Author: Sam

Sam’s PR to R&J

Personally I found the Romeo and Juliet movie very entertaining, in the visual sense. From sword fights to romantic nights it was scripted quite well and it was easy to watch. It was pretty eye catching because of the unique and original costumes, storyline, and scenes. For a visual learner this movie is a great way to understand the original script, and it’s difficult to look away from.

On the other hand, due to the faded knowledge of elizabethan english in modern society, if you were simply listening to the play it would likely be difficult to understand due to the major difference between modern day english and elizabethan english.

Overall I enjoyed watching and learning about Romeo and Juliet because of the unique story plot, and the sense of “decoding” the different use of the english language.

IRJE #6 – The ability to show gratitude – Sam Verbaarschot

Currently I am reading How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie, a book about dealing with people and opening the door of your perspective and ideas to others. One of the big concepts Carnegie talks about is the art of gratefulness and appreciation.

Let’s not expect gratitude. Then, if we get some occasionally, it will come as a delightful surprise. If we don’t get it, we won’t be disturbed. It is natural for people to forget to be grateful; so, if we go around expecting gratitude, we are headed straight for a lot of heartaches.

This side of gratefulness, the expectation side, is an important yet undiscussed aspect of gratitude. Understanding that you should be helpful or supporting not for the praise you may get from those actions but because it feels good inside of oneself. Ask yourself, does it feel better to help a friend with no praise, yet know you were helpful to a loved one, or avoid helping someone, making that persons life just that much harder, and live knowing you could have done something that they would have benefited from?

IRJE #5 – “The Only Book You Need to Lead You to Success”

Currently I am reading the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Contrary to the popular belief that this book is teaching lonely people how to make friends, it’s not. It is much more to do with how to influence or alter the perspectives of friends you already have, as well as strangers you’ve never met. A quote that really that I highlighted whilst reading was:

First, arouse in the other person an eager want. He who can do this has the whole world with him. He who cannot walks a lonely way.

I have read over the chapter, in which this quote is found, many times. “Arousing a want” sounded so simple when I read it on paper, so I have started to implement Carnegie’s words into my everyday life. I have started to see differences in how people to respond to things I ask of them using this technique.

Personal Response – Postman and Huxley –

There are definitely connections between Neil Postman’s ” Amusing ourselves to Death” and Huxley’s novel “Brave New world.” Both works talk about the impact of technology and media on society, warning about the dangers of being consumed by entertainment and false information. Postman makes clean lines between Huxley’s vision of a society with pleasure and fun and the potential consequences of a society that makes amusement more important the critical thinking skills and. Both explore the positives, negatives, and concerns of technology in new forms and generations.

Additionally, both Postman and Huxley highlight the effects culture driven by the “instant gratification effect”. And the constant pursuit of pleasure. They make a clear argument for a world where meaningful communication and and genuine human relations are considered unnecessary.

 

PW #5 – Cold to Me

As a Canadien people often make jokes about “us” being used to the cold, and that we go snow diving in our ginch. Zoomed in from “Canadien” to “Metchosonite” I have never experienced a “true cold winter” compared to other provinces in Canada. The coldest winter I’v experienced is maybe -6 or -7 (with windchill), that is until this winter. With Arctic outflow it’s gone as low as -19/20 (with windchill), and I’m freezing.

Don’t judge a book by its cover. Don’t judge a Canadien by their province.

IRJE #4 “It Starts With Us”

The most recent book I read was “It Starts With Us” by Coleen Hoover. It is the prequel to “It Ends With Us”, the fiction series is about navigating domestic violence and relationships surrounded by it.

Words don’t come with gift receipts and you can’t take them back.

This quotes really speaks to me because, as many kids are told, I have always been told by my parents: “Think about what your going to say, before you say it. Your words can either be hurtful or helpful”. I have carried this advice with me for almost 16 years and I continue to use it daily. This is because both these quotes are extremely true. Words are one of the biggest impacts on modern day society and have been since the beginning of time, this is why I believe everyone should think about what they are saying, before it leaves their mouth.

Sam’s IRJE#3

Right now I am reading “Be Useful: Seven Tools For Life” by Arnold Schwarzenegger. This book is a raw, honest, guide book with honest advice from, arguably, the most successful man in the world, for leading a strong, successful life.

It’s not to tell you what to build, it’s to show you how to build and why it matters.

I love this quote from his book because it shows that you are not going to have everything in life handed to you, so you must take the pieces that are given to you and use them to build stronger.

 

PR#2 – All Quiet On The Western Front – Hurt People, Hurt People

“Hurt people, Hurt people” is a quote my father often refers to in hard times. It means that often when humans are hurting, usually meaning mentally hurting, we have tendencies to turn to others and take out our pain and anger on them. This can result in people being extremely angry and spreading that on, which in this case can lead to war.

The novel “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque explores the topic of hurt in several ways. in the novel, the characters experience physical and emotional hurt in the harsh environment of the front.

In the novel, the young soldiers like Paul Baumer and his friends are put in extreme physical and emotional pain because of the brutality of the war. They witness the deaths of their friends and endure the constant fear and stress of combat. These experiences can leave deep scars and I believe they were extremely transformed by these happenings.

As a result of the trauma and suffering they endure, the soldiers become almost immune to violence and emotions. They are also hardened and less empathetic, as they need to adapt to the harsh ways of the battlefield to survive. This emotional transformation can lead them to hurt others, both during combat and in the way they interact with people after the war.

Before you choose to retaliate to someone making your life difficult, consider the hurt they could be going through below the surface.

 

Sam’s PW#3 – They said I wouldn’t make it

They said I wouldn’t make it; I wouldn’t be anything more than rif raf, “street trash” they called me. My name is Lois Van Vlosen and this is the story of me on “the come up”. When I was a young boy, I was extremely privileged, my mother and father, Margret, and Thomas Van Vlosen, provided for my every need, I lived the white picket fence life, no issues, no nonsense. Seeing as I was young, I had no idea of the issues that were happening in my very house.

To be continued…

Sam’s IRGE#2 – The Carrier of The Boats

David Goggins, the remarkable former Navy SEAL and endurance athlete, truly exhibits his relentless mindset in “Can’t Hurt Me.” In this inspirational memoir, Goggins reveals his extraordinary journey from an overweight, insecure young man to a record-breaking endurance athlete. He famously said,

“Most of this generation quits the second they get talked to. It’s so easy to be great nowadays because everyone else is weak. If you have any mental toughness, if you have any fraction of self-discipline; the ability to not want to do it, but still do it; if you can get through to doing things that you hate to do: on the other side is greatness.”

This quote is something I live by, like a church lady lives by The Bible. To be the greatest of yourself you cannot try and be a better “anyone else”, you have to become the best of yourself and only then will you succeed. After my first time listening to a podcast by Goggins, I had a surge of motivation, I ran about 2,000 stairs to the point where I could hardly jog home. I recommend reading “Can’t Hurt Me” for anyone with enough will to become the best version of themselves.

 

IRJE #1 The waves of life

The most recently finished book of mine was one recommended by an old friend. “It Ends With Us” written by Colleen Hoover is book of heartache, sorrow, and mad love. When i first started reading the book I thought “it ends with us” meant that Lily and her boyfriend Ryle would be together forever, however my idea was contradicted. At the end of the book Lily gives birth, after being sexually harassed and abused, her first words to her newborn are “it ends with us” meaning the generations of abuse in their family end with this new life.

“I think about how sometimes, no matter how convinced you are that your life will turn out one way, all that certainty can be washed away with a simple change in tide.” pg. 209

I have a mutual feeling about life’s uncertainties, I believe the waves of life can knock you down, and down again, but it’s ones choice to get back up and try again, for being knocked down and finding the motivation to pick yourself backup again grows you stronger and stronger.

WW1 Lit – PR #1

The movie started in the vintage tones of black and white. Rows, and rows of boys with childish smiles as though it were Christmas morning, being marched to and unknowing point of no return. Proud to be serving the country and land they were born and brought up on.

The innovation of the camera brings a wondering look to many of the young faces as they march down roads or wait to be sent to the frontlines, and looking through these cameras brings a look of sorrow to my own.

As the film fades into colour, it feels surreal. The amount of young innocent youth marching into the loss of memories and joy to come. 600 in, 100 out, “we’ll get em’ next time”. This is the heart wrenching reality that was portrayed as “the battle plan” in the film ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’.

I feel great amounts of sorrow for all the poor mothers who had to watch their boys leave home with no return. I love my mother very much and I know if I even thought of going to war, she’d hold me down. The love in her heart is to passionate and overflowing to let me risk the rest of my life for a battle where very few feel they have won.

Sam’s Introduction

My name is Sam Verbaarschot, the last name comes from my dad’s side of the family who are all Dutch. I have lived all over B.C for my whole life. My first year at Brookes was in grade 6 and I have been here since then. I have a strong passion for surfing, skim-boarding, and lifting in the gym. I also love spending time outdoors in nature.

I do enjoy reading, although I probably don’t read as much as I should. I like to read romance classics as-well as motivational books e.g David Goggin’s “Can’t Hurt Me” about hardship and harnessing the full potential of your mind.

To be honest I am not a very strong writer, but I do enjoy writing for school work and letters I send in the mail. This year I hope to improve my writing abilities and skills, with the help of Mr. MacKnight.