I Have a Dream

     I have a dream, that one day I will proudly step into the classroom on time. I have a dream, that one day the infernal racket of my alarm will finally coax me to my feet to face the fate of each day. I have a dream, that the word "tardy" will be completely abolished from my vocabulary.

     But it takes time. It takes time, to change ones drowsy and dreary ways. It takes time, to erase all recollection of any instances of being "late" for class. It takes time to learn the great art of time management. Yet in 4 score years, I will have eradicated my lazy ways. In 4 score years people will associate the name Graham as one of punctuality. In 4 score years... I may also be dead.

     However this does not deter me from continuing to try. It does not deter the hope and motivation that dwindles inside of me. It does not deter me from striving perfection, for every millisecond closer I am to being on time brings me one step closer to success.

      One day Mr. VanCamp will look me in the eyes and say "Thank you for being on time". One day I will take prominent steps into the class that shake the very foundations of normal. One day I will not get a phone call home for being late.

     Tomorrow will be the beginning of this long haul journey of change. Tomorrow I will start by uplifting myself with pride knowing that all my English homework is complete. Tomorrow is another day, but as for today, I think that's enough writing, I'm already late for my next class.

Cliches

       George looked up from shoeing the horse to see the outline of Curley's wife in the doorway of the barn. They were alone.

      "What are ya doing in here? it's late, by now you should be snug as a bug in your own bed."

      Curley's wife smiled and remarked, "I was, I was like a pig in a blanket until I heard you stirring up a storm in here"

      George quickly turned away and meekly uttered, "Sorry, I'll put a cork in it now if you'd like"

      "That's alright, a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do so I'm not gonna flip my lid over it" stated Curley's wife.

      "Don't I know it," affirmed George, "if I wasn't doing this I would be poorer then a pickpocket in a nudist colony."

      Curley's wife edged just a step closer questioned, "What are ya doing hanging around Lennie? There's no funny business between the two of you right? Because if ya ask me i'd say he's a bit of a wet blanket."

     "Well Lennie may not be the cream of the crop but to me he still is company," retorted George.

     "Now I don't wanna curb your enthusiasm but you best be outta here. I don't wanna fan the flames of hatred between me and Curley"

      "I'll go," conceded Curley's wife, "but just remember that I didn't just fall off the turnip truck and I can put two and two together."

      George sat alone now, questioning what she knew.

Auschwitz

        The putrid stench of chlorine hit me harder then ever before. We are marching. We are marching through a hall, hardly wide enough to fit one person across, led by a man who parades us bearing a bright red swastika. The mark of evil. I run my hands down the rugged grey walls that keep us confined. The sharp edges of the wall claw at my weak and dehydrated hands. The cold forces its icy fingers through all the cracks and crevices of the wall and clings to our skin. Is this how it had been for the millions of others? I reach forward, grasping endlessly for just a breath of clean air yet I keep coming up empty handed. One final great stretch yields reward as we take a step into open air. The sun, despite the cold temperature, bounces blindingly off the fresh blanket of snow. It had been weeks since any of us had seen the sun so we stare, wide eyed at all the mystery around us. The walls of the building we are heading towards had once shone with hope, but now the walls are decrepit and decaying after months of neglect. My mouth is dry. For the past few weeks we have merely been rationed out drops of water each day. I lick my sandpaper mouth in search a just a morsel of secretion but to no avail. Nobody speaks, all that can be heard is the shuffle of bare feet on frigid snow. This is it. This is the end. My final words, "Mein kampf."

Look Who's Coming Back....

       Corbin Graham has returned for yet another year of success and provocative writing. Corbin has on multiple occasions been compared to the (not so great) yet powerful, Adolf Hitler. Not for his belief in the Arian race but rather for his aptitude at making grown men cry over a speech about a butterfly. However sometimes speeches holding so much meaning can be a bore, that's why Corbin’s other personality can be compared to the likes of Dr. Seuss, a great word wizard. Whether he is "Bamboozling his way through the truffula trees" or "sizzcombobulating the knickerbopper" he has always had a way with words. Although these two people can define Corbin’s English supremacy neither can compare to his ravishing good looks; the only one who manages a challenge to him is Peter Parker. For the first few years of his life Corbin has managed to shy his way to the back of the bus, yet as the year’s progress just like Rosa Parks he has muscled his way to the front of the pack. A creative mind deserves a creative atmosphere and Corbin has managed to share this opinion with none other than William Randolph Hearst, a man whose dreams became a reality through a life time of constructing the ultimate madhouse of a visionary.

Synthesis essay

      In today's society nothing seems impossible and everyday there are incredible people who do incredible things. This is obvious simply by looking at the real life stories of Erik Weihenmayer from “Blindly He Goes Up” by Steve Rushin and uncle Jim from the story “Versabraille” by Bill Schermbrucker. Both people blind as night but who still manage to accomplish anything from everyday tasks to extraordinary feats even to people who still have their vision. Erik Weihenmayer makes the impossible possible by being the first blind man to ever climb mount Everest, where Uncle Jim blindly works his way across his town of Tulbagh at the young age of 7. Both extraordinary people who both faced extreme challenges.

      What is there to say about Erik Weihenmayer that hasn't already been said? In the year 2001 he became the first blind man not only to attempt to climb mount Everest but to also succeed in his journey up this 29,035 foot peak. In 1991 he managed to graduate from from Boston College with a degree in English and became a teacher soon after. Erik is not only an incredible man but also an inspiration to thousands of other handicapped and able bodied individuals. Even though Erik is handicapped he doesn’t think of himself that way using a sense of humor to pronounce his optimistic outlook on life saying “you should have heard the view from up there” speaking about the peak of Everest. One of Erik's most famous sayings is “because were here”. He says this to show us all that we must make the most of what we have because we are only on this earth for so long then we are gone like dust in the wind. What Erik has done sets a new standard for people around the world. Erik has shown the world that all it takes to accomplish life goals is to have courage, optimism, and a sense of determination.

     The short story “Versabraille” by Bill Schermbrucker tells the story of an African born Canadian returning to Africa to hear the stories of his blind uncle Jim's life. Uncle Jim may not have been born blind but says so himself that he “cannot remember seeing things”. When uncle Jim was only 7 years old he managed, with no vision at all, to travel all the way across town to pick up some tobacco for his father. Even though he was very young he was also very determined and faced his fears with pride that as to be admired. The fact that as a blind boy at the age of seven he even dared to venture so far from his home shows that he has an insurmountable amount of courage and deserves to be commended for that fact alone. The only goal Uncle Jim had in mind was to make his father proud of his actions and so he “marches slowly, determinedly across the road”. Making it home was not just worth the tobacco but rather a life lesson for Jim, one that he would never forget. This taught Jim that he had the ability to do what he wanted with his life and nobody could stop him.

     Although Uncle Jim's and Erik Weihenmayer's journeys were very different and on very different scales they both hold a few things in common. Both Erik and Jim have a sense of determination that leads them to achieving their goals. Without this profound determination they would never be able to accomplish what they want in their lives. Now being blind can be somewhat of a soul crushing thought but both Erik and Jim have accepted it as somewhat of a gift teaching them that they do have self worth and teaching others that they can accomplish their goals if they simply put their minds to it. Climbing Everest and crossing a street may be on polar ends of a spectrum of one another but to someone with no vision whatsoever crossing a street could manage to be a dangerous affair. It took Jim a certain amount of courage to drown out the thoughts of danger and take those first few steps out onto the street. Erik had to suffer much of the same fate when he would have to cross large ravines using only a ladder and his surefooted ability. Many people do not have what it takes to do what these men have done and drown out all thought of fear to accomplish their goals. But their optimistic attitudes emanate and can truly motivate people to have an optimistic outlook on life.

Application to Corbin College

I am writing to you today to accentuate my excellence and explain my importance to you needing me in your college.

I first swam the English channel at the age of 7, but halfway through I got bored and did it backwards with my eyes shut. I managed to prove the existence of Bigfoot when I saw him from space on my way to the moon. I have never taken a single breath, air just wants to be in my lungs. It was recently discovered that the big bang happened when my heart started beating. It took me a year and a half to travel to the edge of the universe and back. I've seen all seven wonders of the world and decided to make an eighth. They say that the city of Atlantis is lost, that’s only because I hid it so well. Every year on the night of December 24^th I backpack the earth and deliver gifts to all good children on the planet. Last week I spent some time feeding children in Africa. This week I have exams. Yet I have never attended Corbin college.

I excitedly await your acceptance letter.

-Corbin

Adding Detail

               I have sat in this dank, dreary hallway outside my grandfathers room for a little over 3 days. It is my home. I have forced myself to become accustom to that stinging aroma of hand sanitizer, and I myself now must hold an aura of the scent. That constant hum of machinery is managing to be a sedative to my fractured mind state. I must wait. I have been told it would be a week at the soonest before my grandfather would even speak again, none the less stand and come home. The floor seems to be like a nice soft meadow of grass, beckoning me into the embrace of sleep. I can see the doctor coming towards me. He is a shadow walking with his head in a low hang. I can only think the worst of whats to come. My mouth has that sandy dry taste as he approaches closer. He appears to be a mountain towering over me as I sit and wait for him to speak. He speaks but I have droned out all that he is saying as I hear an all to frightening sound. The sound of a flatline.

Beatlemania

      Beatlemania is a term said to be coined by a former Scottish music promoter Andi Lothian in 1963.  Beatlemania commonly refers to the period of time in which the Beatles popularity grew massively with merchandise etc. This massive amount of popularity led to die hard fans who were often screaming hysterical women. These screaming women are one of the potential reasons that the Beatles broke up since you could not hear their music over the screaming. This popular period of time was also evident simply by the immense amount of record sales in both the United States and England. In the United States the Beatles managed to hold “Let it be” at the top of the top 100 list for a total of 59 weeks. To accentuate their popularity we can just look at sheer numbers; when the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964 the program was estimated to have been viewed by about 73-million people. In addition to this as the Beatles arrived in Adelaide they were greeted by upwards of 300,000 people. mania is a suffix that is directly defined as extreme popularity for a short period of time. An example of this for people from the 90's would be "Spicemania" or "Tebowmania" both referring to brief popularity or a fad.

1. Poet: Saul Williams
2. Poem: Sha-Clack-Clack
3. Synopsis: This poem shows that the black people as a race have already overcome the largest hurdle of racism, yet they have not defeated the greatest foe of all, which is time.
4. Important poetic technique: Saul Williams has a way of using superb diction to power his point along with being able to make excellent connections with his audience. His way of using dynamics tends to force the audience to listen to what he is saying.
5. Favorite line: “I am a negro! Yes negro, negro from necro meaning death,
   I overcame it so they named me after it” This line stands out to me because it shows the driving force that the black race has used to keep on pushing past the ostensive racism and blatant name-calling.

1. Poet: Taylor Mali
2. Poem: What Teachers Make
3. Synopsis: This poem tells the story of why there is more to our life than just money, that instead making a difference will always matter more.
4. Important poetic techniques: 

Corbin G.

Why My Homework Wasn’t Done

     I took a long hard look at my feet as I muttered the first thing I could think of. “Well you see sir, this past weekend our class took a short submarine trip to the bottom of the ocean where many were left to their deaths.”

     

     “Ah yes,” acknowledged Mr. VanCamp “I remember that quite well, what an unfortunate turn of events indeed”

    My brain quickly turned to overload and I soon conjured up the greatest, most undeniable excuse of all time. “Well sir due to lack of poor judgment on your part, you decided to leave me to die with the rest.”

     “A decision I greatly regret. However I must know the details of your miraculous escape. How did you survive the poison?”

     I spoke in a tone of pride as I remarked “Surviving the poison was the easy part. You see sir, over the past few years I have dedicated time to developing an immunity to the stuff just in case of this treacherous situation”

     I could see that I had taken Mr. Van Camp a back as he curiously leaned in a little closer and questioned. “And then what happened?”

     “Using only the items I could rummage from my right pocket, I managed to jimmy open the ruthless door you left us to die behind.”

     “What I was able to find was a meager deck of cards as well as a small pack of matches.” I had him right where I where I wanted. I could dance around the topic all day if I wanted to.

     “That would leave escape impossible!” chuckled Mr. Van Camp.

     I racked my brain to come up with a compelling solution to this problem. “As many do not know, each card contains a thin layer of nitrate on the surface that can quite easily be scratched off.”

     In a somewhat angry manner Mr. Van Camp glowered “Of course! How could I not have thought of that?”

     “Aye Sir, all it took from there was the mere spark of a match to blow that door wide open!”

     “Upon opening the hatch to the deadly ocean above, I found myself bombarded by the ice cold embrace of water.”

      “This is no excuse as to why your homework never made it in,” Grumbled Mr. Van Camp “It would still leave you with plenty of time for it to be completed.”

    This is what I had waited for; it was time to unleash the ferocity of my true excuse. “Well sir, being the excellent student I am, I had brought my homework along with me to complete on this voyage. However upon attempting to swim to the surface this homework became quite wet and virtually unreadable. That is why I stand before you today pleading for a second chance.”

    “And a second chance you shall have! Never in my career as an educator has an excuse brought me to tears.” Sobbed Mr. Van Camp.

Corbin Graham
132 Penrose Court
Penticton, B.C.
V2A 9B6

February 22, 2013



Captain Van Camp
Commander
HMS Princess Margaret

O Captain, My Captain:

         

So… it has come to this. Trapped in a metal tube that is soon to be many of our caskets. Only very few of us will be spared and I am determined to be one of those few. The life of a mere young boy like myself may seem trivial to you, however this young soul has much more to offer to the world then what meets the eyes. His regular shy and reserved attitude does not apply to this life or death situation. It’s time to enter my life and walk a day in my shoes where you will then understand why I must be spared.

Have you ever been to the hospital? Dreary isn’t it? The insufficient amount of people who set their day to make it a little bit brighter must be spared. As you may not know I am a Health Care Cadet (commonly referred to as Candy Stripers). I am one of those dedicated few who forfeit hours and hours each year to kindle the dwindling fire of peoples will to live. Imagine, if you will, our world having all hope extinguished with the death of one boy when all he wanted to do was make people happy. For simply this reason my life should be spared but if more assurance is necessarily I shall happily oblige.

How does one cope with the crippling loss of a loved one? Now how would they cope when the heart and soul of the family is buried twenty thousand leagues under the sea? It’s a very morbid thought, do you not agree? Sixteen short years I have lived, and in those years I have pulled my family closer then a tight knit scarf that is always there to comfort one another. Yes there may be others who have this strong bond, yet how many of those others have also traveled the world with one another? We are a one in a trillion family that can only be separated by my passing. I appreciate any consideration you give to letting me live my life to the fullest and simply want to leave you with a quote “ believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact” William James.

Sincerely,

Signature

Corbin Graham