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Emblem:

Based on your personal "revelations," design a visual emblem that represents you and captures the look and feel of yourself based on the writing you have done. Think of this emblem as a motto; it is a wide image for your mystory and a symbol of yourself the vocation you have chosen. Post this emblem to your webpage.

Beneath your emblem, please describe what repeating themes, signifiers, images, moods, beliefs, experiences, feelings, etc. kept coming up across your writing that inspired the design for your emblem and can help us understand both the design and your design choices. Finally end this entry with an epigraph, a written slogan (perhaps based on a quote from someone you wrote about, or a scene from a movie or a song lyric) that stands for the mood of your mystory and a personal motto.

 My emblem would be the city of Philadelphia outlined with neon lights. The neon lights are there for the glow that I feel is connected with the city. I feel as though the more people help others the brighter people can shine. There are also colors that I feel tightly connected to through sports. This includes red for the Phillies and Sixers, blue for the Sixers, orange for the Flyers, and green for the Eagles. The city of Philadelphia means a lot to me so I like that as the basis for my emblem. It is the city that raised me and I strive to be the best Philadelphian I can be. The neon adds glow to the emblem which I feel can demonstrate the good feeling in the city. The more one can help someone else out the brighter they can glow. The end goal is to shine as bright as possible by being the best person you can be and this adds meaning to the glow. Respect, kindness, and love are three values that are very important to me and The City of Brotherly Love conveys these ideals perfectly. In the song “Ultralight Beam,” Chance the Rapper preaches love and helping others including, “I’mma make sure that they go where they can’t go/If they don’t wanna ride I’mma still give them raincoats,” speaking of the homeless in Chicago. He is very influential in progressing Chicago and helping those in need which I connect with strongly. A personal motto which I used before is, “do unto others as you want others to do unto you,” because respect is essential to me and this motto demonstrates that perfectly.

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Pause #3:

Go back and read through all the entries you have crafted for this section and look for connections, themes, repetitive moods, feelings, etc. between them and your entries on career, family, and entertainment. Please free-write about what insights come to you as you read back through the entries and search for such connections, similarities, etc. Now, finally, what insights about you as an individual/student/media consumer can you gather? What influences from your family, community, and entertainment history have shaped who you are and how you respond/consume to media? What common themes, values, moods, etc. all "make sense" to you now in relation to where you find yourself and the kind of person you want to be, the kinds of media you enjoy, etc? 

As it has been noted in other pause’s, a main theme along my blog is Philadelphia and respect. To my family and my community, it is very important to help in any way possible for those in need. I have had many influences on me from my family, to Miss Rush, to Hebrew School, and the city of Philadelphia. I have learned how to give as much respect as possibly to everyone and to help out when needed. I have done many things with charities including the Special Olympics and Gift of Life House, and I hope to continue these through the rest of my life. It makes a lot of sense that I was raised on respect and kindness as I am generally looking out for others before myself and hoping for the best for everyone. I want to be someone known for just being a kind, successful person in whatever field I end up in.  Although some rap is absurdly disrespectful and obnoxious, I enjoy listening to those rappers telling stories of struggles and how they overcame them. Most artists I listen to inspire me and my overall goal in life is to just make my parents proud of the person I become. I am always looking up to those like Carlos Ruiz. I want to be someone who strives to help those around him and lead a group to the top like Chooch. Although I feel as though the school system is not great in general, it gives a great basis of what people should be. My school district went out of its way to help people and hopefully one day people will help me in cooking for those in need, helping those with disabilities, or just helping those in need.

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Community #2:

A.    Choose a specific local legislative issue or unofficial social code that that stood out in your community and constrained your and/or others' behavior. Include an anecdote about one of your or others' experiences that supports or problematizes the "rules" of that law or social code. Then describe what this anecdote says about the values, norms, behaviors about your community, which might have shape your own beliefs, thoughts, actions, etc. 

One unofficial social code in my community was that everyone had to do some sort of charity event each year of elementary school. From a spaghetti dinner fundraiser to class concerts, the school district was always looking to provide a strong community that looks out for each other. There are some areas of my school district that are much worse off than others and school was able to let others look out for those in need. One example of this is paying for students to go on school trips when they don’t have the money for it. My family did this anonymously to help others and this had a big impact on me. The community providing so much help for others pushed the values of respect and kindness. As a kid it can be hard to not make outlandish comments that may offend someone even if it’s just because you don’t know better. My school district providing many opportunities to help others showed what we are about and also can connect to the brotherhood feeling that the city of Philadelphia shares. In the big scheme of things, it is hard knowing who has or doesn’t have what and this showed me that it doesn’t matter what you have as long as you can help make other peoples lives better.  It was very important as a community to look out for each other and this teaching gave me ideals I will never let go of. No matter how hard times are there are always people who need more help and for this I am always inclined to help anyway possible whether it be monetary or just plain service.

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Community #1:

A. Describe a literacy sponsor from your childhood or young adult life. As Deborah Brandt defines it, a literacy sponsor refers to

…any agents, local or distant, concrete or abstract, who enable, support, teach, and model, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold, literacy—and gain advantage by it in some way….sponsors set the terms for access to literacy and wield powerful incentives for compliance and loyalty. Sponsors are delivery systems for the economies of literacy, the means by which these forces present themselves to—and through—individual learners. (Literacy in American Lives, 19)

 As you describe this agent and their relations and experiences with you, be sure to identify the mood, feelings, thoughts, etc. that you experienced as a consequence of your interactions with this agent.

My favorite teacher from my childhood was my third grade teacher, Miss Rush. As a child, she was excellent in promoting work ethic and the importance of learning when all I would want to do is clown around. She was my first teacher to really push me towards the SEEK group, the kids who were more advanced. Her teaching was the first time I really put any thought into how intelligent I am and could be and how I could do so much with my life. Today, I still stay in contact with her and see her around town to keep her updated with myself and my friends who were in her class. She was an excellent figure head for young kids who wanted to learn and better themselves. In her class, I was able to push off the silliness and actually push myself to be more advanced than an average kid. After having me, she had my sister and therefore knows my whole family. We all have a good relationship with her as she was the first of few teachers I had that truly knew how to push students to strive for excellence. She also knew how to make class enjoyable, providing some of the best memories from elementary school. One such experience was when I wore a Michigan basketball jersey to annoy her as a Penn State fan. I went to another class for a day after that. This is a happy memory that I now can look back on and laugh on. All in all, she was my favorite teacher in school and created the biggest positive effect on me outside of my parents.

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Pause #2:

Go back and read through all the entries you have crafted for this section and look for connections, themes, repetitive moods, feelings, etc. between them and your entries on career and family. As you freewrite, try to look for connections that are only apparent know that the memories have been written down. For example, is there a repeated color, movement, or object that you were not aware of while you were writing? 

As I go back through my writing I am realizing more and more how much baseball means to me and how important it has been in my life in addition to the city of Philadelphia. The more I write the more the city of Philadelphia oozes into my writing. Between the sports teams and music in the city, my love is demonstrated in this project. To me, Philadelphia is the greatest city on Earth with the best sports, music, and just overall way of life. I have a lot of pride in being a Philadelphian and I think that is shown in my blog. I started listening to rap through artists from this city and this has led to me finding more and more excellent artists that many people do not know. In addition to this, as I have grown older my pride in Philadelphia sports has grown much stronger. Before 2008, when the Phillies won the World Series, I would have said that Ivan Rodriguez, a catcher for the Texas Rangers, was my idol but as I look back more on my life, I am realizing how much I love my city and the people who are helping mold it like Carlos Ruiz. Although there are many athletes much better then Ruiz, none are from Philadelphia which is a huge advantage. Reading through my writing just adds to my love of baseball and shows me how strong it has been in my life. If I had grown up in a different city I would be a completely different person and because of this I am proud to be from Philadelphia.

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Entertainment #2:

A.    Find an image of a famous person who you have always, for whatever, reason identified with. This person may be a writer, movie star, musician, athlete, etc. Beneath the image, briefly describe who this person is. Then freewrite about what significance you ascribe to this person and/or why you have always felt drawn to, admired, etc. this person. 

My idol growing up was Carlos Ruiz also known as Chooch. He was a catcher for the Phillies during their run at the top of baseball. His legacy in Philadelphia is one of a great legend. As a catcher myself I have always looked up to the Phillies catcher as they are my favorite team. Ruiz was never the best at his position but he always worked harder and smarter than everyone else which drew me to him. His knowledge of the game was spectacular and his ability to know what pitch to call made him both a fan favorite and an excellent leader. There is not a person in Philadelphia who does not love Ruiz and his affection for the city only makes him a better role model. He frequently ran charity events around the city even though he spoke very little English. He is the ultimate teammate and leader and this is why I looked up to him. In high school I wore the number 51 because of him. When he was traded from Philadelphia, he took out a full page ad to thank the fans demonstrating his tremendous respect for the city which was deservedly given back to him. My favorite thing about him is the fact that he never should’ve come anywhere near the majors but worked his way to the top, becoming one of the most respected catchers world wide. His determination, grit, and never quit attitude are excellent qualities that every baseball player and catcher should dream about having one day.

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Entertainment #1:

A.    Detail in writing a movie, TV show/narrative, book, play, game, song, etc. that you still remember from childhood or that continues to be of importance to you now. Once you have written about it, find a copy of that movie, book, game, etc. and play or listen to it again. Pay attention to and then write about moments you identify with or details that stand out. Also try to find artifacts (Youtube clips, photographs, remixes, etc.) as examples of the movie, book, etc. that you can upload as examples. 

One song that I remember really well from my childhood is “Opposite of Adults,” by Chiddy Bang. Chiddy Bang is a rapper from Philadelphia which was the first reason I really liked him. I was introduced to this song my first year at camp and it was my introduction to rap music as well. I really enjoyed it as it was played over and over in my bunk becoming the unofficial bunk song. I really connect with this song as it is essentially about growing up and making something of yourself. The song speaks of how the artists now has the ability to live out his dreams of making money and being able to be successful. The first lyrics in the first verse is about reminiscing of the innocence that Chiddy had as a kid and growing up I am starting to realize more and more about the importance of innocence as a child. He talks about games played as a kid and how he can now travel where he wants and party a lot more. The song means a lot to me due to the connection I have with it and camp. In addition, throughout the song he complains about not having enough knowledge which I think is a huge problem with schools currently. I believe strongly that the current school system is very weak and agree with his lines about school not preparing him. I feel as though a lot of my knowledge about life was learned on my own outside school which is similar to what the song preaches.

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Pause #1:

Go back and read through all the entries you have crafted thus far for your mystory. What connections, themes, repetitive moods, feelings, etc. do you notice between the threads? As you freewrite, try to look for connections that are only apparent now that the memories have been written down. For example, is there a repeated color, movement, or object that you were not aware of while you were writing?

One common theme across my writing is both high school and baseball. Both have made huge impacts on my life so to me this is not surprising. Baseball is incorporated in most stories as it has been the back bone of my life. There is very rarely a time between February and the end of October that I am not in full baseball mode. Between watching the Phillies, my own career, and just following Major League Baseball, I am always thinking about America’s Pastime. Also, as high school is much more recent to me, I have more memories and am more inclined to talk about my high school experiences. One color that repeats a lot in my life is red. I have often overlooked this small detail but through the blog and my writing I have realized how much I associate with that color. Both the Phillies and Sixers, my favorite baseball and basketball teams, wear red in their uniforms. Also, I wore red in my own baseball uniform and while in elementary school, we would be written up on pink slips, an off color of red. Also, it is very interesting to look at a baseball. Baseball’s also have red in them in the stitches and are very intriguing objects. I have never really looked closely at how a ball can move so much in such little time but there is a lot to learn about it. Generally, my mood seems to also revolve around baseball, being happy with success and getting down when things do not go as I would like.

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Family Discourse #2:

A.    Find a school picture of yourself from elementary, middle, or high school. This might be an official school portrait or a picture of you at school doing some activity or a picture of you getting ready for school. Analyze the details of your bodily and facial expressions. What is the mood in the photo? What thoughts, feelings, memories does this photo evoke for you? 

This photo is from my senior season on the baseball team for my high school. I am in the middle of swinging my bat at a pitch which ended up falling in for a base hit. My face shows the amount of effort thrown into my swing. As I grit my teeth and take a big breath in the moment you can see the determination and focus that I have. My eyes are dialed in on the ball as it comes towards me and my body puts me in the perfect position to make great contact. As I am mid body turn all of my power is shifting forward towards the ball coming into the zone. My hands staying inside and keeping the bat level shows how I am putting my full effort into this at bat. This photo brings back great memories for me. This game was our senior day and all of my friends as well as myself were able to start and play the whole game. We won on a walk off and I had two hits during the game. This was one of the best highlights during high school for me. Being able to look back on my playing time and see some of my successes brings great joy to me. All of my baseball memories are very strong in my mind as it is my favorite thing to play and watch. This picture brings back great memories of winning awards, playing in the Dodgers old spring training stadium, and intense plays, all of which were excellent experiences in my life.

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Family Discourse #1:

A.    Write about a strong memory from your childhood involving education or learning which is indicative or emblematic of your family life growing up. What narratives, norms, ideologies, patterns of thought/behavior, moods are present that you believe may have shaped your current emotional, physical, working, social life? 

One strong memory I have from my childhood is when I was written up in fourth grade. I was in a class with one of my best friends at the time and as immature children this led to some chaos in our class. One time while lined up in the hall, we got into a friendly shoving match and this led to us getting in trouble and missing recess. One of the main points I got out of this experience is the importance of respect, maybe the most important ideology in my family. I grew up in an average suburban family and my parents were very strong on relaying the ideas of respect for others as well as overall kindness and compassion to everyone. As I sat in the empty classroom I realized that lack the respect needed for my teacher to be able to teach at the best of his ability. By showing respect and kindness to those around you it not only gives them some good to pass on but also allows you to earn their respect and kindness. The quote “do unto others as you want others to do unto you,” has really stuck with me from this moment in my life. By giving others the respect they deserve, they will give you more respect and help in the long run. A big theme in my family is about creating good karma for yourself and by treating everyone with respect and by going out of your way to help them can make you feel better as a person. The end goal in life is to die happy and respect and kindness are the first stairs on the journey. Overall, more good comes from respect then petty arguments.

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Career Discourse #2:

A.      Please choose and describe an educational scene (positive or negative, odd or typical) in which you experienced an epiphany or moment of insight during your childhood. Narrate in detail the setting, characters, plot, and mood and then share insights you may have had during or after that moment as well as those you may have looking back on that moment.

March of my Junior year of high school was a very eventful month. Baseball season started and I started preparing for my first of multiple AP tests in my high school career. The tests were not impossible however I was struggling in school for the first time ever. Although I am an intelligent kid I was having trouble performing at my best. This began to show on many tests as well as standardized tests. My sister had been diagnosed with ADHD a couple of years earlier so it lead me to think if I had something similar. After arguing that I was fine for months I finally gave into my moms suggestion that I just get tested for ADHD. This decision lead to my moment of clarity. I used an off day to get tested so that it would not interfere with baseball. I stepped into the doctors office and my mom left me to what felt like eons of testing locked in a cold room with one other person. The doctor was kind and administered the test in a very efficient way. The test took forever but the results brought a great moment of insight about my schooling. Through the test I was able to push away doubts of my intelligence and potential to get into my ideal school, UF, as I learned more about myself then ever before. As the doctor sat there describing the results I realized that I was not dumb but rather affected by something out of my control. This led to me pushing harder then ever in school, now with the aid of medicine. I also was able to get an IQ test out of this and realized that my standardized test scores were nowhere near what my potential was. With this in mind I killed my next and final ACT and eventually landed at my dream school.

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Career Discourse #1:

A.    Please choose and describe a founding figure or invention, a key concept, problem, or object of analysis in the disciplinary domain in which you would like to teach writing. Choose an image that you have a strong connection with, that you strongly identify with, even if you have never thought deeply about why you are compelled by this thing. In your description, please first help your readers understand what that thing is and then freewrite about what you find intriguing, fascinating, stimulating, inspiring, motivating (etc.) about this thing. 

One of the most interesting objects in the world is a ball and more specifically a baseball. A baseball is a small round object that weighs less than a pound and is fired towards men trying to hit it as far as possible. The seams on the ball allow for crazy movement depending on the grip that the pitcher uses. My whole life has revolved around baseball and the Phillies as my first word was ball. This object is able to cause such emotional swings by being thrown just once. There is so much meaning in every pitch and the ball being thrown starts it all. What is mind-boggling to me as well as many others, is the ability that some people have to put crazy movement when pitching. It is an experience to watch the ball whirl and curve every which way. The way at which a ball thrown close to 90 miles per hour can curve is crazy to fathom. Every pitch has different movement and the fact that by just holding the ball in different ways causes change is crazy. The way in which the ball can fly 400 plus feet off of people swinging a bat amazes me as well. Even with an excellent understanding of the sport I am still in awe of seeing a ball “drop off a table” from “12 o’clock to 6 o’clock” baffling batters as well as some umpires. As more advanced statistics come out such as spin rate, we can understand more about how one can put so much movement on a small ball from only 60 feet 6 inches away. It is a mind bending experience to watch the best balls being thrown and for this, it is an object that I strongly identify with.

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this man is like a jewish rapping god

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In honor of Yogi Berra (5/12/25-9/22/15)

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

You can observe a lot by just watching.

It ain’t over till it’s over.

It’s like déjà vu all over again.

No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded.

Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.

A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.

Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours.

We made too many wrong mistakes.

I knew the record would stand until it was broken.

I usually take a two-hour nap from 1 to 4. 

I want to thank you for making this day necessary. 

The future ain’t what it used to be.

You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six. 

You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you. 

You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there. 

Even Napoleon had his Watergate. 

He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious. 

It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much.  

If you ask me anything I don’t know, I’m not going to answer. 

Take it with a grin of salt. 

I don’t know [if they were men or women fans running naked across the field]. They had bags over their heads. 

It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility. 

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Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming - Trailer [x]