Declaration of Learning Independence

IN LEARNING, SEPTEMBER 15, 2014.
The unanimous Declaration of Melissa Rose Sobczak

Vocabulary #4

obsequious - adj. attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
beatitude - noun one of the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount; in Latin each saying begins with `beatus' (blessed); a state of supreme happiness

Literature Analysis #1

A Lesson Before Dying- Ernest J. Gaines

What's the big idea?

Do you ever have those moments where you feel so unsure and confused, but then an idea just happens to suddenly hit you like a sack of bricks? Today in English, I had one of those moments. I've been stressing over my "big question" since before I was even involved in this class. I had endless possibilities in my mind, yet I was unable to formulate them into one single idea. But today I realized it didn't have to be like that. All this time I was thinking that my big question had to be extremely specific, and that it would need to involve some big project. But today as I read over the big question topics from the past year, and listened to Dr. Preston talk about endless possibilities, and how we could make it what we wanted, I began to feel a wave of relief. I realized that my big question could pretty much be anything, and didn't really have to be a single question after all. It could be an idea, a thought that I build on. And what better way to conjure up that question/idea than by thinking based off of what I'm passionate about? I'm finally beginning to figure out what my big question is and where I want to go with it. I can't exactly state the idea just yet, but it's definitely in the works. More to come on my big question in the near future!

Vocabulary #3

accolade - noun a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
acerbity - noun a sharp sour taste; a sharp bitterness; a rough and bitter manner
attrition - noun the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction; a wearing down to weaken or destroy; sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation; the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice; erosion by friction

Masterpiece in Progress

I'm honestly so stuck with my masterpiece that I just don't know what to do. I feel like this should be easy, like there's some big idea that's just bursting to be put together, but I just can't quite figure it out. I can't think of just one single question that I would like to pursue. It's as if the entire year will revolve around this one idea, so it HAS to be perfect. I understand that the big question should be something you're passionate about, and I'm very passionate about writing and traveling and learning about people. But I just don't know what I can do with that, because I feel like my masterpiece is supposed to be some huge community service project or something and I just can't quite put my thoughts together to figure something out. It's like I've got all the glue in the world but no broken pieces to put together. Either that or a bunch of puzzle pieces that don't quite seem to come from the same puzzle. Either way, I seem to be in a bit of a rut with this idea and I just hope that I'm able to figure something out.

Beowulf Essay

There is no denying that a hero is a hero, but there are some stark differences between heroes of today and heroes of ye old times. A hero is, by definition, someone of distinguished courage or ability, who is admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. And while Beowulf certainly is a representation of that, he is no modern-day Superman, so to speak. Though they contain many of the same elements of heroism, there is an obvious difference in the way in which they exercise their power. Not only does the character of Beowulf differ from that of Superman, but the story of Beowulf differs from modern-day heroic tales as well. This is due to the time and place in which the story was written, expressing language usage and principles that are somewhat more foreign today than they were years ago. There is a purposeful way in which Beowulf was written, as well as how the character of Beowulf acts as a hero.

Will Study for Food

Ah, college. The inevitable destiny that has been chosen for most of us. Or if we're lucky, we actually want to go.

Vocabulary #2

1.accoutrements- noun: additional items of dress or equipment, or other items carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity; He wore the accoutrements proudly as he geared up for the big game.
2.apogee - noun: apoptosis in Earth orbit; the point in its orbit where a satellite is at the greatest distance from the Earth; a final climactic stage; The satellite reached the point of apogee, almost invisible to the naked eye.

My University

I suppose that my day with independent learning didn't exactly involve a lot of scholastic and academic talk, but I was learning nonetheless. I sat with a couple of my best friends and we decided to put our books and stress aside and simply talk about the random topics that managed to come up. We talked about our futures and birthdays and were able to just talk and laugh and take our minds off the stress that was put on by school and life's obstacles, and instead focus on the stress of the coming year and summer ahead of us. We were still stressed, but it was for a more worthy reason. We learned of each others trips ahead, each of us leaving the country. We talked of the trip we took together to Spain and France this last summer, and about how in the coming summer, Alyssa will be going to Italy, Imanie will be going to Uganda, and I will be going to both. We all have a lot on our plate ahead of us, but we're all very driven people who work hard for what we want. Class may not have been a structured academic facility today, but I think we all needed a "day off."

Beowulf Questions

Literature Textbook pgs. 31-60 and Beowulf Ch. 1-10

From Tristia, Book 10
-Exile: the condition of being cut off from one's homeland
-Set in the Pontus; he [Ovid] has been there three years; time is passing by very slowly and it seems even longer
-The people there fear war and stand ready to fight, as it is an everyday fear
-Ovid is an outcast, an exiled person from Rome, who is mocked by the Getae for his Latin speaking, understood by no one and seeming like a barbarian
-He believes he might deserve the exile, just not in such a place; seems as if he hurt Caesar and is a bit unsure of what he feels he deserves

Poetry #1