Humanism and the Baroque Periods of Art

Humanism and the Baroque Periods of Art Humanism, specifically during the Renaissance, was a huge movement towards the human mind as a whole and how individuality in expression of thoughts and ideas was celebrated. Tradition was not something to be blindly followed anymore. One might argue that humanism played the biggest role in creating the Renaissance. This was because of the huge focus on studying Roman and Greek texts, which gave a new outlook on their modern world focused on the human ability. Painting was influenced by humanism by becoming more realistic while also keeping forms classic. It also heavily focused on the human experience. The two paintings I found to show this well were The School of Athens by Raphael and The Tribute Money by Masaccio. In The School of Athens it is clear education is the main theme, which makes sense because humanism during that period had a lot to do with educating and thinking for yourself. The Tribute Money portrays a biblical scene in which Jesus performs a miracle to satisfy the t ax payment. It has multiple things going on from the story at the same time and the people are all doing different things. They are both great examples of focusing the attention towards everyday life. You can also see that, in every person depicted, they have a mind of their own. They look in different directions and are carrying out different actions, there is no one true center focus. Secularism and naturalism can be seen throughout Renaissance art as well. There is less focus on church scenes and more focus towards the outdoors and creating an environment of the world. They aimed for accuracy in the paintings as well, which can be seen especially well in The Tribute Money. If you look towards the feet there are cast shadows and the lighting is used to create a much more realistic scene had there not been shadows. What can also be seen is the movement of the people depicted, except for Jesus, which sets the scene as more of a photo in time instead of a perfectly posed scene that w as recreated. The Baroque period was started around the 1600s. It is thought to be that the most important pieces of history relating to the Baroque period were the reformation and the Counter Reformation. The Catholic Church declared at the Council of Trent that art was to depict religious ideas and themes. It focused on the most dramatic point in the story, compared to Renaissance art which focused more on a casual portrayal of the scene. Baroque art is very dramatic and uses light to dramatize the scene even more. The technique used, in reference to the lights and darks, is called chiaroscuro. It used harsh lights and dimly lit scenes to make the painting even more dramatic. The color use was also very dramatic, although they might not be bright the emotional appeal behind colors was used to help stimulate and evoke emotion in the viewer. The common themes behind Baroque art were visions, ecstasies, death, and overall intense moments. One big difference in style between Baroque and Renaissance art is that the planes and depth in Baroque is much more limited than in Renaissance which had clearly defined planes and objects or people in the planes. Renaissances use of perspective gave them realism, which didnt allow the emotion that was trying to be depicted. It fell a bit flat, but Baroque came along and solved this issue by their use of style and lighting to bring back the emotion that was lost in the Renaissance period. Two pieces of art from the Baroque period that showcase this are The Ecstasy of St. Teresa by Giovanni Bernini and The Conversion on the Way to Damascus by Caravaggio. The Ecstasy of St. Teresa held a very common theme in Baroque art, a meeting of the divine and human. The sculpture is of the moment St. Teresa recalled an angel coming down and piercing her with an arrow of love. The way light is used on the sculpture is Baroque in every sense, from the light coming down from a yellow tinted window above and wooden rods falling from behind being lit the sam e. The Conversion on the Way to Damascus is a great example of how Caravaggio used light and dark to create drama and emotion. It is a dimly lit scene with harsh light coming from out of view, lighting one side of the horse and Paul, while the man in the back is slipping away into the darkness. John Donne was known for his unusual style in writing. He had abstract verses, weird lengths, and often confusing metaphors. Although he went against the grain of writing at the time, he was given a better appreciation in later times. His unique style stemmed from religion and lust. He expressed both in a way those had not done before him, and it worked. I read that he was an Anglican minister, which gave his many contradictions live. His life was a bit of a contradiction seeing as he wrote about the physical nature of life and death while also weaving spirituality into his poems. Thomas Wyatt, on the other hand, took much of his ideas from Petrarch, although he did write poems of his own. They were more consistent in style. All of the sonnets we read by Wyatt were octaves followed by a sestet, and he had consistency in most of his writing. This is unlike Donne who was sporadic and had little continuous style. One thing they had in common was their impact on the poetry of their times , both could be called innovators. The poems of Donne were also livelier in the sense that they had more emotion. They both had poems dealing with thoughts that might run through your head at certain times in your life, which I enjoyed. Wyatts poems were more pleasing to me, aesthetically, because I can enjoy poems more when they have a consistent theme and style. His writing is very similar, and I was able to get more into it when I was able to understand the rhyme scheme. His theme behind his sonnets that we read was dealing with love and a loss of love. I was able to understand these even more as well because, as most everyone, has loved and loss that love at some point in their life. Not specifically a romantic relationship but any relationship allows you to feel those emotions and they are powerful, which made me enjoy them more. Aesthetics, to me, is almost indescribable. It is all around us, beautiful and appreciative. What makes it interesting is everyone views and appreciates the visual and literary arts in their own subjective way. It brings up questions that are hard to answer. What is beauty? These questions are what made aestheticism a movement to begin with. To find something aesthetic is to have a sense of beauty and emotion, the art itself provokes emotion within. To me, an artwork that sticks out as aesthetic are sculptures, specifically marble. David by Michelangelo is what stands out to me the most. When I saw the David in person, I was not stuck pondering the idea or sitting there thinking purely intellectually about the statue, but instead had this emotion fill me that almost made my jaw drop. The sheer size alone had me breath taken and in awe. I think what makes something aesthetically important to me is the understanding of the time and craftsmanship it took to create it. The David is 17 fe et tall and pure marble. Michelangelo took more than two years to create it as well. All that I learned after, which made it even more appealing, but even in that moment I knew there was something beautiful and great about the piece. It is hard to describe why I liked it so much at the time, but I think that is why some of the beauty in art is so amazing, an indescribable appreciation and affection for the piece. It can be a different piece or everyone, which Im sure will be seen by the responses to this question. Aesthetics of art is beautiful because of the subjectivity it innately has within. Whatever you are to find beautiful is justified, even if no one else does.

Economy of US Essay

President George W. Bush, in a speech before his economic team on August 8, 2007 talked about the nation’s thriving economy. President Bush said: â€Å"I just finished a productive meeting with members of my economic team. We discussed our thriving economy and what we need to do to keep it that way. We care a lot about whether our fellow citizens are working, and whether or not they’ve got money in their pockets to save, spend, or invest as they see fit. We talked about America’s role in the global economy. † (President Bush Meets) Looking at some major economic indicators, the President’s claim on the growth of the economy has some sense. For this paper, the following indicators will be discussed: the Gross Domestic Product – which measures overall economic productivity of the nation; Inflation rate – which measures the rise in the general level of prices; Unemployment or employment rate – which reflects the number of people with jobs; and Balance of Payments – which reflect the relationship between exports and imports. The United States Government uses two sets of tools that affect the American Economy. These tools are Monetary Policy and Fiscal Policy. The first one deals with how the government controls the supply of money and therefore the general stability of prices. The second one deals with government expenditures specifically how much the government is earning (taxes and revenues) and where will it spend the money (budget). Monetary policy is executed by the Federal Reserve System through its Board of Governors while Fiscal policy is carried out by Executive branch with or without the support of Congress. The U. S. Economy in Review The U. S. Economy is the largest and most powerful economy in the world. By the end of the third quarter of 2007 its Gross Domestic Product was close to $14 Trillion. Starting in 2004, the U.  S. economy was hit by significant events that tested its resiliency. The aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks led to major shifts in national resources to fight global terrorism. The costly war in Iraq led to a more costly U. S. occupation in Saddam Hussein’s country. Huge investments were made by the country for the war – investment in budget, resources and human capital. During the same period, Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage in the Gulf Coast. Resources were diverted to aid those who suffered from the natural calamity. Oil prices soared between 2005 and 2006 also threatening the economy. Despite these setbacks, the U. S. economy posted strong growth during the period 2004-2007. Gross Domestic Product The U. S. Gross Domestic Product recorded growth rates of 2. 9 percent in 2004, 3. 2 percent in 2005 and 2006 and a leap to 4. 2 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2007. According to the Bureau of Economic Accounts, the increase in GDP primarily reflected increases in consumer spending, investment in equipment and software, federal government spending, and residential fixed investment. The President, in his State of the Economy address in January 2007, highlighted the strong and dynamic economy, and discussed the challenges faced in keeping the economy growing. The President stressed that the U. S. economy is resilient and responsive, adding more than 8. 3 million jobs since 2003 despite numerous challenges including a recession, corporate scandals, the 9/11 attacks, and the worst natural disaster in American history. Inflation Inflation is generally reflected through the rise and fall in the Consumer Price Index. CPI measures the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. During the period 2004 to 2006, CPI rose at a manageable level – indicating inflation is under control. No data was shown for 2007. In 2004 – CPI rose 3. 3 percent over the previous year. In 2005, the rate was at 3. 4 percent and in 2006 it slowed down to 2. 5 percent. The recent behavior of inflation shows it remains low and stable and has minimal impact on the economy (U. S. CPI) Unemployment and Employment  The number of unemployed persons was 7. 2 million in October 2007 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A year earlier, the number of unemployed persons was 6. 7 million, and the jobless rate was 4. 4 percent. Also according to the BLS, total employment was at 146 million in October. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, health care, and leisure and hospitality. Manufacturing employment continued to decline, and construction employment was little changed. The employment-population ratio was at 62. 7 percent. The civilian labor force was at 153. million and the labor force participation rate was at 65. 9 percent. Balance of payment The country’s balance of payment particularly the relationship between the country’s exports and imports still show a deficit. The deficit decreased to $190. 8 billion in the second quarter of 2007 from $197. 1 billion in the first quarter. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a decrease in net unilateral current transfers to foreigners and increases in the surpluses on services and on income more than accounted for the decrease. Monetary Policy The Federal Reserve System, the independent U. S. central bank, manages the money supply and use of credit (monetary policy), while the president and Congress adjust federal spending and taxes (fiscal policy). The government’s monetary policy is governed by the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors. The Federal Reserve’s monetary policy has stressed preventing rapid escalation of general price levels which usually leads to inflation. The Federal Reserve acts to slow economic expansion by reducing the money supply, thus raising short-term interest rates. When the economy is slowing down too fast, or contracting, the Federal Reserve increases the money supply, thus lowering short-term interest rates. The most common way it effects these changes in interest rates, called open-market operations, is by buying and selling government securities among a small group of major banks and bond dealers. A particularly tricky situation for monetary policy makers, called stagflation, occurs when the economy is slowing down and general price level (inflation) is rising too fast (U. S. Monetary Policy). The Federal Reserve’s recent monetary policy is towards keeping the overall economy on an adjustment path where growth is moderate and sustainable. As Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke mentioned in his Testimony Before the Committee on Financial Services, U. S. House of Representatives on July 18, 2007: â€Å"At each of its four meetings so far this year, the FOMC maintained its target for the federal funds rate at 5-1/4 percent, judging that the existing stance of policy was likely to be consistent with growth running near trend and inflation staying on a moderating path† (Bernanke). Given these conditions, the Committee decided to leave its target for the federal funds rate unchanged at 5-1/4 percent. The Committee further stated in its policy statement that some inflation risks remained and that additional action would depend on changes in the outlook for both inflation and economic growth (Monetary Policy Report 6). According to Janet L. Yellen, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco in her speech on The U. S. Economy and Monetary Policy, â€Å"I think the current stance of policy is likely to foster sustainable growth with a gradual ebbing of inflationary pressures† (2). However, Yellen further stated that â€Å"a sustained moderation in inflation pressures has yet to be convincingly demonstrated† (15). Policy Actions taken by the Federal Reserve The Federal Open Market Committee in its meetings on June 27 and 28 and voted to hold the federal funds rate, the Federal Reserve’s main policy tool, unchanged at 5? percent (Monetary Policy Report 6). At the time the report was made to Congress, the funds rate has been kept at that level for the last twelve months. According to the Committee, this decision would avoid exposing the economy to the risk of a recession, while, at the same time, hoping that this policy will produce enough slack in goods and labor markets to relieve inflationary stresses. This direction will enable the Federal Reserve to achieve its dual mandate—low and stable inflation and maximum sustainable employment. In the past year, then Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan wrapped up an eventful 18-year career Tuesday with a final interest rate hike and cleared the way for his successor Bernanke to bring the long credit-tightening campaign to a close. Acting on Greenspan’s final day in office, Federal Reserve Board raised the benchmark overnight lending rate another quarter-percentage point to 4. 5 percent, pushing up borrowing costs for consumers and businesses in their ongoing bid to keep a lid on growth and inflation (Wolk). In the months after that, the Board came up with a series of cuts in interest rates to address the prevailing economic condition. This balancing act is in line with the Federal Reserve’s responsibility of trying to maintain full employment (generally considered to be around 4 to 5 percent unemployment) while keeping inflation low. One can imagine the risks and uncertainties involved in such act. Alan Greenspan once said, â€Å"Policymakers often have to act, or choose not to act, even though we may not fully understand the full range of possible outcomes, let alone each possible outcome’s likelihood. As a result, risk management often involves significant judgment as we evaluate the risks of different events and the probability that our actions will alter those risks (Greenspan). † . This delicate balancing act is done by using interest rates as a tool. When interest rates are low, capital is easier to acquire. Left unchecked, however, this leads to inflation. If interest rates are too high, however, the result can be a recession and, in extreme cases, deflation; the result of which can be economically devastating. There are two ways as to how the Federal Reserve influences the direction of interest rates: by raising or lowering the discount rate or by indirectly influencing the direction of the Federal funds rate. The discount rate is the interest rate banks are charged when they borrows funds overnight directly from one of the Federal Reserve Banks. The Federal funds rate is the rate that banks charge each other for overnight loans (U. S. Monetary Policy). Fiscal Policy When President George W. Bush first stepped into the Whitehouse in 2001 he promised several things to the American public. Among his list of promises which was an ambitious $1. 3 trillion tax cut. President Bush promised that â€Å"whoever pays taxes gets a tax break. † Campaigning for his second term in office in 2004, President Bush promised to make tax cuts that were earlier adopted in 2001 permanent. In his August 8 speech the President said: â€Å"Real after-tax income has increased by an average of more than $3,400 per person since I took office. † The President further stated: Tax cuts let Americans keep their own money. It stimulates entrepreneurship. † The President emphasized that he is against the plan to increase taxes and turn them into additional government programs and said: â€Å"We want the people to keep more of their own money because we understand that the American economy, entrepreneurs and small business owners are the ones who create jobs. † However, there is a growing opposition to his fiscal policies. Some say these cuts were distributed disproportionately. Higher income tax payers got the biggest breaks they say as opposed to lower income individuals. It is also important to note that during the first term of President Bush, federal spending increased by 26 percent. This seems to go in a different direction with the tax cut measures. On one hand tax cuts mean lesser revenue for the government, on the other, more money is needed as more money is being spent. It will not take a genius to figure out that the tax cuts, and significant increases in spending will have effect on the budget deficits during the Bush administration. From a surplus of $127 Billion when President Bush assumed office, the budget went to a deficit of $929 billion. Future impacts of these fiscal policies have been also widely discussed. Shapiro and Friedman believe: â€Å"Over the next 10 years, total tax-cut costs will equal $3. 9 trillion, reaching nearly $600 billion or 3. 3 percent of the economy in 2014 alone. The resulting higher deficits will slow future economic growth, saddle future generations with sizable interest payments, and leave the nation ill-prepared not only for the retirement of baby boomers but also for responding to potential future crises from security matters to natural or environmental disasters the particulars of which are unknown today. Even Former President Clinton went on record to criticize President Bush’s fiscal and tax policies: â€Å"Tax cuts are always popular,† Clinton said. â€Å"But about half of these tax cuts since 2001 have gone to people in my income group, the top 1 percent. I’ve gotten four tax cuts. Now, what Americans need to understand is that that means every single day of the year, our government goes into the market and borrows money from other countries to finance Iraq, Afghanistan, Katrina and our tax cuts,† Clinton added. We depend on Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Korea primarily to basically loan us money every day of the year to cover my tax cut and these conflicts and Katrina. I don’t think it makes any sense. I think it’s wrong† (Stephanoupoulos, 2005). Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan also had a few words to say about President Bush’s policies. Greenspan criticized President George W. Bush for pursuing an economic agenda driven by politics rather than sound policy, with little concern for future consequences (Benjamin. 2007). Greenspan was quoted as saying: â€Å"The Bush administration turned out to be very different from the reincarnation of the Ford administration that I had imagined. Now, the political operation was far more dominant. † (Benjamin 2007). Comparing past presidents and the current Chief Executive, Greenspan said Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton were the most intelligent; Ford the most normal and likeable; Ronald Reagan was the most devoted to free markets; George H. W. Bush, the current president’s father, was very cordial. However, Greenspan saved his harshest criticism for Bush. `Little value was placed on rigorous economic policy debate or the weighing of long-term consequences,† he wrote. (Benjamin 2007). Still President Bush remains steadfast saying: â€Å"When people earn money, tax revenues go up. This year, tax revenues are expected to be $167 billion higher than last year’s, because the economy is growing. Growing tax revenues combined with spending restraint has helped us drive down the federal deficit, and we were able to do so without raising the taxes on the people who work, or without raising taxes on small business owners or farmers. Estimates show the deficit will drop to $205 billion this year. That is well below the average of the past 40 years as a percentage of our economy. † (President Bush Meets) Conclusion Not too many believed that the U. S. economy can rebound so fast from the series of unfortunate events of 2004 to 2007. Yet the number one economy in world has proven its resiliency and durability by weathering these storms. Much of the credit should go to the managers of the economy. The adoption of effective policies and strategies were the keys to sustaining the growth even in the midst of uncertainties. However, the growing opposition to the President’s Fiscal Policies needs to be given more attention. The clamor does have its points. Tax cuts, everyone must understand, have side effects. Remember, it is from taxes that the government generates revenues. Revenues that are badly needed to fund the operations of the government. These are the same revenues that run schools, hospitals, provides welfare to the poor, and funds homeland security and the war against terror. Without revenues where does the government go? What does it do? It borrows money. Huge amounts of money that, in the end, would be marked as owed by every individual in this country to some bank or foreign government. Overall, greater challenges loom ahead. The economy still faces long-term problems including inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and budget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups. The country will call on again the time tested policies to deal with these adversities. As President Bush said â€Å"Our economy is on the move and we can keep it that way by continuing to pursue sound economic policy based on free-market principles. â€Å"

Part Two Chapter III

III Gavin cooked for Kay at his house that evening, opening tins and crushing garlic with a sense of ill-usage. After a row, you had to say certain things to secure a truce: those were the rules, everyone knew that. Gavin had telephoned Kay from his car on the way back from Barry's burial and told her that he wished she had been there, that the whole day had been horrible and that he hoped he could see her that night. He considered these humble admissions no more or less than the price he had to pay for an evening of undemanding companionship. But Kay seemed to consider them more in the light of a down payment on a renegotiated contract. You missed me. You needed me when you were upset. You're sorry we didn't go as a couple. Well, let's not make that mistake again. There had been a certain complacency about the way she had treated him since; a briskness, a sense of renewed expectation. He was making spaghetti Bolognese tonight; he had deliberately omitted to buy a pudding or to lay the table in advance; he was at pains to show her that he had not made much of an effort. Kay seemed oblivious, even determined to take this casual attitude as a compliment. She sat at his small kitchen table, talking to him over the pitter-patter of rain on the skylight, her eyes wandering over the fixtures and fittings. She had not often been here. ‘I suppose Lisa chose this yellow, did she?' She was doing it again: breaking taboos, as though they had recently passed to a deeper level of intimacy. Gavin preferred not to talk about Lisa if he could avoid it; surely she knew that by now? He shook oregano onto the mince in his frying pan and said, ‘No, this was all the previous owner. I haven't got round to changing it yet.' ‘Oh,' she said, sipping wine. ‘Well, it's quite nice. A bit bland.' This rankled with Gavin, as, in his opinion, the interior of the Smithy was superior in every way to that of Ten Hope Street. He watched the pasta bubbling, keeping his back to her. ‘Guess what?' she said. ‘I met Samantha Mollison this afternoon.' Gavin wheeled around; how did Kay even know what Samantha Mollison looked like? ‘Just outside the deli in the Square; I was on my way in to get this,' said Kay, clinking the wine bottle beside her with a flick of her nail. ‘She asked me whether I was Gavin's girlfriend.' Kay said it archly, but actually she had been heartened by Samantha's choice of words, relieved to think that this was how Gavin described her to his friends. ‘And what did you say?' ‘I said – I said yes.' Her expression was crestfallen. Gavin had not meant to ask the question quite so aggressively. He would have given a lot to prevent Kay and Samantha ever meeting. ‘Anyway,' Kay proceeded with a slight edge to her voice, ‘she's asked us for dinner next Friday. Week today.' ‘Oh, bloody hell,' said Gavin crossly. A lot of Kay's cheerfulness deserted her. ‘What's the problem?' ‘Nothing. It's – nothing,' he said, prodding the bubbling spaghetti. ‘It's just that I see enough of Miles during work hours, to be honest.' It was what he had dreaded all along: that she would worm her way in and they would become Gavin-and-Kay, with a shared social circle, so that it would become progressively more difficult to excise her from his life. How had he let this happen? Why had he allowed her to move down here? Fury at himself mutated easily into anger with her. Why couldn't she realize how little he wanted her, and take herself off without forcing him to do the dirty? He drained the spaghetti in the sink, swearing under his breath as he speckled himself with boiling water. ‘You'd better call Miles and Samantha and tell them â€Å"no†, then,' said Kay. Her voice had hardened. As was Gavin's deeply ingrained habit, he sought to deflect an imminent conflict and hoped that the future would look after itself. ‘No, no,' he said, dabbing at his wet shirt with a tea towel. ‘We'll go. It's fine. We'll go.' But in his undisguised lack of enthusiasm, he sought to put down a marker to which he could refer, retrospectively. You knew I didn't want to go. No, I didn't enjoy it. No, I don't want it to happen again. They ate for several minutes in silence. Gavin was afraid that there would be another row, and that Kay would force him to discuss underlying issues again. He cast around for something to say, and so started telling her about Mary Fairbrother and the life insurance company. ‘They're being real bastards,' he said. ‘He was heavily insured, but their lawyers are looking for a way not to pay out. They're trying to make out he didn't make a full disclosure.' ‘In what way?' ‘Well, an uncle died of an aneurysm, too. Mary swears Barry told the insurance agent that when he signed the policy, but it's nowhere in the notes. Presumably the bloke didn't realize it can be a genetic thing. I don't know that Barry did, come to †¦' Gavin's voice broke. Horrified and embarrassed, he bowed his flushing face over his plate. There was a hard chunk of grief in his throat and he couldn't shift it. Kay's chair legs scraped on the floor; he hoped that she was off to the bathroom, but then felt her arms around his shoulders, drawing him to her. Without thinking, he put a single arm around her, too. It was so good to be held. If only their relationship could be distilled into simple, wordless gestures of comfort. Why had humans ever learned to talk? He had dribbled snot onto the back of her top. ‘Sorry,' he said thickly, wiping it away with his napkin. He withdrew from her and blew his nose. She dragged her chair to sit beside him and put a hand on his arm. He liked her so much better when she was silent, and her face was soft and concerned, as it was now. ‘I still can't †¦ he was a good bloke,' he said. ‘Barry. He was a good bloke.' ‘Yes, everyone says that about him,' said Kay. She had never been allowed to meet this famous Barry Fairbrother, but she was intrigued by the show of emotion from Gavin, and by the person who had caused it. ‘Was he funny?' she asked, because she could imagine Gavin in thrall to a comedian, to a rowdy ringleader, propping up the bar. ‘Yeah, I s'pose. Well, not particularly. Normal. He liked a laugh †¦ but he was just such a †¦ such a nice bloke. He liked people, you know?' She waited, but Gavin did not seem able to elucidate further on the niceness of Barry. ‘And the kids †¦ and Mary †¦ poor Mary †¦ God, you've got no idea.' Kay continued to pat his arm gently, but her sympathy had chilled a little. No idea, she thought, what it was to be alone? No idea how hard it was to be left in sole charge of a family? Where was his pity for her, Kay? ‘They were really happy,' said Gavin, in a cracked voice. ‘She's in pieces.' Wordlessly, Kay stroked his arm, reflecting that she had never been able to afford to go to pieces. ‘I'm all right,' he said, wiping his nose on his napkin and picking up his fork. By the smallest of twitches, he indicated that she should remove her hand.

Graduation Speech High School - 1516 Words

When I was in high school, I would hang out with my friends and they didn’t like to do their school work so I wouldn’t do mine. We would go hang out or sleep in class. I thought that I was cool because everyone knew who I was and would invite me to parties. I started to fail most of my classes and get into trouble because of the type of people that I chose to socialize with. I would tell jokes in class about the teacher and get sent to the office. When I went to the youth center at age 14 I had to take my schooling a lot more seriously. I was way behind in my work and my credits were really low for the grade that I was supposed to be in. I was told that I would not graduate until 1999, and I would be 18 in 1998 which was when I should finish. But because of being a slacker in class, I decided to get my GED and try to do the work asked of me. My outlook on life and school had changed because I wanted a high school diploma. So I worked very hard on my practice tests to get ready for the real tests. But I got out of the youth center and went back to high school. My outlook on the people that I hung out with had changed, and I paid more attention to my work and teacher’s lectures. But I got in trouble with the law again and ended up in the youth center one last time. I had taken most of the post test for the GED program and had 6 months to be there. I was determined to finish my high school diploma. I was really focused this time around because it was January 1998. And itShow MoreRelatedGraduation Speech : High School934 Words   |  4 Pageslife would be graduation. For many people, graduating from high school is an objective. It takes a lot of time, effort, and determination to accomplish that goal. For others graduation is the end of high school, and the beginning of a new chapter in life. When graduated people feel as if adulthood has begun. 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It is necessary that they understand how responsible they need to be with the freedom that is being offered to them. When choosing what college or university to attend it may be tempting to want to go to a school thatRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Graduation1507 Words   |  7 PagesForest English 1010 9/9/2014 Graduation During our lives, most of us have hated getting up early. Whether we as humans enjoy mornings or not, we’re always looking forward to that unforgettable day. That special is high school graduation for me. Graduation is a ceremony that recognizes students that have excelled through school. Graduation was one of the best days of my life, perhaps even better than the day that I started college. There is no other day like graduation where there comes this feelingRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Graduation933 Words   |  4 PagesHigh School Graduation With regards to high school graduation, Balfanz, Herzog, and Iver (2007) followed 12,972 Philadelphia students enrolled in traditional middle schools from six grade (1996-1997) until 1 year beyond their expected graduation from high school (2003-2004) in order to understand what indicators would affect their projected graduation date. Unlike many of the early K-8 schools, the population Balfanz et al followed consisted of 64% African American, 19% White, 12% Hispanic,Read MoreGraduation Speech On High School Graduation851 Words   |  4 PagesThere Is No Success Without The Opportunity to Fail High School graduation can be an exciting time in a student’s life. It is a time when they begin to experience the kind of freedom that comes along with growing up. This freedom allows students to choose the type of college or University they would like to attend. It is necessary that they understand how responsible they need to be with the freedom that is being offered to them. When choosing what college or university they would like toRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School997 Words   |  4 Pagesup, I loved going to school and dreamed of one day attending college. Attending school every day and receiving good grades had become my top priority from K-12. I excelled from K-8th grade, but entering into high school was completely different than primary school. The atmosphere and environment was new to me, I was free to roam the halls or walk back out the door without any repercussions. This began my downward spiral in high school. My freshman year was by far the best school year for me becauseRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School897 Words   |  4 PagesHigh school was one of the most challenging moments in my life. Not only did I have to deal with the academic pressures and social issues from my peers I had external factors that were heavily impacting me as well. During my junior year my mom separated from her husband and me and my three little brothe rs ended up staying house to house with close relatives. Shortly after that time at the beginning of my senior year, my mom was sent to prison. In the midst of dealing with all of the demands thatRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Essay1434 Words   |  6 PagesWhen I was in high school I had one goal, I would graduate top of my class and go to the University of Florida for pre-medicine, then onto their medical school. I never considered that I would want anything else, so I went to a specialty high school that would allow me to specialize in Biomedical sciences(STEM) and never even thought about the possibility of a life other than the one I had so precisely planned out for myself. When my nephews were born my sophomore year all of my priorities changed