Crazy Quarter

Table of Contents

Table of Contents Watch this first!! Very funny! Flipper Racing at it's Best Add to My Profile | More Videos Life This Quarter ~ A Dear Reader Letter Introduction to Ramses II Ramses II Introduction to Touching the Void Even Deeper Touching the Void Even Deeper Introduction to Invasion of Choice Invasion of Choice Introduction to the Essence of Shellie The Essence of Shellie

posted by *I Rawk the Mic* @ 6/07/2007 11:31:00 am 1 comments

Life This Quarter ~ a Dear Reader Letter

Dear Reader,

I could say that this quarter was not my best. I could also say that what you are about to read is crap, but as I made this e-portfolio I was able to correct my writing and I now feel a satisfied. Even though this quarter has been somewhat a struggle, I am happy to say that I am STILL here! I am certainly happy that I did not quit and give up. I still want to be in my “pursuit of happynesss (Chris Gardner).” Looking back is still not an option for me when my focus needs to be on the future. Before winter quarter, I had actually changed my name from Rashelle to Shellie. A lot of people may not understand why I changed it, but that is okay. I changed it because I am not who I was. I had actually changed myself. I had recently moved to Mountlake Terrace, but within a week and a half, I will be moving to Brier. “It’s amazing how life can change in an instant (Shellie Bourdon, Winter Quarter '06).”

My name, as I have said earlier, has not always been Shellie. I had it changed during winter break from Rashelle. I felt it was a good change for me to take. I felt like God wanted me to change my name. Like Simon, who Jesus called Peter. I was born and raised in Everett, Washington. Then I moved to Mountlake Terrace this last March. Now I am moving to Brier where I am renting a room from a couple in my church. Moving is not something new to me. I seem to have done it all my life. But I praise God for He has saw me through it. My roommate where I am currently living at said, "You lived in a trailer, moved to an apartment, now you are living in a house? Where are going to live next? I mansion?" Yes, I did live in a trailer one point in my life. It sucked, but hey it's in the past.I'm really excited about what God has for me in the NEAR future.

This quarter of English has been a very “interesting” one. Time seemed to have flown by, leaving those who chose to give up behind. The pieces that I have chosen below are probably the best that I could find to show my writing skills. As this process of editing and adding to my writing has progressed, looking at my work now, they are not as bad as I had thought in the beginning. I seemed to have really struggled to keep-up in class. But some how I manage to keep forward.

For awhile I had a hard time deciding which MWA, or Major Writing Assignment, to chose. The MWA I did chose is the very last one we had to write. "Invasion of Choice." I definitely won't recommend trying to manage life on your own. If you have to ask a friend, or even your "mommy" for help, do it!!

One good thing about this quarter is that not a lot has happened. In my last quarter I had moved twice. Life came out of every crack it could find. This quarter, has been uneventful. I’m moving, but it is after this quarter ends. Hopefully this will be a more permanent home. Living where I am living right now has actually been a challenge. I currently live with others who have real different beliefs on how a home should be run. To spare their honor I don't want to share what they are. It was a real wake-up call.

Experiences we have, positive or negative, should be looked at and analyzed before it is tossed aside. I learned that looking deeper in a situation may help you find where a problem lies or where a solution may be hidden this quarter in English 98 . So, I need to take this “interesting” experience of a quarter and apply it to my future in schooling. I hope you enjoy reading my e-portfolio.

posted by *I Rawk the Mic* @ 6/06/2007 09:33:00 pm 3 comments

Introduction to Ramses II

For this piece I chose a *Blackboard assignment we had in the middle of the quarter. The assignment was we had to combine sentences. Not only combining them, but to do this effectively, clearly, and it has constancy. We had to show that we knew how to use the skills we had learned effectively. As I look at it now, I realize how important it is to have **"parallelism." For example: "He had built temples, monuments in every major city of his kingdom, and he expanded famous temples at Karnack and at Luxor." We needed to walk the walk.

*Blackboard is a site where a student can access class announcements, weekly schedule, and other class stuff.

**The words and the sentence as a whole flows smoothly. There is a similarity through-out sentences in format.

posted by *I Rawk the Mic* @ 6/06/2007 09:33:00 pm 0 comments

Ramses II

Ramses II was a pharaoh of Egypt, who lived approximately 3,300 years ago. He had ruled for 66 years from the age of 24, and died at the age of 90. He had a huge family consisting of more than 100 children. He is remembered for the story of Moses, and his many building projects. He had built temples, monuments in every major city of his kingdom, and he expanded famous temples at Karnack and at Luxor. He was industrious, resourceful king, and left his permanent mark on the Egyptian landscape. He was, and still is buried in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, which once was called Thebes.

posted by *I Rawk the Mic* @ 6/06/2007 09:33:00 pm 0 comments

Introduction to Touching the Void Even Deeper

For this piece I chose to include was *Seminar Paper #1. This was the first seminar of this quarter. It shows that I DO have the ability to write and analyze something properly. When I did write it, I chose to slow down and take it as it came. The **Seminar Paper was about the first book we had read, “Touching the Void.” The book itself was boring, but the seminar paper had us look deeper in the writing, which made the book a little more interesting. It was really eye-opening to analyse something that I just read. I think I did it pretty well: “'Oddly enough the physical and emotional trauma experienced in Peru in1985 did not change my life.... (Simpson 214)' The physical and emotional trauma did give him PTSD though, but the fame and the attention is what had changed his life."

* A Seminar is a time set aside in class, so the students can break-up into groups and discuss what they had read

** A Seminar Paper is a page of prepared quotes, interruptions, and words they may not understand chosen by a reader that they want to discuss.

posted by *I Rawk the Mic* @ 6/06/2007 09:32:00 pm 0 comments

Touching the Void Even Deeper

A. Words:

Keto-acidosis
Ruminated
Col
Cornice

B. Passages:

1: “Oddly enough the physical and emotional trauma experienced in Peru in1985 did not change my life. It was the success of Touching the Void and my future writing and speaking career that materially changed me. The making of the film will no doubt bring future changes and challenges.” (Simpson 214)

2: “Silent ice mountains gleamed white around me, and the glacier curved gently westwards to the black moraines above base camp. I felt watched. Something in the crescent of the summits and ridges looked down on me and waited. I stepped from the wreckage of the cave, and started to climb down. I was about to die; I knew it, and they knew it.” (Yates, Simpson 106)

3: “I was alive, and for a moment that was all I could think about. Where Joe was, or whether he was alive, didn’t concern me in the long silence after the cutting. His weight had gone from me. There was only the wind and the avalanches left to me.” (Yates, Simpson 102)

4: “As sleep crept swiftly through me I tried to shake off the thought of how close we had come to the same appalling end as those two Japanese. There would have been no one to watch us, I thought; as if it would have made any difference.” (Simpson 64)

5: “I looked down at the ground where I had been found lying face down on the rocks and then glanced up at the river bed of chaotic jumbled boulders. How on earth did I get down that in the dark?” (Simpson 208)

C. Three that stood out:

1: “I looked down at the ground where I had been found lying face down on the rocks and then glanced up at the river bed of chaotic jumbled boulders. How on earth did I get down that in the dark?” (Simpson 208)

It’s amazing what a person can do, what a person’s body can do when they are faced with death. Sometimes when you accomplish something, you later may wonder how you were able to do it. There should have been no way for Joe to have made it all the way back to camp. Especially in the dark where it is even harder to see where one is going. It was pitch black out there. All that lit the way was the stars and moon. What kept him alive were the choice of life or death, and the voice that kept pushing him the move forward. Neither Joe nor the voice wanted him to quit.

2: “Oddly enough the physical and emotional trauma experienced in Peru in1985 did not change my life. It was the success of Touching the Void and my future writing and speaking career that materially changed me. The making of the film will no doubt bring future changes and challenges.” (Simpson 214)

The physical and emotional trauma did give him PTSD though, but the fame and the attention is what had changed his life. Now he can share his experience with others and he has now found a new talent he never thought he had; the talent to speak. Talking about what had happen also allowed him to move on. He has discovered talents he had never thought he could posses.

3: “Silent ice mountains gleamed white around me, and the glacier curved gently westwards to the black moraines above base camp. I felt watched. Something in the crescent of the summits and ridges looked down on me and waited. I stepped from the wreckage of the cave, and started to climb down. I was about to die; I knew it, and they knew it.” (Yates, Simpson 106)

I really like this one. Yates and Simon had brought the mountains to life. They gave a mountain life. The feeling of being watch was brought by the guilt that he felt from cutting the rope. Simon did not know if Joe was dead or not, so he felt he might have killed Joe. Simon was waiting to die. I feel that he felt like it was a punishment for cutting the rope, or he was going to just plain die. He probably figured that he was not going to make back to camp alive. Also, not only was he waiting to die, the mountain was waiting as well.

posted by *I Rawk the Mic* @ 6/06/2007 09:32:00 pm 0 comments

Introduction to Invasion of Choice

This choice was to be centered around our Major Writing Assignments, or MWAs. The one I chose to share with all you wonderful people is "Invasion of Choice". The topic I had chosen to write about was the latest controversy of the HPV vaccine and it was the last paper we had written. It's intent was to write a persuasive paper, or argumentative paper on a topic we were interested about. We were suppose to show both side of the topic, but show why your side was the better side to be on. I was able to see it the other side, those who are for it; and then my side, those who are against it: "In some ways making it mandatory would be a good idea; however, what kind of message would we be sending out to our young people?" I hope you enjoy reading it.

posted by *I Rawk the Mic* @ 6/06/2007 09:32:00 pm 0 comments

Invasion of Choice

Cervical cancer, or Human papillomavirus, has either increased or people are now more aware of this type of cancer than ever before. Because of the awareness, people feel the need to “take action.” Too many women today are being diagnosed with HPV. The recent controversy towards young women of today is the vaccine for this particular cancer. Should the state make it mandatory for 9 year olds to 16 year olds to take this vaccine? Most women’s health organizations think so. A lot of parents are concerned, but there are those in support to the new idea. But would this be a set-up for more teen sex? Or will it become a part of the vaccination routine for youth. Is this an invasion of choice? Yes it is.

So what is Human papillomavirus, or HPV? It is a virus that targets the cervix. There is usually no sign of the virus; however types 6 and 11 may cause genital warts. In total, there is over 200 # types of HPV, and about 19 types are consider high risk; type 16 and 18 being the highest. 37 types of HPV are transmitted through sexual contact, while others can be transmitted by contact of warts on the skin (Wikipedia.com).

When women reach age 50, 80 percent will have caught a type of HPV and about 6.2 million Americans die each year from the HPV (CDC.gov). So this vaccine is vital for women and young ladies, who are sexually active, and it should be considered. But should it be made mandatory? Yet what should not be forgotten is that the parent is the “head” of the child, not the state or government.

The only vaccine in existence, Gardasil, protects against the main concern types. The vaccine is only fully effective in women who do not have the disease already. Women and young ladies, who did already had it, were less protected against getting more. That is why they want to vaccinate young girls from the age 9. People figure that young girls aren’t having sex therefore it is the perfect time to get them vaccinated. It’s actually setting up a stage that gives girls a free reign to have sex. A message that needs to come across to young people is that this is NOT a free ticket to have sex. Some girls would take this as an insult because they will not be sexually active until they are married. Yes, later on their husbands may have been sexually active before their marriage, so that is why it is recommended to get tested for STDs if there is any doubt of “safe” sex.

The vaccination does not last for an extended time, so that it why a continuous vaccination is advised to be taken. When it comes to men and HPV, there is not any way to tell if they carry it or not. This is why it is always good to stay celibate. Not having sex is always better security to not get the HPV (Wikipedia.com). However, young people today seem to be encouraged to “explore” their sexual desires.

There are parents out there who have tried their hardest to keep their daughters “under-control”, but teenage girls have rebelled and now are sexually active. If this law does come to pass, it will certainly give each girl a wake-up call. Maybe it will show young people that sex is a more serious subject. Some young people, who are sexually active, worry parents about their young people contracting STDs. In that case this vaccine is vital for some parents to feel some sense of security in their children. Hopefully it would open the daughter’s eyes to see how the parents trust has been betrayed. The freedom and trust their parents have given them, had been taken advantage of. Now freedom and trust is cautiously given. Though some parents are okay with their children being sexually active.

So instead of every young girl, the health organizations and the state should target young ladies who are already sexually active. You may say, “the young person can always lie!” True, but there are ways to check psychically to see if the young person is active sexually. Not only would it save the state money, but also it would encourage other young ladies to turn from having sex. How? They would see that the other teenage girls do not receive the shot because they chose abstinence. If this shot does become mandatory, then there should be a class that shows every one of the young ladies the ABSOLUTE truth about sexual activity at such a young age. They should be exposed to the physical consequences and the emotional consequences. Today the “joys” of sex overshadows the consequences. This class would not be like the boring high school class, but an interactive reality check class. Young ladies need to see both sides.

One scary fact is that young ladies from the age 13 now could go to the doctor with out parent consent, and actually get the shot, get birth control, or have a pregnancy test and the parent would get a bill without being informed. The doctor, by law, can not tell the parent anything. Society is making a child an adult well before they have reached adulthood in their maturity.

In some ways making it mandatory would be a good idea; however, what kind of message would we be sending out to our young people? In the beginning I was completely against the vaccine, but it would show young people, who are sexually active, that sex is not a game. So it would be needed to be look at in another way. Instead of making it mandatory for every young person out there, just make it mandatory for those who are sexually active or plan on being sexually active before they are married. However I still feel that the decision should be made between the parent(s), or guardian, and the child. Remember that the parent is the “head” of the child, not the state or government. Are main goal should still be to encourage abstinence.

posted by *I Rawk the Mic* @ 6/06/2007 09:32:00 pm 2 comments

Introduction to the Essence of Shellie

In this piece, we were to write about ourselves. Fun, I know. We did this assignment at the beginning of spring quarter. I chose this piece because I love poetry. Poetry allows to pen to flow. Anyway, at the beginning of the assignment, I couldn't seem to write anything. There seemed to be a writer’s block. However, before I could realize it I had written 2 pages back to back. I really enjoyed this assignment.

posted by *I Rawk the Mic* @ 6/06/2007 09:31:00 pm 0 comments

The Essence of Shellie

My name is Shellie
I am 19 years old
I am strong,
But weak
I am a chick breaking out of her shell
I have orange-brown eyes

I'm making my move...
watch out world...
I'm a woman with a purpose"

I am beautiful
But I am far from being vain
However, I love my hair
I am faithful

I love God, Jesus Christ
I have a dysfunctional family

I am a Jesus Freak
I stand firm in my beliefs
God is the way
and no one can move me
I fear nothing

I love the sunrise
And sunset
I love to sing
Music is my life
I love the ocean
The River of life
I like suckers
But Love Chocolate

I am finding who I am
No one can take that away from me

I hope for love
I hope for family
I am whole
I hope for additions
I believe that God is my father
His promises to me
They will come true

I know people commit suicide
I don't understand how others are okay with it
I know childhoods can suck
I don't understand how people hold onto that pain
I know why they don't move on
I've been there

Control
It's all about control
And fear
Afraid of being free

Now I am free
Ask me why...

Christ.

My mom once was my hero
I am not sure now
I love her dearly
My hero if Jesus
Willing to stand in the pain

For... me...
Anybody...!

I am inlove with the rain
Very cleansing
very peaceful
It lets you forget

I hate the devil
he is not worthy of a capitol
I hate candy apples
I hate mold
I hate molesters
Or who they have become
They are humans, too
Just rotten ones...

I can't live without God
Music is my soul
I could never live without pen and paper
Poems and songs are my soul
I would like to meet Superwoman
She's not my fictional hero
But she is AWESOME
Girl power!
If I was rich,
I would clothe and feed the world.

I wish I had a mustang
Someday I will
I wish loneliness didn't visit me
But then I remember the love of my friends

I love receiving Easter baskets
I'd be crushed without one
I almost was this year

I wonder how the mind ticks
My destiny is to serve the Lord
Working with the youth
I will be a psyhcologist
It's my destiny

I once was a Rashelle
But now...

My name is Shellie
And this is April 6th, 2007

posted by *I Rawk the Mic* @ 6/06/2007 09:31:00 pm 0 comments