Final Essay: The Last Chapter

Megan Stevens 

Doctor David Preston

AP English Literature & Composition

June 9, 2015

The Last Chapter

As I entered my senior year of high school, I didn’t know what to expect, I knew I wanted to work hard for good grades to ensure my college education. But i wasn’t expecting to be able to pursue good grades by following my passion in life; which is 

exactly what Open Source Learning had in store for me.

One of the biggest trials in the process of undergoing Open Source Learning was the amount of trust the course demanded from the student to teacher relationship. One of the biggest lessons the class taught me is to take responsibility. Even stretching that further, it also taught me to take credibility for the assignments and to be proud of my finished products of work. Although this is a very rewarding experience, this very criteria is also one of the system’s biggest flaws. A lot of kids in the system abused the freedom and trust they were given. The course requires you to take responsibility and complete the assignments. I for one, found the work to be enjoyable to learn rather than typical style homework. 

"And then he spends most of his time by himself—alone." Brave New World was without any hesitation my favorite piece of literature throughout the duration of the course. I have never felt so connected to a fictional character in that they see the world the way I do. Aldous Huxley’s theme of a conformed world stripped of humanity and individuality centered in a time of technology could very well be subtly identical to what we are living in today. I have always grown bored of repetitiveness in Shakespeare because it is so impressed into our high school curriculum, but Open Source Learning changed my understanding of his plays. I was surprised to be so intrigued by Hamlet and Macbeth because it isn’t something I would pick to read myself. But I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense, betrayal, and gloomy endings. This course broadened my spectrum of writing and has made me more diverse in literature. 

I have always known my love for writing, and I knew I would pursue a career that would allow me to pursue it. After a lot of jumping around, I have to decide on majoring in communications. I can’t pinpoint a specific career just yet until I test the water at college, but I at least know what waters to test knowing my passion is for writing. I will be attending school in San Francisco, and i plan on getting internships, jobs, anything that will enhance or further my knowledge towards a writing career that I love. In addition to my academic side, I have also been given he most amazing opportunity to continue my passion for soccer in college. I have always loved the sport. It’s grown to be so much more than an after school activity, it’s become a way of life for me, and I’m so incredibly excited to get to continue that into my next step of education. 

My favorite moments of the course occurred when I became a spectator within the classroom walls. The moments when you look around and just take in what everyone else is doing, you hear some pretty funny conversations and you learn a lot of people. For me, the enriching moments occurred not when I was talking, but when I stopped and listened. A wise lesson to carry into everything. 

Finally

My Masterpiece

Part 1: Getting the Tools

Conducting a Q&A with head public affairs associate/journalist Robin Jackson:

• Describe an average day in your field of work?

“It’s exciting! We like to think PA Stands for publicly anything, and not just Public Affairs. The job covers everything from Air Force relations, for example, it might be communicating with flight/launch operations, and stretches to media coverage like broadcasting.”

• What are some of the more rewarding aspect of your job? Some of the hardest?

“The greatest part about my job is being able to tell people’s stories. Having the ability to go out and cover a story for the public is such a unique experience. The most rewarding part of the job is getting to unfold stories for the public to see. On the contrary, The hardest is having to tell the tragic stories, the ones that don’t always have a happy ending. But as a journalist, you have to do it, the public is depending on it. 

Recently there was an issue with the water on base and it made it unsafe to drink. We had to immediately warn the public and it was already so late at night. Jobs like this are when you really have to persevere and focus on the issue at hand.”

• What advice would you give to aspiring journalist?

“Don’t take your tasks lightly. Fulfill them with the upmost work ethic. Accuracy is everything in this industry. Something as simple as a misspelled name can be detrimental. The public is reliant on the story you produce to gather information, make sure every story is done with responsibility. 

• What aspects make your job different from others?

“Since I'm under the Air Force Base, my work is closely associated with the projects going on there. We work by relaying inside stories and update the public from the inside out. However, the stories are not limited to just ongoing  Air Force projects, we have a wide variety of coverage including community events and other interesting stories going on in our community. Being a writer allows for a spectrum of topics to write about, every day brings something new. 

• How does it feel to be able to tell people’s stories/writing in general as a career?

“Being able to telling people’s stories is by far the best part of the job. Whether it’s good or bad, being apart of the process to relay information into the world is a hard, but fascinating job. It’s our duty to tell these stories and bring them to the public.”

• Whats the biggest lesson the industry has taught you?

“In one word: Credibility. Say what you do, and do what you say. Whether you're going to be a public affairs associate, journalist, any career, make sure you go into it with integrity. In the wiring field, you are telling people’s stories. You are sharing/documenting a piece of someone’s life to the world, so do it with the maximum amount of effort. Tell their story in such a way, that you are going to affect the people who hear it.” 

• I want to inspire other kids through my project, what words would you give to kids wanting to pursue their dreams?  

“Simply follow your passion. Whatever you are interested in, pursue it, and never give up.”

Part 2: Conducting The Interview 

Never Give Up: A Story of Triumph 

"I Don't think I've done a story where I grew as fond of the beings as I did with these elephants."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-secret-language-of-elephants/

Learn about the Sharkman:

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/the-sharkman-2/

Rock climbing to a whole new level:

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/the-ascent-of-alex-honnold/

Bringing healthcare to the poor:

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/dr-farmers-remedy

Part 3: Drive Your Inspiration and Follow Your Passion

"I want to hear what you have to say." - Bob Simon 1941-2015

The purpose of my masterpiece was to explore the things I am passionate about. My goal is to relay that onto my peers in the hopes you all will do the same. No matter what obstacle lies in the way, never give up. Nothing worth having comes easy. Simply. follow yours dreams. Whatever it is you want to do, accept who you are and revel in it. You single handedly are in charge of the course of your life. Whatever you pursue in life, pursue it with the up most effort and ambition. As we all take on the next grand adventure of tackling college, remember: In the wise words of Confucius, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” 

Be Water Wise

I recently read  This  article in the local Santa Maria Times newspaper. And it made me wonder just how serious the drought is and how much it directly affects us.

Researches have scaled the drought as extreme and the Santa maria drought monitor has labeled it "exceptional drought" since February. The drought has out us on the map of "metropolitan areas in California prone to crop failures, water shortages, and other water emergencies." The solution for our city is to create water restrictions and regulations. These reparations would help in the drought situation by cutting water used by 25% . Supervisor Adam Peter stated, “These things happen and they often come on the heels of a dry spot. While it’s prudent to be talking about emergencies right now, it may be a little premature.” But statistically, last year this time the community didn't begin taking steps to help the cause until much later, and it put us in a time crunch to spontaneously apply restrictions. This year, we are further along and it has helped the situation. Even if some find it "premature," it has helped the community in preserving water.

Controversy has risen over just how necessary these restrictions regarding the drought. One of the biggest industries affected are cattle and other agriculture. The Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner's office estimates that nearly 75 percent or more of all county cattle have been sold or moved.  UC Davis students have calculated the drought cost statewide at about $2.2 billion, with the 2014 drought directly costing agriculture about $1.5 billion, according to the university's study, "Economic Analysis of the 2014 Drought for California Agriculture." These numbers are an important factor. Even if you don't find the drought a major issue because it doesn't directly affect you, economically it will. Crops, cattle, and other agriculture are instantly affected by the drought, and that causes ripples in our economy. Locally, the community is expected to see rises in produce. The affects will eventually trickle down and affect everyone. 

Fixing leaky faucets, taking shorter showers, washing your car at a better time, these are all very minimal efforts the community can and will take to save water in helping the cause. If you don't think the drought is a big deal, reconsider the disastrous outcomes that it could cause. The drought has already taken quite a toll. If we do not take steps now in fixing the issues, we won't be able to in the future if things get worse. The first step in fixing the issue is awareness. Be aware and cautious of saving water, and the results will follow. These restrictions are a small price to pay to avoid making the affects of the drought disastrous in the future.

Crafty

Notes: Macbeth Act 5

Notes: Macbeth Act 4

Journal Topic: Ruler type

"What kind of ruler do you think Macbeth will be? Why? Provide at least three textual examples that support your main points."

• "Fair is foul, and foul is fair"-Witches

• "But this blow might be the be-all and the end-all—here,But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,We'ld jump the life to come" -Macbeth 

• "I heard a voice cry, "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep," the innocent sleep..."           -Macbeth

• The times have been that, when the brains were out, the man would die, And there an end, but now they rise again, With twenty mortal murders on their crowns, And push us from our stools: this is more strange Than such a murder is." -Macbeth

I find that Macbeth is a poor leader, for a variety of reasons. A good leader does what is best fro his people, Macbeth is only concerned about himself and his actions support his. Instead of rising up to leadership, he stoops so low as to kill off his other competitors for the throne. For these actions ad murderous ways, I consider Macbeth nothing more than a coward. He is strung along like a puppet from Lady Macbeth and after he does some course of action, he is haunted by his guilt and he has the audacity to wonder why thing have played out the way they have. "I heard a voice cry, 'sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep!' The innocent sleep." Macbeth is haunted by murdering and believes he heard this chant after he killed Duncan. Macbeth's conscious is finally taking a toll. Another example of his conscious streaming through is when he sees Banquo's ghost lurking during a dinner.  "The times have been that, when the brains were out, the man would die, And there an end, but now they rise again, With twenty mortal murders on their crowns, And push us from our stools: this is more strange Than such a murder is." Macbeth is unable to back up his reasoning for anything he does. After every action he takes, he sits and contemplates after it's committed as oppose to the traditional thinking before he acts. He is such a poor leader, because he never learns from hi mistakes. Normally people grow and further their understandings to not make the same mistake twice. Macbeth not only continues to commit the same mistakes, but he is doing so and acts oblvious when his plans fail.

Macbeth Act 3 Notes

A coward makes for a poor leader

"Imagine how the plot, theme, and tone of Macbeth would be different if Macbeth could gain more power by becoming good at something or learning something, rather than benefiting through another's loss."

The first thing that comes to my mind from this prompt is the timeless quality most powerful leaders posses hypnotizing speaking skills. History is proof that great leaders are remembered for their memorable speeches to motivate or call forth some type of action. This is but one quality Macbeth lacks due to being consumed by his wife's ambitions/wickedness. If Macbeth could master the qualities of a true leader to win over his people as oppose to killing people to take the throne, maybe he could actually be a real "man."  In my opinion, I think Macbeth is a coward. He is influenced by Lady Macbeth to follow through with plans that cause disaster and solutions that cause nothing but tragedy, and does so for self seeking ambitions to better his own standings in life. He shows no true leadership. But who's really to blame? Do you blame Lady Macbeth as the puppet master, or Macbeth, the puppet? A true leader rises by building others up, not by putting others down. Is Macbeth could actually think for himself and gather enough strength to do what's best for his people as oppose for himself, maybe he could make the right decisions instead of letting Lady Macbeth walk all over him. Macbeth has no power because he isn't a leader. He is self seeking and ambitious for the throne and has lost sight of what it means to be a true leader. Learning/bettering himself is about the only option left for him to salvage his poor decision making, being easily influenced, and his murderous ways in order to become a real leader. 

What About My Masterpiece?

I have changed ideas so much for my masterpiece. But after much consideration, I've decided I'm going to revert back to my original idea except combining it with just a few aspects of the newer ones as well. 

The plan: I want to Persue my idea of interviewing fellow journalist. I like the idea of giving people who always tell other people's stories to finally have a chance to tell their own. I really liked my original concept. And I want to take it in the direction of a video, or maybe a picture slideshow and just describe their stories by talking to the class, or maybe even write them like a journalist press release type format. 

The action: now it's just a matter of gathering my journalist to interview. After contacting them, setting up rates, etc. I need to interview them to start and build my story from there. Journalism is a matter of telling stories, and that's exactly shr I want to do! 

The end goal: inspire people! 

Macbeth study guide questions

Notes/lecture information for Macbeth:

Macbeth Character Map

Characters

Macbeth – Lady Macbeth's husband and a Scottish nobleman, the Thane of Glamis. He is made Thane of Cawdor for his bravery in battle, and becomes King of Scotland by murdering the previous King, Duncan. As Macbeth opens, Macbeth is one of the great noblemen in Scotland: valiant, loyal, and honorable. He's also ambitious, and while this ambition helps to make him the great lord he is, once he hears the weird sisters' prophecy Macbeth becomes so consumed by his desire for power that he becomes a tyrannical and violent monster who ultimately destroys himself. What's perhaps most interesting about Macbeth is that he senses the murder will lead to his own destruction even before he murders Duncan, yet his ambition is so great that he still goes through with it. Lady Macbeth – Macbeth's wife. Unlike her husband, she has no reservations about murdering Duncan in order to make Macbeth King of Scotland. She believes that a true man takes what he wants, and whenever Macbeth objects to murdering Duncan on moral grounds, she questions his courage. Lady Macbeth assumes that she'll be able to murder Duncan and then quickly forget it once she's Queen of Scotland. But she discovers that guilt is not so easily avoided, and falls into madness and despair. Banquo – A Scottish nobleman, general, and friend of Macbeth. He is also the father of Fleance. The weird sisters prophesies that while Banquo will never be King of Scotland, his descendants will one day sit on the throne. Banquo is as ambitious as Macbeth, but unlike Macbeth he resists putting his selfish ambition above his honor or the good of Scotland. Because he both knows the prophecy and is honorable, Banquo is both a threat to Macbeth and a living example of the noble path that Macbeth chose not to take. After Macbeth has Banquo murdered he is haunted by Banquo's ghost, which symbolizes Macbeth's terrible guilt at what he has become. Macduff – A Scottish nobleman, and the Thane of Fife. His wife is Lady Macduff, and the two have babies and a young son. Macduff offers a contrast to Macbeth: a Scottish lord who, far from being ambitious, puts the welfare of Scotland even ahead of the welfare of his own family. Macduff suspects Macbeth from the beginning, and becomes one of the leaders of the rebellion. After Macbeth has Macduff's family murdered, Macduff's desire for vengeance becomes more personal and powerful. King Duncan – The King of Scotland, and the father of Malcolm and Donalbain. Macbethmurders him to get the crown. Duncan is the model of a good, virtuous king who puts the welfare of the country above his own and seeks, like a gardener, to nurture and grow the kingdom that is his responsibility. Duncan is the living embodiment of the political and social order that Macbeth destroys. Malcolm – The older of King Duncan's two sons, and Duncan's designated heir to the throne of Scotland. Early in the play, Malcolm is a weak and inexperienced leader, and he actually flees Scotland in fear after his father is murdered. But Malcolm matures, and with the help of Macduffand an English army, Malcolm eventually overthrows Macbeth and retakes the throne, restoring the order that was destroyed when Duncan was murdered. Weird Sisters – Three witches, whose prophecy helps push Macbeth's ambition over the edge, and convinces him to murder Duncan in order to become King. The witches' knowledge of future events clearly indicates that they have supernatural powers, and they also clearly enjoy using those powers to cause havoc and mayhem among mankind. But it is important to realize that the witches never compel anyone to do anything. Instead, they tell half-truths to lure men into giving into their own dark desires. It's left vague in Macbeth whether Macbeth would have become King of Scotland if he just sat back and did nothing. This vagueness seems to suggest that while the broad outlines of a person's fate might be predetermined, how the fate plays out is up to him. Fleance – Banquo's teenage son. Macbeth sees him as a threat because of the weird sisters' prophecy that Banquo's descendants will one day rule Scotland Lady Macduff – The wife of Macduff and the mother of Macduff's children (and the only female character of note in the play besides Lady Macbeth). She questions her husband's decision to leave his family behind when he goes to England to help Malcolm save Scotland from Macbeth. Source: http://www.litcharts.com/lit/macbeth/characters

Love is Blind

Lady Macbeth is viewed as this evil and conniving women. Macbeth is infatuated with her and ultimately does whatever he can to basically impress her. He craves her praise and lady Macbeth expliots her power over him by calling all the shots in the play. But Macbeth is blinded by love of the power she posses over him and doesn't realize the reality of being in handcuffs during the relationship. His ignorance makes him continue this lifestyle as oppose to taking control himself. 

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Art Speaks Volumes

Came across these powerful art pieces by John Holcroft. So much reality packed into each picture.

Just a reminder that the world needs music

Recently Read some articles about how schools are losing fundings and all around cutting Music and Art programs from schools. I don't know why this is even a question or even a controversy, but YES, cutting these programs are a huge mistake and it's wrong of people to deny kids the opportunity to get involved in multimedia. People need music, especially kids. I pray that people will realize that! Support kids to get involved in positive activities like music and art!

Vh1 has been conducting a project to not only spread the word, but fund for kids to have music programs. Information on their "Save The Music" Campaign can be found here:
http://www.vh1savethemusic.org/whats-going-on/events-promotions

Also, Abby Miller is a young artist promoting the campaign. Her video for "Save The Music" can be found here: https://youtu.be/ABD9MkKzX5g

The "Save The Music" project has funded over $51 million worth of musical instruments, 1,900 public school donations, 231 school districts, and 2.3 million lives impacted. Those are some pretty refreshing statistics.

*Video: "Jimmy Fallon, Carly Rea Jepsen, and The Roots sing "Call Me Maybe" W/ classroom instruments!"

Vendler Grid Poem Analysis

Vendler Grid: "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning 

Meaning	the poem depicts a man explaining the story behind a woman painted on his wall. From my understanding, the woman was once his wife and he was in love with her and was attracted to her beauty, but she was "too easily impressed" by other men. No mater how much he gave her (even his last name), she valued him no more than the other men. They're love faded, smiles from one another grew scarce. Has was forced to make a decision on whether or not to confront her about it. And when he did, she made excuses. But he refused to "stoop" to her level. He "gave commands" in making him the only man in her life. Now they share few smiles when passing by one another, but they do not have the same meaning as the smiles they shared when they were in love. He then comes back to the picture, noting that she stands in it, "still alive", but their love/memories dead. The poem ends with a a statement about a bronze neptune with a sea horse that is a "rarity."
Antecedent Scenario	The prior circumstance is that the man from the story was in love and pursuing a relationship/marriage with the women depicted in the painting.
Structural Parts	Browning structures his poem by setting the stage of this painting, and then elaborates on the meaning/story behind it, and ends by connecting is back to reality. He takes us on a journey between reality and what's happening in the moment, to remising to the past and painting the picture of their tragic love.
Climax	The climax of the poem occurs when the couple reaches the highest point of intensity within their arguments, and unfortunately, it's paired with the lowest form of affection for each other. the man tells us he gave "commands" to the woman, ultimately this leads to the fate of them falling out of love.
Other Parts	The poems resolution is they now act like strangers passing by with friendly smiles, but the memories remain and haunt the man for what "could have been."

Skeleton	I think the skeleton of the poem falls back on the structure. The them is obviously "lost love." Browning builds his poem through outward questioning and internal thoughts.
Content Genre- games	Love, heartbreak, lust, the past/future, lost time, reminiscent, etc.
Tone	I found the tone of the poem to be affiliated with love and heart break, but not completely sappy. It has a hint of wonder and hope attached to it. The tone is shown through the man's struggles when losing the woman he loves, then it falls into anger trying to fix things, and the lasting tone for me, was  when he realizes he has to move on, he is forced to face the defeat whiten the relationship- it failed. The tone can be described as reminiscent but hopeful for a better tomorrow in the chance to find true love. In short, i think the tone can best be described as a "healing" tone of putting the pieces back together.
Agency
Roads Not Taken	The poem never really touched on her point of view. Maybe the woman was with him for the wrong reasons, but maybe she has a reason behind them. Also, the poem never explicitly says how he tried to fix it other than making demands, and she made excuses. It kept the fighting/arguing very broad. Which I think benefited the story bcuz it shows how all relationships have their problems.
Speech Acts	Most of the dialogue within the story was questioning, summary of events, and conversation between the man and a guest at his party whom he's showing the painting. There is also countless comparisons made through out the poem. these analogies help in explaining how the man feels about the break up.
Outer and Inner Structural Forms	The poem touches on the mans emotions, but in such a delicate way that you have to connect the dots about how he feels. It's obvious he was trying to fix thing shy confronting her about valuing other men equally as much as himself. But the structure of the end of the poem, is so well done because after finishing the tale of his broken love, he is reminded of what's going on around him. And he snaps out of this trans of remembering the past. He then quickly changes the subject remembering he's not "supposed" to still think about her in such a way. The last night then talks about a bronze statue of neptune taming a sea horse; a rarity. The sea horse symbolizes how he could not tame the woman he loved, so he had to let her go.
Imagination	The poem is very imaginative as it depicts one of the greatest universal messages in life; love. And even more so, lost love. Heartbreak is one of the most powerful feelings all humans posses, and Browning creates an imaginative story that takes us on a journey through the struggle of healing and, sometimes, even forcing to ferret about the people we once lord so much. It shows that we all must take steps forward and whether we like it or not, we must move on in life.

My Last Duchess

BY ROBERT BROWNING

 FERRARA

That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, 

Looking as if she were alive. I call 

That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands 

Worked busily a day, and there she stands. 

Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said 

“Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read 

Strangers like you that pictured countenance, 

The depth and passion of its earnest glance, 

But to myself they turned (since none puts by 

The curtain I have drawn for you, but I) 

And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, 

How such a glance came there; so, not the first 

Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not 

Her husband’s presence only, called that spot 

Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; perhaps 

Fra Pandolf chanced to say, “Her mantle laps 

Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint 

Must never hope to reproduce the faint 

Half-flush that dies along her throat.” Such stuff 

Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough 

For calling up that spot of joy. She had 

A heart—how shall I say?— too soon made glad, 

Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er 

She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. 

Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast, 

The dropping of the daylight in the West, 

The bough of cherries some officious fool 

Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule 

She rode with round the terrace—all and each 

Would draw from her alike the approving speech, 

Or blush, at least. She thanked men—good! but thanked 

Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked 

My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name 

With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame 

This sort of trifling? Even had you skill 

In speech—which I have not—to make your will 

Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this 

Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, 

Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let 

Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set 

Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse— 

E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose 

Never to stoop. Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, 

Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without 

Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; 

Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands 

As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet 

The company below, then. I repeat, 

The Count your master’s known munificence 

Is ample warrant that no just pretense 

Of mine for dowry will be disallowed; 

Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed 

At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go 

Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though, 

Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, 

Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!

Tobermory explained

Summary: Lady Bemly hosts a gathering. Mr. Cornelious is center of attention. Explains his car discovery/experiment/success. Found highly intelligent cat that can communicate and it enters the party. Cat speaks in front of everyone revealing secrets/embarrassing truths about each person. When the cat leaves, the people put blame on Cornelius. People want the cat destroyed. Toby's bossy found dead. Story ends with a description of a man found dead for teasing an elephant. Later revealed the man was Cornelius. 

-"if he was trying German irregular verbs, he deserved all he got"

Explanation: The story is platforms upon irony. When the cat revealed truths about the people at the party, they reverted to anger. When in reality, the cat was ony telling their true colors. They would rather live in if romance than face the light. And by Cornelius being killed by the elegant, the people at the party took that as proof that "they were right." When that is far from what should be interpreted. Cornelius took the experiment a step to far in trying it again with the elephant. Except this time the disastrous outcome wasn't people getting exposed and getting mad at him, it was death. And instead of realizing the true reality of their own flaws, the people still believe Cornelius was wrong. The story becomes ironic due to the universal flaw of ignorance amongst the characters.