Some of my successes as an honors student this past semester have been connected to my Honors writing. I feel that I have improved my writing as I’ve followed some of the tips (like no –ing’s, make meaning early, using an anecdote, etc.). I also feel that since I’ve been required to write and read more, I have gained more knowledge in classic (Huck Finn, The Great Gatbsy), true (In the Heart of the Sea), and interesting (Into the Wild) books. I’ve loved most of the books we’ve read, and the writing has actually gotten easier since we talk about the criteria we’ve read in class.
If I had done anything different this past semester in Honors Humanities, I would have completed Huck Finn. I felt that since I didn’t finish the book, I didn’t write to my full potential. I also feel that I should have improved my vocabulary. As an 11th grade Honors student, I think that I should have a higher sense of Vocabulary, and hopefully next semester, I can improve this.
My goals for Honors in second semester would be to expand my vocabulary, improve my transitions in my writing, and to keep perfecting my writing.
If I could choose any parts of literature and history, I would choose vocabulary, World History (maybe focusing on the Middle East and Asia), and a writing piece that focuses on a book we choose. I feel that if we are in Honors, we should have a Vocabulary workbook or something to improve our language daily. As for World History, I saw a comic book that International had read about the Middle East and the turmoil there. I think that if we expanded our horizon more, we would be informed of world issues and we would know more background information on other countries. we would know more history.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Re: Nature Writing
2. Was McCandless justified in the pain he brought to family and friends in choosing his own solitary course in life? Why or why not?
It began in 1990. A man left no trace of himself as he wandered through the state borders. He was invisible, and he lived with homeless men, campers, hippies, couples, and an old man. Everyone who met him wondered where this charismatic, lost, and young man originally came from. “You could tell right away Chris was intelligent. He read a lot. Used a lot of big words… Sometimes he tried too hard to make sense of the world, to figure out why people were bad to each other often,” said Wayne Westerberg, a bus driver who gave the man a ride for three days. “From things he said, you could tell something wasn’t right between him and his family.” Prior to his journey, he told his sister Carine that he was planning on abandoning his parents, who he referred to as “those idiots” in a letter. He was tense in his home situation, didn’t approve of families or labels in general, and wanted out. In 1990, McCandless began his journey in search of a greater meaning in life. However, in doing so, his solitary course hurt his parents, his sister, and his newfound friends much more than he realized. After his life ended in 1992, his death did not justify his selfishness and to this day, guilt runs through the affected people.
Chris McCandless once said, “You don't need human relationships to be happy, God has placed it all around us.” By “it,” he meant nature, which was something he fell in love with during his trip. While McCandless stated this, his parents felt the exact opposite. The wealthy adults, Walt and Billie, were worried about their son from the moment adolescent years came into play. According to them, he began to rebel against society’s labels and many aspects of his personality confused his parents. He was caring and generous, but impatient and self centered, which progressed throughout his later years. What his parents didn’t know was that he discovered a secret affair his father had with another woman during his childhood. After the discovery, he was angry at his parents, but bottled up his anger over his parents’ secret, and lost his relationship with them along the way. When he left his parents, and sought peaceful nature, his dreams came true. He was on his own, with no connection to the world. No phone number, no mailing address, just complete freedom. However, his parents began to worry once they didn’t hear from him at college. They drove to his campus, went to his dorm, and found him gone. For two years, they heard nothing from him. His father, Walt, was struck with grief and guilt. “The hardest part is simply not having him around anymore. I spent a lot of time with Chris, perhaps more than with any of my other kids. I really liked his company even though he frustrated us so often.”Before he deserted them, he hinted that he would begin a road trip, but nobody expected the journey would ultimately lead him inward and away from them, drawing those around him in a complete mass of sorrow and guilt. Once his death was heard of two years later, Walt and Billie were devastated. They had hired a private CIA investigator once he went missing, and he always caught the ending bits of Chris. In the end, his parents blamed themselves and Walt lost his hard aura and became softer, more tolerant. A few months later after Chris’s death, Walt and Billie went to visit the site he died at. They held his belongings and smelt them. “The fact that Chris is gone is a sharp hurt I feel every single day. It’s really hard. Some days are better than others, but it’s going to be hard every day for the rest of my life.” Clearly, his death was not justification for his actions in the least bit.
Another person affected tremendously was Chris’s favorite sister, Carine. McCandless told her everything he felt and confessed when he was angry at his parents. He taught her how to play the French horn and protected her. “He was always really nice to me and extremely protective. He’d hold my hand when we walked down the street. When he was in junior high, and I was still in grade school, he got out earlier than me, but he’d hang out at his friend Brian Paskowitz’s house so we could walk home together.” After he came back from his first road trip, she ran up to his room excitedly to see him and noticed that he was extremely thin, and a changed man. When his death occurred, Carine’s husband came home and told her the news. She screamed and denied that it was her brother who had been found in Alaska. Carine was hysterical for five hours until she came to her senses to drive and tell her parents. Ten months after his death, she still said, “Not once have I been able to make the twenty-minute drive from home to the shop without thinking about Chris and breaking down.”
Although his family was affected by his solitary course, so were the new found friends around him. One man, Westerberg, had given McCandless a job and after a few months, he became friends with a group of people. For his farewell to his big trip to Alaska, one friend “Borah” noticed Chris’s emotions. “I noticed that he was crying. That frightened me. I figured he wouldn’t have been crying unless he intended to take some big risks and knew he might not be coming back. That’s when I started having a bad feeling we would never see Chris again.” One friend, Ron Franz, was extremely grief-stricken when he had to say goodbye to Chris. The old man, who had lost his wife and children, had become unbelievably close with Chris. When he dropped Chris off for his trip to Alaska, he unconsciously made Chris uncomfortable. “So I asked Chris if I could adopt him, if he would be my grandson.” McCandless was uncomfortable because of the family he had once abandoned. He didn’t feel comfortable with family and labels, so he said they would talk about it once he got back. Once McCandless left, in a selfish attitude, Ron was devastated. He had loved this boy, and McCandless didn’t necessarily show his gratitude. However, to this day, Ron still loves the boy. He said “When Chris left for Alaska I prayed. I asked God to keep his finger on the shoulder of that one; I told him that boy was special. But he let Chris die. So on December 26, when I learned what happened, I renounced the Lord.”
Although Chris McCandless showed incredibly self absorbed tasks, his death did not justify or fix what his actions had shown. He had been a bright charismatic boy to his friends, and still loved his parents nonetheless. To this day, his parents, his sister, and his new found friends all carry him in their hearts.
It began in 1990. A man left no trace of himself as he wandered through the state borders. He was invisible, and he lived with homeless men, campers, hippies, couples, and an old man. Everyone who met him wondered where this charismatic, lost, and young man originally came from. “You could tell right away Chris was intelligent. He read a lot. Used a lot of big words… Sometimes he tried too hard to make sense of the world, to figure out why people were bad to each other often,” said Wayne Westerberg, a bus driver who gave the man a ride for three days. “From things he said, you could tell something wasn’t right between him and his family.” Prior to his journey, he told his sister Carine that he was planning on abandoning his parents, who he referred to as “those idiots” in a letter. He was tense in his home situation, didn’t approve of families or labels in general, and wanted out. In 1990, McCandless began his journey in search of a greater meaning in life. However, in doing so, his solitary course hurt his parents, his sister, and his newfound friends much more than he realized. After his life ended in 1992, his death did not justify his selfishness and to this day, guilt runs through the affected people.
Chris McCandless once said, “You don't need human relationships to be happy, God has placed it all around us.” By “it,” he meant nature, which was something he fell in love with during his trip. While McCandless stated this, his parents felt the exact opposite. The wealthy adults, Walt and Billie, were worried about their son from the moment adolescent years came into play. According to them, he began to rebel against society’s labels and many aspects of his personality confused his parents. He was caring and generous, but impatient and self centered, which progressed throughout his later years. What his parents didn’t know was that he discovered a secret affair his father had with another woman during his childhood. After the discovery, he was angry at his parents, but bottled up his anger over his parents’ secret, and lost his relationship with them along the way. When he left his parents, and sought peaceful nature, his dreams came true. He was on his own, with no connection to the world. No phone number, no mailing address, just complete freedom. However, his parents began to worry once they didn’t hear from him at college. They drove to his campus, went to his dorm, and found him gone. For two years, they heard nothing from him. His father, Walt, was struck with grief and guilt. “The hardest part is simply not having him around anymore. I spent a lot of time with Chris, perhaps more than with any of my other kids. I really liked his company even though he frustrated us so often.”Before he deserted them, he hinted that he would begin a road trip, but nobody expected the journey would ultimately lead him inward and away from them, drawing those around him in a complete mass of sorrow and guilt. Once his death was heard of two years later, Walt and Billie were devastated. They had hired a private CIA investigator once he went missing, and he always caught the ending bits of Chris. In the end, his parents blamed themselves and Walt lost his hard aura and became softer, more tolerant. A few months later after Chris’s death, Walt and Billie went to visit the site he died at. They held his belongings and smelt them. “The fact that Chris is gone is a sharp hurt I feel every single day. It’s really hard. Some days are better than others, but it’s going to be hard every day for the rest of my life.” Clearly, his death was not justification for his actions in the least bit.
Another person affected tremendously was Chris’s favorite sister, Carine. McCandless told her everything he felt and confessed when he was angry at his parents. He taught her how to play the French horn and protected her. “He was always really nice to me and extremely protective. He’d hold my hand when we walked down the street. When he was in junior high, and I was still in grade school, he got out earlier than me, but he’d hang out at his friend Brian Paskowitz’s house so we could walk home together.” After he came back from his first road trip, she ran up to his room excitedly to see him and noticed that he was extremely thin, and a changed man. When his death occurred, Carine’s husband came home and told her the news. She screamed and denied that it was her brother who had been found in Alaska. Carine was hysterical for five hours until she came to her senses to drive and tell her parents. Ten months after his death, she still said, “Not once have I been able to make the twenty-minute drive from home to the shop without thinking about Chris and breaking down.”
Although his family was affected by his solitary course, so were the new found friends around him. One man, Westerberg, had given McCandless a job and after a few months, he became friends with a group of people. For his farewell to his big trip to Alaska, one friend “Borah” noticed Chris’s emotions. “I noticed that he was crying. That frightened me. I figured he wouldn’t have been crying unless he intended to take some big risks and knew he might not be coming back. That’s when I started having a bad feeling we would never see Chris again.” One friend, Ron Franz, was extremely grief-stricken when he had to say goodbye to Chris. The old man, who had lost his wife and children, had become unbelievably close with Chris. When he dropped Chris off for his trip to Alaska, he unconsciously made Chris uncomfortable. “So I asked Chris if I could adopt him, if he would be my grandson.” McCandless was uncomfortable because of the family he had once abandoned. He didn’t feel comfortable with family and labels, so he said they would talk about it once he got back. Once McCandless left, in a selfish attitude, Ron was devastated. He had loved this boy, and McCandless didn’t necessarily show his gratitude. However, to this day, Ron still loves the boy. He said “When Chris left for Alaska I prayed. I asked God to keep his finger on the shoulder of that one; I told him that boy was special. But he let Chris die. So on December 26, when I learned what happened, I renounced the Lord.”
Although Chris McCandless showed incredibly self absorbed tasks, his death did not justify or fix what his actions had shown. He had been a bright charismatic boy to his friends, and still loved his parents nonetheless. To this day, his parents, his sister, and his new found friends all carry him in their hearts.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Re: Nature Writing
2. Krakauer observes that it is not “unusual for a young man to be drawn to a pursuit considered reckless by his elders.” Explain whether McCandless would agree with Krakauer.
Ideas: If I used this prompt I would explain how many young adults are often reckless and rebellious in a sense. They are free, and feel like they are invincible. I would then go into ideas on how McCandless wouldn't agree because he seemed to like being different from everyone else.
3. Do you feel, as one letter writer did, that there is “nothing positive at all about Chris McCandless’ lifestyle or wilderness doctrine …surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky” (116); or do you see something admirable or noble in his struggles and adventures? Was he justified in the pain he brought to family and friends in choosing his own solitary course in life?
Ideas: When we talked about this in class with Randy, we established that this would be two prompts. However, I think both can be answered. If I answer the first question, I think I will go in depth with how his adventures were not admirable because he hurt so many people during the process. He seemed extremely selfish at some points and never seemed to care for other people's feelings. If I answered the second question, I would talk about how he brought so much pain to his family and friends and how he didn't really think at this point in life.
Ideas: If I used this prompt I would explain how many young adults are often reckless and rebellious in a sense. They are free, and feel like they are invincible. I would then go into ideas on how McCandless wouldn't agree because he seemed to like being different from everyone else.
3. Do you feel, as one letter writer did, that there is “nothing positive at all about Chris McCandless’ lifestyle or wilderness doctrine …surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky” (116); or do you see something admirable or noble in his struggles and adventures? Was he justified in the pain he brought to family and friends in choosing his own solitary course in life?
Ideas: When we talked about this in class with Randy, we established that this would be two prompts. However, I think both can be answered. If I answer the first question, I think I will go in depth with how his adventures were not admirable because he hurt so many people during the process. He seemed extremely selfish at some points and never seemed to care for other people's feelings. If I answered the second question, I would talk about how he brought so much pain to his family and friends and how he didn't really think at this point in life.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Re: Professional Contest
I entered 5 of my photos into Outdoor Photographer's current "Mystical Adventures" photo contest.
Link: http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/photo-contests/mystical-adventures.html
The basic requirements for the contest is to have 5 photos no larger than 5 MB. They also have to portray something "mystical." There is no entry fee.
My work was accepted into the contest, but considering the gallery is filled with amazing photos, I'm not so confident mine will be chosen. I am confident about my photos because I love their composition, but against a field of professional photographers, I'm pretty sure I won't win!
Link: http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/photo-contests/mystical-adventures.html
The basic requirements for the contest is to have 5 photos no larger than 5 MB. They also have to portray something "mystical." There is no entry fee.
My work was accepted into the contest, but considering the gallery is filled with amazing photos, I'm not so confident mine will be chosen. I am confident about my photos because I love their composition, but against a field of professional photographers, I'm pretty sure I won't win!
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