Freshman Composition
Critical and Argumentative Writing
Blogging in the Blogosphere
English 100 and 103
FORMAT:
When you blog, in the Title, write your first and last name as you would as if you are turning in a paper to me. Then you do not have to write my name because I know you are in my class. Write what English class you are in whether it is English 52, 60, 100 and what College.
For example, one would write:
Yue Hayes
English 103
Cerritos College
Post #1
Homelessness
Font size
In addition, for the title, pick the topic of discussion, grammar/organization, content, current events, pop culture or literature as a TITLE that we have discussed in class. Write the posts like this: write #1 Post or #2 Post or Post #50, so I can easily keep track of them and how many you write.
Of course, you are welcome to write more than several posts, and in doing so is another form of participation and does count in the participation grade. Perhaps, in class, you may not participate all that much but in the realm of the blogosphere, you can from the comfort of your own home,
* reflect on the day's class discussion or offer up an insight that you found particularly interesting, etc., etc.
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* How does it change the way you think or thought before on the subject?
*
* What actions might you take in the future? Anything is open to interpretation.
Of course, I need not go on and on about being respectful towards your peers' opinions and beliefs. If you disagree with another student's views be discreet about it: Do not say so and so is completely wrong because of this and that. Instead, say, I disagree with so and so and here are the reasons why I do. Go after their evidence and support and do not, I repeat do not attack someone else personally. This is supposed to be a forum for everyone to share their ideas and views.
*I will enforce the blogosphere by either deleting your hard work, making an example out of you here in the realm of the blogosphere or in class* . . .
3,403 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 3201 – 3400 of 3403 Newer› Newest»Samantha Shepherd
English 103
CC
Reflection on Speakers
It's always amazing to hear other people's stories and to learn about their past and their caves that have made them who they are today. I believe that each individual chosen had a great story to tell and was definitely something that was needed to influence us, especially during these last few weeks during finals and also life's everyday challenging tasks and hardships. I absolutely loved every single person that came to talk and I believe that I could see a little of myself in each and everyone's story. I liked how Courtney and I have so much in common and I will definitely have to find a place for us to hang out and be crazy thespians. Also, how about I was completely surprised (well sort of because Priscilla had mentioned something of the sort after the poetry reading) that you and the Cerritos English classes were comparing me and Claudia and trying to find out if we would get along with each other? What the heck?! Hahaha, just like you Mr. Hsiao- you instigator! Well, I heard she was nice so we might, however she seems to be a much more pessimistic person than I am.
The story that I think really spoke out to me in this part of my life would have to be Karlo's story. Just about him going through all of this and how at the end he almost gave up, but instead gave everything he had to God was very comforting. I, myself, felt that I have been so caught up in my life that I have not spent any time, besides the (now) few hours I spend at church Sunday with my boyfriend. To give you a little tid bit of info about me (in case you don't already know), I am the kind of person that tends to overthink everything and to worry a little too much and to stress over things that are not in my immediate present. Of course I'm not saying that it's wrong to stress/think about the future, but remember, the key words were: too much. To realize that everything is already taken care of and that as long as you're doing the right thing and trying to make the right decisions, that there should be nothing to stop you from achieving your goals and your dreams and attaining true happiness. Personally, I know that I am going to keep that in mind, as long Courtney's invigorating words about not being negative toward yourself and to separate yourself from that which tries to keep you from the good things in life you truly want.
Bravo, Mr. Hsiao. Nice surprise for the class. I do have to admit though, I wish that the 103 class brought as much food as the 100 class did, hahaha.
Gabriela Tovar
English 103
Cerritos College
Post #37???
Guest Speakers...
I am so mad because i had already finished writing my thoughts, when i was ready to publish and sign in, i noticed someone else's name was logged in... I logged it out and my COMMENT was erased... If you guys see me all mad, do not talk to me... grrr man... grrr
Anyways, as i read the blogs of my classmates, i see a lot of WOW's!!!... So i am going to add another WOW!!!... All speakers were awesome and i know it had taken a lot of courage to go up there and say something so intimidating, something so dreadful, something wonderful. and a miracle...
I felt i connected with each speaker, even if it was a little bit... I have a deep secret too, i am afraid if each day i am one step closer to get leukemia, each day i am greatful i have a wonderful family who cares about me, each day i am greatful i have a great boyfriend who is there for me, each day i am greatful i am alive...
To my fellow speakers: You guys have opened my eyes to a new life. I know there is much more then just complain and whin about my life. I know that there are people who have a broken heart and cannot come clean, i know that there are people that have overcome cancer or any other type. I know now that people strive to reach their goals... Thank you guys so much...
From your new friend, Gabriela Tovar... Love you guys...
Have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year...
Tien Tran
English 110
GWC
Post #
Guest Speakers
I was really anticipating what Mr. Hsiao had in store for us on Thursday because the lack of information left a mysterious void that kept on lingering at the tip of my head the day before. As I walked in class, I noticed there were people who were not in our Tue/Thur class. Then I kinda knew what was going to happen by connecting the dots.
Everyones presentation was good and real. No lies, no sunshine, and no glossy stuff to put over this ideal thing we have in our head. I think Brian’s presentation really drew me in. He said, “giving is the new getting.” So short, yet such power and meaning squished inside a dozen characters. He spoke of Kidworks and their intense internship where you transform your life into those living in very different conditions. That includes getting rid of things we take for granted every day, every minute. He also spoke of the difference of giving money and actually being in the reality of helping out. To be in the same playing field, the same conditions, and the same reality of going through what those who cannot help themselves are so much more meaningful than simply donating a paper of value. It gives you a similarity of understanding and compassion of the crude reality some have to go through daily. It also lets you reach a point of connection between you and those you are helping. By keeping it casual, yet at the same time, inducing the audience to a world he’s been through, is all that overpowering when the message is so simple and meaningful.
Samantha Navarro
English 103
Cerritos College
Post #.....
Speakers-
As each speaker stepped up to tell their own story, I began to realize that I had some things in common with each one. We all have our personal struggles in achieving our goals, and hearing all of them made me realize that we can all relate to each other in more than one way. I applaud them for sharing their life, and how we can’t let absolutely anything stop us from achieving our goals; there’s no excuse but laziness!!
Hearing Danielle speak, I though she had courage to tell her story of abuse. I related to her in the sense that I was in an abusive relationship, and it’s good to hear someone else’s perspective. Like her, I have experienced an ongoing process and have not fully healed. Aaron’s story of surviving cancer is amazing and I’m glad to know that someone who has suffered so much found a steady path toward higher education. Aljen was hilarious, and I am amazed at his 200 AAs. Studying in Japan sounds great! Claudia found art as an outlet from her life, and found it as a career to pursue. Finding something you love to do is, I think, one of the best pleasures. Karlo reminds me so much of my brother; the laziness, smoking, drinking, partying, and it gives me hope that my brother still has a chance to pursue something he loves if he wants it. Courtney showed me that though she is close to achieving what she is working so hard for, her singing career, she still has very real and basic human problems that any person may suffer, like her boyfriend and family. One tends to believe that once we achieve our goals, life is then taken care of. I related to Orlando’s story in the sense of taking a long break from College, and the struggle it is to balance family and school, but he is still doing it, which is very encouraging.
The main thing I will take away from all these speakers is that life doesn’t stop once the abuse stops, or the cancer is cured, or the scholarship is attained, or the passion for life has been found. Life keeps going. These weren’t just stories of overcoming, they were testaments of the fact that life doesn’t stop once something is conquered, life just depends on our drive to live it. Thanks for speaking to us!
Stephanie Farano
GWC
Eng 110
Let me first start by saying that I do not particularly enjoy coming to class at 7:30 in the morning, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that we were having guest speakers.
Mikey was one on the most inspirational people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. His positive outlook on life and determination to succeed, made me realize how much I take for granted on a daily basis. The little things in life that I consider to be easy are a challenge for him, everything he does is very thought out and precise. Him showing us the process that goes into eating and waking up in the morning, was eye opening. When you see a person with a disability you sometimes assume what there life may be like or the help that they may receive from others. I was shocked to hear Mikey talk about all of the obstacles he faces throughout the day...alone! He is a very independent and inspiring person and I'm sure he will be successful in what ever he decides to do.
I also enjoyed hearing Nick talk, his story was of course very intense, but it was his personality that took the show. He was able to give accurate accounts of a very sad and devastating US tragedy. The story about the Super Dome was hard to hear and definitely has stuck with me. It was a short story, but it was a good one.
Jessica Vasquez
Eng 100
CC
Post #: ??
Guest Speakers
First off, I want to thank all of our guest speakers that we had in class on Wednesday. I applaud for your courage and strength to be able to come and talk to a room of complete strangers/ peers about your troubled past and amazing stories. Each and every one of you inspires us to reach out to what it is that we really want in life. It also shows us that we are not the only ones going through the struggle of life and it is great that we can also personally relate to your stories.
Danielle- First off, Congratulations on your record deal. Your voice is truly one of a kind and I really wish you the best on your singing career. Thank you for sharing your touching story. Being raised by a single mother, I can (in a way) relate to what it is like growing with out attention and interest from my father. If I could have had a choice I would have preferred having someone to push me forward, or actually care about my-self. It is tough as a teen to have to go through bad relationships, and as we grow, we realize what is good for us, and what is not.
Aaron- I feel a lot of respect for you, going through so much to overcome cancer. It is amazing to see Cancer did not kill you, You killed it! That makes us realize to appreciate everything in life and not give up. We sit here and complain about the smallest things in life, when there are people out there fighting for their life. Your story was an awakening for each and every one of us, you have taught us to be strong no matter what. With faith we can overcome anything. Thank you for that inspiration you have gave each and everyone of us.
Claudia- You have one of the most unique personalities! Right away when you started telling your story, I felt intrigued to hear where you were coming from. I can totally relate to you when it comes to family issues. I honestly wish I had a much closer relationship with my own mother. It is sad to say that even in my family, education is not an importance. It makes me so sad to see that families don’t support us as much when it comes to our studies. Like you, I often wonder why people think our education is a waste of time. It sucks even more that it comes from our own families. I really wish you the best in the future, and I truly hope you are able to go back to school next semester.
Karlo- Your story brought us a lot of hope. Hope because you showed us that no matter how deep we bury our-self’s in, there’s always a way to improve. Your struggles throughout your teenage and young adult years have taught us that in the end we mature and realize what is best for us. I can relate a lot with your story, because like you, there was a time where I cared less about my future. It is with maturity and knowledge that we realize what will benefit us the most in our future.
Courtney- Your story had me holding back my tears so bad. It is so sad to hear about the things you had to go through as a child. People think children live a life stress and problem free, and your story is an example of what reality truly is. It is so sad and hard to say that children still have to go through what you once lived. I am so happy and inspired to see what a strong woman you are today.
Orlando- I loved your story the most of all. I can’t believe all that you had to go through from your surgery to your co-workers trying to put you down. I loved the fact that you like to make serious events so funny. I believe that helped you out a lot when it came to your recuperation. Your attitude towards life is so positive, and it is something we all look up to.
Ibeth Rodriguez
English 100
Cerritos College
Guest Speakers
First of all I would like to thank you Professor Hsiao for all the things you have done for your students. You have so much interest in us as a teacher that you have definitely have changed our lives, or at least you have definitely changed my life for the best. Once again I thank you Professor Hsiao.
Danielle Kennedy's story is the one that touched me the most because I know how it feels to hide your feelings. She went through a lot, and being sexual harassed is one of the most difficult thing a teenage girl has to go through. I was not a victim of sexual harassment but I definitely know how it feels to express and show who you really are. For many years I kept inside of me all my feelings I could never express what I really felt. Instead of expressing my feelings to someone I would just eat and eat. I did not feel comfortable while I was around people, for some reason I felt unsecure with myself. I was trapped in my cave. When Danielle spoke about what she went through it made me realize that there are many out there who go through same situations just in a different way. Danielle is very strong for coming out and sharing with people what she had to go through, because doing so is not the easiest thing to do. It takes a lot of courage to talk about something that has in some way scared your life forever. Luckily we both were able to overcome our cave, being able to become secure and comfortable with who we are. Danielle remember that in order to be happy with life we first need to be happy with ourselves. That was one of the first things that I learned when I overcame bulimia. Being happy with ourselves and being able to trust others is what is going to help us move through life. Just be happy and enjoy the people who love you and most importantly enjoy every second of your life.
Jenny Guzman
English 100
Cerritos Collage
Post HW
WOW!!
I thought Wednesday was going to be like any Wednesday. I go to work and then off to school. I did not know I would leave class moved beyond words. I have heard speaker for Prof Hsiao class before. Heck I was a speaker for him last year, but these people that came on Wednesday where amazing.
First we heard from a wacky girl that I have met before. We were speakers last year together. When I heard her sing Etta James “at last” last year, I wanted her to sing at my wedding. I was going to ask Prof Hsiao for her information. Alas I am getting married in Vegas. When she told us she was on You Tube I wanted to see. When I saw her I used her You Tube videos to calm down my newborn at the time. Her videos would shoot a smile on Janelle face. Janelle favorite was Lolli Pop. I heard that song about 100 times, but I would hear 2,000 times if it would keep that smile on her face. I told her to her face, but I want to say again to Courtney, thank you for coming to speak to us, and THANK YOU for putting a smile on Janelle face!
I met the next speaker in my English 20 class. I though that he was an arrogant little punk. I being the oldest in the class I did not know the inner workings of an 18 year old. He seems all he cared about was music, well rap mostly. As the class went on I notice he was very smart, but still rough around the edges. When we had our class discussions I was blown away but his intellectual thoughts. We would disagree on a lot of things and sometimes bicker, but I was honored to have him in one of my classes. To heard what he has went through, and to see how he has grown made me so proud. Karlo I am sorry you had to grow up so fast, but I am glad you did for you daughter. I am sorry what I thought when we first met, but I am glad you proved me wrong.
This guy I met in my English 52. Everyone had a huge crush on the GQ guy. He was tall, dark and handsome, so I saw why all the girls were swooning over him. What they fail to notice, he was smart. He would put his two cents in our discussion and people would be blown away. Well after class was over he found out that he had cancer. I found out last year when he was also a speaker with Courtney and myself. To hear his story a second time still made me tear up. I am happy to have met such a strong and smart man as him. Orlando thank you for coming to speak to us, and share your story.
I kept hearing about these A.P. students that Prof Hsiao had. Like everyone I was wondering who they were. Claudia was one of the speaker also one of the A.P. group She spoke how she wants to go to art school. How she was a A.P students in high school and with no regards from her parents. When she spoke how she really does not get along with her parents kind of reminded of myself. I hear people how get along with their parents. Its kind of sad, but I am glad there our more then just on person that have these kind of issue. Well the only person who would push her to better herself was her sister. Now she is going to be artist all on her own. I wish her the best in what she does.
Well now there is Danielle, a person that had something happened to her that I would not wish on anyone. I understand how one has to put up a front to stay sane. I am glad what she went through is over, and she has her brother there. Now she has finished high school and has a boyfriend there who cares for her. I know how it can be when one get in moods with their boyfriends when it is not their fault. I wish her the best in what she does.
The last but not least. I have heard of cancer my whole life. My dad is a radiation therapist for kids. All the patients I met touch my heart. I send money to S.T. Jude’s hospital to help even though I know it is not a lot, but it something. When I heard Aaron story just made me cry. This kid had cancer. I do not know why these things happened to kids. His story made me come and tell my family and John. Obviously I could not do him justice. After all his struggles he finished high school and is in collage. I want to wish him the best in everything he does
Cathrina Afusia
Cerritos College
English 100
Reflection on our guest speaker Aaron.
Mr. H was correct. Out of all the speakers I to believe his story was the most graphic, but I enjoyed his story the most because it touched my heart. As some of you might know my mom put up a fight with cancer a little over a year ago, and to me that was the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with. I know him and my mom did not share the same type of cancer, but the experience was still the same. I had to watch my mother go through so much pain, and worrying. My mother is the closest person to me, so what she felt I felt. I admired his strength, and that was the same strength I had to implant in my mother. I do not wish for anyone to go through what Aaron or my mother has gone through, but at the same time do not be naive that it could not happen to your family. I am a strong woman, but never thought God would throw that kind of obstacle at me in the time of life I was in. He did, and I got through it. I believe it made me a stronger person. I commend Aaron for the fight he put up, because I know it was hard. I really felt his message to the point where I wanted to cry, but was too embarrassed to. Having or knowing someone with any type of cancer is a road that feels as if it is never going to end. It was refreshing to actually hear that my mother is not alone in her struggle. I mean I hear about people being diagnosed with different types of cancer, and even some that loose the battle. I have never heard someone go into detail as Aaron did, because I know it hurts to be the victim of a disease that has destroyed so many lives. I felt his message to never give up, and appreciate the small things in life. The goal for many is to never give up, because if you do then you have let the disease claim its victory.
Arcelia Swarr
English 100
Cerritos
Post #guest speakers
Wednesday's class was so much fun, and definitely a much needed break. All the food was delicious, especially the enchiladas, thank you Trini and the Dutch apple pie, thank you Priscilla!! I ate so much food that night, I just couldn't help myself! I also really enjoyed all the guest speakers. Everyone's stories were so touching, and I thank every one of them for having the strength to share their very personal stories.
Courtney: WOW!! I heard her story last semester, and it was so nice to hear it again this semester! She has so much personality, you can just see a quick glimpse of it when she's talking, so positive. I must also say, she has an AMAZING voice!! I never would have guessed she had such a beautifully powerful voice just by looking at her!! Good luck to her with her music, I really do hope she goes far with it!
Karlo: I can't really relate to all of his story, but I applaud him for turning his entire life around and taking responsibility for his daughter and now wife! That's a very serious decision to have to make at such a young age, and I wish him and his wife and daughter all the best in the future. He has such determination. I have cousins his age that don't seem to have that much anything in their lives, I know he'll go far with all his goals.
Claudia: I cannot imagine what it must have been like growing up in that type of environment, I come from the opposite, but it was so nice to hear your story and to hear all you have accomplished for yourself! Keep up your strength and no matter what happens, you'll be a success.
Danielle: Thank you for being strong enough to share such a personal story with all of us. I cannot imagine all that you went through at such a young age. Good luck with you relationship, your boyfriend sounds like a great guy, and that's a wonderful thing!
Aaron: Cancer is scary, but to go through it at a young age has got to be hard. I have had family members as well as my best friend battle cancer and I saw from the outside what it did to them. When you first got up in front of the class I was wondering what your story was, and as soon as you said cancer I was in shock. I must say, it is good to see you looking so healthy and great that you didn't just give in and let it win!
Orlando: This was the second time I heard his story as well and I again enjoyed hearing it. I liked that he kept a positive mood throughout his story, and I liked how he stressed the importance of not being lazy!! I have my lazy tendencies and it's something I'm constantly fighting, but I loved how he just straight out said, "If you're going to school full time and not working you better be passing your classes with A's, if not, you're lazy." That was good to hear, especially for me, thank you!!
Edilu Medina
English 100
CC
Post 47- I think i been skipping
Speakers on wednesday night, through the giggles and the nods I heard each one out. I am thankful for your stories as each one touched my heart and gave me an extra boost of strenght and wisdom.
Courtney
I loved your enthusiasm and energy on a full stomach. You are very talented and its amazing how you have traveled and strived to succeed in your career. You are bright and I know you will get far.
Karlo your energy and artistry views I think as students we all come as confusion entering the world of college and once something opens your eyes it’s an explosion to development of finding oneself. You are a role model toward all those young parents who don’t think it’s possible of having a fulltime job, and coming to school full time. I also loved the romanced you held for your wife since you were young, but deep in your heart you knew she was the one, and will always be.
Claudia
You’re an eloquent speaker the tone of your voice said maturity and once you spoke your story I couldn’t help to get teary eyed. You are a strong person, passionate there is no doubt I heard it through your words. A passionate self can overcame any obstacle all it is determination to succeed and accomplish the goal.
Danielle- I cant imagine holding something for so long, as for reasoning we envision life as trusthworthy, valuable but something so hard can be kept away and bottled as a shield to others not know whats really happening inside. Glad to know you finally revealed your secret as you in a person reveal strength and wisdom. Thank you for your words
Aaron
Tissue please, wow you are a survivor that has picked the saddle and jumped back on the horse. I salute you, to have never given up. Through a hard period many people take their lives for granted as for you, your words have been heard and emotions have been passed on to continue life .
Orlando
LOVE the sense of humor, wish I had you in my class! I heard your message loud and clear don’t be lazy and get an A in Mr.Hsiaos class lol oh and show your co workers you can do it because the lady who said we also need people like you, yes they do they need an Orlando to be boo ya! I got my credentials! Wish you well and continue to pursue school.
Martha Vazquez
Englsh 100
CC
Post 32
Claudia- Great voice. I honestly didnt expect that kinda voice; soulful, and sweet. Thats a great combo. Staying away from negative people has really made my life peachy keen. I'm really glad you discovered that at a young age, but sorry that you had to go through so much hurt to find that knowledge. Life has great things in store for you. Like Tupac said, "Keep yo head up!"
Karlo- From church boy, to pothead, to man of God...awesome life path. Even though you're so young, it seems you've gone through so much. A whole family at 21! Thats so crazy to me. I'm glad you're dedicated to your family and to becoming a what you've always dreamed. Good luck!
Claudia- You seem so happy and full of life. I really didnt expect to hear about your home life. It makes me so sad when parents are not supportive of thier kids. I got lucky and got an awesome mom, so imagining the opposite is quite difficult for me. I'm sure there are people that are immensely proud of the woman you're growing into. I hope you take all of lifes negative lessons, and turn them into positives in your life. Keep being an inspiration.
Danielle- You have such vivacity for a kid that has dealt with one of the worst things that can happen to a person. One of my closest friends went through a situation similar to yours. Going through the healing process with her was a difficult experience, but we're getting through it. It takes a while to heal inner wounds, but it is so worth it. I hope you have a fruitful life, and not let this situation make you feel any less wonderful than you are.
Aaron- Your story was one that really captured my attention. I have seen firsthand what cancer can do, and I am so glad that you are free of it. I know you probably get this a lot, but if you can get through cancer at such a young age, you can get through so much. Thats pretty awesome. It also puts things in perspective for people that listen to your story. Thanks for being an inspiration.
Orlando- You're a great speaker, and I can totally see why you're in management. I remember you saying that if we werent getting a passing grade, it was because of laziness. That was awesome. I tend to find myself there all too often. I dont try as hard as i could, or should, just because of laziness. It was the kick in the butt that I needed at the end of this semester, and I thank you. I totally believe that you will have that piece of paper that certifies your genius. :)
Edilu Medina
English 100
CC
Post 48
Reflection
Bolsa Chica Brr..
Waking up at 7 am I was tempted to put snooze in my alarm, but my loving friend (Sarai) convinced me to get up and go to Cerritos for a cold fun trip. I arrived to encounter only 4 students from Cerritos and all these non familiar faces.. Then Mr. Hsiao explained there was another teacher with her English 52 students, as wonderful Mr. Hsiao is he did the whole ice breaker process were we mingle with another student. Majority were boys (I think they all were) any who it was like Mr. Hsiao said when there’s a dance and they don’t know which girl to dance with. I went up to a gentleman which I don’t recall his name and he said this was his first field trip I showed off that we had like 10 (which I only went to 4) but I still showed off, he was amazed and then he told me that his class was a 7week course. We did small chat I didn’t realized everybody stopped mingling and I kept talking then I turn and his circle of friends were watching us it was an awkward moment.. To make it better one was like I’m sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt.. We get on the bus toward golden west to pick up more students. Our arrival at Bolsa Chica was around 10 o clock and was guided on the trail of the wetlands experienced nature, the cold air as it was freezing then it would get hot at points. Walking the trail was fun we received binoculars and got to eye some unique birds, what caught my eye was the pipe from WWII I thought that was pretty interesting. It was a long walk Mckayla kept me laughing she is an adorable little girl I think she will be a singer /dancer as well. I chatted with our tour guide who was also funny and honest when he wasn’t sure about something he will say it, instead of making up stories. After the walk the gang of Cerritos went to eat at jack in the box, Andy was trying to get a lighter from anyone even was planning to use the grill at Jack your too much Andy. Overall it was a relaxing trip wish more Cerritos students could have gone and experienced the wetlands. I am planning to look up the kayaking clean up, sounds fun and helpful to the environment. On the bus I think everyone was drained and went to sleep I did for sure, at one point I thought I was in the bus to Mexico. Until I was woken up to see the Cerritos building I knew I was back home, back to Cerritos lands the end.
Sarai Vazquez
English 100
Cerritos College
Post ...
Reflection on guest speakers
Danielle: She had such a preety voice. I was so surprised that, that voice came out of her. It was kinda cool. Her story was very interesting. It was interesting to hear about all the things that she had gone through and how she overcame them and is not such a wonderful person. It was so good to hear that even though you are going through a tough time that you can overcome it.
Aaron: Hearing his story was such an insperation. Just the way that he did not let cancer take him down was such an insperation. After hearing that it makes you think that if he overcame such a deadly disease than there is nothing that one cannot do. I just came out of the classroom feeling like I could take over the world :)
Claudia: I love that right when she got up there she went straight into her story. Her story made me sad. When she said that she did not have such a good relationship with her family, it made me think about my family and how great I had it. It made me feel really sad because here I have this wonderful close family and she is having all these issues with her family I just felt like letting her borrow one of my sisters. :) I really got inspired by her and I hope that she could get into the art school that she wants to so that she could accomplish all her dreams
Karlo: His story was my favorite. I found it funny because I went to high school in a private Christian school and everyone would always say that the PK's (pastors kids) were the worst. It was great to hear about how him and his now wife met and how God worked everything out for. It was inspiring for me to hear him say that he gave God everything in his life and that he trusted Him with it. It is really hard for someone to do that and it takes a lot of faith. It was great to hear that after all the things that he did and all the obtacles that he overcame, that he is now back on track with God and that he is such a great person.
Courtney: When she started talking about what she went through as a child, it really touched me because I had the same experience and went through that same things. It was really hard for me to trust people and let them get close. I was so glad that she was able to over come that traumatizing event in her life because that can hold you back from so many things. It is good to know that even though you go through tough times that you can overcome them and move on with your life.
Orlando: I really liked his story. I loved that he went back to school after all the times that he had dropped out. It is always inspiring to see people like him that go back to school after so many years. It was also good to hear that he got through the tumor in his leg and is now back to his life.
It was really inspiring and good to hear all these peoples stories. It made me greatfull for all the things that I had and made me cherish my life and I want to thank them and Mr Hsiao for letting them come and speak
Raul Moreno Jr.
English 103
Cerritos College
Guest Speakers
Courtney: Goodness. Where do I start? I heard her speak last semester, and I was stoked to see her when she showed up for class again. Her story is my favorite for reasons I won't get into, and wow, it was just great to hear her story again. I will admit that the whole part about her great boyfriend is bittersweet, and let it be known that I'd be first in line if things didn't pan out. ;]
I really do think it's awesome though that she's broken the cycle she was to be a part of. It's such a rare ocurrence... a very rare gem, and we discussed that after class last semester. [I'm the familiar looking guy, Courtney... the one with the camera last time around.]
I haven't even mentioned her voice yet... goodness. It really was a pleasure to have her sing for the class again.
Aaron: Wow. He had such an intense story and life lived for someone his age. I admire and respect his tenacity in fighting like he has with the even demeanor and all. His story humbled me and caused me to reflect... finding another reason to be grateful.
Orlando: His story was a little different this time around, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The mention of his brother is once again very humbling.
Karlo: This was another one of those awesome stories. To hear about his walk through a churched upbringing, to running off onto his own path and coming back to God in the end was really inspiring. It gave me some hope, as my faith seems to be bleak at the moment. God's love is the real deal, and His grace just blows my mind every freaking day. I'm grateful for having heard this story... Thank you for sharing.
Claudia and Danielle are to come...
Jean Carlo Morales
English 100
Cerritos College
Last wednesday in class wass filled with emotions all around. I could see the look on everyones face everywhere I looked. It's like if everyone could feel each others pain from the words of each and every speaker. I would like to keep it short and simple by saying it is truly admireable to see a group of former students go up and talk to motivate us. All were emotionally disturbed at a point in their life and seeing how someone could overcome an illness life threatning such as cancer is what impacted me the most. It makes me reflect upon the many things I take for granted. A guy who looked fully functional used to have cancer. I am used to seeing people who are beat and weary from all the medications and therapies. Aaron did not even look like he had cancer. He looked fit with full of life. All of the speakers had that vibe that I am sure they will carry and continue to have an affect on other people's life.
Danielle Kennedy
English 110
GWC
post:???
Guest Speakers
wow, so, i was absolutely amazed by the stories that were told in class. i think there was something on every inch of the spectrum. so, ya, here we go.
Dear Mikey,
wow, your story is a heart felt story and i love hearing how you never gave up. you have been given a challenge that will never be able to go away and yet, there you stood in our class, not just surviving but living. you didnt let your challenges bring you down and you live life to the fullest. you are a very happy person and want to give back to the community. i feel you will be an amazing guest speaker, in the near future. i rememebr you from the class you guest spoke to last semester and feel that your story of survival will be an eye opener for some. keep up the good work and happy holidays to you.
Dear Agnes,
i remembered you from the spring semester and thought your story was one of tough times and sad outcomes. you are such a strong person being able to take care of your brother and get away from your parents. im glad to hear that everything between you and your mother are doing well but it is sad to know that you and your father have lost touch. coming to america from another country is hard enough but when you are doing it merely to survive, you are a true hero. your story touched me and made me realize all the little things that we take for granted. i hope you do very well in your cosmotology and all your dreams and wish you a very merry christmas.
Dear Burger,
i remembered you as well from the spring semester and realized that i had labeled you all wrong. at first, i thought you were one of those really annoying punk rock people with your leather jacket and your hat, i just thought you were going to be a pain throughout the semester. well, i must say, you are one of the most kind and whole hearted people i have ever met. your story about overcoming the wrong crowd and getting into trouble, you have definately come a long way. hearing about your kung fu class was kinda funny because i could totally see you watching a movie and then wanting to learn how to do it, just like you said. i feel thast once you find exactly what you want to do in life, you will succeed very well in. wishing you happy holidays and a happy new year.
Danielle KEnnedy
English 110
GWC
post:???
Guest Speakers (cont.)
Dear Sumair,
hello, we have never met before but i have definately seen you around campus. hearing your story as well on coming from another country and learning the language and getting your education, i definately give you an applause. in today's society, an education is everything. i wish you luck in all your school work, all your community work, and all of your future goals in which you decide to do. merry christmas to you and take care.
Dear Brian,
i watched you come speak at our spring semester class with mikey and i must say, it is nice to see someone of our generation that enjoys giving back to the community. listening about your trip to kidsworks and isaiah house, was truely inspirational. i myself enjoy giving back to those in need and i see you going very far in this field. i am not sure what you wish to do in the future but i must say, selfishness is definately no where in site. take care and enjoy the holiday season.
Dear Nic,
man, where to begin, you were definately a more serious story teller but i have to say that you were also the most funny. first, i want to thank you for serving in our military and protecting our rights. coming from a family where most of my male relatives have served, i understand in some way what you have gone through. second, i really enjoyed how you opened up about a couple of the most disturbing times in your life but at the same time, made everyone in the class laugh about how you blew stuff up. i know what ever you decide to do, you will go far in and hope the hearing gets better, if it gets worse, i do know sign language and would be happy to teach you if needed. i hope you and your family have a merry christmas and many good cheers for the new year.
once again, to all of the speakers, thank you for taking time out of your day to come speak and wish everyone a merry christmas and a happy new year. :D
Kim Luong
GWC
English 110
Guest Speakers
I like all the stories from the speakers on Thursday.I want to thank Mikey, Agnes, Burger,Sumair, Brian, Nic for sharing their time and amazing real-life experiences with us. I am glad that i can see Agnes and Burger again. They don't change much after half of the year since Spring semester. I am glad that Burger got a new look; this is probably that he finally got a girlfriend or something. Agnes is still as beautiful as ever. i hope your dream as news reporter comes true. Mikey !isn't it Michael?I remember this name because i saw him writing his name on the board. That was the most amazing thing i ever saw during Spring semester. I posted about his story once. It is good that i see him again, however, he forgot to remove his "legs" and to talk about how he got the $10,000 "legs". Sumair stayed in the U.S for 2 years, but he can talk English very well and in front of a lot of people. I think he is wayyy wayy better than me. This is probably a motivation that makes me to work harder with my little English and to be as cool as him . lolz. Brian, this is the second time i heard his story. anyway, glad to see u. you look so young. i thought you are still a high school senior when you first told me your story. Nic was very friendly and hilarious. he was the last speaker but he was able to change the mood of the class(positively).I used to think that solders are stiff and strict but Nic has changed that little stereotype of mine. ok thats all i want to say.
Beatrice Fisher
English 110
GWC
Post???
I enjoyed the speakers who came and were brave enough to share their stories. I think my two favorites were Sumair and Nic. When Sumair told his story, I just thought….wow! To be here in such a short time and accomplish so much, it is amazing. I thought his hard work should be inspiring to us all. Nic’s stories about hurricane Katrina and the things he saw stuck in my head for the rest of the day. It made me think of that phrase, “if these walls could speak.” We never know where life might take us and what we might see along the way. But to see such things and still be able to share it while adding humor, well…good job. Had it been me I might have broke down crying mid sentence. His stories were most memorable to me. Mostly because he, and Sumair, did a good job at bringing their stories full circle. It was nice hearing others’ be so open.
Ronald Cabiltes
English 110
GWC
Post #23
Guest Speakers
I thought all of the guest speakers did a great job and were brave to share their stories. The guest speakers that stuck to me though was Nic and Sumair. Nic's seriousness combined with his humor just grabbed my attention. His story about the reality of hurricane Katrina was intense. Listening to him talk about that story with the dog eating an old lady's leg gave me the chills. Apart from his serious side, he had a very funny side too. His jokes really lightened up the class.
Sumair, Mr. Homecoming King himself graced us with his presence. For an international student he is really involved at GWC and does a lot. He is part of many clubs at GWC, a senator, and also works for the activities office. He works really hard and for being in the US for such a short period of time and now heading off to Chapman, that's impressive! He is a great guy and also very helpful. Whenever anyone needs something, the King is always there to help out. I'm glad that I know someone like Sumair and wish him luck in the future!
Andy Nam Pham
English 110
GWC
Reflection on Speakers
Beginning of the class, we had a potluck. I apologize to everybody who brought in something, because normally I don't eat a lot in the morning. If it were later in the day, I would have went to TOWN on those good eatings.
Anyways
Mikey started off first. I was really surprised to see him at first, then it was even more surprising to see that he had such character. He is a really nice person overall, but just a little disorganized. It was touching to see him show us how he was performing such everyday things like eating and writing. He lived his life just like us, and not very differently might I add.
Agnes was a funny girl. Most of the time, you don't meet many people with a language barrier speak a lot. That tells a lot about one's social skills. She is comfortable with herself, and with the people around her. This displays confidence and character. Even though she had an accent and a difficult childhood, she still came out to be a very wonderful person. Such positivity is truely admirable.
Burger is why you don't judge a book by its cover. He doesn't look like a nice guy, but he really is.
When someone gains a sense of maturity, you could always tell. Being mixed up in the wrong crowd usually ends up for the worse. Burger, on the other hand, ended up on the other side. His realization and sense of priority really helps distinguish him from the crowd. He maybe finding his way in society, but eventually he will get there.
Sumair has a very nice story. He is a good speaker too, displays all the characteristics of a good public speaker. No wonder Ronald is envious.
Brian seems like a funny and nice guy. Spoke almost natural, and seemed very comfortable.
Nic. Pee shivers, the freaking guy is amazing. I can not believe he actually talked about this in front of everybody. At first I was wondering what the heck he was talking about, and then it just hit me. I was going to die of laughter if class didn't end. It is unbelievable how he ended up seeing such graphic things and experienced so much only to end up how he is today. He is hilarious, even after all he went through. The guy should be a comedian.
Joshua Greenroyd
English 110
GWC
Guest Speakers
Thank you Mr. Hsiao for having a day in class where your fellow students, and people you knew, could come and speak to the classes. It was definitely inspirational. The guest speaker that wowed me the most was Burger.
Burger- You definitely have more to yourself than what first comes to mind. You have the outward (stylish) appearance of a mix between a punker, and a 50's greaser. I have to say it is pretty cool. You remind me of someone that I would have been friends with in high school. What you shared with the class was great. You really opened up to us, and shared a lot about yourself. I could tell that it was a little uncomfortable for you to talk about some stuff, but I am glad that you said what you did. What had to amaze me the most was when you talked about that anime tournament that you put on with your friends one night. You completly through everyone into a loop, when you talked about that. Mr. Hsiao was correct, you are a really nice guy. Although you may not know where you are heading in life just yet, I believe that you are on the right track. Keep it up.
Jessica Lara
English 110
GWC
Bolsa Chica Wetlands
On Saturday I went on the Bolsa Chica Wetlands fieldtrip. Saturday fieldtrips are so hard because I’m always so exhausted, though I have only been on two. The weather was perfect. Any warmer would have been too hot. I brought a kid I used to work with who is my absolute favorite. That was nice because I don’t really get to see him that much. He hates exercise, but he loves anything with kind of tour guide so I knew he would really enjoy it. I have been to the wetlands before, but it has always been for some kind of work so it was a good change to get to walk around and not have to do anything. It was also nice to be outside because I haven’t been able to take my dog for a run in a few days. I guess the best part of the actual location was the spiders. I don’t remember what they are called but they are huge and silver. I don’t really mind spiders, I never kill them, but I would flip out if I saw one of those in my house though. They are definitely not something you would let your dog or cat eat. They looked bad. I liked the other stuff too but I haven’t seen those spiders any other time I have gone. Overall I was just really happy to get a chance to hang out with Adam, the kid I brought. I worked with him for a long time and he has come a long way. He has always been so great and he never stresses me out. I had a crazy week so it was good to do something calming with someone I like. He always makes me happy. When I got home I fell asleep for hours. It was great.
Jessica Lara
English 110
GWC
Young Goodman Brown
Both of the readings were very depressing but I will post on this one because the other one made me want to throw up. Poor Goodman has a horrible life now that he learned that everyone in his community is a devil worshipper. I did not think the story was going to be about that. I also did not think that” Going to Meet the Man” was going to make me want to throw up but I did. It was so bad I am making my friend who does not read anything read it. She is reading it right now but I think she is just placating me because the page turned way too fast for her to be really reading it. She is a good friend. But back to Goodman, I knew he was going to join the others when he thought Faith died. Hello, that’s why her name is Faith. It is actually kind of sad though because he knows something bad is going to happen at the start of his journey. So does his wife. I could be wrong, but some parts seemed like a metaphor for the testing of ones faith. He talks about his journey, and goes back and forth about whether he is going to go or not and that is how a lot of people look at, or think about sin. Then at the last minute he tells his wife to try to resist, but he is really saving his own faith. The worst part about it is he never finds out if he was dreaming or if it was real and he is crazy and paranoid for the rest of his life.
Heidi Martinez
English 110
Gwc
Going to Meet the Man, is such a gross story, but it is one of those stories it is so gross that you cannot stop reading it. When Jesse was little his parents took him on a “picnic”, when in reality they watched an African American man get tortured to death. That is really not something someone takes a small child to see without expecting the child to have some kind of problems when they are older. As he gets older he associates sex with violence. The only way he can get turned on is if he thinks of violent things, like raping the girls in town. He started to lose interested in his wife because she wanted to have sex with him and he no longer had the thrill of having to make someone do it against their own will. In his past the man being beaten relates to the boy that he bet in the jail cell. The man in his past had one on caved in if someone looked hard enough and the young boy in the cell had one almost closed. While the lynching was taking place he could hear people singing, while the boy was being beaten the men in the back were also singing. In Going to Meet the Man, James Baldwin says, “He wanted death to come quickly. They wanted to make death wait; and it was they who held death, now, on a leash which they lengthened little by little”(16). The people are almost playing God in a way. They are determining when he will die and his fate. They lower him over the fire to sort of tease him with death then raise him up only to torture him more. It is sad to see a man of his size and his power be so helpless in the situation.
Heidi Martinez
English 110
GWC
I loved all the guest speakers. All of their stories were so sad yet at the same time they all were so grateful. It just made me realize how thankful and lucky I am. Aaron’s story was so touching. He is definitely a really strong person to be able to overcome cancer and still go to high school. I thought playing two sports in high school was hard, but battling cancer tops that by all means. I respect him a lot for actually wanting to finish high school and not be home schooled. He could have easily let cancer over come him and consume his life, but he did not and that takes a lot of courage and determination. Courtney is so funny. I love her. I went to high school with her and she did nothing, but make me laugh which is not hard, but I loved being around her bubble personality. I never knew the events she went through when were in high school and I give her a lot of credit for always coming to school in a great mood. With everything going on in her personal life she never let it seem to affect her. I really liked how she talked about getting rid of all the negative people in your life. I think she really has a good point that negative people only bring you down. Her advice really hit home for me and made me rethink some of the friends I have. Agnes was in my class last semester and I would have never thought her childhood to be the way she described it. She never seemed to let it bring her down in class. It must have been so hard to come to a country where she knew no one and did not even know the language. I have no idea how that feels, but I cannot imagine it feeling good. I think it is great she did not turn around and go home because America was so different. I like that she has so much ambition for her future. She dreams big and it is nice to know I am not the only one that plans so far into the future. Orlando’s story was so sad. It was even sadder because it seemed like right when he finally decided that he was going to go back to school and further his education he got cancer. He finally had the determination to go back and then against his will it had to be put on hold. I really liked that he wants to finish school to show his daughters that they need to finish school to. It is a struggle, but to hear him was so amazing how he was so positive. We complain when the weather does not cooperate with a sport we want to do when he cannot do them at all. He just made me think of how lucky I am to be able to do the little things in life. I am still able to run and play with my brother and sisters and I forget how lucky I am to really be able to do that. Diana seemed so nice. She cared so much about the environment. She takes so much time to better the world and it is great. I give her a lot of respect for trying to save so many endangered species and animals because it is a job that is much bigger then her.
Danielle St. Onge
English 110
GWC
Post #almost over
Bolsa Chica Wetlands
The morning starts out with me sitting in my truck waiting for 15 minutes for the rest of the class to meet up for the bus. The bus arrives; we pay and board the bus, and just as the bus was heading down Gothard Street Eric asks me “hey, is that Tien?”. I say, “oh I think so!”. Mr. Hsiao then proceeds to turn the bus around, walk across the street, then walk across the street embarrassed and with no Tien following behind. So starting out the day, now 10 minutes behind, I knew this field trip was going to be interesting. We get to the wetlands, and having been there at least five times already I figured it was just going to be another boring tour of the estuary. We meet our tour guide and immediately started joking around with him. With Eric now looking like a tourist with his water bladder backpack and binoculars, and Cara’s Mickaela (?) not wanting anyone to hold her, I was having fun already. Then we see the amazing falcon and our tour guide asks us, “so are we ready to head back?” I complain loudly and say “no!” Mr. Hsiao then proceeded to tell me that I as “hardcore” and we continued our hike.
We get to the bottom of the hill and I then decided to see if Mickaela likes to run. I chase her up and down the hill four times after that. It is now 11:30 and everyone is famished and freezing in the stormy coastal weather. We then have our lunch break where Eric, Kevin, and I decide to chow down at the Secret Spot. Having to wait another 25 minutes to eat, we finally stuff our faces with delicious burritos. John who graced us with his presence, and who was also famished but was too stubborn enough to eat at the local eateries, decided to take a bite out of Kevin’s to go bag. It was a brown wax bag, and John ate it. . . . I really did not know what to think about that, afterwards. All in all, it was a fantastic field trip and the perfect getaway from the everyday hustle and bustle of the weekends.
Danielle St. Onge
English 100
GWC
Post why am I even counting now...
Guest Speakers
Well to be quite honest I was terrified to see type of surprise Mr. Hsiao had in store for us. But it wasn't that bad, honestly not bad at all! In all honesty, I don't even know how to react to the speakers, I just thought Mikey was rediculously inspiring, Agnes was in a way uplifting, Burger was just super amazing (i want to take Kung-Fu now!!!!), Sumair's will hopefully make me want to study more, Brian makes me want to look into Kidworks so that I could intern there, and Nic was histarical but crazy sad at the same time. Thank you sooooooooo much Mr. Hsiao for those truly inspiring speakers! It really was a good surprise!
Whitney Young
Golden West College
English 110
Post #31
Bolsa Chica Wetlands
This was definitely my favorite field trip. I had such a great time with all those that went. I did regret choosing to go when I woke up that morning, but I am so glad that I ended up choosing to go. The route we took this time had such amazing scenery. I really appreciated this trip much more this time than I did last time. I never knew that there were so many interesting things inside of the portable building. It was so much fun talking about scary movies in there, next to the octopus tank. I am sooooo sad that this was the last field trip. I am really going to miss it.
Whitney Young
Golden West College
English 110
Post #32
Guest Speakers
I really enjoyed all the guest speakers. They all had such interesting and intense life stories. It is great to see how much they have all grown from what they have been through and used to be. It is always great to see that it is possible to completely change one’s life if one really wants to.
Mikey: You are so inspirational. You have such a positive outlook on life and it is so great to see that. I think you are such an amazing person. You have accomplished so much and I really hope that you make a career out of guest speaking. You are so inspirational and I believe that many people are going to completely change the way they view life.
Agnes: It was nice seeing you again! I had no idea that you had so much going on in your past. I think it is so great that you are able to surpass all the hardships of your past and you are able to make such a great future for yourself.
Burger: It was so interesting to learn about all the things you have been through. But, look at where you used to be and where you are now. You have such a carefree personality and I think it is great! You are totally a sweetheart.
Sumir: Your story about coming from another country and learning to get accustomed to our culture was so interesting to hear. I am sure it was not easy, but you were able to make the best out of it. I think it is great that you are so active in school. It is hard balancing school with other activities, but I applaud you for getting a 4.0 gpa though it all.
Brian: I think it is great that you love to give back to the community. You are doing such a selfless thing by helping others. Your stories really make me want to give back to my community.
Nic: Your speech was probably one the most entertaining speeches I have heard in a long time. You are such an amazing speaker. You are able to be serious, yet turn things around by making things funny. I have a few friends in the Army and it was really interesting to see how similar your stories are. I think it is great that you can have such a great attitude through it all.
Raufiel Matias
GWC
English 110
Post #27?
Guest Speakers
First of all, Thank you Mr. Hsiao for bringing in your former students as your surprise for that day. I also want to say thanks for all the guest speakers that came-in day that and sharing your individual stories with us. You guys all did a great job and I know how hard it can be standing up there in front of people you don't know and sharing your life story. All of them have inspirational stories that we can get and learn from but the story that Nic shared was the one that got to me most. His story that he shared about the Hurricane Katrina was mind opening to the reality. I've never heard of this such story before when the hurricane happened but, I guess everything is possible in times of despair. By the way Nic, you forgot to mention what branch of the military you are in. So, it will be great if Mr. Hsiao can answer my question next class. Also, the experience that you shared when you were at the airborne school was great/funny. I guess it's true that when you are about to jump-off a plane for the first time you will get the pee shiver and probably wet yourself before jumping. I wonder if that happens to me too when I experience my first sky dive which I wanna try now because of your story and to experience the rush. Overall, it was a great experience listening to all the speakers that came-in and sharing all their struggles that they faced and how they managed to overcome it and be successful. Definitely learned from it and will remember.xX
Cianna Calandrino
english 110
GW
Reflecting the speakers
Wow. I don't even know were to begin. it was amazing getting to hear the stories of all of them and hear the similarities and differences of all of them. The one thing that I did hear in all of there honest sharing is that they all had something they had to over come and succeded. The power of seeing someone else go through something so hard and come out of it amazing people and really down to earth was incredible.
Mikey was inspirational. He talked about his situation with grace and positive energy like I have only seen maybe once or twice in my life. It was mind blowing how accepting of his lack of limbs and I don't know how anyone in the same situation could be so positive. I was in awe.
I could relate to Agnes and her feelings tward her father. I loved the fact that it is true no matter where you are in the world we aren't that different at all in the feelings we all have. she had gone through alot with coming to another country and finding so much success.
Burger was an extremly humble gentle soul. Something that you don't really see on the outside until you hear him share. I loved that he shared about the anime tournament.. that was funny and unexpected.
Sumair was inspirational in the fact that he said that he didn't speak english when he moved here and when you hear him speak you notice the accent but he has such proper english. amazing.
Brian was great. It is awesome to see someone else giving back to the community. Not many people do that anymore.
And last but surely not least was Nic. I don't even know were to begin. Thank you for serving our country so that we can enjoy our freedom and everything that comes with it. What he shared about the aftermath of katrina was startling. I have grown up in the oc all my life and only traveled minimally. The visual of the older woman in the chair stayed with me for a couple days. I began to think how this world needs to change and I can only begin with me. Nic you were an inspiration. Not only was there inspiration but you balanced it perfectly with humor. You are a true born speaker.
To all of the speakers, I hope life is kind to you all. you have given me inspiration to be a better me. Thanks again.
Eric Torres
English 110
Golden West College
Post #30?
Bolsa Chica Wet Lands
I am sure glad we went to the Bolsa Chica Wet Lands when we did because it has rained a lot today. When we first left the bus, I noticed someone standing in the Golden West parking lot and it looked like Tien. Sorry Tien I am not trying to be racist but, the person I saw looked just like you. Well anyway, I went to the front of the bus and told Mr. Hsiao to turn around and pick up Tien. Mr. Hsiao ordered the bus driver to turn the bus around and go to the parking lot. Mr. Hsiao walked all the way across the street to find out that it was not Tien. I felt really horrible when I saw Mr. Hsiao turn around without anyone following him. It is ok though because it was a warm up walk before we went to the Wet Lands (I can just see Mr. Hsiao reading this with an evil grin on his face). Other than that, the Wet Lands field trip was very fun. I have been to Bolsa Chica Beach and have seen the Wet Lands many times however; I have never actually walked along the trail. When we all first arrived at the Wet Lands, I heard some students in front of me who were from another school say, “this is it?” I thought that was pretty funny. After going on this field trip, I think the purpose of visiting the Wet Lands was to educate us all about doing our best to preserve the land and how it benefits everyone: plants, animals and even us humans. We got to see plenty different wildlife along our hike. We were able to see plenty of birds, plants, the fastest bird in the world, and a dead squirrel. This was all very exciting to see. However, the true lesson here is that we should all do our best to recycle and not pollute or land. Going on this field trip inspired me to (one day) canoe in the Wet Lands and pick up trash and other garbage that pollute this beautiful land.
Belinda Avila
English 110
Goldenwest College
Post #14
Young Goodman Brown
This story was rather creepy! Basically, a young man leaves his wife to go on a journey into the woods to meet a man. Young Goodman Brown’s wife name is “Faith”. While Young Goodman Brown is on this journey with the man, he hears the voices of people from his town. He is confused as to why they would be lurking here because according to Goodman Brown, “My father never went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him. We have been a race of honest men and good Christians since the days of the martyrs; and shall I be the first of the name of Brown that ever took this path and kept-” (3). After reading the story, this passage means to me that he choosing a path not of Christianity but of wickedness. Evidence of this is also in the beginning of the story when it says that he is leaving “Faith”. This has two meanings. First, his wife’s name is Faith. Second, his wife represents actual faith. With that also said, my first run through of the story I noticed that Goodman Brown’s companion in the woods is rather mysterious. He can be seen as a demon leading Goodman Brown in this journey. Goodman Brown realizes on his journey that his wife is in the woods as well. To me, it seems like they have taken her captive and are going to maybe sacrifice her, therefore, creating an end to religion and or hope.
Belinda Avila
English 110
Goldenwest College
Reflection Post
Speakers
I really enjoyed what Aaron had to say. It made me think back to my own life and the choices I have made. The times where my decisions were killing me and Aaron did not have any control in the matter in his own life. Luckily, he lived. He laid out his story very well, short and sweet.
Agnes’s story was also very deep. She is in another class with me and I was very surprised to see her show up to Thursday’s class. I was very proud of her for telling us about that sad part of her life. It is amazing to see how much she has grown from it. She has a lot to be grateful for, after all, she is a miracle.
What Diana had to say really made me sad because I love animals and I wish I could do more to save them. It made me have many regrets for something I am not personally responsible for. However, it does make me want to get involved. I do not want to see Huntington Beach lose its “natural” beauty. I did not really seeing the animal furs being passed around. I doubt anyone actually killed them, but I have a weird phobia with dead animals. It freaked me out very much. Overall, like I said, her words made me want to volunteer at the wetlands. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity very soon!
Gina Huynh
English 110
Golden West College
Post #15
Guest Speakers
What a great surprise from Mr. Hsiao! It was an absolute treat and honor to be able to hear all the inspirational and personal stories from my fellow peers. I want to thank all the guest speakers for opening their lives to us and sharing the knowledge that they have learned from their respective struggles in life. I remembered first coming in to class and seeing new faces and automatically assuming that Mr. Hsiao had invited some of his students from other schools to drop by to listen to him recite some of his poetries or that we were all going to get to see a movie. Boy, was I wrong! When Aaron got up to speak, I could no longer enjoy the Chinese food and became tear-eyed. I remembered Aaron letting me cut him in the food line a while earlier and saying to the others something along the lines of “It’s their class, so I can go last.” I thought, “Wow, what a gentleman.” Later, when I found out that this nice gentleman had cancer, I was so shocked. He appeared healthy and looked like any one of us. He was so polite, and to hear he had suffered so made me realize that cancer can happen to the best of us. Aaron allowed me to see that despite any setback in life, if we want to achieve something hard enough, we will fight for it. He was able to turn a tragedy into a gift by having it open doors for his future, and his story revealed that no matter what our circumstances are in life, there will be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow if we search hard enough for it. I cannot imagine going through so much surgeries, needles, and chemotherapy and still not giving up on life. He is truly an inspiration. The next speaker was Courtney, who was absolutely a dynamic person. She was so free-spirited and genuine. Just by seeing her bubbly personality, I would not have believed that she was emotionally bruised by an alcoholic father and a dependent mother. She seemed so innocent. Her stories of having an abusive boyfriend allowed me to see that abuse can happen in any relationship, not just to those on Jerry Springer or to untouchable celebrities, like Rihanna. She is educated and smart, and yet she had allowed abuse to enter her life. I thought it very touching when she said that she had never known how she should be treated by her significant others because she had never experienced that from her own father. I know some guys in class probably did not enjoy her little discussion about relationships and romance too much (perhaps because it felt like gossiping about ex-boyfriends) but I sure loved that topic; I was definitely all ears. I was glad to learn that she had finally found herself a gentleman who treats her well. Her future seems to really be looking up. When she sang in class, I felt my heart beating really fast. It was definitely a Susan Boyle moment for me. Next to speak was Agnes, who was really funny. She appeared very mature for her age. She seemed to have a very strong personality, like she had a secret past, so I was not too surprised to hear about her abusive and alcoholic father. I know how it felt to struggle as an immigrant. However, I came here when I was 5, not 15, so it’s not even comparable; she had accomplished a lot in just six years. She allowed me to see that you never have to settle for less or sell yourself short. If you are hungry and driven enough, you will not sit and complain about life but go out and do something to better yourself.
Gina Huynh
Guest speakers continued...
I also saw the same message with Orlando, who is going back to school in his 30’s. Orlando showed me that success does not end with age. In life, you will continually strive for something better as long as you are able to breathe. He inspired me to believe in myself and for me to realize that I am my own worse critic. No one and nothing can stop you from doing what you like as long as you try. He had cancer and yet he never lost focus on being a loving husband and father to his family. With cancer, his only sacrifice was small compared to the gift of life, and he fully acknowledged that. He also did not want to cheat himself of his dreams and knew that his goals can only be met through higher education. I believed that his cancer experience will allow him to be a very passionate physician’s assistant some day. Finally, Diana was so articulate in her speech and a very good lecturer. She could make elephant poop sound exciting. I could sense her passion for animals, and I absolutely agree with her belief that sometimes you have to sacrifice a big income to do something you love. I could tell she enjoyed her job, despite the low salary. Her message here is to never let money get in the way of what is in one’s heart, and I could tell she was following her heart. All of the guests that night made an impact on my life, big or small. I realized that as much as we complain or whine about our lives on a daily basis, others definitely have it worse. Their lasting message was that regardless of our circumstances, the secret ingredients to a successful life are by having a sense of passion and drive. Only then will we see our dreams realized. Again, thank you all the guest speakers for reiterating such an important message and to motivate us near Final’s week.
Katherine Nguyen
English 110
GWC
Hey Aaron,
When you shared your story to the class, I would never think that you’ve gone through so much. I’m glad that you made it through!! You really inspired me because every time I’m sick or something, I would make that an excuse not to study, or not to do anything and just be lazy. But for you, you actually wanted to strive and come to class. It made me realize that even if your sick, you still can be better than any other student. I have had habits of not even trying when I’m sick because its always a good excuse not to do homework. But now I realize that I shouldn’t get too behind in schoolwork and actually strive to be the best.
Courtney
You’re such a wonderful person and an awesome singer! I would never have the courage to sing in front of the class the way you did! It was amazing. You have inspired me to go for my dream and not let anyone take me down.
To Agnes:
I love how you talk so much. Reminds me of myself! Im glad to hear that you are going to transfer to a university. Its great to see how much you have progressed. Not only did you come here not knowing English, but you become so well at learning other subjects in English. I admire how you would always ask the teacher questions. Sometimes I hold back and don’t want to ask, but you just seem to ask whatever is on your mind. And that’s great because you learn a lot from that
Orlando
Thanks for sharing your story with our class. I enjoyed listening to it. You seem like a great dad and a hard working person. Good job receiving an A in Mr. Hsiao’s class! It sucks that you are not able to enjoy the sports and outdoor activities anymore, but I guess you can just spend time with your daughter J maybe have a tea party with her or something. From your story, I learned to appreciate life more, and appreciate my abilities to go biking or whatnot. Maybe enjoy the outdoor activities more
Diana
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us! I didn’t know much about these animals being endangered, and its great to see someone so passionate about it. I remember taking zoology and I hated it!! It was the worst thing ever because I had to remember all the species and different types of animals. But you seem to love it, and you would probably ace that class! Thanks for sharing all the neat pictures, its great to see someone so dedicated to what they love. You taught me a lot about these animals. Some are about to be extinct and we need to spread awareness before they all die!
Katherine Nguyen
Eng 110
GWC
Young Goodman Brown
This story was confusing at first. I wasn’t sure where he had to go or why he had to leave his wife, but then I got an idea of what the story was about near the ending. It was about a man who had left his wife to go on a journey. I admired how much he would think of Faith. It seems like every second on his journey down the road, he would mention her name and want to go back. While reading this story, I kept thinking that something bad was going to happen because he was talking about doing something evil and that Faith would not see heaven. This story was set in Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem witch trials and is about a man going on this journey with a devil figure. I can tell that he’s not a good person when he was talking about knowing the narrators family: “"I have been as well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; and that’s no trifle to say. I helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker woman so smartly through the streets of Salem; and it was I that brought your father a pitchpine knot, kindled at my own hearth, to set fire to an Indian village, in King Philip’s war." The “devil” says it in a way that makes him seem like a good guy, but he’s actually not because he did bad things to these people. He really wants to go back to his wife now, but after seeing all these people that are attending the ceremony, he is in great shock. He sees his wife and many other Christians. At the end of the story, we really don’t know if this was all a dream or if it really happened.
Guest Speaker-
First off, I would like to thank all of the speakers who sacrificed their free time to speak to our English 110 class last Thursday. I was really moved by all of the speaker’s past experiences and I admire their courage. Not only are they courageous for speaking before an audience of unfamiliar faces, but also because every single one of them was able to overcome a significant setback and yet manage to tell their story with a smile on their face. Although all stories were moving, Orlando’s story did it for me. Orlando, A 36 year old cancer stricken Hispanic family man who despite all of the negativity he has experienced, continues to strive for a college education. If that is not inspiring, what is? Orlando, spoke about an incident that occurred at a management program that he was attending for his company where an attendee made an indirect/direct comment regarding his ethnicity. The intention of the comment is beside the point. The point is that Latino’s have now been labeled with stereotypes that are going to be extremely difficult to peel off. As a Latino male in this society I feel as if I have the duty to represent my culture to the fullest extent; and in doing so, I start by refusing to fall under the typical stereotype of the “average” Latino. I will peel my label, and in doing so I will change the statistic by one. As an influence in the lives of my younger siblings and family members, I will inspire them to do the same. Together we will change the statistic by three, or five, or ten. The significant events you have experienced have molded you into the person you are today.More power to you, Orlando. If Pepperdine is where you want to go, i have a lot of information about some really great programs that they offer for full time employees. let me know if you are interested. sonicone57@msn.com.
Going to Meet the Man-
This reading was extremely disturbing. My stomach is weak and the anger continues to escalate. This story serves as a sick reminder as to what these poor people were put through. Torture is not a good enough word to describe some of the psychotic events that these people experienced in these days. To think that a whole race was exploited and treated worse than barnyard animals, boggles my mind. Is this story Jesse, from a young age, was molded into a heartless savage. The “picnic” that he attended greatly influenced his being. The sick pleasure that he saw his parents experience as the savage crowd shred this man’s body, played a significant role in the development of his person. Him being aroused by a flashback of these events made me nauseous. Although, Jesse is a sick man, I don’t feel that he is at fault. The fact that the event the people attended was referred to as a “picnic,” reveals the mentality of society at the time, sick.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ricky Castellanos
Eng 110
G-Dub
POST ?? (im soooo lost)
Ricky Castellanos
Eng 110
G-Dub
Bolsa Chica Wetlands-
Living 2 blocks away from the Bolsa Chica Wetlands for over 10 years and my first trip there being on Saturday, is sad. The trip to the wetlands was a cool experience. I witnessed the fastest bird in the world, the Peregrine Falcon, and the cause of the wretched smell that overwhelms that whole area was explained. The only bad experience of the trip I had was having to hold the urge to pee for the whole walk and then having to experience a smell worse than the wetlands in the portable potty. Regardless, I had a good time. I was also able to converse with Matt and Feross, two classmates that I had never really had a chance to talk to. I met Adam, Jessica’s friend. He was a really nice kid and the fact that he was intrigued by nature and would take pictures of everything was really cool too. I used to play basketball with James, our supposed tour guide (j/k), and I got to know a little but more about him as well. We talked about how he met his girlfriend Diana, and how I “break his ankles” every time we play ball. Overall, I enjoyed the Bolsa Chica Wetlands experience. Thank you Mr. Hsiao for the opportunity. Thank you James for the tour.
Heather Brown
GWC
Eng 110
Guest Speakers
Aaron:
Your story and description of the chemotherapy you went through was intense!I know an older woman who is currently going through chemo for breast cancer. Hearing you talk about your trails in such a humble manner clearly demonstrated how mind really is over matter.
Courtney:
The things you told the class were very similar to what I have been through thus far in my life. You gave so much advice on how to eliminate negativity from my life, and I needed to hear it all from another woman my age. By the way, your singing was epic...and your scarf too!
Agnes:
Agnes I want to tell you your accent is awesome, and no it's not hard to understand. I also want to tell you he did not say anything bad about you after you left. Promise. Despite the external and internal conflicts you were constantly facing you more than surpassed them. As a woman born in America it's easy for me to feel bad about the circumstances I had a child and what I face today. Hearing you speak on your past reminded me that despite the past, it's the future that matters and how you handle the present.
Orlando:
I admire your honesty and tenacity you handle with everything in your life. I could not imagine myself being promoted at work based on my hard work alone. The way you took that woman's back-handed compliment was awesome. You see humor and opportunity in challenges and I am going to try to adopt that way of handling the hard times in my life.
Diana:
Diana I want to thank you for reminding me of how much an impact I personally have on the environment. I often only hear how bad our ocean is and our ozone, all doom and gloom. With your presentation it helped me feel as is there is something I can do to help fix what I have done to this planet. As soon as I got home I started a recycling bag for my water bottles.
Heather Brown
GWC
Engl 110
Post# Iforgotagain
Going to Meet the Man
This story was messed up! In the beginning I felt Jesse was an awful man for no rhyme or reason. As the story went on I learned that Jessee was conditioned to feel that way about black people. He was taught being cruel was acceptable.The story was filled with singing as a metaphor for giving and restoring faith. The main character hated to hear the black people sing because it showed him black people were NOT animals but human. They were capable of feeling and sharing the emotions he was able to as well. Essentially, the singing was a constant reminder of how disgusting of a man he was, and his father.
Markel Hathcock
GWC
Post ?
English 110
Going to Meet the Man
I have read this story before and even though I know what is coming, I still get sick to my stomach. In the beginning of the story I believe that he is not really attracted to his wife Grace, and that he has to fantasize about a black girl in order to get aroused. I think that there is irony in his wife’s name because he is the one that needs the saving grace. At the end of this story, he hears the sounds of tires on the gravel road when he wakes up in the morning. I believe that this is the sheriff that is there to take him in for raping and or taking advantage of black girls when he goes there to collect money. I also believe that the “picnic” is a disgrace. His father, however, is very happy to take him there to show him what happens when black men do something to a white woman. It was as if they were mocking the black man. I say this because when he was hanging there, a man with knife went up to him laughing and then cut off his privates. Who does that? This to me made me sick to my stomach and it was hard for me to read all of the story. Gross.
Eric Monreal
English 110
GWC
Guest Speakers
Aaron - I couldn't believe what I was hearing when Aaron told the class that he was battling cancer at such a young age. I felt choked up because while he was speaking, I could see all the pain and experience on his face. I have no idea how he was able to keep it together. It really made me think about my life and what's most important to me.
Courtney - Courtney was a really cool person. It was really disappointing to hear that a guy can treat a woman as bad as her ex treated her. I'm glad that she didn't let that bastard get in the way of ambitions in life. I thought it was really cool that she got signed to a record deal! Seriously, how many of us can say that?
Agnes - She was probably one of my favorites. I thought it was really funny when her and Mr. Hsiao would say things back and forth to each other. I wonder how long she waited outside the door to see if Mr. Hsiao was talking about her? Lol.
Thuy-Anh Angela Nguyen
English 110
GWC
Post #17
Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne
I totally have to agree with Belinda on the story being "creepy." The story setting was at the streets of Salem Village. Based on the text, I believe this story took place during the Puritan times, which held strict values in Christian teachings. Anything bad, was considered as the devil talking or acting. Here in this story, was Young Goodman Brown, who has a strong background of a religious life. However, I believe it to be his curiosity of the evil that was hidden deep within the woods that very night he left his wife, Faith. According to Nathaniel Hawthorne, Young Goodman Brown knew what he was doing was wrong, but still went along with it anyways when he said, "What a wretch am I to leave her (his wife) on such an errand.... After this one night I'll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven" 1). He believed that if he were to makeup what he was about to do that very night by being a good husband to Faith, then he would be able to forgiven by God. I see a strong parallelism between this story of Goodman Brown and the forest with Adam and the Garden of Eve. Within the deep forest, he meets the devil who tempts him into following him on a path of darkness. Though Goodman Brown had many hesitations and urges to return to his wife, he still found himself following the same path he began. While resting at a tree stump, he witnessed people within his religious community heading towards the same direction as he was. Those people were influential people in his life, the people who helped build her faith and religious foundation. I believe in this case, it must have been difficult for one to see the people that one looks up to, to be corrupted. In a modern sense, I can think of examples of parents who decide to cheat on each other, corrupted politicians, and even the priest molestation cases. If I were to witness someone I put on a pedestal falling into darkness or evil, I would fall become broken spirited in a way. The climax to the story was when, at some wicked meeting, Young Goodman Brown witnesses his very own "angelic" wife at the meeting. He calls out her name and tells her to resist the evil and look up to heaven, GOD. What he was calling out to was his faith, which he was about to lose. In the end, he wakes up and is unsure of what happened. What is a dream or was it reality? That's not the point. The point was that he had lost his faith, and he let the wickedness consume his soul until death.
Feross Khouraki
GWC
English 110
Post #11
Going to Meet the Man
This story, much like Roots, paints a portrait of the many horrors that took place in the Jim Crow south. The critical fluke with the main character, Jesse, is that he thinks he is doing a public service by abusing the black people in his community. As the sheriff, he believes it’s his civic duty to keep black people in line by physically and sexually abusing. The incident of him seeing the black man having his genitals cut off and being burned alive gave him the idea that it was okay, if not entertaining, to treat black people so inhumanely. It gave him an inexplicable but indeed very twisted and fetish-like kind of sexual pleasure to torture black people, especially to their genitals. There is a flashback in an instance when he is beating a boy, and Jesse just seems to have a horrible fascination with causing sexual pain to these people. It could be that there is also a hint of jealousy in him as James Baldwin goes into pretty graphic detail about how Jesse, as a child, notices that black people are… much larger than white people. Towards the end of the story, it is as he finishes his recount of the incident that he has a will to have sex with his wife. The idea of brutalizing black people is what arouses Jesse, and that is quite sick.
Liza Heacox
Eng 110
GWC
Post # 13
Young Goodman Brown
What a graphic story Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne is of the battles that wages over a man’s spirit. There are lighthearted jokes made about the devil and angel sitting on either side of a one’s shoulder, but the depth behind it is far from lighthearted. They speak to the individual attempting to convince them to go in one direction or the other. In this story, Goodman Brown knows in the very beginning that he should not leave his wife, yet the voice of the devil on his shoulder convinces him that he will return soon enough. He listens and leaves his wife’s side for the dark forest. It is an interesting metaphor the author uses in giving the wife her name, Faith. When Goodman Brown says, “Faith kept me back awhile” it plays on the distinction between good, being the wife, and this new evil the author introduces as “he of the serpent.” The story progresses as Goodman Brown continues deep into the forest with this malicious being. Many times Goodman Brown stops and voices his desire to turn around and go back to where he came, but he is persuaded to go further. Many times in a person’s life do they have the opportunity to turn away from evil, but so many times they grow weak and succumb to the pressure. For Goodman Brown not turning away opens his eyes to the evil that surrounds him and his good, honest, innocent spirit is forever condemned. It is the choice of the individual to whose voice they will listen. The consequences are mere reflections of the lives they choose to lead.
Angela,
Great post on Young Goodman Brown!
Liza Heacox
Eng 110
GWC
Post #14
Guest Speakers
Aaron, Courtney, Agnes, Orlando, and Diana,
Thank you immensely for your time and courage in sharing such personal details of your life. I am at a crossroads in my life and hearing you speak helped to reassure me of my decision. I was taking notes while you were speaking and I would like to share them with you: Do not waste your time; Know what you want and go for it; Do no associate with people that bring you down; Always strive to better yourself; I should not change my life for the worse to satisfy the people around me; Sacrifice to get the results I want; Establish my motivation; Do not let the little things bother me; FOLLOW MY PASSIONS REGARDLESS OF MY FEARS. I have a saying pinned to my board at home that says, “Fear causes hesitation…hesitation causes your worst fears to come true.” You exemplify what it means to not be contained by your fears. The strength you possess is uplifting and incredibly motivating. Continue on your path with your present state of mind and I am certain you will go far. Thank you again for allowing me the opportunity to learn from your experiences and be able to use your wisdom in my own life.
Oscar Padilla
English 110
GWC
Going to Meet the Man
Well, this is a very intense story; a lot of memories and disgrace in the life of this character. To me it sounds like he’s got a big problem with black people and I believe that because of the night that his father took him to that event when they burned and killed a black man. I also think that he is upset that he cannot sexually satisfy his wife because she’s black and he’s white. He works at a mail order house where there were lots of young black boys and treated them like animals. One day he beats up a boy and suddenly remembers the day his father took him to see the black man get killed. He remembers the man’s privates and thinks of his wife when they’re on bed, so he grabs her and starts to have sex whit her and that’s when she meets the man.
Thuy-Anh Angela Nguyen
English 110
GWC
Post #18
Speakers Part 1
I'm huge on surprises, and indeed this was a good surprise. Well done Professor Hsiao. Actually, that should to be geared more towards the speakers who came out that night to give testimonies of their life experiences. The speakers were able to speak about their challenges, and how they were able to overcome everything. Though each person had their own individual experience, I saw that they all value their lives and choose to live it well. It was a pleasure to be able to listen to their life-changing stories, and I BELIEVE that their stories will help ENCOURAGE and INSPIRE all the people around them.
Aaron:
Even though you're young, I see that you understand the meaning of life more than many people of your age. I've witnessed many cancer patients struggle through chemo, and I cannot stop commending you for persevering. Your body, physically, has its biological limits, but it was your mental strength that enabled you to endure through you fight against cancer. Even though you were still in chemo sessions, you still wanted to go back to school. Wow. It's empowering as a college student to witness another succeed to where you are now in your educational path with your story. If you were able to do it, then I'm sure it will inspire others to keep going. Thank you for sharing perhaps one of the many strongest accomplishments in your life to our class. Good luck with USC and NYU!
Courtney:
You have not only a beautiful voice, but also, a BEAUTIFUL personality. Your charm and funny sense of humor takes control of the atmosphere of the audience you speak to. You dealt with so much at a young age, and you matured well. What I meant by maturing well, is that you became this optimistic girl, in my first impression, who brings people around her up. Your story from your hardships through relationships, mom's illness, your physical downfall, and to your success of finding someone who loves you and your music career. Another WOW to you too! Best of luck! I love the fact that you refuse to let the entertainment industry change the person you are now. Keep it up!
Thuy-Anh Angela Nguyen
English 110
GWC
Post #19
Speakers Part 2
Agnes:
Don't worry, Professor Hsiao complimented you when you left. First and foremost, I am so proud of you for what you have accomplished in such a short period of time. I've tried studying several languages, I have never gotten to the level you're at with English. Your story still leaves me speechless in so many ways, because I cannot fathom how you were able to cope with all of that at such a young age. Look you now, instead of letting your past weaken you, you appeared to me as a strong-minded girl who will achieve ANYTHING she wants as long as she WORKS for it. Congratulations! Best of luck and wishes to you and your dreams in communications in the entertainment industry!
Orlando:
You have a really eloquent style in speaking, and it is so clear and easy to grasp what you are saying. Being a father of two children, a manager, and a college student, you seem balance all those things quite will in your hands. The fact that you had to prepare yourself with the potential result of amputation was just empowering. How does one deal with that and still have a great sense of humor? well, I pray that your surgery was successful, and that you're now cancer-free. Even though you have to let go of all the athletic activities you loved doing, I'm sure with your good heart, you will be awarded for far greater things. It'll make up for all of it trust me!
Diana:
Thank you for taking your time to still come out to speak to us! You have such a busy schedule, and you still find time to reach other to students about something you're passionate about. That is just awesome. I was at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve about 2 months ago, and I wished you were there to guide us around! At first, I thought you were another college student, but who would have though that you have degrees and so much field work experience in the zoology/ecology field. It's inspiring when you decided to go for something you love, rather than something that will pay you well. There are many students out there who don't have the same amount of faith and courage to take risks and stay committed to your job just like you do. I hope your work to help save the environment and animals will show exponential progress over the years. Don't worry, I'm going to keep reminding me of your suggestions to help out, and I'll TRY to think twice about buying hings that people don't need for Christmas. Best of luck with the money funding for your new building!
Oscar Padilla
English 110
12,04,2009
Reflection
Having guest speakers during the class was much more than people telling stories, it was more of a gift. Having them share their life experiences with us is something that doesn’t happen very often. All of their stories were very inspiring and interesting. Although, it is sad that most of them had cases where either the person speaking or a relative has cancer. It is inspiriting to hear their stories because even though they have had near death experiences they are still standing tall with lots of enthusiasm and determination to live life with all they’ve got. Their stories really got to me and gave me inspiration to get over some things that I still hold inside of me. Although this things still hurt inside and are some things that I have to live with everyday, they are nothing compared to none of the stories that these people shared with us. There were people as well whose stories didn’t have much to do with diseases, but that their stories were sad too. They shared things of which I am familiar with, like, family problems and not being treated well by other individuals that once were significant in my life. So I know what it’s like to be involved in this type of situations. There was also someone from Bolsa Chica Wet Lands whose story was inspiring as well. Her type of work really helps the environment and endangers species. So in my opinion she’s got a lot to offer to society and to the environment. Therefore, there is only one thing left for me to say, and that is thanks to all of the guest speakers. Apart from all these stories, there is something else I’m familiar with, and that is speaking I front of the class. Last semester I spoke in front of students from a 100 English class. The thrill of being in front of the class and having all their attention drawn to you is something amazing. At first, I was nervous because I didn’t know what to say. Before me, a few people had gone first and most of them were professionals and told really good stories and showed slide shows to the class, so I was nervous because I had nothing to offer them but my own experience during the time that I had spent at golden west by that time and a little bit of my artistic skills. But the overall experience is just great because during the time one is speaking one gets to be the center of attention.
Feross Khouraki
GWC
English 110
Post #12
Guest Speakers
Aaron – His story was my favorite, because it was so interesting and so real. Aaron really bared his soul when he was telling our class his story. The way he told us about the treatment he had to go through, I really empathized with how horrible of a thing cancer is. His story really makes me think twice before complaining over something. It certainly gave a better appreciation of health, and not to take life for granted. Thank you, Aaron.
Courtney – Courtney had a nice story that I think other people might appreciate more than I did. Either way, I am still grateful you came to speak to us.:)
Agnes – Agnes’ story was really admirable. She was also very real and down-to-earth. Whenever she talked about if someone was mean or rude to her because of her accent or something, she was very open about telling people to not to even bother with her, because she learned how to slough off negativity. I also admire that she is choosing a field of study that is so heavily based in English. Good luck, Agnes.
Orlando – Orlando’s story was another one about how much it sucks to have cancer, but also about he didn’t let it take over his entire life. He came back to school and really pushed to get through, earning an A in Mr. Hsiao’s class. His story had a real sense of prioritizing when you’re in a situation you can’t control, in this being afflicted with cancer. Thanks for sharing your with us.
Diana – I really enjoyed Diana’s presentation on the wetlands. Even as it was getting late and we were going past class time, I was really interested to hear in the efforts of the interpretation center that is set up in Bolsa Chica. I went to the wetlands the following Saturday and I think her presentation clarified some of the threats to the wildlife and what steps we can take to prevent any further destruction. Thank you, Diana.
Danh Ta
English 110
GWC
Young Goodman Brown
So like always i was pretty lost while reading it. But i actually was able to keep up with the story. so apparently goodman brown left into the forest, met a man, left the man and walked with a girl, then the girl stopped, and he continued, heard the townspeople so he hid, followed them to a witch-craft meeting, then walks back into town and is a completely different man. that is what i understand so far from reading this text. i do see some symbolic meanings in this read. goodman brown's wife's name is faith. this whole text seems to be very religious. maybe because he left "faith" and went into the darkness for some "errand" he lost a part of himself. i know this story is set back in the days of witch burnings and salem and stuff so this might be it? also, im not very sure as to what his quest was in the first place. i think it was because he had to go search and bring back a woman who was supposedly a witch. all i know is that he was in love and happy and was innocent and young before he left, and returned a sad disconnected soul when he returned.
guest speakers
this was a very great experience. i have never gotten the opportunity to hear someone speak about their own personal life stories. i love these because all i really know is my own life and my struggles and what i go through so hearing each one of them talk, aaron,courtney,agnes,and orlando speak really opened my eyes as to how my troubles are so insignificant. their speeches have provided me, at least for this weekend, the strength to keep pushing on even though im working ridiculous hours and working hard for school as well as handling very intense family problems. i am physically exhausted but i think about aaron's treatment sessions, orlando's risk of amputation, agnes' challenge with adapting to a new life, and courtney's happy attitude even though life was going her way. they were all inspiring and i thank them very much for sharing a very deep and personal part of their life with me.
Matt Wilkins
English 110
GWC
Post 13ish
Young Goodman Brown
What would you sell your soul to the devil for? The reader is never let in on what it was that the older stranger in “Young Goodman Brown” had offered the young Mr. Brown in return for his cooperation on this midnight outing. Even without that knowledge one must understand that the prize for this acceptance must be worth while. From the tale of Faust, the idea of selling ones soul to the devil has been a staple to literature. It is such an interesting tale. There are lurid sexual implications, greed, murder, any number of the deadly sins to intrigue the reader, and all the while they are safe in their home sitting on a comfortable couch wondering if Faith had actually been there at the church meeting of Hell. Hell is something that is unavoidable in these tales, as Nathaniel Hawthorne puts it when asked to accompany the devil the Goodman screams that he has gone too far while at the exact moment “unconsciously resuming his walk” (3). One cannot deny the pull that evil has on them. Temptations abound in this world. The only thing that we can hope for is that if we give in to our own temptations, that we are not soured to the people we love as Goodman Brown was to the people around him. Were they all actually there, or was it just a trick that his mind or the devil played upon him to cast his own guilty conscience on to the villagers.
Matt Wilkins
English 110
GWC
Post 14ish
What Is The Smell?
The first thing that I noticed upon reaching the Bolsa Chica wetlands was the smell. Now, keep in mind that I live in a town where I am surrounded by ranches and dairy farms; when the winds shift, I am often awakened to the delightful scent of scat in the mornings. The smell at the wetlands was pungent with the perfect combination old trash, mildew, and salt water feces.
Prior to reaching the wetlands I first had to get by the “drug deal” that was handing Mr. Hsiao the cash for the ride. Normally for a five spot, the ride is nothing to write home about, but today was going to be something different. Once I was able to overcome the shakes from the initial hit, I was fairly impressed with what the day had in store. We arrived at the wetlands at the tail end of the dormant season. That is the point in the summer when all of the plants essentially die in order to survive. The resort to a state of zero growth retaining only enough energy within the roots to soak up water and begin growing again when the wet season begins again in the fall. Most everything was dead that day, or at least appeared to be so. Even the plants that the conservancy had planted seemed to be doing poorly. The were supposed to be monitoring closely the watering of the plants for the first two years that they were there in order for the root systems to establish themselves. They let it slip. Just as the non native plants were coming out of their annual hibernation, the newly planted natives were losing their struggle with life.
The scent at the wetlands however, was alive and well. The delightful rotted scent was a result of the bacteria in the water breaking down the cornucopia of trash that came down the canal. After a good rain storm the people at the conservancy could be lucky enough to find used condoms, construction buckets, countless thousands of plastic shopping bags, and of course a never ending supply of hypodermic needles from the homeless living in the barracks’, or even the occasional dead baby wrapped in a t-shirt.
While I wouldn’t readily go swimming in the waters of the wetlands, I would gladly go back for a walk or two to see the wildlife, and enjoy the scenery.
Christina Arredondo
English 103
CC
Reflection on the Guest Speakers
Sorry that I had to leave before and wasn't able to hear all of their stories from 1st hand. I wish I could of stayed tho. However, some of them I had heard from before. Anyways, I would like to say "WOW". I enjoyed hearing the stories. I know that it must of been hard for them and it took alot of courage to stand infront of the class to tell us their story. I greatly appreciate it and thank them for doing it. It amazes me what Aljen said it is so true. How in the first appearance by them, you do not expect them to go through what they went through not know how successful they truly are. I was in a way shocked by their stories. They are really nice and extraordinary people who do not deserve to go through that. Nobody does. Honestly, at times like I would get blue as I heard their caves. It was sad at times. As a couple of others have said, I can relate to the guests speakers in some way. As I sat there in class listening to them, I got inspired. Having them in class has helped in encouraging me not to give and to just follow through in anything that I have to do. Thank you Mr. Hsiao and all the guest speakers for taking time in sharing your stories with us...
Guest Speakers......
The guest speakers were amazing this semester, they always are but this year there was a lot more of them and a bigger variety...i really respect each of them, public speaking is so difficult and especially to talk about your most private issues and battles...i applaude them all
The first girl was so insightful to me... her story is somewhat similar to mine and i was really glad she shared it. She is a very strong person having gone what she went through and becoming stronger for it, and she is so happy and lively, i really liked her speech.
Aaron..His story was unbelievable, to have cancer and think you are going to die at such a young age is so scary, i think about my life and if i was told something like that, all i would be able to think of is how much life i still need to live, i like how he said he motivated himself to beat it because i believe will power plays a lot in getting better and he didnt give up.
The next guy, i forgot how to spell his name, his story was really funny he seemed so comfortable speaking and he is a very real down to earth person. He has had a difficult life, being in the Phillipines and his mom being over here half a world away but i like his personality because he doesnt let anything get him down and he always sees the fun in life.
Claudia.... her story was really touching, i thought about my sisters and hoped they didnt feel the way she does, her story reminded me how important family is and even if there not there for you you should be there for them
Karlo.... he was funny to, he is a natural public speaker. He was very real and personal with his story and it more interesting, i have heard him speak before but i like how he added his new and recent difficulties to his testimony, because life is a never ending battle and bad times always pop up and his story reminded me that you just have to keep fighting through one problem at a time and keep faith
Courtney... She was really funny and likeable, shes so down to earth and just like any other girl. I felt for her when she started crying, because i have been in her place and i know it is hard to trust a boyfriend when you have had a deadbeat dad, i hope everything works out good for her...she has a beautiful voice and personality...
Orlando... hes actually the reason that i stayed, i had him for 52 and hes a great guy and hes a strong person and i am so glad he got through his illness because i know how much he loves his little girls, hes like number 1 dad, so i was very excited to hear him speak...
overall it was an awesome day and thank you to all the speakers because everyone can relate to at least one of you guys, so each of you comforted or inspired at least one of us and for that you should be proud
Thanks again
Samantha Shepherd
English 103
CC
Post # Last hahah
Well, well, well. This is my last post before the last day of class & it's my birthday! Woo! What a birthday gift, no more hard English 103 pop quizes and the like! Yes! ...until next classss! It's been a good year and I'll see you all in a bit.
Sandra Valadez
Cerritos College
post # 123,456,789
Hello everyone I hope this message finds you well and healthy. I have not posted in quite some time now and I have sooo much to say. Ahh where do I begin??? Well I was looking at all the pictures that Professor Hsiao has up (I sooo love the piture of my family and I:)) but as I was looking at the picture from the poetry reading did anyone notice the guy on the right throwing up gang signs???? lol I think he threw up GW, how funny. Ah what else???? OH my mother in law FINALLY went back home, to Mexico City, where she is thousands of miles away!!! Having my mother-in-law with us since April has been very challenging!!! My job is going well but I miss the students I worked with before. Children with Autism, nonverbal, and extreme behaviors. The students now have learning disabilities, but nothing like the kids I use to work with, and I miss that. Pancho has still had no luck, I feel so bad for him. There is something in the works but I do not want to jinks it. My mom retired at 62 her last day of work was Friday. I am happy for her, but also a little worried that she will not do anything being at home. My brother and his wife are having a baby!! They will be a happy family of 7!! My brother, his wife, 2 girls, 1 boy, the baby, 2 dogs, and a 150 pound potbelly pig!!! I am happy for them. Ahh what else???? The girls are doing great, Lydia is doing well in school and her ballet class, the baby is walking, and doing the cutest things!! Her new things is giving kisses: to friends, family, her image in the mirror, stuffed animals, to get attention, too funny. Oh yeah the guest speakers last week!! When Professor Hsiao told us that he had a surprise for us, I was not sure what to expect. On that Wednesday when he told us that the surpise were guest speakers/former students I actually thought it was cheesy ( I am sorry) To my surprise I connected with every single person that went up the podium to speak. I found myself tearing up to every single story!!! It gives you a reality check when your hear people speking about life. What these individuals go through and have gone through and how they are here to speak about it and share their stories with total strangers. I admire them for doing so, my hats of to you, and wish you all the best of luck in anything you encounter. The semester is almost finished, thank the Alcohol Gods!!!!! Cannot wait for some time off with my family, time to relax, and watch some television!!! i have not watched my favorite television show in soo long, Seinfeld, and looking forward to some good laughs. I am a little nervous about class tonight because we are reading our poems, I do not want to read mine, it doesn't even make sense, well maybe that's what I wanted, but any who excited to hear eveyone elses. Well see everyone in a little bit here :)
Ok one other thing, does anyone have trouble with the Word Verification like me???? Everytime I enter what I see and verify the text i get it incorrect!!! WTF It takes me at least 3 times to get it right LOL I must have some visual processing issues????
Edilu Medina
English 100
CC
Post # In the bloggin mood
Stress for finals!! cant wait until it is over. I have so much on my plate its not even funny. I cant sleep or even eat.. except alondras I never neglect that..mmm lime chili wings with fries and a side of ranch blasted sauce...Im getting hungry.. I'll stop now and now back to my point I have faith that i will pass all my classes, I really do.. Just fear I wont. Well thats my thought for the day. I cant wait to hear poems today and snap some fingers lol.
Sandra yes I have the same issue I thought my login was cursed but I think their is something technical problems with the verification. I know its annoying!! So no you dont have visual processing issues LOL ..
(here I go with the verification)
Edilu Medina
English 100
CC
POst# Word Verifcation
Woo it went on the first time! Nice :)
Yi-Hui Chiang
English 103
Cerritos College
Happy birthday, Samantha :D
btw, you looked pretty today! i like ur outfit.
Sarika Vaswani
English 103
CC
Post #.. idk
Guest Speakers
First, a big thank you to you, Mr. Hsiao for setting up this surprise. Great timing.. considering it's the end of the semester and we're all tired and lacking some motivation. I'm sure we all were in need of some inspiration! Boy, did these speakers do the trick! Thank you all for standing up in front of classrooms of strangers and speaking/sharing your most private struggles and thoughts. Your words tugged on my heart strings.
Danielle, your story is so surreal. I commend you for having so much strength and courage to come out of your cave and battle with it on a daily basis. I think it's amazing that you were able to turn a negative experience into a positive by opening up and using it to help other children who have gone through the same.
Courtney, It was awesome to hear you speak again.. and sing again! I remember last semester after you spoke, I youtubed you (hehe). You have a beautiful voice and a great taste in music I must say. You are such a powerful, strong, optmistic, and lively person! Best of luck with your music career!
Orlando, you remind me of superman! You are a fighter. You have overcome so much thus far, it's great to see you have managed to stay so optimistic and alive. I must say, you have a beautiful family!
Aaron, I remember you telling us your story last spring when we had show and tell. I can't even begin to imagine what you had to struggle with, but I'm glad you managed to overcome it! I hope you do get into the college of your dreams & keep following your heart.
Aljen, you are hilarious! I love your whole, keep your achievement under the radar attitude. You are so humble and you have accomplished a lot.. I mean a lot with being so young, it's so impressive! Good luck with everything that you do!
Karlo, I loved listening to you speak. You're proof that.. if you really set your mind to something, you can make it happen. I hope that things continue to get better with you. Good luck with your wife and baby :)
Claudia, ahhhhh, I love you! I feel so priviledged for having the opportunity to meet you and get to know you over the past couple of months. You have impacted my life in so many ways, you have no idea. You have showed me strenth, courage, passion, love. It was awesome hearing you speak. I'm sorry for what you have been dealing with lately.. but knowing you, I know you will come out as a winner.. you always manage to :) Good luck with Otis.. and everything you do. You are an amazing artist and person.. you're going to go far! Thank you for being such a good friend. ♥
Thank you thank you thank you guys :)
Monique Gutierrez
English 100
Cerritos College
Post # 78
What I'll remember from this class
I loved the poetry readings tonight. It was great to hear everyone’s words. The room was filled with tons of emotions this evening and it was a great and heartwarming experience for all! The one person that stood out the whole class for me was of course Michael. He is just too funny. There was not a time where he did not make me crack up. He has a great sense of humor. I am of course going to miss my debate teammates. Jenny, I wanted to run up there and give you the biggest hug while you read your poetry. I thank you for reaching out to me and help guiding me throughout the class. You are a lifesaver! Go Cake Pops! Martha you are cool as ice. I enjoyed our little chats before class and thank you for sharing your sunflower seeds with me. Belinda, bless your heart! I commend you on returning to college after all these years. You were great on the debates and wish you the best of luck for the future. Cathrina, from my other group; Mr. Hsaio is right when he said that you are a wonderful speaker. Thank you for helping me out in our workshops and also thank you on that journal idea.
Monique Gutierrez
English 100
Cerritos College
Post #78
(continued)
Brenda, I love how you carry yourself. You are very expressive in the way you speak, it is inspiring. Thank you for your input on my essays. Ibeth, girl you are so sweet. Your show and tell story was really touching and I would just like to say that you are great just the way you are. Hmm…let’s see who else? Sarai, thanks for hanging out with me at the Grammy field trip. You’re poem was heartbreaking and give you props for reading it. Priscilla you’re so cute! You have so much energy it’s inspiring. I have considered acting a long time ago and you make it look so great! Jessica! You are a beautiful person inside as well as out. You have so much heart and soul. I can see that you are a very giving person and you have my gratitude. I admire you a lot. Brian, you are such a sweetheart. You go out of your way to greet everyone in class. Thank you for your hugs. Trini, girl you have got style! I love your look and your poetry was freaking fantastic! Sandra. When I first saw you I was like WOW this chick is really pretty. I can also relate to your bitterness towards men too. But, I know there is someone out there for me and he’ll need to respect me for the woman that I am. Everything should be 50/50! ROAR! You were also great on the debates, especially when you had to argue over something you did not agree with. Raul you are a man of many words and you know you’re sh#%! Some of the things in class you have said had pushed a few buttons, but you have a right to your own opinion and I can dig that. Tess, I admire you for having the strength to talk about your past. I wanted to hug you too and tell you everything will be alright. Be strong! Jean Carlo, you too were also great on the debates. You speak with great power and wisdom. Audrey, you too were also great on the debates. You didn’t even look at your notes! You were very outspoken in class and very expressive. I wish I could be like that. I liked your poem about yourself too. Esme, you have great style too. You also did great on your debate team. Antonio, Mr. Cook. Keep up with your passion for cooking. It is so great to know what you want to do with your life. Janelle, you are so nice. Thank you for your encouragement for the debates. Andy! You have great taste in music. I was trying to stump you with my tunes on my MP3 player but you knew what group was playing! Arcie I also congratulate you on coming back to school. I can relate too and I am proud of both of us for coming back. Lulu, it was cool hanging out with you at Alondra Hot Wings that one night. You have such a cool and calm voice and I liked your poems too. Celina, I am glad to see that you are comfortable with expressing yourself now. I am beginning to learn how to be an open person too. Ana you always wore the cutest ensembles in class. I loved the leopard print and I wish I could pull that look off. I also won’t forget your show and tell. The flower symbolism was nice. Adrian, I didn’t get to talk you in class. But, I think it was you who said you were a gamer. I love videogames and I can share that with you. And then there’s Jaime. Yay! We did it! I am so proud of you! I’m telling Evelyn what a great soon to be husband she has! Last, but not least Mr. Hsiao. Thank you for all that you do. I respect your advice and you are a GREAT teacher. I have never felt so welcome in a class and I am really going to miss it = ( That poem that you read tonight really hit home for me. I can relate to it on so many levels. If I forgot anyone, I am sorry. But I wish all of you the best of luck. English 100 Cerritos College Peace out!
I was listening to the news this morning. Pundents talking about minorities. And a thought crossed my mind.
Aren't we all minorities?
after all (homonyms idea), I am Me. that makes me 1. 1<4billion. therefore I am a minoritiy right?
we're always put into groups. theres probobly some machine running my data right now, to figure out how to better target me with an ad or better market towards me as a voter or something. "the black middle-class vote". and im sitting here thinking: what the hell?
whatever, time for enchiladas
Brittany Williams
English 110
GWC
Post 52 (?)
Brandon - Wow, I am encouraged by your post. I agree with you on the gay marriage debate. It's such a touchy situation for me. My own brother is gay, and I simply cannot, in good conscience, support his lifestyle. This, however, is not to say that the bonds between my brother and I should not exist. I support him as a human being. I support him as my brother. I do not support his lifestyle. This has been an inner struggle for me, as stated in class; however, it has been our arrangement to simply agree to disagree. Beyond this, we have a wonderful relationship, and I couldn't be more blessed to have him in my life!
With that being said, this brings about the idea of truth. It is my belief that there can only be one truth. This is the case for gay marriage. There is no happy medium. Nonetheless, this should not inhibit our relational bonds as human beings. Hate the sin, not the sinner, right? It saddens me that there are those who feel it necessary to cut ties with us who simply disagree with such choices.
In addition, I'd like to comment on the following line...
"Either christians are forcing religion on homosexuals, or homosexuals are forcing gay marriage on christians."
Well said.
Furthermore, thank you for posting about your offense to the YMCA picture. I too was hurt by such a mockery. I know that the intention behind the picture was probably not meant for harm; however, it was still very troublesome to see such an image.
In closing, I am truly grateful for your courage to speak upon subject matters that often cause conflict. I know that speaking out is not always easy, so thank you, it has been an encouragement for me.
Jasmyne Young
English 110
GWC
Post#21?22?
I am going to put two in one, so here we go!
Holocaust Speaker
I liked this speaker because not only was his story a history lesson I have already learned about, but he also had his own perspective on everything. It was a history lesson with a personal twist, I guess one can say. His life has basically been filled with hatred though. His families obviously were not that hatred, but his environment around him was. If it was not the Germans after the Jews, it was the Whites versus the Blacks or race against race. A world of intolerance, no one was good enough for anyone and segregation is key! It was kind of cool hearing his transition from intolerant countries to America. He said it was a breath of fresh air. One would think it would be. America is such a diverse country that welcomes anyone, no matter where one might come from. Also, the fact that the first few years of his life were a lie was interesting as well. What a life goal, to continually research your birth parents and your actual history, not knowing that the first six years of your life was for your protection. His story makes me appreciate my life a little more because no matter how hard life may get, the Jews had it bad. I am thankful I actually came this morning and heard his story. Good lessons learned.
Final Reflection
This whole blogging business was totally new to me, so I was shocked at the beginning of the semester, but I got the hang of it. I still don't like it, but it is what it is. I just couldn't express myself through the blogosphere, it is still awkward to me. But, the blogging experience, the class experoence, the field trip experiences were great lessons learned. I believe everything happens for a reason, therefore, I was thrown into this class for a reason. I don't feel like contemplating that reason just yet. I want to get out of here before I think about the changes this class has put me through.:)I am greatful for this class and this semester though. And I will try my best to finish strong. So, goodbye and farewell to the blogosphere... I will not miss you :)
Stephanie Farano
GWC
English 110
Holocaust speaker
I very much enjoyed "Harry Isaiah" (I believe) and his amazing story through childhood. The horrific violent acts of killing and discrimination seem hard to comprehend, but I couldn't help but think that he was lucky. The courageous acts of heroism his family and complete strangers did in order to save him, were no less that amazing. I'm in awe of the family that took him in as their own, despite of all that they were jeopardizing. In a time of great tragedy it is hard to say how one would react, but his story shows that there was still good in people at such a horrible time. The family could have very well decided not to risk their lives in order to save him, but instead they did. For this I feel he was lucky, if not for that family, he may have never survived. I was also moved by his Uncle and the efforts he went through in order to get custody of him. I'm sure at a time like that when you see and feel such loss, all you want is to cling to those who are family, but WOW!
I would also like to comment on his incredible memory!! Jeeeeezzz the guy was starting to make me feel horrible...for a long couple moments I was trying to remember what I ate yesterday for lunch and couldn't. He remembered every date, place, and name. I was thoroughly impressed.
Great speaker! Thanks Hsiao!
Zachary Duke
Eng 103
CC
Post Here comes goodbye
Hey everyone. I guess this is it. the calm before the storm so to speak. I have been honored to meet and get to know her. I will always remember every last one of you. I love you all. I have a wish to tell you all. It was a part of a country band called Rascal Flatts.
I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow, And each road leads you where you want to go, And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you. And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window, If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile, But more than anything, My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small, You never need to carry more than you can hold, And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish. I hope you never look back, but ya never forget, All the ones who love you, in the place you left, I hope you always forgive, and you never regret, And you help somebody every chance you get, Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake, And you always give more than you take.
Now, this may seam like a goodbye, but it is not. it is a "see you around" thing. I will always be here for you all every step of the way. Sorry to say it but your stuck with me class of 103. ;-). see you all around.
Michael Swisher
English 100
Cerritos College
Post # Last
So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye
Well, we have come to the close of the semester, and I find myself writing a final goodbye to you all. I have met so many good, interesting, and wonderful people with which I have shared, and discussed so much over the past few months. I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed each and every class meeting (yes even the one that Mr Hsaio “layeth the smack down”, even though I would have dropped a few elbows :-). I looked forward to my Mondays and Wednesdays this fall simply because my English class was such a pleasant experience. I am very much so grateful for people like Sandra. She is the tiniest person I have ever met that I didn’t end up accidentally eating (because I am a giant if you hadn’t noticed). Sandra may be small, but “girlfriend is scrappy” just read her first essay (shudder). The twin sisters that sat to my port bow, you guys are so close and it makes me jealous because my family is a collection of retarded drama queens. Me oh my, Brian… you had me at hello buddy ;-) Brian is the single coolest dude I would most assuredly make out with in a drunken stupor, just to piss him off and make him wonder if he participates in MMA because he’s homosexual (just kidding Brian…. Maybe) Jessica is so pretty, and so mature (in most ways). Jessica reminds me of a puppy. She is cute, and soft, and eager to see the world, but she poops on your foot if you don’t let her outside when she barks at you. Jenny… I enjoy Jenny’s enthusiasm, and sense of humor, but she hits me a lot, so watch your back woman! Esme is probably one of the prettiest ladies I have ever had the pleasure of spending time “studying” with, but I do not mean pretty as the more commonly used adjective. She is pretty because of who she is, how her heart makes her that way, and how her smile can stop time. Jean Carlo (long pause) you talk too much buddy, try and keep it down next semester (that was sarcasm by the way). Antonio makes me hungry all the time. It’s not fair that he wears a cooking smock to class. I cant study or take test with chef Boyardee across from me, then all I think about is Spaghetti O’s. Celina rocks out with her c-… wait, sorry, she is super cool.
Trini is absolutely beautiful and a wonderful person for suffering through my terrible jokes about her rocker attire. She changed her style ¾ of the way through the semester, I hope it wasn’t because of what I said (nervous smile). Belinda made it through the class, and I for one am very proud of her. I would like to throw a shout out to my wife’s look alike (you know who you are) and if my wife should like, leave me for some jerk-off make sure you keep my number because I could use a pinch hitter (if you catch my drift). Janelle… kiss my butt pervert! Lulu, you are the wind beneath my wings… or at least the breeze behind me (j/k) love ya kiddo. THIS COMMENT IS FOR THE ONE PERSON WHO YELLED EVERY WORD SPOKEN ALL SEMESTER…… YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!! (you are a cool chick, don’t forget to smile!) Priscilla, you are so strange, it’s almost like you should be an actress or something (you have talent in many areas, explore them all, and do so in abundance) And Raul, I understand your apprehension, and inability to find aspiration, but for my sake, do not FORsake higher calling afforded to a man of such uncommon stature. You can be the world, and the world may love you for it my friend. Follow passion, and passion will find you passing. Mr Hsaio, we are like the odd couple, but not for the difference in opinions or personality, but because creativity sets us apart. I like that we have such unique and (sometimes) opposite appreciations, and I am eternally grateful for our interactions. Thanks for the series of moments that have roused my yearning and chastised my ego. If I did not mention someone by name, I am sorry, it isn’t personal, I just ran outta room and time. Use this last phrase as a general shout out “I shall miss you”.
Gabriela Tovar
English 103
Cerritos College
Post #38???
This is the last time i am going to blog because it is homework... I want to say thanks to all my fellow classmates on Eng. 103, i had a blast getting to know everyone even if i did not talk to you much... I want to say that your voice was heard... I had a lot of fun and a lot of boredness in this class... I will miss it...
Here is my weekend:
Friday- Went to soccer class. I was hoping it would rain before 11 so there won't be any class, but it did not... I got home around 2:30pm and right away i went to pick up my little sister... When i got home i started getting ready for the Fall 2009 Service and Leadership Award Banquet... It could not have gone any better... I presented service and leadership certificates and i got me a BRONZE AWARD.... AAAAAAAAH!!! I feel so proud of myself... AAAAAAAAH!!! When i got home at around 10pm i helped my mom wrap X-Mas presents, yippie... I did not go to bed till almost one in the morning... Gaby went mimi's...
Saturday- I woke up so grumpy that i got into a fight with my mom... terrible, terrible, terrible... I locked myself in my room till my boyfriend picked me up to watch movies at his friends house...
I am, as i speak, at my baby's friends house on the computer...
I am having so much fun because i am listenning to Pandora radio, watching videos on youtube, and aol radio... I just realized how much i love Frank Sanatra's type of music... I always wanted to know who sings L.O.V.E and it is Michael Buble... You guys got to listen to it... Harry Connick, Frank Sanatra, Michael Buble, Dean Martin, and manny others more... I am in love with so many music and i have to say that this type of music (i don't know the name), is my FAVORITE... I could not get enough of it... I can hear it all day long and not get bored nor sleepy... LOVES IT....
Sunday- Well i do not know what am i doing tomorrow except work on my paper and clean...
No class on Monday so i am sleeping in and having lunch with buddies of mine... Gotta have food or else Gaby gets grumpy... GRRRRRR...
So fellow classmates, i trully can say that each and everyone of you guys are special and we all have a little common with each other... I just wish i could have talked to you guys more...
GABSTERS 101 OUT!!!
Maria Ascencio
English 100
Cerritos College
Farewell
At the beginning of the semester I did not expect this class to be this close. I did not think it was going to miss everyone. This is the first time I am in a class where it feels so comfortable to share such deep and heart breaking secrets. I loved the poems everyone wrote. I do not know who to begin to acknowledge. I will go in rows.
Brenda, did not get to interact too much with her but seemed like a super nice person and obviously smart.
Andy, interacted with him a little bit and the times I did he was super nice and funny. Very outgoing guy, and it still makes me laugh at the fact that he went to the M.O.T. the day before. lol
I liked the poem he wrote about his life.
Priscilla, smart girl, did not interact with her... at all. Very outgoing and the poem she wrote about her boy was sooo cute! I loved it.
Tess, nice person, talked to her not too much but interacted with her fairly enough. Her confession made me cry. i did not let my tears out but i was choking up and crying in the inside.
Audrey, crazy girl, in a good way :) very outgoing. Fun to talk to. Enjoyed being in the same debate team with her. She was awesome.
Janelle, fist person I talked to in the class. She played soccer so shes is cool =P I liked her research paper poem. She is a smart girl and I think she should have spoken up a little bit more since she is a former student. nonetheless sweet girl.
Celina, funny girl. Enjoyed talking to her when she sat in the same row as I. Smart, and she opened up more at the end.
Esmeralda, shy girl, very nice. i think she should have spoken up a little more. Enjoyed her company when she sat next to me.
Ana, I love how she dresses! =) i like her "cheesyness" as she calls it. Smart girl.
Raul, I think you are cool man! I do not think you start arguments at all like professor Hsiao says. i just think you speak your mind and people just get offended.
Arcie, It was nice talking to you, Getting to know you. I think you could have spoken up more.
Steven, i think you are a stange little man. From what I have heard you are a smart guy and I think you had the potential to speak up and add to the class discussions.
Belinda, you made it! I think you need to be able to handle direct criticism from us your peers. The professor's opinions will only be a lot more harsh. You can learn and get ideas from us.
Jaime, I loved your poem about your girlfriend. i agree with professor Hsiao, you should have spoken up more. You seem to have a good sense of humor and could have added to the class discussions.
Adrian, Adrian.. you are awesome.
I really do not know what to say. I admire you. I love your metaphoric way of speaking. Thanks for the little help on the research paper. You sparked ideas for me to get started on my paper. it was nice knowing you and talking to you. You are amazing =]
Ibeth, it was fun being your neighbor and sorry you had to deal with my smart remarks =P i enjoyed your company. You are a smart girl and I think you could have added to the discussions. Your presentation for show and tell made me choke up.
Jean Carlo, interesting guy. Very smart. Loved you letter to professor Hsiao. Thank for your help on my first paper =) and from the way everyone seems to say how much you have grown since last semester, I am hoping the same with me lol
Antonio, i think you are dorky lol
not in a bad way. Your way of writing was funny thought. Hopefully you can give me a couple of lessons on how to perfect my cooking =P
Cathrina, you poem was sad. I liked it. Really did not interact with you but seemed super.
Jenny, my jenny buddy. i enjoyed talking to you. You are hilarious. i hope I keep in contact with you in the future.
Brian, what is there not to say about you. You were the life of the class, well, so was Michael. But on the field trips you were, according to everyone. It was nice getting to know you you big flirt!
Jessica, you are sweet. If you ever want me to teach you how to make anything else, just let me know. Hopefully I know how to make it lol
Lulu, it was non stop laughter with you about our best friend. I'm not even going to get in on that.
Sarai & Martha, Sarai, your poem mad me tear up. i was just hoping I would not be crying when I went up. Martha, you are hilarious. It made me laugh how you guys get along and whatnot. It made me jealous in a way. i wish I had a sister my age.
Monique, you were so quiet. I wish you could have joined in when we would all be in a circle before class.
Michael, I wish I had your sense of humor. i hope that in the future things will get better eventually with your dad. No i did not change because of what you said. Oh and i shall take you to a concert with me.. some day. haha. Megadeth, Testament, and Slayer are playing next month. It is going to be epic!
Last but not least,
Sandra, you are so cool. I think I can relate more with you. You are so little yet so tough. Your daughters are beautiful.
I will miss everyone! For those I will see nest semester in the 103 class, I look forward to it.
Archie Kaaua
Professor Hsiao
English 110
Golden West College
December 11, 2009
Post 41
Holocaust Speaker
This speaker was Harry David. His story was from infancy where he was moved through the underground from place to place at 17 mos. old to avoid the Nazis. He found meaning in a tragic situation through the nice people who took care of him. His blue eyes and blond hair saved his life as the Nazis tended not to question those who looked Arian. I asked him if he thought that the Holocaust could happen again and he said that it was possible. He said that the owner of a country could be found down the barrel of a gun. This was to say that there is no country that is safe from a coo. He lived in South Africa after that. His living location was an ironic turn of events as he was persecuted as a Jew and then benefited from the prejudice of the indigenous black people in South Africa. Hearing these speakers is a frozen moment in time because in soon years they will all die out. One found it comfortable in the couches of the student center. I did not care for the disturbances that seemed to constantly interrupt the speaker. I saw some familiar faces and two faces from last semester. It was good seeing everybody again. Professor Hsiao had us fill out a question and answer sheet regarding school and smoking. If anyone is thinking of trying it, I advise one to not do it. Smoking is an addiction that creeps up on one.
Archie Kaaua
Professor Hsiao
English 110
Golden West College
December 13, 2009
Post 42
A Farewell to My Classmates
This semester has been a bear, and I have learned so much. I feel like I could write a paper about anything; I would be able to write for a living if only I were fast enough. I have had a chance to look at myself and learn about whom I am and who I want to be known as. I have had a chance to get a glimpse into other student’s lives to see what they are thinking and what pains they are going through. I have seen these pains before and have experienced some of them myself. I can share some help here for those who want to use it. For those who feel that they are being compared to something they are not, understand that every rose has its thorns. God did not give everything to anyone; each person has been given something special. If one is trying to fill a pair of shoes that are too big, too skinny or too pretty, then maybe they are not for you. It is as distasteful to wear dirty sneakers that belong to someone else as it is to try to fit in a mold that you do not even like, just to be accepted by someone else. This time in one’s life is not about being accepted by one’s peers; this time in one’s life is about being who one is. This is our time! We must get what is helpful to us and let those who judge us accept us the way we are. Most will side with us; others will not. The most important thing to remember is that we are all special. Tough times never last. If one’s heart is broken, it will mend in time. If one is sad because one does not have a girlfriend or boyfriend, one should enjoy the free time that one will look back on and miss later. View a school, job, gym, or church as a sealed jar; any place that one has to return to is difficult to travel when one has an ex-lover there. If someone who is attractive will not share your interest, there is usually someone else who looks very similar to them who will, if you look hard enough. Life is full of circles. If what comes around goes around, start each circle with a smile. Women who think that they are not pretty enough only need to smile to complete their beauty. If you are a guy and you are not having any luck with the ladies do not worry. It is a proven fact that after college many women will settle for less. You will need a decent job and a clean car. Anyone who was abused must never blame themselves no matter what anyone says. If one is in an abusive relationship, get help and get out. Never sign a contract that one does not fully understand; any contract, petition, paper, or other that has fine print on the back should not be signed on the same day. Words often carry two meanings. Anyone who signs that paper is responsible for what the text holds them responsible. If one is going to experiment with anything unmentionable, research it, study others form a distance, ask different experts, and make a list of best and worst case scenarios before one begins. If one makes a mistake in life one can always start over no matter what it is; addictions such as smoking can be the hardest to start over from. Do not let a bad grade get one down. One class a semester will give one a degree. Always thank a good professor. Tutors and study groups are worth their weight in gold (even if you do not agree with everybody). It is ok to pray in time of need; just do not do it in college, or you will get into trouble. If anyone needs someone to talk to, and I can help, I will try to help you if I can. If one has help to offer, I would appreciate a hand. We should pay kindness forward whenever we get the opportunity.
Belinda Avila
English 110
Goldenwest College
Post #15
Wow, this class certainly went fast. I am going to miss this class, besides the fact that the class period was extremely long. It was well worth it though. I made connections with fellow classmates and I learned to analyze every sentence of every paragraph in our readings. Thank you, Mr. Hsiao, for sharing your love of literature and philosophy with your students. Not only do you push us to be deeper thinkers and greater writers, but also to be better people. The encouraged field trips were very enlightening. Recently, I ran into an old friend from my first english class at Goldenwest. He saw your name on my research paper draft. He then told me how envious he was that I am in your class and that every person he has come across in your class has good things to say. Thank you for all you do for those around you! AND of course, thank you to my classmates. Thank you for the support you have given me, inside and outside of the classroom. I know I am not alone when I say I will definitely miss this class. I wish everyone a great life and a rewarding education. Farewell my friends and fellow students.
Brittany Williams
English 110
GWC
Post 53
Last Post
It is finally the end of the semester. Whew! I am truly overjoyed to be finished! This semester was hard, as I have had to deal with many personal issues outside of school. Nonetheless, I am glad that I stuck through it and accomplished as much as I did, even when I wanted to give up completely (believe me, there were many of those times!). Thank you all for making this such an enjoyable experience. It was truly an honor to have had the opportunity of knowing each one of you!
Samantha Shepherd
Eng. 103
CC
So I just found a couple books on google scholar search that have helped me tremendously on my Marine Corps research paper. I am utterly excited and exhausted. I think I am going to nap now and continue working on my paper tonight.
Yes!!!
Kim Luong
GWC
Englis 110
Hah ! This is supposed to be a Goodbye post but i don't know what to write. Since it is almost the end of year, I want to say :
Happy Christmas and Merry New Year to all my classmates.
I Wish everyone " Good Luck, Good Job and always be Perfect!!" on their long journeys.
To Mr. H, arrh I 'll miss you alot. Let me know when you get married ok ? I'll cry oops, i mean i'll cheer for you with all my heart . lolz. (^o^)/love
kim - the impossible
Oscar Padilla
English 110
GWC
Good bye!
Having the opportunity to be with such amazing students has been one of the most rewarding things from my academic life. Words cannot express the amazement I feel. These eight week course just flew by really fast, but I have the satisfaction that I had the chance to talk to everyone of them. I have said it many times and I am going to say it again; it has been an honor to be with intellectual people like you, I had never been in a classroom with so many smart people like yourselves. You gave me the inspiration to keep on going with my English class. I like to be competitive and that’s what you are all about. Listening to the class discussions every time we met was the most important thing I always looked forward to. The passion you used to participate in class and to discuss things was something that inspired me to push myself a little bit farther and to give the best of me. I am satisfied to have shared the same classroom together and to have known your great personalities. Therefore, with all your qualities and your great personality, there is only one thing left for me to do; I open my friendship to anyone who wishes to keep in touch with me. Good bye to all of you and I wish you the best of luck. I hope to see you next semester or at least in the near future. Have a great winter break. As far as you John, or Mr. Hsiao, like everyone else calls you; thank you for wanting me to be in your class, I didn’t think it was going to be this fun and challenging, I had an idea of your teaching style and grading, but I never thought how challenging it would be to even post a comment on the blogosphere. It has been an honor to be in your class and of course I want to take it again. I don’t say good bye to you but I will be seeing you around; and have a wonderful winter break because you deserve it.
Macey Lindsay-Clinton
English 110
Golden West College
Post # last.
Farewell.
An exclamation.
Used to express good wishes on parting.
I do not like goodbyes nor farewells.
In a class of mine, my teacher said she does not like the last day of class, and she prefers denial rather than goodbyes. I liked this. She had each of us say "See you next Wednesday" as our goodbye. It was cute. Delusional but cute. This will not work here because I will be seeing you all on Thursday. Oh well. Coulda shoulda woulda.
When life gives you lemons, make a lemon drop. Drink it and dance your heart out of your chest. Your head might hurt the next day but nothing can take back the happiness you enjoyed. Life is short. Live it up but know your limits. Smell a flower. Lay in the grass. Enjoy the simplicity of thought.
Most importantly,
smile.
Brandon Hebert
Goldenwest
Eng110
Post:45-50? idk anymore
Farewell
The other day i saw two guys 'battling' or whatever. as in straight up rapping and battling eachother. i gotta say they were talented.
I want to say Merry Christmas to everyone, even if you dont believe in it, have a merry 25th day of december, 2009.
I hope I can see some of you again in our travels, because now that we've had the "hsiao" experience, we're all kindof homogenous in a way, no? that makes us friends if anything.
OKay one more thing. I was looking up 'peafowls' the other day, which are basically peacocks. And they are only like 80 bucks to buy! NO WAY! idk i might get one! Thatd be pretty cool. I mean, how many people have a peacock? People will come over and go: "dude....is that....is that a peacock?" to which i will reply: "aye laddy, a peacock it be"
Markel Hathcock
GWC
English 110
Post #?
Holocaust Speaker
I’ll be honest, when I first saw the Holocaust speaker I said to myself, “no way did that guy survive, he is way too skinny to take on all of those Germans!” I’m not even kidding, that guy was a twig! I then realized, why would you have to be big and burly to take on a German in the holocaust, all you need is the smarts and to be able to outwit them by hiding out. This is exactly what Harry had done (I believe his name was Harry? Not sure of his last name). At the age of 17 months, he was traded around and taken care of like a rare diamond. A very, very nice and courageous family took him in. Luckily for Harry, he was blessed with blonde hair and blue eyes, not the typical Jewish look. I believe that without his hair and eyes, he would not have survived. He would not have been able to find a family to take him in, and he would have not been able to hide from the Nazis the way he did. I was astounded by all of the things that he remembered. Holy moley! I mean, sure, he did his research, but still. The fact that he can remember the coldness of where he grew up when he was young was unbelievable. I would think that due to that dramatic experience, I would have blocked everything out and not have been able to remember the things that were important like he did. Also, I concluded that he must have been one hell of a kid if his uncle was that determined to get him back. He is very blessed to have such a great family. I found his experience to be very inspiring. I found that the message was that no matter how hard things get, push through them and things will all work out in the end. I am very sorry that I had to leave early because I would have loved to hear more of the questing students had to ask and the answers Harry had to give.
Markel Hathcock
English 110
GWC
Post #?
Final Goodbye
Even though I am so excited that this semester is finally over and it’s time for Christmas (YAY!), I am actually very sad to leave the class. We only got 8 short weeks to spend some “quality” time together, but I feel like we all got along very well. My favorite part of my week was to come to English class, give or take the few times that we had immense amounts of homework and papers to write in such a short period of time :). Just kidding, it was worth it? Haha. Anyways, I am so glad Heidi that you were in my class again. At least this time I had a familiar face to go into the torture chamber with! Although you were the first familiar face, I know now many more. Everyone in this class made me laugh.
Oscar-with your mustache story and how your old professors use to make such fun of it.
Dan- with your sarcastic comments and giving Mr. Hsiao a run for his money
Belinda- you’re so full of energy that it’s hard not to be in a good mood when around you
Sarah- I wish that I got to get to know you more because you seem like such a sweet girl
Heather- THANK GOD FOR YOUR TISSUES! You def saved me that one day!
Liza- I loved hearing all of your helicopter stories…take me on a ride someday soon!
Jessica- I know that you hate talking in front of the class but you were so good at it! I’m glad that we got to talk about boys and your 3 year rule. Haha, ill make sure to keep that in mind from now on.
Angela- you are by far the sweetest person I know! You are always there to help people out and you have such a clear mind that I almost look up to you. I someday hope that I can care for people as much as you do.
Penny- I am so glad that I got to workshop your first paper because I got to know you more as a person. Keep on working on your writing... you’ll get there! I am so amazed at your story and how you came here for “the land of opportunities’’. That takes a very strong woman to do so.
Kyle- Oh Kyle. You never seized to amaze me in class. Whether it were about weed (which it was 99 percent of the time), or it was the topic of your research paper, you always gave the class and I a good laugh.
Matt- Congrats of your engagement! I wish nothing but happiness for you. I am so glad that you were in the class because after you would say something, so poetic, I would sometimes find myself still thinking about what it was you said and trying to make sense of it. So thank you for making me use my brain! Haha.
Freuss- I’m not sure why, but you made me laugh the hardest throughout the 8 weeks. I’m pretty sure it was because of your little comments to everything people said and even though you would say them under your breath, I heard them every time and it def made me laugh, well, every time.
I’m going to miss you all and thank you so much for making this a great 8 weeks. I wouldn’t have wanted to endure it with any others!
Mr. Hsiao, thank you for not only being a great professor, but thank you for being my mentor as well. I look up to you very much and I am so happy that I decided to take your class once more. You are by far, my favorite professor that I have had so far in my college career. (Annnd no I’m not saying this to get a higher grade on my final buuut if you find yourself flattered, don’t be afraid to throw a couple extra points this way)
Thanks again and I’ll miss you all!
Samantha Shepherd
Eng 103
CC
So I have to say that I am very excited that this new year is going to end and that I will be able to take a break this winter (besides working at stupid Aeropostale). I am excited to be finishing up my paper on the Marine Corps and I am happy that I have found some positive stuff to include in it that I didn't think I was really able to give, in other words, there is hope, haha. I am sad, however, to see everyone go and that a lot of people won't be in class next semester. I am bittersweet about the fact that I did not take many of the classes with my classmates that so many others did, but then again, everything happens for a reason. Just a little more until I get to transfer, hooray! Anyways, you said to give a few shout-outs so here it goes. Mr. Hsiao, thanks for doing everything that you do and I hope you really take your time and enjoy the little break that you do have because it's all going to be back on next semester and with Priscilla Daza and I in your class, you're really going to have to keep up with us, muahahah! Just kidding. To everyone in the class, it was absolutely wonderful to meet each and every one of you, and I'm sorry that I didn't get enough time to really talk to all of you. Haha, those that I did, like Freddy, Ray, George, Janice (even though I had you for driver's ed in high school), Talia, Michelle (my long lost childhood best friend hahahh), Gaby (you cactus lover, you), Alyssa & Sarika (and our boy talks, hehe), and all of the rest of you!! If you're not in English 102 next semester, please come visit! &I take back what I said Ray about sleeping instead of visiting, hahahhaha. I realize that our discussions wouldn't be as great without your cynicism. Oh, and I also did want to mention that it was nice getting to know some of you in English 100 through Priscilla, haha. I will not say goodbye to Priscilla on here because there will be no goodbyes! I wish I could write more, but I have to be off to my student government court meeting.
GOOD LUCK ON FINALS EVERYONE!
Toodles,
Samantha Shepherd ;]
Cathrina Afusia
Cerritos College
English 100
I do not want to say good bye to my classmates. Mr. Hsiao why are you making us say our goodbyes!!!??? It has been a joy spending my Mondays and Wednesdays with all of you. By far this was the funniest class. There were a lot of older individuals this semester, and it helped me realize that I still have so far to go. I am glad that I got to meet some of the other students from the other class. For example, like Audrey, Janelle, Jessica, and Priscilla. I always would hear about the other students but never could put a face to them. I do believe this class has been the closes. I appreciate the advice Raul has given me in order for me to produce a stronger paper. I appreciate Jenny also for getting me through this semester. With me taking on another job, I really do not know how I did it. “Thank You Jenny!!!” I really hope my next semester with Mr. Hsiao will be just as memorable. I think everyone deserves a pat on the back, especially the ones who this is the first time taking Mr. Hsiao. I think everyone put in a lot of efforts trying to hold up to Mr. H’s expectations. I hope I see everyone next semester!!!!!
Jessica Atthowe
English 110
GWC
Post#idk
Goodbyes..
Thank you everyone for making this class everything i think it could have been and more. I've never enjoyed an English class as much as this one. A large part of that has to do with the people in our class. I've enjoyed getting to know almost everyone and listening to people's views on some sensitive topics. I really liked how people opened themselves up and were not afraid to speak of their personal experiences. I've had a great time and I hope everyone else had the same positive experience that i did. I hope everyone has a good winter break and does well in the rest of their classes. thank you everyone!
Andrew Murphy
English 103
Cerritos Community College located in Norwalk
Post # Well over the assigned amount
The Concluding Post
"This Time Tomorrow" the kinks
It is kind of strange to realize that the subject that has brought up the most mixed emotions in me is exiting my life forever in my academia tenure. Looking back I can see all the English teachers I had; the earlier ones vaguely, probably because I was such a "problem child for them". Guess it is the cliche part of my last blog to reminisce....
8th grade - teacher Ms. Flynn (sister of my old teacher who went to the Bolsa Chica wetlands with us)
At the point I hated English. I spoke it, read it, so why the heck do I need to go to class for it?
9th grade - Brother Michael
Having a irate, irish, old catholic Franciscan Brother teaching (insulting) me the proper ways to learn English did not make me like English anymore then I repuled it. I still remember the vibrant yelling matches we had in that class. recipe for disaster
10th grade - Ms. Alberton
New wave, yuppie type. Alright I guess
11th grade - Ms. Green
The epitomy of why I grew up to hate how the LA Diocese tries to have a governing institution. Horrible English teacher and horrible person rolled into one. Stilllll disliked English.
12th - Mrs. Fausto
Decided to take Honors Shakespeare English even though most of my meathead friends took the class with the hot English teacher. Somehow felt this class called to me. Weird I know. This class changed it for me though. An over exuberant shakespearean teacher how taught me to write from the heart and not by the black and white guidelines. Said it was great to write whatever you were thinking instead of trying to impress and be "correct". read some of my favorite books in that class such as Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Ceasar, and Much ado about Nothing.
Started to see English wasn't so bad.
English 100 - Prof. Aron Brent Guitierrez
The professor who scared me away from night classes. Firt class showed his pathos by showing his 2 master's as great private universities, his 4 bachelor's, and his doctorate work in the field of English and other stuff. All I thought was "Oh (expletive)". However, he also taught me some nifty tips and honed my English skills. Even though the reading of the most perverse, sadistic, askewed writer known to man; James Joyce and his "A Portrait of an Artist of a Young Mad". I knew by the tongue twisting title it was going to be a tumultuous read. I still am shocked at how screwed in the head that guy was and how he is declared a literary genius. Started to love English class.
Eng103- Professor... slipped my mind... hmmmm
Another cliche statement of how "words cannot comprehend..." It is true though. Such a great class and am thankful I enrolled int his class. It was the definitive touch to the end of my English career. Kind of sad and makes me want to follow it further. Maybe thats what I pursue for my minor or something.
Concluding Point is that English became one of my favorite classes after being one of my most hated. Takes a couple great teachers to strike the right chord that awakes the passion for a course.
Anyways, Good luck everyone on Finals and good luck with your academics beyond this semester.
Heather Brown
English 110
GWC
Post # ziiing!
Final Goodbye
The title sounds sad! I am not good at saying "good bye" but I will try my hardest! This class was by far, one of my favorite classes I have taken in college. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and now I am able to say I was meant to be in this class to meet so many awesome people and expand my horizons. I would list off everyone's names and say something specific,but honestly everyone was just as awesome as the other (including Mr. Hsiao)!
Again I'm crappy at witting goodbyes, so thank you everyone and those of you who want to keep in touch, DO IT! Oh yea, Mr. Hsiao, sorry I butchered your name this whole time...and sorry for my bad hand writing...
Martha Vazquez
English 100
CC
Post: Last
To the class that has made my transition back into the academic world a fun and (hopefully) successful one: I am honored to have met you all. Now lets get into awards ceremony-like shout outs. I don’t want to forget anyone, so I’ll go in row order…
Brenda, you are such a smart girl and killed on debates! Thanks for inspiring confidence in my sister.
Andy, dude, you are too cool for school (not really, just a saying…stay in school). Your life representation shoe was rad and your debate was so chill.
Priscilla, you’re so damn quirky and that’s your charm. Your mind goes a mile a minute and you don’t mind taking us along with you. Keep on pursuing theater. I’ll be proud to one day say that I knew you “back when”.
Tess, man, your poem had everyone choked up; intense stuff. Thanks for sharing such an intimate part of you. Go Volleyball!
Audrey, sheesh, where to begin with you, lady? You’re smart, outspoken, beautiful, proud and nice as hell. Thanks for helping me on the AOTC paper. Our talks gave me so many ideas. Thanks for sharing your story. Oh, and thanks for heckling me on my poem. Way to put me at ease…haha!
Celina, you’re so awesome and funny. I’m glad I got to know that side of you on our walks to your super late class. Don’t be afraid to speak up, you have so much to contribute to the world.
Esme, you are so soft-spoken and sweet. You can say the most inappropriate thing, but your voice sounds like you’re talking about rainbows and butterflies. :) Don’t let yourself be brought down by drama, you’re awesome.
Belinda, you got through it! You have another thing to be proud of. Your dog is so sweet and adorable. Keep pursuing your dreams. Sometimes it is difficult and confusing, but you will get through it.
Steven, dude, I wish I were a gamer like you. You’re too quiet for a guy that has so much insight. I loved watching you try to creep in late to class every day. Your half-crouch was too funny, but I think everyone could see you :)
Arcie, wow girl. You have so much going on in your life yet you still manage to stay sane. You are so admirable, not only were you sane, you are incredibly nice and always had a kind word! Keep on truckin’!
Raul, such a smart, smart dude. I wish I had the amazing ability to put words together to take people along whichever road you wish. Your philosophical skill is rad. The things that I could not grasp, you understood and criticized with such ease. Your photography rocks too! An intellectual and an artist; I’m jealous, in a good way, of course. I know you will go far with whatever you choose if you pursue it hard enough.
Janelle, you are so sweet and seemingly innocent. I enjoyed hearing your point of view on things. Never lose the curious innocence; you’re a breath of fresh air in a sea of negativity and pessimism.
Cont...
Ana, I’m glad you opened up toward the end of class. You always had something important to add to the conversation. Your quirky sense of style and unashamed love for twilight are awesome. P.s. your dark and blue hair figgin rocks!
Jaime, dude, I’m kind of bummed I got to talk to you so late in the semester. You’re awesome. You’re so funny and I don’t know if you even realize it. You made debates hysterical and informative. Your love for your fiancé is so sweet and I wish you the best in life with her. I wish the semester was a little longer (without the work) so you could open up a bit more. You’re smart and funny. Let it out more!
Adrian, you’re such a super rad guy. You always said something important, not only spoke to hear the sound of your own voice. That’s an awesome quality. Keep on pursuing English, you are awesome at it. Dude, bringing an opened bag of sunflower seeds to our potluck was probably the best memory I have of you. You kept telling me and Sarai to shut up because we kept talking about how that was the best part of our meal. Your parka and Uggs rock! I think you’re the only guy that can pull off Uggs without looking like a complete douche. It’s a rare talent; you should include that in your resume…haha!! It was cool to find out you were in a band with one of my good friends. ‘Tis a small world.
Ibeth, you were always so quiet, and then you delivered a one-two punch with list that reminded you how so many people love you. Thanks for letting us share in your healing process. You’re beautiful inside and out.
Trini, chick, you’re wicked cool! You’re a metal head with such a kind heart. Thanks for thinking I’m funny. P.s. little sisters aren’t that great. You have to buy them stuff and are forced to kick their butts ;) You are smart and have gone through so much in your young life. Your poem was so honest and raw; you definitely have a talent. Your enchiladas are YUMMY!!
Jean Carlo, dude, you are so smart and have a talent for the written word. You were always so quiet and didn’t participate too much, but your blogs and things Prof. read in class spoke volumes. You are a quiet intellectual. Be confident in your skill and share it with the world; they will appreciate it.
Antonio, you’re funny, man. I really loved your knight poem. Keep pursuing the culinary arts, the uniform suits you :)
Cont. Part 2...
Cathrina, you’re so smart and nice. Thanks for taking my sister under your wing. I loved talking to you before class when we all were secretly (or not so secretly) wishing Mr. Hsaio wouldn’t show up so we could all go home and chill. You work really hard and still have time to write so beautifully.
Monique, you always wear the raddest shirts. You are so smart and I’m glad you were on my debate team; and, no, you’re not retarded:). Chillin’ at Frantone’s and seeing your face when you tasted Jenny’s beer was hilarious! Thanks for all the talks and for all your insight. You’re my sunflower seed buddy Fo’ Life! :)
My pretty Jenny, you were the first person I met, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m glad our friendship extended past the classroom. You’re so kind and always willing to befriend anyone. Thanks for all the awesome texts that assured me that I was normal. You’re hilarious and awesome! I always end up with all your little sayings floating around in my head (“Oh, Mylanta!” “Sugar Honey Ice Tea!”) Love you lots!
Jessica, man, you’re an amazing lady; nice, smart, outgoing, nurturing and funny. You’re one of my favorite people. You have such a gentle and kind way about you. Thanks for having us at your house. I had so much fun, and wish I could’ve stayed longer. Let’s do it again! :) Your boyfriend is a pretty cool dude too. He’s a USC fan, so that makes him 30 times cooler. I’m glad we got to know each other a bit better towards the end.
Brian, I’m watching you, little boy! ;) You’re an amazing fighter with the heart of a teddy bear. Thanks for all the love. I love talking to you; you always have the funniest stories. Thanks for answering all my dumb questions about MMA (“C’mon, does it really hurt that much when you get a kick in the ‘nads and you’re wearing a cup?”) Love you, kiddo! You’re a smart and kind man.
Sandra, my fellow Pabst drinker. A friend once told me “You bring that scumbag beer to parties because you know nobody wants to drink it, huh?” haha! That’s as good a reason as any, I guess. More for us :) You’re such a strong, yet feminine woman. You have such an interesting and intimate way of writing. You let the reader have a look into your thoughts without feeling invasive. Your daughters are gorgeous and are lucky to have you as an example of what a strong woman is.
Last part, promise :)
Michael, what can I say? You’re amazing; funny in the best way possible, protective, not only because you’re a teddy bear of a man, you truly care for people. You’re smart and not selfish or cocky about it. Thanks for sharing your smarts with us; helping people understand countless stories and poems, even openly telling us to email you if we needed any help. You’re awesome, man. Your kids and wife are lucky to have you. Thanks for letting my sister borrow your snuggie, making me laugh at the most inappropriate things and times and for all the help. I’m lucky to have met you.
Lulu, my Mega Amiga 3000, you rock! Thanks for introducing me to my new love, Alondra Hot Wings…oh, and thanks for the wet-nap ;) There are too many hilarious and inappropriate moments for me to even begin to talk about; Mr. Hsaio would erase my post…haha! I will say this: Go girl! Get our fries Girl!! Love you, and hope Alondra Mondays will go on for a long time.
Sars…wait, I don’t have to say bye to you, we friggin live together! Ok, fine, I’ll say something nice, I guess. I love you like a sister…Thank you! I’ll be here all night! ;) You’re smart, beautiful and emotional enough to drive me crazy. Haha! Use that emotion to write amazing pieces, I know you have it in you. I learned a lot about you this semester and this class has brought us closer than before. Thanks for reminding me which stories to read and blog about. I stopped writing down the homework months ago. You’re the greatest secretary ;) I’m lucky to have you as a little sister. I can’t wait to see you turn into the incredible woman I know you will be. I’m glad we did this together! See you at home
…and finally, Mr. Hsaio, Thanks for bringing us together. The dynamic you created in class made us the tight-knit group we are. I can’t thank you enough for letting me really getting to know my classmates through conversations, poems, field trips and class discussion. I am deeply saddened that I have to say goodbye to all these people. I guess I’ll miss you too If only we didn’t have so much work…haha! It has been fun, thanks for the memories.
I love you all, and hope only good things await you in the future. Fare thee well.
Ronald Cabiltes
English 110
GWC
Post #23
Holocaust Speaker
Hmm lets see. I really enjoyed the speaker. I know I was in and out and only heard a portion of his stories. From what I heard though, he went through a lot. I thought he was really lucky to avoid the Germans for such a long time. He went into great detail about his ordeals and his luck in finding a family to take him in and avoid persecution. All in all it was a very interesting experience to hear his story.
To be honest I can't remember anything else because I'm studying for 2 science finals right now and my head is crammed with formulas and the stuff about DNA transcription.
Ronald Cabiltes
English 110
GWC
Post #24 (Kobe!!)
Laters
Well I don't really feel like saying goodbye, because I think we will all see each other sometime. I think this class has been my second favorite class of this semester. First being chemistry. Second only because I got to burn stuff and play with chemicals in chemistry. I have met some great people in this class. This wasn't like any class I have been in. Everyone was so open and wasn't afraid to share their troubles or opinions. Like Mr. Hsiao said, "It's like one big family." Hmm, I don't know what else to say. It's been a fun ride and I hope to see you guys around campus! Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah to all! :)
.
Jaime Valadez
English 100
CC
Post #?
LAST POST
Well i just want to tell everyone that i had a great time in Mr.Hsaio class. During this class i learned a lot everything from MLA,run ons,fragments but best of all i learned a little more about my self. This class has been the closest i have ever been a part of. I really enjoyed how we felt comfortable enough to talk about our "cave" and how we were able to pretty much talk about anything and get to know each other. Im really going to miss this class. I hope the best for everyone .Hope to see you guys around.
Ana Cervantes
English 100
Cerritos Collge
Post#??
=[ The Final Goodbye
Well for me I do not see it much as a good bye, more like i'll see you around. The reason is that come on we are going to the same school and the campus is not that big, so we are bound to see eachother once more or even a lot. I have also notice that its a small world after all not big as some us might have thought, so we are going to run into eachother when we least expected watch.Never the less, I am going to miss every single one of you. The bond that I made with a lot of u is priceless and one that I will always remember. So many things happened inside and out of that classroom. So many funny, dorky,confession,and tear moments went done in that classroom.Every one of you with their spacial unique personalities, I had not experince that, not even in high school.I know i did not shared a talk with all of you, however, I did shared a smile with you and thats worth a lot to me.But when I think about it more i did get to know everyone on of you through your guys writting and also by others. I have nothing negative to say about any of you beacuse everyone of you are AWESOME-O ( that's my word i use when somnething or one is more than awesome =).The only things I have to say to all of you guys is thank you for giving me the opportunity to get to know all of you and that you guys took time to get to know me and cared of what i had to say and offer.And Mr.Hsiao you already knwo what i think of you via the letter you assign to us. But I guess wut i forgot to mention is that you yourself had your moments or jokiness, dorkiness, and angry momemts that im going to always remember. What is left to say is thank you Mr. Hsiao for introducing me to so many wonderful people. To all of you guys I'M GOING TO MISS YOU ALL HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND WOOT WOOT ENGLISH 100!!!!! =]
Your friend,
Ana
Adrian Moreira
English 100
Cerritos College
Post# 30-Last
Farewells...
Looks like we all made it. Why does writing this make me feel like we are graduating high school again? I am going to miss the dances and pep rallies. I am going to play "How's It Gonna Be" by Third Eye Blind then "Closing Time" by Semisonic to inspire my good-byes. Take it away Mr. Jenkins....
(I am going to jock Trini and Martha's style for this)
Brenda:
I didn't get to talk to you too much. I do however want to thank you for letting me buy the tostadas and Tapatio for when you brought in the Jaiba for the first potluck. It made me feel like good to know that I was of some assistance. Unlike when I brought in an already opened bag of sunflower seeds for the second potluck. Also, thank you for helping me with the whole waiver thing.
Andy:
I did not talk to you much either. You seem like a chill guy, always smiling and laughing. I too enjoyed your show and tell about your shoes. Keep on kicking.
Priscilla:
I am pretty sure you spell your name differently but I didn't want to search for it so for that mis-spell (if any) I apologize. My fondest memory of you was when we did our Abbott and Costello bit at the beginning of the semester. You are definitely fit for improv.
Tess:
I didn't talk to you too much either. I do know that you were one of the girls who opened up when you read your poems. You have gone through a lot and it is inspiring to see that although you went through what you did, like Tupac said, you kept your head up.
Audrey:
Another victim of my "I didn't talk to you much" comment. I do remember you telling me that I know your cousin? aunt? Johanna. Right? I know it was you, I just don't remember if you said she was your cousin or aunt. I am confused about it because in my other class, this kid came up to me and told me that I knew his aunt. Am I that old?
Celina;
I know I didn't talk to you a lot but you still trusted me with your research paper's intro enough to help you with it and to give you ideas. Thanks. I hope I was of some help.
Esme:
I know for a fact that we never spoke. I do know that you write a lot on the blogosphere. You have a lot to say and I am glad that you found an outlet for that even though you refuse to take off the CAPS LOCK.
Belinda:
The only time you and I spoke was the day of the debates. You let Sandra, Steven and I know about the death penalty. I am happy to see that you have made it to the end. Don't worry about coming back to school after a long time. You are not alone.
Steven:
This guy is my favorite student of all time. Probably one of the smartest guys in the class but refuses to participate. I am glad that you at least opened up to me. Sort of. This guy was in both my debate group and our first essay writing groups. I totally enjoyed your company throughout the semester. I will not forget to bring your Nintendo Gamecube controllers tomorrow.
Arcie:
I did not get to talk to you this semester either. I do know that you sat in front of me though. Oh and you have cute freckles.
Raul:
For some reason I was hoping that this semester you and I would become friends. I think that we might have similar ideas on things. I remember you coming in one Monday and letting us know that you went to see Blindside. I was going to go that concert but at the last minute my friend bailed on me. Maybe our paths will cross in the future and we can collaborate on something.
Janelle:
All I know is that you were nice to me during the first potluck even though we had never really spoken. I thought that was nice.
Ana:
I remember us having to talk about our research paper but instead we talked about New Moon. I though that was pretty fun.
Adrian Moreira
Cerritos College
English 100
Post# 30-Last Part II
Continued.....
Jaime:
Dude, you are too much. I have had a great time being your neighbor. I am glad that you started sitting next to me and Steven. Steven always has little wild comments that you love to hear and repeat or ask me to repeat. Good times dude. I am glad that I was able to draft you and Steven into the debate team. We killed it that day. I was super proud of our whole team that day. I was hoping we would be able to battle the other class. Oh well. Dude good luck with your upcoming marriage.
Adrian:
You never talked to anyone really except your neighbors. When Prof. Hsiao would run late and everyone was hanging out outside together, you stood away from everyone listening to your iPod. You did say some interesting things every once in a while though. Maybe one day you won't be such a recluse.
Ibeth:
I very much enjoyed sitting next to you also. Although we didn't talk a lot we did talk every one and a while. You are very sweet and nice. I hope your BF comes back soon. Oh and thanks for being nice when you graded my quizzes.
Trini:
First of all, thanks for the shout out. You didn't have to say all those nice things. If you feel like you need to write more about me, I guess I would understand! JK. I am glad I could help you out with my ideas on your paper. And I am glad you were in my row. Our row was small but potent!
Jean Carlo:
I had a dream the other night that the whole class went on a field trip and you called me out and told me you had some beef with me and were on the verge of kicking my ass. Dude did I offend you this semester? I am sorry if I did. I thought that you kicked arse during the debates.
Antonio:
You are super funny dude. I didn't have to talk to you a lot to know that you have a great outlook on life. Keep on cooking dude. Maybe one day you will be on Top Chef and get to meet Padma.
Cathrina:
Again I didn't talk to you too much either. You do seem like a strong woman though. I also remember you saying that your BF is a firefighter and he was working some of the latest wildfires.
Monique:
I am upset that you confused me with Steven and called me gamer! I haven't played video games since I was in my 20s! I am that old that I can say that. I am not actually that upset. I did find it rather funny. I like your collage because you said that you had a huge head as a baby but you really didn't.
Jenny:
Like Brandon Flowers said, "Jenny was a friend of mine." Jenny you are definitely one of my MVPs (take that Prof. Hsiao!) Although you may not think so, you helped me with my first paper. I am glad you were in my group for that. You are super funny and outgoing and made me feel comfortable enough to tell you my heart tattoo story. You were and are officially good times.
Jessica:
You are probably the nicest person I have ever met. Sure we didn't talk too much but when we did you were sweet to me. I also enjoyed going against you during our debate. After the second day of the debates Prof. Hsiao asked me if our team wanted to debate again and Steven said he didn't want to do it so Prof. told me he would replace him and I asked if he would replace him with you. Just a little tidbit for you to see that I respected your debate skills.
Brian:
You are real dude. You wear your heart on your sleeve and that's something you don't see very often. You are really cool dude. I liked how you always offered to hold the door open for me and said my name in Spanish.
Adrian Moreira
Cerritos College
English 100
Post# 30-Last Part III
Continued....
Michael:
I would have though you and I would have had more conversations but we didn't. We did have our small short bonding moment during the first potluck. Of course we were cut short by Prof. Hsiao. Thanks a lot! We were about to plan our take over of the English Dept.. You are a talented individual. Good luck with your future endeavors.
LuLu:
I didn't talk to you much either. I feel like I am a broken record. I remember you being all dressed up for the debates and thought to myself, "why is their team dressed up? "
Martha:
You are super cool. You mocked my sunflower seeds but then ended up eating them. You and Sarai! I thought that was hilarious. It was awesome to find out that you knew Donnie. That kid is wild. I am glad that we got to talk more even though it was more towards the end. Who cares. You're good times also!
Sarai:
Why did you have to make me want to cry when you read your poem? You and Martha are super awesome. I am glad you got to enjoy the sunflower seeds that I brought for the whole class. I wonder why no one else ate any? Like I told Martha, I am glad that we got to chat a little more towards the final weeks of class.
Sandra:
I don't remember you too much. Did you go to class a lot? You kill me! I knew I drafted well when I chose you first for the debate team. It was the start of a beautiful friendship. You helped me with my waivier also. You keep asking me questions you should be asking a counselor about your math classes that I find funny. I don't mind at all though. I am glad to help with whatever I can. You, Steve, and Jaime made the last few weeks extra fun. After tomorrow, time for a few "chelas".
Prof. Hsiao:
Didn't we already email you a letter saying how much we enjoyed your class and what not? You made my life a living heck! I swear that I have had a dream about this class every night for the past two weeks. All the dreams end with me turning in my research paper. Why oh why do you haunt my dreams sir? I look forward to attempting to be an MVP in your 102 (or 103) class. If not an MVP at least 6th Man of the Year? I am glad I didn't drop this class. I wanted to every single week. I even told Jaime like last month that I was going to withdraw before the withdraw date. He believed me and was surprised to see me the next class. I couldn't do it though. I had to finish what I started right? You always had a way of making me feel like I was a good writer. I found it funny that you read a lot of my reflections too. Hopefully we have ourselves a good next 18 weeks.
I know that I didn't talk to too many of you. I hope that none of you thought I was a jerk for it. I really do hope the best for every one.
Cheers.
Veronica Vasquez
English 103
Cerritos College
Post: Final
YAY!
Arturo Lopez
English 103
Cerritos College
Last Post of This Semester
Well it has been a long ardous road now here we are, crunch time. Finals week baby! Do or die! Sink or swim! Kill or be killed! Ok you got the point.
With every semester comes new people and i loved meeting every single one of them.
Lets see,
Ray Ray: You are my road dog. We had an interesting semester this year. We didn't start it on the right foot but im glad we both manned up and figured this out. I consider you my best friend actually more like my brother. I'm gonna be seeing you around but im using the blogosphere as a medium to drop all the macho talk and be serious. I love you like you were my own blood. I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do and know i'll back you up no matter what.
Sarika: All joking aside i am glad i met you. I know i could kid around sometimes but you are an amazing human being. I really hope meeting me, ray, and claudia kind of opened your world a little bit. I hope we cracked that shell that your parents have built up around you. I hope this isnt the last time we have a class together because i enjoy your prescence and your intellectualism if thats even a word.
Raul: Dude the A.P. group definately missed you this semester. I remember hearing you talk for the first time and was blown away by the ideas that filled your head. I knew we were going to get along just fine. The ride up to i think it was the Getty, was one of the most memorable conversations i have ever had. The wisdom emanates from you and i felt a little wiser just by knowing you.
George: You are probably one of the funniest and smartest kids i have ever met. I remember listening to you talk about your quest to find the truth as far as spirituality goes. It was as if i was hearing myself talk. You are one of a kind but remember, no more going bare back.
Freddy: You are a "G" for sure. I love that you speak your mind no matter what and that you keep your morals. Do not let anyone bring you down or try and crush your dreams. You know what is best for you so follow your heart. Peace foo!
Samantha: We really didnt get to talk much in the beginning and its my fault. I was being a lame and kept to myself. It was actually pretty cool just listening to you speak. You always had something meaningful to say and i welcomed your opinion with an open mind. I hope everything goes well with you and your boyfriend. I couldnt help but eavesdrop last class haha. But yeah im glad we talked for a bit towards the end of the year.
Andrew: Dude i wish we would have conversated more, but i just wanted to let you know that you are probably one of the smartest dudes ive ever met. You were quite but when you said something you were like a brain ninja. Silent but deadly. Hope you get to go to USC and make the rugby team which i give you props for playing beacause god knows i wouldnt last.
Carlos: Fat kids for life. Take care man
Dang i'm drawing blanks on names but for everyone else in the class, i hope you enjoyed the hsiao experience and i hope everything goes well in your academic career.
Last but not least.
Mr. Hsiao: This is our 3rd ride together and what an interesting ride it was. I've said it all before but again thank you for taking genuine care for your students success. I could tell you love your job because honestly who would teach all those classes, set up countless field trips, and be part of all of those committees if you didnt. haha Seriously though having you as an instructor and mentor was one of the best experiences i have had as far as academics go. I have leaerned so much from your class not only about the readings but about life. You have opened many doors for me and i appreciate all the help that you have provided me. I am looking forward to taking you for 102 probably for the last time. I'll buy your dinner on the B.J.'s trip.
Merryc Christmas Everyone and Happy Holidays
-Art
Veronica Vasquez
English 103
Cerritos College
Post# Okay final for reallies
So, we're all tired, sleepy, hungry, and smelly. Okay maybe that's just Mr. Hsiao, but that's finals week for you.
I have to admit this English class was as exciting as my Pre-calc class. NOT AN INSULT. I heart-ed precalc, fun class, manipulations and such. But not enough social interactions in there, gets sorta lonely sometimes.
Now English, can't get those people to pipe down! Just kidding. You guys really are a diamond in the rough. And I mean that so much. If I could suffocate with all the personality in that room, I would, in a good way. My post isn't sounding very nice now, but I'm not very good with analogies when I'm thinking of Dexter.
I'm not sure if I should do shout outs since I feel bad if I exclude anybody I didn't interact with... although I think I interacted with everyone towards the end... I'll give it a shot!
Freddy: You're a dork
George:
jk lol
Freddy you really are a genuine guy. Your passion for music, and willingness to sacrifice a lot for other music bands is admirable. I looooooooved your role in the debate group, and I thought you were exceptional. You, sir, are gutsy! I know we clashed somewhat with interests, but hey, my first love was Bach! Anywho, I know with whatever you do you will be great since you have the passion to do it. I wish you luck!
Okay, George: Tsk tsk! You and your girl problems! Charleen, Diana and I gave you great advice! Just kidding lol. George you're a cool guy, and extremely smart. I don't wanna call you out or anything, but I really was amazed on your speech during the debates (eventhoughyouhadjustthoughtofitanddidnoworkpriorJUSTKIDDING) Seriously though, you really did pull that out of no where and it was amazing. Stay out of girl problems! Good luck next semester <3
Ray-Ray-Ray: Dude, you're something else. I'd put you in my pocket and carry you around for Show-And-Tell for the world. You are so full of life and energy, I know you would be an amazing guy to go to a rave with. Maybe too dangerous for my taste, though. Fun, nonetheless! Don't EVER change.
Jonathan: Welp, you were my right winged-man, sometimes left if Eric stole my seat next to you. Where is that guy anyway? Anywho! I am really glad I was able to meet you in this class. I usually hate sitting in the front 'cause no one really talks up there, but that's the only way I won't fall asleep, and you kept me up right through the entire semester! Your niece is adorable, and I wish you and her the best! Good luck next semester, and I hope to see you in other classes!
Charleeeeen: You're a dork too, Charleen lol. You and you're sleeping in! Oh, and your silly spicy-phobia. Pepper is NOT spicy, Charleen! But anywho, I'm glad we "met" on that field trip, and were able to work together in the debates group. Especially since you introduced me to chewy balls. What were they again? Who cares, they were cool and chewy, and in Green Tea! I'm really gonna miss you, Charleen. Hope to have you in other classes!
Diana: Oh, Diana. You made me smile when you got nervous when we were ONLY practicing our debate speeches lol. It was adorable. It's okay, I croaked big time on my speech, but George saved us! I really wish we could have talked more earlier in the semester, but the times we had were fun at the Tea house with Charleen and fighting with her Internet. Good luck to you, Diana. Take care!
Veronica Vasquez
English 103
Cerritos College
Post# Almost Final, damn it
Continued!
Janice: Wtf Janice lol. You are so damn quirky it's hilarious. We really should hang out more, you'd keep me entertained for daaaaaays. I love your beatboxing skills, they were mad. MAD Beatboxing skills, I tell ya! And you get so easily entertained with my Dragons in my phone lol. So yeah, you're a major-dork. Take good care of yourself!
Samantha N.: Sadly, we didn't get to talk much with each other, but your son did keep me entertained on the bus ride to that one museum with the giant Ipod. That kid is so adorable. When you brought him into class was the best! Although, I was slightly disappointed, 'cause I figured he'd talk over Mr. Hsiao and stuff. He's too well-behaved in my opinion! ;) Oh, and your cookies are the BOMBDIGGITY. And your son walks slow lol, I passed you walking back to the parking lot to get my lunch, and lapped you on my way back and you STILL weren't there yet lol. Really cute though. CONGRATS ON NEW BABY! Take good care of yourself and your family!
Samantha S.: Even though we also didn't get to talk much with each other, I still feel like I know a LOT about you. You are so outspoken and smart, it's almost inspiring, y'know? Like, I can really see you as the world's best role model lol. Maybe because you were able to keep those kids at the Food giveaway so attentive and happy. Not me, I hate kids sorta. Glad I never was one! But yeah, I really hope I see you in semesters to come, your input on things is always interesting!
Gabriela: I could've sworn I had you in my High School years, but we totally went to different schools lol. You are the very definition of FIERCE, WOMAN. I was slightly intimidated, and I was at the other edge of the class from you! But yeah, I think the only interaction we had was when we went to the restrooms last week lol, which was still kinda funny. Good luck with your future studies!
Jasmine: Amg you had a baby! That was so cool! I don't know why, but it was! lol And we got to see baby pictures! And we threw a baby shower for you even though you weren't there! And Mr. Hsiao gave away your balloon to some random lady like a jerk! Anywho, it was really nice talking to you for the time that we did. I know I asked a lot of questions about your experience, but it was too painful of a description to not ask, as weird as that sounds lol. Anywho, I wish you the very best for you and your future family!
Alyssa: So, we totally met before and I had completely forgot lol. Well, not before, but while I was trying to sell my old crappy math book. Can you believe that lady wouldn't let me sell it to you unless I erased EVERY single answer I wrote in it? Not even worth the trouble to sell. But yeah, I hope that helped you a lot, even though some of my answers were like, "Draw the radius of the circle:" My answer: "Ok." lol I hated that work-in book. Anywho, it was great to have you for English. I hope I see you in future semesters!
Christina: I know we only talked like, last week, but it was still fun having to meet you on the last day lol. The snow/mountain talk was fun, and you really do have a bright personality. Oh, and your collage was adorable lol. We should keep in touch after this though. It was fun waiting it out 'til the last minute with you last week! Take good care!
Talia: I'm obsessed on how gorgeous your eyes are! Also on the last day, when we first talked, I couldn't stop staring! They're so shiny! lol You are such a smart girl, and I can see why Mr. Hsiao talks so highly of you, among others. The best part is you're not all high and mighty, very very down to earth and peaceful lol. Easy to talk to! I had fun talking to you with everyone last week, but I wish I could have gotten to know you better! Maybe I'll see you in another semester, hopefully! 'til then, take good care of yourself!
Veronica Vasquez
English 103
Cerritos College
Post # This stupid thing needs to accept more than 40,036 characters at a time.
3rd Cont'!
Art: Again, sadly we didn't get to know each other better, but I can see your huge love for Ray lol. It's cute, in a non-gayway. You guys are like glue and butter! Wait, glue and sticks? Maybe glue with feathers... but glue does stick to everything. So maybe butter does work! I'm sure you'd make it work somehow in an awesome essay/poem though lol. Hopefully I see you in future semesters. Take care of Ray and yourself!
Carlo: Dude, I think all I know about you is that you make some killer poems, and like Rave music. I love Techno/Rave. I actually plan to mate with Tiesto in the near future, he just doesn't know it yet. Every time you tell your stories of raves, Armin Van Buuren I think it was you saw? Paul Oakenfold maybe? Anywho, I'd get filled with envy lol. I'm not into concerts, but I know if it were a Techno/Rave one with one of my fav Dj's, I'd love it. Hook me up, yo'!
Andrew: So, we didn't really get to talk much with each other, and I totally confused your sport with Lacrosse lol, oops. RUGBY! But yeah, I loved reading your posts, since you were one of the last stragglers still posting on this damn thing. Your arguments were so clear and passionate, I couldn't wait at times to read your next, or your opinion on others, like the Facebook one. Great! Anywho, hope to have you in other classes, maybe hear you speak up more often with your lovely input! Take care.
Alonso: I think only thing we have in common that I found was our love for Jalopies. I nodded my head when you spoke of you fixing up your car. And I know it takes a long ass time to finish those just the way you want them. I've been working on my 66 mustang since '07, and I still have a long ways to go with details. It's fun though, working on it as much as driving it! Anywho, I wish you the best of luck on your baby. Show it off!
Zach: Again, we really didn't talk much up until that last day where you shared your research topic with me. It was very interesting too, especially with the interesting theories behind the football helmets. I can see the passion you are filled with right through your eyes, and when you sang us your Irish Lullaby, I sat in admiration for the love of your family members, well, some. I never got to meet my grandparents, so I love hearing stories of people like you that were fortunate enough to have them at one point. You're a great singer by the way lol. Take good care of yourself.
Mr. Hsiao: Bye!
Tess Elizondo
English 100
CC
When you say goodbye I say hello!
WOW! This class for starters was more than amazing. I would never have imagined that this class would become my family. Everyone is so special to me, and your faces will always be engraved in my heart.
Priscilla- Gosh... I love your little shack that you do with your shoulders haha. I am really glad that we got to know eachother this semester. I know last semester we had the same class, but you sat on the other side of the room. You seriously made me laugh everytime I saw you. Thanks for being awesome. There is nobody like you.
Audrey- Ha wow where can I even start with you. Awesome, Unique, Daring, Rowdy (in a good way), Energectic, and Youthful. Thank you for being yourself. Whether you were in a good mood or not. Thanks for the hug boo.
Janelle- I am so glad that we are going to continue being in the same class. Ha I look foward to going to your bachelorette party!!! But overall you are so bubbly. Especially on the last days of school. Thank you for giving me a hug after my poem.
Jessica- You are one of the sweetest girls I know. Thank you for being such a great hostess. I can never forget the group debated, and our little kickback you had. Thank you for the rides home. I hope we can still keep in touch even though we are not going to have the same english next year.
Brian- You are always in a good mood. Thats the best part!! You are one of the nicest guys I know. Oh, by the way thank you for getting my boyfriend drunk at Jessica's potluck.
Jenny- I am so glad that I got the chance to meet you. You are such nice person. I know the class hasnt gotten the cake pops yet, but I want to thank you ahead of time.
Sandra- Your girls are beautiful. Ha, I remember the first day you were my partner I interviewed an presented to the class. I wish we would have gotten to know eachother througout the semester, but thats okay because I know you are a great person.
Michael- Well the whole class knows that you are one of the smartest people in class. On top of that, you have a great personality. The class would not have been the same without you.
Mr.Hsiao- You are literally my favorite professor. You have taught me to be comfortable with myself. I am one of those students who start college with you, and end... well to be honest I do want to keep in contact with you even if I am not one of your students. I agree with Janelle when she said that you like a father figure. You have taught me things my owm father never had the time to teach me. You have heard me out when I needed advice. You will always be an AWESOME teacher!! I cant wait to see what you have instore for us next semester. Well actually I can haha.
Celina Rivera
English 100
Cerritos College
Post ahhh what does it matter
FAREWELL>>>>FAREWELL...i would have started to sing the song, but then I thought no one could here me so I decided never mind. Please I sing, did you not know...lol)
Anyways...
Overall this class has been an amazing experience even if it felt like a roller coaster that I wanted to get off. The lessons I learned will be instilled in me forever. I was all to come together with a bunch of halogens. Well lets begin...
Esme..
What can I say about you? I got to know this girl who has a big heart, but shetters it from pain. I love all you cap lock blogs. I am glad that I sat next to because on the first day of class and for other that do not know her they would think she is shy. That is not the truth at all and I was able to find out that there is a wild woman who is ready to explore life.
Ana
Your a so genuine. I do jot think I could ever meet another person like you. I love your unique fashion. When you speak you have a low voice, but always manage to get you point across.
Anthony
You have this kiddish personality about you which makes me feel young. Do not be embarrassed because wow I met another side of you at the museum. Keep cooking because my stomache will keep rumbling. OH yeah what happen to the Mexican rice? I am still waiting lol!!!1
Jean Carlo
Words can not describe you. I thought you were quit like a mouse..oh wait you are!!! The person that I met on the field trip has so many things to say and when people get you one on one we learn that. Your of writing is amazing. Speak UP!
Jenny
Girl I love that you are so open and accepting. I am glad I got to spend the day with your amazing family. I love that you speak you mind at all cost. Please stop... no i am just kidding. Your great person overall. I would love to keep in touch. Especially us January babies.
Cathrina
I love that you always have opinion whether it comes out of not. I hope to see a wedding picture later down the road. I like your relationship that you have with your best friend. I like that you guys can go back and fourth just to make you points. Do not be afraid to tell it like it is!! I know you do and that is a good quality.
Janelle
I set next to you and thought this girl can never stay still. I thought I was frigidity. lol You were always drawing with your highlighters. You random comments on discussion were interesting because you got Michael good.
Audrey
Your very loud, but that's what make you who you are. Not all can carry this quality. Lets get a beer...
Tess
You are an inspiration to talk about thing that hurt to others even you have not known them that long. Have a drink for me a a bar oh wait your not 21. i thought it was you will those shots. Just kidding i know you can not wait!!!
Priscilla
You will be an amazing actress. Keep it going. I am glad that you told me to never speak up. I blame it all on you. (Opposite)
Andy
You tripped my out when I had you in my group the for the first paper. Them I came to know you and you have a great personality. You have interesting doodles. Plus I remember you doing all assignhments in a few hours and thought you were not going to finish. You did and it came out great. Loved the collage.
Brenda
you sat on the opposite side of me so I did not know who you were until you spoke your mind. Your are very passionate and expressive in your word. Plus sitting next to at the potluck making ask questions for me was fun.
Belinda
You did it and I am happy for you!! Keep going push yourself. Happy you had more to say at the end of the class....
Steven
When I think of you I think gamer. I also thought your are very very unique. You have good ideas and thoughts. Tell us about them.
Arcie
I thought this girl has kids no way. I admire you being able to be a single mom and stay in school.
Raul
Keep talk because you kill time in class. lol I like what you have to say. The way in which you speak will get you fair. (Just no fights)
Trini
I like that you reminded me of when I was young. I use to have pick high tops. i also like that you changed it up for a bit and we all got to see a different side of you. I am thankful that you were able to talk about you hard times.
Ibeth
GO PSYCHOLOGY...
You have been through a lot. I can see why you want to work with youth. You are very quit, but somehow manages to make all us girls cry.
Adrian
Thank you!! You are a great English teacher. You help me. you have a natural calmness. Oh yeah stop taking up all the parking spots!!!
Jaime
Your debate is what I remember you for because you said it so natural as though you met it. Wait maybe you did...now you have me thinking!! Which I would of heard more from you.
Monique
So quite, but not so quite. It is interesting that you can call dumb. Stop putting yourself down J/K. When I sat next to in our you we both looked at one another in confusion. You have great ideas, thought and when you speak I say wow. I liked reading your blogs because that is where the true you can out.
Sarai
I am glad I got to know you on our long walks. You and I shared some great class discussions. I caught you taking a bunch in class. I am telling, no it was funny. Your are very friendly person.
Brian
hmmmm what to say.
I could honestly say you reminded for an energy drink. Some days you had more energy then the whole class. You are like a teddy bear' tough on the outside and soft on the inside. You portray many great qualities. In a way you brought the class together. I am sorry I did not go to your birthday party.
Sandra
I like the way you are an independent woman. Your have so much roar in you. I like the way you teach your daughter to be so independent. You I can say have a tough inside but sweet to. i am happy I got meet you and your family. Try to stick with what you said in your debate!
Michael
THANK YOU!!!THANK YOU waited did I say THANK YOU.
I really appreciate the help you gave me on my paper. I love that your kids are little mini yous. You are great dad. When stand next to you I feel like an ant. Your wording is amazing and quiet inspiring.
Lulu
I remember hearing some of your jokes about the friend and they were funny. You are nice, sweet and funny person.
Martha
Your mom is a great cook. You are a great big sister. I am happy I met you on the walks to. I am glad I know you. Keep working hard. OH YEAH GO USC!!!
Celina Rivera
continued
Yesica
Thank for having us over. I look forward to staying in contact with you. Your a very trusting person. You we a great host. Your funny and it was funny when your face turned red when Professor Hsiao read your papers. I enjoyed you in both my groups and sitting near you for a temporary time.
Overall I would not trade the group for people that I had in my class because you were like my little family. Good luck to all on future endeavors.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Samantha Navarro
English 103
Cerritos College
Post: LAST!!!
Ok so by now my brain has gone up in smoke. Because of the holiday season I got a lot more work than I can handle, plus this last weekend my cousin came to visit from Mexico.. perfect timing to keep me away from studying for finals! Anyway, I'm glad this class got more laid back at the end of the semester, which gave me a chance to catch up with my other classes. Oh yea this is supposed to be a good-bye huh?
Well I am glad I took Mr. H this semester. It's interesting to hear my classmates voices when we are given a chance to speak and truly give our opinion. I will truly take away from each personality from the class, even though I did not talk much, I was definetly listening :) Well this really isn't a good-bye because we might bump into each other in 102 (MAYBE! lol)...
Edilu Medina
English 100
CC
Last Post
Farewell to my classmates
Brenda- I enjoyed your way of speaking. You did not do so often, but when you did I was always attentive to hear what you would say
Audrey, Priscilla & Janelle- 3 front oldies of Mr. Hsiao would light the class, in some funny moments.Always saw like a clip or skit coming up amongst u 3
Andyyyyyyy- Your such a mellow funny guy. I love your hair, I always thought you should be in those hair product commercials.Oh and you should totally invent the smoothie machine! lol
Belinda- We started the journey of coming back to school and now we have completed the first step. Congrats and wish you the best in school.
Celina - I didnt get to interact with you as much, but you seem very intelluctial young woman who has a great amount of potential. You will go far.
Esme- My little attacker, I enjoyed working together we made a great team, and hope to stay in touch for future banda partys lol
Javier- I loved your passion for the western bacon cheeseburger.. lol you are a funny guy and like everybody has mentioned wish you would have spoken up more,
Steven- I did not hear much from you, I did hear great references from last semester.
Arcie- Your a sweet mom and person I believe I wanna say super trooper.
Tess- I never heard you speak but when you spoke about your poems, did not control the water works.
Raul- My opposing person, I did enjoy debating against you lol but other than that I liked your way of speaking and the knowledge you have. Your like an encyclopedia on the go. Also true you spoke your mind, not for arguments but your own perspective.
Adrian- I envy your parking spot advantage.. lol but other than that you are a unique talented writer. I did want to kick you after the debate in class but I give you props for creativity. Yes you did sound like a broken record jk, and I did not know you questioned the attire for debates. lol
Izbeth- Your story touched me. Your silenced killed me, lol I read your blogs and I think you should have contributed more to discussions in class.
Trini- I will also miss our laughter about our best friend,thank you for not gettin into that because im already laughing. I bought you a tent already lol
Ana- Your such a poet, the way you dress, express yourself, write I loved it. I wish their would have been more interaction between us and everytime I see flowers I see ana :)
Antonio- You are such a character in a good way, wish you to be the next emeril and open that future restaurant im sure this class will be your first customers. Especially if your cooking spagheti-os lol
JEAN CARLO- Adore the name first of all!! lol I enjoyed talking to you, you gave me a lot of heads up and helped me on papers especially when my mind was blank, but other than that you have a way of writing and speaking of it that it makes me wanna write a one page essay. lol I can see a future book author: Jean Carlo published in Professor Hsiaos Class
Cathrina And Jenny- I thought you were related when I first met you.Cathrina wow you are inspiration with no rest and get your sh** done, Jenny a caring mom which I never got to meet janelle, hopefully in the future will take her to alondras. Also thank you for the intro of cake pops I been refering them to people.
BRIAN- Man amigo you are something else, you are a lovable person even by my next door neighbor who has never met you but Im sure she will love you. Your charisma to life has gotten the best of everyone. I wish you the best, and maybe in the future stomp the floor with some tamborazo. Oh and will treasure the "research paper talk" , lets not speak of it again.. lol
Yessica- You are a sweethart, nurturer and a doll. I think mother teresa has competition lol your such a caring person, I hope to remain in touch with you.
Edilu Medina
English 100
CC
Last Post Cont..
AMIGA!!!- Zingie you know who you are ! Since the first encounter I knew we would evolve more than classmates, I heart you n ur sis I know we will remain friends you are an amazing person, who is in love with the giants lol As our friendship goes expect a load more of zingies and alondras !I enjoyed being your neighbor, computer lab buddy, study buddy, field trip buddy and many more moments that we cherished under the fall of Poli Sci and english.
MARTHA- Mard go girl! If Im your mega 3000 your like my 3 milllion I adore you as u read above, your awesome,caring funny Especially in Alondras.. you always have something wonderful to advice me n my fries LOL so yeah dont post those convos their personal.More to that you rock too! yes we have initiated a tradition in our Monday Alondras night.Go girl!n your welcome for the wet nap lol
Monique- I enjoyed our one night Alondras( sounds romantic )lol,as well I wish I would have heard you speak up more in class..You have so much talent
Sandra- The rebel little woman with so much passion, I was always intrigued to what would be the next thing you would say. I completely valued your thoughts on how media was exposing women as objects when their is so much more to them other than their body.
P.s your girls are adorable
Last but not least - the BREEZE GIVER. wooooosh (thats the breeze) lol I owe you so much!! you were like a big papa bear who always helped me get the honey from the tree, always gave me that boost to reach. Made me believe, you will never be forgotten I thank you and will miss you and ok I love ya too.(gettin all mushy) THANK YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN!!
Oh wait how can I forget last person Professor Hsiao lol jk as the letter has said I thank you for evolving my view of life, will treasure it and the fundamentals you have provided to carry on in the future.I cant imagine having a better English teacher who has so much passion and was able to form a class full of students into one big happy family. (I should write this in my hand for saturday I believe there will be another roast no?) lol Sing some carly simon lol jk. Thank you and farewell.
After this class I just want to quote journey " dont stop believing!"
**Wish you all the best********
Belinda Reed
English 100
Cerritos College
Goodby to English 100
While goodbys seems so permanant, and though I barely know but a few names, like Jenny, Martha, Moniquie, because you guys were part of my debate team. I would like to say that this class has been interesting to me. I learned a whole lot about my self from all of you. But mostly you Mr. Hsiao, You have taught me what is like to truely be a college student.It was so funny when I emailed you to please send my my homework assignment due to the fact that I had been absent from class. Only after sending you the E-mail did I realize that you are not a babysitter by no means.We are all groan now and we need to treat school in that manor. But needless to say. I will miss all of you.
Stephanie Farano
GWC
English 110
Post # 15678
I would like to Thank everyone in Hsiao's GWC english 110 class for such a great classroom experience. I, like Bee, feel it is a shame that I did not take more of Hsiao's classes. There are very few teachers that promote student interaction with such successful results. Doing group projects and being placed in random class groups, is not what I consider a "great" interaction with fellow classmates. I have truly enjoyed getting to know everyone and feel that I am walking away from this classroom with only positive thoughts.
Jon- I will remember you as the amazing creative writer who let me borrow $2 for parking on my first field trip:) Thank you!
Archie- The guy that asks a lot of questions and brings an interesting point of view to every conversation. Good Luck with the fishing trips!!
Danielle- My group partner and now facebook friend!
Kara- The "child whisper" you are such a caring person with great things in your future! Your are going to be an amazing teacher.
Bee- I love talking to Bee, maybe it is her caring point of view or strong sense of self. People gravitate toward Bee and that is a great personal characteristic. Congratulations getting into the nursing program, you are going to do great things!!
Jasmine- We have spent little time together other than the field trips, but you have a large heart and I admire your strength to take personal experience and help others. You are going to make a big difference in a lot of people's lives...:)
Leydi- I love running into you around school because I am guaranteed a great big happy smile. I remember seeing you in the student enter right after I finished a horrid math test...you may not know this, but seeing your familiar face with contagious smile made me feel better :)
Kayla- You are such a sweet girl there are not many people who offer to help a girl they just met with Math homework....but you did! Thank you for always being so nice!!
Everyone has been so great this year! Thank you Hsiao for creating such an amazing atmosphere to wake up to for the last few months.
Longest post I have ever done
Diana Amezcua
English 103
Cerritos College
Post????
Finally we are done....but it doesnt mean that I enjoyed every class meeting, even those that I had to speak up. I am usually not this quiet, I am actually more social but for some weird reason always get scared when it comes to school presentations. Let me just say that I felt a lot more comfortable by the end of the semester and it was mainly because of the community we had build in class. At the beginning it was a hassle coming to class, but later actually enjoyed attendind. I would like to thank those that were really patient with me and always willing to help out...Samantha N, Gabriela, Veronica, Charleen, George and many others. A special thanks to Mr. Hsiao for letting me dicover more about myself in your class. Also your help when needed and those amazing readings that made me grow more as a person. I am really going to miss this class, my classmates and the fieldtrips.
Romero, George
English 103
CC
post # why does it matter
Final blog
well it has been three long semesters since i first had the Hsiao experiance and i have to admit that i am glad that i did. ive made new friends from many different backgrounds and lifestyles only to feel welcomed within all of them. it truly is akward saying that this is my last day but at the same time exiciting. i feel as though i have grown from this experiance and am so eager to test it on the world. i truly hope that all of you have gotten somthing out of this class whether it be your first or last semester. so a merry christmas to all and goodluck in whatever it is life throws at you. dont forget, stay gold....
Sarika Vaswani
English 103
CC
Post.. FINAL!?
Awwwwwww, I really can't believe the semester is over. I feel like it dragged on.. but I feel like it went by super fast as well. WEIRD. I am seriously going to miss this class! It truly is one of a kind. I know I did not mingle with a lot of you guys this semester, but I feel like I got to know all of you indirectly. I may have no said much, but I sure did pay a lot of attention to what was going on around me, and let me just say.. I will remember you all and the stories you had to share(I promise I'm not a creeper though =P) Let's see..
Art- You're so funky fresh. I know I was pretty sarcastic with you at times, but real talk.. you are one cool guy. I loved hearing you speak, especially when you would start every story with, "It's funny cuz.." :] You are such an intelligent person, and I'm glad I got to meet you and get to know you. Good luck with everything you do! I promise to continue bugging you on Myspace.
Ray- You's a funny foo.. that wears grandpa panchos. I always loved hearing your input in our discussions. When it comes down to it, you are one of the most smartest and nicest guys I have ever met.. cynical, but great nonetheless. No worries, I shall keep posting on your random bulletins :] And also, as far as girls go.. it's their loss.. big time.
George- AHHHHHHHH George.. you're great! You're just so great, it's like ZOMG status. You really made me feel at home when I first started out in this class, and for that.. I thank you. I love your rants.. they are so insightful and fun to listen to. Oh and when it comes to girls, you are just too nice.. STOP IT! You have such a big heart, and I think everyone can really see that.. just be cautious. You know my digits kind sir, I'll always be here if you need a friend :]
Raul- I am still mad at you for not being able to sit in our 103 class tsk tsk. Even so, you are one unique person and it was always a pleasure hearing you speak. I'll never forgot last semester, when I was struggling with the final paper.. you really encouraged me to keep moving forward.. and I thank you for that :] I will miss you! But I shall be seeing you.. on facebook =P
Alyssa- Girl, you so bomb! I loved getting to talk to you more this semester. You always find something interesting to talk to me about.. whether it was about your parties, or your family. I love your spunk! I'll be following you.. on facebook! woohoo :]
Carlos- You got jokes my friend. It was really nice getting to talk to you this semester! I always thought you were quiet and shy, but oh no.. you can talk and talk and talk =P You are so smart, keep applying yourself foo!
Michelle- You are so sweet! I enjoyed meeting you this semester and it was fun always bagging on Carlos hehe. I am sure we will keep in touch :]
Samantha S- I think you are a super cool girl! Sadly, we didn't get to talk much until the very last day of class.. but when we did, it was amazing! Thank you for listening to me rant about my boy problems and thank you SO much for the advice, it meant a lot! :]
Talia- I think you are gorgeous! Everyday I admired what you wore to class.. you inspire me :D
I'm starting to draw blanks here.. but to everyone, it was a pleasure meeting you all! I wish you all nothing but the best of luck in your futures and I hope to run into any of you on campus.
Lastly Mr. Hsiao, It's not goodbye, it's see you later. Once we have taken part in your class, there is no escaping you :] haha, jokes. No, but really.. you have impacted my life in more ways than one and I thank you for that. Your classes have created this desire in me to escape my ignorant/sheltered bubble and venture out. I am SO excited! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! I promise to keep in touch and sit in your 102 class from time to time.
Yi-Hui Chiang
English 103
Cerritos College
Post # last one!
In a few more hours, we’ll be done with the final. I can’t wait! This semester has been ~!@#$%^&*()#$%^&*()…a mess! But it’s okay! It’s okay to mess up sometime; we don’t need to be perfect, do we? That’s also one thing I have learned from the class and all the readings. I really don’t know where to start… I would say, I like this class, and I don’t like this class! I like it because everyone in class is so cool and has so many personalities. As the semester went on, we got to know some people and started to show care and support to each other. A lot of you have been an encouragement to me. The stories you guys shared, the insights into different issues, and the emotions revealed in class all have taught me valuable lessons. On the other hand, I don’t like class sometimes just because for some reasons I couldn’t do well as everyone else did. I felt like I didn’t contribute enough to this class. Toward the end of semester, I kinda opened up myself more, and unknowingly I began to care about the class. Thank you to those of you who have offered me helps and brought me warmth. Special thanks to Veronica, Diana, George, Jonathan, Janice, Christina, maybe I don’t know you guys enough, but thank you for giving me a hand and being friendly. =) The last, but most important person I have to thank is you, Mr. Hsiao. I’m seeing you as a special counselor, thanks for every listening to me! I look up to you like an old wise man, but you are not old, I know! You have been one of the teachers that have influenced me a lot. I wish I could take your 102 class, but I really can’t… But everything you have taught me I’ll remember, thank you and Bye!
Jon Croft
English 110
Golden West College
Post #38
The Last Bow
Not that I bow, of course. I am more apt to give a slight nod of my head, instead of a flourishing man-curtsy.
I do suppose I should give a wee bit of a nod to those of you who amazed me almost as much as I amaze myself.
Myself: I just wanted to thank me for doing everything that I do, and making your lives that much better because I was in them. I was there for you when you cried, when you laughed, when you bought a crusty french loaf from Ralphs, and when you went skydiving.
Brandon: English was all about me, sorry, but hanging around with you in our history class will be one of my most prized POSSESSIONS EH? Especially when that one goth chick kept asking if we were on drugs, that was priceless.
Tom: Grammy Museum, return trip. 'Nuff said. Go out there and build stuff and get in fights.
Josh: There never will be a more talented 16 year old ninja. Unless you are in fact 19, in which case, you are freakin terrible. You too should build stuff, most likely ninja traps and backflip devices, and get in fights, but like the ninja fights where you totally flip out and kill people. You mentioned something about a RedBox 360 on one occasion, so I am assuming that was a roundaboot way of asking for my help with winning at video games. I will assist if you need me.
Mr. Hsiao: I wrote you a letter already, you ain't gettin jack up in dis here place.
Everyone else: I would say nice things about you, but it would probably just end up with me being a narcissistic egomaniacal narcissist and talking about myself, kind of like right now. I still love all of you, with the space in my heart that is not devoted to me, myself, Jon Croft, my family, wanton violence, backflips, motorcycles, and bread. Cheers.
Kayla Marley
English 110
Golden West College
Final Goodbye.
This is my final goodbye...for this semester. Honestly this semester I did not post as much as I would like to have. Taking statistics I devoted all my time to the class. When I did come on to post I would look through other people's posts and I loved reading about everyone's "thoughts and impressions of class". I really liked getting to know people in this class. Everyone has such a great heart, and even though there was a butt load of readings and postings we were all able to discuss the stories in a great matter. I loved going on all the field trips and recommend to anyone who is going to take Mr. Hsiao to go on the field trips, not only does one get extra credit but they also get to know new people. This class has been a great experience and I am so thankful for all the opportunaties Mr. Hsiao has given us.
Does anyone else realize this is ANOTHER assignment for us students to feed Mr. Hsiao's ego? :p
Goodluck to everyone!
Kyle Umbarger
English 100
Golden West
Post "top gun"
I believe it was Saturday morning when I found my way to see the Hollicaust speaker. He was a slender gray haired man who had the most peculiar vioce. I got there on a productive day, so I actually followed him when he talked to the crowd about how he was a jewish boy that grew up in the time of WWII in Nazi Germany. He went into detail about how his parents saved him from being murdered in a concentration camp. He explained that he went off to live with his uncle i believe, in upper germany. His uncle then shipped him up through the canals in Denmark where he landed in Amsterdam. He then got shipped off to a close-knit small town outside of Amsterdam where a family took him in. He told about how the family would let him freely walk around the house, and included him in their family. He explained two things that could have given him away. First, there were no family pictures in the house that included him, and second, his name started with the same letter as the boy who lived there, which was very uncommon in that culture. He explained how he got his way, and has been on a journey to remember his past. It was very interesting.
Jenny Guzman
English 100
Cerritos College
Post BYE BYE Tear : ‘’
Oh my lanta, what can I say about this class. This is my third year taking Prof Hsiao, (why I don’t know) haha J/K. This class has seem to be the closest one yet. Prof Hsiao I want to thank for all your help through these three years. You have made me best the person I can be and thank you for pushing me to continue in your class. I know sometimes I forget you are my professor first then my friend, but thank you for understanding my crazy antics. I can not wait for another year of torture.. I mean of learning haha. Fanboys for life!!
I am going to jock everyone style for this farewells too!! HAHA
Andy.. I only maybe talked to you for about a total of 30minutes this whole semester. What I gather you seem like a very smart kid. I did enjoy your input in all the readings. So I wish the best in what you do.
Martha… Wow what can I say about my "pretty Martha". I want to say I am glad that I kept bumping you when class first started. I am also glad you did not sock me because I kept doing it. I want to thank you for your advice when Janelle was sick. I want to say I am glad you did not run away when I told you a secret that not a lot people know. Thank you for helping me out with the debates (wink wink ; )~ ). I am happy we are friends out of class too!! You’re great!!
Adrian.. My cool homie that I force my friendship on. Thank you for helping me on my 1st paper. Thank you for listening to my silly rants about anything. Thank you for being such a cool guy with me and sharing the stories you have. Not to make anyone Jealous but you get 2 cake pops!! Haha. I really loved your poem to your woman. It was sweet. Be good my friend.
Brenda.. Wow girl you seem quite but your crazy!! In a good way of course, I love your passion in the debates. We didn’t speak much, but when you did speak, I did enjoy what said. Also I wish the best in what you do.
Arcie.. Thank you my fellow mom!! Thank you on your advice on kids. Thank you for listening to my worried thought about my kid. Thank you for being a nice person. I am happy you have your MAN back and I hope you enjoy the time you have with him. Good luck with the wedding plans. Take care my friend
Priscilla… To my little drama major, I will never forget your little shimmy you do when you’re happy. I love your little impov. Thank for kindness and friendship. I wish we would have talked a little more, but I did enjoy are conversation.
Two more..
Tess… thanks for letting us in and telling us about what happened. I am sorry that it did happened but like Adrian said keep your head up. You’re a very smart girl and I hope we remain friends for the next class. Take care!!
Audrey… my Velveeta cheese. Wow I am glad you come up to me last year when I spoke in you class. You are a mini me. Hopefully we can go on fieldtrips next year. I will miss your voice though. Behave my friend!!
Celina.. My little friend. I am glad we hung out on the fieldtrip. You were soo good with my little brat. Thank you for that. I sssoo wanna hang out when our birthdays come. Thank you for your friendship. Have fun!!
Esme… we didn’t talk too much but I did enjoy reading posts. Hope all goes well for you.
Belinda… Thank you for being on my debate team. I knew were going to be great. Wish you the best.
Raul… I am glad you were able to be in our class, even though you are in English 103. You seem like a smart cookie and hope everything works out for you. I just wish you and Michael had a longer debate!! Haha.
Michael.. Michael, Michael, Michael don’t you know when a girl hits you it’s a good thing. Don’t you remember elementary school? Girls hit boys they like, but is a totally friends way. I do not need your wife coming and hurting me. I greatly enjoyed your input on the reading. Thank you for being the nice guy you are. Take care of your beautiful family.
Ana.. Oh wow Ana thanks for explaining the whole Twilight thing to me. Also thank you for book you lent me. You are truly sweet. I love your passion and thank you for being my friend.
Trini… To my little rocker chick.. or death metal chick. I am glad we became friends through this semester. I wish I can understand your music but I will still continue to try. I wish you the best in life. Hope we another class again.
Cathrina… Cathrina you should speak up more so everyone can hear your profound thoughts. Thanks for whipping me to do my homework. Thanks for helping me out as much as you did. I can not wait to have you in class again. I do love our talks on the way to our cars. Take care and see you next semester.
Monique.. my shy little friend. I knew I was making a great choice in picking you in the debates. You are so sweet and nice once you start talking. I did like all your post and input. Take care and hope I see you around school.
Sandra.. AKA little pit fire. Wow is all I have to say. I love our debates bout modern music. I greatly enjoyed are talks. So super sweet until someone gets you mad. Haha j/k take care of yourself and those cute babies!!
one more
Brian.. keep being your lovable self. Thanks for being good with my kid. Take care of yourself with your fight.
Jessica… I love your input on everything. You are so cute when you help everyone with that big smile on your face. Good luck in anything you do.
Janelle… I love when you have cute little blonde moments then you turn around speak profoundly. Thanks for being a sweetie pie this whole semester. Good luck with those wedding plan. Also behave.
Jamie.. You are so funny. Why you keep it all lock up? You need to show everyone the real you, not this shy guy. Take care.
Ibeth.. I wish I could have gotten my claws into you. I bet I could have made you talk more. I am glad you shared your letter with us. Good luck in life.
Jean Carlo… what can I say about my snappy dresser friend. I am happy you have open up more and show people how smart you are. I am glad you were in my class again. Hope to see you around.
Steven.. I wish you show that loud Salvadorian side. I really did not talk to you too much, but when I did it show you are pretty cool. Take care.
Antonio… I am glad you sat next me. You a funny dude I hope you cooking take off and you’re the next Rachel ray. HAHA (sorry I don’t know any guys cooks) take care.
Sarai… I love to say your name!! If I spelled it wrong sorry. Well I wish people can see you when you all loud and stuff. You’re so nice and hecka smart. Take care of yourself little one.
Lulu.. Lulu I know we have met in another life. Just thanks for being so nice and sweet to me. Thanks for waking me up to Alondra’s hot wings. Thanks for help in everything. Take care my friend.
I hope that’s everyone. This was such a good class and I could not be happier. To all the Golden West students, you guys are coo too. Thanks for you input on my blogs.
Hope everyone has a merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate and a happy and safe new year!!
sorry I forgot to separate them haha, you can find your name. ahaha
Tien Tran
English 110
GWC
Holocaust Speaker
Last Friday was actually my second time listening to the speaker. And for the second time around, I was still astounded for the depth of his knowledge concerning his own journey on Earth. One sentence of information probably took him years to uncover, making long phone calls and trekking across the world for the authenticity of it.
When I went back to Vietnam this past summer, I remember i planned to fully complete my family tree and follow the cause of a family symptom to see if it will continue. After a couple of days, I kind of forgot about it …
… and never finished it. =[
So for him to be so enriched and so in tune with his family tree is something we should applaud him for. I wish one day I was passionate just like him!
His feelings of compassion and understanding also overpowered the hatred that many have … now that is something powerful.
Beatrice Fisher
English 110
GWC
My last post
Hmm, what to write? One, I am very glad that this is my last blog. :) I mean, at the moment, I am crazy busy working on my research paper and now am having to take time to post. It seems that this has been the way it happened all semester. I have a pretty busy life, and I'm always having to stop do my postings. But well, this is it. :) I smile because blogging was never my favorite thing to do, but in all actuallity, I am REALLY going to miss this class. I will miss those great discussions. I'll miss all Archies questions. :) I'll miss the depth in Kayla's perspective. I guess while I'm here and writing about Archie, I'll share a funny story. While we were practicing for our debates, my group had this ongoing joke that if for some reason we ran out of things to say before time, we would ask Archie a question. It played out like this: Archie, what do you think about the recidivism rate? Archie would then respond: Can you please repeat the question? LOL! 30 seconds! When all else fails ask Archie a question to buy time. :) We had fun with it. We even considered accidentally dropping our pencil....ooops (there got us 10 seconds) :). Anyway, Mr. Hsiao, you already should understand what JOY i have taken from this class. I miss it already. But as much as I could probably write a novel, I have tons more work to do on my research paper. So, I am off...bidding my farewell to the blogosphere.
Sarai Vazquez
English 100
Cerritos College
Post ....
Goodbyes :(
All I have to say is that I have enjoyed this class more than any other college class I have taken in forever. Everyone as so cool and laid back and we all got so close. It is going to be hard to say goodbye to you all L. I am going to go by rows and write about everyone like everyone else did..I’ll start with
Brenda: girl thank you soooooooo much for keeping me alive through debates. I could have sworn I was going to die up there and you just kept telling me it was going to be ok. Thank you so much for that, because if it weren’t for you I don’t know how I would have gotten through it. Thanks also for helping me out with my cave paper. You had some really good points and I took every single piece of advice that you gave me and put it in my paper. You are one cool chick! Good luck in school and everything you do in life J
Andy: man it was so fun to hang out with you on field trips. You and your friend (I totally forgot her name sorry) were really cool to hang around and kept us laughing with the way that you guys interacted. I thought it was cool how you bring in your vans for the show and tell .it reminded me of my chuck taylors that I had in high school for like ever and had gone to hell and back with me.. you were a funny dude when you spoke and I enjoyed having you in class.. good luck in life
Pricilla: you were something else. I loved the way that you would be excited to tell us about your adventures. You were always so happy and giddy I liked it. You always had some good points and it was good to hear them. Good luck in his class next semester.. and power to you for taking him again!
Tess: I give you props for being able to talk about when you went through growing up. You are now such a strong person because of it. It was fun hanging out with you at jessica’s get together and at the wetland field trip. You and your boyfriend are so cute. The best of luck!
Audrey: Man I just love the way you are. You were always so straight forward with people. I always wished I could be like that. I loved how you always had something to contribute to the discussions and it was always so good. You are a one of a kind person and I love that about you. Good luck life!
Janelle: you are so funny. It was fun getting to know you while we waited for Mr. Hsiao to get to class every day. You were always so happy and had something to say about everything. Way to stand up to Michael when he went up to say his poems..hahaha. you are a one of a kind girl and it was great getting to know you a little better. Hope you and your fiancé get to be together soon J
Celina: I enjoyed our walks to your class every Wednesday. We would talk about the most random things. I loved it. It was fun getting to know you through those talks. You always had something really deep to say about the discussion we had in class, you should have spoken up more in class little lady.ahaha. I am going to miss those walks and sharing food on the way over and everything.
Esme: oh man… our “research paper” talk was something else. I got to know a side of you that I don’t think anyone else but the ones who were there knew. You were always so quite in class but when you spoke it was really deep. I loved the ways you always had your nails done. You totally kicked butt in the debates. I enjoyed getting to know you this semester. good luck and keep yo head up
Joshua Greenroyd
English 110
GWC
Final Post
First off, kudos to everyone who has made it through a semester as one of Mr. Hsiao's students. It definitely has been a journey for all of us. With this experience under our belts, we can all move forward in our learning. Having accomplished this challenge of a class, we all can now conquer obstacles that seem near impossible at first glance. We all just need to keep our semesters with Mr. Hsiao in mind when we go on conquering these other courses and goals.
Shout outs:
To my debate group: great job girls, it was really fun getting together a few times to talk about the debate. The actual debate went over really well. You all did a marvelous job carrying out your designated tasks. It was a great experience.
Danielle: It was cool having someone to look for at haunt that also worked there. I found you the first time, and it was weird. You didnt recognize me because I was in make up, but i wasnt 100% sure it was you either. I hope to see you at next years haunt. Our little comments during class were fun too, good times.
Brittany: First thing that is coming to my mind is that toilet in the hamster cage, on the Mexican cartoon at Diane's Restaurant, on the way to the Getty Museum. That was hilarious. The Getty was an experience, I'm glad you helped me gang up on Jon saying that indeed the ship in the painting was a pirate ship.
Samantha: Thanks again for the ride to and from the second poetry reading. It was great getting to know you. I shaved my head again, but now that I wont see you and Whitney I can grow it out.
Whitney: I may grow my hair back out, but I did take your advice and cut it once more.
Macey: No more Chai Tea Lattes for you.
Tom: Glad you came back to Hsiao's class. You did bring some humor to the table. You also softened the tension that Mr. Hsiao throws out as his class. Thanks for that.
Brandon: It was good seeing you on the field trip to Isaiah house. We have had some good laughs in these two semesters, I thank you for that.
Ron: I really enjoyed hanging out with you at the Isaiah house. We make a great duo ganging up on Ladi like that. We also serve food very well.
oh man Jon: words can no longer describe your outlook on life. Of course just by me saying that you have come up with words to describe it, just so you can be right and prove another person wrong. I may be contradicted myself or creating a paradox here, but by saying that in fact you will come up with words to describe your outlook on life you may actually not try just to prove another point. Where will you lead us next? Maybe my ninja will come and kill your shadow in the night or something else crazy. We will have to see. It was great having crazy discussions with you. Our imaginary dinosaur on top of the mountain will always remain there. Continue to have fun with everything that you do.
Mr. Hsiao: The end is near, try not to cry on us on the last day of class. Save it for when you get home. It was great having you as a teacher for another semester. You are in inspiration.
Everyone else: You made it to the end. A lot of you did not think that this day would come, but here it is. Congratulations.
Audrey Valdivia
English 100
Cerritos College
Final Good bye!
ok guys this is the final good bye. honestly i have never ever been in an english class like mr. Hsaio's he is the absolute best teacher i have ever had. i enjoy every moment of being in his class our class lest semster was close but this class is way closer i am thankful that there are so many wonderful studesnts in this class this smester i wish you all the best and hope to see you soon..
xoxo
AUD
cont.
Jean carlo: man you were always so quiet. I think I only heard you talk like 4 times in class. But from what Mr. Hsiao read in class, man you are soo deep! Thanks for helping me and lulu out with our homework when we would be working on it in the computer lab. You were always such a nice dude.
Raul: man every time I say your name it reminds me of my brother and how he always makes fun of me…anyway… you are such a deep dude. I loved the way that you always contributed something to the discussions in class. It was fun when people would disagree with you because you never backed down. You always stood your ground and defended what you said. Thanks for helping me and lulu with that one really hard reading(I don’t even remember which one it was out of all the hard ones) you are so smart. And not just like book smart, you know so much about everything, And such a good photographer. Good luck in life and in your photography.
Arcie: man what can I say… I still remember towards the beginning of the semester when you told me you had 3 kids and I was like holy cow. I just think that it is so cool that you have 3 kids and you go to school on top of it. I know it must have been tough but you did it! You are such a nice person and it was great getting to know you this semester. Good luck in school and with your little ones.
Steven: I didn’t really talk to you much this semester but I will never forget you coming in late for class and hunching over hoping no one would see you. It was great. And I give you props for being a gamer because oh man I suuuck at video games..hahaha… good luck in life and with school
Belinda: well you have made it through your first English class back in college. It was great talking to you a little bit more in alondra hot wings. You did great in the debates! You have so many life experiences and it was good to hear some of them in class. Good luck with everything in life
Jaime: man you made me laugh so hard during the debates. You are so funny! It was cool talking to you a little bit more towards the end of the semester. You are a cool guy and I wish you and your fiancé the best of luck!
Adrian: hahahaha I absolutely LOVE that you brought OPENED sunflower seeds to the second potluck! It was my favorite thing to eat out of everything that was there! I loved the way that you always put your 2 cents in the discussion and opened a whole new can of worms when we thought the discussion was over. You always had something so intelligent to say. You were so nice and such a gentleman. And you knew Donnie. He was a cool cat. Your debate was sooooo stinking funny!! Man all I gotta say is that I can name you like 10 guys that would love to sit and watch women running up and down a court bouncing a ball. You are such a smart guy and I wish you the best of luck in everything that you do.
Ibeth: you were always so quiet. I don’t think I heard you talk until like the 3 week of class. It was so touching how you brought that list to share with us. You are now such a strongperson because of what you went through and it was good to see that you overcame it and didn’t let that bring you down. You are such a sweet girl and I wish you the best of luck in everything that you do.
Trini: your enchiladas were the bomb dot com!!! Oh man. You are such a cool person. I love the way you dress, girl you can pull that look off. If I were to try I would look like a fool. It was great getting to know you more during the semester and also at jessica’s get together. We had some good times. You are such a sweet person and have such a big heart! You and lulu would always make me laugh with you guys’ best friend!! Hahahahaha
Brenda Flores
English 100
Cerritos College
Post #?
My Farewell
Thank you to everyone who helped me through out this class. I had alot of people help me out in tis class and I have never been more appreciative because I had alot going on this semester. I wanted to thank all the brave people who told us all about their "issues" it was very brave of uou and i am proud of all of you. I have too many people to thank including Professor Hsiao so i will just say a final farewell. I wish you all nothing but the best and i hope everyone continues their success. Best wishes :)
Cont..
Cathrina: THANK YOU!! You saved my butt in the beginning of the semester! Thanks for all the good advice you gave me on my cave paper. If it wasn’t for you I would not have gotten the grade I got. You are such a nice person and you’re a beast (in a good way) 2 jobs and Hsiao’s class?!?!?! Wow!! thanks for picking me to be on your debate team and keeping me alive through it.. you and Brenda were the best debate team! Good luck with your fiancé and with life.
Jenny: thanks for loving my name and saying it a million times every time you see me. You are so much fun! I just love you! You are so crazy it makes me act all crazy and loud. It was fun hanging out with you before class and after class at alondra’s. thanks for joining us it was a blast. I hope that you and mard stay in touch for a long time so I can see you around more often. I want to meet your baby soon! See you around
Brian: oh my amigo! What can I say about you?!?! You are the best! You were always so happy and it always rubbed off on everyone. It was fun fake fighting with you before class (I totally would have kicked your ass.. hahaha) your hugs were my favorite! I loved that you always hugged everyone and when you would forget someone before class you would hug them either in class or after. You are a one of a kind guy. It was fun hanging out with you at the Grammy museum and at the food drive. You are something else. Our “research paper” talk was….man… I learned a lot about you guys that night. I will miss you and wish you the best of luck in everything that you do.
Jessica: man I remember you from my first English 52 class like a million years ago. You were so nice back then and nothing has changed. You are one of the nicest people I have ever met. You’re such a sweetheart and so loving towards everyone. I love what you contributed to the class. Thanks for having us over at your house for your “get together”. It was fun we must do it again. It was fun getting to know you more this semester. Good luck in Mr. Hsiao’s class next semester! Power to you for taking him again. You’re a brave soul.
Esmeralda Orozco
english100
cc
post???
FINAL GOODBYE
I HAVE TO SAY THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST CLASS I HAVE HAD THROUGHOUT MY LIFE NO LIE I THINK EVERYONE IS VERY KIND AND FUNNY IN SOOOO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS I AM REALLY GOING TO MISS THIS CLASS BEACUSE I HAVE GROWN SO MUCH ATTACHED TO IT IM HOPE I STILL HAVE CONNTACT WITH EVERYONE IMA BE 21 SOON SO IMA BE ABLE TO DRINK JAJAJA JP IM HAPPY TO HAVE MET EVERY SINCLE ONE OF YOU GUYS I DID NOT REALLY GET TO TALK TO EVERYONE BUT I STILL LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY AND I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE IF ANYONE NEEDS SOMEONE TO LISTEN EVEN IF U DO NOT WHAT ME TO TALK YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON MY SHOULDER THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SUCH GREAT PEOPLE I THINK THE CLASS WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT ONE OF US I AM REALLY REALLY HAPPY FOR HAVING ENROLLED IN THAT CLASS I GUESS THINGS DO HAPPEN FOR A REASON !!!!! WELL ILL SEE U ALL IN A LIL AND I HOPE THIS WILL NOT BE THE LAST DAY WE HANG OUT AS A CLASS AGAIN TAKE CARE EVERYONE
OH MAN I FEEL LIKE I WANNA CRY JAJAJA SILLY ME
WITH LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVE YOUR FRIEND FOR LIFE ESMERALDA OROZCO
MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUHA MUHA MUHAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH MUAH
Sandra Valadez
final post
Hola everyone I hope this message finds you well and healthy!!! As a friend of mine once said “This is the end, my only friend the end” you may know him also, he is pretty popular. I am not sure why but these songs keep popping into my head when I think of my final post here in the blogging world. Songs like: The sounds of silence, the cheesy Beatles song that goes “I say goodbye you say hello” (sorry Beatles fans I do not mean to offend), huh, I get the Beatles but not the other one. Well it has been an oh sooooo super long semester for me, one that challenged me every day, one that haunted my dreams, one that will truly be remembered fo sho!!!! It was an absolute pleasure having one class that I was actually happy to go to. I couldn’t wait for Monday’s and Wednesday’s to chit chat, laugh, vent, listen, and at the end cry….i cried for every guest speaker story, and most of the poems!!! I am sooo emotional!!!!!! But I do not think it is bad to cry so I’m ok. So here we go in order: Brenda, you have a unique way of speaking (NOT BAD), it sounds thought out, and your tone is comfortable. You have many children’s lives to change, and I know you will have no problem doing so!! S L P, S L P, S L P !!!!! Andy, you rocked in your debate. You knew your info and delivered!! Your poetry is great. We should have spoken more often. Priscilla, you have a great spirit!!! I do not mean this in a bad way but I picture balloons and cotton candy when I think of you. You make almost everything so positive and fun. Tess, you brought me to tears. You are so brave and so strong; you are not a victim but a survivor.
. Keep your head high and the smile bright. Audrey, you have character. You mean what you say and you say what you mean. I love your hairdo. We should have spoken more I am sure we would have a good time doing so. Janelle, you tell great stories, you told me with great detail THE PARAMORMAL AcTIVITY movie, I felt like I was actually watching it!!!!!! When I arrived home that night I threw salt over my shoulder, hopped on one foot, tapped my head over and over, yelped 20 times, to scar the evil spirits, then went inside, you know just in case they were following .LOL Celina, you girl are so sweet and kind hearted. You are great with kids, especially my girls. I enjoyed hanging out with you and your mom at the Getty. Please tell her HOLA from my family and I. Esme, you have beautiful eyes that say so much, im not quite sure what exactly but they definitely have a story behind them. I enjoyed your posts, even though you yelled EVERYTIME!!!!! Lol oh wait I almost forgot, Shakira is a sellout!!!! Ana, I love your style!! You are very sweet. When you speak it comes from within. I disagree with you on something though, the meat doesn’t make the taco, the salsa makes the taco hehehehe. Raul, ah I did not speak to you once!!! I think you avoided me,lol!! You have a lot to say, but I feel there is way more inside that needs to come out, I could be wrong. Don’t forget to smile. Arcie, You seem like a great mother, your children are very lucky to have you. Steven, when I think of you I picture you humming the Dracula song. You are a little odd my dear little friend. I still want to read the book you told me about. Speak up dude!!! Do not hold back, you have great things to say!!! And when you do speak keep it positive, do not
put yourself down!!!! You have a nice skin, ya I know weird. Belinda, congratulations!!!! You made it!!! Give me a B!!! B!! give me a E!!! E!!! Give me a L!!! L!!! give me an I!!! I!!! give me an N!!!! N!!!give me a D!!! D!!! give me an A!!! A!!! what does that spell?!?!?! BELINDA!!!!! Jaime, you and I share the same last name, we SOOOO rock!!! Wait that’s my maiden name not my married name, BOOOOOOO!! Since the Double Western Cheeseburger you had my attention. You were sooo funny in our debate. Good luck on the house and your future wife. Adrian, we had too much fun being racists. I dig the style, it is so your own. Oh hey can I ask you a question???? LOL Ibeth, I hate to say I did not speak to you, maybe once, and only a few words, BOOOOOOO. Jean Carlo, you inspire me, keep up on the writing, you do it so well. I hope your status changes because I know you will take full advantage of being a citizen. ANTONIO!!!!! you were the only person who pist me off!! It is not Mocajete, it is MoLcajete!!!! The L IS NOT SILENT!!!!!!!!! AND UNICORNS DO EXIST!!!! YOU THINK NOAH’S STORY IS ANY BETTER???? Ok the aggression is out. Keep up your culinary passion, and god bless you. Cathrina, I love your voice!! You can read and record children’s stories and set them off to wander land. Jenny, your daughter is so cute, and no she is not lazy!!! You also made me cry with your poem It is real and raw. Never lose sight of what is important, and who now needs you. Brian, Your too funny!!! Your comments were so out there sometimes and other right with it. GO KICK AND BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF SOME DUDE!!!!
!!!! Jessica, you are young but level headed. You cannot blame yourself for what has happened, remember that!!! I cried when you cried reading the QHQ. Lulu, keep on dancing girls, salsa your way to the top!!!!! Sarai, you have such a sweet look about you, I loved your poetry, it also made me cry!!!!Martha, “Heineken??? FUCK Heineken!!!!! PABST BLUERIBBION!!!!!! Girls I love your sister bond!!Monique, you have such a powerful voice!!!!! You are not retarded!!!!Michael, my friend, you helped me sooo much, I thank you!!! You always knew how to get me to smile with the compliments. You have a great sense of humor, are a great writer, and speaker. You are a big teddy bear!!!! Thank you for the good times!!!
professor Hsiao i will comment on you after class, i am super late already sorry i didnt know this would take so long. i do not want to leave you out!!!
Eric Torres
English 110
Golden West College
Post #30?
Final Post
It has been a great semester in this class and there are a couple of things I want to say before I leave. First off, this is the hardest English class I have ever taken. I do not want to write anymore papers ever! This is pretty much the reason why I have decided to become a Mathematics Major and teach high school students. Despite all my stress and frustration, I am glad I took this class. Professor Hsiao is by far the best teacher I have had in all my years of going to school. He challenged us to become great writers and thinkers and cared about how we are doing in the class overall. I have never had a teacher that would assign posts and memorize everyone's post and talk about it the next day. I have also never had a teacher who is so quick to grade assignments and remember what everybody wrote throughout the whole semester.
As for my classmates, it has been great getting to know everybody. I am glad that this class allowed us all to get to know each other like close friends and not just "that person in my English class". Andy was the first person I met in this class. It is funny how I always end up texting or IMing you on AIM about the assignments that are due. And then there is Tien who would text me asking questions about the assignments and then I would ask Andy and I think Andy would end up asking Tien. It was like a circle of confusion going on. I am also going to miss my fellow championship winner Danielle! I cannot imagine how it feels to be a state champion. I am a bowl and conference champion but that still does not compare to State Champions. Oh, and we need to go surfing one day. I'll have my people call your people. It was also nice getting to know Samantha and Whitney on the field trip. I think it is funny how Mcayla? let eveyone else hold her instead of me. But finally at the end of the wetlands field trip Cara was able to distract her while I grabbed her. It was a team effort! I also cannot forget seeing John eat a piece of that paper bag when we all ate at The Secret Spot. That was pretty funny. Oh, and then the time he brought escargo to the pot luck. That was actually kind of gross. I also cannot forget Archie's questions in class. I have him in this class as well as in my Counseling class and he does the same thing. For all of you I did not mention, its not because you are not important, its because I need to get back to writing my research paper. Again, I just want to say thank you everyone for making this semester better than what I thought it was going to be when I first came into the class. And thank you Professor Hsiao for challenging me to become a better writer and thinker. I will always remember this class.
Heidi Martinez
GWC
English 110
The holocaust speaker was interesting to listen to. We started later then I thought so I was only able to hear a little of his story. From what I heard he seemed to be a bad when the whole holocaust had started. He talked about how the parents he lived with at the time were not his real parents. He was sent presents from his real parents and finally was told about them. He talked about how his family was all split up when everything for the holocaust first started. He was a baby when it all started and was too small to stay with his family in hiding so he was moved underground to a safer spot. While he was being moved underground he got really sick, almost to the point of death if he had not seen a doctor when he did. He was supposed to die and did not so I thought that was kind of like a sign that he was meant to live and tell his story. One thing he mentioned that I was not aware of was that some Jewish people had blonde hair and blue eyes and were not easy to point out as being Jewish. I just assumed all Jewish people had dark features, and he has blue eyes. I thought that was really interesting. I would have liked to stay longer and hear the rest of his story.
Heidi Martinez
gwc
English 110
I’m going to miss everyone. I loved this class and this semester, it was so hard and so much fun. I loved our class we became a little family. This is one of the best classes I have ever had. I have made some great friends and great memories to go along with them. Markel, we were acquaintances last semester, but this semester we became friends and good ones at that. I’ve told you stuff no one else knows and I love that your always there for me. I love how much you care. We’ve shared so much on a personal level and I miss having someone I can share all that with. You’ve really made me thing some things over and want to change things in my life. I’m going to miss you, but this so isn’t the end for us. Feross, you are so funny, half the time when you make me laugh I really have no idea what we’re laughing over. I still think we should have stayed home that night, but then I wouldn’t have been able to laugh about your great aura. Heather, you are always going to be tissue girl. I wasn’t sick at all this semester, but just watch next semester when you are not in my class I am going to need those tissues. Belinda, when I first read your paper this semester I found we are a lot more alike than I thought. I have to give you a lot of credit being able to overcome everything you’ve overcome. Now it is just a matter of staying strong and from what I can tell you’ll be fine, but if you ever need anyone I’m here for you. Danh you are so silly and you always make me laugh. I love coming to class and hearing about all your crazy weekends. You are such a sweet person, but on top of that you are so strong. The discussion about the sticky notes not re-sticking, you’re right. I found that out today. You’re a busy man, but with determination I’m sure you’ll finish everything you put your mind to. This semester was hard and fun all at the same time. I’m going to miss everyone. Mr.Hsiao, thank you so much for everything even though thank you isn’t enough. I hope everyone has a great Christmas and break and I really hope so see some people in my future classes.
Erica Lloyd
English 110
GWC
Post # Good Bye
I decided I should post now before my brain melts any further from trying to get my essay finished. Is anyone else seriously considering just deleting the whole thing and starting over? Just me? Okay then...
This semester has been great. I've really enjoyed reading everyone's interpretations and opinions here on the blog. It definitely made me feel more prepared to go to class the next day and you all helped me understand better and see things in a new light. I don't think I really ever said anything profound or meaningful, but hey you win some you lose some.
I have never had a class before where we did so much interaction. It was nice to actually here each other talk for a change. It was also very strange, because I am really not good at opening up and sharing. I know I didn't do a very good job of it, but I had a lot of fun in class and I really enjoyed listening to you all.
Thanks for the great semester! Now back to staring blankly at my essay and wondering how I'm going to fix the mess I've created. Yay!
Sarai Vazquez
Cerritos College
English 100
I know i already posted my goodbyes but I did not go through everybosy cuz i didn't have time so here they are :)
My amiga: man what can I say about you!??! You have been with me through the hardest parts of this semester, from the first day until now the last. We had some fun times on the field trips and in class, both poli sci and English. Thanks for turning me into a zingers addict. Ziiiiiingerssss..hahahahaha. man amiga we have been through some crazy stuff this semester but we finally did it. Thanks to you and mard I stayed in this class and I could not be more thankful to you both. Thanks for all the help with the homework. You’re the best amigucha!
Monique: it was fun hanging out with you at the Grammy museum. We had some fun times there and at alondra’s that one day while I was the spy sent to listen in our your discussion jk.. you are such a deep person and so cool and down to earth. I wish you the best of luck in the future.
Sandra: you are so cool. youre tattoos are so gnarly. I love em. I loved you in the debates, you did such a good job. It was great getting to talk to you every class and hearing about your adventures with baby formula and pancake mix. You are one cool woman and your daughters are adorable. Good luck in everything that you do in the future
Michael: man Michael you are insane. Always making me laugh at in appropriate times, making me laugh while I was eating pretzels. I swear I almost died. Thanks for keeping my amiga on track in psych and helping her out. You are so freakin smart and I hate you for that.. but you cool so that makes up for it. Thanks for all our talks about football. I still lov my mouth breather! GO GIANTS J steelers lost to the raiders… come on! Im going to miss you and your snuggie!! Good luck in everything that you do.
Marquita Jenkins: man this woman has been my homie for life. She kept me alive throughout this whole semester. She is the bestest big sister ever. Thanks yo for keeping me sane throughout this whole process. Sorry for being annoying with the homework and whatnot but you know you liked it.haha. thanks for everything and i hope we can take another class together again so we can eat sunflower seeds in class...hee-hee. oh man we had too much fun. i love you seeeeeester!! youre the bestest :)
Last but not least Mr. Hsiao. Man you are such a beast (in a good way) you always remembered everything that every single person wrote. Thanks for creating such an incredible atmosphere in the classroom. If it was not for you I do not think that we would be as close as we are. I am going to miss going to your class every Monday and Wednesday.. Maybe me and Martha might take your class again in the future. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
BYE EVERYONE!!! I WILL MISS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU! Thanks for being who you are and sharing certain parts of your life with us. I hope we keep in touch! Happy Holidays everyone
Andy Nam Pham
English 110
GWC
Holocaust Speaker
The guy really knows his stuff, I am surprised. I am also glad that he was fortunate enough to be born with blue eyes and blond hair. Without those key physical features, his chances of surviving would have been slim.
He has experienced so much during his life time. During his time in Holland, he was very lucky to wait it out. Lucky to live in such a supportive town, unlike the other ones where they were ratting each other out. This reminded me of a scene from Inglorious Bastards (A movie I hated, and director I now despise), Quentin Tarantino. There was a part where a family was hiding beneath the floor of the house of a farm family, and a Nazi high ranking leader came in to question the father that was hiding them. The father had three daughters, and when the leader came in to question him, he was scared. He eventually told them they were hiding beneath the floors. The Nazi officer then ordered his men to open fire into the floor, killing everyone but one girl. Even though it was just a movie, moral decisions often occurred in these Nazi occupied territories. It was either you, or them in several cases, very sad to say. The peril him and his family was living in was remarkable. There were such dark times, but thankfully there were such noble and loving people that existed in such times.
to anyone who is doing the issue solutions and truth essay format. what do we talk about in the truth section? cuz i'm stuck
Dalene Kolb
English 110
Golden West College
Post # Goodbye (I lost track of what number I am at.)
Well this class has been great. It has def kept me awake longer than any other English class I have had, but it was worth.
I have become a beter writer in this class, even though I still need some practice with my organization skills. I am working on that, so lets see how the Research Paper turns out.
My whole time in college I never never met people I could click with just by being in class. I have met some great people, Twilight fans to be more specific. LOL. Everyone in the class is great. I will miss them all when I go to my future English classes.
Has anyone ever had a college professor take their students on field trips? I sure haven't! I regret not going on more (this semester has been crazy). The trips I have gone on has been a blast! We all have one great of a professor! Can't wait to take the class next semester!
Now time to finish the research paper. Final tomorrow for English, and Anthro. Then wisdom teeth geting pulled Friday! Ahhh! I hope it doesn't hurt that bad!
Hope everyone had a great semester! Merry X-mas and a Happy New Year (I get to celebrate my 21st New Years Eve)!
~Dalene
Raufiel Matias
GWC
English 110
Post # Last
Final post
W o w !!! I c a n 't b e l i e v e t h a t t h i s i s g o i n g t o b e m y f i n a l p o s t i n Mr. H s i a o's c l a s s. Hmmm... W h a t a m I g o n n a s a y ? L e t's s e e... I s t i l l c a n't b e l i e v e t h a t i t's a l r e a d y t h e e n d o f s e m e s t e r. I s t i l l k e e p t h i n k i n g t h a t i t's j u s t a n o t h e r p o s t t h a t I h a v e t o m a k e b e f o r e I g o t o b e d a n d s t u f f. T h i s s e m e s t e r w e n t b y p r e t t y f a s t a n d I c a n't b e l i e v e t h a t I s u r v i v e d y o u r E n g l i s h c l a s s M r. H w i t h a l l t h e w o r k t h a t y o u m a d e u s d o, w e l l i t w a s f o r o u r o w n g o o d a n y w a y s so it's a l l c o o l. HHHmmm... T h i s c l a s s w o u l d b e o n e o f t h e m o s t u n f o r g e t t a b l e c l a s s I'v e t a k e n h e r e @ GWC. I'v e m e t s o m e p e o p l e ( y o u c l a s s m a t e s ) t h a t w a s o p e n t o l i s t e n t o o t h e r p e o p l e' s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n a b o u t a n y t h i n g. W i t h t h e d i s c u s s i o n s a n d d e b a t e a n d o t h e r s t u f f. A l s o, M r. H y o u r f i e l d t r i p w a s t i g h t, I d i d n 't k n o w t h a t f i e l d t r i p s c a n s t i l l e x i s t e v e n t h o u g h y o u 'r e a l r e a d y i n c o l l e g e. E v e n t h o u g h I w a s n' t a b l e t o m a k e i t t o m o s t o f t h e f i e l d t r i p s 'c u z o f w o r k I s t i l l r e a l l y e n j o y e d t h e t r i p @ I s a i a h H o u s e, it's a n u n f o r g e t t a b l e o n e a n d w i l l d e f i n i t e l y s p r e a d o u t t h e w o r d a b o u t i t. T o a l l y o u m y E n g l 110 c l a s s m a t e s, e v e n t h o u g h I d i d n 't g e t t o m e e t e a c h a n d e v e r y o n e o f y o u I s t i l l e n j o y e d / c h e r i s h b e i n g w i t h y o u g u y s i n s i d e M R. h's c l a $ $ e v e r y T u e s / T h u r s 8-925am. Y o u g u y s a r e c 0 0 L a n d h e l p f u l c l a s s m a t e s. I t 's l i k e w e a f a m i l i a i n s i d e t h e c l a s s r o o m. S o y e a h. I g u e s s t h i s i s g o i n g to be m y l a s t s e n t e n c e i n m y l a s t p o s t f o r t h i s c l a s s. I w i s h y o u a L L l u c k w i t h y o u r f u t u r e g o a l s a n d t h e f i n a l s t o m o r r o w. g o o d n i g h t ! ! !
Andy Nam Pham
Englsih 110
GWC
Final GOODBYE!
Holy cow. I can't believe the day has finally come to say goodbye to this blog. Even though I despise doing work in this class... I will miss you all. The blog has been such a great experience to connect with everybody, and for me to actually express my thoughts and feelings. It was good to see everyone's point of view on the spin of things that was going on. With the help of others and their writings, I could come to my conclusion and final thought on what we read/saw/heard. Without everybody's voice, I think I would've sounded like an idiot. There were so many people I met on the blog! It was the best part about it! I never had a class that I had connected with so closely with. That is something I will really miss. It feels so good to call a classmate a friend, something I rarely do.
Eric was the first person I met in the class during the field trip. He was a cool guy, and my first thought was "Holy crap, this guy is effing buff." Eventually, we started communicating after class on AIM or something, and he would allllwaayyss ask what was for homework. Lucky for him, I was always up at 2 o' clock in the morning.(FYI, I never asked Tien. I pay WAY more attention in class then her!)
Second person I met was Kevin at Alondra Hotwings. I don't remember what we really talked about... (something about I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell?) but we became comfortable with each other to talk about some FUNNY stuff.
Chill mofo.
Third person was Yuki. Holy crap, I had a fun time with her and her friends on the field trip. It turns out we had a couple of the same friends back in high school. I always saw her on facebook during the 2AM papers, and we would always talk on their discussing how much we hated doing this stuff. Pretty funny stuff. Everyone was always asleep while she was awake. Good company.
Fourth person was Tien. My only regret is not meeting her during the first half of the semester. At first, I thought she was just your average Asian, smart and reserve, until we were talking during the debates and the field trips. Turns out she is quite the character. Very community involved and believes in so much good in the world! Not a BIO major too, very surprising... Also has a car that does NOT have automatic locks and power windows! FINALLY, SOMEONE THAT GETS IT.
I have met some really great friends on the blogosphere and in this class. I can not thank you enough Professor Hsiao to introducing me to such interesting characters.
Take care guys!
Monique Gutierrez
English 100
Cerritos College
Post #79
Let's Keep in touch!
Hope everyone did great on the final. I am going to miss this class. I would like to keep in touch with you all,so if you have myspace add me =)
www.myspace.com/mgutierrez81
Greg Burns
Golden West
final post
Hello to all. just wanted to say thank you for making class fun. I was looking at the pics just thinking about the fun times we all had. well still up puting the final touch on the research paper. just wanted to get my blog in. thanks again to everyone.
"And thats that the way it is"
Kevin Santamaria
English 110
GWC
Post# GOODBYE
Final Post
So as the day comes to a close and I am too anxious to sleep, the semester comes to a close as well. I will not say goodbye to the blogosphere realm, but I will say good bye to everyone here.
This Blogosphere has been where I threw up what was in my mind. I would rarely read anyone else's blog until the end of the semester. In class discussions I would hear people say intriguing things, then come to the blogosphere and read their full "reflections." Some quite similar too mine, some from a complete opposition. Either way, because all of you have shared, you have taken a part in my learning and development. I strive to be as clever (Andy), creative (John), philosophical (Tien), and ingenious (Macey) as some of the people on here. It has been a true test of character. I just wish Mr. Hsiao would let us use profanity and derogatory remarks; it makes for more interesting thoughts. That is for another place and time though. Since I have a blog account I have now vowed to use it, because as 2009 comes to close I know how incredible 2010 will be. I know how people will change, how the country will change, and how our world will change. I hope and encourage everyone else to do so as well. This place has become a place to develop friendships, debates, and respect; so I wish to continue that. Plus I have nothing else to do for the two month break! haha. Best of luck to everyone who came, who saw, who wrote! I hope all our endeavors are pursued and accomplished. Knowledge is power, and as I personally took from Mr. Hsiao, character is everything else.
Thomas Rios
GDUB
POST:FINAL
This semester has been great. Our class had some interesting characters! Field trips were awesome, lecture was thought provoking, and friendships were formed. I'd say mission accomplished. Thank you to EVERYONE in the class for making it unique. I enjoyed listening to the many different stories. Some were happy, some were sad. Some had no point (Jon) Good luck to everyone in their future. Mr. Hsiao, thank you for everything you have done for us. I look forward to meeting again next semester, now email me the link to the class, would ya!? Goodnight and good flight to all
Danielle St. Onge
English 110
GWC
Post only 2 more!!!
Holocaust Survivor
Well, it was a rainy, cold, lazy friday morning, and I was not in the mood to drag my butt to school in the cold. Then I started thinking how Mr. Hsiao said that he will knock off a 1/4 of the grammar section if we showed up. So naturally I'm going to show up! The man who came to talk to us was Mr. Harry Davids(?). He was born in the Netherlands at the beginning of World War II. Because of his Jewish heritage, his parents set up baby Harry with this Dutch underground group to get him away from the dangers of the Nazis. He makes it to the care of this nice Christian Dutch family who take care of him till he is about 5 years in age. When he was 5 an aunt and uncle from South Africa found him and adopted him as their own. Shortly after Harry found out he was adopted he became very interested in finding out what happened to his family. He learned both his parents and grandparents died in the war thanks to concentration camps. Now growing up in South Africa, Harry learned of a new form of racial segregation Apartheid. He explained in great detail exactly how it was to live as segregated races. Harry and his family moved here in the 70s (?) and have since found the freedom they were looking for. He now serves as a historical speaker for the Museum of Tolerance in LA.
Thuy-Anh Angela Nguyen
English 110
Golden West College
Post #20
Holocaust Speaker
The talk took place inside of Golden West College’s Student Center from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. I made it there an hour late because my lunch break did not start until noon. When I arrived, Mr. Harry Davids was beginning to close his sharing about his Holocaust experience. He noted that no spoke of the Holocaust until the 1960’s because it was a difficult subject to talk about. People felt shameful to even bring it up. In 1970, war museums began to open to the public. Davids spoke of the number of family member he had lost from the crisis. His uncle became his father later on, while his sister went missing. He mentioned that his sister returned to Germany for her Polish love interest, and that her whereabouts still remains unknown. In honor to his family who suffered from the Holocaust, Davids continues to keep the story alive of how people risked their lives to save someone they love. It was difficult for many people to decide which of the two groups they wanted to be in at that time in Germany.
Mr. Davids transitioned into his family’s life experience of when they moved to South Africa during the times of the Apartheid. South Africa had developing these townships which formed around the cities as the country continued to industrialize. The British had come into the country and implemented a racist and segregated system to promote white supremacy. The purpose of the townships was to force minority groups into labor to mine gold. Anyone that was considered “colored” lost their rights, rights to vote, rights to education, and even their historical roots. According to Davids, the workers at the gold mines, were alienated and antagonized due to poor ideology. By that time, the Jews had no nationality. By tying in Clint Eastwood’s new movie, Invictus, Davids shared about his experience in spectator sports. The spectators were segregated. The visitor’s side was more tolerant than the home side. The reason was because the visitors were usually from overseas, and if a foreign team came to play, the home team would have to route for them. After living in South Africa for 32 years, his family decided that it was not safe to continue living there, so they left to the United States.
After arriving in America, Harry Davids shared that “…it felt like a breath of fresh air because he had left behind the bad clothing of racism.” The United States was more tolerant, diverse, and everyone was used to living with different races. Mr. Davids call to action was to educate the world because our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. One of the advantages we just had was having a person from a minority group be elected as President, Barack Obama.
His commitment to teach and share to others about his experiences brings awareness to many people of the world we actually live. Some countries take forever to come into the realization that their system of inhumanity is wrong. He had endured so much, and I cannot fully grasp of how much suffering he and thousands of others had experienced. I just can’t believe that he had to experience it again after leaving Germany. It makes me think of all the things we complain about in our system, and how it’s so minute compared to the racial disasters in other countries. Mr. David’s persistence and commitment of spreading his touching and powerful story of surviving through two countries of extreme racism has been deeply embedded in my mind, and I truly commend him for his strength and his passion for the people he loves. Hopefully I can bump into him if I go to the Museum of Tolerance someday.
Danielle St. ongeihfcnfeASIF&tyg
English 110
GWC
Post FINAL ONE!!
So, I am not staying up late to finish writing my essay, nor study for the final, I am staying up late to WRITE THE FINAL BLOG! it is so late in fact that i don't even care about how i spell my last name since the last time i met with mr. hsiao he still could not pronounce it right! haha well, anyways i have to say this was the most interesting college class i have ever taken. did i like it? mmm, well kind of. well i really like the field trips. and a few of the discussions. did i hate it? mmm well the unnecessary amount of blogging, the quizzes, the grammar nazi, the debate, and the actually having to put in effort into an essay :P , yes.
Okay, okay, a few shout outs;
DALENE: hey! I know that girl! we've had like 3 classes together! have i ever talked to her? no! but man did we chat it up this semester and now we even talk on facebook :)
CARA: OMG she's Cinderella at Disneyland that is SOOO cool! can she get me a job as Ariel??? (yeah that's literally what i thought when i first met you). and then we too chatted it up. went bowling with Dalene, worked on the debate together, handed off Mickeala (sorry for the spelling) together at the wetlands and now are even FB friends! haha
KEVIN: Omgosh! that's the guy with the cool backpack from my math class (which we dropped) and then i sat (or stood i guess) and watched you eat fried tomatoes (eww) and then went to the wetlands and Secret Spot with you!
STEPHANIE: thanks for being in my group for the debate and being my new FB friend as well! and showing me you're super amazingly cute dog :)
WHITNEY: hahaha where do i begin? i really just started talking to you thanks to the wetlands and now it seems as though we're constantly messaging on FB ;)
SAMANTHA: i had alot of fun with you at the Wetlands and im sad that was like the first time we really started talking, lets talk more :)
JASMYNE: wow, we have alot in common when it comes to reading books! it is so much fun to talk to you! :)
JON: did you seriously just eat part of Kevin's paper bag? i will NEVER forget that one! oh and keep writing about them zombiessss
KAYLA: i am VERY glad we have the same interest in hockey players and i really enjoy talking to you too!:)
ERIC: oh wow, was that Tien? no it was not and you made Mr. Hsiao walk the walk of embarassment back to the bus, ALONE. hahaha. I think you're probably the person i talk to the most in the class, at least right now. you make me logg off of FB and write my research paper, so thanks!
EVERYONE ELSE :) Thank you soooooooooo much for this VERY UNIQUE english class. it was a crazy semester, but WE DID IT!
and i guess, i'll have to thank . . . MR. HSIAO :)
Whitney Young
Golden West College
English 110
Post #33
This has been a crazy, crazy semester. I have had to deal with things I never had to deal with before, so it was definitely a challenge. Even though I was super stressed out about this class in particular, I am truly going to miss it. This was probably my favorite class out of the three semesters I have been here. :) I am not a morning person, but I managed to wake up and get to class on time every Tuesday and Thursday. There was just such a great atmosphere in the class. It was interesting to see how the class reacted to the different stories, and I loved the class discussions. It is nice to see people speak what they believed and not be judged. Gosh, after writing this, I am really, really going to miss this class now. I have met some really great people that I probably never would have been able to meet if the class did not have those fun field trips and group work activities. I loved that interactive atmosphere in our class. I am sooo going to miss this class! Thank you Professor Hsiao for a great semester!
Thuy-Anh Angela Nguyen
English 110
Golden West College
Post #21
Final Farewell part 1
This class become one of my most inspirational experiences. I went from loathing English courses to anticipating a 3 and a half hour critical thinking night class. That's just insane! There was so much work with such little time, but I cannot complain. The time spent in Mr. Hsiao's class has been valuable to me. I will treasure the discussions we had in class, the little talks between my classmates during our breaks, and also the after class talks. It was because of this extraordinary class that I was able to bring something meaningful home everyday Tuesday and Thursday night. You all refilled my empty bucket!
Gina: You are such a modest person and I love your generosity and humbleness. Even though you feel that you're an introvert, I feel that you're the most approachable person I've met in the class. Your blogs are deep and intellectual, and you're really attentive to what your classmates write. It was nice to exchange our personal experiences with each other. I just want you to know that I have learned allot from you, and I wish you good luck in your educational career. You have my number, so let's continue to keep in touch :)!
Markel: You are the first country girl I've ever met, therefore you are the coolest one on my list. Congratulations with getting the top grade on the first essay. Homonyms was difficult, so you go girl! I hope someday you do get to be called Reverend Markel with your online certification lol! Thanks for being such a sweetheart and fyi your message really made my week :)
Belinda: Belinda oh Belinda... you are one fun girl to hang out with when it comes to field trips or even a poetry reading. Being with you makes me feel like a camera wh*re (in a good way of course). I'll have the pictures posted up by tomorrow night! Sorry for the lag... I won't forget the time when we took the long route walking to Hoff's Hut and running to the restaurant to avoid Professor Hsiao and his other students from seeing us. Great times :)
Jessica: I love your independent mind, and your straight forward personality. It's amazing that you work with autistic kids, and how you said one time that it's not hard at all. Your poem of your perfect 7 was so genuine and honest. You're lucky to have such great men in your life, and your mom has such a strong-minded daughter. Remember to take to get some more rest. You know you need it!
Penelope: You were the first classmate I spoke to in the beginning of the semester. You are so patient and optimistic, even when things are difficult for you. Thank you for sharing your life experience in Africa, and I'm sorry for losing you at the Getty! There wasn't any white hat in sight! Best wishes and I hope to bump into you again at GWC :)
Dan: You are so thoughtful with the people around you. Your family is blessed to have you in their life because you devote you mind and your heart to bring them up with your own strength and ability. Your understanding of the world is profound and deep, and it reflected through poems. I had an awesome time bonding with you in our group sessions. Even though we clash allot during our discussions, I feel that we relate in many ways as well. Keep it up, because you're doing a great job.
Heidi: Your laugh totally lightens up the atmosphere, because its sounds so pure. It was really nice to see how diverse your family is from your collage. I didn't even know you dance! That's really cool :) Even though I didn't get a chance to get to know you, I still wish you the best!
Liza: I respect you so much, and I look up your strength and ambition to become a marine just like your brothers. You're compassionate and you have such a beautiful personality. Your poem really touched me, and it's incredible that it was also your first poem you've ever written. Well-done! I am going to miss your chocolate chip oatmeal cookies by the way.
Thuy-Anh Angela Nguyen
English 110
Golden West College
Post #21
Final Farewell Part 2
Heather: Finally I got to meet someone around my age who knows so SO SO much about religion. Religion is a difficult topic, and you tackle it so well. I've learned allot from you and have taken account of many misconceptions have you straightened out for me. You're so open and its a rare trait these days. I hope you do well on your research paper!
Ricky: You're such an understanding guy, and it was pleasant to get to know you more in our group sessions. Thanks for the advice and the encouragement for my first essay. Thanks for staying back with Dan and I after class that one night. It felt nice to have someone facilitate both sides of the argument and relate together. Don't worry, I'm a chicken when it comes to scary movies too ;)
Sarah: Your essay's transformation was touching, and it was so nice to witness you open up and be able to write such a memorable personal experience. Remember, it just takes a little time to sit, or even a deep conversation with someone close to spark some inspiration to write :)
Eric: You're nice guy to chat with and I enjoyed our conversations about family. You're really mellow and a good listener. Thanks for sharing and opening up to me, because it's nice to know that someone has gone through the same thing as you have.
Oscar: I can't believe Tarango forgot who you were... I honestly think he was joking around with me. Come on, I even brought up the mustache! I won't forget about your hilarious incident when you told Belinda, Ricky, and me at breakfast before the Getty, and also, the time we ran off after dumping the huge trash bag that wouldn't fit into the trash can. Lastly, your artwork is absolutely AMAZZZZZINNNGGGG! Let me know if you ever have an art exhibition for yourself :)
Matt: You know almost everything! It's like I can always ask you something, and you'll have a concrete answer for it. I admire your passion to become a child psychologist which is driven from your old personal experience. You got the heart and the brain to do it! Congrats on the engagement as well :) P.S. I felt the same pain for my college apps as well lol.
Feross: You are so poetic and articulate in the things you say. Great job on your letter to Professor Hsiao and your poem. Your witty humor always cracks me up. I'll always remember you as the Harry Potter classmate, if you were to look at him from the side :)
Katherine: It was nice to see someone I know already in the class. You took the best notes in Zoology, and you still took the best notes for others when it came to workshops. Hope to see you around more often :)
Kyle: I love your talks about weed, meditation, and surfing. It enhances the learning environment. You asked me why I called myself a Catholic awhile back, and I hope that my collage answered your question. Good luck and yoga is awesome too :)
I thank you all, and especially Professor Hsiao for giving me such a memorable experience. Professor Hsiao, your teaching method is perfect. You succeed in breaking down barriers for different students to open up to each other and to openly reveal themselves as who they are. Friendship and bonds came together in a way where it felt so natural and not forced. It takes a real great individual to do what you do. You're always giving your students feedback, advice, and affirmations. I thank God that I was I got to become your student. You are a blessing!
Andy Pham
English 110
GWC
CRAP. I meant Yue, not Yuki!
SORRY YUE
CiannaCalandrino
english 110
gwc
Hey guys
This was an awesome semester! I had lots of fun not only with old faces(taken the class before, no your not old tom ;]) like tom and yue and new faces like Tien and Dalene. I love meeting new people. Yes Mr. Hsiao we did become like our own little family just like you promised at the begining of the semester. I am definately going to miss the manditory early mornings and all of the observations and guest speakers and OMG I AM MAKING A RUN-ON... haha. jk Mr Hsiao. Thanks for an great class everyone.
Try to have fun over the break.. we ALL diserve it!! =]
Samantha Sullivan
English 110
GWC
Final post :[
goodbye, farewell, adios amigos, auf wiedersehen (german), Bonjour, and Xin chào to you all.
this class has been such a journey andd i feel that it has changed the relatioships that i hold with all of you. this was one of the hardest and yet most fun that i have ever had in school. i will miss you all... yess all :) good luck in the future and thank you professor Hsiao for making a difference in all of our lives.
.:Peace:.
Sam
Tien Tran
English 110
GWC
Goodbye, English 110.
I cannot believe it has already been one semester. Time sure does fly by when your experiencing the"Hsiao Experience."
So like everyone, i thoroughly, wholeheartedly enjoyed my ride here. I am quite sad today will be the last day to a beginning that seemed it was yesterday.
When i say this, i truly mean it; everyone somehow, even if it was little, changed or added my thoughts in some form. I know i gained a lot from everyone through discussions and the blog, through experiences and debates, or just through small chit chats waiting for class or during our many field trips. My thoughts are different from when I stepped into this class to today, and that is saying a lot (trust me!).
Besides the whole knowledge factor, I met a lot of interesting folks along the way. You know who you are. I do hope that although this class is ending, our friendship will still continue.
As you all know, I am now an unemployed gal, so if you ever feel like doing something fun or just talking, feel free to call me! I never refuse an opportunity to know another person so don't be afraid to ask!
I remember before i stepped into this class, school was actually not my priority. Learning everything and anything and gaining knowledge and enjoying every second of my life and being happy and doing whats right is. And somehow, this class weaved all of that together.
Amazing.
So goodbye, au revoir! Be safe, be happy, smile, love yourself, and until i see you in the future - keep it real.
*waves
Danielle Kennedy
Enlgish 110
GWC
My Final Good-bye...
i must say, it has been a great pleasure of mine to get to know alot of you this semester. i know we had a tough one but as i can see, everyone made through it ok. everyone has touched my life in one way or another and i will remember your faces. take care and good luck with all of your studies. i know it was short and sweet, but class is going to start soon. :P
sarah takeda
english 110
gwc
final goodbye
goodbye ferros, brett, belinda, matt, kyle, ricky, dan, markel, heather, Penelope, markel, heidi, jessica, angela, katherine, oscar, gina, liza, and eric. sorry if i forgot anyone. but... the semester is finally over! thank god. no more quizzes on stories i didn't want to read, no more grammer quizzes, and best of all no more being at school until 10 at night. though this was the hardest english class i've taken, it was my favorite. i didn't just go to class and leave without really talking to anyone. for the first time, i talked to more than one person in the class. i would like to write something to everyone in the class, but i don't know what to say. i'm glad i took this class even though i vow to never again take any type of 8 week class or night class. i'll miss everyone and you can all find me on facebook if you want :) thanks for making the class enjoyable. and finally, goodbye mr. hsiao, hopefully i wont have to take another class with you or anyone else for that matter. i don't mean anything negative about that, i just don't want to have to take another english clas.
Thuy-Anh Angela Nguyen
English 110
Golden West College
Post #21
Final Farewell part 3
Brett! Sorry, I didn't mean to forget about you. I'm not going to forget about you and your knowledge on movies and how yo wrote film reviews since you were young. That's freaking awesome :)
GOOOOODBYYYYEE!
Alright so I am OFFICIALLY out of the class! Final taken, paper turned in...its allllll over! It is quite the relief, BUT i am going to miss the class. I am so grateful for everyone that was in class with me, and I cant belive it is already over. Thanks to everyone for making 103 what it was!
Jasmine: you have a baby!! and he is SOOO cute! it was good talking to you, and getting to know you! you are one sweet girl. good luck with the little fam of yours!
Ray & Art: Since you have a little bromance going you can go ahead and have your post together haha. anyways i am so glad that you guys were in the class this semester. The ghetty was cool, and Kaile absolutley loved you both! haha
Sarika: You are probably the nicest person i know. You are always so genuine, and sweet. It was good talking to you. I am sure we will be in touch over FACEBOOK! :)
Samantha: first off, i loved ur improv show! good job girl! :)You are so nice, and outspoken, you made our class pretty dang fun girl! keep in touch!
Carlos: Hahaha...my electro loving, rave dancing friend! you are so quiet...until you talk...then ur hilarious! haha let me know about those raves buddy! :)
To everyone else, you are AWESOME good luck with everything!! :) Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, which ever you prefer. Hope Santa is good to you all! :)
Alyssa Wall
Gina Huynh
English 110
Golden West College
Post #16
What a great eight weeks it has been. I never realized how much I would enjoy this class, primarily because of the warm and friendly environment within the classroom. I did not know that I would learn so much more about my classmates until the poetry/collage reading night. Wow. Forgive me if some of the postings are short:
Belinda: I can see the passion in your eyes (even though it was dark during presentation) when you talk about your love for animals. Kudos to your being a vegetarian. Peta would love to have you on their team =).
Matt: You are so smart and your writing is crazy. I know you will go far in the psychology field. Since you are engaged, I hope you the best of luck on finalizing the wedding details! Your fiancée, by the way, is really pretty.
Brett: It’s so crazy how many DVDs you collect! Good luck on your pursuit of films and theater. It’ll be cool if someday I see your name on any film credits.
Sarah: I wish I could hear your turtle poems because the topic seems interesting. Don’t worry, I am more shy than you =)
Markel: Your model story sounded soo unreal; I cannot imagine someone would call you too fat to be a model. You look better than those Abercrombie and Fitch models, so you will go far in the modeling world. Good luck with it!
Dan: WOW! You are a crazy and talented rapper! Your lyrics are so deep and your music is very catchy. I cannot believe I was sitting to such talent all this time. I think you will be famous one day…Paris by Night, maybe? =P I found my heart racing while listening to your music. Do you know where we can download it? Youtube, maybe? Good luck with your music!
Kyle: First impression of you, I assumed you were one of those typical surfer dudes. But after getting to know you, I could tell you are a nice guy =) Sorry I could not help much on your first essay; good luck with the porn research paper!
Oscar: You are such an artist! I used to paint and sketch too…after seeing your art work, I think I will go back to drawing for a hobby again. Nice work!
Jessica: I like your Lucky Seven poem. No pressure =)
Heidi: You broke the ice first day of class with your unique laughter. Thank you. I enjoyed hearing you laugh =)
Katherine: You have such a big heart! It’s very inspirational to hear you want to donate your shoes to the homeless. It was nice talking to you in class =)
Liza: You are such an independent woman. You’re the only pilot I know! Good luck on your pursuit of the marines, if I remember correctly!
Penelope: I was very touched when I heard your poem about missing your family during the holidays. It made me feel so blessed to have family here. Hopefully, you will have a fun holiday break with your friends here!
Ricky: I don’t mean to stalk you and Dan when you guys go down for a smoke =)
Heather: Thanks for asking a lot of questions in class! Really helped =) Good luck on your pursuit of nursing, and hopefully you have adjusted to your new home.
Angela: You are such a genuine person. I can tell your passion for helping others. Thanks for bringing the sushi and cake!! I enjoyed our talks in class =) Good luck with your college education and hopefully I will see you around!
Feross: I love your writing and poetry! Professor Hsiao is right, you are so poetic! You are such a profound thinker that I would never have believed that you are nineteen. Good luck on your future goals.
Carlo: hope your girlfriend feels better =)
Hopefully, I haven’t forgotten anyone!! Thanks everybody for this great experience, and, again, thank you Professor Hsiao!
Penelope Bwalya
Eng 110
GWC
I would like to say thank you to all my classmates for always sharing their opinions and making every class moment memorable. I had fun in class, and i also learnt alot from you guys. Have an awesome christmas and a blessed new year.
Matt Wilkins
GWC
English 110
Post 15ish
This Is It
Well ladies and gentlemen, it has been a ride. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel when it came down to the end of the semester. The first half was so easy for me, and then came the truncated eight week Hsiao experience. Wow! I feel like I’m going to explode. It has been a blast though. The discussions in class have been intriguing. Everyone in the class was wonderful. The readings were mind provoking, and all of that good stuff. Happy Festivas everyone, May your pole shimmer brightly this holiday season!
Liza Heacox
Eng 110
GWC
What an incredible 8 weeks this has been! I am so privileged to have had the opportunity to be in the company of such an eclectic, intelligent, sarcastic, and witty group of people. Never would I have imagined the depth of our conversations, or the intellectual fortitude demonstrated by all of you, coming from an English 110 class. The night the poems were read, I was blown away by the creativity that our humble classroom possessed. Mr. Hsiao did an excellent job of removing any crusty exteriors we may have had upon entering his class, but it was your personalities that electrified my life. I want to especially thank Matt, Brett and Heather for helping me to improve my writing and never being too shy to offer some much needed criticism. Good luck to you all in your future pursuits, and remember…we’ll always have English 110 :)
Jessica Lara
English 110
GWC
hello class,
I am happy and only somewhat sad that the class is finally over.I was lucky enough to take a eight week night class with some very nice people. Penelope is wonderful. she is the nicest person ever. i hope she gets to do whatever she wants because she deserves it. Oscar is a great guy too. Katherine is very funny, she cracks me up for some reason. i wish i could have gotten to know some other people better like Matt and Liza but maybe there will be another opportunity for that. i also really liked Feross and Marqurel. very nice people. i hope everyone has a great holiday. good luck to all of you.
Goodbye Everyone!!!!!
'Till we meet again Mr. Hsiao
Yue Hayes
English 110
Golden West College
I know I'm late, but after that Lazy Dog Cafe get-together, I feel like I HAVE to say a couple things.
I'm so bummed that I never came out of my shell to talk to people in class. Honestly, tonight has made me realize that there are so many people that are so great, so fun, so open... So easy to talk to!! I found out after Lazy Dog that I'm going to be spending the summer with Ron (HOPEFULLY!!!) in a drum corp!! We knew a couple of the same people... GOSH I missed out on becoming better friends with these people! I have my shyness to blame. :(
Couple of shout outs...
Cianna
I had so much fun this semester!! Thanks for listening to all my rants and ramblings. Thanks for being the calm, collected person that calms me down when I'm freaking out about various things. :)
Andy
OH MAN!!! I didn't think that disliking the same person could be this fun! You're such a fun guy. I'm glad we talked that one time because you're such an easy person to talk to and get along with. We gotta keep in touch, and hang out one day for sureeeee. Oh and have fun @ Vegas, I hope things are very awkward for you. :P
Tien
I LOOOVED talking to you today! GOSH you are so funny!! We have so so much in common... I think the only difference is that you've got yourself figured out more than I do. I felt like talking to you, I could learn a lot from you about myself. I'll definitely try to make that thing tomorrow! :D
Whitney
Gosh girl you are crazy!! Full-time student AND a full-time worker... AND you look put-together all the time. I admire that so much. You were super easy to talk to, too!! I hope we get more opportunities to talk and stuff because it was soooo fun :)
Ron
I'LL SEE YOU AT THE IMPULSE WORKSHOP! :DD
Jon
Thanks for being observant and pointing out my weird behaviors. Hah, only you, Jon... Only you...
Danh
I couldn't say hi from across the table, but HI!!! :D It was nice to see you there!
Honestly, guys, I hope you guys are all joining the club because I would LOVE to be able to talk to you guys more in a different setting. I think it would be so fun... Thanks for the GREAT time, I hope we can do something like that again :)
LOVE, YUE
Arturo Lopez
English 102
Cerritos College
Homonyms by Giorgio Agamben
So this is the second time reading this story and it does not get any easier. The essay is Giorgio Agambens attempt to point out the flaws in establishing classes. This is something that we all do whether its by age or race or gender.The problem is that one one puts desgnates a class to any object the object loses its essence. Agamben says, " one can say that all (or almost all) words can be presented as classes that according to the formulation of the paradox, both are and are not members themselves." One can label something as such but in the end the object can be a lot of other things and can fit in a plethora of other clasess.
Shannon Hatfield
English 110
Golden West College
post #2
After last tuesday, during class I had a better understanding of the stories The Allegory of the Cave,Homonyms,and Reflections of Photography.
As I read Allegory of The cave i was entirely confused as to what I am really reading; however, after class on tuesday i had a better understanding that many people dont know the truth. I took notes during the lecture and what really caught my mind was the cave that mr. Hsiao drew on the board, the visual explained so much more than just reading the story. on Line 30 " Better to be the poor servant of a poor master, and to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner?" That line was a clear example he would suffer as long as he didnt have to live not knowing the truth.
Homonym is two meanings of the same word. As i read this short story id have to say it was my favorite. Everyone has a different concept of red,blue,black. whatever comes in that persons mind is their concept of that color and not everyone thinks exactly alike. Mr. Hsiao explained to us that everyone has a different concept of red, as he went around the room asking people many thought of firetruck, apple, rose, and such.Most of everyone had a different thought and some were the same. I also took notes that all, every, and any are classified as infinite numbers of infinitys. This story to me was mainly about sterotyping. In line 13 " we are still far from understanding, the idea of a thing is the thing itself, the name, insofar as it names a thing, is nothing but a thing insofar as it is named by the name." Pitty the person who trys to put you in the box in terms for your race, gender,how you look , what you wear and such.
Reflections of photography, was a good story about this lonely young man whos mother passes away and as he finds a photograph of her at the age of 5. Reading this story i thoguht to myseld WOW, he must really love his mother and must have been very close with her. The picture he was looking at was the truth, it was a involuntary and complete memory of his mother.
Shannon Hatfield
English 110
GWC
Forever Giving
We constantly give
more then we recieve
we then feel neglected
because of it
We wonder why,
we anticipate the needs of others, when no one notices our needs.
Ernie Martinez
English 20
Cerritos College
Post #1
Just wanted to stop by and say hello everyone and already my skills are improving slowly but surely Thanks to Mr. Hsiao and my class mates who are very helpfull.
Thanks
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