Catelynn Anderson

Humanities P. 5 and 6

1/10/18
Daily quote- “your only power is to say yes or no”
Daily word- cohort. - companion, colleague, band, group

-How did it feel when you entered the room? What did you notice? Why did you sit where you
sat?
Well this is the first time I’ve walked into this room because I’ve been in the wrong pod
until now. So, it felt a little weird walking in because I didn’t know if I was gonna take
someone’s seat that they like, or intrude on a certain friend-group’s area. I noticed that
the tables are arranged in a weird and different way than usual, which I think is kind of
cool. When I chose to sit down I chose an empty seat on the inside of this weird table
configuration where my old friend Corbin was sitting, so it seemed like an okay place to
seat myself. I’m anxious about this class because I’ve been doing a lot of work in the
other humanities pod which is now all trash since I’ve been switched, but I hope to get
credit for it all somehow. I have no idea what this class has been working on/studying, so
that gives me a little bit of curiosity and confusion. I’m feeling hopeful since this pod has
new people that I don’t usually get to work with, unlike my other pod where I know
everyone, which can be boring.

1/11/18
Daily quote- “What I do everyday matters more than what I do once in a while”
Daily word- gauche. - lacking social experience or grace; no tactful

-What is something you wish you knew how to do? Why?

I wish I knew how to skateboard. This is because a lot of my friends do it, and it’s a
harder sport than it seems. It’s risky and hard to learn, which is why I wish I naturally
knew how. I’m too scared to even try because as I’ve seen with my friends, it literally
beats you up and tires you out.. and you fall and get hit and break stuff.. Etc. Even
though it’s categorized as a certain stereotype and it is now thought of as what “stoners”
or “cool guys” do, if you think about it and look at what it really is and take away that
stereotype, it’s a pretty cool thing. You have to have perseverance and bravery, because
90% of the time you’re gonna f*** up and hurt yourself.

1/12/18
Daily quote- “Think of the power of the universe - turning the earth, growing the trees. That’s the
same power within you- if you have the courage to use it.
Daily word- placate. -to soothe or mollify, especially by confessions.

I honestly do not necessarily agree with this statement. I really appreciate and admire
how powerful the universe is and how much it can do and how crazy it is that there are
an infinite number of galaxies. We can’t even comprehend the amount of space and
planets and other living things that are out there that we haven’t discovered. I do not
think that a single person actually has that kind of power. We are just specks in this
extremely awesome, huge, and powerful universe. Nothing that us tiny humans actually
do matters at all. I do believe that we can make meaning for ourselves, so that we don’t
get bored while we are stuck here living, and not knowing why.

“The Element, How Passion Changes Everything” Video and questions

● Is there anything in your life that you do as the Concert Pianist/Editor played her piano?
What is it? Do you continue to do that thing? Why?
I was so shocked when watching this video because literally I have gone through the
exact same experiences as the pianist. When I was about 5, my parents noticed that I
wasn’t in any clubs at school or doing anything active outside of school, so they went
with the basic : Piano lessons. Surprisingly, I was naturally extremely good at playing the
piano. I was playing more complicated two hand songs about a half year later. My mom is
always so pushy about piano and encourages me to play all the time because it makes
her happy. But I’ve noticed that I honestly do not care about the piano. I have never been
motivated to practice. I have never thought of piano as an “outlet” for anxiety or
whatever. Most of the time, I don’t look forward to practicing at all. But somehow, even
though I barely practice and only had one lesson a week, I was easily “earing” (Listening
to recordings of songs or hearing someone play it and then easily be able to play it
without music) songs such as “The Maple leaf Rag” (which I learned about 3 years ago)
and a re-edited covered piano version of the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Jarrod
Radnich. It’s a pretty cool and hard arrangement. I wanted to continue watching this
video just because I related so much to a lot of these stories and agreed with many of the
authors points of view.
To answer the second question, I am currently not playing piano as much as I used to.
This is because I have recently had a few issues within my social life and family life that
have caused things in my life to slow down a bit, such as piano and school. ( if you don’t
know, I was doing online school last semester because of this reason.) But my mom
really wants me to get back into it and, after 6 months, which is about how long ago I
stopped playing, she has signed me up for lessons again, Even though I don’t
necessarily enjoy piano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgR3WiGPYiQ
I could play this song perfectly from memory from start to finish and now can only play
about half and probably mess up, since it’s been like 6 months since I’ve played.
● What do you make of the keyboard player telling Sir Ken, "No, you wouldn't [love to be a
keyboard player]." Is the keyboard player's thinking correct? If we truly love a thing, do
we do that thing no matter what?
I do very much agree with this pianists comment. I believe that when you find something
that you actually love, you end up doing it more often than not even when you don’t
realize it. I like how the pianist said “you don’t wish to do it, you just like the idea of it.”
Because that’s true. When you wish to have love for something that you don’t have love
for, you just like the idea

● What outside stimuli/influences does Robinson cite that keep us from doing things that
we would actually like to do? In your view, what/who do you think gives those
stimuli/influences cache?
Robinson talked about a boy that was criticised for wanting to be a fireman his whole life.
He was told by a teacher that he was “stupid” and “wouldn’t amount to anything”. Of
course, he became a fireman like he had always wanted to be, and ended up saving the
life of this teacher and his wife. I think that sometimes, being told not to do something
you know you love can just make you want to prove the mean and unsupportive people
wrong.

● Were you surprised to learn about the ways in which Coelho's family attempted to
dissuade his dreams of becoming a writer? In what ways do the events of the allegorical
novel mirror the author's own journey?
I was very shocked. Like, what’s wrong with being a writer? It’s not like writers are bad,
writers create some of the most beautiful things. I’m glad that I don’t have very
controlling guardians or role models to put me down like that. I do think that it is
interesting that even after all of the putdowns, he still became a writer. That, to me, is
inspiring in a way.

1/16/18
Daily quote- “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
Daily word- accentuate - accent, emphasize, intensify

-What is a quote at the beginning of a novel/short story/essay/literary work called? What

is its function?
An epigraph. It may serve as a preface, as a summary, or as a counter-example.

● Did you have a plan of what you wanted to do today?

Yes, I wanted to find the first person to take a picture of and plan to sketch out a rough
outline. I’ve taken a picture of Grace, who will be the first person I attempt to draw.

● How difficult was it to get started?

Not very difficult. I just found a person I wanted to attempt to draw, and asked to take
their picture. I’ve posted their picture on my DP.

● What was the moment when things clicked for you and you knew what you were going to
do/how you could move forward?
I realized that drawing is something that I am naturally good at but don’t give much
attention to. But I have always wanted to improve my drawing at some point, so I thought
why not now. It’s a perfect opportunity.

● What did you accomplish today?

I established the first person that I am going to draw and put the picture on my DP. I
planned out how I was going to proportion the drawing.

● Are you satisfied with what you accomplished today?

Yes I am. I think that I have planned out a good schedule for when I will draw and when I
will finish a portrait. I am excited to see my progress.

● How much did you have to persist today?

To be honest, not too much. I did basic easy things to kick off this process. I think It’s
going good so far.

● What was your biggest challenge?

Figuring out who to take a picture of and what lightings would look better was probably
my biggest challenge today.

● Did you enjoy yourself? Why or why not?

Yes I did, and I am excited to get this project started. I can’t wait to see what art I
produce.

1/17/18
Daily quote- “We are all so much together, but we are dying of loneliness.”
Daily word- spiel - valuable line of often extravagant talk.

-write a 7-10 sentence paragraph of internal monologue for Picasso as he paints. Internal
monologue is a character speaking to themselves. It is demarcated/formatted by italics in the
midst of exposition.

What will I draw… how about an easy bird. Here’s the beak and body and wing. Now
what? How about a bull. Here’s the horn, face, front leg, stomach, back and now the
ground. This feels different than painting regularly, it’s weird to be able to see through
your canvas. I wish I had more paint, like different colors.

- What was the thesis of this talk? What, ultimately, is she trying to say about our use of
technology?
She is saying that we are using technology wrong, and letting it steer us in the wrong
direction. She explains that we should also be able to be alone. If you are able to be
alone with yourself and cherish that time, you will be healthy when communicating with
others. If you are reliant on others to make you feel happy inside, that is unhealthy.
Another big idea she had was that we use technology when we feel most vulnerable. Say
like if you were in a meeting and you felt uncomfortable, a lot of people would pull out
their phones.

- “…our little devices, those little devices in our pockets, are so psychologically powerful
that they don’t only change what we do, they change who we are.” What does she
mean? Do you agree or disagree? Why? Dig deep!
I do agree. I feel like when I had an iPhone and was obsessed with social media, I was
very insecure and unhealthy. I was awkward in social situations and I always felt the
need to be on my phone. Now that I have gotten rid of my iPhone and all social media, I
feel so much better. I am a lot more confident that I used to be, I work out almost every
day, and I can have smooth good conversations with people in school without feeling
nervous.

- She asks: “What’s wrong with having a conversation?” How would you answer this
question? Why do you think that people are more comfortable with other modes of
conversation? Do you see this in your own life?
I feel like people like having conversations online more because they can edit their
responses. You have a chance to think twice before you send something. Also, there is
no eye contact or gestures which is a big part of conversation. You have time to think out
your answers through text where in person it all just happens, and you have better
connection when it comes to understanding what people are actually saying.

- “We’re lonely, but we’re afraid of intimacy.” True? Untrue? In what ways?
True. We are lonely, but scared to have intimacy because we are self conscious. The
social media world has put so much pressure and shame onto a lot of people. We feel as
if life is a race.. Who looks the best who’s wearing the best stuff. These high standards
cause us to feel bad about the way we are and look. We are afraid of intimacy because of
ourselves.

1/18/18
Daily quote- “My potential is more than can be expressed within the bounds of my race or ethnic
identity.”
Daily word- debilitate - to impair the strength of

- Ashe had a multitude of identities. What identities do you have? Name at least 10
Sister
Pianist
Gym go-er
Daughter
Brie lover
Zia lover
Animal lover
Stubborn person
Lazy person
White girl
Smart person

- In what ways do your self-selected identities inhibit your potential? In what way do those
identities maximise your potential?
Sometimes being stubborn can get in the way of life. When I’m stubborn about the wrong
things, it doesn’t go so well. Sometimes being white and a girl helps my identity when it
comes to respect and judgement. Laziness causes me to struggle sometimes.. But being
smart makes everything a lot easier, even when i’m lazy.

First assignment choice

● Write a paragraph for me about one of the following in your Reflection Journal:

These pieces say a lot. They resemble how technology has began to destroy us. Kids feel
horrible about themselves when they don’t feel loved or heard, and social media has
emphasized this immensely. Social media also takes away the true meaning of
communication and conversation. When you text, you have time to edit what you say and
time to think about how to respond without the other person knowing that you read their
text. In person, there are facial expressions and gestures and you have to respond
quickly. We have lost true communication and connection.
- What similarities do you seen between these pieces? Analyze some trends and themes
you see.
These pieces are pretty much only similar because they both express that technology
has corrupted us. They express different aspects of this broad idea. The first shows how
technology brings self concious behavior into kids and teens lives, because social media
is just a petty competition between young adults to be liked the most, or to be the
prettiest. The second expresses the fact that we have lost true communication in this
world. We just sit and stare at each others pictures online and we comment on each
others stuff and for some reason this makes us feel liked or “in the loop”.
 1. Choose one piece, and explain the message. Dig deep into the visual symbolism being
used here.
I’ve chosen this piece. I think that this is very symbolic. People
are too self conscious and scared and feel too vulnerable to go
out into the real world and face the awkwardness and face the
anxiety, so they seek connection through social media. People
stay in their safe places at home while looking at the world
through social media because they are less vulnerable than if
they were to have confrontation in person. We disable ourselves
by letting ourselves get this far sucked into the social media
world that is filled with judgment and fierce competition.

2. Create your own visual artistic response in any medium.

Think about what you want to say, what intellectual and emotional
impact you want to have on your viewers!

I just quickly sketched this drawing of an arm being

injected with vials of drugs. These drugs are
metaphors for social media, as you can see.. If you
look closely.. The logos of snapchat and facebook are
on the vials. I drew this to show that we really do use
social media to soothe ourselves when we feel empty
or alone, just like drug users do.

Second assignment choice

Paragraph 1: What is the strongest evidence for the pro side? What makes it strong?
Paragraph 2: What is the strongest evidence for the con side? What makes it strong?
Paragraph 3: Write a thesis statement that answers the question, “Are social networking sites
good for our society?”, and write one paragraph defending your position.