Writing reflection

-Ideas and content
My essay was focused on the topic. However, some of the sentences didn't make sense. I wasn't really sure about my topic, so it was harder for me to write better essay. Therefore, my explanations and details weren't really specific and clear to the readers. However, I focused on my topic and related to quotations to the main idea of the paragraph. I gave reasoning and quotation for every each body paragraph to support for my ideas. I wasn't prepare for this essay before. Also, it was my first time writing in-class essay. I was really nervous and didn't know how to control my time. At the end, I started to write weird sentences and had no time to go over them. Getting chased by the time made me to make more mistakes. Next time, I will try to organize my time and reread my essay before handing it in.
-Organizations
My essay did start with interesting hook which is quotation. However, I forgot to relate my quotation into my essay topic. Also, I followed the rubric so it has at least two body paragraphs, introduction and conclusion. However, I could have done better if I prepare for my essay. Before that day, I didn't finish my preparation paper. Next time, I will be prepared for my essay before the class starts. Also, I should have control my time better, so I can read over my essay and fix my mistakes. Also, I should read rubric before class, so I can follow the 'A' section of the rubric.
-Personal Growth
My Julius Caesar essay wasn't better or worse than my Alchemist Essay. I wasn't trying my best on my essays. However, from now on I am trying to improve on my writing skill to make my personal growth. I started to understand more about the book. I read Julius Caesar before, therefore I knew more about the book. However, it was my first time reading the Alchemist. As a result, I could understand and write better for essay. Also, I had stronger opinion for Julius Caesar Essay.
-SLR Reflection
Think creatively, because we had to figure out the characterization of a character inside the story, we had to think like the character. For me, I had to be like Cassius to know more about his characterization. I had to think of Cassius's situation and his opinion against Caesar.

Julius Ceaser Essay

Cassius

‘Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that ‘Caesar’? Why should that name be sounded more than yours? Write them together, your is as fair a name.’ This quote shows how Cassius was cunning and therefore, how he manipulates people to his side. He compares Brutus and Caesar to emphasize how Brutus is loosing his power by Caesar. Saying that, Cassius expresses that Brutus and Caesar, even any other Romans have right to have same power in republic. However, Caesar’s name is getting stronger than others.

There are thousands of motivating factors of Cassius. Cassius was the one who made the great Roman Republic into Chaos. Cassius was the one who created a conflict to one of the Roman history. This was happened by Cassius’s own tropical motivating factors. Cassius is dishonorable, cunning, manipulative, and guilty. Cassius wants to be the most power men in Roman Republic. To be the best, Cassius has one problem to solve. Caesar, who brought victory from Pompey to Rome, is the actual strongest man in Roman Republic. ‘And why should Caesar be a tyrant then? Poor men! I know he would not be a wolf, but that he sees the Romans are but sheep;’ (Act one, Scene 3, line 103~105) This shows, how Cassius thinks of Caesar. Cassius compared Caesar as the wolf and the Romans as the sheep. Cassius sees that Caesar is using his great power to us Romans like a slave. From this reasoning, Cassius decides to murder Caesar. However, Cassius realizes Caesar is too strong for Cassius to kill. Therefore, Cassius gather conspirators who were treated as a slave of Caesar. In front of the conspirators, he expresses Caesar who climbs up on the ladder and forgetting all the people who were helping Caesar to be stronger. Conspirators start to believe in Caesar and be a part of the Caesar’s assassination. ‘Yes, every mad of them; and no man here but honors you; and every one doth wish you had but that opinion of yourself which ever noble Romans bears of you. This is Trebonious.’ (Act two, Scene 1 #90~92) Cassius brings most of the conspirators to Brutus house to get Brutus heart on his side. Cassius also sends a fake letter, which says the Romans need help from Brutus and the Romans want Cassius to kill Caesar. This shows Cassius dishonor and cunning feature that he does whatever he wants to do to achieve his own goal and to get is own advantage.

On the other side, Cassius becomes very envy by how he thinks as Caesar. Cassius thinks that Caesar is not well enough to contain great power from the Romans. By Cassius’s cruel thought, he became envy, violent and dishonorable. This made Cassius to murder Caesar. This thought made al Rome into Civil war, the chaos. ‘But it is doubtful yet whether Caesar will come forth today or no; For he is superstitious grown of late, Quite from the main opinion he held once of Fantasy, of reams, and ceremonies. ‘ (Act two, Scene 1 #193~196) Cassius even includes phenomena, the omens from the god to explain his feelings towards Caesar to the conspirators and Brutus. By this, the conspirators believe in Cassius and trust him. Cassius contains great power from the conspirators. His leadership leads everyone to murder Caesar. Cassius great leadership grabs all the hearts of the conspirators and Brutus. However, to get this point, Cassius showed his motivating factors of envy, cruelness, jealousy and dishonor.

Cassius start from the assassination of Caesar converted Cassius’s motivating factors. He was worthy as showing his evilness, envy, jealousy, dishonor, cruelness and manipulative motivating factors. His characterizations did not help him to achieve his goal. He was too concerned for his own goals and achievements and Cassius didn’t look for others. Therefore, his conclusion was death. His motivators made him more into chaos. Cassius was too dishonored and envy that he could not control himself from pulling himself into chaos and danger.

Collage Refelction

Think Creatively-For my collage, I made some geographical image. For example, I draw exact shape of American and Africa. Therefore, it shows the stepped migration of the lost boys. Also, by using 3D image. It helped me to create attention from the viewer. My 3D image made more sense about how horrible it was for Lost Boys to go through their conflicts from forced migration.
Reason Critically-For my collage, I followed all the rubric to get my images. My images were about Dinka Culture, conflicts in Sudan, refugee camp, and life in America. I put all my thought on every each image.My images creates story from the bottom of the paper to the top. Lost boys' life from Sudan and going to America by stepped migration.
Communicate Effectively-My collage shows how hard it was for Lost Boys to go through those conflicts. It does not always show conflict in Sudan. It shows their conflcts in America too. They suffered to get education, job and money. They also had to face new American Culture and racism. My collage basically expresses how Lost Boys had faced these conflicts and graduated from America with hope.
Live Ethically-From my collage, the viewers will understand Lost Boys' conflicts and how they suffered from it. However, they will also see how they faced these conflicts and find their hope, Some of my pictures were about graduation in America. I really made effort to put hopeful image of Lost Boys.

It's the heaven there!

My name is Peter Nyarol Dut. I'm from Sudan. I lost my parent from Sudanese civil war that has raged on for 20 years. I was forced to move from Sudan because of the awful civil war. When I was living in Kakuma refugee camp, there were many other Dinka boys without parents just like me. Some of my friends were sent to America to make a new life. In 2000, I was chosen to migrate to America (Houston) for a better life with my friend Santino Majok Chuor. When I first came to America, I had a hard time facing racism and the African-Americans. At the Kakuma refugee camp, the old man told all the boys that all the African-Americans are in jail. The old man didn't want the boys to be like African-Americans. In America, African-Americans were being racist to Sudanese by comparing their skin color. In the bus to work, all the people were staring at me because my skin color was unusually darker than anybody else. This made me really uncomfortable. Some African-Americans came into Sudanese house with gun and asked them for money. I also had trouble assimilating into American Culture. In Sudan, all the boys had lots of physical contact with the same gender. We were all holding hands when I was leaving. However, Americans thought that as a homosexual or gay. Most of the boys understood the American culture and stopped the physical contact with same gender. However one boy had a hard time assimilating the American culture.

I decided to move to Kansas for better education. When I started to go to Olathe East High School, I started to make friends. Also, I realized that there is no way to get rid of the stereotype. Therefore, I decided to live with it. Somehow, I also started to use some slang from American culture while I'm talking to my friends. I saw some friends wearing big t-shirts and baggy jeans. I bought some of those cloths and started to wear them at school. While I was working at the Wal-Mart, the manager made us to more works because our skin color was black and she thought us as workers who can work in the heat who came from really hot country. I felt really guilty about how she spoke. However, I tried to ignore the racism. Involving more into education, I had not much time to work and earn money. One day, my friend from Sudan called me and asked me to send some money to Sudan to help other kids or at least call her everyday. However, it isn't that easy for me to call from America to Sudan. I don't even have enough money to pay my room rent. Sometimes, after finishing my work and homework, it's almost 1 o clock. I really don't have much time to call Sudan. I am still under this great pressure from Sudan to help other Dinka boys. I worked really hard from my high school and I am going to Green Mountain College in Vermont with a full scholarship.

It was my hard journey from Sudan to America. Coming to America was the most amazing conflict I went through. I had to face lots of stereotypes and racism. However, I realized that assimilating into American culture was to understanding rather than facing the other culture. Religious, skin color and lifestyle was definitely different between American and Sudan. However, American gave us better life. They supported us and hopes more Dinka boys to be migrated from Sudan to America untill the civil war end.

Solo/Duet Acting

Duet Acting
Partner: Zijia Kee (Calpurnia), Cy (Ceaser)

During this scene, Calpurnia tells Caesar about her dream and advises Caesar to stay at home for the day. Calpurnia dreamt that Caesar's statue sprouted blood like a fountain, and smiling Romans came to bathe in his blood. Calpurnia thought that this was a bad omen, predicting Caesar's death. She desperately begs Caesar to not go to the Capitol, but Caesar ignores her, until she falls on her knees. We both thought that this was a significant scene in the play because it foreshadows Caesar's death. This is also one of the most important decisions in the play, it is a decision that will influence all of Rome. This scene also builds up the conflict to the most important point of the play, the assasination of Caesar. It also characterizes Caesar, Calpurnia and also Decius.


Act 2, Scene 2, Line 1~58

Ceaser- Nor heacen nor earh have been at peace tonight. Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out. 'Help. ho!! they murder Ceaser!' who's within?

Servant- My lord?

Ceaser-Go bid the priests do present sacrifice and bring me their opinions of success.

Servant-I will my lord.

Calpurnia-What mean you, Ceaser? Think you to walk forth? You shall not stir out of your house today.

Caesar- Caesar shall forth. The things that threaten'd me
Ne'er look but on my back; when they shall see
The face of Caesar, they are vanished.

Calpurnia- Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.
A lioness hath whelped in the streets,
And graves have yawn’d and yielded up their dead;
Fierce fiery warriors fight upon the clouds
In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol;
The noise of battle hurtled in the air,
Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan,
And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.
O Caesar, these things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.

Caesar- What can be avoided
Whose end is purpos’d by the mighty gods?
Yet Caesar shall go forth; for these predictions
Are to the world in general as to Caesar.

Calpurnia- When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
The heavans themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

Caesar- Cowards die many tiems before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear,
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.
What says the augurers?

Servant-They would not have you to stir forth today. Plucking the entrails of an offering forth, They could not find a heart within the beast.

Ceaser- The gods do this in shame of cowardice. Ceaser should be a beast without a heart.
If he should stay at home today for fear. No, Ceaser shall not. Danger knows full well that Ceaser is more dangerous than he. We are two lions litter'd in one day, and I the elder and more terrible, and Ceaser shall go forth.

Calpurnia-Alas my lord, Your wisdom is consum'd in confidence. Do not go forth today, call it my fear. That keeps you in the house, and not your own. We'll send Mark Antony to the Senate House. And he shall say you are not well today. Let me upon my knee prevail in this.

Ceaser-Mark Antony shall say I am not well, and for thy humour I will stay at home. Here's Decius Brutus; he shall tell them so.

power of the VOID

The International School of Kuala Lumpur provides an exceptional education that challenges each student to develop (pause & silence) the attitudes, skills, knowledge and understanding to become a highly successful, spirited, socially responsible global citizen.

From the ISKL mission statement, I inserted pause and silence between 'develop' and 'the attitudes'. I decided to insert silence here, because it tells you what the International School of Kuala Lumpur provides an exceptional education which is the whole idea of the passage. If I insert silence here, all the listener will go ‘what can ISKL develop?’ ‘What is ISKL exceptional education?’, It makes void and tension from the audience.


The composer can create tension by making silence during the music. Therefore, everyone will be curious what happened. By this, the composer can create tension from the audience.


1. What would you call this story? Why?

I will call this story a ‘The lottery’. Basically, the story is about the lottery. The tradition of the village is the lottery and all the people come together because of the lottery. They were all so serious and scared of the lottery too.

2. What did you think was going to happen? What clues in the text led you to think this?

I thought the girl was going to die. Everyone was nervous and scared after the black dot appeared from the girl’s paper. Also the mood was very sad and dark. This told me that the girl will die.

3. How did you feel when the end of the story was not give to you?

I was mad. I was frustrated and I wanted to go to the cybrary right after the class. The story made tension to me and that’s why I was so curious about the end of the story.

4. How did you feel when you were handed the mystery paper? What did you think was in it? Did you follow the instruction? Why or Why not?

I knew the mystery paper was the end of the story. Because al the 7th graders told me it was the end of the story. I couldn’t follow the instruction. I was so curious about the end of the story. I opened the mystery paper during lunch time. (sorry..)

5. How did you feel about the black box and spot/blank paper? Explain

I knew that the inside the black box there is going to be a paper which some has black dots and some does not have black dots. I knew that black spots means bad things for us in real life just like the story.

6. How did you feel when you read the end of the story? Explain.

I was shocked and felt sorry for the girl. She died because everyone through rock at her. On the other hand, I was happy to read the end of the story. I was dying to know.

7. Were your predictions correct? How did you feel about that?

My predictions were right. All the mood and people’s talking was telling me the end of the story. However, I really wanted happy ending. I was little disappointed too.

8. What would have helped you to make a better prediction?

It would have helped me for better prediction, if the village people were talking more specific about the lottery. There were not enough clues for me to make a good prediction.

9. Why did the author leave these voids in the story?

Because the author wanted to make tension. He or she wanted to get attention from the audience.

10. Explain the power of the void in this experience

a. Made me to think first what the story is going to be about
b. Made me to get more curious about the story
c. Made me to go crazy about the story….Oh My God what is going to happen next
d. Made me to think what is going to say inside and what is the meaning behind the black dot
e. Made me to go all the way to the end and just read the fun part.
f. The black dot, because I really thought that it’s going to be about smooth playing test. But I am not ready for the playing test.

Who am I from School of Athnes...?

I think I am Pythagoras from the painting 'School of Athnes'. Pythagoras was one of the most famous mathematicians in the world. Even though he only lived for 40 years, he invented a lot of things and he also proved a lot of new mathematical theorem. He was the one who said 'I can lift the Earth if I have a space to stand in the space and a really long stick.' Nowadays, his name is famous all over the world by the Pythagoras theorem which is proved by Pythagoras that square of X plus square of Y is equal from the right triangle. There are many similarities between Pythagoras and me. In the drawing, Pythagoras is really concentrated on the book. There are very many people surrounding Pythagoras, however Pythagoras is only on the book. This happens to me too. When I fall into something like watching movie, I can’t come out from the movie until it's over. Even my mom calls me from next room; I ignore her and keep watching movie. I think I felt like Pythagoras, because I had a same experience as him from the drawing.