The Alchemist and Julius Caesar

"The "Alchemist" is a book we read in the beginning of the year. After we had read the book, we had to write an essay based on the character traits we could pick out from Santiago's actions and thoughts. Later that year, we had to do the same with Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar." The one written piece I am most proud of is my Julius Caesar essay because I feel that I have grown a lot since I had written about Santiago. I think that my writing has appropriate ideas that are tied to the subject I’m writing about. For example, in both the Alchemist and the Julius Caesar essay, I explain myself and why I used the notes and information I did. I also gave my audience an understanding about the novel and maybe some information that they did not get at. I could improve my writing, however, by putting in some more details and some more personal points of view so that my audience doesn’t have to guess what side of the argument I’m on.
I believe that my writing is organized because of the way I flow from one topic to the next. I always try to plan my writing from beginning to end, just like the story we had been reading. In the future, I might try to write my essays from the most interesting topic to the least.
I think that I wrote the Julius Caesar essay better than I did the Alchemist essay because I already had read some of that play before. I also think that Julius Caesar was a bit more pressured, which made me think about the quality of my writing, and not too much the length of it.
The SLR I think that I see most in my writing is reason critically because I have trouble choosing better synonyms for a word. I would think about 2 more words that are equally good, but then end up coming back to it to see which fits the content of my essay more.

A Better Rome – By Killing Caesar?
“What means this shouting? I do fear that the people choose Caesar for their king,” … “I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well…” Page 32, lines 78-81. Brutus and Cassius are talking about the roaring crowd. This tells us that Brutus already thinks that Caesar will become a tyrant. Brutus is afraid of what Caesar might do to the people, even though he loves Caesar. Cassius figures out that Brutus is gullible enough to join the conspiracy. The conspiracy needs Brutus because the general people listen to him due to his honor and popularity among them.
Brutus is a gullible person; he believes that killing Caesar will be the only way to peace in Rome. Cassius, a very sly manipulator, takes the chance with Brutus and slowly makes him join the conspiracy by giving him letters all written by him, and also by telling him about what might happen if Caesar was to be king. “That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; what you would work me to, I have some aim: how I have thought of this, and of these times, I shall recount hereafter. For this is present, I would not, so with love I might entreat you, be any further mov’d. What you have said I will consider; what you have to say I will with patience hear, and find a time both to meet to hear and answer such high things.” Brutus, page 36 and 37, lines 160 – 168. Cassius had just told Brutus about how evil Caesar will be and how his nature will change once he is king. Brutus believes him fully, and considers joining the conspiracy. “Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet I see thy honorable mettle may be wrought from that it is dispos’d: therefore ‘tis meet that noble minds keep ever with their likes; for who so firm that cannot be seduc’d?” Cassius, page 46, lines 298 – 302. Cassius believes that even the most stubborn person can be seduced into doing what he wants. He is talking about Brutus behind his back and saying that Brutus’ honor is getting in the way of his thinking; that he thinks about honor too much.
The people look up to Brutus because of his honor. Brutus wanted the better for Rome and for the general to be free people. He believed that Caesar would have become a tyrant and made everyone slaves. “If it be aught toward the general good, set honor in one eye, and death in the other, and I will look on both indifferently; for let the Gods so speed me as I love the name of honor more than I fear death,” Brutus, Page 32, lines 84 – 89. This quote is saying that Brutus would rather die than to be considered dishonorable; he wants the greater good for all the people, which is to get rid of Caesar so he won’t become a tyrant. Cassius sees this in Brutus and uses it against him in such a way that Brutus goes down the path with the conspiracy. Another quote that shows Brutus being very honorable is the following; “… Believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor, that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom, and wake your senses, that you may the better judge. … If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer; not that I loved Caesar less, that I loved Rome more.” This quote is when Brutus is at Caesar’s funeral; right after him and the conspirators had killed him. He is trying to make the people believe that Brutus still is an honorable man, and that what he has done was right.
Did the end justify the means? Brutus wanted a free and peaceful Rome. By killing Caesar, Antony, one of Caesar’s followers, became ranged and started a civil war in all of Rome and in Italy. If Brutus had not been driven completely by honor, he might have gotten the Rome he wanted. He also shouldn’t have gone with Cassius. All Cassius wanted was to have Brutus on his side to make the plot of killing Caesar look like it was for the greater good and so that people would believe him more easily.

Sudan Collage Video

Thinking Creatively:
I had to use this SLR while I was making the collage and making my script for the imovie. For the collage itself, I wanted to use photos that were shocking, but not ones that would make one sick because I think that photos that are too "in your face" will not make people looking at it donate because they might feel that the people don't have a chance anyway and will think that they are wasting their money.

Reasoning Critically:
I had to reason with what photos I wanted to put on my collage and the message I wanted to get across to my audience.

Communicating Effectively:
I believe that my collage gives my audience the feeling that these people are in danger and are having really tough times, but they can still be saved. I didn't want to put in photos that were too dramatic or too many photos with smiling faces.

Living Ethically:
I think that my collage creates the feeling of empathy toward the people who went through the war because of the photos I had chosen and the words and phrases that I had chosen to put on it as well.

Hope for Sudan and Its People

My collage is simple, but I used the photos to create a story-like theme. The photo in the middle with the happy, smiling children is the part that i want my audience to see first because their eyes will then go around that picture. I want to create a feeling of empathy towards the people, because you'll see all they've been through, but they're still smiling because they get the care they need, even if it isn't good enough, they still get food and water. The words that are placed around the pictures are discribing the boys and girls and their journey to where they are now.

Walk Toward A Better Life ~~ Peter

Only recently has Sudan been ridden of its second civil war, which started in 1983 and ended in 2005. Many people - just about 300,000 - were killed in this war. A group of hundreds of boys moved to a refugee camp in Kenya. They walked many miles every day, but not everyone made it to the camp. The boys and the girls that did make it were given food, clothes that were donated from other countries, and shelter. They were also given a chance for an education. There they learned english.
Once in a while, they would be given a test to take to see if they could be relocated to other countries to get new jobs, homes, and friends.

Peter was one of the refugees that fled from Sudan and got to Houstan, Texas. Having never flown by aeroplane before, this made him nervous and anxious. In Texas, he lived with a few of his friends who had also moved to the same house. They had to adapt to the American way; the way the jobs were done as well as getting mugged. Peter later left the house he had lived in to move to Kansas. There, he got a job and he went to highschool to get a real education. Peter had made many friends in that school, but he never forgot about his earilier home. He called once in a while to talk and to check on them to see how their life was compared to his. Santino, Peter's best friend, had a rough time now that Peter had left. Santino wasn't allowed to go to school because he was too old to do so.

The Lost Boys Of Sudan is a very good website to go to if you want to learn more about their lives and if you want to help out by donating.

Julius Caesar Duet Acting

Act 1 Scene 3, Page 48 - 50

A street. Thunder and lightning. Enter Casca and Cicero.

Cicero: Good even, Casca: brought you Ceasar home?
Why are you breathless? and why stare you so?

Casca: Are you not mov'd, when all the swat of Earth
Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
I have seen tempests, when the scolding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks; and I have seen
Th' ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam,
To be exalted with the treat'ning clouds:
But never till tonight, never till now,
Did I go through a tempest fropping fire.
Either there is a civil strife in heaven,
Or else the world, too saucy with the Gods,
Incences them to send destruction.

Cicero: Why, saw you any thing more wonderful?

Casca: A common slave, you know him well by sight,
Held up his hand, which did flame and burn
Like twenty torches join'd; and yet his hand,
Not sensible of fire, remain'd unscorch'd.
Besides(I ha' not since put up my sword)
Against the Capitol I met a lion,
Who glazed upon me, and went surly by,
Without annoying me. And there were drawn
Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women,
Transformed with their fear, who swore they saw
Men, all in fire, walk up and down the streets.
And yesterday the bird of night did sit,
Even at noonday, upon the market place,
Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies
Do so conjointly meet, let not men say,
'These are their reasons, they are natural!';
For I believe, they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

Cicero: Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time:
But men may conture things, after their fashion,
Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.
Comes Caesar to the Capitol tomorrow?

Casca: He doth; for he did bid Antonius
Send word to you he would be there tomorrow.

Cicero: Good night then, Casca: this disturbed sky
Is not to walk in.

Casca: Farewell, Cicero.

This passage is significant because it is making us wait for the storm to pass, which creates tension for the reader. It also shows us that the characters are superstitious because they believe that the Gods are at war up above. They have found all these unatural sightings like owls at day and a lion in the streets. They think that these sights are omens and that the Gods are angry with something that they have done.

Duet ~~ Emma Bledsoe, Annie Spendrup

School of Athens - Who Would I Be?

In the Renaissance, people were experimenting with art, colors, math, and science. Only few people were brave enough to stand up and do what they love the most. In this case, most people were held down by their religion, God, and the Church. Whenever the Church heard about new information they didn't like, they set an end to it.

If I had to be a figure in this painting, I would like to be the figure on the left hand side of the painting. This is Apollo, the Greek God of music, medicine, hunting, and prophecy. I would like to be Apollo because music is a great part of my life. Also, when I was younger, I wanted to be a doctor and liked leaning about medicine.