Closing Comments

I have to say, this course will definitely be missed by the first day of second semester. Since September, I feel like I've developed various skills that I will be able to take with me anywhere I go. My writing skills, of course, but life skills as well. After writing multiple pieces, I am aware of my own habits and needs so that I can write to the best of my abilities. Different assignments taught me different things, personally and in terms of writing. The collaborative project I think exposed my group and I the most regarding how to work as a team and how to professionally structure a book; a children's book just to begin. 

I think the course was executed very well. Establishing an open environment for creative writing is important and was achieved in this class. Getting the students into a daily habit of writing was often mentioned and I think if we were consistent with that activity, everyone might have felt more comfortable with writing and sharing. To add to that, the guest speakers, like the slam poets and the man from Vocamus Press, gave a new perspective on the kinds of writing opportunities available in Guelph. Although not all students will be intrigued by the topic, like poetry, it's a different experience and keeps the course interesting. 

Overall, this course was very beneficial. I took it just because I didn't know what else to take and I thought it would help my English mark, but it did more than that. I've learned things that are easily skipped over in English classes and things that will help me in a wide variety of areas. Thank you Mrs. Reidel, it was a pleasure being in your class for the third time!

Christmas Spirit?

The Grinch

As each December passes, I can't help but feel less festive each year. The magical aura that accompanied my thought of Christmas when I was younger has diminished into stress and dullness. The routine of worrying about gifts for friends and family, making time to put up decorations, and the big event of Christmas dinner is getting tiresome. The family time is good of course, even if it may feel forced sometimes, but those people are a reminder of how fortunate I am to have people to be with on that day. Not to mention the many students and teachers that are rushing to meet due dates the last couple weeks of school before the break, which adds another bucket-load of things to worry about. This is why the break is much needed to calm down once everything is complete. The expectation to be extra happy and cheerful during "the most wonderful time of the year" hasn't really caught on to me yet.  As said on the post on the class blog, people aim for a perfect holiday season that is just not achievable.

Journalistic Ethics

Former journalist and fabulist Stephen Glass

Situations like Stephen Glass' make people question everything they read. The New Republic Magazine published Glass' story, "Hack Heaven", which turned out to be a work of fiction. Glass was caught by Adam Penenberg, a writer for Forbes Magazine, who found that none of the companies named in his story were real. TNR realized more than half of his published stories were fake or partially untrue, and Glass was fired. This ruined his career in journalism. Five years later, Glass opened up and eventually published a book entitled, "Fabulist". The movie, "Shattered Glass" was also based off of his story. Although Glass was not charged, he payed $10,000 to return his paycheck plus interest. He has personally and publicly apologized for his dishonesty many times, but must further action be taken?

A fine for each inaccurate or non-existent story seems reasonable to me. It should act as a reality check to ensure journalists are doing their job honestly and respectfully. Glass repaying the magazines he wrote for was sensible on his part, as they are the ones being degraded for his fabricated stories. Since Glass has written and published his own book, of course he should be allowed to profit from it. The movie as well since it is the film version of his life. If someone disagrees with his mistakes so much, they shouldn't do anything that could profit him. The reality of this is that it will be incredibly difficult for Glass to get another job in a well-paying field of his desire anyways because of his damaged image. He could try so hard to redeem himself and to convince companies to trust him, but not everyone will be willing to test his honesty. 

Poetry Anaylsis

Perhaps

by Sylvia DuVernet

Perceptions: Poems for Young People of All Ages (pg 15)

Sylvia DuVernet was a poet from Hamilton, Ontario. She was interested in language, reading,writing, books and learning. Her family was encouraged by her to pursue higher education and to love learning. She lived authentically and pursued her interests with her own unique style. "Perhaps" was published, along with the other poems in Perceptions, in 1975. It discusses how one side may be right, but that does not necessarily mean the other side is wrong.

Perhaps I was wrong;

We all are sometimes,

But that doesn't mean 

You were right,

Does it?

The writer believes that they made a mistake and willingly admits to it. They then question if them being wrong makes the other person right. 

Perhaps you were right;

You are sometimes,

But that doesn't mean

I was wrong,

Does it?

I feel like the writer might be unsure about the situation, and is having difficulty seeing it black-and-white. They just see the grey area. They can't decide if they were wrong, if the other person was right, both, or neither. 

The Liberal Choice

The poll results from Canada's Federal Election on October 19th proved that the Liberal party had won over the majority of the country. In the Student Vote, my ballot went towards Lloyd Longfield representing the Liberal party here in Guelph. A common phrase associated with the Liberals has been, "vote for change," and I believe that's exactly what Canada needs.

Regarding the legal voting age, 16 may be a more reasonable age. With the support of media and technology, kids are being exposed at an earlier age to issues all around the world. The first time a kid might hear about politics. it will probably bore them. By the time they're 15 or 16, they will realize the importance of doing the research and making their vote count. It will be a decision affecting their future, after all. If 16 year olds could vote, it would be a vote for the government handling their drastic transition from high school to post secondary. By 18, we might not have the opportunity to do so.

A Human Economy

The video "The Adaptable Mind" that was shown last week was a smart way to approach Lourdes students regarding what comes after high school. It discussed what our generation will transition to in the near future. A human economy is approaching, and it is believed that there are five traits that will determine our success:

Curiosity 
Creativity
Initiative
Multi-disciplinary thinking
Empathy



For me, I feel like I'm sitting on the fence with most of the traits. Curiosity is the one that I feel most certain that I possess. Most people do. If the subject is intriguing enough to my mind, then I will continue with it and search more in-depth. A perfect example of this was the first time I watched the video. I thought the video would be a boring reminder to "keep it up Crusaders!" but once it started I was interested in what those five personality traits were. I realized I would have to pay attention to the entire 10 minutes, so I did.
As for the other traits, initiative would be my second highest, but not quite there just yet. My motivation can be persuaded depending on the topic. Personally, I think I need to work on the other three a lot. In the video, it was said that the best ideas come from daydreaming, which I surely agree with. But, my daydreaming has never helped me in with important opportunities or times where I could have pitched an idea. I want to try paying closer attention to my surroundings and different situations with different responses to help me grow. I hope that these traits develop even the slightest over time because I know I will need them in these next few years, and a long time after that.

Education Is The Key?

The cleverly thought-out words of Darryll Suliman Amoako, better known as Suli Breaks online, hold a strong argument concerning the difficult decision of attending post-secondary education. Suli brought up many significant points that caught my attention and made the video rich of different perspectives and sources.
He compared the expectations of students from society to their parents expectations, which were almost identical. They say, "Education is key," but I think people can be educated under different circumstances. As mentioned in the video, David Beckham proves that, "There's more than one way to be an educated man." Having a degree or diploma opens many doors for the future, since most careers require that level of education. Attending University or College is a norm in society, and choosing against comes off as if they don't have their life together. Suli is right when he says that most people won't remember most lessons taught in classrooms or read out of textbooks. One of the most difficult aspects of post-secondary is the cost. Students are paying for education that might get them into the field they want, but no matter what, they must pay the entire tuition. There are few opportunities to have tuition costs covered, leaving many students in years of debt.
Going to post-secondary is a challenging decision and brings numerous struggles along with it, so maybe it's not worth it for everyone.