"The Chronicle"

"The Chronicle"

I once read a really excellent article in "The Chronicle" in my ECA class the other day and I was really stirred by it. Back in January, when we had to do blizzard bags, I saw very many opinions being released about them. The title of the article in the paper is "Calamity day alternative brings more work, less play."

This article showed many different opinions over what people actually think of blizzard bag assignments on snow days. Some people say they are really well-planned, while some tend to have a little frustration over them. These opinions are really told out by the students the most, since they are the ones that are mostly affected by the policy here. 

One quote that I loved in this post that really promotes an opinion in a statistics teacher's point of view is "It's good because students are doing actual work that applies to the classes they are currently taking during the snow day. However, I think it's vague as to how much something is worth, what category it goes into, and more so students are kind of uncertain about how much effort they should put forth in the assignments. (Colleen Everett, Statistics Teacher)" 

This opinion was fully analyzed by me and I completely agree with the part where the teacher said that this policy is vague as to how much of a grade an assignment is really worth, and what category it corresponds to, so this leads to students are really uncertain over how much of actual effort they should put in the work.

I had to do blizzard bags during the winter when they first started this policy and I gotta say, I was really uncertain over how much of the grade each assignment I did corresponded to.

Teachers take grades outta blizzard bags sometimes, and so if I mess up on one single blizzard bag assignment, guess what happens? My grade hurts as well as my heart. In general, I still try to put in my effort on these assignments. I would work through each paper, I would work through each pencil, I would work through the directions. But it's still good to take the beneficial advantage of these days because what's it gonna be in the summer? School, or Play?

There can be a lot of debate going on over this topic, whether this policy is really beneficial, or just a load of extra work that some students view as junk.

I got a video to show you guys over this blizzard bag policy and here it is.

Final Blogging Assessment

Final Blogging Assessment

Quote

The article interviews many school people over what exactly they think of doing Blizzard Bags. A quote that adds value to this article's conversation is "It's good because students are doing actual work that applies to the classes they are currently taking during the snow day. However, I think it's vague as to how much something is worth, what category it goes into, and more so students are kind of uncertain about how much effort they should put forth in the assignments. (Colleen Everett, Statistics Teacher)" This quote was chosen because it has a benefit of promoting the teacher's opinion of blizzard bags. This adds value to my conversation within the blog because I say that blizzard bags are really helpful, but I don't see any vagueness going on. So there can be very many different opinions on blizzard bags because everybody is just different. Using this short quote allows for a more thoughtful analysis of the text by the writer and a more engaging read by the audience because that quote is just one person's particular opinion on the issue she's talking about. So the writer is enabled to use a more thoughtful analysis of the text because she can go on showing more opinions about blizzard bags. And a more engaging read by the audience is enabled to be true because the audience can react to the opinions on the paper differently. Some may disagree with the stats teacher and say that blizzard bags are useless or dumb, whereas others might partially or fully agree with the stats teacher. This can probably continue, and some real debate could occur soon over this.

Diction and Syntax

Now, I will consider diction and syntax techniques that I used to enhance my own voice within the blog post. One diction technique that I used within this post is casual diction. Casual diction, in simple words is the utilization of words that aren't unknown to the majority of people, and they help present the writing in a manner, so it feels like the author is talking to us in a casual manner. The key to casual diction is the absence of hard vocabulary and words that are mostly used in our society. A syntax technique that I used in my blog post is anaphora. The quotes from the post that exemplify the above explained diction and syntax techniques respectively are "Teachers in Mason High School take grades outta blizzard bags sometimes..." and “I would work through each paper, I would work through each pencil, I would work through the directions."

Technology

To identify the technology used in the blog post, I had given a video of our school where they extend this conversation of blizzard bags another step higher. Please keep in mind that this video was recorded from another YouTube video. All credits go to the William Mason High School MBC News Organization for this one video. The benefit of using this video to enhance the conversation is that the audience can open their minds about this conversation and view more opinions about blizzard bags. The conversation is enhanced because there are just more opinions being promoted and the real case is concisely mentioned. This video allows for further thought and consideration by the audience because there can be many different answers given by school people to questions over what they think of blizzard bags, and if they like it or not. Teachers also participate in the conversation and since they are the teachers themselves, they are more likely to have less agreeable thoughts to be agreed by students. The teachers are in a completely different position than the students. The students are the ones that are mostly affected by this blizzard bag policy, though, so they can have the set of the most diverse opinions. More thought and consideration by the audience could be that there is no single agreeable statement of point of view on this case because the opinions all depend on who that student (the opinion-giver) particularly is and what his/her personality and angle on school is really like.  

Ending

For now, in my opinion, blizzard bags are super helpful because they help us students prevent an amount of memory loss. Some amount, but mostly unnoticeable, memory loss can occur in just one day. But it's still good to take the beneficial advantage of these days because what's it gonna be in the summer? School, or Play?

"Nelson Mandela" + Quote Post

"Nelson Mandela" + Quote Post

Nelson Rohilahla Mandela has been one of the best role models of my life ever since I learned about him in 6th grade. He was president of South Africa after serving 27 years in prison because of his battle against apartheid. Since then, I have tried to take time and study this man more, even though it is impossible to eulogize him perfectly.

While I was hanging out at the BrainyQuote Site one day, I read a quote by him that really caught my attention and caused me to relate to my life. 

"It always seems impossible until it's done."

Now, I gotta tell you guys that I was real whirled the first time I read the big words like "impossible" and "done." My brain danced around my brain for reading something new. Thinking about my middle school career at that time (since I was in 8th grade at the time I read the quote), I started pondering over how this quote could be executed to my schoolwork for now and later on in my upcoming high school career. Jumping from thought to thought for like ten seconds, I finally came up with an interpretation showing that sometimes, middle schoolwork can consist of long papers and projects and on the day you learn of them, you think it is impossible, but after you finish and carry the task out, it doesn't seem impossible.

Frequently I have coped with this. After every long project I've been through since the day I read that quote, I've always said what the Easy Button would say. I've remembered this quote and refreshed it on me everyday. In high school, this quote has been playing a major semblance in helping me undergo long-term projects. 

Not too long ago, in Mrs. Parkinson's English class, I'd obtained my Creative Nonfiction Project introductory paper and yes, there were long paragraphs in really tiny font that made me think, "ARRRRGH AGAGAGAGAGAGAHHH!!!!!!!!!!! How the heck am I supposed to get this done in two weeks with other academics in hand?!" When I ran through my mind looking for solutions in each and every cranny and corner of my skull, I found Madiba's quote, hanging on a skull wall, and came back to me, were all the words.  

So, that's how Madiba's quote altered the method I have drove safely through high school projects ever since.
Come to think if it today, I can get my Creative Nonfiction Project done today.                                                                 

                                                 

Madiba sadly died on December 5, 2013. Through his journey from a prisoner, to a president, embodied the promise that human beings and countries can change for the better.

Fahrenheit 451 2?

Fahrenheit 451 2?

I remember about a month ago, when I finished the amazing book "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury. After reading the book, I was really amazed at Bradbury's style of writing and how my English teacher Mrs. Parkinson stressed the importance of his style to better understand the story and many more allusions and aspects within the text. 

What I really liked most about the novel, was the main synopsis of it. I talked to Mrs. Parkinson by questioning what if remnants of the old society still survived the explosions after the war. She explained that we should just assume that the old society had ended. But, that didn't convince me quite enough to accept that belief. I wish there was a second novel to this to clarify my doubt, and I am assuming that many more people have other doubts like mine concerning the ending of the book. 

This doubt I have is really convincing me to write a sequel to Fahrenheit 451. After all, I am already near to finishing "About Tennis 2" by writing the final battle scene of defeating the main antagonist and getting the kids back home. Ray Bradbury died in 2012, but he lived a really wonderful life to see real progress happening with his book.

My version of writing Fahrenheit 451 2 would be where Montag and Granger's gang eventually reach the city and they eventually get all the survivors out of the rubble. However, remnants of the old society still remain and there is an old weapons factory situated miles away from where the explosions originally hit. The remnants plan to use the power of the factory to take over the society with the belief that books are bad. They also learn about Montag and the entire book-loving network he is working for. The remnants plan to kill Montag and eventually destroy the entire book-loving network. 

The main synopsis of the story would be the main conflict between Montag, his group and the remnants, while Montag finds a disquieting link to his past family and how his ancestors turned the old society into the way it was before the explosions took place. Montag uses this knowledge for better use within this conflict.

I eventually finished "Divergent" and I have to say like "Fahrenheit 451," it ends on a cliff hanger. "Divergent" is somewhat speculative fiction at the end because it convinces readers to take a step and make "what if?" thoughts. "Fahrenheit 451" is all speculative fiction as well, but I think the beauty of speculative fiction plays its biggest role at the end, where a cliff-hanger is present. 

"About Tennis"

"About Tennis"

"About Tennis" is not a published book. But how do I know about it? I'll tell you who the author is. ME!!!!!

I started this story in 2012 and finished it in July 2013. Why did I go on with this task? I did this because I wanted to show my unique writing in a creative manner and so, I did it along with my cousin sister who lives in Bangalore, India.

To be honest, I didn't go for this book at first, but I eventually agreed. And so, I took a Windows 8 desktop and Microsoft Word, and got to work. The final book ended up being over 100 sheets on Microsoft Word, if I printed it on both sides. I put it in chapter book format and got about 320 pages.

Seriously.

I tried to include a lot of good writing craft in there. And overall I thought it was pretty good. I'm sure some of my fellow freshmen classmates have already read it, and they were really happy with it. 

There are a lot of funny scenes, and really dramatic scenes as well. It mainly concerns a group of tennis kids who have strong feelings against one another that results in various problems that slowly try to break the bond of unity among them.

I made myself one of the main characters of the book. So I play the role of Anirudh Talwar; a bitter and cynical former tennis player who is insecure of his friends' success in tennis and life as high school kids. There are other characters in the book, mostly kids in MHS. But I really don't feel like revealing their names. All the tennis team kids are Indians.

The book received major comments on Blogger but emerged as one of the top 100 best stories of the country.  

When I posted it on my writing blog (not this blog), I got really overwhelmed by the number of +1's I got. In one week, every single post received an average of 204,678 +1's when I calculated all the posts together. That's when I made the blog private, but I keep five unsold copies of the book in my locker, for anyone who wants to read it.


The contents of the book are as follows.

Chapter 1: The Win
Chapter 2: Meeting Sathya

4 years later

Chapter 3: Common Dissatisfactions.
Chapter 4: Dolphins vs. Tigers
Chapter 5: The Hospital Scene
Chapter 6: Sathya Gets Added
Chapter 7: The Dance Scene
Chapter 8: Problems Rise
Chapter 9: The Attempt for Revival
Chapter 10: Arguments

Intermission

Chapter 11: A Possible Solution
Chapter 12: The Conversation
Chapter 13: A Small Reform
Chapter 14: Kings Island
Chapter 15: The Yelling
Chapter 16: The Invitation
Chapter 17: Time Passes
Chapter 18: The Final Match
Chapter 19: The Celebration

Epilogue

You guys can ask me if you want to read the book and I'll be happy to lend a copy to you.
Two sequels will be released soon!!!

The writing blog where I posted the book is anirudhswritingblog.blogspot.com. But don't do anything stupid there.

"DIvergent" + Real Life Issue Representations

     

"Divergent" + Real Life Issue Representation

So as of now, I have finished reading 120 pages of "Divergent." And if you ask me what I personally think about the book so far, I think the book is an excellent choice for high-school readers who want some adventure to divert their thoughts a little. 

So let's get to the main point. A real life issue that I am noticing in the text is adapting to new changes in life. 

In the book, Beatrice had to go to a faction called Dauntless, and she ended up living without her family, but with other people who chose Dauntless as well. The major changes she has to go through in order to stay in this faction (and live a life, basically) involve changing her name to "Tris" and not seeing her family, learning how to fight, and at one time, learn how to use handheld weapons.

Veronica Roth uses Tris in order to enhance this issue's presence because throughout the book, Tris is shown to have a lot of reminiscing scenes about her family, and her brother Caleb. This shows how much she actually misses them, and she has to adapt to a new life with other Dauntless members (Christina, Molly, Al, Will, just a few to name out). So based on Tris's constant flashbacks, the change in her life is not easy, but it really hits on her hard, because now she is forced to do new activities that she has never done before. That's how this society runs. Get into a faction at 16 years of age or you have no life. 

If you ask me over adapting to new changes in life, I'm gonna tell you that they may seem hard for a week or two, but after a while, you start to adapt to the new change and you eventually find some amount of happiness within it. Now our society is distinctly different from the story's society, because we don't even have factions. So I can live with my own family for as long as I want, even though I still have to study hard. But where I see this issue in my life is when I started high school. I left the first week feeling wronged by some teachers and I thought I was gonna mess up here. But after 2 weeks, I eventually started to find some happiness within the high school and now, I am much more happier in high school than in middle school.

So, Veronica Roth basically uses Tris to say that adapting to dramatic, new life changes is just not easy. You can have a lot of reminiscing moments about your life before the change. But as time goes on, you eventually find some sort of adaptiveness to the change, as well as some amount of happiness in it.

Krista Ramsey Homework 4/14 Blog Post

Krista Ramsey Homework 4/14 Blog Post

The column I chose is named, "Locking into the magic of Legos."

This column talks about the following: Many young children are so attracted to Legos over the past 65 years, and while they play with them tiny pieces, they learn about the importance of progress, and trial-and-error situations.

To look at the actual column, click here.

The line that I think is best written is, "At 5 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month, a long line of small- to medium sized children snakes along the main concourse of Kenwood Towne Centre." This is the very first line in the column. The impact of this line on the reader is that the reader gets lured into reading more of the article because he/she may not know this fact that comes true in Cincinnati, and they may get even more lured into reading this article if they actually live in Cincinnati. So as a result, they want to read more over why this giant line of kids come at this specific mall in this specific city. For diction and syntax techniques that are present within this line, I am finding the presence of concrete diction and a balanced sentence type of syntax. The reason why I say this is that for diction's reason, there is a tangible idea and a physical quality present. And then for syntax, I see that the number of phrases and clauses in that sentence are equal. 

For Ramsey's writing style, I would describe it as journalistic and terse, because she is providing a service to the public by analyzing news and current events that are going on today, so eventually, her writing is emphasized and enhanced to look like a typical news reporter wrote it. Quotes that help prove this are, "In the U.S. alone, the percentage of people ages 12 to 54 who are nearsighted - meaning unable to see things clearly at a distance - rose from 25 percent in the early 1970s to 42 percent now" (From the first article), "And life itself regains the punctuation that says every day isn't the same as every other, that we are all part of a collective experience and that we honor each other and ourselves when we care about how we're groomed and dressed" (From the second article), "Like sparklers and hugs, Legos are things a child can never have enough of" (From the third article).  Her writing is also in a terse style because throughout the article, I can see that she is always talking up to the point about this current event article over kids' attraction to Legos. She never adds any irrelevant information to the article and she always talks in a cohesive manner up to the point. In addition, she also adds some personal opinions to her writing because that's what a journalist and/or news reporter would typically do. This can be seen in the third quote, for example, from the third column. 

Questions I would ask Krista Ramsey, if given the opportunity, are as follows.

1. How long has your career in writing been? 

2. In high school, did you work for a school paper? If so, were your first articles like the ones you publish today, and still continue to publish?

3. Where exactly do you get the information you need to write your articles, and what are your tips into making their writing so engrossing and unique?