2017 AP Lang Reaction

          I walk into the cafeteria and see the majority of the tables already filled with students. Now at this point in the morning of an AP exam, things would begin to feel very real and I would typically begin to get a bit anxious, but that wasn't the case this time around. I was surprisingly calm. I kept reassuring myself and repeating "you've worked hard, you're prepared" over and over in my head. And I knew I wasn't lying to myself because I genuinely did feel like all the work I had done over the last 9 or so months had thoroughly prepared me for this damn test.
         Regarding the actual test itself, I still have mixed feelings about it. Initially, I didn't think it was that bad. Sure, the multiple choice was worse than the essays, but that was to be expected. I finished the multiple choice with 4 minutes left and went over and darkened my bubbles. I know its unrealistic to say I got 55/55 out of the questions correct because I am 100% certain that that isn't true. But I also don't think I did terribly even though there's a voice in my head saying "everyone thought that multiple choice was ridiculous! This sense of complacency is gonna come back and bite you in the butt in July." And as for the essays, I loved them. I felt like, for all three essays, there were points where I would be writing and would start smiling to myself because I just loved what I was writing that much. Now I hate to come off as some sort of braggart, because that is not at all my intention, but I'm happy to say I'm... comfortable with the way I performed on the test. I am praying to all the Gods possible for AT LEAST a 4 (but preferably a 5, @ God(s)).

A Winter's Evening

           Sitting on the couch in my living room, all wrapped up in blankets, I turn my attention to the open door on the other side of the room. The windchimes have been erratically bumping against each other due to the blustering wind outside. It has been snowing for sometime now; it's been coming down hard, yet the snowflakes floating through the air gently pushed through the wind. Beside the open-door my unused dining table is piled high with an overwhelming amount of unopened mail and dishes that don't fit in the cabinets. I make a mental note to myself to remember to sort through everything thats cluttered on the table. To the right of the dining table my eyes fall upon a disorganized pile of shoes, wet from playing in the snow. My head tilted to the side so I can see my mother bustling around in the kitchen, dirty dishes piled high in the sink. I see that my sister is with her, keeping our mother company as she makes our dinner. The room is hot from all the cooking, yet the cool air rushing in from the door being cracked open creates a balance in the temperature. I hear them laugh joyfully as my mother teases her about the crush she has on a boy at school. Mother feeds a spoonful of food to her, my little sister's eyes becoming wide once the flavors reach her tongue, eagerly asking for another bite. At that moment, Max, my half-white/half-grey cat, jumps atop the coffee table where most our meals occur, considering the couch surrounds it in a sort of "U" shape as well as being in between our seating area and our TV. After shooing Max off of the table on which we eat, the warmth of the flame blazing in the fireplace lures me in. I get closer and closer until I can feel the heat radiate off my skin. Leaning against the cold brick fireplace, my mind drifts to the sound of laughter from the kitchen, to the sound of Family Feud on the TV, to the sound of the wind chimes outside my door. I see Max on the couch now, looking out of the window, watching the snow fall. He seems especially interested when a snowflake, or two, falls against the glass of the window, reaching up with his paw to try and touch it. I smile to myself, feeling a sense of warmth overcome me from the inside out, quite literally, while sitting beside the fireplace in a home filled with love. What else could one want out of life other than the essential feelings of love and security?

The world is doomed.

       

       Lust, gluttony, greed, laziness, wrath, envy, and pride. All of which are religiously known as the seven deadly sins. Each sin is ingrained in humanity, incapable of being untaught or overcome. We live in a world that is ruled by white supremacy, where often times, a minority of elites outrank the majority. This is a world where a white twenty something year old male can avoid going to jail for the brutal rape and assault of an innocent female because he just so happens to be a valued member of his school’s swim team. A valued member of society? Most definitely not. The mentalities and values we uphold all contribute to our decisions. And so far, those decisions have been outstanding to the point that we would rather go to war over the most trivial things rather than swallowing our pride and resolving our issues without bloodshed and hostility. Or the fact that many of us seem to believe global warming is something that was concocted out of a Chinese factory. As if it hasn’t been scientifically proven that our surroundings are drastically changing for the worse. Life is too short to take it for granted. With the way I see the world now, a world constantly succumbing to the natural impulses of greed and envy, a world where our youth would much rather binge watch Dance Moms and grind to nonsense trap music, or talk about the relationship status of Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian than the inhumane violence taking place in Aleppo… Our future generations aren’t looking too bright; the world is in fact, doomed.

      It’s difficult to be optimistic when we continuously disappoint ourselves and continue to feed societal stigmas. For instance, a case that hits home: Delrawn Small. Small was a 37 year old father of three when he was shot dead in Brooklyn. Brooklyn, New York is my home and haven. It’s heartbreaking to see a fellow Brooklynite family suffer. My father is an honest man with three kids as well. Do I need to worry about whether or not he’ll come home in one piece? I’m sure the thought never crossed the mind of Small’s children. Delrawn Small is not the first case of police brutality and certainly won’t be the last. Once the people lose trust in those who are supposed to see the good and protect the good, it’s all downhill from there. They’re not isolated incidents. Police brutality, whether on the basis of racism, lack of training, or impulsive actions, has been occurring all over the country. Why must an innocent black man be killed for not using his turn signal when a white man can shoot up a movie theater, murdering several innocent lives, and be pardoned? It’s a sad day in history when the majority of America thinks “blue lives matter” holds precedent over “black lives matter” and elects a man who thinks the same thing to be the leader of the free world.

Despite popular opinion, America is not the center of the universe. There is a much larger world out there, going through much more severe issues. Many of those problems are happening because Western powers, namely America, can’t keep their noses out of other nation’s conflicts. Why fix our own problems when we can screw up other countries? Let’s address the fact that we went to war in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, and Pakistan. The war was in those places, not with. There’s a difference. We thought we were the heros chasing down the terrorist monsters that are so adamant on destroying Western culture. Meanwhile, as we sat on our high horse, we went into these countries and completely turned their society and lifestyle upside down. Every country we seemed to touch was either taken over by jihadi terrorist groups or the citizens finally realized they were being mistreated and turned against their government, expecting help from the U.S. that never came. That brings us to the issue of refugees. The fact that any nation would turn away refugees fleeing their war torn countries is appalling, let alone a nation that puts itself on a pedestal for its values of freedom and diversity.

     There are occasions where the minority speaks out against the woes of the world. Petitions and protests are constantly occurring to bring awareness to the absurdity of a slew of issues we are challenged with. Marches across Broadway Avenue or gatherings in Union Square. All those people took time out of their day to stand up for what they believe in. Unfortunately, those people represent a handful of the population. You can yell, write, chant, march, all you want. Besides, all they do is attract large crowds and you know what happens to large crowds in this day of age? The newest form of terrorism! Just drive an enormous truck through a throng of people! Who needs guns anymore! That’s our new reality. The bottomline is that the people who are actually capable of making change are racist, every-known-phobic, white men who would much rather hold onto their extravagant life of luxury with white knuckles than actually think of the common good of the people they represent, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender.

     The fact that we claim to be modernizing and evolving our progressive ideals is a lie that we tell ourselves to make us feel better and feed our denial. Bigotry and xenophobia have held us back, continue to hold us back, and will always hold us back. The issues that need to be discussed aren’t actually being discussed because of fear of making the conversation uncomfortable. But that’s exactly what we need! Move past uncomfortable, acknowledge how screwed up society is and how the world is struggling, and then change it! Change doesn’t come without opposition, but it’s always worth it. Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is complacency. And our complacent attitudes aren’t going to do anything for us except come back to bite us where the sun don’t shine.

Corn-Pone Opinions

          Mark Twain uses the rhetorical device of general exemplification when writing "Corn-Pone Opinions." Throughout the text, Twain elaborates on how conformity has become such an involuntary part of human nature, we don't even realize it's happening until it's done. In paragraph twelve, Twain states, "They swarm with their party, they feel with their party, they are happy in their party's approval; and where the party leads they will follow, whether for right and honor, or through blood and dirt and a mush of mutilated morals." Humans have a tendency of supporting the infamous phrase "monkey see, monkey do," and Twain illustrates that through his use of general examples. Not too specific as to cause speculation, but vague enough so that it is clear that it applies to at least the majority. In paragraph eight, Twain writes, "The hoopskirt runs its course and disappears. Nobody reasons about it. One woman abandons the fashion; her neighbor notices this and follows her lead; this influences the next woman, and so on and so on..." We often tend to move from one fad to another without much thought or hesitation put into our decision. Once something becomes popular, its expected of you to jump on the bandwagon.
          Twain consistently uses a critical tone throughout the text. He is clearly not too fond of conforming to forever-evolving standards of society. In paragraph seven, he writes, "A person of vast consequences can introduce any kind of novelty in dress and the general world will presently adopt it- moved to do it... by the human instinct to train with the multitude and have its approval... And we should be cruelly embarrassed..." Using such harsh diction like "cruelly embarrassed" emphasizes Twain's position on conformity and the magnitude of disappointment and embarrassment humanity should feel because of our desire for approval. In paragraph eleven, Twain says, "Uttered, perhaps by an ass, but still an ass of high degree, an ass whose approval is gold and diamonds to a smaller ass, and confers glory and honor and happiness, and membership in the herd. For these gauds many a man will dump his life-long principles into the street, and his conscience along with them." Along with incorporating sarcasm, Twain is obviously holds on to his critical point of view through the repetition of "ass." Despite the actual character of a person, or your very own character and morals, all of that goes down the drain when it comes to seeking approval from the masses. Therefore, conformity is our go-to when it comes to, well, literally everything.
                                                            
                                                            *****

          I believe that the issue of conformity still holds great relevance to this day. Especially with the recent and may I say, despicable, result of the U.S. presidential election. America has shown her true colors. We are not this modernized, progressive nation that we claim to be. We are a nation with little factions of modernized, progressive regions. The majority of our country, specifically in the Midwest, has proven to be so uneducated that they're willing to be brainwashed and conform to preposterous ideals without taking a step back and actually learning about what it is they claim to be supporting so dearly. Conformity is a real thing. It is a real issue that needs to be continuously addressed or else the vicious cycle will continue. Our future generations will not be expected to actually want to be educated on vital national and international events. Why would they when their parents impose their views upon them? Why break away from that sense of familiarity? I'll tell you why. For the greater good. Actually taking a stand against the norm instead of conforming is such a notable act since it's so uncommon. Setting a precedent that allows people to feel secure with their thoughts and opinions, that motivates people to learn and live and shape those thoughts and opinions around their actual experiences, not just on popular belief. It's amazing to see a country so renowned take 10 steps back when we all know we are capable of so much more. If only people put in the effort.

The Syrian Refugee Crisis.

               Syria has been a war torn country for over a decade. Over half a million lives have been lost, the majority of them just being innocent citizens caught in the crossfires. Families have not only been devastated through loss of loved ones, but through the loss of their homes as well. Thousands of Syrians have been forced to flee their houses due to persistent bombings and violence. In an attempt to leave all the chaos behind, Syrians have turned to Europe and the Unites States to help them with asylum. These human beings, these mothers, these fathers, these daughters and sons, who have endured unimaginable trauma, look to us for aid and safety. Yet, certain individuals have the audacity to slam the doors of freedom right in the refugees' faces! That definitely coincides with the ideals that America claims to stand for!!! The notion that allowing refugees fleeing from terrorist-controlled countries will subsequently lead to the United States being vulnerable to terrorism is completely preposterous. Furthermore, as a fellow Muslim, I deem that entire concept wrong. Wrong and disappointing. 

                                                              ****

                   Using William Zinsser's teachings, from On Writing Well, were very helpful when deciding how I should write about the Syrian refugee crisis. A component of grammar I used that was mentioned in Zinsser's writing is the use of mood changers. Mood changers include, but are not limited to, words such as: "but," "yet," "however," "nevertheless," "therefore." The use of mood changers shifts the sentence in a new direction and in a refreshing way as to help the reader flow through the sentences. Adjectives were a very important part of my writing piece. They add emphasis to things that I felt needed emphasizing. On the other hand, I also chose to leave certain sentences without too many adjectives, which I feel also gives emphasis on what is being said. A third component of grammar I thought to be helpful was the exclamation point.The use of the exclamation point over the period made the point I was trying to convey more sarcastic.