As we enter the last week of class , we’ve been told to have a Final Reflection blog post to end off the semester for English Composition I. This English class has been a blast and hopefully I could use the stuff I was taught and the stuff I learned to help somebody the same way I was helped
This class has taught me a lot more than I’d expected. It was days where I was having a bad day and thinking about dropping out but by the end of day all I could think about was how good class was. Most of the time I was grateful that I came in the class because it changed the way I viewed things. For instance I hated writing essays in High School, especially since we had to follow the T-Chart process. Making a chart and then writing a rough draft made me not want to do anything because of how many steps it was. I like to get straight to the point and in this class we had our own process and that’s what makes it so different from the others.We all had the same goal, which is to make meaning but a different process for each person. The class made me look at writing differently. Instead of looking at it as a punishment I looked at it as something that I like to do sometimes.Once again I say it’s probably the most thinking I’ve had to do in forever. The podcast and youtube videos help me with my Writing Process. The “three good things” process had a big impact on my process. It gave me motivation and made me become grateful for a lot. I remember not being able to write a paragraph without counting my sentences but now I start a new paragraph with a new topic. For a lot of people that’s not much of an improvement but to me it means a lot. The people in our class are different , everybody is not all drowsy and just quiet. Everybody was so open-minded and so positive to each other. The feedback that the class gave everyone was amazing. Everyone have their honest opinion on every single thing. Nobody agreed with you to make you feel better or to not be the bad person they spoke up about how they felt. I actually listened to the criticism and took what they said and learned from it. Dr. Seligman was and hsi PERMA model made me look at everything differently. I even watched his video on Ted Talk. The way i’ve grown in the past three and a half months from this class is amazing. My first day I thought I wouldn’t make it but after having doubts , I noticed it wasn’t the class it was me not working hard enough and I wasn’t working up to my potential. As much as I struggled through this course I Iearned so much from it and I will be able to use the knowledge and the process for probably the rest of my life.
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12/9/2018 0 Comments The New Orleans Saints and DrewWhen you think of football you think of all the greats , Dan Marino, Deion Sanders, Joe Montana, Barry Sanders, Tom Brady and etc. You also think about the teams with the most Super Bowls, which is the Patriots and Steelers. When I think about football I think about the New Orleans Saints and the one and only Drew Brees. Yes he’s 6 feet tall and 200 pounds but in my opinion he’s the greatest Quarterback to play in the NFL EVER.
He had a bumpy start to his career playing with the San Diego Chargers. He injured his shoulder trying to recover a fumble not from getting hit or anything. He tried to regain possession of the ball with 300 pound lineman around the ball. That shows pride and bravery. Not too many times you see a quarterback dive for a loose ball. He ended up getting released because Philip Rivers took his starting job. Which is probably the best thing that ever happened in NFL history. He joined the New Orleans Saints in 2006 and since then his name has been all over the record books. He has broken his own Passing Completion record and he’s on his way to breaking it again. He’s the only QB to throw for more than 5,000 passing yards 5 times. No other QB has done it more than it once. He’s won a Super Bowl with the Saints. He has the most Passing Yards in NFL history with 72,000 and counting. He’s not far from breaking Peyton Manning’s All-Time Touchdown Record. The only thing that holds Drew back from being the greatest ever is Super Bowl rings. He still has a lot more time left though and it doesn’t look like he aged a bit. He’s 39 years old and he’s having the best season of his career. They have pieces all in the offense even with Ted Ginn and Cameron Meredith out. Rookie Tre’quan Smith just had a 10 rec and 160 yard game against the defending Super Bowl Champs. Alvin Kamara the Offensive Rookie of the Year doesn’t look like anything has changed for either. Him and the other monster in the backfield Mark Ingram are dominating teams with their quick and aggressive running. The Saints just beat the “best team in the league” 2 weeks ago. LA Rams looked good but the Saints looked great in the 45-35 win. The Saints are on a 9 Game winning streak after losing their first game to the Buccaneers but we will see them again. And i’m actually being literal. They are in our division so we’ll see them again. After losing to the cowboys on Thursday Night Football I didn’t become more discourage of my team i became even more motivated. I underestimated the Cowboys not only because of their record but their ability move the ball down the field. On Thursday night they showed me that they can throw the ball a little. I was ashamed because Eli Apple #25 wasn’t having the best night of his career. The Pass Interference call on 2nd and long also a holding call on 3rd and short got them to the touchdown. I’m not mad at Eli but i was a little disappointed he made little mistakes that got them 6 points. It wasn’t his fault we lost. It was a team effort and defense showed up big in the 2nd Half shutting down the Cowboys offense. Our offense on the other hand couldn’t do a thing. We didn’t plan the way we needed. I was upset and disappointed. Today was a great day because of the Saints win against the Buccaneers. The game started off a little slow which I expected in a Division Rivalry game. First Half we didn’t look like ourselves. The Bucs put up 14 points in the first compared to our 3. A couple of sloppy turnovers in the First half was kinda costing us the game. In the 2nd half we looked like the team that we’d been all season. Drew Brees caught fire , throwing for a touchdown and running for one also. Not too often you see Drew come past the line of scrimmage. The Saints scored 25 unanswered points to beat the Bucs 28-14 to become the NFC South Champs back to back seasons. 12/9/2018 0 Comments Writing ProcessIn class this week we learned about the Father of Positive Psychology which is Dr. Martin Seligman and his definitions of words which are way different from the dictionary and one word that really stands out is well-being and how he uses it. The word well-being in his eyes has a more powerful meaning that what we read in dictionary’s and on the internet.
His definition of well-being has a acronym (PERMA) to define it in a greater meaning. P stands for Positive Emotions it means enjoyment and optimism. E is for Engagement it means fulfilling work and your goals. R stands for Relationships it means social connections and meaning relationships help our well-being. M is for meaning and it basically means finding your meaning of your life and leaving your mark on others in your lifetime. A is Accomplishments which means the ambition that you have and realistic goals you have to set in your life to complete. We also learned about the “ three good things” process. It says here that doing the process will make you grateful about the little things in life and make you appreciate more. All of my classmates including me had to do the the process for a week and had to write about if it helped us or it didn’t. It improved a lot of people’s life because we as humans don’t appreciate the little things that we have like maybe having both parents in your life or even having a car and etc. I’m usual grateful for the bigger things in my life not the littlest ones. Something that happens everyday in your life but you never notice it. I am grateful for the Saints I can’t explain my life story without them. Just imagine if they weren’t a NFL team or they didn’t have the best QB in history of the NFL. This was the first time I actually heard about “three good things” process and when I first heard it I thought maybe this some wack stuff but then I gave it a try and actually liked it. My research shows that three good things promotes happiness. In class after we did our “three good things” blog we put each thing in a table. It was a PERMA table and for each thing we had to figure out what category did if fall in. At the end I ended up with more tallies than 21 because most things can go in to 2 or 3 categories. This was one of the most impressive things i’ve heard about and actually did it. Usually when i hear things or people speak about stuff similar to this I kinda just shrug my shoulders. This “three good things” process caught my eyes and I recommend this to others. 11/5/2018 1 Comment A Week of Three Good Things This week blog post was on our 7 day journal that we created and we had to write about 3 good things that happened on each day. These our 3 links that helped us write our journals : What is Positive Pyschology & Why Is it Important? (Positive Psychology Program), Greater Good in Action: Science-Based Practices for a Meaningful Life (UC Berkeley's Project Home Page), and Three Good Things (Greater Good in Action)
Tuesday October 30th - I was so excited for my first test tha t I stayed up all night and almost fell asleep during the test. I went to cfa and i’m so thankful for that restaurant idk what I would without it. I got to see my nephews Tuesday night and fed him candy. Wednesday October 31st - I’m glad i have a car because i sleep in it alot while otp. Thankful for my mom because she cooks a lot and i love food (lol). I also love wednesdays because of Riverdale. Thursday Nov 1st - I went to all the classes I missed and everybody in each class said they “missed me” , I don’t know why. I enjoy my English Composition class because I love being surrounded by Eagles fan. I traded shifts so I didn’t have to work Friday which is great because Marshalls is always busy on Fridays. Friday Nov 2nd - I enjoyed my day off by running errands. I filled my tank up with the wrong gas and laughed about it. I bought the fam my wawa specials on Friday because i was in a good mood. Saturday Nov 3rd - I woke up at 6:30 am and I went to work early because I was feeling generous. Got off at 6pm and started driving people around for money which I love. Sunday Nov 4th - I watched the Saints beat the best team in the NFL. I cried from us winning i was so Happy. To top it off I had a nice dinner waiting for me when i got home. Monday Nov 5th - I started the day off watching Kevin Hart he has to be the funniest comedian right now. Then I went to DCCC and got the blue grandma cookies for a $1.50 like I usually do every time I go there. To end the day off I cleaned and vacuumed my car which leaves me with a good feeling. 10/29/2018 0 Comments MID-TERM REFLECTION Blog Post #8 was written about our mid-term review and we were given a Refletion writing video on what to do. We had to give 3 primary intrinsic goals and write about it
My experience in this class so far for me is great because in High School if we had a 300 word essay I never even touched the computer , so to be doing essays that’s at least 500 words every week it’s interesting.It’s definitely not easy adjusting to doing work if that makes sense lol. I give credit to everybody who completes these essays.So writing essays every week in this class I can tell that I’ve grown. I used to hear the word essays and say “nope onto the next”. So the simple fact that I’m even trying shows me that I’m actually changing and not giving up so easily.Everybody has written a essay before and of course I have too just on popular topics. Such as Drake and Drew Brees who are my two favorite people in the world. My writing identity paper was written ok in my opinion, I didn’t really understand the topic itself to explain that well. But after reading twice I picked up some new information. Learning by reading is difficult I’d rather listen. I have grown so much since then though , my blog post have become way easier because I already know what I wanna write about before I leave the class or I have something in the future that I’m gonna do that I could write about. Writing isn’t easy i thought i was dyslexic at first. So for me not to struggle as much as i use to i know that I’m making progress and I’m actually trying. My writer identity isn’t really organized when I tell my story it’s usually in the order of importance not in the order of events and time. I think I should work on that as a writer but for me it seems right which probably really isn’t. My first intrinsic goal is to help my viewers learn a lot about me and my writing process which I’m still working on. I hope someday to get one of my story published but not actually pursue a book writing career. My 2nd goal is to make my readers laugh but also understand the concept of my writings. Basically turning a serious story into more of a funny story but having the same lesson and theme. Only because the simple fact of reading stories you say stuff like “why did he do that” and “I feel bad”. I’d rather them say stuff like “that was a funny way to say it”. I’m basically explaining myself in my writing process. My third goal is too actually have fun with it and work on my revising a lot more to have more interesting and enthusiastic stories. My stories are awesome in my opinion just needs a little bit more of improvement and I’m hoping to learn that by the end of the semester. 10/8/2018 0 Comments Composing a Past Scene: Part Two. For this weeks class we had to read My Mother Gives me a Writing Lesson (Martin Lee). I decided to write about another heartbreak in my life. It was emotional for me to write this. I hope you guys enjoy the story
As I hear the whistles blow and I hear cheering I realize this is a moment that I will never forget and a feeling I will always remember. The Chichester eagles beat us 6-12 at there homecoming. After being up the whole game until the 4th Quarter it became disturbing. I played my heart out and it was my very last time playing against a big rival (in my opinion). I was highly disappointed. The week started off by the Chichester Eagles posting videos and pictures saying what there gonna do to us. “Fuck Chester , they some scrubs can’t wait until Saturday afternoon”. We responded by putting eagles around our school and putting X’s over and dead eagle signs. The beef is something serious but it’s more like a competitive rival more than anything. When we play against chi it’s usually a close game and half there players are from Chester so it’s basically a city thing. Facebook , Snapchat , and Instagram post had something to do with the game. “ Remember what happened last year “ Rashaad Shaw's caption said in his Instagram photo. Our coaches used that as motivation and they posted that around the locker room to remind us everywhere what they did. We practiced so hard that whole week , we wanted it more than anybody well at least I know I did. My cousin plays for so it was a lot of family at the game on different sides of the stands. In school I didn’t talk all week not even in practice. I sang and rapped every morning loudly. I was loud all the time so it was very unusual for me to be quiet. “You good bro” Aasim asked. “Yeah I’m good , i'm just focused“ I answer quickly. We talking all over the socials but will we have this same energy on the field i asked myself. Action speak louder than words in my opinion. I was listening to music and watching film all week. I never wanted to beat a team so bad so I had to put the time and effort into beating this team. Couldn’t sleep at all but I could eat. Nothing stopping me from eating I don’t care if it’s a earthquake. I was nervous but I was ready at the same time. Saturday Morning comes and we board the bus. The Chichester parade was holding up traffic so it took us 20 minutes to get to the field. I told myself I wouldn’t leave this field without a regret. After we scored I felt like we won the game but Chi has something different in mind the 2nd half of the game. As chi ran down the field and scored twice in the 4th. I watched the clock run down 5 , 4 , 3 , 2 ….. 1. My heart dropped so quickly and I was so upset , I couldn’t even believe what just happened. Not even 30 minutes after the game and I hear “what we doing tonight y’all“. That’s when I realized nobody took this game as serious as me and I was disappointed in myself and teammates. I didn’t move from my room all weekend. I didn’t show up to practice that Monday because I was still shocked. 10/1/2018 1 Comment Composing a Past SceneFor this blog post we had to write about a scene from the past. It had to be about the negative impact the story had on your life, like we listened to in class What You Don't Know by Lulu Wang. I take my readers on an adventure of my first year of High School Football playing for the Chester Clippers.
A lot of people don’t know that football is my first love and it’s a part of my life and always will be. The most negative impact on my life was my first week of football camp and it started August 8th , 2016. I really didn’t know anybody but like 4 people. Camp was 7am - 6pm everyday for 2 weeks except the weekends so yes it was exhausting. “ Yeah he's probably not gonna get in “ I over heard a voice say. “ Finest JV player “ another voice said. Then as I walked in the trainers office minutes later. “ They were just talking about you being the finest jv player blank “ the trainer said loudly and laughed. For me personally I have always been underestimated because I wear glasses , which really didn’t make any sense, They basically were saying everyone who wears glasses is a nerd and can’t play football. They hurt me more than anything and I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I did great in camp I actually was on the depth chart for 3rd String Defensive End and we rotated a lot so that was good. Fast forward the end of the first game and i sat on the bench the whole game. I was lied to the whole time. I kept hearing I was getting in but I never did. Week 2 vs Spring-Ford. A state ranked team in 2015-16 season. My number was called in the 4th Quarter with 2 minutes. It was a blowout. I was furious , I got in and a got a sack and the whole sideline went crazy even with us being down by 45 points. It felt amazing to actually touch the field. Before that it was 5 years. I started against O’Hara Week 3 and had amazing game with 8 tackles and 2 for a loss. We lost again but I made the paper with Honorable Mention. delcotimes.com/sports/20160914/ridleys-anderson-uses-versatility-to-take-top-honor After being told I wouldn’t start and I was just another Jv player I proved myself to the coaches and my teammates that I was worthy. My season kinda went downhill with me tearing a ligament in my left shoulder and I was told I was out for the season . I came back in 2 and a half weeks and still played. My playing time was cut down because my injury and I was kinda scared to play because it didn’t feel the same at all. But remember I wasn’t even supposed to play Varsity at all. By the end of the season I was loved by everyone and I made a name for myself. It might not be a big deal to my readers but when you love something so much and that’s all you care about and you were always were good at and somebody says you can’t do it , it hurts especially when they don’t even know what you can do or don’t even know enough about you to judge you. Moral of the story is to never let anyone tell you what you can’t do. This weeks blog we had to write about a Present Scene with Dialogue and Symbolism. This story is about me going to Philadelphia for an Art Kit and it was very difficult not to drive aggressively in these Philly streets with everyone trying to crash into me. It was a very fun and unusual experience.
I had one more thing on my school list for everything to be complete , a Blick Art kit. But since I didn’t get it when it was at DCCC so I had to go to the store in Philadelphia on 13th and Chestnut on Broad Street. Keep in mind this is my first time driving to Philly so I have no idea what is gonna happen. I’ve been to Philly numerous times but I never drove. I’m always on my phone or sleep on long car rides so I never know how traffic is or whatever. As I drive through these Philly streets I see the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. I see a old man running and believe or not that amazes me , I’d think they probably be sitting down watching Tv. I’m cursing or strolling through the Philly streets a UPS truck switches to the right lane and just stops. I’m thinking maybe it’s a red light because I can’t see over the truck. You can tell it was my first rodeo because all the cars was just switching lanes and I still sitting there and then I seen the driver get out the truck. “ Like wtf are you serious “ I said to myself. “ Is that even legal “ I questioned. I couldn’t believe the thing I just saw. It literally caused traffic because the truck couldn’t fit in a parking spot. But instead of making everybody else’s life easier they make it harder. Let me remind you I’ve never been to Philly by myself so I’ve never seen anything like it. I knew I was getting close to the Blick store because the gps. I started to look for a parking start as I got closer and I don’t see any. Well not any open ones anyways and I don’t suck at parallel parking but I hate doing it. As I drive past the store I realized that I’m gonna have to parallel park. But there is not even a spot to park. Somehow someway I ended up 10 minutes away from the store looking for a parking spot. It got even worse when a septa bus tried to switch into my lane and almost hit me . “ I still see your shadows in my room ….. ayoo what the fuck is you doing yo “ I said while beeping the horn. It was like it was my destiny to get in a car crash on this little adventure. Cars just jumping out without the turning signals and everything. I finally get back to the store and find a parking and I forget about something. “ I came all the way here with no change for the parking meters “ I said. I couldn’t go to far because I was gonna get a ticket I just knew I was. It was 5 cops with in 200 feet of me. So I was asking everybody I see “ you got change for 10 “ and nobody had anything. So I downloaded the meterup app on my phone and paid through there. I get into the store and ask about Professor Heywards Kitmeterup and the total came up to $143. Could’ve saved gas and $30 if i would’ve bought it on campus but oh well. Then I got on the highway and was on my way to Delaware to fill up my gas tank then back to my house I went. 9/17/2018 2 Comments Composing a Present SceneFor this weeks blog. I am creating a scene about a moment in my life. My scene is about me watching the Saints game against the Browns. It was a very good game overall but watching the games in public or anywhere else but my bedroom is very difficult because i have to listen to everybody criticize every play about my team and its annoying. Have fun reading my scene everyone !!!
This weekend was very interesting for me.The New Orlean Saints are playing the Cleveland Browns in 20 minutes @1 pm Eastern Time. If you haven’t noticed i’m the biggest Saints fan ever. I defend my team in every and anyway possible. So before the game starts i do my pre game rituals. I watch the “I believe that we will win” video from the 2014 Fifa World Cup . So when the game started my uncle walked in and said “Yall ready to lose“. I didn’t expect him to come because if I had known i would’ve brung my headphones. He’s a trash talker and a good one at that. He’ll get inside your head and make you wanna punch him.” That’s what i’m talking about baby “ my uncle yelled. I knew this was the beginning of a long game. The reason he said that is because the elite #13 Michael Thomas tried to reach for the first down (which he already got) and the ball slipped out of his hands and it was a ball just rolling towards the sideline until the browns corner came and scooped it. They score 3 points after the turnover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leRrF20YiD. Then we scored a field goal 1 offensive drive later. This was probably the most boring i’ve seen in 2 years.The 4th Quarter is when it got real. It was 12-3 in the 4th with 9 minutes left. Drew Brees throws a touchdown pass to Michael Thomas with 8:41 left. So now it’s 12 -10 Browns up 2. “ Don’t let them bums comeback “ the trash talker said. I replied with “ these bums won more games in the last year then yall did in the last 3 “. He just doesn’t be quiet at all and it’s sad. “ LETS GO DREW “ i yell loudly for the 2nd straight touchdown in the 4th Quarter for my team. Then Alvin Kamara sneaks in for the 2 point conversion. With 2 minutes and 40 seconds the saints are up 18 - 12 . My uncle just as quiet as he’s been the whole game. I heard crickets outside, that’s how you knew it was silent. Then the Browns drive down the field and score with a tired Saints defense. “ THIS GAME IS OVER , ITS F’N OVER “ my annoying uncle yelled. As i’m sitting down losing faith in my team with 1 minutes and 16 seconds left in the 4th. The browns kicker misses the extra point so the game is now tied 18-18. As we drive down the field with the game tied , im just so anxious to see what actually happens next. The game on the line # 3 Will Lutz practicing his kicking motion , he kicks it right down the middle of the goal post and the kick is good. The unthinkable happens at the last moment , with a few good catches from Juice Landry and Antonio Callaway. The Browns are in field goal range with 8 seconds . They kick and miss badly and the Saints win the game. “ That game was bs man and you know it “ my uncle sounding disappointed in his teams lost. “ No , the simple fact that you thought they were gonna win is sad but it was a good game” i proudly said. “ Whatever man” my uncle said. That was the end of the trash talk until the Saints play the Eagles in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome Week 11. 9/10/2018 1 Comment Writing Process RoundtableAs I walked in the bookstore to return the books I borrowed I ran into some familiar faces. They weren’t just normal people they were legendary book writers. The book writers were Don Murray , Ray Bradbury , Anne Lamott . I introduced myself and sat at the table to ask them some questions about the Writing Process which I knew nothing about or anything about reading.
My first question was “ How many stages are in writing process?”. Just as I thought Don answered first and said “ The writing process itself can be divided into three stages: prewriting, writing, and rewriting “. I couldn’t believe it because I never pre wrote anything before in my life. I always got straight to it. “ What is the longest stage in the writing process?“ i asked. Don answered again before the others could even open their mouth. “ Prewriting usually takes about 85 percent of the writer’s time. “. “ So Don why does it take so long?” “ Prewriting may include research and daydreaming, note-making and outlining, title-writing and lead-writing.” he said. “ I’ve heard enough from you Don thanks”. He wrote a book on the writing process so i’m guessing that’s why he answered all the questions.”Where do you guys right your best work at?” and outta now Ray came up to the table and pulled a chair up and said happily “ I can work anywhere”. I thought to myself that can’t be true. “ Really Ray how….. Just how?” Ray excitingly answered saying “ I wrote in bedrooms and living rooms when I was growing up with my parents and my brother in a small house in Los Angeles and I worked on my typewriter in the living room, with the radio and my mother and dad and brother all talking at the same time.” I’ve heard at least a word or two from everybody at the table except Anne Lamont. So before I decided to leave I wanted to ask her a few questions. “In your book Bird by Bird you talk alot about short assignments …… why?” I asked curiously. Anne said “ Short assignments is the idea of a shitty first draft.”.”I’ve never wrote a short assignment Anne”. “ All good writers write them”. I felt ashamed inside because that basically meant I wasn’t a good writer. “ Well Anne why do they that?” I questioned.” Because this is how they end up with good second drafts and third terrific drafts”. “ I’ve never really thought about any of that i’m glad I seen you guys sitting down in the bookstore or I would still be lost with half this stuff”. As I left the store they helped me come up with my own 3 quotes based on the articles they wrote. My first quote is “ The writing process take time and doesn’t always have to rushed , it steps for it”. My second quote is “ That no matter where and when you do your work if you have something on your mind and need to express it writing is a good choice or at least a go start. My final quote is that “ The more you edit and revise your writing the better it gets “. |
Nijhee FassettI'm gonna use this blog for sports Archives
November 2018
CategoriesAll Identity Reflection Research Project Scene Writing Process |