Escapades Through British Literature
Follow on Twitter! (@dr_harrold)
  • Home
  • Armory
  • CP 12
    • Senior Speeches >
      • Sr Speeches 2018-Pd 3
      • Sr Speeches 2018-Pd 5
      • Sr Speeches 2018-Pd 6
      • Sr Speeches 2018-Pd 8
      • Pd 4 Speeches 2017
      • Pd 7 Speeches 2017
      • Pd 8 Speeches 2017
      • Pd 1 Speeches 2016
      • Pd 2 Speeches 2016
      • Pd 5 Speeches 2016
      • Pd 7 Speeches 2016
      • Pd 1 Speeches 2015
      • Pd 2 Speeches 2015
      • Pd 4 Speeches 2015
      • Pd 7 Speeches 2015
      • Pd 8 Speeches 2015
      • Pd 2 Speeches 2014
      • Pd 4 Speeches 2014
      • Pd 7 Speeches 2014
      • Pd 8 Speeches 2014
    • Unit 0: Digital Citizenship
    • Unit 1: Brave New World
    • Unit 2: Gods and Monsters
    • Unit 3: Twists and Tales
    • Unit 4: The Fountain and the Sword >
      • King Arthur Videos (2018)
      • King Arthur Videos (2017)
      • King Arthur Videos (2016)
      • King Arthur Group Projects (2015)
      • King Arthur Group Projects (2014)
      • King Arthur Readings
    • Unit 5: The Witch King
    • Unit 6: Journalists and Satirists
    • Unit 7: Research
    • Unit 8: Wilde's World
    • Legacy Pages >
      • Course Details
      • College Application Essay >
        • Biography Presentation
      • Beowulf >
        • Beowulf Introduction Webquest
        • Multi-Paragraph Essay
        • Beowulf Readings
      • The Canterbury Tales
      • King Arthur >
        • King Arthur Final Project
        • Indiana Jones Activity
      • The Hobbit >
        • Hobbit Readings
      • Renaissance Poetry
      • Macbeth >
        • Macbeth Readings
        • Macbeth Videos >
          • Act 1
          • Act 2
          • Act 3
          • Act 4
          • Act 5
        • Multi-Paragraph Essay
      • Research Project 12 >
        • Book Selections 2013
      • Restoration >
        • Satire
        • Web Tools
      • Romantic Period Poetry
      • Importance of Being Earnest
      • Senior Speech
  • Core 12
    • Be True to Your School
    • Beowulf
    • King Arthur
    • Catcher in the Rye >
      • Catcher in the Rye Readings
    • Values Paper
    • Macbeth
    • Short Stories >
      • Kaffir Boy
    • Research Project
    • And Then There Were None >
      • And Then There Were None Readings
    • Vocabulary 12
  • English 11
    • QUEST 1: Raisin in the Sun
    • QUEST 2: Catcher in the Rye
    • QUEST 3: Perks of Being a Wallflower
    • QUEST 4: The Great Gatsby
    • Quest 5: To Kill a Mockingbird >
      • Words of Wisdom
      • Mob Mentality LessonPaths
    • Quest 6: The Crucible
  • English 10
    • Course Details
    • War Horse
    • Night >
      • Night Readings
      • Multi-Paragraph Essay
      • Schindler's List Activity
      • Orpah Interview
      • Farewell To Manzanar
    • Short Readings
    • Satire Speech >
      • Good and Bad Speeches
    • Copper Sun >
      • Copper Sun Book
      • Socratic Seminars
    • Lesson Before Dying >
      • Lesson Before Dying Readings
    • Short Stories >
      • Harrison Bergeron
      • How Much Land Does a Man Need?
      • On The Rainy River
    • Poetry
    • Career Research
    • Lord of the Flies >
      • Lord of the Flies Readings
      • Lord of the Flies Paper
    • Research Project 10
    • Julius Caesar >
      • Julius Caesar Videos >
        • Act 1
        • Act 2
        • Act 3
        • Act 4
        • Act 5
      • Propaganda >
        • Dueling Speeches
        • Advertising
      • Julius Caesar Paper
      • Julius Caesar Readings
    • Antigone >
      • Antigone Readings
      • In-Class Essay
    • Vocabulary 10
    • Study Island
  • Contact Me
  • EBL
  • External Links
    • 3D Game Lab
    • Google Drive
    • Textbook
    • Gamification >
      • PETEC

Day 490: Shh, Don't Touch

4/25/2015

0 Comments

 
I'm currently sitting in the BHS gym waiting for the Baldwin Winter Guard to perform the day's final number. Today marks the team's final performance of the 2015 season and Baldwin is skilled/lucky enough to serve as host for this championship round. I'd be lying if I said I had any idea how this worked (scoring, ranking, etc.) but from what I hear, Baldwin has a great chance to lock up first place in their division, and the region, and even move up in classes, meaning they'll be in a higher competition level.  (Update: all of those things were true, Baldwin wins!!)

Of course all of this comes only 24 hours after surgery on my toe, meaning I have a completely numb and bandaged left foot. I don't think I've ever been as sensitive to people's feet until now. Though no pain has set in yet, I'm constantly on guard that someone plans to step on one. "Shh, don't touch" echoes through my head as each passing attendee gets close.

And yet, I can't take credit for that expression as it's actually the title and theme of BW's color guard show this year. Taken from an old poem, their show takes a more serious tone than past performances as they tell a modernized version of the old Pandora's box story through choreography, music, and spoken word. It's part of what makes these color guard shows interesting; it's not cheerleading, nor dance, nor musical, nor chorus, nor gymnastics, nor even ballet. They have swords and guns, and flags and flowers. They have costumes and acting, narrative and spectacle. They are simultaneously all of these things and none of them. Even if you're not a self-described winter guard fan, you have to stop and take note at the talent and art in these performances; it's completely unique expression.  Not only does Baldwin seem to dominate the Atlantic region (imagine if any of our other sports did) but it's nothing you'll find elsewhere.

Before I make myself appear to be a noble lover of the guard, I should clarify that the real reason I'm here is for the students. I've taught several of these color guard members back in 10th grade, and a couple in 12th grade for the first time. Others I've gotten to know peripherally through community service and other band activities. There are two students, however, who have sat in my classroom everyday for the past 520 school days who, much like the sport of Winter Guard itself, began as quite unknown to me. They spent a year sitting silently in the back of my 10th grade classroom, but over time have become a unique and essential presence each day. This show, their final one as high school students, is a reminder of how quickly the past few years have gone, and how the class of 2015 is soon approaching its end. The Winter Guard 2015 team is prepared to go out with a bang, and as this specific group will disband forever, so will the class of 2015 soon move on to better things.  It's a great day for all of them, but bittersweet for those staying behind.  Watching students leave is like walking on my post-surgical foot; It's great to be moving,  but "'each time it bumps it's really very sore..."


I've included some pictures from the show below, in case you couldn't make it. Great show to Hannah, Maddie, Bethany, and especially Jess and Katie. This chapter ends, though the best is yet to come.


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    English Teacher | Instructional Technology Specialist | 2014-15 PBS Digital Innovator | Gamification Researcher | Marathon Runner | Ph.D RMU 2015

    Picture
    Picture
    Teach.com

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Categories

    All

Content and Site Design by: Dr. Daniel Harrold
 Baldwin High School English Dept.