So, here we go again. It’s that time of year where I stand in front of my teachers and parents and try and make a bridge between the teachers, me and the parents. And this is the one where I tell you why I should be in the program based on what I have done this year. I don’t want to bombard you with example of my best work, my highs, I want to show you the upwards slant that I have showed this year.
Now, normally I will tell this story through a blog post. I will typically divide it into three parts, work I am proud of, work that shows growth and work that needs more work put into it. All with corresponding examples. This year though, we did not do that. We were given free reign, no script and just told to have fun.
For me that was nothing but good news. I had never used the script anyway, I had just done whatever I kinda wanted. Even still, I did follow that general idea of the three examples that mean the same things. So, I decided to switch it up. I made a keynote that was a pitch. A pitch of myself.
This year in PLP 11 the we entered the school year we had our normal class. Humanities. It is a combination of Socials and English class, and it repeats every day, rather than once every two days. This is what we were expecting. What we weren’t was a new course. PGP, Personal Growth Plan. PGP takes the mystery out of what grade your work will receive and shifts the conversation to how you can continue to grow as a learner to achieve the targets you set. PGP is the foundation for the grading conversation that happens between you as a PLP learner and your teachers in each PLP class.
I want to start at the end and then work my way backwards. So that way, you are baffled by what I say and then as I go you can start to understand exactly what I mean in my product. This product had to answer the question, What do I know now that I wish I knew before? For me not only did I learn everything that I mentioned in the essay, but I also discovered something. My own writing style. I started by wanting to write like Michael Ondaatje. The deep, vivid description and imagery. I then also drew from Roald Dahl’s Skin (left image). It is a collection of short stories that pack deep, vivid storytelling and characters into a short period. Then end with a huge twist that draws back the curtain.
So, I am sorry if this paper is confusing at first, it was meant to be. It is not only an essay telling my learning’s and understandings in the PGP course, it is also a step into my writing style, and my head. Enjoy.
Untitled
Adam Gerbrecht
May-June, 2019
As I am poised in my room, standing, just a few feet from the door that moments ago, I had entered the room from. I am confronted. I have encountered, yet again, the token of my past. An illustration of not only what was, but also what will be. An owl. It is the commanding general of my antiquity, leading legions of memories and adventures. Efficacious and adverse, side by side as they charge across the battlefield of time. Hellbent on the future.
The future. The outlook. Eternity. Some would even say destiny. What is it? It is the newborn baby of every moment we live in. It is the expectation of yesterday, and the fate of today. Society these days is too centralized on the present. How we appear in the very moment we are in to ourselves and those around us. We all do this, yet, we are all gravely, horribly incorrect. This is even true for myself. Especially true in fact. There was a time, not so long ago, that I was treading water. I was fighting to stay in the moment, kicking, writhing, persistently fighting the deep, dark water that sucked my down. The past. I was to busy worrying about Davy Jones’s Locker swallowing me up, and not looking upward. Above the waters of my past, higher than the struggling of the present, to the future. My lack of wisdom cost me months, even years of my life. Back in my room, the image staring back at me, scoffs. With its gaze that dances along the line of piercing and caring like a prima ballerina, walking across the stage of my thoughts. Every moment I stare into those eyes I feel the motivation. To stop treading water. To calm myself, and to reach for the hand helping me out of the deep blue. And into the future. What do I need to do to get there? Just look up.
That sounds so easy doesn’t it? Sounds as easy as 1-2-3 or ABC, but it is actually very burdensome. Gazing towards the future is not the difficulty, it is in fact what is inside you that is the driving force that helps you raise your head towards the future. The seven little voices inside your head. Like little sailors on the exploration vessel that is your head and personality. They can fight in a gladiator arena of your cranium, but when you control them and understand them. They sing in perfect harmony. A symphony of perfection and peak performance in academia and life. So, allow me to introduce you to my cohort of seven voices.
The first voice is the leading projection inside my head. The captain. Not because it is the first that I am unveiling to you. But because it is the most most general and it summarizes a lot of what the rest of our friends do. It is about being proactive and in charge. The captain of your own ship. On this ship, when navigating the open, reckless oceans the captain does not react to every action immediately like a compressed spring. You must step back, asses situation and then decide. Step back and look back at the problem with an analytic eye. Similar to the gaze cast back at me inside my bedroom.
The second is the leader of the future. Earlier this little voice in my head was leading me in my building of the future, and when I am accused with that gaze. The gaze that is on me challenging my future. This is the voice in my ear telling me what to do. To start everything with the end in mind. To look through the telescope before setting sail. Not worrying about what is on the sides of the tube of glass that lets me see afar. And then, as the telescope is lowered from my eye I look ahead, into the distance I have already seen. But now, I can see what it will take to get there.
Third. This is the moral. Floating above the ship perched upon the restless sea. All sailors love the water, they breath ocean air, and saltwater runs through their veins. Surrounding them are distractions that Mother Nature brings in her endless vast ocean. This moral floats in my head, my head that is a boat full of sailors. That I must work. Hard. And then once all the tasks are done, when the ship has reached its destination, then, the sailors can relax. And put play at the forefront.
Rallying the troops is the fourth. The over-jolly cook of this bateau. When the tired sailors sulk into the galley, he is the voice of positivity that greets each with a hot plate and a motivational dialect. In the realm of my head, this is the thought that every situation I set sail for is a win-win situation. That even if I fail, I fall victim to the constant nagging knowledge that a failure is only the first attempt in learning. This motivational voice in my head keeps the other sailors on the SS Adam moving at a high pace, motivated at all times.
The fifth is essential. The listener in my head, this is the part that interprets information and then thoughtfully thinks each action through. Seeking to understand then to be understood. This is essential on a vessel that travels many countries and lands. A translator. Taking information from the outside and relaying it. So that for the greater good of the future, both the information given and the opinion or angle being outputted is the highest caliber.
The sixth. Who could forget? Synergy. The first mate of my brain. My brain boat. Having a second in command of my head helps me be able to make all of these voices sing together. It is command as well as a witness to the rest of the workers in this busy life. Returning to our sailors, if the captain cannot understand his men, he is useless. This is what the second in command does. Communicates all ideas to all people so that the collective good is reached.
To cap it all off is the seventh. Not exactly a voice. Not exactly a person on my ship. It is more the keel. That part that site below the water, out of sight and mind. Yet, it is the one that keeps us going in the path that some call life. That some call sporadic. I can sharpened. In my head this is just the constant need for self- betterment. Making sure that everything that I do is the best for my life.
Suddenly, my eyes open. I hear the robotic chirping of my alarm clock, like a buzz saw cutting through relaxation. ‘That was a weird dream,’ I think to myself. At first I was just standing in my room looking at the picture of the owl I keep in my room to symbolize wisdom, of course. And the next I was fighting for my life. Treading water in the deepest, coldest water I have ever been in. Until I could finally bring myself to to look up and lunge for the hand to help me up. Then it got weirder. As I step onto dry land. It changes. It’s started to get really weird. Everything changes. Suddenly I am on a ship, on a turbulent sea. They’re are sailors running this way and that all constantly talking to some all-seeing power it seems. Weird. As I get out of bed to stop the mental assault of my alarm I thought I saw movement in the corner of my room. ‘Whatever,’ I think to myself as I get up and leave my room.
In the corner. The owl winks. Always watching me. Always helping and guiding me.
So, how did we get here? Well it all started way back in the beginning of the year. We started by reading a book, this book was called What Do You Really Want? How to Set a Goal and Go for It! A
Guide for Teens. Written by Beverly K. Bachel, this book is a step-by-step guide to goal setting for teens includes fun, creative exercises, practical tips, words of wisdom from famous “goal-getters,” real-life examples from teens, and success stories. We used this to complete various activities that are outlined in her writings. We documented them in our little journals, writing everything from goal lists, to step by step ‘ladders’ on how we were going to get there. And we made a dream board. (right picture.)
This was the first part of the PGP course that opened up my understanding and ideas that i used in my essay. I drew a lot from the goal setting pieces, as well as just the general notion of what really want. In school, life, career and more. This book was long, and at times the activities felt tedious, but over time the significance and usefulness of the ideas rooted in this section of PGP have stuck with me.
Then we did the last part of the “learning” in PGP. This was called the “7 Habits.” This was a series of media creations we made along with a workbook that we were working through. All surrounding the ideas from a book called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens is a 1998 bestselling self-help book written by Sean Covey, the son of Stephen Covey. The book was published on October 9, 1998 through Touchstone Books and is largely based on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. As far as the creations go I made 4. Here is my favorite.
So. That brings us here. My capstone project. The time machine. My essay. When I first pitched this project I was expecting to find my way through and around Michael Ondaatje‘s complicated yet beautiful writing style. I started writing like that, but as a wrote more and more I started to see something amazing. Something I have never seen in writing before. My own personal style. What I mean by that is that in this situation I wasn’t writing for marks, or a teacher, it was for myself. So I let my imagination and mind run. What I came up with was something fascinating. My style, like I mentioned earlier is a blend of Michael Ondaatje and Roald Dahl, but with my own twist. A twist of confusion caused in the reader, that is then followed by clarity. I discovered my writing style.
To bring it all back to PGP. I started this year expecting one of two things. Either a layup of a course that I would breeze through, or a grind that would make me pissed off. What I ended up getting was a constant gentle push towards self betterment and discovery that just got better as the year progressed. In the end, what I learned was not material, facts, or an idea. I learned more about me. And that, is the best knowledge.
Continuing along our historical timeline, after doing the 1950s ad early 1960s, we are now into the deeper and later part of the 1960s. The last unit that carried into the 1960s was about civil rights. This one does touch on those things but is focused more on the Cold War on the front of nuclear weapons and the issues that they caused.
The product that we made in the end of this unit was a bit different than anything that we had done before. In the past we have done a lot of videos, podcasts, and presentations. We wrote research essays. Research essays are clearly-written and well-organized essays that involve researching source material and synthesizing what you learn from it with your own ideas. We all individually chose a topic to write about and then, we all wrote an essay. The essay had to be MLA formatting and 500-1k words. Other than that it could be whatever we wanted. Here is mine.
Seycove Secondary
The Berlin Wall, a Soviet Perspective
How the World Was on the Brink
Adam Gerbrecht
PLP 11
Ms. Petra Willemse
April 29, 2019
On June 4, 1961, when asked to describe West Berlin, Nikita Khrushchev described it as the “a bone stuck in [his] throat”(Andreas). It was a small and irritating issue that refused to go away. He saw the Berlin Wall as a quick and anaesthetic-free surgery that would remove the irritating, but not demanding issue in his esophagus. It was not a peaceful option, but a swift and necessary one. The Berlin Wall was not an aggressive or military action. Khrushchev built the Berlin Wall as a political statement not as a militant action. And the misunderstanding of this action caused the world to shake. It was a way for Khrushchev to draw a line and keep East Germans in the East, and West Germans in the West. Yet, it is still regarded as one of the defining moments of the Cold War. All because of a misunderstanding.
The unrest at the border between the two halves of the city did not start when the Wall was put up in 1961. As early as 1952 the East Germans were pestering their Soviet uncles to help them stem the tide of their fleeing population from illegally moving to the western half of the city. The people wanted a way to block West Berlin. It is also important to realize that the Soviet ambassador cabled home, showing concern about the unrest at said border. He was worried that East Germans would “act on their own and close the border”(Frederick 3). Due to this caution and others, Nikita Khrushchev was led to authorize the building of the Wall. But, because of the secrecy of all this at the time, the West saw it as a spontaneous action. An invasion.
To continue, the perspective of Khrushchev as he made this call is relatively easy to understand, yet the political backlash he received was large. As I mentioned earlier, he had instated the Wall as a swift, easy, and peaceful way to solidify the already restless border. A way to halt people from fleeing the communist controlled East Germany. Briefly after this action, President John F. Kennedy promised the one and a half million West Berliners that the United States would protect them from Soviet takeover. Except, it was not a takeover was it?
No it was not. Also, digging deep can reveal a long and interesting relationship between Premier Khrushchev and President Kennedy. Well documented are the letters that both leaders exchanged from 1961-1963. In one of those letters that JFK is writing to the Premier he acknowledges the relationship and interests of the two nations. Hinting at the possibility of a positive relationship between them due to the international magnitude of this dispute. He said, “I am sure that we both recognize the interests of other countries are deeply involved”(Kennedy 2). That is a small excerpt from a three page letter that the President wrote. Throughout the letter the President does acknowledge that they have their differences but also but also prompts both men to use “diplomatic channels for quiet and informal discussion”(2). Yet, none of that was used to discuss the divide in Berlin. So, the statement of Mr. Kennedy about the Berlin Wall was a little reactive, avoidably causing the whole world to hold their breath. If he used those diplomatic channels, he would not have misinterpreted the Berlin Wall as a sign of invasion.
All things considered about the cause leading up to the Berlin Wall, and the immediate actions it caused, it is also important to recognize the way that it effected Berlin, as well as the Western world. To put it into layman's terms, it was a successful attempt. The border was drawn in a simple and imposing way. The situation was called a “failure to resolve the problems”(Trahair 396). This solved the problems. For the West, this action just caused confusion at home.
On the 20th of November, 1961. Joseph Alsop, a writer for the newspaper The Latrobe Bulletin wrote an article on the Western perspective. He said that “clear Western decisions have evidently not been taken”(Alsop 1). An American, he spoke in a public platform that the way the West reacted was not a clear solution or resolution to the divide in Berlin. He also pokes a whole in JFK’s statement about the support of the secluded West Berlin. Saying the West Berlin citizens were pushed on by an “onward, Berlin soldiers”(1) attitude. So, even at home, the people saw that the misunderstanding of this situation was what pushed all people involved, to the edge of their nerves, and pushed the world to the brink.
You may be thinking why this essay was written at an opposite stance on an event that is always taught and talked about from one perspective. That is exactly why. The Berlin Wall and the divide between East and West Berlin is always portrayed from a western perspective. This essay was written to open up the Soviet perspective and provide a way for readers to see the other side of the wall. Also. Today we can see a historical perspective. Most of the documents I have referenced were not available at the time. So, at the time due to a lack of communication, instead of a solution being made. Tensions just rose. The leaders of East Germany and Berlin were not taking offensive action to start a war, they were in fact just trying to end it. It did not end the war for the same reason that this idea is not taught. Soviet perspectives are dismissed simply because they are soviet. If you don’t understand you enemy though, how can you end a conflict?
Works Cited
Alsop, Joseph. “Berlin Wall Brings Confusion .” Constructed at the End of 1961, the Berlin Wall Brings Confusion to Western Powers, 20 Nov. 1961, www.newspapers.com/clip/22469498/opinion_constructed_at_the_end_of/.
Fabian, Andreas. “A Bone in the Throat: An Analysis on the Origins of the Berlin Wall.” A Bone in the Throat, McGill University , Apr. 2015, www.e-ir.info/2015/09/06/a-bone-in-the-throat-an-analysis-on-the-origins-of-the-berlin-wall. Accessed April 20th, 2019
Kennedy, John F. “Kennedy – Khrushchev Letters, 1961.” Received by Nikita Khrushchev , USSR: Kennedy – Khrushchev Letters, 1961, JFK Library, 20 Feb. 1961, www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/archives/JFKPOF/126a/
Taylor, Frederick. “The Berlin Wall a Secret Histroy.” History Today , Feb. 2007.
Trahair, R. C. S., and Robert L. Miller. Encyclopedia of Cold War Espionage, Spies, and Secret Operations. Enigma, 2012.
As you can see, I chose the Berlin wall. I will get into that later, but first I want to talk about how we started this unit. We started by watching Thirteen Days (2000) a movie that is a drama, but it details the events of the cuban missile crisis from a Western Perspective. Not a soviet. For thirteen extraordinary days in October of 1962, the world stood on the brink of an unthinkable catastrophe. One fall move away from a clear exchange.
During this unit a lot of our research on the topic was done though film. All the way through the learning we were watching various episodes from CNN’s popular and helpful TV series, The Sixties. Most notably we most recently watched the ninth episode, Times are a Changin’. This was the only side assignment that we really did in this unit.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x56gtyh
Th assignment that came out of this was a two parter. A paragraph and a visual. The paragraph was to relate, reflect, and compare the events and ideas of the cold war, and the cages at home for Americans. I chose to write about the changes in women’s rights. Here is my visual and paragraph.
So, to return to my essay I want to quickly talk about why I chose Berlin and why I chose a soviet perspective before I wrap this post up. In this unit we learned about it, and in units last year we even talked about the Berlin wall. Every time that we mentioned the Wall in class it was always taught to us from a Western perspective. We are told that is was a militant and aggressive action by the Communists to invade West Berlin. I wanted to show the other side of the wall. Literally.
So, enough about what I actually did in this unit. What did I think of this unit? I enjoyed it. This unit and the last both had a final product that was essay oriented and the chunk of the work that we did in the project was writing, one of my strengths and passions. So, for me these units were enjoyable. As far as the content I did enjoy the unit, but I did feel like we had already learned all of this. We talked about the same events last year, we talked about the sixties last unit, and we talked about nuclear weapons and the issues they caused earlier in the year. In conclusion, this unit was short, impactful, slightly repetitive, but in the end. Relatively enjoyable.
Also, to touch on the idea of the second part of this unit, the writing. This is a skill and subject that I would say I am good at so going into this unit, I wouldn’t say I was expecting to cruise, but I didn’t see much of a challenge. What I liked, was that Ms Willemse and Mr Hughes pushed me up above what I even thought I could do, challenging me to write my very best in every assignment. So, this unit perfectly blended writing, and rights. Nice.
How can the actions of an individual change a system? That was the driving question of this unit. I want that to stay in the back of your mind as you read this. For us to answer this question, we were put into groups of two and as a pairing made a question that rides the same lines as that one, but has our own elements. While in a pairing with my classmate Willa, we decided to make our question and video about Canada. Why is Canada’s racist past not taught as much as the oppression in America? Here is our answer.
This was our final project. Let’s talk about some of the highlights of the unit that lead up to this final project. In the past, when we are starting a unit we will start a unit with a book or two and a lot of text study and analysis. In this unit though it was heavily focused on film as well as text. The first thing we did was read. Dear Martin by Nic Stone. This book did a few very helpful things, and is a good describer about the unit. Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League. Despite leaving his rough neighbourhood behind, he can’t escape the hate from his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. Then, to top it off, a close friend of his loses his life in an unjust police shooting. This books carries all of our main ideas. racial inequality in the USA, young people standing up for civil rights and a better future.
This book was the topic of two of our four Socratic seminars. Socratic seminars are named for their embodiment of Socrates’ belief in the power of asking questions, prize inquiry over information and discussion over debate.The Socratic seminar is a formal discussion, based on a text, in which the leader asks open-ended questions. In the class though, we all asked questions and gave answers. To read more about my perspective on the Socratic seminars click the dropdown below.
Personally, I really enjoyed the Socratic seminars. I am a very extroverted person, so when put into a setting when I am sitting in a circle with 7-9 people and we are all talking about a text. I really liked analyzing the text, I love looking at a book and trying to find a hidden meaning. The best idea and question I brought up was when I questioned the group about why we learn things like this. This enshrined a fabulous discussion about education and the hope that the former generation has in us for the future. But, however. The last two seminars we did were on films. I found the films much harder to make a deep discussion about because you cannot highlight, go back and read, or understands the writers tone though pictures. Still though, pretty fun.
The final part that I want to talk about is the movement of civil rights, in the late 1950s and 1960s. We looked at everything from the beginning and the emancipation proclamation, all the way to the murder of both Kenedy brothers, and President Nixon being elected in 1968. Here is a slideshow of some of the most gripping stories to me. Click the drop down menus below to read about each story.
1955- The Murder of Emmet Till
Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941 – August 28, 1955) was a young African-American who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 at the age of 14, after being accused of offending a white woman in her family's grocery store. The brutality of his murder and the fact that his killers were acquitted drew attention to the long history of violent persecution of African Americans in the United States. Till was born and raised in Chicago. During summer vacation in August 1955, he was visiting relatives near Money, in the Mississippi Delta region. Several nights after the store incident, Bryant's husband Roy and his half-brother J.W. Milam went armed to Till's great-uncle's house and abducted the boy. They took him away and beat and mutilated him before shooting him in the head and sinking his body in the Tallahatchie River. The most disruptive part was that Till’s mother chose an open casket, public funeral. And she was adamant nobody touch up the body.
The Greensboro sit-ins were a series of nonviolent protests in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1960, which led to the Woolworth department store chain removing its policy of racial segregation in the Southern United States. Days before the Woolworth sit-ins, the Greensboro Four (as they would soon be known) were debating on which way would be the best to get the media's attention. They were Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr., and David Richmond. All were young black students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. On February 1, 1960, at 4:30 pm, the four sat down at the lunch counter inside the Woolworth store at 132 South Elm Street in Greensboro. On the February 4, more than 300 people took part. February 5th saw a high tension environment at the Woolworth counter, when 50 white men sat at the counter, in opposition to the protesters, which now included white college students.
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the March on Washington, or The Great March on Washington, was held in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic rights of African Americans. A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin began planning the march in December 1961. They envisioned two days of protest, including sit-ins and lobbying followed by a mass rally at the Lincoln Memorial. On August 28, more than 2,000 buses, 21 chartered trains, 10 chartered airliners, and uncounted cars converged on Washington. All regularly scheduled planes, trains, and buses were also filled to capacity. The UAW provided thousands of signs that, among other things, read: "There Is No Halfway House on the Road to Freedom," "Equal Rights and Jobs NOW," "UAW Supports Freedom March," "in Freedom we are Born, in Freedom we must Live," and "Before we'll be a Slave, we'll be Buried in our Grave."
The Selma to Montgomery marches were three protest marches, held in 1965, along the 54-mile (87 km) highway from Selma, Alabamato the state capital of Montgomery. The marches were organized by nonviolent activists to demonstrate the desire of African-American citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote, in defiance of segregationist repression, and were part of a broader voting rights movement underway in Selma and throughout the American South. The first march took place on March 7, 1965, organized locally by Bevel, Amelia Boynton, and others. State troopers and county police attacked the unarmed marchers with billy clubs and tear gas after they passed over the county line, and the event became known as Bloody Sunday. The second march took place March 9. Troopers, police, and marchers confronted each other at the county end of the bridge, but when the troopers stepped aside to let them pass, King led the marchers back to the church. The third march started March 21. Protected by 1,900 members of the Alabama National Guard under federal command, and many FBI agents and Federal Marshals, the marchers averaged 10 miles (16 km) a day along U.S. Route 80, known in Alabama as the "Jefferson Davis Highway". The marchers arrived in Montgomery on March 24 and at the Alabama State Capitol on March 25.
So, the project lasted us about 3-5 weeks. I quite enjoyed it for a few reasons. First off, we experienced and learned about material a different way, when watching film we can analyze message better, listen and watch interviews and to me it’s more engaging. I also liked the partner work. In the past we have done solo projects as well as group projects. Partner projects have the singular responsibility of a solo project, but the team aspect of the group projects. Both my favorite parts of the respective disciplines. What did I learn? Everything. I learned about all the events that I have mentioned and so much more. I learned about the history of segregation in the southern US, as well as Canada. I learned about the strong parts of documentaries, and how they’re similar and different to dramatized film, I learned of the politics, uprisings, and society at the time. I knew nothing going in. Going out I know so much, and I couldn’t be happier.
Currently in PLP 11 we are doing the ‘We Shall Overcome” project. That unit is about the civil rights movement, what caused it, and how it has lasting effects today. So far we have looked at things like the murder of Emmet Till, The Montgomery Bus Boycott. We have also started talking about the man who spearheaded the movement, Martin Luther King Jr. This post is an assignment that perfectly encapsulates the ideas of this project, and the driving question: How can the actions of an individual change a system? In this assignment we compared events and individuals, one from the 1950-60s, and one from today and look at their similarities and differences. I have chosen Rosa Parks and Colin Kaepernick
What makes them similar? Well, the deeper you look at both situations, the more they have similarities. When Rosa refused to give up her seat to a white man, she was challenging a system. Not just the system of how people sat on the bus, but also how coloured people were so segregated in America, and especially in the south. When Colin kneeled he was protesting against the system of respect that we all must ‘follow’ to show respect to our country, but he refused because of his lack of respect for President Donald Trump and the state of America. Both of these strong-willed people stood against the flow of the country that they were living in, and stood up for the people that they saw were being oppressed. If you look at it, Colin was almost also standing up for the legacy of individuals like Rosa, and that he was picking up the torch they left behind to carry on their movement.
To show their similarities I made a juxtapose. A juxtapose is a piece of media where two image are together, and you can slide across to reveal and hide each image. I chose the images of both of them protesting to show their two different techniques.
Now, I want to talk about their differences. The differences between them are mostly surrounding image and legacy. How right now in schools we learn about Rosa Parks. That she was a hero that springboarded a movement. In media she is celebrated and loved, and there is a memorial for her in The National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol. Right now in 2019 we still see Colin as a contrarian. He has received a lot of negative attention for his actions and the backlash on his career is evident. These differences though carry into my last point.
Lastly I want to talk about effect.
Rosa Parks’ story is taught to children, like myself all across North America, as a story of triumph. A story of bravery. She has statues of her on the bus, her story is one that is well known positively. She is a symbol of the civil rights movement.
On to Colin Kaepernick’s effect. Since his protest, he was released by the San Francisco 49ers and is still a free agent. He also released an ad with Nike that boasts the strong and powerful words: “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” He got support for this, and continues to. Even being named GQ’s Citizen of the year. How was this taken? people boycotted GQ, they burned Nike shoes, cut Nike socks, and he was blasted by social media. Why?
He did an action so similar to Rosa, and was painted as a villain, instead of a hero? Will he? Ever? It’s an opinion thing. Personally when I saw players of my favourite team, the Miami Dolphins Arian Foster, Michael Thomas, Kenny Stills and Jelani Jenkins kneeling. I instantly didn’t like it. They were bing disrespectful. But, after doing research on the movement, what was behind it, and who started it, and why, I have changed. I don’t want to get into politics, but I see Colin as a hero. I think he is fighting for what is right, and if you don’t agree. Just watch. A movement is coming. A bigger movement. Rosa’s fight isn’t over, and brave heroes like Colin are now leading it. I am behind him. Good luck Colin.
It’s that time of year again. The very special time of year. Mid January. Rain is in the air, socks are wet, and it is raining. Fear not, as it is also the time of year for PLP’s famous student lead conferences. Called MPOL’s (Midyear Presentations of Learning.) I am a veteran when it comes to standing up here and giving a talk about myself. This is my seventh time doing this. Yes, I’m old. The focus for the conference this time of year is all about improvement, how I am going to improve over the next 5 months of the current grade. How my time from January to June will be better than my September to December. So, let’s get into it.
In the past I use three examples. One is an example of learning that I am proud of, one that shows growth, and one that is an example of where we want to grow in the future. Because now we are only talking about one of those things, the third one, I decided to mostly focus on the two largest projects that we did. The Manhattan Project Project and the Carousel of Communism, as well as my general work ethic, habits, and skillset.
I’m going to use this project/post to explain there ways that I want to improve over the next 5 month period, carrying me all the way to the end of grade 11. So, without further ado, lest get started.
In these posts, and presentations I like to touch back on the most recent one that I have done, and update you on my progress since. So, last TPOL in June 2018, when I was in the end of grade 10, my big goal was about consistency. Well, the lack thereof. Not really, actually I talked about how my attitude towards certain projects, assignments, and even class discussions could be very inconsistent. Last year I could walk in to humanities and give an 90% project, then walk into SciMatics and hang on to an 80%. Just based of enthusiasm and motivation. I think that grade 11 is a big year in my quest for education, and for everybody’s. Your marks go on your transcript, you start to select courses based on your intended post-secondary aspirations, and every single mark, assignment, test, quiz, bonus assignment, they all add up to improving your grade. In the first couple weeks of this year grade 11 kicked me hard. But, I learned from it. I learned in non-PLP subjects how everything is graded, marked, and weighed to make a grade for you. I think that attitude has carried over to all classes, especially PLP. An example is the winter exhibition. That was a long project, from reading the crucible, to doing the creative creations, to learning about the 1950s, to the planning, building, and the performing I felt I operated at a high level throughout. I am proud of my leadership, I am proud of my creative creations, I am proud of the class, and I am very proud of the final product. I see that this is because I was firing on all cylinders throughout, and I plan to keep doing that.
Next, I want to talk about where development is starting to happen little by little. That is PGP and more specifically goal setting and time management. PGP is a new course that is surrounding the ideas of time management and goal setting. I want to first talk about goal setting and then time management. On the left is my dream board, this is a visual board of goals that we want to happen at some point in our lives. It will probably change to be honest, I am only 16, but this is what 16 year old Adam wants in his life in the future. Some explaining is needed for a few parts most likely. Top left is ACE the American Council on Exercise. That is an organization that offers programs to certify people to be personal trainers. And the shoes are a metaphor. I want a job where I can wear sneakers to work at least some of the time. For comfort, happiness, and just my fashion preferences. Anyway, to make this board I just imagined myself in 10ish years. There are some life goals or aspirations, there is a map showing that I am interested in living in San Francisco, and being a certified personal trainer. I did not directly reference an exact career because I want that to be open. I put UVIC as a school because to me right now that school is the perfect size, I like the layout and atmosphere, and I just like the school.
The next part of this section is time management. Im going to specifically ta
lk about my calendar and time blocking. As you can see in the beginning of the month I was not very enthusiastic, but as it continued I added all my classes, and at the start of every week I look ahead and insert things like hockey games and practices. I also have started inserting work time for things like studying, working on projects, and adding events like this TPOL. So far this is really helping, for example the weekend I’ m writing this both on Saturday and Sunday I looked at my calendar for what to do and when. In the future I want to split this into deferent calendars, maybe one for school work, one for tests and events, and one for sports and training
So, Ive talked about where growth has happened, where it is happening, now I want to talk about where it is
going. I am going to talk about expanding skillset, as wells using the skills I currently have more often. What I mean by this is that I only play my strengths. For example, where a project starts the PLP 11 class has known each other for so long we know thatches person is good at writing, they will write, this person is a good editor, they will edit. Normally I get put into a writing role, and in larger projects a leadership or DRI role. I don’t want to stop leading, I like it and I’m good at it, I want to expand what skills I use when I am had on, not always writing the script, not always doing the research and writing the paragraphs. I want to work on my weaknesses, those being in things like technology, shooting, editing, recording. The next project we are doing is a solo project, so I will have an opportunity to do this. We are making videos individually that piece together to make a series. I want to work hard to make my videos animations, video quality, and audio quality are all on point or above the quality of the people who are really good at those things, and those are their strengths. If I do this, the areas that I am currently good at and would consider my ‘strengths’ would be even to what is now my ‘weaknesses’ and when that happens. That is when the most intense growth happens.
That’s what I want to get better at, and those are areas that I believe really need work. But, I have thoroughly enjoyed this year so far. Even though I missed the field school the class of PLP 11 is a really good place to be. That can be proved in products we make, like the winter exhibition this past December or just how it is being in the class every day. I’m excited for the second half of the year.
These posts should be familiar by now, I talk about the winter exhibition, what the process of building ad brainstorming was, talk about the set up, and then I show the product. I want to change that. I want to show what we did before I give any context, as if you, the reader, are actually experiencing the exhibition. Going in blind. So, without further ado, this is PLP 11’s special feature presentation: The Carousel of Communism.
Every year we do two exhibitions. These serve different purposes but in the end they all are centred around one idea, showing big projects that we have worked on for a long time to the public, our peers, parents and teachers. I have done six of these in the past. In grade 8 and 9 we had themed winter exhibitions, Harry Potter and Star Wars. in grade 10 we used the event to gather stories to make podcast out of. And at the end of June, we always to an inquiry project. This is my most recent blue sky post, about my exhibition in June, 2018.
This year we did something so out of the ordinary it was insane. This was a second go at a kind of exhibit the teachers have only ever done once, with last years graduating class, back when they were in grade 11. The idea is to create an immersive experience, where guests are brought into the gym and are walked through a story with multiple underlying themes. They did WWI, we did the 1950s. But not just the 1950s, we started by reading a book. The book we read was The Crucible, a story written in 1950, by Arthur Miller. The book is about Salem and the Salem with trials. The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts in 1692. More than 200 people were accused, nineteen of whom were found guilty and executed by hanging. Throughout reading the book, we did a series of ‘Crucible Creative Creations,’ where we used the themes from the book, a list of prompts and made 3 blog posts. You can click the buttons below to read those recent posts.
These posts were very good because it not only gave us a chance to show our understanding of themes that would come in to be very helpful sooner than we thought. It also gave us a chance to dust off our blogs, and make some really good quality posts and media. This all came into play later in our exhibition!
The next part of our exhibition that ww needed to learn about was the 1950s. We started in a lighthearted and funny way. We watched a TV show. That might sound odd, you’re probably thinking, ‘These kids do nothing but mess around in class!’ Well, kinda, but I swear this show had some reason of why it was shown in class. The show was Leave it to Beaver. Leave It to Beaver is an American television sitcom about an inquisitive and often irritating boy, Theodore “The Beaver” Cleaver. Also we are thrown into a 1950s household sand start to understand what the ‘perfect family’ is as well as starting to learn some mannerisms and sayings, some fashion, and some general themes from the 50s. Here is a short trailer.
Well, we had the knowledge of the 50s. But how did it relate to the Salem Witch Trials. Well, there was another witch hun in the 1950s, the same hunt that inspire Arthur Miller to write his book about the events that he saw happening again. The McCarthyism Trials. The McCarthy hearings were a series of hearings held by the United States Senate’s Subcommittee on Investigations to investigate conflicting accusations between the United States Army and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy.
So we had knowledge about the 1950s, where it was going to be set, and where our characters would be from. We knew about the witch trials and how it connected. Now, it was time to make this dream an actual reality. Our two teachers went away for a week on a field school with the grade 9s, and they left us for a week unsupervised to plan. We did just that.
The very first thing we did, that took a surprising amount of time was beaten all of our knowledge into a handful of ideas. We then took those ideas for themes and started making each into an idea for a station, 1 through 7 as you walk through. This was done on the white board.
The next things we did happened a the same time, and we broke off into two groups. The first thing that was happening was that a small group was working to start assign roles. Who would do what. Who would write the script, who would make the costumes and more. As well as making small groups for researching each station. We then had a large group of people making story spines for each station.
Story Spines
Roles
Then the teachers came home, and I don’t want to sound overconfident or cocky, but our two teachers were very happy and had very little to change. The only thing we did was combine scene 1&2, as well as put the originally final scene, the Eisenhower speech first.
After that check-in with the teachers it was time for mayhem. Prop time. We had a ton of props to bring in, this is all off those props written on the board. I said props to bring in. Not make. Throughout the process of making the props we had to bring all of this in, as well as costumes, we had to make a script, and somehow not panic too much.
I mentioned building props. Here are some lovely pictures of your favourite class, PLP 11 building said props.
During the planning and building of the exhibition my role was to be one of the two Co-Producers. I shared these duties with Mimi, we were essentially overseeing the operation and spearheading the project. This means that I saw everything from start to finish. I was involved in research, script writing, set design, costumes, character development, and everything in between. I saw it all. Overall in my opinion, this is the most impressive piece of work that I have seen from anybody in this class, and some of the best that I have put in. We worked extremely hard, as a team of 18 to make everything you saw in that video of the production, and a to more behind the scenes. We played as a team. I am proud of the team. And I am so proud to say that I was at least partially in charge. I am proud of the product, the process, and the learning.
I want to talk about the most popular genre of music in 2018, with over 24.5% of music falling under the category of ‘rap’ music. And one of the undisputed kings of this power-genre that is taking the world, is Kanye Omari West. Since releasing his first project, Kon The Louis Vuitton Don in 2004, every single on elf his albums have been giant records, all with anthems that have lasted generations. Of his 8 studio albums all 8 have gone gold and 7 have gone platinum. He has sold 21 million albums, and 100 million digital downloads.
So, back to the question. Why will we remember Kanye West’s music? Not only because of his staggering 100+ million downloads and 21+ million sales, he has changed the way we look at music. With his Yeezy fashion line he has blurred the lines between fashion, with an estimated value of $1.5billion, he inspires artists to make more products rather than music. That’s all good but what about the music? Why will he be remembered?Kanye received his first big break in 2001, producing songs for Jay-Z’s most critically acclaimed album The Blueprint. On the record, he delivered a collection of samples that provided the album with a clear soul influence, using songs from The Jackson 5, R&B group Bobby Blue Band and soul artist David Ruffin. He was the first man to do this, and some argue he still does it best. He also changed the tone of Hip-Hop. When he entered the game in the early 2000s, it was the “Bling Era,” when everyone rapped about big houses, nice cars, that kind of thing. He changed that. On his 3x platinum album College Dropout, West spoke his mind on things like religion, family, prejudice and materialism. He was famously quoted saying: “My persona is that I’m the regular person. Just think about whatever you’ve been through in the past week, and I have a song about that on my album.” He has continued that throughout his 8 solo albums, 2 collaborative albums, and 5 mixtapes. That message will stay with us. Forever.
For the Juxtapose I wanted to show something else that Mr. West has done that will keep his sound around. He has evolved. The top photo is the art from his album Graduation, my personal favourite album went 2x platinum and combined art and music. That loud explosive album cover was made by Takashi Murakami, a Japanese contemporary artist. Together West and Murakami created one of the most iconic and recognizable albums covers ever. The bottom picture is from his most recent solo album, simply titled Ye. Selling 200k+ copies, and being streamed millions of times every day, this album was his first in 2 years. And he had not lost his touch. It was his 8th billboard #1 album. With more albums expected in the coming years, there’s not telling what numbers he will put up next.
For my second creative creation post I wanted to make something different, but I’ll get to that in a minute. First, let’s talk about the question I chose. In the play Crucible the main plot point are the witch trials. Everybody thinks they know how to spot a witch, because we all know, all witches must hang. So the question was: Write a paper or create something similar to this essay on how to spot a _________. You fill in the blank: example: How to Spot a Liar. How to Spot a Surfer. Etc. I could’ve taken the easy road and told you how to spot a paddle boarder, but there’s different kinds of paddle boarders. So, I made this…
The stand up paddle board (SUP) community is full of lovely people, who engage in the sport in many ways, places and disciplines. Today I will teach you about the defining factors of three of those kinds of people. Racers, surfers, and weekend warriors. By weekend warrior I mean fun motivated, new paddlers. I will talk about paddles, boards, and apparel. To read the description, click the button below each image, labeled accordingly.
Paddles
Let’s start by talking about paddles. An essential to any paddle boarder. Not only is it in the name but it is the way that the rider propels his or herself through the water. When it comes to paddles they come in all shapes, sizes, colors and prices. Let’s talk about the three most popular paddle choices for our three categories.
Racer. Blackfish Race. $500
For this paddle you really are paying top dollar for top quality. This paddle has a 77.5 square inch blade area, with a slight triangle shape. This large blade give you the most pull per stroke, and the ultra-light weight carbon fibre makes it a breeze to carry, paddle with, and wave around. The perfect paddle for the speed junkie. Surfer.
Blackfish Salish. $375
This is the Race’s little brother. Originally designed for women and children with small hands to race, it was adopted and loved by the surfing and downwinding community. It’s small blade gives fast, effortless strokes. Perfect for getting the speed for that gorgeous wave. It also can move through the water fast, making the on wave adjustments fast and accurate. Looks like the little brother holds his own.
Weekend Warrior. Werner Thrive. $260
Our final paddle is the Ol’ reliable. When somebody wanting to get out on the water, have some fun and not worry about any malfunctions. When you sacrifice weight, performance and looks you get a strong, durable, unstoppable paddle for a good price made of fiberglass. No need to worry about small damage or multiple people sharing, because it’s adjustable! The perfect paddle for the casual chiller.
Boards
Now, onto the physically largest part of this list, the boards. The part that keep you floating, moving, and is the biggest factor to what you do. You cant race on a surfer, you can’t surf on a racer, it’s very important. This is also the most expensive part of this, rightly so. If you’re paying for 7-14 feet of material it will cost a lot of money. But, let’s take a look at the three examples to help you define the three kinds of paddlers through boards.
Racer. ONE Edge 2.0 $3,850.
I know. That’s a very big number. A lot of money. This is the board I personally use and let me tell, you this board is 100% worth every singe penny. This board is fast, ridiculously fast, it is versatile, it’s home is in flat water but it can still fly in rough water and wind with its heavy rocker and large volume in the nose. In four constructions. Hybrid, a durable mix of lightweight wood, PVC, and carbon fibre. Dynamic, a universal blend of carbon fibre and PVC. And Elite and Ultra light, lightweight full carbon construction. With the heaviest at 25lbs and the heaviest at 19lbs. Surfer.
ONE Surf 9’x29”. $2,100.
Surfers love three things in a board. Wave versatility, balance, and the most important, looks. This board ticks all the boxes. From the thin tail, and the low volume it can tackle the big swell, to the wide deck and nose, it catches the small messy stuff. And just look at it. The matte red and gold body, with the white deck pad is just one of the many colors. And you can get yours, custom! A surfers dream.
Weekend Warrior. Starboard ASAP Atlas. $1,479.
This board is the closest you can get to middle ground. It has a flat deck so you’re always balanced, it has a raised nose so waves don’t trouble you, and has a durable foam top for comfort and dog friendly-ness. It also is great for people who want a board they can carry two people on for fun, with the large nose and wide rails it can hold anyone and everyone.
Apparel
The final category is the one that is the most recognizable and easiest to spot, because the paddlers are actually wearing these items.
Racer. Virus X-Form Compression LS. $68.
These seems like not a lot of money, but that is $68 for one long sleeve shirt. What makes it worth so much? It’s compression. When racers aren’t shirtless in board shorts in summer, they’re in full compression. Remember, the tighter the shirt, the faster you are. I have one of these. And it is TIGHT. So, it is fast, right? Surfer.
Ripcurl Flashbomb Wetsuit. $369.
Wetsuits are essential to a surfer who lives on the west worst. They keep you warm, comfortable and they fit like a second skin. (Shows off those muscles). This is the top of the line suit. With a chest zip, it is a bit harder to put on but keeps out the most water, and is the easiest to take off. 100% a need for a surfer.
Weekend Warrior. Mustang Khimera PFD. $250.
This might seem like a lot of money, but for people who don’t spend a ton of money in the other two areas, safety is very important. So, they often spend a bit more money to feel super safe, while also being comfortable. This PFD has initial flotation, as well as a CO2 canister that can inflate the jacket more. More safety.
This guide is not perfect, everyone who does these three kinds of SUP and the many other kinds may or may not look like this, but this post and activity aren’t supposed to be 100% serious (if you couldn’t tell by me writing inn the descriptions,) but I do hope this post does two things, it does maybe help you identify the next paddle boarder you see and what they do, and maybe made you laugh a little.
We are currently reading The Crucible. The Crucible is a play written by playwright Arthur Miller in 1953. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692-63. The play was first performed at the Martin Beck Theatre on Broadway on January 22, 1953. We are reading this book in 2018. Every week we are to complete a blog post and a creative depiction of a response to a question we choose from a list of response questions. This week I chose to answer what my Heaven or Hell looked like, this book has a heavy religious theme so I’ve heard a lot about both in this book.
My idea of heaven is the ‘ideal place.’ For some people that might be a floating city in the clouds, for others it might be exactly how they left life, just a second try. For me it’s the best parts that anyone could experience in life on Earth, given to them because they deserve it. So, to show this I decided to make a comic. It’s very simple, only 3 pages of panels, but it depicts me, the tour guide. I am taking the reader in a journey through my “Heaven,” in a lighthearted way. Enjoy my first Crucible inspired Creative Creation.