Week 13

When I first started university in September, I have to admit that I was a little nervous about writing and English 1080 in general. I am happy to say that English was probably the most enjoyable course for me this semester. 

The english blogs seemed a little odd to me at first, but after writing a couple of them, I realized that they were actually fairly easy marks, and they were not all that complicated. I even enjoyed doing some of them. The poetry section was my least favourite portion of the course, because I never did enjoy poetry. I always found it complicated and at times, hard to understand. I feel that the poetry chosen for this course was fair, and the lectures helped me to actually understand. My favourite poem we have completed this semester has to be Ozymandias. Although, the sign language poetry was very interesting, and it did surprise me because I never knew such a thing existed. My favourite section of the course was the short stories. I found these to be entertaining, and again they were all fair. 

Overall, I think the course was very informative. I feel that my writing has improved in such little time, and I have learned essay writing skills that I will carry with me through my university career. 

Week 12

How to get ready for ice hockey:


1. Put on jock/jill. (Depending on gender)
2. You then put on your shin pads.
3. Followed by your socks.
4. Fourthly, you put your pants on.
5. Next comes the skates.

At this point you have your "lower gear" on.

6. Shoulder pads is the first step in the "upper gear".
7. Followed by the elbow pads.
8. You can then finally put on your jersey.

You now only have 2 more things to do.

9. Put on your helmet.
10. Lastly, your gloves.

Now grab your hockey stick and hit the ice!

Week 11

Need I say more? Go Leafs Go!

Week 10

Always strive to be better each and every day you are alive. Never settle. No one knows how long we have left to live so live with no regrets and never think twice about something if you want to do it, go out and do it. 

Learn from your mistakes. Never dwell on the past, no one can change it, you can however, learn from previous mistakes to better yourself for the present as well as the future. Lessons learned from mistakes help make you the person you are/will become. 

This quote is very important to me because while growing up I would always refer to it for a big upcoming hockey game. Also, it puts everything about life in perspective when you need it. Nothing comes easy to you in life, if you want something you have to work for it, things are going to try to knock you down but it is important to pick yourself up and move forward if you really want it. 

Week 9

Forgotten

He sits in his faded blue recliner, starring at the photograph mocking him from the fireplace. “We buried him last week, he only lived to be fifty, that little boy in front is now the father of three kids”, his wife listens to him name each player from his soccer team sixty years earlier. She fixes him his breakfast and listens to him as he recalls past events like it only happened the day before. Amazing. 

Earlier this week, he had managed to ask if his mother was in bed three nights in a row, even though she has been dead for years. He also managed to mistake the spare bedroom for the bathroom at least ten times, and never forgets to ask where the car is that he was forced to give up once he could no longer continue to drive it. When he snaps back to reality, the glistening of his eye seems to fade with shame. He forgot himself again. 

He will always light up when his grandchildren walks through the door, never forgetting their faces. He will continue to be grateful for the wife that saved him under many circumstances, and the children that have stood by him when everything took a turn for the worst. What happens when he no longer recognizes them?

She listens with hope, after asking, “What did I cook you for dinner yesterday?”, knowing his answer will be wrong, but never giving up hope. She then sits back silently as he tells her all about the day they met, their wedding, and the birth of their two children.

Any day at all he could forget the life he has built for himself. The family he fought to support years ago will mean nothing to him, they will just be faces that he sees on a regular basis, but sees everyday for the first time. When that time comes, what happens? He has been claimed by Alzheimer’s Disease just like many of the greatest people. 

It is inevitable: life will continue weather he is present or absent in mind. Stuck in the past, or praying for more time to live the life he fought so hard for. 

Week 8

Dear MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment), 

Where do I begin? First of all I think it is time for you guys to start focusing on the sport aspect of not only the Toronto Maple Leafs, but every other organization in Toronto as well and a little less on the business side. Lets take a look at the last time some of the teams have won the championship in their respected sports: Toronto Maple Leafs: 1967, Toronto Blue Jays: 1993, Toronto Raptors: Never, Toronto FC: Never. The only 2 teams to have some recent success would be the Toronto Rock who won the NLL Championship in 2011. Also the Toronto Argonauts won the Grey Cup in 2012. Other then that it has been quite some time since there has been a championship parade in the GTA. The Leafs have only made the playoffs once in the past 11 years, be it that was during a shortened season due to the lockout. My point is, why should fans continue to support a team that hasn’t won a cup in 47 years and hasn’t qualified for the playoffs in 11 years? Personally, I think until the fans make a statement that they are no longer going to support such a failing organization, winning wise, this team will only stay the way it is. If fans stop going to home games and show the owners that they truly are frustrated with the situation then this message may get across, until then I don’t think there will be little if any change at all. 

You guys really need to get your acts together and take all Toronto organizations seriously. Have as much heart and passion for the teams as the true fans have for them. I hate watching Leafs home games because at the start of every period the best seats in the house, centre ice, are always empty. Due to the fact that these seats are just gave away to businesses and they give them to people who they are trying to close a deal with or who they are trying to get on good terms with. It’s basically BlackBerry central, with businessmen on their BlackBerry’s the entire game. Also, even if those seats were available they would still go to people within the organization since the ticket prices are outrageous, plain and simple. The only people who can afford to get seats in the lower bowl at the Air Canada Centre are people in suits. So a question I have is how can tickets cost so much when the product on the ice hasn’t done anything in the past 11 years? I can tell you why, it’s because they know they are going to sell out regardless because Toronto fans are the most loyal and passionate fans in the world, win or lose Leafs home games will always sell out. Which brings me back to my point where the fans need to take a stand and stop going to the home games, it will help get the message across that we are all frustrated with the losing.

It also comes down to the people in charge of the organization, they are all business men sure, however they do not show heart and passion for the team and it translates to the product on the ice. This team, as well as all teams in the GTA, need someone who has heart, passion and enthusiasm for the teams. For example, a guy like Doug Gilmour could do wonders for the Leafs organization. He was the heart and soul of the Leafs for 6 years, he played with his heart on his sleeve. This team now lacks that both on the ice and in management. People always say you will never get a superstar player to sign with the Leafs. I wonder why? The media in Toronto is pathetic, players do not want to come to Toronto because of all the pressure that comes with it. An example of how poor the media is in Toronto would be how Phil Kessel is not in shape, it is a hot topic every single season. If the media thinks he isn’t in shape why don’t you take a look at his stats? This is his 6th season with the Leafs, in his first 5 seasons he had 333 points in 364 games. Not too bad for a guy who is “out of shape” if you ask me. 

Sincerely,

Mike Cumben 

Week 6

Student Prank Goes Viral 

University students across the country are taking a stand against ridiculous parking prices. It is no secret that most post-secondary institutions already lack in parking spaces, but the real problem lies in the price of those parking spaces. Students already spend $1500 a semester just for tuition, then you must account for books, rent, food, transportation, and bills in general. For students attending university full time, 9AM-5PM Monday to Friday, parking is another bill every month. Students have taken a stand in the only way they know how, starting with Memorial University.

After speaking with Campus Enforcement they feel that students have went too far this time, “We already deal with drunk students, smoking on campus, and complaints of food poi singing from dining hall, why must students go the extra mile just to make our job more difficult when it comes to parking?”

Students really have went the extra mile this time. It all started Monday morning when one student, whose name will remain confidential, did not have enough change for the parking meter after spending every last dime bribing someone to move out of the spot so he would have a place to park. In a panic, he threw every last parking stub he had on the dash hoping to buy himself sometime when campus enforcement made their rounds giving tickets to anything with wheels. The story has since went viral. 

The clever trick has spread like wild fire, not only throughout MUN, but outside of the province, and across the country. Students simply refuse to be robbed by parking meters any longer. How will Campus Enforcement reciprocate the cruel prank? Stay tuned to find out!

Week 5

Life Of A University Student

Week 4

Boy Meets World 

Boy Meets world, created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly is an American sitcom which gives you a look at the every day life lessons of Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage. Personally, this was my favourite sitcom growing up due to the fact that it taught me lessons about life that I could easily relate to, also the entire cast always managed to keep the audience entertained until the very last second of each episode. 

The show was based on a young boy who didn’t exactly fit in growing up, however he had a best friend who was there through thick and thin for him, Shawn Hunter (Ryder Strong). Also, a little later in the series, Cory (Ben Savage) falls in love with who was said to be the weirdest girl in their class, Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel). The series allows the audience to see Cory grow up before their eyes as it shows him going through middle school, high school and college, where he finally marries Topanga. 

In my opinion, the entire cast done an outstanding job from the very first episode of the series until the very last episode. Cory Matthews was the protagonist of the show, and throughout the series the audience watched him grow from an ignorant child to a well-rounded individual. Cory had to learn many life lessons that are actually valuable to everyday life. He dealt with things that actually happen in the real world. He had a brother that seemed absent during his childhood, a little sister that continuously bothered him, a father that he claimed was “average”, heartbreak from his girlfriend moving away, not being as “cool” as his best friend, and he had to learn how to deal with the world changing around him. Throughout the entire series, Cory was the only person to ever say that Topanga and himself were destined to be together. Topanga was always an awkward person, but she was never embarrassed to be herself. She was always there for Cory, even when he acted irrationally. Throughout the series she had to deal with her parents separating, and come to terms with the fact that not every relationship is destined to fail.  Shawn always managed to deal with Cory when no one else could. He was always the most honest person on the show, due to his past. He had a rough upbringing, his mother ran away after he was born, and he managed to come to terms with that. Later in the show, he finds out the person that he thought was his mother was not, and shortly after his father passed away when Shawn started college. He had to deal with discovering he had a half-brother, that was rich, while Shawn himself had to grow up in a trailer park with nothing. The only reliable thing Shawn ever had was Cory, and he was the only one that could handle him at times. 

Overall, Boy Meets World was very successful running for seven seasons, in addition a spin-off was created called Girl Meets World, which features Corey and Topanga as adults with children of their own. If the spin-off can fill the footsteps of the original it will be an excellent show for children of this generation to grow up with. Personally, Boy Meets World taught me more than I will ever know. It was a very real atmosphere, and most of the viewers will face the same issues as characters in the show. I would recommend this show to anyone, because anyone can relate to the issues raised, and the characters dealing with them. 

Week 3

Photo Number One 

This is a photo of the Grand Bank Cottage Hospital. The hospital has been a very important landmark in Grand Bank for many years.  The demolition of this building is on-going, therefore I value this picture quite a bit because once this building is gone, I will always have the picture. I have fond memories of going to this hospital as a child when I was sick, but this building holds much more history to the town of Grand Bank than ill patients. The high school in the town is even named after a specific practitioner, Dr.John Burke, who practiced at the hospital for many years. The town holds many myths surrounding the hospital, some people strongly believe them, while others simply discard them. Nurses have claimed to see Dr.Burke roaming the halls, long after his passing. Similarly, janitorial workers, working by themselves, have claimed to hear strange noises, such as footsteps and voices.

I took this particular picture this summer past. I was looking to give the picture the eery feeling due to stories I have previously mentioned. As the demolition of the building continues, citizens of the town believe the land still belongs to Dr.Burke. 

Photo Number Two

This is a photo of Lanse Au Loup pond. Lanse Au Loup is located about five kilometres outside of Grand Bank. It may not look like there is much going on in this picture, however there are many things represented. The dory represents the heritage of Newfoundland. In previous years, the dory was used everyday for transportation, and for the fishery. The calmness of the picture is showing how it is seldom used today, since the economy has evolved. The ways of life in Newfoundland have changed, and right now more Newfoundlanders are working away rather than in the fishery. Personally, the calmness of the picture also reminds me of the lifestyle I grew accustomed to, while living in a small town. However, the city is never calm and I have been trying to adapt to a whole new lifestyle. 

I took this picture this summer past. I was hoping to capture the feeling of serenity, and the beauty of nature in contrast to the city. 

Week 2

"It's Still Rock And Roll To Me"

What's the matter with the clothes I'm wearing?

"Can't you tell that your tie's too wide?"

Maybe I should buy some old tab collars?

"Welcome back to the age of jive.

Where have you been hidin' out lately, honey?

You can't dress trashy till you spend a lot of money."

Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound

Funny, but it's still rock and roll to me

What's the matter with the car I'm driving?

"Can't you tell that it's out of style?"

Should I get a set of white wall tires?

"Are you gonna cruise the miracle mile?

Nowadays you can't be too sentimental

Your best bet's a true baby blue Continental."

Hot funk, cool punk, even if it's old junk

It's still rock and roll to me

Oh, it doesn't matter what they say in the papers

'Cause it's always been the same old scene.

There's a new band in town

But you can't get the sound from a story in a magazine...

Aimed at your average teen

How about a pair of pink sidewinders

And a bright orange pair of pants?

"You could really be a Beau Brummel baby

If you just give it half a chance.

Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers,

You get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers."

Next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways

It's still rock and roll to me

What's the matter with the crowd I'm seeing?

"Don't you know that they're out of touch?"

Should I try to be a straight 'A' student?

"If you are then you think too much.

Don't you know about the new fashion honey?

All you need are looks and a whole lotta money."

It's the next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways

It's still rock and roll to me

Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound

Funny, but it's still rock and roll to me

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billyjoel/itsstillrockandrolltome.html

Still Rock And Roll To Me by Billy Joel consists of six stanzas. Verses one, two, four and five all consist of the same number of lines: eight. In addition, they also share the same rhyme scheme, ABCBDDEF. However, verses three and six have a different number of lines. Verse three has five lines with a rhyme scheme of ABCDB, where verse six only has two lines and no rhyme scheme. “It’s still rock and roll to me” is the closet thing to a chorus, it is repeated five times to emphasize the main idea of the song. 

I can see the speaker of this song being a middle aged man. Whom refuses to change his ways for an upcoming generation. He is very set in his old ways, and simply does not see a need to change. This is clearly shown in the lines, “Everybody’s talkin’ ‘bout the new sound / Funny, but it’s still rock and roll to me”. As time evolves, people tend to evolve with it, examples would include, clothing trends, technology constantly upgrading ,musical influences, and media. It doesn’t matter how much change is occurring around the speaker, he is completely set in his ways. The tone of the lyrics seems to be bitter simply because, change is not necessary. As the speaker says, as objects go “out of style” his ways will remain relevant as trends come and go. The person is finding it very difficult to let go of the way he learned things and to move on with the times. It is almost as if he was asking, what is the point to change if the current way still works? It’s like the old saying, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”. 

There are many examples of poetic terminology used throughout this song. The song is very informal due to diction. The song is full of words that you would hear anyone saying in everyday conversations, such as, “talkin’, nowadays, lotta, and ‘bout”. Alliteration is used in the line,“Your best bet’s a true baby blue continental.” Also, allusion was used to reference “Beau Brummel” who was known for men’s fashion. Symbolism is also used throughout the song. On the surface this song seems to talk about the music industry changing and a particular artist not willing to change with the times, but “rock and roll” could have a deeper meaning, which is life. The speaker is being ridiculed throughout the entire song for being out of style, and at the end of every verse he repeats, “It’s still rock and roll to me”. Artists release new albums daily full of beats and sounds that have never been heard before, but it is still serves the same purpose as every other song, similarly a cheap styrofoam plate, and an expensive plate are both used to eat off of, so they are still just plates. Over time, things become more modern, and as humans we adapt to these changes. Change can be awesome, or terrible, but it is a part of life that the speaker despises. Overall, even with upgrades everything serves the same purpose. 

This song is one of my favourites for a few reasons. It is a classic, and I prefer it over most new material produced by artists today. I can also relate to it, I am not a fan of change and I strongly believe that you should not tamper with something just for the sake of doing so. I am not a believer in trends, and I just do things the way I see fit. I feel that the speaker has the same idea with his music. You do something because you like it, not to copy someone else's ideas.

Here is a link to the song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eAQa4MOGkE

Week 1

Hello Everyone! 

I would like to welcome you all to my blog. My name is Michael Cumben, but everyone calls me Mike and I am from Grand Bank, Newfoundland. I graduated high school in 2011, and I am very excited for my first semester at Memorial University.

Where do I begin to describe myself? Coming from such a small town can be boring at times, but I made the most of it. Most days you could find me outside playing street hockey with some friends, or playing ice hockey with the United Towns Pirates. I was even playing hand hockey before I could walk, thanks to my Father. Watching every Leafs game with my Dad (bring on the jokes, I am use to it) has lead to some of my greatest family memories. Although some people feel that hockey is a waste of time, it is a true passion of mine. In the past four years, I have also developed a strong passion for photography. I never leave home without my camera and tripod. I was never an art lover, but I do love the creativity involved with photography, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” Anyone can take a simple picture, but it is a true talent to see beauty where others cannot. Travis Parsons, a local photographer to Grand Bank and a good friend of mine, has really inspired me to pursue photography. 

In addition to Travis, I also have a great family that continues to support me everyday. I am the youngest member of my family of four. I tend to keep to myself for the most part, however if you get to know me I am a very easy going guy. Since graduating high school I have grown and changed quite a bit. I have changed my view on life, live every day to the fullest because no one knows how long we have left to live. If there is something you want, set your heart to it and do it.