Vincent English Blog

Response: Out of all the texts we've read so far, Wild has been my favorite because of the deep personal connection I have to it. It's a story about loss and redemption, trying to discover who you truly are on the inside, and what it means to be fearless and wild. This couldn't be a better time in my life to read this memoir because of everything that is going on with myself and my identity. The hardest text for me to read was The Color Purple because of the harsh themes and topics in the novel. I thought that it was inspiring to read a book that was so raw in its writing, but it was definitely hard for me to relate to it. With Fences , it was definitely my favorite text to physically read, especially when we got to act it out. I remember that I was almost always the person who would play Cory in the play, and I felt like it was the perfect role for me. For future readings, I think these books have taught me that it's important to read ahead, but also to relate the sto...

Response: During the Interactive Oral, it was nice to see how all the groups carefully planned out their lesson for their chapters and the activities that they had planned too. They're enthusiasm made me want to answer questions and give input to the part of the story they were discussing. When I presented, I was so grateful that everyone in the class was so active and participating. The participation felt very validating, since it made me feel like we were doing a pretty good job. At some points, we had to improvise our discussions because we still had some time left, but everyone was passionate about our chapter that it didn't worry us. Summary: Today, we listened to groups present their Interactive Oral. Reflection: The Interactive Oral's were a new way for us to discuss a chapter to the class without summarizing it blandly in front of everyone. It gave us a chance to talk about the deeper meanings of our chapter and really understand why it was important to the story.

Response: For Valentine's Day, the perfect day that I would want to have with my girlfriend would go like this (assuming that I have a lot of money!!!). I would want for us to wake up next to each other, and then go make her food so she can have breakfast in bed. The day would be focused on us trying to get out of the house, since we've been spending a lot of time there recently. Once we get ready together, we'd take a drive to a nice park to walk around and talk for a little bit, discussing what we want to do today. After that, I'd want to take her to do some sort of activity, like painting, pottery, massages, or an arcade. Once we're done with that, we'd head over to Chili's to get her favorite meal there, the Triple Dipper, and then walk over to Bruster's to get some ice cream which is right next door. After that, we'd drive for a little bit to find a nice place to watch the sunset while listening to music in the car and just talk about life and l...

Response: The best piece of advice my mom gave me was when I recently was talking to her about god. My mom and her family are Catholic, and that's how I was raised as well. When I was at Pius, specifically during my Confirmation classes, I would say that was the closest that I have ever been to God in my life. I was doing everything right by the Catholic standards, but this was also one of the worst times of my life too. I kept wondering why it seemed that my life only seemed to get worse even though I was doing everything right by God's standards. Now, jumping to the present, I am the happiest that I could ever be in my life. I still struggle with mental health at times, but I actually know what it is that I am feeling finally. This time of my life can be described in one word, Love. Everything in my life is just filled with love. I can also finally say that I love myself. However, my relationship with God has dwindled over the years, and I've stopped doing the things I us...

Response: The most challenging part of working in a group is getting everybody to participate. I've been fortunate enough to work with people that I enjoy and know are hard workers, but there have been times where my group members won't contribute to anything at all. In those times, I usually am the one to pick up most of the work because I'm not sure if my group members will be able to produce a good project. I learned from these experiences that sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands to get things done right. Summary: Today, we worked on our Interactive Oral. Reflection: When doing a group project, every member must contribute equally. If someone isn't doing their part, then don't panic. It's okay to pick up some extra work so you can get your project finished.

Response: The most challenging part of writing an essay for me is the beginning research/brainstorming stages. I'm usually really good when it comes to actually writing the essay (especially if it's on the spot), but when I have to actually structure the essay into different parts beforehand, it can take me a while to get it all together. I plan to overcome this by stopping the habit of procrastinating this stage of the essay writing. I usually do this stage right until the last minute, but I will instead try and start this stage right when I get the assignment. Summary: Today, we started our Interactive Oral project. Reflection: Essay writing can be challenging for most, but mastering this skill can help you improve your vocabulary and critical thinking skills.

Response: Last Saturday (February 7), I finally went over to my dads house after 3 months to get my haircut. I had been wanting this haircut for a long time now, but I had just kept delaying it further and further because I continuously forgot and was too scared to ask (I also had the flu too). However, I finally was able to ask my stepmom (who is a professional hair dresser) to cut my obnoxiously long and overgrown bangs so people are able to see my face. At the beginning of this school year, I would hide my face behind my long hair because I just didn't like the way that I looked. Eventually, my bangs grew so long that I couldn't see at all anymore and needed it cut. This wasn't the only reason I got it cut though. For the first time in my life, I actually wanted people to see my face. I think mostly has to do with my recent makeup hobby which has given me the confidence to cut my bangs. When I looked at myself in the mirror after the haircut, it was exactly what and who ...

Response: If I had to write a poem about my life  right now , it would be about metamorphosis and the desire/need for change. At this time in my life, it feels like everything around me is changing so suddenly whether it is my choice or not. I've learned that it is important to embrace change, even if it is scary at first. My poem would be about me becoming who I truly am on the inside and expressing that form of myself with the physical world around me without fear. I might actually just write this poem in the near future too! Summary: Today, we read chapter 9 of  Wild . Reflection: Change is scary at first, but most of the time it is a necessary thing that we all need to face and embrace.

Response: Whenever I am feeling unwanted feelings, I almost always play guitar. I think it has to do with the action of physically doing something with myself and also the aspect of music too. Whenever I am playing music, all my problems just seem to go away. If playing guitar isn't working, it usually just means I'm not playing fast enough. However, if playing guitar  really  isn't working, then I try and do something good for myself. Some examples are cleaning my room, doing laundry, showering, hygiene, hair care, and especially makeup. Almost always these methods can help me change my mood. Summary: Today, we read chapter 8 of  Wild . Reflection: It can be hard to change your mood out of sheer will, but having the motivation to do something good for yourself can be a good way to feel better.

Response: Something that I have outgrown but still miss is playing video games all day. I know there are plenty of adults who still play video games regularly, but it's not the same as when we were kids. If I'm being specific, I miss all of my dad's old Dragon Ball Z games that I used play on my old Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. I still have all of the games, and in 2024 I actually replayed all of them, but it just wasn't the same as when I was younger without any worries in the world. Now, I barely have time to even play a quick game with my friends because of how busy life has been. It's nice to write about those times in these blog posts though. Summary: Today, we read chapter 7 of Wild . Reflection: Although we can outgrow many things from out childhood, it doesn't mean that we have to forget them or miss them.