Official Start Time: 7:42 pm
Date: 10/17/08
Official End Time: 10:04 pm
Yesterday was doom's day and I failed to meet many of the goals that I wanted to achieve that day. I did get some things done and other things started to make it easier for me to finish. However there is still a lot that needs to be done. Time is all I need and something that I can never get enough of. If I do not finish these things tonight or early Saturday morning I will have let down not just myself, but others who are depending on the work I am doing.
I want to make sure that I finish the most important things tonight. Today's entry will not be like my previous entries. The fire, passion, and determination that I always try to include in my entries will be missing in today's entry. I will have to take the high road and talk about something I can write out quickly and easily. I will talk about my love for history, specifically world history, and how it has helped me become a better students.
History has always been that course I understood and did well in. I was able to understand the material and pass the exams with ease. It wasn't till I was a freshman in high school that I learned that history like all subjects in life should be done with a purpose; not in a mechanical fashion that requires steps, but no thinking what so ever. History just like other subjects is a dynamic living thing that if you want to understand you should see it from all points of view. The readings should serve as a reference and not the only source of your information.
AP World History has thus far been my favorite history course. I took it as a sophomore and immediately fell in love with the course. We had a great book by Sterns and a great instructor that motivated us to be the best students we could be. The work load was heavy, but I didn't mind. Reading ten pages a night was like reading a chapter in your favorite book.
Our instructor for the course was a man by the name of Mr. Butler. Mr. Butler wasn't like other teachers I had in the past. This guy knew his stuff and had a level of modesty that you didn't expect from your everyday teacher. He did his job, but didn't just stop there. You could ask him for help and he wouldn't rest until he was sure you were ready for the challenges ahead. Everyone loved him and was sad to see him go.
Never before was there a teacher that I was able to connect with so much. Everyday I would address him by Mr. Butler; never mister, something typically said to most teachers in today's educational system. Mr. Butler had a passion for the world around him. He did his thesis on Waterbury and its transformation from an manufacturing economy to a service economy. I could talk to him for hours about any history topic and new that he was giving him his undivided attention. There's nothing greater in the world than to find people who you can connect with so much that you can talk to them for hours and never run out of things to say.
I can't really distinguish which eras in world history were my favorite. The classical period was know for the greatest empires ever built such as those in Han China and Rome. The postclassical period was just as captivating. The developments of Mesoamerican people really made me see that history like all things in life should be done with a purpose. Advancements are made by those who see their environment as a multidimensional figure and not some 2-d shape drawn on a piece of paper. The Middle Ages, the spread of imperialism, and the movements made in modern history all have significance in today's world and still need to be look back on as a reminder of how things were done in the past and how they should be done today.
The history and culture of the following groups of people had to be the most influential factors on the world we have today.
China has one of the longest and most dynamic cultures of all time. The dynasties, civil war, reforms, and technological advancements qualify it to be a global power back then and today. Their ability to refuse the affects of cultural diffusion and still make such major advancements is remarkable and shocking for a time where the introduction of new ideas were made through cultural diffusion.
The Aztecs, Incas, and Mayan covered all of Mesoamerica and are known for their rich culture, political structures, and for being the first groups of people who fell because of outside forces that they had no control over versus the betrayal of the people; a major reason for decline in past cultures.
The Mongols are notorious for their ability to dominate as a nomadic group throughout history. The Mongols continued to dominate even after the lost of strong leaders. They were able to maintain the unity and structure of a sedentary group of people even in the face of adversity.
The Umayyads vs. Abbasids has to be one of most prolong strifes in history. The division and complexity of their history as a group of people still stands today. They brought riches to the Middle East and the northern part of Africa that desperately needed money to stand.
Finally the Bedouins helped provide the premise for the Africa that was going to take shape in the few centuries to come. The tongue they used to speak served as a root for future African tribes to communicate and established the idea that as a united force they are stronger than as a divided force driven to warfare.
There are other cultures, events, and groups of people that I could have mentioned, but time is of the essence. The post might seem a little choppy but in my opinion was more direct and free in comparison to some of my other entries. Wish me luck!
Sincerely, Hector Guzman
Date: 10/17/08
Official End Time: 10:04 pm
Yesterday was doom's day and I failed to meet many of the goals that I wanted to achieve that day. I did get some things done and other things started to make it easier for me to finish. However there is still a lot that needs to be done. Time is all I need and something that I can never get enough of. If I do not finish these things tonight or early Saturday morning I will have let down not just myself, but others who are depending on the work I am doing.
I want to make sure that I finish the most important things tonight. Today's entry will not be like my previous entries. The fire, passion, and determination that I always try to include in my entries will be missing in today's entry. I will have to take the high road and talk about something I can write out quickly and easily. I will talk about my love for history, specifically world history, and how it has helped me become a better students.
History has always been that course I understood and did well in. I was able to understand the material and pass the exams with ease. It wasn't till I was a freshman in high school that I learned that history like all subjects in life should be done with a purpose; not in a mechanical fashion that requires steps, but no thinking what so ever. History just like other subjects is a dynamic living thing that if you want to understand you should see it from all points of view. The readings should serve as a reference and not the only source of your information.
AP World History has thus far been my favorite history course. I took it as a sophomore and immediately fell in love with the course. We had a great book by Sterns and a great instructor that motivated us to be the best students we could be. The work load was heavy, but I didn't mind. Reading ten pages a night was like reading a chapter in your favorite book.
Our instructor for the course was a man by the name of Mr. Butler. Mr. Butler wasn't like other teachers I had in the past. This guy knew his stuff and had a level of modesty that you didn't expect from your everyday teacher. He did his job, but didn't just stop there. You could ask him for help and he wouldn't rest until he was sure you were ready for the challenges ahead. Everyone loved him and was sad to see him go.
Never before was there a teacher that I was able to connect with so much. Everyday I would address him by Mr. Butler; never mister, something typically said to most teachers in today's educational system. Mr. Butler had a passion for the world around him. He did his thesis on Waterbury and its transformation from an manufacturing economy to a service economy. I could talk to him for hours about any history topic and new that he was giving him his undivided attention. There's nothing greater in the world than to find people who you can connect with so much that you can talk to them for hours and never run out of things to say.
I can't really distinguish which eras in world history were my favorite. The classical period was know for the greatest empires ever built such as those in Han China and Rome. The postclassical period was just as captivating. The developments of Mesoamerican people really made me see that history like all things in life should be done with a purpose. Advancements are made by those who see their environment as a multidimensional figure and not some 2-d shape drawn on a piece of paper. The Middle Ages, the spread of imperialism, and the movements made in modern history all have significance in today's world and still need to be look back on as a reminder of how things were done in the past and how they should be done today.
The history and culture of the following groups of people had to be the most influential factors on the world we have today.
China has one of the longest and most dynamic cultures of all time. The dynasties, civil war, reforms, and technological advancements qualify it to be a global power back then and today. Their ability to refuse the affects of cultural diffusion and still make such major advancements is remarkable and shocking for a time where the introduction of new ideas were made through cultural diffusion.
The Aztecs, Incas, and Mayan covered all of Mesoamerica and are known for their rich culture, political structures, and for being the first groups of people who fell because of outside forces that they had no control over versus the betrayal of the people; a major reason for decline in past cultures.
The Mongols are notorious for their ability to dominate as a nomadic group throughout history. The Mongols continued to dominate even after the lost of strong leaders. They were able to maintain the unity and structure of a sedentary group of people even in the face of adversity.
The Umayyads vs. Abbasids has to be one of most prolong strifes in history. The division and complexity of their history as a group of people still stands today. They brought riches to the Middle East and the northern part of Africa that desperately needed money to stand.
Finally the Bedouins helped provide the premise for the Africa that was going to take shape in the few centuries to come. The tongue they used to speak served as a root for future African tribes to communicate and established the idea that as a united force they are stronger than as a divided force driven to warfare.
There are other cultures, events, and groups of people that I could have mentioned, but time is of the essence. The post might seem a little choppy but in my opinion was more direct and free in comparison to some of my other entries. Wish me luck!
Sincerely, Hector Guzman
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