Final Essay Assigment

                                                          FINAL ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
                                                             by Giovanni Lorusso

       I have worked extremely hard this semester trying to reinforce my writing skills for my future career as a registered nurse. I could've never imagined myself working in the medical field previously because of my lack of vocabulary, writing skills, and critical thinking abilities but this English course has made me feel much more confident in my ability to overcome this fear. This English class has really altered my perspective about sharing my reading assignments during class with other class mates. I was very insecure about my writing in the beginning of this course. I was extremely worried about being criticized for being a bad writer especially when we had to post our own blogs on the Internet. Sharing my work was always a major weakness of mine due to lack of self confidence. I  get uncomfortable hearing negative criticism about my own work.
       This semester really opened my eyes about my true abilities. I learned how to use a blog this semester while also learning to take  criticism from my peers; I find it very helpful to get feedback now.  I realize that constructive criticism will only make me better and I have accepted the fact that I am not perfect. The assignment that was most appealing to me was the trip to Bryant Park because it was different than other assignments I have done "field work" for, which was something entirely new to me. This challenged me because it forced me to write outside of school. Writing outside of school was a new experience for me it made me realize I did not have to be locked in a room inside school to be able to write. I found field work to be very helpful in making observations and collecting critical data that will assist me later on in my career.
       This assignment had many distractions in New York City especially because there was so much going on and to simply buckle down and focus to write about three people and a pigeon while trying to paint an image for the reader using my five senses was no easy task. I had to begin by taking notes, investigating tourists, parks employees, people visiting, analyzing their actions, what they were wearing, and their surroundings. I learned the power of language in this assignment using my imagination, creativity, and descriptive verbiage. Word choice really assisted me to become a better writer.  I have always had a small vocabulary but this class engaged me to use resources that are available on the web such as the thesaurus or even a dictionary for the first time. It took me a long time to try to bring together a descriptive image of a person who was constantly moving around, slowing down their body movements and finding different ways to describe what they were doing. It was not an easy task but it made my writing much more interesting, which helped me develop idea after idea.  
       I have learned much more vocabulary using the thesaurus. Finding new words to express what I want to express is exciting! The assignment in Bryant Park was very straightforward, but when I put in time and effort, I was able to experiment with different words until I found the best combination of words. I have become more aware of my minor mistakes in my papers, such as spelling and missing apostrophes, thanks to this class I am more cautious during my revisions; writing is like anything else. I must practice to make perfect. Field work was extremely engaging, I put so much effort into writing as any details as I possibly could. Trying to break down every single action into smaller steps really allowed me to capture a photo through my writing. I was constantly positioning myself in different areas to get every view possible, which brought out new ideas. Thanks to the Bryant park assignment I have developed my social skills, collaborating with classmates comparing ideas, thoughts, and questions, which I feel are all preparing me for the real world.

Descriptive writing : Bryant Park ( Final Draft Revised )

Descriptive writing

by Giovanni Lorusso

There he was in the shadowy center of this football field of grass in Bryant park. All alone, with these green metal chairs surrounding him like the great wall of china, impossible to infiltrate. A deep moat formed from the rain surrounding him in a castle. He had fluffy white hair that transformed into gold every time the sun emerged, along with a manly white bushy mustache that seemed rougher than the bristles on a sanitation street sweeper truck. He has his bottom in one chair with his arms crossed hugging himself wearing a black wall street suit, white button down, black tie, black long pants and black shiny shoes. His legs were crossed revealing his long green socks. The mans head was deeply tucked into his chest, so still and undisturbed with all the commotion of New York City around. He did not move, I thought for sure he was dead until this beam of light from the sky shined strong enough to reveal his concrete eye lids, which opened slowly;  he had awakened! Stands up immediate to look at the time, takes one step and looses his balance unwrinkled his pants and limps of into the crowed.

Multiple tables and chairs were arranged in a circle, resembling a special area for a casual date maybe. A girl was sitting alone in the center, down with this iron board posture, legs crossed, very elegant. She had long braided thick brown hair, green olive eyes and red rose painted lips. She kept warm from the random cold breeze with a green grandma sweater that had chestnut size buttons, black leggings that made her curves pop, and blue socks to match her Cinderella blue shoes. In the background you could hear a piano playing a smooth melody, she tapped her foot to the music. On her table there was a blue plastic food container, a purple gym water bottle, and a bright shinny silver fork. With her right hand she griped the fork and attacked her dish, spinning and spinning the fork until it was covered with noodles.  She slurped the spaghetti string into her mouth and immediately closed her eyes, fingers curled , cheeks bursting, her pony tail began to swing around. She even lifted the plate in the air, licking all the leftover sauce, wiped the folk clean with her tongue while she nodded her head to the music.

His long daddy long legs did not fit underneath the table, arms long enough to touch the ground sitting on a chair, black frizzy hair, long black sideburns, bushy brown eyebrows. He had a strong chiseled chin, long pointy nose, big dark brown eyes, wore a  type of shirt all business men wear light blue button down tucked into black pants and shiny black shoes. He was slouching in the chair bending as if he was melting from the heat, taking multiple snap shots of himself which caused a glare to bounce of his shining white orbit gum commercial perfect teeth and making kissing faces puckering up like a duck. Sitting underneath a Rockefeller sized Christmas tree covered himself in the shade while the breezy air shook left over rain drops on his creamy sleek hair.  A chipotle bag filled with garbage laid motionless on the table that was full of wipes he used to disinfect the mouth that had a previous sour cream stain, crumbles it up into the trash. He has two hands on his iPhone, eyes glued to the screen, digging his shoes into the ground moving the gravel rocks around. Takes off his iPhone headphones to place them in his pocket, next step he takes he scratches his rocket. Picks up and leaves without a trace two girls come take his place.

The ground was shaking from the stampede of people in Bryant park. A gust of wind that brushed up against his long chubby neck. The smell of crummy hot dogs, poisonous car exhaust, and fresh cut grass was in the air. He had a buff fluffy gray chest with a dangerous thug walk hobbling around like a pirate along with these two long spaghetti red legs. The most threatening was its long sharp black beak pecking away at the concrete for  crumbs only the characters in the movie “Honey, I shrunk the kids” could see.   Popeye thick wings like he ate lots of spinach, feather on top of feather to keep him snug The pigeons face was blue, black, green and purple, eyes were mandarin orange, long black feathery tail dragging on the ground. Eyes beaming seeking sustenance making sounds such as “C-oo-OO-oo-oh”. The pigeon rapidly charges the open road spreading  his wings and takes off into the heavens.

How did the turtle get off his back? He Rocked and Rolled!!! (Final Draft Revised )

Assignment: Sea Turtles FINAL REVISION

Giovanni Lorusso

     The most peaceful living thing of all the animal kingdom lives underneath the sea, drifting through the treacherous waters that mother nature has birthed.They are the most ancient and discreet reptiles to have ever survived through all these years, and even avoided being wiped out by the very dangerous dinosaurs. The sea turtle  can be traced back to 110 million years ago, belonging to a class know as the testudines, known for their shell which is their protection. The sea turtle's shell is the most important part of its structure. They are soft on the inside and soft on the outside, much like human beings, with our tendency to keep our emotions locked up inside while we exert a tough exterior. The sea turtle's shell encloses all of the turtles organs and is fused together with the rib cage to make a strong impenetrable shield. Probably the first time I thought about the turtle's protective shell was when I was 10 years old. I had a pet turtle, that I let roam the living room floor and one day my father had stepped on his shell involuntary. I immediately placed the turtle back into it's tank, diving head first with it's arms wide open as if nothing had happened; that was when I conceptualized the true strength of the sea turtle. They are the most friendly animals, from the way they drag there floppy feet onto the sandy beaches, to the slow bites they take like an elderly woman eating a salad; it just warms my heart. The sea turtle however can not retract it's limbs or head like  other turtles and must avoid extreme danger by going into hiding in such places as reefs or deep below the sea.

      Home is a place where you feel safe, comfortable, strengthened, contented and rested, these are somethings that the shell brings to a sea turtle. It's shell is it's greatest strength. Their are only seven species of these remarkable creatures left:  the green sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, Kemp's ridley sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle,  flatback sea turtle, olive ridley sea turtle and leatherback sea turtle. Some are so friendly they will approach divers and island guests welcoming them to their under water home. They show us no fear by swimming with people, showing us maybe we should step out of our own shells sometimes and take risks. The sea turtle's shell is used as a tray, carrying around a dish full of yummy snacks such as barnacles, algae, and smaller organisms that grow on it for fish and different types of shrimp. Depending on the sea turtle they can be animal eaters, plant eaters or both, and equipped with these strong sharp beaks that can snip away at sea grass, sponges, or even crush crabs. The beak can be very intimidating to predators as a sign of strength. Some sea turtles can grow up to 400-1000lbs!  

      Sea turtles are hatched into this world on sandy beaches where they race to  open waters, avoiding predators such as birds, fish, and raccoons. Life is a struggle as they work twice as hard to find their way to water, escaping human obstacles such as beach chairs, sandcastles, and umbrellas. Nothing in life is easy you must work hard for everything you want whether its to go to college and get that dream job or just to make it safely into the ocean waters without getting eaten. They hatch at night to avoid being spotted easily on land during the day light and fend off another group of marine predators. What a challenge it must be to come into this world and have to immediately begin to run for your life! We are all given chances to make something of yourself just like the baby sea turtles, some of us will make it and some will not. They go into hiding while they are small until they grow big enough to survive on their own. Again, life is a struggle, nothing worth having comes easy but it will all pay off; like a happy living 100 year old sea turtle.     

The Yellow Wall-Paper ( Final Draft Revised )

 The Yellow Wall-Paper Final Draft Revised

“The repairs are not done at home, and I cannot possibly leave town just now. Of course if you were in any danger, I could and would, but you really are better, dear, whether you can see it or not. I am a doctor, dear, and I know. You are gaining flesh and color, your appetite is better. I feel really much easier about you.” (652)


    In this passage from “ The Yellow Wall-Paper” by Charlotte Perkins Stetson, the narrator is a mentally disturbed woman who describes her thoughts, emotions and her obsession about this enchanting wall throughout the story to the reader. Her husband John is thought to be the scoundrel of this story causing her to become more sick. What if the story was told by her husbands point of view? We certainly understand that not every marriage is perfect but it does seem to me that he does what a husband is suppose to do which is be the provider for the family, be there for your family through sickness and in health, and thought the good times and in bad.
    They are currently living in a summer home waiting for their new home to be finished where they can raise there child and live happily. John says to his wife “The repairs are not done at home” so this is the reason they cannot leave just yet. The lease will end in three weeks and then they can leave but she urges him to leave now. John has good intentions when he denies her to leave town at this moment  a very confident person as the provider of the family there is a lot of pressure on a man to do the right thing.
      When John says “If you were in any danger, I could and would” I really trust him at this point because it sounds sincere and the fact that he gives her a big hug after he is finished speaking says he cares. He is speaking in a soft and calm manner not raising his voice just pleading to her "Can you not trust me as a physician when I tell you so?"(p.652) he sounds tired of repeating himself not getting through to her as her husband so that's why he says trust me as a physician. The narrator says "He is very careful and loving"(p648) i believe the things he calls her such as "dear"(p652) or "blessed little goose"(p649) shows that he has a soft side for her. He shows his emotions with these words because only a real gentleman would use such words.
       I believe this  is  a sad love story about how the narrators struggling with her illness and John who would do anything in his power to make her better so they can raise their child together. She speaks about her husband again and says "He said I was his darling and his comfort and all he had"(p652) again calling her "darling" showing his respectful gentlemen side speaking to her with such a smooth and calmness to his voice. He says she is all he has in this world putting her as his highest priority before work, friends and  social life which is a heart warming thought.
     This is not an easy situation for anyone having a spouse who is sick, some people would feel like they have become to much a burden to handle but not for John when he says  “I am a doctor, dear, and I know” who better to trust when it comes to an illness than a doctor who is your own husband. I believe when he says that he may sound some what arrogant or high and mighty to others because he is stating the obvious saying "I am a doctor" sounds a bit sarcastic and "I know" is the part of his arrogance. Because of his position in society, being a physician it can be very stressful she says " John is away all day, and even some nights when his cases are serious"(p.649) lack of sleep, no days off, endless hours working can put a lot of weight on his shoulders may be a reason for his behavior when he may sound arrogant or unemotional all job related.
      She  also says "My brother is also a physician and also of high standings, and he says the same thing."(p.658) agreeing with John about her condition and methods to cure her so they have a second opinion about the situation. So you can not really put much blame on  John especially if her own brother is saying that he agrees with him. I  believe her treatments are working and she was getting better  he even says “ I feel much easier about you” he truly cares for her constantly reassuring her. A man is suppose to be very tough and  not show weakness never to cry or complain because we are men everyone is different just because someone does not show you tears doesn’t mean they don’t care  I believe John is a good husband and will never leave her side.

Extra Credit "You'll Never Take My Pride"

Extra Credit 

True Sister Outsiders: Connecting Cherrie Moraga's "La Guera" and Audre Lorde's Zami

by Mathew Eichelberger 

I found this piece very moving because it has to deal with gender, race, social class and homosexuality.The culture of New York City speaks for itself we have it all movies, art, sports, music thanks to people from all over the world from different religions crammed like tuna in a can within the five boroughs. I find it most interesting when Mathew Eichelberger says "Zami is a work that echoes Morag's belief that the battle over oppression begins "under the skin"( Moraga 30) and that a connection is needed to break open the silence that creates distance between individuals who should come together for strength"(pg.29). I see it everyday even though I am ashamed to say it "oppression" despite how far gays and lesbians have come such as getting married people from my own town, city, country still living in the past not excepting the future. Things are changing but it will take time i still see the abuse, violence, discrimination against them everyday whether its passing a local high school as simple as name calling or at a night club being persecuted. When Mathew Eichelberger says " a connection is needed to break open the silence that creates distance between individuals who should come together for strength" i believe if they could find something to really open peoples eyes and make them come to realize how wrong they have been for mistreating their fellow Americans! Racism is a time of the past we do not look at a person just by the color of their skin something needs to happen some type of giant movement because we are all much stronger as a nation when we work together. Mathew Eichelberger's writing is very moving with great ideas his word choices really reach out to the reader making us feel how important this issue is and what we can take away from this piece is hope that maybe one day just like all the other obstacles we have over come that this could be a thing of the past.

Reference 

Literary LaGuardia spring 2014 

Pg.29 "Zami is a work that echoes Morag's belief that the battle over oppression begins "under the skin"( Moraga 30) and that a connection is needed to break open the silence that creates distance between individuals who should come together for strength"

How did the turtle get off his back? He Rocked and Rolled!!!

  

Research Assignment: Sea Turtles

Giovanni Lorusso

The most peaceful and kindest living thing of all the animal kingdom lives underneath the sea drifting around through the treacherous waters that mother nature has given birth to. They are the most ancient and discreet reptile to have ever survived through all these years even avoided being wiped out by the very dangerous dinosaurs. The sea turtles can be traced back to 110 million years ago belonging to a class know as the testudines known for their shell which is its protection. The sea turtles shell is the most important part of its structure. They are soft on the inside and soft on the outside like human beings  and our emotions we tend to hold everything inside of us while put a tough face on for the world to see. The sea turtles shell incloses all of the turtles organs and is fused together with the rib cage to make a strong impenetrable shield. The teenage mutant ninja turtles was a cartoon growing up, they stood against evil fighting countless battles to protect the people using there shells as protection against the enemies attack and remained in hiding from society living in the sewers. The shell of a turtle represents protection against evil or danger. They are the most  friendly animals from the way they drag there floppy feet onto the sandy beaches to the slow motion bites they take like an elderly woman eating a salad it just warms my heart.The sea turtle however can not retract its flipper limbs or head such as other turtles and it must avoid extreme danger by going into hiding in such places as reefs or deep below the sea.

Home is a place where you feel safe, comfortable, strengthened, contented and rested these are somethings that the shell brings to a sea turtle. Its shell is its greatest strength, their are only seven species of these remarkable creatures left which are the green sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, Kemp's ridley sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle,  flatback sea turtle, olive ridley sea turtle and leatherback sea turtle. Some are so friendly they will approach divers and island guests welcoming them to their under water home. They show us no fear by swimming with people showing us maybe we should step out of our own shells sometimes and to take risks and chances i believe people some times care to much about what other people think.The sea turtles shell is used as a tray carrying around a dish full of  yummy snacks such as barnacles, algae and smaller organisms that grow on it for fish and different types of shrimp. Depending on the sea turtle they can be animal eaters, plant eaters or both and equipped with these strong sharp beak that can snip away at sea grass, sponges or even crush crabs. The beak can be very intimidating to predators a sign of strength not to judge a book by its cover especially when some can even grow to 400-1000lbs of mean green fighting machine.

They are hatched into this world on the sandy beaches where they struggle to make it to the open waters because of predators such as birds,fish and racoons. Life is a struggle they work twice as hard to find their way to water escaping human obstacles such as beach chairs, sandcastles and umbrellas. Nothing in life is easy you must work hard for everything you want whether its to go to college and get that dream job or just to make it safely into the ocean waters without getting eaten. They hatch at night time to avoid being spotted easily on land during the day light and  fend off another group of marine predators as well awaiting for them. What a challenge it must be to come into this world and have to immediately begin to run for your life. We are all given chances to make something of yourself just like the baby sea turtles some of us will make it and some will not. They go into hiding while they are small until they grow big enough to survive on their own. Again, life is a struggle nothing worth having comes easy it is a long hard process but will all pay of like a happy living 100 year old sea turtle.

TURTLE POWER! (1 paragraph research assignment)

Sea Turtle 

 

The most peaceful and kindest of all the animal kingdom has such a horrid long life to live if even given a chance to live it at all. They are the most beautiful underwater sea creatures that just drift around through the treacherous ocean waters that mother nature has given birth to but at least she has given them impenetrable shells to shield itself from danger.A sea turtle cannot retract their paddle like limbs or head into the shell like most turtles it has a smooth surface and heart shaped design. Fish and shrimp always follow them feeding of the turtles shell which is used as a tray carrying yummy barnacles, algae and smaller organism snacks.