Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Ian, Jon and Nicks poem: The poem of all poems

What We Learned In School
That we are cool
To never close our eyes
To always pay attention, to what we can’t deny
Always sit next to the hot chick
To be best friends with the smart kid
To always know whose boss
How to fake sick
To never stop walking in the hall
To know your right as Freshmen
To always miss the bus, to come in your dad’s car
To use your restroom break at the right time
To lie like a pro to your teacher
Know the five D’s of dodge ball, Dodge, Dip, Duck, Dive, and …. Dodge
To always have a comeback joke
To tell them what you really think
To never forget that one special teacher
To always spend time with your real friends
This is what we learned!
What We Learned In School

We went to high school
It was cool.
Learned a lot of stuff
Through thick and thin, it was rough.

Sports are a stress-relief
That is our belief.
Clubs were a big deal
That is how we feel.

English class is where I got my naps
To the beats of the finger snaps.
Other languages are such a bore,
I much rather learn history and war.

I guess school was great,
Now here comes college
Another 4 years
Of Learning and fun.

By
Robin
Tyler
Michael

What We Learned In School

Three tardies and receive a detention,
Four tardies and receive a in school suspension,
Six tardies and you’re out for three days.

Walk into school in the morning and the lobby’s crowded,
Walk down the hall and it’s crowded,
Surrounded by sweaty and annoying freshman.

Enter a classroom of a teacher you love,
It’s all fun and games throughout lessons,
Enter a classroom of a teacher you despise,
It’s all sleeping, texting, and eye rolling throughout lessons.

By: Amanda, Sagal, & Elissa

What we learned in High School

What we Learned in School
Alex Kaufman & Danny Maks
When Mr. Moore was mad his voice would crack
Saying us to “pick up the slack!”
And Mr. Davis, he was kind of weird
With his own music on iTunes
I learned from Mr. Sedlachek that formative assessment sucks
I learned that Mr. Fox was a little crazy
Mr. Shacter told us to think figuratively but also be logic
I learned that Mr. Sweeney was smart and way passed retired
That Mr. Hale should have been a college professor and was also human
Olentangy Liberty, why couldn’t you teach me real life things? Thank you
From Alex and Danny

Chelsea and Maggie

What We Learned In School

Mrs. Freese taught us to always stay organized
And have neat, simple power points
But she was never all that simple.

She was very outgoing,
Always had a huge smile.

She helped us see our future
But took each step day by day
Her outfits were the cutest,
We miss her everyday!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Sweet Like A Crow

"Your voice sounds like a scorpion being pushed through a glass tube." This is my favorite line from the poem because I like the use of description. I can imagine that if one's voice sounded like that, it would be pretty horrible. Reading this, I laughed a little bit because this reminded me of a girl who I used to go to elementary school with. She had a very sharp voice that could break anyone's eardrums. Eventually, she ended up in the choir of our middle school!
My favorite poem that we read was What They Learn in School by Jerome Stern. This was my favorite because throughout the entire poem there was ironic language. He would say they don't want students to learn because of one reason because they are afraid it would intreast them to go out to do it, and the vice versa. When you think about it, it is very true of how the school system has become. It is now very controlled and in my own opinion is controlled the wrong way. I'm not sure but this poem also seems to reflect parties in the government. It sounds to me as if Jerome Stern is talking about how republicans think and what they want to to be tought in the class room. I'm not sure if this is true but it may be. Thats what is great about poems is that they allow everybody to interpret them in their own way.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

What I Learned About School - Jon

In the poem "What I Learn in School," Jerome Stern describes in satire, an educational censorship of important information that is kept from students. This knowledge is with-held for the purpose of controlling thier thoughts of the world, so that the students' minds would be bent to the ideals of those holding the pen/white-out.

"And they mainly want to teach them not to question, not to challenge, not to imgaine, ut to be obedient and behave well so that they can hold them forever as children to their bosoms as the second millennium lurches toward its panicky close."

I like to think that I have a knack for seeing through the smoke, and while I was a student in High School my teachers were good friends because of how I questioned the sources of my knowledge. This poem was powerful to me because I could relate and find the dark humor underlying Stern's words. This poem reminds me of all the hours spent reading textbooks then all the hours finding where the books got their smarts.

I, Too, Sing America

I found this poem very inspiring. It focuses on how a person wishes to be treated the way others are being treated. This poems reminds me of the time when there were slaves. This person is sent to the kitchen to eat instead of sitting at the table with everyone else. It is sad that this person doesnt get to experience what the others do. Also, i think this poem touches on the "American dream." This is because the deeper meaning of the poem is about how this person is determined to reach a higher goal in life. This persons view of the American dream is to be treated equally and free, and this poem allows the reader to infer that this person is determined to achieve this "dream." Therefore, I enjoyed this poem the most overall.
Tyler Hughes
Eng 109.01
Journal 8/Nov 23, 2010
Boy, Waiting for a School Bus
"His breath carves little statues out of cold"
Even though there is no set rhyme to the poem but there is a small rhythm get into as you read it. This line is such a simple little observation that adds to the cold morning air but it is so much more. This metaphor gives life to the boy's breath and gives you a vivid mental picture of watching your own breath every time its cold. It makes you wonder if your breath makes little sculptures in the air.
I flashed back to my time spent at the bus stop. I vividly remember one winter morning at the bus stop. The temperature was at or below 20 degrees, there was a foot of snow and of course i was wearing shorts and a hoodie. As i walked the two streets to the corner i just always saw my breath. So i changed my breathing to make weird patterns in the frigid sky. I sped up my breath, slowed it down and made short fast breaths. As i waited the 5 or 15 minutes for the bus to get there, i pretended i was smoking then thought to blow "smoke" rings and failed.
Overall i felt very mellow and reminiscent about my childhood and my childish conquests.

jounral 8

I, too, Sing America by Langton Hughes. Tomorrow, I'll be at the table when company comes. Nobody'll dare say to me "eat in the kitchen," then. What stands out about this to me is the meaning behind it. How hopeful he is about his life even though he isn't living in the best situation. This poem made me feel hopeful for the future. That things will get better if you work hard. This is telling us to work hard through tough times and keep hoping and work for a better future and to never give up hope.

I, too, sing America

I love this poem we read it last year in English and it really stood out to me. My favorite line is more an entire segment, '"Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes. Nobody'll dare Say to me, "Eat in the kitchen," Then."' This really stands out because its almost like a punch in the stomach. It really makes you think about suffrage in black America, like what people went through and the way they were treated. But I love this because it say tomorrow meaning in the future he will eat at the table, he will be excepted and not treated like an animal. It makes me sad in the beginning that people were treated so terribly in our country for so many years but it makes me happy that it has improved but it still is not good enough, like in Ordinary Resurrections there are limits and restrictions still set on people and i think its awful.

Poem Response

Amanda Floyd
English 109.01
journal 8

"But they don't want them to discuss current events because it might be controversial and upset them and make them want to take drugs which they already have told them all about". This quote stood out the most to me because it contradicts an issue in which was already brought up in the beginning of the poem. I think the meaning of the words also stood out to me because the current happenings usually lead to people using drugs.
This poem made me feel like this statement was very true. Alot of people turn to drugs or even alcohol when they aren't satisfied with happenings in our society, whether it's based on their personal choices or the choices of others that influence them.

Poem Response

In the poem packet we received in class, my favorite poem was For Brothers Everywhere. In the middle of the poem the author says.
Their bodies like muscular saxaphones body-boppin
better than jazz, beyond summer, beyond
weather, beyond everything that moves-
I enjoyed reading this poem because of the metaphors and the language the author uses to describe people, movements, or things around the environment he's in. This poem had some humor to it and it was also somewhat serious as well, although, he was talking about a group of kids in a schoolyard.

For Brothers Everywhere

"keep risin up with baske'balls ripe as pumpkins
toward rims hung like pinatas, pinned
like thunderclouds to the sky's wide chest"

I have to say these 3 lines are my favorite from this poem. It's my favorite because the use of metaphors. The use of metaphors describe the basketballs and the rims really well.

This poem reminds me of the game of basketball. Honestly it reminds of two groups playing basketball against each other and/or having free style contests such as having a dunk contest. This poem made me feel energetic, wanting to play basketball with some friends. This is so because of how the author wrote it. I can relate this to life by simply just playing a real game of basketball with some friends.

Poem Response

"And they mainly want to teach them not to question, not to challenge, not to imagine, but to be obedient and behave well so that they can hold them forever as children to their bosoms as the second millennium lurches toward its panicky close" This line is from the poem What They Learn in School. This stood out to me the most because everything about this poem is very true from telling you about the problem, but not willing to teach it because they do not want children to start doing bad stuff. I believe that this poem really didn't have a rhythm but it all flowed together. After reading this poem it almost made me laugh because i can really relate to this poem especially with the school district I came from because they were always willing to tell you what to do and what not to do, but since our school district wanted to shelter us they were not willing to teach us for example about marijuana, crack, heroin because they thought if we teach them this they may want to start trying it, which probably wouldn't be the case because kids would have a more understanding of it.

THIS POEM IS COOL

"But they don't want them to know anything about real science because then they will lose their faith and become secular humanists" The language and the way that this sentence was just written is awesome. It talks about what schools don't want you do do. I feel as though it has a rythmn to it. That these words flow together. The meaning of these words is what schools want and don't us to learn.
This reminded me of how schools want us to be creative but they still don't teach us certain things in fear that we might learn something new or different that isn't socially acceptable. It made me feel that it's the truth that school like certain things to be taught and not taught in schools. I think that this poem basically just wants people to think for themselves and I agree with that.

Monday, November 15, 2010


Alexis Ruth Ottenbacher
English 109.01
Journal 7 11/14/10
The Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been around for quite a long time. This meaning that it must have a positive influence on people. Their music has changed throughout the years, starting out as a funk band then moving into more of alternative rock. I’ve been following the Red Hot Chili Peppers since I was a little girl. I’ve always been drawn to their music and their style. They just have a huge influence on me as well as many others. There is nothing more in the world that influences me besides music. To me it determines the kind of personality someone has and even their sense of fashion.RedHotChiliPeppersLogo.jpg red hot chili peppers image by slipknotkorn1

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Pop Culture Influences: YouTube





Jonathan J. Youse
English 109.01
Journal 7, 11/11/10

When you think of societies most valuable sources of knowledge, entertainment, and communication, the internet is the immediate end all be all destination. Then there are few different pillars that hold up the bulk of the internet's sources of the information listed above. The most pronounced destinations on the world wide web, is Google, Facebook, and Youtube. Between these three vast search engine websites you can locate massive sources of information, current events both political and local, and the most recent viral videos.
When I think of the most influencial and popular locations on the web these three come to my mind, all of which have helped to complete academic research, supported my social communication with friends and family, and have distracted me from both school and society with mind-numbing videos posted of pranks, cats, and auto-tuned non-sense. My favorite by far has to be YouTube, it enables any person to upload a video of themselves or others whether to educate or entertain. I have never have posted a video before but i am constantly coming to this website for reviews of movies and technology. I think that YouTube has a great impact on todays society between entertainment, expresionnism, education and an empowerment to men and women from all over the world.

(Below is a website discussing the Social Effects of YouTube further, with other sources of information and other reasons for debate on both positive and negative influences)
http://www.certmag.com/read.php?in=3525

Monday, November 8, 2010

Pop Culture Influences


Pop Culture Influences

When I think about pop culture influences in my life, many things come to mind. The internet, television shows, music, and movies are just a few pop culture influences. I think music is the most influential to me. I love listening to music and I spend a majority of my time listening to music. Although there are a few tv shows that I watch regularly, I am not a big fan of watching it. Usually, I prefer to watch movies or just listen to music while I surf the internet instead of watching tv. Often, I find myself comparing the music I listen to to events or people in my life. Alot of the music I listen to connects to a past relationship, a friendship, or an event that has happened or is happening in my life at the time. I listen to a variety of music and each type connects differently to my life. I think listening to music is a positive influence because it helps you relax and relieve stress. However, I think most types of music have negative influences on people and how they should act. But, I also feel like all types of pop culture influences have both negative and positive influences. More information about music can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music

Thursday, November 4, 2010




When thinking about popular culture and its influences on my life, I have found that the internet has influences my life the most. Since Facebook was created, it has had a controlling impact on my life. I have become addicted to checking my notifications from friends, and updating my status for everyone to see what I am currently doing at that specific time. Most of the time I find myself just browsing through people’s profiles instead of talking to my friends. These people are usually just acquaintances and I never talk to them. Also, I find myself updating my current “status” everyday, so that everyone can see what I am doing that day. Facebook has taken up so much of my time for years. There is probably many things that I could have been doing instead of sitting on the computer and looking at people that don’t mean anything to my life.

Here is a link to where you can find more information on facebook and how is affects teens and adults.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2007-10-03-teens-facebook_N.htm


Tyler Hughes
Eng 109.01
Journal 7/Nov 4, 2010
Dexter
For those who have never watched or heard the show called Dexter it is a about a CSI for the Miami Police Department. But the catch is that he is a serial killer. But he does not kill innocent people he kills people that he has proved to be killers. The basic structure of the show is that each season there is a very successful serial killer that Dexter needs to kill before he or she harms any more innocent people.
This show is truly amazing but it teaching me to become vengeful. This is something negative because being this way leaves you to become very lonely in life because you never learn to forgive. It is also teaching me, very literally, that it is okay to kill someone has long as you can justify it by your own standards not the standard of the law, which is what you are supposed to follow.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/


"You got a friend in me." The Toy Story movie series has been one of the most influencing movie growing up and now with the new movie Toy Story three. These movies have been a positive influence on my because it focus a lot on friendship and how impoertant it is to people. Also the main human character was my age. So when Toy story three came out the human character was going off to college. Some how the movie felt real to. Every kid felt at one point there toy moved when they aren't around and also the story bring up ideas that good friends will always be there no matter how bad the situation. Even now at 19 the movies almost made me cry because it was something i grower up with and now it had an ending. However, with ever ending there is a new beginning and the movie had that at the end. Andy had to give up his toy, buzz and woody and all the other, because he was going to college, but he gave them up to a new little kid where all new adventures can begin. :)

Austin Carlile is cool




Out of all the things in our culture I believe that music is a huge inspiration for me. I think the biggest artist who inspires me is Austin Carlile. Austin is a vocalist who is originally from Coulmbus, Ohio. He isn't very known in the "pop culture" because Austin is does "screamed vocals" which makes him very big in this modern rock/metal scene. Austin's life and what he has done with what he's been through is amazing and inspires me. Austin's mom died when he was 17 and Austin because of personal differences had to leave both bands he started, Attack Attack! and Of Mice & men, people, including his band mates, would swear at him, make fun of him, and make a fool of him. From 17 to 23 he's been through a bunch of harsh criticism and a rough life. Austin was struggling with his own "personal demons" and he let that affect how he treats others and what he did when he was on tour. Austin is inspiring because he picked himself up after leaving two bands he started and just continued to work. His heart condition didn't even stop him. People genuially think Austin is a bad guy, but a has a lot of friends and even more fans. He found Jesus Christ taking his faith seriously and he is making himself a new person it seems. He's been through so much and yet he is inspires so many people. I think he is a very positive guy.

Call of Duty


Video Games can have a lot of influence on people. It could be a good influence or a bad influence. Videos Games do have an influence on me but not to the point where it influenced me outside of playing video games.

Call of Duty, in my opinion, influence me the most of all video games in a negative way. Usually I don't swear when I don't play call of duty. My friends rarely hear me cuss but when I play call of duty by myself, I usually get angry at it and swear a bit. Thats a negative influence. But call of duty doesn't always make me swear. Sometimes I actually do enjoy playing it, and be like "Oh yeah!" In overall, call of duty is an okay game for me even though sometimes I get angry and swear when something happens in that game.

But not all video games related to call of duty makes me swear. Video games like Halo Reach or Bad Company 2 has a more of a positive influence on me then call of duty. When I play that, I usually have a good attitude and play it for fun. However, I do sometimes get a bit frustrated with those games but not as frustrated with call of duty. I usually say "Typical Call of Duty" referring to the things that would happen in call of duty when I do get a bit frustrated with Halo or Bad Company.

Now recently, I do not get as angry when playing call of duty because I've started playing more halo reach or bad company and occasionally call of duty. It doesn't anger me as much because I'm trying to play it for fun and not care about it but the games still gets me where I get a bit frustrated with it....
Heres a link where you can possibly find more about call of duty: www.callofduty.com


Pop Culture


The Hangover

This is a very funny movie and I laughed the whole time. When I ask my self if this had an influence on me i would say yes. I felt that this was inappropriate at times and could have been funny without everything that was included. There was a lot of nudity in this movie and I felt that it made me feel uncomfortable. Luckily I didn't see it with my mom. I felt that this influenced me in the sense that it made me less sensitive to things in the world that sometimes I feel like I should be sensitive to. I don't like what a lot of humor has become today, why does it always have to involve violence and inappropriate scenes.



I love everything about all sports. All of the Ohio teams i root for unless it's a game between the Browns and Bengals, or a battle between the Reds and Indians. However at this point the Cleveland Cavaliers are the most influental to me. They lost their superstar but are still going to fight and try to make the playoffs this season. Everybody is counting them out and that's the way they want it. The reason I like to believe in this team is because everybody goes through hard times like they are. At some point everybody is going to feel like life delt them a shitty hand of cards and have no reason to keep going. The Cavs are going through this right now. All the players are probably saying I came to this team to play with Lebron James and he just up and left. They have two choices, one is to put their heads down and quit. While the other is to take this in stride and accept the challenge. Thats the great thing about sports is that sometimes the biggest underdog can win. Examples would be when Stanford a 48 point underdog to USC took it to the Trojians and won. These types of stories give hope to everybody. Thats why i look up to the Cavs and hope that they can be the feel warm story that all of Clevelland needs!


http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/index.html

Pop culture to me




This is probably really embarrassing but, I think that the tv show, Adventure Time has a big effect on my life. First and foremost, Adventure Time is on cartoon network. Yes, I still watch Cartoon Network. There is nothing wrong with that. The show is about a boy named Finn and his dog Jake. They go on "silly" adventures in the land of "Ooh." Here's a link of what this show is all about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_Time I like this show because it is funny and I feel like I'm not wasting my time when i watch this show. I have a T-shirt somewhere that has a really funny picture main character on it. Sometimes i where it because it's one of my favorite shirts. If anybody gets a chance, try to watch this show, I bet you'll like it and probably laugh. Above are pictures of both Jake and Finn.

The Influence of Popular Culture on a Person

Although, pop culture in America contains many different parts to it, I think the most influencal is the interent. Facebook and Twitter are the two websites teenagers, even adults are most addicted to and it has become part of their daily lives. Facebook and Twitter can be both positive and negative influences. These networking sites are a good way to keep in touch with friends. However, these networking sites are a way of meeting new people, people who aren't probably safe. Facebook and Twitter can be a way of tracking kids, creating problems between people, most importantly, depending of how you use these sites, be targeted. I personally do use these sites, and I actually do enjoy using them. Sometimes, I do see myself so addicted to the point were I may have to deactivate it for a little while. I feel as though these sites are a huge influence because of the contact you have with others. For example, I always notice that someone always brings out something that happended on Facebook and says, "Oh, did you see that on Facebook?" then they run and log in, and spend hours on it. Overall, I believe that when it comes to TV, movies, advertisements, etc, Facebook and Twitter have the biggest influences on people nowadays.

Journal 7

There are many things in American pop culture that influences me. The one that influences me the most is 90210. I am so hooked on this show that every monday I have to watch it. It doesnt matter what I am doing I will find a way to watch even if that means to record it on my DVR and watch it later, but if I am able to watch right when it comes on then i do so. It's a bad addiction because I am so drawn to it that i do not talk on the phone or get on my computer until commercials and if someone interrupts me I either pause the show or hit the rewind button. I feel like this has a negative influence because its like I am so concerned about a television program that isn't even real, but its just their fashion and the drama brings me back each week just to see whats going to happen next.

http://www.cwtv.com/shows/90210

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Mrs. L

To be honest I have never really been a “teachers pet” or even well liked by many teachers. I was always known for goofing around in class, always trying to make people laugh and take their minds off the seriousness of school. The only time I felt like I ever got along with teachers was when I was a young girl attending St.Peter Catholic School. Classes were way smaller where you connected with the teachers better, but also, who doesn’t get along with their elementary school teachers?

Thinking of a teacher who had impacted me in a positive way was really hard to think of. I was thinking of my middle school teachers, but no one stood out. Then I was trying to think of any high school teacher, still no luck. For this paper I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to use an elementary teacher, but she’s the only teacher I can say put a positive impact on me. My teacher Mrs. L was my first grade teacher. She was a beautiful old lady, inside and out. She always made me feel like I should have nothing to be afraid of in class and should never be afraid to ask questions. This lady knew the person I really was. She looked way deeper into children than most teachers and always welcomed you with a warm smile and a little hug around the shoulders.

I received Student of the Month, which was a big deal at Saint Petes. I remember her writing, on the paper they hung up in the hallway, about how I was such a smart child with a warm smile that would cheer anyone up. She talked about me as a person and not just for my academic achievements. Reading that made me feel special. I was only in first grade and that stuck with me till this day. She was the person who reminded me to keep laughing and smiling and do the same for other people. That is how Mrs.L influenced me through out life.

Our writers.

Our writers.
At the OSU Delaware Center