Future English 110 Students,
I just figured I would give you guys an idea of what to expect for this quarter you are starting. English 110 really is a helpful class. It definitely made me a better writer and taught me a lot of valuable writing and editing skills that I will never forget. It is a great class to take, and I recommend that you all try to get the most out of it.
The course theme for our quarter was “Televised Science Fiction”. At first, I was not that excited about this theme because I felt as though science fiction was just for those weird kids with no life. I was surprised though. I enjoyed this course theme and realized that science fiction actually relates pretty well to real-life.
What I would recommend more than anything for this course is to do your work as soon as you can after it is assigned. It will pile up quickly and it is easy to get behind. I know a lot of people who were stressing at the last minute to get work done the night it was due. I tried to keep up with my work and get it done as it was assigned and it all worked out well for me. However, if I could do something different, I would have tried harder on my Analytical Research Paper all the way through. I didn’t really try for my first or second drafts, and it was tough to make it good all at once.
All in all, English 110 is a very helpful course. Leslie is a great teacher and is always willing to help if you need it. Keep up with your work in this class and don’t get behind. Most importantly, come into the class with an open mind. I know I came in thinking science fiction would be stupid and ended up really liking it and found it to be interesting. Lastly, if a Sam Garea comments on your blogs, ignore him. He is just reliving the glory days that he had in English 110.
Sincerely,
Mike DePauw
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Farscape
Today we watched an episode of "Farscape" in class. This episode was especially interesting for me to watch because of the setting at the beginning. It didn't start off like most sci fi shows do. Instead, it begins with a realistic setting. It begins with a man in his teens preparing for a scientific experiment in space. He is trying to set a new speed record in space. In the process, his spacecraft falls into a "hole" in space and is transported to a new galaxy. While he is there, he gets caught in the middle of an intergalactic war between aliens and is forced to fight for his survival and escape.
This episode of science fiction tv was different from most I have seen so far because it is centered around one man from Earth who is lost in another dimension. It is interesting because it is so realistic in the sense that mankind is pushing technology so far and oftentimes, we don't know what the consequences of our developments will be. In this example, the consequence of technological advancements is being transported to another galaxy. Most science fiction television shows (at least those that take place in space) have to do with a group of people, opposed to one man, who are traveling around exploring (on purpose). That is what makes this episode so interesting. That it is different. It also does a great job at standing out because it also shows how humans, who have never actually seen aliens, would react to seeing them for the first time ever.
Overall, this episode was very interesting and enjoyable and I am glad that we had the opportunity to watch it.
This episode of science fiction tv was different from most I have seen so far because it is centered around one man from Earth who is lost in another dimension. It is interesting because it is so realistic in the sense that mankind is pushing technology so far and oftentimes, we don't know what the consequences of our developments will be. In this example, the consequence of technological advancements is being transported to another galaxy. Most science fiction television shows (at least those that take place in space) have to do with a group of people, opposed to one man, who are traveling around exploring (on purpose). That is what makes this episode so interesting. That it is different. It also does a great job at standing out because it also shows how humans, who have never actually seen aliens, would react to seeing them for the first time ever.
Overall, this episode was very interesting and enjoyable and I am glad that we had the opportunity to watch it.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
STNG
I recently watched my first episode of STNG and I found it to be pretty interesting. The whole concept of whether or not a robot has the same rights as a human grabbed my interest. I was also to find some similarities and differences between this episode of STNG and the original Star Trek. Both of them obviously have the same setting (aboard the spaceship “Enterprise” in outer space). However, I found more differences than similarities. First of all, the interior of the ship was very different in STNG. It almost had a home-like look to it. In several rooms, there were lamps on desks and carpeting on the floors. In addition, the conflicts were very different. The original series had more of an external conflict (the episode I watched had a battle between Captain Kirk and Spock against notorious villains in human history) whereas STNG had more of an internal conflict (whether human-like cyborgs should be treated with the same rights as humans). I also could not help but notice that in STNG, the crew on the ship seemed to be larger. There seemed to be more positions to be filled and more people working in the background of scenes. Also, the “Enterprise” was not the only ship in STNG as it is in the original series. In one of the scenes in STNG, you can see other spaceships in the background outside of the window. In this particular episode of STNG, it did not seem as though the members of the Enterprise had any real mission. I know in the original series, every episode was a new adventure that the crew was going on, exploring some unknown world. I personally thought that the original series of Star Trek was much more interesting than STNG because it had more of an exciting plot and had some pretty cool fight scenes in every episode, making it more interesting and appealing.
Friday, November 27, 2009
WB 4
The episode of the original Star Trek that I watched was “The Savage Curtain” (Season 3, Episode 22). This episode was very interesting and immediately grabbed my attention. The episode begins when the Enterprise is flying in space and is approaching an unknown planet. Rather suddenly, Abraham Lincoln appears before the ship and tells them to hover over the planet, pick him up, and take him aboard. This is strange enough because, as we all know, Abraham Lincoln was killed a long time ago. The crew beams him onboard where they examine him and determine that he is in fact a human. He invites Captain Kirk and Spock down for a visit on his home planet. They agree and beam themselves to the surface. When they arrive, none of their electronics work. A rock then forms into a life form and talks to them. He tells Kirk and Spock that they can alter minerals to create whatever life forms they want and can make them take any form (hence the Abraham Lincoln). Anyways, the rock that came to life tells Kirk that he is curious about which force is stronger; good or evil. He brings back notorious evil figures, such as Genghis Khan, to fight against the good forces. Initially, Kirk and Spock refuse to fight because they have no reason to, however, when the rock that came to life tells them that if they refuse to fight, their ship will blow up and all the crew members will die, they decide to take action. In the end, Captain Kirk and Spock defeat the villains and good triumphs over evil.
This original episode of Star Trek was surprisingly interesting. I could draw many similarities between the episode and modern science fiction television shows, like the setting being in outer space, the use of aliens or strange creatures, and epic fight scenes. However, I also was able to notice some major differences between the two. First of all, this episode goes back to the past and brings back historical figures (both heroes and villains) to grab the audience’s attention. It seems as though modern science fiction moves away from this technique of incorporating figures from the past and focuses only on the future.
Another major difference between this episode and modern science fiction television shows has to do with the development of the timeless theme of “Good v Evil”. This theme can be seen in both “The Savage Curtain” as well as in almost every science fiction television show that is on the air now. However, the episode of Star Trek that I watched was different from most current sci fi shows because it did not use robots. Yes it still had the heartless enemies, however, they were real people with hearts rather than cylons or other robots that do not have hearts or a conscience. Another major development was how different the fight scenes were. In Star Trek, the fate of mankind did not rest on the shoulders of Captain Kirk. The enemies’ goal was not to completely destroy humanity or exterminate entire civilizations. The goal of what the enemy was doing was to learn (to learn whether good or evil was stronger). The fight scene that took place was on a smaller scale and would only affect those who were immediately involved in it. This is very different from modern science fiction. Nowadays, the goal of the enemies always seems to be to wipe of civilization and completely take over a planet. Usually, the enemies are robots or some other sort of heartless alien, not well-known people from the past. I feel as though the use of the historical figures grabbed my attention more so than the use of robots.
All in all, I would say that the original episode of Star Trek was more effective in grabbing my attention and keeping it throughout than modern science fiction television shows. Maybe it is because all modern sci fi seems the same to me because they all use the concept of destroying humanity and heartless robots, which gets old after awhile.
This original episode of Star Trek was surprisingly interesting. I could draw many similarities between the episode and modern science fiction television shows, like the setting being in outer space, the use of aliens or strange creatures, and epic fight scenes. However, I also was able to notice some major differences between the two. First of all, this episode goes back to the past and brings back historical figures (both heroes and villains) to grab the audience’s attention. It seems as though modern science fiction moves away from this technique of incorporating figures from the past and focuses only on the future.
Another major difference between this episode and modern science fiction television shows has to do with the development of the timeless theme of “Good v Evil”. This theme can be seen in both “The Savage Curtain” as well as in almost every science fiction television show that is on the air now. However, the episode of Star Trek that I watched was different from most current sci fi shows because it did not use robots. Yes it still had the heartless enemies, however, they were real people with hearts rather than cylons or other robots that do not have hearts or a conscience. Another major development was how different the fight scenes were. In Star Trek, the fate of mankind did not rest on the shoulders of Captain Kirk. The enemies’ goal was not to completely destroy humanity or exterminate entire civilizations. The goal of what the enemy was doing was to learn (to learn whether good or evil was stronger). The fight scene that took place was on a smaller scale and would only affect those who were immediately involved in it. This is very different from modern science fiction. Nowadays, the goal of the enemies always seems to be to wipe of civilization and completely take over a planet. Usually, the enemies are robots or some other sort of heartless alien, not well-known people from the past. I feel as though the use of the historical figures grabbed my attention more so than the use of robots.
All in all, I would say that the original episode of Star Trek was more effective in grabbing my attention and keeping it throughout than modern science fiction television shows. Maybe it is because all modern sci fi seems the same to me because they all use the concept of destroying humanity and heartless robots, which gets old after awhile.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Battlestar Galactica
Today I just saw my first episode of Battlestar Galactica. When I first heard of the show, I expected it to be some dumb knock-off of Star Trek or Star Wars or something like that. I was surprised though. It had a completely different plot, with only some minor similarities (like the space battles). I thought that the episode was very interesting and exciting. The plot of a future world of humans v cylons was new to me and immediately grabbed my attention. Although I was confused at first what Number Six’s purpose was on Earth, I felt that the rest of the episode was easy to follow along with.
However, I do have some criticism about the miniseries we watched. First of all, although the show did a good job grabbing my attention, it had some trouble keeping it throughout the entire episode. I felt as though the episode was very slow-moving and sometimes difficult to pay attention to. I also felt as though there were some unnecessary sex scenes in this episode that I thought had no relevance whatsoever. They may have had relevance later in the season, but from just watching a part of the first miniseries, they seemed rather irrelevant. I also found it disturbing how the cylon on Earth handled the whole baby situation. I know that they are robots and don’t have feelings, but I found it to be disturbing how she broke the baby’s neck while the mother was just standing there. I feel as though that was an unnecessary way to show how cruel the cylons could be.
All in all, I would have to say that I enjoyed watching Battlestar Galactica. Although it was slow moving and had some unnecessary scenes , I feel as though it had a great plot and actually was sending an important message to the viewers. This message can be seen in many movies, such as “Jurassic Park” and “I, Robot”. This message has to do with “playing God”. It shows us that we must be careful with what we choose to do with our technology and what we decide to create. We have to have respect the power of the animals or robots or whatever we are creating and acknowledge that we are not “Godly” and are not always going to be able to control that power. I felt that this was a very interesting sci fi television show and I would not mind watching it again.
However, I do have some criticism about the miniseries we watched. First of all, although the show did a good job grabbing my attention, it had some trouble keeping it throughout the entire episode. I felt as though the episode was very slow-moving and sometimes difficult to pay attention to. I also felt as though there were some unnecessary sex scenes in this episode that I thought had no relevance whatsoever. They may have had relevance later in the season, but from just watching a part of the first miniseries, they seemed rather irrelevant. I also found it disturbing how the cylon on Earth handled the whole baby situation. I know that they are robots and don’t have feelings, but I found it to be disturbing how she broke the baby’s neck while the mother was just standing there. I feel as though that was an unnecessary way to show how cruel the cylons could be.
All in all, I would have to say that I enjoyed watching Battlestar Galactica. Although it was slow moving and had some unnecessary scenes , I feel as though it had a great plot and actually was sending an important message to the viewers. This message can be seen in many movies, such as “Jurassic Park” and “I, Robot”. This message has to do with “playing God”. It shows us that we must be careful with what we choose to do with our technology and what we decide to create. We have to have respect the power of the animals or robots or whatever we are creating and acknowledge that we are not “Godly” and are not always going to be able to control that power. I felt that this was a very interesting sci fi television show and I would not mind watching it again.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Bring Your Own Lunch
Bring Your Own Lunch
by Bruce Lansky
Don’t eat school lunches—
not even a lick.
They might make you nauseous.
They might make you sick.
Just take a small bite
andyou’ll start to feel ill.
If the veggies don’t get you,
the meatloaf sure will.
This poem hit home for me. Back in the day (as in since I first started going to school), there has yet to be a school that has good lunches. Even in elementary school, the lunches always made people sick. I remember that the meatloaf actually was the worst meal, which is funny because that's what it says in this poem. I chose this poem not only because it related to me because of the history I've had with terrible lunches at school, but also because of its tone. It is an upbeat poem and isn't serious at all. Too often (especially during high school and now in college) we have to focus on serious poems and try and pull out some hidden meaning. This gets tiresome and boring, and a lot of the time, it ruins my liking of the poem. This poem is nice because it doesn't have some hidden meaning and says what it needs to in a happy and cheerful way.
by Bruce Lansky
Don’t eat school lunches—
not even a lick.
They might make you nauseous.
They might make you sick.
Just take a small bite
andyou’ll start to feel ill.
If the veggies don’t get you,
the meatloaf sure will.
This poem hit home for me. Back in the day (as in since I first started going to school), there has yet to be a school that has good lunches. Even in elementary school, the lunches always made people sick. I remember that the meatloaf actually was the worst meal, which is funny because that's what it says in this poem. I chose this poem not only because it related to me because of the history I've had with terrible lunches at school, but also because of its tone. It is an upbeat poem and isn't serious at all. Too often (especially during high school and now in college) we have to focus on serious poems and try and pull out some hidden meaning. This gets tiresome and boring, and a lot of the time, it ruins my liking of the poem. This poem is nice because it doesn't have some hidden meaning and says what it needs to in a happy and cheerful way.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Buffy Episode From Class
I found this episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" to be particularly interesting. It did a great job grabbing my attention right off the bat and keeping it throughout the entire episode. The aspect of this episode I liked most was the fact that due to all of Buffy's flash backs, the audience never actually knows which of Buffy's worlds are real and which one is her imagination. It keeps the audience guessing and intrigued, as they try to figure out what is really going on. Whedon does a great job of making both of Buffy's worlds seem just as realistic and I know that for me personally, I was torn between what I wanted to happen and which world I wanted Buffy to choose to be in. At one time, I would want Buffy to choose the world with her friends because they are in every episode and I felt connected to them. However, I would then want her to choose the world with her parents and the doctor, as I sympathized with them and their attempts to bring Buffy back to the real world and help her so that she can go home and be normal. All in all, I thought that this was a good and interesting episode of Buffy because it immediately grabbed my attention and kept it throughout with its action-packed plot and because it made me think throughout the entire episode.
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