Modern American Themes--Seniors: Your Last Writing Assignment (due BEFORE Thursday, May 21)
Dead Poet's Society Testament
This is your last writing assignment. Post OR turn in a paper copy (if you would rather not have your response posted for others to read) before Thursday, May 21. This assignment is worth 20 points.
Each of the prompts requires at least 250 words of response. All of the prompts are inspired by The Dead Poets Society movie.
I am looking forward to reading the last words of wisdom that you'll impart at Schoolsville.
I cannot grade you on your opinion. You will be graded on your clarity of expression and your ability to support your opinion using specific ideas and examples. Better yet, refer to some of our readings this semester to defend or support your opinion.
I am looking forward to reading the last words of wisdom that you'll impart at Schoolsville.
I cannot grade you on your opinion. You will be graded on your clarity of expression and your ability to support your opinion using specific ideas and examples. Better yet, refer to some of our readings this semester to defend or support your opinion.
Choose any ONE lower case "letter" to respond to. NOT one in each part. Just any ONE letter.
Part 1 People Can Change (minimum of 250 words)
Part 1 People Can Change (minimum of 250 words)
a. Give me an example of how your opinion about something or someone changed as a result of changing YOUR point of view.
b. For you, what's the most "different" school or extra-curricular activity in which you've participated during your high school career, one that you would have never imagined yourself doing in a few years ago?
c. What person in the Class of 2014 has undergone the most positive change during his or her four years at St. Mark's? You need NOT mention a name.
Part 2 Institutions Can Change
d. What pages from what text that you had in high school what you like to rip out?
e. What's the most different, yet most powerful/significant high school class (period, activity, etc.) in which you took part?
f. What one thing would you change about St. Mark's to improve the school that would not change the basic educational and philosophical fabric of the school (e.g. in Welton, Charly wanted to admit girls)?
g. How can St. Mark's best discipline its students in order to promote proper behavior?
Part 3 "These are the things we stay alive for "
h. Words ARE important. What are the nicest words that someone ever said to you? Explain. Please, be able to quote, at least partially, these words.
i. What are the last words to live by that you wrote to yourself in a journal or otherwise?
j. How does your favorite song, band, singer etc. affect you (emotionally or rationally or both) in an important way?
b. For you, what's the most "different" school or extra-curricular activity in which you've participated during your high school career, one that you would have never imagined yourself doing in a few years ago?
c. What person in the Class of 2014 has undergone the most positive change during his or her four years at St. Mark's? You need NOT mention a name.
Part 2 Institutions Can Change
d. What pages from what text that you had in high school what you like to rip out?
e. What's the most different, yet most powerful/significant high school class (period, activity, etc.) in which you took part?
f. What one thing would you change about St. Mark's to improve the school that would not change the basic educational and philosophical fabric of the school (e.g. in Welton, Charly wanted to admit girls)?
g. How can St. Mark's best discipline its students in order to promote proper behavior?
Part 3 "These are the things we stay alive for "
h. Words ARE important. What are the nicest words that someone ever said to you? Explain. Please, be able to quote, at least partially, these words.
i. What are the last words to live by that you wrote to yourself in a journal or otherwise?
j. How does your favorite song, band, singer etc. affect you (emotionally or rationally or both) in an important way?
posted by JTF @ 7:45 AM
46 comments
46 Comments:
The nicest things that people have said to me would probably seem insignificant to other people. They are those little compliments that people give to you without even thinking about it. They may seem like nothing to those people, but those words have meant a lot to me. You never know what someone else is going through, and those seemingly insignificant and little words could mean the world to someone. Some of the words that I remember most were from a complete stranger. I was in the locker room before practice one day about six years ago and I went over to the mirrors to look at something and a little girl plucked up the courage to say “You’re really pretty,” and then ran away. I know that it probably took a lot of guts for her to say that to me because I was so much older than she was, but I really appreciated it. That’s not something I hear a lot and it warms my heart when I do. Another time I remember is when one of my best friends texted me and said “I was just thinking and I wanted to tell you that you’re beautiful.” Little did he know that I was having an awful day and when I read that, it just made me feel so good. Some people may see me as conceited or egotistical because these are the words that I chose for this prompt. However, I did not choose them because people are telling me how pretty I am; I chose them because it’s nice to be reminded that not everything in the world is negative. And I hope that I’ve said some things to people that have brightened their day, too.
I. After reading this prompt, I asked myself what are the words that I live by? I have never written in a journal before so I decided to give it a try. I picked out a few phrases that I found to be inspiring and vital to my character and the person I am today. The first was to find happiness in every situation life throws at you. We should all be optimists and stay positive when we are going through tough times. Everything happens for a reason, accept and embrace the changes in your life. The next was not to worry about what people think about you. We are all gifted with beautiful and unique minds that are meant to be open and expressed. Surround yourself with genuine and positive people and be the person you want to be. Another was to get out of your comfort zone and take chances. Do not be afraid to make changes in your life. If you want something in life you have to go after it, even in the face of opposition. Talk to different people, try new things, go to new places, expand your horizons, embrace new things. Everyone is different yet we are never alone. Not everyone has the same beliefs and we must accept that, look at every situation from another perspective. The last was to keep an open mind. Question everything, don’t just accept something done by the majority as the right or normal thing to do. I find these phrases as words to live by in order to achieve a happy and successful life.
When I first came to Saint Mark’s High School, I was terrified. Up until that point I had gone to school with the same forty kids my entire life. I was shy and quiet, and jumping into an entirely new school with fives times the amount of students just in my grade was terrifying. In my freshman year, I mostly stuck to my old friends from middle school. But slowly I began to branch out and make my own friends. At Saint Mark’s I have experienced so many new things and expanded my horizons. I have tried many new things that I thought I would never enjoy or do. The prime is example is becoming a band manager. In my junior year, my friend was convinced to become a band manager and she asked me to join her. The job was just to help carry instruments and flags. Since most of my friends were in band, I decided to join. The job was more than I had exactly bargained for. Although we did indeed carry things, it was more than that at times. Trying to find out what was happening and what we were supposed to be doing was a constant struggle and an incredibly hectic experience. Either we were doing nothing or trying to do everything at once. Then when parades came around the managers are right up front. Another nerve wracking experience trying not to mess everything up. Despite all the struggles of being band manager, I would never give it up for anything in the world. I loved spending time with my friends and having so many experiences with them. It was not what I expected to love, but being a band manager was an experience I will treasure forever.
H. Words are powerful, they have the ability to save or even destroy. They allow us to spread ideas and benefit off of one another. Being nice is something that most people want to be seen as. They want others to feel good so they can feel good about themselves. In my life people have said many cruel and vindictive things to me, it goes that way for anyone. Sometimes we get caught up in the bad sayings that we forget all of the good ones. For me the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me, was that I was worthy. “You are worthy.” That simple phrase has so much meaning and strength in it. Worthy of what? Worthy of life? Existence? The true meaning is open for interpretation but the meaning still holds. To be worthy... that is the nicest thing anyone has ever told me. Now don’t get me wrong people have said plenty of nice things to me, but to be worthy is just impassable. It brings this notion of entire acceptance. This idea of “I accept you for all that you are and more.” That whole thing just blows me away. It warms my being while at the same time bringing insight. That’s what makes that simple, yet complex, three word statement so damn powerful. People can say all sorts of nice superficial things but that’s just it, they’re superficial. What is worth more to the soul? If a person looks cute, or if a person is worthy?
If you had told me four years ago that I would have been a state champion I would have laughed. If you had told me I would travel from New York to Raleigh I would have disagreed. If you had told me that I would go on a journey meeting students from across the country all while learning more about myself I would have simply looked at you with hope in my eyes and not believed it. Fresh off my return from the National High School Mock Trial Championship I look back on these last four years and I realize I have accomplished all of those things. Four years ago I could not even tell you what Mock Trial was. I didn’t even know how the court system worked, but I knew two things about myself at this point. The first was that I loved to perform and the second was that I wanted to be involved. I attended the first interest meeting scared of the great uncertainty that Mock Trial was but then instantly fell in love and have not looked back since. It was my chance to try something I had never done before, to push the boundaries of what I was comfortable with, and to discover more about myself. It was such a different activity then any I had ever done before that being able to explain it continues to leave my speechless. The only rules were the Rules of Competition and Rules of Evidence which even they could be twisted to your benefit. The only facts that you were bound to were in your statement but even those could be spun in a positive light if needed. The only thing you were confident on was a direct examination but even that could be changed the night before competition. The only certainty in Mock Trial was the uncertainty of the actual trial. That, however, was the best part. There is no place I feel more comfortable then within the well of the court taking the stand and testifying in front of the jury. For three years I have been everything from an engineer to a medical doctor to an alleged arsonist and I have lived everywhere from London to Brazil to even Brooklyn and the Deep South. In those years, I became the young woman I am today, not afraid to take risks, more assertive as a leader, and better able to express her thoughts and ideas in words, all because I decided to join this seemingly different club. So if you had told me that I would have been riding a train on a Sunday afternoon surrounded by some a team who has become my family, I would not have believed that something or someones could influence my life so deeply, but there I was. I cannot even begin to answer the question, “What if you had not?” because all I can think about is “But look what I have done.”
Words to Live By…
“Keep Moving Forward” –Monty Oum
Those three words are the words I try to live my life by every single day. It’s a quote from someone I really admire named Monty Oum. Monty was an animator and graphic designer and one of the first people to create machinima, the use of real-time graphics engines to create a cinematic production. He was a pioneer in the idea of using video games as an art from and sadly passed away February of this year. Out of his death came a kind of mantra for those who knew him and appreciated his work, “Keep Moving Forward.” It was something he always said and has motivated those around him to push forward and continue to achieve great things. The reason I love these words so much is because it’s so simple. However, such a simple phrase can come to mean so much more. It reminds us to never dwell on the past. If you’ve made a mistake in the past don’t consistently remind yourself of your failures. What’s happened in the past cannot be changed so don’t waste time trying to. Do not let your past shortcomings hinder your progress towards success. Keep moving forward. It reminds us to always keep ourselves busy. Good things do not come to those who expect them. You must work to achieve your goals. Idleness is the enemy of progress. Keep moving forward. It reminds us to always strive for the best. If you keep trying and keep shooting for greatness you will eventually reach your goals. Never settle for less than best. Always be hungry, never complacent. Monty Oum lived his life by these words and achieved great things in his short life. I hope to accomplish half of what he did and by taking his famous words to heart I’m already a step ahead.
While I haven’t written in a journal in a long time, I once heard a quote that inspired me to take advantage of every second of life. Back when Oprah used to have her daily talk show, at the end of each year she showed her favorite people. One of her favorite people was a boy named Mattie Stepanek. He was fourteen when he passed away of a mitochondrial disease that had burdened him his entire life. His siblings had all died from this disease at birth or at a very young age. His mother also had a disease that forced her to live in a wheelchair, needing to breathe in oxygen through a tube every minute or so. The amazing thing about Mattie was that he never forgot the hope that is contained in the world, and he never stopped looking for the sun to shine. On his death bed, he held his mother’s hand, and the very last sentence he ever spoke was, “Choose to inhale. Do not breathe simply to exist.” The final word he spoke was, “Yes.” “Choose to inhale.” When I first heard this, it stopped me in my tracks. Breathing is an autonomic response that we don’t even realize we are doing half of the time. The idea of choosing to inhale, choosing to live, choosing to see the positive in everything is what makes life worth living. In a way, Mattie was already saying that life is worth living. He was telling us all to go out and live it now. “Do not breathe simply to exist.” While existing in of itself is a miracle, there is so much more that can be made of our lives. We do not exist for the purpose of the existing. We have a purpose. Breathing, keeping going, is about so much more than just physical survival. Physical survival enables us to go out and make something of our lives. We have the ability to fall in love, to travel, to make mistakes, to cure diseases, and to change the world, if only we allow ourselves to take risks and have adventures. Do not breathe simply to exist. His finally word, “yes,” is a reminder that you cannot turn your back on difficulties. You need to face them on, and accept the reality given to you, and find the beauty in it.
i. Words To Live By
In the song “Head Full of Doubt/ Road Full of Promise” by the Avett Brothers, one line always jumps out at me. The focus of this song is the changing nature of our world, and its message is that we must find what is important to us in life and choose to be happy. Who knows what the next day will bring? At the end of the first verse, the Avett Brothers say, “Decide what to be, and go be it.” This line relates to all people, but I find it especially relatable now, during a time in my life when I am making many decisions about my future. For the past few years, I have faced the pressures of deciding what I want to do with the rest of my life and following the appropriate steps in order to be accepted into a college, earn a degree, and start working. There is a great amount of stress and intensity surrounding my future, and it can be very intimidating. I find comfort in the concise phrase, “Decide what to be, and go be it.” It encourages me to refrain from stressing about my decisions for my future. It says to not overthink your future, and to follow your heart. I have this phrase hanging on my bedroom door, and whenever I feel stressed about whether I am moving in the right direction, it comforts me. I believe that these are words to live by because they remind me that life is full of changes. My future is not set in stone. If I want to see a change in my life, all I have to do is decide to make that change happen. If I “decide what to be,” I do not need to doubt myself and my abilities to accomplish my goals. I simply need to “go be it,” and I will find happiness.
It seems as though getting a tattoo of a bible verse is cliché. I always believed that if you choose to permanently mark your body with ink it should be meaningful and if you choose words to tattoo on your body, you should live by those words. When I think of words to live by or what I would pick if I were to ever get a tattoo, one thing stands out to me. My favorite saying is, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you,” from the gospel Matthew 7:7. Yes, I love this saying so much that I would consider getting it written on me permanently. Growing up Catholic, this is something I heard my mom say all the time and it is something she firmly believes in. The beauty about words is that you may interpret them in any and all ways. A simple saying can be of great meaning to an abundance of people. To me, this verse means that no matter what, God will always be there for me and this gives me much comfort. Just as Jimmy Cross carried a pebble in his mouth and the other soldiers carried thumbs, bibles, and memories with them in “The Things They Carried,” I will carry this saying with me as a move onto college and beyond. This verse reminds me that anything is possible and it allows me to be optimistic for the future. I believe that God hears our prayers and he has a plan for all of us. No matter where life leads me, it is reassuring to know that I am not alone. God has blessed me with so much and I strongly believe in Him and in the power of prayer. As I remember this verse, it will make me humble and hopeful. And if I do decide to get a tattoo one day, this will be the million-dollar winner because these are the words I live by. This is my “Carpe Diem.”
The most important class I have taken in my St. Mark’s career would be my physics courses. Honors physics with Mrs. Mattick and AP physics with Mr. Houtz helped me to finalize what I want my major to be in college. Without those courses, I would not know specifically what I would like to go into for a career. In college I have decided to go into a double major masters program of mechanical engineering and physics. With these two teachers’ support, I found out what interests me. They would always help me with what I find difficult. This course was also significant in that it helped me gain confidence in myself yet question myself at the same time. These courses are very difficult. When I would understand topics in class, I would gain more confidence in myself and what I can do. When I would struggle in class on a topic, I would question myself and whether I was making the right decision in what I wanted to do in my future. Questioning yourself is important to do and it is better to do now rather than later. I could not have passed these courses without Mrs. Mattick or Mr. Houtz. In college, the courses and course load that I will be taking will be much harder than in high school. By taking these courses, however, I feel as though I will be going into my major introduced to the idea and more prepared. This will definitely help me adjust to college life my freshman year. No matter how I look at my physics courses, they have been the most important and the most helpful in my high school career at St. Mark’s.
Part 3, Prompt i
We file into Asplundh Hall on West Chester University’s campus, eager to escape the sweltering heat that has left us drenched in sweat but satisfied with a long morning’s work. Three hundred eighty four exhausted teenagers find seats in the concert hall, wondering about what’s to come. Why are we here? Because we were all crazy enough to want to become our school’s next drum major. We are in training. A hush falls over the room as Heidi Sarver, the University of Delaware Marching Band director and the coordinator of the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy enters the stage. The words she spoke that day have been scribbled in many a notebook and can be seen as my “bio” on both Instagram and Twitter. “Starred thought: It is never too late to create your own legacy.” We received many “starred thoughts” (most important pieces of advice) throughout the week at the academy. Some of them include “never conduct with locked knees” or one of my other favorites, “there are three stages in life: you believe in Santa, you don’t believe in Santa, you become Santa.” All of these tid-bits of advice came from George N. Parks, the former band director of the University of Massachusetts Amhearst “Minuteman Marching Band.” He died suddenly in September 2010 at the age of 57, but his legacy carries on today. What is legacy? It is a gift left to others who have the responsibility to pay it forward. This definition is apt because Parks himself left a great legacy. The drum major academy that he founded in 1978 continues to instruct and inspire hundreds of 14 to 17 year old high school students each year in the areas of music, teaching, and all around leadership. “It is never too late to create your own legacy.” George Parks and John Keating would have gotten along quite well. Just as Keating encouraged the Welton boys to make their lives extraordinary while they could, Parks’s life inspires people to leave a legacy behind for others to remember and follow. It’s the same principle. They both stress that life is finite, that time cannot and should not be wasted, and that it is important to leave behind a mark in this world for others once life on earth is finished. I intend to leave behind whatever legacy I can, no matter how small.
B.). I came into high school expecting to be a 3 sport athlete. Football, basketball, baseball. Those were my three sports. Even though I was playing basketball, I always watched the wrestlers. They had the hardest practices, they cut weight, and they went through hell. They always pleaded for me to come out, because I "had a wrestlers body", but I never even considered. I always told myself I was too lazy and not tough enough to do it. After freshman year, I quit basketball, but I never really searched for a second sport. Senior year came, and all during football season, my friends begged me to join. Reluctantly, I said yes. I am very thankful I did. Wrestling turned out to be the single best experience of my life. I worked harder than I ever have before, and I learned mental toughness and brotherhood. You put your tears, sweat, blood (that's no exaggeration) onto that mat together each day, with layers of clothing on. And then after that, you go to the Y or someone's house to lose the extra weight. We stick together the whole season. We have each others backs. These people become your family because everyday during the season is a war with your body. All the hard work paid off though. The first win I got was one of the best moments of my life. I grinded out a 6 minute match for a 10-8 victory. It was the greatest feeling. My coaches and teammates hugged me as I walked off the matt. I would never have imagined myself to become a wrestler, but it has changed me as a man.
i. It seems as though everyone is in such a hurry to grow up these days. Looking back on high school, I remember always wanting to be a senior. Once I finally was a senior, I just wanted to get to graduation and have an awesome summer with my friends before heading off to college. Now, with only a few weeks until graduation, I look back on senior year and wish that I had cherished every moment just a little bit more. Everyone always tells you, “don’t wish it away it goes by so fast” and you listen to them but you never really understand until it’s almost over. The most recent words I have told myself to live by are “cherish ever moment.” We only get to be young once. I wish I could tell my freshman self to enjoy freshman year; enjoy being the youngest in the school because it will never happen again. I wish I could’ve told my junior year self to not stress so much. To do everything in my power to do well and be prepared for college, but that it’s okay not to have straight A’s and it’s not worth getting upset over. I wish I could tell my senior year self that it really will all be over before you know it and to not wish a single day away. Senior year has come and gone in the blink of an eye and with only finals and graduation lying ahead of me, a small part of me wants just a little bit more time. With this said, I know I cannot turn back time and I am incredibly excited for what the future holds for me. Senior year ending has made me tell myself one thing- cherish every moment. I will go into college with this mindset. I will enjoy being a freshman and being the youngest at the school. I will work hard but always try to keep my life balanced. I will not wish my time away because before I know it, it will all be over.
All of their faces light up as their names are called one by one. Smiling as the bright lights reflect off of their sparkly dresses and tuxes. Escorted, by St. Marks finest, down the long narrow aisles of the theater. They have counted down to this moment. Individuals within the audience turning one after another as each person makes their way up toward the stage and assumes their very silly, non rehearsed pose. A voice fills the theater sending chills up everyone’s bodies, its time. “Welcome to the St. Marks Blue Gold Fashion Show! These are your 2015 Buddies.” On March 20th at 7 o clock in the St. Marks Theater, I felt genuinely happy. Throughout one’s life many events will occur and many people will appear that will help to shape who we are, and will soon become. St. Marks Blue Gold is most definitely one. Most of the community, when asked about me, knows me as the girl that will make a fool of herself and not think twice about it, the girl that will dance on the dance floor alone, the girl that will talk no matter who you put her next to. However, this was my first year participating in the Blue Gold Fashion Show. Sure, I had sat in the audience through the past 3 years of Fashion Show (both nights), but as Mr. Keating taught: “ Carpe Diem.” It was time I seized the day and had something impact my life like the Blue Gold Fashion Show did. It was time I wrote my verse… when will you begin to write yours?
f. One thing I distinctly remember about being a freshman almost four years ago was the difference between the seniors and the underclassmen. It seemed as though something special were planned every week exclusively for seniors. This was one of the main reasons I think people chose to go to St. Mark’s when we were in middle school. It was always depicted as a fun school to go to, especially once you became a senior. The seniors used to have privileges that set them apart from the rest of the students, privileges we were looking forward to in our freshman year. When we started going to St. Mark’s, being an upperclassman seemed to mean that you could do whatever you wanted. They were always walking around in the hallways or hanging out in the senior lounge. None of the teachers bothered them or asked where they should be. Over the course of our time at St. Mark’s, all of this has changed. There is no longer the dramatic difference between being a freshman and being a senior. In fact, it seems as if our year specifically missed all the benefits of going to St. Mark’s. No matter what grade we were in, I would swear that we were always let out of Mass last. In three years, we lost the senior lounge but allowed the freshmen to play games all day on their iPads. We are only left with one day of standardized testing we can miss as seniors, even though we were probably assigned extra homework because of it. If I could change one thing about St. Mark’s, I would bring back the senior traditions and privileges we witnessed as freshmen. I would change the school back to when the senior lounge existed, when there were good senior pranks that were actually pranks, and when there was a clear difference between how you were treated as a senior versus an underclassmen.
My sister was a member of the Saint Marks class of 2008. She was involved in Blue Gold throughout her time at Saint Marks. Being seven years younger than her, naturally I look up to her. After going and seeing her perform in the fashion show, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do when my time came to start high school. So I can't say that I never imagined being apart of Blue Gold, but I can say that I never imagined how much it would impact me as a person. At the end of my junior year I ran for the position of head fashion show chair and I was lucky enough to get it. Now when you think fashion show the first image that comes to mind is dancing in prom dresses having a great time, but let me tell you it is way more than that. We started planning the show in July before our senior year even started. It is a position that you have to be dedicated to and also be willing to put yourself out there. From organizing the program, tryouts, models, dances, decorations, tickets, stores, lighting, concessions.. Just to list a few things... It was very easy to loose focus and want to quit. But whenever the times would get very busy or difficult at practice, I would go sit and watch the buddies. Seeing the smiles on their faces and hearing just how excited they were for the show made all of the difficult moments well worth it. When the day if the show arrived I don't think I could have been more excited or nervous. But when it was time to start I sat in the front row and watched all of my extremely hard work come together right before my eyes and this has to be one of my proudest moments. Tears were shed and so many hugs exchanged. Fashion show gave me so many memories that I know I will carry with me throughout my entire life. So if you would have told me a few years ago as a tiny freshmen that one day I would have the position that I did this year I would have called you crazy. But today, I couldn't imagine my senior year any other way.
e. For decades, high school classes have followed the same traditional structure of having lectures, homework, quizzes, and of course, tests. However, little effort has been made to alter this layout or to improve it to better pertain to the practical needs and interests of the students. Here at St. Mark’s, this specific routine of learning holds true for essentially all of my classes, with the exception of a few. Although this system may seem effective, it has caused students to dread coming to school, as it has made learning seem more like a chore rather than an anticipated privilege. I, personally, have found myself throughout high school caught in an endless cycle of saying, “I hope this week goes by fast,” and I’m sure many other students would agree with me. The one particular class that is different from all of the others that I have taken, especially in structure, is, without a doubt, public speaking. I’ve never been a fan of speaking in front of large groups of people, and taking a class solely about this is something I never thought would be a part of my high school experience. However, at the end of my junior year I made the bold decision to take the class, which would force me to step entirely out of my comfort zone. But I am so glad that I did because although it required a lot of work and wasn’t always my favorite, it allowed me to become more confident in my speaking abilities and it greatly impacted me. Public speaking is such a powerful class because not only did it teach me a great deal, but it bettered me as a person. And all of this was accomplished without the burden of impractical and lengthy lectures, nightly homework, and tests and quizzes. I cannot say this about any of the other courses I have taken in high school. Public speaking is honestly one of the only classes I have taken that I can truly identify exactly how it can apply to my life in the real world, which is what makes it so important and is why I am so grateful that I took part in it.
Part 2:e
The first time I saw the Blue Gold fashion show was three years before I entered high school. My sister had raved about the club and was in the show as a senior. I went with my parents as a little sixth grader not really knowing what to expect, and as soon as the president of the club spoke I was in a trance. By the time I saw all the buddies line up at the end, I was 100% confident that this was the club that I was going to be heavily involved in. Every year since, I’ve seen every fashion show (or participated in it), and this year I had the privilege of serving as president. Although it was not quite what I expected, I would not have traded this experience for the world. Entering into the program, I expected to make a personal impact on our buddies’ lives, but I had it completely backwards. These amazing young men and women have changed my perspective so greatly and has had such a powerful, positive impact on my life. I would not have been able to obtain this change in attitude to become even more appreciative and respectful of others through any other experience. I consider Blue Gold to be my most proud achievement in my high school career, and I am so thankful that I decided to tag along seven years ago to see my sister preform in the show.
Hi Fio... we miss you -- Cass, Ash, & Claud
j. Music is extremely important to me for many reasons, and my favorite band – All Time Low – contributes to this importance. All Time Low is an American pop punk band that consists of four members. Pop punk is music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music to varying degrees. I used to listen to mostly pop music, mainly whatever was on the radio. My music taste started to transition to pop punk when I discovered All Time Low. I can easily relate a lot of their songs to my own life and my own experiences, which is probably why I enjoy them so much. Most of their songs are upbeat, easy to dance to, and full of energy as well as talent. They’re the type of songs that you want to blast in your car while driving with the windows down. All of these characteristics are reasons why All Time Low’s music never fails to put me in a good mood. I consider All Time Low to be a musical group whose songs promote meaningful thoughts and messages. One of their newer and slower songs, called Missing You, is my personal favorite because the entire song promotes meaningful thoughts and messages. It contains lyrics such as “I heard that you’ve been having some trouble finding your place in the world. I know how much that hurts, but if you need a friend, then please just say the word” and “Now don’t lose your fight, kid, it only takes a little push to pull on through, with so much left to do”. The first set of lyrics reminds me that I’m never alone in the world, and that there are other people who feel just like me. The second set of lyrics reminds me to keep going and to not give up no matter how hard life gets. I’ve been through many obstacles in my life, but I know that I have so much to look forward to and that things get better with time. All Time Low not only affects me emotionally with their music, but I’ve also met some of my best friends through them. I made friendships, as well as memories, that will last a lifetime because of All Time Low.
Last week I finished one of the most incredible, most moving novels that I have read in a long time. It has now settled into my list of my favorite books of all time. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is full of beautiful, poignant prose. I always fold the pages of my favorite quotes or scenes when I read. When the mood strikes me, I love to flip through and reabsorb those favorite quotes and live in that world once more. The quote I live by from All the Light We Cannot See is “Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.” We only have one chance to experience this crazy, magnificent world. We only have one chance before we become “food for worms” in the words of Mr. Keating. One of the main characters in All the Light We Cannot See is Marie-Laure, a blind French girl caught up in the horrors of World War II. In the quote, when it says “open your eyes,” Marie-Laure and I understand this is not literal. Physical beauty can be breathtaking, but true beauty is what moves us to think and to feel. And I think that in this sentence, Anthony Doerr means that we need to feel, to experience all that we can before the end. He wants each of us to find the beauty in our own lives. Personally, I find it when I read, when I listen to music, and when I am surrounded by people that I love. We can whirl around a spectrum of emotions each day ranging from elation to despair. This quote encourages me to fully experience each moment and to deeply feel each emotion, the good and the bad because all will be obsolete in the end. It reminds me that life is fleeting and its end is definite. But it also reminds me that I have been given this extraordinary opportunity to discover, to see, and to feel if only I reach out and seize it.
G. St Mark’s should promote it students to have proper behavior just like they would any adult. St. Mark’s is a college preparatory high school in all aspects except the way that students are disciplined. I believe students should not be monitored as much especially for the upperclassman while having an understanding with the students that if you do something wrong there will be a consequence. For example, I do not believe that we should have to sign in everywhere we go. Also, I think that we should be able to go outside on a nice day for a free period. Everyone understands that they cannot leave nor do anything that bad so we should not have to be closely monitored in order to be out there. This will encourage more mature choices as the students progress in school because they will know that they are entirely in control of what they do and what could happen as a result of their action. This will definitely help in the transition into college and the real world. I know that kids have temptation in college to not go to class because they do not have anyone telling them what to do and they are on their own for the first time. If students experience this greater freedom and gain that understanding that they are truly in control of themselves, they will be able to get that feeling out of their system before college starts. Putting more trust in students while holding them to a high standard would, in my opinion, be the best way to discipline at St. Marks.
School is filled with a large variety of classes ranging from the arts to the sciences to the languages. St. Mark’s high school is no exception, especially in the junior and senior years. With the great variety of classes come with them a greater variety of textbooks and other reading materials. Sometimes I was lucky and I received brand new textbooks, but some other times I received textbooks that Mr. Baldino may have used in his schoolboy days. Some were plain. Some were okay. Some were brilliantly fun to read. I loved my World History, AP United States History, AP Biology, and AP Psychology textbooks so much I read them front to back multiple times during the year. I even took a crack at them and finished them during the summer. Some textbooks were just simply grinds to get through. Not quite as bad at watching paint dry in the jungles of Vietnam bad, but still not great. Theology textbooks were a prime example of this. Most of the time I think the author got excited to finally find a output for his/her grandiose, tedious, and esoteric vocabulary and sentence structure. Some books were just plain bland, kind of like the drivers education textbook. I literally do not remember what that book was like. Finally there are the textbooks that are literal pits of hatred. I truly despise working with them, and sometimes I wish I could tear the pages out of the book only to leave an empty husk behind. That book would be the AP Calculus textbook. I have never seen such a useless textbook. It makes way too many assumptions about the knowledge of the reader. The format is also difficult to understand. Sometimes I feel like the pages should be replaced with a stick note that says, “Go look online!” That would probably save paper. The stupid book didn’t even cover everything on the AP test. The worst bit is that calculus students are forced to use it two years in a row. I disliked it in my junior year, and now I loathe that book. So yeah, I would like to rip out the “teaching” pages of the Calculus textbook. In fact, lets rip up the whole book.
Part 3 Prompt i
At the end of my junior year, I hit a turning point in my life, at the moment my name was announced. I was just told that I would be a drum major for the 2014-2015 school year. I was filled with happiness at that moment, but it didn’t fully hit me until I was at George N. Parks Drum Major Academy at West Chester University. Drum Major Academy changed my life. It made me a better and stronger person and it also has made a lasting impression on me that I will carry for the rest of my life. During my time at Drum Major Academy when we weren’t exhausting ourselves in the heat or sitting in the crowded dining hall eating our meals we took the time to learn more than just how to conduct or how to teach marching to others. We learned how to be leaders, how to be good people, and we learned about stories that we can remember for a long time. In my notes there are three phrases that stand out to me and that I will especially remember for a long time. Heidi Sarver, UD marching band director and the coordinator of this academy, said these three phrases and she has a way of saying things where they hit you in the heart and you can feel the emotion and the impression it has on you. One of the first notes we ever took was: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” This hit me because there are times when you wish you could meet someone all over again so their impression of you would be better. This just reminds me that you should always be your best self so everyone’s first impression of you will be a good one. Another phrase she said was, “If you fail to plan you will plan to fail.” This is a lesson I can especially carry through college, as procrastinating really isn’t acceptable and priorities are set straight, hopefully. The last phrase was, “Find a way to create your own legacy.” She described a legacy as, “a gift left to others whose responsibility it is to pay forward.” Just like so many others before me I wish to leave a legacy of my own. I want to show that what I did was worth something and that I gave true meaning to my life to where people can remember me by the good that I have done. So these words I especially leave with you to live by, go out and create your own legacy.
G.) When it comes to discipline in schools, I will agree that it is a necessary thing. Without consequences to our actions, how would we ever learn to do the right thing? When I think of how far the school system has come in disciplining students, I am amazed. The idea that principals were able to beat students with paddles, as we saw in Dead Poets Society, is something that is still difficult for me to grasp. Nowadays, students are given demerits or detention in hopes that this will motivate them to not perform the same wrong action again. However, from taking psychology, I have come to the realization that enforcement does not always need to be negative. I think that the students who do the right things all the time should be rewarded. There should be at the least a dress down day once a month for the students who actually follow the rules. I will never say that disciplining a student who went against the rules is a bad thing, however, I just think that the students who follow the rules should be given a bit more credit. Soon enough, detentions and demerits will be replaced with a lesser punishment. But I don't know how much longer it will take for the good kids to be rewarded. If I could change anything about the discipline at St. Marks, I would just like the administration to step back and look at the big picture of the school student body. For the most part, the kids at St. Marks are some of the most well behaved in this state. So if they really want to show their appreciation for theses great students, I think they should be rewarded in some way.
Words to Live By
I was scrolling through Twitter like I always do when I saw a quote that really struck me. Normally I don’t find many quotes on Twitter inspiring or enlightening but I liked this one a lot: “Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.” I like this quote because sometimes I feel pressured to do things that everyone else is doing just so I can fit in. I think “hey, maybe if I do this then I can chime into a conversation without sounding awkward”. But I don’t want to think like that anymore. I’ve been told, even by close friends, that I’m “too random” or I start conversations with people too much and that they should approach me, but really who are they to try to tell me that what I’m doing is wrong? I will not apologize for trying to make friends and be outgoing. Talking to people you don’t normally talk to doesn’t make you desperate, it makes you a friendly person. I would much rather have people think that I’m loud or obnoxious than way too quiet, shy, or standoffish. And I know others will disagree with me, but that’s fine, too! One thing that these words I found on Twitter is helping me with is finding a roommate for freshman year. I’ve been in contact with some other Honors people going to West Chester University through Facebook. Something that always seems to come up is the topic of partying. So basically, possible roommates are asking if I drink and smoke. Every time I say no, I am not into that stuff, it seems like the conversation automatically fades and it’s like “okay, see you never”. It actually makes me wonder like “Oh, God, I’m going to be stuck in Honors with this person for four years. What am I going to do?” But I’m not going to apologize for not smoking weed or being their smoking buddy. And I’m certainly not going to apologize for not letting it stay in my dorm room. If my roommate wants to smoke, she can do it somewhere else because I am not getting myself into that mess. I have enough anxiety as it is without worrying if my RA or God knows who else will find it. And I know what everyone is thinking, too: “Wow, she thinks she is so much better than everyone else, huh?” How do I know? Because people say that to me all the time. I know I have different values than other teenagers, and sure, maybe I’m too afraid of what my parents would do to me if I rebelled. I have plenty of friends that do stuff like that, but you know what? The best friends would never pressure me into doing something I didn’t want to do or make me feel any less than them. So I’m striving to live by those words and I thank whoever said it. Maybe I’ll even tape it to my dorm wall or something lame like that. But hey, maybe someone will love me for it.
“Don’t give up art or the drums, they might get you somewhere.”
These were the last words I wrote in an 8th grade letter to myself in the future, and they were words I had forgotten for many years. During my 8th grade retreat, our guidance counselor sat us all down and told us to write some goals for ourselves in the form of a letter, meant to be given to us when we graduated high school. Past-John’s letter ended up being full of menial goals, reminders to keep in touch with now long-lost friends, and much neater handwriting than Future-John. But there was that one line in Past-John’s letter that stopped me in my tracks: “Don’t give up." If I can remember anything about Past-John, it’s that he was pretty good at giving up; he quit soccer after two years, karate after getting a black belt, and basketball after one practice. Now, Past-John was bullied quite a bit. He was bullied so much and so often that he developed a lack of motivation; he didn’t want to try new things or take risks for fear of being made fun of.
But Past-John liked art, and he loved the drums.
After reading this line, I was tickled; Past-John, Lord Giver-Upper of the Realm, was determined to stick with art and drumming and to never quit. He was so determined, he had to make sure Future-John was gonna pull his weight, too. And so he did. In my time at St. Mark’s, I’ve taken art classes and greatly improved my skills and techniques; I worked hard for three years as a drummer and this year as one of two captains of the Marching and Indoor Drumlines; and I even grew taller than my brother (a pretty big deal for Past-John).
I felt proud after reading Past-John’s letter of goals and wishes. Because, hey, I got somewhere.
Life is made up of tiny moments, seconds we often take for granted. We sit in our Physics class, our theology class, and sadly even in our literature class staring at the clock. Watch as the hands move slower and slower throughout the day and leave us holding our breath for the end of the period. We all do it, it’s the nature of all high schoolers, I suppose. Very rarely do we stop and enjoy the moments while they remain in the present. Only when adulthood is firmly upon us do us teenagers become the generation of “Remember when that happened?” Time, as it turns out, is but an invention of man. So many uses and benefits it provides for society that it can be hard to see what it takes away. In High School, you are marked by your years enrolled and accomplished. In life, you are marked by your years alive and active. One year. Three hundred sixty-five days. Eight thousand seven hundred sixty- five hours. Over thirty one million seconds exist in that one year. So how many do we spend looking at that clock? Are we waiting for them all to pass so we can mark one more year down on our mortal resume? No, take advantage of what you have now, the milliseconds that exist before you. The future is out there and be grateful for the time you might get in it, but remember the now. If I were to give words to live by I would say: cherish the little things. The stupid little details in the inside jokes you tell with your friends at lunch. The commotion of the hallway when a class ends. In the end, when it’s all said and done, man has no use for minutes, just the moments he’s collected and these cannot be counted.
One of my most memorable and different experiences at St. Mark's the past few years is the Blue Gold Fashion Show. Five or six years ago if you had asked me to do something like that I would have looked at you like you were crazy. Never in a million years could I have seen myself up on a stage performing in front of people. I have never been an extremely outgoing person and tend to be more quiet and laid back. In middle school, my friends decided to try something new and go out for the school play, The Wizard of Oz. I was terrified of the thought of trying out in front of teachers let alone performing in front of an audience, so I did not join the play. I started to get over this fear of being in front of people once I started cheering because I was surrounded by a group of people and my mistakes wouldn't be as noticeable. This confidence grew once I came to St. Mark's and continued to cheer. Last year I finally decided that I would be able to survive fashion show once all of my friends on the team were doing it as well and I knew that I would be in their group. The individual tryouts still freaked me out with everyone looking at me, but I no longer had a fear of being on stage in front of an audience. From this experience, cheerleading has taught me to be comfortable performing. I have grown and continue to grow as a person and I am grateful that in the past four years St. Mark's has given me that experience.
"Good job". Although it is a very simple phrase to say to anyone, it is a phrase that means a lot to me and many others. A simple "good job" can make someone feel very accomplished. Anyone who has tried hard to do something would love a little "good job" for what they have done. It shows that at least someone has acknowledged that they worked hard. I know that i love a "god job" after achieving anything. From getting an A on a test to doing some lawn work for a neighbor, a pat on the back can make me feel absolutely great. A "good job" is not just a phrase to be given for any deed or job that was easy. A good job is meant for those who have done something that truly took a lot of effort. If someone had done something that genuinely took hard work, they deserve to be awarded for their deed; and a "good job" can even be more rewarding than a bonus or some money.
“Don’t trust anyone. It might get you killed.”
The assignment was simple: write a letter to your future self. It was one of those eighth grade projects that was supposed to get us excited for high school and make us think about the important lessons we’d learned in middle school. They would be mailed to us some time toward the end of that summer. I wrote about a good number of small things—remember to come back and visit, don’t forget the things that happened on the field trip to New York, keep your locker clean—and some larger things—don’t stop writing, don’t stop trying, pursue your dreams. And then I left myself with the most important advice I thought I’d ever have for future-me: “Don’t trust anyone”. I’d been bullied down to a confidence level of zero, and, thanks to those suicide-punctuated anti-bullying lessons, I knew what could happen if it continued into high school. I wanted to protect myself from the possibility of this fate. That was my goal. I was going to close myself off, trust no one, and save “love” for later. Much later. I’d watched friends crumple from feelings, stayed up to see the sun rise while trying to convince them that life was still worth it, that, “Sure, you loved her, but she isn’t the end-all be-all of life. You’ll be okay.” My younger self was determined to keep high school me from falling into the trap of trust and landing among the thorns of self-loathing and broken hearts. And, for a while, it worked. I made friends, sure, but I didn’t let them really know me. I had a crush or two, but no plans to ever pursue them. But by mid-sophomore year, I had a boyfriend and a really good friend. And by the end of the year, I had lost both. Thankfully, I had still listened to those admittedly cynical words and kept myself distanced enough that it didn’t hurt. I went right back to normal life. Mostly. Only now I was being egged on by members of the drumline to join them on cymbals. I’d never played an instrument and, therefore, couldn’t read music. Not only did I not trust them to be understanding of my position and help me learn, I didn’t trust myself to be able to learn. But drumline knows how to beg and I eventually found myself carrying the cymbals out to the parking lot for band camp. To my surprise, the band was beyond welcoming and the other drummers were more than willing to help me. By the time indoor season rolled around, I knew enough to teach myself to read music, and by the next year I was being helped along as a bass drummer. In this time, I gained a boyfriend, who I trust more than I trust myself, and learned, thanks to my experience with the band, that not everyone is out to hurt me. Be careful who you trust, but be open. You might miss out on something otherwise.
It is currently one of the last days of senior year, and as I reflect upon the past four years of my life, I realize how drastically I have changed in so many aspects of myself. Some of the changes are a result of personal experiences, and some come with the task of growing older. Something that first comes to mind is obvious to me when I remember my first day of freshman year. I was nervous, I was shy, and I was completely obsessed with the image that others had of myself and how it affected my reputation. Not only that, but I remember everyone had these worries, and everyone was conscious of the fact that their actions affected how others treated them. Now, I realize how ridiculous these worries are. I have learned that it is more important to develop your own personality, feelings, and opinions rather than thinking about others’ opinions of you. This shift in viewpoint was gradual throughout my four years; and now, looking back, I realize how much high school has shown me that there is much more out there in the world to learn about and explore without worrying about appearance or reputation. It is more important to find similarities with all peers and let go of the harsh and immediate judgment. Though it took a couple of years to truly learn this lesson, I feel that it is one of the most important changes that I have gone through, simply by changing my point of view.
H.
This past weekend I traveled to Colorado with one of the most amazing ladies in my life, my Mom-mom. She has raised nine children and watched nineteen grandchildren grow up. Now if that doesn’t win some kind of award I’m not sure what will. She is easily the most caring, optimistic, and warm hearted woman I know. I had the privilege to spend four whole days with her and it was one of the best trips of my life. On Sunday, we went to meet my second cousin and my Mom-mom’s first and as of now only great grandchild. Even though she didn’t say much the joyful tears coming down her face truly made that day special. She fell right in love with the two year old. After we left the house my Mom-mom said, “It’s the days like today I know God is watching over us, and it makes me so thankful for the miracles in our lives. Like being able to meet my great granddaughter and being able to travel with you.” When she said that I truly felt honored. Here is this great lady who has done so much for so many, and it’s her faith in God that keeps her going. I hope one day to be as kind and patient as she is. Unless it means having to raise nine children, that may be the only boundary line. However, without her I wouldn’t be apart of such a fantastic family. I hope that one day I can truly show her how thankful I am for all she does for me.
f. On behalf of the class of 2015, all St. Mark’s students and alumni alike, I would suggest a change in dress code to help further improve the school. This simple change would not affect the basic educational and philosophical fabric of the school. I am a supporter of the idea of uniforms. As someone who lives over an hour from school, any extra time in the morning is greatly appreciated. Plus with such poor fashion sense, I would run out of clothing to wear every day. However, what I would like to suggest is a change in the particular uniform pieces. I may have a slight gender bias being a girl, but we have it so much worse. Our itchy tights are an overall discomfort, leaving girls scratching away at the thin material which rips at just the slightest touch. We then spend the rest of the day hiding our holes from Dr. Schaff who makes it his personal mission to find us a place in detention that very day. Let us also not forget to mention the unappealing plaid skirts which completely clash with the grey tights. This year both girls and boys were allowed to wear the senior sweater which we were all very excited about… until we say the sweater. Instead of the previous ivory/cream, this year’s sweater was a perfect grey to match both our ripped tights and wool skirts. I’m no fashionista, but grey on grey on grey definitely wasn’t in this month People Style Watch. St. Mark’s has made attempts at improving the uniform; however it seems each year these improvements just make it worse. My recommendation to the school would be to make the uniform simpler and comfier.
While others may remember sports, friends, or other extracurricular goings-on, my most evident memories of sophomore year are associated with particularly cynical thoughts, opinions, and assumptions that used to embody my disposition. Second to those memories, I can recall how much the novel The Catcher in the Rye permanently evolved my flawed persona into who I am today. As hard as it is to admit, sophomore year was an exceptionally dark time for me. My negativity drove my peers, and even more so myself, crazy. I carefully analyzed every action of those around me. I twisted these actions until I convinced myself that all humans were entirely self-serving and hateful towards others. In my generation, one could say that I assumed everyone was “fake.” In Holden Caulfield’s generation, one would instead use the word “phony.” The Catcher in the Rye was a wake-up call for me when we started reading it in sophomore American Literature class. By identifying myself with Holden in many ways, I was able to see how badly my own negativity was affecting my life and relationships. I learned that not everyone is out to get you and not everyone is only thinking of himself or herself. Nowadays, with my experiences in clubs like Key Club amongst many others, I have developed a sense of solidarity with those around me. I have taught myself never to judge, especially because I rarely know what exactly is going through someone else’s head. I always treat others with kindness, and have been pleasantly surprised that my kindness is often returned. That “golden rule” (Treat others the way you want to be treated) that we were forced to memorize in elementary school finally makes sense to me.
When I was younger I used to view being able to to do adult things like driving, working and generally growing up with great excitement. I couldn't wait to get older so that I could experience all these things. I wouldn’t have to deal with things like a bedtime. No one would tell me that I can’t have any sweets. There would be no one to tell me that I couldn’t buy that new toy today. I would have the freedom to stay up as late as I want, eat all the candy I want, buy whatever toy I want. I thought that the main difference between being a child and an adult was that an adult just has more money. Now that I am older these things have lost their luster. Being able to drive was exciting at first, but as with all things the more you do it the more it loses its novelty. Working and earning my own money was great, but having to deal with some of the customers was exhausting. In general now that I am older growing up seem scarier than ever. My childish view of the adult world has been replaced with the experience of how life really is. The younger me never expected growing up to have this much more responsibilities. Now that I am older part of me wishes that I could go back to how simple life was when I was younger. Becoming an adult is nowhere near as great as I once thought it was.
The class of 2015 is comprised of a multitude of different personalities that come together to form our own identity. As a class, we will leave our mark on the school with these unique qualities that each of us possess. One specific member of the class of 2015 stands out to me due to his drastic transformation from freshman to senior year. I never would have imagined that I would have been good friends with him senior year based on his freshman year self. Through the endless service opportunities, friendships, and activities, he was able to grow spiritually into the individual that he has become today. He is now widely involved in school, partaking in a leadership position in one of his clubs as well as dedicating time to hitting the books after sports practice. His kind soul has always been present, but Saint Mark’s has helped to uncover his true self that has been yearning to be set free. He transformed from a lackadaisical teenage boy into a determined young man with the help of his experiences at Saint Mark’s. His eyes were opened to a whole new outlook on life which will hopefully never revert back. The potential was always there, but it was finally unlocked when the right people and opportunities came into his life through the means of Saint Mark’s. As we graduate together as the class of 2015, we are to never forget the memories that we shared, the transformations that we all underwent (regardless of how trivial), and the chances that we were fortunate to have as a Spartan. I, along with my friend, are thankful for what Saint Mark’s has done for us these past four years and plan to continue to show our gratitude by succeeding in the next chapters of our lives.
The simplest words from a stranger can really inspire a person and actually change their lives forever. I can verify this statement because its actually happened to me. Two years ago I went to the Apple Store to get my laptop fixed. This ordinary trip ended up being a day at the Apple store that I would never, ever forget about. I took my laptop into the store and one of the technicians came over to assist me with my issue. The technician who helped me was an older gray haired man who looked to be about 60ish years old. I really didn’t think much of him until he started a random conversation with me. He asked me how old I was, what school I went too, and what I wanted to be in the future. I politely smiled at him and answered all the questions he asked me. I told him I was 16, went to St. Marks, and that in the future I wanted to be a pediatrician. I figured he was just trying to make small talk so things wouldn’t be so awkward. After talking this interesting technician and getting my laptop fixed, my mom came over to thank the guy for being able to help me out. The guy told her it was no big deal and that she was very welcome, and then he added something else that really touched me. He told my mom this: “You’re very lucky to have such a smart daughter, she will really make an amazing doctor one day and I would definitely trust her with my life.” As my mom thanked him I gave him the biggest smile ever. Then we turned around and walked out of the store. I kept replaying his words in my head as we walked through the mall. It really made me feel special that a complete stranger had so much faith in me. His words of encouragement are what drive me to try my best each day. One day I will be a Pediatrician, one day I will save someone’s life, and one day someone is going to put all their trust in me. His words are what keep me pushing each day and I really don’t think I could ever thank that random Apple Technician guy enough for that.
I am the kind of person who is greatly affected by the words I am exposed to on a daily basis. I could worry for hours about three words that affected me in a negative way. On the flipside of that, I could become elated by two or three words that affected me positively. The nicest words that people have ever said to me may seem miniscule to some, but they mean the world to me. I take the simplest things as a compliment. When I hold the door for someone, and reply with an appreciative "thank you," it means so much to me knowing that I was able to brighten somebody's day even if it is only in the littlest way. I remember the people that thank me for the little things and compliment me in the little ways. I remember the moments where people have said, "You look really pretty today," more than the big sappy things that people say to me. It is the little things that mean the most to me because, to me, they are the most genuine. When somebody tells you that you look pretty today, they don't have to put a lot of thought into it; it is just the first thing they think when they see you. I can recall specific instances where somebody has said those exact words to me, and it made my day. The fact that I remember something so momentary says a lot to how much it meant to me. With this post, I am not trying to sound conceited or brag, but these are truly the nicest things people have ever said to me.
i) Throughout the course of my life their have been many phrases I have considered "words to live by" but one has stuck out the most. That phrase is, "Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing. Moderation is for cowards." Immediately by hearing these words one can feel inspired and realize that why shouldnt they give 150% effort when doing something. Why not go that extra mile that no one else is willing to do. I have learned that doing more than im asked to do will carry me a long way in life and intend to continue my discipline of working hard and perservering through rough patches. What is their to lose by going above and beyond what is expected? The willingness to over-do a simple task may seem annoying at times but it reveals your determination and your strive for excellence. Life is short. Youve seen and heard it too many times that young lives have been taken from this earth to soon. Knowing that, I see it necessary to put my heart, body, and soul into even my everyday simple tasks. People that shy away from challenges do not understand life in my eyes. We have been given life and we are to embrace life no matter what it is presented to us. Anything in life you deem worthy of your attention and effort should be done to completion for your own personal satisfaction and so that you can inspire others to follow in your path. I consider myself a perfectionist and I will not succumb to being ordinary. I will "over-do" everything because I feel the need to make the most out of this life given to me.
Benjamin Franklin once said that there are two ways for a man to be remembered: he must “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” I often think about which of these two paths I will choose because certainly I desire to be remembered. Does not everybody?
There are many reasons to stay alive. As quoted by Mr. Keating “The human race is filled with passion. But poetry, romance, beauty, love, these are the things we stay alive for.” However, what is to become of us when we cease to exist. After the very corpse our mind and soul inhabits today is buried six feet down into the earth, will there be any trace of our previous existence?
People desire to be remembered for things they have done. This fact is evident all over the place in the world today. Why is it that a boy demands to be video taped while doing a back flip off of the diving board? Is it because he doesn’t want to forget his impressive stunt or is it because he wants others to see and remember what he had dared to accomplish? It is in our human nature to desire recognition and therefore remembrance of our past deeds and achievements. This desire is created through the innate fear of our inevitable demise and potential irrelevance to future society. In order to overcome this fear, we must do something or write something, as Benjamin Franklin would argue, to leave a legacy.
As most humans, I also have this inborn drive to be remembered after I perish. As all young children dream, I hope to change the world or at least leave my mark on it. In the grand scheme of existence, life is but a blink of an eye. We as humans, hope that after the eye reopens, the world may just be a little better than it was before. In making the world a better place we decide our postmortem commemoration. The only way to live forever is in the minds and hearts of those who come after us.
Therefore, I am determined to have an exceptional future. I will solidify my identity, I will support my beliefs, I will take responsibility for my actions, I will try to do the right thing, I will do wrong, I will fail, and I will succeed. Throughout life I will do things not with the motive of being remembered, but with the mission of living on forever. There are many reasons to live as Mr. Keating tells us, but life is temporary. That is why I must make my legacy timeless, permanent. The powerful play goes on and I will contribute my verse to the world. I can only hope that many years after I have passed, it will be worth reading.
The class that I have enjoyed the most during my four years at Saint Mark’s is Mr. Fiorelli’s Modern American Themes class. Now, I’m not saying this to kiss up, but because it is the only class that I have been truly excited to come to every day. Maybe because I love it so much, or maybe because Mr. Fiorelli is my favorite teacher...I’m not quite sure. But what is so great about this class is that it is not a typical English class where we take notes every day about poetry and authors from the eighteenth century. It is a class where we can come in and talk. And talk about everything. And it all happens to be relevant to the class because it is Modern American Themes. I also enjoy being judged and tested on my opinions rather than being tested on facts that have been memorized. I have learned so much in this class because I have had to apply everything we learn and discuss in my writings and essays. I love coming to Lit class everyday because I never know what we are going to discuss. And that is what makes the class so enjoyable and so unique. I wish all of my classes could be like Mr. Fiorelli’s Modern American Themes class. So in conclusion, if I had to pick my favorite class, it would be Lit because it is so unconventional, I look forward to coming to class, Mr. Fiorelli is my favorite teacher, and it is always a surprise what we are going to talk about.
While watching House of Cards, Frank Underwood looks directly into the camera and tells us “the road to power is paved with hypocrisy, and casualties; but never regret.” Now, this quote sounds terrible heartless, perhaps even evil. But to me, it speaks volumes. They are words I have decided to try and live by. Now you are probably thinking I am some power-hungry maniac ready to demolish whatever is in my path success, but that is not what I take away from Underwood’s words. To me, the quote most clearly emphasizes one thing: regret. In life, we are charged to make decisions every day. We cannot pretend to know what is right and just. We can only hope our actions are those things. But it is my opinion that the one thing we cannot be is indecisive. Once a decision is made, it is made. There is no looking back. Forward movement is the only acceptable direction of movement. We cannot spend our lives fantasizing about possibilities and “what ifs.” Instead, we can only take charge of what is in front of us, what is in our reach. This is what Frank is telling us. He is telling us to be decisive and strong in our decisions. Sure we will make mistakes along the way. Sure we will wrong others in life, but we cannot dwell on those errors. Yes we must learn from them. But what we must not do is wallow in self-pity. For when you wallow in self-pity because of mistake, then the mistake you made was made for naught. It wasn't even in the name of a good cause. The best thing to do in the face of failure is put it behind you, and move forward. “The road to power is paved with hypocrisy, and casualties; but never regret.” These are the words I live by.
While watching House of Cards, Frank Underwood looks directly into the camera and tells us “the road to power is paved with hypocrisy, and casualties; but never regret.” Now, this quote sounds terrible heartless, perhaps even evil. But to me, it speaks volumes. They are words I have decided to try and live by. Now you are probably thinking I am some power-hungry maniac ready to demolish whatever is in my path success, but that is not what I take away from Underwood’s words. To me, the quote most clearly emphasizes one thing: regret. In life, we are charged to make decisions every day. We cannot pretend to know what is right and just. We can only hope our actions are those things. But it is my opinion that the one thing we cannot be is indecisive. Once a decision is made, it is made. There is no looking back. Forward movement is the only acceptable direction of movement. We cannot spend our lives fantasizing about possibilities and “what ifs.” Instead, we can only take charge of what is in front of us, what is in our reach. This is what Frank is telling us. He is telling us to be decisive and strong in our decisions. Sure we will make mistakes along the way. Sure we will wrong others in life, but we cannot dwell on those errors. Yes we must learn from them. But what we must not do is wallow in self-pity. For when you wallow in self-pity because of mistake, then the mistake you made was made for naught. It wasn't even in the name of a good cause. The best thing to do in the face of failure is put it behind you, and move forward. “The road to power is paved with hypocrisy, and casualties; but never regret.” These are the words I live by.
When I was writing college essays, I would try to incorporate quotes into my writing. Through this process, I came across many memorable and powerful quotes that are great words to always remember. Although these quotes are full of scholarly ideas and writing, I choose to live by two simple words: stay positive. My mom is a big believer in staying optimistic and looking at the glass as half full. She always reminds me to stay positive, as it will help me to have a better attitude and succeed. Looking back on my high school years, this advice has carried me through tough times where the outcomes may have not been in my favor. Staying positive not only helps me, but also can help those around me. Having a positive attitude inspires others to do the same. Positive energy can lead to victories in sports or the classroom. Staying positive can also take away the sting of losing. When one experiences a defeat, it can be disheartening. A positive view can help people to focus on the good instead of the bad. This field hockey season, we were not the best team, but had some good moments. Focusing on the good moments allowed us to look back on the season with pride and joy. As I continue my journey to college, this advice to stay positive will lead me to success. I know I will face challenges in the future that will lower my confidence, but having a positive attitude will help me to overcome these obstacles. I will always try to remember to have a positive attitude, but when I forget, and I know I will, my mom will always be there saying, “Stay positive.”
Having played lacrosse since sixth grade I would have never imagined playing anything else when I was in high school. When the lacrosse season rolled around my freshman year I tried out for the team and made JV. We had a good season and I knew I was going to return next year and hopefully I would make varsity. So when the try outs rolled around sophomore year, I went of for the team and somehow made varsity. Again I had a really fun time that year playing mostly JV but getting some time in during Varsity. By the end of that year I saw myself playing through senior year and becoming captain. That all changed when I received a sever concussion during one of my last games of my Junior season. Since that concussion was my third, the doctors said I could never play lacrosse again. This devastated me and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with myself during lacrosse season senior year. Then one day my doctor suggested that I try playing tennis since it was a non contact sport. When she first said tennis I kind of laughed and I said I would never play tennis. Then after thinking about it I said sure I'll try it. So during my senior year my parents for my tennis lessons and I got pretty good before the tryouts for the team. When tryouts ended I was placed at the number four sport and was on first doubles above a lot of kids who have been playing tennis for years. Me and my parter had a great season and ended up making it to the quarter finals in the state tournament. It was definitely the most "different" activity I did in high school, and I would have never thought three years ago that I would have played tennis and love it.
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