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The Idea of Ancestry On every unit of American riches, be it the penny or the hundred dollar bill, the words “E Pluribus Unum” or “Adnuit Coeptis” are inscribed. Every state in the wealthiest nation on Earth has a motto written in Latin, save for California’s motto- “Eureka!” being Greek, not Latin. These instances of Latin and Greek mottos apart however, most Americans have limited knowledge of Roman or Greek languages, playwrights, rhetoric, etc. Until the 20th Century, Western antiquities, both new and old, were American education foundations. Founded upon the ideas of democracy, government buildings modeled with Greek columns, a language dependent on every Latin verbum (word) – America owes its very being to the Greeks and Romans. However, destitute and needy for this rich and golden past grow the students in a decaying educational structure. This academic decadence is a problem and one of many genitors of ignorance. From the way that Americans speak to the way that Americans think, the Greek and Roman influences have sometime been hinges on which American society swings. And, dangling in a nation with speakers of Romantic languages, American school children no longer have the grammatical backing of the Greek and Roman conjugations, declensions or the etymological resources for commonly used words. The word “Latin” is now associated with the Spanish or Portuguese populations of North and South America, no longer a trigger for thoughts on Rome or Italy. Western Civilization needs the revitalization of the Classical Studies for these studies provide a platform for nationalism, heroism, as well as a greater understanding of Western infrastructures. One such infrastructure would be the method by which we communicate – language. Modern English is the “official” language of the United States and the standard dialect would be the “Standard American English Vernacular”. English (Old English to our modern usage) has always been a Germanic language and can not be considered a Romantic language, one drawn from Latin (and by extension Greek). But Roman occupation in the 2nd century influenced the architecture, religion, and ultimately the languages of the future England. As England and its customs mutated over centuries and centuries, the medieval standards of academic curriculum required the studies of the trivium and quadrivium (these two terms being Latin for “tri-path” and “quarter-path” respectively). The quadrivium consisted of the “subjects”-such as math, science, etc. but the trivium, which was taught before the quadrivium consisted of grammar, logic (dialect) and rhetoric (Sayers). The study of grammar required that students learn Latin and Greek which was peculiar considering that English was not a Romantic language. But the influences of Latin, the influences of Greek, shaped the way that English was read and written and understood. Classical Education, like that of the medieval academic curriculum, taught the student more than what to communicate, Classical Education taught a student how to communicate. One of the most prominent advocates of the Classical education in recent years, Dorothy Sayers, described the idea of the trivium as “[teaching] the structure of a language and...what it was, how it was put together,...how to use language, how to define [his or her] own terms and make accurate statements,...and how to express [himself or herself] in language” (Sawyer). The study of the classical languages and literature would shape the moldable mind from a young age, granting students with the tools and instruments of language to perfect in later years. But this education is compromised in our modern America whereas it followed American forefathers and presidents from their foreign roots. Etymology, a beneficial consequence of learning Greek or Latin, too was sacrificed as the Classical traditions were cut from the core curriculum of American schools. Latin and Greek are being replaced by the study of Spanish (due to the increasing number of Spanish speakers perhaps) and other modern languages such as Chinese. The study of Western antiquities would not be as pertinent to an immigrant from China or Japan or India due to the languages having a separate base. But an American society, populated with predominantly speakers of English and Romantic languages, requires the understanding of word origins. If one were to compare the number of Greco-Roman English words with Anglo-Saxon English words, one would find that there are more English words with Latin or Greek roots than there are with Anglo-Saxon roots. While the etymology of a word is not always the most pressing of issues, it remains an academic deficiency. A University of San Francisco professor, Andrew Heinze, in an essay remarks on how some students would ask him “What’s pessimistic? I’m sorry but I don’t know what it means,” or he would be greeted by recumbent hands when asking “Do you understand the word virility” (Heinze). Both words, “pessimistic” and “virility”, are somewhat common words, seen in many text books and even on television, but there is not a full understanding of their definitions. Defining words with more obscure definitions can be enriching, yet with the foundations of Latin and Greek, students are more likely to infer definitions based on a word’s roots instead of memorizing individual definitions. The inferences go beyond mere memorization and allow for the thought process of looking at a word and considering the literal definition of it based on where it came from. As a guide for understanding the entirety of American English, a classical education also lends itself to the creative workings of language such as poetry. Epic poetry from the deceased, disputably blind poet Homer continues to be read and studied in America. The roles of the Odyssey and the Iliad in the American literature have been established, promoting ideas of the American “power of one person” or even “E Pluribus Unum”. Studying, and oftentimes translating the Odyssey or Iliad have long been American elements of the curriculum. The translation of a text from Latin or Greek to English has become a market of its own accord as translators would attempt to capture the Roman pietas or Greek hubris in Modern American English terms. the stability of Latin and Greek, being dead languages, “sharpens your prose” (Mount) says Harry Mount, a columnist. He states that how, “if you haven’t understood exactly what a particular word means or how a grammatical rule works, you are likely to be, not off, but just plain wrong...” and how Latin “[teaches] you have to navigate the reefs and whirlpools of English prose” (Mount). If one is to take these words of Harry Mount as true, then Latin and a classical education would increase the ability for an English reader or writer to understand the exact meaning of a text as if “translating” his own language. This alludes to the differences in English and the dead languages since not every English word has a Latin or Greek equivalent – which calls for a meaningful and direct translation. Translation skills with a stable language also eliminate the need to worry about word meanings changing over time. With the current world climate however, not only is translation (especially of some Romantic languages) preferred, but also the concepts of nationalism and duty to ones country arise. One of the more prominent Roman epics would be Virgil’s “Aeneid”. The Aeneid was a tale about a man and arms and how the Trojan prince, Aeneas, sets out to found a country based on religion and national pride. The parallels between this refugee Aeneas and our American forefathers are striking. Among Thomas Jefferson’s best-thumbed texts comes the Aeneid, in a glass shelf, a story of national pride and patriotism like no other (Mount). But the tales of patriotism were rightfully dear to American forefathers when the forefathers were attempting to found a nation of their own. But what of now, in our more evolved America, where the individual matters? On that matter, one can look at the American motto of “E Pluribus Unum” and recognize the promotion of the individual. As the epic of Aeneas would outline in Classical studies, one individual can play a large role in reshaping a country even though he alone is one man out of many and a refugee. Ironically, in past times, minds such as Huey Newton, founder of the Black Panthers, had read some of Plato’s dialogues, better understanding the role of the individual in a society. The Western Classical studies bring in the concepts of early individualism as well as patriotism and how the two intersect. But the relevance of Classical education evades many, feeling as though the ancient languages are obsolete and how directly learning a modern language is more beneficial. For the benefit of passing the vocabulary-ladden Standardized Aptitude test, many American students began to enroll in Latin. Other Americans found more practicality in studying French, or Spanish, or a language which they considered their first. Latin is no longer spoken and so the language is considered dead, a source of tedium for most. The problem therefore is not as evident when the study of Latin is seen as a hobby and not a necessity in America. But by the numbers, this American decline in reverence for the Classics is on the rise. Half of American high schools were teaching Latin until the mid-fifties, when the numbers dramatically decreased to about 6000 students taking the National Latin Exam (Mount). Not until the late 90’s did Latin begin to garner more and more popularity, with as many as 134,873 students taking the National Latin Exam in 2005 (Mount). But why the sudden surge in the Classics and Latin? Some attribute the lighting-fast surge in interest to the lighting-scarred Harry Potter series and other attribute it to hopes of scoring higher on the Standardized Aptitude test (Calefati). As a further motivator, the American Classical League and Junior/Senior Classical Leagues make active efforts to recruit more and more Latin teachers, believing the deficiency in Classical studies to be a result of teachers lacking in numbers and not merely the lack of interest on a student’s behalf. A new wave of Renaissance thinking is ebbing and flowing on the American shores as students look at their Western ancestors and study that which has been an American tradition for years. Latin and Greek, dead languages since they are not spoken by large populations anymore, are being revived in American schools. The relevance of Latin and Greek on American education and thought can not be ignored. And while some favor the practicality of Spanish, with a growing Spanish-speaker population, Latin and Greek are by no means a detriment considering the Spanish language’s Latin roots. Matter of fact, where English and Spanish would intersect, Americans will find nothing more than Latin – dictating conjugations, declensions and even cadence in speech. With the increase of Latin teachers and interest, Americans are more likely to be exposed the entirety of their Western heritage starting from its roots in the Mediterranean – fleshing out the idea of ancestry. Works Cited Calefati, Jessica. "Latin Surges in Popularity." U.S. News 17 Oct 2008 25 Oct |
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Dicen que no conocio el amor dicen que tiene maldito el corazon, que no tiene salvacion. Dicen que es una mujer fatal un paso en falso y te vuelve de cristal... Como la fuerza de un huracan y el apetito que tiene cualquier predador animal So, this is it. My college decisions were narrowed down between Loyola Marymount University and Howard University. Well, each college had their pluses and flaws. While Howard supposedly has rats, the administration is supposedly unorganized, and it's cold as all get out in Washington D.C. The neighborhood is bad too. Apart from that, I hear that the East coast is dope, I'd learn a lot and benefit from the change in environment, etc. Loyola Marymount University [LMU] is here in Los Angeles, but expensive as hell. Fun, right? Okay, so at this point. I am going to go to D.C. by the end of August. Nervous. Fuck. What more, what more. My GPA at this point is only a 2.95 - lots of B-'s and B's. What more, what more? I have no school on Friday, so I'm going to try my hand at passing the written driving test again. Get a license or permit or whatever th' hell I am supposed to get, and then draw all the rest of the day. I mean, if I can finish all of my AP artwork by Wednesday or Thursday, I'll finally be able to do as I please artistically. I even have my old KHAOS energy drink, still losing all of its fizz...on my desk. LOLTASTIC! I NEED A JOB! Gah. I don't know. I need a job so I can then buy new clothes and headphones. Then, I'll be pretty good. But man, oh man. I'll be heading off to college only a few weeks after my 18th birthday. So exciting and nerve-wrecking at the same time. Hm, it's going to be expensive. DANG! I'm almost an adult, a full-fledged ADULT! That's scary as fuck. I mean, I can't imagine how life will be after I turn 18. I can't imagine...at all. I usually dream of the future and it goes from graduating high school to getting married and retiring from a job at the Dream Factory all by the age of 17 and a half. It's all funky now considering that I'm but, more or less, three months away from being 18. Ah, also, here are a few more updates about this phenomenal week. Tomorrow, being April 22, is Earth Day. Some major streets in Los Angeles will be closed, and also Trader Joe's is no longer using plastic bags - Canvas bags mark the future. Be caring for the Earth, and if you like OCR and you want to donate some money to a "GREEN" cause for Earth Day, just hit me up with a note on DA and I'll give you some more information. Uh, also, April 25 is the birthday of two AMAZING peoples, http://kitsuna-ri.deviantart.com http://falconis.deviantart.com fo sho. Also, April 25th is Alice Day, a day honoring that strong Platonic relationship between Lewis Carrol and Alice [his muse for "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and What She Found There" as well as "Through the Looking Glass"]. The day is not a day that promotes pedophilia in anyway, keep that in mind. Lastly, April 25th would be the Day of Silence [[link] Okay, this is a long journal entry. I think that I might have one more, maybe on April 25th or April 26th if I can. Also, if things are working as they should be, I'll be uploading my AP art pieces to DA by then, and then some other pieces. This is what I'm planning at least. Oh, there is one more thing. One artist who is TRULY phenomenal and you all should look at her creativity as it flourishes would be this DA Artist: http://tabithabianca.deviantart.com She has far too few pageviews for such a caliber of artistry. Okay then, well, I bid all those who suffered through this long journal adieu. I am off to either sleep, procrastinate, or do homework and study. Hm, I need to take newer photos when I get the chance too...I really do hope that http://svnoal.deviantart.com can make time for art on either Friday or Saturday... Eres veneno vil.... eres veneno vil...
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But The Tears Keep Rolling Down~ Rolling Down My Face, Rolling Down My Face, Tears Keep Rolling Down My Face They Keep Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Rolling They Keep Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Rolling They Keep Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Roooolllling~ Firstly, my backpack was not around when I went to get it on Friday. Pretty lame, right? Yeah. Oh well, hopefully it'll show up by Monday. If not, then I'm just fucked. I should spend my weekend making art as usual. I am going to finish my FAFSA forms before the week is up, send out a scholarship application pertaining to being a Latin teacher, and pay for my AP Exams. I need to study for a quick Mythos test on Tuesday too. I can't do homework, so tomorrow will consist of me trying to find ways to do homework without having a book or anything to reference. At least I'm getting in touch with some great friends from before high school - The best part, is they have vaginae. Yeah, I don't mean that in an obscene way, but people with vaginae [i.e. GIRLS] rock my soul [and cock]. I was listening to Amerie not long ago[as in currently] and I got the urge to write down the albums that I need to buy ASAP. Wines & Spirits - Rahsaan Patterson
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It's that Time of the Year once again. Lovers do their thing between the sheets and all of that jazz. "Your kisses taste like amaretto Another year without a girlfriend has gone by. Oh well, I have the Love Jones Soundtrack to keep me company through this specific all-nighter. I have started a new semester as well. I have African American Studies, AP Art and Latin again, Shakespeare, History of Mexico and Math Analysis. The only thing that concerns me this semester would be money. Everything is so expensive. Oh well, if things work well, I can get a job at a local Gamestop [crosses fingers], save up and get a new Zen, Rahsaan Patterson's "Wines & Spirits" album and then the rest of my money would go towards food and college savings. I need to finish my FAFSA soon too. When I say soon, I mean I should have completed it all in September. Fuck me. I need to send my Howard Application in and pay for my Santa Clara application. Okay, if I leave it in my journal here, I hope it'll jog my memory so I'm not fucked tomorrow. Well, I hope that your Valentine's Day was lovely and filled with affections. I might draw something specifically for Deviantart soon, yet I can not make any promises.
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Hideki Naganuma is perhaps the sexiest man on earth next to like..ya know..Soul Bro, myself, and YamaPi. THAT ASIDE! I'm finally back in school after my 6 weeks of nothing. It was kinda hectic. The only thing that really seemed to go on this week was uh..I owe money. I owe lots of money for a lot of things. What does this ultimately mean for me you may ask? It ultimately means that I need a license and a job. I say this everyday though, nothing new. So far, this new semester should be chill and I can't fail. I have to make my life breeze in African-American Studies and History of Mexico. Those classes are guaranteed B's or higher. Shakespeare should be an interesting adventure, and Math Analysis is like..Math Anal - An awful form of anal sex. There... OKAY! AP Studio Art is like..hard and long, but I think I can handle it ;D lol. And then AP Latin IV is like, an orgasm in a wet dream [easy and fun]. I'm a bit late, but Happy [Chinese] New Year! :D Everybody reach to the top I wanna spend my weekend finishing homework, applications, and playing classic games. Also, I can not wait until Spring Break. Baby, baby, whooooo, baby baby, baby baby, baby - Oh you're my brother by my side ~ Oh you're my brother by my side, this is for you~ [Don't Go Away, Don't Go Away, Don't Go Away, Don't Go Away, Don't Gooo, Don't Goooo, Don't Goooo, You're My Everything <3] Hideki, have my children as I speak right now. I want you hard. xD Lol. |
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I'm going to go on a temporary hiatus until October. Just wanna focus on school a bit more and make sure I can get good standing in life. Not to say I won't be on MSN, but if I'm on MSN, it'll only be because I did everything I'd have to do. xD I'm so gonna hate me by the time I get home tonight. Anyways, I'm planning on doing this like...Wednesday some time. So from September 5th to October 5th I'll be pretty nonexistent. >> And then I'll have 7 months to rawk hard before...I'm done with High School and thinking about...my future. >< ===================================== Period 1 - Science and Religion Science and Religion is easy and straightforward. AP Studio Art is a bitch. >_____> My best art pieces won't get me far. I have about, 24 hours to dish out 4 really godly pieces of artwork for my Summer Portfolio grade. If I submit something good, I get something higher than a C. If I do badly, then I get an F for the quarter. Latin is fun. I like Latin. Moving on, World Lit is win. The teacher is chill and I'm reading the Tao of Pooh for class. I hate Math. Moral Theology is a lot of Philosophy and the Matrix but long papers and posting on blogs. Voila. As far as current shows that I'm watching or want to watch: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is the best anime this season. Watch it if you haven't started already. Yama Onna Kabe Onna is a J-Drama about a flat chested woman and a racked one. Boob jokes every episode. I kid you not. Claymore I don't know. I haven't started watching it yet, but I've heard that it's Bleach on Crack. Good stuff. [As adapted from my deviantart journal http://vhien.deviantart.com ] |
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Summer is nearing its end, as is my birthday. I can see it now. In two days, I'll be a hearty 17 year old. Jump Around Jump Around Now Jump Up Jump Up Get Down The Funky Jet Set Music plays in my room with my cats sleeping around. I really don't feel as if I'm aging. But truth be told - I am. In no time I'll be looking seriously at colleges and jobs and driving and adulthood. If I'm lucky, I'll get ICO, Okami, and a Tablet. I doubt I'll get all of those however. My art is doing better luckily. I cam back from my NJCL convention on Sunday and I placed 14th on the Mythology Test; 2nd with my charcoal drawing. Hopefully I can finish all of my summer reading and AP Artwork in time.  At last, I bid thee adieu as I look at another fulfilling year. The Grandeur of Life is Truly Magnificent.
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I'm listening to M-flo right about now. I'm loving his new album, Cosmicolor. M-flo loves MONKEY MAJIK's "Picture Perfect Love" is well, love. I will speak about my school life, the conclusion of my Spring Break, and my artwork of course. I have managed to knock out some of my homework over this Spring Break. Hah, I lied. I haven't done shit except half-assed my Latin homework. I have quite a lot to do. I'll do it "after 12am". Then, I got my 3rd quarter grades. A in Algebra II, A in Drawing, B in English, B+ Latin, C+ in History and C in Chemistry. I thought I was destined to absolute failure. I guess that Lady Luck was on my side. Spring break was the best in a long while. I spent the first week drawing alot. That was honestly, rejuvenating. Tuesday I visited a friend and ate, [and I found out I'm one broke little boy D:] and then the following day, my "mentee" came over. This was the highlight. My friend and I played games on Wednesday, Drew, and I introduced him to Photoshop along with my Soul Brother. And I ate pizza. Fast forward to last night [after 12 am~] I was drawing my DA ID. That would be a Deviantart ID. That was the best. I loved trying to draw myself in cartoon form. And you know what? I won.
Shockingly, this is going to be a "Live Journal Exclusive" Journal. xD I usually attack my xanga and Deviantart with my blogs, yet not today. I just don't feel up to it. Well, wish me luck in completing my debt of homework.
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======== tenshi ========
============= Soul Name- Vhien Rho Age- 17 Date of Birth- August 2, 1990 Height- 173cm Weight- 54kg Eye Color- Dark Brown Hair Color- Black Grade Level- High School Senior [12th Grade] Martial Status- Single and Hating it Sexual Orientation- Straight ============ Pets- Two Cats Artemis and Apollo, [Pebbles died on January 16, 2008 at age 20] and One Dog [Bingo died on May 23, 2005 at age 10] Siblings- One 11 year old Brother Languages Spoken- English and Latin Hobbies- Writing Novels and Poetry, Roleplaying on Forums, Listening to Music, Playing Video Games, Drawing and Studying Mythology or Culture Music Player of Choice- Winamp Media Player Mp3 of Choice- Zen Sleek Clothing Style- Brightly Colored Shirts and black slim fit pants with loafers and my black Dolce and Gabana glasses. Stylin' ladies ;D Video Game Systems- Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Playstation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, Gamecube, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Advance SP, and Nintendo DS Time Zone- PST [-8 GMT] Eyesight- Near-sighted and with Glasses =============== Musicians or Singers- Bilal, The Cat Empire, The Gap Band, Shiina Ringo, Tokyo Jihen, Miles Davis, Michael Jackson, Antonio Jobim, Teena Marie, BoA Kwon, Ella Fitzgerald, Luther Vandross, Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Portishead, Hot Hot Heat, Gym Class Heroes, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Keiko Matsui, Koda Kumi, Joss Stone, Bahashishi, Eri Nobuchika, Gotan Project, Sade, Tevin Campbell, Jamiroquai, Ska Paradise Orchestra, Jill Scott, Typhoon24, Meshell Ndegeocello, JUNE, m-flo, Crystal Kay, Incubus, Lalah Hathaway, Rahsaan Patterson, Beat Crusaders, Gorillaz, Hideki Naganuma, skankfunk, Boz Skaggs, Grover Washington Jr., Marvin Gaye, Remy Shand, Jimi Hendrix, Yim Jae Beum, and OverClocked ReMixers Genres of Music- Jazz, Soul, Funk, K-pop, J- pop, J- rock, Techno, Tango, Bossa Nova, OverClocked ReMix Anime- Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Air Gear, Mononoke, Haibane Renmei, and Kino no Tabi Drama- Nobuta wo Produce and Proposal Daisakusen American Cartoons- Invader Zim, Avatar: The Last Air Bender, Samurai Jack, Tex Avery Show, Goof Troop, The Weekenders, and Recess Thespians- Jessica Alba and Yamashita Tomohisa Food- Curry, Cinnamon Flavored Candies, Masala, Chitlins, Catfish, Red Bean Bread, Rice Cakes, Kimchi and Jambalaya Beverages- Water, Cranberry Juice, Coca-cola, Thai Iced Tea, Monster: M-80 Energy Drink, Monster: KHAOS Energy Drink, Jones Soda: FufuBerry Fruits- Watermelon and Strawberries Movies- Saving Face, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Matrix, Zatoichi, Banlieue-13, Cat's Can't Dance and A Goofy Movie Video Games- Halo, Disgaea, Tekken, Soul Calibur, Sonic, Shadow of the Colossus, ICO, Legend of Zelda, Okami, Devil May Cry, and Kingdom Hearts Books- Kite Runner, Yukiguni, Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, Watership Down, One Flew Over The Cuukoo's Nest, and The Aeneid Gaming System- SEGA Dreamcast Color- Purple Song- Mister Magic by Grover Washington Jr. ============= - Do Well on My AP Tests for AP Studio Art and AP Latin IV - Get a Job ===================== Inspirational Figures- Ikki Minami [Air Gear], Solace, Tricky Sister Girl, Simon [Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann], and Yamashita Tomohisa Achievements- Second Place on the California Mythology Exam for Sophomores, Fourth Place on the National Medusa Exam for Sophomore Level, Thirteenth Place on the National Mythology Exam for Sophomores, First Place on the California Mythology Exam for Juniors, Fourteenth Place on the National Mythology Exam for Juniors and Seniors, Second Place in Charcoal Drawings for Juniors and Seniors at National Latin Convention [Link can be found here: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/604 Art Website- http://vhien.deviantart.com Myspace- http://myspace.com/alma_de_musica Bed Time- Currently None. ============= Picture =============  ========================================
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nervous
depressed