Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Summer Time
It's been a while, but a lot has happened in the meantime. I won't go too deeply into detail. Senior Week was fun, what with Newcastle Beach, the Senior Banquet with Ashley, and Awards Night (I got plenty of those!), and finally Graduation on June 11th, 2004, and everyone loved my speech! (see below). The graduation party at Kristen's house was fun, and I loved the Project Graduation trip. Anthony, who wasone of my roommates, and I got along surprisingly well. Summary: Dunkin' Donuts on the way, fell asleep at 4:30 am, woke up a 6 o'clock am and walked around the hotel with Devan, then back at the room to find my roommates watching porn... well, more like a movie with lots of not-quite-explicit sex, than porn per se. Then going to eat at Au Bon Pain with firends and teachers, and then taking a walk around Boston before the game. It was a beautiful day out. Then we went to the Red Sox game vs. the Dodgers. The Red Sox didn't do so well, to make an understatement.
There was an incident, though. We were sitting in front of a section of Dodgers fans.Later in the game, they decided to parade their big "Go Dodgers!" sign in front of an adjoining section of Red Sox fans. A teacher/chaperone from my school tore down the sign after the Sox fans booed and started throwing some food pieces at them. No violence, it was just that; probably prevented anyone else from throwing a punch or worse, in my opinion. The teacher was still escorted from the game, however. Every one of us supported him though. Him, and a couple of the other teachers apparently had been drinking--I don't know about drunk, but drinking--at the game. Some parent found out and told the Exeter News-Letter and the school superintendent. Such a big deal was made about it, and I'm not sure I think that the superintendent really had any jurisdiction over the matter, since we were all graduated and not part of the school system any longer, and it was all organized and funded by efforts of parents; apparently she reprimaded the teachers in question, but nothing entirely horrible. You see, nearly all of us students were adults, and none of us were drinking or anything (the purpose for Project Graduation is to provide a "Chem-free Graduation Party"), and it isn't as if, being adults, we're impressionable young kids who do exactly what we see our elders doing. It's sad that at least half of those on the trip probably would have been drinking at whatever party they would have been at. Suffice it to say, a couple of teachers drinking, or not drinking, would not have changed lives around.
More recently, I've been working part-time for one of my dad's colleagues, working on removing old computers and replacing them with brand new ones. I enjoy my work, and it's a heck of a lot better than McDonald's or Shaws.
Speaking of computers, I'm getting a brand-spanking-new one; so new it won't arrive until the end of July. DVD drive and a CD burner, 1024 MB memory, 160 GB hard drive, SoundBlaster Audigy 2 audio card, 256 MB ATI Radeon X800 XT video card, 5.1 speakers. About the only thing I wish was different was the monitor - 19" flat screen instead of 19" regular. The Dell printer I ordered with it, however, did arrive, and frankly, it sucks. I'm going to return it, to get a Canon or Epson printer, perhaps... probably Epson.
But anyway, I'm done rambling for now.
There was an incident, though. We were sitting in front of a section of Dodgers fans.Later in the game, they decided to parade their big "Go Dodgers!" sign in front of an adjoining section of Red Sox fans. A teacher/chaperone from my school tore down the sign after the Sox fans booed and started throwing some food pieces at them. No violence, it was just that; probably prevented anyone else from throwing a punch or worse, in my opinion. The teacher was still escorted from the game, however. Every one of us supported him though. Him, and a couple of the other teachers apparently had been drinking--I don't know about drunk, but drinking--at the game. Some parent found out and told the Exeter News-Letter and the school superintendent. Such a big deal was made about it, and I'm not sure I think that the superintendent really had any jurisdiction over the matter, since we were all graduated and not part of the school system any longer, and it was all organized and funded by efforts of parents; apparently she reprimaded the teachers in question, but nothing entirely horrible. You see, nearly all of us students were adults, and none of us were drinking or anything (the purpose for Project Graduation is to provide a "Chem-free Graduation Party"), and it isn't as if, being adults, we're impressionable young kids who do exactly what we see our elders doing. It's sad that at least half of those on the trip probably would have been drinking at whatever party they would have been at. Suffice it to say, a couple of teachers drinking, or not drinking, would not have changed lives around.
More recently, I've been working part-time for one of my dad's colleagues, working on removing old computers and replacing them with brand new ones. I enjoy my work, and it's a heck of a lot better than McDonald's or Shaws.
Speaking of computers, I'm getting a brand-spanking-new one; so new it won't arrive until the end of July. DVD drive and a CD burner, 1024 MB memory, 160 GB hard drive, SoundBlaster Audigy 2 audio card, 256 MB ATI Radeon X800 XT video card, 5.1 speakers. About the only thing I wish was different was the monitor - 19" flat screen instead of 19" regular. The Dell printer I ordered with it, however, did arrive, and frankly, it sucks. I'm going to return it, to get a Canon or Epson printer, perhaps... probably Epson.
But anyway, I'm done rambling for now.
Newmarket High School Valedictorian Speech Text
Parents and Families. Faculty and Administration. Friends, and Fellow Graduates.
Tonight, this ceremony marks a transition for our class. We are no longer boys and girls, but young men and young women, now not only responsible for ourselves, but for others as well.
We realize that this Real World we are now crossing into is, although a world of many possibilities, it is still not a utopia.
Corporate executives receive hundreds of millions of dollars to do their jobs, and receive millions more when they are fired. Then you have WorldCom, Tyco, Enron, and other scandals, where the top executives took advantage of their employees by feigning success purely to satisfy their enormous greed. Our country is engaged in a controversial war in foreign lands, and casualties continue to mount. Many politicians spit out half-truths and, sometimes, outright lies to convince others that they are correct.
This, unfortunately, is the forge in which we must shape our futures.
“So what?” some of you may be asking. Corporate executives have always been greedy, wars have always been controversial, and politicians have always been deceptive.
The point is that in entering the Real World, we graduates have the opportunity to make it exponentially better. Our future is the future of our country and our world, because eventually it is our generation who will become the politicians and executives, scientists and writers, trades-people, educators, and parents. From this point on, our thoughts and actions shape not only our own individual lives, but also the world in which we live.
As we blaze our trails through life, we must remember what is most important. And that is that we must stand up for what is right in everything that we do. There is nothing wrong with success, but in our success we must not forget that we are still human, still individuals, inherently equal to each other.
Not all of us will rise to positions of power, but each one of us still can be a catalyst for positive change in our daily lives. Those of us going to college can run for student government, or be involved in campus service organizations. Those of you going into the workforce can run for local offices or help out in the community. And those of you going into the military are already performing one of the highest services you can, placing your lives on the line to defend our country. But most importantly, all of us now have the right to vote, and we should not, must not squander that right.
In a few short minutes we will become official citizens of the Real World. In our lives we must not forget that we have the power to transform our world for the better, and it is our responsibility to use that power. This is our chance to take action, and we have the obligation to do so.
Thank you.
Tonight, this ceremony marks a transition for our class. We are no longer boys and girls, but young men and young women, now not only responsible for ourselves, but for others as well.
We realize that this Real World we are now crossing into is, although a world of many possibilities, it is still not a utopia.
Corporate executives receive hundreds of millions of dollars to do their jobs, and receive millions more when they are fired. Then you have WorldCom, Tyco, Enron, and other scandals, where the top executives took advantage of their employees by feigning success purely to satisfy their enormous greed. Our country is engaged in a controversial war in foreign lands, and casualties continue to mount. Many politicians spit out half-truths and, sometimes, outright lies to convince others that they are correct.
This, unfortunately, is the forge in which we must shape our futures.
“So what?” some of you may be asking. Corporate executives have always been greedy, wars have always been controversial, and politicians have always been deceptive.
The point is that in entering the Real World, we graduates have the opportunity to make it exponentially better. Our future is the future of our country and our world, because eventually it is our generation who will become the politicians and executives, scientists and writers, trades-people, educators, and parents. From this point on, our thoughts and actions shape not only our own individual lives, but also the world in which we live.
As we blaze our trails through life, we must remember what is most important. And that is that we must stand up for what is right in everything that we do. There is nothing wrong with success, but in our success we must not forget that we are still human, still individuals, inherently equal to each other.
Not all of us will rise to positions of power, but each one of us still can be a catalyst for positive change in our daily lives. Those of us going to college can run for student government, or be involved in campus service organizations. Those of you going into the workforce can run for local offices or help out in the community. And those of you going into the military are already performing one of the highest services you can, placing your lives on the line to defend our country. But most importantly, all of us now have the right to vote, and we should not, must not squander that right.
In a few short minutes we will become official citizens of the Real World. In our lives we must not forget that we have the power to transform our world for the better, and it is our responsibility to use that power. This is our chance to take action, and we have the obligation to do so.
Thank you.
Saturday, June 05, 2004
My Artwork from Art I
This is a tile series I did about America. I didn't have a chance to paint them yet, so I had to fiddle with the picture to get the details to stand out, which is why it looks oddly bluish. They're really white. Click on any of the pictures to enlarge them. 
This is a pastel grid enlargement of a 'remixed' propaganda poster. This one satirizes the Bush administration. The illustrator who did the original is Micah Wright
This was another etching I did, based on my own sketch. It started as a spiral, then saw it could be a road fading into the distance... then thought another arm could be the body of a dragon. Then I thought I saw a waterfall emerging from the spiral into a pond and flowing out of the frame. And for good measure, some shooting stars adorn the final side.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)