Spanish Club Update - 2/28/10

I have been continuing to plan events for the Spanish Club, and now that I have realized that I can't begin to plan for an event in Boston only a week before it takes place, I have begun to do some useful research.

• Boston, MA - Villa Victoria Center for the Arts y New England Conservatory se unen una vez más para presentar solistas y pequeños ensambles destacados interpretando un variado repertorio de diversos compositores clásicos de América latina. El Latin American Classical Composers’ Series es una colaboración anual honrando el legado y las contribuciones de latino America al genero de música clásica. Esta singular presentación incluirá un concierto gratuito el día Domingo 11 de Abril, de 3:00 a 5:00 pm, en Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, 85 West Newton Street, Boston, como parte de su aclamada serie cultural latina. El Latin American Classical Composers’ Series presentará a los mejores músicos de New England Conservatory. Presentarán composiciones desde Argentina a México y al Caribe. En preparación para el concierto final, estudiantes del New England Conservatory ofrecerán recitales comunitarios para residentes de Villa Victoria y una matinée para 300 niños y niñas de escuelas del South End.
• http://www.tuboston.com/article-3771-musica-clasica-latinoamericana-en-villa-victoria.html

This event described above is a free concert that will take place in Boston on April 11, a Sunday. The theme is Latin American classical music, which is a relatively uncommon cultural manifestation. I have never come across Hispanic classical music, so I think that this would be a great event for the Spanish Club to attend. I will approach Ms. Kirk about organizing it, and it would most likely have to simply be a carpool to the T and then a ride into Boston to see the show. I think that this is a great opportunity that we should take advantage of, and I'll make its organization my priority.

I also found an article on Tu Boston about an exhibit in Boston that I found very interesting. This isn't specifically Spanish and Latin American culture, but instead it is an art gallery of Mayan works. Of course, the Mayans were long before Spanish influence so none of this will be depicted in their art and statues, but the Mayan cultures and all preexisting indigenous cultures in Latin America have greatly influenced the development of the present-day Spanish speaking states. This exhibit could add an interesting new perspective to our view of the development of the Spanish foreign language and culture, specifically in Latin America.

• http://www.tuboston.com/article-3764-piscina-de-fuego-los-mayas-y-el-mar-mistico.html

Model UN Update - 2/24/10

At Model United Nations today, I experienced my first debate. I think back in November there may have been one that I was unable to attend, but despite my underwhelming history in debate nearly everyone on the team, save the returning members, was clueless as well. I was very excited to learn something new though, so I was willing to give it my all, even if it wasn't that much.

The topic we were debating was the Hamas massacre in Syria. Globally, this is a very important issue because the resolution entails a firmer definition of genocide. People have been debating whether or not this Hamas massacre was genocide, and today after school we became the most recent group of people to continue this debate. We were split up into two sides, one claiming that the Hamas massacre was genocide and the other claiming the opposite. I was claiming that it was.

The debate really was a lot of fun. I was a bit intimidated at first because of my lack of experience, but everyone took the debate rather lightheartedly despite the severity of the topic. We really just wanted to focus on teamwork and learning the necessary skills for debate. Prior to the debate, we were given some time to talk with our side in order to construct a good argument. My side worked collaboratively together to express the definition of genocide and then explain how the Hamas massacre fit that description. We worked very cohesively as a team. Besides this, I developed new skills in debate. My arguments weren't very refined given that it was my first attempt at debate, but I learned how debates would work, and I learned key terms that could be exercised.

During this specific debate, I was forced at times to consider the ethical implications of some of my opinions. While debating that the massacre was genocide, I had to slander the names of the troops that committed the act. I still support the idea that this was genocide, but if this debate actually realized global decisions or definitions, I could feel terrible about having declared a person to be an instigator of genocide if they were under orders that they had to blindly follow from a superior. I'm just glad that I wasn't on the side that believed the Hamas massacre to be a mere accident or coincidence and not at all genocide.

Academic Team Update - 2/23/10

After a few weeks recess, the Academic Team finally met today to begin preparations for our last test, which will take place sometime in April or May. We continued our routine of Mr. Scott asking us Trivial Pursuit questions while Dr. Stewart asked us random ones from a book. The meeting went well today. Everyone seemed to be focused and we got most of the questions right, except for the really obscure ones. I was especially happy because it seemed like all rivalries had left, and the team was laughing, joking, and working cohesively. I recognize that these are integral actions for the collaboration of a team, and this made me very happy.

I know that my strength in trivia up to this point has been geography. After the High School Quiz Show competition, I felt that my area of expertise was too narrow, so recently I have been reading more and more books. Of course this isn't just for the sake of Academic Team - I enjoy reading - but it has helped broaden my knowledge. My development of new trivia skills was demonstrated today. At the meeting during lunch, we were asked a few questions about literature. One question asked who wrote the book Lolita, which I know is Nabokov because I am reading that book currently. Another question stated the first line of a Tolstoy book, and asked which book it was. I knew it was Anna Karenina, because I am reading that as well. It was great to be confident in questions that did not pertain to geography, and I am proud that I have really increased my knowledge in literature.

Spanish Club Update - 2/22/10

I really want to put more of my efforts into the Spanish Club. I am very passionate about Spanish, as already mentioned, and this club will help me share that passion with others who are interested in the Spanish language and the Latin culture. I also realize that I will soon be applying to colleges, and they want to see that I have a passion that I am fully dedicated to. This Spanish Club will help me to present to them that not only do I love Spanish, but I am enamored of all foreign languages and cultures.

Anyways, so as to initiate the club, I have been looking for local events with Hispanic connections. This has proven a bit difficult; despite the large Brazilian influence on Cape Cod, there is very little circumstance in regard to Latino culture with a focus on Spanish-speaking countries. There is a great dearth of Hispanic-ness around Hyannis. I have looking at events in Boston, but the website I found, tuboston.com, advertises events only a few days before they occur. For example:

• "Fue un 27 de febrero cuando Juan Pablo Duarte declaró la independencia de República Dominicana. Ahora, 165 años (y 364 días) después, la organización juvenil Hyde Square Task Force y los miembros de su Proyecto de Jóvenes Dominicanos, celebrará el acontecimiento con un evento donde habrá música, comida, juegos, baile y mucha diversión, además de la oportunidad de aprender sobre la cultura e historia del país caribeño. El festejo se realizará el viernes 26 de febrero de 4:00pm a 8:00pm en la English High School, en 144 McBride Street, en Jamaica Plain. Para más información, contacte a Carla al (617) 524-8303 o carla@hydesquare.org."

This event would be great for the club to attend. It focuses specifically on the independence day of the Dominican Republic, and there would be great festivities celebrating the people, culture, and language. Unfortunately, it is happening in only a few days, and it will be impossible to organize in such a short span of time. Miranda and I will probably be the only ones in the Spanish Club, besides Ms. Kirk, but it's still difficult to arrange a trip to Boston. I have, however, found this:

• http://www.capeevents.com/event.cfm?Event_ID=6313

This links to the advertisement for the International Day at Cape Cod Community College. I went a few years back, and it was a lot of fun. Of course it is not specifically a Spanish festival, but it has exhibits from countries like Peru and it has a great banquet of international foods. I think that this will be a great first event for the Spanish Club, and seeing as it takes place on March 6th, I will have a meeting next week for anyone in the school that is interested in attending. Que Dios me otorgue buena suerte en mis planes para este evento!

Sturgis Curling Club Reflection

The Sturgis Curling Club was probably one of my favorite activities so far. I have never curled before in my life, but I knew a bit about the sport from watching it in the Winter Olympics. All I really knew was the basic point of the game; I was clueless in regard to the rules. Of course, my main goal for this activity was to learn the sport of curling and hopefully develop into a decent curler. I hoped that if I was able to achieve these goals, I would prove to myself that I could develop any new skills, really, and be successful in any new activity that I began. These were the perfect goals and they were certainly not a stretch. I think I achieved both of them, which makes me feel very confident with myself. I learned the rules of curling, learned the techniques and the strategy, and I am proud to say that I became a fair curler. This success can be applied to every aspect in my life; if I can succeed in something as foreign as this, I'm confident that I will be able to in nearly every new undertaking.

Learning how to curl was a very difficult process because it was so strange to me. This learning process shows how I met learning outcome 2, which is undertaking new challenges. Curling was a new challenge that I had to overcome by educating myself in the sport. The first few meetings we had were dedicated to mastering the essentials. We had to learn how to get our balance on the ice, with the sliders, and practice the basics. Mary Colacchio taught us all the curling terminology and then we began to try the sequences. We learned how to throw and then how to sweep. Both activities were rather difficult. Throwing requires balance combined with perfect strength and speed. Once we figured out how to throw, we had to work even harder to figure out how fast the stone should be, and where exactly to aim them. The entire process was very difficult, but it was great to develop these new skills. Not only did I meet learning outcome number 8 this way, but my education and subsequent development in curling really showed me that I can learn the basic skills necessary for anything.

In this way, the activity was very valuable to me. Not only did I ascertain this important idea that I could learn and be successful in anything, by I also learned the attribute of teamwork. This also was essential to my success. There are four people on a curling team, and at any given time they all have to work together to win an end and perform well in the entire game. The thrower, the two sweepers, and the skip all have to communicate and get the stone thrown and the job realized together. This teamwork met learning outcome 4, working cohesively with others, and it showed me that as much as I depend on my own skills, collaboration is essential to success.

I also showed myself that determination and perseverance are very important attributes to have not only in curling, but in all aspects of life. I stuck with this activity and only missed a meeting if I absolutely had to. This commitment and perseverance not only applied to my attendance, already meeting learning outcome 5, but it also applied to my efforts on the sheet. As I continued working with others and learning the sport of curling, I became aware of strengths and weaknesses, meeting learning outcome 1. I realized that I wasn't the greatest sweeper, but I also learned that I was a good thrower. I continued practicing with my sweeping, but to take advantage of my success in throwing, I undertook the job as the skip of my team in our final meetings, and I did really well as the anchor for the team. I was able to direct the shots, working on aim and speed, and also finish the game to my liking because I was in immediate control of the final two stones. This was fantastic for me because I was able to show myself that I can be outstanding in a specific subject area to the extent that I can act as a rock for my team. Having people depend on me and fulfilling their expectations for my performance was a great feeling, and it really helped my confidence.

Biology Peer Tutoring - 2/9/10

After school at peer tutoring today, only one student stayed after for help in biology. It was a girl in my class who had missed the previous lesson, so I was able to fill her in on what we had just learned from Ms. Kehoe and then work with her on some handouts. I felt comfortable with the material, even though I had just learned it, and because I had already done the handouts I was able to direct her towards the answers by explaining this recent class instruction. I was happy to reiterate what I had just learned as well, seeing as it helped me lock it into my memory. This peer tutoring really has been great, because I exercise my knowledge as I teach. The girl I was tutoring also had some handouts from Ms. Kehoe that the rest of the class hadn't actually received. They were on pedigrees, so as I helped her with those I got a bit of a preview of future lessons.

My friend Sophie was tutoring some freshmen in math in the same room as I was working on biology. At times, she got confused with what she was teaching so I stepped into help. I think I effectively explained some problems, and this helped solidify my confidence in my tutoring abilities. Not only can I clearly present information in biology, but I am a good enough tutor that I can help others in a subject that I'm not even very good at. This whole CAS activity makes me think I'd be a good teacher, perhaps even at an IB school.

Biology Peer Tutoring - 2/2/10

I stayed after school today expecting there to be a great crowd at the biology tutoring. However, it only ended up being that a few people needed help. We are learning genetics, consisting of mostly Punnett squares and simple definitions, a fairly easy unit. Anyways, Zach and I helped a couple of students work on a Punnett square handout that we were given for homework. It was fairly easy work, so we were able to be very thorough with our explanations. I think I did especially well in explaining how to do one specific problem, all the while referencing important connecting terms. There was one difficult problem involving multiple generations and confusing genotypes. However, I was able to collaborate with Zach to figure out the answer, and together we were able to present it in simple terms to the student. I am very pleased with my ability to tutor so far, and this is a great CAS activity not only because of the satisfaction I get from doing service, but also because while I teach others, I learn as well.