Writing One (Lit 11)

Classic City High School is a great nontraditional school to attend. This school is very different from other high schools such as Cedar Shoals High School and Clarke Central High School. Classic City is a school for individuals who have a hard time concentrating in a large environment, have fallen behind in a traditional school, or would like to graduate on time. Non-traditional high schools have many advantages a traditional school does not.
Being at Classic City and being able to graduate early or on time is a really great privilege. At a non-traditional school if students are behind on their credits have a big chance of not being able to graduate with their class. Students at classic city can work at their own pace and be able to graduate early or with their class. For example if I would have stayed at Cedar Shoals High School I would have not been able to graduate in 2009 as planned. I came to Classic City High School in the summer of 2008 with fourteen credits and I talked to the counselor and told her my situation and that I would like to graduate in May 2009. Now I am able to do that. At Cedar Shoals students need 28 credits to graduate but at Classic City you only have to 22, because they don’t require as many electives.
Another reason why being at Classic City is great is because of the classrooms. At a non-traditional school a class may consist of 30 students with only one teacher. For a person like me that is too many, and I need a lot of attention, especially in a science or math class. In hard subjects like those with a lot of students in my class it can be hard to pass. At Classic City there are 15 or fewer people to a classroom. With a classroom with so few people in it, it is easy for everybody to get the attention they need. Everybody is not the same type of learner, but for those that learn like me Classic City is the place to be.
Classic City allows students to work at their own pace. Students don’t have to be at the same speed as the rest of the class like would have to at a non-traditional school. Students can finish before the quarter is over and not have to attend the class anymore after that, whereas in a traditional school everyone is on the same schedule and finishes together. Finishing early can be a very good thing because it is beneficial to a student who has a job. For example if a student works hard and gets done with their third period and has a job that starts at three when third period starts, they can go to work without worrying about their third period. On the other hand if someone is more comfortable with spreading their work out over twelve weeks than they can do that, its all up to the student
Another really great thing about Classic City High School that is not you at a traditional school is a daycare center. There are a great number of students that would like to have a high school diploma but have trouble finding babysitters or have financial issues and can’t afford to put their children in a daycare. That’s when they are considering dropping out, but at Classic City it is free and it’s within the building. That’s a big advantage and can cause a huge decrease in the dropout rate. Your children can stay at school as long as their parents do and parents can go check up on them anytime of the day.
Classic City is not for someone who wants to do extra-curricular things in their high school years. Classic City does not have sports teams or anything of that nature. The school does has good clubs that you can join like JGG or student council. Lunch is another thing that Classic City doesn’t provide. The bright side to that is we get to leave for an hour to get our own lunch. We get a fifteen minute break at three o’clock, the big lunch break, and school starts at ten o’clock doesn’t get much better than that.
Classic City is an overall great school with wonderful teachers that care. I feel that coming to Classic City was the best choice I have ever made. I recommend it to anyone that is having a difficult time graduating in a traditional school like me. Personally I think that Classic City has a lot more to offer than a traditional school.

The Rationalist

1. Breifly describe the differencences between the Puritans and the Rationalists. Please be careful not to repeat the same words you have read in this entry. Then give an example of something going on today that would be a good illustration of Puritan thought, and one that would be a good example of Rationalist thought.

The Puritans believed that almost everything happened because of God. They don't really acknowledge that some things might happen without God doings. They actually think that it is insulting God's work to figure out other ways that things happen. They believe that God does things that is not harmful and nobody should worry about things he do and just basically let him be.

An example of a Puritan thought would probably be having kids. They probably believe that it is a special gift from God and that he decides whether you deserve to have it or not. Basically if you had a child it is all because of God and you had nothing to do with it. On the other hand a rationalist would go into depth and find out what was involved in order to conceive the child/children. A rationalist would look at things like the sexual activity, what role does the sperm play in having a child and things of that nature.



2. Read the excerpt from The Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin in the red American Literature book. Pay special attention to the efforts Franklin made to improve his life.You can read the entire autobiography here. This may be interesting to browse through.





3. Give one example from The Autobiography of how Franklin is a good example of a rationalist. Make sure you explain why, and provide an example straight from the text.
One way Ben Franklin is a good example of a rationalist because of the way he tried to reach moral perfection. On the other hand a puritan would probably ask God to change them and they would feel like they have no control over whether they change or not. Ben Franklin made a list of thirteen flaws about himself that needs to be changed in order for him to reach moral perfection. Then he made a weekly chart with the days of the week on the top row and abbreviations of the 13 flaws in a vertical column. Each day if he made a mistake he would mark it.
" I crossed these columns with thirteen red lines, marking the beginnings of each line with the first letter of one of the virtues, on which line and in its proper column I might mark by a little black spot every fault I found, upon examination, to have been committed respecting that virtue upon that day."

4. If you were to make a list of thirteen virtues to improve upon in your life, what would they be? List them the way Franklin did. There are a couple more good examples here. Do you think you could reach moral perfection in this way? Explain how you feel. This should be a paragraph or two.
To Trusting: Sometimes I go wrong by trusting someone to much without knowing them much.
Motivation: I'm not always motivated as I should be in order to achieve challenging goals.
To Friendly: No matter what kind of person someone is I will accept them as my friend and I don't like that I'm like that.
Conceited: I'm a little to much into myself. I'm always in a mirror and I constantly worry about my physical flaws. (lol)
Disobedient: I try to do everything my mom ask but sometimes I disobey her by accident and not even know until after.
Goofy: I know It's good to laugh but honestly I think I laugh to much at anything.
Poor Diet: I know it's in the bible that you shouldn't glut. I eat beyond fullness and I know that's very bad.
Responsibility: I wouldn't say I'm totally irresponsible but there is definetly some room for improvement.
Pray: I don't pray like I should and I don't attend church like I should, and I hardly ever look at a bible.
Tension Span: I get off task really easily especially if I'm doing something I don't want to and something around me is going on that I'm more interesting in I start paying attention to that.
Mistake Maker: I know everyone makes mistakes but I think I make careless ones that can easily be avoided.
Seriousness: I don't really takes some things as serious as I should.
Pride: If I'm in a class that I really like I will take a lot of pride in my work but in a subject like math or science I just be like "whatever, as long as I pass."
No I do not think that I will get perfect because no one can. If I changed all my virtues to the max then I feel like I will be very close to perfect. Honestly I don't think I can ever change all of them because some of them like "being goofy" is just apart of my personality. On the other hand the ones like responsibility and seriousness has to be changed because it will better me as a soon to be business woman.

The Puritans

1. Briefly summarize the Puritans' beliefs. This should be a paragraph or two.


The Puritans believe that everybody was sinners because of Adam and Eve. They also believed that God died for a select few people and not for eveybody. Some people walked around thinking that they was chosen just because they could interpret the word of God,but you wouldn't know for sure until you passed. It was said that the Puritans believed that the ones he did not choose just simply went to hell.



Write a 4-5 paragraph response to the Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God and Of Plymouth Plantation. Explain your thoughts about how these people lived. Better responses will have some direct textual evidence to support what you say. You may want to review these texts before writing your response.mply went to hell. Nobody knew who was the chosen ones and there was no way of finding out.


Sinners of an Angry God was a very frightening story to me. It made me think, because the sermon was so blunt. I don't know how other individuals feel about the story but it makes me feel like God is a mean person. I got the impression that he doesn't care and he thinks people deserves it. I go to church and I don't believe that about him but for the moment the story made me feel like he sends people to hell just because he know he can do it.

The reason I feel that way because throughout the sermon I kept hearing him repeat certain things about hell and how there is nothing you can do from getting dropped in it. "There is nothing between you and hell but the air, It is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up." It is confusing because I thought that God's grace is earned and that's why those who believe in God tries to live right and by his word, but from reading the Puritans belief his grace can't be earned.

In "The First Harvest" they had to take theirselves and their children to the field and plant their own corn. That was good except when people started to get angry because the work they were doing was going towards other people children and wives I thought that was crazy. It was all good at first but when they had to do work for other families it became unfair for them. Especially since they got nothing for it. I personally would have quit. Everybody is trying to make food for their families and no matter what condition your in you should do for your own. Or the people that is working for others should get something from it.

They believed the same thing about the Puritans. "I answer, seeing all men have this corruption in them, God in His wisdom saw another course fitter for them." Its saying that everybody is naturally born a sinner. Their beliefs is similar to the Puritans.

3. Choose two of the four beliefs at the beginning of this post of which you saw examples in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, or Of Plymouth Plantation. Provide these examples with direct textual evidence.

Total Depravity - through Adam and Eve's fall, every person is born sinful - concept of Original Sin.

Direct Textual Edvidence: "Everyone was born a sinner"

Unconditional Election:
Direct Textual Edvidence: "God saved only a certain few, and Jesus didn't die for all."

"Mentor Log"

October 15, 2008
Wednesday
6:00pm-8:00pm

I met with my mentor today. My mother has a cd rom that shows you how to make a brochure and suggestions on how to make it good. Well we took a look at that and it gave us good ideas on how to set mines up. We sketched it out on a piece of paper of how it would look and the information I will have on it. I wrote out everything that it would say and she helped me come up with main points.

My mother and I also came up with short topics to talk about in my powerpoint. Since my topic (law enforcement careers) is to broad I want to put main points that i really want my audience to know and to get me a higher grade on my project. We was thinking that I could talk about the training that is required since I personally know that it will attract my classmates. The main thing I would like to get from my audience is interest and attention.

Now I'm just thinking about what colors I want my brochures to be and then I will go about making them.

"Mentor Log"

October 13, 2008
Monday

Well today officer Jones was not my mentor. My mother was my mentor. I thought maybe that I decided to do my product based on a probation officer then I should talk to a probation officer. Although Officer Jones did help me a lot with good information but my mother has a alot more experience because she use to be one. So I thought I would better off working with her and I cou;d go back with Officer Jones to.

My mama was telling me all the things that she did as a probation officer that I did not see. Like I mentioned before is that she rides around to see is they at home at the time she come by and get them to sign a piece of paper. But as officer jones said that she has more responsibilities than that. When she goes to the office downtown at the end of the last tracking cycle she has to write up a in-depth report on them. She has to include what they were doing at the time she came by, how their doing, and have they been at home all four times she came to their house and if not what was the reason.

My mother also build bonds with them. She says it makes them feel like somebody is on their side and wants them to do better. The better the bond is the better they will do.If you are being an exact probation officer meaning that if you "just" do your job and don't make nay small talk on their actions and everything they would most likely not be at their best. All this information my mama informed me on was a little interesting because all people that are on probation isn't all that bad like some people may think. But she couldn't tell me much about their background or anything because it is confidential.

But basically me and my mother was talking about some information I will include in my guide. I want to elaminate my guide just to make it look better and interesting so my mother is taking thme to get it done once I make them.

The Middle Ages

The Crusades: The two parties that was fighting in the Canterbury Tales was the muslims and the christians. And the Crusades was just an extension of that. It lasted several hundred years and started in the 11th century.Every crusader took an vow that he or she was committed to fulfil as a penance.


Murder of Thomas A Becket: In the Murder of Thomas A Becket, Becket did not agree with Henry being against the pope. Becket and Henry already argued, they argued about how much power church courts should have . Henry and Becket came to this agreement about Becket becoming archbishop again in 1170. Becket and Henry fell out again and Becket was being mean and start chastising Henry all in public. Henry I guess got fed up and he sent his people to kill Becket. I guess he felt bad and tryed to show he was sorry by walking barefoot from London to Canterbury.


Magna Carter: The Magna Carter is a document that states that people have individual rights anf that there are things that some people have that the king cannot control. The Magna Carter was written by artistocrats. The document had years later became the basis for the english constitutional law.



The Black Death: The disease "Bubonic Plague" is where the name black death came from. It is the nick name for the disease. The disease is very contagious. The disease was spread by infected rats and fleas. This disease reminds me of the deadly disease that exist nowadays which is HIV. People who had contracted bubonic plague only had like a ten percent chance of living. The disease is so deadly hat you could die within seve days of contracting the disease.



Madam Eglantyne: She seemed to me to be very classy, beautiful, and popular. I also got the impression that she was beautiul and well-educated.

"And well she sang a service, with a fine intoning through her nose, as was most seemly, and she spoke daintly in French, extremely, after the school of Stratford-atte-Bowe."



Squire: To me Squire seemed to be handsome and very romantic. They described him in te story like he was a real gentleman. Cool, calm, and collective laid back type.

"He could make songs and poems and recite, knew how to joust and dance, to draw and write , he loved so hotly that till dawn grew pale ."



Monk: He was adventorous ad always like hunting. Hunting was all he really did and doing that really excited a man like that.

"Hunting a hare or riding at a fence was all his fun, he spared for no expense."



Merchant: I personally think that the merchant thinks highly of himself and is arrongant. He isn't perfect but he tries to give off the impression that he is.

"Forking beard and motley dress, high on his horse he sat, upon his head a Flemish beaver hat and on his feet daintly buckled boots. He old of his opinions,and pursuits and how he never lost."

Doctor of Medicine- Physician cared for his patients and saved many of them.

"To speak of medicine and surgery.He cared for and saved a patient many times."

Friar- A very festive,he spoke very well and was like by all.

"A very festive man.Equal his gossip and well-spoken speech."

Franklin- Franklin was a good provider. He maintained a stable household.

"His house was never short of food and pies."

The Yeoman- A hunter and a woods man that broke away from being a servant

"No more servants, for he chose so to ride"

Knight-He was known as a gentlemen for being honest, strong man.

Clerk- The clerk was a slim man and also a philosopher from Oxford. "As lean was his horse as is a rake."

4. The Prioress- This story to me crazy but it also was kind of touching.The feudalism system is what the people in Prioress lived by. Under lords and the reach lived peasents who were most often christian.There was a young christian boy who lived with his mom who was a widow.The christian boy worshiped Mary the mother of Jesus and he learned a song by the name of Alma Redemptions.The young boy everywhere he went would sing the song. One day he was singing the song walking through the Jewish quaters.On day while walking through Jewish quaters the boy was singing a song and the Jewels felt like he was being disrespectful and just killed him. His mother looked all over the place for him and eventually found him dead. They prepared the boys funreal and the ceremony stated. The boy then rose explained his death and contiued to sing the Alma Redemption.

"Mentor Log"

October 2
3:00pm-5:00pm

Today I met with officer Jones today in his office. We greeted each other with a hello. The same people that was there the last time I was there was in there. I greeted each of them also. Then we sat down in his office and started to get to work. The last time we decided on what my product was going to be unless I would have changed my mind from then to now. Which I have not changed my mind at all because I really like what he came up with. Well we talked about sketching out my informational guide so it can be flawless when I go to print them out. I don't know anyone with a color printer because I want the paper to red with black letters. The idea that I came up with was for them to be elaminated. That would really be cool and it would stand out. The problem is that I don't know how to go about that. Officer Jones didnt know of anyone that does that. My goal is to try to get that done.

Officer Jones asked If I knew what topics I was going to cover in the guide. He said I should include do's and don'ts of avoided getting on probation. I originally thought that probation officer do was go around and see if they were home. That's all I saw my mama do when she was once a probation officer.Officer Jones informed me that they also had to do paper work and make sure their paying fees and keeping up with that kind of stuff. Then I asked offcer Jones would it be good to not include information about how not to get on information but things like how to become one and the education you have to have for it. Either I was going to include the information he suggested or whatI suggested but I havent came to conclusion.


We also was talking about what kind of things I would include in my powerpoint. Then we came to a conclusion that the powerpoint should talk about how not to get on probation and the guide should talk about probation officer line of work and the education or vice versa. Officer Jones think that I should decide on what I want to put where before we start being hands on. So on our next visit I would have put that together. I like what we have come up with so far because at first I was so clueless and didnt know where to start.