Cornify

Symbolism In Santa

When people think of Christmas they might think of family, food, presents, and travel. However, most likely when people think of Christmas they think of Santa Claus. For those who don’t know of him, Santa Claus is a character that is in many Christmas stories from the famous Christmas poem entitled The Night before Christmas and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. He also known to deliver presents to the good girls and boys on the night of December 24. But is there more to this holly jolly fellow than meets the eye? Is there really symbolism in Santa? Some may call this hogwash, but I believe there is.

As children run down the stairs in their little footy pajamas, they hope that their list of toys and goodies are located beneath the Christmas tree, but at the same time hope that they weren’t bad enough to get the worst present ever; coal. As many know, Santa distinguishes nice and naughty by punishing those who are naughty with a lump of coal. Many believe that the deep black color of the coal symbolizes evil because of its negative connotation (blacklist, black mail, 'black death'). This dark combustible mineral substance also may symbolize the soul of the child if he or she continues there naughty ways of life. Though this somewhat dark side of Santa seems a bit evil for a children’s character, his symbols of niceness surely counterbalance the overall image of Saint Nicholas. He is probably best known for his red suit and cap; red being a color that represents joy, sensitivity, and love. There is little doubt that this color was used to lower the defenses of children and have them grow attraction to Santa. But, the number one greatest reason kids love Santa is that he brings lots of presents. This fact; and this fact alone, makes Christmas superior to the other holidays for youth. Some may say because of these gifts, this holiday has become more about receiving presents rather than the actual story of Christmas. Surely these events weren’t the original idea for Santa’s creators, but because of the symbolic aspect of Santa as the gift giver, parents focused on only that aspect missing the really great qualities of our jolly fellow completely.     

From the white frivolous beard on which he has on his face, to the quite jolly and plump exterior, it is not uncommon for people to believe that Santa is just another children’s story character who made it big.  But through a pair of trained eyes, many can see the more sophisticated, symbolic side of our friend Santa Claus and learn that things that seem childish may truly be something everyone can cherish.

Sphere No.5

**Based off the sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodoro**

Our lives have been challenged by machines.From writing a letter to creating cars, machines are taking the hard work of a job away from us. Before the mechanical revolution, many more citizens were employed, but now they are being replaced by the technological demon. As time goes on and citizens become lazier and more weak because of the figurative robotic helping hand of machines, the world as we know it will be controlled not by the work of humans, no, it will rotate using gears, motors, and oil. The mechanical menaces will become self aware of this change in the status quo and because of the advancements will own and control our society.      

Sunset in Georgia

**Based off of the painting by George Inness**

As though peace is scattered across the land, numerous warm, vibrant arrays of light are brought forth in the sky. The orange cream colors remind many of the happier times of the summertime. Where many have cheerful thoughts of friendships and fun. with these thoughts coursing through our mindset we are comforted for whatever the night has to come.    

A Response to Brave New World

Birth: the act of creation. This procedure is the act of producing the next generation of our kind. Producing one who may change the world, whether it is good or bad. But what if this basic human instinct was placed on to machines? What if humans were grown and harvested as though vegetation on a rural farm or garden? Though these horrific and unthinkable events may be just thoughts, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley shows the strange dystopian world it would be like if humans were born by machines.

The story is set in a London six hundred years in the future. People all around the world are part of a state run by a dictator, free from war, hatred, poverty, disease, and pain. They enjoy leisure time and material wealth. However, though this town seems to be a utopian world, all is not well. In order to maintain such a smoothly running society, the ten people in charge of the world, the Controllers, eliminate most forms of freedom while also twisting around many of the traditional human values. A realistic form of the Controllers may have been Adolf Hitler because of how he treated Germany and of its people. These rulers of this dystopia also believe that the process of Standardization is a value worth allowing. Though this way of life may be less problematic what these dreadful dictators are missing is the creativity stand point. But, with all that aside, how these tyrants keep this rule of standards across. These Controllers create human beings in factories, using technology to make ninety-six perfectly “normal” babies from the same fertilized egg and to condition them for their future lives. After the birthing process and the infant stage these test tube children are raised together and subjected to mind control through sleep teaching to further condition them. All the children spend their free time indulging in harmless and mindless entertainment and sports activities. As adults, people are content to fulfill their destinies as part of five social classes, from the intelligent Alphas, who run the factories, to the mentally challenged Epsilons, who do the most menial jobs. Teaching the lower groups such as the Epsilons is a very abusive task. So the child learns to hate books and more specifically reading, the spray them with high-powered jets of water. This technique might work for calming a riot down, but for these teachers to use it a kids is just crude and psychotic at the very least. Having these social classes though improving the overall standard of the workday, the rulers of this “chimerical” country are turning the citizens into workaholic, brain-dead, robots.

From making toast to making Toyotas, machines make our lives a lot easier. But though the act of childbirth can have many dangers and can be quite painful, is doesn’t mean we have to have machines carry out the procedure and let us go off and do something else. Even though there are afflictions, without them there would be no love for it for that pain can make love and relationships grow. Though Huxley was writing a satirical piece of fiction, not scientific prophecy, it is a sure sign of what may become of the human race if we let robots take care of everything.               

Le Pere Jacques

Following the path through the foliage

Stopping to work is incoherent  for you, but I must

While you are gathering the hopes and dreams through a flowering plant

I must sacrifice my time to keep you at bay

Though you aren't saying it to me

The way we laugh together tells me you are thankful

Battle

As volcanoes roar upon the land, birds fly leaving a feeling absence. The earth roars and shakes as an army of flamed souls produce. The souls stand in lines by the thousands waiting for the command. With the voice of that could break bones by the force alone, yells attack. They crusade through our lands engulfing anything and anyone in there way. We, the brave and the bold; we the meek and the shy must come together to defeat the impulses of evil. Though the chance of us winning is few, with the spirit of goodness and whole heartedness, there is no doubt of victory.

A Response to Speak

To speak; to produce sounds or audible sequences of individual or concatenated sounds of a language. Though this is the scientific way of looking at the act of articulating, there is so much more on an emotional stand point of speaking. Whatever you’re feeling, you always want to tell it to your friends and family; but, what if something happened? What if something happened so heinous and horrid that you couldn’t talk? Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson shows the importance of communication with others.

As summer was drawing to a fun-filled end, happy go lucky Melinda Sordino, the soon to be ninth grade protagonist and her “BFF” Rachel were headed to a party. Once the two friends had made it to the party, they soon find out there was alcohol on the premises. Though not shocking for any standard high school party, they were underage. Being naïve and in a way feebleminded, they each took a beer and didn’t think anything off it. As our main character becomes less and less sober, she and a stranger lock eyes. The protagonist is so happy knowing that she may actually have an older boyfriend going in to high school, but this was surely not an equal thought. When they finally start to talk, they seem to hit it off well and they decided to go for a walk. Melinda's meeting of an older boy who leads her away from the safety of numbers and into unknown danger is a common scenario you would likely see in a safety video. As they walk farther and farther away from the party, the unspeakable thing happens to Melinda. The high schooler she thought about being the one who would protect her, raped her. Like most rape victims, the rape affected Melinda tremendously and caused a downward spiraling of her emotional health. Not only is the rape an unbearable event to deal with alone, the whole school was shunning her for calling the cops during the party. Because of these events Melinda goes into a stage of being unsocial towards any and all people. This is as clear as glass during the hours she is in high school. Because of this, Melinda starts failing classes left and right except for Art. This may be because she can express her true feelings without the awful comments of peers. The art piece that is truthful to this statement is the turkey carcass sculpture in the chapter “Wishbone” (pages 61-65). In this piece a head of a Barbie figurine is resting inside of a turkey with tape place over her mouth. This array of horrific sight may be a metaphor for what she is going through in her dreadful life. Many may be shocked at this and think she may be an “Emo” or a “Goth” because of this, but at least she letting it out in a safe and nonviolent way. As the story progresses, our protagonist life goes from bad to worse when the rapist turns out to be a  student at the same school. Knowing this fact mentally torments her every day. Many couldn’t believe that this could actually happen, but it could, and it does. 

Though rape is a thing nobody would ever want to experience, what happened to Melinda is not the most uncommon thing. According to the Rape, Abused, and Incest National Network 29% of all rapes are between the ages of 12-17 years old. As stated before Melinda knows the rapist as the story goes on and this is true with actual rapes. 93% of juvenile sexual assault victims know their attacker, just as Melinda knew the rapist who soon revealed to the reader by his name, Andy Evans. Even though Melinda is a fictional character she realistically depicted the effect caused by rape. Contemplating suicide, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder are just a few of the terrible, terrible symptoms Melinda faced.  Thankfully Melinda tries to communicate about the traumatic events and isn’t shunned or looked at as a mental patient, but is embraced with kindness needed to overcome the past. 

Whether it be texting about a funny YouTube video or having a deep conversation about important subjects, communication can start and or improve relationships with others. With Melinda finally trusting someone, her life is now enhanced knowing that she can tell someone what is on her mind freely. Because of this, she can now begin a new life.

Locker

What confidences do you hold
Each object within you has a story
Homework, pencils, dreams, memories
Each year comes to a close
We must move to a new locker
Blank canvas for social and emotional passes
We must keep this tradition of change for many years
But once those years are gone we must find a new punnet for such reminiscences
Our heart

Reflection In the water

Oh reflection in the water
what do have to tell me
Are you a figure of what could have been or what will come in time
Are you here to warn me or to congratulate me
when an object falls into you, you change drastically
are you trying to give me a figurative representation of my life and easily it could change
I cannot tell because you aren't real
Maybe that is the way it should be

A Response To 2001: A Space Odyssey

In world of today, technology plays an important role. Whether it is playing games on gaming consoles, texting your friends on a cellular phone or writing an essay like the one you see in front of you. We see the world of technology is growing at a miraculous pace each day. But with this amelioration one may ask “Is this progress a benefit to our society or are we creating the one thing that will kill us all?” Many theorists believe that because of artificial intelligence we will be terminated by robots. Is this theory realistic? To a few maybe, but in 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke it seems quite realistic.

The main reason for this curious concept is the Hal 9000. This human-like computer is aboard and is in control of the Discovery One, a space ship which is holding Dave Bowman and Frank Poole, two ordinary astronauts.Though today, this seems not that strange Hal 9000 is a figurative representation of many concerns about technology and its progress; one being that Hal is artificially intelligent which means that it can think as well as, if not better than, any human can. Also, the inner workings that make this computer work and function are not completely understood by the inventors. As time goes on in the dark abyss known as space, this great and powerful computer which runs basically the lives of a few people, it starts to malfunction. As this goes on the action becomes less predictable and a lot more human like. At first, this involves something relatively not so important such as reporting a malfunctioning part when it is working fine. But, after a while of these malfunctions Hal goes crazy and suffocates Frank Pool by cutting of his oxygen tube while outside the ship. Hal's breaking down occurs against the backdrop of an otherwise flawless and simple mission of exploring space like many NASA missions today which makes its malfunction stand out even more.

Though the thought of the year of 2001 being this way is quite asinine, the feelings it has about the advancements of technology is still a morale that lives on through today. Using technology to text and instant message friends is fine, but having it run and the lives of human beings? Though being technologically advanced is important, some may ask where should we stop before this horridness plot become a reality.

The Few

As winds roar through out the land
Many are inside their cushy homes
But the few, the bold, and the brave
are the ones fighting the rain and thunder
Many people don't know about these battles
But for the minute amount that do
thank the few who made it a sunny day

The Life and Death of a Peanut

It's dark in here. So bored. I think I'll eat Jack on the other end of the shell; he was pretty salty. Cannibalism? Sure. Wrong? probably. Horrible? Of course, he was a good friend of mine; but it is eat or get eaten in this salty, isolated prison. Every shriek he gave from the bites of mine was like a knife stabbing me in the back. Life in this place is terrible; I hope I will find my true calling somewhere else.*CRUNCH!*, oh my gosh I heard a strange noise and saw light. Falling out of the shell felt a shiver through out my whatever is holding my back up, it's not like I knew my anatomy. Luckily, I landed on something apricot-colored and cushy. Suddenly, the land I fell on started to move towards this huge gaping hole. That was the end for me, pulverized into a powder by large white stones. Though life in that dark place was terribly boring, I wish I hadn't wished to experience the outside world.

Insomia to Insanity

Night winds roar like an
angry parent yelling “Go
to sleep!” without words

My eyes are blood red
Burning from insomnia
God take me away

This is so useless
No prayer can help me now
My sleep is now gone

The winds keep yelling
Starting to weep in my pillow
Not helping my sleep

Must end this pain now
There is no other option
Goodbye forever

Money

Why is our currency green; it should be red for the blood fought over for it. To think not that our world is ranked not by knowledge or kindness, but wealth. Though some deserve not having wealth, many have none where in a righteous world they would be the fat cats of the society. Countless lives have been canceled for this terrible green paper. The smile on the presidential faces make you believe that the material they are printed on is commendable or even godlike, but in reality the grin on the face is not a grin at all: but smirk, a smirk of the “comedic” value of the battles for riches; like animals fighting over food and shelter.

Patriotism

Patriotism: national loyalty, devotional love; these are just a few ways to describe what patriotism means. People ask "Is patriotism still essential to the American tradition?” Of course it is. With patriotism comes the respect for your neighbors, respect for your country, and respect for all. If the United States was without patriotism we wouldn't be united; even though we'd still have the land, we wouldn't have a reason to make the land united.

Almost halfway across the world, American men and women are fighting 24/7 around the clock against the Taliban. Not because they were ordered to or because they think they are going to become famous, but because somewhere in their conscience, there's a part of them saying they have to finish what they started, for us, back home. These are the people who we should be showing patriotism to.

Many of us play games where we are a soldier, whether it is “Call Of Duty” or “Medal Of Honor”, we all play them; it is a lot fun and when you die you can start-over from your last checkpoint with no harm done except some negative stats. Well these people don't have a start over button on their lives. They aren't fighting for trophies or experience points; they fight for our freedom. They are risking life and limb so we Americans won't lose our rights and lives as well. All they ask for is respect and do they get it? Sure, on Fourth of July and Labor Day, but we should show respect every time we see the people in uniform; we should thank them with the most sincere amounts of gratitude from the bottom of our hearts. By showing patriotism to all, we as the United States can have a utopian country where there will be no wars, but peace throughout the land.

A Response To A Clean Well Lighted Place

Though a figurative wall was built between the kids of today and the kids of yesteryear, the struggle of feeling one with youth and elders is difficult task to take upon. An example of this would be the two waiters, one old and one young, at this bar. A Clean Well Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway shows that exact dissent between those two age groups.

This story of differences starts off in a café with the aforementioned waiters talking about an old man who is the last person there. This old man was not a new thing for these waiters because he comes there every night getting drunk. The reader may feel sad that the old man is always getting drunk and suspect that he is depressed. Suspicion stops by the next line of data for that the older waiter says that tried to commit suicide the last week. For the young waiter this is like hearing “The cake is a lie”, because he can’t seem to wrap his head around that because the old man has tons of money. This is where the separations in thoughts begin.

 As today’s world is more about wealth and power we can see why the young protagonist may feel abashment because for him and most other people in this world the equation is money plus riches equals happiness.   As wealth and greed have a lot to this many a reader may relate this story to John Steinbeck’s The Pearl because the protagonist Kino finds a pearl but then is over come by greed. As the story goes on the youthful advocate waiter finally ask the inebriated old fellow why he is so desolated even though he was affluent with money. As the groggy but still wise senior said that money doesn’t make happiness. 

Though this aphoristic anecdote was written in 1926 the message it gives the reader is one that people of all ages should know and follow. Though the idea of the young and the old coming together with one mind is quite a long shot, for now most can agree with  Ernest Hemingway’s  A Clean Well Lighted Place has the message for everyone.

A Clear Well Lighted Barnes & Noble

As we walk in to this place of books and media we seem to forget that there were two floors. We walk to the woman trying to not hate her job selling Nooks and we ask her, “¿Dónde podemos encontrar de 2001: Una odisea del espacio?”

“Su piso de arriba.”

“Gracias”

And so we head to the escalator and for me it was difficult since I am crippled at that moment. The shear thought of my head slamming into the spiked escalator stair made me cringe. Petrified I asked my father if we could take the elevator, and so we did.

As the elevator bell rung I knew we were on the seconds floor. We step off ready to find that book. As the literature safari starts we find it almost instantly. We then proceed to find some chairs. Looking for actual chairs in this store is like finding a strand of hay in an incinerator. Fortunately, lady luck gave us two chairs. Sitting down was a relief, taking some gloominess out of my day. We stay at are chairs not only because of the furniture vultures that swoop at any and all open chairs, but we were both fascinated with our book choices. Hours pass and were ready to head home, but there was one thing keeping us upstairs, the elevator battery was dead so we had to take the dreaded escalators. The steps were taunting me, always moving just before I was going on it. Finally I decided to go for it, but failed. The crutches fell and I was struggling not to fall into eternal falling. With an ape-like grip, my father grabbed my shirt collar and placed me fully on step and chased the lost crutches down the escalator.

After the near-death experiment I thank my father.

“Gracias”

“De nada”        

The Rose

The beauty of this flower hides the real personality, dangerous. As many have done one may unknowing of this blossoming bomb of thorns may grab the stem of this pollinating poison. As doing so he may scream, cry and look at his hand to find out the real reason of the red color.

Eclispe

As the light is stricken from our eyes as if a cloth were hung from our eyes we bring forth melancholy. Though upon a limb was torn from our body we surmise that we are solitary. We stay with this emotion till the vivid light restores the paradisiacal emotions as we realize that we can’t live without the suns almighty brightness.