Author: Logan

Brave New World- Personal Response

 

In the book Brave New World, the author Aldous Huxley conjures a world in which society is controlled through technology and science promoting order and stability while forfeiting liberty. After reading this book it fills sadness because of the similarities it shares with our world. The world we live in grows increasingly similar with new technology and social changes. Huxley’s fictional society has several differences than our own, but similarities can be portrayed.

A major feature in Huxley’s society is the technology used to control freedom and induce happiness. This is similar to our worlds technology constantly showering us with unreliable propaganda leading to expanded consumerism and desire. I can relate to this through social media. It takes my time away from being productive and motivates me to keep up with trends that do not benefit my well being. However, in Huxley’s world these traits are taught at birth through conditioning. For example, hypnopaedia and soma are designed to create contentment for the people.

Huxley’s world also shares similar values to ours by promoting economic growth and productivity over the well being of most of society. In our world, countries want people to work extra long hours for low wages, furthering their economy. Careers are prioritized over personal lives. My parents experienced this when I was younger. Living in Vancouver my parents worked until 7pm every night while I would be stuck in day care without them. Once we moved to Victoria they were able to find different jobs resulting in a more balanced and happy life. Instead of individuals working this hard for so little, without enjoying it, in Huxley’s society each person is designed to fill their role and value conventionality and stability naturally.

To conclude, our world shares some similarities to the one described by Huxley, although society is not as advanced and controlled. Technology is speeding up at a rapid pace, to the point that we could be controlled by it further. In the future we need to be careful and not let technology take away from our freedom.

 

Personal Writing #6

 

This week my team and I traveled to Vancouver for our provincial championship. This was a great experience which I will always remember. Tuesday morning, we loaded up the bus and left to catch our 1pm ferry. Upon arrival we embraced in our home for the next five days. It was an air BnB which we stayed in on an extremely good deal. The house was huge with four bathrooms, and seven bedrooms. Our schedule was hectic and packed, but we made it work. Everyone worked together to cook and clean. To start off the tournament we dressed up in suits and participated in the banquet. The tournament was held at the Langley Event Centre. This facility is amazing, and the tournament was very well organized.

We won our first game through grit and hard work in the second half, placing us eight or better. Unfortunately, we lost to the winners of the whole tournament in our second game because of our second quarter performance where they scored over twenty points. From there we couldn’t claw back. I injured my hip in the second game by diving on the floor for a loose ball. However, we still had a chance to come fifth in BC by winning our third and fourth game. Our team played hard, but they came out strong in the first quarter and our rebounding and putbacks were terrible. We lost by five points, being a new low for our team. At this point I felt that our hard work was a little wasted because we had the potential and skills to beat every team there. I couldn’t play in this game due to my injury. This made the loss even more difficult because I couldn’t help my teammates when they needed me. We finished strong on our last game winning by forty points and placing seventh in the tournament.

I couldn’t ask for better teammates or coaches and loved participating in the BC provincial championship. I will miss the grade twelves leaving our team and admire their hard work this season. I look forward to next year and hope to come back.

IRJE #6

 

The book Prodigy, written by Marie Lu, follows the main character Day, who is outlawed and on the run from the corrupt Republic. Despite his fears he became a braver and more selfless person when he decided to devote himself to the rebellion. Wanting nothing to do with the Republic, the last five years Day had been running and hiding from the problems he encountered.

“I want to run. To do what I always do, have always done, for the last five years of my life. Escape, flee into the shadows. But this time, I stand my ground. I’m tired of running.” (pg. 258)

This quote is significant because it explained Day’s mentality shift. After meeting June and discovering full extent of the Republics tyranny he evolved from his old ways of hiding in the shadows. Day decided to try and make a change. He started to overcome the issues he was being faced with and fight for not just himself. He’s experienced substantial character development. Now apart and fighting for something larger than himself, he exemplified his selflessness and courage.

Personal Writing #5

 

Monday night I had a basketball game verse Belmont. They were a team we had played before and won. However, the atmosphere can alter the game easily. We knew from last game that there would be many fans and most disrespectful but we were not prepared for the crowd that showed up. We entered the gym and started our warmup. Immediately the crowd that had already gathered cheering when we missed a shot. Fortunately, they were told to stop by the coaches and settled down during our warmup. Slowly Brookes fans filtered into the gym as well. I believed the Belmont fans were caught off guard and thought they would control the stands. This was not the case. Once the game started there was a roar of cheering which came from the stands full of people. The starters on our team were undeniably more talented. In the first five minutes the score was 12- 0. We kept the lead and ended up beating Belmont by forty. There were ups and downs, for example we had three turnovers in a row resulting in a timeout and the cheering was so loud I couldn’t hear. This was the game that I found the most exhilarating this season because of how much each point mattered. I felt I played well and contributed to our win.

¶- Brave New World

 

The book named Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley is about a modern society which involves different ideologies than the world we live in today. This society is highly dependent on technology. The World State aims to uphold its values by using its advanced technology. The people’s world is highly controlled by these values intentions which are responsible for how their society functions.

            “A squat grey building of only thirty stories. Over the main entrance the words CENTRAL LONDON HATCHERY AND CONDITIONING CENTRE, and, in a shield, the worlds motto, COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, STABILITY.” (pg.1)

These key words make up the slogan for the world to follow. Community implies that everyone must work together to achieve the greatest contentment for all of society as one. This happens by the implanted ideas of identity in everybody’s brain through technology. For example each person is happy with their own identity such as gammas, alphas, betas, and more. Lastly, the biggest part is stability, the most important because happiness is maintained through it and emotions that are unwanted can be removed. Knowing this is significant to understanding this modern society and its intentions.

Outsmart Your Brain Reflection- Chapter 5

 

In this chapter I found the most useful parts for me were the strategies I do not I do not perform and the mistakes I never knew were mistakes. For example, I learned that just highlighting and reading is a bad strategy to help comprehend a text. The reason for this is because if I am learning a new subject, which happens often, I am not aware of the most important parts of the text and could be highlighting the wrong things because I am unaware of the framework of the text therefore have little basis for reasoning.

I also learned a solution to this new problem of mine. To improve my comprehension and avoid just reading and highlighting I can use the SQ3R method. S stands for survey. Meaning go over the headings and skim the txt to get a basic understanding. The Q stands for question. This instructs you to ask questions based on your survey or the headings and general text. Then read the text with your goal to answer the questions and basic understanding of the topic. Recite each section and see if it relates to the questions posed. Review your notes by summarizing the questions you chose. Doing all of this will help with my reading comprehension and further my learning.

Personal Writing #4     

Last weekend was my brother Ben’s 17th birthday. To celebrate we gathered some friends and organized paintball. To start we were guided through the rules of the game along with safety precautions. Teams were put together and were fairly balanced. Everyone was set and ready to go. We went to our first game which was five on five elimination. I ran onto the field and hid behind a plastic tube. Unfortunately my height was not an advantage and I was hit right away on my mask. Next game I decided switched up my strategy. I army crawled along the dirt with Dylan until we reached a safe spot. Dylan fired at the opponents and was hit immediately. This scared me so I ran back as fast as I could out of cover and was hit again. From this point forward I realised I was not the best at paintball. Although I still had lots of fun and would do it again. During the evening everyone came to our house for homemade pizza. We went on a walk and enjoyed each others company. Ben’s birthday was celebrated well and was considered and big success.

IJRE #5 

 

The book I am reading is named Prodigy written by Marie Lu. It is the second book in a series of three. It involves unusually intelligent boy and girl running away from the government named Day and June. After long journeys they figured out that their so-called glorious Republic is corrupt and spreading viruses to its own people. Once they came to this conclusion the never-ending running has turned into a fight for freedom. These characters have been recruited by the Patriots to assassinate the new elector of the Republic.

            “Everything I am familiar with is gone.”

This quote stands out to me because it emphasizes what these characters have been through. The corruption that they discovered within their government shows the dystopian world they must endure. Constantly lied to their entire life. Being the same age as the characters and knowing their situation makes me feel more empathetic for them and grateful for the life I have.

Unit One Assessment- Reflection

 

My unit one assessment was an in-class essay. I feel I could’ve done better if I organized my time and reviewed the material. I spent half the class planning out my essay. To improve next time, I would cut my time spent planning by half so I can get more of my thoughts down onto my paper then review thoroughly after with the time I have left. After each lesson doing a five-minute review of the material each time could broaden my understanding and help my writing. Another aspect I need to improve is connecting others writing to the identified literary techniques used. For example, in this assignment I compared the themes throughout my whole essay instead. Doing all these thing s will help my writing and ensure better quality for my next in-class essay.

Utopia

 

My ideal society would be full of happiness and equality so everyone including myself can enjoy life to the fullest. My utopia would be very different than today’s world. People would be provided welfare and safety by the government mannered peacefully. Everyone is treated with equality and individuality is respected. The earth is sustainable meaning every product or structure is made while conserving the earths natural resources. There is no fear of crime or threat of war. Everyone is secure economically so they can pursue the career of their choosing and passion. For example, this way I could play basketball all day and move up to become a professional without having to worry about financial difficulties and risks. The government is run as a democracy, so the people have a voice. There are cures and vaccines to every sickness and disease. The climate is reversed by sustainability. Drugs never are created to prevent overdose and sickness. Everyone has a mental health support system available to them. Animals are not held in captivity unless domestic and need support from human. This would be the basis of my ideal society so that everyone can prosper in life including the environment, people, and animals

IRJE #4

 

This week I am reading a book named Legend by Marie Lu. The characters in the book are living in a dystopia. The world is at war and there is a plague spreading rapidly. The main character named Day is a criminal to the government. He is trying to gather enough money for plague cures for family before they die. His younger cousin Eden is currently suffering the most.

“From up close I can see that Eden’s dark eyes have somehow turned black. There is absolutely no reflection in them, and I realize with horror that they’re black because his irises are bleeding.” (pg. 152)

This quote from Day stands out to me because it emphasises his families suffering and the urgency of the situation. Eden not being able to get a cure without being wealthy tells me that the world they have to live in is a dystopia. There are many others without money which means there are many others suffering and dying.

 

Personal Writing #3

 

Every Sunday for the past seven weeks I have had basketball training with The Grind, a basketball organization with elite teams. I have one more week left of the training camp. My goal is to show myself and my skill to the coaches, so I have a better chance in tryouts. I will be writing about my last week’s performance. Getting through the drills is always the hard part because it requires critical thinking and understanding. The coaches do not explain the drill much.

“If you don’t know, go to the back of the line and watch!” Is what the coach tells us. Since it was the seventh week, I felt confident enough with the drills. Once they were over, we played scrimmage. I used my strengths which is mainly rebounding, defense, and layups. My best play of the game was when I got the defensive rebound dribbled all the way down the court like a point guard and finished with a spin move layup through two guys. Overall, it was one of my best practices. Unfortunately, it was also the one practice where the head coach wasn’t there.

IRJE #3

This week I finished the first book in the Narnia series named The Magicians Nephew by C.S. Lewis. At the end of the story Narnia was created and protected from all evil due to the brave acts of the child Digory. He traveled far to fetch a magic apple which he planted in the soil of Narnia upon his return. This brought security to Narnia.

“For this fruit you have hungered and thirsted and wept.” (pg. 198)

This quote stands out to me because it acknowledges the effort and bravery that Digory had to go through. It also makes me feel like there is closure in the book. Digory has completed his journey successfully and now gets to return home knowing that Narnia will be safe.

 

Last Game of The Season

 

Two weeks ago, I had my last game of the season with the Jr. Brookes volleyball team at Belmont high school. It was not a surprise to us that we didn’t make the finals. Usually only five people would show up to practice. We didn’t have a coach for half the season, but when we did it went well. The members of our team consisted of a few soccer players, two basketball players, a golfer, a hockey player, and many more with only one real volleyball player. After learning our history as a team the outcome of the final game will make more sense. The score was 25 to 9 which set an all time low for us. Barely anyone could make a serve over and when we did the rally was lost. Half our points were from my blocks, but they didn’t make much of a difference when no one could serve. The other team looked bored and us defeated. Next year should be fun.

IRJE #2

I am reading the first book in the Narnia series named The Magicians Nephew by C.S. Lewis. In this story two children and their uncle traveled to a strange unknown world called Narnia. When they arrived, the world appeared to have nothing in it, not even light. There was the sound of singing. It appeared that the singing was Aslan the lion using special magic. Slowly the world became Narnia.

“Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake. Love. Think. Speak. Be walking trees. Be talking beasts. Be divine waters.” (p. 136)

This quote stands out to me because it describes the creation and qualities of Narnia. Aslan summoned animals and enchanted them so they became talking animals. This way the beasts could use speech to keep a fair and serene world. The water he creates are divine which helps Narnia stay nurtured. Everything within is filled with magnificence and harmony.

Personal Writing- First game of the Season

 

This weekend I had a school senior boys basketball game at Spectrum. There were some highs and lows but overall was considered a success by me and my teammates. Most of us met at Brookes and departed as a team. Coming out of the van we were all excited and ready to play our best.

Inside the gym was abnormally hot which worried me because it would likely make it harder to run for long periods of time. Luckily almost everyone showed up to the game, so we had lots of subs. Our coach read out the starting lineup, which I was included in. We did our cheer and walked onto the court.  Immediately I looked and chose the biggest guy to be my check who was only around six feet. The whistle blew and I lost the jump ball. Within the first three minutes of the game their best player scored a shocking eight points on us before he broke his ankle. After this incident it was easy for our team to bounce back and hold a steady lead till 3rd quarter. Alex our point guard gave me nice passes for easy layups, I was getting the simple put backs through rebounds, and we always hustled back on defense. During the 4th quarter we pulled ahead and finished the game winning by 20 points.

Returning to the school I was very happy with how I played. I ended the game with 14 points. This leaves room for improvement, and I look forward to playing next game.

English Reflection, comparison, WW1 blog post

 In this Reflection I will compare a film and two writing pieces. They Shall Not Grow Old, All Quiet on the Western Front and Soldier’s Home. These pieces of literature are all about World War one. Each impact me differently.  

For example, In the book All Quiet on the Western Front, it focuses mostly on time spent on the front lines whereas Soldiers Home is about after the war.  Both stories make me aware and sad about the brutal conditions each soldier had to suffer through the war then coming home and struggling to feel like they belong. Reading both writings helped me understand the mentality of a soldier through descriptions. 

However, the film, They Shall Not Grow Old uses imagery to allow the viewer to experience the atrocities of the war such as the soldier’s conditions and circumstances. There are many videos of trench life in the film. You can see the rats, dirtiness, and sickness cursing through everyone who had to live there. Survivors of the war spoke during the film talking about their involvement. Several explained the constant danger of being shot in the trenches by snipers. Each soldier is forced to accept this circumstance and continue with their jobs. After the war it is mentioned how weird it felt to stand up straight in the trenches. 

Being able to see the images of war and hearing veterans speak rather than imagining them from descriptions gives me a new level of empathy for the soldiers who fought. All of them educate me about WW1. 

The Hobbit, Independant Reading Journal Entry

The Hobbit- IRJE

In the book named The Hobbit written by J.R.R Tolkien, the main characters, which include thirteen dwarves and one Hobbit adventure back to their homeland to reclaim there rightful treasure and mountain from an evil dragon named Smaug. Once they achieved this Thorin, the Dwarf king is unwilling to give up a portion of the gold he owes to the men and elves who live below. Thorin grows evermore greedy as time goes by especially for the Arkenstone. This is a family heirloom which he must be in possession of to feel like a true king. Bilbo, the one Hobbit has stolen this heirloom and justifies it as his fourteenth share of the treasure. In the night he sneaks away in hopes to support the Elves and Men in their bargaining. Bilbo is doing what is necessary to prevent bloodshed. During Bilbos time negotiating with the men and elves, he explains,

“This is the Arkenstone of Thrain,” said Bilbo, “the Heart of the Mountain; and it is also the heart of Thorin. He values it above a river of gold. I give it to you. It will aid you in your bargaining.” (Pg. 248)

This quote stands out to me because it emphasises Thorin’s intentions and tells the reader more about Bilbos values. This allows you to connect more with the character. Even though bilbo could keep all of the gold with Thorin he decides to take a more ethical path.

Soldiers Home Comparison + Blog post

In this comparison of Harold Krebs and Paul Baumer I will go over some of the similarities and differences that they experienced in combat and how it affected them during their time at home. Each of them enlisted in the war, but on opposite sides. Paul fought for the Germans and Krebs fought for the Allies.

Even though they both fought in serious combat, what they experienced was very different.  Paul lost everyone he cared about, and it crushed him emotionally. He constantly questioned the purpose for the war. Whereas Harold felt that it was his obligation and for him fighting came effortlessly. For example, the author writes,

“All of the times that had been able to make him feel cool and clear inside himself when he thought of them; the times so long back when he had done the one thing, the only thing for a man to do, easily and naturally.” (Pg.1) This quote reiterates Harold’s feelings towards the war and further supports the differences between the two soldiers thoughts.

Even though each of them had different perspectives on the war it affected their life at home the same. Both soldiers struggle to adapt to home. Paul did not live to see the end of the war but did get a fourteen day leave to go visit his family and town. For the duration of his visit Paul struggled to connect with his family feeling that he there was too great a difference between them. Paul states,

“There is my mother, there is my sister, there my case of butterflies, and there the mahogany piano—but I am not myself there. There is a distance, a veil between us.” (Pg.160) In this quote Paul explains that he is with his family in there nice home, but he does not feel he belongs. It is like he comes from a separate world, and he cannot fit in with the one he grew up with.

Instead of coming home briefly during the war Harold comes home a year after the war ends. Harold missed all of the celebrations for soldiers after the war and finds himself needing to talk about it. After all of the terrible stories people have heard, the realities he experienced bore his friends and family. The author writes,

“At first Krebs, who had been at Belleau Wood, Soissons, the Champagne, St. Mihiel and in the Argonne did not want to talk about the war at all. Later he felt the need to talk but no one wanted to hear about it. His town had heard too many atrocity stories to be thrilled by actualities.” Harold is forced to bottle up his feelings making it harder for him to adjust.

Both Paul and Harold reacted to war differently but the negative impact on their relationships and home stayed the same. Overall, both stories tell the struggles a soldier faces in and out of combat.

 

 

All Quiet on the Western Front- Personal Response

In the book All Quiet on the Western Front, there are many examples of powerful imagery that evoke different emotions. In chapter four during the artillery fire on the Germans, Paul had to listen and watch the German horses suffer an agonizing death. The description of the animal’s death emphasizes the horror and cost of war and revealed to me the bigger picture where more than people were affected.

“The last one props itself on its forelegs and drags itself around in a circle like a merry-go-round; squatting, it drags round in circles on its stiffened forelegs, apparently its back is broken.” (Pg. 64). This description makes me feel frustrated and shocked, because to me the horses symbolized many of the other innocent lives lost during the war.

Another example of Remarque utilizing imagery is when Paul is forced to wound a French man out in no man’s land. The stab wound the man endured from Paul did not kill him quickly. Paul had to watch him suffer until finally he passed away. I feel this quote from chapter 9 facilitates a better understanding of Paul’s mentality, a soldier’s mentality during combat.

“If only I had not lost my revolver crawling about, I would shoot him. Stab him I cannot.” (Pg. 221). This quote makes me imagine and compare the scenarios of stabbing or shooting from a soldier’s perspective. I feel the reason Paul was unable to put the dying soldier out of his misery without his gun is because it takes much more effort to stab someone. The more effort I put into something the more responsible I feel for it. This is why I understand Paul’s decision. Regardless the rational thing to do would be to end the soldiers suffering, this is an example of one of the many ethical dilemma’s soldiers have to face during the war.

Remarque uses imagery to engage the reader in the story such that they empathize with what it would be like to live in the characters place. The book ends sadly and almost feels like fiction even though it was a reality for many. I feel after reading this book I better understand what it was like to live during this tragic time.