vocab poem

Ferocious butterflies anxiously beat their wings within, transforming formerly amiable people into irascible ones instantly. The silence is effusive with apprehension; the mind, thoughts. The gargantuan yellow vehicle piques interest as it releases the tawdry team onto the field. The once odiferous and redolent, the grass is tainted with the stench of opposition; a stench evocative of bloodshed. Tap, tap, pass. Mesmerizing rhythm and motion of the outer body attempt to counter inner madness. Tap, tap, pass. The first whistle blew. One chance. One moment. One game winning finesse. Tap, tap, shot. Exuberance rises with every touch; every sting of the ball after it crashes into your flesh. Tap, Tap, check. Every play must be strategic; every move, dexterous. Tap, tap, pass. Give it all you’ve got. Tap, tap, sacrifice.

irascible (adj)- easily provoked to anger
effusive (adj)- pouring out; overflowing
redolent (adj)- having a pleasant odor
pique (v)- to excite
mesmerize (v) - to hypnotize
tawdry (adj)- low or mean
finesse (n)- a trick, artifice, or stratagem
evocative (adj)- tending to evoke
exuberance (n)- the state of abounding in vitality
dexterous (adj)- skillful in the use of hands or body

Music Essay

Standing at 5’8 inches with peroxide bleached, blonde hair, Marshall Mathers has taken the rap industry aback with his unprecedented and unexpected success as a white rapper. Like many other rappers, Mathers, or “Eminem,” stirs much controversy and mixed emotions with his lyrical content; however, instead of rapping about sex, drugs, and money, Mathers takes on the more prevalent and painful issues plaguing today’s society. His perseverance and dedication to music and relaying the truth through that music has landed him our number one spot as artist of the year.
Growing up, Marshall had anything but an easy life, as he often shares with his listeners. From failing ninth grade three times, being kicked out of his house, and being shot at, all by the age of sixteen, Mathers has certainly dealt with his fare share of hardship. Throughout all of these unpredictable changes, however, one thing remained the same: his passion for rap music. When asked how he first got into hip-hop he said, “The first hip-hop (stuff) I ever heard was that song "Reckless" from the Breakin' soundtrack; my cousin played me the tape when I was, like, nine. There was this mixed school I went to in fifth grade, one with lots of Asian and black kids and everybody was into break dancing. They always had the latest rap tapes-the Fat Boys, L.L. Cool J's Radio-and I thought it was the most incredible (stuff) I'd ever heard.” Mathers also tells us that his first encounter with the Beastie Boys was when he determined that he wanted to rap.
He eagerly pursued his passion, rhyming whenever possible, simultaneously fighting the stereotypes of the industry and the streets that white boys can’t rap. He expresses his angst with this in his song “The Way I Am” saying, “And I don’t have the patience to deal with these cocky Caucasians who think I’m some wigga who just tries to be black...” Eminem makes it known that he is not trying to be anything but himself, “I’m not Mr. ‘Nsync and I’m not what your friends think. I’m not Mr. Friendly, I can be a prick...” While he embraces the title of rap artist, Eminem does not act according to what people expect from him; rather, he acts in his own way and allows people to react as they choose.
This attitude not only prevails in his conveyance of his own life, but translates into his expression of his thoughts pertaining to issues in today’s society; bowdlerizing very little as he attacks modern society and issues. In “The Way I Am,” Marshall makes valid points while critiquing the American mentality in regards to tragedy. “When a dude’s gettin bullied and shoots up your school and they blame is on Marilyn-and the heroin.” We immediately look for the closest scapegoat; the scapegoat of least resistance. Eminem counters this mentality, provoking his listeners to seek a deeper answer, asking “Where were the parents at?” Additionally, the shooting took place in “middle America;” therefore,“Now its a tragedy. Now its so sad to see.” Shootings happen everyday in the places classified as lower or in the ghetto. These casualties are just that, casual. On the other hand, When an upper class school such as Virginia Tech experiences a shooting, the country drops everything to mourn the deaths of the innocent victims.
Eminem is known for his controversial lyrics and hardcore life, and depending on personal preferences, he has been labeled both offensive and inspiring. Many feel that his lyrics speak the truth that needs to be heard, that no one else would choose to express. Eminem explains,“ A lot of people think a lot worse $#*@ than I do. They just don't say it. If I'm crazy enough to think it, then I'm crazy enough to say it. So who's worse?” This statement should earn respect from you whether you agree with his lyrics or not. Yes, the things he raps about may not be flowery, but within his lyrics always lies an element of truth and reality that deserves kudos. His contribution to music is undeniable, as he engages people of all kinds for one reason or another; uniting them with a song, as music should. In light of this, I believe Eminem inspires people musically, but he inspires more of his listeners than anything. When asked his opinion on his influence he said, “I never wanted to be a role model but I am aware that kids are looking up to me...I hope they look up to me and get inspired to get out from their tragic situations.”
Marshall Mathers pushes the envelope in music and life, encouraging people to revaluate their own cookie-cutter lives, or the notions they accept because of society’s influence. An artist like this is a rarity in today’s world; thus, making him worthy of artist of the year.



"The Way I Am"

[Eminem]
Whatever..
Dre, just let it run
Aiyyo turn the beat up a little bit
Aiyyo.. this song is for anyone.. fuck it
Just shut up and listen, aiyyo..

I sit back with this pack of Zig Zags and this bag
Of this weed it gives me the $%^$ needed to be
The most meanest MC on this -- on this Earth
And since birth I've been cursed with this curse to just curse
And just blurt this berserk and bizarre $%^$ that works
And it sells and it helps in itself to relieve
All this tension dispensin these sentences
Gettin this stress that's been eatin me recently off of this chest
And I rest again peacefully (peacefully)..
But at least have the decency in you
To leave me alone, when you freaks see me out
In the streets when I'm eatin or feedin my daughter
To not come and speak to me (speak to me)..
I don't know you and no,
I don't owe you a $%^$$%^$ thing
I'm not Mr. N'Sync, I'm not what your friends think
I'm not Mr. Friendly, I can be a prick
If you tempt me my tank is on empty (is on empty)..
No patience is in me and if you offend me
I'm liftin you 10 feet (liftin you 10 feet).. in the air
I don't care who is there and who saw me destroy you
Go call you a lawyer, file you a lawsuit
I'll smile in the courtroom and buy you a wardrobe
I'm tired of arguin' (of arguin')..
I don't mean to be mean but that's all I can be is just me

[Chorus: Eminem]

And I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news everyday I am
Radio won't even play my jam
Cause I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news everyday I am
I don't know it's just the way I am

[Eminem]
Sometimes I just feel like my father, I hate to be bothered
With all of this nonsense it's constant
And, "Oh, it's his lyrical content -
- the song 'Guilty Conscience' has gotten such rotten responses"
And all of this controversy circles me
And it seems like the media immediately
Points a finger at me (finger at me)..
So I point one back at 'em, but not the index or pinkie
Or the ring or the thumb, it's the one you put up
When you don't give a $%^$, when you won't just put up
With the $%^$$%^$ they pull, cause they full of $%^$ too
When a dude's gettin bullied and shoots up his school
And they blame it on Marilyn (on Marilyn).. and the heroin
Where were the parents at? And look where it's at
Middle America, now it's a tragedy
Now it's so sad to see, an upper class ci-ty
Havin this happenin (this happenin)..
Then attack Eminem cause I rap this way (rap this way)..
But I'm glad cause they feed me the fuel that I need for the fire
To burn and it's burnin and I have returned

[Chorus]

[Eminem]
I'm so sick and tired of bein admired
That I wish that I would just die or get fired
And dropped from my label and stop with the fables
I'm not gonna be able to top on "My Name is.."
And pigeon-holed into some pop-py sensation
To cop me rotation at rock'n'roll stations
And I just do not got the patience (got the patience)..
To deal with these cocky caucasians who think
I'm some wigga who just tries to be black cause I talk
With an accent, and grab on my balls, so they always keep askin
The same $%^$ questions ($%^$ questions)..
What school did I go to, what hood I grew up in
The why, the who what when, the where, and the how
'til I'm grabbin my hair and I'm tearin it out
Cause they drivin me crazy (drivin me crazy).. I can't take it
I'm racin, I'm pacin, I stand and I sit
And I'm thankful for ev-ery fan that I get
But I can't take a $%^$, in the bathroom
Without someone standin by it
No I won't sign your autograph
You can call me an $%^$$%^$ I'm glad

[Chorus (except change first word "And" to "Cause")]

hypnopaedia

MATURITY IS OVERRATED.

Society puts an immense amount of pressure on kids to grow up. Between college and life in general, high school is a time when you seek independence and "maturity." But what is maturity really? Responsible? When teenagers act in a manner that is deemed less than adult like, it doesn't mean they are any less responsible, it simply means that they are still a kid at heart; thus, the antithesis of maturity. It is in these moments of childhood relapse that we experience the innocent and unmistakeable bliss of being a child. This feeling is one that rivals ecstasy, replacing the temptation and appeal of drugs. The benefits of  relinquishing our responsibilities as an adult outweigh, by far, the repercussions of their momentary neglect. Why not remain a child for life? For this reason I say: maturity is overrated. 

dramatic monologue

Once upon a time,

When my hair was still brown,

my waist still slim,

my dreams still in tact,

I met the man who would change it all.

A silent fighter he was,

never giving up or just letting it be.

I watched him slave away,

scrutinizing the words on the page.

ever fiber in his being went to the books, to the people,

nothing to me.

I stood like a pillar watching it transpire, 

knowing that what he wanted was what would be. 

He was always on the move, 

only returning home for a photograph or two, 

ones that forced the family together with the fake glue 

he called publicity.

The flashes went off, the poses changed,

but the people at the end of the session remained untouched.

Driven and headstrong,

complacent and silent. 

He rode away on his noble steed, 

his knights in shining greed.

He thought I didn’t know.

I was glad to let him have his ice skaters and Sadie Burkes

because he left me with my pride and joy, my Prince.

The young prince in whom the king took much pride,

dropping anything to be by his side.

never mine. 

We fought over him and how he should grow up,

in the righteous kingdom of his father, or in my humble abode. 

It was never our home. 

The prince grew to be what he was

 and he did leave me with something great, 

even if society thought it was a mistake.

I should’ve intervened. 

I should’ve said no.

Maybe they would still be here.

Maybe I would still have my son.

Maybe I would still have my version of a husband. 

No one came to their rescue, 

no fairy godmother to wave her magic wand,

to heal the injury of my beloved prince,

or safeguard the heart of the king from his assassin’s bullet.

But who says we have to live happily ever after?

Being alive is enough. 

-Lucy Stark 

Found Poem 10/3/08

Finite terms fail to discourage insane stunts

that often lead to the most beautiful, yet severe fronts.

You find yourself stumbling upon your tidy package of disaster,

Savagely impatient, trying to move faster.

But you can’t rush what has been succinctly outlined for you.

You must wait for the sleeping of the fume,

the  dust must settle beneath God’s brassy, incandescent sky

before in the breathless monotony you may lie. 

And as the mortal chill begins to fade

you look to what could have been a spongy blood soaked blade,

turn to the sky, clucking and muttering,

thanking God that your death was not ended by your rushing. 

Long Day's Journey Into Night.. Woo!

Sigmund Freud observed that, “The conscious mind may be compared to a fountain playing in the sun and falling back into the great subterranean pool of subconscious from which it rises.” This suggests that humans can act or write in a chosen manner; however, in the end, the subconscious mind supplies all of the components that dictate these words and actions, regardless of the users recognition of these components. Biographical elements manifest themselves within Eugene O’Neill’s play, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” in the characters, and settings throughout the work, paralleling the author’s life.

O’Neill utilizes characters in the play to symbolize his own family and relationships and reconcile through them what he could not in his own life. Throughout the play, Edmund serves as a version of Eugene’s younger self, allowing O’Neill to essentially relive his past vicariously through Edmund. The relationship between Edmund and James has much in common with that of O’Neill and his father, as the failures of James as an artist mirror those of O’Neill’s father. After James Tyrone pours out his life story of being a cheap sell out to Edmund, Edmund gains a deeper and more respectful understanding of his father. Through Edmund’s new found perspective on Tyrone’s impact on his life, O’Neill draws a new conclusion on his father’s impact, realizing that “his father’s artistic failure became a lesson for him never to compromise the standards of his art” (Mann). O’Neill also begins to comprehend the impact of his older brother on him as an artist through Jamie Tyrone. Portrayed in accordance with the persona of O’Neill’s older brother, Jamie Tyrone is a wasteful individual who negatively influences Edmund. Towards the end of the play, however, Jamie enlightens Edmund about his true feelings and motivations. In writing of this change of heart, O’Neill has his own change of heart towards his brother as he discovers that his brother’s “outlooks and styles shaped his own art,” just as Jamie influenced Edmund and the way he lived his life (Mann). Each of these epiphanies and revelations take occur as a result of both the concrete and abstract environments in which the characters dwell.

The setting O’Neill creates in “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” coincides with his own physical and emotional states of both his past and present. The play transpires in the significant year, in O’Neill’s life, of 1912. This year marked O’Neill’s embarkation on becoming a writer, as well as, the year he left to go to the sanatorium to recover from tuberculosis (Mann). O’Neill’s battle with tuberculosis parallels Edmund’s struggles with consumption, while his beginning as a writer corresponds to Jamie trying to find purpose in his life. Other than the year, however, much of the significance in setting lies in the emotions of the characters. “The ambience of the fourth act seems much less realistic than in the earlier acts, and we may feel that we are as much in a mental landscape..” (Mann). As O’Neill confusedly struggles with his past, one of the main elements of setting is fog. Edmund, the representation of O’Neill, spends much time by the sea and walking amongst the fog thinking. Leading the characters through the fog of their problems to find answers, O’Neill commences on a journey of self discovery.

The presence of O’Neill through narration provides an inlet for the author’s own voice and experience, weaving an element of reality throughout the fictitious play. “Thus, as we are watching the Tyrones during their literal journey from day to night, we are “seeing” the narrator as well on his painful journey from the present deep into the past” (Mann). While O’Neill’s subconscious plays a role in the manifestation of biographical elements in his work, he acknowledges their impact and hones in on them to artfully and deliberately to tell his own story and convey his opinions through the Tyrone family.

Works Cited:Mann, Bruce J. "O'Neill's 'Presence' in Long Day's Journey into Night." Theatre Annual. 43.(1988) 15-30. Rpt. in Drama Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 20. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 15-30. Literature Resource Center. Gale. LEE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM. 19 Sept. 2008

FSU Essay

Question: For almost one hundred years, the Latin words, "Vires, Artes, Mores" have been the guiding philosophy behind Florida State University. Vires signifies strength of all kinds - moral, physical, and intellectual; Artes alludes to the beauty of intellectual pursuits as exemplified in skill, craft, or art; and Mores refers to character, custom, or tradition. Describe how one or more of the values embodied in these concepts are reflected in your life.

For as long as I can remember, I have attended a private Christian institution where religion was a class to be passed by knowing that “God is love.” As the years progressed, however, I came to understand that this was not the answer to passing the class, but the answer to passing life. My Christian faith provides the moral, physical and intellectual strength, or Vires, that life requires, and pushes me to help others find the same within themselves.
Moral strength allows me to differentiate between good and bad, and paired with faith, drives me to right injustices and get involved. Throughout high school, I have been a member of several mission teams. One team went to New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina where we gutted houses of hurricane victims who could not afford to do it themselves. Mold, rot, and rats were a few of the things that plagued us daily on the job, but we persevered through the grit and grime, knowing that our services were indispensable to those we served. Another team I am privileged to be a member of is the “Justice League.”. Most recently, we went to Immokalee where hundreds of immigrants live, many of whom are underpaid and unjustly treated. Serving in the soup kitchen one day I realized what it meant to be a part of something greater than meeting the needs of individuals. Yes, each face and outstretched hand pulled at your heart strings, but the entire community had to be fed, and it was with this in mind that we served and loved these people.
Service enables me to not only physically help others, but to lead them mentally and spiritually as well. As a leader of several retreats, I have come to know what it means to have people look to you for guidance in all arenas of life. During the recent Lead Retreat, held annually for local seventh graders, it was interesting to watch while the attendees sought a role model for what they could be when they “grew up.” Whether it be the funny one, or the contemplative one, all eyes were on us, trying to choose their model as one might choose a bike in a store; testing them all out to see which one fit just right for the long ride. Knowing someone is always watching, I strive to be a role model in all my actions and endeavors as both a person and student. I recognize that “peer tutoring” is an extraordinary opportunity for me to encourage others academically and utilize my God given talents of knowledge and the ability to teach
It is in these seasons of service and faith that I consider my own life. I put the needs of the community before my own, knowing that my needs will be met in being a part of that community. This is the mentality and strength that I have to offer Florida State University.

Limit: 500 words

Emily Dickinson Poem 9/18/2008

A cockroach dropped from the ceiling

and hungry beggars leave you to wonder

has the world gone to slumber?

Hurricanes take out their wrath on innocent coasts, 

about the aid they give, the politicians will surely boast. 

But don't take heart or put down that slurpee,

oh no, you don't have to worry.

Someone else will fix it for you;

you may wake as you please to the morning dew,

until the day 

someone walks into your room to say

A cockroach dropped from the ceiling.