It Was, I Was Amazing

I was someone who lacked self confidence, I was one who didn't know how to talk to people, I was one who would say stupid things to get a reaction. It was the best thing to ever happen to me, It was a change of perspective within me, It was the thing I needed to become who I am today.

I never used to think I could do some of things I do today, talk to people I talk to today, be friends with the people i'm friends with today. I came into this program and highschool with a mindset that I would make two friends at most and they would be just enough. I came in thinking that I would blow past IB and maintain a social life. Everything changed in IB and I am forever grateful for all the wonderful people who have blessed my life.

I Started at millbrook first dat of second semester of my freshman year. First class, Paideia, taught by non other than my favorite Lauren Genesky. That first class was amazing, I remember it like it was yesterday. You integrated me into the activity immediately and I made friends instantly and especially my best friend until death due us part Mitch Sielaty. To this day you're still my favorite teacher ever.

Senior year was the BEST year of my life hands down! It would've been nothing without the amazing friends I made. I could go down in order and tell you why each one of them are special but I frankly have the time to do that. My friends consist of 90% juniors because they're great and I don't know how I would've survived senior IB w/o them.

And then theres seniors who im easily better friends with them then last year... for instance Abbott, me and abbott are really good friends compared to last year where we barely talked. Today if me and abbott and in a class together theres no doubt in my mind that we wont be laughing for the whole class.

And there are more like Mitra, Ines and Anna Claire




It was genuinely the best experience of my life and I wouldn't take it back for anything in the world
In conclusion here is a montage of my best moments of my 2 years of IB.

IOC Practice

I choose to analyze the passage below:

It was like we had walked from the sun right into the chilly shade.
Ruth had been right: Madame was afraid of us. But she was afraid of
us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders. We hadn't
been ready for that. It had never occurred to us to wonder how we
would feel, being seen like that, being the spiders.
By the time we'd crossed the courtyard and reached the grass,
we were a very different group from the one that had stood about
excitedly waiting for Madame to get out of her car. Hannah looked
ready to burst into tears. Even Ruth looked really shaken. Then one of
us- I think it was Laura-said:
"If she doesn't like us, why does she want our work? Why
doesn't she just leave us alone? Who asks her to come here anyway?"
No one answered, and we carried on over to the pavilion, not
saying anything more about what had happened.
Thinking back now, I can see we were just at that age when we
knew a few things about ourselves- about who we were, how we were
different from our guardians, from people outside- but hadn't yet
understood what any of it meant. I'm sure somewhere in your childhood,
you too had an experience like ours that day; similar if not in the actual
details, then inside, the feelings. Because it doesn't really matter how
well your guardians try to prepare you: all the talks, videos, discussions,
warnings, none of it can really bring it home. Not when you're eight years
old, and you're all together in a place like Hailsham; when you've got
guardians like the ones we had; when the gardeners and delivery men
joke and laugh with you and call you "sweetheart."
All the same, some of it must go in somewhere. It must go in,
because by the time a moment like that comes along, there's a part of
you that's been waiting. Maybe from as early as when you're five or six,
there's been a whisper going at the back of your head, saying: "One day,
maybe not so long from now, you'll get to know how it feels." So you're
waiting, even if you don't quite know it, waiting for the moment when
you realise that you really are different to them; that there are people out
there, like Madame, who don't hate you or wish you any harm, but who
nevertheless shudder at the very thought of you- of how you were brought
into this world and why- and who dread the idea of your hand brushing
against theirs. The first time you glimpse yourself through the eyes of a
person like that, it's a cold moment. It's like walking past a mirror you've
walked past every day of your life, and suddenly it shows you something
else, something troubling and strange.

I tried to upload the recording but I don't know how to work such sorcery. 
Ill try and upload it to youtube tonight or tomorrow and edit this with the link.


For criterion A, I would give myself a 5 because I included references to the text such as word choices and quotes, but I didn't use as many. I thought that I did not show a great deal knowledge of the text because my recording only lasted 6 minutes.

For criterion B, I grade myself at a 6, My usage of literary devices was in my opinion great at showing my understanding of the passage and the text. I also included POV and effect on reader to further show meaning.

For criterion C, I would give myself a 4, I felt as if my commentary was easy to understand and gave good logic to what I was saying but I wasn't sure of what I saying for some part.

For criterion D, I would give myself a 3 because I think that my sentences were fluid but when listening back I tallied up the um's to a total of 20 :/. For the most part I wasn't confident in what I was saying which led to me questioning myself during the recording.

Freebie

Im using my freebie...Superbowl and now im too sad to function :(

Black, White and the Weak

Film noir in its time was dominated by powerful women and fragile men. Double indemnity is no exception, with the two main characters being romantically involved it lead to a downward spiral throughout the film. The film begins meeting our main character Walter Neff late at night with a trench coat covering his arms. Its poses a sense of mystery about Neff as he wonders into his office he begins to narrate what transpired in the last few weeks. As he narrates he is projected as a strong and confident sales representative for a insurance company. His initial impression is that he an intelligent and viable character who is hard to break. Contrary to this  initial impression Neff actually is easily manipulated by his feelings. On the first sale he tries to make in the film he approaches the house of our second main character Phyllis Dietrichson. The audience can immediately detect sexual tension between the two just based of their dialogue.
When watching DI, I took notice of some of the odd characteristics about Neff, for instance he comes off as a sociable person but during the film he spends most of his time alone. He is never in big groups only accompanied by 2 or 3 other people. He's non emotional around other which leads most to believe that he is bothered by much. In the film he is constantly judging his actions and thinking everything out in his head to prevent the worst case scenario but even in doing so he ends up letting his emotions get in the way of his logical thoughts. Neff is strong on the outside a frail on the inside. His relationship with women is different than his with others for example he is somewhat cocky around his co-workers but when around either Phyllis or Lola we see him become soft and vulnerable. He sometime tries to take control of the situation with the females but inevitable fails to alleviate the problem which in turn makes things worse. Our character Neff is a not so easy to understand as he puts up a good front for the most part but cant help but crumble at the feet of a powerful, manipulative and beautiful women.