Does Everybody Have to Die?

Without a doubt my favorite piece of literature we have read this year was Everything Matters! by Ron Currie, Jr. There are many reasons for this, I enjoyed the scientific phenomenon of dual universes, was fascinated by the use of an entirely omniscient narrator, and I have always been fascinated by the idea of apocalypse. However I have to say that none of these were either of the two main reasons I loved this novel. Firstly, Ms. Serensky's claim that I "connect a lot with Junior" left me constantly pondering what on earth she meant. Does she believe "the Polish army of [my] emotional self has fallen to the Nazi war machine of [my] intellect, and [my] relationships with most people...are cool and slight," feeling that I am just a machine without any emotional ability which seems somewhat necessary to excel in English (58)? Or does she believe that in a few years I will be "out drinking every night," caught up in an emotional roller coaster which will lead me to make horrible mistakes such as playing with four hundred pounds of C4 (97)? Or perhaps she believes that soon I will be holed up in some "observatory in New Mexico" attempting to prove that the world will end within our lifetime (132). Just what does it mean that she believes I am like Junior? I guess a better question is if I want to be like Junior. Now the second thing that led me to love me this book was the speculative discussions that resulted from the ending. I love speculative discussions because they really just turn into arguments and secretly I love to argue, I just hate interrupting people. However I was distraught never to actually get to have my most anticipated argument, to challenge Ms. Serensky on the claim that "Everybody is going to die." You may all believe death is set in stone but I am not so naive to believe that, how could I be when we have managed to more than double the average life expectancy in the past few centuries and we are constantly lengthening it faster and faster. Recently there was a study on medicine tested on worms in which the worms with the medicine would not only live longer, but the worms which took the medicine would still be as active as younger worms without medicine. Now although we are not worms what this essentially means is that if this medicine was adapted for humans not only could we live much longer, but people in their 80s would be able to move like people in their 40s today. My belief is that we will continue to increase our lifespans at a faster and faster rate, until eventually we are extending them before we ourselves can die. Thus putting immortality within our grasp as long as it is not interrupted by unnatural causes. So I do not believe that Everybody Dies, so the real question now is... If not everything ends, then does everything really matter?

Perhaps Ms. Serensky believes I will turn out like this.

Top Ten High School Moments

10. Joining AP English
  I still remember making my choice to join AP English and how unsure I was if it was a smart choice. Over these past two years I am fairly certain I made the right choice, but at a serious cost. A serious amount of time and my life has gone into this class tot he point where I do not really have one anymore, when my friends want to do something and I can not because I am working on AP English I always think, "'It's me okay? I'm the zombie'" (Currie, 201)

9. Completing my first Data Sheet
     After completing my first Data Sheet such a powerful sense of accomplishment and relief washed over me I will never forget it. Now looking back at it I look at others and see what they have that "I'd like one of...for myself. A life" (Currie, 186)

8. Oli called out Ms. Serensky
   It was our first week of AP English 11 and Oli had not left yet, and I remember vividly as Ms. Serensky walked around the room happily talking about how she would not have to make lunch that night since it was friday. Suddenly Oli turned to her and said with a smirk "you still have to make it Sunday." Ms Serensky looked so angry, and I remember thinking something along the lines of, another "one flew over the cuckoo's nest" (Kesey, 285)

7. I nugged Moen's backpack, with cookies
     I kind of feel bad for it but during finals of sophomore year in a commons I took Moen's backpack, nugged it, threw cookies in it, and shook it up. It was probably the most mischievous thing I have ever done. People have always said that that they "often wish that in public, at any rate, [I] had been more demonstrative" of my mischievous tendencies (Wilde, 10)

6.  Ms. Serensky compared me to Junior
     I remember Ms. Serensky comparing me to Junior and not knowing whether to be flattered or insulted. On one hand she basically called me a genius, but on the other she has predicted that next year I will become depressed, become an alcoholic and drug addict, and basically will destroy my entire life. Now I wonder which Junior Ms. Serensky feels I am like. Only one thing is for certain, I too have used the sentence "You know how I'm always spacing out, and you get pissed off because you've just asked me a question" (Currie, 89)

5. I asked Ms. Serensky to let me go find my books
     I will never forget when I had to ask Ms. Serensky if I could go find my books because my friend had nugged me. It was quite a disaster, though now I look back at it with laughter at my own stupidity. Now I must say from that experience I learned "the vital Importance of Being Earnest" with my teachers (Wilde, 54)

4.  Receiving my Nickname
     In soccer I was given the nickname which has transcended me throughout all four years of my high school career, Dark Lord. At the time I assumed that nicknames really did not mean anything whatsoever. I was foolish, and naive... "Everything Matters" (Currie, 292).

3. Bringing Michaela to School
     Next would be my memory of bringing my five year old sister to school with me one day to tell Mr. Maas I would be missing his class to babysit. Walking around school with a five year old in my arms at 7 in the morning was a rather bizarre situation. I had considered going to see my other teachers as well to catch them off guard for fun, but considering how I looked as if I had an illegitimate child, but at the time I thought it was "better if they don't see me" (Kesey 3)

2. When McQuade stood up to Mr. Kerul

     Without a doubt, the second most memorable event in my High School career was when Ian McQuade called out Mr. Kerul, my least favorite teacher, for accusing his students. His interjection did "not seem to me to be a grave objection" (Wilde, 49)

1. Ms. Serensky's first "Dear Journal"
     The most memorable event in my entire High School career had to be when Ms. Serensky first did her impersonation of Thomas writing in his journal/diary. Thus Serensky found herself "surrounded by [her] dozen people...swinging a laughter that rang out" (Kesey 250).

Everything Ends

My favorite poem from this year in AP English was "Sestina" by Elizabeth Bishop. I liked this poem simply because of the style of the Sestina where it repeats the same ending words in each stanza, and because when I was reading it "something suddenly click[ed]" (55). This of course was significant to me because prior to this poem, every time I sat down to write the essay it made "me want to cry" (54). With "Sestina" I finally moved past my strong hate of poems and felt far less miserable while writing my essays. For some reason as I read about that crying grandmother who seems so depressed, and thought about what could possibly be her reasoning behind her depression, I realized that "everything ends, and everything matters" (292). Even those things which seem to have no significance at all, change something when they end.

Starting off Multiple Choice High

I would have to say my all time favorite day of AP English 12 would have to have been winning the very first multiple choice game with a perfect score with Sarah Greenlaw, Lizzie Burl, and Nicola Zollinger. Though as with all the multiple choice games my favorite part was watching as each team "flew over the cuckoo's nest" as Ms. Serensky slowly introduced teams (285, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). Until she finally reached ours and I put the rest of my team in an awkward position, which I do every time, by sitting there quiet and nonchalant, waiting for the game to start. As always the whole room threw me that little look, the one that says, "You are not nearly as slick or stealthy as you think," we know you care about this game (102, Everything Matters!). Then the game started, and as each question went by our table grew more and more excited as our possibly perfect game neared completion. The game alone seemed to drag on forever as we slowly, and agonizingly slow it was, went over each question. Finally, when that last answer was revealed and we learned we had achieved the impossible and earned a perfect score for the game, well I just could not understand how it was possible. I seriously questioned if I really deserved all those extra credit points, or if I had just been smart enough to pick a good team. To be honest, I think it was probably the second one, when you put me next to Sarah my strict analytical brain just does not do the trick in English. I often wonder if perhaps the following loses were our team's fault, or more mine for misleading the team at times, and I would have to admit that I do more than my fair share of that. I suppose these games have finally taught me, "the vital Importance of Being Earnest" with oneself (54). Somehow I doubt it.

This was the third hit on Google Images for "quiet and nonchalant," perhaps I should only add pictures of tiny dogs from now on...

All Tragedies Matter

[Enter Lane with Reggie close behind, Lane appears rather distraught while Reggie appears to have a rather conniving face on]
Reggie: Lane...
Lane: "Yes, sir" (The Importance of Being Earnest, 4)
Reggie: Firstly, Stop calling me sir. It's weird, I'm your friend, you are no servant of mine. Secondly, I'm telling you it's time we got back at Algernon for the way he treats you.
Lane: Reggie, you're being rather ridiculous, all he did was Bunbury my sister... Ugh
Reggie: Something has to be done... "I'm-a blow that motherf**ker up" (Everything Matters, 109)
Lane: Reggie, that's completely ridiculous, how are you going to get a bomb anyways?
Reggie: I don't know, I'm gonna get real weird with it, I'll use cucumbers or something to power one, speaking of which did you get those cucumbers I asked you to? I just love cucumbers.
Lane: "There were no cucumbers in the market this morning, sir. I went down twice" (The Importance of Being Earnest, 8)
Reggie: "Least you finally bein' honest" (Everything Matters, 113)... What a pity, I really do love cucum... Lane, stop calling me sir!!! Well that's ok, I've actually been saving C4 from a guy I know over these last four years, just for this occasion?
Lane: You've been planning this for four years?
Reggie: Yep, I'm a lunatic. I thought you knew that, and I thought we were friends.
Lane: [pulling out a gun] I'm afraid I can't let you do this, I'm a member of the HSACHSB - House Servants Against Crazed, Homicidal, Suicide Bombers.
Reggie: [looking rather confused] Why on earth do YOU have a gun?
Lane: I'm a member of the neighborhood watch as well, now say goodnight. BANG! [Reggie squeals] HaHaHa I got you!
Reggie: That was not funny Lane
Lane: If you're so ready to blow yourself up why are you so afraid of dying?
Reggie: Whoa, whoa, whoa... Who said anything about me blowing myself up? You're going to do it.
Lane: Then I must be stopped [puts gun to his own head]
Reggie: No wait [Lane pulls the trigger and blood goes everywhere]... One down, one to go, told you I was going to get crazy with it Lane... [pulls out his own gun and shoots himself]
Algernon: What was that?!?! Oh dear, Lane!! Come clean this up! Lane!!! Where could that man be [exit Algernon]

Why Jack Went to Remedial English

I will never forget that absolutely horrible last day of AP English I experienced, it was that day alone that drove me into the remedial English class I attend today. As all bad days go, the class itself began on a sour note, I do not think I have ever entered a classroom so terrified as entering Ms. Serensky's domain with my backpack inside-out and without a single one of my English books. I sat down next to Dom and I whispered to him, the following dialogue ensued.
Me: Dom... I don't have any of my books. Someone stole them.
Dom: Well just tell her the truth...
Me: Dom, "the truth isn't quite the sort of thing one tells to a nice, sweet, refined girl" like Ms. Serensky. You must be mad (16)
Dom: Well then I suppose you will have to make something up then
Me: Damn... Uhh Ms. Serensky?
Ms. Serenksy: Yes Jack? Is there a reason you're interrupting my Blog Banter?
Dom: Bad move dude
Me: Well... It's just... I kind of left every single one of my English books in my locker...
Ms. Serensky: [Glaring] Well then go get them

As I left that classroom with my tail between my legs I had no idea what was in store. Of course no sooner had I entered the commons and started interrogating my classmates did I learn who had done it, and of course it was Chris, Mr. Popular, who had taken my books. It was just as I was entering the classroom that I realized... I was screwed, I'd been caught in my lie. So I walked in half terrified half furious and told Chris --You stole all my stuff and nugged my backpack? -- Chris just laughed, I died a little inside -- "You are hardly serious enough...One has to adopt  very high moral tone on all subjects... That, ... is the whole truth pure and simple" (6). However it was then that Serensky attacked -- Jack, this is the second time you have interrupted my Blog Banter, is there a reason that you feel that you are so much more important than everyone else? -- My tail went back between my legs -- It's not that  feel more important, Mrs. Serensky, you see "my backpack keeps getting nugged, its getting pretty bad" and Chris here stole all my books -- And here was the worst part, Ms. Serensky laughed and told Chris he was as funny as ever, not a hint of sarcasm. I sat down at my desk about ready to cry myself into tomorrow when I heard my phone began to blast. Ms. Serensky turned a shade of red I thought only existed in cartoons. I answered, listened to the message, and shrunk down into my seat as much as possible, but it was too late. Ms. Serensky attacked.
Ms. Serensky: Interrupting my Blog Banter again are we Jack? What was so important this time?
Me: It was about my brother...
Ms. Serenksy: Ahh I remember Ernest, he was so well behaved, not at all irritating or annoying like his younger brother. How is he?
Me: "Quite dead" (26)
Ms. Serensky: Dead?
Me: [Teary eyed] Yes, he died in a chemical fire this morning, at least according to the call I just received
Ms. Serensky: Well then, at least he still is not bothering anybody, still being up shown by your brother. Now get out of my classroom
Me: [Bawling] Yes Mam.


I never went back to that classroom, Indeed I do not think I ever shall...

My Voice isn't as Good as Yours

Dear Junior,

I am sorry to inform you that I have no interest in you whatsoever, if you could read this to that voice inside your head though, then that would be wonderful.

Now then Dear... Voice,

I have recently arrived at some questions that I could sincerely use your help with solving. As many of my peers have likely guessed by now, I too hear a voice inside my head (don't tell anyone or I will be joining Chief Bromden in the loony bin). Now then, in the novel you claimed "Everything matters" (292). The voice does help me a lot, but it likes to trick me too, and recently it has been rising some odd questions about my AP English 11 class last year. It has been claiming that the only reason why I have been having trouble is because I have become rusty on what I learned last year. So my question is this, how do I know what matters most. Last year in discussions I let my morals not to interrupt others control me and I kept quiet, but now every time I let that happen I lose points. So tell me which matters more, my grade or my morals? Also you claim that sacrificing yourself for others benefit "is the very definition of heroic" (191). So does my sacrifice of my own grade to allow others to save their own make mer a hero, or just a fool? I certainly do not feel like a hero, and more like a fool, yet when I do interrupt others to speak I always feel bad. Now I know what you are thinking, why don't you just ask the voice in your head but sadly it only knows math (now you know why I do so well in that one class). Oh and don't try to pull that "we in fact only know one thing for certain" excuse, remember theres a voice in my head too and it says you are lying, you know everything (8).

Looking forward to hearing back from you,

Chase

P.S. Gerald says hi