Sunday, March 16, 2014

The Everyday Writer pp 48-58, 123-151

On the first set of pages that we were to read, the author explains that in order to write efficiently, one must make good rhetorical choices. We also need to plan or choose a topic that interests us greatly. We must look to the topics that compel us, or puzzle us. We must also keep the audience in mind as we write. We can't use inappropriate language in front of a specific audience.
The next section was on critical reading. Before we start to analyze or read critically its important to find out as much as we can about the text and the author. If we understand the context, then we will soon understand the text. Then, when reading for the first time, we must annotate or mark up the medium, if it allows. Next we must summarize and analyze. When analyzing we must be conscious of the stance the author takes and what the cultural contexts are. We must think critically and make notes about the assumptions, claims and evidence involved.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

SWA Movie Analysis 3/7

“Nosferatu”, made in 1922, was a film about a vampire, an early depiction of Dracula, and it was silent except for some musical scores. “The Shining”, which was made in 1980, was a film about a family with a psychic son and a father who soon develops cabin fever due to a snow storm. “The Conjuring”, made in 2013, is another film about a sort of ghostly, demonic presence. These movies differ in creating a sense of terror because of their time. If we were to watch these now, I doubt that “Nosferatu” would be a cause of nightmares. All three movies were set in a bedroom scene, attacking the safety that the audience feels when they’re in their room. They also all used high pitched screaming violins during the intense, scary parts of the movie.

As of which movie is most effective considering the time they were made, I would say “The Shining”. They made use of all the cheesy 80s technology. In one scene, Jack Nicholson, the main male character, gets his hand sliced by a knife. There is a bloody line, but it doesn’t seem to be bleeding. The fear comes from the fact that this could happen to anybody. Cabin fever is a very common psychological disease. People, nowadays, still talk about hoe “The Shining” was a pivotal movie in the horror industry. They are still scared of it, so I think that proves that it was a very effective/creepy movie.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Our championship performance. A lot had changed from the beginning :)
First show of my junior season. The show changed so much and we ended up winning championships that year!

(3/5 SWA) Peer Review Follow-Up Script

From reading my peer's paper, I have seen that I need to make my paper flow instead of sticking random paragraphs of different subjects.
What my classmate suggested was that I need is fluid transitioning. He stated that I need to relate the texts all back to the big picture and write more about the texts I had analyzed.
I totally agree with what my classmate suggested. He opened my eyes to what I was missing. I noticed that as I was reading his paper, that mine was more staccato and less interesting. The comments were quite clear and I think I WILL be using them in my next revision.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Response Paper #1

The most recent book I've read was called The Fault in Our Stars written by a famous YouTuber-turned-author by the name of John Green. I chose this book because it was a bestseller and I've heard nothing but great things about it from everyone who has read it. The general topic of the book is a story of teens that fall in love but they also happen to have incurable cancer. One of the major things that happen in the book is that the main female character, the narrator, has a problem with her Stage 4 Thyroid cancer in her lungs. A major opinion in the book is that not all kids with cancer become their disease. They are still kids who can fall in love and get their heart broken just like everyone else. This can relate to current events because kids with cancer get all sorts of special treatment just because they’re dying of disease. The main character, Hazel Grace Lancaster, doesn't want the world to treat her special just because she has cancer. She still does everyday things and no one bothers her. This is reminiscent of BatKid and how he “saved” Gotham City (AKA San Francisco). This just so happened to be his Make-A-Wish wish and I think that it was utterly ridiculous. A lot of streets were closed and some people might have been late to work that day or maybe something else happened to other people during that commotion. Bringing it back to the book, I don’t normally read fictional books that have made me think of how society functions, like this one did. This book is written so beautifully that, in the end, I cried a little. I became so attached to these characters and their seemingly true story of life, love and disease. If anyone has the chance, I would completely recommend this book to read.