Somethings and Nothings (D)

Somethings and Nothings (A)

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YOUR ASSIGNMENT

From May 1-31, submit a short, original (and amazing) essay about a time when food created a memory. Impress us with your creativity and you could win big.

(1700 characters or less) 

Chipotle essay contest

A Period Vocabulary/Pattern Sentences

1A/abortive: Ms. Schieffelin took on the herculean task of attempting to simultaneously feed the twins blueberries; however, her abortive attempts resulted in blueberries staining their hair, pajamas, and dog.

1B/supercilious: Ms. Schieffelin thought she caught a supercilious glance from her daughter, Julia, when she tried to feed the twins Spam, for her daughter was not too young to show disdain for such cheap, disgusting food.

1C/fractious: One might think that Julia and Eli are fractious children; they actually are quite loving kids; they just like grabbing any other part of the other twin, which often results in unintentional pinches, punches, and pummels.

1/levity (Cassie): Some students listened to the lecture; others acted with levity by watching Netflix during class.
3/wan (Sasha):  The junior came to school with a wan look on his face: he stayed up very late the night before studying for his AP tests.
4/languid (Amanda): The boy was languid, idiotic, babyish; he had no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
7/complacency (Meredith):Daisy's reaction to Gatsby's house--her cries of amazement, her exaggeration, her wonder--left Gatsby with a feeling of complacency.
7A/denizen (Adam): Cthulu--a monstrous denizen of the ocean--is said to have the power to end the world.
8/vacuous (Mike): When we could not come up with any ideas, when we earned a bad grade on the project, it was clear that we were vacuous.
9/florid (Sam): Her expression had changed and her face was florid with embarrassment, florid with grief.
9A/commensurate (Abby): An honors grade in history class will be commensurate to exemplary test grades, exemplary understanding of material and exemplary participation.
11/dilatory (Ariba): Mr. Johnson, the dilatory director, took three hours to assign parts for the play.
11A/ineffable (Peyton):
8/meretricious (Alec): If you are flaunting fake jewelry, if you are tastelessly dressed, if your shoes are gaudy, then your outfit is meretricious.
9/orgastic (Manisha): Gatsby hoped for an orgastic future, a future with the love of his life, a future with Daisy.
9A/truculent (Emilie): The pack of dogs were very truculent, very eager and very aggressive.

D Period Vocabulary/Pattern Sentences

1/levity: Ms. Schieffelin approached the conversation about her twins' misbehavior at day care with a certain degree of levity, which the director of the day care didn't appreciate; Julia and Eli had introduced the other children to particular vulgarities heard around their home, and Ms. Schieffelin's lack of seriousness in the conversation frustrated the director.

1A/abortive: Ms. Schieffelin took on the herculean task of attempting to simultaneously feed the twins blueberries; however, her abortive attempts resulted in blueberries staining their hair, pajamas, and dog.

1B/supercilious: Ms. Schieffelin thought she caught a supercilious glance from her daughter, Julia, when she tried to feed the twins Spam, for her daughter was not too young to show disdain for such cheap, disgusting food.

1C/fractious: One might think that Julia and Eli are fractious children; they actually are quite loving kids; they just like grabbing any other part of the other twin, which often results in unintentional pinches, punches, and pummels.

3/wan: Ms. Schieffelin returned from March break with a wan complexion: She had spent most of the cold, rainy days inside, caring for two seven month old babies.

4/languid (Emma): Despite the ballerina's usual expertise, her movements were languid, sloppy, unenjoyable to watch.
7/complacency (Vivian): Filled with complacency, the man had no desire to improve upon himself-- his job, his role as a father, his personality--and thus he died penniless, estranged from his children, and, by everyone he knew, was proclaimed an asshole.
7A/denizen (Carolyn): Mr. Smith, a now penniless man, spent the rest of his life as a denizen of the abandoned house at the end of the street.
8/vacuous (Bonnie): Because he sits quietly through the discussion, because he doesn't raise his hand in class, Larry may appear vacuous to some.
9/florid (Emily):
9A/commensurate (James): Bill's small loyalty bonus at retirement wasn't commensurate with the years he put into the company, wasn't commensurate with the energy it took him to get all of his work done, wasn't commensurate with the sacrifices he had to make to keep his job for so long.

11/dilatory (Grace): While setting up my birthday party - it was supposed to be a surprise - my father gave me dilatory errands to keep me away from the house.

11A/ineffable (Jack Antico):

8/meretricious (Jack Barry): When she said I was pretty, when she told me I was perfect, I couldn't tell her I was in fact meretricious.
9/orgastic (Chloe):  The orgastic stock market held the dreams of many men who yearned for money in their pockets--the money that gave them life and provided their sustenance.
9A/truculent (Shelby): Their rivarly could have been truculent but turned out to be very calm, very simple, very quiet.

Speakers Forum Reflection

1. Why did you choose your piece, and are you happy with your selection?

I initially chose my piece because I was familiar with it by reading it in the first semester and I enjoyed the piece. I found that it was difficult to portray the emotions of the characters with the piece being in third person. 

2. What are you most proud of throughout this whole process?

I am most proud of becoming confident with my piece after practicing. It took a lot to make the piece in what I thought would be just right for the audience. 

3. Looking back to day one, what would you have done differently? 

I probably would have chosen a piece that was in first person. This way it would have been easier to show what the character was feeling, not only through tone of voice. Also, the dialogue in my piece was difficult to show each characters emotion. 

Speaker's Forum Reflection

1. Why did you choose your piece, and are you happy with your selection? 

I chose my piece because after watching the movie Gone Girl, I thought it would be fun to read from Amy's perspective. I am really happy with my selection, I like that it had both sad and funny parts.

2. What are you most proud of throughout this whole process? 

I am most proud of my actual reading. I do not enjoy public speaking and when i got up to the podium I was super nervous. However, I was able to read my piece with emotion through my nerves, which I am proud of.


3. Looking back to day one, what would you have done differently? 

Looking back i would definitely have practiced more. I think if i had practiced more then I would have been way less nervous. 

One of the weirdest games I've ever seen...

If you're looking to waste some time, check out this gem (circa 1990) for the NES. Do you guys even know what the original Nintendo was?

http://greatgatsbygame.com/

Speakers Forum Reflections

1. Why did you choose your piece, and are you happy with your selection? 

I chose a part of a chapter from A Sister to Honor  because I liked how powerful and passionate the story was and I am extremely happy with my choice. I have never read the book, but after hearing good reviews about it and finding my selection I am definitely going to read the whole book.

2. What are you most proud of throughout this whole process? 

I am most proud of my emotions and passion I showed throughout the whole piece. I am not a very good public speaker, but I felt when I went up in front of the class I was comfortable and prepared enough that I could read the story exactly how I had been practicing it.

3. Looking back to day one, what would you have done differently? 

Looking back, I would have practiced a little bit more to not stumble over as many words as I did and to look up from the paper more often to make eye contact.

Speakers Forum Reflection

1. Why did you choose your piece, and are you happy with your selection? 

I chose my piece because although it wasn't super funny or super sad, I liked the narrator and I thought that I would be successful in depicting her attitude and tone (Southern, Sassy). I also love the book and I thought the first chapter had a range of dialogue. 

2. What are you most proud of throughout this whole process? 

Before speaker's forum, I had never told a story to an audience and I was a little worried that my final presentation would differ from my practicing just because it was in front of a whole entire class on a podium. Fortunately, I was proud that I stayed consistent throughout the entire reading in my volume and southern narration. 

3. Looking back to day one, what would you have done differently? 

Looking back to day one, I think one thing I could have done differently in terms of choosing a piece is being more open minded and willing to read short stories or excerpts that I wouldn't necessarily think of reading initially. I also think that I could have better planned my pauses within the story to emphasize a line or scene. 

Speaker's Forum Reflection

Speaker’s Forum Reflection

1. I chose the Cliffs of Insanity scene from the Princess Bride mostly because this is when Vizzini says “Inconceivable” the most. I felt like this was one of the most memorable quotes in the whole story, despite Vizzini’s fairly minor role. The multitude of voices in the scene was another reason why I chose it. My sister and I are both fascinated by voice acting, so this was a fun opportunity for me to try it. Overall I was very satisfied with my piece, despite having to abridge so much of it.

2. I’m proudest of my performance in class. I didn’t go over time, which was my biggest concern, but I didn’t feel like I rushed it, especially when transitioning between voices.

3. I would have put more time in it so I could look up from my sheet more. I knew that I would have trouble speaking smoothly, especially with phrases like “Said the Sicilian” followed by “The Spaniard said” and practicing more would have helped me get used to this.

Speaker's Forum Reflection

1. Why did you choose your piece, and are you happy with your selection? 

I chose my piece because i liked the dry and dark humor, and the irony. I was happy with my selection, until I read my piece for the 34,927th time. After the 34,927th time I started to read it with less emotion and diction, and the words just mushed together, and I did not think it was funny.

2. What are you most proud of throughout this whole process? 

I am most proud of my final piece for the class, i did not feel rushed and I felt the class responded in just the way I needed them to, so that I could like my piece again. I thought I put in the work and it payed off.

3. Looking back to day one, what would you have done differently?

I would have tried to memorize most of it, so that i could look up from my paper more often. That way I would've made more eye contact and been able to connect more with my audience. 

Wordling with Gatsby

Thoughts about Women in Clothes

If it's ok, I'd rather not comment on a particular story, but on the episode as a whole.  I know that it's bending the rules, but that's what "Women in Clothes" is about, what fashion is about, at least in part.  Although, as in the case of “Staying Home” by Rose Waldman, they can be about having to dress within the rules.  Either way, a woman’s style is unique to her no matter which way she dresses,  and at the same time, we all have to deal with things like body image and feeling self-conscious. This episode has left me inspired.  I feel as if women and clothing are two things that are so intertwined that they will never be separated until the end of time.  Maybe that sounds like I'm going too far in an attempt to make a profound statement, but it's true.  Every woman has some sort of relationship with clothing, myself included.  Clothing is a form of self-expression that doesn't require words.  Clothes tell the story of the woman who wears them, and whether I like it or not, I know that my sartorial choices do indeed say something about who I am.  After listening to this podcast, I took a look into my own closet.  Just like "Magical," each piece reflects a period of my life.  It made me very glad that those pieces can't talk because their stories would be embarrassingly personal.  I have old Halloween costumes that my mother sewed for me, graphic tees, a tan corduroy skirt with six buttons on the front, party dresses, a few vintage pieces that my mom has saved for, like, thirty years, including some high-waisted 100% cotton jeans sitting on the closet shelf (it's IMPOSSIBLE to find 100% cotton theses days), my Communion dress, a black silk skirt that I bought for a steal at the boutique down the street the very day that I had my interview at Kingswood, suede ballet flats tucked in their boxes, riding boots, a few pairs of lonely track spikes waiting for another race, and a Baroque wig made out of a paper bag that I used for an American history project in the eighth grade. And it's so funny the way that you remember exactly what you are wearing when something happens to you.  I remember that when I was four at the church bazaar, I was on a ride where each rider sat in a miniature helicopter that went around in a circle suspended by a fixed arm.  I remember muttering an insult under my breath about the boy in the helicopter in front of me driving too slow (of course all the helicopters were moving the same speed because they were all fixed by equidistant arms).  I remember wearing a white tank top with an ice cream cone on it, piled high with ice cream, each flavor different, and they were all labeled in tiny font next to the scoop.  I felt so guilty that I never wore that top again.  I buried it in the back of my dresser and never looked at it.  The next time I saw the top, I had outgrown it, and I thought to myself, "You know, you should have worn this again, it's kind of cute." There have been many times when I have wondered about the past life of a clothing item, especially when I visit the second-hand shop.  Unlike the story in which the woman with the keen olfactory sense, I don’t have the talent to determine the past owner’s identity by smelling clothes, but her interpretations were amusing to listen to.  The story about the woman in Istanbul who was supposed to compliment people on their clothing in the elevator contributed to the notion that fashion, for the most part at least, is a universal language that anyone can understand, and receiving a compliment on an outfit always makes you feel like a million bucks. While each story was beautiful, personal, and fascinating, it was the readers who brought the stories to life.  Personally, my favorite reader was Zosia Mamet because of her expressive, young, and slightly gravelly voice.  I thought her tone in “Magical” was sentimental because she was reading the story of three dresses that helped to define a woman’s life.  Sometimes though, I have to say that I didn’t always like the way that all of the stories were read.  I thought that I could clearly hear that some of the readers were using their “reading voice,” which I feel is much less natural than their actual speaking voice.  This was evident when you could hear the readers overly exaggerating expressions and clipping the ends off of words.  This selection of shorts spoke to me because of its personal nature, and because it evoked so many of my own memories and experiences.  Each story and poem was thought-provoking and often humorous.  Of course, the subject matter spoke to me as well, because in my opinion, fashion tells so many stories, including the story of women’s history and is closely linked to what it means to be a woman.


(this was originally meant to be a comment, but it is too long)

Party Animals Short

  First of all this story appealed to me because of the title.  It seemed like it would be interesting and age appropriate.  The actual story was appealing because it had humor and wonderful descriptions that made me easily picture the story in my head. The reader brought the story to life with ease.  She used pauses, sped up, and slowed down at appropriate times.  She also whispered and spoke louder to  exaggerating certain words.  Also, the reader spoke in different tones to represent different characters.  I thought doing this made the dialogue come to life since it sounded much different than the narrative parts. Overall this reader executed their goal completely through the use of volume, tone, and rhythm in her reading.

How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America

I have to say I really liked this story.

Brandon tells his own story about growing up as a black man in the south. It was interesting to hear the story from a 1st person POV. It made the story feel more raw and true, and allows the listener to connect to the teller. Because Brandon is telling his own story, it sounds more informal and less like a narration from an audiobook, which is not a bad thing. I think the informal tone kept my interest. Brandon was also good at changing his pace, and adding dramatic pauses to build suspense.

The story itself was very interesting. Brandon makes the point of establishing that his story is just a jumbled mess of his emotions and experiences, and he couldn't possibly form an inspiring, coherent social justice statement within 30 minutes. One thing that I liked from his narration is when he'd have a time lapse, he'd say, " I was ___ years old, 2 years older than [insert black victim of police shooting] when they were shot. It was a small, yet powerful touch. 

I'm not sure if I have digested the whole "killing yourself slowly" that Brandon focused on. It's definitely something to think about. 

Women In Clothes: Dress for Success read by Sonia Manzano.

I really enjoyed this story. Although it was a rather short podcast, the reader, Sonia Manzano had a great tone in her voice that brought the story to life. Her voice was powerful and load, but not overbearingly so. She accentuated certain words, she dropped her tone low at points and loader at others as to make certain words more important than others. When she made a joke, she paused, allowing the audience to laugh and once they finished she began again. Her speed of voice was perfect, she did not talk to fast, allowing the listeners to take in all the she was saying. The only thing I wish was different was the ending. I didn’t understand the first time I listened that the podcast was over, I wish her tone on the last few words allowed for the listeners to know, indeed the story was coming to an end.

The plot of the story was very interesting to me. With the over arching idea being the women are the ones who are brutally criticized for their outfits and clothes, but the author brings up a good point, why aren't men criticized for their outfit choices just as much as women? Sonia, when bringing up certain males in particular suits, including Justice Roberts, while I was being unaware of who she was talking about, still gave humor, that made me laugh due to her tone and way of speaking. 

Women in Clothes: Magical read by Zosia Mamet 

I really enjoyed this story as a whole. The reader, Zosia Mamet for the most part did a good job, allowing me to feel interested in the story. Throughout the story the girl went threw many dresses that she seemed to think defined her life, the reader did a good job at depicting the feeling the character had when wearing such clothes, how they made her feel, who and what she came to find. However,   I think the reader could have brought the story a bit more to life, by changing her tone and speed of what she was saying. In general, the reader had a very calm, yet depressing kind of voice. The voice made me feel like the story was sad, but it actually wasn’t.  By changing her tone in voice, having a more upbeat, exciting tone in the high points, for example when she found her last dress and how it made her feel, and then a slower, calmer, more somber voice between during the low points of the story, for example when she looses her first dress that she purchased at Urban Outfitters. The differences in tones  would have brought the story more to life and allowed the listeners to truly feel how the narrator was feeling. 

Women in Clothes: Worn read by Jennifer Lim

This story was good. I didn’t like the plot as much as the other stories, but the reader did in fact do a very good job. She allowed for appropriate pauses, she accentuated correct words, and changed the speed of her voice enough times that it didn’t get confusing or difficult to follow along. One aspect I did like in the story was the power the one ribbon had on the narrator. Jennifer told the story very well, starting from the beginning of her wearing the pink ribbon around her, which made her feel pretty. She mentioned she wasn't sure why she began wearing the ribbon all the time, saying maybe it was the  the Bangladesh women who wore pages of the Koran on a leather string around her waist. The tone of Jennifer Lim allowed for the story to not seem boring or as strange as it might have been. I liked that the story touched on the fact that clothes or accessories that people wear doesn't always have to be for show, they can indeed be for other things, like the Bangladesh women, who wore a piece of clothing for her beliefs.