Monday, September 22, 2014

Monday, September 22nd, 2014--9 pm

Greetings,

Just some reminders:

1. Please bring Packet 3 materials to all class sessions this week.
2. Please bring the handout from today with the sample paragraphs to class on Wednesday.
3. Please bring your viewer's journal to class on Wednesday. (I suggest that you always have the viewer's journal with you during every class.)

Below is the handout I distributed in class today.


English 20
Looking back at Out of Class Essay #1

Sample Paragraphs
                  Martial arts have been around for quite awhile, and every master has their own way of teaching their disciples.  As well as whom they are willing to teach, most masters keep their secrets to a desired few.  Lee was probably the first person to break the standard way of teaching martial arts; he wanted to teach people the way of the intercepting fist.  At the early age of 13 Lee was train by Master Yip Man in the art of Wing Chung, he later used that as the base of his Jeet Kune Do style.  Lee took his training seriously; he would stretch and perform his routines daily. He managed to injure himself one morning, which put him in the hospital for an extended duration.  During this time Lee decided to write and draw about martial arts.  Lee lived a life of nonconformity, he was known to shape and form his own lifestyle, even if those around him thought his methods were unusual and contradicted the traditional ways.
***
                  Twenty year after the release of Nirvana’s last album, Kurt Cobain is still as iconic as ever.  The question is, how could it be that even after Cobain’s tragic death his music still flourishes amongst the twentieth century?  There are several factors that explain the influence that Cobain left behind.  First off, Cobain was a “prolific artist, poet, and writer, and his influences can be seen in the art direction of [Nirvana’s] videos” (Cope).  Looks are not everything, but they certainly were a plus for Cobain, from his strong jaw line to blonde hair and blue eyes, he was the face of the era for teenage girls to dream about.  He also had the attitude of counter-culture and brought a whole new level being a rock star to the table.  He was reckless and intoxicated during performances and during interviews he had a certain sadness about him which only attracted his fan base even more than before.  Cobain did not dress to impress for his performances, he simply wore “laidback” clothing such as, flannel shirts and layers, and often dyed his blonde hair to vibrant colors.  Kurt would connect with his audience by truly showing them who he really was which really distinguished him from any other musician at the time.
***
                  It doesn’t stop there with Macklemore’s nonconformity, the reason his album did so well is because of the type of music he creates and the message he conveys to his audience, he can evoke all kinds of emotions with his music, he can bring back the memories of watching baseball as a child, or make you remember that feeling you got from new shoes that made you feel you can run so fast or jump so high, or the struggles we have in life and disappointing and hurting the ones closest to us and starting over.  While it is the norm for artist to bring out emotions through their music I find that most rappers do not do this and that they send the message of smoking weed and sex and I feel it is noteworthy that Macklemore can do these things so well.
***

                  There are many different ways to describe a nonconformist  Some are more difficult than others.  If you ask me, a possible definition of a nonconformist is someone who doesn’t go along with the social norms of the their time. Leonardo Da Vinci is a great example of this.  He lived during the Renaissance Era and was a genius in many fields.  A few of these fields include math, science, engineering and art.  He was as much of an inventor as he was an artist.  He was not always seen as great though.  There were a lot of times when he was humiliated and cast aside for his ideas,  Even so this did not discourage him and instead he used these experiences to help with new works.
***
                  Thomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio (“The Life of…”)  He was the youngest of seven children born to his parents Nancy Elliot and Sam Edison.  His childhood is said to have been difficult – not only was his family poor, but Edison’s thirst for knowledge drove many people insane.  For example, at the age of seven, he was taken out of school because his teacher had no patience for what was thought to be self-centered behavior and persistent questioning (Beals).  As a result, he was taken out of school and educated at home by his mother; Edison once said “My mother was the making of me.  She was so true, so sure of me, and I felt I had someone to live for, someone I must not disappoint” (“The Life of…”)  From the beginning Edison showed great interest in chemical and mechanical experiments.

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