DECLARATION OF LEARNING INDEPENDENCE

With all the stresses of senior year and AP Classes and scholarships and the list goes on, it is difficult to take a step back and say why am I doing all of this? What is the point? But looking at the big picture is key. There is no point wasting time on things that are meaningless to you. Time is not infinite, so make yours count. I have decided I am doing all of this ("this" meaning taking the challenging college bound path) because I want to rise to my full potential and help make a positive change in the world, to be credible to do these things a college degree is necessary. At this time next year I want to be entering UCSB as a freshman biopsychology major and this open source learning experience will guide me there. With the freedom to take charge of my learning experience I will stop taking my education lightly. I now can use school not just as a grade to get me into college, but as a tool to pursue my curiosities.

VOCABULARY #5

obsequious: obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
beatitude: supreme blessedness
bete noire: a person or thing that one particularly dislikes or dreads
bode: to announce beforehand, or predict
dank: disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold
ecumenical: representing a number of different Christian churches; nondenominational 
fervid: intensely enthusiastic or passionate, to an excessive degree
fetid: smelling extremely unpleasant
gargantuan: enormous
heyday: the period of a person's or thing's greatest success, popularity, or vigorincubus: something that weighs upon or oppresses someone like a nightmareinfrastructure:  the basic structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise
inveigle: persuade to do something by means of flattery or deception 

kudos: praise and honor received for an achievement 
lagniappe: something given as a bonus or extra gift
prolix: using or containing too many words, tediously lengthy
protege: a person who is guided by an older and more experienced person
prototype: a first model of something
sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain an advantage
tautology: the saying of the same thing twice in different words
truckle: to submit or behave obediently

• The obsequious guy always offered to buy her lunch and carry her books, even when she didn't ask.
• His bete noire was spinach, he had always hated the vegetable.
• The psychic boded that she would have bad luck, and as she walked out of the building she tripped and broke her arm.
• The campers couldn't find dry firewood, everything they found was dank.
• The Christian family went to multiple ecumenical churches.
• Although it was their job, the cheerleaders got so fervid that it began to annoy the crowd.
• The gargantuan tree took up the entire backyard.
• He finally reached his heyday, after graduating from medical school and getting a job at a prestigious hospital.
• Her extreme incubus of heights, prevented her from ever getting on an airplane.
• The city budget included money for the renewal of infastructure, such as bridges and streets.
• The girl inveigled the worker to give her a discount by telling him he was cute.
• I gave kudos to my friend who had just graduated college.
• In addition to his salary, the manager gave the worker a lagniappe.
• The teacher critiqued her run-on sentences and said her paper was prolix.
• The pianist's protege practiced everyday so he would someday be as skilled as his mentor.
• The inventor's prototype was so basic compared to the final product.
• The sycophant of a soccer mom talked to the coach a lot, so her son would get the starting position.
• An example of tautology is something, such as, this sentence.
• The boyfriend truckled to the demands of his crazy girlfriend.

ALL OF THE ABOVE

I didn't do as well as I would have liked on the 1987 AP Exam, but then I realized that it is unrealistic to get 100%s on AP Tests, when you they only expect about a minimum 60% to pass with a 3. So my 28 out of 46 wasn't too bad. I now I have a better idea of what I need to work on for future AP Exams. I definitely need to study more vocabulary and work on being a faster reader.

VOCABULARY #4

accolade: an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgement of merit
acerbity: sharp and forthright, especially about a style of speaking
attrition: the action of gradually reducing the strength something or someone through sustained attack or pressure
bromide: an unoriginal idea or remark, usually intended to soothe or make less angry
chauvinist: a person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism
chronic: persisting for a long time or constantly recurring
expound: to present and explain (a theory or idea) systematically and in detail
factionalism: being self-interested; belonging to a faction (a group of people forming a minority in a larger body)
immaculate: perfectly clean, neat, or tidy
imprecation: a spoken curse
ineluctable: unable to be resisted or avoided
mercurial: subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind
palliate: make less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause (usually about disease)
protocol: the official procedure or system of rules, usually governing affair of state 
resplendent: attractive and impressive through being richly colorful
stigmatize: describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or disapproval
sub rosa: happening or done in secret
vainglory: excessive vanity
vestige: a trace of something that is disappearing or doesn't exist
volition: a choice or decision made by the will 

• She got the prestigious accolade as a result of her two hundred hours of volunteer work.
• The book was acerbically written, the author just focused on the main points and avoided pointless detail.
• The soldiers used attrition and slowly but surely won over the fort.
• As the child whined about not getting the popular new toy, his dad used the bromide remark "life isn't fair". 
• The chauvinist was known for his giant American flag in his front yard and his numerous patriotic bumper stickers.
• The woman's chronic illness persisted for years and years, and never went away despite how much doctors tried to palliate it.
• The economics professor expound the idea of supply and demand in a simple, straightforward powerpoint presentation.
• The Amish people practice factionalism, in that they are separate from the majority of society.
• The old lady's house was immaculate, everything was in place and there wasn't a speck of dirt to be seen.
• In Harry Potter saying Voldemort's name was an imprecation.
• Although he was on a diet, the chocolate cake was ineluctable so he had to eat a piece.
• The mercurial bride couldn't commit to one type of flower for her bouquet.
• The man was fired for not following protocol and giving his friends a discount on the product.
• She chose the most colorful flowers because she liked resplendent things.
• Mental illnesses are stigmatized, even though they are common.
• The surprise party was sub rosa, and the birthday girl was shocked when all of her close friends jumped out at her. 
• The self-absorbed prom queen was known for her vainglory.
•  As the fireworks faded from the sky, there was just a vestige of light left behind.
• When her great-grandfather passed away, she got her inheritance due to volition. 

BEOWULF ESSAY

Heroes are always the one who bravely steps up to save the day. Throughout history this idea of a hero has been recreated in countless different forms. From ancient Beowulf, the Geat, to Batman of Gotham City, heroes always fight evil to promote the common good. However, the types and representations of these heroes have changed as the years passed and cultures evolved. 

Externally Batman and Beowulf are quite similar, however when examined deeper they turn out to have considerable difference. On the outside they are both brave, strong men conquering evil. Neither uses much more than their personal strength and quick wit. This valor is shown through similar elaborately descriptive battle scenes, like Beowulf’s run in with Grendel, where Beowulf triumphantly dismembers the monster. Which can be compared to Batman’s fights with local criminals terrorizing Gotham. The depth of Beowulf’s character basically ends there, he is strong, brave hero who confidently fights to prove his masculinity. On the other hand, Batman’s character is much more complex.  He fights, not for recognition, but for vengeance of his parent’s murder. The story of Beowulf focuses on external conflicts, while Batman’s story explains the internal conflicts the hero deals with, such as doubting himself. Seeing this side of a character makes him much more believable and human. Beowulf shows no sign of doubting his ability, but is oppositely completely convinced that he can do the job, making himself almost impossible to relate to the average person. These major character variations have to do with the different cultures the heroes were created in. 

The varying beliefs and values of a certain culture shape the characteristics of the heroes they envision. Beowulf came from a time where men had to prove their masculinity through demonstrations of strength to become respected. He confidently killed many monsters from all over and was highly praised by locals, who usually offered him gifts and feasts. This type of person nowadays would most likely be viewed as arrogant and undeserving of such high praise, but in his time his self-assured demeanor was a positive attribute. Oppositely, Batman is not in search of recognition for his good deeds. He is only out to fight for justice, a clichéd principle in today’s culture, that justice must always be “served”. These different cultural backdrops create niches for contrasting characters.

Batman and Beowulf are two strong, brave heroes with two disparate cultural backgrounds. Beowulf  confidently fought off monsters to prove his masculinity and be a respected leader, while the troubled Batman battled evil to establish justice and avenge his parent’s death. Although the basic theme of the hero fighting evil has held constant, many other aspects of a hero’s character can vary depending on the culture in which they are created.

WILL STUDY FOR FOOD

I used the scholarship search tool on BigFuture.org, and it was a huge help! I found a few scholarships that stuck out to me. One of them was a private scholarship, sponsored by Wells Fargo, called CollegeSTEPS. If you meet their requirements, you are eligible to win one of the forty $1,000 scholarships, that are applicable at any college. I wasn't able to find the exact requirements, but I am pretty sure that any high school senior can apply.

VOCABULARY #3

apostate: a person who renounces religious belief or principle
effusive: expressing feelings of gratitude in a heartfelt manner
impasse: a situation in which no progress is possible
euphoria: a state or feeling of intense excitement or happiness
lugubrious: looking or sounding sad; dismal 
bravado: a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate 
consensus: general agreement
dichotomy: a division or contrast in two things that are entirely different
constrict: make narrower, especially by encircling pressure 
gothic: belonging to the Dark Ages; portentously gloomy or horrifying 
punctilio: a fine or petty point of conduct or procedure
metamorphosis: transformation, usually from an immature form to an adult form
raconteur: a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful or amusing way 
sine qua non: something essential 
quixotic: unrealistic and impractical
vendetta: any prolonged and bitter feud, contention, or the like
non sequitur: a conclusion or statement that does not logically follow the previous statement
mystique: a fascinating aura of mystery, awe and power surrounding someone or something
quagmire: a soft, boggy area of land that gives way underfoot
parlous: full of danger or uncertainty 

• The apostate heatedly debated with the religious man about whether God existed.
• After the man pulled the girl out of the way of the oncoming car, she effusively thanked him for saving her life.
• The argument between the atheist and the minister quickly became an impasse, because nothing either could say would change the others mind.
• After the couple's beautiful wedding, they were both in an unbreakable euphoria.
• The little boy moped around lugubriously, after his mom told him his goldfish had died. 
• The two teenage boys performed many bravados in an attempt to win over the pretty girl.
• After much debate, the family finally came to a consensus that they would have spaghetti for dinner.
• The dichotomy was obvious when the chihuahua and german shepard were sitting next to each other.
• The snake slowly constricted around its captor's arm, until it eventually cut off their circulation.
• Gothic literature consists of dark, ominous stories, such as Frankenstein. 
• The woman always wiped of her shoes before entering the house, she had made a habit of the punctilio.
• At the high school reunion everyone was shocked, because the once nerdy boy had gone through a metamorphosis, and was now extremely handsome. 
• I would consider my grandpa a raconteur, because he can make even the most foolish stories, interesting and meaningful.
• Halloween has a distinct mystique, you can always feel the mysterious mood.
• While playing a game of tag, the little boy stepping on a quagmire, tripped, and broke his arm.
• The dark trail on the foggy night was extremely parlous, because you didn't know what could be hiding around the corner.