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HLTD22 Digital Reflection 3/3

It is truly important to understand the history of Black Canadians because we live and work in a White-centred environment, which places Whiteness as the expert. The Black community has experienced plenty of systematic and institutional forms of racism dating back to the first populations of Black Canadians in Canada. For many years following Black enslavement, the segregation of Black people in Canada was justified by following the same racial inferiority myths (Henry, 2019). Many significant events in Black Canadian history are ignored and not taught to students in schools. For example, prior to taking this course, I did have any knowledge about the tragedies of Africville and Hogan’s Alley. However, a notable first step was the incorporation of Black History Month, which honours and celebrates the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities.

I believe the notion of storytelling and the Griot is important to understanding the present because it provides a different perspective from lived experiences. Significant Black figures such as Viola Desmond and Donovan Bailey, contribute a lot to the Black community, but their stories are not emphasized enough in media and schools. By listening to more storytellers of more famous Black figures, we can maintain and include these values to our everyday life. Understanding the past is significant to our future, and we must learn and educate others on the inequality that many Black Canadian communities continue to experience.

References

Henry, Natasha. “Racial Segregation of Black People in Canada”. The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2019. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/racial-segregation-of-black-people-in-canada

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HLTD22 Digital Reflection 2/3

As previously mentioned, my parents and older siblings immigrated to Canada from the Philippines one month before I was born. As such, I grew up very close to my culture and its traditions. Tagalog is the main language at home, and my mom would always cook traditional dishes for meals. Growing up in Scarborough, there are a huge number of Filipino families who live here and form a community. Occasionally, there would be Filipino basketball tournaments, where Filipino basketball teams from other cities would come to Toronto to compete for a weekend. These events would often be the largest Filipino gatherings in my life, and I believe that these events bring sense of community and engagement, which is a good representation of my community in Canada.

In addition, I went to Catholic elementary and secondary schools, and the Filipino students would be one of the largest populations in the school. At UTSC, student groups such as the FSA (Filipino Students Association), help to spread awareness and preserve the Filipino cultures, uniting all the students who may come from different cities and countries. As such, the community aspect relates with the Nguzo Saba principle of ‘umoja’, which represents unity. A strong and supportive community is essential to one’s health and provides a source of social connection and a sense of belonging. Having the freedom to express one’s identity freely with shared interests can be truly beneficial to members in the community.

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HLTD22 Digital Reflection 1/3

Hello there, my name is Rollan! I am a second-generation Filipino male born into a family of immigrants. Currently, I am in my 4th year of study at UTSC, taking a double major in psychology and health studies. I hope to graduate in the next spring convocation and obtain my bachelor’s degree. My life motto I live by is: “it is easier to smile than to frown”, and most of the time you can always find a smile on my face.

Out of the many Nguzo Saba principles, the ‘nia’ principle of purpose is something that deeply connects with me. My career goal is to become a full-time schoolteacher for children. I believe that my purpose in life was to teach and inspire others to learn and give back to my community. I am always open to learning new things and incorporating these values in any way I can. Like the Griot, I would like to share my own personal experiences and other significant stories from my previous teachers in my style of teaching. In my free time, I work with United for Literacy UTSC and volunteer at Juliette’s Place in Malvern. As part of the volunteering team, I had the opportunity to work with children who may be affected by domestic violence and serve as an effective listener and teacher with their literacy needs.

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Top Left - Most memorable place in school

This was my first class of my high school. First semester, first period, September 2015. Out of any of the other 7 courses, my first class had to be a French class. Back in elementary school, our french curriculum was very poor, so having to learn and catch up to 4 years of french in one month caused early amounts of stress in grade 9. WIth perseverance and help from a certain odd individual, I was able to catch up to the high school french level, and make new friends who are currently my friends today. This classroom, room 234, will always remain as one of the most memorable places in the school.

Bottom: Most favourite place in class

When I first walked into this class, I was amazed by the amounts of quotes that are written around the room, the walls, as well as the ceiling. There are plenty of amazing quotes that were written by the previous students, but this simple quote or message was the one the struck out to me. Being optimistic and bright can really change your perspective in life, as well as your overall morale each day. Right now, having biology and chemistry can sometimes make me weary, but seeing this quote bright and early in homeroom encourages me to do better. Having a smile on your face helps spread the positivity to everyone around us.

Top Right: aesthetically pleasing

I wouldn’t consider this aesthetically pleasing, but seeing this image of this hallway does bring satisfaction. This is the hallway where my locker is, which is second to the door. I always go through this way only at the end of the day, and this puts a sense of relaxation knowing that a stressful day has gone by. After all the tests, the late-ending games and practices, going through this hallway has always part of my everyday school life. Many of friends also have lockers in this hallway, so I’m grateful to be given such a wonderful location. After graduating In June, this specific hallway will be one of the most remarkable places of the school for my high school life.

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ENG 4U1 Unit Six: Poetry

Activity 5

1. One of the most prominent themes that occur in this poem is the theme of regret. This poem is merely about someone who has lost his lover, and the feeling of absence as he longs for her return. For example, a line in the poem mentions “My heart searches for her and she is not with me”. This line gives us a feeling of remorse, and an idea of incompleteness that one would regret after losing someone that is close to them. Another theme that is present in the poem is the theme of lost hope. In the very last line of the poem, the author mentions: “and this may be the last poem I write for her”. The poem conveys the hope that is lost after losing someone that they love. This line shows confusion, in which the author is confused, if this poem may be the last poem for his love. Knowing about this theme of lost hope teaches us the detrimental effects that one may feel after losing someone they care about. One may feel indecisive, and this idea of uncertainty of continuing the relationship or moving on may lead to torment and discomfort.

2. In my opinion, I agree with this poem. Losing someone that you love and care about can bring you emotions of distress and pain. The feeling of absence for the other partner can cause one to feel incomplete, and they now view life with a different perspective. Losing someone you were attached to rushes you with various types of emotions, in which a feeling of confusion and doubt are experienced during this transition.

3. My favourite line of the poem would have to be “Love is so short and oblivion so long”. I chose this line because of the definition of love that is used in this poem. Love is always going to be an ambiguous topic, in which we may never know the true meaning and definition. In this poem, they portray love as short and vague idea, because at this point in the novel, the author is confused of his emotions for his lover. I also like this line because it shows how interesting love appears to be. As with all things, love is what you make of it. If you truly want your love to be successful, you’d do anything to achieve your goal. It’s easier said than done, and there are always limiting factors that lower your chances of success. Love requires plenty of effort and perseverance. Using these and your desire, you’ll be able to overcome the difficulties that you may encounter in your way.

4. The poem is conveying the idea of regret that one may feel after losing a partner in a relationship, or even a friend from a close friendship. It gives us an idea of feeling incomplete, and as said before, the detrimental effects that can lead to confusion of choosing to continue love. It can cause one to feel conflicted, as it is evident in the last line of the poem.

5. In my opinion, I can sort of agree with the poem, but through a friendship perspective. I lost a friend who became one of my closest friends a few years ago. Over time, we both had our own different interests and activities, and we began to see each other less often. After a while, our friendship wasn’t the same as before, and we completely fell off as friends. It was really difficult accepting the new terms, but over time, I eventually accepted things the way they were. Today, we have no interaction, and there’s some days where I wish we could at least fix our friendship. In the end, we both seem to be happy doing with our own things, and despite our broken friendship, I hope that she continues to feel happy in the future. 

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Whoever knew that hitting a ball could be so entertaining? 😂🏐👍

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Final Copy

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Looking through some old pics but this one is actually wavvyyy 👍😂😎

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My “Best” Advice

To start this off, I’m not really that good with advice. I was never that person of which people would approach just for help and assistance. These words of advice are merely my own opinion and what I have followed in order to become the person I am today. Firstly, here’s some advice as to balancing out schoolwork and extra-curricular activities, specifically sports. Life has it stressful for student athletes. Some people do not understand the stress and hard work that these people constantly go through, and I respect every single one of those athletes. If you can relate to this, and you are having trouble balancing out all the events and activities happening in your life, my best advice is to take one thing at a time. Don’t waste time to stress about all the things you have to complete. As soon as you are finished practice or a game, just rest for a little bit and get started on your work. Make a to-do list and write down in order which school work is of your highest priority, and go down from there. Stop overthinking and actually do the work, for the faster you finish, the more time you have to rest up.

My other words of advice is to not be afraid to make little mistakes. We aren’t perfect human beings, but we aspire to be. If you mess up, it’s not the end of the world of you. Pick yourself back up and try not to repeat the same mistake. Don’t be afraid to give up and quit, mistakes are a commonality which makes us all distinct human beings. The past will never change, despite what you make of it, our present is where we can fix our past problems. Remember that life has plenty of things to offer and opportunities to redeem yourself, so don’t be afraid to try again. With experience, learn to do better and you will eventually become successful after your mistake.

My last words of advice is to always remain positive, and try to smile more. It’s easier said than done, but smiling is a good way to keep a optimistic and bright mindset, and even makes you look younger, if are interested in those things. Life has its ups and downs, and there will be plenty of obstacles and challenges that will occur along the way. Keeping a positive attitude makes it easier to overcome these difficulties, as well as increasing the morale of your spirit. Your positivity will influence others to feel better and will also give them a positive vibe. Seeing joy in a smile can easily brighten up someone’s day, so go out there and smile more!

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I really got bodied into the wall 🤦‍♂️😂

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ENG 4U1 Unit Six: Poetry

Activity 3

1. The most evident theme of this poem would be the theme of death. To start off, death is blatantly mentioned in the title. As well, there are plenty of similes and metaphors referring to sadness and sorrow. For example, the first line mentions “cemeteries that are lonely”, and the second line mentions “graves full of bones”. Knowing about the theme of death helps us to realize how much fear and pain can be experienced through one’s death, and how darkness tends to take over one’s emotions. Another theme that is present in the novel would be the theme of despair and loss of hope. In the fourth line of the poem, the word darkness is mentioned three straight times in that sentence. Knowing about this theme gives us a perspective of the feelings and senses that are felt during a period of despair.

2. In my opinion, I agree with this poem. Death can be considered an ambiguous topic, and can become detrimental to one’s own life, especially if death happened to one of his or her loved ones. The feeling of losing someone of whom you are very close to makes your heart and life stop for a quick second. The pain and sorrow brought by death as described by the poem can potentially be experienced by someone who has lost a loved one, and I personally support that idea. It is not a pleasant feeling, but everyone will eventually encounter this at one point in their life.

3. My favourite line of this poem would have to be the last line: “where death is waiting, dressed like an admiral”. I like this line because of how true and meaningful these set of words are. Death will always be waiting for us, even if we have no desire, death may come up unexpectedly for our lives and for the lives of others. Also, this line teaches us to live our lives to the fullest, and to seize each day by making them worthwhile. We may not know when our time is up, but we can live a positive and excellent life to have no regrets.

4. This poem is describing the horrible experiences and fear when one is experiencing death. Using metaphors and similes, this poem conveys death as a common friend, in which it is normal to encounter these emotions during a period of grief. This poem also gives us an idea of that death is inevitable, no matter what we do, our time may end unexpectedly. Death is everywhere, for example, it could be “inside the broom” or even “inside the folding cots”. This poem teaches us that death is a unpleasant feeling, and gives us an idea of the significance of each day of our life.

5. In my opinion, I can relate to this poem very easily. I felt these types of emotions and experiences when I lost one of my classmates back in grade 7. The day we found out about his condition was one of the worst day of my life. I remember seeing my whole class crying and weeping at one point. It took a couple days for me to finally get my feelings back to normal. The feeling of losing someone you care about hurts, and I admit that I experienced some lines in the poem. Although life may not be the same anymore, this poem reminded me of bright smile and positivity he shared with everyone.

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I feel like this pic is way better than all the other ones I took 😂🤦‍♂️

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hi my name is rollan and here is the rough intro to my essay

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I’m gonna miss the volleyball days😂🏐

s/o to my fans for all the support 💯

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ENG 4U1 Unit Six: Poetry

Activity 2 

1. An example of a major theme that is present in the novel would be the theme of love. This poem uses a metaphor that compares love to an onion, that can represent a moon shining wonderful light. Knowing about the theme of love, this poem portrays a positive perspective of love, and showing that falling in love can bring you happiness and joy. Using the same metaphor of an onion, this poem elucidates the theme of pain. Like an onion, it is able to become horrible like the scent, which can make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief, a line mentioned in the poem. Love can be greatly positive and happy, but it can also bring sadness and sorrow if not treated with care.

2. The metaphor of the onion greatly surprised me at first, but in the end, I finally understood the true meaning of the poem. In my opinion, I truly agree with this poem. Like all things, there is always a good and bad side to everything. Even love, as happy and positive as it sounds, has the ability to bring anger and madness. All things require care and effort, especially love, since one’s emotions play a huge factor during this time. If given zero effort, love can become as sharp as a thorn, and can become your biggest regret, if not given the proper time and commitment.

3. From the poem, I think my favourite line would have to be “It promises light/ like the careful undressing of love”. This line is an extension of the onion metaphor, and provides the reader with a visual image to emphasize the message of love. I like this line because it shows the significance that can be found in all things, even in places where it is least expected. For example, many people would think of an onion as a bland vegetable, that is merely used for cooking and for resource. But as the poem suggests, an onion can represent a moon shining its wondrous light. Similar to love, this can represent the significant other or thing that is important to you. Many people may not have the same feeling as you, but each time you become more attached to that person, you get to see their true colours and qualities that make up who that person is.

4. This poem is saying that love has two sides, and that love way more significant than its typical symbols, such as a red rose or a satin heart. Love requires effort and time, and is not given to you, but is earned. Love can become as happy and joyous, which can lead to marriage and a wedding ring, or it can bring grief and sorrow, which is similar to the sharpness of a knife.

5. In my opinion, I don't really relate to anything in the poem. The relationships I share with my family and friends are extremely positive, and I'm glad that I have these connections today. I can't really relate to this poem, but I understand its meaning and the message that it is trying to portray. I believe that one's own appearance does not define their true personality, and similar to the peeling of an onion, the true meaning of love requires time and commitment.

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Humber College Classic 2018 🏀🥉

(take in how I’m the only player smiling😂)

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ENG 4U1 Unit Six: Poetry

Activity 1

1. One major theme that is mostly present in the novel would be the theme of love. This poem is mainly based off a couple who shared an everlasting passion for one another. Using the theme of love, the author wanted to emphasize the feelings that they had for each other, and to portray that love can be considered an illusion, in which our emotions are highly present and used throughout this mirage. Another theme that is also present in the poem is the theme of betrayal. As mentioned above, the theme of love is immensely used, but the last couple lines of the poem elucidate the opposite message. It is mentioned that “a strange door” opens up between the couple in the poem. This can be interpreted in which one of the partners is reaching a level of intimacy with another person, betraying the trust and love shared with the other half of the relationship. The author wanted to give the readers an idea that trust can be betrayed, even through the highest points of love.

2. In my opinion, I agree with the idea of love that is present in this poem. Love is a mysterious idea or thought in which there can be no answer to this feeling. Love can cause one to constantly think about their significant other, in which one would go out of their way, even through high extents, for that one person.  As mentioned in the poem, “our bodies grew, stretched out to Earth’s limits”, I would consider this as the amount of love that this couple shared with each other.

3. If I were to choose my favourite line or image from the poem, it would have to be “and bound as one, fell,/ and drowned without being unbound”. I would choose this as my favourite line because it illustrates the high level of love that they share with each other. Through context, they mention a horrible storm that takes place in the ocean. Connecting this back to the poem, it is considered that the danger and threat of the storm could never break the intense love shared by the couple. Although the last few lines may say otherwise, from my favourite line, I find it appealing to know that each partner in the poem share a connection with each other that can ultimately withstand all things.

4. In my opinion, I think the meaning of the poem is that the idea of love can potentially control one’s decisions and life. From the poem, a “brimming glass” was mentioned at the start. Brim can defined as “to fill to the point of overflowing”. I think this represents the surplus amount of love that is shared through the couple in the poem. With this, we may become blinded and potentially become different.  

5. No, I can’t exactly relate to this poem. I love all of my family and friends, and the relationship I share with them is positive and I’m glad that I still have some of those connections today. This poem talks about sharing an intense love with another person, and I’ve never experienced feeling that way about a certain person. This can be considered very odd, but I’m glad that this poem helped give me an insight on the real definition of true love.