Welcome to the second online Final Presentation and the last of my Sophomore year! Back in December, our school participated in something called Snapshots of Joy. This was where we were given a disposable film camera and were tasked with taking about 24 pictures of things that brought us joy. We were given the cameras on December 6th, and the deadline to turn them in was the following week, on Friday the 13th. Those pictures were going to be used in this term's Final Presentations but unfortunately, the store where they were being stored, burned down in a fire, taking the pictures and the negatives, down with it. Not wanting to abandon this idea of reflecting on pictures that bring us joy, instead, we gathered pictures or anything from the past few months of quarantine and online school, that has brought us joy. For my project, I gathered some of the pictures that I had from the last week of school (before quarantine) and from the first month into quarantine. I chose to do only the first month because I feel that it was the most important time because it was when all of us at GCE and around the world, were getting used to these times that are, hopefully only periodically, affecting our lives. Below you will see my slide show of moments that brought me joy during this past term.
Due to the Coronavirus causing us to be in quarantine, these last few months have definitely been a struggle for many, but an equally important journey. Though it was very long and we didn't know when it would end, I feel that it gave us a chance to grow even further and work on ourselves both academically, and personally. I also feel that it brought us closer together and we became more connected. My slide show only depicts moments I caught on camera, however, there were many more moments and people that brought me joy, during this time. Each category I chose resembled points in the first month that were most important and eventful. Now that we are on our last day and project of the year, I am proud of everyone for pushing through, what seemed like an eternity, and are ready to start a new chapter in the Fall of next year. I hope you enjoyed my project and we made it!
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Friday, June 5, 2020
The Letter
This Action Project was for unit 3 of our Humanities class, Drama. It is also one of the last projects of sophomore year! For this unit, we read A Raisin in The Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, which follows the life and struggles of a low-income, African-American family, living in the South Side of Chicago. It takes place in a two-bedroom apartment, around the 1950s, and you get to see the dreams of the four main characters, Mama, Ruth, Beneatha, and Walter. During this unit, we also had two guests come to talk to us about what they do for a living, specifically what they do for the African-American communities, in Chicago. For this AP, we were supposed to embody one of the characters and write a letter to Walter. In this letter, we had to try and convince him of either, going forward with moving into a primarily, all-white neighborhood, or accept a bribe from the “representative from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association,” Mr. Lindner, who is trying to get Walter and his family, not to move into the neighborhood. Below, you will see who I wrote as and what I tried to convince Walter to do. Enjoy my project!
Dear Walter,
This is your Mama. I know regarding this situation, you have your own opinions, but I want to try and change your mind. I think you should refuse Mr. Linder’s offer and have us move into the house. Consider these three things: Is the liquor store worth sacrificing everybody else’s dreams? Is the liquor store more important than trying to give Travis a good childhood? Do you really want to be stuck in a tiny apartment for the remainder of your life and let Mr. Lindner win? And like you said to Travis, “...your daddy’s gonna make a transaction...a business transaction that’s going to change our lives…” (Hansberry; 566, Act 2). Is this a transaction that changes our lives for the better, or worse?
First, I understand you have dreams like everyone else, and your dream definitely matters. However, do you value your dream so much over everyone else's dreams, that you’re willing to sacrifice everything and put it into the liquor store? Think about Ruth’s and my dream to move into a better neighborhood and be happy together, and Beneatha’s dream to go out in the world and have a career, as a doctor. Using all your money for the liquor store would defer everybody else’s dreams and I just don’t think that’s right. Asagai said, “...it means One for Whom Bread—Food—Is Not Enough” (549, Act 1). Don’t be greedy, use that money to buy the house.
Second, think about Travis! What kind of childhood do you expect the poor child to have, living in a cramped apartment with no yard to play in? Even if that is enough for him, as a parent you should want to do anything you can to do better for him. Like I said before, “[God] did give us children to make them dreams seem worthwhile” (540, Act 1). What I am basically trying to say is, if you don’t forfeit your liquor store for us, do it for your son.
Third, how much longer can you handle living in a cramped apartment, where you don’t even have a bathroom? Remember when you said, “I didn’t make the world! It was given to me this way! Hell yes, I want me some yachts someday! Yes, I want to hang some real pearls 'round my wife’s neck. Ain’t she supposed to wear no pearls?” (583, Act 3). How are you supposed to want a better life, when you hold yourself back to living in a two-bedroom apartment? On the other hand, are you also going to let a man like Mr. Lindner win? No son of mine would.
Alright, that’s it, I’ve said what I have to say. One, don’t put your dreams above everyone else's. Two, think about the life you want for Travis. Three, don’t settle and let Mr. Lindner win. Like I said, “Son — I come from five generations of people who was slaves and sharecroppers – but ain’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay ‘em no money that was a way of telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the earth. We ain’t never been that poor. We ain’t never been that — dead inside” (582, Act 3). Don’t disgrace our family by giving in and taking all the money for the liquor store, you know there is a risk with that. Be wise, and decline Mr. Lindner’s offer, so we can all begin a new, better chapter of our lives.
Love,
Mama
 |
| A Raisin in The Sun. 2019. |
Dear Walter,
This is your Mama. I know regarding this situation, you have your own opinions, but I want to try and change your mind. I think you should refuse Mr. Linder’s offer and have us move into the house. Consider these three things: Is the liquor store worth sacrificing everybody else’s dreams? Is the liquor store more important than trying to give Travis a good childhood? Do you really want to be stuck in a tiny apartment for the remainder of your life and let Mr. Lindner win? And like you said to Travis, “...your daddy’s gonna make a transaction...a business transaction that’s going to change our lives…” (Hansberry; 566, Act 2). Is this a transaction that changes our lives for the better, or worse?
First, I understand you have dreams like everyone else, and your dream definitely matters. However, do you value your dream so much over everyone else's dreams, that you’re willing to sacrifice everything and put it into the liquor store? Think about Ruth’s and my dream to move into a better neighborhood and be happy together, and Beneatha’s dream to go out in the world and have a career, as a doctor. Using all your money for the liquor store would defer everybody else’s dreams and I just don’t think that’s right. Asagai said, “...it means One for Whom Bread—Food—Is Not Enough” (549, Act 1). Don’t be greedy, use that money to buy the house.
Second, think about Travis! What kind of childhood do you expect the poor child to have, living in a cramped apartment with no yard to play in? Even if that is enough for him, as a parent you should want to do anything you can to do better for him. Like I said before, “[God] did give us children to make them dreams seem worthwhile” (540, Act 1). What I am basically trying to say is, if you don’t forfeit your liquor store for us, do it for your son.
Third, how much longer can you handle living in a cramped apartment, where you don’t even have a bathroom? Remember when you said, “I didn’t make the world! It was given to me this way! Hell yes, I want me some yachts someday! Yes, I want to hang some real pearls 'round my wife’s neck. Ain’t she supposed to wear no pearls?” (583, Act 3). How are you supposed to want a better life, when you hold yourself back to living in a two-bedroom apartment? On the other hand, are you also going to let a man like Mr. Lindner win? No son of mine would.
Alright, that’s it, I’ve said what I have to say. One, don’t put your dreams above everyone else's. Two, think about the life you want for Travis. Three, don’t settle and let Mr. Lindner win. Like I said, “Son — I come from five generations of people who was slaves and sharecroppers – but ain’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay ‘em no money that was a way of telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the earth. We ain’t never been that poor. We ain’t never been that — dead inside” (582, Act 3). Don’t disgrace our family by giving in and taking all the money for the liquor store, you know there is a risk with that. Be wise, and decline Mr. Lindner’s offer, so we can all begin a new, better chapter of our lives.
Love,
Mama
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