Where Did Shakespeare Go?

                Shakespeare has been the iconic image of poetry for nearly four centuries, and as ingenious as he was, I’m afraid his “ye’s” and “thou’s” are slightly outdated. A newer, rejuvenating form of poetry has surfaced amidst the rubble of New Yorks 1980’s jazz clubs and poetic café’s. This explosive poetry is known as Slam Poetry, a fitting name for an art that is sure to take your emotions on a ride, one way or another. Over the years it has evolved into a socially acceptable way to vent on any matter that you please, giving the topics a wide range of variety and allowing many different types of viewers to appreciate the poetry. Beau Sia, two time National Slam Champion, wrote a slam poem titled “Money,”

Beau Sia

where he explores his future life as a rich man and all the things he would do. He uses a fast pace, and goes over the ludicrous things he would do with the money. Some of the audience may interpret this as pure humor while others may see a deeper meaning, a fast paced life and the rich wasting their money on stupid things instead of contributing to society. At the ending, after clearly stating that he “would use people,” (perhaps another shot at the upper class) he acknowledges that “money can’t buy you love, but love, love can’t buy you shit.” A controversial poem to some, but without a doubt a great piece of work.  Slam Poetry also stems from the culture and history of many different ethnicities,  as Saul Williams shows in his piece “Children of the Night.” This African American man strikes home the struggles and prosperities that a black man has on this planet using amazing diction and metaphors that leave the listeners jaws on the floor. His ability to memorize these lines is astounding, and the poet has gained much respect in the community for this talent. In “Children of the Night,” he speaks mainly of a black man beneath

Saul Williams

God struggling against the pressure of the white man, also beneath God. He stresses equality and the inner soul searching for peace in order to have “an egoless world where all is one.”  Slam Poetry can also be performed in groups which gives it a very dynamic aspect with multiple voices and harmonies, as well as choreography. Team Nuyorican placed second in Bostons 2011 National Poetry Slam after sharing their performance of “Heart Escape.” This poem is on the relatable topic of love, and possibly the ever more relatable topic of heartbreak.  The extended metaphor f the poem is that they are within the heart, and all is well until they must escape. The only way out is to “pull out the pin and throw the grenade” signifying that there will be pain before it gets better again. Their use of harmonics makes the performance more enjoyable and also captures the audience’s attention.  Slam Poetry is a creative way to express ones thoughts or tell a story for awareness or straight entertainment. Poets pour their heart and souls into their work which makes for a solid community that loves and supports one another. Slam Poetry is bringing people together, one word at a time.

Bowling For Columbine Review

         

 

 

 

The leeching parasite that is fear has spread throughout the great nation of the United States of America. Michael Moore, a realistic though bias journalist ventures the rickety path of controversy in the documentary “Bowling for Columbine.” He delves into the world behind the fear of America and relates it to the country’s gun laws, his slanted tactics shedding light on the situation. Moore keeps the audience interested through humor, short clips and a dynamic emotional appeal that sends the viewers on a thought-provoking, heart breaking and stomach twisting rollercoaster.

 

            A laugh for a laugh is a less common saying than an eye for an eye, but both go hand in hand in Moore’s documentary. He uses mock-seriousness in many interviews, portraying a true interest in the speaker’s side of the story. When talking to gun crazed NRA activists, he makes them look foolish by asking questions that any sane person would give reasonable answers to. However, many of the extremists interviewed delineate the true side of this outrageous gun law battle raging in the United States. Michael Moore’s overall demeanor throughout the presentation is hilarious in itself, a larger man with a scruffy beard and quirky smile snapping witty comments at the unfortunate opposition.

 

            The use of short clips gives the documentary speed, where even the low points (not to say there were many, though all films have them) are kept interesting. He integrates animated stories to keep it from going stale, and jumps from topic to topic in a maniacal yet orderly fashion. Moore ingeniously relates each topic, creating a web of wonder that combined with some deep thought, blow the viewer’s mind. However, short clips could lead the unwary watcher astray, as Moore takes some events out of context in order to get his point across.

 

            Many people can relate to the families of Columbine and the people of Littleton, feeling the pain at the loss of a loved one. In the documentary “Bowling for Columbine”, Michael Moore dances on the heartstrings of a nation and lets the viewer’s feel each step. He shows gruesome clips of shootings around the world and throughout history, the pure rawness of the footage creates a lump in the stomach. He eventually shows recordings of the actual Columbine shootings which can only be described as mayhem. Kids run frantically through the halls and cafeteria as Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold can easily be seen strolling the grounds holding automatic weapons casually in their palms. Moore adds phone call recordings over the footage, the fear in the student’s voices echo in the viewer’s mind.

 

            I believe the documentary is very well done. Moore, who is unafraid to get “down and dirty” uses his way-out methods of journalism to get to the bottom of the issue. Overall the picture is radical to the point of unrealistic, though sometimes the truth is hard to bear. It is high on my recommendation list as I believe the general public needs a clearer understanding of the world around them.

 

Paparazzi

                Without a doubt, the couch is a beautiful retreat for any drunken soul to pass out upon. Until of course the abundance of similarly intoxicated teens surrounding the unconscious youth take out their phones and cameras for the humiliating picture. In “The New Paparazzi,” the writer Emma Teitel explains how individuals cannot control their fates that are intertwined with social media.  She ventures on topics such as the convenience of social media as well as the lack of interest that teens are showing in their privacy.

                With advancing cellular technology, social media is becoming a high speed train that shows no signs of slowing down. Within seconds, any photo can be uploaded and published across the web. This is why partying and embarrassing moments cannot be lived down as “everyone has cellphones with cameras on them” to snag a picture at the right (or wrong) moment. Social media is a convenient way to stay in the loop and feel “deep pleasure in sharing” events with friends. The downside however, is that not only friends can see any explicit material. It is just as easy for “a future college/job/internship/ scholarship/sports team to see it.” Teitel express that no matter how true this may be, it is not in a person power to control whether or not a picture is taken of them. The only way to avoid “the paparazzi” is to “hang out on the party’s periphery to avoid the gaze of cameras.”

                Toronto blogger Sarah Melvin says “generation Y is obsessed with documenting its social life” which leaves personal security fairly vulnerable. Emma Teitel herself expresses that “[she] cared more about invading the privacy of others than [she] did about protecting [her] own.” Danah Boyd, senior Microsoft researcher and assistant media professor at New York University explains that "generation Y is concerned with the next five minutes, not the interview five years down the road." She refers  to this as FOMO or Fear of Missing Out. The culture based on this new generation of technology assists in the downfall of social capabilities, an ironic situation for "social media" sites.

             I tend to agree with the professionals, though I also think that we as a species need to adapt to this new technological age. The increasing use of social media is only dangerous if the users are not educated on the situation. I myself use Twitter and Facebook a fair bit, though am careful of what is uploaded or said by myself or about me. I do not let this affect my "real life," if someone wishes to ignore their family at the dinner table to browse Instagram, it is their choice. If someone is offended by embarrassing or personal pictures being taken of them, it is up to that person not to put themselves in that situation.



























 

A Heartbroken Affair

I cried. I cried so much that the salty tears began to nest in my freshly trimmed mustache. The few that slipped through my densely packed patch of manhood landed softly on my lips. The taste of these droplets reminded me of the time I went snorkeling in Hawaii; the great Pacific Ocean rendered the same brackish water as my tear ducts. Dejectedly, I leaned forward in my seat to stare blankly at the math exam before me. Pathetic scribbles marred the once white paper, and I began to feel sick to my stomach thinking of the tree that gave its life for this test. I wished with all my weak, beaten down heart that I could make this poor tree proud by getting a good mark. We were companions, and alongside us was my pencil, whose fathering sapling also urged me on my way. These are the prominent thoughts in my mind during a math test, causing my brain to wander in spite of the ominous project before me. My eyes rolled like two glass balls behind my thin eyelids and came at rest upon the clock. Twenty more minutes of sheer agony. My body shook violently, or perhaps it was my mind. At this point it all mixed together into a sluggish lagoon of despair. I drew from inside my mind the remnants of my knowledge and forced them to sit between the last few questions. I pushed myself against gravity to stand tall and proud despite my broken soul. With a slight skip in my step to uphold a positive appearance, I flew out of the exam room and straight to my car. However, as I scooted smoothly from the parking lot I released this charade and once again began to cry. 

This is War

   The early morning sun looms over the distant mountains and its creeping rays of light pierce the slick panes of glass that encase the Princess Margaret common area. This is the greatest battlefield in all of history, at the heart of the longest war this earth has known, high school. For four years a student must fight his or her way up into the elite commanding force of grade twelve. These grade twelve students viciously battle their younger peers to keep peace and order throughout the grades and instill a hierarchy of respect for generations to come. Being a warrior in grade twelve means it is up each brave student to tackle the most ominous tasks from class to class, each fight its own. Between calculus and physics, a great monster is born with shimmering scales and a deep red fire that burns in its eyes. It is horrible. The fear that is created is etched into the very souls of each and every soldier, but united as a graduating class; each soldier assists their allies in any way imaginable to bring down this mighty beast. In war, they lay aside their differences and cement themselves as a solid, impenetrable force. No enemy may stand in the way of a grade twelve student because no matter how daunting the adventure or how evil the foe, they are equipped with the most powerful weapon of all. At the forefront of combat, in all their gallantry and fierceness they take the world with knowledge. Grade twelve’s are the strongest and most sensible students in action, and it is their job to raise a strong group to take their places when their service has come to an end. High school is a war, grade twelve the army’s finest, and graduation the victory.

Four Pieces of the Puzzle

           Is it possible for one to sit down and ponder on the individual pieces of their own soul? To choose representatives from a pool of nearly seven billion separate human beings and label them as one's own? Student and self-proclaimed individualist, Levi Thompson, was tasked with this very concept, and initially found himself at quite a loss. However, as he sat and began to write, his mind whirled and whizzed through list after list of celebrities and great peoples of centuries passed. Muhammad Ali, the Peoples Champion, shares with Levi a burning pride for what he feels is right in this world, and will stand against great odds to achieve his goals. Comparing himself to the greatest champion of all time made Levi feel arrogant and conceited, but that led him to stand next with Robert Downey Junior. Neither Levi nor Robert care what people think of them, they just have to “listen, smile, agree and then do whatever the (hell) (they) were going to do anyway.” Some may call it stubbornness, or even lack of respect, but Levi figures he can make up for those remarks by comparing himself to the almighty Superman. No, Levi cannot fly, nor lift a bus, nor can he save the world from an alien invasion. But one particular trait bind the two at the waist, and that is an impeccable love for those they hold close. There is no mountain too marvelous, no enemy too malicious, and no situation too macabre to stop Levi from protecting the people he loves. As the ecstasy of talking himself up wears off, Levi chooses one last figure to keep his ego in check. Levi takes pride in his honesty, and who better to look up to than the sixteenth President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Honest Abe was given his nickname for the honesty and sincerity that he treated his people with. Levi and Abraham Lincoln are straight forward and unafraid to say what they think, therefore making tight alliances while also amassing many enemies. Looking back at the four powerhouses that Levi selected for his arsenal, he is proud at the image he created, and proud of whom he is today.