The End

Today is my final day at the place where I have spent the majority of my life. Reflecting back on the past 15 years there have been moments with friends and teachers that have helped me grow as an individual to succeed in future endeavors. I started off in Beginners when there was a beginners program at Buckley wearing shorts everyday in lower school butting heads with teachers, being sent to the principals office countless times, and even actually packing my bags early to leave school. Along the way Buckley has helped me mature and guided me along the proper path. The Friendships I have made here I will most likely never forget because each person had a significant impact on my life. As I move on to Chapman I know it will be a hard transition from going to a school where I could tell you something about each person at Buckley to a campus where I will be the new kid. Even though I complain about Buckley at times it is a chapter of my life that I will be able to look back at with fondness.

The Blog

This year has been the year of the blog. It always been a challange to figure out exactly what I would say for each blog. The blogs have been the most strenuous part of this year. The realtionship between us is a love-hate relationship sometimes I know what I want to write about, but other times I just want to blog about the writers block

Identity Crisis

In the modern society we have today our identities have become more unique than they have ever before. Due to all the forms of social media we have today such as facebook and twitter individuals can post their thoughts and even pictures documenting their journies. As the class of 2011 moves on it in my opinion is vital to keep our ties while we move on to college.

My new life

Next year will be a hard transition in my mind next year, but am anxious to be a part of this transition. I have been at Buckley pretty much my entire life from beginners (when there was one) all the way to my senior year. Next year I will be attending film school at Chapman. I worry sometimes being part of a new campus and meeting new people. At the same time I also look forward to sharing a dorm taking different types of classes and being far away from home

Benzi's Bucket List

Even though I feel like I have accomplished many things so far. There are some things I still need to do.

1. Go Skydiving
2. Produce a blockbuster film
3. Fulfill a real game of angry birds
4. Go to Europe
5. Learn how to make sushi

Is it Friday?

Rebeca Black's song "Friday" has become an overnight hit, but for the wrong reasons. I personally think the song is just lacking in creative lyrics and its auto-tuned sound, but others have shown extreme hatred towards her just on the basis they believe it is the worst song ever and telling her to inflict pain upon herself. Everyone is entitled to express their own creativity and they way she is being treated is as the case for Gregor when he was a bug. Gregor's family despised him for his appearance, while Rebeca is being mocked for her individual expression. In my opinion we just need to be tolerant of everyone no matter what physical appearance, or expression.

The Journey

When thinking about my life I always want to see how far I can go on accordance to my own morals and values. In Conrad's Heart of Darkness Marlow witnesses Kurtz's descent into madness. If I were to ever be in a position of power would my values be tainted by wealth and fame. I fear that there is no simple answer whoever the individual is. We all constantly struggle with being numero uno especially as Americans. Marlow at times questions his own values and hates to tell lies, but sometimes deceit may be necessary.

intro

Perhaps it's because the story is a dream. Some look to Kafka's biographical and historical context to argue that the story, published in 1912, expresses anti-semitic views. Gregor's transformation into a disgusting parasite is often viewed as an expression of Kafka's feelings of isolation and inferiority. The story is also read as a prescient allegory for genocide, in particular the Holocaust. The readings can thus relate to the works of Freud and Darwin.

Power in the classroom

For nearly a century, societies have believed that higher education and conformity to a rigid structure is necessary for success, but the opposite is true with the modern version of education.  For instance, most of the high-tech companies were created by high school dropouts, who dreamt of doing something that nobody else had done.  You won't find such inventive and pioneering attitudes in those who desire to achieve and separate themselves from the typical society. Thus students should be trained to strive for 'non-limiting goals'.

Leaderless Discussion

I thought the process of having a leaderless discussion was very beneficial to our understanding of both Heart of Darkness and Kafka. Everyone had an opinion that contributed to a further understanding of the texts

Essay Intro

A picture is an abstract idea or notion out of grasp, brought into light to form something concrete.  They are made up and created to give off some sort of feeling or mood, that one can relate too. The atmosphere helps determine what kind of mood the picture will take in the mind of the reader. Any author or artist, of either a painting or piece of literature will set the mood by using their atmosphere to enhance the theme of their creation. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad and criticism from Fredrick Karl uses mood and atmosphere to help create a portrait called the journey into the soul and thus delves deep into our internal minds.

HOD Analysis for Essay

As much as we like Marlow, it seems that the guy is something of a chauvinist. Twice in the novel, he mentions women and always sees them as somehow divorced from reality, as living in another world. To him, women are naive and idealistic, but he seems to want them to stay that way. For example, he lies to the Kurtz's fiance about Kurtz’s final words. To some extent, this behavior is a chivalrous attempt to protect women from the brutal realities of the world like slavery and imperialism.

HOD #6

The painting is of a blindfolded woman carrying a lighted torch, which distorts her face. The woman likely symbolizes the Europeans who have come to civilize the natives. The torch she carries represents the European customs and values that they try to force upon the native Africans. The woman is blindfolded because the Europeans cannot "see" the negative effects that their customs have on the natives. Her face has become distorted because, to the natives, the European customs seem rather repulsive.

HOD #2

In justifying Marlow's journey he connects the journey to Africa to the roman times in London. The connection that both journeys represent the unknown and the quest for knowledge. In terms of colonization both regions have savages and the goal is to purify these civilizations to create an order of proper governmental rule