The Open Road Ahead

It was tough deciding how to end this line of blogs I’ve been accumulating. I was almost used to the blog due every other week. It almost became routine. I even enjoyed writing a lot of them. It was sure better than the age-old journal entries from the days of yore. But alas, here it is, the final blog – numero 15.

I would like to take this time to look back  at my wildcat years, and then consider the future ahead. Millbrook was definitely far from the best years of my life. I made friends, though not as many as I should have, and worked hard in school to secure a promising future, though I probably didn’t have to make as many sacrifices as I did. Looking back, I nearly shut out everything else besides grades for a couple of years. It was not fun but there really isn’t anyone to blame for that but myself. Thankfully, after a few weeks at governor’s school this past summer, I met and got close to so many people and soon enough realized that grades did not define me- it’s the people and ideas you surround yourself with. Governor’s school turned my life around for the better, and ever since then, I’ve been having the time of my life! I’m pretty sure I’ve done more memorable things and met more unique and amazing people than I have in the past four years! Senior year has had a profound effect on my life, and it is definitely the one I’ll miss the most. I wish I had known what I know now back in freshman year. It’s always interesting, however fruitless, to wonder how things could have played out differently. But in the words of a poet I never thought I'd come to appreciate so much, Healthy, free, the world before me/The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose. College is right on our doorsteps, leading us on to an open road of new beginnings, relationships, and opportunities. While many lament at the dwindling days here at Millbrook, I am counting down the days to a new chapter where literally anything is possible and nothing is holding you back. Don’t get me wrong, there are no hard feelings towards high school; I just regret not getting my nose out of the textbooks earlier on nor making the most of every opportunity that surely came my way. But hey, it’s all water under the bridge; life is full of second chances, and college happens to be one of them!

University life will undoubtedly change us from who we once thought we were. We’re supposed to find our people, our passions, ourselves. Is it possible? O me! O life?

Answer: Yes, do it while you can! Carpe diem – Sieze the day! I know I will.

Wishful Walt

After straining my eyes and sifting through pages of obscure cursive, I managed to make out several key ideas and thoughts regarding the late Walt Whitman. He was considering a dialogue between him and Abraham Lincoln, the “president-elect” in the first couple pages of the document. He also mentions liberation, ships, and oceans (from what I could legibly read). He speaks of a Ship of Liberty and how it crashes against the waves. It is my belief that the ship of Liberty represents America and its fight against corruption and foreign threats. Yet is stays afloat, riding along the sea of time, carrying its patriots to continuous freedom through and through. Whitman was writing all of this around the time America was splitting in two, and the nation looked up to its brand new president for fresh ideas and an end to the breakup. Maybe the ship is the president, and the president is capable of restoring the
“harmony” of the “world” that is the Union and Confederacy.

After reading a thorough analysis on the documents, I found out he was indeed planning to write an imaginary conversation between himself and the president. Whitman also tried to depict the Civil War as a four sided version of God, one that included Satan which represented the Confederacy’s fight and rebellion. He used the Spanish word “libertad” to make clear that freedom was boundless and America was not the only one entitled to it. President Lincoln was also depicted as a captain of a ship, sailing over a now tumultuous sea that represented America. We get a glimpse of Whitman’s thoughts and personality by his ideas resembling those of a man in the midst of his midlife crisis, gentle yet also fiercely trying to stand out in the world. He also drank heavily, clouding up his mind and represented America’s feelings towards the war as well. We even see his portraits and caricature drawn most likely from some bar buddies during one of his nights out drinking.

Our American Dream

Here we are now, a bright group of teens on the cusp of adulthood who are still just trying to figure out who we are. At this age in our life, we are still over conscientious of the approval and acceptance of others, still too limited in knowledge to truly grasp the meaning of where we stand in the world. This reciprocal determinism shapes our behavior and ultimately the way we identify ourselves. Everyone one of us has a unique talent and passion, yet at the high school level, it appears that the main focus or goal is to fit in and just roll with the punches until further notice. I’m not a fan of this concept, and am looking forward to college being an entirely different and more open experience. I am a staunch believer in the American Dream being the pursuit and achievement of that talent or passion that really lets you stand out and live life to the fullest. In other words, doing what you love and seizing every opportunity for happiness can easily be any American’s dream. Heck, I think that is anybody’s dream, regardless of nationality.

Although it’s natural to attribute wealth to success, and success to fulfilling your dreams, one must first know what type of wealth they are seeking. Personally, I believe there’s a variety of “wealth”s  in the world – wealth of knowledge, wealth of freedom, wealth of love, and wealth of money to name a few.  Wealth is a great deal of a certain variable. To be wealthy in love and happiness is completely different from being wealthy in money or power. I actually think the more “wealth” you have, the better off you will be. However, one must start with trying to get one – knowledge – in order to open up doors to other “wealth”s. Americans highly value wealth and absolutely despise poverty. Poverty – the lack of something important, most often money – unfortunately gained its stigma from the misattribution to failure and ultimately an added weight on the shoulders of society. However, the reality is wealth can be gained by cutting corners and cheating others, while poverty can simply be a streak of bad luck.

My belief is that wealth is great and admirable if it’s obtained through morals and hard work. Poverty is an unfortunate brace in society that can relieved if some wealth is shared to help them get back on their feet. This however only applies to those who tried in life, but by one way or another, things turned out for the worst.

Freebie

No regrets, busy having fun. As Camus would say- "yolo"

Practice IOC

Self Score

A: Knowledge and understanding of the text or extract - ....5.... I included and explained some quotes,but not in as much detail as I wanted.

B: Understanding of the use and effects of literary features- ....5.... I mentioned and elaborated on certain literary devices, but again not in as much detail as I should have. Also I don't talk to much about how the features affect the reader.

C: Organization- ....3.... I follow a general direction but I found myself jumping around a bit.

D: Language- ....3.... I don't always use the correct terminology, but I felt for the most part I addressed each topic and got my descriptions across.

Excerpt

“Hold on, Tommy.” Did she actually say your art was ‘rubbish?’”
“If it wasn’t ‘rubbish’ it was something like it. Negligible. That
might have been it. Or incompetent. She might as well have said
rubbish. She said she was sorry she’d told me what she had the last
time because if she hadn’t, I might have sorted it all out by now.”                                    
        “What were you saying through all of this?”
        “I didn’t know what to say. In the end, she actually asked. She
said: ‘Tommy, what are you thinking?’ So I said I wasn’t sure but that
she shouldn’t worry either way because I was all right now. And she
said, no, I wasn’t all right. My art was rubbish, and that was partly                                  
her fault for telling me what she had. And I said to her, but what
does it matter? I’m all right now, no one laughs at me
about that any more. But she keeps shaking her head and saying: ‘It
does matter. I shouldn’t have said what I did.’ So it occurs to me
she’s talking about later, you know, after we leave here. So I                                            
say, ‘But I’ll be all right, Miss. I’m really fit, I know how to look
after myself. When it’s time for donations, I’ll be able to do it really
well.’ When I said this, she starts shaking her head, shaking it
really hard so I’m worried she’ll get dizzy. Then she says:
‘Listen, Tommy, your art, it is important. And not just because it’s evidence. But for your own sake. You’ll get a lot from it, just for yourself.’”
“Hold on. What did she mean, ‘evidence’?”
        “I don’t know. But she definitely said that. She said our art was important, and ‘not just because it’s evidence.’ God knows what she meant. I did actually ask her, when she said that. I said I    didn’t understand what she was telling me, and was it something to do with Madame and her gallery? And she did a big sigh and said: ‘Madame’s gallery, yes, that’s important. Much more important than I once thought. I see that now.’ Then she said: ‘Look, there are all kinds of things you don’t understand, Tommy, and I can’t tell you all about them. Things about Hailsham, about your place in the wider world, all kinds of things. But perhaps one day,you’ll try and find out. They won’t make it easy for you, but if you want to, really want to, you might find out.’ She started shaking her head again after that, though not as bad as before, and she says:‘But why should you be any different? The students who leave here, they never find out much. Why should you be any different?’ I didn’t know what she was talking about, so I just said again: ‘I’ll be all right, Miss.’”

Living Passionately

"Isabel Allende: How to live passionately—no matter your age" TED Talk

Famed novelist Isabelle Allende recounts and teaches how one can live passionately throughout his or her life. In order to rid yourself of all the worries and doubts plaguing and hindering your well-being, just learn to let go of things and embrace life with a “yes” type of attitude. Whether it may be drama, comedy, tragedy, love, death, or losses, saying yes to anything that comes your way will definitely promote vigor and passion in what might otherwise turn into a dull, dragged out life. She mentions a number of aging individuals who have encountered hardship and/or started new passion projects later in life. They all became happy and confident in whatever venture or decision they made, including independence and an acceptance of a lack thereof.

Allende uses a great deal of pathos in her oration as a method of easing the tension in the room and inviting the audience to celebrate and sympathize with certain people she brings up. She offers the empowering anecdote of the woman who, at the early age of 60, started working in Nepal to save young girls from domestic bondage. Within 30 years she saved over 10000. Audiences would feel admiration and inspiration from someone to achieve such a feat at such a restricting age. Ethos is a sub level factored in due to the speaker’s fame and respectability; she didn't have to mention other well-known names to win the audience’s trust. The writer uses some logos with her presenting some statistics of girls saved by a woman in her later years. Throughout the speech, her reasoning was sound and applicable because all one needs to do is take her advice to heart and believe and assume the mentality she was encouraging. Allende failed to go in much detail about how she learned to let go and live passionately aside from saying so and throwing in a couple bullet points. However, she succeeded in captivating and entertaining the audience with sprinkled laughs and endearing anecdotes.

I picked this talk because I was already familiar with one of the author’s novels, La Ciudad de las Bestias, which I happened to read in my Spanish 4 class. Needless to say, I loved the adventure book and gained much respect for the author, too. When I saw her name on the first page of the TED results, I immediately chose her. I wasn't disappointed and quickly learned a skill that I can actually apply to my life – living passionately.

“A film without a single trace of pity or love”

Double Indemnity is a movie filled to the brim with drama, betrayal, and flashbacks. However, it is almost completely lacking in the area of love. Both of the main characters strayed from the star-crossed lovers that audiences were used to seeing decades before. Instead, they manipulated each for their own personal gain. The femme fatale lead was cunningly deceptive and used her looks to get a seemingly innocent insurance salesman to kill her wealthy husband. The salesman quickly hopped on board the murder train (pardon the irony) and wanted to get his own share of the money by exploiting the very insurance company he worked for in order to attain the largest payout possible. Both were using each other under the façade of love but weren’t aware of the other’s plan until the very end.

Phyllis Dietrichson at first appeared to be a trophy wife to a wealthy older man. As the story progressed, it was revealed and strongly implied that she killed the previous wife while she was her attending nurse. This gold-digger was always in it for the money, and once the supplies ran out, she moved on. As Walter eloquently put it, “she was a tramp from a long line of tramps.”  Taking advantage of her sexual appeal, she managed to convince an interested salesman into doing the dirty work. To maintain his motivation, she acted as if she had madly fallen for him, and she constantly threw out phrases like, “I love you, Walter”, “Now we can finally be together”. In the end, Phyllis never loved Walter, nor even pitied him. Otherwise, she wouldn't have exploited him so harshly. Walter Neff could be seen as an unfortunate man who got involved with the wrong person at the wrong time. However, under closer inspection, it becomes apparent that Walter was infatuated with the large sum of money he could end up with if he carried out Phyllis‘s request. He also wanted the girl but not nearly as much as the money. He knew he could get away with the crime since he worked for the firm that was being exploited. Being hidden in plain sight, he would know every obstacle to avoid and every fine detail to make the most of. 

The only character that truly felt compassion was Lola. She loved Nino and for once Walter could tell. The movie shows her loving nature when she and Walter spend time with each other and the latter notes, “it was only with her that I could relax and let go a little." This confession of being at ease coincides with the caretaker archetype, proving Lola is capable of love. 

MacDuff Recommendation List

Watched by MacDuff

          Gladiator 

Gladiator, a movie about an honest man who was named successor to the throne by the king, only to be exiled have his family brutally murdered by the jealous son of the king. The hero must rise through the ranks of being a gladiator in order to face and kill the new king who was the jealous son. MacDuff would definitely make a personal connection with this piece because not only was his king murdered by the man who came to power in suit, but his family was also slain for political reasons. This recommendation by MacDuff would reveal how passionately and with what motive MacDuff sought to kill Macbeth. We should know that MacDuff was out for blood and retribution to the man who made him lose everything.

          Kill Bill

A pregnant ex-assassin has her entire wedding party, including her husband, slaughtered while she was left for dead. Her friend, Bill, was the ringleader. Once recovered, the heroine sets off on a mission to kill all the people involved for destroying her life and the one she was about to give. MacDuff would relate to the character’s loss and be satisfied that she too succeeded in her retribution. This recommendation would reveal that MacDuff, even though he might not show it, is still in pain over the death of his family, so he must quell his feelings by watching others get their revenge. Viewers should now know how bringing justice to an murderous tyrant was not his main motive; he wanted justice for his family.

The Dark Knight

Batman faces a new threat in Gotham City as the Joker employs the help of Batman’s powerful friend in the DA, Harvey Dent. This friend-turned-enemy went on a destructive killing spree until Batman reluctantly intervened and led him to his death. This film would resonate with a sense of a broken bond and friendship for MacDuff, as Macbeth became quite similar to Harvey Dent, if not worse. MacDuff would indirectly reveal that he killed Macbeth not because of who he was, but because of what he had become. Choosing the Dark Knight would showcase MacDuff’s moralistic traits and ability to bring justice even in the face of an old friend.

       Machete

After witnessing a notorious drug lord kill his wife, the hero sets out with the help a trusty I.C.E. agent to take down the man that brought him so much pain. On his quest, he realizes the drug lord is collaborating with a corrupt U.S. senator to create a Mexican-American Wall. This movie shares a number of similarities with MacDuff’s situation with Macbeth: a powerful leader that kills his family, a dastardly plan for more power, and justice being served in the end. MacDuff’s recommendation would display his masculine and ambitious nature because he intended to avenge his family’s murder and take down an elaborate power grab by the villain. MacDuff means business and he will do and use whatever it takes to get the job done.  

Macbeth's Fall From Grace

I believe evil is an ever-present force in our world that people must resist on a daily basis. Although some may be more immune or conditioned against such temptations, others continue to steal glances at the sometimes alluring yet always dangerous prize. The day one finally decides to reach out and grab that forbidden fruit and all its glory, he unknowingly also decides to takes a one way path towards self-destruction and evil.

Macbeth is one such man who, despite his valiant deeds in battle, succumbed to evil in the face of insurmountable power. His downward spiral began when the three witches hailed him as the next king. One could almost see his lust for power as Macbeth begged for the witches to, “Stay… tell me more!” (Shakespeare 6).  Now the idea of being so much more than a general plagued his thoughts relentlessly for the next days. He was just waiting for a trigger to set him off. The spark turned out to be his very own wife who, upon hearing the witches’ prophecy, insisted Macbeth that takes immediate action by assassinating King Duncan. At first, the thane of Cawdor is hesitant because he realizes the fatal consequences of being caught and the fact that he is about turn his whole world upside-down.  After more pushes from his wife, he follows through and murders the noble king that very night.

The death of the king acts as a turning point for the evil-inducing Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Now there is no going back and they must constantly be weary of blowing their cover. Lady Macbeth puts on a façade as she tries to remain level headed as her husband laments over his unforgivable actions. They begin falling into the grips of madness as the scenes progress. They realize they can’t keep hiding what they did forever- stories change, details are forgotten, and evidence is unearthed. Macbeth tries taking matters into his own hands by murdering the guards that would have compromised their scheme. He slyly says, “repent me of my fury / That I did kill them” (Shakespeare 27). The phrase "repent me" seems like a command instead of a plea, and it also lacks any remorse due to the lack of "sorry" or "please forgive me". However, that only leads to more suspicion over the royal couple because the supposedly guilty guards were obviously needed for questioning. Macbeth must end more innocent lives and fight off his guiltyconscious as he desperately tries to avoid being caught. In the end, the only apparent remedy that silences his guilty conscious is the powerful poison of insanity. 

Art Post

IB cashing in that freebie!

Sinful Selling

Gluttony

Hidden Valley Ranch: Window
Author: Kelly Colchin
Date: 2010
Place of Publication: San Francisco

At first glance, this advertisement appears to be an innocent snapshot of a little boy cautiously taking vegetable salad resembling a green pie. The boy has a surprised expression and  is looking anxiously through the window. A collection of a porcelain hen, metal container and salt and pepper shakers with cherry designs. The clock points to approximately 11:12 and the sunlit background outside the window indicates the photo took place in the morning. A bottle of ranch dressing is set on the red counter with a caption reading, “Where Vegetables Are Delectable”. This signifies that the ranch dressing on the usually unappealing “vegetable” salad changes its appearance and taste to that of a sweet treat. Hence, the child is trying to steal the “delectable” (a word often associated with tasty unhealthy food) salad instead of being forced to eat it by his parents.

However, under closer inspection, one can make out the subtle and hidden messages being conveyed in the image. First off, the red-white color scheme and antique porcelain decorations give away the fifties time period when all that was in fashion. In regards to the ad’s deeper meanings, the ad is deeming it acceptable, and to some extent desirable, for children to sinfully steal from others. Furthermore, the fact that a food is the object of thievery in this case, the advertisers are consciously or unconsciously promoting gluttony for the viewers. This deceitful form of persuasion means that if you take and eat food from someone else, it is considered cute and harmless, when in fact, gluttony can lead to obesity, diabetes, and death. While Junior in the photo could be pondering the long term consequence of his poor decision, he is most likely trying to avoid detection from within the house. Based on his wide eyes and gaping mouth, the youngster probably sees somebody walking around inside or has just been caught.

This old-timey piece has a nostalgic effect on the reader as it brings him or her back to a simpler time in one’s childhood. It reminds the viewer how they used to steal the pies and other sweets their mother or grandmother would make. The wow-factor is that the ranch can evoke a similar sense of desire but in a much healthier fashion. That being said, the intended audience of the photo are parents with young kids who are picky-eaters.  Parents will assume that the sweet-tasting Ranch will entice their children to eat healthy greens that they would normally reject. These young parents would be from any socio-economic background due to the cheap pricing of ranch, but if I had to choose one, I would say middle-class because of the fifties middle-class layout of the house and small yard outside. The audience would most likely have to be aware and cultured of fifties lifestyle to grasp the nostalgic reference the ad is making.

Can't bury these tales: Canterbury Tales & Jane Eyre

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5. In the passage, Mr. Brocklehurst is mercilessly chastising little Julia Severn for having naturally curly hair while his wife and children are wearing false add-on curls to their own hair. The blatant irony somehow surpasses the “pious prick” (literally just came up with that) when he says that no girl should conform to nature, but rather to Mr. Brocklehurst’s own liking. He even goes as far as to say she must have her entire head shaved off. Yet a bald head will not allow poor Julia to have her hair “arranged closely, modestly, plainly.” The sheer hypocrisy of the notion iterates how society treats the upper class and lower class so differently.

Author Charlotte Brontë conveys that women of the upper class are allowed to express themselves with far more distinction than women of the lower class. Apparently, wearing curls is a sign of distinction, which is solely reserved for the wealthy folk. Mr. Brocklehurst, being a staunch follower of societal norms, tries using the Bible and Christianity as a means of justifying why curly haired Julia must be punished. The man even acknowledges the social status of the orphans by informing Miss Temple his “plan in bringing up these girls is, not to accustom them to habits of luxury and indulgence” (Brontë). He is saying that the girls were into poverty and must learn to live such a life, as if they are stuck in that class forever. Although Brocklehurst elaborates on the necessity to suffer through life just as Jesus and his disciples did, he doesn’t even notice the fallacy when his glamorously clad, curl toting girls walk through the door. The author makes light of the ironic situation when she says, “They ought to have come a little sooner to have heard his lecture on dress” (Brontë).

 During this time period, there was a wide disparity between social classes, especially since a large middle class had yet to be formed. Quite possibly, the orphanage owner could be afraid of some of the orphan girls competing in beauty with his own upper class family members. Not only would that be a huge embarrassment, but the parentless girls would have subtly been given the confidence and power needed to rebel and stir trouble in the establishment. In this sense, the orphans represent the lower class being pushed down and normalized by the jealous, fearful upperclassmen, represented by Mr. Bocklehurst and his family.

                                      

What's in a Name?

The name Patrick has always had various meanings and values to me. It’s a fairly unique name, so much so, that I had only known two other Patricks until going to Governor’s School. I met three there. (Coincidence? I think not!) To me, my name stands for everything I have ever done and will ever do. It is the signature to a life that only I have lived. On a wider scope, my name is what sets me apart from other people with other names. Whenever I asked my parents why they named me the way they did, they would reply by saying it was the only name they could both agree on and that it meant differently to each of them. My dad would say it’s been a name frequently used in the family, so he just wanted to uphold that tradition. My mother would just say it sounded "pretty".


After taking IB English 3, I've come to realize that having a name like Patrick definitely sets me in the realm of white privilege. I will never have to worry about being judged poorly prior to a job interview or meeting based on my name. With my white name, nobody would ever guess that I’m half Colombian and that I have a long line of Hispanic blood in my family. Odds are, I won’t be othered and I will be treated with respect unless I prove someone otherwise. It is unfortunate how racist our society still is today, but having a name like mine really helps me hurdle over obstacles that countless other ethnics must face daily.


My name has usually brought me many differing yet often intertwining identities. When I used to play baseball, I would just be one with the team. Each person had a specific role on the field that they were expected to fulfill. In that sense, some of our individuality was lost in the effort to make a stronger whole. In order to win, we had to think for ourselves yet communicate with each other and work together as a team. It was difficult to be both an individual and a team member at first (I’m talking about T-ball times, folks), but over the years, I managed to easily pull my weight as well as supporting and communicating seamlessly with others on the team. I’d like to note how I refrain from saying MY team, because it really isn't. It was OUR team because it wouldn’t have functioned or be the way it was without every single person doing their specified job every time we played. A team is just like a colony of ants– if every member works together on the same focus, they can carry out things they simply couldn’t do by themselves.



To be an individual in a larger whole means that you won’t often get recognized for what you do. Your and everybody else’s individual achievements are seen as the team’s achievements. Unless you really stand out positively (like the time I hit a game-winning triple) or negatively (like the time I gave away the game-losing walk) then the praise or criticism drops on the team and not the individual. In that sense, the team can act as a safety umbrella for all the individuals to fall under.

Post #1

Photographer Wing Huie took this seemingly ordinary picture of David and Lou in South Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2012. Upon first glance, you can see two adult men, one white and one black, casually sitting on a porch outside. It is clear that these two friends are wearing glasses and have similar facial hair. In addition to exhibiting similar poses, these two friends appear to not be too photogenic nor pleased with the photographer based on their facial expressions. Despite their lack of interest, they seem relaxed and content with where they are, solely based on their posture and residential location. Through the reflection in the window, you notice a short, wide building which is most likely a small office building. Paint is peeling off the railings and the house looks relatively small from what is seen in the photo. The windows are large and high, typically found on one-story homes.

The interracial "bromance" shown in the photo depicts the photographer’s interest in diversity among lower income communities. Both men, especially the one on the left, are casually dressed in what appears to be midday. This indicates that they either work part time or do any odd jobs available. Due to the clear paint peelings, one can assume they cannot afford to keep their humble abode in pristine condition. The piece presents an intriguing situation where two racially different men of different backgrounds come together to form an inseparable friendship of over seven years. These “brothers from another mother” don’t care about any racial barriers, and neither should the viewer.

Both Wing Young Huie and Margaret Atwood present “othering” in some shape or form within their works. In David and Lou, the two men are dressed in considerably different apparel and are of different races. This is enough to instill a sense of othering between the photo’s characters. Also, the pillar erected between the two men acts as a literal divider of the white man and the black man. The photographer purposefully took the photo at such an angle to make it easier for the reader to distinguish between the individuals.

In Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, “othering” is clearly seen in the social classes as well as gender. For example, each class has a designated color to wear and duty in society. The Bible is manipulated to support “othering” by defining the societal rules. Only a select few men of authority are allowed to read it, so no one can really disprove the gospel verses. Public information is highly filtered and censored by the government, so much so, that people in Gilead are completely unaware of the events and norms in other countries.