“Giving kids clothes and food is one thing but it is much more important to teach them that other people besides themselves are important, and that the best thing they can do with their lives is to use them in the service of other people.” - Dolores Huerta

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Masterpiece Academy Essay

Trust was given, so was respect but usually it was not reciprocated within the class or for the class. Did we deserve it? This question seems invalid since at the beginning of this course we had all merely chosen this class as part of our schedule and truly had no idea what to expect. Did we earn it? Not in all instances, there were times where we created excuses for not completing work; there were also times were we were very truthful and actually had jam packed schedules and were busy 24/7. I think most of the time we took advantage of the trust, as a class, to avoid doing work and simply laze around. But I also feel that it allowed people to realize the type of student they were, whether they chose to be lazy and complain later, or simply get the work done. I feel as though Preston's trust in us took a lot of hits, that he had many reasons not to believe in us. We never really earned Preston's trust, but somehow he managed to let us do our own thing anyway. That was the entire point of the class though, to find out if we could lead ourselves, to see who would go ahead and take advantage of the opportunity and to see who would take advantage of Preston leading a class set up in this way.

 


A couple of works that I enjoyed and that I can connect to my own personal journey are "The Kite Runner," "Hamlet," and "Brave New World." All three of these had a battle against their inner selves, or in a sense had to struggle with making big decisions, decisions that affected them and those around them. I feel like this year was the year we were all forced to make HUGE decisions, not only college/school wise, but family and personally as well. Some of us had to decide if we wanted to move to a different state, whether we wanted to major in this or that, or whether we even wanted to go to college. All these things affected our family as well, emotionally and maybe even physically(moving). 

   


One of my passions is people, in a more specified manner, helping people. My masterpiece aided me in getting to know those around me, to know the people that I may one day attend to in a hospital, or a doctor's office, etc. My passion for helping people has lead me to my future career and job. My passion for helping those in need have led me to enroll as a pre-nursing student. My masterpiece fueled my need to work around people, and to constantly want to have people around me. 



A unifying theme that ran through almost all the presentations was the presence of the future. Most, if not all of the projects spoke and depicted a glimpse at the future for the student presenting. The presentations ran a full circle around majors, careers, and life goals. Five separate examples are Sean, Megan, Taylor, Connor, and Val. Sean spoke eloquently about his already sprouting plans, he talked about what he hopes to change in the world, and about his future job as a politician. Megan spoke about the hardships of being a journalist and of writing in general. Megan mentioned how the hardest thing about this is maintaining your credibility, she also mentioned how she hopes to maintain that truthfulness in her own writing, and how she hopes to remain true to the story and the facts not purposefully exaggerating a story for money.Taylor, who was the first to present, talked about her future job dealing with marine animals. She also mentioned how she hoped to compare the animals she learned about on our coast to those that will be around her school in Hawaii. Connor was a full on business man, he learned about starting up and managing a business. All in practice for his schooling and future career. Val gave us all a little lesson in history, and showed off his teaching skills. Most of the presentations in our class always related back to our future careers, or something we hope to work with/on in the future.


In a sense we are all our own and each other's hero in this journey we call life. My mentors have been the people, things, and situations that I interact with on my way to the "end." The call to adventure is having the guts to face this life day after day, and making the best of every waking moment. The call to adventure is the path each of us, as individuals, take. The obstacles or the challenges we conquer are things from completing every day tasks to getting a degree, to overcoming sadness/depression, to proving stereotypes wrong, and most importantly to changing the world. Because even if we simply take part or start a small revolution, that in itself is already working towards change. And even if we change and completely revolutionize the life of just one person in our life time, we have conquered one of the biggest challenges on this journey. 

Monday, June 8, 2015

Masterpiece Presentation Notes

06/03/2015

Eric, Lukas, Miles, & Emilio:
- "Inglorious Greetings"
- film made to be easy to relate to + humor
- continue film making throughout summer
- parody and satire

Jisu & Naiomi:
- Jisu > always had music in her life, plays piano, clarinet
- Naiomi > to get out of her comfort zone, stop being so reserved
- Korean & Indian culture showcased in two different music videos
- focused on the feelings the music and the accompanying video gave off

06/04/2015

Megan:
- journaling > future major/job
- "every day write about something new"
- biggest lesson = CREDIBILITY
- follow your passion
- interview video of a friend > formatted like the "60 minutes" show > never give up, triumpth over every challenge

06/05/2015

Chase:
- The Search For Stoke
- interview video; people's stoke
- love + passion = stoke

Terry:
- love for nature and connecting it his life
- focus on sustainability & independence

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Masterpiece Presentation Notes

06/01/2015

Sophia:
- gender roles
- rape, focused on the male perspective & statistics, geared to show that it happens to men more often than we think
- double standards concerning gender

Yesenia:
- embracing diversity YET finding the common theme that intertwines humanity
- human learning process > lived experiences
- wisdom through living

Millie:
- family tree & NBA history
- correlations
- mixing two things she loves

06/02/2015

Chrystal & Tia:
- education system, students opinions on school, the environment, and the teachers
- talking about disrespectful students in a classroom environment
- * also provided teacher's perspective
- formulated solutions to the problems students mentioned

Jhaicelle:
- woman leadership
- survival kit
- team building and leadership game

Friday, May 29, 2015

Masterpiece Presentation Notes

5/20/2015

Taylor:
- Internship at aquarium
- learned about animals on our coast, will be able to compare them with Hawaiian animals
- has to do with her major
- developed new intern program for younger students, Taylor was the first

5/21/2015

Laike:
- art & expressive media
- all works have different messages, different thought processes, themes, etc.

5/26/2015

Tyler:
- concept > collective input
- combination of music, photography, photo shop/editing, and clothing
- connected his first theme to our generation, the 1st to always and constantly have computers in our life > led to it being called "WINDOWS"

Jeff:
- coded a game > process over four weeks
- "Donuts & Dragons" > able to play in class

5/28/2015

Connor:
- 3.0 > overall a business theme
- company connection to school > be above average, above 3.0
- trail runs > RHS athletic shirts
- mentor through Preston > lean start up (polls)
- was able to get 3.0 company a booth in One Way
- social media + personalized hashtag
- got a sense for the business and start up

Yun Soo:
- culture & lifestyle of Korea
- trip to Korea moved to the summer
- adjust his culture to the American culture

Val:
-history lesson
- connected to his passion and future major



Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Eating Healthy on a Tight Budget -- College Edition

It seems difficult enough to eat on a budget, but is healthy eating even possible? 


My best friend has recently started a healthy lifestyle, no junk, no high sugars, etc. etc. As we will be living together as of next year (roommates!) I wanted to check out if it was even possible to accomplish/continue this healthy eating in college, especially as freshman. Below I will share some tips I found..


  • focus on the veggies, they offer more nutrients at a low cost; remember that in-season veggies are cheaper
  • stock up on staple foods such as rice, oats, pasta, beans, and veggies; it may cost more up front, but it will be worth it in the long-run 
  • you really don't need that much meat, eat "cheap" protein such as eggs, fish, beans/lentils
  • you really shouldn't care about the brand or company, the name may only be costing you more; opt for the cheaper of the two
  • shop the sales, or look for any markdowns
  • don't drink away your calories or budget, get a Brita Water Filter and drink clean tap water instead
  • Planning out your meals beforehand can relieve stress and will ultimately help you save money. Create a list with the ingredients you need for the following week, this will create a goal and you will most likely stick to what you really need and not just grab items at random. 
  • remember that leftovers can be used; ex: stock from boiling chicken is useful for creating soups, sauces, etc. 

Monday, May 18, 2015

How to Write the Perfect College Essay


  1. Pick your question, unless one is assigned.
  2. Make a schedule, minimize stress. 
  3. Find reputable sources, contact professors for aid.
  4. Read upon the subject, take notes.
  5. Create an outline.
  6. Write the darn thing, remember to refer to past feedback (fix errors) & use correct citation.
  7. Edit the essay.
Final tips:
  1. Engage the subject.
  2. Stay clear in writing.
  3. Do not over-quote.

Sarah Laughed Article - she also has other great articles on organization, how to get the best grades, etc. 

Sunday, May 17, 2015

39 Ways To Cut College Costs

http://collegeinfogeek.com/cut-college-costs/


4. Embrace minimalism.
5. Pay for dorm monthly instead of all in one payment.
10. Keep applying for scholarships in college.
19. Get a credit card, be a deadbeat. (read article for deadbeat definition.)
23. 30-Day impulse buy list. If you don't want it after 30 days, don't buy it.
30. Become passionate about something.
32. Practice mindfulness. 
34. Beware of peer pressure spending.

5 Ways to Take Notes in Class






From now on...

From now on posts on this blog will consist of college related things, especially since at this point the course is geared toward our masterpieces and learning experiences. I want to maintain this blog as somewhat useful for others so things such as hacks, saving tips, major related information, and things I might personally need for future reference will be posted.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Basketball + adventures

Yesterday, on a bit of adventurous whim, three friends and I decided to go play basketball. Well, as I always do, I got a minor injury, a sprained finger. And only now have I realized how useful the thumb is. Last night I could barely move it, making it quite difficult to shower, dress, BRUSH MY TEETH, and all of that daily useful crap. This morning I could barely even write, attempting to finish a last minute group project. (Haha, who assigns something like that this late in the year) Anyway, wish me luck on the 3 essays in 2 hours portion of the AP test tomorrow. What a wonderful time to have a semi-working thumb. Just my luck.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Quote

I never lose. I either win or I learn.

Sonnet Practice

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

Determine whether it's Petrarchan or Shakespearean.  Explain where the shift is and how it influences the overall theme and tone of the work.  


  1.  Petrarchan Sonnet: "a sonnet form popularized by Petrarch, consisting of an octave with the rhyme scheme abbaabba and of a sestet with one of several rhyme schemes, as cdecde or cdcdcd."
  2. Shakespearean Sonnet: "a sonnet form used by Shakespeare and having the rhyme scheme  abab, cdcd, efef, gg.
By the rhyming scheme it is easy to see that this is a Shakespearean Sonnet, it follows the rhyming pattern, as stated in the definition, directly and exactly. The shift in the sonnet begins at "And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare" and ends with "As any she belied with false compare." At this point in the sonnet the narrator ceases to describe the person as regular, or as nothing special, because at first it was as though everything in the world was better than her. At this point, although it is the end, the narrator ceases to critique the woman and her looks and instead focuses on his love for her. It changes the theme to something of romantic aspirations, the tone changes to a more loving one, one that forgives flaws, or comparisons to other people, and instead focuses on the one person they (the narrator) truly loves.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Macbeth Essay ~ Afterthoughts

After doing the essay, I felt a little more confident, not going to lie. I wrote and okay essay, similar to my other essays, in under the 30 minutes. And yes, I am sure it was 30 minutes because I actually timed myself. Does the time necessarily mean I will do well on the AP test next Wednesday? Of course not, but I wrote a mediocre essay in the time given. To be quite honest, I would have written this essay sooner if I had understood the prompt, but I didn't. At least not until Preston explained it to 5th period today. The huge ass quote before the actual prompt seemed to throw me off, but I was able to incorporate slivers of it here and there in my actual essay. Like always, I seem to reiterate things I say within my essay, definitely something I need to work on for the test, and for college essays. I also chose to not write the essay on Macbeth, I chose Lady Macbeth because I felt like I, specifically, could argue it a lot better. I may have done this essay "wrong" or "incorrectly," but Preston also said that this essay was meant to show us the constraints we will have on the real test, a sort of simulation. Overall, my writing needs major improvements, and it always will (there's always room for improvement).

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Masterpiece Progress.

Currently looking for people willing to help with interviewing this year's senior class. Harder/longer process than I expected.

So far people have been extremely honest, and  I have learned multiple new things about even my best/closest friends. This process has shown me that questions are very important, even if your asking them to people you thought you knew everything about. I hope this project does give a little bit of insight to the lives of others. And that people realize that we have different backgrounds, different primary languages, different skin color, yet we face similar struggles, we face similar situations. But we must also realize that people react differently to similar situations. This is an eye opening experience, and it really drives home the message of appearance vs reality.

If anyone wishes to help out, email me at l25pliego@gmail.com (lowecase L, not a one), or leave a comment with your email and I will add you to the "RHS Seniors" BLOG.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Mabeth Act V ~ Study Questions

5.11. The gentlewoman has witnessed Lady Macbeth doing things in her sleep, like getting up and writing a letter. She doesn't want to reveal what Lady Macbeth says, and isn't sure if the Doctor will believe her.

2. Lady Macbeth reveals that she has murderous blood on her hands, and she feels as though she cannot rid herself of the blood and its smell. In a way she reveals that she and Macbeth planned Banquo's death or that they have been highly affected by his death and fear his ghost. The Doctor seems to be relating this to the unnatural, maybe to the witches.

 
5.21. The soldiers are heading near Birnam Wood to meet Malcolm, Siward, and Macduff. The mentions of Birnam Wood and Dunsinane remind us of one of the apparitions from the witches, the third one that told Macbeth no danger would come to him until both of these areas come against him.


5.31. The servants bring reports that Malcolm has organized an army and an attack against Macbeth. Macbeth says he is not afraid because the spirits told him that no man born from a woman would have power over him. He thinks of himself as fearless and powerful.


2. The Doctor says Lady Macbeth is troubled and is unable to sleep. Macbeth wishes the Doctor could remove those agonizing memories from her bosom, remove anything that is harming her or give her some type of anecdote to forget what makes her restless and troubled.


5.41. Malcolm tells the soldiers to bring before Macbeth a bough, to pretend as though they are the woods moving towards Macbeth. This will confuse Macbeth greatly and give him the idea that he is going mad.

5.51. "The cry of women" signifies that something has gone terribly wrong. In his famous speech Macbeth is saying that life is useless, you live an unfruitful life only to die, life goes at an irrelevant pace, full of insignificant details. He truly believes life is useless, that we are given the chance to prance about for an hour on the glorious stage, and then it is all taken from us. Life is a shadow, far from the appearance it gives. At this point he feels life is not worth living without his wife, without her he has no sense of direction for life.
2. The messenger brings the news that the woods are moving, slowly creeping towards Macbeth. Macbeth is angered by this' foolish' piece of news, and believes the witches have lied and deceived him. His mood at the end of the scene is ready to fight, armed and in a sense prepared. He will not go out with a whimper, he wants to put on a fight.
 
5.61. In this scene we learn that the men were being the tree branches. Siward and his son are in the first line of battle, Macduff and Malcolm are taking up what other thing is left to do. 


5.71. At the beginning of the scene Macbeth's attitude can be classified as hopeless, yet prepared to defend himself. In his encounter with Young Siward Macbeth is once again called a tyrant, a battle follows and Young Siward is killed.


5.8 
1. Macduff is looking for Macbeth, he wants to slay him himself in order to rid himself of the guilt of having left his family defenseless.
5.9 
1. Malcolm and Siward are able to enter the castle so easily because it is not very protected, most of the men are out fighting. 


5.10 
1. Macduff delivers the information that he was born by "c-section" and technically not "from a woman." Macbeth responds by saying he will not fight. He fights because he does not want to become a servant to Malcolm, he does not want to kiss the dirt at his feet, and in this instance rather die than be showcased as a tyrant. 


5.11 
1. Siward is not very upset, instead he sees it as a great honor to die during battle defending a cause. He even says "he's worth no more" sorrow.

2. Malcolm promises his followers titles, and the return of exiled friends. He also says Lady Macbeth took her own life. Should we believe him? It is possible, the pressure and the secrets seemed to be getting to her, but it was also a fight for power and she might have been offed. 

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Macbeth's Way of Ruling ~ Today's Journal Topic

Revisit today's journal topic on your blog through the eyes of the author. What literary/characterization techniques does Shakespeare use to suggest how Macbeth will rule?  Use textual examples to illustrate your claims.  

I feel as though Shakespeare is trying to transmit the message that Macbeth is a controllable yet tyrannical leader. The reader is easily able to see he is controllable or easily persuaded through multiple instances/people. For example, the only reason he killed Duncan was because his wife basically forced him to; the only reason he deeply desired to be thane and king was because the witches mentioned it to him. Macbeth is really good at following orders, even if his conscience warns him against future actions. Shakespeare seems to be calling Macbeth a tyrant in very simple terms. In two conversations within the first four acts, Macbeth has been referred to as a tyrant. This may just be how people portray him, but his actions don't necessarily speak otherwise. An honest, rightful, and essentially "good" King would not murder for power, he would not murder people out of fear of being overthrown, he would not murder the family & servants of a man thought to be a traitor. 

Macbeth Act IV ~ Active Reading Notes

Scene 1:

  • Setting/surroundings: similar to those of when the witches first appeared, creates a dark/ominous tone 
  • "Double, double toil and trouble./Fire burn, and cauldron bubble." > this simple song has been used in so many other forms in current culture; what came to mind as soon as I read the line was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it has also been used in popular shows like Supernatural and such
  • Witches are creating some sort of potion(may be for Macbeth), they are being instructed by Hecate
  • Macbeth enters and asks what they are doing; witches do not reply directly and instead ask if he wants to speak to their masters
  • First apparition > armed head  > warns Macbeth of Macduff, the thane of Fife
  • Second apparition > bloody child > says that none will do harm to Macbeth
  • Third apparition > crowned child > says he will not be vanquished until "Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill/Shall come against him."
  • show of 8 kings, the last being Banquo, appears > showing the line of kings, Banquo's children being included(?)
  • witches vanish, Lennox says he did not see them go; notice that Macduff has fled to England reaches Macbeth's ears
  • Macbeth planning to attack Macduff's castle in Fife, orders all family and people found to be killed
Scene 2:
  • Lady Macduff angry/worried at her husband having left, noting that this suspicious travel will make them look like traitors
  • direct characterization of Macduff: "He is noble, wise, judicious"
  • simile: live as the birds do - off what is given to them > Son to Lady Macduff
  • indirect characterization of Lady Macduff: "Why, I can buy me twenty at any market." (speaking of husbands) as well as "If he were dead, you'ld weep for/him: if you would not, it were a good sign/that I should quickly have a new father.
  • Lady Macduff reveals to her Son that his father was a traitor
  • Messenger comes in and warns Lady Macduff to take her kids and leave
  • Murderers enter and kill the Son while Lady Macduff runs off
Scene 3:
  • Malcolm and Macduff speaking, Malcolm calls Macduff a tyrant
  • Malcolm seems to want to murder Macbeth
  • Malcolm is testing Macduff's loyalty and trustworthiness
  • Doctor mentions a disease of some sort, called "the evil"
  • Ross appears telling the men that people have been slaughtered, but that Macduff's family is fine (as last seen by Ross) > then Ross reveals that they too have been killed
  • Macduff then agrees to join in the fighting and to take personal revenge on Macbeth> urged on by Malcolm

Monday, April 20, 2015

mactwist

Imagine how the plot, theme, and tone of Macbeth would be different if Macbeth could gain more power by becoming good at something or learning something, rather than benefiting through another's loss.

If Macbeth could achieve value through obtaining an ability, becoming an expert at something, simply becoming a better human being, the entire plot, theme, and tone would change drastically. Macbeth would achieve a higher standing in society without having to drench his hands in the blood of the innocent, he would have no need to murder whether it be to get a higher standing or to remove a "threat." Macbeth would have no need to create a loss for someone, he would have no need to benefit from any negative situations. Themes would also change because things like "foul is fair, fair is foul," and appearance vs reality no longer truly fit. It would instead seem to turn to a moral lesson-type story, or something along the lines of achieving one's true purpose, or about making oneself the best one can become, etc. The tone would go from dark, ambiguous, and cruel to something a bit more cheerful, powerful, honest or enlightening. If the entire plot of Macbeth changed, their would be no conflict among the characters, external conflict would be nonexistent, instead internal conflict would come into play. Internal conflict would occur in a very distinct way as it currently does in the story, Macbeth would not be paranoid and pondering whether he should murder his best friend, instead he would be weighing pros and cons of situations, where to go in a situations, etc. 

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Macbeth Act III ~ Active Reading Notes

Scene 1:


  • Banquo seems to believe foul play was involved in Macbeth's "fate"
  • Macbeth seems to be spreading the rumor that Duncan's sons are the true murderers that have run away from justice
  • Macbeth's lunacy has begun; he seems to believe Banquo wants to replace him
  • Allusion: Macbeth = Caesar, Banquo = Mark Anthony
  • Macbeth has hired to murderers to deal with Banquo and his son Fleance
  • Repetition: when mentioning the death of a characters hell and heaven are always mentioned, bidding farewell to the soul and saying "hopefully you can find yourself in heaven"
Scene 2:
  • Metaphor: "Full of scorpions is my mind" - head full of cruel/evil thoughts
  • Macbeth tells his wife that others are trouble and they must be murdered, he tells her to at innocent of the knowledge
Scene 3:
  • The three murders complete half their job, Fleance gets away
Scene 4:
  • Setting: Macbeth's dinner/party
  • motif: the image of a snake keeps appearing
  • Murders tell Macbeth that Banquo's son has escaped
  • Banquo appears at the dinner and takes Macbeth's seat
  • Macbeth releases his guest as his wife sees him acting bizarre
  • Macbeth will go visit the witches tomorrow to know what remains of his story, he will do all in his power to remain king
Scene 5:
  • Hecate reprimands the three witches for meddling with Macbeth and something as huge as death
  • Hecate is "the mistress of their charms"
  • Hecate tells the witches that Macbeth will hear fake prophecies, bringing him false security and plenty confusion
  • "security /Is mortals' chiefest enemy"
Scene 6: 
  • in a conversation between Lennox and a Lord we find out that Fleance is blamed for the death of his father (Banquo); they also reveal that Macbeth is rendered a tyrant
  • from the conversation we also learn that Macduff has asked the English King for aid in waging a war against the tyrant