The Monkey

1.   If you had three wishes, what would they be?  Why?  (No wishing for more wishes.)  Explain each response: My first wish would be to have front row and meet and greet tickets for a One Direction concert (: My second wish would be to have a lifetime supply of money so I wouldn't have to work. My final wish would be for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure to not be so expensive. 
2.    Is there anything that you are superstitious about?  Explain.  (If not, explain whynot.) : If I make the last serve when warming up for tennis, I know it's going to be a good game. 

Antigone Compare/Contrast

In the play, Antigone, by Sophocles, Antigone and Creon conflict so much because they are so different; yet so alike. They are both loyal to what they care most about and suffer from having excessive pride which leads to a tragic situation. 

Sophocles explains how Antigone and her uncle Creon contrast each other. Antigone is loyal to her family and the gods while Creon is loyal to the state and not his family. Antigone says, "I am not afraid of the danger if it means death. I will not be the worst of deaths -- deaths without honor" (Prologue. 87-88). Antigone is sacrificing her life just so her brother could have a proper burial. Ismene, Antigone's sister, agrees that Antigone is loyal to her loved ones saying, "But a loyal friend indeed to those who love you" (Prologue. 91). She is saying that Antigone is willing to do anything for her loved ones. Antigone is not only loyal to those who love her but to the gods. In scene two, Antigone says that she refuses to follow Creon's law because it wasn't based on the gods. Antigone believes that Creon's law is unfair and does not follow god's proclamation. When it comes to the state, Creon is the most loyal.  He shows his loyalty by saying, "For you honor a traitor or not, and equal in blood. He made war against his own country "(2. 126-128). In scene 3, Creon states that Polyneices, Antigone's brother, was a traitor for going against his own city so he does not wish to give a burial to someone who is not loyal to his city. 

Despite  Antigone's and Creon's differences, they both suffer from excessive pride. Antigone says, "Then I beg you kill me. I should have praise and honor for what I have done. All these men here would praise me were their lips not frozen shut with fear of you" (2. 109-115). Antigone reveals her hubris by owning up to her actions and being proud of them. She also claims that everybody would praise her doing this, but they'd be too afraid of what Creon would do to them. Antigone also shows her arrogance by not obeying the law Creon has made for Theban citizens: no one can bury Polyneices. In the prologue, Antigone says that she is determined to bury Polyneices no matter what obstacles choose to stand in front of her not even Creon. Creon's arrogant pride won't even show mercy to Antigone and Ismene even though they are related. This is justified on page 786, when he sentences death for both of the girls saying, "For they are but women, and even brave men run when they see death coming" (2. 184-185). He also shows his prideful side in scene 5 when he contradicts Tiresisias who was believed to be one of the smartest men in Greece at the time. Both Antigone and Creon have exaggerated pride which leads to a lot of conflict throughout the play. 

Antigone and Creon both share the blame for the tragic outcome because they take what they care most about to heart and sometimes push it to the edge. Antigone wishes to bury her brother Polyneices, but it's against Creon's law. Creon believes Polyneices is a traitor and uses his law against which angers Antigone and brings the worst out of her. Antigone begs for death which Creon almost immediately grants which leads to the "flesh-for-flesh" prophecy. Since Creon is the cause for Antigone's death, someone from his family has to be killed. Not only did the prophecy kill his son Haimon, but his wife Eurydice. 

Vocabulary Definitions

#1 Debunk (Prove something false) Imminent (about to happen) Affluent (wealthy) Routine(ordinary, normal) Benign (harmless) Enlighten (to teach something new) Malevolent (evil) Inquire (to ask)

#2 Perplexing (confusing) Resilient (tough/determined) Amend (to fix/to change) Fickle (indecisive) Benevolent (good) Desist (stop doing something) Listless (tired/lazy) Lackluster (not impressive)

#3 Dwindle (to reduce in number or amount) Subtle (not obvious) Gullible (willing to believe anything) Erratic (unpredictable) Condescending (conceited/talking down to someone) Aspire (to seek to become or achieve) Pristine (untouched/in perfect condition) Nettle (to annoy or bother)

#4 Hapless (unlucky) Scrutinize (To look closely) Domicile (home) Clarify (to explain more clearly) Asinine (stupid/idiotic) Infer (to figure out without being told) Eloquent (well-spoken) Strife (conflict)

#5 Plaintive (Very sad) Flaunt (to show something off) Distraught (emotionally upset) Queue (a line of people or things) Accrue (to gather over time) Relentless (never stopping) Leery (untrusting) Crass (rude/vulgar/having bad manners)

#6 Inevitable (going to happen no matter what) Phobia (a strong fear) Seclude (to hide away from others) Rebuke (to criticize publicly) Notorious (famous for something bad) Fluctuate (to change often) Candid (honest/sincere) Sophomoric (immature)

Vocab Sentences #6

1. AVID tutorials are inevitable unless the world ends.
2. I have a major phobia of insects especially spiders.
3. Generally, I like my seclusion when I study; however, AP world history study groups are an exception.
4. I rebuked my sister after her bad haircut.
5. Lindsay Lohan is notorious for her drug incidents.
6. Because the weather in California fluctuates too much, I sometimes can't decide what to wear.
7. We should always be candid to everybody no matter what.
8. The sophomoric teacher has very crass humor.

Vocabulary Sentences #5

1. I was plaintive when I received a bad test score on my history test.
2. He always flaunts his intelligence and good grades.
3. I was upset when I received my test score, but not distraught.
4. We told her to wait in the queue while we go grab a snack.
5. After saving money since Freshman year, my college fund accrued.
6. Her hair was all over the place because of the relentless wind.
7. I am leery about people who keep things away from you.
8. The student's crass comments were not well-received by the teacher.

Vocabulary #4

1. After the wrestler lost the match, she felt hapless.

2. After scrutinizing the dead body, the investigator found lots of evidence.

3. Since his domicile is being fumigated, he and his family and have to stay at my aunt’s house.

4. Since Mr. Hook said my answer was too vague, I tried to clarify my answer by elaborating on it.

5. Because she thought the song was asinine, she changed it rapidly.

6. Because she was mute all day, we could infer that her day didn’t go well.

7. Because he was so eloquently, he  convinces people easily.

8. If you have strife with your parents, then you should do chores around the house to make them happy.

My Autobiography (:

Hey everybody my name is Emily! My entire family knows me by Mily, but I prefer Emily.  I’ve spent all fifteen years of my life living with both of parents and my twin sister, Valerie. Yes, I do have a twin so if you see somebody who looks exactly like me, be aware that I might not be me, but my sister, Valerie. Just kidding. My twin sister and I look absolutely NOTHING alike. Her hair is dyed, mine’s not. She’s tan, I’m not. I wear braces, she doesn’t. We are complete opposites! 

Seventh and eighth grades were very different for me, not only because I was no longer in elementary school, but because I feel like I kind of broke out of my shell a bit. I was a shy person in elementary school until I joined the AVID program in eighth grade which really helped me grow out of my comfort zone. In eighth grade, I became accustomed to public speaking because we did a lot of that in AVID. I’m really glad I joined AVID because I feel like it really shaped me into the person I am today. 

This summer I volunteered at the YMCA which was really fun. I got to work with other high school kids like me and I also got to work with younger kids who are still in elementary school. It was a very fun and different experience for me considering the fact that I don’t have younger siblings so it was pretty hard to tame the kids at times. Let’s just say I’m not the best with children.  This actually felt like a real job. We got time cards, coffee, and everything! But overall it was very exciting and I plan on doing it again next summer.   

Just today I started wrestling conditioning and it was tiring, but exciting. My sister and a lot of my friends did it last year and said it was pretty fun, so I thought I’d give it a go! My family thinks that I’d make a good wrestler due to my flexibility, but to be honest, I’m a little scared. But I’m pretty sure it’s going to be fun. Let’s see how this goes. :/ Besides it’s always good to learn something new!  I can’t wait til we start the actual thing!  Anyway, high school is alright so far. I always knew it would be just how I thought it’d be–stressful. Stress is something that never goes away when it comes to school, for me at least. Something i learned within these two years is that you won’t always get what you want. I was always a straight-A student up until last year when I got just as many Bs as I did As. This year I requested and was recommended for Honors English, but unfortunately, it wasn’t listed in my schedule. At first, I was very disappointed so I talked to my counselor and she kept telling me it was full. So I decided to stay in English 2 and so far I’m really liking the class.  Besides, two AP classes, Honors English, and AVID is WAY too much for me now that I think about it. So no thanks!  :) 

Once I’m done with and graduated from high school, I’m hoping to get into either UC Davis or UCLA and major in psychiatry. Not only will I be getting my bachelor’s degree, but I’m hoping to get either a Master’s or Doctorate’s degree. I just really hope nothing gets in the way of my dreams. I also want to travel A LOT. New York City has always been a place that I’ve wanted to visit so hopefully it happens one day. Maybe I’ll settle there, who knows? Either there or Boston. Both places really suit my liking. Big cities with lots of shops and people are my favorites! 

Thank you so much for reading! Hopefully, I didn’t bore you.  By the way, have any of you visited NY or Boston? If so, when? If not, would you like to someday?