What has improved?
I feel that I have improved my writing in the sense that I have become a lot better in articulating my thoughts in a clear and concise manner. My vocabulary has grown slightly, making my pieces flow better. I feel that my confidence as a writer has really improved because at the beginning of this class I definitely lacked confidence as a writer. I feel that I have improved in structuring my essays in an effective manner and have worked to develop pieces that will really attract the attention of the reader. I feel that the quality of my essays have really improved and I finished this year what with I thought was one of my stronger essays.
My voice and style?
My voice and style is, I think, a pretty subtle one. Because I do not have a very elaborate vocabulary, I often state things quite simply. I’ve noticed that my style of writing consists of writing about everyday issues that I can easily relate to. For example I wrote about the lack of sleep and enormous amounts of stress in teenage life a few times. I usually start my essay by presenting my topic to the reader with a scenario or real life example. After doing that I often describe different aspects of my essay topic by painting descriptive pictures with words. Towards the end of my essay I usually try to search for a meaning or a lesson to learn by reflecting on essential life’s values. I write with a more personal approach and style to make the essay relatable and relevant.
What still needs to be worked on?
I would like to continue to become more focused with my essays by conveying my thoughts and ideas in a concise manner. I’ve noticed a lot of times I know what I want to say but oftentimes I am not able to match the correct words to my thoughts. I think if I continue to work on increasing my vocabulary, my pieces will greatly improve. I would also like to work on being more descriptive and original (not cliché) with my words to create images that are new to readers. I also still need to work on “putting every word on trial” in order to create a successful essay.
“Every writer only writes one story” what’s my story?
I typically focus on relevant issues in my life as a high school teenager because they are easily relatable. Most of my topics such as lack of sleep, and stress have close connections to my current life. So I guess when it comes down to it, I tell a story of my current life and feelings with my essays. I often feel the purpose and topics of my essays are driven by my stressful and busy life as a teenager.
Anything else?
Although I still feel that writing is not exactly my strongest subject, I do feel that I have had many opportunities this semester to explore different ways of writing. By doing all these essays I feel that I have a better sense of what my voice of a writer is. I have become more comfortable with expressing my ideas through writing, creating more personal confidence. I really enjoyed many of the essays we wrote this semester and I honesty learned or discovered something new with every essay I wrote.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Who Killed The Electric Car?
The past two days in composition class we watched “Who killed the electric car?” It is a documentary on the past of the Electric car that at the time seemed to be the future of the automotive industry. Not only were they stylish, but they were cleaner, better for the environment, and because they ran on battery there was no wasted money on gas. However, many contributing factors led to stopping the production and sales of these cars by American car companies, leaving electric cars “dead”. This video helped to identify all the components, people, and companies that contributed to the killing of the electric car.
I really enjoyed watching this because I really learned a lot and got a lot out of it. For one, before this video, I never really heard of the electric car because it never played a significant role in the automotive industry, which in my opinion is unfortunate. This video really helped to me to open my eyes to what is/ was out there. It also made me realize that we really have to stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking more about the environment and the future of the earth.
In my opinion electric cars are good thing and it really is too bad GM motors decided to stop making the cars. I think they should have pursued it because the electric car was a step in the right direction. It was good for the environment because it was less of a pollutant. Because it ran on electricity instead of gas, the consumer benefited because they did not have to invest huge amounts of money in gas. Instead all you had to do was come home and plug it in to recharge. I think this is a lot more convenient and although the initial cost of the car may be more, the amount of money you save on gas definitely makes up for it. The movie said this in itself was a hold back because there was a limited range in the number of miles you could travel per charge. However, most people’s daily mileage falls with in this range so this should not be a problem to the majority of the American population. Also if there are better and stronger batteries then they should put those into electric cars. Everything about the electric car seemed to have had great potential for becoming the car of the future.
I believe the main reason why the idea of the electric car died was because of the American selfishness that exists in almost every aspect of our culture. People were too ignorant and concerned with their own desires to accept this idea and look out for the future of our environment. Oil companies and car companies were too focused on keeping their profit up that they failed to pursue this great electric car that would have had many benefits. After watching this video I realized that we need to be more conscious of how our wasteful American life style is causing harm to our environment. We as Americans need to stop being greedy and self centered and start thinking about our environment and world we live in. I would like to see a future in which every one drives electric cars because not only is it better for the environment, but it is convenient and the right thing to do.
I really enjoyed watching this because I really learned a lot and got a lot out of it. For one, before this video, I never really heard of the electric car because it never played a significant role in the automotive industry, which in my opinion is unfortunate. This video really helped to me to open my eyes to what is/ was out there. It also made me realize that we really have to stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking more about the environment and the future of the earth.
In my opinion electric cars are good thing and it really is too bad GM motors decided to stop making the cars. I think they should have pursued it because the electric car was a step in the right direction. It was good for the environment because it was less of a pollutant. Because it ran on electricity instead of gas, the consumer benefited because they did not have to invest huge amounts of money in gas. Instead all you had to do was come home and plug it in to recharge. I think this is a lot more convenient and although the initial cost of the car may be more, the amount of money you save on gas definitely makes up for it. The movie said this in itself was a hold back because there was a limited range in the number of miles you could travel per charge. However, most people’s daily mileage falls with in this range so this should not be a problem to the majority of the American population. Also if there are better and stronger batteries then they should put those into electric cars. Everything about the electric car seemed to have had great potential for becoming the car of the future.
I believe the main reason why the idea of the electric car died was because of the American selfishness that exists in almost every aspect of our culture. People were too ignorant and concerned with their own desires to accept this idea and look out for the future of our environment. Oil companies and car companies were too focused on keeping their profit up that they failed to pursue this great electric car that would have had many benefits. After watching this video I realized that we need to be more conscious of how our wasteful American life style is causing harm to our environment. We as Americans need to stop being greedy and self centered and start thinking about our environment and world we live in. I would like to see a future in which every one drives electric cars because not only is it better for the environment, but it is convenient and the right thing to do.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The gift of giving music
This evening I performed at a nursing home for my Japanese community service project. Because there are many first and second-generation Japanese patients at the nursing home I performed a traditional Japanese song, “Haru no Umi” (on my flute) which translates into the spring sea. I also played a couple of simple duets like Today, somewhere over the rainbow, etc with my sister who also plays the flute. When I went there I did not thing much of the community service part of the project. I just thought it was going to be any other performance I have done in the past. However, I was wrong.
This time around I went into it like I did any other song I’ve performed but after about 15 seconds into the piece I glanced over the stand and looked out into the audience. It was filled with old people in wheel chairs. All of these people looked so frail, and weak but yet they had huge smiles plastered across their faces after hearing this familiar tune that was being played for them that very instant. It made me feel good and all of a sudden I was no longer playing for the sake of my school project. I was playing out of my heart to lift the spirits of these elderly people. It was such a good feeling to know that my music was the reason why these people were all of a sudden smiling. Some of them even started sway to the beat and nod their head as a sign of approval and recognition. From that point on every note I played was played with a different purpose, the purpose of giving the gift of music to touch their hearts. When I finished performing I received a huge applause from my audience. They all were smiling very brightly and all held their head a little higher that they did before I played this piece. I think for them it was refreshing to see a young face. I hope my music lifted their spirits and gave them a sense of happiness, joy, and hope. It is amazing that the simple gift of music can give someone so much.
For me the most rewarding part of this experience was seeing the smiles of satisfaction and happiness coming from the elderly. It made me feel good and made me feel like I had made a significant contribution to their day. There is something about community service and the act of giving that makes you as the giver feel good. The feeling of knowing that you made a difference in someone else’s life is one of the best feelings in the world. When I was in 8th and 9th grade I used to do a lot more volunteer work for other organizations but as I got older my schedule got busier and I never seemed to find the time. This project allowed me the opportunity to once again do community service. This experience was so moving that I have been inspired to make the time to commit to doing routine volunteer work this summer and next year.
This time around I went into it like I did any other song I’ve performed but after about 15 seconds into the piece I glanced over the stand and looked out into the audience. It was filled with old people in wheel chairs. All of these people looked so frail, and weak but yet they had huge smiles plastered across their faces after hearing this familiar tune that was being played for them that very instant. It made me feel good and all of a sudden I was no longer playing for the sake of my school project. I was playing out of my heart to lift the spirits of these elderly people. It was such a good feeling to know that my music was the reason why these people were all of a sudden smiling. Some of them even started sway to the beat and nod their head as a sign of approval and recognition. From that point on every note I played was played with a different purpose, the purpose of giving the gift of music to touch their hearts. When I finished performing I received a huge applause from my audience. They all were smiling very brightly and all held their head a little higher that they did before I played this piece. I think for them it was refreshing to see a young face. I hope my music lifted their spirits and gave them a sense of happiness, joy, and hope. It is amazing that the simple gift of music can give someone so much.
For me the most rewarding part of this experience was seeing the smiles of satisfaction and happiness coming from the elderly. It made me feel good and made me feel like I had made a significant contribution to their day. There is something about community service and the act of giving that makes you as the giver feel good. The feeling of knowing that you made a difference in someone else’s life is one of the best feelings in the world. When I was in 8th and 9th grade I used to do a lot more volunteer work for other organizations but as I got older my schedule got busier and I never seemed to find the time. This project allowed me the opportunity to once again do community service. This experience was so moving that I have been inspired to make the time to commit to doing routine volunteer work this summer and next year.
“The Boat”
My hang out spot on campus is called “the boat”. Why is it called “the boat”? It seems like such as random name for a hang out. Well story goes that it got the name because all the Asians hang out there, and Asians are also known as FOBs, or fresh off the boats. That's where the name “the boat” came from. I guess it also fits with the whole beach, bay theme. My hang out spot is located in front of the science center. It is actually, in my opinion, the prime hang out spot on campus because it is in the middle of everything. It is also really nice when it rains because our spot is covered so we can sit and watch as the rest of the academy scatters from their hangout spots to the nearest covered shelter. There are also two green tables which make it easy to sit eat and do homework on. It is a nice hang out place because you also have a full view of the rest of the academy campus. Getting this prime spot was not an easy task. On senior skip day we as sophomores had to literally fight for the spot. I think it is pretty funny how people at our school make such a big deal about where they hang out. There are names for every hang out on campus and everyone knows who hangs out where. It’s all a part of the accepted “high school culture” that we live everyday.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
A World Beyond My Own
Today I went for a running for about twenty minutes around my neighborhood. When I go running I usually take my ipod and listen to some up-beat music to keep me running at a consistent pace. Today I listened to various hip-hop songs such as “Walk it out” “Smack That” “Fergielicious” which make my run a little more fun and enjoyable. The loud music helps me to keep running. After taking my run around the neighborhood I decided to take a 5-minute walk after thinking about the composition essay we are going to have to start writing about nature. This time around I decided to take my turn my ipod off and take off my headphones for a change. The second time around I had a completely different experience.
When I went walking around my neighborhood for the second time without blasting my loud music I entered and was exposed to a world that I was completely oblivious to due to my loud blasting music. I realized that my ipod had distracted me from noticing the simple but complex world beyond me. There were many components of nature that I never had the opportunity to notice when I was trapped in my ignorance. The first thing I noticed was the refreshing wind that constantly blew across my body, relieving me of the fatigue and exhaustion I had from running the first time around. The wind was so powerful because it had the power to move everything around it, the leaves, grass, trees etc. but yet its touch was very gentle. The minute I felt the refreshing breeze I was relived of all my stress from life and school. I didn’t think about homework, school drama, tests, or anything. It was a good feeling, one that I had not felt in a very long time with the constant growing pressures from school.
I realized this whole other world beyond the one I am used to, the on that revolves around human beings. There are so many other creatures that live among us humans. I saw many birds flying in the sky and landing on telephone wires. While I was walking around I saw a chicken (which is really unusual). I’ve never saw a chicken in my neighborhood before. I saw the chicken walk across the street to this tree where it started to be attacked by birds. I’m guessing the birds had a nest in the tree and felt threatened by the chicken so they decided to try and chase it away. It worked. I also saw insects that I usually don’t notice. I started to wonder if they could talk to each other. They must have some way of communicating with each other.
I also took the time to notice a wide variety of flowers planted in peoples garden. I even smelt some of them. Some of them had beautiful scents while others had none. Each flower and plant was a different color. Together all the colors contribute to this rainbow of color that exists in nature. While on my walk I also looked up into the sky and watched the clouds pass by. I think my favorite part of nature is the sky. The beautiful pure blue color sky is enhanced by fluffy white cotton ball like clouds. Each cloud seems to take its own original shape. I even tried to make out some shapes in the sky as they slowly passed by in the sky. I usually don’t take the time to look and observe nature but today I did.
By the end of my walk I was happy I took the extra time to go a second time around without any distractions like my ipod. It allowed me to see an entire different world of nature. Although we are constantly living simultaneously in this world of nature we are often too distracted by our lives to take notice of the whole other world beyond our own busy lives. It was nice to experience this and the next time I decide to go running I think twice about taking my ipod.
When I went walking around my neighborhood for the second time without blasting my loud music I entered and was exposed to a world that I was completely oblivious to due to my loud blasting music. I realized that my ipod had distracted me from noticing the simple but complex world beyond me. There were many components of nature that I never had the opportunity to notice when I was trapped in my ignorance. The first thing I noticed was the refreshing wind that constantly blew across my body, relieving me of the fatigue and exhaustion I had from running the first time around. The wind was so powerful because it had the power to move everything around it, the leaves, grass, trees etc. but yet its touch was very gentle. The minute I felt the refreshing breeze I was relived of all my stress from life and school. I didn’t think about homework, school drama, tests, or anything. It was a good feeling, one that I had not felt in a very long time with the constant growing pressures from school.
I realized this whole other world beyond the one I am used to, the on that revolves around human beings. There are so many other creatures that live among us humans. I saw many birds flying in the sky and landing on telephone wires. While I was walking around I saw a chicken (which is really unusual). I’ve never saw a chicken in my neighborhood before. I saw the chicken walk across the street to this tree where it started to be attacked by birds. I’m guessing the birds had a nest in the tree and felt threatened by the chicken so they decided to try and chase it away. It worked. I also saw insects that I usually don’t notice. I started to wonder if they could talk to each other. They must have some way of communicating with each other.
I also took the time to notice a wide variety of flowers planted in peoples garden. I even smelt some of them. Some of them had beautiful scents while others had none. Each flower and plant was a different color. Together all the colors contribute to this rainbow of color that exists in nature. While on my walk I also looked up into the sky and watched the clouds pass by. I think my favorite part of nature is the sky. The beautiful pure blue color sky is enhanced by fluffy white cotton ball like clouds. Each cloud seems to take its own original shape. I even tried to make out some shapes in the sky as they slowly passed by in the sky. I usually don’t take the time to look and observe nature but today I did.
By the end of my walk I was happy I took the extra time to go a second time around without any distractions like my ipod. It allowed me to see an entire different world of nature. Although we are constantly living simultaneously in this world of nature we are often too distracted by our lives to take notice of the whole other world beyond our own busy lives. It was nice to experience this and the next time I decide to go running I think twice about taking my ipod.
Friday, April 20, 2007
My Observations from my Hang out- "the boat"
5 minutes at "the boat"
There are many people here all talking at once. There is talking, yelling, screaming and laughing all at once. If you focus on one conversation you can hear talks about schools, songs, outside life etc. Some people have head phones plugged in while some people are yelling and some people are trying to do their homework among all the noise. Although we all hang out at the same place there are many different clicks and it is obvious that not everyone talks to each other. There are bags and food spread out across the two tables
5 minutes watching "the boat"
People are jumping around and laughing. Two tables area filled with people and there are many people floating around in the middle. The people talking in the middle are the ones making all the noise while those sitting at the table are more calm. Many of hem are reading something or having private conversations among themselves. There are lockers behind the benches with everyone's stuff thrown on the top.
There are many people here all talking at once. There is talking, yelling, screaming and laughing all at once. If you focus on one conversation you can hear talks about schools, songs, outside life etc. Some people have head phones plugged in while some people are yelling and some people are trying to do their homework among all the noise. Although we all hang out at the same place there are many different clicks and it is obvious that not everyone talks to each other. There are bags and food spread out across the two tables
5 minutes watching "the boat"
People are jumping around and laughing. Two tables area filled with people and there are many people floating around in the middle. The people talking in the middle are the ones making all the noise while those sitting at the table are more calm. Many of hem are reading something or having private conversations among themselves. There are lockers behind the benches with everyone's stuff thrown on the top.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
College...???
Today in class we were reading an essay titled “getting in”. It was an essay that talked about getting in to Ivy League Colleges like Harvard. It talked about the changing admissions process and how it changed from a meritocracy to a more sketchy process (physical appearance, race, gender, personality, etc) In America we make Ivy League School to be more than they really are. For me this essay gave me an entire different perspective of Ivy Leagues and the process of getting into college as a whole. Talking about this in class really made me think about my opinion of Ivy Leagues.
I think as a whole, students are taught at such a young age that all the smart kids and successful people in life go to the Ivies like Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, etc. This idea was definitely engraved into my head. I had this idea that if you wanted to be successful you had to go to an Ivy league. However during my first semester of college guidance this stereotype was broken. I began to realize that while the Ivies were excellent school, there are other schools out there that don’t have the label “Ivy” stamped on to them but are still very good schools. When looking at college in a practical sense it the prices of Ivy college tuition seems incredibly high, and ridiculous. I know you get a good education, but is that price really worth it? Going into my Jr. year I had my heart set on going to an Ivy and my dream school was Stanford. While I still would like to go to Stanford, it just seems so impractical due to the high tuition. Also getting in to an Ivy gives you bragging rights and everything, but really that's only the beginning. You have to go to school there in an environment that is extremely competitive because everyone around you is brilliant. The more I thought about it the more I realized liked the idea of getting into an Ivy more than actually competing at one. While I still want to go to Stanford I realized that it's not that Brand named School I want but rather the quality of the education. For me college is going to be what you make of it regardless of which school you go to, whether it is an Ivy or state school.
The selection process for colleges overall seem to be very unclear and it doesn't go by a set of rules. This is because merit wise there are so many components. You are not accepted only on your grades you earn in high school but also by your SAT, SAT subject tests, and ACT scores. There are so many additional tests that we have to take such as the SATs in order to be eligible to go to college. Also colleges tend to put an emphasis on this and what if you are like me, I get good grades in school but when it comes to SATs and standardize testing, I suck. Not only do I feel that it is an unfair assessment of what you know it is expensive. Are the SATs a true assessment of how well you will do in college because if that is so then I am destined to fail college (even though I'm doing well in school now) Each test is about 50 dollars and many students choose to take it multiple times.
I never really put much thought to college until this year. There is so much to think about from which colleges are fit for you (is an Ivy college the place for me?), what to look for in a college, the acceptance and application process and all the extra tests we have to take. As a Junior my college search has only begun and I know it will only get harder and harder because there are just so many components and aspects to consider when applying and looking for the right college.
I think as a whole, students are taught at such a young age that all the smart kids and successful people in life go to the Ivies like Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, etc. This idea was definitely engraved into my head. I had this idea that if you wanted to be successful you had to go to an Ivy league. However during my first semester of college guidance this stereotype was broken. I began to realize that while the Ivies were excellent school, there are other schools out there that don’t have the label “Ivy” stamped on to them but are still very good schools. When looking at college in a practical sense it the prices of Ivy college tuition seems incredibly high, and ridiculous. I know you get a good education, but is that price really worth it? Going into my Jr. year I had my heart set on going to an Ivy and my dream school was Stanford. While I still would like to go to Stanford, it just seems so impractical due to the high tuition. Also getting in to an Ivy gives you bragging rights and everything, but really that's only the beginning. You have to go to school there in an environment that is extremely competitive because everyone around you is brilliant. The more I thought about it the more I realized liked the idea of getting into an Ivy more than actually competing at one. While I still want to go to Stanford I realized that it's not that Brand named School I want but rather the quality of the education. For me college is going to be what you make of it regardless of which school you go to, whether it is an Ivy or state school.
The selection process for colleges overall seem to be very unclear and it doesn't go by a set of rules. This is because merit wise there are so many components. You are not accepted only on your grades you earn in high school but also by your SAT, SAT subject tests, and ACT scores. There are so many additional tests that we have to take such as the SATs in order to be eligible to go to college. Also colleges tend to put an emphasis on this and what if you are like me, I get good grades in school but when it comes to SATs and standardize testing, I suck. Not only do I feel that it is an unfair assessment of what you know it is expensive. Are the SATs a true assessment of how well you will do in college because if that is so then I am destined to fail college (even though I'm doing well in school now) Each test is about 50 dollars and many students choose to take it multiple times.
I never really put much thought to college until this year. There is so much to think about from which colleges are fit for you (is an Ivy college the place for me?), what to look for in a college, the acceptance and application process and all the extra tests we have to take. As a Junior my college search has only begun and I know it will only get harder and harder because there are just so many components and aspects to consider when applying and looking for the right college.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)