Music

Like most teenagers, listening to music is a large part of my life. Unlike most teenagers, the variety of the music that I listen to is quite large. My favorite genre of music has always been classic rock. Aerosmith, Guns and Roses, Kansas, Journey, and Boston are all bands that frequent my ipod nano. However, I also like alternative, country rock (especially Credence Clearwater Revival) , metal, and more modern rock. Like most kids my age, I also enjoy hip hop and rap, but to a lesser degree than rock. I find myself listening to this most when I am in the car, 107.9 being my station of choice. Finally, I also listen to a degree of bluegrass, especially in the summer when I feel it is most appropriate. Earl Scruggs and Bill Monroe are perfect for any hot June night.

Hooked- A Refection of the Past

In the student essay "Hooked", the author describes his childhood passion of fishing with a nostalgia that transitions to present day where, while reflecting upon the past, he passionately mentions how it impacted his current life. The reader's journey begins with a new bike which opened the world to him. With the bike he was able to discover life outside of the same neighborhood where he spent his whole life. The optimistic and euphoric mood continues when he discovers his secrete fishing spot. He compares this spot to what he thinks heaven would look like and continues to lightheartedly describe how he would cast his line until he heard a familiar "kerplunk" when it hit the water. The jubilation felt during the first bass catch encourages the young angler to then begin collecting a all sorts of fishing supplies. The enormous amount of his collection is emphasized by listing all the different types of hooks, baits, and reels. However, to his great dismay, his entire collection is stolen one weekend when he forgets to take it home from the lake. In a bittersweet moment of reflection, the author comments how it took him so long to save the money to buy everything only to have it stole again. Fortunately, he realizes that it wasn't so much about the gear but about creating the memories through his love of fishing. 

Seniors

As a senior, I feel a growing lack of motivation in generally every aspect of my school life. I get up later, procrastinate more, read less, and study less. Generally a pretty motivated person, I thought that the so called "Senioritis" was ridiculous last year when the now graduated seniors claimed it to be real. I can now see that they were right. As of now, I still continue to do all of my homework. Yet, I fear this trend may not continue at the current pace my case of Senioritis is progressing. For the sake of my grades and consequently the sake of my own self due to the reaction of my parents if my grades suffer, I hope I can find a cure to this case.

Painting with Neil Blog Response

In “Painting with Neil” the rich descriptions regarding Neil’s constant changing g attitudes reveals an aggravated impatience which greatly affects the overall perception of the character. Throughout the night, Neil’s attitude is in a constant state of change. The opening lines where Neil shows great displeasure regarding the condition of his hot dog foreshadows how he will treat the rest of the night. Although Neil becomes excited during the opening moments of the game, his state of mind changes with every goal. This climaxes with the final goal scored by Canterbury after which Neil leaves before the game is even over. Through the descriptions of Neil, the writer is able to capture the mindset of any teenager at a certain point in their lives. Almost everyone knows someone like the person the author was describing or has acted like that character before. All in all, the voyage to the soccer game with Neil is great commentary on what anyone could have experienced.  

Ready For Spring

Even though the recent cold weather was gracious enough to bless us with a day off, I am getting quite sick of winter. As much as I love having to get up early and defrost my car before leaving for school, I am really looking forward to those 60 to 70 degree days of April. I am even willing to compromise a few rainy days if it means seeing the sun out at 7 pm instead of darkness beginning at 5. Until then, I guess I will just have to put up with the snow, ice, and wind...

Ground Zero Response

In Ground Zero by Suzanne Berne, the unassuming descriptions of the World Trade Center memorial as viewed from face value underscores the mournful seriousness that the bleak scene represents to those who view it. When Berne first arrives at Ground Zero, she states that it appears like any other bustling New York construction site. The "pound of jackhammers" and the "steady beep-beep-beep of trucks backing up" suggest an ordinary scene with little importance other than a simple construction site. However, after recollecting the events from 9/11, Berne begins to see what she expected to from the beginning: sorrowful reminders of the tragic event  that occurred. Suddenly, "skyscrapers shrouded in black plastic" and "cracked masonry" become eerily visible. By juxtaposing the descriptions of a normal construction site with the uneasy signs of disaster, Berne paints a picture of two worlds: the present where ticket salesmen work in "cheerfully painted kiosks" and one of constant reminder of the past where firefighters preform an honor guard for someone's remains. All in all, these worlds coexist through the act of visiting the site which Berne states is "wide emptiness where so many were lost."