Monday 10 April 2017

Learning Strategies Goals

In my learning strategies course I hope to accomplish two major goals which are:
  1. improving my vocabulary to its fullest extent
  2. improving my writing skills
I strongly feel this is going to make me a better communicator when writing and speaking.

I hope to improve these skills over time because I plan to become an architectural engineer.

Friday 9 December 2016

Downie Bird


Down in the reserves, up in the town
We’re split up and boxed in
And we got names too
“English,” “French,” “Black,” and “White”
These ain’t no names we got from our folks
But they’ll stay with you forever just the same
There are other names, some we speak and some we ignore
We don’t talk much about the mothers and fathers of this land
A land broken and taken from under them
Lost birds is what they’ve become
Living in some other nest, never to fly with their flock


Downie in the reserves
Figuring out mysteries on what’s missing in Canadian history
He says we can join him, his movement of memories
See Gord had the same feather and his heart was kindred
Not to look away when his fellow bird was in distress
See Gord knows that feathers come in all colours
But he never gave them any other names
Gord will be gone soon but I ain’t gonna forget him
He says we can all fly together.

Reflection on the poetry of Gord Downie.
“Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things. “T. S. Eliot
When writing a poem, I always thought poetry had to rhyme. I never understood what poetry meant and  never knew so few words can hold so much meaning. Getting more familiar with Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip made me more aware of their lyrics and the poetry that was within it. I’ve always known the power of music but it’s always striking to read the lyrics on their own as poems. The stories behind them are fascinating and that is what poetry ultimately is: storytelling. I also enjoy the fact that so much of it is open to interpretation and the meaning of words or phrases can change person to person. There isn’t a wrong answer because whatever the person is experiencing at the time will often determine how they interpret the poetry.   


        


All American Boys
His guilt was no more than that of any other person at the shop that day
But they took away something from him far greater than his pride
Accusing, chasing and beating him without a say
Until he was broken and distraught all up inside

He had known how guilty and dangerous it was
To be young, black and wondering about
But had not thought it would hurt like this because
He had been on his ordinary, everyday route

Paralyzed with his news being spouted everywhere with opportunity
All witnesses choosing sides was oddly shifty
Some folk use this tragedy to speak of the presence of violence in the community
Voices raised disturb the voiceless, black and the forever guilty


Waiting  for justice to serve its purpose in
recognizing that a life is a life no matter the color
This is bigger than him, a rally must take place for a people forgotten
And remember that black lives matter and this could not have been any smaller

This was rooted from an institution that had not reconciled with injustice
On a people entrapped, hurt and chained
In a place that did not recognize them as equal

Reflection on all American Boys
“When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” -- John F. Kennedy

This quote is very meaningful, especially in relation to All American Boys. I Writing a poem about a young black kid being shot by the police was a powerful thought and experience. It’s a topic that’s very relevant today as we see more and more unarmed black people being killed by law enforcement. There are debates and a lot of people calling for social change. This is obviously a very important subject. Due to the importance of the subject matter, I knew that this poem would be emotional and something I had to work hard on.  I wanted this particular poem to rhyme and trying to find the right words required thinking outside the box like Charlie. It made me think about slavery and the trauma Africans were put through as well as how although they’re in a much better position today, there are still injustices happening today.





Flowers for Algernon
Flowers for Algernon was a very interesting book that gets its readers thinking about a lot of different issues. One of the strongest themes of the book is the treatment of the mentally disabled, especially back during the time the book was set. The reader carefully observes Charlie’s  family and friends as the book progresses and although it is a work of fiction, what’s happening feels very real. Reading the book made me reflect on my own life and the experiences I’ve had with people who have mental disabilities.  For example, Flowers for Algernon made me recall my next door neighbor’s daughter and the relationship she had with my family.  I remember a day when I was on the bus she had trouble communicating to   the bus driver on  where she wanted to go. The driver didn’t seem to understand  her and told her,“Listen, I think you have the wrong bus.”  There wasn’t a second to waste before she had to get off the bus so I knew I had to move quick. I had her repeat what she wanted to the bus driver which took a long time but I thought the bus driver would be more understanding. He seemed annoyed by having to deal with her and I remember feeling guilty, upset, and angry that the world could be like this to someone so undeserving of that treatment. She was obviously disabled and I thought this meant that, if anything, she would get better treatment, not worse. It turned out she was on the right bus and I remember riding along with her wondering how many times things like this happen to her.

I had no idea my neighbour was mentally challenged at first. It wasn’t until she spoke to me that I started to hear that she spoke differently to other people. It was obvious it took her more time to form her thoughts and she had a stutter. I think most people react very positively to her. When they know someone needs a little more attention or care, they give it to them. This is how I felt. I was sure to take my time to listen to her and not make her feel like she was bothering me.


21 Century helped me enhance my learning in many ways by reading a book on mental disabled kid who had nothing going for him. It really made think really made me think of reality and it even goes beyond mental disabled people kids my age or younger  being bullied by their own peers because they aren't smart enough to be like them flowers for algernon taught me how to think way beyond a book but to compare things to the book and make things interesting for yesterday flower for algernon was a wonderful book if i ever had to the decision to read over that book a gain i would without no hesitation because i know for a fact i'll think of things i never ever thought of before
speaking she was stuttering a lot more than an average person would but no matter i'd still take my time to hear her out.         



Friday 28 October 2016

Thirty Years Strong

                   Thirty Years Strong
Just before The Tragically Hip’s last show in Kingston, Justin Trudeau said, “ the Tragically Hip are an essential part of what we are and who we are as a country. They are part the sense of place, vibe, feel, a piece of our extraordinary multi-layered culture.” The five individuals who make up the Tragically Hip have stuck together as a group for thirty years.  The Hip are supremely famous in Canada not just for their sound, but because they raise important issues in a highly respected way. Their music style includes rock and blues. Their lyrics are, poetic, catchy, imaginative, and relevant.  
During their career, The Tragically Hip have achieved accomplishments such as television appearances on Saturday Night Live, sold out concerts in Canada, and record selling albums. For example, their Evolution album in 2004 sold 100,000 copies. The band has won many musical awards, mostly in Canada. As a band, the Hip not only showed love for Canada but for other countries, especially those in need such as Haiti. In 2010, they played a concert to benefit for earthquake victims in Haiti and spoke out about the poor conditions of the country following the disaster. They are also known for doing benefits in Canada for humanitarian causes.  Their personalities and music have been much loved and cherished by a wide range of people.
Now the question is what factors made the band thrive,  and successfully stay together for thirty years?  This essay will explain how they were able to stick together for thirty years, what impact they’ve had on people's lives, and lastly this paper will conclude whether we should, as Canadians, consider the Tragically Hip as historically significant?

The essay starts with Rob Baker, the lead guitarist  of the Tragically Hip. Rob Baker  
was born on April 12, 1962 in Kingston, Ontario. Baker was a former student of Queen's University where he studied visual art. Later he designed many of the band's T-shirts and album art. Gord Sinclair, fifty , plays the bass guitar and performs backup vocals. Sinclair was a history major at Queen’s University. John Fay, The Hip’s forty nine -year-old drummer and percussionist was still in high school when he first signed up with the band. Paul Langlois, another guitarist, is  best known for being  the guitarist of The Tragically Hip. Lastly, the lead singer, Gord Downie grew up in a suburb of Kingston, Ontario. Downie formed the Tragically Hip with Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Davis Manning, and Gord Sinclair in 1983. Saxophone player Davis Manning left the band, and lead guitarist Paul Langlois joined in 1986. Despite the difference in backgrounds and education levels, they were still able to collaborate together and make wonderful albums. Langlois said of his experience working on his first album,  “Recording the album with this band turned out to be a lot more fun and interesting for me, than doing my own first album. I didn’t have to worry about the drums, and bass, or building a song from scratch. This time I just had to plug in and play, and sing the tunes, and the band was right there with me. I’m happy with this record and the songs on it. In the end, I look at it as a document of the ten best songs I had at the time that we recorded and feel lucky to have had the opportunity to make it.” Clearly, the band’s energy and chemistry was very strong and Langlois thought very highly of them.

The impact the Tragically Hip had on people's lives can be understood  by viewing  the number  of people who tuned into their final broadcast. “CBC's broadcast of Saturday night's Tragically Hip concert averaged just over four million viewers, according to the network. CBC also says an average of 4.04 million people tuned in on TV or via livestreaming.” During their generation, the Tragically Hip  gained numerous loyal followers, who bought  their music and deeply supported them. Here Gord Downie talks about the love and passion that he gave to each one of his songs that later turned into a  popular selling album. “Music is the ultimate medium for expressions of love, and those expressions find a beautiful backdrop in the environment. Music is also a popular rallying point — at its central core, it’s a way for people to get in touch with the best parts of themselves and to voice the love in their hearts. And the environment is one of the great loves of our lives — when we think of the best parts of ourselves, the environment is always there, informing us, as a backdrop.”

The love Tragically Hip has shown to Canada is unforgettable. The intellectuality and emotion of their lyrics and their rhythmic sound struck a chord with the people and helped them to be successful for  thirty years.   As well their music shows  the band’s deep love of creating and how their work is a labour of love.

In their thirty year period the band has gone through some rough patches, be it with family or friends, but they were able to continue collaborating and expressing themselves through music.   

The secret to the Tragically Hip staying thirty strong years together is  down to all of the band members contributing ideas to the music, not only letting the lead singer do all the work and take credit. Also with everyone's idea for the music, one starts building off their peers’ vibes which is how a quality product is created. The Tragically Hip produce very creative music and their listeners know that when a new Hip album is released, there will be profound statements and ideas.  The support of the fans is a large part of the band staying together for so long. There has always been people waiting for new music and a new tour. The Tragically Hip have always answered their fans and not forgotten about them.

The Tragically Hip will always be considered as  historically significant, because of the issues  they have raised in the aboriginal communities and about canadian history. Tragically hip did not care about criticism  towards their music they always stuck by each other's and spoke  of  our issues in canada even till today nothing changed just the same old tragically hip singing about important issues in our community.   



In conclusion, the Tragically Hip are undoubtedly Canada’s band. They’ve not only made good music consistently for decades, but they’ve kept a positive and powerful message with them along the way. They’ve managed to stay together because of their love of music and creating. They are artists who try and better themselves everytime they make a new product. They know their fans and they know what’s expected of them. Even the announcement of Gord Downie’s terminal cancer couldn’t stop them from going on another tour of their country. It takes dedication and hard work to make it to where the Tragically Hip are today.




References
1, "Gord Downie." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2016


2, The Hour. "Gord Downie On George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight: Full Interview." YouTube. YouTube, 16 Oct. 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2016


3, "Gord+downie+quotes - Google Search." Gord+downie+quotes - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.


4, Fraser, Laura. "Gord Downie, Tragically Hip Singer, Has Terminal Cancer."CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 27 May 2016. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.


5, Ostroff, Joshua. "Tragically Hip's Gord Downie Sings Goodbye With Grace (Too)." The Huffington Post. N.p., 11 Aug. 2016. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.


6, Biography." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.

7, Dailymail.com, Valerie Siebert For. "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Hugs Dying Tragically Hip Singer at the Beloved Band's Emotional Final Performance." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 21 Aug. 2016. Web. 28 Oct. 2016

Monday 3 October 2016

 355 Michael Cowpland Dr, Kanata, ON K2M 2C5
 Shaeed Kareem Beaubrun
 355 Michael Cowpland Dr, Kanata, ON K2M 2C5
 shaeed@cedarridgehighschool.ca
 shaeed.blogspot.com

  October 2nd 2016



Dear friends, family, teachers, and world

The topic of my blog is my path to becoming an architect. I've dreamt of building my own house and even buildings where everyone can enjoy new designs. I would like to build an architectural design which doesn’t go against environmental laws. For example, building in forested areas would be a big no for future my company. I would like to reinforce solar power energy in each design I make and hopefully start a movement of saving energy. For my future career as an architect, I would like to be known as the “Green Man.” My definition for this being a man who is not ruining the environment just to have money in his pocket, but a man who can show others that there are other ways of building homes that don't have to consume so much and other resources.


My target audience is people interested in architecture, design, and people interested in the environment. I would like to for my readers to interact with my blog and possibly give suggestions on how I turn my dream into a reality. My audience will be people who are already very knowledgeable in architecture and the environment, as well as people who are trying to learn more.  


I would like to thank Cedarridge High school for giving me the chance to show my blog to the world and for teaching me the definition of twenty-first century literacy.

Twenty-first century literacy is means being literate. This means to be advanced at reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Cedarridge helps me understand the curriculum fundamental and its importance. This letter is to inform everyone of the purpose of my blog. In other words, why you, the audience, would take an interest reading some of the things I write. I believe I have ideas for changing the world for the better. For example, when I become an architect, I will design a better way to implement solar power energy in each house. I also write about my views and opinion about different things happening in the world.

A quote by Renzo Piano says, “When you walk 25-30 feet above ground, it is a miracle, because you are still in the city … but you are flying above the city. You are in the middle of trees, and that is a moment of beauty.” – I hope that renzo piano is able to see my work and how I would like to change the world for the better.

Yours truly,

Shaeed Kareem Beaubrun

Monday 26 September 2016

When she goes away

When she goes away
Somedays I feel the breeze running through my day
Together we forget, together we go away,


We all want to  see things everyone wouldn't turn away
But you wouldn't be bothered and that made me want to stay,


Someday I feel the breeze running through my day
Together we forget, together we go away,


I can't think of  better days without remembering your laughter
We were wrapped within ourselves so we couldn't prepare for ever after


Some day I feel the breeze running through my day                Together we forget, together we go away


You knew I loved to write so you gave me so much to think about,
Always knowing where you came from, of your place, you were sure, no doubt


I held onto your memory long after you let  it go  
And I promised myself I would return,
but promises are  replaced,

that I know.