The process of choosing a capstone was not an easy one for me. I first chose to work with Habitat for Humanity for my capstone and to get a group of students involved in service project through the organization. After a few months of planning, scheduling, and organizing, I learned that my plan was not going to work. With a mere two months left to complete a capstone I was proud of, I talked to John Kamal and Alex Gilliam to come up with a capstone. The idea we came up with consisted of a series of building projects that would benefit the school in some way whether through the classroom environment or simple improvements. 

The results of this project were two table-top lecterns for Ms. Martin, and a shelf that Ms. Giknis can set speakers up on. It is all visible through a website I created to display the work I have done so anyone can see. I had to learn how to better use various tools. From doing this, I learned that I should always have a backup plan, and a backup-backup plan. I have learned that there is a lot of value in asking for help, which I have always struggled with. I also now know there is a lot of work that goes into a project like this and I highly respect the process. I have learned a lot through completing this capstone and although it was a difficult process, I am happy with the result.

Most people at some point in their lives have read an autobiography whether it be on Malcolm X, Tony Blair, or Al Pacino. Based on the experience with that single autobiography, many readers either claim to love them, or hate them. It is not until you get past what you once thought of an autobiography before, can you finally immerse yourself into the thrilling and idiosyncratic ocean of autobiographies once again. Open by Andre Agassi is the autobiography that may just be the book you need to provide that final push back into the ocean of autobiographical novels.  

Andre Agassi is most famously known for his talents and capabilities on the tennis court but whether he wants this to be his legacy is up in the air. Agassi has been playing tennis all his life-starting professionally at 16-up to the age of 36 where he was physically incapable of performing. Through those 20 years of professional tennis, he managed to pull out eight grand slam single wins and a Master Cup, which earned him the 7th spot in, “Greatest Tennis Player of All Time” list by Sports Illustrated Magazine. With the spare time before his retirement, he founded the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education which lead him to found the Andre Agassi Prepatory School, a charter school in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was roughly three years after his retirement when he wrote this book with the help of some of his best friends, the people who knew him best.

While he spent the greater portion of his life playing tennis, in the first chapter, the first page actully, he blatantly states, “I play tennis for a living, even though I hate tennis with a dark and secret passion, and always have.” For Andre though, quitting was never an option. As a child, his dad would not allow him to quit, as a teen he hated school so much but was given the opportunity to play tennis all day versus go to school and took it, and as an adult, he didn’t have enough of an education to know what or how to do anything else. Most people find this passionate hatred confusing because if you excel at something and pursue it, many assume that you love to do it. That is not the case that is expressed in this book.

Throughout this book, Agassi goes into great depth about the struggles he goes through in tennis and his self-discovery because he has never known exactly who he is. The only thing he has known, is that while he may only be one person, there are two different sides to him, the one that goes out on the court, and the one that exists off the court. In the process of trying to figure out who he is, he experiments with his appearance, usually as an act of rebellion. However, in the book, one of his closest friends helps him to analyse how other see him and in Agassi’s own words, “...people have been fooled by my changing looks, my clothes and hair, into thinking that I know who I am. People see my self-exploration as self-expression.” This really helps you to see through the eyes of the people that see him as both a player and a person and get an idea of the bulwark he puts up to outsiders.

Now that Andre is on stable ground in his life, with his wife Stefanie Graf and two children, Jaden and Jaz, he is content with his life. His wife Stefanie Graf is a retired professional women's tennis player who is considered one of the best female players of all time and to some, one the best tennis players ever.  With his education foundation the fore-front of his professional life, he has no intent of going back onto the courts for anything more than the occasional bout with his wife.

One thing that I really appreciate is how in depth his writing is with his emotions and how he is able to recall all of these moments with such vivid description. It lets you get a better idea of who Andre Agassi is and helps you to get a better understanding behind Andre’s numerous decisions and his feelings toward certain things. However, he does sometimes dwell on things for a little bit too long which is irritating, but it helps the reader to realize what Andre truly values. Overall though, this book is a phenomenal read for anyone because of the many sensitive topics it touches on outside of his tennis life, which makes it relatable to so many different people. I am a 16 year-old girl who can still find connections between my life and his and the struggles and accomplishes he has had. While this book is for anyone who loves autobiographies it is also for those who are willing to try them or give them another chance. Not to mention anyone who is interested in self-discovery, romance, collaboration, working through struggles and going through the waves of life, no matter where the tide takes you.

Open

by: Andre Agassi

AKA Publishing: 2009

386 pages

In the year 1939, one of the the largest genocide attacks known to history began to take place in Germany under the control of Adolf Hitler. This was only possible because of the German Nazi’s use of propaganda that encouraged people to believe that what they were doing was the right thing to do. Many people before and during World War II used propaganda just as the German’s did, but it usually was not to support efforts that would impact people in a bad way. Today, it is a type of advertising that is often assumed to be negative in some way because of the affiliation that it had with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. It is not anyones fault that many perceive it that way, however, people tend to associate the use of propaganda and Nazi’s and therefore the mass genocide, which is not an enjoyable memory. The use of propaganda with a negative outcome in World War II by the German Nazi’s, has greatly influenced the use of propaganda that is used in the world today and the implications that it supplies.

Some of the speeches given by Joseph Goebell, a Nazi during World War II, are specifically rich with the propaganda that had such negative effects on the world. His speech, “Knowledge and Propaganda,” given on January 9, 1928 is rich with examples of propaganda and its use .(Goebbel, Joseph. "Knowledge and Propaganda (1928)." Knowledge and Propaganda (1928). Calvin, n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. <http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/goeb54.htm>). This speech goes into detail about what he and the Nazi party thought of propaganda and how it supplied people with knowledge, hence the title. In this speech he says, “The greater and simpler the idea is, the more it relates to daily life, the more one has the desire to tell everyone about it.” The great and simple idea that the Nazi’s had was, Jews are bad and caused all of their problems and as a result, they should all be killed. Since the whole of Germany was struggling economically and was in major debt, the idea that it was someone else's fault that they were in a slump was easy for them to accept. They were all under the same circumstances and as a result, their mindsets were similar and this idea was simple enough, so everyone believed it was true and as a result, the best thing for their struggling country. The idea itself has a negative output and most Germans understood that and accepted the fact that they would be killing millions of people. Therefore, any propaganda that advertised this idea was negative and since it was used so often, propaganda having a bad outcome became normal to most people. This ‘normal’ even traveled from applying to only the people in Germany, to the people in America always viewing propaganda as a negative form of advertisement.

More currently though, there have been articles written about propaganda today and how it is used. One for example is by Mike Adams, The Health Ranger titled, “CVS pharmacy promotes flu shot propaganda using life-sized grim reapers.” (Adams, Mike. "CVS Pharmacy Promotes Flu Shot Propaganda Using Life-sized Grim Reapers." NaturalNews. NaturalNews, 19 Oct. 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. <http://www.naturalnews.com/033917_CVS_flu_shots.html>). It goes on to talk about how the Influenza vaccination is experimental on each person who takes it and that it does not always have a positive effect on people. I found it surprising that this advertisement was called propaganda, but compared to the use of propaganda by the Nazis, it is a form of advertising that would have a negative impact, just as their propaganda was. In this case, the negative impact was scaring people. To show this straight from the article, “A CVS pharmacy is promoting flu shots using images of the Grim Reaper, the most widely-recognized symbol of death.” Since the vaccine can cause illness to anyone who gets it, the CVS is making sure that the people getting the vaccine, know it can be dangerous. It is mildly contradictory however, because it is trying to influence you to get a shot that could help protect you or even save you, but getting the vaccine could get you very sick or in the worst case scenario, kill you. This goes to prove my thesis, that since the German’s wild use of negatively impacting propaganda, in order for a piece of advertising to be classified as a piece of propaganda, it has to have a negative connotation or express a negative outcome. Also, the title of the article implies negativity with the use of the word propaganda and Grim Reaper, again, supporting my thesis .

Only since World War II has propaganda been associated with negativity, and even more specifically, since the German’s use if it. Before it was manipulated into its pessimistic ways, it was often used positively. Even up to, and during World War II, the American’s used it positively, even with the war efforts. There is a pamphlet that was created in 1944 called, “What is Propaganda?” by The American Historical Society that explains the purpose of propaganda and what is was during 1944. (American Historical Society. What Is Propaganda? Washington D.C.: American Historical Society, 1944. Healthyinfluence. G.C. Marshall. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. <http://healthyinfluence.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/AHA-War-Dept-Propaganda.pdf>.) In the chapter labeled, The Story of Propaganda, it speaks of how propaganda was used before the time of World War II, but it was not known to be a negative form of advertising. “Nobody would make the mistake of assuming that it is new if, from early times, efforts to mobilize attitudes and opinions had actually been called “propaganda,””What is Propaganda?” reads. Before World War II, propaganda had not been used in this negative light, which is what caused many people to believe that ‘propaganda’ was a new term. This only goes to prove that the Nazi’s use of propaganda was what made it so well-known and caused it to be affiliated with negative outcomes.

Advertising is how we get the greater majority of our ideas across to other people, but we don’t want to always use the same form of advertising because it can get old and boring. Advertising is part of our everyday lives. However, the use of propaganda with a negative outcome in World War II by the German Nazi’s, has greatly influenced the use of propaganda that is used in the world today and the implications that it supplies. Therefore, we do not use it as much as we would if it was not used in this way during World War II.

(ding! ding!)

Wait. What? People? Where?

(sniff, sniff)

It’s late. Who could be here? Ooh! Did they come to get me?! Are they here, are they here!? (tail wagging, barks)

Hi! I missed you so much! I want to-

Oh, it’s not them.

(whimpering)

It’s been almost two months. They aren’t coming to get me.

I will never go home.

Wait, wait, what is that (sniff, sniff)smell? Is that... Peanut butter!!!

I want it! I want it! I want it!

Why, why does that girl have my peanut butter? I, I don’t know her. Who are those people behind her? Oh, they are here to get one of those little annoying things. Why do people want them? They can’t even, even carry a ball. Or, or a stick. Or play tug-of-war. Oh, tug-of-war is my favorite! (tail wags)

I can do all of those things and I have a tail to chase and, and I am pretty adorable. Why don’t people want me? Those ugly things yip and yap and bark all night and, and they can’t even find their tails!

They are such, such-

(footsteps interrupt his thoughts)

Where are they going? They aren’t going to those little things. Wait. They are coming towards, towards me? No that’s, that’s not possible, no one wants me, but she has peanut butter. Come on girl, just, just give me the spoon and I’ll get it myself just, just, come on!

(girl giggles and gives him some)

Ooooooohhhhhh!!!! Sooo good! Thank you girl! Thank you!

You smell nice. Like sticks and leaves. Like trees. I miss the trees- Wait, what are you doing? No, not there plea- oh, that feels nice. To the left a little, up, oh, you got it!

I like you. Can you take me home? I will be the best doggie you ever had, ever!

I will give you kisses and, and not eat your teddy bears, oh pleeeeeeease!! Take me home!

No, what? Come back, why are you walking away? You forgot me! Come back!

I knew it was too good to be true. I will never get a home. All the other dogs keep saying that I only have one more day anyway. I may as well give up now, no one wants me. She was my last chance and I will never be happy. All I wanted was to have a nice family that wouldn’t pull my tail, or muzzle me, or kick me.

I can’t stay here any more. Free me! Free me! Free me! Free meeeee!

It’s no use. I am going to die in this smelly dump all alone. I just wish that girl would take me home. I guess I will make the corner my friend until tomorrow comes.

(pause)

“Wow. Look how tall that guy is!” The woman said.

“He looks like he knows what he is doing. Lets ask him for directions,” the man suggested. “Excuse me sir, can you tell us how to get to the Constitution Center?” Questioned the man.

“Yes of course. You can take the bus but it’s more faster to take the el to Fifth St. and when you get off, you see the glass building, you’re there,” David replied.

“I don’t mean to be rude but how old are you exactly?” Asked the woman.

“Fifteen,” answered David as he looked past the couple.

“Oh, we thought you were in college or something, you seem so mature.  Well, thank you for your time,” the woman responded.

“You’re welcome.”

David Lawrence Hummel. Fifteen years old, brown hair, brown eyes and six foot three. When you first see my brother, you don’t think something like, ‘he’s weird,’ or ‘abnormal’ because the average person is not so judgemental or critical. They would usually think something more along the lines of, ‘wow, he is so tall.’ At the age of fifteen, he was used to being identified as a college student rather the the high school sophomore he really was. He even spoke with the vocabulary and confidence of an adult. However, if anyone spent some time with him, like I do every day, they would come to the conclusion that there is something different about him that is unlike everybody else. This is because David has Aspergers.

Aspergers is a type of Autism and typically, people with Autism have a difficult time communicating with others, among other things. Depending on the level of Autism, their communication skills could be better or worse. In this case, David talks very quickly and with multiple grammatical errors and when people want him to repeat what he has said, he doesn’t understand why. This usually also affects the groups of people that he can communicate with easily. David for example, socializes more with adults and people that are older than him more easily than with his own peers. This is no fault of his own though, it is merely who he is.

“David, you need to make friends with the people in your class, I know you try but spitting out history facts is not the way to do it.”

“But mom, no one listens ever to me and everyone acts like crazy people and none of them like anything I like.”

“I understand, but it is a two-way street. And it would be ‘ever listens to me.’ If you try to like the things they like, they might try to like what you like too.”

“But it is no use! No one listens to me!” David storms off to his room to put his face in his pillow, where he goes into his own world.

Now that my brother is in high school, it would make his life simpler if he could socialize with people his own age but because of the Aspergers, it is very challenging for him to do that. Once he has an opinion of a person, it is difficult for him to give the person another chance. When conversations about making friends that the lead to meltdowns come up, there is little to no chance anyone can get through to him. My mom tries, I try and if he has still not come back to the real world, my father comes it to talk some sense into him but he is a little too harsh. That is why he is the last resort. Language within my family changed to accommodate his changes and language tendencies. We speak more clearly, emphasizing various grammatical ideas. We also correct him when he makes an error in his speech to help him to not make the mistake as often. In the book Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston says, “I cut it so that you would not be tongue tied.Your tongue would be able to move in any language.” Just like Maxine’s mother, we talk to David and correct him the way we do for his benefit more than our own. Between family, peers and elders, his way of language shifts from one group to another.

“I am more faster and more stronger than you,” David says.

“First of all, you are wrong about both of those things. Second of all, you can not say ‘more’ and an ‘-er’ word together! Ugh, that irks me so much.” I corrected.

“More funnier, more smarter, more shinier!” David mocked.

“Mom!” I screamed.

With adults, David is more comfortable speaking and this is generally because, in my opinion, adults still view him as a child, or lesser than they are since he has yet to officially become an adult. They view him as they would any other child, listening to every word, asking questions and being amazed at what he says no matter how intriguing or irritating. There are also some adults who are legitimately fascinated by what David has to say and knows like our Uncle Josh, for example, who is a high school history teacher. On these occasions, it may as well be two adults having a historical debate on whether the Union or Confederacy truly succeeded in the Civil War.

Adults have maturity that can not be found in most young people and David realizes people’s levels of maturity by how they speak and act, the two usually linking together in some way. Stereotypically, people that have bad grammar or that use a lot of slang are thought of as poorly educated, which links to lousy schools in inferior neighborhoods resulting in bad people. Most times, he makes these connections, making it harder for him to let go of some of these stereotypes to collaborate with peers and friends.

When socializing and talking to people of his own age, he talks about history and facts the same way he would with an adult, but that is not entertaining to the greater majority of teens. As a result, a lot of the kids at school don’t like to talk to him on a regular basis, making it very challenging for him to make new friends that understand him and how he talks. Me, his own sister, does not even like talking to him for very long because it is a challenge to get him to talk about anything other than factual information. He doesn’t realize that people feel this way.

“Did you know that President Arthur is the president who owned the most pairs of pants?”

“No.”

“How about that Taft had the biggest bathtub as any president?”

“Yes, but I don’t really care David, I am trying to do something here.”

“Oh. Sorry, Lauren.”

David is oblivious to the opinion of others. When I try to help him point this out, my mom tells me to stop because I am being mean when I am just trying to help him. The only way he understands, is if you tell him how you feel right to his face. First, when talking to adults, he thinks that they are having the most amazing time learning about history and the presidents rather whatever they were previously talking about. Only because they hadn’t said otherwise. But then with his peers, he realizes that the people with whom he is speaking are not that interested in what he is talking about but he continues to talk about it anyway until someone says something. He does not know where to draw the line between ‘people are enjoying talking about this’ and ‘they could not care less about what I am saying.’ Being oblivious makes it very difficult to get through to people.

Our language helps to define who we are and when there are flaws in it, it is implied that there are deeper flaws within ourselves. When there are flaws that are actually there, language aside, those imperfections only make it harder to get through the daily struggle of language in life.

Works Cited

Kingston, Maxine Hong. The Woman Warrior. South Yarmouth, Ma.: J. Curley, 1978. Print.

Sydne Hopkins-Baker es quince años. Sydne es muy creativo. Ella favorito colores es rojo, morado y rosado. Tiene un perro adorable, Señor Fuzzy. Hay dos personas en su casa, Sydne y su padre. Ella es extremadamente simpático y comica. Le gusta el cuidad mucho. Esta casa es el sueño casa de Sydne.

Esta casa está es en la ciudad de Nueva York. Está cerca de la centro comercial, el transporte público, la parque y un supermercado. Está lejos de la playa porque esta es mucho calor.

La casa es una casa bonita.

En la casa es...

• Cuatro magnífico dormitorios.

• Tres baños con un uno ducha en cada uno.

• Dos pisos con muchas cuartos bonitas.

• Un jardín espectacular con muchas plantas y flores. Esta tambien un miniatura estanque con muchas pescado.

• Un adorable biblioteca porque le gusta leer mucho.

• Una cocina con mucha comida. La cocina es moderno con aparatos nuevo y un grande nevera.

• Un comedor para comidas pequeña o grande.

• Muchas ventanas largas. Son muy magnifico.

• Un pequeña oficina para trabajando y jugando. Hay un computadora y impresora en la oficina también.

• Un dormitorio principal para Sydne con una enorme guardarropa para ella ropas y zapatos. Hay uno computadora en el dormitorio también.

Sala

La sala en la casa de Sydne es muy gran y magnifico! Tiene un enorme tele, dos sillas y un sofá cómodo. Hay dos ventanas grande, una puerta rosado y tres mesas en la sala. Es perfecto de películas con familia y amigos!