January 16

ARRTI – Literary Exploration

Question: What is your opinion on the idea that an individual’s life can be altered by a particular experience?

Life Altering Experiences

 

          An individual’s life can be changed through a certain experience. This experience could be the one that we have never encountered before, which could affect your decisions or attitude. When individuals encounter first time experiences, they find it difficult to react, doing nothing to affect or change the experiences. This situation should be able to teach us lessons on what to do, as for the next time something similar happens, the individual will be prepared to face and deal with the situation properly. From learning specific experiences, the individuals will be able to properly commit a decision. In the story, “A River Runs Through It”, Robert Redford reveals a character that does not know how to react to a certain situation, causing him to commit an action that he can only think of that works in different situations. The same character as well also uses these actions which soon affect his behaviour towards others. This has also affected me in a way to commit similar actions towards specific people for specific reasons. An individual’s life is changed through experiences that they have never faced before, as these experiences teach lessons that people can possibly use in the future.

 

          In “A River Runs Through It”, the character Norman Maclean reacts to his brother Paul Maclean, who acts rebellious in secret ways. For example, Paul and Norman had taken a boat and decided to “shoot the chutes” through a waterfall, and after that experience, it is seen that Norman separates from his friends and Paul. Later through the film, the audience can witness how Norman explodes with anger towards Paul about a sandwich, which is really not the reason for his anger. Although Norman decides to act as a brother’s keeper and rides with Paul down the waterfall, he has never experienced being in danger, which causes him to separate from his group of friends, as well as get in trouble with his parents.This experience had changed his mood, as Paul’s recklessness continues when nobody is watching except for his brother. This reaches a point that Norman had exploded in anger, which ends up in a fight scene. On this point onwards, Norman’s life is changed, and sometimes affected through Paul’s attitude. From this experience, he has no choice but to commit an action that is known to work towards others.

 

          Through the same film, Norman and Paul had decided to celebrate his success with winning over Jessie, and as Norman becomes drunk, Paul had taken him to a known illegal poker place called Lolo’s. From going inside, Norman later witnesses what happens to Paul and he attempts to play in a poker table, and sobers up. Through this experience, like other experiences he faced before, he knew that him and his brother were not welcome into the area, and causes him to leave, although his brother wanted to stay. Norman had decided to ignore Paul’s invitation to join him for poker, as his anger also caused him to drive Paul’s car back home. His reaction to this scenario shows how he used the exact same action to earlier situations as it is known to work with previous times. Considering their promises to never fight again, Norman had no other choice but to leave in anger towards Paul, who had kept his reckless behaviour towards maturing. Ever since the change in Paul’s behaviour, Norman has had some situations where he had to deal with it himself towards his own brother. Without being Paul’s brothers keeper, Norman would not learn how to deal with situations that have a negative outcome. I may not have a brother myself that I have a responsibility of, but I have a similar reaction to experiences such as Normans.

 

          When I was in Grade 9, only had I faced situations of bullying or fighting between others in the school, and that has affected my views towards others, as well as a bit of a change in attitude. I was in a class to which I barely knew anyone and overheard somebody judging me already to others. They have also attempted to made fun of me through their own languages, which I found it frustrating. From this experience though, it  taught me how to ignore sentences that I find disturbing when said verbally, and learned how to react to it. Another was nearby summer when I was hanging out with friends when all of the sudden two friends started fighting each other through an argument they had made. I reacted to this a bit in a fearful way, as this was the first time I ever found people that I know were physically hurting each other. All of these situations had forced me to commit actions similar to Norman’s, which is just to walk away and ignore any hurtful comments that may affect you. My life still consists of some bullying, whether its to me or others, but I am still able to commit actions that work, but has changed my lifestyle throughout highschool. If I haven’t faced these situations back then, I would find it hard to react to similar experiences in the future.

 

          Lessons that are learned from previous experiences, can help change an individual’s life in the future, as they would learn how to react. Norman first experienced dangerous acts through his brother and learned that his brother would still continue these acts. Norman had learned lessons from these experiences to just walk away from negative experiences that Paul had faced. This had always affected me when I first learned that life is not always perfect, as it made me more pessimistic than optimistic, although it has taught me lessons. Without these experiences, how would people react to new situations?

Category: Miguel, Sept 2019 | LEAVE A COMMENT
January 16

Persuasive for a 4 Day School Week

Dear Prosper School Board,

          My name is Alex Wells and I am a current grade 12 student in Prosper High School. I have noticed that the board is considering a proposal to adopt a four-day school week from Monday to Thursday. From gathering information through various sources, I think that it would be a great idea to accept the proposal. Throughout the years of being in Prosper High School, I have heard from friends and other people that they are spending too much time on homework and projects to the point that they barely get any sleep. This causes them to be really tired in the mornings of school. I believe accepting this proposal would be great for students and staff, because it may help everyone if they focus better if they weren’t tired through the week days.

 

          As a senior, I have noticed that our technology in this school is starting to get outdated compared to other schools, and also understand about Prosper School’s current budget towards our maintenance, power and operations. If we were to adopt the four day school week, it would save more budgets of the school which we could use to get better technologies for students such as computers and supplies. From looking at the current graph and looking at the predicted values of the projected costs, we would save a total of 24 thousand dollars. This money could be used to further modernize this school, and will not cause any panic when it reaches a point that the school doesn’t have sufficient funds to continue. Students will also be able to participate more in outside school activities, such as the Prosper Youth Centre programs. These programs allow students to relax and have fun with others during the day, which can help them get back into focus on school days.

 

          Parents and some students find it troubling that kids may just stay home or how scheduling may affect certain activities. “I want my kid in school Mon to Fri when I’m at work, not in front of the TV all day. The thought of unsupervised Fridays off gives me nightmares!” Parents may also share the same opinion as this one, but remember that there are also activities that also happen outside of school that an individual can get interested, such as hanging out with friends, or joining the Prosper Youth Programs that is being offered in regards to a four-day school week. This also gives the individual an opportunity to volunteer towards other programs that can help improve our community. If parents also worry that their child may not like the idea of outside activities, they can also refer to the website www.costlinetravel.com, which provides information on three day vacations that can lure them away from distracting items such as television or gaming.

 

          From a recent poll website fast poll, High School Staff seemed to want a four day school week, to relax or even plan for their next lessons on a Monday. Monica Pham, a math teacher, had displayed information that the idea of a four-day week allows them more time to plan and prepare for lessons, as well as the statistic that students attend their classes more on four-day weeks compared to five-day weeks.  This statistic benefits both the school and students, as it allows students more free time to hang around with friends and teachers some time to relax and plan carefully for their next lesson. According to the Academic Journal in 2016, it has stated that teens must have sufficient sleep in order to focus properly, and just by reducing sleep can cause them to drop mental alertness. Students normally have to wake up around 6-7 Am to get to school, and considering that some students sleep at around 10 Pm – 12Am, they only get around 6-9 hours of sleep. An extra day means they would be able to catch up on their sleep as they would receive an extra 2-3 hours, which could help them focus better on their studies.

          Prosper School should really accept the proposal of the four-day week, as it would really save school budgets which could be used to improve students learning through modern technology. This would also involve more student activities to outside programs, and increase their attendance in schools. Without this proposal, students would end up being tired in class, but reducing the days of school would give them one day to relax and spend more time with friends and family. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my arguments in the letter and take these facts to make your final decision towards the proposal. If you want any more information or any questions, you may contact my email, Alex.W@gmail.com. I can’t wait to hear your decision whether to accept or reject the proposal.

Category: Miguel, Sept 2019 | LEAVE A COMMENT
November 5

The Power of Perseverance

Miguel M.

Personal CPU

 

     Perseverance helps individuals keep moving towards their goals despite having difficulties and obstacles that block their path to success in life. Individuals will not stop and try to find obstacles to clear the path, as they  really want to be successful in their life. People have these values and apply it into their life when they decide on a goal and will not pause or stop to complete it. If an obstacle appears to knock the individual out of the path, they will find ways to get back up to where they started. This goal has to be something really significant in their life for them to be deeply motivated for it, just like the Filipinos in the picture. In the visual created by Bullit Marquez, it shows how three children will not stop at nothing to get to school. When individuals have a goal they want to achieve, then an obstacle gets in their way to slow them down or potentially stop them, they will try and find ways to get around and overcome difficulties they have to continue their path to success.

 

     Despite difficulties that individuals have when striving towards their goals, they will still try to reach success as it would impact them significantly. This can be observed through the photo that is focused mainly on the three Filipino children. These individuals are seen to be squeezed on an unknown object that is floating through the flood, with their backpacks and wet footwear although it seems like they don’t express feelings of shock or sadness. This could be because they are already used to it and know directions of where to go towards the school. Individuals in the Philippines, no matter what the month is, are used to these types of disasters. Floods are a common thing in the area, due to the fact that most of its countries are islands, meaning people who have lived in the area for a really long time don’t mind it, and continue their daily lives, especially in schools. Children during floods will still want to go to school, as it is hard to find an education due to its economy. This truly reveals that children will stop at nothing to reach their goals. I have been to the Philippines myself, and I continue to learn more information about its way of life every time we go back there.

 

     Sometimes in travelling, I see individuals living their ways of life in a really different way to how people in Canada  manage their own ways. When I was little, we had traveled to one area that I never knew about, and witnessed a man digging through trash cans; eventually he finds noodles and eats it. I had to ask my father why, as I was disgusted, but never knew the standards of living in the Philippines during my childhood. As he explained, I later understood and was first introduced to homeless people. We always go to the Philippines every two years during winter break, and this is where I would always find something new. This time, as we travelled to an amazing island area called Boracay, our family had seen a man using a type of tube that he would insert into random places in the smooth, soft sand and remove it during the morning, and wondered what he was doing. Eventually, he caught something massive; which was a mix between a type of worm and a clam. He explains to us that there are some tiny holes on the ground that is used to find these creatures and is easy to search for them while the tide is low. After finding a hole, he likes to dig them and use them as a source of food. At this point in my life, I felt like individuals would also use perseverance as a way of surviving in life, as without this value, they would be laying on the street, depressed and hungry. I learned that individuals will not just find ways to find success in their life, such as gaining a career or completing a life goal, but also as a way to keep them determined to survive in life. Individuals really value their lives, and want to see how they would end up, as they push themselves to find food without money or even live without shelter from rain or floods. It is really important to keep being determined to reach a goal to at least survive in society, especially in places like the Philippines that are harder to survive.

 

     Individuals have a goal, or at least the will to survive, despite having many obstacles that can either be easy or incredibly difficult to overcome, but because of determination to see where the path can lead, they try their best efforts to reach success. This success will impact them in a significant way to a point where they will continue to create goals and use their determination. Even if it’s not just a goal, individuals will use values of perseverance anyway to at least survive in society. Without perseverance, society will find it difficult to function because nobody will seem to find the determination to reach a common goal of the community. If these values were lost, how would anybody become successful in life?

Category: Miguel, Sept 2019 | 1 Comment on The Power of Perseverance
September 27

The Value of Kindness

I believe in respect.

I believe in compassion

I believe most in the power of kindness.

“A random act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a big impact on someone else’s life.”

– Roy T Bennett.

     This quote affects me because I see it happen everywhere, and it always has affected others in a positive way. In other words, Kindness can happen anywhere, at any time. Kindness is a virtue that is recognized to many people across the world which can also recognized as contagious, as a small act of being nice to someone will then be spread out to another, and will continue.This virtue helps us aid others both physically and mentally, even when someone doesn’t need it.

 

     It all started when I was a little kid. When I was in grade 4, there was a kid who was 2 grades under me who cried when he was out of the classroom for an unknown reason. I just entered out of the washroom at the time. I asked if he was okay, and he nodded, stating to me that he was fine. I decided to stay with him for a bit, hoping to comfort him, then later his teacher, which used to be my grade 2 teacher before, went over to take care of him. Later on, I got credited for my acts of kindness through an achievement award – the character hall of fame  wall – which was a thing to be proud of at the time. This had given me a new viewpoint towards life. Ever since then, I had applied trying to treat everyone nicely to the best of my ability. As time passes, I see and share more values of kindness to people around me. Especially to people that I have no knowledge of.

 

     Another time that I had spread kindness was just recently last year during fall break. Our family had just experienced our first time on a Disney Cruise ship in Orlando, as well as different theme parks, such as Universal Studios and four of Disney World’s parks. We had just finished our cruise yesterday, when we had decided to go to Universal. We had a great time all the way to night time, which was probably about 6-8 PM. I got hungry at that time, so my father had decided to get us churros. As he waited in line, the person in front of him had his hands full, most specifically Hogwarts items. As he ordered and got his items from the cashier, he had dropped his  items and didn’t noticed. My mother pointed this out to me as he left so I decided to run to the stand and pick it up. As I looked for him, I noticed he was about to walk into a crowd which was headed towards the exit of the park. This caused me to chase him down, yelling “EXCUSE ME!”, as I ran towards the crowd. I managed to catch up to the man, tapping him and notifying him that he had dropped his stuff. He appreciated what I did for him, even giving me a fist bump after thanking me. I walked back to where my family was with two things, kindness… and a churro. This turn of events had really affected me, knowing I had made this individuals day by returning something that he wouldn’t notice until he was on the bus ride home. He was just a man that looks in his mid twenties by himself, and I thought I might as well give it to him because there could be a really important item in there, whether it is an interactive wand, or a collectible that can’t be collected anywhere else. This has contributed to my main belief of kindness and maybe even reinforced it as part of my attitude. I had a good day, and hopefully, I would  have a better one for the next few days before returning to Canada, and it did, at the most magical place on earth.

 

     My family and I, as well as a lot of other families, find Disney World to be the most magical place on earth and I agree. We were spending our last days in Florida, and our best place to go was at Animal Kingdom, as they had recently built the World of Na’vi, or Avatar’s place. We walked everywhere, even waiting in line for 1.5-2 hrs trying to ride Avatar’s Flight of Passage, which was really worth it. As the moon arrived to darken our skies, we had decided to exit Animal Kingdom, as my cousin finds a stuffed lion plush on the ground. My cousin decided to keep it as a souvenir in Orlando, as it was abandoned and decided to head out to the buses to head back to the hotel. As we walked, my ears couldn’t help but listened to a conversation between two adult men, one woman, and one small boy, who looked like he would be in kindergarten. The boy seemed to be carrying a plush with him and he was looking around for something. The dad asked if it was left with his mom, or if he had it in his small bag, and couldn’t find the item. I all of a sudden heard the boy cry, “I can’t find Leo. Where’s Leo?” and his dad ensured that they would find it. I thought about it as we passed them slowly, and realized that Leo could be referenced to as the lion, and remembered the lion plush. I walked to my cousin at the time, telling her to give me the plush because I think this is the item the boy was searching for. My family all froze, looking at me as I walked towards the other family. As I walked, I tried talking to the father and boy, who were still thinking about where is Leo. I had asked if this was the plush he was looking for, and all of a sudden, the other man standing there had pointed to my hand that contained the lion plush and told them, “Oh look, there it is.”. I turned and handed it to the boy, explaining that we had found it lying at the entrance. The little boy, who had kind of been broken because he lost something special, had now been filled with happiness, as his tears disappeared. I truly believed Disney was somehow enchanted, leading this toy right back to the boy. My parents eventually came to think, I should work at Disney, but didn’t want me to leave the home of Calgary. This belief not only brought me happiness, but even a hope, that kindness can appear just around the corner.

 

      Of all the experiences that I had treating everybody with kindness, it taught me that everyone has the ability to treat others with kindness, which influences others to do the same or similar acts. This has affected my life as of today, altering my perspective to treat others to the best of my ability. Whenever I see someone that needs help on a certain situation, whether it’s picking up loose papers, or if someone had unknowingly dropped significant items, I will take a chance to help, even when no one is watching. This will help me build and reinforce relationships with others through kindness, hopefully not bringing in any conflicts that might be obstacles in my future.

Category: Miguel, Sept 2019 | 2 Comments on The Value of Kindness