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EE Reflection 3 (Final)
I feel proud of the growth that I have undergone while writing my EE. I have completed a piece of work that has been developed by so many months of researching, drafting and redrafting long before reaching a final product. I have also had the chance to explore a text that has fascinated me since I read it in Grade 8 about an adolescent embroiled in a troubling pursuit of identity in the context of change that was postwar America; something I could have never contemplated when I first came across the book so many years ago.
If I could could change one thing about my essay, I would have focused more on the psychological troubles of the character. While my essay was focused on setting, a powerful element of the voice and depiction of the character is his complex mind, which is a connection I could have looked into more. However, I am grateful for the complex world that Holden Caulfield has introduced me to, and know that I will continue to come back to this book for the rest of my life.
Kolkata GC 2018
This year I am involved in planning the Kahaani dance show for the last time. I have once again been assigned to the logistics team, but being a more senior member of the GC meant that this year my role involved a lot more leadership and responsibility than it had before. I have to take on a greater amount of tasks, as well as explain to the younger, less experienced members of the group how to carry out their own tasks. The show will take place in January, so our responsibilities include allocating people into different dances, finding rehearsal spaces to the dancers, organising the facilities for the day of the show, etc.
Compared to last year, I feel a greater amount of responsibility having helped to run so many shows before. While I feel confident about completing all the tasks properly and on time, not having the older and more experienced members to help guide the show and rely on for help has been a bit challenging. I have had to develop leadership skills in order to provide support to the group and take on the challenge of planning the show without other members to fall back on, which relates to the 2nd CAS Learning Outcome.
EE Interim Reflection (RC2)
An important element I will have to address when discussing the stylistic choices of the author in my essay will be the voice and tone. The voice of Holden Caulfield is part of what has made the novel ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ such a unique and identifiable classic.
I conducted secondary research in order explore the intent of the voice and tone of the book, and its significance within its context. I learned about the post WW2 literary movement ‘psychological realism’, and its influence in the protagonist’s dialogue. This enabled me to understand not only the timeless elements in the voice, including rebellious youth and challenging authority, but also its significance during a period of social change. This knowledge was an important part in shaping the argument of my essay around the relationship between youth and society, as well as enhancing my understanding of the way that societal beliefs and changes are depicted through literature.
Guitar
Project Week Reflection
For project week, I will be going to Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam. For this trip, I will be performing a range of CAS activities with cultural significance. The main component of my trip is service, for which we will be going to the ‘Little Rose Shelter’, a shelter for young girls who have experienced or been exposed to sexual abuse. This is a cause that my group are extremely passionate about, which is why we will be spending 4 of the 6 days we are in Vietnam at the shelter. This experience relates to the 2nd and 4th CAS Learning Outcomes, as despite the challenging nature of the cause we are dedicating ourselves to, we are willing to commit the time and effort to have a worthwhile effect on the girls and do our part to make our time with them worthwhile and enjoyable. We will also be doing yoga and a cooking class.
EE Initial Reflection
I read ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ when I was 13 years old and fell in love with it more than I thought I ever could with a world that seems so far away. So as soon as we were introduced to the extended essay, I knew that I wanted it to be inspired by this book.
During our first meeting, my supervisor suggested that my initial angle, about discussing whether or not the book is a ‘coming of age’ novel was too broad. She recommended that I talk to Mr. Huntington, who is very knowledgable and passionate about this book. He suggested that I focus on the depiction of society in the book, the ‘seedy’ side of New York that serves as a most remarkable setting an exploration of the challenges of youth. So I decided to shift my focus to the circumstances that makes a book a ‘coming of age’ novel, and how this is explored in the book.
Project Week Reflection
AMK MINDS
This week was our second to last meeting for AMK MINDS of the academic year. We completed the same activities as we do every session, including playing the drums for 30 minutes and coloring with the clients for the rest of the time. During the first few sessions, the clients did not feel encouraged at all to drum and were very apprehensive about it, in spite of how hard we tried to encourage them. However, during our last visit not only were several of the clients very excited to work with us, but also played a lot more strong and confidently than they had done at first. Some of them could even come up with slightly more complex patterns. Seeing this improvement in their motor skills throughout the year showed how effective their regular encouragement and dedication in carrying out this activities, and felt really good given all of the hard work we have to dedicate into planning and carrying out each session. This experience relates to the 4th and 5th CAS Learning Outcomes, as I worked together with the members of our service to create and commit to skills that were eventually beneficial to our clients, allowing them to improve their foundational motor skills.
Guitar Recital
Recently, I took part in the dance performance ‘Kahaani’, which was the first time in my high school experience that I had to do a performance in front of a large crowd. I will have to encounter this challenge once again with my upcoming guitar recital on the 25th of May. I have done guitar performances more when I was younger, but now that my level is a lot higher the chances of making mistakes are also higher, making me feel very apprehensive. The performance will be at my music centre, in front of the teachers at the music academy, my family, families of other performers and anyone else who opts to attend, as it is open to anyone in the public. My goals in preparation for this performance is to practise for at least 1 hour everyday, to make sure I am very familiar with my pieces. I want to take some time to perform in front of my family and friends, so I have some experience playing with people watching me, in order to increase my confidence. This experience relates to the 1st, 2nd and 4th CAS Learning Outcomes. The 1st, because I know that performing in front of others is not a strength of mine but as a musician, an important skill to obtain. The 2nd, because I am doing something that will challenge not only my playing abilities but my ability to deal with the pressure of having other people watch me while I play the guitar. The 4th, because I know that I will have to start dedicating a large amount of time to practising guitar no matter how comfortable I feel with the pieces to ensure that I have memorised them and that playing in front of others will affect me less, as I already know the pieces so well.