Dead Poets Society Post

In the film Dead Poets Society, there is a conflict between the teachers at Welton who expect this students to conform to their rules and the students who want a little freedom. The education system reflects the teacher's views. They teachers all look the same, they dress the same, and they also teach in the same manner which is directly from the textbook. There is no opportunity for creativity. The students are strictly monitored by their parents and are expected to exceed in school. Their career options are chosen for them and there is no option of rebelling against them. As a student in Welton, there are very little opportunities for them stand out or to be themselves. The consequences for doing this is enough to discourage a student and keep them on their chosen path.

The film shows the various dangers that a student faces when going against conformity. They risk being expelled and facing the wrath of their parents and teachers. Neil, for example desperately wanted to be in the school play despite his parent's wishes. His punishment for participating in the play was being transferred to a military school. Neil being misunderstood by his parents, committed suicide. When Neil's parents requested for there to be an investigation regarding what was going on in the school, one student buckled under pressure and blamed the situation on their transcendentalist English teacher, Mr. Keaton. One student was expelled for his outburst at a student. When Neil's other friends came to talk to the headadministator, they were pressured into signing a document that framed Mr. Keaton. There was no way that these students could act like individuals at Walton.

Extra Credit Post

My t-shirt

On Monday, I wore a shirt that represented my true personality. I chose a couple of words that described me the best and put them on there so that it looked like a crossword. The words that I choose were starkid, potterhead, positive, awkward, laugh, Canadian, and softball. All these words felt like they represented me well (and that I had the right iron-on letters for)

When people first saw my shirt, they thought that it was like a fan made t-shirt for a concert. But then when they read it, I explained that it was part of my English project. It was confusing to read at times, people often thought that potterhead was "pothead." They also asked what "starkid" meant, which was difficult to explain. Some people were surprised that I was Canadian, and took the opportunity to ask me more questions about myself.

All together, it wasn't bad wearing this t-shirt. In the morning, I was a little nervous because I didn't know what people would think about when they would see softball or starkid on my shirt. But I wasn't harassed and everyone just curious about what the things on my shirt meant.

I learned that it's not bad to be yourself and that my friends are very supportive of what I do.

Matching Shirts(:

Modern Day Transcendentalists

In modern times, there are not many people who can be considered to be modern day transcendentalists. The pressures of society often stop that from showing who they truly are. They are often taunted or bullied because of their true character. But somebody who stands out as a true transcendentalist is a 14 year old girl named Abby Miller. She performs and sings to raise money for cancer. So far she has raised over $400,000 people and reached out more than 5 million.  Abby also met a 5 year old Taylor Love who suffers from a rare form of cancer called neuroblastoma that has no cure. Since then, she has been dedicating all of the songs that she sings on her YouTube channel to Taylor. She started posting videos on YouTube when she was 11. At her age it is really admirable about how passionate she is. Abby could be acting like any other high school student but instead she spends time trying to help find a cure for cancer. They aren't a lot of people would take the time and effort of performing and fundraising. She is selfishly donating her time. She truly wants to find a cure and she does it whole-heartedly. Many people are scared of putting themselves out there into something they believe in because they fear that they may be ridiculed or that they may not be taken seriously. There is so many ways that she could be discouraged. People might say that she doesn't have a pretty voice or that she's too young. But she surrounds herself with the positive and continues to sing and raise money. If we all took this lesson from her to put all our energy into something that we truly want accomplished, we can make a change.

Walden Essay

Currently, someone, somewhere is using a form of technology to make their life easier. They may be buying a dishwasher or driving a car to complete their endless list of errands. Society gets so caught up in completing tasks so they can get started on the next one that they speed through life. The people of this time miss out on the little things. Intangible things such as smiling at a stranger or talking to a long, lost, friend. In modern ages, society cannot simplify their lives because they do not appreciate what they have and they do not think for themselves, they also have a misconception of what simplicity, and do not prioritize their duties correctly.

First of all, society has unlimited wants and desires. Once one has been fulfilled another one pops up and takes it's place. There is always something better out there. The ironic part is that people don't appreciate what they have. As Henry David Thoreau said in book Walden, "Men say that a stitch in time saves nine, and so they take a thousand stitch's to-day to save nine to-morrow (American Tradition in Literature)." This quote depicts how communities try and be prepared for the worst when it has not even occurred. The unnecessary stress taken from being over prepared complicates their lives. They spend more time attempting to protect themselves from danger but it cause them to have more work to do instead. The achieve simplicity, they must be content with their character and the decisions that have chosen. Trying to cushion their decisions is pointless. They should stand by their choice and take the consequences with a strong mind. However, along with giving up temptation a person must change the way they think to accomplish simplicity. 

People are surrounded by variety. They have the choice of what to buy, to eat or what to wear. They can decide where to go and what to do. The possibilities are endless. While choices are considered as freedom or independence, it contributes to confusion. Confusion and simplicity are parallel things. People are surrounded by so many decisions to make. There are also people and devices that try and tell them what to do. Media surrounds them, attempting to tell them that they need a certain item or that it will make their lives easier. Instead, people drown in a pool of puzzlement. No simplicity exists in this state of mind. If people can just decide on what item gets the job done, they would spare themselves the stress. Why have all the bells and whistles when they cannot take the time to learn how to use it properly.

Furthermore, people's conception of simplicity frightens them. They believe that they would have to give up some luxuries of life. But this is not the case. People can still experience the pleasures of life. The true idea of simplicity is keeping the mind from craving the things that will only temporarily satisfy them. It is about keeping peace with their inner self. As Henry David Thoreau said, "We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids , but by an infinite expectation of dawn, which does forsake us in our soundest sleep (Tradition of American Literature pg. 490." This quote portrays that simplicity is just a way of thinking. It states to sleep naturally without the aid of any medicine and to anticipate the sun in the morning. Lastly, simplicity can be accomplished by prioritizing.

As Henry David Thoreau once wrote"...let your affairs be as two or three, not a hundred or a thousand (Tradition of American Literature pg. 490)..." A typical person has so much to complete in a day. Once that list has been resolved , a new set is added on. As described in Thoreau's writing, he discusses why people need to do so much. They try and concentrate their attention to so many errands, when they would be better off just working on a few. The more important matter, however, is that they lack some basic responsibilities that they should fulfill. Duties such as talking to their children or parents or just to relax from their daily tensions that they encounter. They are often forgotten in the chaos. When thinking with simplicity, one can see what is really important. But in modern ages, the busy days pose a distraction.

Simplicity is difficult to achieve in modern times. Society takes on additional stress up on themselves and they don't fully understand what simplicity is. They are confused by all of their options and don't prioritize their tasks. It is just incommensurable for society to attain simplicity.

Declaration of Student Rights

Every student is entitled to a certain set of rights. These basic rights are the outline for what a free public education should be, and how it should be managed. Each student should be treated with respect, by their peers and by the staff. This ensures that they hold their right to feel comfortable at school. A student has the right to feel safe in their learning environment. At no time should they feel threatened, or concerned for their well-being. It is the responsibility of the school system to support that right to safety. Concerning academics, every student has the right to equal opportunities. It is a student’s right to have a variety of classes offered to ensure the success for every student of every academic ability. No student should be feel discriminated against because of their capabilities. If a student feels that any of their rights are being violated, they should be able to express their feelings on the situation. As students, we believe that these rights are the structure for a strong and just educational system.

i. Our lunches are only 35 minutes long. A small portion of time compared to how long our classes are. It doesn’t give us enough time to eat a balanced lunch. We as students need longer lunches so we have enough time to eat and have a little time to finish school related duties. If a student has a full schedule during and after school, it limits when they can go and talk to their teachers or counselors. Our lunch time starts directly after class ends and does not count the amount of time that it takes to go to our lockers.

ii. When the weather gets severe, we are still forced to go to school. The students are required to be at school regardless of the weather. Sometimes their teachers aren’t even present. We are a walking district so it puts us at a greater risk as we travel to school. The schools that surround us get plenty of snow days but we are not given the same opportunity.

iii. The school dictates how we should dress, but it limits our free expression. In the warmer seasons, it is uncomfortable to wear proper clothes pertaining to the dress code. It is ironic that some sports have uniforms that violate the dress code but they wear them in spirit anyway. Our dress code is not taken very seriously to some, and it is unfair to the students that have stricter teachers who watch what they wear.

iv. Students are given 7 minutes after each class to get to their classes. For some, it can be difficult to manage this. Some students have to walk from one end of the building to another. Managing how to do this along with stopping at their lockers to trade book can be a tricky task. Furthermore, with the quantity of students walking in the hallways, the crowds move slowly. Navigating through the hallways is a challenge of its own.

v. School rules declare that a student may only have 10 unexcused absences in each class in order to still have credit. If a student takes more than 6 minutes to arrive in class, they are marked absence for that class hour. Even if that student is there for the remainder of the class, they receive no credit. It can be difficult for parents to plan vacations too, because sometimes the tickets available are the most expensive of them all.

vi. Our school looks upon sports with high respect, and teaches that sports are valuable for the continuation of our knowledge throughout the future. The current fee for each sport per season if $150. This price is an unreasonably amount when a student may play more than 1 sport per year. Equipment and transportation enough is excessive in the way that it is valued. Having to pay the large fee per season as well as the equipment is an unreasonable action from our school. We, as students deserve to have a less expensive fee to play a sport throughout the seasons.

vii. Clinics are not available for the students here. If someone feels sick or gets hurt, they are forced to wait in the office. They receive n treatment or medication until one of their parents comes to pick them up. This could take a while because of the parent’s responsibilities. It is unsafe and unhealthy for our school not to have a clinic.

viii. Some of the buildings in our school are not supplied with adequate air conditioning. The school can get extremely hot at the beginning and end of the year. There is no air conditioning in the main building so hot temperatures cannot be cooled down. The heat keeps teachers and students uncomfortable. It makes it difficult to work as it if hard to focus in the warmth. The lack of air conditioning in the main building is detrimental to the student’s education.

ix. The Grosse Pointe Public School District is labeled as a walking district. Therefore, every day, either we must walk to school, ride our bikes, or arrange for a ride with our parents or friends. This is common problem because Michigan is a state with severe weather, causing harsh winters and freak storms. On the days where most bus transported schools have the days off, like for snow days, we not given the same opportunities, even with the dangers of the weather severity. Days where the bitter air dips below 0, is where a line should be drawn. School should not be session during days where the snow and ice cause an inability to walk or drive, without a precautious danger. Without having buses, our fellow walking peers are put into more danger than they would have, if our school provided buses. We, as students, need this way of transportation for a safer, easier way of attending school everyday.

x. We, as students, should be looked upon equally. We should deserve the same opportunities as our peers, regardless of their age or grade. As grow, we are given the decisions of driving to school, and the S-Lot of school is reserved for the seniors only. It is a great, safe parking lot, whereas the other parking places may need to be paid by hour and may be unsafe towards the cars occupying the area. We should be allowed, as an entire school, to have a first come, first serve basis on the parking spots in the S-Lot, not just giving them away to the Seniors. We, as students, deserve the equal treatment whether we are Freshman, or Seniors.

We, as the students in the Grosse Pointe Public School District, unanimously declare that each and every student should be relieved the erratic rules that govern our schools. It is prominent that the complaints we have are appropriate. They make our educational experience transition smoothly. Allowing the lunch hour to be relatively longer, a higher amount of snow days and better public transportation, equal treatment to all the classes, a comfortable working environment, and many other requests are extremely reasonable and go towards making the learning environment of our school so much more agreeable to our everyday lives. Organized together, we as students release our demands to the dictation of our school district. United, all schools under one power are faced with these problems everyday and seek the rectitude for a safe, improved environment. Not addressing these requests will lead to the petitioning and violation of our student rights. As students, we deserve the proper abilities to be granted a way to learn in a safe environment with these agreeable requirements.

Crucible Epilogue Video

Crucible Essay

Essay Topic: What 3 characters do you think are the most responsible for the witch trials?

The book The Crucible by Arthur Miller takes place in the religious town of Salem. This is where the famous witch trials occurred. The town followed their Puritan religion very strictly and looked down upon those who did not. The town's distress of the devil drove out any sign of common sense. Of all the characters, there were some that were more responsible for the outcome of the book. Abigail Williams for example controlled the courts through the power shifts of the town. She was the leader of a group of girls that claimed witchcraft when they were found in the forest dancing and attempting to conjure sprits. John Proctor's affair with Abigail ended with Abigail wanting more. John sent out mixed signals that encouraged Abby to try and pursue him. Judge Danforth who ruled the case had to ability to end the trials when it got out of control, but instead decided not to, in order to save his reputation. The three characters who are most responsible for the witch trials are John Proctor, Mary Warren, and Abigail Williams.

In the beginning of the book, the reader learns that John Proctor had an affair with Abigail Williams. Although he had ended their relationship with her, he still had feelings for. John said to her that he still thinks about her, but he will never go back to the affair that they had before. He said to her in private, "Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby" (23). This quote shows how John Proctor gave her false hope that they could be together. Abby, when hearing this might have thought that they still had a chance to be together. John Proctor was at fault for the witch trial because Abby cried out that his wife Elizabeth Proctor was a witch, so that she could take her place. Abby had a very cunning mind, because she thought that the only way that she could be with John Proctor, was if Elizabeth was an option. As a result, Abby and the girls took this opportunity to accuse other people of the town of witchcraft.

Lastly, Abigail Williams had the biggest impact on the outcome of the witch trials. She acted in her own self interest and had no guilt in taking the lives of the people of her town. She is under the illusion that if Elizabeth Proctor is dead, than she can become John's wife. When John comes to visit her to try and convince her to call off the trial, she says it's for the better that his wife dies saying, "Oh, John, I will make you such a wife when the world is white again! You will be amazed to see me every day, a light of heaven in your house..." (150)Abby believes that this is their future even if John didn't agree with them. She got the support of the younger girls and together they had a bigger impact on the court. It was a belief that true Christians did not lie, and nobody would believe that the girls could make up such a tale.

Furthermore, the judges of the witch trial had a large impact on the outcome of the trials because they made the final decision. Judge Danforth came to the town with a lot of pride in him. He was one of the best judges in the province and ruled in many cases. In the beginning of the book, the judgment is based off of Abby's testimony. This was normal for the minds in the late 1600's and could be used as evidence. However, as the book progresses, when Judge Danforth was presented with evidence that could clear the name of the accused, he refused to take it into account. Judge Danforth says to Parris, "You misunderstand, sir; I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just." (129). Danforth understands that he has made a mistake, but it would not be fair to the ones who have been hanged if others have been pardoned. It would be an injustice on his part and he knows it. So instead of admitting that he had made a mistake, he went forward with his judgment to save his pride and reputation.

In conclusion, the characters that were most responsible for the witch trials are John Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Judge Danforth. Abigail and Danforth both had their self interest in mind throughout the story. Abby brought innocent people into trouble and Danforth decided their faith. John Proctor had to deal with the consequences of his actions.  The trials could have been easily prevented but nobody wanted to be held responsible.