Big Project Update

         Per Dr.Preston's end of the semester kum-ba-ya party in lieu of a final where we all pushed the desks in a circle and shared our ideas in a peculiar heartfelt, and almost somber manner, I proposed the idea of a swing set that generated electricity. I thouhgt this pretty good. There would be a cross over from my AP Physics class and I would make a cool thing.

         But recently it's come to my attention that good isn't good enough. So I build this swing set, swing on it, charge my iphone and blog about it. It's shallow, there is so much loss of potential, and most of all it isn't sustainable.

          I'm not sure what I am going ot do about this yet but I know I am going to do something. Why waste an entire semester working on something that doesn't take me outside the classroom?

Poety Remix

We (Sierra Sanchez, Hannah Hurd, Shaiylnn Joseph, Judith Lee, Alec McFarland, Matthew Hollinger, Courtney Reyburn) chose "Working Together" as our poem to remix. 

We decided to do what Dr.Preston referred to as 'low tech' and build a tangible remix of the peom by creating individual puzzle pieces that represented various parts of the poem. These puzzle pieces fit snugly together creating a whole circle much like the poem itself was composed of small lessons to create  a master piece of a poem. 

Here was the process: 

Hamlet Essay 1&2 (slightly remixed)

Throughout this Shakespearean play it is obvious to the reader that they are observing a boy, unlike most, develop into a man, who again stands out amongst the crowd. There are certain qualities Hamlet holds that renders him undeniably relatable, and frankly agreeable. 

Given the time period and values at the time it would be fair to say Hamlet exerts genius like qualities in his careful scheming. Though killing for honor was not unfamiliar at this time, it was more often done in a rash and animalistic way through war and gory bloodshed rather than plotting the death. The manner in which Hamlet goes about avenging his father is much more calculated and careful, than a typical revenge murder may be.  As his heated anger for other unfortunate things in his life comes to a boil, like his uncle becoming his stepfather, hamlet is guided to not only avenge his father but to also fulfill his personal desires of revenge. 

In modern times this type of killing would be done by someone of unstable mental health, and even in the play the famous words "though this be madness, yet there is method in't"  were said, speaking to the strange manner in which Hamlet tries to murder his uncle. Though he is mad, there is method in it. Though he is crazy, there is a reason for it. Though he is psychotic, there is motive behind it. 

Hamlet's deeper desire to kill other than for 'honor' in avenging his father, notions to a strange and almost erotic state Hamlet wants to achieve throughout the play by killing. He cannot be seen as a mentally stable individual.  

Act 4 Notes

Act 4 

-Gertrude tells Claudius what hamlet did 

-Claudius wants to a) send hamlet away and b) sweep the murder under the rug. 

-Hamlet doesn't trust Rosencrantz and Guild. He gives them the riddles "the body is with the king but the king is not with the body, the king is but a thing" 

-Claudius paints a picture of Hamlet being like a politician that does bad things but gets away with it because he's a good politician 

-Claudius tells Hamlet he can go to England, where Claudius plans to have him assassinated 

-We see a different Hamlet, he is now a man. 

College and Cake Wednesday

Due to quality issues I had to upload the video in separate segments on to youtube.
In collaboration with Sierra Sanchez, Judith Lee, Courtney Reyburn, Hannah Hurd, and Shailynn Joseph.

Hamlet Act 3

first recognition of hamlet not being crazy mad, but crafty mad. 

-who's side are rosencraft and guildenstern on? Claudius. 

-by liking like we are doing the right hung we can convince people we aren't malicious -the 

-first time in play we hear from Claudius that Claudius feels guilty 

-Ophelia is set up to get information out of hamlet 

-hamlet to be or not to be soliloquy 

-hamlet is weary of Ophelia because of his mother, Gertrude. 

-hamlet doesn't trust Ophelia's honesty, her intentions. Hamlet lays it down on Ophelia showing his paranoia of distrust for those around him. 

-Claudius and Polonius listen to Hamlet and Ophelia's exchange and Claudius reforms his impressions about Hamlet 

-There is a change of "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" to "remove the threat" 

-Claudius wants Hamlet to leave 

-Polonius agrees but proposes that after the play Gertrude talks to hamlet to try and get him to reveal his true feelings 

-Hamlet tells the actors to act natural and act the play out to the word it was written. Not to overdo it. But to make sure to not under do it either. Hamlet wants this to be genuine and real. He doesn't want the actors to improvise at all. 

#ccourses

Yesterday evening as I was scrolling through Twitter I came across a tweet from Laura Ritchie 

Intrigued by the phrasing, I clicked the link and saw just exactly what "drawing some music" was. 

So I pressed play and listened to the audio clip of one of her students, and decided I would draw (or attempt to with my limited artistic skills) what I heard from the music. 

At first I pictured an old, husky boat sailing through the darkest part of the ocean. Before I set my pencil to paper I played it once more. This time when I listened to it I saw not just a picture, but an entire story playing out. A kingdom long at war, finally coming to terms with a defeat and beginning to raise its white flag, hoping for a better tomorrow- or something like that. It was interesting to see the story music created. And along that path, with my double dosage of English this year (taking ap lit with preston, and TA-ing for a freshmen honors English class) I've realized the musicality in great pieces of literature like Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet. 

It was a cool assignment from Laura Ritchie that I found could connect to my own courses.