Carry It Forward: Hamlet

One of the major plot's in Hamlet, is Hamlet's split personality. With company around, Hamlet seems very vibrant, and happy with joy flowing throughout his body, but when the guests are away, Hamlet turns into a lonely, depressed individual. It is very important to spot this discrepency throughout the book because you would not know what is going on without this crucial information. This split personality has affected Hamlet tremendously since the death of his father. It seems as if he wants people to believe that he has accepted his fathers death, instead Hamlet puts on a show in front of an audience, yet when he is alone he pours out all his real emotions and thoughts.

Research: Shakespeare's Influence

Whether you might realize it or not, Shakespeare is "alive" and prevalent. Many of the cliches that are used now-a-days have stemmed from Shakespeare's poems. Sayings such as, "tongue-tied", and "refuse to budge an inch" are used reguraly but not many people know that these sayings originated from the works of none other than William Shakespeare. That is why, Mayor Daley, the mayor of Chicago, decided to make April 23rd,2009 talk like William Shakespeare Day. Moreover, since Shakespeare intended to put his writings in a play, many of the conversations that transpire are natural and seem to flow very eloquently. However, Shakespeare has impacted our society in a variety of different ways. From the way that we speak, to the ways that we write, Shakespeare has created a lasting impact on literature and the arts.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2009/apr/23/shakespeare-english-modern-cliche

It Matters: Future

Senior year has been a very interesting year because it prepares individuals for their future. The whole process of setting the foundation to the future is very evident this year. With that said, the “50 questions” that we are currently working on have a lot in common. Many of the questions provoke a lot of thought and careful thinking because they refer and give insights to an individual’s future, as well as their current train of thought. These questions that we have been working on give real insight into what I want to do in the future and they are very unique in that respect. Furthermore, the concept of laying the foundations for bigger and better things to come has remained a vital aspect this year especially. All in all, I’ve come to realize that in order to have a great future you need to have a good beginning and I don’t think that many people realize that concept now-a-days. Only when the foundation has been laid, can a house become a great house and the same thing applies to our futures.

Captured Thought: E.E. Cummings' style

While reading various E.E. Cummings poems I realized that he had a sense of uniqueness in his word choosing. Many a times, I misread a line, which my brain automatically thought ended in a certain way, but Cummings manipulates the English language by utilizing various unorthodox forms of syntax and grammar. At first I thought it was a bit childish but after reading more and more of his poems, I realized that without this childish playfullness the poem would not be the same. It weird because it's almost as if Cummings predicted the grammar of the AIM, and instant messaging language with all of its acronyms and shortcuts. With that said, I feel like Cummings has branched out from the traditional poetic forms into his own style of poetry. Furthermore, I think that this helped him express himself more by utilizng what is comfortable to him, rather than following the status quo. Instead Cummings challenegs the poetic status quo by utilizing various new styles which involve a lot of fragmentation and alteration.

Metacognition:Frank Gehry Project Reflection

While working on the Frank Gehry architectural project I realized that there is not one single way to approach his style and his thought. Like Gehry, I tried to draw inspiration from things not only from class but from outside of class as well such as my house, and the environment. With that said, when i went outside over the weekend I found hints of Gehry's thinking throughout our enviornment. For instance, as I was walking to the park I noticed a very unique tree that really stood out to me. I really liked the shape and form of the tree and so our group decided to incorporate this aspect as a part of our Eaton Rapids Library. At first I was skeptical of this style of thinking because I figured that it is necessary to work in an ecademic environment. Boy was I wrong! With that said, i really appreciate what Frank Gehry has done in the architectural world, and i also envy the way that he thinks and the ways that he is able to draw inspiration from seemingly everyday objects.

360 Degree: Obama Presidency

There has been a sense of pandemonium for the last several months as a result of the historical occasion that that was the Obama Presidential Inauguration. With Obama president, it seems as if most people have become more optimistic about U.S. politics. But is it going to be all that gravy? I mean, look at our current state, our country is fighting two wars, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan; our economy is going down the drain, and it seems like we might have to go through another “Great Depression.” As much as I want to be optimistic, I can’t help but think of how to combat this monstrous burden bestowed upon President Obama. However, if there was ever a person better qualified for this job is our current president. Not only does he have the right mindset, but he is also trying to level the playing field by allowing both parties to discuss and share their points-of-view. Although President Obama has some tough tasks to combat, I feel like we are in good hands, knowing that our president will accept the best counter to these tough times not just what the Democrats agree upon. With quite a bit of determination and pride I feel like President Obama will be able to pull us through these tough economic times.

Connection: Obama & MLK Jr.

With the presidential inauguration over, the media has broadcasted many similarities between President Barack Obama with that of Martin Luther King Jr. King’s philosophy of life and liberty have influenced Obama tremendously as seen through his landmark inauguration speech. With that said, there are many more comparisons between MLK and Barack Obama. Obama’s speech itself was very similar to that of what MLK delivered in his famous I Have a Dream. Not to mention the fact that Obama also used many of MLK’s “catchphrases” such as “I have a dream” and Lincoln’s “Four scores and…” Aside from the actual speech, Obama also showed respect and a connection to MLK by choosing the same exact setting for the speech, the Lincoln Memorial. With that said, the major connection was evident through Obama’s speech in which Obama alludes to MLK’s dream for a coexistent species without any prejudice and racism.