Masterpiece Response

Carlos Serrano
Dr. Preston
Expository Composition
2 June 2014

Masterpiece Academy Response 

Ever since I have started this course I believe I have changed quite a bit and grew a little more as a person.  I say this because I am not the same, or at least don’t think the same, as when I came into the class.  While taking this class course, I have noticed that the way I think is getting more creative.  I can start seeing more solutions to a problem or question and I can think of a little more questions to ask when I want to learn something more.  I know for a fact that my thinking has improved, along with it, my reading and writing has also improved a good amount.  I started to read more and enjoy it more than before, not only for school but for me, for fun which is something I never used to do.  With my writing, I started to write more effectively and with better quality than I ever have with any other English class.

As this course took place, we were treated more as colleagues than students in a high school classroom.  This had a more of an impact than feeling like we are just some kids in some class. We got to express ourselves more and for the first time ever, we had a say in the course we were learning about. But, some people took advantage of being called colleagues instead of students and slacked off and ended up doing nothing the whole year.  On the other hand, some other students really did deserve to be treated as colleagues and not students because they took the course blog and rocked it like no other.  Those people deserve to be the leaders of the class because they get it and they should help with the course for future students.

Thanks to this course, I got back in touch with my passion, my passion being boxing and anything to do with it.  I am very grateful for that because I believe that without the course I would have never thought about taking up boxing again in a serious way but because of this course and old flame inside of me got reignited and is now stronger than ever.  Now I try and balance my school life, work life and boxing training to try and find at least an hour a day to improve myself, even if it is by myself to shadow box, run, work on my core or anything else until high school ends so that way I can have more time and truly dedicate myself to boxing and to be the best in my boxing weight class.

Throughout this course, something that has really made laugh and was amazed at was when we would have vocabulary words to do for the week, Dr. Preston would tell us that if we could use them all in one big story that we wouldn’t have to take the test because we showed that we understood the words, to show that this was possible, he would go up in front and say a story on the spot using the vocab. Words.  Like I said earlier, this both amazed me and made me laugh at the same time.

A unifying theme that ran through most of the presentations is that if you really care about doing something, whether it be a school assignment or a career, if you don’t put in your heart or soul into it, whatever you are doing won’t be your best work.  If you aren’t doing soothing to be the best, why even do it in the first place because if it isn’t your best work no one will notice and if no one notice then it might as well never existed in the first place.  When each presenter went up to talk/ present there was a certain feel to each and every one of them, a certain pizazz to them.  Each presentation was not similar to each other which made them that much more important and valuable.

When I see my other colleagues in the course with me, I see them as heroes in their own respect, in their own field of study.  Whether it is planes/flying and anything to with them when I see Matt Reynolds or be it body building and hormones with Jacob Caldwell or even Veterinary medicine with Jake Dickens.  Each one is very informed and very knowledgeable in their field, heroes if you will.  But me as I stand right now, I don’t consider myself a hero yet.  I say this because the journey that I have chosen to take is one rigorous and painful road but it is also the most rewarding because once you become champion and you have your world little belt around you and you have defeated many strong opponents, you can truly say that you are strong. That’s why I chose boxing because I want to truly know what it means to be strong. All those hours upon hours in the gym trying to improve yourself were not for nothing, they pay off and because of it, you can stand tall and proud like no other.  What’s so great about boxing and why I choose it as my journey is that once you have the belt and shown that you are the best, you can go on and conquer other belts and be the best in other weight classes as well.

Latest boxing news

Read about the latest boxing news on the Miguel Cotto vs Sergio Martinez for the middleweight championship

 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2081614-the-hottest-boxing-storylines-for-the-week-of-june-2

Pacquiao vs Bradley 2

In case you missed the fight, here are the results of an amazing battle.

http://www.mmafighting.com/2014/4/13/5609684/pacquiao-vs-bradley-2-results-manny-pacquiao-avenges-loss-beats

Raising a Moral Child

In the  article titled “Raising a Moral Child”,  it was great to be able to see the links imbedded into the article that lead to the research it talks about to show that it isn’t something made up and they have resources to back up what they say. After reading that article I can say that I fully agree with what the article says with parents caring more about good attitude over achievement and how it is good to teach children to be caring it is almost never easy to show them at a young age as well as how some children are getting to be too good-natured. But what really caught my attention was when it talked about how at a young age, we should praise our children when they do good things but how you do that has a risk to it. When a child does something good and you praise action and offer a reward you run the risk of the child only doing good things when they know they will get something good in return or won’t do it if there is nothing in it for them. That is different if you praise the child and not the action. An example of this in the article is when they say how a couple are careful to say, “That was such a helpful thing to do” compared to, “You’re a helpful person” see the difference.

                Another research that caught my attention was when they explained an experiment done where they basically studied the differences between children who were told to be generous to other kids and give them tokens they have received while the person who told them to be generous was being selfish and children who were told to be generous to other kids and give them tokens while the person who told then to be generous was generous as well. Not surprisingly, the children who saw the adult be generous with his token, ended up giving more than those children who saw the adult be selfish. This experiment really shows how kids learn better through action more than words.

LOOK AT MY BRAIN

When I am working on my masterpiece and seeing what to put it in, I believe that in general it shows most of my inner most thinking because boxing is something that I have loved for a long time, it is something that I think about everyday, I try and think of new ways to improve myself overall and to obsses over the basics because they are your life line in the ring. Its times like those where it is great to be collaberating in training to improve each other.

Something wonderful

Something woderful I did was ask someone to prom,  gave a homeless man $20, which he became very emotional when I did, and I help people in the store with their bags to take them to the car.

Joe Louis

Get to know the man that has defended his title more than any other  heavyweight in boxing history.

http://www.cmgww.com/sports/louis/bio.htm

RAISING DIGITAL AWARENESS

When creating a blog, a web page or anything online, it is important to draw in visitors to your site because yo never know who might see your work and give you a chance on something big and/or people will start to talk about it from friend to family and so on and you can get known by many people which can create more opportunities for what ever you are passionate about. I am currently addressing my visitors on my blog as people who are interested in boxing and want to learn a little bit about it. I believe that some steps I can take to improve the value of my blog for my visitors is to post more consistently, give some of my insight on my thinking on my posts and research more on boxing so I can give better content when I work on something relating to boxing. In my opinion, I think that human ideas and interaction will always be better than digital tool because you just can't get the same reactions, thinking and most of all, you can't get the same connection with a digital tool than what you will get with a real human.

Boxing, New Rules

This article talks about problems in boxing, from refs. no seeing low blows to clinching too much to more issues

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2014/03/new-rules-time-for-a-change-in-boxing/

Is There An Expert In The House

An expert that can help me not only with my "masterpiece" but also potentialy help me make myself the best boxer, would either be a pro fighter or a great trainer/coach for boxing. They would have to know at least some of the history of the sport, the nutrition when loosing weight and gaining it, how to box and know some of the anatomy or endocrinology that go into it  and how it affects your body

Sugar Ray Robinson

Get to know the best in the sport to ever fight, Sugar Ray Robinson with 175 wins, 110 by knockout and just 19 losses over 25 years of boxing

http://www.biography.com/people/sugar-ray-robinson-9461060

Masterpiece "test"

I believe a test that I need to pass in order to show that I am worthy in my field is to know some history on boxing, some of the old legends of the sport that have brought it up from just being prize fighting, some science that go into the sport of boxing including anatomy and endocrinology, learn the nutrition/diet a boxer should have and also to learn how to box.

Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Mike Alvarado for May 17th

Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Mike Alvarado

Boxing article

Here is an article saying why boxing should be taught in every school to help children out there with many things 
http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/comment/articles/2013-09/06/tony-parsons-boxing-mike-tyson-carl-froch

Resource

Here explains how a knockout happens
http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/physics/boxing-knockout-sports-science

10 QUESTIONS

Here are ten questions I would want to ask an expert/pro in the field of boxing

1.  Why did you pick boxing out of everything out there
2. When did you start
3. What motivated you to take up boxing 
4. How much running/cardio do you do everyday
5. What do you do to cut weight
6. Do you completely trust in your second/trainer 
7. How was high school for you
8. What did you want to be before you started boxing
9. Do you have any college degrees
10. If boxing and/or fighting as a sport and career never existed, what would you be doing right now

Resource of the day

Helpful exercises to work your legs for boxing: http://www.12minuteathlete.com/train-like-a-boxer-10-exercises-to-get-you-in-fighting-shape/

Benchmark Project

For my big project, my senior project, I am going working with things around my big passion since I was a boy, which is boxing. Boxing is truly something amazing. It has turn from being prize fighting where there weren't many rules and the fighters where just vicious brawlers who only knew how to swing their arms around, to one of the greatest sports in the world where after many years of studying the sport, have come up with many new techniques to make people stronger, faster and smarter instead of just going in and seeing an ordinary street fight. Some specific things that I am going to work on is to show what goes into boxing, the nutrition/diet, the training, mentality and a couple of other things along those lines, as well as looking into how boxing has saved many fighters and their families from extreme poverty, gangs and drugs. One big thing from last semester that can help me with my project is the 10 page research paper. That can help me because it gave me better ways to research thing for a topic and to see if the information I am given on websites are valid or not. When I am finished with everything, I don't believe that I will have a sense of fulfillment because every time I do anything, I can always see what can be improved and what can be done better but I only feel like that after I have completed something.  I believe what will impress my audience is my passion for this sport and how much I love it. In my mind, I have already taken small steps toward achieving my goal of becoming a world champion because I have already started to train and do things a little at a time right now. In my field of work, I already have a few peers that are following me, the public to give me ideas and the experts to help me with my skills/training, although I only have about two experts to help me.

Literature Analysis #2

Muhammad Ali

Topics/Events

  Muhammad Ali is one of the most famous boxers of all time. His conversion to Islam and draft evasion conviction surrounded him with controversy and even exile from boxing for three years. Despite the hiatus, his quick reflexes and strong punches helped Muhammad Ali become the first person in history to win the heavyweight champion title three times. I believe the author choose to write about this person to show how even if you are the main topic on a controversial debate and exiled from boxing for three years, you can still  become a three time world heavyweight champion of the world.I chose to read this book because I wanted to get to know how was the life of one the greatest fighters ever. I found this book to be realistic because I got to know more about personal life of Ali and got to see what he had to go through.

People 

   Two people that are important from this text are Muhammad Ali himself and his trainer, Angelo Dundee. Angelo was a brilliant motivator who was in Ali's corner almost his entire career and has trained over 15 world champions. The other important person is Ali, who at six feet two inches, 236 pounds, became one of the most recognized sports figures in the past 100 years and influenced millions of future fighters to take up on boxing. After reading this, I feel as through I came away knowing and meeting him because I got to see/read what he went through, the ups and the downs.

Style

   As I was reading, I noticed some foreshadowing to give you an idea of what to come, and also some symbolism here and there to give the text a little more of an appealing "taste" to it. When describing a place and an important person, the author uses lengthy and descriptive writing to make you feel like you are there.    The way the author shows tone is by showing the struggles Ali went through one of which was when he converted to Islamic beliefs and like I said before, was exiled from boxing for three years. As a fighter myself, I can only begin to imagine the struggle that was for him.

Masterpiece Gallery

Here are some of the people that are in my "team"/network, that can help me with my goal of becoming a great boxer.

• Chance Miranda: He plays baseball and can help me with hand-eye coordination, http://cmirandarhs14exposcomp.blogspot.com/
• Elias Barriga: He can help me with my nutrition, http://eliasbarrigarhs14exposcomp.blogspot.com/
• Alfredo Arriaga: Does cross country and can help me with cardio: http://aarriagarhsexposcomp.blogspot.com/
• Jake Dickens, Matthew Berumen, and Matt Reynolds can help me overall and with advise: http://jdickensrhs14exposcomp.blogspot.com/      http://matthewberumen327.blogspot.com/    http://mattrey18exposcomp.blogspot.com/

MASTERPIECE ESSAY #1

 MASTERPIECE ESSAY #1

   For a very long time now I have wanted to fight as boxer and eventually become a pro boxer and fight the greatest fighters out there to become a champion and be the best. I recently started to train in boxing to get better and start fighting but as I am training and finding resources on boxing, I began to think. Why out of all the careers out there that range from being a teacher, to being a carpenter, to even being a police officer, why choose boxing as a career. Why choose to fight people and make a living out of it.

   Lets take Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao for example. He chose to fight and become a boxer because it was pretty much his only option, living in Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines, where there was a lot of poverty, drug dealings and killings, the only two things he had to chose from where to let things happen and probably end up dead or fight and survive. Now that he is a pro boxer, he is a ten time world champion, one of the best boxers ever, named man of the decade and has opened up many doors to his life which have taken him to music, acting and many more things.

   Now let us look at another amazing boxer who has defeated 17 world champions and has world titles in six different weight classes. His name is "The Golden Boy" Oscar De La Hoya. As a child, Oscar was bullied for many years, he got picked on and beat up almost every day. Because of that, Oscar took up boxing to learn to defend himself from his bullies. Now, fast forward 20 years later and he is one of the most successful fighters ever.
   I talked about great fighters who have pretty good inspiration to take up on boxing. But now the question is, what is my reason to fight. Why do I box. I chose to box because I want to be able to protect my loved ones from danger. I fight because I want to show everyone that I am strong enough to defeat anyone I am up against but most of all, I fight because it is something that I truly love to do everyday all day.

HAFTA/WANNA (late)

Some of the similarities I see between life during high school and life after high school are that no matter what, you are always gonna learn something new. Whether it be a new subject in high school or a new boxing skill, you are always going to be learning something everyday. On the other hand, I can also see a lot of differences between them. One of them is that you have much more time to really study or do what you want to do. Use me for example, I am a senior high school student and a boxer. I spend half of my day at school and doing homework and the other half on boxing and training, which means that I don't have as much time to myself or to train/improve myself as I would if I was already graduated and out of high school. I believe that after high school graduation, some people do just "magically" transform because I have see that happen. I have seen some people who are hard workers, great people and have mostly A grades but after graduation they completely change for the worse. I think I balance myself well for a high school student, I go to school, do my work, have some time to myself and with family and then I box and improve as much as I can in the time I have.

My Resources So Far

1. Fundamental Boxing Punches: https://www.coachup.com/resources/boxing/fundamental-boxing-punches
2. Pro tips for punching hard: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-techniques/punch-techniques/pro-boxing-tips-for-punching-power-frank-buglioni
3. Top ten pro boxing techniques: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-techniques/punch-techniques/10-pro-boxing-techniques
4. Mindset of a Champion: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-training/mental-training/mindset-of-a-champion
5. Nutrition 1: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-training/boxing-diet/a-healthy-boxers-diet
6. Nutrition 2: http://reginaboxingclub.ca/blogs/post/nutrition-for-boxing
7. Guide to Shadow Boxing: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-training/boxing-workouts/guide-to-shadow-boxing
8. Why use light punches: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-strategy/boxing-offense/the-art-of-light-punches
9. Some Southpaw Tricks: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-strategy/boxing-offense/5-southpaw-boxing-tricks
10. How to Fight a Counter-Puncher: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-strategy/boxing-styles/how-to-fight-a-counter-puncher
11. Last Minute Fight Preparations:  http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-strategy/fight-tips/last-minute-fight-preparation-tips
12. Heavy Bag Workouts: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-training/bag-training/killer-heavy-bag-workout
13. Other Important Body Parts: https://www.coachup.com/resources/boxing/other-important-body-parts-for-boxin
14. How to survive: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-strategy/boxing-defense/how-to-survive-in-a-fight
15. Sparring for Beginners: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-training/boxing-sparring/beginner-sparring-survival-guide
16. Basic Punch Combo:http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-strategy/punch-combinations/basic-punch-combo
17. Breathing Techniques: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-techniques/body-movement/breathing-techniques-for-fighting
18. Power Punching Secrets: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-techniques/punch-techniques/power-punching-secrets-part-2-implosive-punching

LAUNCH

Ever since I was around the age of two, I have wanted to become a pro boxer and a WBC world champion. AS a kid, I would train with my father everyday and I would have fights with everyone in my neighborhood, supervised of course, to see just how much I have improved. Around the age of ten I stopped and went on to soccer and baseball at the same time and a little bit of wrestling in high school. But none of that gave me the same feeling as boxing does. That feeling of training your ass off everyday and to get in a ring to fight, to hit, to get hit and to win. There is nothing like it. Some of the tools that I can use from last semester are my friends/ colleague who know about nutrition to help me get better at what I should eat and not feel sluggish. The only thing I need to not feel any kind of regret is to give it my all everyday I train to improve my skill and beat everyone I face. I think what will impress others is the fact that before, the only thing I would do is watch videos and play video games, and now I take training very seriously. I believe I am making my dream a reality one punch at a time. The best thing about this right now is the fact that I already have peers to help out, the public to give me advise, and the experts to slowly take me were I want to be at.

My Vocabulary #1

1. Scion: a person who was born into a rich, famous, or important family
2. Patriarch: a man who controls a family, group, or government
3. Charity:  the act of giving money, food, or other kinds of help to people who are poor, sick, etc
4. Meager: very small or too small in amount
5. Itineraries: the places you go to or plan to go to on a journey
6. Coterie:  an intimate and often exclusive group of persons with a unifying common interest or purpose
7. Lavish:  given in large amounts
8. Exasperated:  to excite the anger of
9. Infrastructure: the underlying foundation or basic framework 
10. Cavalcade: a line of riders, vehicles, etc., moving along in the same direction
11. Hovel: an open shed or shelter
12. Profusely: given, produced, or existing in large amounts
13. Reliant: needing someone or something for help, support, etc.
14. Adrenaline:  a substance that is released in the body of a person who is feeling a strong emotion (such as excitement, fear, or anger) and that causes the heart to beat faster and gives the person more energy
15. Quarrel: a ground of dispute or complaint 
16. Charisma: a special charm or appeal that causes people to feel attracted and excited by someone
17. Derogatory: showing a lack of respect for someone or something
18. Derivative: something that comes from something else : a substance that is made from another substance
19. Manager: someone who is in charge of a business, department, etc.
20. Ambition: a desire to be successful, powerful, or famous

Literature analysis #1 (PacMan, Behind the scenes with Manny Pacquiao)

Topics/Events

1. My book is about on one of the, if not the greatest, pound for pound boxer in the world today. That man is Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao. The book describes how his childhood was and how dirt poor he and his family was before he became the greatest boxer in the world. As a child he would rice cakes and bread everyday in the Philippines and him, being the such giving person that he is, would give what ever he had left over to other kids his age he saw on the street. To help provide for his family he dropped out of school and began working at around the age of 12. One time when he was working at construction and selling doughnuts and didn't eat for four days because his employer didn't pay him and around the age of 16 be picked up boxing and he had one hell of an amazing talent for it.

2. The author chose to write about this man to really show that it doesn't matter if you are dirt poor, if you really put in your mind, body, soul, but most of all, heart into anything you do, you will succeed and go far.

3. I chose this book because I want to become a great pro. fighter just like Manny and I want to read and learn about his struggles on how he got to the top.

4. I felt a connection about Manny because my family had to go through the same thing in Mexico and I can only imagine how tough it was for them.

People

 1. I believe that if the next day I meet with Pacquiao that he will be the same jolly, giving and caring person as in the book because he is a person who has no need to put up an act.

2. Two people that are mentioned in this book is obviously Manny, the pro fighter, and the other is his trainer, Freddie Roach, one of the greatest trainers in the world.

3. These people are interesting enough to write about because of Manny's story from poor to rich and Roach's coaching career, which he has trained fighters such as Manny, Miguel Cotto, and even UFC champion GSP.

4. After reading the book, I really feel like I got to meet him and hope that one day I can end up in a boxing ring, him as my opponent and see just how strong I really am.

Style

1. The author uses a journalistic style when writing because he is a journalist/ personaly photographer to being with.

2 The author uses great detail to describe the place where Manny lived and really make you feel like you are in there, witnessing all of the gambling and fights happening.

Enduring Memory 

One thing that will stay in my mind for a long time, about this book, the fact that when he was younger than me, he didn't eat for four days straight and how he turned his huge negative into an amazing positive. 

Vocab: Spring #2

Accoutrements: Additional items of dress of equipment.

Apogee: The highest point in the developement, the climax.

Apropos: Being at once opprotune and to the point.

Bicker: Argue about petty and trivial matters.

Coalesce: Come together and form one mass or whole.

Contretemps: An unexpected and unfortunate occurence.

Convolution: A form or part that is folded or coiled.

Cull: Select from a large quantity.

Disperate: Essentially different in kind; not allowed comparison.

Dogmatic: Inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.

Licentious: Promiscious and unprincipled in sexual matters.

Mete: Disponse or allot justice, a punishment, or harsh treatment.

Noxious: Harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant.

Polemic: A strong verbal or written attack on someone or something.

Populous: Containing many people or inhabitants; having a large population.

Probity: The quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.

Repartee: Conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or repplies.

Supervene: occur later than a specified or implied event or action, typically in such away as to change the situation.

Truncate: To shorten by or as if by cutting.

Unimpeachable: Not able to be doubted, questioned, or criticized.

PROFILE IN COURAGE

When I saw the begging scene, I thought that this was going another sad movie about people who are in wheelchairs and/or don't have full motor skills due to an accident but after about five minutes in, it was the complete opposite of what I thought. Its about people who can't walk and have other disabilities over come that and become olympic champions. Sure they go through struggles but they don't let that keep them from doing what they want to do. What stuck me was that some of them did more now in a wheelchair then when they could walk.

Vocabulary #10

adumbrate- to foreshadow vaguely.

apotheosis-  elevate to divine status

ascetic- practicing strict as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline

bauble- a small ornament (trinket)

beguile- to lead by deception

burgeon-  to send forth new growth

complement-  something that fills up, completes, or makes perfect

contumacious-  stubbornly disobedient

curmudgeon- a , ill-tempered, and usually old man

didactic- designed or intended to teach

THE CHOICE

• The "Choice" that the title is referring to, is for a five year old girl (Rebecca) to either pick between swallowing bitter, foul tasting poison herself or have her parents force it down her throat to save her life.
• I don't believe that this is a real choice because whichever one she chooses, she still has to swallow poison no matter what. They just give the illusion of it being a choice to try and make it less painful.
• The author uses the word "poison" in the first line to try and show some of the pain they are going through, having to do that to their own daughter.
• Rebecca wants to play with a toy that is made for kids eight and up and makes a big scene about wanting to play with it because she knows that she might not live that long.
• If I thought I might not live to the age of 30, I would work/train my body and increase my boxing skills to achieve my dream of becoming the greatest boxer of my time with what time I have left to live.
• In my opinion, I don't see any kind of circumstance in which it makes sense to endure that much pain and discomfort because that "poison" might work as a permanent cure for her but that means she has to go through that pain of swallowing the poison everyday of her life and there is nothing that is worth living with pain.
• I do believe that suffering is a necessary condition to live and love because it shows as that we are human, we do have the emotion to feel sad and to feel happy, we are not mindless artificial creatures.
• We as the reader feel an emotional response to this man's words because we can only begin to imagine the pain he is going through to have to do that to his daughter just to try and save her life but at the same time not kill her yourself by giving too much.