Mason's+Parchment


 * Mason's Parchment**

As an active teenager, I have been involved in so many things, and they all have helped shape me into the person that I am. I would have to say that music would be the number one thing that shapes me. Everyone that knows me, knows that I am an avid Eminem fan, and I constantly am singing his songs in class. Eminem's music is not like everyone else's that talks about what they have, it is about the trails and tribulations of life. It has taught me coping strategies, that I use when I am confronted with one of life's many problems. Along with Eminem, I love Taylor Swift. Thanks to my love of TSwift, I desired to play her songs on piano, but I never took a piano class before. Sitting down for hours at a time to learn how to play piano taught me such patience. Along with that, I am actively involved in chorus at the school, and thanks to chorus I learned the value of being a #|complete team player, because if you try to be the star or opposite not try at all, you will ruin it for the entire ensemble. My dad has been such a positive force in my life, and believe it or not he has done most of his teaching through music. I was immersed in the world of jazz and blues from a very young age. He taught me to appreciate the greats like Miles Davis and John Coltrane. All of the life lessons he conveyed to me, he could relate to a work of an artist. The best lesson he taught me was to be myself no matter what, and to teach me that lesson, he had me listen to Frank Zappa who's music can barely even be classified as music, let alone enjoyable music. My Mom has been a teacher to me since day one. She shaped my opinion on so many ideas, and once again music was used. To teach me to be accepting of all peoples of all colors and religions, she had me listening to so much soul train I felt like I was Stevie Wonder or a part of #|Earth Wind and Fire. My Mom also taught me a lesson she never meant to teach me. She is a recovering alcoholic, and having to deal with this disease has forced me to learn how to forgive. This lesson above all else has helped me. My closest friend Aaron Rill taught me a lesson I will never forget. He showed me pure strength when he faced the biggest tragedy of his life. I have learned so much from him and I can only hope I have taught him as much as he has taught me. I have played soccer since I was three years old, and now 18 years later I am the captain of the Varsity soccer squad and I am looking to play in #|college. Soccer has done for me like many others, shown the benefits of hard work, teamwork, and leadership. Soccer is a game that can be played on the nicest grass fields with a legitimate ball, or it can be played on the dustiest dirt road in a village were the ball is some rolled up cloth. Its a beautiful game that highlights everything that is good in this world, and honestly I will play it until God takes the strength to stand away from me. Finally, I am a part of the Performing Arts Department. Papa Z has seen thousands of teenagers go through his program, but yet it helps every single person become better. I know personally I was scarred to death to even be on stage, but Z taught me to be confident in my body and to be loud and proud. He is still trying to make me more mature but that seems to be a challenge to great to be accomplished in 4 years.

It's nice to hear that some guys aren't afraid to say they actually like Taylor Swift! I find it truly amazing how music can have such a profound meaning to every person. Especially when you can connect a song you know to a person you love. Your parents raised you well with good music. -Lyndsay

Mason, I found it interesting that music has had such a positive influence in your life. Being involved with music myself, I could personally identify with the sense of teamwork you learned from chorus and the determination you had to learn the piano. (I was also in a basic piano class last semester!) I think Eminem's music sometimes gets a bad wrap because of the stereotypical rap characteristics, but I like that you are able to get a positive message from his lyrics. I also admire your dedication to soccer. You couldn't have said it any better; soccer is still soccer in the million dollar stadiums down to the dusty roads.

Drew

Mason, I can relate to having music shape you as a person. I know I'm the same way. I can tell that you are very passionate about it just like I am. I also love how you included Z in your paragraphs. He is a good person to look up to. I know that I look up to him, and he has definitely taught me a lot throughout high school.

Monica

__**The Metamorphosis**__


 * WikiPost #1**


 * Summery:** Gregor Samsa is the average man of the time. He has a job as a traveling salesman, but he does not enjoy the work that he does. He only performs the duties because his family relies so heavily on his financial aid. But, one morning Gregor wakes up and something is not right. He is no longer a man at all, but instead a giant bug. He thinks that it is all a dream, and falls back asleep. But when he wakes up again, realizes he is late for work, and his new bug form stops him from rolling out of bed. The next couple parts deal with people trying to get him out of bed and eventually his boss shows up at the door, wondering why he didn't come to work.


 * Analysis:** All I can say is...."WHAT???" Franz Kafka must have a very twisted mind because he dives so deep into the main characters feelings of being a bug. But what surprised me the most was how little he seemed to care that he was a bug! It almost seemed as if this had happened before, and it was like the 24 hour flu. If I woke up and found myself to be a giant insect....I would be hysterical! This book is so far unlike anything I have ever read ever, and I know I will have to reread it to gain a full understanding of what is going on.


 * Application:** Humans are made to adapt. That is why we are the top organism on earth. But, how can you expect a man to adapt to such drastic changes? He in many ways has lost everything physically that makes him human. Can you then, treat him as if he were an animal? I'm curious to see later in the story, if the family of Gregor will treat him the same or not. I believe that he will be treated like a monster, and they might even try to kill him. On the other hand, from Gregor's perspective, his humanity is still intact. He has feelings, and he remembers everything about his life up to this point. Doesn't that qualify him to remain a human being? This raises the question, do we judge other people worth based solely on physical attributes? (Slaves)


 * WikiPost #2**


 * Summery:** It seems that the main character is getting severly mistreated by his family. They have him locked away in his room, and his sister is the only one that visits him to bring food. Gregor starts hiding under furniture and trying to listen to conversations that his family is having. These mostly upset him, because they talk about how much of a burden he is and, how they need his financial help again. But, even with this sadness and shame he has to bear, Gregor decides to explore is new capabilities. He finds amusement in climbing around the room on walls.


 * Analysis:** Gregor has owned up to being a bug. It appears from the outside, that while he doesn't enjoy being a bug, he has learned to accept it. Unfortunately for Gregor, he has become a burden on his family, and this can not be easy for him to deal with. I feel deeply sorry for Gregor, and I am surprised because in the beginning, I found myself laughing at his misfortune, but now I am more in tune with his pain. I just realized that there is a text to text connection I can make!!!! In the movie "The Producers", they read the beginning of a play out loud, and it said "Gregor Sampson awoke one morning to find that he had been changed into a giant cockroach!" This is almost identical to the beginning of the Metamorphosis!


 * Application:** Well I was correct on the one part, but not the other. The Samsa family did treat him differently than before, and I am not surprised. Now, does the fact that Gregor would rather eat food scrape, than he would normal food and milk, make him less human? Is that a fundamental human trait that all humans have? I've been so heavily worried about the families denial of Gregor's humanity that I almost overlooked a whole different perspective. When Gregor decides to accept his new form, is he in turn denouncing his humanity? When he decides to act like a bug and not a human, is that causing him to be stripped of all him human rights? All very interesting questions that I hope to answer as I continue to read this book.

__**THREE CUPS OF TEA**__


 * Wiki Post #3**

**Summery:** So far in the book Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson has just had a major failure in his life. He has not been able to climb to the peak of K2, which is the second largest mountain in the world. As a man that prides himself in pushing through struggle and battling adversity, not being able to defeat the mountain is a crushing blow. But as a mountaineer he knows that he cant give up yet, and he has to still travel back down the mountain. He carries the burden of the most weight, and after trekking  for hours he is completely depleted of energy. He stops to rest on the side of the mountain, and we get a peak into his past. As the story progresses we fall into a very boring pattern of Greg landing in a village, falling asleep, going out again, getting lost, finding a village, and more exhausted sleep. Along the way he reaches a village that has to teacher...no school and this inspires him to come back one day and build a school for the underprivileged children of Pakistan. **Analysis: ** I love reading, and I love climbing...but dear lord I hate reading about other peoples climbing adventures. I had to really focus to get through the pages of this book so far. My attention span was waning when out of nowhere...interesting content!!! They started talking about the children and their need for a school. I have looked into donating to schools in Africa with my girlfriend because we have a friend named joey over there who asks us to invest. So being able to connect to the book makes it so much easier to read. Im also surpised at the fact that the people can live in these conditions and with the very few supplies that are provided. **Application:** The human characteristic of perseverance can not be overlooked at all. Greg has the heart of a lion in my book. I feel as if he is a role model for all humans, because while times can get tough, you learn to just fight through it then you can make a difference. He had a struggle on that mountain, and he failed, but his will forced him to look on the brighter side of things. He instead of going home defeated, is gonna go home with a new passion. I wish I had this kind of a drive, because when I fail something I just want to throw in the towel and not try again. **Wiki Post #4** **Summery:** Planning is key when doing anything in life, and Greg did not do a good job of that! He was so shaky and unorthodox about getting donations, that I would never have given him any money. Along with that, he finally heads back to Pakistan to buy building supplies, but in the process sells all of his belongings! The risk he is taking to get this project underway is tremendous, but he is doing it for such a great cause. But, to add to his troubles Greg has to build a bridge to get across a gorge to reach his final destination. He returns back to the US to find his investment has not paid off very well so far, because both his girlfriend and his job are gone. Luck soon turns for Greg though. He gets extra funding and returns to build the bridge. Then while back in California he marries a women he meets at a dinner. **Analysis:** Wow what a roller coaster of events. I feel as if this story was made for me. I didn't like the opening, but now the juicy meat of the middle of the book has me hooked. When he was told about having to build a bridge, my heart sank for him, because I know what it feels like to work so hard for something, then an unexpected road block causes you to come to a sudden halt. And then to have the rest of his life taken away from him was just horrendous. I can't blame him for feeling depressed at a time like this. But then all of the sudden, he has risen again like a phoenix from its ashes! He starts accomplishing more and more, which just causes me to jump for joy because I love when the good guys win.
 * Application :** I hate to do perseverance again, but he really showed what he was made of in this last section. As a human being you cant help but be proud and impressed by his actions. Most people would have hung up the towel and say screw this...I am done! But not Greg! He decides that the mission he is fighting for, is way more important this his own self pity. Another human trait is falling in love. Man did he fall fast, if i married every girl I "fell in love with"....I'd be a polygamous. I am happy for him, but at the same time I am worried that his heart will be broken by this women who he has only known for a short while.


 * Wiki Post #5**


 * Summery:** I would like to entitle this section....Success and setbacks. The first part called success because he creates multiple schools, gains funds, and eventually wins the support of a representative of congress. These are all extremely impressive things to have happen to someone in their lifetime, and the reward is not for self gain. Instead all of his actions are for a global betterment. But there was a second part to the title I suggested. There were countless setbacks in his plans. To start he is kidnapped, then he has a religious indictment put against him, fundraising for his organization CAI is hard, and he becomes depressed from all the stressed that he puts on himself. But a final success is in store for him, as he decides to continue his work with all the added support, and he will begin work in Afghanistan.


 * Analysis:** I feel like I just got back from the best church service of my life! His story is so unbelievably uplifting that you cant help but smile!!! He battles through such hardships and no matter what he always comes out on top. I don't think he believes in luck, because he has a magic ability to create his own luck. I am down right astonished that this little idea of his to build one school on the side of a mountain, has led to all of this! It legit makes me want to find a cause I believe in, and work my tail off to make sure it is super successful! And then at the end, when you think he is gonna just take a break, he reveals his plan to expand his goodwill and start building schools for all the needy children in Afghanistan. Something that can not be overlooked is the fact that an American is helping Muslims, and this is a time when these actions are extremely frowned upon.


 * Application:** Caring is such a simple thing to do. And a little care can go a long way. But when someone care a whole heck of a lot about something...woooo nelly! Lets just say things get done. Humans have a unique characteristic, and that is the ability to care about something other than themselves. We have the gift of understanding. We understand that some people in this world are under privileged, and if we decide to do something about it, then we have the power to change the world. We as humans can shape the world we live in. That is something that no other animal can say. We as a species have a gift that Greg used to the maximum potential. I hope that when I write my autobiography, people will read and think of the traits I have mentioned above, because that means I did what mattered most in life....help others.

__**WIKI POST #6**__


 * __The Kite Runner.__**


 * Summery:** The book begins first with a present day analysis of the situation, and then it dives into the story in the next chapter. Amir describes his childhood and how he has a best friend named Hassan. He talks about the adventures they have around the house and how Hassan is picked on for being different, especially his cleft lip. You then learn of Amir's great father, Baba, who might as well be the king of Kabul. Baba is respected by all, and does many great things. Amir looks up to his Baba very much, but never seems to truly gain the love and attention that he seeks. Instead it appears that he only disappoints his father, most of the time. You later learn that Baba builds an Orphanage, and that Amir has a talent for words. The last part i wanna mention is about how Hassan was from a different group of people than Amir...the Hazaras.


 * Analysis:** Amir has such an interesting life. He is exposed to so many interesting things, thanks to his fathers wealth. His father is the character I am most interested in tho. When i read these first couple chapters, my mind went right to the Lion King, because like Simba, Amir really wants to be like his father. But Mufasa, like Babe, is very hard shelled and strict, yet shows some of the tenderness quality. Along with that, Baba, like Mufasa,is full of life lessons, which shows the wisdom of the character. Along with that Mufasa and Baba are both highly regarded men/lion in their respected home/pride land. I seriously think Baba was based off of Mufasa, because the similarities are ere! Foreshadowing...if Baba dies early, he is officially Mufasa in Pakistan form. The other character that caught my attention is Hassan, because I've studied the difference between the Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. They are so complex with their beliefs, and I am not surprised at all that the other kids pick on poor Hassan, just because he if a different type of Muslim from them.


 * Application:** I think this time I will focus on parenting. To start, a look at the most prominent parent in the book so far, Baba. As I have mentioned before, Baba is a strict, hard shelled, knowledgeable, and well respected. But I feel as a father he gets a C rating. As a father you have 3 main goals. One, keep your children in a safe environment with food water and shelter. Baba does this very well and is actually quite rich. Second, a fathers role, is to guide his son down the right path, which I think he does very well, by passing on life lessons and teaching him how to act properly. Last, a fathers job is to be encouraging to his son. This i feel, is where Baba falls short. He never truly seems to support Amir in his life and his interests. Baba tries to get him to play soccer, but Amir is awful and this just disappoints Baba further. This lack of affection might have a future affect on Amir, but we wont know until later in the story I suppose.

__**Wikipost #7**__


 * Summery:** Amir enters a kite flying competition near his home. There are many people competing from different districts, but Amir wants to win to ear the approval of Baba. The traditional way of battling kites is to attach pieces of glass to your kite, then fly your kite into the opposing kites string. At the end of the tournament, it is down to Amir and a blue kite. Amir manages to cut the string of the opposing kite, and it falls to the ground. Hassan takes off after it while Amir receives praise from those around for winning. Eventually Amir runs to find Hassan and when he does, Hassan is being harassed by Assef and 2 other boys. When Hassan refuses to hand over the kite to Assef, they pin him to the ground, remove his pant, and Assef removes his own pants. Amir runs away while Hassan is raped, but when he meets up with a crying and bleeding Hassan, he pretends like nothing happened.


 * Analysis:** I now see why this book has its name. Its named after the job that Hassan has, the kite runner. He has to track down the last kite that falls, because that is the trophy for the winner. I have never heard of kite battling until this book. In all honesty, I have only ever flown a kite once. I was awful, and there is no way I could ever battle someone else. I would make a much better kite runner, due to my ability to run extremely fast, and for long distances. The tournament in itself is not that important to the story. It's the events after the tournament that really matter. You can see in this section just how low Hassan's race were looked at by other races in the area. I have never understood rape, and to justify you raping someone because they are a lower class...is plain old sick. Along with that, Amir should be ashamed of himself for running away when his friend truly needed him. I can foresee this tragic event being the cause of a shift in friendship. Amir and Hassan will be no more.


 * Application:** Tonight I want to focus on the human characteristic bravery. Its so important that I cover this one because in this section that I read, you can see the polar opposites of it. Hassan showed massive bravery in the alleyway. He refused to give up Amir's trophy kite, even when 3 other boys were threatening him. Along with that, he defended Amir, saying that he was not just Amir's servant, but also his friend. This is really touching to read and understand how Hassan felt. But then, you read about Amir, and how cowardly he was. He just watched as the boys attacked his friend. He could have tried to do something. I would take a bullet for anyone of my friends, but Amir is just not a brave boy. I think he will have to bear that guilt for the rest of his life, and that will not be something easy to live with. Again, in this section you see the outstanding bravery of Hassan, and the meekness of Amir.


 * __Wikipost #8__**


 * Summery:** In this section, Baba is praising Amir for his victory. He takes him to the movies, and then on a trip to Jalalabad where his cousin lives. The whole time Baba tells of how Amir won the tournament, and how proud he is. This is what Amir always wanted, but he is still so grief stricken that he cant fully enjoy all the love that Baba is showing for him. One night while everyone is sleeping, Amir yells that he saw Hassan being raped. But to his dismay no one was awake to hear him. Then Amir's birthday rolls around, and Baba throws one heck of a party for him. Even this, Amir can not fully enjoy, and has a bad mood the entire night. Amir receives many wonderful gifts, and some money to boot. Amir then hatches a plan to get rid of Hassan. He hides his watch and money under Hassan's mattress, then tells Baba that Hassan stole it. When confronted, Hassan (to Amir's amazement) admits to stealing Amir's stuff. This shocks Amir and he now realizes that Amir saw him in the alleyway that day he was raped. Ali takes Hassan away, even though Baba wants them to stay.


 * Analysis:** All I can say is...IRONY!!! All this book has been about so far is Amir's desperate attempts at gaining his father's love and affection. Well after winning, he has both! But he is so shaken by what happened to Hassan, and how he acted during the situation, that he can not fully enjoy it. Baba celebrates the kite tournament as if Amir had won the Kentucky Derby, but every time Baba brings it up, he instantly thinks of Hassan and the rape. Amir does everything he can to distance himself from Hassan, but Hassan doesn't understand why Amir wants to be separated. I can not believe that Amir would frame Hassan. As if that would help with the guilt at all! All that is going to do, is add more stress into his life. And yet again Hassan surprises me by taking the high road. He admits it, to help his friend Amir out. Its quite unbelievable, but I guess Hassan understood what Amir wanted to have happen.


 * Application:** I wanna look at conscious because right now, I don't know if Amir has one. It seems that every human being, except those crazies like Hitler, have a conscious. Its that little voice in your head that tells you something is wrong. Either Amir has none, or he is a master of ignoring it, because he is making some extremely poor choices in life. First he doesn't help Hassan while he is being raped. Second he wont hang out with him, just because he knows what happened, even though Hassan did it for Amir....And lastly, because Amir framed Hassan with stealing his stuff. That would make the average person feel like absolute trash. Just thinking of doing that to someone gives me an ill feeling in my stomach. I sincerely hope that Amir will change his ways, and somehow make it up to Hassan, because I can see him living with this for the rest of his life.