"Is this the noble Moor whom our full Senate/ Call all in all sufficient?” (4.1.264-265) Why, yes it is. Between The Importance of Being Earnest, Othello, and The Namesake, Shakespeare's tragic play of the Moorish general which we read in the fall is still my favorite. I really enjoyed this book for a few reasons. For one, it was the first we had to memorize quotes for, and so I went overboard on the studying. As such, I can pull out random quotes in casual conversation like "Reputation is an idle and/ most false imposition” (2.3.267-268). So I suppose that the book has just stuck with me. But I also enjoyed the play we went and saw (except for the part when Othello pulled out the gun and killed himself, that was ridiculous). It made the play much more memorable, and brought the book to life in a way that I (as an ignorant, not very cultural high school boy) never could have imagined. The play was also a nice break - for one day - from poetry papers, where despite Ms. Serensky's cautioning, "don't make self deprecating comments while you read them out loud," I would start off with "This is the night/ That either makes me or fordoes me quite" (5.1.128-129). But apart from the perks of reading Othello, I actually did enjoy the story quite a bit. Considering it was the first bit of Shakespeare that I ever read AND understood, it has a special little place in my literary history. I just wish that I knew exactly how to pronounce "Iago."
(Please excuse the PG-13 content, its absolutely worth it)
Friday, April 29, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Top Ten Plays
Welcome back ladies and gentlemen to SportsCenter. Up next we have our top ten academic plays of Chris L's high school career, because... well... he's not much of an athlete. Regardless, hold on to the edge of your seats - we got some good ones.
10 - Up first is when Chris got an A on his 10th grade English research project. Granted that he got to work with two friends of his and play video games as an excuse for homework and research (you could say his "duty as a gentleman has never interfered with [his] pleasures in the smallest degree," but the long hours of writing and the completion of the most daunting task many high schoolers face was historic (Wilde 30).
9 - Next we have the perfect score he received on one of Mr. Kerul's most brutal closed calculator trig tests in sophomore year. Typically, when it comes to Mr. Kerul's often confusing and overly challenging tests, "they eat us hungrily, and when they are full, they belch us" (Shakespeare 3.4.105-106). But this 50/50 he received was so mind blowing that he kept it til this day, mostly to brag about the absurd answer of (x - 7/158)^2 + (y - 1 and 139/158)^2 = 885842/24964 to a question about an equation for a circle which he answered correctly.
8 - His 5 on the AP Calculus AB test Junior year. His second 5, this score managed to continue his streak of mathematical excellence, which was slightly blemished by his admittedly poor performance on the Mock AP test Mix Master Maas crafted for this students. But after this "[numbed] him, like a poison," sure enough, he turned Mr. Maas's frown up-side-down with his good score (Lahiri 282). :C ---> C:
7 - Not so much of a triumph, but just a recognizable moment was when Chris had completed his first semester finals of Senior year, the last finals he would ever have to take in high school. He could finally "Put out the light" (Shakespeare 5.2.7)
6 - The 4 he got on the AP Physics. While it is not a 5, this score was still impressive for Chris, who was stumped by Physics most of the time. After he saw the score, he kept thinking "'I don't know. It's not what I thought it would be'" (Lahiri 252).
5 - The 5 he got on AP Comp Sci, in only his sophomore year. In a class of mostly Juniors and Seniors, Chris took on the challenge with only 3 other sophomores. In this rather difficult course, in which "the truth is rarely pure and never simple," he mastered the material under the teaching of the brilliant Ms. Petite, and scored a 5 on the first AP test he ever took (Wilde 6).
4 - Austin Sauey, Alex Kreger, Brian Binder, and Chris all worked together on a Spanish movie project, for a movie to be based off of a story called "El Novio Robado." The 22 minute epic film also completed a trilogy of Spanish films they had made, of the title "Zapatolones," a name which roughly translates to "shoe-pants." Upon completion of the movie (in which "the good ended happily, and the bad unhappily," the boys earned 100% on the project, as well as special calls home from Sra. Walsh herself to congratulate us on the excellent (and perhaps even over the top) job they did (Wilde 22).
3 - Near the end of Junior year, Chris discovered that he was accepted to attend the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation Summer Seminar, a two week scholarship art program to which he applied (all expenses paid). It took place in the beginning of July in Colorado Springs, and he meet 20 highly talented artists and new friends. Often times, he misses this time in which he hung out with new friends and made art all day long, and he curses "O, blood, blood, blood!" (Shakespeare 3.3.448).
2 - In the fall of Senior year, Chris was inducted into the Cum Laude Society, a very prestigious academic honor. Even so, more hard school work had to be done, because metaphorically, "the muffins are the same" (Wilde 41).
1 - In Mid December, Chris received notification of his acceptance into the University of Cincinnati, at which he will study Industrial Design. In all of the excitement about college, he could not help but wonder "When would it sink in?" (Lahiri 226).
10 - Up first is when Chris got an A on his 10th grade English research project. Granted that he got to work with two friends of his and play video games as an excuse for homework and research (you could say his "duty as a gentleman has never interfered with [his] pleasures in the smallest degree," but the long hours of writing and the completion of the most daunting task many high schoolers face was historic (Wilde 30).
9 - Next we have the perfect score he received on one of Mr. Kerul's most brutal closed calculator trig tests in sophomore year. Typically, when it comes to Mr. Kerul's often confusing and overly challenging tests, "they eat us hungrily, and when they are full, they belch us" (Shakespeare 3.4.105-106). But this 50/50 he received was so mind blowing that he kept it til this day, mostly to brag about the absurd answer of (x - 7/158)^2 + (y - 1 and 139/158)^2 = 885842/24964 to a question about an equation for a circle which he answered correctly.
8 - His 5 on the AP Calculus AB test Junior year. His second 5, this score managed to continue his streak of mathematical excellence, which was slightly blemished by his admittedly poor performance on the Mock AP test Mix Master Maas crafted for this students. But after this "[numbed] him, like a poison," sure enough, he turned Mr. Maas's frown up-side-down with his good score (Lahiri 282). :C ---> C:
7 - Not so much of a triumph, but just a recognizable moment was when Chris had completed his first semester finals of Senior year, the last finals he would ever have to take in high school. He could finally "Put out the light" (Shakespeare 5.2.7)
6 - The 4 he got on the AP Physics. While it is not a 5, this score was still impressive for Chris, who was stumped by Physics most of the time. After he saw the score, he kept thinking "'I don't know. It's not what I thought it would be'" (Lahiri 252).
5 - The 5 he got on AP Comp Sci, in only his sophomore year. In a class of mostly Juniors and Seniors, Chris took on the challenge with only 3 other sophomores. In this rather difficult course, in which "the truth is rarely pure and never simple," he mastered the material under the teaching of the brilliant Ms. Petite, and scored a 5 on the first AP test he ever took (Wilde 6).
4 - Austin Sauey, Alex Kreger, Brian Binder, and Chris all worked together on a Spanish movie project, for a movie to be based off of a story called "El Novio Robado." The 22 minute epic film also completed a trilogy of Spanish films they had made, of the title "Zapatolones," a name which roughly translates to "shoe-pants." Upon completion of the movie (in which "the good ended happily, and the bad unhappily," the boys earned 100% on the project, as well as special calls home from Sra. Walsh herself to congratulate us on the excellent (and perhaps even over the top) job they did (Wilde 22).
3 - Near the end of Junior year, Chris discovered that he was accepted to attend the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation Summer Seminar, a two week scholarship art program to which he applied (all expenses paid). It took place in the beginning of July in Colorado Springs, and he meet 20 highly talented artists and new friends. Often times, he misses this time in which he hung out with new friends and made art all day long, and he curses "O, blood, blood, blood!" (Shakespeare 3.3.448).
2 - In the fall of Senior year, Chris was inducted into the Cum Laude Society, a very prestigious academic honor. Even so, more hard school work had to be done, because metaphorically, "the muffins are the same" (Wilde 41).
1 - In Mid December, Chris received notification of his acceptance into the University of Cincinnati, at which he will study Industrial Design. In all of the excitement about college, he could not help but wonder "When would it sink in?" (Lahiri 226).
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Poetry............... Redux
Is it ironic that my first blog was about poetry and now here we are blogging about poetry at the end of the year? Well... situationally ironic at least. Nostalgia aside, "I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak" (Shakespeare 5.2.181). In my first post about poetry, I admit some of the inroads the art form made in me, such as an appreciation for it... Oh dear, should I really "utter my thoughts? Why, say they are vile and false" (Shakespeare 3.3.136)... Nonetheless, while I still do appreciate it, I cannot honestly really admit that I truly like and enjoy poetry. A big reason is that still, for the most part, it is over my head (against popular belief, a prowess for English class is not exactly one of my characteristics as the most popular kid in class). But if I had to pick a favorite poem, mine would be the first sestina we read in class, "Sestina" by Ciara Shuttleworth (the one that went "you used to love my well"). For one, it was short. I liked that. Secondly, it was actually pretty amusing, especially to read out loud. The stammering of the speaker actually made me "LOL" a couple of times. For real. But I also was able to understand what was happening... I think. For instance, If I met the speaker in the poem, I would probably say something to them like, "I see you are eaten up with passion" (Shakespeare 3.3.388), because they were quite distraught in their love life. I also liked the creativity of the poem. It took the unique style of sestina and made it even more interesting, by using only one word for each line. While my taste in poetry is not very refined, my foolish and innocent instinct is to pick the one that I just simply enjoy the most. So, good work Ciara Shuttleworth. I hope you make some solid bank on your poetry endeavors.
Monday, April 18, 2011
The Most Popular Kid in AP English 12
I'd never been popular before. I'd never really concerned myself with the potential of popularity, as I always thought that "reputation is an idle and/ most false imposition" (Shakespeare 2.3.267-268). Or maybe it was because I was a complete weird-o in middle school, but I digress. It took until about the beginning of senior year for most people to realize how witty, intelligent, talented, caring, good looking, and funny I am (so far, no one has caught onto how conceited, however). But the one day where the class actually recognized me for my unparalleled popularity, I felt honored. I cannot exactly remember how this acknowledgement came about, but between all my well timed jokes, my catchy street name (High Stile), and my unmatched mastery of the English language, it was no question that I had the student's ovation and fame forever. On the contrary, all of this newly bestowed glory was so sudden that I couldn't quite grasp it all. I just kept wondering, "when would it sink in?" (Lahiri 226). But now that I am indeed the most popular kid in AP English 12, I cannot keep my peers from fawning all over me. In fact, I hardly have to keep track of any of my responsibilities, since I have fellow students just waiting for the chance to take care of them for me. You could say that "my duty as a gentleman has never interfered with my pleasures in the smallest degree" (Wilde 30). Now I have plenty of time for all of my favorite hobbies, like drawing, playing guitar, and bunburying. So without contention, my favorite day in English was when I became the most popular kid in class.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Capture the Flag
We join Roderigo of Othello and Chasuble of The Importance of Being Earnest caught in a heated Capture the Flag battle in Halo 3.
Roderigo: Shoot that guy, he doesn't have any shields!
Chasuble: Gosh darn it, I'm reloading!
Roderigo: Well, throw a grenade or something, he's going to get our flag!
Chasuble: OK here... ah ha! Got him with a head shot. Take that, you noob!
Roderigo: Nice work, champ. I'm playing so poorly, I keep on dying. "It is silliness to live when to live is torment" (1.3.303). Alright, I just re-spawned. I say we make a push for their flag, time is running out and we're tied 2-2.
Chasuble: I agree, but we're gonna need some power weapons. We cannot simply barge in there with the Assault Rifle, it doesn't do nearly enough damage.
Roderigo: That's a good point. OK, you go and grab the shotgun. I'm gonna get real weird with it and pick up a Spartan Laser.
Chasuble: The Spartan Laser? These are desperate times! We can't afford for you to be fooling around with the Spartan Laser! It is utterly impractical to use the Spartan Laser unless you're trying to destroy a vehicle.
Roderigo: Just calm down, I know what I'm doing.
Chasuble: Considering that your kill-death ratio this game is 3-17, I doubt that.
Roderigo: OK, fine, I'm getting a Battle Rifle for my secondary weapon. Since you have the shotgun, you go into their base first. I'll reign down some suppressing fire with my BR, then I'll come pick you up in a Mongoose when you have the flag.
Chasuble: Alright, here I go... Bam, got one. Oh yeah, there's two!
(Together): DOUBLE KILL!!!!!
Roderigo: Nice, I just got the last guy, I'll be right over there.
Chasuble: "Was the cause of death mentioned?" (26)
Roderigo: Yeah, I stuck him with a Plasma Grenade, square in the face!
Chasuble: Haha, now that's more like it.
Roderigo: OK I'm outside with the mongoose, come on, get in!
Chasuble: Here I am, let's get going before they chase us down.
Roderigo: Shoot, they have a Warthog! We don't stand a chance!
Chasuble: Well I need to get the flag back to the base, somehow we must remove of him.
Roderigo: "How do you mean, removing him?" (4.2.228)
Chasuble: Umm, killing him?
Roderigo: Right. OK I'm going to get out, you make a run for it.
Chasuble: But Roderigo, it's suicide!
Roderigo: Don't worry, I have something in mind
(As the Warthog approaches, Roderigo charges up the Spartan Laser, aims it at the Warthog, and fires its deadly laser beam, causing the Warthog and all of the enemy passengers inside it to explode in blaze of fiery glory)
Chasuble: What in the name of Davy Jones?!
Roderigo: I told you I knew what I was doing.
Chasuble: Wow, you certainly were right. I was wrong not to trust you. "These are very joyful tidings" (28).
Roderigo: I would hope you never doubt me again... Did you capture their flag yet?
Chasuble: I'm... almost... there.... GOT IT!!! FOR THE WIN!!!
Roderigo: We are most definitely the best at Halo.
Chasuble: That was an excellent game, indeed. We shall do this again sometime.
Roderigo: Agreed. But now, I have to go and plot the death of a Moorish general with a dear friend of mine.
Chasuble: Understandable, I have to go perform a christening for two silly men. I'll see you later Roderigo.
Roderigo: Piece out, homie.
 |
| The Scene: "Last Resort" |
Chasuble: Gosh darn it, I'm reloading!
Roderigo: Well, throw a grenade or something, he's going to get our flag!
Chasuble: OK here... ah ha! Got him with a head shot. Take that, you noob!
Roderigo: Nice work, champ. I'm playing so poorly, I keep on dying. "It is silliness to live when to live is torment" (1.3.303). Alright, I just re-spawned. I say we make a push for their flag, time is running out and we're tied 2-2.
Chasuble: I agree, but we're gonna need some power weapons. We cannot simply barge in there with the Assault Rifle, it doesn't do nearly enough damage.
Roderigo: That's a good point. OK, you go and grab the shotgun. I'm gonna get real weird with it and pick up a Spartan Laser.
Chasuble: The Spartan Laser? These are desperate times! We can't afford for you to be fooling around with the Spartan Laser! It is utterly impractical to use the Spartan Laser unless you're trying to destroy a vehicle.
Roderigo: Just calm down, I know what I'm doing.
Chasuble: Considering that your kill-death ratio this game is 3-17, I doubt that.
Roderigo: OK, fine, I'm getting a Battle Rifle for my secondary weapon. Since you have the shotgun, you go into their base first. I'll reign down some suppressing fire with my BR, then I'll come pick you up in a Mongoose when you have the flag.
 |
| Mongoose |
(Together): DOUBLE KILL!!!!!
Roderigo: Nice, I just got the last guy, I'll be right over there.
Chasuble: "Was the cause of death mentioned?" (26)
Roderigo: Yeah, I stuck him with a Plasma Grenade, square in the face!
 |
| A Plasma Grenade stuck to an enemy's face |
Roderigo: OK I'm outside with the mongoose, come on, get in!
Chasuble: Here I am, let's get going before they chase us down.
Roderigo: Shoot, they have a Warthog! We don't stand a chance!
 | |
| A Warthog |
Roderigo: "How do you mean, removing him?" (4.2.228)
Chasuble: Umm, killing him?
Roderigo: Right. OK I'm going to get out, you make a run for it.
Chasuble: But Roderigo, it's suicide!
Roderigo: Don't worry, I have something in mind
(As the Warthog approaches, Roderigo charges up the Spartan Laser, aims it at the Warthog, and fires its deadly laser beam, causing the Warthog and all of the enemy passengers inside it to explode in blaze of fiery glory)
 | |
| An accurate portrayal |
Roderigo: I told you I knew what I was doing.
Chasuble: Wow, you certainly were right. I was wrong not to trust you. "These are very joyful tidings" (28).
Roderigo: I would hope you never doubt me again... Did you capture their flag yet?
Chasuble: I'm... almost... there.... GOT IT!!! FOR THE WIN!!!
Roderigo: We are most definitely the best at Halo.
Chasuble: That was an excellent game, indeed. We shall do this again sometime.
Roderigo: Agreed. But now, I have to go and plot the death of a Moorish general with a dear friend of mine.
Chasuble: Understandable, I have to go perform a christening for two silly men. I'll see you later Roderigo.
Roderigo: Piece out, homie.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Gogol's Worst Day
So, you want to know about my worst day in English, huh? What, do you like hearing me suffer? Eh, fine, I'll tell you. But it is awfully embarrassing. Anyways, this was the day before we were going to read this stupid book, called "The Namesake." I don't really remember what it's about, only that it's about some whiny kid whose parents move to the US from India. I didn't really read it, because "to read the story... would mean paying tribute to [my] namesake, accepting it somehow" (92). So on this particular day, we had a discussion about our own names, and our opinions of them. Do I really have to tell you why I hated this day? My name is Gogol, for crying out loud. Gogol Ganguli. To be honest with you, I think it sounds like some sort of nasty Italian pasta dish. "At times, [my] name... manages to... distress [me] physically, like the scratchy tag of a shirt [I] have been forced permanently to wear" (76). I mean, if that simile doesn't show you the extent of my internal conflict, I don't know what will. Nonetheless, I had to talk about my name, and explain that my dad gave it to me because he likes this Russian author named Gogol. That's all well and fine, but who in their right mind goes and names their child Gogol? But back to the class, it's bad enough that I have to wear this name around everywhere, but then having to talk about it in front of all my peers? The memory of it haunts me to this day. Just meeting new people and introducing myself is miserable. "[I] cannot imagine saying 'Hi, it's Gogol'... [I] cannot imagine this at all" (76). But I take comfort in the fact that at least I'm not alone. This one kid we call the Dark Lord (his real name is Chase) was talking about how "the normal 'e' at the end of his first name makes up for the weird 'e' at the end of his last name..." I suppose he has more of a spelling problem, but you get the point. Anyway, I have to go back to being and angsty teenager, I'll see you around.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
An Evening With Othello
Me: It's nice to be speaking with you, Othello, despite your unfortunate state of being dead. Although, as merely a fictional character, your death is hardly one that manifests itself in any physical sense, but rather a symbolic, literary one. I'm sorry, don't mind me. I learned to talk in that affluent, perhaps even verbose, manner in AP English 11.
Othello: "As if there were some monster in thy thought" (3.3.107)
Me: Oh, no, no my dear friend. You see, AP English 11 was a trying time in my typically trite life. You see, because you haven't ever taken a course as rigorous as AP English, I bet you couldn't even push the implications of that alliteration I used in that last sentence!
Othello: "O, blood, blood, blood!" (3.3.448)
Me: Dear goodness, take it easy man! Just put the gun down and relax, I was just joking!
Othello: "Fetch me the handkerchief!" (3.4.90)
Me: What? What are you talking about? I don't even own a handkerchief, its the 21st century. Just put the gun down and stop making obscure demands.
Othello: "For I know thou'rt full of love and honesty" (3.3.118)
Me: There, now that's more like it. I wanted to ask you if you have ever annotated a book before. You know, literary devices, interacting with the text. Because last year, all that was pretty new to me.
Othello: "Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell" (4.2.38)
Me: I don't think you are in a position to make such a claim, who are you to say I've never annotated before AP English 11? Well, I guess I had, but not in the manner that AP English and Ms. Serensky require.
Othello: "Ay, let her rot, and perish, and be damned/ tonight" (4.1.183-184)
Me: OK, what is wrong with you? Why are you so violent? Although her methods are demanding, I have to admit that without the rigorous experience of the class, I would not be as intelligent as I am now. Nonetheless, I think this interview has proved completely futile, and is thus over. I dread saying this, but is there anything else you'd like to add?
Othello: "Put out the light, and then put out the light" (5.2.7)
Me: Good thinking, it's not smart to leave a light on in a room once you leave it. But at the same time, it isn't smart to kill your wife purely out of suspicion, but we all make mistakes. OK, OK, put the gun down! I'm leaving!
Othello: "As if there were some monster in thy thought" (3.3.107)
Me: Oh, no, no my dear friend. You see, AP English 11 was a trying time in my typically trite life. You see, because you haven't ever taken a course as rigorous as AP English, I bet you couldn't even push the implications of that alliteration I used in that last sentence!
Othello: "O, blood, blood, blood!" (3.3.448)
Me: Dear goodness, take it easy man! Just put the gun down and relax, I was just joking!
Othello: "Fetch me the handkerchief!" (3.4.90)
Me: What? What are you talking about? I don't even own a handkerchief, its the 21st century. Just put the gun down and stop making obscure demands.
Othello: "For I know thou'rt full of love and honesty" (3.3.118)
Me: There, now that's more like it. I wanted to ask you if you have ever annotated a book before. You know, literary devices, interacting with the text. Because last year, all that was pretty new to me.
Othello: "Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell" (4.2.38)
Me: I don't think you are in a position to make such a claim, who are you to say I've never annotated before AP English 11? Well, I guess I had, but not in the manner that AP English and Ms. Serensky require.
Othello: "Ay, let her rot, and perish, and be damned/ tonight" (4.1.183-184)
Me: OK, what is wrong with you? Why are you so violent? Although her methods are demanding, I have to admit that without the rigorous experience of the class, I would not be as intelligent as I am now. Nonetheless, I think this interview has proved completely futile, and is thus over. I dread saying this, but is there anything else you'd like to add?
Othello: "Put out the light, and then put out the light" (5.2.7)
Me: Good thinking, it's not smart to leave a light on in a room once you leave it. But at the same time, it isn't smart to kill your wife purely out of suspicion, but we all make mistakes. OK, OK, put the gun down! I'm leaving!
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