What's So Special about Turning 16? by Chloe Caldi

One thing that the entire world has in common is that as another year goes by, each individual grows a year older. Many choose to celebrate their birthdays, either by simple or extravagant means. However, there are a couple of years where a particular birthday is more special than the rest. One of the biggest birthdays of them all is turning 16 years old, especially for girls. Girls who can afford it choose to have a huge fancy party, called a Sweet Sixteen, where thousands of dollars are spent, and family and friends are invited to celebrate with the birthday girl. One thing I have always wondered is, why spend so much money on one day? What's so special about turning 16?

Now believe me when I say I get the appeal to having a big party. I love dancing and spending time with family and friends as much as anyone. In fact I'm going to be 16 myself in a matter of three days (although I won't be celebrating in such high fashion). However, I have failed to see the significance of the age 16. You can't drink, or drive. You aren't of legal age. You are still in high school. I have conducted some minimal research (asking my mom and googling "sweet sixteen significance"). What I have learned is that turning 16 is more a coming of age commemoration than anything else.
So, I have decided what is so special about turning 16. It can be hard to remember how many people you have to be grateful for throughout the sometimes overwhelming and busy thing that we call life. I believe that turning 16 is a time that the family and friends gather around to appreciate the birthday girl or boy, and recognize the step that they are taking into adulthood. While turning 16 may not legally allow for any more freedom, it is a milestone in a teenager's life that deserves to be acknowledged. 

The 16th birthday has always been a huge tradition in American culture, similar to how turning 15 is a huge milestone in Hispanic culture. Many people consider it the day that signifies a girl becoming a woman. The maturity of a young girl supposedly grows enough to be considered a woman by 16. Many traditions represent this change during a sweet sixteen party. Some include the changing of the shoes, in which a sneaker is traded in for heels, and the father daughter dance. A candle lighting ceremony is also a common practice at a sweet sixteen. It is an opportunity a girl uses to thank all of the people closest to her who have enhanced her life greatly. This is my personal favorite tradition surrounding a 16th birthday.
No matter how you celebrate, turning 16 is a meaningful day in your life, and you deserve to enjoy the day in whichever way you please! I am personally so excited for my 16 birthday, three days from now, and I can't wait to spend the day with my friends and family!

My Experience at the Women's March on Trenton by Sylvia Kloian

Exactly 10 days ago, on January 21st, 2017, I attended the Women's March on Trenton, held in our state's capitol. Now let me get a few things straight: the March was not a protest, it was not violent, and it was in no way destructive. In fact, no arrests were made at any of the marches. On the Women's March website, you can find their mission statement, which basically says that we march to fight discrimination against someone due to their gender, race, sexual orientation, citizenship, or physical ability. It also references climate change and a women's right to control her own body. These all happened to be issues that I find extremely important, and all issues that Donald Trump is challenging. So that is why, on the first day of his presidency, over 6,000 men, women, and children took to the streets in Trenton in solidarity against racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and more. In Washington D.C. there were about 450,000-500,000 people in attendance, and even more in L.A. (750,000!). Before and after the Trenton March, there were over 20 wonderful speakers. Some of the most memorable were Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, the march's organizer Elizabeth Meyer, and Ruth Savage-Jennings (who has been an activist since she was 14 and was a friend of Martin Luther King Jr.). There were so many others, including LGBT, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian persons. There were also several high school students who spoke. This had to be the most inspiring part of the entire experience. There were 2,900 seats inside, but the rest of us were stuck listening in on the speeches from speakers outside on the stairs of the War Memorial. Everyone was huddled together, holding a multitude of signs, and cheering along together at each speech. I cried listening to all these strong women talk about their accomplishments and about overcoming prejudice and sexism. Finally, I, too, was part of discussions that are rarely had in school or even at home. It's so exhausting to have to sit around while all around you people are trying to tell you what you can and can't wear, what you can and can't talk about, and what you can and can't do with your body. Especially in this election, I've had to pick and choose my battles, and held my tongue sometimes when I've heard someone say something that I think is wrong. And, frankly, I'm tired of holding my tongue. The truth is, most others don't have to. I've noticed that when a man talks about politics, people just say they're sharing they're opinions, but when a woman talks about politics, people say that they're "triggered" (a word that is now often used by many my age to dismiss people expressing actual concern) or being a "bitch". And you may have a different opinion than this, but this is something that I have personally witnessed and experienced. So, because of this, marching was such a healthy way to surround myself with people who respect me and my opinions, and to finally cease "staying quiet". The power of knowing that I was marching with dozens of other sister marches in the U.S. and on every other continent (including Antarctica) was amazing and life changing. I am so, so, so, grateful that I got to be a part of this; one person in a sea of millions who made history by marching for what they believe in.

Why you Shouldn't Procrastinate by Emma Bova

        As a habitual procrastinator, I've learned over the years that putting things off until the last minute is not always best. In fact it might just lead to you wanting to pull out all your hair and having a mental breakdown a twelve o'clock A.M. while you're struggling to finish all of your assignments that you've been completely and utterly aware of for at least two weeks. At the time, you may think something like "eh, I'd rather watch Netflix," or "eh, its not even due tomorrow anyway," however, when the night that you need to buckle down and finish your work comes, you end up having a panic attack and wish you had just gotten the assignment over with (currently what I am doing at this very moment in approximately four classes). So, if anyone needs some helpful tips on why procrastination is the origin of all evil, read below :).
        If you're typing an essay, ideas probably won't automatically start flowing onto the keyboard; you're going to need some time to plan your essay and gather details to make your essay the best it can be. If you put a writing assignment off until the last night possible, it might take awhile to think of an idea or a topic, lessening your time to actually type it even more. Additionally, the less time you have to finish an assignment, the more rushed the assignment will feel to anyone who is reading it. That is why taking time to plan out an essay is always best; save the last night for last minute revisions to make sure there are no grammatical or spelling errors.
        You could run out of time! Nowadays in our technologically advanced world, many classrooms use google classroom, which is essentially a website by google that allows teachers to post assignments for students online, and set them due for a certain date and time, so basically a classroom online (hence the obvious name). Remember back in middle school when, if you forgot to do your homework the night before and you were afraid of getting your butt whooped by the teacher your were terrified of (cough, Mr. Pergola), you'd simply do the homework during lunch and nobody would ever know that you didn't actually do it the night before, but now, if the work is turned in past seven o'clock A.M. it's late. No going back now. You just have to sit in a pool of your own shame and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Big thank you to whoever created google classroom (not against saving paper, but it makes life very difficult at times).
        Two words: sleep deprived. Now, many teens are sleep deprived for other reasons besides staying up and doing homework, but if you look at a fellow like me with no social life, I am most likely tired because I waited until the last minute to do all of my assignments, and was up until one A.M trying to rush through it all. The average teens need about 8-9 hours of sleep a night, and (speaking from my personal experience of falling asleep in biology whenever I had it first period last year), teens usually can not and refuse to focus if they are not functioning on enough sleep. Not to mention, grumpy. So do yourselves and everyone else a favor and, do your homework early, get it out of the way.
        If anyone can guess, this essay is being directed towards myself, as I am currently writing this at the last minute, with five other homework assignments to do. However I can say that I learned a good lesson while typing this and I hope anyone else who reads this does too, because procrastination will truly make you a very stressed out and unhappy person. And think, if you get your work done early, you can relax and just watch everyone else stress about that work while you're sitting there like "ha ha... I already finished, have fun with that." And you will truly feel like the most powerful person in the world.

Inside and Out- Themes in Frankenstein

January 27, 2017

Mary Shelley presents many themes in the book of Frankenstein. One of the most noticeable and relative to today's society is that as humans, it is natural for us to judge something or someone from the outside and not be able to look past what we see in order to really understand a person or situation.

The story starts off with Victor telling the reader background history on his family. Starting with Elizabeth, we can see how Mary Shelley emphasizes that Elizabeth was chosen to be adopted due to her beautiful eyes, fair skin, and blonde hair. Her beauty had attracted Mrs. Caroline’s attention enough for her to want to adopt her and Elizabeth didn’t even have to say a word.

The most prominent example of the outside vs. inside theme is shown when Mary Shelley explains how the monster is treated based on his outside appearance. The monster finds himself trying to find his way in society but is proposed with a conflict of his looks. From listening to the family in the cottage and reading books, he begins to understand what it takes to be socially accepted and how what you have, what you look like, and your heritage will all affect the social status of somebody.

The outside vs. inside theme is especially important to understand as high school students. We often find ourselves making assumptions about someone’s personality and values just by their appearance. When reading the chapter in Frankenstein when Felix tries to beat up the monster and Agatha runs away with Safie, I felt bad for the monster and disappointed in the family's reaction. Then I realized that myself and everyone around me does it all the time. So many conversations are passed up because we can’t look past what someone is wearing, how much money they have, their ethnicity, the rumors that were spread about them, or even the way they wear their hair. I find it very interesting that many centuries have passed yet we still judge each other on the some of the same things.

The Scientific Plausibility of Frankenstein's Monster by Sarah West

For about a month now, we have ben reading and discussing the classic gothic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly in our english class. During one of our class discussions, the topic of the intelligence of the monster, and how he could have gained enough intelligence to talk to and interact with human beings was brought up. Since I have been learning a lot about the human body in the Human Body Systems and Biology classes I have been taking in school, my curiosity was immediately sparked. I began to wonder about this subject, and about the plausibility of Frankenstein's monster in general. As he is a character written as part of a fictional novel nearly 200 years ago, one might be quick to assume there is nothing feasible about sewing together body parts, then bringing the creature to life. However with the scientific advancement that has taken place since the time the novel was written, successful organ transplants taking place everyday, genetic engineering, and the technology available, Frankenstein's monster may be closer than he seems.

While in college, Frankenstein claims to have constructed his monster out of miscellaneous body parts after he discovered the secret to life. Disregarding the fact that there is no way to bring something that is completely lifeless to life, the existence of organ transplants seem to back up the possibility a whole new body could be constructed from many parts put together. Although it would be possible to connect major organs with blood vessels and muscle, the reconstruction of the nervous system is where things get dicey. Since, as I have learned in my biology and human body systems courses in school, nerve cells do not reproduce, there is basically no chance the brain would be able to connect to the spinal cord and have the ability to communicate with the rest of the body.  Even if, somehow, Frankenstein were to succeed in constructing the nervous system, he would then run into problems with the immune system. Since white blood cells automatically attack anything in the body that it does not recognize as self, and the monster is made up of organs and limbs from many different people, there is no telling what kind of havoc the system will cause as different organs are rejected, and maybe even a battle between multiple white blood cells and immune systems from multiple people takes place inside the monster. Frankenstein would have an easier time applying his discovery to dead human being, containing only the original body parts.

After the monster comes to life, he spends some time observing a family living in a cottage, in which time he learns to read and speak, with a decently expansive vocabulary as evidenced by his later conversation with Frankenstein. How exactly did Frankenstein learn to speak perfectly, read and come to understand human society in under 2 years? Well, theoretically, if the monster had a perfectly functioning human brain with the specific areas that are used to understand and produce language, he would have the same ability to learn language as any other human. That is still a stretch logically, since after two years most humans don't use words like "benevolent", "endeavoured" and "melancholy".  However it is doubtful that while trying the build the best, strongest and most amazing creature he could, Frankenstein would give his monster the brain of a newborn. If the monster was given the brain of an adult, his experience in learning how to speak could be closer compared to someone learning a new language rather than a baby learning to speak for the first time. This makes his ability to learn the language more believable, especially considering how dedicated he was. The idea of acquiring a brain from someone who has already lived a life of course opens up more theoretical questions about how it would function. Wouldn't he still have the personality and memories for the original owner since the brain creates personality and stores memory? Why then, would he not remember how to speak or remember how the world works?  Since humans have never actually physically transplanted someone's head, or brought someone back from the dead, there is really no way to explain or know for sure what the brain would be like in that situation.

Where language production and 

understanding take place in the brain

Is it actually possible to create a monster like that of Frankenstein's? No. Will modern day humans have to worry about monsters roaming the streets anytime soon? Doubtful. Will there ever be a way to scientifically explain how Frankenstein's monster could have been possible? Not yet, but who knows what the future will bring? While logically a monster like Frankenstein's is still purely fiction, the fact that we can taken organs from one person and put them into someone else, design children before they are born through genetics, and have the advanced technology we do today, makes humans closer than Mary Shelly could have probably ever imagined 200 years ago to having the scientific ability to do what Victor Frankenstein did in her novel.

Drop Dead Gorgeous By: Alyssa Stouch

Though it looks of beauty

A diamond cuts the skin

Though the colors seem pleasing

The dart frog's poison seeps in

Though it shines of romance

A ring will soon begin to rust

Though his eyes were charming

He craved nothing more than lust

Though it radiates a golden light

The sun burns through a child's back

Though its arms provide security

A Venus fly trap devours its snack

Though it lets off a peaceful glow

The touch of a jellyfish will sting

Though she smiles of pure sanity

The voices inside her continue to sing

Though the world displays a pure innocence

Its deadliest secrets lie below the surface

For ones appearance does not define its purpose

Power to the She: A poem by Grace Sander

She was on the ground
She was exhausted
She was hopeless
She was done
Done doing so much
When it only resulted in so little
Done with trying so hard to be perfect
When it only highlighted her imperfections
Done with the rising above
When it only gave such a height to fall from
So she just stopped
She Stayed in bed, ate her feelings, and cried
But the blankets could only make her so warm
The food couldn't consume her hunger
And the tears dried every time 
She unwrapped herself 
She put a lid on it
She got a tissue 
And she got up
She decided that everything she did would be important
She decided to regain the hope that was lost for so long
She decided she was good enough
She was energetic
She was faithful 
She was ready
Ready to go out there and fight for what she deserved
But most importantly
She wasn't done 

Benefits of High School Abroad by Carly Piniaha

    Doing things alone can be scary, whether it be something little like going into a store alone or as big as traveling alone. Though each experience we go through like these make us more independent and self-sufficient. High schoolers are at a point in their life where they are starting to learn what it is to have both these attributes. Studying abroad is a great opportunity for students to develop these skills. You have to rely on yourself rather than your usual home support system. Studies have shown that living abroad in high school increases both confidence and maturity. All parents want the best for their kids. To go out into the world and be able to thrive. By having the lessons you learned through your time abroad you can do just that.

   The inclusion of studying abroad on your college applications can also help in the time of college admissions. Admission boards love the words "leadership" and "global" and studying abroad can fit into both categories. Types of abroad programs can even be service projects that are student lead, which also shows community service. Studying abroad shows you possess knowledge of other cultures and can effectively analyze and solve culturally sensitive problems. Moreover, knowing a foreign language can make your application stand out among others. It shows you take academics seriously. And the only way one can become truly fluent is to be immersed in the language. How does one become immersed you ask? studying abroad!

   Not only can you boost your admission chances, you can receive college credits for courses taken overseas! Taking the initiative to get college credits while still in high school further show your respect for academics. Sure, AP classes are great to take to get college credit. Me personally? Well, I would rather get college credits while strolling through the streets of Spain or France than sitting through an AP exam I'm not even sure a college will accept. So what are you waiting for? The whole world is out there for the taking if you would just open yourself up to new experiences. Make new friends you would have never made without leaving the country! Try new things! Studying abroad will open doors in your life you never even knew existed.

Music to My Ears by Jillian Parks

Living lives of constant stress, pressure and lack of quality sleep, high school students have become so paranoid about who they will become, what job they might acquire and of course, one cannot forget, the college they will attend, that many never once get the chance to release and relax these constant thoughts jumping and flipping around their heads on a daily basis. It is important to realize that once in a while, teens need to calm down and unwind the never-ceasing negative thoughts that pound and pull at our emotions everyday. What I have found out once I began my life last year, in this new world called high school, is that music can flip a person's pessimistic, cantankerous mood right into a jubilant one in the blink of an eye. But how does this historical art form, giving joy to the human race for generations, give not only teenagers, but even babies, such a therapeutic way to make us feel better? Here's the answer(s) you might be looking for...

Music is a core function in our brain. Our brain is primed early on to respond to and process music. Research has shown that day-old infants are able to detect differences in rhythmic patterns. Mothers across cultures and throughout time have used lullabies and rhythmic rocking to calm crying babies. From an evolutionary standpoint, music precedes language. We don’t yet know why, but our brains are wired to respond to music, even though it’s not “essential” for our survival.

Our bodies entrain to rhythm. Have you ever walked down the street, humming a song in your head, and noticed that you’re walking to the beat? That’s called entrainment. Our motor systems naturally entrain, or match, to a rhythmic beat. When  a musical input enters our central nervous system via the auditory nerve, most of the input goes to the brain for processing. But some of it heads straight to motor nerves in our spinal cord. This allows our muscles to move to the rhythm without our having to think about it or “try.” It’s how we dance to music, tap our foot to a rhythm, and walk in time to a beat. This is also why music therapists can help a person who’s had a stroke re-learn how to walk and develop strength and endurance in their upper bodies.

We have physiologic responses to music. Every time your breathing quickens, your heart-rate increases, or you feel a shiver down your spine, that’s your body responding physiologically to music. Qualified music therapists can use this to help stimulate a person in a coma or use music to effectively help someone relax.

Music taps into our emotions. Have you ever listened to a piece of music and smiled? Or felt sad? Whether from the music itself, or from our associations with the music, music taps into our emotional systems. Many people use this in a “therapeutic” way, listening to certain music that makes them feel a certain way. The ability for music to easily access our emotions is very beneficial for music therapists.

Music enhances learning. Do you remember how you learned your ABCs? Through a song! The inherent structure and emotional pull of music makes it an easy tool for teaching concepts, ideas, and  information. Music is an effective mnemonic device and can “tag” information, not only making it easy to learn, but also easy to later recall.

Music taps into our memories. Have you ever been driving, heard a song on the radio, then immediately been taken to a certain place, a specific time in your life, or a particular person? Music is second only to smell for it’s ability to stimulate our memory in a very powerful way. Music therapists who work with older adults with dementia have countless stories of how music stimulates their clients to reminisce about their life.

Music is a social experience. Our ancestors bonded and passed on their stories and knowledge through song, stories, and dance. Even today, many of our music experiences are shared with a group, whether playing in band or an elementary music class, listening to jazz at a restaurant, or singing in church choir. Music makes it easy for music therapists to structure and facilitate a group process.

Music is predictable, structured, and organized–and our brain likes it! Music often has a predictable steady beat, organized phrases, and a structured form. If you think of most country/folk/pop/rock songs you know, they’re often organized with a verse-chorus structure. They’re organized in a way that we like and enjoy listening to over and over again. Even sound waves that make up a single tone or an entire chord are organized in mathematical ratios–and our brains really like this predictability and structure.

Music is non-invasive, safe and motivating. We can’t forget that most people really enjoy music. This is not the most important reason why music works in therapy, but it’s the icing on the cake.


My advice? Start listening to some tunes because there is no better feeling than belting your heart out listening to your favorite song. I can guarantee that finding a genre you like and are passionate about can change your attitude, mood, outlook on life and even the way you view things into a more positive version of yourself. So get out there and find your artist because it sure is worth taking a breather once in a while from reality and slipping into the magical fantasy of music!

Mary Shelley incorporating her own grief into Frankenstein (Erin Lyden)

Our class has recently been reading the book Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, who has quite the tragic history of her own. Her mother sadly died during birth,  and throughout her life, Mary has always held herself responsible and carried the guilt of her mother's death. Throughout reading her book, I have discovered multiple connections between Mary and the main character Dr.Frankenstein.  Frankenstein obsesses with the idea of death and bringing someone (or something) back to life. This obsession that he posses reflects Mary's own guilt of her mother's death. They both want to revive the dead, as their own way of fixing their pain.  Mary's pain is the guilt she feels for her mother dying and Frankenstein has isolated himself completely, stopping at nothing to get what he thinks he wants.

As the story goes on Frankenstein loses his brother, who was strangled by the monster he created. Knowing that he was ultimately responsible for the death of his own family member brings Frankenstein enormous grief and heartbreak. This is another connection to Mary in the idea that both of them feel they were responsible for the death of a loved one. I hope to discover more connections between Mary and Dr.Frankenstein (and even more characters if possible). I also plan on adding them to this post as I come across them.

Frankenstein Coming Back to Life?

By: Sara Nigro

The infamous novel Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley in 1818 but almost 200 years later, the moral of the story is still relevant to our present day. From the monster that the main character Victor Frankenstein created, morality is a subject very much in question in this novel. The lesson that Shelley explains in Frankenstein is that it is morally wrong to "play God" and attempt to create new living creatures/genetically modify individuals. An example of this issue becoming more frequent in our present day, is the plan of a disabled man to have the first ever head transplant. This procedure has been very well thought out and if all goes as planned, a barrier of what is moral and what is not, will be broken and science is then almost limitless.

The idea of these "morals" is that everything happens for a reason and humans are created a certain way by God, so once we perform one operation, all of these morals could be lost. Although we have/will soon have the technological advancements to change the way we look, cure illnesses/diseases, and even choose the genetic traits of our babies(designer babies), many are against overusing our technology due to their ethics and beliefs about what could happen if we started to choose our traits or fix our bodies. Would we overpopulate because people are living longer if not forever? Would there become a divide between the weaker and stronger designer babies that some humans could afford or wanted to pick out while others thought it was too expensive or put their ethics first? Of course there are many concerns about starting these scientific advancements, but there are also reasons that people are for this new change. One of the most common reasons is that through changing your body, or using 3D printing, lives could be saved and salvaged and this is obviously a very powerful motive due to the fact that it is driven by love or hope which is extremely influential.

There are worries about the difficulties that we as a society could face today, but Mary Shelley's novel is still often used as comparison. In the story the monster that was created was unattractive, ran away, and then killed several people. But the actions that he took weren't the main issue, the real problem was Victor Frankenstein's inability to control the creature that he had created and it started to ruin his life by filling him with guilt and sorrow as well as making him ill. Additionally it ruined the lives of others as well such as William who was murdered by him and Justine who was killed due to her accusation of the murder. The plot thoroughly explains the difficulties that could be faced if science is taken to the next level.Two centuries later humans continue to use this book as a reference and in some ways a warning about the dangers of science and the technology that we have that could create new things or destroy everything.

The forms of Horror, by Owen Welsh

In English class, we're reading the book Frankenstein which many people attribute to having defined the Gothic Horror genre. Which got me thinking, if this book defined the genre, how did it progress into what we know today as Horror? There must be a progression, I reasoned, that led the genre down it's more dramatic past to the more quiet, psychological horror we enjoy today. Some claim there are four main periods of Horror, which each led the way to the more subtle and delicate fear we experience in modern Horror tales.

Folklore Horror:

A drawing of the Green Children of Woolpit

The first period of horror isn't really organized like the others, as it is just horror elements in generic folktales. Some of the notable stories include, but are not limited to; The Pied Piper, Black Annis, The Princess of Colchester, and The Green Children of Woolpit. There is no real connecting feature between these tales, other than the use of horror to attempt to convey a lesson to the listener. Yes, listener, as these tales were orally told and were most likely accompanied by various motions and dramatic effect.


Gothic Horror:
Originating around the 18th century, this movement is much more organized and is characterized by its dark settings, castle backdrops, and menaced women. The Gothic horror revolved around the idea of a singular supernatural element that throws the world around it into chaos, in the case of Frankenstein, this would be the monster. Interestingly, this is around the time that famous female authors such as Mary Shelley and Ann Radcliffe first starting writing with critical acclaim.

The Call of Cthulhu

Horror Literature or 20th Century Horror:
It is around this time that several other branches of horror spiral out and become their own set genres with their own defined rules. Each of these genres were started when a book was so influential that a significant amount of others followed suit, for instance when H.P. Lovecraft pioneered the Cosmic Horror genre with his greatest work: The Call of Cthulhu. Generally, Horror as a whole moved further towards the Psychological, with many great thrillers such as Unknown Worlds and Weird Tales being written and progressing the genre away from it's traditional Gothic roots.

Modern/Contemporary Horror: 
No one definition exists that properly encapsulates every genre that has been born and killed in recent years, it is easier than ever to write a book and publish your own personal take on the genre. Because of this accessibility, there is an over saturation of books on the market, leading to several authors churning out books that consistently deliver on what they say they will without extending past preset boundaries. These writers such as Stephen King, churn out books that may be considered classics, but never defining new genres, leading to this time period being open to be truly defined. Although to break this mold, the book would have to be amazingly popular and the author likable enough to propel their book to fame in this ever increasingly image dependent society.

One of the key things I've noticed about Horror is that while originally it was supposed to 'scare' people straight and to teach lessons, but now it has developed into a form of entertainment. There's just something about our hair standing on end, being unable to sleep, or coat racks turning into ax wielding manics in the middle of the night. It is my belief that the reason we like this, is that we're all naturally adrenaline junkies. We all crave that rush pumping through us even if what were running from is as harmless as a sack of potatoes that's missing all of its eyes. Even if we love this feeling there is, of course, no reason to actually put yourself in harm's way, so we look for the next best thing. You could read a book or watch a movie or play a video game to get the same rush, but without any of the actual danger from the exercise. It makes sense that Horror books are used for these purposes especially as they heighten the sense of danger by adding in seemingly unbeatable adversaries, such as Frankenstein's monster or by adding in other supernatural elements that would be impossible in the real world. Above all else that people claim to want, deep down inside we're all just animals, seeking whatever makes us feel best overall, a primal urge may draw us to Horror books. However, I prefer to believe that we choose these things out of free will rather than some guy in the back of our head saying "Do it, you know you want to." but that's just me.

A Modern Frankenstein by Madison Levinson

The infamous novel Frankenstein was published by Mary Shelley in 1818. It is now 2017, but 199 years later this novel is still so relevant. Why? Mary Shelley, as an author in 1818, was able to create a stunning masterpiece that touches upon medical and technological innovations, innovations currently happening as you read this. Yet, I can't help but wonder how the story of Frankenstein would have changed dramatically if Frankenstein and his monster were alive today. In this post, I will attempt to recreate the scene of Frankenstein's monster's entrance back into the human world.

"Classic" Frankenstein 

It was a dark and stormy night (cliche, I know, but just keep reading). Thunder and lightning rattled the frame of the lab. If this were an old-time horror movie there would be trees shaking and scraping the windows and probably some really bad graphics. The lab was crisp white except for the thing that lay on the table. That horrid, wretched monster. I mean, who even likes hairless cats? Why was it even in the lab? Oh, there was also multiple corpses sewn together to make one corpse which was also pretty terrifying. Victoria Frankenstein (yes, he's a girl now) sat on her swivel chair at her mac book, which was sitting atop her minimalist glass desk. A small ping erupted and Victoria glanced at her Apple Watch. Her round, green, go button app had finally downloaded (the storm was slowing down the WiFi). She let her finger hit the button.

An electric zap sounded but it was unclear as to whether it was the lightning or the monster's reanimation process. Initially, nothing happened. But as Victoria moved closer she could see small twitches and spasms in the being's musculature. The body seemed to regain color and life before her eyes as the ligaments received oxygenated blood. It was so quiet Victoria swore she could hear the soft beat of a weak heart, whether it was her's or the monster's she was unsure. The monster's eyes popped open with such intensity, Victoria screamed and stared, one eye blue and one eye green. Horrifyingly gorgeous.

Franny Moe 

Once she had looked past the monster's unique feature she noticed the pure grotesqueness of her creation. Nothing was proportional or coherent. Terror flowed over Victoria. The giver of life questioned what she had done and debated abandoning the monster, until brilliance struck.

Her Apple Watch notified her that Kim Kardashain had just posted a photo to Instagram. Of Course! Kim Kardashian! The Queen of Contour! Victoria grabbed her makeup bag and with a couple sweeps of a brush she transformed the monster.

The monster had defined cheekbones, her eyebrows were on fleek, and her smoky eye was fire (no pun intended). Victoria named her new wing-woman Franny Moe. The pair watched The Notebook until the storm passed and then cried each other to sleep. There was no murder or resentment between Vicky and her monster, only a lot of feels and sleepovers.

A Few of Geoffrey Chaucer's Firsts and Their Influence by Simon Levien

Authors one in the same?

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories that achieved many firsts in the English-speaking world, in spite of French and Latin, the lingua francas in England at the time. He was essentially the Shakespeare of the Middle Ages (even sporting some of the same bathroom humor, but in much more excess). Centuries before the Bard would pen his famous poetry and plays of countless firsts, the early Chaucer showed the world to unique characters with laughter, tragedy, and vulgarity in peculiar fashion. His 17,000 line tale (or rather, tale of tales) would serve as an influence for generations of writers, even Shakespeare himself.

Most notably is Chaucer's writing style. The Canterbury Tales incorporates both rhymes and prose to contrast certain ideas. As for the poetic parts, he uses a meter consistently where each line is decasyllable, having ten syllables, and often using a caesura (in our text, denoted by commas), dividing most lines in two. Chaucer would use two rhyming styles: riding rhyme and rhyme royal, of which he pioneered the latter. Riding rhyme is the style Chaucer more frequently used and is exemplified best by the two tales we read in class. The only way I can describe its rhythm is that it tries to emulate "riding" like on a horse, but without the gallops over a stanza (I don't really know how else to put it in words). Riding rhyme would serve to be one of the first examples of heroic verse in Middle English similar how Epic of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia set the standard for early Cuneiform writings (or even embodies the literary triumphs of the Middle English and Sanskrit respectively). On the other hand, rhyme royal is more interesting; it's scheme is ababbcc. Rhyme royal syncs well with Chaucer's meter, which is considered to be a progenitor to iambic pentameter--made famous by Shakespearean sonnets.

As for Chaucer himself, he demonstrates himself to be the most skilled of writers. He outlined and detailed the backgrounds, quirks, and personalities of twenty-four unique travelers--or better simply put as individuals. In his time, the association between pilgrims and storytelling was well-known. However, among all of his other firsts, Chaucer was the first to write such a diverse cast of pilgrims. Retreats were thought to always be homogeneous pilgrim convoys, with similar backgrounds and the same goal. But, Chaucer is able to intertwine many one-of-a-kind persons not on the basis of race, but rather on occupation, social standing, and, their good-evil bends, as we discussed in class.

Through his remarkable abilities to illustrate diverse characters and revolutionize English poetic devices, Chaucer becomes one of the most ambitious English writers of all-time, let alone his dominance of Middle English literature. Some of his other feats include: providing a standard for the usage of the story within a story literary device (similar to Frankenstein, actually), and of course, penning what is considered to be the first English modern novel.