Monday, September 26, 2011

College Essay

Lateralization of the brain; the brain's distinct hemispheres and their functions. William Herrmann, a man known for his research in creative thinking and whole brain methods, developed a system to measure and describe the ways people think. His model introduces four dominant methods of thinking: Analytical, Sequential, Interpersonal, and Imaginative. He labels the brain's hemispheres with the letters A, B, C, and D, in a counter-clockwise fashion. Analytical and Sequential on the left side of the brain, and Interpersonal and Imaginative on the right side. I would consider myself a right-brained person. On the interpersonal level, the qualities that identify this hemisphere are feeling based, kinesthetic, and emotional. Closer to the cerebral mode, is the Imaginative traits; holistic, intuitive, integrating, and synthesizing.

I was handed a box of crayons in the second grade and asked to begin by sketching an illustration of an event that had happened that week, then below on the piece of paper, accompany the image with a short story. I reached for the black crayon first; I drew my people. I pressed boldly onto the paper, imperfectly drawing a circle for my father's head, then my mother, my older sister, me, and my younger sister. Unlike the rest of my classmates still using crayon surrounding me, I used my pencil next. I made the lonesome circles into lollipops by lightly adding bodies to my family. Following the body, I added arms and legs. I had carefully anticipated that I was going to be erasing some lines as my drawing progressed. I chose the brown crayon next to outline a t-shirt onto my father - knowing to avoid the pinks and purples for him. Before completely shading in the empty shirt, I erased the line piercing right through the shirt, and the lines I had drawn for what I called arms. I repeated this process meticulously until my family was complete. "Everybody hand in your work!" This phrase was the deepest of my concerns at the time. I hadn't written anything. I had yet to explain my picture.


Since then, it has become obvious that I am a right-brained, "kinesthetic" learner. Carefully detailing each drawing? That's where the analytical hemisphere contributes. I've always found it harder to understand anything but some form of media. There's no way for me to connect to my learning experience on the emotional, personal, expressive, and intuitive levels. I remembering going through the last 8 years of school feeling as if I had to struggle to find the answer to a simple but complex math problem, while in seconds, my classmates could tell you every exact calculation. It wasn't that I was slow, or that I didn't know how to solve the problem, but because I learned differently. I comprehended the information a more visual way. This, I now understand.


Most people would try to change themselves for the good of their future, but I have chosen to embrace it. Instead of being taught how to graph a line by hearing, I physically apply myself to the problem by drawing out the graph and plotting the line, taking the extra step in order to learn. Outside of the average classroom, I participate in art classes. When placed into an art class as a student that is not artistic, most people's attitudes would be "YES! An easy A," or "Great. I'm not doing anything, this will be simple". As an artistic student, I see having an art class as an opportunity for expressing myself, my thoughts, my stress. I see an opportunity to evaluate balance, evaluate the world, and to evaluate mood.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Blog Comments

Holly's Blog Comment
Sally's Blog Comment
Holly's Blog Comment
Ms Kennett- some comments are not on here, I cannot remember whose posts I commented on, I'm continuing to look and will post the links as I find them! I know I have posted quite a few more!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Moral Compass: Fork in the Road

Our moral compasses shape us into our very unique molds. It's the direction we choose to follow, the fork in the road that we come to and have to decide which road to take. Not only is our morality our self respect, but our compasses that guide us through life. What means the most to you? Do you have your priorities "straight" as some would say? My four main priorities and points to my compass in life are family and friends, passion, determination, and sports and social life. In that particular order.

If someone were able to step inside the pair of cleats and the pair of goalkeeper gloves I play in everyday, every month, every season, every year; and into my head - with all the cluttered file cabinets of thoughts, they would only have a preview of the last seventeen years of my life, and the next four to come. My family and friends are what matter most to me, and who guide me through my hectic, stressful, and busy but fortunate life. My parents, most importantly, affect every decision I ever have and ever will make. They are the constant early morning robin, that no matter what, I can still hear chirp in the background of every thought. I know that I've been blessed with family that cares so much about me, my present, and my future. Family and friends shape my morals by teaching me through everything -good and bad, adversity or not - what is right. They have strongly urged the phrase, "guilty by association", to encourage that I pay close attention to the decisions I make and who I choose to associate myself with.

My passion and determination are the next two points of my compass that dually influence me everyday.  About ninety percent of my life I would say is spent on a soccer field, or an athletic facility. Soccer isn't just a sport for me anymore as it was throughout elementary school, and most of middle school. Soccer is a passion. Not only a passion, or a stress reliever, but it is where I feel a sense of achievement and purpose. If I was handed pen and paper and told to write, I could write but with hesitation to "want" to write - entire lack of motivation. If handed my gloves and a soccer ball, I could persevere. In spite of becoming tired and so competitive that nothing else matters, I would be determined to maintain a purpose for playing; pushing through the aches, the pains, the negative mentality to give up. As it is with soccer, it is with art. Art is where my passion meets life. It is brought to life through whatever media I use, and whatever sense of depth my art stresses. Many of the messages in today's society have no way to be, simply yet complexly, expressed to every individual of this world with the exception of visual art.

And lastly, an important point of my compass is my social life. A calm, relaxing, but exciting social life. I'm not the type to always have to be a part of some sort of crowd, but I do believe that there is more to life than just school, sports, a job, and looking for something to do next. I never take for granted the time I have with my friends, since most of my life lately is planning the next four years. I know I'm grateful for the opportunity to plan the next stage of my life, and hopefully when I get there, I can incorporate my social life as easily as I can now. Having morals, knowing to always try to make the best decisions, and keeping in mind that they will always affect the person I am and will become, I would never trade my moral compass with anyone. I will never allow myself to behold regrets, to make poor and preventable decisions, or be guilty of anything (but the junk food I eat). I know I'll always "keep my priorities straight", and take the right road when I get to that fork.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

What is Morality?

Morality is what defines us as individuals. As Ke$ha says, "we are who we are,". Yes, I just quoted Ke$ha.. For an English blog.. Anyway. Morality is the difference between right and wrong; responsibility and maturity -- respect and disrespect. Growing and learning as humans, we gain the knowledge and the maturity level to know what is right, what is wrong, and what is expected of us. Imagine yourself when you were young. Your parents tell you to stop pushing your friends at the playground. As a toddler, you don't understand the concept of why pushing someone will eventually hurt them. As a child, it becomes more clear. Finally, as a "kid" you realize pushing someone is wrong, and helping them up is right -- you learned this by subconsciously knowing respect and responsibility.

We have all heard someone at some point say, "Do the right thing," "You know better than that," "You know what the right thing to do is". But, what is the "right thing"? What do you "know better than" to do? Morality is what you value, and what you were taught was acceptable. Outside influence affects what we think is right or wrong, but in the "long run" it is us who decides that we aren't going to go rob a bank, but instead, stop the burglar. Your conscience, that little voice in your head, or that "devil" on your shoulder, often is the strongest "outside" influence. Your conscience helps you mature and listen to the internal message guiding your morals. Morality is a belief; the belief that you can trust your knowledge, your responsibility, your respect, and your maturity. So you are who you are, but who will you listen to? The voice inside your head, or the devil on your shoulder? .....Or maybe even Ke$ha?