Today is a great day. Why? Because I got my very first "A" in Dr. Cozzens (AKA President Cozzens, Mr. Cozzens, and occasionally just Cozzens) English class. This is indeed a VERY big deal. Coming into the class, I was soo worried because I had heard nothing but horror stories about supposedly great writers heading into his class, only to resurface with low B's and C's. In fact, Sister Hutchinson told me that she had never heard of anyone getting an A in his class.
Wow
Yeah it scared me to death. I had just come from Mrs. Ridolfi's class where I easily aced any essay by throwing in a few flowery sentenced elegantly spiced with advanced vocabulary. Next thing I knew, my head was spinning from a low B paper (actually i think it was an 83 on the 10-point scale). Don't get me wrong, I was glad to get a B, but I wanted more.
Ironically, I got the inspiration (if you can call it that) for my essay from doodling in class. I was drawing stick figures (whoops) when one of my fellow classmates suggested I write an essay about them. I didn't know what else to write about...so I went with it. To make a long story short, I wrote the paper, turned it in, and nervously awaited my grade. The paper came back...and BAM! Like lightning from heaven, their stood my beautiful, gleaming penciled-in 90 at the top of my essay. Like a prince atop his throne, so majestically sat my grade.
Ok, it wasn't quite that exciting, but I was still very excited to have made my first A. Part of the drive to get an A was because everyone said it couldn't be done. That just made me want an A more. I've made - mostly - A's all my life and I wanted to prove that I wasn't the product of grade inflation; that instead I was a genuinely dilligent (and talented) student. I don't have an overall A average yet....oh but I will!
By the way, the contents of that essay can be read Here
As a final note, the new 'Flavor of the Day' has been updated and is now in rotation. The playlist will also get a major overhaul with nearly a completely new lineup. Stay tuned!
Great job on the A, Adam! I knew you could do it! It really was a good story, well-written and interesting to read!
i LOVED you essay! i think it may be some of you best writing ever. i enjoyed it so much i printed it off to read to cory. way to go on the A--keep it up!
one question--why only a 90?
Thanks kristen! Yeah, I think that this paper was probably my favorite paper that I've written so far. When I turned it in, I knew that it had to be better than my last essay.
I got a 90 for minor errors - ones that the typical reader probably wouldn't even catch. For example, in the first paragraph, look for the words "devices," "doodling," and "scribbling." President Cozzens said that the progression was too fast. I think that most readers wouldn't have a problem following that transition (thus why I left it the way it is) - I guess President Cozzens thought otherwise :)
That's just one example though ;)
wow! he really gets down to the nitty gritty, doesn't he? i wonder how he would have slowed the progression? interesting....
"Like a prince atop his throne, so majestically sat my grade."
You, sir, are a poet.
Ryan