We are currently working on editing our pieces for our script. In our group, we have decided that each group member individually look at their own parts and see what it is they feel should stay or go in the scenes assigned to them, so that afterward we could all go over the script together and try and edit it even more. It is not an easy task. Part of that reason is because our group gets distracted by things so easily and therefore cannot concentrate on the work that is put in front of us. Maybe it is because it is a group of friends, maybe it is because we all have such strong personalities that we sometimes collide, maybe I am too bossy or dominant, maybe there are 1,001 other reasons to explain it. All I know is that we have work to do and we don’t have a lot of time to do it, so we need to get on top of our game.
Another problem that we are currently confronting is that our group cannot seem to figure out our method of presentation. The response is due…. Yesterday… and yet we still cannot figure it out. I as captain want it something that everyone else will be comfortable with, because I know that some people do not feel comfortable up in front of a lot of people, but I cant even come up with an idea that will suit everyone, and I don’t want to just do it the traditional way because it just seems, well, cliché. Only thing is that no one seems to be giving feedback, and I don’t want us to say don’t care what it is we choose to do now, and then go up in front of the class and only give 50 or 60% because some of us decided we didn’t want to act it out like everyone else in the end. If we all choose as a group then I figure no one can complain about this or that not being what they wanted to do, so hopefully we can pull it together.
Although it seems like my group is facing a few difficulties, I do have a lot of confidence in us. I know that everyone in the end will pull together and get it done, I just don’t want to have to wait until the end to see that happen. I mean, I have seen it in those instances when we are not being distracted and I read a line out loud and we have to analyze it as a group to decide whether or not it should be in our script. Everyone has an interpretation of each line, and everyone begins to learn more and more Shakespeare’s play on words and which ones are crucial to our plots and which ones just take up 4 lines to say ‘that handkerchief is special’ (or something along the lines). So that really makes me happy that although we don’t notice as it happens but we are learning as we go through this arduous, exasperating, protracted process.

This is pretty much the beginning of our process to do our final benchmark for English. Right off the bat I felt that it would be an interesting yet, somewhat challenging task, not so much for the work in itself, but the collaboration to get the work done. I have a group of four and was chosen leader (not my choice) so I am trying my best to make sure my group is doing all that we should be, while at the same time also keeping myself on track as well. So far though, it seems like everyone has been on track and doing the work that they need to do. We are all keeping up with our lines and not much complaining has happened… yet.
One thing that is difficult in this project is finding the perfect lines that will capture, not only the plot of the story, but the idea of our theme as well which is revenge. The thing is that when it comes to revenge Iago is one who is definitely out for it in the book, however, we as a group do not want to solely focus on Iago because there are numerous characters who take revenge out on someone throughout the book, one way or another. For example, Othello takes revenge out on Desdemona for cheating on him, falsely, but revenge none-the-less. Another person is Emilia who takes revenge out on Iago for all the wicked and heinous crimes that he hath committed by exposing the truth about him to Gratiano and everyone else, etcetera. So, I am currently trying to portray that in our script without overdoing it and throwing a million ideas into a 7-minute presentation, and that is one of the problems that my group is facing as a whole.
A thing that we have all learned though is the beauty of www.nfs.sparknotes.com. It allows us to go check lines from the play if we do not fully understand them. However, this project is allowing me to go through the book again and understand Shakespeare’s wording and vocabulary now, because when I first began reading the book I had absolutely no clue as to what was occurring in the book, but as I went through it I began to understand it piece by piece. Then, with all of our class discussions and our analyzing it has helped me so that now when I go back into my sections I can reread the lines and because I understand the plot better, it allows me to also understand the dialogue better as well. It has really helped me learn my Shakespeare.

    The crisis in Darfur is something that I am truly becoming passionate about. It is a big problem, and more knowledge needs to be shined on the heads of us all on this issue.
    Although I am dedicated to the topic, it’s not necessarily easy. Part of that is because the cause is not in this country, it’s on the other side of the world. Therefore, it is harder to see the effect of the problem first hand. Also, this issue is extremely complex. I feel that to talk about the genocide, I also have to research and understand the war and the poltical conflict, which is really confusing and long. For example, there are so many unfamiliar terms and places that I have to do background research on to make sure I understand the full story, like the conflict with Chad and Sudan and the militias. All of that, and more, needs to be explained and broken down to really give a background of what the genocide started with and why it is still going on now. Thirdly, it is hard to find change agents for this cause, since it is something that is being ignored by the majority of the population, and if there are some, then I highly doubt that they will be found in the city, but the best I can do is try.
    Overall, however, I think that I am seeing some progress in my work. It seems that all the deadlines come so fast, even though we get sufficient time to do everything. I turn around and notice that another blog post is already due. It is okay though, because, it is not that difficult. All it takes is a hint of dedication and a pinch of determination.

Genocide: the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group; mass murder. Throughout history the world has encountered many genocides, some which are well known including the Rwandan genocide, and perhaps one of the most well known genocides that affected the entire world, the Holocaust. However, as many may not know, we are facing one as we speak and it is called Darfur.
In Middle Eastern Asia there is a war going on and it is the war in Sudan. The war fronts consist of the Sudanese government and the Janjaweed militia.Due to the war there and all the issues, such as dehydration and the scarce amount of food and resources, the country has broken out into rage. All that playing into what has become known as the Darfur Genocide. Throughout the country inncent people are dying and being killed simply because of their tribal or religious beliefs by the Sudanese militia, which is against them. According to the Daily 49er “The Darfur conflict started in February 2003 in western Sudan, mainly because of population pressures and shortages that caused disputes among the tribes,” and this war so far has taken more than 400,000 innocent lives so far.
So we see this happening and we ask ourselves, “Why doesn’t someone step in and help?” It is because the rest of the world is turning their back on the issue. The most help that most survivors have received so far are refugee camps that they inhabit when their houses were to be burned down by militia and such. But yet, many people there still in fear of even leaving the premises of the camps afraid that they will be kidnapped or raped. That is no way to live, for anyone.
The genocide in Darfur is a major issue that needs to be resolved and stopped in its tracks because innocent people do not deserve todo die on the count of their militia and government. Therefore, awareness needs to be raised, because it is the first step to change. Once there is knowledge, there can be help, and perhaps a solution. As we have seen, they are being supplied with refugee camps but that is not enough. We need change and we need it now.