Assignment 26- Mary Huffman- Better late than never?

I know this blog post is too late to be accepted, but I still want to complete it to round out the year, for some personal closure I guess.

Though I may have sometimes rolled my eyes and wondered about the relevance of our activities in class, I've realized more of it has helped me than I knew while in the classroom. I enjoyed the casual atmosphere and the encouragement of discussion you provided. Socratic seminars were a little painful to prepare for and to find interest in at first, but I think they helped me better analyze a work and understand nuance much more strongly than before. That being said, the discussion of peers' essays didn't help me much. It made the rubric more confusing to grapple with and took time that I think we could've used to practice writing in what would've been a normal testing environment. The Visual Literacy projects, from beginning to end, were unconventional and fun, but I don't know that they helped me with the AP Lang exam. They were useful in other ways, but I don't know how relevant they were in the context of the rest of the class. Studying Writing with Style was rather grueling and it took a long time for me to warm up to the class after that. It didn't help me as much as I'd have liked, but practicing and sitting down to write made my writing much better than any notes or discussion. 

Overall, I enjoyed the class and how it was conducted, especially in retrospect. I'll admit that there were times I thought you'd gone a little off the rails, but looking back, I learned a lot, even if it wasn't all directly applicable to the AP exam.

Assignment 26- Jasir Rahman- Efficiency and Reflection

I'm gonna start off with the evaluation of the effectiveness of coursework and then I'll move on to final thoughts regarding the class in general.

Let's start off on positives.  I think practicing tests as they were going to be taken was effective.  In the past, with other standardized tests, I've found that "practicing like you play" is great practice and leads to success.  I had no problem with this course being geared towards the AP test, especially in our shortened 2nd semester.  The path to mastering the AP test provided a lot of personal insight (which I'll discuss later) but I also think that it changed the way I looked at pieces of writing for the better.  I found that my evaluation of nuances within pieces of writing, my own synthesis of ideas, and the speed at which I write improved throughout the course.  I think our group evaluation and scoring of writing pieces, while long, was necessary to get a perspective on what the AP graders will see, and as a result, my writing style changed, I think for the better.  I think Socratic Seminars to an extent produced a similar result, although not as effectively.  

Now for the stuff that I personally think may have detracted from the efficiency of the course.  I think the Visual Literacy assignments, while enjoyable, are not integrated seamlessly into the course.  I do, however, acknowledge that they are to be done on our own time, meaning that they don't take away from class in their creation.  I think the extent to which they "take away" from the general instruction of the course is very limited, and they make us utilize skills such as public speaking that will be more important for us in the future.  The emphasis on no-no words was essentially dropped during semester 2, and I don't necessarily think the amount of no-no words matters all that much.  It is about their integration into an essay.  I remember scoring consistently high on essays where I used a plethora of no-no words, however, I got my point across.  I understand that the aim is to put a spotlight on those words because they can end up hindering the expression of the author, but I don't think that placing a set cap of 20 no-no words is the way to do it.  Is it the easiest way?  Probably.  But I think the understanding that a limited vocabulary can reduce the efficiency with which one gets their message across kind of gets lost in the counting of words.  My final grievance is with the use of the textbook during our first semester.  While I do think that understanding the various structures of argumentation such as Toulmin's will help with forming well-warranted arguments, I think the emphasis on rhetorical devices takes away from the bigger picture.  The best analysis essays I read were not those that limited themselves to strict evaluations of those instances in which an author used diction, imagery, syntax, or the various appeals, but those that evaluated general ideas.  The idea-driven thesis is king.  However, time after time I read essays that were very limited in their commentary and evaluation of the text because they limited what they could talk about.  I think a lot of people get stuck on these ideas because it's what they go over in class, so they feel like they can only discuss those aspects of writing.  But there is so much more to unpack.  I think an emphasis on the idea-driven thesis (that admittedly, you advised using during the AP test) earlier on would reap much more developed essays that look at ideas because it is within developing those ideas that effective writers such as those that we look at end up using those rhetorical devices.  You can look at each element presented within the essay, and evaluate its effectiveness by using those rhetorical devices as evidence, thus reaping a much more effective essay.  I (especially in this last year) have come to appreciate good storytelling and well-formed argumentation.  I hope it didn't come off as my trying to tell you how to write a good analysis essay (because I ought to defer to your experience), but in my limited experience, I think those that looked at ideas had much more developed essays.  Watch me write all that about how to write an analysis essay and not pass the AP test...

Well, that was ranty... speaking of ranty!  ME!  IN YOUR CLASS! 

To all of my classmates and to you Mr. Logsdon, my bad on talking so much during discussions.  As I said I appreciate good storytelling and tightly written narratives and arguments, and I love to look at well-realized essays and those that are not so developed and look at what they did right and wrong.  I just rambled because I had a lot on my mind, and I tried to get it under control a little bit, but I think it was to no avail (feel free to prove me wrong on that).  Thanks for putting up with that during my time in your class.  Overall, it was a fun time I'm gonna miss it next year.  The class content and my own interactions within the class gave me a lot to think about.

Assignment 21 - Cat Lucier - Failing a test

Sophomore year, I took AP Statistics. I really enjoyed the class, and I was good at it. I learned a lot, and it was all very practical and applicable to every day. In November, the unit was on probability; I won't deny that it's not my best topic, but my ability in it is passable. I was gone on a Model UN trip for 4 days the week of the test, and I was more invested in researching and working on my committee than in doing make-up work in our free time at the hotel. I was too confident in my ability to wing it, especially since I was already having some difficulty with the unit. I got back to school and took the test (and I nearly cried while taking it). When it was graded and returned to me, I was horrified to see that I had earned a 68/D on it. I've never gotten even close to that low of a score on a test in my life before. I was disappointed and angry at myself for being cocky enough to brush off the lessons and homework, yet expect a passing grade. I will never make that mistake again. If I miss school, I always make sure to at least read and familiarize myself with any new material, if not practice and do the work from that day too. I don't rely on my ability to wing it with anything - presentations, tests, homework - anymore. I still managed to pull an A as my final grade in AP Statistics because I worked hard to be exceptionally proficient in the topics and units for the rest of the year. Failure is the best way to learn, I think. I'm a more conscientious student, and while that does increase my stress levels a tiny amount, I've improved in my work ethic and my skill at learning itself.

Assignment 26 - Delaney Staley - Advice

Throughout the year, we learned many valuable things that helped prepare us for the AP Lang test and helped progress our writing skills. However, I do wish we had spent time preparing for the ACT more in class. We spent about a day or so practicing for it and I know for others that is all that they needed but for me, I wish I had gotten more practice in advance of the test. I was happy with my score for the most part, but I know that I could have gotten higher in English and Reading with just a little bit more review on skills. I did like how we would progress our writing, first starting out with writing in class for a few days and being able to edit things and then moving our way up to just writing for 45 minutes and turning that in. I think this definitely helped improve our skills and got us comfortable with the format of the AP test.

Assignment 24 - Delaney Staley - Lessons learned

Junior year was my roughest year of high school for many reasons. One of those was my inability to keep up with my work in NTI and because I just could not stop getting sick. I am hoping that next year, my health will work in my favor so i do not miss school as much as i did and that we don't have to continue doing work online because it is awful and I hate doing it when I could be going on a hike or being outside. Im hoping that I will be better at staying on top of things which I can only achieve by motivating myself and forcing myself to do the work on time.  Further, I want to work on making my assignments better quality and trying a little harder on them. This summer, I plan to work and make money and go swimming and that's about it since there's like nothing to do.

Assignment 23 - Delaney Staley - Road trip playlist

So, one night me and my friend were driving. All of a sudden, I got the bright idea that we should drive to Louisville. As we drove, I, being in the passenger seat, was designated DJ and these are a few of the songs I played while on our drive.
The first song is "Houston, we got a problem" by Luke Combs because my friend and I are both country music lovers and obsessed with Luke Combs and its a pretty song.
The next song is "Narcos" by Migos and I am obsessed with this song even though its old because I feel like there's so many twists in the song and it changes throughout.
After that is "Some Nights" by fun because I think it was like a song we played in 8th grade when I was forced to be in band and I did the bass drum throughout and it was a funny memory because I sucked at it.
Next is "Tootsee Roll" which is another funny memory because our gym teacher in middle school would always play this song and it was so annoying.
The last song is "remind me" by brad paisley and carrie underwood because she is one of my favorite singers and we like to pretend we can sing to it and we also saw him in concert and he facetimed Carrie during it and they sang together.
We like these songs because they are completely random and some have funny memories associated with them.

Assignment 22 - Delaney Staley - College

Whenever I think of college, I like to think of a tight knit community, which makes me lean towards Eastern Kentucky. It isn't nearly as UK and isn't too far. I don't think that I would be able to be far away from my family and it's a pretty short drive away. I am pretty quiet so I think that a smaller college would be better as it is easier to form friendships and class sizes are also smaller, meaning you are able to get more access to professors. Professors would be more invested in your success and I just think it would be easier to get help in a smaller class size. I think this speaks to my quiet personality as I am way too afraid to seek help in a large class versus a small one. This, as well as the small, tight-knit community appeals to me as I want to be able to be included and involved and this is easier in a smaller college.

Assignment 21 - Delaney Staley - Job searching

A few months back, I set out in search of a job. I applied at every place I liked to go to -- Chick fil a, Vinaigrette, Tropical Smoothie. It seemed that either no one was hiring or no one was simply answering. I basically gave up for a whole month and figured that I would just have to wait for a job to come to me. Then by chance, I decided to go to Graeters. I almost never get ice cream from there because it's out of the way and my best friend happens to work at Baskin Robbins so it just never made sense to go there until that day. As I was there, I just happened to notice a now hiring sign sitting on the counter. I approached the manager working and asked if they were in fact hiring (cause some places just forget about the sign) and they were and so i asked for an application. Upon my first interview, I was hired and I've enjoyed it ever since and love working there. I am now thankful for the wait and happy that I went out of my comfort zone and explored a different option.

#26: Kelly Landry

When you first introduced the concept of blog posts I wasn’t the biggest fan. I thought “spilling my secrets and opinions on the internet to a bunch of my teacher and making them available for my peers to see as well will surely be terrible.” Surprisingly enough, I actually enjoyed writing blog posts. Some topics are much easier to write about than others but it’s almost like journaling in a way because for the most part people don’t see them. It has also stimulated some deeper thinking about topics I normally wouldn’t dwell for too long on. However, I do have to say that reading all of our essays aloud became tedious and kinda caused unforeseen conflicts. Additionally the setting in which the essays were read lead to a lot more negative view of the essays simply because the only thing people could elaborate on were errors and sometimes those errors were not errors at all but rather stylistic choices that were brutally shut down by a few people.

Assignment 20 - Delaney Staley -How to edit an insta pic

I love posting pictures on instagram. However, you can't just post with no filter. One of my favorite apps to use to edit my pictures is vsco. First, you download the app off of the app store. Then you set up an account and you can even share your pictures on there. I like to put artsy pictures on there and pictures of myself on my actual instagram. You upload photos to the app off of your camera roll. First, I like to lower the exposure so it makes the background dark as well as up the contrast. Then I use the clarity button to bring out details in the picture and make it look better quality. Next, I up the saturation a little to bring out colors and make it more vibrant. Then I add a little bit of grain so it looks kind of cool and lastly I pick a filter that matches it all. Then I save the picture and upload it to instagram and add cute designs such as stars, hearts, and little phrases and then put it on my instagram story.

Assignment 22 - Cat Lucier - the big picture

In music, "sightreading" is the name for when a musician looks at a piece of sheet music and plays it without ever having seen or heard it before. Most people find it quite difficult to be able to sightread a piece such that it is recognizable. They get caught up in focusing on the details and getting all of them right. I've always been incredibly skilled at sightreading. I've played piano for 10 years, and, according to multiple piano professors and experts, I sightread better than the majority of other pianists and at least as well as people who have higher education/degrees in piano performance. But this is not an essay on my musical prowess. This is an essay on my ability to see the bigger picture. I don't get caught up in perfecting the details right away. Of course, if I have the time and resources, I go back and revise and correct whatever I'm working on, but, especially when creating on a time-constrained interval, the minutiae take a backseat to the bigger picture. I suppose AP classes and exams have helped to develop this skill, as well as benefitted from it. If I have 40 minutes to write an APUSH DBQ, I'm not going to waste precious time on picture-perfect handwriting or an award-winning hook. I'm going to establish my claims and evidence, ensure I've written a cohesive and understandable piece, and get my point across. I am a fantastic cook, but I rarely use measuring cups or a recipe. I know how a dish is supposed to taste or look, and I cook to that. I don't need exactly one teaspoon of paprika to give something a bit of smoky flavor; shaking some in will do the trick. It's been quite hot and humid outside lately; I still go out to the greenspace for multiple hours, planting and tending to new trees and plants and cleaning up trash. I recently helped plant over 70 trees; right now they are barren twigs sticking out of the ground. Some people would rip them out, saying these sticks are ugly. But look at the big picture: in 20 years, there will be a sizeable grove of trees, lush and green, replacing carbon dioxide with oxygen at an amazing rate, home to hundreds of thousands of flora and fauna. My personal comfort took a backseat to contribute to the landscape and the animals that rely on it, the local community, and the global community. Hours of hot sweaty work digging holes and hauling water with the sun beating down are not terribly pleasant but are absolutely worth it once the context of the bigger picture is considered.

post 23 Juliann hyatt i still listen to Fall Out Boy

I’ve realized that my music taste is strange and hard to put into a cohesive playlist that isn’t “songs to punch you in the face” or “songs to commit felonies to” so I bring you the next best thing: “A Tasting Platter of Fall Out Boy Albums over the Last Two Decades”. Please enjoy as I expose my leftover Fall Out Boy obsession from middle school

“The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes”
Album: Take This to Your Grave, 2003
This song pretty much embodies the main elements of this album; a tangentially related title, the lead singer’s early singing career voice, a “screw you” theme throughout the lyrics, along with a dose of self hate sprinkled in here and there.

 “Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of this Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued”
Album: From Under the Cork Tree, 2005
Here we have the long and unrelated titles that Fall Out Boy is notorious for, tied together with a theme of “well, we’re famous, but that’s about it” mixed with a touch of a god complex.
“Hum Hallelujah”
Album: Infinity on High, 2007
In my opinion, this album has a lot to do with realizing that you’re really not all that important, but maybe just enough to those around you, and really tries to put you in your place in the whole scheme of things
“What a Catch, Donnie”
Album: Folie à Deux, 2009
This album I could write an entire dissertation about, but I’ll try to keep it short. Not a single song of this album can capture the feelings of it. It caused the band to go on a hiatus after it was ill received by the fan base and also because of the pressure on them to make music leading to physical altercations and attempted suicide in the band. I chose this song because it’s by far the most emotional of the album and in my opinion represents the state of the band at the time, and also pays tribute to their earlier songs in the bridge.
“Save Rock and Roll” (ft. Elton John)
Album: Save Rock and Roll, 2013
This was their comeback album. This is their song about their comeback. It has a few callbacks to earlier songs they had written, like “going down swinging” in the bridge. This album is also the first and only to include songs featuring other artists. (I refuse to acknowledge the Demi Levato re release of a song on the next album as legitimate)
“Immortals”
 Album: American Beauty/American Psycho, 2015
Some of you might recognize this song as it was in Big Hero 6. This album introduced a new sound for the band, probably as a means of changing music with the times. Also, the titles of the songs on this album correlate to the song itself, which is shocking.
“HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T”
Album: M A  N   I    A, 2017
I like this album brings a nice bit of closure to the earlier love themes in earlier
albums, as it has a theme of “I’d like you to be here, but I don’t depend on it”

link if you're interested https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1NnV608MX4pWHkjimy9DQ8?si=seAyfxDsTV20Kp9ufKoxug

Assignment 26-- Daniel Mendoza Vasquez

The only substantive criticism I have of this class is that we were told at the beginning of the year that we would be given more freedom in our writing than we had ever had. As it turned out, though, the specific rubric and time limit that characterized nearly all of our writing assignments made me feel more limited than I ever had been before. I suppose that I could make intricate introductions or write with a theme, but I couldn’t focus on doing that well and also fulfilling the requirements of the rubric in the time given. I do, however, understand that that is more so an incidental consequence of this being an AP class that requires teaching to the test. Otherwise, this was a perfectly good class and I enjoyed the relative lenience with deadlines and grades as it prevented a great deal of stress. Most of our assignments were never really exciting, but I was never bored out of my mind or unable to focus. Visual Literacies were always interesting to make because it was a change of pace, and challenging because they were only briefly covered in class. In any case, I far prefer your more relaxed and conversational teaching style to most others.

Assignment 26 Juliann hyatt

First of all, thank you for teaching the test. I’m not sure about how everyone else thinks about this, but in my opinion, if my curriculum forces me to take an AP class, I’d like for that class to prepare me for the AP test. Anyone who knows me knows that the English language and its literary nuances are not my cup of tea, and as such I wasn’t taking this class for fun, I was taking it to fulfill a checkbox and to get that sweet, sweet English credit for college so at least some of the 13 years of public school English lessons count. And this course pretty much helped me achieve that end. My criticism for this class is that I had a hard time tracking down the Socratic seminar pieces that were due each day and where to find them. That could be a personal failure on my part, but many of my friends had trouble as well. Also, while they were an absolute pain, the timed writings did actually help on the test, so thanks for forcing us through all that. I’m no English class connoisseur, so my advice is what it is, but in my opinion this class worked for me.

blog post 26 - Jake Waits

Honestly, I enjoy your style of teaching. Since you didn't focus on grades and just focused on being able to write effectively and favorably, it made it easier to prep for the ap test. I liked how you went over concepts but most of the class was applying them and grading them in our essays. And although at the time I found the writing boring and tiring especially since it was at 8:30 in the morning I feel like the practice was most effective. One part of the class I found ineffective was the grading. I believe if we only graded about 6-8 essays then focused the saved time on either more writing, learning new concepts to improve our writing, or reviewing the test format then id be a more proficient writer. Im, not the best writer as you saw throughout the year, or even a good writer but I feel like your class was effective for the test as my best essay this year was definitely the one I wrote for the ap test. Im not sure if it was the pressure or what but I pulled through for the essay that actually mattered which shows the validity of how you teach.

blog post 24 - Jake Waits

Junior year was a close second in terms of the best years of high school. Freshman year is basically impossible to top with drake bell coming to our school, eight fights in a two-day span, a bomb threat, and a gun being brought to school. Although the workload was considerably larger it was expected which helped ease some of the pressure. The main successes of this year are the relationships I formed with friends and others. I learned to ease up on my procrastination which is one of my worst habits which hopefully will help going into senior year and college. This summer should be one of my most memorable ones yet as me and my friends already have eight trips planned if the virus is contained in Kentucky. Also now that there's no summer work I can my summer just working and hanging out with my friends so ill be productive and stress-free for most of it. For my senior year, I want to improve my act score and keep my grades up so ill be prepping a bit over the summer for the test and once senior year arrives I'm going to try to do my work in a reasonable time frame.

Assignment 26 - Bethany Welch

This class definitely was a challenge for me as I've never been a skilled writer, and honestly I did not think I would enjoy the class because I thought it would be a struggle. However, I really feel like this class brought me a different approach to writing and that you helped me see writing as less of a scary thing. To start off with the beginning of the year, I actually really enjoyed reading the summer reading book and it was probably the only summer reading assignment I've liked. I really liked how we did so many timed writings in class because I knew I was practicing the AP content, not random content that I'd have to hope matched up with the AP test. However, I'll be honest, I was not a fan of how we graded the timed writings. I definitely think it is beneficial for some people, but as a person who is not proud of their writing ability, I dreaded hearing what people said about mine and I found myself trying not to listen to what people said. I do want feedback, but I think the anonymity allowed people to be a bit too harsh at times. I also wish the class spent a bit more time on how to fix what we're doing wrong than just what we're doing wrong, because sometimes I knew what I was doing wrong but really didn't know how to fix my writing to bring it up a point or two. I did really enjoy the freedom of the class though, I liked how I was able to be creative in blogs or various projects. I appreciated how you didn't give a ton of homework, because I felt like the class made good use of the students' time in school and any other homework would've been extra stuff. This class really stood out to me this year because it was more laid back than my other classes but still covered all of the necessary content, it was a nice start to my day and quickly became one of my favorite classes. I hope my opinions don't come off as rude at all because I really enjoyed this class. Have a good summer Mr. Logsdon!

Assignment 24 Junior Year Juliann Hyatt

I guess my junior year is over in ~3 days. I’ve finished all 5 AP tests, my to-do list is less than one page, and maybe quarantine is letting up? Most everything before March is a distant memory since these past 85 days of March+ are all blending together. Apart from all of the academic things I learned in school, I’ve learned quite a lot more than I thought:
-Cats have no object permanence
-How to use a winch to install an air conditioner in the attic
-Where all of the countries in Europe are on a map
-How to get certified in Hotel Management
-How to make cheese
-What PPE means
-The specific alloys that make Nordic gold and German silver
-Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria
-Adam Savage has twins and calls them thing one and thing two
-The difference between a destroyer, a cruiser, and a battleship
-Going outside is overrated
-How to make a milkshake

And some other things that I can’t specifically remember

Assignment 26 - Lia Jacobs

I should start by saying that I wasn't a huge fan of the content of this course, but I still think that overall you did a good job teaching it. Writing essays has never been my cup of tea, though I'd like to think I'm not completely terrible at doing so. I much prefer English classes that focus more on the technical details like Mr. Lentz's class. With that being said, take my advice lightly because I'm probably not the best representation of the popular opinion.

I'll start off with the things I liked. Definitely an unpopular opinion, but I actually really enjoyed the summer reading you assigned us. Usually I dread reading any book that I don't choose to on my own, but I found the content really interesting. I enjoyed how laid back the class was, it wasn't crazily structured and even though I didn't participate as often as I probably should've, I enjoyed listening to the endless banter between my classmates. Though not my favorite activity, the timed writings and subsequent group peer reviews were really helpful and helped me gain a better understanding of what the rubrics actually meant. I also liked most of the visual literacy projects, though I never really understood the connection to the class's content.

Now things I didn't like so much. I feel like parts of the class are structured in a way that benefits talkative people the most. During most of the Socratic seminars, I had plenty to say but was frequently talked over or felt like my opinions would be met with a bit too much criticism to be worth those extra points. Also, I feel like there's a more productive way to help students understand what they need to do to write a good essay for each of the three categories. We spent a lot of time going over the AP rubric and sample responses, but that was a little too repetitive, and I honestly still couldn't tell you what it means to have your evidence support a line of reasoning. Before the AP test, I was asking some friends who aren't in the academy how their teachers explained it to them and it seemed more direct and structured which I think could've helped a lot of people. I think the way you taught us gave us more freedom while we wrote which was appreciated, but when peer-reviewing some essays (including my own) it seemed like sometimes there was a bit too much freedom and a more direct explanation of what we actually needed to be writing would've helped.

I hope that didn't come off as harsh as I'm now seeing my suggestions were a bit longer than I anticipated. Overall I enjoyed your class, it's relaxed nature, and your many attempts to make our year a bit less stressful were much appreciated. (Side note: Sorry I'm turning these in late, I did not realize there were blog posts I had missed until you told us about this last one)

Assignment 24 - Lia Jacobs

Overall, I think it's been a decent year, not great but not terrible. I came into this year thinking that the stress of junior year would be the end of me, but honestly it's not as bad as it's made out to be. Sure, the classes are a bit more stressful and there's a bit more work. But aside from a couple of late nights, the homework demand was business as usual. All things considered, this year has been academically successful, and I'm very grateful for that. Other successes include raising a sweet little seeing-eye puppy and making a couple new friends. In the grand scheme of social activity, though, high school has been somewhat of a colossal failure. I've never attended a school dance or a football game, and while I have plenty of friends as much outside of school as I would've hoped. Young me always pictured high school as this amazing experience, but it hasn't really turned out as I'd hoped. With that said, I'm hoping to be a bit more outgoing senior year, but there's only so much I can do having known most of my Academy peers since elementary school. Also we might just be doing online learning next year, so who knows if that's even a possibility. I wouldn't mind online school too much, this quarantine has kind of been a blessing in disguise. As most can assume, I'm a rather introverted person and don't exactly thrive with the constant social niceties required in high school. Of course, I miss seeing some people on a regular and my parents are kind of driving me crazy, but I wouldn't mind too much if senior year was online or semi-online.

Assignment 23 - Lia Jacobs - dinner/when it's raining playlist

If I'm being completely honest, I don't consider myself to have a very strong or interesting taste in music. A lot of what I listen to is relatively mainstream and if not it's too all over the place to form a playlist. Before I list off the songs I'm going to put on here, you need a brief explanation. Before quarantine my family had pretty hectic schedules so we never really ate dinner together, but now that we're home all day every day we've all started eating dinner together. One night we had a big Italian meal and I was tasked to find background music. I simply typed in 'Italian Restaraunt Music' on Spotify, and what appeared was an extensive selection of crooning old men. I don't know why but I really enjoyed it, and now it plays in the background of many of our family dinners. I've also found it very enjoyable to listen to when it's pouring outside. These songs are all kind of corny, but I still think they're fun to listen to on occasion.

1. The Lady is a Tramp - Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga
What's not to love about this song. First of all I've always been a fan of Lady Gaga's singing, but this song as a whole is just a fun listen. The song is overall very upbeat, I love the trumpet (?) throughout the song. It fits perfectly into this list of semi-Italian background music and could uplift anybody's mood.

2. Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra
This is the kind of song that feels straight out of a '60s movie. It's just a feel-good song and gives me nostalgia from a time when I wasn't even alive. I definitely wouldn't add this to any of my other playlists, but it just fits so perfectly with the crooner dinner music theme.

3. Oh Marie - Louis Prima
This song is a bit faster paced than the other songs, but it still fits with the overall genre. I think it's really fun and unique how it sounds like he's having a conversation with the instruments that are being played. I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I'll say it again, this song just makes you feel good. It's what I can imagine people would dance to in the '50s, and it makes me wish I was born back then.

4. Sway - Dean Martin
It's a classic, I feel like everybody knows this song. It's catchy but not so overpowering that it can't be a background song. I'm not even quite sure if this playlist is Italian-related anymore, but all of it at least sounds like what you'd hear at an Italian restaurant. Anyways, even if I can't quite describe the type of songs these are, they're all definitely related in some way.

5. Anything Goes - Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga
I know, another song from the same album, but it's worth it. It's classy, it's upbeat, it's just fun to listen to. It feels like the kind of song that the main characters of a movie would dance to in the kitchen. Just imagine yourself listening to this song, strolling through a rainy day, nothing would make me happier.

6. La Vie en Rose - Andrea Bocelli
Even though this is a different adaptation of the song, I'm pretty sure I've known the lyrics to this song since I was about 5. For some odd reason young me had a fascination with Edith Piaf and would listen to her on repeat for hours and hours. This was one of the songs she sang, and this adaptation holds up well. Maybe it's just because I love this song, but it just feels like a big warm hug, so comforting and gleeful.

7. Buona Sera - Louis Prima
This song is another one where you just can't help but feel happy. It starts out kind of slow, and by the end you just want to be dancing. I can't quite figure out why, but the start of the song is just so entertaining. The instruments sound like they're marching and even though I have no idea what he's saying I still want to sing along.

Assignment 26- Penelope Pierson- byebye logsdon :)

This has been quite the year. Super happy I ended up getting first hour AP Lang because honestly, all the other classes sounded like everyone was so quiet and they only talked about actual work. I think it was because of the smaller class size that everyone was able to much more comfortable with each other and be able to talk about random stuff but still have strong class discussions. I would say the one thing that I wish you did more of would be the ACT practice. By giving us time to work on the english and reading section timed (I definitely needed help w those sections), I found that it helped my score improve. Also, now that technically I no longer have to go to class anymore, I can finally ask who we didn't do any grammar quizzes like you said we would second semester. I'm gonna be honest, grammar is not my forte. I'm not kidding, I have no clue wha stuff like adverbs are. I'm glad I'm a native speaker. I'm not sure they would've helped my essay writing anyway, so I think it was fine.

At first, I was super uncomfortable with having our essays read out loud my the class, I felt so embarrassed, but at some point, you accept your fate and I don't even get fazed when they're read out loud anymore. I think having the whole class provide feedback is really good. I did feel like some of the readings you had us do in the book that we had to buy at the beginning of the year was sorta useless. I can't say I gained any information from the book, so maybe next year same some people some money and not request thy buy it, maybe make it optional to look at it.

Overall, I think it was fun! I ate many things so early in the morning, I did so much homework before school in your class, and I enjoyed having a place I could just talk casually before I went to my next class!

Sarah Clark Assignment 26 Honest Feedback

So I’m writing this blog in a kinda bad mood because people keep texting me and
posting on social media saying they’re done with junior year, and I have an AP
exam tomorrow, so I don’t feel done.
But I will try to leave that bad mood out of this blog post. 

I really enjoyed this class. I feel as if my writing improved significantly, and
grading essays in class was instructive and fun. 

I think Writing With Style was extremely helpful. 

My one critique: the summer reading. The book, while insightful, seemed
unnecessary for the class. 

But seriously, this was my favorite class this year, and you were my favorite
teacher. 

I really like blog posts, and just the much more laidback nature of the class.
I’m pleasantly surprised that I
feel like I’ve improved so much in a class with no homework!

Have a good summer, Mr. Logsdon!

Sorry for turning civil discussion into yelling matches! Already feel the nostalgia. :)

Assignment 26 - Hannah Whaley - feedback for you

I freaking loved your class. It was my thing - I love to talk and I love to write whatever I think will catch attention. Writing in class didn’t bother me ever - it was fun and it helped me improve greatly. A “possible flaw” in your class could be our little tangents but in all honesty they made me come to know my peers and instructor better and made me more at ease in my environment. I would not change that for the life of me. In the end, I’m coming back next year to visit the teacher who told us crazy stories and entertained us, not the guy who ensured we pass the AP test. If I had to change anything I personally would not mind my peers chilling with the harsh judgment on MY essays in particular. Like dang the two times I got a six they gave me like a three.
They need to chill. I wouldn’t change my table partner Justin either. He’s one of my closest friends - maybe an unlikely pair. I looked forward to first hour and dreaded leaving so I’d say that’s something done right. Have a good summer Mr. Logsdon!  For somebody who isn’t super organized your class challenged me with the self enforced due date reminders and I needed that.

Assignment 25- Hannah Whaley- my talent?

Obviously I’m good at everything. I excelled at soccer since a young age, and the ball always gravitated directly to my face to break my glasses. I also am an excellent singer - I’m off pitch nearly half the time I sing. My talent with working out is fantastic. A weight recently dropped on my thumb and crushed the soft tissue. I clearly am a woman of many, many talents. The one I particularly excel at is probably reading. Since quarantine I have read approximately 20 trash sci-fi and fantasy novels, which were all really good actually. Not a single one expanded my understanding of the universe.
I am jack of all trades, master of none. That’s my game. I can do anything I put my mind to but I’m never the best of the best, only decently skilled at whatever it is. I have the same grade in every subject/class and I never have liked one more than the other. If there’s one thing you were to ask me to pick out about myself that I’m better at than everybody else, it’s an impossible question for somebody who can adequately do anything.

Assignment 24- Hannah Whaley - junior year

My junior year has been fairly uneventful. I made plenty of mistakes... one of which was forgetting about these last couple blog posts - thanks corona! Obviously nobody expected our year to be cut short like this. I successfully made it through all my classes, but my Spanish teacher doesn’t really like me anymore. That was a failure. I didn’t take any risks to be honest, besides going on risky dates with guys I knew I shouldn’t have even entertained. I don’t think I’ve been on more than a second date this year. But high school relationships are horrendous anyways and my brother and his ex proved that. This summer I am definitely driving down to Londen‘s Lakehouse in Michigan and having a good time there for her birthday. I’ll also get to enjoy a whole week of GSP since that was shortened. Honestly for senior year I just want to have a good time and stay in good shape. I plan to continue working out and becoming stronger. I also plan to make even more friends and meet new people because that is my favorite! I’ll also visit Mr. Logsdon's class senior year because I have like 4 teachers I plan to still visit after I leave their class. This blog post kind of sucks but I broke my thumb and typing is way slower on my phone so I am sorry!

Assignment 26 - Elizabeth Moore - 1st Hour was the best AP Lang Class Hands Down

I can honestly say that I loved your class, and that you are one of my favorite teachers to date. I learn best from practice, so the frequent timed writings we did this year were an excellent learning tool for me, especially since I sometimes struggle with panic under the pressure of time. I also thoroughly enjoyed Writing with Style. The author’s vivid use of language - in a grammar and syntax guide no less - was gripping, and his suggestions were eye-opening. My style certainly improved as a result of the book and your supplementary lessons. I never told you this, but I entered an International essay contest through Model UN, and as a direct result of some of the techniques you taught us, I won! I’m not sure how large the pool of entries was, but I do believe that I would not have performed as well were it not for your class.

Regarding AP Exam prep, I binge-watched the college board videos several days ago, and found that the thesis, evidence, and commentary tips were very helpful. I struggle to write quickly because I believe that prose is an art form, and I don’t like to rush art. Thinking about the timed analysis essay through the formulas that the college board videos teach instead has improved my thoroughness when responding to the prompts under a time constraint. I think we put SPACECAT on our laminated cheat sheets, but I don’t think I understood its purpose at the time. It might be helpful to other students like me if we practiced SPACECAT and some other formulaic writing prior to the first assigned analysis essay. Here are a few of the specific notes I took that have been helping me:

Device-driven thesis: Writer + verb + “through” + devices + purpose + message

Strategy-driven thesis: “By” + strategies + writer + verb + message

A list of possible devices and strategies to use for evidence

Explain the writer, audience, exigence, context, purpose, and message after each bit of evidence.

My personal favorite part of your class was your willingness to indulge impromptu class discussions. I loved the 1st hour tangents :)

Assignment 24 - Elizabeth Moore - Quarantine is the Move

Junior year was, suffice it to say, an interesting experience. The first few months of the year were encumbered by my various obligations – Dance Blue, WMHSMUN, FCA, etc. – all of which, while draining, were quite successful. But after the hubbub of fall club events died down, I was left fatigued and in serious need of a break. Alas, mid-year junioritis is the plight of every 3^rd year high schooler. Dragging myself through the monotonous routine of the school year, craving the occasional abnormality that gave me a few minutes of relief from my dull quotidian responsibilities, I was, frankly, quite miserable. I neglected spending time socializing outside of school in favor of wasting time at home or catching up on absent work. And the few moments a day when I could enjoy time with my friends were often nothing more than a string of complaints about our better than average lives. My good days were few and far between, most of them a result of conversations as I painted with Mrs. Riley. And then came COVID-19. I had never been more relieved! I mourn for those whose businesses, lives, or loved ones have been adversely affected by the societal shutdown of the last few months. But after I adjusted to life in quarantine, these past few weeks have been my favorite of the year. The instant stress relief when all of my activities were cancelled has restored me to a happy, energetic person. I have enough energy to devote to connecting with my friends and family, and as a result, I feel closer to them than ever. I’ve had ample time for some introspection, and I’ve made my mind up to become more gracious and compassionate. And I’ve finally been able to take time to do things that I truly love, like developing my painting business and my skills with a paintbrush! Suffice it to say, after COVID-19 fades into the history textbooks, I plan to continue living my life quarantine-style.

Assignment 26 - cat lucier - good class

AP Lang was pretty good this year. While timed writings aren't exactly enjoyable, I liked the practice of doing timed writings (a silent classroom with pens on paper is so peaceful) and then grading and discussing the essays. I suppose I liked all of the discussions because we could speak our minds as long as we had evidence and support for our claims. The Socratic Seminars were interesting and thought-provoking, but I don't understand how that grading system worked because I would do all the things required plus more, and grade myself well and my partner would also grade me well, but then I would get like a 50% in the grade book. I guess it would be nice if you were a little more open about how you're grading us, or like do one of those grading checklist sheets for us too, so that we have a self-grade sheet, and grade sheet from our partner, and a grade sheet from you. I think you taught a good class, although for future years maybe talk about the multiple choice part of the AP test more, but other than that, thank you.

Junior Year - Assignment 24 - Bethany Welch

This has probably been one of the best years of high school. I've gotten better at handling classwork and this was the first year of school where I felt like I had developed a daily routine for school and other things. I thankfully have maintained all As so far, although my physics grade was definitely barely holding on. I joined Cross Country this year and got more into running, and I've drastically improved my health. This year I also found a solid group of friends who I treasure. Sadly this year JROTC's raider team didn't attend nationals, so we didn't get to have the big road trip down to Georgia with the team. This year has been great but recently became really sad, due to the obvious. Despite being quarantined I'm trying to stay positive though, I've started to care for a lot of plants and finally started my watchlist (I have around 200 movies on there). For senior year I hope I am actually able to go to school. If so, I want my senior year to be fun. I've had a pretty lame social life these past three years and I'm just now kinda realizing it, so I want to hang out with my friends more and make new friends. I'm going to force myself to attend social events like football games or dances even if I don't really want to, because I always end up enjoying them. I also want to continue working hard in school, I'm weirdly excited for my classes next year and I always look forward to buying school supplies for the year. This year I dreaded my classes because I had always heard about how difficult junior year was, but looking back it really wasn't as bad as people make it out to be. It was definitely challenging but didn't meet up to what some people told me.

Assignment 23 - Bethany Welch

I'd say that this playlist is best for a sunny day, but it can definitely be enjoyed any time. This is my go-to playlist but I really like to listen to it on a nature walk or when I'm going for a run, as I feel like it is pretty uplifting and calm. I feel like this is a "spring" playlist, I don't know if I can quite describe it but it just reminds me of spring.

1. Cooks - Still Woozy

I've been listening to this song since like the beginning of sophomore year. I generally burn through music quickly and get tired of it but this song never leaves my playlist. I don't know what it is about the song but it just never gets old. 

2. Hell N Back - Bakar

I'd say this song stands out a bit in my playlist, it doesn't have the "calm guitar" feeling of the rest of my playlist. This is a pretty special song to me, it's bittersweet but I can't seem to stop listening to it.

3. Seven - Men I Trust

God I love this song so much. Men I Trust is always my go to if I need to calm down or just want some peace, and this song is definitely my favorite. I'd say it's an acquired taste, but it's definitely a gorgeous song and deserves a spot on this list.

4. Puppy Dog - Dreamer Boy

This song reminds me a lot of the beach. To me it's like the perfect song for a long drive from the beach when the sun is setting. Honestly though, it kind of just is the perfect song.

5. Black Licorice - Peach Pit

This song sounds happy but the lyrics are rather sad, however I still feel like it deserves a spot on this playlist. I love Peach Pit and this song is just so pretty.

6. Sunday Morning - Maroon 5

I never really thought I'd end up adding a Maroon 5 song to my playlist, but this song is sweet and just puts me in a good mood. 

7. Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

I've realized this is just a myriad of songs that never get old for me. I've been listening to this song for forever but I don't think I could ever stop listening to Fleetwood Mac. There are several songs of theirs that could have been on this list, but I wanted to vary it a bit.

8. Old Friends - Howard Shore

This is an odd choice and I don't listen to it regularly, but it's such an important song for me that I felt like I should include it. I LOVED the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings when I was younger, so listening to any music from the movies always makes me feel nostalgic. Also, it's just a really pretty song.

Assignment 24--Daniel Mendoza Vasquez

Other than the fact that I can’t really complete it because of this pandemic, I have few complaints about Junior year. I began the year with low expectations, as I had been hearing that 11th grade was the toughest and most stressful year of high school my entire life, and spent the first week anxious about what was to come and how I would handle it. I would soon learn, however, that what I had heard was not really a universal thing and was much more so just fear-mongering. Because I decided to take the same amount of AP classes as sophomore year, the workload was similar and I now had experience with it. Contrary to what many people say, I feel that I was most comfortable this year balancing school with other things, and so I enjoyed it the most. I do regret not trying out for the soccer team, but I was in no shape to make it, so in a way I avoided disappointment. What’s worse is not playing any sports at all; it would have been beneficial to try something new like track or cross country. On the other hand, I did succeed in maintaining A’s in nearly all my classes (Physics sucks) and being granted a scholarship by the Congress-Bundestag Exchange that allows me to study abroad in Germany for six months next year. The program usually lasts a full year, but coronavirus messed that up as well. So, the only bad part about this year that I can think of is the worldwide disease putting everything on hold.

Assignment 23-- Playlist--Daniel Mendoza Vasquez

My perfect playlist for a relatively long drive; I find that driving with songs that are all the same genre gets monotonous. There are several in Spanish, but they can still be enjoyed by those that don’t speak it as lyrics aren’t all that makes a song good.


Borro Cassette- Maluma

One of my favorite songs in general, and the only one that I 100%, fully know the lyrics to--I have a deficiency in that regard. It’s a lighthearted and pretty basic reggaeton about not being able to get someone off your head after a one night stand, but it’s done very well and it sticks in your head for a while.

La Paga- Juanes

I grew up on Juanes; my mom would have his CDs playing in the car often when she drove me to school as a kid. I probably grew to like most of his songs just through mere exposure, and this is one of my favorites due to its choppy carrilera rhythm and sarcastic, resentful lyrics.


Estranged- Guns N’ Roses

Given that it is almost ten minutes long, this is a bit difficult to digest, but I would definitely say that it's worth it. Guns N’ Roses have a lot of loud and boisterous material, but this is the best example of a vulnerable side to them, even more so than November Rain. And, of course, Slash is still phenomenal.


Money for Nothing- Dire Straits

The best part of this song is the iconic riff, and I could enjoy it for that reason alone, but it also has a unique premise in that it is written from the perspective of a working-class man who works in a hardware store. The character cynically critiques the phenomenon of MTV and the artists on it, lamenting that they are becoming millionaires despite not having what he believes to be a “real job”.


Miami- Kid Ink

Playing this while driving would probably work best while actually in Miami, but it still works elsewhere. It has a dreamy and subdued vibe, painting a very cinematic image of the city, along with a strong bass line that combines to make you want to press down further on the accelerator.

Assignment 24- Jasir Rahman- Ultralearning

I think it's funny that this post is called "The Future" but first asks us to reflect on the past.

Anyway, I am conflicted about this year.  It was an enjoyable albeit stressful year.  I don't really care to discuss what I did this year because in the grand scheme of things it seems quite insignificant in my opinion.  As time passes I lose chances to do something special.  I often feel it may already be too late to distinguish myself.  I've discussed this negative mindset before but I don't think it has plagued me as intensely as it is now.  It's not just about getting into a good undergraduate program (which I'm coming to realize isn't as big of a deal as I think it is) but about being productive and pouring myself into a project I can be proud of.  Instead of cracking under this admittedly self-imposed pressure, I hope it will drive me to greatness.

To attempt to accomplish my goals, I understand I must put in an honest effort.  But I've found that isn't enough.  I need to optimize my efforts.  I've stumbled upon Ultralearning by Scott H. Young, a book about learning optimization that analyzes several instances in which people learned skills or accomplished goals in record times.  For example, the author took 4 years worth of undergraduate courses for a computer science major at MIT in just under a year.  With intense dedication and optimized learning strategies, Young and other "ultralearners" have transcended what I thought was previously possible in terms of learning new skills.  I don't necessarily plan to rise to the same level of learning as these accomplished individuals, but I want to take the principles from the book, apply them to personal pursuits, and see where that takes me.  It isn't gonna be easy, but nothing great ever came easily.

Assignment 23- Jasir Rahman- La Musica Narrativa

This is the perfect playlist for those who enjoy narratives and lyricism in their music.  They descend into more and more tragic songs in this order, but you could probably reverse the order if you would like to crescendo into more upbeat songs (although the stipulation is that you have to listen to the 4 Your Eyez Only tracks in the correct order of "Change" and then "4 Your Eyez Only").

"Duckworth" by Kendrick Lamar - The more I listen to this track the more tightly written I realize it is.  It tells the story of how Kendrick Lamar and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith's paths intersected long before Kendrick was signed onto TDE.  Kenny Duckworth, Lamar's father, worked at a KFC which was robbed by Tiffith the year before.  Tiffith had evaded murder charges and was planning on robbing the same shop.  Fortunately, Kenny recognized Tiffith and provided free chicken and extra biscuits to get on his good side and avoid getting robbed and potentially killed.  The omniscient narrator throughout the track is revealed to be Kendrick, as he makes the realization that if Kenny hadn't had such forethought then Tiffith would've killed his father, causing Tiffith to get a life sentence and never start Top Dawg Entertainment, and Kendrick would not have a father figure.  The positive outcome of this story relative to those that follow why I placed it at the top of the playlist.

"Ross Cappichioni" by Joyner Lucas - Initially, the song is from Cappichioni's perspective as he navigates being bullied in high school and finds someone who he thinks is a friend.  Their friendship develops throughout the song until Cappichioni gives his friend a ride in his Uncle's old car to the notorious east side of Detroit.  Then comes the twist, he is betrayed and shot by his friend as part of a gang initiation.  Then the song's timeline reverses and retells the story from the perspective of his shooter.  The parallelism in rhyme schemes demonstrates the two very different worlds the characters in the story come from.  Having Ross Cappichioni placed at this point in the album begins the descent into the tragic story of the 4 Your Eyez Only tracks, as Cappichioni suffered but his fate is left ambiguous as the police arrive (although a Google search will tell you he survived and proper justice was enforced).

"Once an Addict" by J. Cole (yes we are rounding it out with 3 Cole tracks, but he's a lyrical genius with a lot to say and it's my playlist) - Cole gets personal in this track, talking about his mother's struggle with substance abuse during his youth.  He discusses the pain he felt seeing her in her drunken state, with her being his only role model in life.  Cole would stay out late and try to avoid confrontation as it would stave off the pain, hoping that addiction resolves with time.  Looking back, he wishes that he would've interfered more so maybe he could help his mother.  This provides a bit of context regarding Cole's homelife before we enter into the final 2 tracks.

Note to a potential future listener:
The album 4 Your Eyez Only is meant to be listened to in its entirety for the full impact to be felt.  If you are only going to listen to 2 songs from the track, they are "Change" and "4 Your Eyez Only."  While "Change" can function on its own without "4 Your Eyez Only," it is much more powerful when they are both experienced either within the context of the album or one after the other, and "4 Your Eyez Only" may be a bit confusing for those who don't know the context of the album or "Change." 
Also, spoiler warning for the album.

"Change" by J. Cole - This track is the crux of J. Cole's 2016 album 4 Your Eyez Only.  Cole takes on the perspective of James McMillan Jr, a formerly convicted African-American who has turned back to a life of crime.  We learn that he has good intentions, he has a baby girl on the way who he wants to support.  He has premonitions about his fate if he continues this life, but he is hopeful that he can fall out of a vicious cycle of incarceration and perhaps death.  At the end of a track, McMillan is involved in a botched drug deal and is killed in a shootout.  The song slows as the full weight of the tragedy (which is much more powerful if the whole album is listened to) is understood by the listeners, and we transition to his funeral.  He was 22.

"4 Your Eyez Only" by J. Cole - This 7-minute track that shares its name with the album it's on is chilling.  It is a concept track in which Cole takes the perspective of James McMillan Jr, a character based off of one of Cole's childhood friends.  McMillan died in the aforementioned song "Change" and this is a prerecorded track meant for his daughter in the event of his untimely death.  He laments over the circumstances that lead him to make this track and expands the message to a critique of the criminal justice system. 

Placing the songs from 4 Your Eyez Only at the bottom of the playlist rounds out the overall narrative theme because they provide a more developed overall narrative as they work in tandem. 

assignment 17 - a TV show because I can't stand movies - cat lucier

I was raised on books. I watched tv maybe once a month when I was a kid. Even now I'm only allowed to watch limited TV as long as it is not a school night. I can't easily get into movies and TV shows - I simply don't care about romance or superheroes or whatever. I usually either fall asleep or get bored and leave before I finish a movie. That is why I found this assignment quite difficult and still haven't technically completed it, I suppose. 

There is one thing that has captured my attention in the past year or so: Criminal Minds. I know it's a TV show, not a movie, but I really cannot do movies. I don't have time to stare at a screen for multiple hours. A 45-minute episode is about what I can do. So here's my review on Criminal Minds.

All 12 seasons on Netflix (out of 15 total) captivated me. The team dynamic is so loving and positive and collaborative, and the attention to detail and puzzle-solving is incredible. I love trying to solve the crimes with the team, or predict what happens next in the case. It's terribly engaging and never dull or insipid with silly romances or other dumb things that detract from the plot. And the episodes don't always end happily. Plenty end horribly and a few are downright disturbing and horrifying. I used to read Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and other such mystery books, and Criminal Minds is along the same lines, though I do find it to be a bit more intellectual than other similar shows such as NCIS.

Assignment 26: Help! I need somebody. Help!

I wanna be better in all things.  It's easy for teachers to get stuck and comfortable in patterns and activities that are completely legitimate but perhaps have become stale and even ineffective.  Throughout the semester I've asked that you work hard to prepare for the AP Language and Composition test.  I taught to the test.  I'm sorta fine with that.  As I've said, I believe that the skills the test assesses are important and some of the most important skills you will develop in your lifetime - the ability to think, process, synthesize, and argue.

To that end I've tried to develop every assignment to focus on one element of the test and hone those skills required for success.  Now that you've taken the test - multiple tests (ACT, PSAT, AP) what suggestions do you have?

I'm not asking for what you "liked" or what was "fun" but rather what was effective.  I know not everything connected with everyone and with 100+ students I will get a plethora of responses.  Though I am asking for honesty I'm not asking for a tongue-lashing nor do I expect "all sunshines and rainbows." I know I'm flawed but I also know that I am effective.  I want to minimize my flaws and increase my effectiveness.  I need your help to do that.

Minimum of 150 words - due on Sunday, May 24 at 11:59 pm

May 27th is the last day to make up blog 26

Assignment 23 - INK Playlist - Cat Lucier

Swazey Sexton introduced me to the metalcore/horrorcore band Ice Nine Kills in freshman year. At first listen, they're super hardcore, very edgy and heavy and loud with some melodic sections sprinkled in. But then as you listen again and again, you realize that they're absolute genius. Their most recent music takes after classic horror stories. The 2015 album Every Trick in the Book is literary-inspired, and the 2018 album The Silver Scream is cinematically-inspired. There are earlier albums, but they aren't quite as mature - the band was still developing their sound.
Spencer, the lead vocalist and the only founding band member left, has an incredible voice. I can only really describe it as "orgasmic". I would also say that I am "Spencer-sexual", and Swazey agrees to a lesser extent ("Spencer-romantic).
1. "The Greatest Story Ever Told" is about a guy who kills his girlfriend after she cheats on him. He invents a murderer (probably from an underlying Dissociative Identity Disorder) to avoid the blame from others and guilt from himself. I love how the two different personalities are portrayed through the accompanying instrumentals and types of vocals.
2. "Stabbing in the Dark" is based on the movie Halloween, where Michael Myers dons a (white-painted Captain Kirk) mask and goes around stabbing his sister and other teenagers in his hometown. He is characterized as pure evil directly by the creators of the character and the movie. Now, what gets me with this song is the external sounds that are incorporated. Throughout the song, an alarm is used as a beat, and it really gets me when it slows down to half-time for the last few seconds. Also, during the bridge, the police chief radioing out orders to shoot to kill is audible.
3. "Rocking the Boat" is based on Jaws. The song opens with radio chatter of a boat making an official distress call to the Coast Guard. Again, this song incorporates external sounds, such as the radio chatter and the uber-recognizable Jaws theme song underlying the middle part of the song as you can hear the mounting panic of the crew as they realize that the Coast Guard is too far away to save them from the great white shark attacking their boat.
4. "IT is the End" is based on It (yes it was a book first but they used the movie). Again with the external sounds, there are classic carnival sounds used throughout. You can hear carousel music and a clown horn, and the speed of the words and the instrumentals create a fittingly diabolical sound.
5. "Your number's up" is based on the Scream franchise. A heavy bass accentuates each word of the first few lines of the chorus, and there are again external sounds. A telephone rings, and throughout the song, there is an intermittent dialogue between the girl who picks up the phone and the murderer. The song concludes with some pretty gory stabbing sounds, too.
While this is only 5 songs, The Silver Scream is my favorite album and sometimes I'll listen to it on repeat for days at a time. Here is the link to the final cut of the album: https://open.spotify.com/album/7JHuopZAKDulAbpg61Yjzm?si=_QfLU2d8Q2eobF6ASiKA8w

Assignment 22- unique? Juliann Hyatt

Way back when school was a thing you actually went to instead of logged on to, colleges were allowed to
travel to try and get people to apply for their school. One visit I remember in particular was Yale, mainly
because the cover said “Y&LE” and all I could read was “yandle”, but also because of what the
admissions officer said. Out of all the essays that she and her peers have read, they have yet to find
someone unique. No aspect of my personality exists that I can write about that would make me unique
to them. While the concept is strange at first, once you begin to think about it, it really isn’t. There’s
7.6ish billion people in this world. 

So as to not end on that downer, apparently I am the only Juliann Hyatt in America, according to
howmanyofme.com. I guess that makes me unique in that way? I may also be the only person with
“The trashiest worm”, “tomat”, “gayvis”, and “The literal Police” as contacts in my phone. But that’s
circumstantial and overwhelmingly unimportant in the whole college thing.

Assignment 24-Mary Huffman-To peak or not to peak

I’m struggling to remember the last eight months of my life. I have no medical diagnoses to justify it, but to say my Junior year is now a blur is an understatement. Social distancing, self isolation, quarantine, whatever your name for it, it’s hit me harder than I thought it would. What was life like before all this? What will it be like after? I don’t know. As I attempt to remember the past, I must also recognize its dependence on the uncertainty of the future. 

By that, I mean my Junior year has first and foremost been a year of worrying about my future. I am very seldom a stressed individual, but spending endless days alone in my room has meant I sit on my floor at strange hours doing breathing exercises any time I think about my future. It’s messed me up, being anxious all the time. This year has been one of anxiety.

I thought for a long time that I had peaked in Sophomore year. I didn’t think I’d be more consistently successful across the board for the rest of my life. That was naive. Cocky. A little obnoxious. I made more friends in that year than any other, and I kinda felt popular. Which really wasn’t true, but I believed it. I haven’t made many new friends this year, but I have strengthened a lot of relationships. My circle got smaller, but it’s a solid circle now. This year has been one of amazing friends who I love and who I wouldn’t trade for the world.

My word of the year has been “perspective.” I’ve used it way too much to help ground myself and those around me. I feel like I’ve grown a lot as a person thanks to this little word. I try to remember perspective when I want to judge somebody, or when I get worked up over something minor. It takes me back to the poster that every English teacher in the history of English teachers has hung in their room: “In 30 years it won’t matter what jeans you wore…” You know the one. I hate embarrassing myself and I avoid it at all costs. So, with a little perspective, I imagine what I would think about my actions a couple hours, days, years from that moment and I reconsider. This year has been one of perspective.

And now I abandon my philosophical facade. It’s not really a facade ya know, but I like how that sounded. Now to the shallow side of my Junior year. I’ve tried to tone down my jealousy this year, with mixed results. If any boys have made it this far, I’m forgetting all that perspective stuff and letting you know that I have a Snapchat. Lots of people around me have found new relationships this year, and I’m happy for them, but I need to keep working on that jealousy thing. I also regret that I didn’t suck up to my teachers more. One of the reasons I do breathing exercises on my floor is that I don’t know who likes me enough to write an honest rec letter. I hope being a mediocre, often nondescript student all year doesn’t bite me in the butt, but I think it might. I think I’m a Senior now, which terrifies me. Junior year doesn’t feel complete. My character arc for the year didn’t quite make it halfway around. But that has to be ok. My goals for Senior year are to become more like an adult and to do everything right I did during Junior year and more. I want to have fun, despite the Academy’s tight restraints on such a thing. Above all, I want to peak again, to show Sophomore me she wasn’t all that.

Assignment 24 - Junior Year - Cat Lucier

Junior year has been a bit rough, but the good things that happened easily outweigh the bad. I know I'm going to be "classic teenage girl" when I say this, but breakups are hard and boys are dumb and I don't need to give any more detail to establish that stuff as the main negative parts of my year. However, as unfortunate as it is, breakups are really good for my grades. When I am sad, I distract myself and bury my emotions in schoolwork. Of course, I keep straight A's throughout the year; they only fluctuate in percentages. 

Here are the good things that have happened. I've learned how to keep the peace with my parents, so my home life is great. I've planted a small but prolific vegetable garden. I've read lots of fantastic books. Probably due to my status as a National Merit Semifinalist and my incredible ACT scores, the United States Military Academy (West Point) reached out to me to invite me to apply to college there, and in addition to that, I applied to and was accepted to their Summer Leaders Experience. I've also reached some other milestones in growing up that I will leave to your imagination. I could keep going with all the excellent things that have happened but I have other things to do and I've already said all the things off the top of my head.

Here's how the COVID-19 epidemic has affected me. My mum, dad, sister, and I have been holed up together since school was canceled. School is alright, though I think I prefer having alotted time for each class each day as opposed to doing my own thing. I watch a lot of Criminal Minds (although I only have one season left), but things are good. My family and I went through a minor tumultuous time at the beginning, but now we have fallen into an easy, comfortable routine. I've read lots of books, and I've picked up my guitar again. I've gardened and cooked and baked and napped. While I do miss external social interaction, I'm rather enjoying quarantine. The weather has been excellent and I've been able to try new activities and ideas. I facetime with my best friend Sam and my other friend Landry almost every day and I listen to music constantly. 

Junior year has been good. There have been ups and downs, but it is the best year I've had since I moved here. I'm comfortable with myself and my friends and school and family and it's been good. I don't want to become a senior and turn 18 and become a legal adult and have responsibilities and go away to college and !!!! that's scary.

Assignment 25: Uniquely You – Mulligan (College)

This is a Makeup Blog Post.  If you have a score that is less than a 30/30, this will replace that grade

When I tell my wife I’ve met someone new (a friend – don’t go there) she always asks, “what’s their story?”  She is keenly interested in the who, the capital WHO, a person is - in that she wants to know their story.  You have a story.  You have a unique background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful you believe you are incomplete without telling it

Inspired by Keanu Gomez
Minimum of 150 words.  Due on May 3 @ 11:59 pm

May 10 is the last day to make up blogs 23-25

Blog 17 - Jake Waits

In terms of narrative structure, The Dark Knight is Christopher Nolan's simplest and most linear film. Even Batman Begins was riddled with flashbacks, but TDK plays it straight, and very effectively. Inception, meanwhile, is probably Nolan's most complex--Memento squared, in a way. Yet, I was never lost, never in the dark as to what was going on. That movie is constructed perfectly. I just saw Inception today, and I'm still buzzing. Overall it’s because of the acting. Heath Ledger in TDK gives a performance for the ages, and everybody else is fantastic. This is not to say the acting in Inception is bad. But the sheer audacity and inventiveness of the concept, by default, means that the actors have a little--just a little--less to work with. As I love actors and great performances even more spectacular set pieces and sci-fi concepts, I have to go with TDK as the better film.

Quarantine school Juliann Hyatt Assignment 21

Sometime in middle school I stopped doing my homework at home. There was enough downtime during
class and time after I had finished my assignments that I could easily complete all my work during the
day, save for the occasional project. I’ve carried this habit over to high school, and for the most part it
works out okay. Until recently, where all the work is at home. Now I can no longer get into that school
mindset by immersing myself in a school setting. To combat this, I have a few different methods. First,
the Zoom meeting I must attend every day is always at the same time, so that gives me a schedule.
The fact that Andy Beshear comes on every day at 5 supplements that. So i look at the two times, and
the list of assignments I must complete, and from there I set times on when I will do each assignment.
So far it’s working well enough, but we’ll have to wait and see how long this social isolation stays in
place

Blog post 24 - Jake Waits

Junior year was great. It was a great deal greater than sophomore year which isn't hard to do. It was not better than freshman year though. Freshman year is hard to top with so much that happened good and bad. Drake Bell came to Henry clay but also there was a gun brought to clay as well and a huge amount of fights. Although Junior year was lackluster in comparison entertainmentwise it was fun in general. The teachers were best out of highschool so far and everyday was pretty fun. It wasn't like previous years where some weeks dragged on because nothing would happen. The only mistakes made were that I still procrastinated which I need to work on. I took a few risks socially which paid off well. Over the summer i'll try to earn as much money as possible as well as doing stuff with my friends to make it a memorable summer. I've started planning a lot of trips with my friends such as a spring break in tallahassee. I'm also going to visit a great deal of colleges and think and put a lot of time into thinking about college and my major.

blog post 23 - Jake Waits

Songs to listen to on a ride

Watch - Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Kanye West

Even this song was a promotion for traviss Astroworld album to me its better than any song on the album. While most of the song is flexing, kanye has a strong verse at the end.Mainly this song is good for rides just because of how catchy it is.

Dangerous - Schoolboy Q, Kid Cudi

On the Kid Cudi-assisted “Dangerous,” ScHoolboy Q raps over haunting chopped guitar chords about the perilous lifestyles that the rappers live. It samples cudi's previous song pursuit of happiness. I enjoy it for rides because of Cudi's great vocals.

A.D.H.D - Kendrick Lamar

In his song ADHD Kendrik Lamar raps about his encounters at a party with people of his “generation”suffering from the disease showing excessive drug abuse and promiscuous behavior. This song is perfect for rides because of the rhythm and the dark story being told.

Sky Might Fall - Kid Cudi

This song is about the stresses cudi faces and how he deals with them. It’s produced by Kanye, one of the greatest producers of all time and is a good song to play when you need to clear your mind.

Hands On The Wheel - Schoolboy Q, A$AP Rocky

This collaboration between Q and Rocky is a great song to listen to on rides. It's a song fueled by weed and alcohol but it's good to put you in a good mood.