Vincent English Blog

Response: Rose's role as a wife and mother gives the reader insight into what African American women in the 1950s were expected to do by society. At the beginning of Act One, Scene Two, Troy criticizes Rose and Lyon's hobby of playing the lottery, an activity that Rose has shown a lot of interest and pleasure in. One thing to notice is that in Act One, Scene One, Troy goes on about his battle with the Devil and his encounter with death, which Rose doesn't criticize him for, only disagrees with his statement. By comparing these two events, the reader can put together that the societal expectations of women in the 1950s were to remain modest and loyal towards their husbands, preferably without having any hobbies of their own. This play illustrates the unfair issues of marriages in the 1950s. The husband can do whatever he wants on his own time, whether it's good or bad, but god forbid the wife has a hobby she likes to take part in. Summary: Today, we discussed negative, n...

Response: Troy talking about the unfair job system of the 1950s made me a lot more appreciative of what I have been blessed with today. Maybe it's because of my single story view of today's society, but I feel like racism isn't as big an issue in the job system today as it was in the 1950s. Modern-day society only wants people who can work and get a job done, which I am very grateful for. If I were in Troy's position, I feel like I would be just as upset as he is. I have to support my entire family by working a crappy job because a garbage company was the only place that would hire me. Sounds like a pretty hard life to me. Summary: Today, we read Act One, Scene One of Fences. Reflection: Compared to the setting in the play Fences, our modern-day society has a pretty decent job system.

Response: I trust that I was afraid to accept, and am still afraid to accept, is the fact that this school year will end soon. Ever since I was younger, I have hated change in any form. I never liked changing my hairstyle, clothes, routine, but especially my life. This school year feels a higher power has given me everything I could have ever wanted, almost like it's a test to see if I will appreciate it with everything that I have. And while I do appreciate that fact and am trying to live this school year out to its fullest, I'm still afraid to move on with life. I feel as if in a year's time, I'm going to lose everything that I have right now. However, I think once it gets closer to graduating and the end of the school year, this truth will be easier to accept within my self. Summary: Today, we started looking at the play "Fences" Reflection: We all have to accept truths in our lives, even if they are hard truths.

Response: Last year, with my Algebra II teacher, we were trying to decide what course would be best for me to take next year because I needed her to recommend me. I had my mind set on AP Precalculus because I felt fairly confident in my abilities in math, since it has always been my best subject. When my mom was in High School, she took AP Calc her senior year and passed it with a 101, so I think I definitely got some of her math genes rather than my dad's subpar abilities in math (I think my sister got those genes). Anyways, once I told my teacher I wanted to go to AP Precalculus, she told me that she thinks I wouldn't do good in the class because it would be "too challenging" and the amount of work and studying would be "too much." Her words really offended me, because I feel like math is my best and favorite subject, where I feel I can grasp the concepts better than any other class I've taken. I'm really not good at science, I've always loved ...

Response: I feel like this question is a no-brainer for me; I would pick the music of Hispanic/Latino heritage. Music has always had a special place in my heart, but especially in recent years, I have been trying to expand my knowledge of music as a whole. I've always been interested in learning how the structure of Latin songs works, mainly learning how to play/make a song like that on the guitar. There are so many different genres and types of Latin music, and I want to learn about every single one. If I had to pick some specifics though, I would choose Reggaeton, Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, and specifically Flamenco, which has always been my favorite. Summary: Today, we watched a short film about an immigrant mother and son and answered discussion questions about it. Reflection: Learning about Hispanic Heritage Month and all the different aspects of Hispanic culture relates back to most of the topics we have been talking about in this class. I feel like most of us have a "sin...

Response: I can't remember the name of this student, but their storymap was about how they felt they couldn't live up to the expectations that were put on them. He talked about how he was a kicker for the Lakeside Football team, and all the other players thought he had it easy since he was just kicking the football all practice long. He also talked about being in band and feeling like his skills with the trumpet just wasn't enough for the amount he wanted. I really liked this story because it showed that even though this guy looks very physically and mentally strong, he can still be sensitive and is not invincible to everything that is thrown at him. Being this vulnerable in front of a class of peers who you don't know very well is, to me, very brave and shows a lot of who you are as a person, which I admired a lot from him. Summary: Today, we finished presenting our storymaps. Reflection: Not just these storymaps, but every assignment we do in this class (even this blo...

Response: A time when I discovered a new perspective was when I started to hang around my girlfriend's family and neighborhood more often. My girlfriend is Guatemalan and has grown up in the same apartments all her life with her mom. I had a single story of this lifestyle for a long time before I was able to see this new perspective. I had assumed for the longest time that people who lived in apartments like these were completely different than me, often having pity for them whenever I would pass by apartments. As terrible as I am putting it, this is the single story of immigrant families that I have had in my head all my life. But once I was able to really look at the lives these families were living, just like the woman from the TED Talk had done as well, I saw that my life was so much more similar to my girlfriend's than I thought. Being part of an immigrant family doesn't mean you can't have the same experiences as other families in the US. Because I was able to gai...

Response: This incident isn't about a stranger or my mortal enemy; it's about someone who I thought was a friend. A while ago, this person, who I thought was my friend, was talking to me one day at school with a group of people. I don't remember how the conversation got here, but we were talking about everybody's looks and who looked the best out of our friend group. I was on my phone, so I was barely in the conversation, but then all of a sudden, I heard my friend say that out of everyone, I was the ugliest. Although I did consider her to not be the nicest person, I didn't think she would say something this out of line about a person she would call a friend. The whole group ended up laughing in agreement with her, like they'd all talked about this before. I felt awful after this, and luckily, I'm not friends with her anymore. At the time, though, I didn't speak up for myself; I just laughed along with them like I was agreeing. Summary: Today, we read a ...

Response: The thing I love most about being part of the Lakeside community is the fact that it feels so small, yet is so strong. I feel like most of the students at other schools don't really know each other all that well, but here at Lakeside, it feels like every student is friends with one another. I try to show off my school spirit by posting my excitement for school events on my Instagram, where I mostly connect with my fellow students since I only have 4 classes this year. I've felt pretty disconnected from Lakeside recently because of this fact, but I still find a lot of joy in seeing all my fellow students post about their opinions of Lakeside and world events online. My favorite Homecoming tradition/event is when everyone gets together after Homecoming to go to Waffle House or Felini's. This has been a tradition at Pius and at Lakeside all throughout my High School life, and I love it every time. This year I went to IHOP, though. Summary: Today, we presented our sto...

Response: I feel like the pressure and expectations of gender roles fails to excuse Edna Pontellier's affair. Obviously, nobody should cheat on their partner, whether you are a man or a woman. However, I think that society, especially when this was written, takes a harsher reaction to a woman cheating on her spouse than a man cheating on his spouse. Edna Pontellier is trying to free herself from this title of "wife" and be reborn into an actual human being. This realization comes to her by realizing the treatment she is receiving from her husband. I feel as if this story was about a man leaving his wife to discover who he is; the reaction from society might be different, like accepting or neutral.  Summary: Today, we read a response essay to "Why I Want A Wife" called "I don't want a wife" and also a common lit assignment discussing and analyzing "The Awakening". Reflection: The idea of gender roles and the expectations that we must uphol...

Response: I think the learning method would have to depend on the teacher, in my opinion. For this class, I have really enjoyed our class discussions about certain topics like race, culture, controversial opinions, and gender. The students in the 3rd-period Multicultural Literature class seem to be very engaged and passionate about the topics, with many students being of different cultures and backgrounds. I've always been a fan of public speaking and class discussions, but I only really speak up when I know I have friends in the class. This year has felt very different, though, as I feel like I can be very free in my discussions and don't have any fear of answering questions. Summary: Today, we went over our discussion questions for "Why I Want A Wife". Reflection: I feel like having big group discussions as a class where everyone has a chance and is willing to share their opinion really helps everyone have a good understanding of the discussion at hand.

Response: One challenge I have had to face in my family regarding gender roles is the burden of being the oldest son. As the oldest son, my parents have made it clear that it is my duty to help co-parent my siblings, like driving them everywhere they need to go or babysitting when my parents are out. Along with that, I also have to balance trying to fit in with people who are my age at school, even though I feel like I'm a failure of a man because my father never taught me what it means to be "manly," since he was a pretty big nerd in high school. Even though I'm the oldest, I have no idea what it means to be a man. My only identity in this world feels like it will always be "the oldest son," so that my siblings have a chance to figure out what they want to be in life, but at the cost of my own identity and wants. I feel as if my personal wants and needs are being ignored and neglected just because I am the oldest son of the house.  Sometimes, I feel like I ...

Response: As I am preparing to graduate high school, my decision on where I want to end up still remains a mystery. My options so far are to either go to the University of Barcelona with my girlfriend, a university in London with my girlfriend, take a gap year while staying in Atlanta with my girlfriend to save up my money, or the most likely scenario is that I will go to GSU. Ever since I was younger, I have always felt a special connection to the city and have always wanted to temporarily live there. Not for a vacation, but also not permanently living there. I just want to have an experience in the Atlanta city, and I feel that going to GSU would be the best way to live that life. I don't have any intention to leave Georgia, but my future still seems uncertain, so I won't settle on anything yet. I just hope that wherever I end up will be somewhere that I truly want to be. Summary: Today, we worked on our storymap. Reflection: Our storymap reflects our past, but it is also imp...

Response: The first thing I will say is that neither of my parents are strict in the slightest. I don't know any other kid who has this amount of freedom, but also love from their parents like my sister and I do. I'm allowed to stay out late (most days), I can have my girlfriend over whenever and wherever I want, I have free use of the car at all times, and ever since I turned 10, I have never had a bedtime. They're the type of parents to let me do as I please, as long as I am doing good in school and can stay responsible with the amount of freedom they give me. But even when I am slipping very badly in school (like last year and the year before), I've learned that they don't really care all too much if I am irresponsible with my choices and freedom. Maybe it's because I'm older now, and they don't feel like they need to worry about me too much anymore, but even with all this freedom, I still stay responsible and disciplined. And I do it not for them, bu...

Response: So far, this class has challenged me to use a different part of my brain and change my strategies and learning habits to adapt to the class. This is the first English class that makes me feel responsible. In the past, I've had strict, boring, talkative, overassigning, rude, uninterested, overly laid back, and awful teachers. I feel as if every teacher, especially English teachers that I have had never really let me see the true potential of who I can be academically. With this class however, it discusses topics about multicultural literature, what your identity is based on your background, and stories from a variety of different cultures. I feel like most students like to talk about themselves and want to share their lifestory with people so others can see that there is more to them than it seems. Everyone in this world has a story. However, I feel like in most classes, you can't really express yourself in that way fully. Overall, this class has been inspiring to see ...

Response: A time when I acted outside of the "norm" was when I decided to repeat Junior year. While at St. Pius X (my old school), I had failed all of my classes due to attendance, poor grades/performance, sickness, and especially mental health. I was told that I would have to transfer to Lakeside High School in January 2024 in order to continue my high school education. I would lose all of my teachers, classes, friends, and everything I had at that school, all because of my weak mental state. When I got to Lakeside, I had an opportunity to graduate on time with my class grade, but in order to do that, I would have to do double core classes and some over the summer too. I decided to put my best interests in mind and decided to take another year to finish my education. When I tell most people about this story, everyone makes the usual jokes that I'm a "13th grader" or a "super senior/super junior," which I'm used to now. The idea of someone taking a...