetry can be found in all forms of art and other creative endeavours. When written, it is often expressed using whimsical phrases and tends to have a rhythm or flow throughout. Through poetry, the trite of the pompous and the emotions of the masses are portrayed. The pomopous tell of the great hardships that they face in the aristocratic class or make mundane observations about everyday things. They write with sophisticated words and call it great poetry. The real poetry comes from the souls of abused women or children that are only speaking the truth, yet their emotions are so strong that their outward pleas are transcendent to those remarking on busy streets or the colour of the leaves. To me poetry is an honest depiction of who we are. This is why it is undefinable. A painting that emotes the raw despair felt by the artist, or even the joy captured on the face of a young child. This is poetry.

The Locker Room

     Everyday I come in here, trying to get pumped for the game. I feed off of the energy of my teammates, the excitement palpable. Today I will be the reason that we win the game... I walk into the locker room and over to my assigned cubby, strip off my outdoor clothes and pull on my uniform. Today woll be different. I will thrive on the field. Iwill do my job to the best of my ability. I will be a contributing member of the team. I will make a difference. Everyday I come into this room with the same goal, the same drive, the same eagerness. Today I will be the day that I break out of my shell and come into my own. I am here, today, and I have a job to do. The crowds will cheer, women will scram my name...
          "Eddie!"
     Iturn around and stare into the eyes of the muscle bound man that is the assistant couch of our highschool football team. His eyes are filled with hate and disgust, not at me personally but for anyone younger than him that is healthy and active. The envy, clearly eivdent in his eyes as he looks around at the football equipment haging from the pegs on the walls. He wants to be out there, playing. instead he is assistant coach to a highschool football team, assistant to a woman head coach. He had been a big time contender for the NFL at one point in his life. He was a contender until he got drunk one night and drove his car into a tree, killing the prom queen, who was his girlfriend at the time in the accident. His shoulder was completely destroyed by the car crash, and his football prospects right along with it. Five years later, after some time in jail for causing his girlfriend's death, he is here with us. This was the best he could do at this point in his life.
    "Get the water bottles filled, water-boy. Practice starts in ten minutes and those boys need their water!"
     Any remaining inkling of the dream faded with his words. Reality returned with a swiftness that left me shaken. I was not the big-time football star of my daydreams, Iwas nothing more than the water-boy.

Memories- six word story

Memories are forever, I'll always remember.

     In life we make many choices; some good, some bad. Often they are small, inconsequential decisions that we never think about again. But something that is small and holds little meaning for me, may greatly impact the life of another.
    The things we do matter. Living a life without regrets is a necessary goal to strive for. Take the lemons that life gives you in stride; find little pleasures in everyday things. Your individual actions in life are important.
     Have you ever heard of Karma? Where you are judged by actions? Everything that we do has an outcome, one that could be good or bad. Everyone always associates judgement with negative consequences leading to unfavourable repercussions, but there are also good outcomes as well.
     A simple act, a little good deed, all make a difference. Standing up on the bus so that the little old lady can sit down; maybe the bus takes a sharp turn and the little old lady, the one now sitting in your seat would have lost her balance and fallen. By you standing so that the old woman could sit may have saved her life. This may sound overly dramatic, but it could be true. Imagine that you didn't move for her and she did fall. At her age she could have broken a hip, and you, the one that wouldn't move so she could sit now have to wait on the stopped bus for the ambulance to come and tend to her broken hip. Her life may also be severly hampered, and she may lose her mobility, all because you would not move for her to sit.
    Small actions have very large reactions. You are never an anonymous, impartial entity, moving through the world and having no effect on anyone. We are all connected, at least in small ways. Everyone should strive to be the best versions of themselves, because you never know when you could seriously change someone's life.

Who am i and Why am i here?

     My name is Shenelle Mason and I am technically in grade 13 at East York. Who am i? Hell if i know... I have two jobs, one of which I have had since February of my grade 9 year. This means that I work a ridiculous number of hours; always. the most that I worked in one week this summer was about 40 hours at one job and roughly 10 at the other in one week. It was a long week. Outside of school and work my favourite hobby at the moment is sleeping. my sleeping schedule is completely messed up at the moment as a result of working until midnight randomly throughout the week. working late when I have to get up early for school the next morning doesn't always work well...
     As to why am i here? When I had originally tried to answer this question in class, I interpretted this to mean what the hell am I still doing at East York. The answer to that question is that I took Co-op last year. Co-op was a very interesting experience, one that I actually enjoyed, but was not at all helpful in the goal; getting Shenelle out of high school. Unfortunately I am still here, at least for one more semester, and will literally jump for joy when i finally leave this god-awful place. :)