Q2:W2 Comments

Muskaan - Human Nature

Matthew - My Own Prompt

Custom Prompt

Prompt: In honor of Lord of the Flies, choose one of these objects that you would rather be the only thing you have with you on a stranded island with: a box, a trashcan, or a book. Why did you choose the item you chose? What would you do with it? Why didn't you choose the other two?

Personally, I would choose the trashcan. This way, I could collect anything I could or needed to from the island in an organized way. I could collect leaves and wood in the bin to burn. I could carry supplies that I would need to make shelter and things like that. If worst comes to worst, I could stay dry by putting the trashcan over my head. There are many ways I could utilize the trashcan, more so than the other two items.

The book and box still have advantages for them. The box would probably be my second choice, as it does pretty much the same thing as the trashcan, but is smaller. Something that it can do that the trashcan can't is being burned. So if I ran out of things to burn, I could turn to the box. Still, size would play a part on how much I could carry in one trip. The book can't carry (large) things, but still has some value. It could help me pass the time so I don't go crazy with nothing to do. I could burn the pages if I needed to. Writing on the pages could help me count how long I was on the island. Overall, I still think the trashcan would have the most value.

Human Nature: We Are Flawed, But is That Really Bad?

A simple fact: humans are not perfect. We're just not. If we were perfect, there would be no violence. If we were perfect, there would be no disagreements. If we were perfect, we would never make mistakes. Is this the world we live in? No. So are we perfect? Of course not! That's what makes us human: we make mistakes. If everything we did was perfect, then there would be no learning. Wait... does that mean no school? Anyway, if we were perfect, then we would not be fully human. We need to learn to make ourselves better. If we could not get better, everything we do would be so monotonous. That wouldn't be any fun!

My parents preached to me this message a lot. Whenever I made a stupid mistake on a test or something else I was doing, they always told me this to make me feel better. That always worked and still does today. That's how I calm myself down, as well as other people. So yes, we are flawed. But is that really all that bad?

Week 8 Comments

Cade - LSU's revenge and Florida's Karma

Grace S - Fall Break Free Post

Theatre Review of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Just a couple weeks before it closed, I was able to see the gem of a musical, Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812 at the Imperial Theatre in New York City. The show is based on a 70-page excerpt of War and Peace, and takes place in Moscow (Russia) in 1812. The show is kind of difficult to understand for someone who has never read the book or listened to the music. Fortunately, I had completed the latter. However, my brother and dad had not, and they did not enjoy the show as much as I did. Well, that's an understatement. The plot is a little too complicated and long for me to explain right now, so I suggest those of you who are interested to look it up! And listen to the music!

When I saw the show over the summer, the stars were Okieriete Onaodowan (everyone calls him Oak), famous for playing Hercules Mulligan/James Madison in Hamilton playing Pierre, and Ingrid Michaelson, a famous multi-platinum singer-songwriter, playing Natasha's cousin Sonya, and newcomer Denée Benton, who played Natasha and was nominated for a Tony for the role, among many others. The theatre was redone to replicate a nineteenth-century Russian clubhouse, so the audience was part of the stage. Actors would be on the aisles constantly, and there was lots of seating on-stage. I couldn't help myself from silently singing the words of every song, and even got some nods of approval and surprise from cast members that such a young kid would know every single lyric to every single song. I even got a wink from Oak himself!!!

My final verdict: this is an experience like no other, for an audience member. You are part of the story, and the cast constantly interacts with you, no matter where you are seated. However, the story can be a little confusing for people who are unfamiliar with the music or plot before seeing it. So before the national tour starts next year, you should go listen to the music while reading the synopsis (the one on Wikipedia is extensive but accurate), or just read War and Peace. But you should definitely go see it when the tour stops nearby! 

Response to A&P

As a class, we recently read the short story A&P by John Updike. A&P is about a 19-year-old named Sammy, who works for the grocery story A&P, and his interest in three girls (well, one in particular) who walk in with bathing suits on, even though there are no beaches nearby. His manager yells at them, and Sammy quits his job because he thinks his manager embarrassed the girls. I find the story okay: it's just about a young grocery clerk who likes some girls who walk in. The underlying tone of the rich vs. poor struggle is a nice touch, though.

Personally, I find the character of Sammy flat and dull. The only thing that changes about him the entire story is whether or not he is employed. He likes the girls, especially "Queenie," as soon as they walk in, and quits his job because he wants to be their "hero," because he thinks they were embarrassed. However, the girls had already left and didn't see or hear the exchange between Sammy and his manager. To me, he's a typical adolescent male. He makes fun of women multiple times in the story, yet is still attracted to these three. He talks inappropriately about them, and has interesting descriptions of different parts of their bodies. Overall, I guess I just don't love Sammy as a character. He's just too flat and typical. That description applies to the story as a whole as well, in my opinion.

Week 7 Comments

Grace - Flash Fiction
Martha - Short Story