Final Project: The Highest Peak

Goal: Create a symbolic whirligig that relates to me and connect all three of my papers this semester.

Learn: To experience the creation of making a whirligig. To gain self-belief and that anything is possible.


Overview of the Symbolism Represented in My Whirligig:
To go into deeper thought than what is shown, there are particular items that make up this whirligig with great significance: Our Deepest Fear, Powerful Beyond Measure, Adjustable Pole Vault Bar, High Bar, Doors, Inspirational Quotes, and Pyramid.

1. Our Deepest Fear
Our Deepest Fear is an inspiration poem written by Marianne Williamson. My paper number one was written on the first time I ever heard this poem and how my friends and I made pact that day. Our Deepest Fear is the base for everything because I believe every single word that complete this poem, I don’t think any other poem can match the motivation that this one has given me.

2. Powerful Beyond Measure
In the Our Deepest Fear poem, there is this line: “Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” Unfortunately, I could not fit the entire line, so I took out the part where it is meaningful than the other words, which are “Powerful Beyond Measure.” These three words create a bold statement that I personally think will inspire anyone.

3. Adjustable Pole Vault Bar
The adjustable pole vault bar is symbolic by all means. But in this case the Pole Vault Bar go hand-in-hand with the High Bar. My paper number two is represented in this bar as well as the High Bar.

4. High Bar
Take note on how high this bar is. Unlike the adjustable one, this one is stationary. The symbolism between these two bars is that the High Bar is already set… like an expectation. And the Pole Vault one can adjust, but it may not reach the same level as the High Bar… meaning sometimes we cannot live up to expectations.

5. The Doors
A doorframe, hinges, wood, and knobs create not only just a door, but also a doorway. Walking in and out of a room can only happen because of doors. To me symbolically, doors are like opportunities waiting to be open. And opportunities can change your life, as long as you take them.

6. Inspirational Quotes
Sometimes challenges may come your way and pose as barriers. But any barrier can be knocked down with a determined will. These quotes are chosen because they inspire me ant make me think. I hope some of these quotes help inspire others to keep on going.

7. Pyramid
My pyramid shape is symbolic because it represents one peak and how everything leads to one specific thing. To me, this pyramid represents the build up of the highest peak of happiness. It doesn’t matter if you’re going through what it seems like hell because… “If you are going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill

Our Deepest Fear

Our Deepest Fear
(from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

- Marianne Williamson

I Believe That Anything Can Become Into Reality

I Believe

I believe that anything can become into reality. The dreams, the visions, the wishes… all of those types of things can come true. I personally have told myself over and over “If you truly want something, you will get it.” I forgot to tell myself about the challenges that may bring you down. Those kinds of challenges that come along the way which make the dreams, the visions, and the wishes you genuinely desire seem impossible to achieve. Prove to others and more importantly, yourself that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.
The reason that I believe anything can be realistic is because my project helped me see and understand this well. My goal was to create a symbolic whirligig that can relate to others around me and myself. The experience that I will gain from this is to feel somewhat relevantly close to what Brent felt while making his first whirligig. I remember the first day when I started working on my project. I had it all planned out and was ready to get started. Originally, my dad questioned why it was shaped in just some rectangular platform. I told him that I don’t know and that it will be easier to make it in its rectangular glory. Then he brought up ideas for other shapes like circles, triangles, and hexagons. I immediately began to change the entire drawing by taking out its contents and transferring it into a pyramid. I told him my perception of everything leading to the highest peak of happiness and that is the reason why a pyramid is so symbolic. So we went through with the new blue print and started to cut the wood the very next day. After that, I stained it with Sedona Red. This is the point where I began to realize that the multiple lines on a piece of paper can really come to life. My vision of a personal whirligig has just came true.
I truly do believe that anything can become true or real. Just like any other child, I’ve always wanted to meet my favorite Disney character. I’ve always loved Goofy with his humorous clumsiness and interaction with Donald. The first time I ever met Goofy was when I was about three and it was pretty interesting. Goofy accidentally bumped into me and knocked me down to the floor, though it wasn’t entirely his fault since I was behind him trying to cut in front of people. Despite of this accident, I still met my favorite Disney character with his personal clumsiness. The first time I ever went to Lake Tahoe was also significant to me personally. Little did I know at this point in time I was about to accomplish a childhood dream. There was a scene that was will always be remembered in the movie A Walk to Remember, and how the main characters are at two places at once. It was a brilliant concept of achieving this seemingly impossible power. But in the movie, Landon takes Jamie to the state border between North Carolina and Virginia. I told myself I want to do that, but it’s hard to accomplish it when you’re in Hawaii and there is only technically water between the mainland and not an actual border. In 2007, my family and I decided to go to Lake Tahoe for an overnight visit with my Papa Hiro and Mama Mary. They were my mom’s best friends parents, though my Aunty Donna, who was their daughter, loss to a battle with breast cancer a few years earlier. The old couple is so humble and heart-warming that it made me feel that this unfamiliar territory is home. Once we were settled in, we all agreed to eat dinner at this restaurant up the road. It was weird because right across from it was a casino and I never seen a casino in California before. I didn’t think that Lake Tahoe was that in-land, but I was amazed that we are now in Nevada. Afterwards, when we got back into the car I saw the welcome to California sign. There was no line to dictate where each state is. But I can truly say to others that I was in two places at once, even though it was just for a split second.
In this world, anything is possible. There are so many opportunities, gifts, and capabilities that anyone can achieve. Just believe in yourself and then you’re half way there. Ignore those who stand in your way or who pose as a “brick wall”. And now that I think about it, I did not know how to make a whirligig, but yet there it is standing tall in the wind. All it takes is just a little pixie dust and you can fly… the possibilities are endless, so take advantage of them.

Expecting Thee: Multimedia

Nastia Liukin



Yet, She Still Won The Gold

Expecting Thee

The bar is set high above thee
The distance seems to be achievable
Wonder sets in on how others begin to see
That the one in front seems to be improvable

Falling short on the sets of standard
The timid attempt to strive for it once more
Realization occurs, when the head collided hard
With the floors, thee will not be like once before

Who is at fault for setting the bar so high?
Is it thy critic or thy self who is liable?
A person like thee cannot reach such a sky
As thee takes a flight, face is in denial

This is a burdensome proposition
When we cannot live up to expectation

Essay: Expecting Thee

I wrote this sonnet because I always feel that I need to live up to expectations. And when I don’t do what was expected, it seems that the other party is disappointed. Expectations could deal with many things like: sports, school and parents… they just seem to be everywhere. I know that other people experience this feeling of guilt, but we must learn to give our best in everything and if people don’t accept it then so be it.
I open my sonnet with the line “The bar is set high above thee”. I wanted to make sure that the reader has an image or the feeling of a burden upon them. In my mind, I imagine the gymnasium and the high bar above my head. The line “The distance seems to be achievable” helps support the image and the distance in between is as if all thee has to do is jump high in order to reach it. The meaning of this line is that there still is a chance that you will reach that bar and prove yourself to others around you. Yet, more pressure is applied to the person under the bar when “Wonder sets in on how others begin to see
That the one in front seems to be improvable”. In these two lines I try to combine how people judge you and how they point out how you can improve. Before you act upon something or say anything you always wonder how people will react to it. The person under the bar begins to wonder what those who are watching are thinking at the moment and if he/she can accomplish their mindset. I believe that improvement applies to a certain extent. For example: Art. People don’t go up to the artist and criticize on how they can improve on it; rather it should be the artist who realizes his mistakes and takes the initiative to improve on his own. The artist knows his potential to a certain degree and when he exceeds it, in his mind, he knows that he has done what he could to express his emotions and thoughts on a canvas. If people don’t like the painting, they should move forward and purchase art that seems to fit their liking and expectancy. Unfortunately, life is not always like art, unless you’re an artist.
“Falling short on the sets of standard” is a line that kind of gives foreshadowing to the rest of the sonnet. I think the line translates to: Not living up to what was expected. And I tried to avoid using the word: expectation throughout the whole sonnet until the end. The next line “The timid attempt to strive for it once more” creates an image that thee is trying to reach out and touch that bar again but… “Realization occurs, when the head collided hard With the floors, thee will not be like once before” The metaphor I tried to put was that falling hard against something is like when you failed yourself and the critics. Getting an F on a test or quiz doesn’t only affect you, but it also affects the teacher. I think that when you get a low grade, the teacher wonders if he/she is teaching comprehensibly to the class. Also once you do surpass expectations people look forward to you surpassing it again. But only some people can accomplish that, and some cannot. It’s a vicious cycle that we can’t seem to get out of.
“Who is at fault for setting the bar so high? Is it thy critic or thy self who is liable?” I tried to implement that not only does the other party have expectations, but we as individuals have expectations as well. And we can’t always point the finger at those who are trying to help us improve; it would be hypocritical if we did. We need to learn our limits and when we exceed them; we might not exceed expectations the next time around. The line “A person like thee cannot reach such a sky” is metaphor. It’s restating the fact that the bar is as high as a sky, and a normal human being like thee may not be able to reach such a height. But thee tries to attempt once more…“As thee takes a flight, face is in denial”. After so many tries and attempts you can’t help but be in denial if you will at least satisfy others who are watching you. It’s difficult to keep on going when you know that the work that was submitted might not up to par with other people’s work or didn’t live up to expectations like last time.
I think that my sonnet at first is hard to read until it’s revealed on what it is about in the end. I describe expectation, as “This is a burdensome proposition”. It is a burden when someone thinks that you could’ve done better on something. But who are they to tell you that you can improve? How do they know that you have more potential than what was done? Are they trying to help? Or do they just want you to create the ideal image in their mind? These are some of the questions that just run through my mind. Expectations are a complicated thing. Like I said before, it’s a vicious cycle that we can’t seem to get out of. It truly is. The emotions such as guilt and disappointment have a huge impact on the one who is taking in the criticism. We can’t help but think about how others will react to our actions and voices. I think this line sums most of the sonnet and kind of helps the readers understand what was happening all this time “When we cannot live up to expectation”. Living up to expectations is challenging and hard, sometimes we just want to quit being the picture that we didn’t personally paint. An image should be shaped, formed, painted, and detailed by the one who exceeds personal expectations. Unfortunately, the fact is that we really can’t do anything about expectations. We must cope and move forward with our heads held high with confidence. We are our own personal judge on our expectations. My advice is to always expect the unexpected. You never know you when you will surpass your own potential and it might be one of the greatest moments of your life.

Expecting Thee...

The bar is set high above thee
The distance seems to be achievable
Wonder sets in on how others begin to see
That the one in front seems to be improvable

Falling short on the sets of standard
The timid attempt to strive for it once more
Realization occurs, when the head collided hard
With the floors, thee will not be like once before

Who is at fault for setting the bar so high?
Is it thy critic or thy self who is liable?
A person like thee cannot reach such a sky
As thee takes a flight, face is in denial

This is a burdensome proposition
When we cannot live up to expectation









Essay: Expecting Thee…


I wrote this sonnet because I always feel that I need to live up to expectations. And when I don’t do what was expected, it seems that the other party is disappointed. Expectations could deal with many things like: sports, school and parents… they just seem to be everywhere. Not only do I experience this particular feeling, but so do others and I wanted this sonnet to relate to those around me.
I open my sonnet with the line “The bar is set high above thee”. I wanted to make sure that the reader has an image or like the feeling of a burden upon thee. In my mind, I imagine the gymnasium and the high bar above my head. The line “The distance seems to be achievable” is also suppose to let the readers have a picture in their minds. The thoughtful meaning of this line is that there still is a chance that you will reach that bar and prove yourself. By then my mind has drifted off into trying to capture the sight of the high bar with it within my reach but my third line in the sonnet “Wonder sets in on how others begin to see” also paints an audience of a crowd watching me thinking “That the one in front is improvable”. The last line explains that ‘thee’ can improve in some way. I think improvement applies to a certain extent.
“Falling short on the sets of standard” is another way of saying “Thee did not live up to expectations”. I tried to avoid using the word: expectation in the sonnet because I wanted it to all click together in the end. But the first line should be kind of a hint for the reader once read over. If you ever lose in a game, you begin to feel an adrenaline rush to play the game over with the determination to win. But in this case you don’t know what to expect because you don’t know what the other party would think of you, still yet ‘thee’ continues to reach out to the high bar… “The timid attempt to strive once more”. “Realization occurs, when the head collided hard With the floors, thee will not be like once before” Realization comes over to ‘thee’ as thee falls. Thee begun to realize that “thee will not be like once before”.
“Who is at fault for setting the bar so high?” This line questions to whom is at fault.
“Is it thy critic or thy self who is liable?” narrows down to who set the bar so high. Not only do people like parents, teachers, and mentors have expectation but as an individual we have them. “A person like thee cannot reach such a sky” is like a subtle metaphor where the bar is as high as the sky. When you feel like you only can try with a blind attempt to what is expected is expressed in this line “As thee takes a flight, face is in denial”. This also gives the reader another visual image.
I think that my sonnet at first is hard to read until it’s revealed on what it is about in the end. I describe expectation, as “This is a burdensome proposition”. It is a burden when someone thinks that you could’ve done better on something or improvement. I finally reveal what I’m talking about in the final line “When we cannot live up to expectation”. I do hope that this sonnet can relate to others who read it because I feel that I expressed how they feel in some way.

Expecting Thee

The bar is set high above thee
The distance in between appears to be achievable
Wonder sets in on how those begin to see
That the one in front seems to be improvable

Lacking the prediction of the sets of standard
The timid attempt to strive to the bar once more
Realization hits as the contact from the head collided hard
With the floors, thee will not be like once before

Opinions from those fade into the background
For thee unbeknownst the capability
Despite, thee has finally knows the sound,
The reason to use all thee ability

Truth is that there is no motivation
When we cannot live up to expectation

Sonnet

The cold metal bar sets high above
The curiosity develops as I wonder
How to reach where I once were

Whirligig Images

Paper #2: Innocence and Freedom For All

Innocence and Freedom for All


“He turned seventeen, an event he scarcely noticed… The headaches, like a wrecking ball working on his skull, came less often, replaced by the endless tolling in his mind of the word murderer. Everyone knew. He refused to go to school and made arrangements to finish his class work at home. He disliked being seen in his neighborhood, where the glances he drew were too long or too short. Among strangers he felt no less an outcast, their blind assumption that he was one of them making him wince inside. He studied their carefree innocence with envy: an old woman reading on a bench in a mall, a baby sleeping in a stroller, a pretzel seller joking with a customer. He was no longer of their kind and never would be.”

Brent is a high school student that recently moved to the city of Chicago. One night, he attends a party with a friend and lets loose. But when they arrive they realize their clothing isn’t the same as those around them: black and white. Later on they finally find out that they’re reenacting chess pieces. Brent sees an opportunity to talk to the girl of his dreams: Brianna. When the rejection was loud enough for everyone to hear, they all join in to tease him in some way. He felt humiliated and embarrassed in front of his peers. Thus, he jots straight to his car in attempt to get away from the problem. On the way home, he begins to think how he has the power over his life and how he does not need to go through how he is feeling anymore. The way to get there was to take his life. He eventually lets the steering wheel go with everything being a blur. His alcohol blood level was .11, he was charged with DUI and manslaughter. As it turns out, Brent continues to breathe, while an innocent girl named Lea is not.

This excerpt out of the book is significant because it lets the readers to an insight on to what the character is experiencing emotionally. And it’s important for the readers to relate to the situation and acknowledge how the character feels. Also, this is significant because he had a hard time dealing with emotions previously. So how does it feel to be put back into society when ultimately you killed someone? It seems as if he hides from those he knows in shame. When he is outside, those who walk by suppose of him as someone with innocence but in actuality they are truly mistaken about that. Brent feels as if he isn’t even worthy of breathing the same air as them. High school as well is something everyone can relate to, especially being victimized of gossip or accusations and killing someone can stir up quite a bit of controversy. Imagine parents of students at school want him removed from high school for the sake of their child’s safety as well as the communities. Everyone sees everything differently, whether or not it was an accident, the bottom line is that this boy had killed someone.

The last two lines in the paragraph above is very crucial “He studied their carefree innocence with envy: an old woman reading on a bench in a mall, a baby sleeping in a stroller, a pretzel seller joking with a customer. He was no longer of their kind and never would be.” Our rights and innocence are highly valued in America. We have the freedom of doing whether we want, when we want as long as we abide by laws. From the simplest thing of walking outside is liberal. Although it may seem that walking is a foolish thing to take advantage of, people behind bars envy that freedom that they once had. The last line is harsh to swallow. Brent maybe not reach the height he was at before, but he can redeem himself. People have been accepted back into the community, despite their wrongdoing and past.

Later on in the book, Brent finally talks to Lea’s parents and sincerely apologizes for what happened. The only thing they ask of him is to make four whirligigs and place them in the four corners of the United States: Washington, California, Florida, and Maine. His parents think of the request as ridiculous, and want a different atonement. Brent intervened before they could push any farther, stating that he will complete the task. Lucky for him, Lea’s mother gave him an unlimited bus pass to travel all over the country. This gives him the hope for a better future, and maybe, just maybe he can learn to forgive himself.

True Blue

Our Deepest Fear Comic Life

Paper #1: Our Deepest Fear

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." – Marianne Williamson, Our Deepest Fear, Excerpt directly from Coach Carter

As we walk into the familiar room in Alexander, it was dark with the projection on. It wasn’t odd for a video to be shown during Seminar. Seminar is a class that I have with my Bridge classmates I met during summer. As I took a seat in the front row next to Hi’i and Suva, the screen displayed the famous actor, Samuel L. Jackson. The boys had already begun to whisper loud enough for everyone to hear, “It’s Coach Carter.” We all noticed that the film was fast-forward to a certain segment in the movie. Although I have never seen the movie, I began to judge it easily for it’s sporty relation. I thought that it was about the game of basketball and how it related to life. Mrs. K hit play for the video to begin. Her instructions were simply to listen carefully on what was being said. Every word fit perfectly together to create the most influential sentence.

“There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.” I hold on to the part of this poem as I related it to a previous situation. I consciously chose to hold back in a class once. I didn’t really engage into discussions that were being held. The reason was I did not want to come off as the “smart one” to others around me. So, I kept my words in my mouth until I was asked to share my thoughts and opinions. This quote helped me realize that I should not restrict myself because “we are all meant to shine”. “And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” We must let ourselves be who we are, not because it may seem like a competition between your friends, but it is to show them that all of us have the right to shine. Once we do that, we can help those around us do the same. The greatest leaders of all time became the greatest because they chose to hold nothing back from shining. Little do we realize that we can become just like them, only if we choose to let our light shine. “As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." The feeling of comfort is always wanted. But in order to let our light shine, we have to take risks and step out of that comfort zone. If that is the first step, then I'll keep on running until I reach the dream I've always dreamed about. Our fears would disappear behind us; it feels as nothing can bring you down. This is when you know you finally reached the peak of happiness.

After the segment of Coach Carter, we were given instructions to express what it means to us. Everyone started to type away on their own laptops in Moodle. Once we all finished, we began to share each of our thoughts out loud. I shared the part that meant the most to me. “We cannot think of it as a competition between friends. We have to realize that they’re just shining as they chose to.” I said. My classmates shared their thoughts as well. When we were released from class we discussed how it went. “That was tense.” I said. My friends replied with, “Yeah.” and “I know right?” When we began to walk down the stairs, all of us secretly agreed to let our light shine. We are a pact. We choose not to live in the shadows of others any longer. Truly because, “We are all meant to shine, as children do.”

Ms. Swan...