My Comments Q1W2

Mathew Bickham - That was a Close One

Charlie Roth - Going Backstage at COME FROM AWAY

A Story from the Summer

          This past summer I took a vacation to the Carribean. Although I had stayed in the Virgin Islands for most of the time, I also visited Puerto Rico for a few days. During this time I had one of my most thrilling experiences in recent years: jet-skiing. I had never jet-skied in my life before, so this was a completely new experience for me, but I do not regret it at all. Although I generally avoid water sports, being in a tropical setting for the first time in a few years had allowed me to open up more. I am not sure if I'll ever do it again in my life, but given the opportunity again, it is likely that I'll take it.
          My story begins on the beach. My mom, my sister, and I walked along the sandy shore until we came across a small wooden stand, paint still peeling off from its sides. After talking to the employee from the company who owned the jet-skiing service, we set off towards another nearby beach. We walked along the relatively narrow beach until we reached the furthest boundary, leading to a narrow, quiet street. Making our way through a maze of cold concrete alleyways was not the easiest challenge that we came across, but we still found our way in a matter of minutes. Soon, a second, much larger beach came into sight. Relieved that we could finally walk on soft, smooth sand again instead of rough stone and concrete, we quickly made our way there. After a short walk on the gleaming, hot white sandy path, we found a stand similar to the one we encountered at the first beach. We talked with the employees of the jet-skiing service, and then my sister and I prepared ourselves for the ride. Since I was not 16+, I was not able to drive, but my older sister could. We started slow, allowing ourselves to adjust to the uncomfortable seating and cold water. Soon, as my sister gradually built up the skill and courage, we found ourselves speeding along the blue water of the Atlantic Ocean. Water sprayed up from our sides and targeted our eyes as we made laps around the shore boundaries. Time quickly passed from our overwhelming thrill and adrenaline of the ride, so we disembarked back on the sandy shore. We descended from the jet-ski, handed our life vests over, and promptly left the large, busy beach. As we moved on with the rest of the day's activities, I could not help but think that I should have never left that jet-ski.

Summer Reading Response - Scarlet

          Scarlet, my first choice book that I read this summer, was everything that I wished for. Scarlet is the second installment in "The Lunar Chronicles" series. Scarlet follows a new addition to the roster of main characters: Scarlet Benoit. Her inspiration as a character, as well as most of her story, stems from the "Red Riding Hood" European fairy tale. Scarlet herself also happens to wear a red hoodie, further connecting the two stories. Scarlet, however, was not one of the deepest characters that I came across in the novel and the series. She isn't necessarily shallow or superficial in any way, but she did not fully meet the standards set by characters such as Cinder, Carswell Thorne, or even Wolf, another character introduced in Scarlet who has his origins in "Red Riding Hood". I have never thought of her as a poor character, but never as the best.

          I'm sure most of you know the general story of the "Red Riding Hood" fairy tale, but for those who don't, the tale simply follows a girl in a red hood and cape who journeys through a forest to find and visit her grandma; however, a wolf stops her in her journey and tricks her into thinking that the wolf wants to help her by finding her grandma, but the wolf secretly knows that he already ate her grandma and so wishes to eat Little Red Riding Hood as well. Scarlet follows its origin story extremely well, except for relatively minor changes. To me, however, Scarlet follows the fairy tale a little too well. I thought that although the story was intriguing in its own ways, Marissa Meyer could have made slightly larger changes plot-wise. Despite my small complaints, I still was able to enjoy the novel to its fullest extent and I have no regrets whatsoever for reading it.

My Comments Q1W1

Evan Meek - Free Post.

Mathew Bickham - High School - My Thoughts and Goals

My Introduction to This Course and Blogging

          English has, consistently, been one of my favorite courses. Although I am far from perfect in any particular topic that we may discuss and review in this class, I hope to improve my understanding of literature and grammar, as well as my fluency and literacy. The course so far has made an excellent impression on me, so I have high expectations for the course, and likewise conversely. I will be sure to push myself to my full potential in this course in order to meet my set goals for the semester and year, assuring that my aspirations meet the expectations of myself and others. In short, any obstacle that I will or may encounter in the course will be overcome.

          This blog is intended to help meet those aspirations and expectations so I will not allow myself to give anything less than what I know I can accomplish. I have not previously created a blog in a long time so I will have to get re-accustomed, but I am confident that I can consistently post high-quality entries each week to meet the assignment requirements. Although last year we completed "Writers' Notebook" entries, they were not nearly as frequent or challenging as a blog may be. Nevertheless, blogging is a unique type of writing in the way that it can be done in a multitude of ways. Blogs can be created formally or informally, allowing a space for any type of writing to succeed.

Summer Reading Response - Cress

          One of the greatest books that I have ever truly enjoyed as a reader was Cress. Cress is the third installment in "The Lunar Chronicles" series. The novel, like its predecessors, introduces yet another new main character with origins taken from a fairytale: Cress. Cress's inspiration comes from the fairytale of Rapunzel. Cress herself exhibits many of the same traits as Rapunzel, and even has a similar background, at least in a sense. Immediately, however, the reader is introduced to her and given many powerful first impressions. In the beginning, she comes off as a timid and playful girl who delves too deep into her own imagination sometimes. Soon, though, she starts to undergo character evolutions that will ultimately lead to her major roles in the plot of the series as a whole.

          As for the novel, it digs a little deeper into the backgrounds of certain characters and their past. It helps identify many of the mysteries and issues that the previous books had formed and answered many of the long-lasting questions that had been introduced even at the very beginning of the series. Cress put even more personality into the original characters, and it crafted some of the most memorable new ones. It paved the road for the conclusion of the series, and it filled in the potholes of the plot. Cress exemplifies in stunning performance the ideal model of what Marissa Meyer had dreamed of creating in "The Lunar Chronicles".