Forensic Speech

Possibly the nerdiest competition in the world, Forensic Speech has nothing to do with science and dead bodies, it is a competitive speaking competition involving informative, persuasive and interpretive speaking.
So a combination of English and an almost element? Of course I joined the college's team. It's a clever way of keeping my theatre scholarship, but it's a lot of hard work. I'm currently piecing together a Program Oral Interpretation or POI. That is where you select various cuttings of poetry, prose and dramatic text that have a similar theme or subject and you build a program that weaves them together. So far I have two poems, one prose and one dramatic piece and I'm trying to find and work in a few more. The whole thing has to run 10 minutes when performed, it's harder to get the timing right than it would seem.
Since I haven't taken my program out to competition yet, I won't say what it's on, but I think it's clever and that some of my texts are original. But, that's what I've been up to lately. My first competition is coming up soon!
Next I'd like to get an After Dinner Speaking piece ready- ADS is an informative or persuasive speech that is performed in a comedic way. I was hoping to have mine ready for my first competition, but it's taking a while to come together. I think I have a good subject and it will be fabulous by the November competition I'm taking it to.
Must go Forensicate now.

From the Pen of Thoreau

We're studying a chapter of Walden tomorrow in my American Literature class, so I'm catching up on my reading. Our hilarious professor had intended us to take a nature walk to the creek for our discussion, but the fact that the creek has over-spilled its banks makes that unlikely. Alas. The transcendentalists would not approve.
I thought I'd share several passages from the chapter "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For" that I found interesting and enjoyable.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

Classic Thoreau, sort of a manifesto if you will. Next, Henry David tells us why mail and newspapers are a waste (I wonder how he would feel about text messages and Yahoo! News).

The penny-post is, commonly, and institution through which you seriously offer a man that penny for his thoughts which is so often safely offered in jest. And I am sure that I never read any memorable news in a newspaper. If we read of one man robbed, or murdered, or killed by accident, or one house burned or one vessel wrecked, one one steamboat blown up or one cow run over on the Western Railroad, or one mad dog killed, or one lot of grasshoppers in the winter-we never need read of another. One is enough.

As a student journalist, I must say that I don't believe news is useless, but I get his point.
One more for good measure, one of my favorites:

Let us spend each day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off by every nutshell and mosquito's wing that falls on the rails.

Ironically (as it is my life long quest to find irony and produce it where there is none), some club on campus had baskets of foam fortune cookies (I don't understand either) in the college center this afternoon, each with a slip of paper containing a quotation. The one I grabbed had a quotation by Thoreau about the importance of writing only when the impetus to write is hot upon you. Have you ever noticed that certain things seem to follow you in life? Words, stories, writers that pop up in various people and places that are unconnected to each other. This happens to me all the time, and lately it has been Henry David Thoreau.
I think it's time to officially upgrade him to Literary Crush. He makes me laugh, we could take nature walks, he likes the quiet, but doesn't seem dull- I like him. Although according to the pictures, he probably could have benefitted from a shave to get rid of that mutton chop/beard combination, but he has very soulful eyes. Besides, he's got a great cabin in the woods, and I've always said my ideal man is a rugged nerd. Yeah, this one has promise.

Wonderful and Strange: My Day Out

I had a crappy night last night, so my friend Amy suggested a small adventure today before I went to work. Simply for coffee and then to the book store (where inevitably, my caffine addict companion had another coffee). It cheered me up greatly and salvaged what could have been an utterly desolate day. I couldn't even go to the archery range this morning and work off my righteous anger... anyway...
There are many wonderful and strange things to behold on any trip out no matter how mundane and today was no different.
While waiting for my coffee I saw a woman with a hoard of small children. One little girl broke away from the other children and started noisily kissing an advertisement for the Star Wars Clone Wars cartoon, but that was not the strange part, the oddest element was that she was kissing a picture of Yoda. He is my favorite trickster, but unusual as the object of a little girl's first crush. It made me laugh and I very much enjoyed watching them- especially when their mother realized one of her children was kissing some random item in a public place.
Then at the book store, I saw a woman wearing the most spectacular eye patch I have ever seen. It was covered in a series of small rainbow metallic sparkles. She could rule the high seas if she wanted. Yes, it is unfortunate that she is in need of an eye patch, but she is embracing it and not taking herself too seriously.
Also, at work tonight I saw a man that looks like Mark Twain. That makes this a *Famous Dead Guy Spotting* a rare and monumental occasion.
Not a bad start to October. In spite of the fact that I didn't achieve any of my reading goals for September, I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'm taking three literature classes, all of which I have alot of readings for- I had to read two Shakespeare plays I have no previous experience with this past month, All's Well That Ends Well and Troilus and Cressida. Both very fascinating by the way. I have few occassions to pleasure read coming up and I intend to finish Sons and Lovers very soon.

We Interrupt Banned Books Week to Bring You:

The Ironic Virus.
Ah, I was so determined not to get sick this fall. The fact that I always do did not deter me from this goal. I've been taking Zinc and Bee Pollen, drinking carrot juice, but none the less here I am. Lying in bed with a throbbing head and achy body.
I have missed three classes (well am about to miss my third)so far. I have so much work I could be doing, but my brain can only focus in very short bursts.
I have bouts of low blood pressure- so last night when I started feeling weak with a head ache and slight dizziness, I assumed that my blood pressure had taken a dip. This is controllable with vast amounts of water and elevating my feet, which I did. Likely, my lack of proper nutrition (the only fruit in the fridge is apple sauce currently) and lack of proper sleep spurred this on, but later, the chills and hot flush to my face implied more than just low blood pressure (though the sickness likely accelorated that as well).
After a terribly uncomfortable night I awoke around 4 am covered in a cold sweat- the fever had broken, but I still feel dreadful. Since it is recommended not to mix in company with others within 24 hours of having a fever and since I would have to make an arduous half hour drive down one of the busiest highways in the country, I chose not to go to school today. Now it feels like my fever may be coming back and of course this poorly stocked Bachelor's Pad I'm currently residing in doesn't have any pain killers/fever reducers within their expiration date.
There is also nothing really for me to eat so I'm living off tea and apple sauce. Ah, wait, there are also crackers. Hooray- if I don't have time to do the shopping it doesn't really get done unfortunately.

Banned Book of the Day: The Giver

Lois Lowry's book about a futuristic world where inhabitants are anesthetized for most of their lives is one of the most commonly banned young adult books. Dystopian novels don't always get a warm reception after all (sorry 1984) and one geared toward children has apparently been called "inappropriate for age group"- a very common assertion.
Personally, I read that book when I was about 12 and I loved it. Still, it is probably one of the most significant reading experiences of my life. It illustrates the importance of individuality and emotion, that sometimes unpleasant things in our life must be there- if we weren't able to feel the unpleasant, we would also miss out on all the beauty and all that gives life depth.
I would recommend this to any young adult reader. Expanding a child's awareness and making them more conscious is not a bad thing, making them thoughful will help them grow into better adults.
When I searched it to check the book's release date (1993), I discovered that there are two companion novels- Gathering Blue and Messenger. I probably never heard of them because they were released more recently, 2000 and 2004 respectively.

Banned Book of the Day: Rebecca

A classic tale full of lush language and suspenseful mystery; the story of a young woman haunted by the ever present reminders of her husband's first wife. Clearly this needs to be banned. Though my research has yielded little in explanation as to why Du Maurier's novel is found on the ALA's top 100 Banned or Challenged classics list, I'd like to put forth my theory. As nonsensical as most challenges are, I'm probably completely off the mark. There will be spoilers for those that haven't' read the novel, so tread with caution.
Last fall I took a film and literature class where we studied the novel and Hitchcock's adaptation to film. We discussed much about the fact that according to the movie codes of 1940, ~here come the spoilers~ according to the codes, no killer could go unpunished. in Du Maurier's novel, it is revealed that Max shot his first wife, Rebecca. For the adaptation this had to be changed and her death made accidental. Perhaps some readers also disagreed with the narrator's rejoicing over her husband's murder and his escape from punishment. ~End of spoilers~
Incidentally, in my research I found that Rebecca was the source for codes in World War II, but they were apparently never used due to the belief that security was compromised. Ah, the things you learn on Wikipedia.

Banned Book of the Day: Slaughterhouse Five

Ah, Slaughterhouse Five, the first Kurt Vonnegut novel I ever read. Though I read it about four years ago it's still one of my favorite novels and some of you may have noted a page image from the novel in my side bar.
The ALA's explanation for the challenges against it is a bit long, but here it is:

Challenged in many communities, but burned in Drake, ND (1973). Banned in Rochester, MI because the novel "contains and makes references to religious matters" and thus fell within the ban of the establishment clause. An appellate court upheld its usage in the school in Todd v Rochester Community Schools, 41 Mich. App. 320, 200 N. W 2d 90 (1972). Banned in Levittown, NY (1975), North Jackson, OH (1979), and Lakeland, FL (1982) because of the "book's explicit sexual scenes, violence, and obscene language." Barred from purchase at the Washington Park High School in Racine, WI (1984) by the district administrative assistant for instructional services. Challenged at the Owensboro, KY High School library (1985) because of "foul language, a section depicting a picture of an act of bestiality, a reference to 'Magic Fingers' attached to the protagonist's bed to help him sleep, and the sentence: 'The gun made a ripping sound like the opening of the fly of God Almighty."' Restricted to students who have parental permission at the four Racine, WI Unified District high school libraries (1986) because of "language used in the book depictions of torture, ethnic slurs, and negative portrayals of women:' Challenged at the LaRue County, KY High School library (1987) because "the book contains foul language and promotes deviant sexual behavior” Banned from the Fitzgerald, GA schools (1987) because it was filled with profanity and full of explicit sexual references:' Challenged in the Baton Rouge, LA public high school libraries (1988) because the book is "vulgar and offensive:' Challenged in the Monroe, MI public schools (1989) as required reading in a modem novel course for high school juniors and seniors because of the book's language and the way women are portrayed. Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged as an eleventh grade summer reading option in Prince William County, VA (1998) because the book "was rife with profanity and explicit sex:" Removed as required reading for sophomores at the Coventry, RI High School (2000) after a parent complained that it contained vulgar language, violent imagery, and sexual content. Retained on the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, IL (2006), along with eight other challenged titles. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she'd found on the internet. Challenged in the Howell, MI High School (2007) because of the book's strong sexual content. In response to a request from the president of the Livingston Organization for Values in Education, or LOVE, the county's top law enforcement official reviewed the books to see whether laws against distribution of sexually explicit materials to minors had been broken. "After reading the books in question, it is clear that the explicit passages illustrated a larger literary, artistic or political message and were not included solely to appeal to the prurient interests of minors," the county prosecutor wrote. "Whether these materials are appropriate for minors is a decision to be made by the school board, but I find that they are not in violation of criminal laws.

Really North Dakota? You hated it so much that you had to burn it? I'm sorry, but that's ignorant. I think the county prosecutor's comment about the "larger literary, artistic or political message" was spot on. Vonnegut makes a strong comment about the traumas of war and the holes in society, every word he chooses is for a reason. Best of all, it's bitingly funny. Too many writers pile in sex, profanity and violence just for commercial appeal or shock value. Vonnegut isn't one of those.
I consider myself a tame person, especially in terms of the content of the entertainment I choose- apparently many of the books I enjoy are wildly inappropriate. That's a surprise.