Character Study

She knew they could never be together if they stayed there, her parents wouldn't allow it. This was her only moment, while her parents were away, and she made the decision. She was going to make a run for it. As her boyfriend was already on his way, she grab as many of her things, all her money, and she was ready to elope.

Canterbury tales

Vocab words that caught my eye:

• martyr
• solicitous
• cloister
• garnished
• prelate
• glib
• verity
• penitent
• absolution
• rote
• avouches

I was surprised that most of the characters Chaucer created were males. 

I think the knight and the monk seemed like the most interesting characters, I would want to hear what they had to share. 

Netvibes or symballo?

I tried to make the Netvibes account, but every time I tried to log in it wouldn't go through. I tried creating different accounts, but each one didn't work somehow. I went back to the blog to see what else I can do, and I remembered that Brenna had her preference of Symbaloo. I went to symbaloo and the sign up was so much easier! I created my own account, and im still experimenting on setting up my apps, but so far its looking pretty cool! However, im not quite sure what a browse launch page is or how to set it up....any ideas??

Vocab #6...remix?

Sooo I for this weeks vocab since its from both #5,4, I wanted to remix it for my own memory, and the way I get the words to stick in my head, kinda how we did it last year in Dr. Preston's American Literature course. 

Obsequious: (adj.) Obedient; attentive.

•  OBsequious = OBedient ; both start with OB

Beatitude: (n.) Supreme blessedness or happiness.

• beatitude almost looks like the word beautiful, and when you feel beautiful you feel happy and blessed.

Bête noire: (n.) A person or thing that one dislikes.

• The fire hydrant was always seen as a bete noire, because it took up parking space. 

Bode: (v.) To be an omen of a particular outcome

• 
  

Dank: (adj.) Damp; musty, typically cold.

• dank looks like the word dark, and dark places are typically cold

Ecumenical: (adj.) General; universal; pertaining to a movement

• 
  

Fervid: (adj.) intensely enthusiastic or passionate  

• fervid looks like fervent

Fetid: (adj.) Stinking; having an offensive odor.

• fetid reminds me of the word feet, and feet smell

Gargantuan: (adj.) Enormous; colossal.

• gargantuan is a big word, looks like gigantic 

Heyday: (n.) The stage or period of greatest success.

• heyday is in your stage of success and young people want to be successful, and young people say "hey"

Incubus: (n.) An oppressive nightmare.

• After watching the scary movie she knew her night was going to be full of incubus.

Infrastructure: (n.) The fundamental framework of a system or organization

• structure= framework. 

Inveigle: (v.) To entice or lure by flattery; to beguile.

• The little sister always inveigled her sister to give her the last cookie. 

Kudos: (n.) Honor; glory; acclaim.

• Dr. preston gave the class kudos for trying to find ways to study vocab. 

Lagniappe: given as a bonus; an unexpected benefit.

• For doing really good on her econ project the teacher gave her a lagniappe of points. 

Prolix: (adj.) using to many words; wordy.

• prolix looks like prefix, and a lot of words have prefixes

Protégé: (n.) A person who is guided by an older, influential person.

• protégé= PRO, pros are influential

Prototype: (n.) Someone or something that illustrates the typical qualities of a class, model, etc.; an archetype.

• pro= a model, someone to look up to

Sycophant: (n.) A self-seeking flatterer or fawner; someone who acts obediently toward someone important in order to gain advantage; a kiss-ass.

• Everyone knew the rich kid was a sycophant to get on the teachers good side.

Tautology: (n.) Needless repetition of an idea; redundant.

• His tautology of his win was getting on everyones nerves,

Truckle: (v.) To submit or yield obediently, giving in out of fear

• truckle looks like to fall and sink down

(n) accolade- award or privilege granted as a special honor

• Accolade= Award; both start with A

(adj.) acerbity- sour or harsh expression in 

• acer- acid

 (n) attrition- the action or process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressure

• The attrition of his health was holding him back from participating in sports. 

(n) bromide- someone who is dull and boring

• bromide=bored

(n) chauvinist- a person who is very patriotic or one who believes that gender is superior to the other

• During the war it was encouraging to find chauvinists, who supported the soldiers.

(adj) chronic- (of an illness)  constant, habitual

• chronic=constant both start with a C

 (v) expound- to set forth or state in detail; interpret; explain

• EXpound= EXplain

(n) factionalism- self interest


 (adj) immaculate- perfectly clean., neat, or tidy

• immaculate looks like it has the word accurate, and some people need their room to be accurate; clean

(n) imprecation- cursing

• Imprecation was prohibited in the classroom. 

(adj) ineluctable- unable to be resisted or avoidable 

• Her beauty was so ineluctable, all the man couldn't keep their eyes off her. 

(adj) mercurial- sudden or unpredictable changes 

• mercurial looks like miracle and miracles happen all of the sudden

 (v) palliate- to relieve or lessen without curing

• The medicine was suppose to palliate the patients pain. 

(n) protocol-  the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions

• The protocol of every classroom is that you have to raise your hand before answering a question.

(adj) resplendent- shining brilliantly; colorful 

• resplendent looks like splendid is in it, and colors are splendid

(v) stigmatize- describe or regard some mark of disgrace

• The police officer stigmatized their behavior as inappropriate. 

(adj) sub rosa- confidentiality; secretly; privately

• The government has many sub rosa missions.

(n)vainglory- excessive pride over one's achievements 

• gory, when you are glorious you have pride 

(n) vestige- a trace of something that is disappearing 

• Once the vestige of smoke cleared away we were able to see the road. 

(n) volition- the power of using ones will

• You have the volition to whatever you eat.

Declaration of Learning Independence

Before entering Dr. Preston's class, there was no such thing as learning independence. We've been trained to think that there is one way to learn, a time period to learn it, and if we don't get it then we're pretty much lost hope.  Sure teachers say they want us to think freely are that we should be creative, yet we are never given or allowed the opportunity to do so. It wasn't until I met Dr. Preston that I was actually allowed to use my brain and not the one the state says I should have. What I want by the end of this year is to continue this drive to be creative not only in Dr. Preston's class but out side of school. I want to push my imagination and creativity to the limit, and not keep it to my self.

Vocab #5

Obsequious: (adj.) Obedient; attentive.

•  The obsequious servants bid as they were told by their master.

Beatitude: (n.) Supreme blessedness or happiness.

• The beatitude of the play really captured the true meaning of Christmas.

Bête noire: (n.) A person or thing that one dislikes.

• The fire hydrant was always seen as a bete noire, because it took up parking space. 

Bode: (v.) To be an omen of a particular outcome

• 
  

Dank: (adj.) Damp; musty, typically cold.

• The little girl was always scared to go to the basement because it was so dank and dark. 

Ecumenical: (adj.) General; universal; pertaining to a movement

• 
  

Fervid: (adj.) intensely enthusiastic or passionate  

• The fervid fans encouraged the team to do their best!

Fetid: (adj.) Stinking; having an offensive odor.

• After changing the first fetid diaper, the father didn't want to change the baby anymore.

Gargantuan: (adj.) Enormous; colossal.

• The TV was to gargantuan to fit through the door. 

Heyday: (n.) The stage or period of greatest success.

• Most soccer players are in their heyday between ages 17 to 29.

Incubus: (n.) An oppressive nightmare.

• She didn't want to watch the movie because she thought it would give incubus dreams.

Infrastructure: (n.) The fundamental framework of a system or organization

• Everyone put their input for the infrastructure of the clubs rules. 

Inveigle: (v.) To entice or lure by flattery; to beguile.

• The little sister always inveigled her sister to give her the last cookie. 

Kudos: (n.) Honor; glory; acclaim.

• Dr. preston gave the class kudos for trying to find ways to study vocab. 

Lagniappe: given as a bonus; an unexpected benefit.

• For doing really good on her econ project the teacher gave her a lagniappe of points. 

Prolix: (adj.) using to many words; wordy.

• His essay was too prolix, it was hard to understand the meaning behind it.

Protégé: (n.) A person who is guided by an older, influential person.

• In Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams was seen as a protege to help Will. 

Prototype: (n.) Someone or something that illustrates the typical qualities of a class, model, etc.; an archetype.

• The prototype for the new mall was designed to beautifully. 

Sycophant: (n.) A self-seeking flatterer or fawner; someone who acts obediently toward someone important in order to gain advantage; a kiss-ass.

• Everyone knew the rich kid was a sycophant to get on the teachers good side.

Tautology: (n.) Needless repetition of an idea; redundant.

• His tautology of his win was getting on everyones nerves,

Truckle: (v.) To submit or yield obediently, giving in out of fear

• Throughout high school we have been installed to always truckle to our teachers.

Vocab getting intense...somewhat haha

our attempt at studying vocab in a fun way 😋 hahaha

ALL OF THE ABOVE

Going into the AP exam I started off with high hopes, yet once I got to the first  couple questions, everything sort of shot down. I had to read the passages a couple times to really understand what I had to look for in order to answer the questions, and after getting through the first few I felt more comfortable and back on track. I would say the context questions were easier for me to answer because I knew where I needed to look and I understood the passages more once I really analyzed them. The diction of the poem was hard to follow, and I couldn't make sense of them. Finishing the test I was expecting to get a low score, but I was surprised and happy actually to see that I did somewhat good. I didn't understand how to calculate the number grade I got but overall Im pretty happy wit the results. :)

Beowulf....tada!!

Protecting your people or protecting your pride. For a super hero the obvious choice would be to protect the ones who couldn't protect themselves, right? Looking at a modern day hero like Batman, and a 100 year old hero Beowulf, even though they come from distant times, the hero in them is nothing different. Beowulf, an epitome for his culture and time period, was seen as a god who could defeat monsters and had everything needed to be a hero. Meanwhile, Batman, a successful, smart, and clever man used his wealth and wits to help the people of Gotham, always putting the safety of others before anything. Though both of these characters may seem like their soul purpose is to protect others, their attitude, and actions have slightly different backgrounds. 

As a hero your almost expected to be perfect, always having your mind set to protecting your people. However, not all heroes have that same view. Some would say that Beowulf's pride and arrogance always got the best of, never wanting to receive help or fail. Having others know that he was strong and capable of defeating the Grendel was more important than actually defeating the Grendel itself.  Yet, for Batman advertising his victories wasn't really what he had in mind, he always disguised his life of a hero. I believe for Batman, because of his parents death and the pain he went through, he didn't want anyone else to experience what he had, and he made sure that didn't happen. A heroes attitude may not always be expected, but it's their actions that really speak out. 

In the world that Beowulf was around monsters were the main threat in town, and for Batman the only people to fear were the ones around you. For a hero, they are determined on how they fight, who they fight, and what they fight for. I believe this is where two heroes are no different despite their time periods. Even though Batman's heroism came from his brains and his wealth, that didn't stop him from attempting the impossible. He kept his loyalty to Gotham, just as Beowulf did to his king. However, the way they dealt with their enemy was very different. Being that Batman is just like any other person, he never really killed his opponent, like the Joker. He always found an alternative either leaving it to the authorities or finding another way to punish the bad guys. Whereas in Beowulf, he always went for the kill, defeating the Grendel, knowing that was his job. 

In the end, a hero isn't perfect. They are just individuals who have the heart and mind to protect those who can'r protect themselves, and mask or not, powers or no powers, Beowulf and Batman have what it takes to be called a hero. 

an essay by Spongebob Squarepants

so this has been me for the past hour on the Beowulf essay :( haha it's still in progress tho hehe

Vocab #4

1.(n) accolade- award or privilege granted as a special honor
At the end of the year everyone receives an accolade based on their scores.

2.(adj.) acerbity- sour or harsh expression in 
His acerbity remark caused him to go to the principals office.


3. (n) attrition- the action or process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressureThe attrition of his health was holding him back from participating in sports. 

4. (n) bromide- someone who is dull and boring
After seeing the movie multiple times it became more of a bromide than a horror movie.

5. (n) chauvinist- a person who is very patriotic or one who believes that gender is superior to the other
During the war it was encouraging to find chauvinists, who supported the soldiers.

6. (adj) chronic- (of an illness)  constant, habitual
The tumors were so chronic they decided to have them removed. 

7. (v) expound- to set forth or state in detail; interpret; explain
It wasn't easy to expound the science project to my little sister. 

8. (n) factionalism- self interest


9. (adj) immaculate- perfectly clean., neat, or tidy
Because of her OCD her room always had to be immaculate.

10. (n) imprecation- cursing
Imprecation was prohibited in the classroom. 

11. (adj) ineluctable- unable to be resisted or avoidable 
Her beauty was so ineluctable, all the man couldn't keep their eyes off her. 

12. (adj) mercurial- sudden or unpredictable changes 
Her mercurial behavior always pushed people away. 

13. (v) palliate- to relieve or lessen without curing
The medicine was suppose to palliate the patients pain. 

14. (n) protocol-  the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions
The protocol of every classroom is that you have to raise your hand before answering a question.

15. (adj) resplendent- shining brilliantly; colorful 
Her resplendent wardrobe always made her standout form everyone else.

16. (v) stigmatize- describe or regard some mark of disgrace
The police officer stigmatized their behavior as inappropriate. 

17. (adj) sub rosa- confidentiality; secretly; privately
The government has many sub rosa missions.

18. (n)vainglory- excessive pride over one's achievements 
His Vainglory after winning the game was shown through his sportsmanship. 

19. (n) vestige- a trace of something that is disappearing 
Once the vestige of smoke cleared away we were able to see the road. 

20. (n) volition- the power of using ones will
You have the volition to whatever you eat.

Will Study For Food

The scholarship I would like to apply for would be the hispanic scholarship fund. With the help of scholarships I will be able to take my place at UCLA or any other college open to me. With these funds I will be able to pay for housing and meals, dorms, and text books. Being the kind of girl with big dreams Im aiming to reach $8,000 in scholarship funds to take the stress off my family and the though of being in debt with loans.

Vocab #3

1. apostate: a person who renounces a religious or political.

• Their mom always had them go to church every sunday so they wouldn't be seen as an apostate.

2.effusive: expressing feeing of gratitude or pleasure 

• Gradnight was full of effusive and wild teenagers.

3. impasse: a situation in wich no progress is possible, because of disagreement

• Whenever it came to who was going to wash the dishes there was always an impasse between everyone.

4. euphoria: feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness.

• After the honeymoon stage the euphoria they felt wasn't that strong.

5. lugubrious: looking or sounding sad

• I enjoy reading more mysterious books rather than lugubrious dreadful stories

6. bravado: a bold manner or show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate 

• The dog tried to show his bravado to seem like the alpha dog.

7.consensus: general agreement

• The consensus the parents came up with brought the family closer together.

8. dichotomy: a difference or contrast between two things that are represented as being 
entirely different


9.constrict: make narrower by encircling pressure 


10.gothic: relating to the goths 
 
11. punctilio: a fine or petty point of conduct or procedure 


12. metamorphosis: the process of transformation


13. raconteur: a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly

14. sine qua non: an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential

15. quixotic: extravagantly romantic; impractical; impulsive; rashly unpredictable

16. vendetta: prolonged and bitter feud or rivalry

17. non sequitur: a statement containing an illogical conclusion; an inference that doesn't follow from the premises

18. mystique: a framework of doctrines, ideas, and beliefs constructed around a person or object

19. quagmire: a bog; a situation from which extrication is difficult; anything soft or flabby

20. parlous: perilous; dangerous; clever; shrewd

why this book?

The reason I chose the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is because of the great reviews iv heard. I remember when my brother had to read this book for class, and he's the kind who only sparknotes every reading assignment, and for some reason he couldn't put this book down. I figured if he enjoyed this book, then it must be worth reading!