I can't stand smelly perfume. Perfume, lotion, body spray...I can't stand any of it. To my future roommate, I beg you, please don't spray perfume. Anywhere. I will start sneezing and I won't be able to sleep at night. This is unbearable for me and becomes REALLY annoying for those around me. Come fall, when all the leaves turn brown, crumble, and become dust, I will clean weekly. Otherwise, it becomes impossible for me to live. It is like having a cold twenty-four hours a day, every day. I am a fairly organized person so cleaning really isn't that hard for me. So I hope that my future roommate is the same. Now, I'm not saying I am always neat, I often make a mess, and I will often put off cleaning it, but it will get done sooner than later. Because like I said, otherwise my life becomes almost torturous as the dust piles up.
Monday, November 30, 2020
Assignment 13 - Henry Adams
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tMx0Itim_POJ3UJ-X0GS2wa9cvrb0Qtvro1iJ-tko9w/edit
Assignment 14- Church
My thanksgiving most traditionally looks like every other American family on thanksgiving. My family all gets up early and starts cooking all kinds of different foods. We have the traditional turkey, stuffing, green beans, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs, and probably more I can't think of. Then we end of eating at some extremely odd time to eat like 2 or 3 pm. Then before my grandparents moved I would go Black Friday shopping with my grandmother after the meal and would spend most of the night and then the next morning going shopping and that was my favorite part. Frankly I don't really care for thanksgiving food and most of my family gets on my nerves so the actual getting together and the food is probably my least favorite part. Probably my best memory of the holiday was the first year I got to go Black Friday shopping because we were out until 2 am and back out again at 4 am and I felt like such a cool person when I was running on 2 hours of sleep and got to be out and about at 2 am.
Sunday, November 29, 2020
Assignment 13- Sara Anderlich
Curing Depression
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Assignment 13- Church
Snapchat to become the main source of communication
Snapchat has over 229 million users meaning only about 4% of the world uses snapchat. With the main amount of people coming from our very own. The United States. With some countries not even using Snapchat as it is not allowed by places government. Snapchat with the definition of a social media that almost only teens and adults use to communicate via sending photos back and forth, with the ability to call and FaceTime within the app and even see everyones locations at all time. Putting an emphasis on the fact that the majority of people using the app are teenagers and young adults. Then by the time they get into their older adulthood the use of snapchat decreases. with a turn to using normal phone calls as the older people get, the more they don't understand technology. Furthering the point that snapchat is becoming the main source of communication. Data has even shown that during the pandemic snapchat has become less popular as people turn back towards FaceTime and a state of depression and lonely hood.
Assignment 13 Jake Walters
Nothing currently is more annoying to me that having to deal with all the assignments and notifications I receive from canvas. Its been difficult to keep up with all of the assignments and notifications I keep receiving from them about my missing assignments too so I had to develop a solution to manage my time well and get it all done. So I chose to ignore the notifications I receive from canvas. This solution appears to be the most effective one to my issue. Ever since I started this, my mind has felt a lot clearer not having to stress about my assignments and I'm able to manage my time better to complete everything else going on in my life. I can tell a huge difference in my happiness ever since I started ignoring canvas all together. Canvas was bringing me down with the assignments and work and ignoring it has made my life so much better. No clue why I didn't think about doing this sooner.
Assignment 14: Flying Turkeys
OR
Due Sunday, December 6 at 11:59 pm
Saturday, November 28, 2020
Ghazzal Hammad - Assignment 13
Something that has really been bothering me lately is the pandemic and the lack of people following the mask mandate, so I decided to introduce this new solution to solve the issue.
New Covid-19 Guaranteed Solution
After months of restrictions, mask-mandates, and social distancing, a solution for Covid-19 has been proposed. Renowned doctor Anthony Fauci has proposed a solution that would help prevent the spread of the virus and potentially eradicate it.
"Covid-19 is spread primarily through exposure to respiratory droplets that carry the infectious virus, hence the mask mandate," Fauci observed. "However, making it illegal to breathe for 2 weeks would eliminate spread via respiratory droplets, which would inevitably wipe out the virus."
Jared Rogers of Nicholasville, Kentucky concurred, stating: "I tested positive for Covid-19 a few weeks after [my wife]. Because I knew the virus was mostly transferred through breathing, I chose not to breathe whenever I was around others. This method was foolproof! I was able to have friends over without spreading the virus."
Update:
As of November 28, 2020, the CDC has stated that this method would be ineffective and inhumane. President Donald Trump also refused this proposal, saying that it was "too unrealistic" and the guidelines in place were "already enough". Dr. Fauci has yet to comment.
Assignment 13- Katie Taylor
LOCAL RESIDENT ANNOUNCES HE KNOWS MORE ABOUT CORONAVIRUS THAN HIS DOCTOR
Larry Stevens, 57, of Hicktown has recently come into the spotlight of his community after denouncing the mask mandate, citing that "The people in the Black Plague didn't wear masks and they survived." Stevens supports his claim by stating, "One time my great great great great grandpappy jumped out a plane 'n he survived! In my opinion, the rate at which people are getting sick is not like the olden days. These men are succumbing to this feminine disease! I miss the days when men would die of gunshot wounds! Diseases are for gays and women. Especially that Harry Styles fella after he put on that damned dress. I bet you he'd crumple like a dandelion if he got this disease!"
We are not sure what Harry Styles has to do with the mask mandate, but Stevens forced us to keep it in.
Assignment 12- Koen
To me, one thing I would want my roommate to know is boundaries. Growing up with a brother has made privacy something I like to have. On the other hand, I also know what it means to live with someone else that is close to your age in the house. I don't mind the little things such as clothes or food getting shared. I also don't mind at all at sharing the chores of the room. I just want my roommate to know that when it comes to where I sleep, nothing unclean should ever get across my bed. I've had many friends who let people climb up their bed with shoes on or with dirty close. Growing up, it was accepted with my family to respect the people's sleeping quarters and that includes not getting their beds dirty. As long as my roommate knows boundaries to what is shared and when privacy is needed, there should be no problem at all.
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Assignment 13 - Palmer Lee
Coronavirus has been a prevalent issue for several months now, and literally no one seems to know how to fix it. But, I have a solution. COVID rates are higher in areas with schools and colleges. The answer is obvious: get rid of the education system. Who needs to know advanced quantum physics if there's a possibility of death at all times? Get rid of schools, get rid of the C0VID. Once the education system is gone, we can get the whole town together to help clear the land that campus is on. Attorney Daryll Isaacs, a.k.a. The Hammer, has personally offered to bring all of the tools we need in order to bring down the Charles E. Barnhart building just off of Nicholasville Road on the University of Kentucky's campus. This is all the details we have for now, we'll offer daily updates on the situation.
Update: As of the day after publishing, both the state and federal government have rejected our plan for being "reckless and immoral."
Monday, November 23, 2020
Rukavina- Assignment 12
I feel like whenever I meet my roommate for the first time we will be fast friends (hopefully) because we're both going to be far from home and in a place where we know almost no one so we’ll be happy to have at least one person to talk to. However, I think that I’d be scared I’d annoy her at first because I tend to talk a lot and I know that can be really annoying but whenever I start talking I just can’t seem to stop so she’ll just have to learn to live with it. So if my roommate is a really shy and introverted person I feel like my personality will really be a lot for her but I’ll probably be not as crazy when we first meet so she won’t realize how much I talk until we're closer. But if my roommate is really extroverted I would be one to be annoyed because I like hanging out with my friends but if she makes me go out every single night to go do something I’ll die.
Rukavina- Assignment 11
Essay option 1
Who does Sally sell her seashells to? I think the real question that we should be asking is why Sally feels the need to pick up seashells near the shore and then try to sell them to all the people on the beach. Does she not realize that the people on the beach can pick up the seashells as well? Maybe Sally gets up extremely early every morning in order to pick up every single shell that the tide reveals so that other people won’t be able to collect any. Which means Sally has a monopoly on the seashell business in her town. She sells her shells to all the sad people on the beach who wanted to get up early to try and find cool shells on the beach. Makes you wonder that maybe Sally is not the innocent person we thought she was and has had this all planned out from the start.
Sunday, November 22, 2020
Assignment 12 Jake Walters
My day to day life is honestly a toss up every morning I get up. I make sure to start off my day with a good breakfast but other than that I never have a super set schedule I just prioritize things I've got to get done that day and start chipping at it. What is prioritized each day varies, I could have all my homework done before 12 and maybe workout and chill for the rest of the day, or just sit on my phone all day because I need to "rest". One things I do like to do with each of my days is add some pizzazz into them every day. Way too often I notice how repetitive and boring the days can get especially during a pandemic lockdown. Life can already get bring day to day so I like to do one fun or different thing each day to add some pizzazz whether it be something like hanging out with friends or even just going to a fast food restaurant I usually don't go to.
Assignment 12: I’m not crazy. I promise -Henry Adams
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tMx0Itim_POJ3UJ-X0GS2wa9cvrb0Qtvro1iJ-tko9w/edit
Assignment 12-Aiden Beach
I guess what I would want my roommate to know about me is that I will rarely come out of my room. I’m also not very social, so I would probably never start a conversation with them unless I was asking them where something went or something along the lines of that. They would have to start a conversation with me, and even then I would only be fully invested in the conversation if it was something I took a lot of interest in. Otherwise, the conversation would last up to two minutes. Basically, if they never interacted with me, it would be to them as if I was not even there. I do, however, feel very impulsive to take care of a chore if I see one not done, so they wouldn’t have to do much around the dorm unless I’m on vacation somewhere. However, I might forget to tell them if I’m going somewhere, so I might forget to do something and leave it on them.
Assignment 13: Cha Cha Changes!
To Be Absolutely Clear -
You are writing your own SATIRE, not discussing satire. Read lots and lots and lots of The Onion or NewCircleCircular before you start! If you do not write a satire you will not receive credit and you will have to redo the assignment
Saturday, November 21, 2020
Assignment 12- Katie Taylor
It is so hard to sum myself, or any other person for that matter, down to just a few sentences. But I guess when I meet my roommate, that's exactly what I'll have to do.
First, I'd say that I was born in Albany, New York; and I lived there for the first eight years of my life. Then, I'd talk about how I'm from Lexington, Kentucky. Assuming everything goes to plan, I'm probably attending a college far away from Kentucky. I'll have to frequently defend Kentucky against the teases of my roommate and friends. They'll probably make fun of how redneck Kentucky is.
I would also tell my roommate that I can get into a rut sometimes, and it'll be hard for me to get out of bed and do my work occasionally. This roommate of mine must also occasionally remind me to take my medication. My roommate will also need to save a lot of space for my clothes! She needs to get ready for me to constantly come back with new bags full of vintage clothes, of which I have an affinity for.
Of course, my roommate must also know that I love to laugh! They better be funny or else. And despite my lighthearted nature, I also work very hard and need silence occasionally to get my work done.
Duncan Wingfield Assignment 10
If zombies attacked I would definitely be super defensive and hide. I'd want to try to reinforce my house and maybe set up trap or some kind of repellants or stuff like that. I don't eat very much so rationing my resources would be easy. I'd try to use stuff from around the house and try to make myself some kind of armor and then wait until the time is right to escape my perimeter and look for other survivors. Assuming the zombies are after humans then I'd probably set up decoys in the house before I left to draw them in and keep them off my trail. In all honesty I probably wouldn't last very long but I'd try.
Assignment 9 Duncan Wingfield
Assignment 11- Koen
In French, there is no difference between “conscience” and “consciousness.” In Japanese, there is a word that specifically refers to the splittable wooden chopsticks you get at restaurants. The German word “fremdschämen” encapsulates the feeling you get when you’re embarrassed on behalf of someone else. All of these require explanation in order to properly communicate their meaning, and are, to varying degrees, untranslatable. Choose a word, tell us what it means, and then explain why it cannot (or should not) be translated from its original language.
"M Goi"
In Hong Kong, the language that is most commonly spoken is Cantonese instead of mandarin Chinese. If one was the speak mandarin to the locals, they would understand it, but they will reply in Cantonese. Being able to speak Cantonese and connect with the locals is part of the Hong Kong's identity. "M Goi" is a commonly used phrase which directly translates to "excuse me", "thanks", or "hey". This phrase, "M Goi" is just too versatile to be translated from its original language. Besides the many different meanings making it hard to translate from its original language, "M Goi" should be used as a way to identify with Cantonese culture. In a city where everything is rushed and people are always going somewhere, using "M Goi" as "excuse me" makes for a very useful phrase. When people go out to eat, they eat in a hurried fashion to get back to their work. A quick "M Goi" makes for a quick and polite thank you to the restaurant workers. When people want to get the attention of others in a polite but prompt manner, they will say "M goi" to get the other person to know that they have something to say. All of these examples of "M Goi" are the commonly seen but there are vastly more situations where "M Goi" can be used. Throughout these examples it is seen how "M Goi" is used as a simple but meaningful saying. Its connection with the Cantonese people's expeditious and busy lifestyle makes "M Goi" a unique and exceptional phrase that cannot be replicated in any other way.
Friday, November 20, 2020
Assignment 12 - Palmer Lee
I'm not going to lie, I can be kind of annoying at times. I get hyperfixated on things pretty frequently. For example, I've been listening to "Only Us" from Dear Evan Hansen for about two days straight - but not the original, the Ben Levi Ross and Taylor Trensch cover specifically. Next week, I'll probably move onto something else. Whatever the topic is, I could talk about it for hours. If it's a series, I'd know all of the lore, I'd do analysis of the characters and talk about my favorite ones and why I love them so much, I'd talk about my theories and for certain events in the series, the list goes on. I understand that can be difficult to deal with, but there isn't much I can do about it at this point. As long as they let me talk about these sorts of things, I'd let them do the same.
Assignment 12- Sara Anderlich
I'm not crazy, I promise!
That's a lie. I'm pretty crazy. When you get to know me that is.
The more I think about the prompt, the more I think about the fact that I'm not trying to sell myself to anyone. Even a roommate. Of course I would want to be close to them, it's college. But if we don't click, we don't click. If anything, I just want to be myself and see what happens because that's how I've made some of the best friends that I've ever had.
So just speaking of my personality, here's what they would probably figure out:
- I'm relatively neat, and if your side is messy I'm probably going to want to clean it if it's stuff on the counter or on the floor. You can keep your desk and bed how you want, but the floor should be clean and I'm happy to do that job for you.
- I am very talkative when I first get to know someone, so if we're close you might get a little too much of me before I get burnt out.
- Funny enough, I get tired really easily and will probably want at least a couple hours to myself to just do what I want/need to do.
- I'm not going anywhere if I have a significant amount of work to do.
- If I snap, I don't mean it.
- I like to do really random, spontaneous, things.
Assignment 12-Zent
I feel like my relationship between my roommate and I will be important to how my first year of college goes. I don’t know what all my roommate should know before you live together but maybe these things. I like to hangout and have fun but I also like my space. When I am not trying to do homework or concentrate then I like talking and hanging out with people. But, when I am doing important things for school I need my own space to be able to get them done or just to collect my thoughts. I also think that a roommate should know that I keep my stuff pretty neat. I’ve shared a room with my sister before and I kept everything on my side and organized. I don’t care if their side is a mess as long as it's not on my side. I think those are the two bigs things my roommate should know about me.
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Assignment 11 (Option 1)-Gaby Rondel
One of my favorite tongue twisters is actually one my mom used to say to us in Hebrew when we would pout or throw a fit. It wasn't until I learned what it means- and actually thought about what it means- that I understood why she would say it to us. It goes like this: Sara shara shir sameach shir sameach shara Sara (*note* ch=hard h sound that sounds like your gurgling air) It means Sara sings a happy song, a happy song sings Sara. When thought deeper into it- purely for this assignment of course- I created a reason in my mind for why my mom would say it to me and my sister. When you sing a happy song, a happy song will sing you right back. Now replace 'song' and 'sing' with a mood/emotion/thing. When you are happy or do a good thing, happy and good things will come right back at you. This actually makes me laugh a lot because it is such a Jewish thing and is the moral of basically every Jewish tale and proverb I have ever heard.
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Ghazzal Hammad - Assignment 12
I'm not exactly sure what I would want my future college roommate to know about me. I think that, over time, they will learn most of the things that they need to know about me. There are a few things they should probably know about me, though.
First, I would want them to know that sometimes I get really frustrated with myself. It mainly happens when I'm doing schoolwork -- when I can't understand a concept, or I can't figure out the answer to a homework question, or if I do poorly on an assignment. I have high expectations for myself, and when I don't meet them, I just get really aggravated. While I can normally control it, sometimes I just get overly frustrated and I have to let it out.
I think another important thing for them to know is that sometimes, I like having my space and privacy. Usually, I don't mind being social and talking, but every so often, I just like to be alone and in my own little bubble. This isn't something they should take personally; it's just a way for me to collect myself and calm down if I'm stressed or overwhelmed or upset.
The last thing they should probably know about me is that I'm really organized and I really dislike when things are messy. I have a brother whose room is normally a little messy, but I am generally unbothered by it. However, if my room is messy, it will make me pretty irritated. Hopefully my roommate is decently organized and not super messy, otherwise we might butt heads about it.
Monday, November 16, 2020
Assignment 12- Church
I'm not sure what I would say to my future roommate. I feel like there wouldn't be a lot of getting to know them at first. I feel like we would just coexist in the same place and just slowly get to know each other over time. I just am not an outgoing person at first, but I would probably just crack a joke about school or something at one point or just make a comment about a show she's watching and then just hope that a friendship blossoms from there. There is also a strong possibility that my roommate will do something on day one and I will become annoyed with her and then not want to speak with her even more. Though hopefully we will become sort of friends in the end or at least mutually respect each other enough until I move out to rent a house with other friends that I make.
Sunday, November 15, 2020
Assignment 11- Katie Taylor
Essay Prompt 1
"I scream, you scream, We all scream for ice cream."
Why are we screaming? This saying is most commonly interpreted that the people in this rhetorical situation have already been promised ice cream. So what's the point of screaming if you've already earned your ice cream? I suppose expressing one's excitement is natural when a gift such as ice cream comes your way, but no matter where you are financially, ice cream is quite common. It's not like you've just been accepted into your dream college, or your true love proposed! Why waste your screams on something as simple as a type of food? Plus, it's not like ice cream is that great for you, either.
Or perhaps the people in this situation are trying to earn their ice cream. Maybe the one with the loudest scream earns the ice cream! Although this age-old saying could just be interpreted as just a fun thing to say, it just does not make any logical sense!
Assignment 11 lives of objects Jake Walters
In the world, different entities whether it be fictional non-fictional can have a varying amount of lives. Cats are said to have 9, video game characters like Mario can have up to 99, and molecules and isotopes can even have half lives. But what about humans? Many people believe that the life given to us at birth is the only life we can have but, it is actually possible for humans to have multiple lives. People in their everyday lives make small decision to get through the day but what if someone just randomly decided to move to Mexico and start over. This would be almost the beginning of his second life not just a restart of his current life. He could always move back and go back to his old life but in Mexico he has a second life. Another example, people in a relationship where one is having an affair can also be leading multiple lives. You have a life with the person you say you are with publicly, and another life with your secret lover in some suburban neighborhood with 3 kids. Humans are never confined to their one life given at birth, they are free to make those life altering decision to start leading a second life too.
Assignment 11- Church
Why are odd numbers odd? That is an interesting questions. I think it has to due with how we were raised. Growing up taking math classes our whole life causes us to just understand odd numbers as 1,3,5,7,9 and so on. This was because they didn't go by twos or because most of those numbers are only divisible by themselves and 1. But the difference between 1 and 3 is still two so why are those odd, also numbers like 9 and 15 are divisible by more numbers but they are also divisible by odd numbers. Also I find it interesting that people like things that go by 5's and 10's. They would choose 25 over 22 anyway, but 25 is odd and 22 is even. Is that not interesting? In my opinion I seem to like even numbers more because they feel more connected and easier to do math with but in the outside life I like things that go by 5.
Assignment 10- Koen
Going to school without any books, pencils, and summer assignments on the first day is a memory that I have feared. One of the things that scare me the most is being unprepared. Whether it is in school or in another activity, I don't like the idea of being behind. A solution that I have learned to know is practicing to prepare oneself. Growing up playing sports, practicing is a familiar idea that coaches teach. "In order the get better you have to practice 1000hrs" they would say. With school work, taking the time to study and taking practice tests also gets you prepared for school. The feeling of not able to perform or not knowing what to do in that moment, whether it was on the court or in the classroom was something I never wanted to feel. Reserving time for preparing for an event or a test a habit I have learned so that I would never feel unprepared ever again.
Assignment 12: I’m not crazy. I promise (College app)
Due Sunday, November 22 at 11:59 pm
December 13 is the last day to make up blogs 9-15
Saturday, November 14, 2020
Ghazzal Hammad - Assignment 11
Essay Option 1
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
This is an interesting question, and if you really think about it, it's a little rude. Who's to say a woodchuck can't chuck wood? Technically, if you Google it, a woodchuck can't throw wood. But how would anyone know? Has it been tested? Has someone given a woodchuck a piece of wood and expected it to be able to throw the wood? I feel like the notion that woodchucks can't chuck wood is a little absurd.
However, the whole question is a little vague. How heavy is the wood? What size is the wood? What type of wood is it? I feel like these are all variables that need to be identified in order to determine how much wood a woodchuck could chuck.
Woodchucks can make really deep, complex burrow systems. I feel like the strength that comes from their burrowing would inadvertently make them great at chucking as well. I would assume they could probably chuck a few hundred pounds worth of wood. That could honestly be a very inaccurate amount, but I guess we'll never know unless we can somehow get some woodchucks to chuck wood!
Assignment 11 - Palmer Lee
Assignment 11- Zent
I think that people should know a good mix of both Quadrivium and Trivium. Someone may be the best astrologer out there, but if they can’t string together a grammatically correct sentence then they will be seen as less smart. If I had to choose which one is more important to know I think I would say Trivium. Rhetoric, grammar, and logic are really important for everyday life. Being able to talk and write correctly overall changes how people perceive you. And to be able to make logical decisions based on what is the best thing to do at that time improves that person’s decision making skills and overall choices. Having knowledge about math, astrology, geometry, and music are helpful. But, having this knowledge really only helps people who choose to go into these job fields. However, having knowledge about logic and grammar helps all people sound and seem intelligent in whatever they do.
Assignment 11: UChicago Supplement Essay Prompt. - Misattribute a quote- Henry Adams
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tMx0Itim_POJ3UJ-X0GS2wa9cvrb0Qtvro1iJ-tko9w/edit
Friday, November 13, 2020
Assignment 11- Sara Anderlich
"Don't play what's there, play what's not there. Miles Davis."
You sit down on your last day of band class, only half hearing what your band director just said. It's the final rehearsal for the big performance tomorrow night and you're filled with nerves.
"Notes don't mean anything. You can play right notes and rhythms, but without expression, it will be meaningless."
****
It's now the day of the concert, the curtains open, your band director starts the count off, and suddenly, everything disappears. Everything but you, and the music all around you. It's like a stage light is shifting around the room, dimly lit as the the faint sound of chimes enter. You hear the drone of the horns faintly in the back, and then watch as the light drifts over the soft melody of flutes. It gets brighter as the clarinets join. The trumpets soon, stealing it away, and slowly, the light begins to sway across parts of the room as each instrument has their moment. You start playing. Your sound seeming to hold itself in the middle of everything. It's floating, shifting against the other sounds, blending so meticulously that you no longer hear yourself. You are not one, but part of a group, a movement, an entity that has taken time away from the world, and left it here, with you, in your own personal bubble. You feel stuck in time, like nothing is moving but the music.
It's dancing now, going faster and faster... the light growing brighter and brighter... You watch as the light moves over the brass, over you, sometimes over both, feeling the warmth of it filling you....until everything stops. The light grows until it's too bright to see, everything is warm, and suddenly, all goes dark. The silence floats around the room like an orb, sucking out the life.. but you know this part of the music all too well. The silence is music and you play it with such enthusiasm that when the flutes join back you hear faint cheers from the crowd. The piece isn't over. The light is growing again and you feel yourself lifting with it. The joy you feel is incomparable to anything you've ever experienced and you begin putting that love into your sound. It swirls with the light, creating lines of tension and release, dancing more as others do the same. You are not you anymore. You are the music, you are your instrument, and thus, the music is only what you make it to be, what everyone makes it to be. Together. This is your life, and this is your moment, a moment you are sharing with anyone who can hear you.
At the end, you feel yourself breathe, but the light isn't gone, it's only paused, hovering above the entire group. You feel yourself standing, your feet pulling the rest of your body up, though you still can't see past the curtain of light. You are held in place, stuck in time... The light sinks like the setting Sun and you start to see again. You glance down at your music stand, the blots of ink scattering the pages in front of you.
"This is so much more than a piece of paper." you think.
And it is. Music takes whatever form you give it.
Thursday, November 12, 2020
Rukavina- assignment 10
I want to say that if zombies attacked I’d survive and stick it out till the end but I feel like I’d probably survive at least a couple of months. My plan would be to go through the woods near my house and sneak into the grocery store to get as much food and medical supplies as I can. Then I would drive to my brother’s house because no one lives around him and we would be able to secure the house from any zombies. The only problem would be the long drive but I feel like my family and I could survive the journey there. If anything were to get to me it would definitely be an injury that required stitches or surgery or something like that cause there is no way I’m allowing any of my family members or friends to do at home surgery on me. So if that were to happen I’d just accept it and say I had a good run.
Monday, November 9, 2020
Assignment 10: Option 1-Aiden Beach
I know I’d be the first person to die, so instead of trying to survive as long as possible, I’d make my death as gory and painful as possible. I would be eaten in front of all of my friends, and then I would wake up to find myself in a crowd of zombies, realizing that I don’t have a heartbeat and that I’m one of them. I’d then find out that the zombies are actually an intelligent species that have been suppressed and are going to war with the humans. After being raised by my zombie foster family for 18 years, I’d move out and join the military. Those would be some fun times on those Zombie Navy ships, drinking zombie beer (which is just fermented brain) and getting up early in the morning to become stronger every day to protect my zombie country. After the war has ended, I would be rewarded for my valiant deeds by being promoted to general of the military. I would also be one of the important undead historical figures responsible for founding our new zombie country. Many other zombie nations would then pop up, asking for advice from our nation and for goods to help them start. As I am undead, I would have served as one of the rulers of our new zombie nation for over 1,000 years before peacefully dying, knowing I achieved my dream of freedom for zombies.
Sunday, November 8, 2020
Assignment 10- Katie Taylor
Throughout my life, I've been scared of many things. I suppose that just comes with anxiety and OCD, as well as being raised by two anxious academics. When I was little, I was terrified of things blowing away in the wind. Then, I became scared of thunder and lightning, and being away from my parents for an extended period of time. I've been afraid of sleepovers and overnight camp. The fears that have stuck with me the most, however, are bugs, the future, the future of the environment, death, how big space is and how insignificant we are compared to the galaxy, and losing my family.
For this assignment, I'll expand on my fear of death. I can't tell you when this fear began, but it definitely became more developed when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. The thought of what happens after death terrifies me. I also am terrified of my family dying. I also am afraid of being murdered. I think one key factor as to why I don't want to die is because I feel like I want to experience every joy that life has to offer. If I die too young, I feel like I haven't lived enough or long enough to make an impact on the world.
I suppose many of my separate fears listed above can all be connected back to death. I am so scared of death I cannot even express it enough in this essay.
Assignment 10 (option 3)- Sara Anderlich
It was a dark and dreary night, not so long ago. I had just stopped playing Minecraft around two in the morning. All of the lights throughout the house were off, and I realized that I needed to go to the bathroom. I heard the rain falling steadily against my window and knew it was inevitable that I would have to get up. Slowly, and as quietly as I could, I shut my computer and removed my comforter from around my body.
I sighed deeply and thought, "This was the first step, I could do this".
Though I wasn't so sure of myself. Shaking, I sat up and let my right foot fall to the ground. Nothing happened. I now let my left foot touch the ground. Nothing happe--- Suddenly I heard the crash of thunder around me!
Jumping, I almost screamed, but caught myself.
"I could do this, " I thought, "I could do this."
I slowly made my way to the door ignoring the moving shadows around my closet. "I just won't acknowledge them," I said to myself, "It will be fine".
And there I was, I had made it to my door.
~~~~~
Coming back, I knew I would have to do it again. Not wanting to be in the dark longer than I had to, I took small steps, trying to avoid the cracks on the floor.
It was going well, but half way back to my bed, I heard another crash of thunder. My window rattled until it opened and my curtains pulled at themselves, casting shadows on the wall. I was fraught with peril as the chill night air surrounded me, pulling at the air in my lungs. I couldn't breathe.
Closing my eyes, I did my best to remain calm, but knew I would have to make the trek to close my window before making my way back to my bed. I tiptoed over there as softly as I could, trying to ignore the whistle of the wind. It was a loud and painful ringing in my ears, the shutters banging against the stone wall in the background. Then I had done it. I had reached the window. With my arms outstretched, I pulled the window shut, closing the latch. But, I couldn't be slow this time. After shutting the window, I bolted back to my bed, maybe touching the floor 3 times, jumped under the covers, and hid my entire body. My blanket was wrapped under my feet, up to my head which was huddled close to the rest of my body.
I took a deep breath. I had walked from the door to my bed in the dark. I had made it. I was safe.
Assignment 10 Jake Walters
For the zombie apocalypse, when it first starts the first supplies I am getting is gas. Everyone else will be immediatly going to the groceries and stores and it would be a blood bath and where most of the zombies will be. I will be at the gas station syphoning all the gas I can possibly get and stocking up on it just in case it becomes like a mad max type apocalypse. Gas stations also have food and drinks I can take so I will take some and then go to the grocery stores later and either fight for the resources or trade gas for them. Then I go to Home Depot and et materials to board up a house and create a fortress While I am doing this I am also calling up all of my friends seeing how they're doing and gathering them all ready to build upon an army to help hold down the fortress and survive with. Once everyone is gathered, all the gas is collected, and food is ready we hunker down and just keep surviving.
Assignment 10-Zent
Honestly, have not put very much or really any thought into the idea of zombies attacking. But, if zombies were to attack I think I would freak out. But, after the initial freak out and what the heck is going on then, I guess, I would try to hide out. I think that I would hide out in a grocery store. I would barricade the windows and doors and then just hope no zombies get in I guess. Since I’ll be in a grocery store I’ll have food and water so I wouldn’t starve. If for some reason I don’t make it to a grocery store then I think I would just try to outsmart the zombies. I think that I could make traps or distractions to keep them in one place while I go another place. Also, if zombies attack then maybe not everyone will be turned into a zombie so maybe there will be other people who can help distract, trap, or fight back against the zombies.
Assignment 10 - Palmer Lee
Assignment 11: UChicago Supplement Essay Prompt. You can choose the current one or one of the past prompts
Choose one - don't get overwhelmed at the options. It's supposed to be an opportunity to have fun.
Minimum of 150 words
Due Sunday, November 15 at 11:59 pm.
December 13 is the last day to make up blogs 9-15
Due Sunday, November 15 at 11:59 pm.
2020-21 UChicago Supplement
Essay Option 1
Who does Sally sell her seashells to? How much wood can a woodchuck really chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Pick a favorite tongue twister (either originally in English or translated from another language) and consider a resolution to its conundrum using the method of your choice. Math, philosophy, linguistics... it's all up to you (or your woodchuck).
—Inspired by Blessing Nnate, Class of 2024
Essay Option 2
What can actually be divided by zero?
—Inspired by Mai Vu, Class of 2024
Essay Option 3
The seven liberal arts in antiquity consisted of the Quadrivium — astronomy, mathematics, geometry, and music — and the Trivium — rhetoric, grammar, and logic. Describe your own take on the Quadrivium or the Trivium. What do you think is essential for everyone to know?
—Inspired by Peter Wang, Class of 2022
Essay Option 4
Subway maps, evolutionary trees, Lewis diagrams. Each of these schematics tells the relationships and stories of their component parts. Reimagine a map, diagram, or chart. If your work is largely or exclusively visual, please include a cartographer's key of at least 300 words to help us best understand your creation.
—Inspired by Maximilian Site, Class of 2020
Essay Option 5
"Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?" - Eleanor Roosevelt. Misattribute a famous quote and explore the implications of doing so.
—Inspired by Chris Davey, AB’13
Essay Option 6
Engineer George de Mestral got frustrated with burrs stuck to his dog’s fur and applied the same mechanic to create Velcro. Scientist Percy Lebaron Spencer found a melted chocolate bar in his magnetron lab and discovered microwave cooking. Dye-works owner Jean Baptiste Jolly found his tablecloth clean after a kerosene lamp was knocked over on it, consequently shaping the future of dry cleaning. Describe a creative or interesting solution, and then find the problem that it solves.
—Inspired by Steve Berkowitz, AB’19, and Neeharika Venuturupalli, Class of 2024
Essay Option 7
In the spirit of adventurous inquiry (and with the encouragement of one of our current students!) choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). Be original, creative, thought provoking. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun!
Some classic questions from previous years…
Due to a series of clerical errors, there is exactly one typo (an extra letter, a removed letter, or an altered letter) in the name of every department at the University of Chicago. Oops! Describe your new intended major. Why are you interested in it and what courses or areas of focus within it might you want to explore? Potential options include Commuter Science, Bromance Languages and Literatures, Pundamentals: Issues and Texts, Ant History... a full list of unmodified majors ready for your editor’s eye is available here.
—Inspired by Josh Kaufman, AB'18
Joan of Arkansas. Queen Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Babe Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Mash up a historical figure with a new time period, environment, location, or occupation, and tell us their story.
—Inspired by Drew Donaldson, AB’16
Alice falls down the rabbit hole. Milo drives through the tollbooth. Dorothy is swept up in the tornado. Neo takes the red pill. Don’t tell us about another world you’ve imagined, heard about, or created. Rather, tell us about its portal. Sure, some people think of the University of Chicago as a portal to their future, but please choose another portal to write about.
—Inspired by Raphael Hallerman, Class of 2020
What’s so odd about odd numbers?
—Inspired by Mario Rosasco, AB’09
Vestigiality refers to genetically determined structures or attributes that have apparently lost most or all of their ancestral function, but have been retained during the process of evolution. In humans, for instance, the appendix is thought to be a vestigial structure. Describe something vestigial (real or imagined) and provide an explanation for its existence.
—Inspired by Tiffany Kim, Class of 2020
In French, there is no difference between “conscience” and “consciousness.” In Japanese, there is a word that specifically refers to the splittable wooden chopsticks you get at restaurants. The German word “fremdschämen” encapsulates the feeling you get when you’re embarrassed on behalf of someone else. All of these require explanation in order to properly communicate their meaning, and are, to varying degrees, untranslatable. Choose a word, tell us what it means, and then explain why it cannot (or should not) be translated from its original language.
—Inspired by Emily Driscoll, Class of 2018
Little pigs, French hens, a family of bears. Blind mice, musketeers, the Fates. Parts of an atom, laws of thought, a guideline for composition. Omne trium perfectum? Create your own group of threes, and describe why and how they fit together.
—Inspired by Zilin Cui, Class of 2018
The mantis shrimp can perceive both polarized light and multispectral images; they have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. Human eyes have color receptors for three colors (red, green, and blue); the mantis shrimp has receptors for sixteen types of color, enabling them to see a spectrum far beyond the capacity of the human brain. Seriously, how cool is the mantis shrimp: mantisshrimp.uchicago.edu What might they be able to see that we cannot? What are we missing?
—Inspired by Tess Moran, AB’16
How are apples and oranges supposed to be compared? Possible answers involve, but are not limited to, statistics, chemistry, physics, linguistics, and philosophy.
—Inspired by Florence Chan, AB’15
The ball is in your court—a penny for your thoughts, but say it, don’t spray it. So long as you don’t bite off more than you can chew, beat around the bush, or cut corners, writing this essay should be a piece of cake. Create your own idiom, and tell us its origin—you know, the whole nine yards. PS: A picture is worth a thousand words.
—Inspired by April Bell, AB'17, and Maya Shaked, Class of 2018 (It takes two to tango.)
“A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.” –Oscar Wilde. Othello and Iago. Dorothy and the Wicked Witch. Autobots and Decepticons. History and art are full of heroes and their enemies. Tell us about the relationship between you and your arch-nemesis (either real or imagined).
—Inspired by Martin Krzywy, AB’16
Heisenberg claims that you cannot know both the position and momentum of an electron with total certainty. Choose two other concepts that cannot be known simultaneously and discuss the implications. (Do not consider yourself limited to the field of physics).
—Inspired by Doran Bennett, AB’07
Susan Sontag, AB’51, wrote that “[s]ilence remains, inescapably, a form of speech.” Write about an issue or a situation when you remained silent, and explain how silence may speak in ways that you did or did not intend. The Aesthetics of Silence, 1967.
—Anonymous Suggestion
“…I [was] eager to escape backward again, to be off to invent a past for the present.” —The Rose Rabbi by Daniel Stern
Present: pres·ent
1. Something that is offered, presented, or given as a gift.
Let’s stick with this definition. Unusual presents, accidental presents, metaphorical presents, re-gifted presents, etc.—pick any present you have ever received and invent a past for it.
—Inspired by Jennifer Qin, AB’16
So where is Waldo, really?
—Inspired by Robin Ye, AB’16
Find x.
—Inspired by Benjamin Nuzzo, an admitted student from Eton College, UK
Dog and Cat. Coffee and Tea. Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye. Everyone knows there are two types of people in the world. What are they?
—Inspired by an anonymous alumna, AB'06
How did you get caught? (Or not caught, as the case may be.)
—Inspired by Kelly Kennedy, AB’10
Chicago author Nelson Algren said, “A writer does well if in his whole life he can tell the story of one street.” Chicagoans, but not just Chicagoans, have always found something instructive, and pleasing, and profound in the stories of their block, of Main Street, of Highway 61, of a farm lane, of the Celestial Highway. Tell us the story of a street, path, road—real or imagined or metaphorical.
—Anonymous Suggestion
UChicago professor W. J. T. Mitchell entitled his 2005 book What Do Pictures Want? Describe a picture, and explore what it wants.
—Inspired by Anna Andel
“Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.“—Miles Davis (1926–91)
—Inspired by Jack Reeves
University of Chicago alumna and renowned author/critic Susan Sontag said, “The only interesting answers are those that destroy the questions.” We all have heard serious questions, absurd questions, and seriously absurd questions, some of which cannot be answered without obliterating the very question. Destroy a question with your answer.
—Inspired by Aleksandra Ciric
“Mind that does not stick.”
—Zen Master Shoitsu (1202–80)
Superstring theory has revolutionized speculation about the physical world by suggesting that strings play a pivotal role in the universe. Strings, however, always have explained or enriched our lives, from Theseus’s escape route from the Labyrinth, to kittens playing with balls of yarn, to the single hair that held the sword above Damocles, to the Old Norse tradition that one’s life is a thread woven into a tapestry of fate, to the beautiful sounds of the finely tuned string of a violin, to the children’s game of cat’s cradle, to the concept of stringing someone along. Use the power of string to explain the biggest or the smallest phenomenon.
—Inspired by Adam Sobolweski
Have you ever walked through the aisles of a warehouse store like Costco or Sam’s Club and wondered who would buy a jar of mustard a foot and a half tall? We’ve bought it, but it didn’t stop us from wondering about other things, like absurd eating contests, impulse buys, excess, unimagined uses for mustard, storage, preservatives, notions of bigness…and dozens of other ideas both silly and serious. Write an essay somehow inspired by super-huge mustard.
—Inspired by Katherine Gold
People often think of language as a connector, something that brings people together by helping them share experiences, feelings, ideas, etc. We, however, are interested in how language sets people apart. Start with the peculiarities of your own personal language—the voice you use when speaking most intimately to yourself, the vocabulary that spills out when you’re startled, or special phrases and gestures that no one else seems to use or even understand—and tell us how your language makes you unique. You may want to think about subtle riffs or idiosyncrasies based on cadence, rhythm, rhyme, or (mis)pronunciation.
—Inspired by Kimberly Traube
In 2015, the city of Melbourne, Australia created a "tree-mail" service, in which all of the trees in the city received an email address so that residents could report any tree-related issues. As an unexpected result, people began to email their favorite trees sweet and occasionally humorous letters. Imagine this has been expanded to any object (tree or otherwise) in the world, and share with us the letter you’d send to your favorite.
-Inspired by Hannah Lu, Class of 2020
You’re on a voyage in the thirteenth century, sailing across the tempestuous seas. What if, suddenly, you fell off the edge of the Earth?
-Inspired by Chandani Latey, AB'93
The word floccinaucinihilipilification is the act or habit of describing or regarding something as unimportant or of having no value. It originated in the mid-18th century from the Latin words "floccus," "naucum," "nihilum," and "pilus"—all words meaning “of little use.” Coin your own word using parts from any language you choose, tell us its meaning, and describe the plausible (if only to you) scenarios in which it would be most appropriately used.
-Inspired by Ben Zhang, Class of 2022
Lost your keys? Alohomora. Noisy roommate? Quietus. Feel the need to shatter windows for some reason? Finestra. Create your own spell, charm, jinx, or other means for magical mayhem. How is it enacted? Is there an incantation? Does it involve a potion or other magical object? If so, what's in it or what is it? What does it do?
-Inspired by Emma Sorkin, Class of 2021
Imagine you’ve struck a deal with the Dean of Admissions himself, Dean Nondorf. It goes as follows: you’re guaranteed admission to the University of Chicago regardless of any circumstances that arise. This bond is grounded on the condition that you’ll obtain a blank, 8.5 x 11 piece of paper, and draw, write, sketch, shade, stencil, paint etc., anything and everything you want on it; your only limitations will be the boundaries of both sides on the single page. Now the catch… your submission, for the rest of your life, will always be the first thing anyone you meet for the first time will see. Whether it’s at a job interview, a blind date, arrival at your first Humanities class, before you even say, “hey,” they’ll already have seen your page, and formulated that first impression. Show us your page. What’s on it, and why? If your piece is largely or exclusively visual, please make sure to share a creator's accompanying statement of at least 300 words, which we will happily allow to be on its own, separate page.
PS: This is a creative thought experiment, and selecting this essay prompt does not guarantee your admission to UChicago.
-Inspired by Amandeep Singh Ahluwalia, Class of 2022
Cats have nine lives, Pac-Man has three lives, and radioactive isotopes have half-lives. How many lives does something else—conceptual or actual—have, and why?
-Inspired by Kendrick Shin, Class of 2019
If there’s a limited amount of matter in the universe, how can Olive Garden (along with other restaurants and their concepts of food infinity) offer truly unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks? Explain this using any method of analysis you wish—physics, biology, economics, history, theology… the options, as you can tell, are endless.
-Inspired by Yoonseo Lee, Class of 2023
A hot dog might be a sandwich, and cereal might be a soup, but is a ______ a ______?
-Inspired by Arya Muralidharan, Class of 2021 (and dozens of others who, this year and in past years, have submitted the question “Is a hot dog a sandwich,” to which we reply, “maybe”)
“Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.” – Jessamyn West
If we are still in NTI, I gave you a person. They were randomly selected (not really, it was all alphabetical) so you would have to interact with them in some form or fashion: text, study, chat - whatever. You need to be able to discuss them based on the above questions. Don't disappoint.
Due Sunday, November 15 at 11:59 pm.
Saturday, November 7, 2020
Assignment 9- Koen
One issue that really bothers me is the way our education principles are taught. From a young age, students have to learn how important academics are in life as they are either placed in gt programs or not. Even in elementary school, academics prove to middle schools if the students are worthy enough for their program. This principle goes on to middle school and then, the students need to do all they can to get in to a high school program. The cycle of working to please a program goes on to high school and well into college. 18 years of this system of working for someone else instead on oneself makes their efforts somewhat meaningless. It is rubbish to say that this principle is evil since it has fostered an age of brilliant minds in the modern world. But it is dishonest to say that it will always create positive results. Students that aren't motivated and are told what to do to impress a school will not find their passion. Always doing studying for tests and doing activities that colleges like to see will make the person live a false life. The system's main flaw is this, colleges should not only be looking for academics and "worthy" extracurriculars, but they should be having one on one interviews which students to actually know them. Many students can have the best grades and extracurriculars but when it comes to interacting with people, they have little to no experience. In a future where human interaction will become vital after coming back from the pandemic, this system of spending more time on a list rather than understanding yourself will become affect many students that will not know what to do for work.
Friday, November 6, 2020
Ghazzal Hammad - Assignment 10
As basic of an answer as this may seem, I think the thing that scares me most is losing someone close to me. I am not scared of death itself at all. Death is inevitable, and we will all get to a point in our lives where we die. I'm just scared of losing someone close to me and knowing that nothing I do can bring them back. By 'close to me', I mean my immediate family members (my sister, brother, or parents) or one of my very close friends. There are not that many people that I am very close to. I tend to keep my circle small, and I like it better that way. Making it smaller, though, would be quite devastating to me. I value all the people in my life, especially those close to me. While I consider myself a pretty independent person, these people are still vital to have in my life and I do depend on them from time to time.
Truthfully, I'm not sure if this would really be considered a 'fear' of mine. I guess the more I reflect on it, the more I think it may just be something I dread rather than what scares me most. Either way, I do not look forward to the inevitable day that this happens.