"The Vital Importance of Being Earnest"

       Out of all of the works of literature we read this year for AP English, the play The Importance Of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, remains my favorite! From the comical  superficiality of Lady Bracknell to the comedy surrounding the foolish ladies Cecily and Gwendolen, the consistent humor presented in this play was a change from the darkness of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Everything Matters! "and not a bad one either"(41, Wilde)! The best part of the play was, however, being able to read it out loud during class, with other students acting out the different parts. Sam took his role as the servants Lane and Merriman, with a very serious , "Thank you, sir" (8, Wilde). Alex executed the role of Algernon with a perfect british accent. When John, who was reading Chasuble's lines, attempted to follow in Alex's footsteps, he came across as more of a Forrest Gump then Prince Charles. "I am afraid you have very little experience in how to" perform a british accent, John, but it was nonetheless very entertaining (11, Wilde). Carley read Gwendolen's lines, and Jackie read Cecily's, of who Ms. Serensky said "was the least intelligent and most bizarre character in the play." The drama that happens between the characters and the absurdness Wilde incorporates in the plot made this play very enjoyable and interesting, and I wished we had had the time in class to read more books aloud, because it greatly added to the experience.

Top Ten!

1. Finishing my first Data Sheet for Othello! This huge amount of work made our SOAPStones from junior year look pathetic. 24 pages of literary analysis: "This subject seems distasteful to most," but when I finally finished the work, I couldn't help but feel proud of myself (Wilde, 36).
2. Getting a 5 on my AB Calculus AP exam was another of my proudest moments in high school. It was the only test I have gotten a 5 on, and it was so nice to see all my hard work pay off. I am a very impatient person, so I thought I was not diligent enough "to learn such a skill," and surprised even myself when I finally received the scores in July (Lahiri, 161).
3. Receiving my college acceptance letter to Denison University. "The news [inspired] me with feelings of unmixed delight" (Wilde, 35).
4. The time my multiple choice team won first place! This was the first time I had ever been on a team that won and "They laugh that win" (Shakespeare, 4.1.124)!
5.  When I realized I actually learned things in Spanish class. I went to Spain this past spring break, and stayed with a woman who spoke no English at all. Every time I opened my mouth to talk to her I thought to myself, "You'll be ashamed forever" once she realizes how dumb you are (Shakespeare, 2.3.161). Surprisingly, we ended up conversing with ease, and I figured out I actually new Spanish!
6. Being able to rock out with Mark Wood! For those of you who aren't well versed in famous string players, Mark Wood is the lead violist for the Trans Siberian Orchestra. He's an amazing player, and my freshman year, he came to Chagrin and put on a concert with us! He taught me a lot about playing a musical instrument in general: "Don't play accurately...play with wonderful expression" (Wilde, 1).
7. Surviving AP Psychology. This class, normally taught as a full year course, was one of the hardest classes I have ever taken. The sheer amount of information one has to memorize is nearly impossible! Eventually, I learned to approach the class "without guilt, or misgiving, or expectation of any kind" (Lahiri, 214).
8. Receiving my first English sticker. It was the one thing academically I "had silently, faithfully, absurdly, desired" (Lahiri, 214).
9. Getting on the blog banter for the first time! I sat there, week after week, listening to everyone's name get called as Ms. Seresnky praised them for their witty blogs, and thought "In happy time" my name will be called (Shakespeare, 3.1.29). When my English teacher finally did put my blog on her banter, I was so happy it was ridiculous!
10. Silkscreening my first shirt! This was something I had always dreamed about doing, and finally accomplished in printmaking last year. Even though my design was "not very pleasant. Indeed...not even decent," I couldn't help but feel proud of my piece of art (Wilde, 7).

"Sestina"

       My favorite poem from this year in AP English was "Sestina," by Elizabeth Bishop. At first glance, I did not understand the thought that went into the writing of this poem, mostly because I did not understand what a Sestina poem was. This type of poem has very strict rules regarding the repetition of certain words at the end of each line. I could never write this type of poem because I am "too [impatient] to learn such a skill" (Lahiri, 161). The fact that "Sestina" was written in such a strict writing style is very subtle, however, so I simply found the poem very impressive. The poem also created a sense of curiosity in me: if I were to write a Sestina, which words would I repeat? Believe it or not I spent a lot of time pondering this, before my head began to hurt and I decided, "such concerns make no sense here" (Lahiri, 158). Reading the poem, I was also surprised upon realizing the strictness of this type that the poem was still very fluid and diverse, although the same words were repeated at the end of every line. I thought that Bishop must see these restrictions "as a single afternoon's challenge, an anomaly never to be repeated" (146). The way she could write a poem that actually makes sense with such restrictions really impressed me. Overall, "Sestina" is my favorite because it really demonstrates how difficult poetry can be to write, and demonstrated to me the skill of the poet.

MC Madness

       My favorite day in AP English can be described in two letters: MC. After an embarrassing loss to the Dream Team at the end of first semester, I knew I was going to "arise black vengeance" and redeem myself (Shakespeare, 3.3.444). When the bell rang signaling the start of third period, I was already in my desk surrounded by two of my three teammates (Kaleigh decided to be sick), ready to get started. Ms. Serensky then passed out our MC (multiple choice) packets and our group answer sheet, and gave us five minutes to wrap up our answers. After a couple minutes of bickering and silently wishing Kaleigh was there to tell us the correct answer (whenever Team 3 disagrees, Kaleigh is ALWAYS right), Ms. Seresnky notified us that our time "expired. Expired" (Lahiri, 169). The word echoed in my head as I watched Emily bring up our answer sheet to our teacher's desk. Ms. Serensky then chose a Katie Ciabotti as the scorekeeper, and the game began. One by one, the tallies next to our group's name added up, giving us a sense of unease- no way could we be this good. Our streak couldn't last forever. Then Ms. Seresnky cleared her throat and announced that Kaleigh O'Hara had won the highest individual score! My group clapped for our beloved team member, our faces alit with pride. We continued on the the game, and after the last question had been answered, I looked up at the board to see the results. Team 3, my gorgeous wonderful team, had won! The Dream Team's faces were priceless. "That is there tragedy," I thought as I glanced around the room at my fellow students (Wilde, 17). My team had finally won the multiple choice game, making it my favorite day in AP English class so far!

Dr. Chasuble Goes To The Principal's Office

(Canon Chasuble and Principal Lapidus sit in her office. He has been sent down by one of the teachers because he attempted to perform a baptism in her class)

L: Good Morning, "I am your principal, Mrs. Lapidus" (57).
C: "And how are we this morning?"(22). I have dearly wished to meet you for quite some time, Lady Lapidus.
L: Yes, well it is a shame we have to meet under these conditions Dr. Chasuble. It seems your teacher, Mrs. Rogoff, sent you to me for misconduct during class.
C: Ah, Mrs. Rogoff, "she is the most cultivated of ladies, and the very picture of respectability" (50). However, "that is strange" she sent me to you, for two men specifically asked me to give them baptisms in class (23).
L: "I'm not sure I follow you...Do you mean" you were going to baptize two students at school (58)? That is against the rules, Dr. Chasuble.
C: "I am grieved to hear such sentiments from you," Lady Lapidus (50). It is not as if "I am gonna get real weird with it." The baptisms I mean. Short and sweet. "Both these gentlemen have expressed a desire for immediate baptism" (50).
L: I am sorry, but I must forbid it.
C: Well, I have never been so insulted in my life! I plan to "make some slight allusion to this tragic domestic affliction next Sunday" (27)!
L: Detention, Dr. Chasuble!

Desdemona's Dream Comes True!

       It's the last day I will be talked about in AP English for a while and people are finally beginning to understand me. I stayed strong even though my love, Othello thought I was cheating on him with Cassio. So foolish, Othello, so very foolish. A very intelligent girl, Katie Connolly, decided to back me up, commending me for my "strong female character and unyielding loyalty" even when my husband wanted to simply find fault in me. Oh, how I was "falsely, falsely murdered!" (5.2.116). I died a "guiltless death," without shame or condemnation, and it was the best day I had in all of AP English (5.2.121). I pity characters like Gogol, Nurse Ratched, and even my own husband Othello, who never receive any pity from the critical students of Ms. Serensky's classes. I cried out, "Have mercy on me!" and for once, the students listened (5.2.33). Although there were still some students who felt to criticize me for being too steadfast, the fact that any of these students would take my side flattered me. Many would think that Shakespeare had me die in the novel obviously because I did something wrong, however, did it ever occur to them that my death may have simply been punishment to another character for their wrongs (Othello)? I do hope that the students do not judge too harshly my husband, for he knew not what he was doing, and acted out of love for me. They must learn to see not only the bad in people, but the good also, for loyalty and devotion remain two of the strongest qualities a person can possess in life.

A Letter to Moushumi

Dear Moushumi,
      My name is Cat Cashy, and I am a senior in high school. Some of my fellow students decided this year to take mostly art classes and electives, because as we all know, senior-itis does get the best of us at this time. I, on the other hand, am taking AP English 12, one of the hardest classes in the high school. However, I would not have been even close to prepared for this class if I had not taken AP English 11. I went into my Junior year thinking that I could handle any English class with out feeling like I was going to have a mental breakdown. AP 11 was just another English class where I could try and pretty much receive a guaranteed "A" at the end of the year. Or so I thought. AP 11 definitely "'was not what I thought it would be."' Yes, I had heard the rumors circulating about the class, but nothing any of my friends could have said would have prepared me for the first day of English with Ms. Serensky.
      On the first day, my classmates and I sat in a circle of desks, chatting eagerly amongst ourselves about our new schedules. As soon as Ms. Serensky walked in the room, silence fell. She had this way of intimidating us that no other teacher could even come close to. Whenever we asked questions with obvious responses, she wouldn't simply answer them as other teachers do, but instead glare at us with a look that said "'you can't be serious."' She created the most intense learning atmosphere possible, which forced us to think to our maximum capabilities, in turn making us the best writers we could be. Even though there were days when I literally walked in the classroom thinking, "'I'm afraid,"' my AP 11 experience made me a much better writer. I could actually write a full length essay in 40 minutes that made sense for once! The only way I could undergo such a drastic transformation in my writing was under the guidance of Ms. Serensky and thanks to her and AP 11 I feel prepared for my college English experience! Anyways, I hope to see you soon! Send my regards to Gogol!
      Sincerely,
      Cat Cashy