Inferno Reaction Paper

Regan Bloss

Nikki Morrell

Honors English IV

December 1, 2011

Why does Dante utilize animal imagery for the sinners? Create a thesis and use a few specific examples to support.

     The animal kingdom makes up the entirety of this Earth, and since the beginning of human history, we have had our very own experiences with all sorts of animal species. Over time, we have characterized animals by their inherent characteristics and behaviors, and then only naturally, we have compared animal characteristics to human characteristics. Anciant cave drawings, medieval sculptures and murals, as well as present-day art are a testament to our connection with animals and the same characterizations can bee seen in literature, both new and old. Dante Alighieri, in his world-reknowned masterpiece La Divina Comedia- Inferno, uses anamalistic imagery for comparative characterizations, behaviors, and allusions.

     Perhaps one of he most noticeable uses of animal imagery occurs in canto seven, when Dante is exploring the fourth and fifth circles of hell, where the avaricious and sullen are respectively punished. In the beginning of this canto, Dante and Vigil cross paths with Putus, who is identified as an infuriated wolf. Virgil says to Plutus, “Silence, cursed wolf! Consume yourself with your rage within,” (Alighieri 7.8-7.9). This reference most likely has a two-fold meaning. First, wolves are generally associated with greed, which would link Plutus to the fourth level of hell and the avaricious; and second, wolves are reknown for their ferocity, which would link Plutus to the fifth level and the angry or sullen. In either case, Plutus is appropriately the center-point for introduction into both the fourth and the fifth circles of hell.

     In the same fashion, Dante not only links the characteristics of animals, but also the allusions to which animals are associated with. Namely, Dante uses dolphins in canto 22 to allude to an old conjecture about the sinners. This canto, which takes place in the 5^th pouch of the 8^th circle of hell, is filled who those who have exploited public office through corruption. Their punishment is to now be tortured by demons in a boiling pitch; however, “as dolphins do… to lessen the pain, a sinner would show his back and hide it in less than a flash,” (22.19-22.21) The allusion comes from an old idea that dolphons warm sailors when a storm is approaching. In hell however, sinners, who are acting like “dolphins,” warn others of the oncoming demons.

     Finally, Dante uses characterized bahviors of animals to relate to sinners. This use of animals couldn’t be more enumerated than in Canto 33, when Count Ugolino is gnawing on the back of his rival Archbishop Ruggieri’s skull. Ugolino “took Ruggieri’s wrtched skull with his teeth… like a dog,” and gnawed on it from behind (33.78). This depiction was perhaps the most vivid and animalistic depiction in The Inferno and made for one of the most unforgettable uses of animal imagery in La Divina Comedia.

     But why do writers, Dante included, use animal imagery? Well, swiss psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung emphasizes on the “collective unconscious,” to answer this question. He describes the “‘collective unconscious’ as being inhabited with archetypes that are derived from primal animal behaviors that all humankind possesses,” (Huffman 494). In simpler terms, everyone can relate to the charactistics of animals.

     By experiencing Dante’s animal imagery and symbolism, the reader has the ability to better understand, and extract the important behaviors and fellings that Dante tries to convey. And Dante does not hold back on the imagery. For instance, in canto twenty-two alone, Dante refers to dolphons (22.19-22.21), frogs (22.25-22.27, 22.32-22.33), otters (22.36), boars (22.56), cats (22.58), mice (22.58), birds (22.96), dogs (22.106), horses (22.114), ducks (22.30), falcons (22.132), and even hawks (22.139); and he compares these animals to both sinners and devils alike. As can be seen then, Dante frequently uses animal imagery for comparative behavioral characterizations that are essential to the reader’s understanding, and fundamentals of the novel.  

Works Cited

Huffman, Karen. Psychology in Action. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 2005.  

The Vexations of Vehement Visual Violence

Regan Bloss

Nikki Morrell

Honors English IV

November 20, 2011

The Vexations of Vehement Visual Violence

Millions of kids grow up watching cowboy shoot-em-ups, weekend "creature features," and good ol' cops-and-robbers crime dramas; however, with so much violence on our televisions today, the question of whether television violence is having a negative effect on society begs to be answered. To answer this question it is imperative to examine the biological perspective of aggression, then analyze the academic criminologist perspective, before determining how big of a negative impact media violence really causes. In a nutshell however, media violence, more specifically television violence, has a profound biological impact, which causes significant measurable effects on criminal behavior and resulting negative effects on society.

Neurobiologist Dr. Debra Niehoff, in her science-journal article “The Biology of Violence,” explains that violent behavior is a result of a developmental neural process. It is not a trait that someone is born with or someone grows out of, instead violent behavior is developed through a series of interactions between a person and his or her environment. These interactions trigger emotional responses, which are recoded in the nervous system by means of chemical messengers, or neurons. Niehoff extrapolates on this fundamental neural concept by analyzing the link to actual aggression. If the "dialogue" between a person’s environment and themselves is largely positive, then a persons nervous system is more likely to develop in a "socially acceptable" way. On the contrary, negative environmental impacts on a person impair a person’s ability to cope with the challenges of life, which in turn harbors "socially unacceptable" behavior. Often times, a person who has experienced a negative environment will overreact and feel threatened all the time, or under react and not fear punishment, authority, or getting hurt. Either way, a person’s judgment is seriously impaired when being exposed to negative occurrences, which includes viewing violent television shows (Heins 32-33).

This theory is re-affirmed by professor of psychology at Stanford University, Albert Bandura, who explains the social-cognitive theory of aggression from a cognitive-neoassociationistic perspective. The theory “contends that people observe important role models, make inferences and attributions, and acquire scripts, schemas, and normative beliefs that then guide their subsequent behavior,” (Bandura, Martino, Chory-Assad).

Critics of this theory disregard its evidentiary support, which proves that a person’s experiences, including watching violent shows, are the causational factor in aggression, because there are a number of third-factor variables to take into account. That is exactly why Dr. Rowell Huesmann, collegiate professor of communication studies and psychology in the Institute for Social Research of the University of Michigan, performed a number of correlational studies, which monitor the relationship between watching violent TV and acting aggressively. Huesmann’s fifteen-year study controlled the myriad of third-factor variables, including prior aggressive behavior, by localizing specific variables and then testing for each one (Huesmann, Martino). The evidence concludes that the social learning of violence through the media is a direct cause of aggression. This is because biologically people are more likely to act in an aggressive way if they are repeatedly exposed to violent experiences where the aggressor is either praised or not reprimanded for his actions (Hearold, Martino). In other words, monkey see, monkey do.   

By the same token, television violence is a key facet to societal aggression and criminal activity says criminologists and ethical perspectives alike. Joanne Savage, assistant professor in the Department of Justice, Law and Society in the School of Public Affairs at American University, alludes to the fact that people are ethically obligated to oppose violent television shows because they inherently harbor aggressive behavior and impact society in a negative manner. Likewise, if one believes in societal justice and the notion that taking ones life is a dire action, then one should also acknowledge any susceptible threat to causing aggression, including watching a violent television, by being apposed to it. Simply put, social cognitive theory and moral justification obligate those who are opposed to aggression and death to oppose any external factor that causes aggression or death, including violent media (Heins 34-37). 

The final component in answering the initial question also seems to be where most of the debate lies. To what extent is violent-media-caused aggression affecting society? Part of the answer lies in solving for the common misconception that experimental data and real-world situations are compatible. Unfortunately and inconveniently they are not. The fact is, while the measurable affects of media violence, with regards to criminal behavior, are statistically significant, they are comparatively small when determined in the real world (Heins 34).

Consequently, while studies and theories like those performed and formulated by Huesmann and Bandura statistically and logically prove that media violence has a profound effect on society, real-world conditions, which include incalculable variables, are the reason for media violence having little direct effect on society. In any event, the logic behind social-cognitive theory and years of research, which provide substantial evidentiary support that media violence has a negative impact on society, cannot merely be disregarded due to its incompatibility with the real world. Instead, it would be pragmatic to take into account such evidence when determining a solution to the mounting problem of societal aggression. After all, “difficulties exist to be surmounted,” (Emerson).

Works Cited

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory.

Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Chory-Assad, Rebecca M., and Dana E. Mastro. Violent Videogame Use and Hostility

among High School Students and College Students. N.p.: Department of Communications, n.d. Boston College. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.

<http://icagames.comm.msu.edu/VGU&H.pdf>.

Emerson, Ralph W. The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. N.p.: n.p., n.d.

Web. 20 Nov. 2011.

<http://thinkexist.com/quotation/difficulties_exist_to_be/182179.html>.

Hearold, S. L. (1986). A synthesis of 1043 effects of television on social behavior. In G.

Comstock (Ed.), Public communication and behavior (Vol. 1, pp. 65–133). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.

Heins, Marjorie, Joanne Cantor, Henry Jenkins, Debra Niehoff, and Joanne Savage.

Violence and the Media. Nashville: First Amendment Center, 2001. 22-27. Print.

Huesmann, L. R., Moise-Titus, J., Podolski, C. L., & Eron, L. D. (2003). Longitudinal

relations between children’s exposure to TV violence and their aggressive and violent behavior in young adulthood: 1977–1992. Developmental Psychology, 39, 201–221.

Martino, Steven C., Rebecca L. Collins, David E. Kanouse, Marc Elliott, and Sandra H.

Berry. Interpersonal Relationships and Group Processes. N.p.: n.p., 2005. 2-3. Rand Corporation. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.rand.org/pubs/reprints/2008/RAND_RP1312.pdf>.

Guide Through Hell- "Speak of the Devil"

“Speak of the Devil”

If I were to take a trip through hell and needed a guide, I would with out a doubt choose the devil himself. Who better than the head honcho of hell himself to lead me through his kingdom? (Alliteration J) But to truly determine whether the devil is a good choice as a guide through hell, it is imperative to analyze whether or not he has the necessary characteristics of an effective guide like Virgil.

One necessary characteristic of a guide in hell has to be his “know-how” in getting around. In this aspect, the devil is the perfect individual for the job. Who knows hell better than the devil? This aspect of the job is particularly important because without the proper “know-how,” a trip through hell would be virtually impossible. For instance, if Dante did not have Virgil as his guide, then he would not have known to throw one end of his belt into a ravine filled with black water, which summons Geryon, and transports him to the final zone of the seventh circle of hell. Knowledge like this is crucial to a guide, and without it, the guide is useless. Therefore, Satan would be the perfect individual for the job simply because he knows his way around hell like the back of his hand.

The second vital characteristic of a guide through hell is that he has to have a commanding presence. Time and time again we see the necessity of Virgil’s commanding presence. Without a commanding presence, Virgil would be unable to progress in his quest through hell, and would then be unable to guide Dante through hell effectively. This same characteristic needs to be found when determining an effective guide through hell, and because Satan has this characteristic, he would once again be the perfect man for the job.

Canterbury Tales Poem- Charlie Sheen ;)

Another man that I did see

On April’s road to Canterbury

Walking through the fields of green

Was none other than Charlie Sheen

Trying to find a job again

He had been fired from Two and a Half Men

Only a stripper would get him grinning

A pile of coke… duh winning

At telling jokes he was a butcher

He had been replaced by Ashton Kutcher

His whole career had been a dud

A life lived off of tiger blood 

Casting of the Canterbury Tales

1. The Franklin: played by Robert Downey Jr.

            The Franklin, who accompanies his good friend the Lawyer, is a prominent, prosperous, and wealthy man. He is a rather generous and extroverted person, who is predominantly concerned with external things or objective considerations, and likes good food and good drinks. Having the Greek philosopher Epicurus’s out look on life, or the ideology that one should indulge in the utmost of pleasures, he openly invited anyone to come by his home and dine with him. (Lines 331-360)     

The Franklin would be played well by Robert Downey Jr. who is trademarked by playing rich and often exorbitantly wealthy men. Robert Downey Jr. played Tony Stark in the critically acclaimed box office smash hit “Iron Man.” Iron Man’s Tony stark was an exorbitant and overly wealthy man who might be considered Epicurus’s son. Like the Franklin, Stark enjoys the pleasures of life, and there is no pleasure that can escape him. 

Being that Tony Stark and the Franklin are very similar, Robert Downey Jr. would be perfect for the role as the Franklin.

2.  The Clerk: played by Tom Hanks

            The Clerk is the first admirable church member we meet on the pilgrimage. We also learn that the term "Clerk" is used as a cleric, a student, or a scholar. Thus the Clerk can be characterized in two main ways; the first is his love for learning about god; and the second is his will to be a scholarly and knowledgeable man, who in many cases would rather buy a book than a material good. (Lines 285-308)

            The Clerk would be played well by Tom Hanks who is known for playing serious, smart, and even religious characters. Tom Hanks starred as Robert Langdon in the 2006 blockbuster hit “The Da Vinci Code.” Langdon was a religious scholar and was passionate in learning the truth about religious mysteries such as the development of Christianity; so much so, that he got caught in the middle of a murder case with a two-thousand old society who has protected the secret of Christianity for thousands of years.
            Tom Hanks would be the perfect actor for the Clerk because of his extensive acting of humble religious scholars.

3. The Shipman: played by Geoffrey Rush

            The Shipman is a ship's captain, and the most skilled seaman from here to Spain. He feels more at home on the deck of ship than anywhere else, and is definitely not above piracy, or a little larceny. The Shipman is also a “hard” man and does not take prisoners in a sea fight. (Line 388-410)

            The Shipman would be a good role for Geoffrey Rush who has an extensive background in playing pirates. In fact, Geoffrey Rush played Captain Hector Barbossa in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy. Barbossa is one of the nine pirate lords, and unlike Capatin Jack Sparrow, is far more “firm” in terms of characterization. Furthermore, Geoffrey Rush, who plays Barbossa, would better serve as the Shipman, rather than Johnny Depp, who plays Cpatain Jack Sparrow, because he is far more likely to take drastic action and actually not take prisoners. On the other hand, Captain Jack Sparrow is “soft” in terms of characterization and would not fit the role of the Shipman as well.
            Thus, because of his extensive background, and his better suited characterizations, Geoffrey Rush is the best person to play the Shipman in the Canterbury Tales. 

Poem

The Croc Hunter- Steve Irwin

By: Regan Bloss

A croc hunter there was, one of the best

Who tackled crocs all day; that was his quest

He wore khaki shirts and shorts all the same

But never got lost in all of the fame

What’s more he was a merry hearted man

And like Jersey Shore’s Snooki, always was tan

He was like Hephaestus; god of the fire

Caring and loving; always admired

But he met his demise with a stingray

Beowulf in the Business World

Regan Bloss

October 5, 2011

Hon English IV

Ms. Morrell

An Environmentally Informative… Yet Creative Essay/Story

About Beowulf Trump in the Business World

Shield Sheafson was once an affluent and powerful captain of industry. He ruled the oil industry using a combination of vertical and horizontal integration systems, or systems which sought to sell a type of product in a number of different markets. This market strategy gave him an almost complete monopoly over his competitors; and being that he could shift supply and demand, as well as the global economy’s productivity level, Sheafson became one of the most influential men of his time. He built a massive oil empire, which consisted of domestic and foreign properties and assets of exorbitant worth. In fact, he was the recipient of Time Magazines “Most Influential Person in the World,” award.

However, Sheafson was disliked for his planetary management worldview that he held. He said that “we are separate from and in charge of nature, and thus through technology we should manage earth’s life support systems to yield the greatest benefit to us.” In essence, Sheafson was a greedy, selfish, and uncompassionate human being, and to say that he had a few opponents would be an understatement.

With the global stewardship environmental movement well underway, Sheafson became the epitome of evil, and the direct cause for global warming and climate change. The global stewardship movement held that we can and should manage the earth for our benefit, but that we have an ethical responsibility to be caring and responsible managers of the Earth. Some call it the “tree-hugger movement,” while others call it “ethical environmental responsibility.”

Either way, Grendel Corporations was at the forefront of the stewardhip movement and led the way in environmental responsibility policies. Gredel Corporations was a facilitator of eco-cities, and eco-villages. It developed alternative energy sources, and proposed that Sheafson, with his oil empire, was directly killing the environment and contributing to the earth’s over ecological footprint through carbon dioxide emissions. Grendel Corporations did everything in their power to bring Sheafson’s empire down. They sued Sheafson for environmental irresponsibility, campaigned against him, and even published articles directly blaming Sheafson for global warming. For twelve years, Grendel Corporations targeted Sheafson as a mass murderer, and environmental eradicator.

Grendel Corporations made a few key attacks against Sheafson; but perhaps the biggest attack blamed Sheafson himself for oil salves and their contribution to global warming. Grendel, the president of Grendel Corporations explained global warming himself in a seminar to attack Sheafson’s oil product promotion. Grendel explains- “as the sun’s energy enters the atmosphere in the form of light waves, some of that energy warms the Earth and then is re-radiated back into space in the form of infrared waves. Under normal conditions, the atmosphere naturally traps a portion of the outgoing infrared radiation; however, a thin layer of atmosphere is being thickened by huge quantities of human-caused green house gases, which in turn do not allow the infrared waves to escape. These green house gases include Sheafson’s oil by products such as carbon dioxide.”

The second major attack that Grendel corporations made against Sheafson was one that called Sheafson out as a mass murderer. At Grendel’s end-of-the-year banquet, he claimed, “Sheafson has killed people all over the world as a direct cause to his exorbitant carbon dioxide emissions. These deaths come in two forms; one in the form of rising sea tides across the pacific, which were attributed to higher global temperatures; and the second attributed to extreme change in weather patterns which killed thousands, and was caused by a temperature fluctuation due to green house gas emissions.”

Grendel would give speeches like these explaining global warming, as well as global warming’s causes and affects, all over the world to raise awareness of the inclusive issue and Sheafsons wrong doings. Grendel claimed, “Sheafson was environmentally irresponsible and danger to the global society.”

After twelve years, Grendel Corporations was finally making difference. The global stewardship movement grew exponentially, and oil demand dropped because of the increased used of alternative energy. Grendel thought his mission was well on his way to success; but he was wrong.

The best thing that Sheafson ever did after that twelve years of attack was to hire the best lobbyist and his firm to aid his broken global image. Beowulf Trump was the most well-known and influential lobbyist in the United States. He had helped elect two presidents and convinced the public that smoking was not a health problem. Beowulf would convince people anything as long as the money was there.

At square one, Beowulf used “doubt,” as his biggest weapon against Grendel and all those who defied Sheafson’s policies. More specifically, Beowulf used the same tactics, namely creating doubt by asking unanswerable questions, to defend Sheafson’s environmental policy, the same way he lured people into smoking. Beowulf used this tactic because, as he put it, “creating doubt is the best mechanism to defend against fact.” Beowulf knew that there was strong evidence to suggest Sheafson was a major cause of global warming, however he would guard against the facts by instilling doubt in the minds of those who were not fully convinced but asking questions such as, “what is the real link between Sheafson and global warming?” And when that question was answered, Beowulf would just keep asking “how,” or “why,” or “by what means.” With all these questions being asked and the non-ability of Grendel Corporations and the other stewardship movement organizations and people unable to fully answer Beowulf’s questions, all credibility was eventually lost. And as soon as there was doubt in the minds of Americans, there was controversy in America, and then controversy world wide, and then doubt in the minds worldwide. Beowulf used this “snow-balling,” technique where one action causes a bigger chain reaction to cause psychological doubt. Beowulf’s mission was once again a success and he emerged triumphant in the battle of environmental views.

The only question now is what Grendel Corporation will do to gain environmental credibility. I can only guess that they will get some help from the person who taught Grendel everything about lobbying- his mother.

Stuck on an Island... but not Rarotonga

Regan Bloss

October 5, 2011

Hon English IV

Creative Writing- Stuck on an Island for a day

One Day in the Life of a Guy who is Now Stuck on an Island

            When I woke up, I saw nothing but blue skies and the occasional cloud here and there. I thought I was in heaven. Just floating in a never-ending continuum. Everything was so peaceful and serene. I lay down in what felt like heaven for an hour or so. I just lay there, doing nothing save looking up at the beautiful sky. I had nothing to worry about in the world- or so I thought.

But what felt like an hour in heaven, was in reality five minutes of unconsciousness. And when I really woke up, I didn’t see blue skies at all; but skies of black and gray. The sky above me looked like some scene out of an apocalyptical-end-of-the-world movie. At first the un-common scene intrigued me, but then panic filled my now conscious body. I felt an awful pain in my leg. It felt like a dog had been gnawing on my leg and just wouldn’t let go. I tried to get up, but it was harder than I thought. It took me a couple of tries to sit up, and when I eventually did- I could not believe my eyes.

My eyes adjusted to what seemed like a blinding light from the sun. Everything was white. But as my eyes readjusted, the only color I could see was red. Dead bodies lay everywhere- men, women, children, elderly. I seemed like no one’s life was speared. I quickly scan my surroundings for any survivors. And out of the corner of my eye, I see a hand move- someone else had survived!

Panic had now turned into adrenalin and my hurt leg, which I didn’t even bother looking at, was no longer hurting. I maneuvered my body to one side, and then flipped my self over. I was now lying on my stomach and trying to use my arms to prop myself up. I was a lot weaker than I remember last. I used every once of strength in me to get up, and half-crawling, half-limping, and half-hopping I make my way to the half-conscious man across the beach. I thought to myself- he can’t die!

I had never felt so determined in my life. Just knowing that this man might be the only other person to have survived, compelled me across the beach. I guess it was years of my mom telling me, “help others before you help yourself.” I don’t know. But what I did know was that this man might be my only chance of of survival. And I’ll admit it- I was scared of being the only one alive.

When I got over to the man, I was relieved to see him in no physical harm. How he wasn’t hurt, I have no idea. He just seemed unconscious. I lifted his head out of the water, and laid it on my lap. It was only at this point that I realized I was on a beach. I guess I was so distracted by the black sky and the dead bodies that I hadn’t fully comprehended where I was. Although, knowing that I was on a beach, didn’t mean I knew where I was. I still had no idea where I was. While I was holding the man’s head, I noticed all the dead bodies around me. It grossed me out. I thought I was going to be sick; but when you grow up with 3 older brothers, it’s hard to be grossed out. I can tell you that to see a dead body on television was nothing like seeing a dead body in real life. The two experiences are un-relatable, and nothing can prepare you for the sight of a dead person. I also noticed that there was a lot of luggage washed up on the beach. I guess that’s a given in a plane crash. As I was determining my next step for survival- the man woke up.  

“Hey. Hello. Hellooo. Are you ok man? Do you remember anything? Easy there, don’t get up too fast,” I say. The man was still unresponsive, but managed to sit up. As he came to his senses, I actually recognized him- he was the pilot.

The pilot’s first words were, “where are we?” I responded by saying, “I wish I knew.” Oddly enough, he smiled. I don’t know why. I guess he found my response amusing. But his smiling was contagious, and for the first time since being stranded on this unknown island after an awful plane crash, I actually smiled back. Not because of anything really, except life. It was at this point that I was just grateful for life. My life. The pilot smiled back at me, and after half an hour more sitting on the beach, the pilot and I got to know one another.

He was actually a really nice guy. He told me that he was once an air force pilot, and that he had been deployed in over-seas missions for over ten years. He told me that our plane crashed due to a dual-integral engine failure, and extreme pro-turbulence. Of course he explained the engine failure in some “smart person” way, which of course I didn’t understand. I just call it an engine failure. The pilot then said something that I will never forget, “we will survive you know.” His voice was full of determination and confidence. To be honest, I had lost all hope when I woke up on the beach, but his re-assuring words gave me the one tool I would not be able to find in the plane wreck- Faith!

The pilot and I gathered our strength and stumbled to our feet. I then looked down and saw the gash in my leg. It looked like a piece of metal had torn right down my shin. Wasting no time, the pilot ripped off his sleeve and used it like a bandage to rap my leg. The pressure of the bandage felt good, and the pilot said we have to cover it up to avoid infection. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. I guess I should have taken more care of myself. But I had to set my priorities. And my only goal before then was to save the pilot’s life. Now that my leg was rapped up, the pilot and I could scavenge the beach for survival items. But there was only one more problem- the tide was coming in, and fast!

Sitting around and wrapping my leg had given the ocean waves time to come in. The pilot and I both rummaged through the wreckage to find useful items. The pilot, who was in his mid fifties, was surprisingly fit, and was able to scavenge pretty fast. Me on the other hand… not so much. With my hurt leg, I was only able to gather a few items. I got a book, a couple of cell phones, and an ipod. Fortunately, the only book I picked up was one I had never read, which meant that I could at least enjoy a good book while stranded; but I was really not thinking about luxuries like reading, especially considering the excess of jobs the pilot and I had to do before sundown. We had to find or make a shelter, gather food, and make a fire-, which proved to be a challenging with very little light left.

Fortunately, the pilot and I were able to use some of the wreckage, like the external plane panels, for shelter. And food for the night was not that hard to get because we found a coconut tree nearby. I just hoped that we wouldn’t have to eat coconuts forever. Making fire proved to be the most difficult task. We had to use the old “rubbing two sticks together” technique, which meant I had blisters for what seemed like forever. One of the four phones I picked up actually worked. So I was able to use the light of the cell phone for some light. I also tried to call for help but it was no use- I was a long way from civilization.

I had survived the first day… somehow. I guess god was looking out for me, or something. I am definitely glad to have the pilot with me; he is so confident and strong. He is like my supplement strength.

That night the pilot and I just talked. Both of us knew that this unforeseen event would change our lives forever. But the one thing neither of us would ever know- is if we would ever escape. 

About ME!

A little bit about me:
1. My middle name is Makea
2. I'm from Australia
3. English IV is my hardest class and I take 4 AP's including AP Physics

Class Riddle: Shoe

“Better than Socks”

By: Regan who Rocks!

While I sure am lonely, a many a nights

When you fill me daily, you’re my greatest delight

I get pretty tired from over use

But never complain except when I’m loose

And while I smell bad and sometimes I leak

I never use my tongue and thus never speak

I am tied and clicked

I am dragged and kicked

I sometimes light up

And sometimes shape-up

I’m always picked up and always thrown down

I’m walked uptown and downtown

And am big on a clown

You’ve taped me up

You’ve drawn on me too

I been eaten by pup’s

And now worn out by you

I can be big or small

I can be thick or thin

Used for baseball

And needed to win

I’ve been hung on power lines

And dressed to the nines

As a final clue

I make Hermes fly

I can be black, white, or blue

So… Who am I?

Answer: a Shoe

So do you know who?

That’s right I’m a shoe

And from my point of view

There’s nothing more true!

Common App College Essay

Give an Island Boy a Chance to Save the World…

or at least his Island

Rarotonga is one of thirteen small islands in the south-pacific, collectively known as the Cook Islands. It’s so small; you can’t even see it on most maps, and it’s not a place on Microsoft Office. It’s population is even less than your school. But I couldn’t care how small or insignificant it seems. I, Regan Makea Bloss, am proud of where I am from and the legacy I am apart of.

My Grandfather, Tui Pori Makea, was the King of Rarotonga and the ruler of the Cook Islands. He did everything in his power to ensure the welfare and prosperity of my islands; however now, my Cooks Islands are faced with a worldwide issue that is far beyond our control- Global Warming.

Global Warming over the past decade has had a serious impact on island nations. In Geoffrey Leans novel A Disappearing World he explains how Lohachara Island, home to ten thousand people off the coast of India, has been completely obliterated by rising tides. This seemingly apocalyptic event has solidified scientist’s predictions and it gets far worse. Not only have a number of other island nations, like Vanuatu, been forced to evacuate their populace as a precaution of rising seas, but Lohachara is not the only island to be completely destroyed; you can add Ghoramara, Kiribati and a number of other island nations you and I have never heard of to that list. Today, global warming refugees wander the Pacific without a home.

Some islands are victim to carbonic acid waters, which destroy coral reefs and all marine life, leaving only the name “dead zone” to signify no life. Not only does carbonic acid wipe out marine life, economies, and people who can’t get enough food, but it also kills a people’s livelihood and heritage, as many pacific nations center their culture around the ocean.   

The human cost of global warming, as tides continue to rise, will soon make seventy thousand people homeless. This sort of number was unthinkable five years ago, and not even thought of a decade ago.

Fortunately, having Rarotongan heritage has given me a completely different outlook on life. Just because something seems to be small, doesn’t mean it’s not important. I couldn’t imagine my home being destroyed, and I am sure you couldn’t either. And while it may seem unthinkable now, it might not be five years from now. Thus, I am motivated and determined, now more than ever, to proliferate the idea of global warming and its impacts through education. With a good education, and a life in politics after that, I will have the ability to affect change regarding Global Warming. I know my Grandfather would do everything in his power to stop human-stimulated global warming to save his country, which is exactly what I am going to do.  
I believe- thinking that you can’t change is wrong, but thinking that there is no need to change is tragic.

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