Post AP Test Thoughts

Well AP season is finally over. My last AP season, ever. I could not be happier because it means that all the months of stress and preparation is over. This year I was really shocked with the feeling I had after most of my exams. For the most part it was a positive feeling, one I had not experienced ever. Normally coming out of an AP test I felt even more stressed than what I was going in because I felt like I did poorly. Why? I can't find any other explanation other than this year I was obviously more prepared than post years. So how did I prepare? I did all (well, most) of the assignments assigned for preparing. I know this seems crazy to most students...but they actually help because AP teachers know exactly how to prepare you if you follow their instructions.Word of advice.

MACBETH ACT 3 active reading notes

• Banquo congratulates Macbeth on his coronation, doubts he was innocent in the Kings death...reminds Macbeth that the Witches also said that his sons would be Kings.
• Macbeth asks excessive amounts of questions regarding what Banquo will do, where he will be and with whom he will be before coming back to Macbeth's banquet. (possibly plotting something?)
• Macbeth delivers a soliloquy where he expresses he is afraid of Banquo; he does not want his loss of morality to be in vain, he wishes for his sons (and not Banquos) to be Kings. He will kill Banquo and any descendant of his that could challenge his crown. 
• Macbeth has a second meeting with three murderers, he tells them Banquo is to blame for their misery and if they are true worthy men they will kill him.
• Macbeth wants Banquo and his son Fleance both killed. 
• Lady Macbeth says famous phrase "Whats done is done."
• While talking to Lady Macbeth, Macbeth says that bad deeds force you to commit more bad deeds. They are in the rabbit hole.
• Banquo is attacked by the three murderers and is murdered but Fleance manages to escape.
• The first murderer tells Macbeth that Fleance has escaped. Macbeth says that he will worry about the young snake later when he has fangs.
• Banquos ghost appears at Macbeth's banquet. Only Macbeth appears to see the ghost and makes a scene.
• Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that it is just another of his hallucinations (like the floating dagger pointing towards Duncan's room). Macbeth asks, if the dead are to return then why kill people in the first place?
• The ghost vanishes, Macbeth apologizes for his outburst to his guests and says that what he did was normal for him.
• Banquos ghost reapers and Macbeth says a toast in his name.
• The dinner is ruined with Macbeths outbursts. He plans to see the Witches to learn more about his future and he reveals he has schemes he wishes to carry out.
• Macduff and Macbeth are not on good terms.
• The Witches are scolded by Hecate for revealing things to Macbeth without having had told him. He asks them to meet him at the pit of Acheron where they will have something planned for Macbeth (who will also be there).
• A Lord informs Lennox of how Malcolm (Duncan's son, rightful heir to the throne) went to England, where he and King Edward plan to form an alliance between Malcolm and Northumberland to basically overthrow Macbeth and make his Scotland a better place. Macduff is in England also helping with that plan. Macbeth is angry and is preparing for war.
• Seems as though Macbeth's kinsmen aren't happy with him as king, labeling him a tyrant. 

THE CROSSROADS BETWEEN SHOULD AND MUST

Should is what others want you to do. This entitles small risks and isn't necessarily rewarding. Must is very different. Must is who we are. After reading this Crossroads Between Should and Must I've been thinking a lot. Many of the things said by Elle were things that had crossed my mind but I always dismissed them. After reading that I've realized that all my life I have been a Should person. I have focused my life on following directions and doing the things that others have told me to do because according to society, those are the things that will bring me success and rewards. I am talking about school. I've never dared think outside the box and until this year I had never taken a shot at exploring my creativity. I've always been the person who had a checklist of things I should do to be successful in a class, I do them and then repeat the process all over again. It's been boring and not very intellectually or creatively nurturing. I don't want to continue being a Should person. I want to be a Must. Daring and risking has never been an issue for me...the what to dare and risk is what. Since I am extremely passionate on journalism (specifically as it pertains to human rights and activism) I will try to be more of a Must person in that aspect. I don't plan on entirely giving up my academic career. I want to continue being academically successful while also enriching myself through journalism and writing. Lets see where this goes.

Flight MH370

This is an occurrence that has the world shocked and perplexed. A commercial jet essentially vanished into thin air, taking along with it 239 passengers and crew members. It is a truly saddening story. The anguish felt by the families, the uncertainty that plagues them...I don't believe any of us could possibly imagine such a tragedy. I would like to take the time to virtually express my condolences to the families. Hope has not been lost; until there is physical evidence of the demise of every passenger the hope will not be given up. I'd also like to take the time to report my utter disgust with the behavior of the media this past month since the disappearance of the jet went global. They have been constantly reporting, every few hours, new "information" concerning a new object spotting, pings from the black box or some new crazy conspiracy theory. It is truly disgusting. There has not been another more clear example of how news companies could care less about the information they throw at the readers, as long as it sells. The information they have been hourly updating about the investigation of the disappearance of MASMH370 has been absolute garbage over half of the time. They'll report an incident prematurely only to report a few hours later that it was false. They have showed absolutely no regard for the pain that the families must be feeling. They have harassed family members trying to obtain information...feeding off their pain and being solely concerned with the next "big break in the investigation" to report it first and make a profit. I am truly disgusted. This is a prime example of why I want to focus my masterpiece of journalism. I am disgusted with the for-profit nature of it. I want a pure form of journalism that is more about keeping the public informed than making money. Recently, I have requested information from Vice about their internship programs during summer. Vice is one of the purest forms of journalism; they immerse themselves in the stories and report only on the crucial issues. Lets see where this journey takes us.

Lil B

Brandon McCartney "Lil B" is an American rapper and author from Berkeley, California. He is the first rapper to have written a book like Takin' Over By Imposing The Positive. Essentially, the book is written in the format of emails and text messages from Lil B to the reader. The book contains messages of positivity and optimism. Lil B has amassed a cult following since his 2004 debut into the scene, dubbed the Based Fam.  Despite his undisputed success, Lil B is often the target of hate from other artists and even the public. One of the most common arguments is that he has no talent as the subjects of his songs are meaningless and trivial things that don't contribute anything positive to the Hip-Hop culture. This is partially true. But may I point you to songs like "I Love You", which is a whole song dedicated to his supporters where he expresses his love and gratitude for all those who have stood by him. Another song that I'd like to use as an example is "Trapped in Prison", which spreads many different messages. It predominantly talks about how you should release yourself from the chains that mentally bind you to unhappiness because of what others might think or because you are afraid to fail; just do you and do what you love. Apart from this, Lil B is often a guest lecturer at prestigious universities like New York University and University of California, Riverside, where he gives lectures on love, positivity and respect for animals and the environment. Yes, many of his songs do have a trivial and unimportant subject matter. But that is the whole point to him and the message he tries to spread. He has songs that have absolutely no meaning to them because this is his way of saying that you can do what you want, be who you want, as long as it matters to you and means something to you...the opinions of others don't matter. This is what it means to be Based. His "no meaning" actually has a lot of meaning. This is why I admire this man so much as a human and artist.

LOOK AT MY BRAIN

Sometimes my though process confuses me. I have so many ideas at once and I don't know how to arrange them in a way that makes sense to other people. My brain works faster than my communication skills. Through writing for a political news blog I can express myself in ways I don't think I've ever been able to. It feels good to write a piece that I know is worth something. Readers see letters and punctuation marks and sentences, but it so much more than that. At least to me it is. There's a lot of energy that goes into writing these articles. It starts with the simple question of "What is meaningful and worthwhile to write about?" There's so many issues out there that deserve coverage and narrowing it down to just one (for now) takes a lot of effort and sense-making. Once the topic has been found, the tedious task of research begins. But it isn't just about finding what someone else has said and restating it. We at In Loco Politico try to make sense of what the experts say. We won't just regurgitate words, anybody can do that, we look between the lines and critically think about what we are reading. We then translate that into our own writing. We visit multiple sources to get the most unbiased information we can. We try as hard as possible to not be partisan. This can be difficult because it's hard to not let your opinions and convictions take control. Essentially, we make sense  of information and data, then create something from bits and pieces of other works and expert opinions. We create something new, and if that isn't creativity then I don't understand creativity.

WHAT ABOUT MY MASTERPIECE?

This particular week I have been extremely busy. I have had tests almost daily, so it has been very hard keeping up with my masterpiece. I have a current piece I am writing but it most likely won't be finished this week. My goal is to have it done and published by at least Tuesday of next week, Be on the look out!



You can visit my political news blog HERE and take a look at the current published articles.