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.