Would FEDGO work in our society today?

If there is one thing that is certain in life is that all transcendentalists are different. FEDGO is a totally unique nation that is suitable for everyone to do what they love, and live in the type of place that they love. Even though some think a transcendentalist society, like FEDGO, would work well in today’s society but, different climates, unique laws, and resources of the nation are only available on two of the islands, are why a transcendentalist society could never work today.

Even though there are many characteristics about FEDGO that would not work in our society today, one that would is the eco-friendliness of FEDGO. FEDGO is powered only by wind, solar, geothermal, and any other renewable energy source. Our society today is starting to be influenced by the green movement. Eventually, the world will be out of fossil fuels. So, renewable energy sources will become a must. Today in our world, cars, houses, and even huge buildings are being powered in ways that produce no pollution at all. In a way that is very similar to FEDGO. Today’s society is similar to FEDGO regarding the green movement however; there are many characteristics about FEDGO that would not be possible in our world today.

            On every different island of FEDGO, a different climate exists. For example, island F is similar to the fall, island E is like a spring time island, island D has a tropical feel, island G is like summer, and island O is similar to winter with mountains on it. On islands that would only be a few miles from each other, the various climates would not be possible in today’s world naturally. The different types of weather could be attainable. One could make a ski hill in the desert, by putting it in a large dome or other type of building. The snow would just be made from a snow machine. Any one of the islands could be produced unnaturally, but that would be going against one of the Transcendentalism ideals. Like the ideal of being one with and respecting nature. Creating false climates would not be respecting nature, so the different island climates in the transcendentalist society of FEDGO would not work in creating a transcendentalist society like it in today’s world.

            The laws of FEDGO are not like the laws of our world today. FEDGO laws are: No Bullying, No littering, No production of anything using harsh chemicals or dangerous substances,  Not participating in community service is against the law, and Not participating in the green movement is viewed as inappropriate. In our society these laws of FEDGO are not laws of our society and it is doubtful that they will become laws except for the production of things using harsh chemicals, which is regulated. Bullying and Littering are generally not accepted in our world, but there is nothing that will stop it. Community Service and being a part of the green movement are things that the people of FEDGO must be a part of, but in today’s society people are a part of those things by choice and will not be forced into them any time in the near future.

            Only two islands in FEDGO are involved with food production and those are islands F and E. In FEDGO there would never be any problems with that but in today’s world there definitely would be. In the world today the islands with all the food and resources would have all the power and would be running the nation. Not on FEDGO, the food and resources are shared and traded equally so everyone can prosper. This would just not be possible in how our society works today. The people or nations with the resources in today’s would keep them for themselves and try to make as much money for themselves as possible, so then they can do whatever they want with it. In FEDGO, not everything is about the money it is about people doing what they love to do. Unfortunately, that is not the case in our world today.

The transcendentalist society of FEDGO would just not be possible today due to many factors. People would not be able to live in peace or follow the laws, and the many different climates in FEDGO would not work in our society naturally. Some think a transcendentalist society, like FEDGO, would work well in today’s society however, different climates, unique laws, and resources of the nation are only available on two of the islands, are why a transcendentalist society could never work today.

           

           

           

Dangers Of Non-Conformity in The Dead Poets Society

 
   In The Dead Poets Society, conformity is everywhere. Starting with the all boys prep school, called Welton. The teachers are all old white men, that are exactly the same except that their names are different, that only teach by the textbook. There is no innovation in how they teach and there probably never will be. The boys at Welton are under so much pressure, by their teachers and parents to conform. The teachers and parents want the children to all attend Ivy League schools for college to become doctors, lawyers, or bankers. The boys at Welton are discouraged if they attempt to think for themselves or live their dream, until a new English teacher is brought into the mix.
     The new English teacher at Welton, Mr. Keating, is different from the norm at Welton. He is younger and has a new way of teaching the boys and he believes in helping them achieve their goals. Mr. Keating urges the boys to be non-conformists, and think for themselves. "Carpe Diem" he tells them, seize the day. The students in his class heed this information and reconvene "The Dead Poets Society" club. They all have their own goal that they become inspired to achieve because of the Mr. Keating and the other members of the club. For Neal Perry, that dream is acting. He went against his father's wishes, but he did not care. He was good and he loved it. Ultimately his father, pressured Neal to do what he wanted, which was to be a doctor. Neal could not take it any more so in his final act of non-conformity and freeing himself, he committed suicide. The blame was put on Mr. Keating for encouraging him to act. The "Dead Poets Society" boys were also punished for having the club. The dangers of non-conformity are present because the school and its administration were so against transcendentalism and in the end Mr. Keating was fired for teaching and inspiring the boys to be non-conformists.

Transcendentalist T-shirt Post

     After I had made my shirt which starred the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' faces on a pizza on the front of my shirt, I was not sure how my day was going to play out. I know it was not very transcendentalist of me, but I was getting pangs of anxiety, wondering if people would think I was totally weird. However, after I went to English class and saw everyone else's shirts I decided to embrace this new experience.
     At the end of the day I realized how easy it was to wear the shirt. I did not get any questions or strange looks. I was usually the first to tell people about why I was wearing a crazy looking shirt with Leo, Donny, Mike and Raph front and center. Looking back on the whole experience, I would most definitively do it again and I would add even more of myself to the shirt.

Transcendentalism Post

                Transcendentalism cannot be clearly defined; there would not be a right or wrong answer. A modern day transcendentalist could be anyone, as long as one wholeheartedly believes it. In the modern day pop culture, Betsey Johnson can be considered a transcendentalist.

Betsey Johnson is a clothing designer that creates magnificently wacky pieces that she and girls all around the world adore. She definitely rocks her own one-of-a- kind style; she will always be found with bleach blonde bluntly cut hair, bright red lipstick, and an outfit that is extremely over the top. She is also known for doing cartwheels at the end of her fashion shows. Betsey is most definitely and individual. She inspires girls to make their own fashion choices and dress in a way that makes them feel confident and beautiful.

Betsey did not always have success, but she kept doing what she knew she did best and now she owns and runs a multi-million dollar company. All of her hard work and belief in herself also rewarded her with a Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement in Fashion in 2009 given to her by The National Arts Club. Betsey’s determination and trust in herself inspires many young designers and women to succeed and live their dreams, while dressing however they choose.

http://hookedonhouses.net/2008/06/19/designer-betsey-johnsons-pink-penthouse/

http://www.chinawholesalelots.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/3611f_betsey-johnson-spring2011-590kb091410.jpg

Walden Essay

        

           People have forgotten what it means to live a simple life. Spending time with family and relaxing at home is now considered a luxury, compared to earlier days when it was not. Henry David Thoreau is a strong believer in simplicity. He would be shocked if he saw the world today. Technology has become a huge part of our everyday lives and people of today could not imagine living without it.  Technology has become such an important part of our society and so advanced, that people are not able to simplify their lives in the modern age.

            People cannot simplify their lives in the modern age because of technology. Technology has become such an important part of everyday life. It is agreeable that times were much simpler back in the day. There were not any cell phones; there was no facebook or twitter to distract from the more important things in life, like spending time with family for instance. People forget that simplicity is beautiful. “Let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand…keep your accounts on a thumbnail” (Thoreau 491). This quote from Thoreau’s Walden is completely relevant to today. Our world runs on the pace of a cheetah. Everyone had has at least five different tasks going on at once and a million things to do. Simplicity while using the technology of the modern day is dead. People are so attached to technology that it has become a major factor in their lives however, they are constantly having to learn something new.

            Always having to learn something new with the technology of today makes it nearly impossible to simplify lives today. Most of the human race has trouble keeping up with what it the “new” technology. There seems to be a new amazing tool out on the market before one can learn how to use the old product efficiently. With man always having to compete, they always want the newest, best, or coolest items. “Simplify, simplify. Instead of three meals a day, if it be necessary eat but one; instead of a hundred dishes, five; and reduce other things in proportion” (Thoreau 491). Thoreau goes to the extreme with his ideas on simplicity, but he is right when it comes to how excessive the human race has become. The people of the world all want more and more material goods. Life cannot be simple with everyone becoming obsessed with technology and improvement. Man has lost the sense of a down-to-earth way of living.

            Technology has become so complex and such a significant part of the world today, that people are not able to simplify their lives in the modern age. Humans cannot stop using their technology for long enough to obtain simplicity in their lives and they cannot learn and master the technology they have before something new is out that they must have. People need to listen to the words of Thoreau and set down their iPhones and take a look at the simplistic beauty all around them.

The Declaration of Independence

by Ellie Zak

There are times in life when those without authority or any means of assuming authority must stand up for what they believe in. When it impacts the life they will lead, and the path to success in achieving their dreams, they should be permitted to make their opinions heard. In those occasions when an entire group of people agree upon changes that must be made, it should be in the best interest of those with authority over the aforementioned group to put their best effort in to reaching the prospect of the changes deemed necessary. We, the student body of Grosse Pointe South, take it upon ourselves to express the faults within the classrooms, the school, and the school district. Year after year, the curriculum within Michigan schools stays generally the same, with very few changes. Adults are often afraid of change, even if those changes that could be made would benefit the students who go through that set of courses. But we have decided that something must be done to fix that, and we must move out of the rut that the Grosse Pointe School district seems to be stuck in. Without consequences put forth and voiced by the student body, there is no motivation for teachers, staff, and administers to make those changes that promote the higher quality of learning.

They have limited the amount of teams and clubs students want to run and participate in.  Students have many interests and to form a team or club we need staff sponsors. Some teachers are not willing to donate their time after school limiting the amount extracurricular activities. The students that would like to have new teams or clubs are not able because of the lack of teacher effort. We are unsatisfied by the lack of teacher effort, and the lack of activities that students would like to have.

They have limited the amount of snow days because Grosse Pointe is a walking District. We do not take buses but that does not mean that students do not drive themselves to school. It is dangerous for anyone to drive on the snow covered and icy roads and is especially dangerous for new drivers. For the students that walk to and from school it is hard, because the sidewalks are not cleared or salted that often. Students and teachers slip on the icy sidewalks walking into school and injure themselves. The community would be safer if we could stay home on excessively snowy days.

They have placed fees on our athletics. They have required these fees multiple times a year. They have refused to let us play without these fees, when we cannot pay. They have insisted we pay these fees, even if our sport requires more money to pay for other things. They make us pay these fees still, if we fundraise, or gain separate donations.

They have increased the amount of homework for students at Grosse Pointe South. We are at school for eight hours and then have to spend four or more hours on homework every night. That is way too much time. We all have many extracurricular activities and do not have the time for piles of homework. Teachers do not understand that we have six other classes everyday that give us excessive amounts of homework. The students at Grosse Pointe South have to stay up into the late hours of the night, to finish their homework and that is not healthy.

They have given students many different essay formats. We as students should have one essay format that is consistent in every class. The lack of a constant essay format creates confusion while writing essays for the student body. Essays are a large part of our grade and if we use the wrong essay format our grade could suffer. The absence of one essay format for the school makes it unclear which essay format the student body should follow.

They have placed tests from multiple classes on one day. They have placed stress upon us, when we know that studying for multiple tests is nearly impossible. They have deprived us of time to study when studying requires material from several classes that are very time consuming. They have deprived us of a good grade when we could not study. They have given us a disadvantage against other students with different teachers, who would be given more time to study their class’s material.

They have increased the amount of non-academic requirements. Unnecessary classes like gym, health, and a computer class should not be required for students at Grosse Pointe South. We took those classes all through elementary and middle school. For a student that is not interested in those classes, they limit the amount of classes they can take that are relevant to their future career. The student body is not saying that those classes should be eliminated from Grosse Pointe South; they should just not be required.

They have restricted schools we are allowed to attend. Students in Kindergarten through 8^th grade should be allowed to choose the school they want to go to.  Families move and we are forced to switch from their former schools. We should not have to be separated from our prior friendships formed at designated schools by you.  Students also have unique learning complications, and they should be able to go to schools that they can benefit most from.  Without being able to choose our schools the students may have to switch schools, or attend school unfit to help with their unique learning abilities.

They have reserved days to be only eight hours. They have not added hours to our day specifically for work, so that we could go home homework free. They have not added hours to our day specifically for sports, so that they do not run late into the day after school. They have not added time after school, to get more done, and provide for an extra day off. They have not placed a few extra hours on a school day for work, or sports, which would provide for an extra day off and a stress free environment at home.

They have not provided for a more flexible schedule. They have not allowed students to take one class off each week to provide for more study time or to pursue other activities. They have not allowed individual time in school to pursue activities outside of school, like sports. They have not given time in school for individual study that may result in higher testing scores. They have not even allowed giving up a class per week for individual study when an elective cannot be given up for a tutorial.       

Therefore, we, the student body, following the precedent set by our nation’s founding fathers, with the will of justice and right, severe the bonds and secede from the tyrannical and archaic establishment, and assert our right to teams without high and individual fees; the access to a system of testing where the tests are set at different dates, not piled on one day; the ability to graduate with the necessity of acquiring credits from classes that are not academic; the sanctity to days off from school when there’ enough school that other local districts are closed; the creation of a uniform way to write essays for every class in school; the freedom for a balanced and reasonable load of nightly homework; the freedom to step classes; the easing of how difficult it is to form clubs in school; the much increased level of education that would be received in a day with two extra hours, ne for sports and one a homework period; and the power to chose which school we want to go to, as long as it is in the district and you live in the district, for grades K-8. It is not logical or right, that we the student body, should struggle on while burdened by these tyrannical policies of the establishment, and if it is possible for these rights to be gained by sedition from the establishment, then we have the right, we have no choice but to secede from the oppression we are currently faced with.

Crucible Epilogue

          

Crucible Epilogue

Abigail and Mercy Lewis board the ship that is going to take them to Virginia to get away from Salem and the witch trials which she had mostly been the cause of. She was not going to be held accountable for all the murders, if the town ever came to their senses. Abigail knew that witches were not real and she certainly knew what she had done to herself to convince the judges that witches were most definitely real.

            After the one month journey from Salem to Johnstown, Northern Virginia, Abigail was feeling pretty good about herself. She had a plan to get rid of Mercy. Abigail had been pretending to be nice to her for the whole trip. Just so she would be even more vulnerable. Their boat lands at the dock, and they go and find the nearest inn where they can stay for the time being. Abigail has Mercy pay for the whole room for the first few months. Every time, it is time to pay Abby finds some way to convince Mercy to pay. Sooner or later she will exhaust all of Mercy’s money…which is part of her plan.

            After the sixth month, Mercy was completely out of resources and it was time for Abby to make her move. Abby skips town and leaves Mercy Lewis to fend for herself. It was cruel but she had to do it to get rid of her so she could move quicker and complete her plan.

            When Abigail leaves Mercy by surprise she meets with, Howard Jacobs, a man she had met a few weeks back. She greets him with a passionate kiss. They hop into his carriage and are headed anywhere but Johnstown, Virginia.  They have been travelling north for a few hours; they are deep into the woods. The carriage runs over a rock and the back right wheel falls off. The shock of the crash makes Howard drop the horse’s reins and the skittish horse runs off. Once they get up and find their bearings, they realize that their lanterns have fallen over and the dry fall leaves are all aflame. The fire was spreading faster than any other fire they had ever seen. Within seconds Abigail and Howard are surrounded by a wall of fire. A face appears in the orange blaze and it starts to talk to Abigail. “Abigail, you must go to Reverend Hale and threaten to kill his family if he does not help you spread the witch trials around the colonies and the world. You helped me so much in Salem; you got all of my witches to their home with me. If you succeed in this task, I will give John Proctor back to you. If you fail, you will be in hell alone.” The Devil is gone and so is Howard. Abigail is extremely frightened by her encounter with the Devil but she knows what she must do.

Abigail finds one of the lanterns and lights it again with the flames that are still left from the inferno. She wanders through the forest all night and finally finds her way back to Johnstown by dawn. To her luck there is a boat leaving for Beverly that morning. She has only a few short weeks to plan before she will be in Beverly and have to kidnap Reverend Hale and hold him hostage until he agrees to what she wants.

Abigail’s boat anchors in Beverly, she looks like a different person, she cut her hair and is disguising herself so she is not recognized by the townspeople. She spots Hale and plans to follow him all day, until she can get him alone. Hale walks through town greeting his citizens warmly, he seems to be happier than he was in Salem a year back. Abigail spots her perfect opportunity; Hale is alone and walks into a small shed. She quickly follows him in and slams the door shut. She pulls out her knife. “Reverend Hale, it is Abigail Williams.” Shocked he does not reply. “The Devil just recently came to me and told me that he needs you to help me spread the witch trials all over the colonies and the world.”

“No I will not help you with that, you evil being,” replied Hale.

“Oh, but you must or else I am going to kill your family.” Hale tries to escape the shed, but she stops him by pulling out her knife and placing it over his heart. He steps back and puts a foot of distance between them. “The first victim that you will charge witchcraft on will be your wife. The decision of her life will be up to the judges. You must be convincing or I will torture her and your sons. Accuse her today. You may go.” Abigail lets him walk out but makes sure he knows that she will be following him everywhere he goes.

Hale goes to the judges of the town and is very convincing in his accusation of his wife. The judges are confused why he would do such a thing because they knew how much he hated the witch trial in Salem. Goody Hale is called into court and questioned. To Hale’s dismay she does not confess to witchcraft so she is condemned to be hung in three days.

            Abigail is very proud of her work so far, and she keeps telling Reverend Hale who she wants him to accuse next. She loves her power, just like she loved the power she had in Salem.

Soon Hale is getting tired of this nonsense and cannot see one more innocent person die after his wife was hung that morning. For a brief moment when Abigail is not in sight, Hale grabs a knife from his kitchen and hides it in his jacket. When Abigail walks into the kitchen a superior force overcomes Hale and he grabs Abby and pins her against the wall. “I am not standing for this nonsense any more. I just watched my wife die because of you and…” Abigail stabs him with the knife she has in her hand. Before he even falls to the floor she is gone.

Abigail Williams is never seen or heard of again. However, witch trials and mysterious murders kept happening for years after her disappearance.   

                                                                 

Crucible Essay

The Crucible, by Arthur Miller is based in Puritan Massachusetts in the town of Salem in the year of 1692. The play is focused on the girls accusing people of witchcraft and the people that know the girls are lying and are against the accusations. Rumors are spread throughout the town and the fear of the citizens of Salem blinds them all. Their common sense is thrown out the window and the only thing they can think is witches. In The Crucible, there are many characters that contribute to the Salem witch trials, the three most responsible are Mary Warren, Reverend Parris and the character most responsible is Abigail.

Reverend Parris is responsible for the Salem witch trials. He finds his daughter Betty, niece Abigail, slave Tituba and all of their friends dancing in the forest. He immediately thinks that they are doing the Devil’s work and conjuring spirits. Those things were not allowed in Puritan times. He scares the girls and Betty then takes sick and will not speak. She looks like she is dead but she is still breathing. “No- no there be no unnatural cause here. Tell him I have sent for Reverend Hale of Beverly, and Mr. Hale will surely confirm that. Let him look to medicine and put out all thought of unnatural causes here. There be none” (9). Parris does not want to look to witchcraft for Betty’s illness, but he calls for Reverend Hale just to check things out. By calling Hale, Parris gets everyone in the town all worked up about the possibility of witches in their village. If Parris would have just let Betty play her little game for a few days, she would eventually snap out of it because of human needs. Abigail would have never gotten the idea to accuse innocent people of working with the Devil.        

Mary Warren is also in responsible for the witch trials. She knows that Abigail is falsely accusing Elizabeth Proctor of sending her spirit on her and stabbing her with a needle. Mary saw Abigail put the needle into the doll that she made for Elizabeth. To save his wife, John Proctor makes Mary Warren go to court and tell the judges that Abigail and all the other girls are lying. “I-I cannot tell how, but I did. I-I heard the other girls screaming, and you, Your Honor, you seemed to believe them, and I- It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried spirits, spirits, and I-I promise you, Mr. Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not” (106). Mary is telling the judges that the whole feeling of the courtroom was making her feel like there were actually spirits being sent upon her. They ask her to faint like she did in the courtroom before but, she cannot. What was stopping her? If she would have shown the judges she could faint on command the judges would be suspicious of Abigail and all of her followers. Mary Warren could have ended the witch trials and that is why she is one of the characters most responsible for them.

            Abigail is the most responsible for the Salem witch trials. She is the mastermind throughout the whole play. Abby has power and she loves it. She can accuse people of being innocent or guilty of witchcraft. The judges always believe her, so if she did not want someone around anymore, they could be put in jail or hanged by saying a few words or faking a faint. “I want to open myself! I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss his hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil” (48)! Abby says this when Reverend Hale is trying to get Tituba, to confess to working with the Devil. Abby sees Tituba’s confession as a way to get power in the town and be the ultimate puppeteer in the lives of the citizens of Salem. Abigail says that she was with the Devil and says she saw Sarah Good, Goody Osburn, and Bridget Bishop. It was easy for her to accuse them even though she knew the consequences of witchcraft could result in death.  As soon as Abby starts saying these things Betty wakes up all of a sudden and starts calling out innocent people’s names too. Abigail is most responsible for the witch trials because she ultimately started the accusations and kept them going until she ran away.

There are many people in The Crucible that were responsible for the witch trials in Salem, the three most responsible characters are Reverend Parris, Mary Warren, and Abigail. Parris was responsible because he overreacted about Betty’s “illness” and had the whole town in frenzy about witchcraft. Mary was responsible because she could have ended the whole ordeal but she did not. Abigail is most responsible for the witch trials because she stroked the match that started the wildfire of witchcraft accusations. The whole play is full of “what ifs”, but the ultimate question starts with what would have happened if Reverend Parris never had sent for Reverend Hale.    

Crucible Post #2

      In "The Crucible", John Proctor tells Reverend Hale that he believes in witches even though he does not. He does this to save himself and his family from being accused as devil worshippers or witches. Which does not end up saving them from the rash accusations of witchcraft in Salem.
     I am all for standing up for what you believe in and for yourself, in today's time. However, in Salem at that time I would definitely consider my options about the choice between lying or standing up for my rights. The court was insane back then. If anyone said anything that was not Christian about a person that accused person was immediately guilty. As an example, in the book Tituba quickly confessed to witchcraft when she heard Hale say that she would no longer be charged or hanged if she confessed. Which I thought was completely backwards. In our times, if someone confesses to a crime they are charged with jail time, they are not rewarded for telling the truth. In Puritan times I would probably confess to witchcraft if I was charged, just to protect my life. However, in today's time I would not confess until I was proven guilty.

Crucible Post 1

          Power is an important idea in "The Crucible". Reverend Parris is obsessed with power, even when his own daughter is ill he is thinking about himself and his job at the church. He does not want to believe that Betty could be ill because of witchcraft or the Devil because it would embarrass him because he is the minister of Salem. Even though Parris sends for Reverend Hale of Beverly who is a known witch hunter, Parris says, "A precaution only. He has much experience in all demonic arts,", he does not want to believe that Betty could be under some kind of spell. In the beginning of act one the power of the church rests with Parris. Some of the power over the people rests with Parris, but some power goes to Thomas Putnam. (pages 14-15) Putnam and his daughter Ruth are always accusing the people of Salem, and they are almost always witnesses in their trials. If the people Putnam accuses get sentenced to death, their land goes up for an auction and since Putnam is the richest man in Salem he can buy their land. Being the richest man in town gives him some power in the town.
     However, in the end of act one all the power goes to the girls. In Parris' eyes children are second class citizens. That is why the shift in power is very dramatic. The girls have all the power, the most important girl is Abigail because she is the ringleader of the girls. They hold the power because they can say anyone in the town is a witch and people will actually believe them! The citizens of Salem's fear of the Devil throws all common sense out the door. Witches were absolutely real in their eyes because that is what the Bible said. The girls essentially are murderers because they are accusing innocent people of witchcraft and the innocent people are getting sentenced to death.

"Sinners" Follow Up Post

     Even though our society today is not as religious as it was in the 1700's when the "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon was first delivered by Johnathan Edwards, people still get pretty creeped out by the sermon. Today some still wonder if they are going to go to hell because the sermon can be so convincing that God is an angry God. An example of his wrath is stated "He is not only able to cast wicken men into Hell, but he can most easliy do it." This means that God does not even think twice about sending someone to hell. That was a little frightening. Also, the section in the sermon that asks one to think about the hatered that they have for the most venemous snake and then Edwards says that God hates them ten thousand times more than they hate the snake. I am pretty sure that people of today would respond to that in the same way as the people of the 1700's. The readers of today might not be as frightened as the people of the 1700's but, they are still get the chills from reading this sermon.

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" Post

            The video is an introduction to the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, which was delivered by Jonathan Edwards on July 8^th, 1741. It is the most famous sermon ever preached on American soil and is known today as an amazing text. When read today, people are stricken with terror from the metaphor he used on the wrath of God.  However our reaction is nowhere close to the terror that the people felt when he first delivered it. The sermon created controversy and was pulling colonies away from European Christianity. The Great Awakening began which is a spiritual revival and left a permanent imprint on American life. Edwards states that hell is a real place and he prayed for his people to awaken to the reality of sin.

            I would expect to hear about the horrors of hell. About the sins one would commit that would take them to hell. Also, what hell would be like and how long one would be stuck there.  Also, I would expect to hear about other things that might happen after death if sins aren’t absolved. Which one would imagine to be terrible considering the fear that the people felt when Edwards first delivered the sermon. I think that Edwards is going to push baptism to the people. He will say that baptism will absolve them of their original sin. Edwards might tell the people in the sermon of all the things an angry God would do to a sinner. I am curious to know what the metaphor is about the wrath of God. I am curious about the whole sermon actually and how could it scare people so much.

             

Descriptive Post

     A small cluster of an immense crowd of silhouettes. Their hands in the air making fists or the rock and roll hand sign. The concert hall would be pitch black if it weren't for the glow of the soft pink, golden yellow, lavender and periwinkle lights. The open space of the left half of the photo is colored a soft bubble gum colored blush and the right side lighting shifts from purple to blue. The lead singer looks like he is far from the silhouettes and raised up higher by the stage. He is translucent, a ghost, a shadow cast against the wall of pink light. The picture is joyful and has a sense of excitement captured within it. One can almost feel the vibrations coming from the speakers and running through the body, smell the sweat and cigarettes, and hear sounds of the Foo Fighters.



http://www.google.com/imgres?q=concert&hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=HJFuokTU8gjF7M:&imgrefurl=http://www.tonsoftickets.com/&docid=0TJhkgQweeDMcM&w=500&h=333&ei=tppuTvOkO-6ssALd9-noBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=199&vpy=160&dur=484&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=183&ty=97&page=1&tbnh=164&tbnw=236&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0&biw=1366&bih=513

Class Expectations Essay 9/11/11

    Being a student in Honors American Literature at Grosse Pointe South High School requires many expectations; one should be organized, participate in class, increase their writing ability and be prepared for future English classes and careers.
    The expectation of being organized is required for a successful Honors American Literature class. organization does not only mean keeping every worksheet neat in an aqua folder. As well as keeping everything together, homework must be turned in on time. This entitles that a blog is posted before eight a.m. the next morning or that a worksheet is completed before the student enters the classroom. The student should also keep up with the reading assignments. One should not just read the pages, but comprehend and enjoy them. Keeping up with the homework does not just help one's grade in class. Completing and comprehending homework helps the student to participate in class.
    Student participation is vital for class discussions. Without student participation class discussions become nearly silent and dull. Opinions are appreciated from everyone in class. They help students have a better understanding of the material covered in class. Student participation also keeps the class interesting. One never knows what is going to be said. Students should learn to keep an open mind and listen to everyone's points of view. Participation can bring out new ideas about a book that a teacher might not have noticed after years of teaching it. Participation could make one a superior writer.
    Students in Honors American Literature should be expected to look back at their work from the beginning of the year and say, "Wow, I can not believe I wrote that!". Their writing should improve that much. They will learn new writing techniques and terms to further improve their writing skills. Having the enhanced writing skills will make the student feel more confident to write at a more abstract or creative angle. Which will help one's writing shine above others. Writing will become easier for the student and more enjoyable. Improved writing skills will also help the student during their careers or just help them sound more educated in am email.

About Me

Hi! My name is Olivia W. I am fifteen years old and will finally be turning sixteen in March. I am a sophomore at Grosse Pointe South High School. I have really enjoyed my time at South so far and look forward to a few more years here! I have made many new friends during my freshman year and I love spending most of my free time with them. We always go on fun adventures and try new things together. One of our favorite activities to do is plan birthday surprises for each other. More often then not we end up at Rojo Mexican Bistro; our favorite place to eat.
     When I am not with my friends I am hanging out with my family. I love having big family events at my house, like Christmas or Thanksgiving. However, I also love just having small family dinners with my grandparents and my little cousins. My grandma is a amazing cook. Most recently she taught me her secrets for making the best garlic mashed potatoes. My best dish though is my Key Lime Pie, it's famous around my family and friends. When my family is not cooking we will be playing cards or watching a movie.
      I have two extracurricular activities that take up a lot of my time after school and on weekends. They are my travel soccer team the Michigan Gators and Grosse Pointe South Choir. This weekend I am going to Chicago  for three games with my mom, I am so excited! The girls on my team are the best. I love spending time with them. I was also on the JV soccer team at South last year. I had a blast and met lots of new friends. My other extracurricular is choir, which is pretty fun most of the time. Music is one of my favorite things. I like to find new music that I think is really cool and show it on to my friends. Music can make you feel so many emotions during the time of just one song so that is why I love it so much. I just want  to name a few of my favorite bands and artists, they are Maroon 5, Jack Johnson, Adele, John Mayer, and my all time favorite is Coldplay. It's on my bucket list to see them live!     
     A few other things I like to do include shopping and travelling. When I go shopping I always get things that I can wear for a long time and are interesting. I also love to travel a few summers ago I went to France with my family and I had a great time. I can't wait for the chance to go back or travel somewhere else in Europe. New York City is also one of my favorite destinations.
     That's me  ~Olivia W. 

    This is one of my favorite songs it's called "The General" by Dispatch.