#siena rush

[writingstudio]

Playlist For Rain

Blowing in the Wind by Bob Dylan Candles in The Rain by Melanie Safka Rainy Day Man by James Taylor Dry The Rain by The Beta Band Rain by The Beatles Early Morning Rain by Gordon Lightfoot Rainy Night House by Joni Mitchel The Rain Song by Led Zeppelin Mary’s Place by Bruce Springsteen

Writing prompt: Create a scene that begins without rain, but approximately half way through a storm begins and some how drastically effects what is happening.

[writingstudio]

Writing Prompts

Two days ago I made a list of events, all of which occurred on April 28th, below are three prompts, based off that list.

For Fiction:

Write a short story, or simply illustrate a moment in which a character is reading that day’s newspaper. They land on an article about an event off that list, of your choice. Create a space for them to read in, a time. Are they skimming, or focused on the paper? What else are they thinking?

For a Found Poem:

Pick one of the events listed and find an article about it, try to create a poem using only words found in the article. When you’re done, go back, change around tenses and pronouns if you like.

For Nonfiction:

Think about important events and days in your life, ones where you remember the exact date, then search for other things that happened on that day. Try and write a nonfiction piece connecting the two events.

[writingstudio]

The History Of Prom

With prom coming up I’ve been thinking a lot about the typical high school rituals, and just how they came to be. The word prom is a shortened version of Promonate which is “the formal, introductory parading of guests at a party.” Today’s prom originated from the 19th century when the elite American colleges would throw semi-formal co-ed banquets for their graduating classes each year, which themselves were based off debutante balls (a tradition typical in old-money eastern families). Proms overtime became targeted for a younger and younger age group, until it was more of a ritual in teenage culture than anything else. They were first mentioned in high school yearbooks as early as the 1930s. In the 1940s the version of the Prom we see was beginning to form, and by the ‘50s they were not uncommon in public high schools, and because of the thriving postwar economy it was more common to see a prom held in a local country club than a high school gymnasium. However it wasn’t until the 1980’s today's proms were fully formed.

When they first started, proms were fairly simple. Attendees would simply wear their church clothes. It wasn’t until the 1930’s that it became common to spend any money at all on the dance, and then it was only in the form of occasionally purchasing a private car to take students to and from the event: a trend that dropped out for about twenty years and then resurfaced by the ‘50s. It was around that same time it became particularly important to have an attractive date, and girls started making special shopping trips just for the event. In the 80’s proms became commercialized, featured in numerous Hollywood films and truly became the cultural phenomenon we are familiar with today. The average amount of money spent each year on Prom by any given family with a teenage attending ranges from between 1,100$ and and 1,600$. The American Prom Industry is estimated to be worth approximately 4 billion dollars.

When President Kennedy was in office he made the decision to reschedule  $1,000-a-plate fundraiser at the Beverly Hilton because a local prom was booked for the same night, and a little over ten years later President Ford threw his daughter’s senior Prom at the White House.

The entire history of Proms hasn’t been so wonderful. They have often been vehicles of discrimination. In schools all over the country since 1944 schools have threatened to cancel, or have canceled proms, if interracial or homosexual couples attended. This has resulted in kids going in groups, instead of as couples, something we see a lot here at Walnut Hill, though for less serious reasons. So, if you’re going to Prom this Friday, with a date, or in a group of friends, try and keep in mind the history of the event and have fun!

[writingstudio]

What Has Happened On April 28th Through History

In 1931, the first vaccine for yellow fever which was available for human use was announced.

In 1991, “Gypsy” opened at the Marquis Theater in New York City, which was performed 104 times after that night.

Also in 1991, the Space Shuttle STS 39 (Discovery 12) was launched.

In 1910, Claude Grahame-White took the first ever air flight after dark.

In 2001, Millionaire Dennis Tito was the first tourist to be taken into space.

In 1848, the last slaves were freed in the French colonies.

In 1974, Penelope Cruz was born.

In 1994, the first multi-racial South African election closed after three days.

In 1986, the Soviet news announced a nuclear accident at Chernobyl power stations, two days after the initial event.

In 1971, Samuel Lee Gravely Jr was officially announced as the 1st black admiral in the US Navy.  

Please check out this post, where you can see some writing prompts based of this list!

[writingstudio]

The History Of May Day

This Friday will be May 1st, and while most of the Walnut Hill community is excited because that means Prom, there are other reasons to look forward to it. May 1st, or May Day, is not a particularly widely celebrated holiday, but it is a very old one, dating back to before the birth of Christ.

The Druids of the British Isles regarded May 1st as the second most important day of the year, celebrated with purification fires. The Romans who later occupied the British Isles called May Day Floralia. They had a five day festival (in which may first was one of the more important days) in honor of Flora, the goddess of flowers. Over time the traditions of Floralia evolved, and May Day became less about flowers themselves, but rather spring as a whole, including the aspect of fertility.

The most common modern celebration of May Day is dancing around a maypole (which was originally regarded as a phallic symbol and heavily connected to the rebirth of spring), but across the world there are many unique traditions. In Finland it is celebrated with street carnivals, in France Lilies of the Valley are given out (which are sold tax free), in Germany young women give their loved ones roses or rice in the shape of a heart, in Ireland bonfires are lit across the country, in Romania men wear lilacs.