Abandoned Stairs Description

Between the renovated H-Hall and new math wing, sits a set of abandoned stairs leading downward.  As most students walk past, their eyes slide from the repainted H wing, to the new landscaping on either side of the steps.  No one seems to notice the sharp juxtaposition of old and new, of the dilapidated stairs and young trees and fresh bark surrounding them.    But today, no other students stroll by.   The grey and sunless morning is cold, dark and lonely, just like the forgotten stairs.

The walls of the stairwell are painted nondescript taupe color with dirt stains and weather marks running down them.   A wall near the bottom has been defaced with indecipherable black and white graffiti.   At base of the stairs sits a locked door and boarded up window.  I wonder what the door could have led to.  Perhaps a long forgotten basement or storage room.   Nevertheless, today, the door remains perpetually locked and deserted.

Orange and brown leaves litter the left hand side of the steps.  They flutter quietly in the soft breeze.   An old playing card rests among them.  Like the stairs, the five of clubs has been abandoned.  However, unlike the steps, it is not forgotten.  Although it was just one card in 52, a deck of cards is nothing with just 51.  I leave my perch atop the stairs,  pondering the lonely steps and the mystery of the locked door.

Also, Here is the link to a google doc of the description.

"Box Man" Discussion Debrief

1. I it was interesting to discuss rather the Box Man’s loneliness had always been a choice, or had recently become a choice to take away part of the sting of being alone.  I also learned that Ascher uses words with a positive connotation, like "lucky," to describe the Box Man's life while she uses more negative words ("drags") to describe the two lonely women. 

2. I wish we talked more about the effects of the contrasting diction used to describe the Box Man and the two women.  Although we noted the difference, we didn't discuss what the was the result of the contrast and how the author used it to achieve her purpose.  I think that it is a reflection of the Box Man's acceptance of his loneliness and peace he finds in the solitude which contrasts sharply with the two women's feelings on their loneliness. 

3. I wish I brought up my observation about the effect of the placement of Ascher's thesis.  By putting her thesis in the middle of the essay, Ascher allows the reader to come to their own similar conclusion about loneliness.  This gives the essay an effortless feel as it follows a more logical thought process which allows the reader to draw their own conclusions before being presented with the author's idea.

"I am a ___" Essay

Here is a link to my first take home essay on my sometimes overzealous competitive tendencies.

Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman Long Form Link

Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman Summer Assignment: Here is a link to my essay

Senior Project

For me, deciding on a senior project proved to be a difficult task.  I wanted to do something exciting and enjoyable that would also push me to broaden my horizons.   I originally wanted to do something related to volleyball, possibly coaching.  But with coaching out of the question, just doing a project related to playing more volleyball seemed like it wasn’t going to be a push for me at all.

So I went back to the drawing board and thought about things I had always wanted to do but never gotten the chance.  Because I absolutely love the ocean and water sports my head immediately filled with possible projects involving water related activities.  

Finally, I decided I would explore scuba diving.  I’ve been once on a very shallow dive when I was about 12 but I have always wanted to go again and become certified.  Although some people may be afraid or feel claustrophobic underwater, I feel peaceful there.  Underwater noises are quieter and everything has a blueish cast, it just feels calmer.   Both my parents are certified and I have grown up hearing exciting stories of their “live-aboard” dive trips where they spent week living in a tiny boat, diving everyday.  I envied their deep water dives with hammerhead sharks in Mexico and close encounters with 3 foot wide sea turtles.  I have always been very interested in the environment and how to protect it.  Scuba diving is a way to gain a first hand experience in the ocean’s coral reefs and ecosystems.  By witnessing coral reef destruction first hand, I feel I would be able to better understand how scientists attempt to restore the damaged marine ecosystems.

To me, the senior project is a way to broaden yourself.  To explore something you’ve always wanted to but hadn’t had the chance.  Becoming scuba certified fit that criteria for me.  I’m excited to begin and can’t wait to start diving!

Me!

I’ve been putting off doing my summer homework for awhile now.  Partially because trying to sum up my entire life into a single post seemed like a daunting task but also because beginning my homework has always signified that the start of school was approaching and I wanted to relish my last few weeks of summer.  But, after procrastinating quite a bit, I have finally begun!

I suppose I’ll start with some of the basics.  My name is Madison; I was born in Napa Valley on April 6.  I have a relatively small family, although both my parents come from very large ones.  At my house it’s just me and my mom and dad, Ann and George.  Even though I’m an only child when people ask about my siblings I usually say “I’m an only child; but I have a dog.”  My family has had a total of 4 dogs, all golden retrievers.  The most recent addition is Cassidy, she’s now almost 7 months and is still an adorable bundle of energy.  Here’s a picture I took of her when she was about 4 months.

I spend the vast majority of my free time playing volleyball.  I love the game and aspire to continue playing collegiately.  In the fall I play on the Napa High team and January through June I play club for Absolute Volleyball Club, which is based in San Rafael.  During that season, I drive to Marin for practice 2 days during the week and one weekend day, unless we have a tournament, which is all-day ordeal.  This summer my team went to AAU Nationals in Orlando, Florida.  We took a picture after out last day of play in front of the “Wide World of Sports” sign at the ESPN zone where we played.  I’m number 3 in the front.  It may look sunny in the picture, but for the entire tournament up to that afternoon, there was a tropical storm!  It poured for 5 straight days until the storm (Debby) finally turned into a depression and blew itself out in the Gulf of Mexico.  Although it’s not an experience I’d like to repeat, being stuck in Florida in a tropical storm was definitely an exciting, although very wet and slightly traumatic, experience.

I guess I’ll share a little about some of my other summer adventures.  I went Lake Arrowhead (it’s lake in Southern California, in the mountains above the San Bernardino valley).  A lot of people don’t know where it is but its absolutely beautiful.  Every summer for since I was in Kindergarden, my family goes to Bruin Woods, a UCLA Alumni Family “Camp” there.  There isn’t much camping involved, but that’s what it’s called.  We go the same week every year with the same families, I’ve made some life long friends there and I look forward to going there every year.  For the last four or so years there, I’ve gone waterskiing on the lake.  This year was the best ever!  I skied around the entire lake, I’m not sure how many miles it was, but it took a solid 20 minutes and I think the boats go about 20-25 mph.  Although it’s easy at first, waterskiing actually takes a tremendous amount of forearm strength!  Here's a short video of me!

I guess I’ll finish with a few fun facts about myself.  Other than playing volleyball at Napa High, I also do the jumping events for track which is a lot of fun.  I love going to the beach and water sports and activities in general.  My favorite movie, book, song, etc. is always changing but right now I’m remembering how much I love Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and the TV show Arrested Development which I recently discovered on Netflix  Neither is the newest, but both are very funny and totally worth it.  I also love ice cream, flip flops, and summer/warm weather in general and I hate the smell of smoke, airport security (although I do love to travel), waiting in line and when people say “acrosst” instead of “across.”  Hope this has helped you get to know me a little bit, I can’t wait to get to know you this year!