I am thankful for....

A classmate that I am thankful for is Morgan! A few days after the first day of school Morgan was assigned to the seat next to me. Initially I thought she was going to a mean, know-it-all, but she actually turned out to be super nice, patient, and helpful! 

After the first week of my new English class I was really intimidated and super quiet because I didn't know anyone. Then I got to know Morgan, and she became my first friend in the class. Morgan helped me break out of my shell and feel more comfortable in class. Morgan is so helpful, always has an interesting point of view on things that we are reading, and is an excellent student all around. She is a joy to work with, and anytime I didn't understand something or didn't read she was always there to catch me up.  

I appreciate Morgan's kindness, patience, and her friendship. Morgan has made me a better student in many aspects and I appreciate this as well. For this Thanksgiving I am not only thankful for living, my family, food, my home, cable, and internet but I am also thankful for Morgan! (Thank you for everything Morgan! Happy Holidays!)

I Celebrate Myself

Transcendentalists are people who believe that religion and politics are just things that cloud the purity of human beings; they believe that those who are self- reliant will prevail. Transcendentalists celebrate themselves every day. They embrace their way of thinking, style, and their individuality as a whole. These revolutionaries aren't afraid to step out the box or to run away from the mold society made has for them. 

Just like the transcendentalists I celebrate myself. I celebrate my individuality. I celebrated my uniqueness, my looks, my thinking, my style, my way of speaking, my dreams, and the way I lead my life. I celebrate the fact that I don't let a religion or political group control or narrow my views; I don't compromise my purity and virtues by going with something I don't agree with.

While it's nice to fit in and be well liked by others, my life doesn't revolve around it. Similar to the transcendentalists, my main goal is to just live my life for me! However that doesn't mean you will see me burning money, running in to middle of the wilderness for refuge,  or only feeling freedom in complete solitude. In fact, this is very unappealing and scary to me! So although I love myself and my individuality, I would be the ABSOLUTE LAST person to do some of the “out of this world” things we saw in the movie Into the Wild. I guess I won’t be a devote transcendentalist but I do possess some of the characteristics of one. One thing I realized from this unit is that I Celebrate Myself and I do so proudly because I am the only one who truly can; I love this, and I will continue to celebrate myself for the rest of my life!

Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an influential American writer who was a part of the Romantic Movement. Most people would say he had a hard life because he loss so many loved ones and seemed to always carry grief (wife, parents, etc.). In a way, his constant sorrow and grief was good thing because it influenced his writing style which he is famous for. Poe was one of the first authors to introduce science fiction, made up of out of this world characters with supernatural powers and stuff. Maybe he went a little crazy when his family members died, and it opened a whole new world for him. In some of his pieces the narrator (him, maybe) has some sort of sorrow or loss of loved one and struggles with the pain throughout (The Raven & Ligeia). 

His craziness really, I think, positively influenced his writing. Poe is awesome at storytelling. Although wordy at times, he is great at creating suspense and imagery to set the stage for his pieces. Another thing I like about his style is that it is never dull or boring; there is always some mystery, wonder, and excitement about his work. Poe knows just how to word things and uses many literary devices to further emphasize his points which make his pieces all the more exquisite.

My favorite Poe short story is Tell Tale Heart. This story is LITERALLY one of my favorite pieces of literature and everyone should read it (video animation of story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDLLHTdVSgU)! It is basically about a guy who hates the sight of an old man's eye and he goes to extreme lengths to never see it again. Poe is so crazy but I love it and it really works in this short story.

Poe is weird dude with a broad imagination and I absolutely love it and so do many others. Without him literature would be really dull so thank you Edgar Allan Poe for your imaginative writing style!

Modern Slavery

Okay so this blog is perfect because I was just reading about this in my world studies class, and I thought it was pretty interesting! So as everyone should know, a couple hundred years ago slavery was alive and thriving. Africans were taken from their homes in the night and placed on boats on a journey to America, where they were bought like objects and forced to work long hours without pay. The slave owners or masters, as they were called, used inhumane tactics and created strict rules to oppress the workers. Everything that was put in place was created to destroy the progress of blacks and further engrave the idea that they were worthless and couldn't even be compared to their white counterparts. Fortunately, the civil war came about and slavery was later abolished in America; or at least the "man" made it seem that way. Was slavery erased? Has our country overcome slavery? Well if you ask the author of The New Jim Crow, she would argue no. 

Like the slaves, who were in chains and brought down by the weight of oppression unable to vote, obtain an education, be included in social activities, or treated with respect, black people, who make up about 12% of the American population, fill up 40% of the prisons alone. According to Michelle, the author of the article, this is because of the drug war which is used as a new way to push the black community further behind and exclude them from the American society once again. The argument presented in this article is basically that the white man presents a way for the poor, of all races, to make money through drugs, and then the white legal system in term comes back to chain the poor, but this time only/mostly blacks, shipping them to jail; in jail theses drug dealer criminals are given a felony, as this is against the law. This label of a felon decreases their chances of getting a job, takes away their ability to get any type of government support, ability to vote, and they are excluded/discriminated against for the rest of their lives; these struggles are similar if not the same as those of a slave. The modern slavery of America is the legal system and its almost invisible methods keeping the black race from furthering.

I don't know if I completely agree with this argument however it is a way to look things. Has our society found new ways to bring others down? Is this a conscious or unconscious action? Who's to say but I thought I'd share this idea and get other people’s opinions on it.

Modern Slavery=Legal System?

What is an American?

By definition an American is anyone who lives in or of origin to the Americas, both South and North. However many people believe that being American is living or being born in the United States. To me this answer is too simplistic. Is this all that makes someone American? On the one hand yes but is there something deeper that connects people and makes them American? One that disregards the fact that Americans live in the Americas? What are the qualities we, Americans, share?

Earth has existed for about 4.6 billion years and America is just a little baby in comparison by it being only 200 years old. In the beginning America was in habited by Native Americans/Africans; then came the English settlers and over time other cultures and races immigrated to form a better lives. When a government was established it was one that provided liberty and the pursuit of happiness; this government has lasted for a long time and still sticks to those same principles. As a result of this way of life/government, America has reeled in so many different types of people, and is known as the “melting pot” of the world. Many immigrants come to America because they may have been persecuted or poor and are looking for freedom, jobs, and a life in which they can succeed.

Over the years Americans, specifically from the United States, are people who are all descendants from those who, at some point, emigrated from their homes to form a better life. They were all in the search of the American dream (the idea that one could go from rags to riches with hard work), ways to make profit from land, or an escape from injustice. So when asked what an American is, in the words of Drake, who I think said it best would describe Americans as people who “started at the bottom” and are now here, at the top, because of their hard work.

Modern Puritan

Puritans were a group of settlers in America who came to spread their religion. They didn't venture far from chosen principles and lived their lives to follow them all; as whole they were very rigid and stern being sure to follow strict moral codes. In their community, someone would be looked down upon for not praying daily or going to church on Sunday; reading a book other than the bible was unheard of, and by doing so one was accused of being a witch! Puritans set out to be a Utopian society but there seemed to always be some internal chaos.

Today many people would consider Puritans to pretty much be null and void. However the people that resemble Puritans the most today are, in my opinion, extremist Muslims. Extremist are people who believe in something, whether politically or religiously, and will go to extreme heights “protect” it; some even going as far as hurting others to convey their message.

Now don’t get me wrong, not all Muslims are extremists. In fact, a vast majority of them are not and the ones who are have put a bad label on the Muslim religion. These groups of Muslim fundamentalists, like the Puritans, follow their code of behavior or religious writings down to every word, and a lot times resent any views that oppose their own.  An example of this would be 911. The US has project this westernized version of living and, from a different point of view, have forced it on other cultures. Cultures that really don’t believe in it and don’t want it displayed to their people as something cool to do, especially if it counters their religious principles. This “pushiness” of the US enraged the extremist igniting a feud which caused them to strike back with terrorist attacks that killed many!

Extremist groups today are similar to Puritans. Both groups strongly believe in their ideologies and almost never see any other another way thinking. They set out to be perfect, and try to follow their codes without question or hesitation; those who don’t follow them are looked down upon and both groups do something about it, whether it is public humiliation or violence. Modern day Puritans = Extremists Groups.

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

Hmmmm..... How would I describe John Proctor? Outspoken, logical, smart, and rebellious all come to mind. A hero is someone with "distinguished courage and ability, and is admired for brave deeds" and a stooge is someone who is taken advantage of or a butt of a joke. I don't think I would fully associate John with either of those things. A stooge doesn't venture to do such noble things, and isn't someone who goes out of their way to save others by fighting against bad guys. On the other hand, a hero saves the day, sometimes at the last minute but it happens!  Not only does John die but the bad guys get away Scott-free; leaving his friends to a dreadful, dark end.

The stooge in Proctor gets him killed at the end. When the story ended I was unsatisfied, John had so much potential and it felt like he just stopped trying. I was expecting John to fight HARD down to the very last millisecond, to maintain his innocence, and reveal the truth! Sadly he failed; very heroic efforts, but falling short is just the story of John's life in this play. John was the butt of a bad joke and it is really unfortunate. John had a chance to live and work from the inside to somehow bring the system down but in the end he just tarnished his name and made himself look crazy before his death.

The hero in Proctor pushed him to fight for what he thought was right even when he knew the tables could easily be turned on him, which they were. He took on these deeds with almost no one on his side. What I like about John and what makes him sort of a hero is his want to do good and to make up for what he has done in the past. So much so, that in the end he chooses to die, to not lie to please sick, vengeful people but to look good in the eyes of God, Elizabeth, and the others, which is very admirable. He gave up himself for a higher cause, and chooses to be a hero by going the right way instead of becoming just like the bad guys in the play.

John Proctor wasn’t necessarily a stooge or hero but if I were to describe him in two words I would say that John is a: TRAGIC HERO. John "preferred death to prudence".

Despriction: Waking Up

I was awakened by a tap on the shoulder around 5:30 a.m., only to receive a “Come on! Trenati you've got to get up… NOW!” said my mother. My body felt numb, and as I moved to get out of the bed the want to sleep more hit me like a stack of bricks. An overwhelming pressure was over me making it impossible to get up. I thought to myself maybe just one more minute of sleep, so I closed my eyes and scratched the nasty flaky, white crust out my eyes. BANG! My door flew open at high speed knocking down some papers. The lights of the room popped on burning my eyes and making my sight cloudy momentarily. “I said get up now! You’re making us late.” yelled my mom as she walked out the door. In complete agony, I tossed making some progress but there was far more to go. My limbs felt like spaghetti, the kind that always falls from the fork when you try to eat it and just like the spaghetti I would continuously get pulled back by sleep. But then out of the blue the most amazing aroma danced around me. It was so enticing and powerful it knocked my sleep right out of focus. It came closer and closer. The aroma entered my nose and threw me in a trance. The smell swirled around in my mind igniting a flame that created a wildfire which pulled me out of bed. It smacked me into consciousness, and lured me to follow it. I arrived to juicy, sizzling sausages, eggs, and the most perfect pancakes siting on the dining room table. I was definitely awake now…

Arrivals...There goes the neighborhood!

Picture this: You move into your dream house. It is in the perfect neighborhood. Your neighbors are great, and your kids love it there. You live there for years and then one day new people move in. These people are rude, loud, destructive, and tear apart the neighborhood with their illegal behavior. Not only are they horrible neighbors but they sell drugs and they do it on YOUR LAWN! They have guns, and are very scary people, so scary that you don't say anything. When you finally do say something it is to no avail; the neighborhood is ruined and your dream shattered. So reluctantly you leave. That sucks!

Similarly, the Indians or Native Americans were run off their land losing their homes. They lost the place where they ate, slept, worked, and carried out their spiritual practices. Their way of life was erased by the new comers that were greedy and felt superior. They ruined hundreds of people lives, ripping apart the natives homes, beliefs, culture, and livelihood. The Europeans took advantage of the natives using them; sucking them and their land dry and then forced the natives to move.

 I feel really bad for the natives who seemed to have good intent and seemed like good, loving people. They helped the Europeans and taught them how to survive on the land. It is really disgusting when I think about the disregard for others. The Europeans only worried about themselves and how things benefited them. I did some research and found this: "Europeans invaded, gave Native Americans incurable diseases, took their property and livestock, in many cases killed their women and children, took their hunting and fishing grounds, burned their houses and villages, forced them on Death Marches 1000 miles long, many at gunpoint, purposely gave them blankets full of small pox in freezing weather, starved them, humiliated them, raped, pillaged, and plundered them, broke all of their treaties, and committed many other countless crimes". It is really hard to believe that human beings can do that to one another but as history shows, it happens all the time! And so I guess it is safe to say when the Europeans arrived, there went the neighborhood for the Native Americans.

Me

     My name is Trenati Baker. I was born July 19, 1998 on the south side of Chicago and I have been here ever since. My hobbies include cheering, eating, social networking, watching TV, and playing chess. I love dancing so much and with a couple friends last year we create a zumba club that inspired people to eat healthy and to exercise daily in unique & fun ways. At my old school, Galileo, my 5th grade teacher taught me how to play chess and got my 5th grade class involved in competitions. We were really good and brought back a few trophies to put on display. I LOVE to eat! I basically live to eat food, but with this I am a very picky eater. For example, I hate cucumbers because of the way they smell and bananas because the way they feel in my mouth (EWWW it makes my skin crawl just to think about it). Watching TV is huge part of my life and it makes me sad to go back to school because I can't watch it as much. I don't think I could live without reality TV (If you can name a reality TV I probably watch it!).

     Things that are important to me are my education, my success in life, and my family. I wasn't always an A student but over time with the encouragement of teachers and family I have overcome many boundaries! To make it to a school where I can learn with less distractions and feel challenged on a daily basis makes me feel just so vindicated, proud, and motivated to make it to the next level. I am not sure what I want to be when I grow up but like I always tell my family "Imma be rich!" (Ideal jobs include scientific investigator, doctor, teacher, and actress). I know that whatever I choose to do needs to put me in a position where I can get maids, butlers, chauffeurs, etc. because believe it or not I am really LAZY! The only things that keep me going are my support system and goals that push me toward success. I love my family so much (even though they send up a wall with their craziness all the time)!!! I appreciate and am so grateful for everything that they have done for me. I live with my mom, grandmother, and my, always annoying, little brother.

     With this new information I hope you got to see a little bit more about me and help you to better understand me in the future!!!