Missing:

Direction:

The direction that the class needs to take is gaining a sense of confidence. There have been snide and outward comments about Peter and I taking a dominate role in the discussions. I will speak on behalf of myself alone when I say that these comments are unwarranted and not constructive in any way. They are actually diminishing and counter productive. In life if you do not speak you will not be heard. There will always be loud voices drowning your voice out. What needs to happen is that instead of retracting and stewing in irritation, speak up. Every person's voice deserves to be heard. My actions may not seem to display this belief, but I do believe in it, passionately. I consider everyone in class an equal, and so I treat everyone like an equal, with the enthusiasm and confidence of one who enjoys discussing ideas. Ideas do not move forward in restrictive structure, and yes the current school wide classroom system is restrictive to ideas and students. In class there have been instances where people have become passionate and not allowed "domination" of their ideas; these discussions have been some of the best the class has had. If the class gained a sense of confidence, the passion with which many ideas brew in my fellow students heads could be thrown out into the ring and be chewed over. I, personally, think and listen best when under a heated and loud discussion. It may not seem like I take anything from it, but after class the words sink in. This quiet mean girls thing is just not kicking it for me.

xoxo
Gossip Gurl

Thankful

I am thankful for my classmate Peter Casey for the reasons discussed in the essay above. His confidence in expressing his ideas is refreshing in a school which prides itself on academic excellence but contains classrooms where expressing ideas seems to be unwarranted. While our philosophy class and a few other outliers in the school have been open to discussions, I am delighted to see another student who has not been suppressed  by the education system. He has brought up many concepts and ideas which I have learned from. Many of our class's discussions, in which he was involved (most of them), his ideas and rebuttles to my concepts have lead me to further thinking about the very concepts I put fourth. He has lead me to think more, and strive to better explanation of myself, both of which are fundamental in the subject of philosophy. So thank you, P.C.
I don't like macs anyways.

xoxo