When you think of the stereotype of a “nerd,” or an “overachiever”—someone who performs well in academics—what do you see? The general population pictures a pasty, gangly, freckled weakling with glasses so thick you can’t see his or her eyes, and limbs so thin and under used that he or she probably wouldn’t even be able to life a five-pound dumbbell. I am proud to declare myself a nerd—if that is what someone who truly enjoys learning and rising to the challenge of advanced classes is—but I don’t, in any way, identify with the stereotype.

            Three or four days during the week I roll out of bed at quarter-after five, lightly step out of my dark, silent house and drive my 12-year old Jeep to the aquatic center, where I plunge into the icy pool and swim. It is the off-season for swim team, and a group of us have become set on staying in racing shape. So we gather many times during the week, and once on Sunday, and push ourselves. We sweat and sprint and dive and strain, looking ever so often at the oh-so-inviting hot tub sizzling in the corner of the large room. Afterwards, I pile back into my car, contentedly exhausted, and speed (literally) off to school, where I face a day of all AP classes, all the time. It is yet another strain, yet another exhilaration of rushing to finish papers, consolidate projects, master tests, and—if time allows—actually learn something. But that’s not guaranteed.

At 2:35, I am done. I rush back to the Jeep with my sister, pleased to be out from under the fluorescent lights and teachers’ constant stares. At this point, the “nerd stereotype”—Poindexter seems rather suiting—might drive cautiously home and begin his work for that night

immediately, making sure to include extra bonuses and little side projects he created to impress his teacher. He would close his blinds so the sun didn’t glare his work, and stay at his desk for hours, doing what he loves the most. He would not go to the barn and enjoy himself, jumping and galloping and plunging into the ocean (on horseback)—working out in one of the best ways known to man. He would not go out for a nice afternoon run in the beautiful spring weather. He would not volunteer at the local elementary school and spend his afternoon chasing after tiny, surprisingly fast children. He would not sit down at the piano and whittle away the hours, sight-reading, memorizing and perfecting songs—just for the joy of the music. He, as the narrow stereotype many have created, would not do those things I enjoy to the fullest. But I, as I have already established, am no Poindexter. In fact, I don’t believe that he exists. In anyone. He is simply a casualty of confusion, of people not understanding the love of learning, and how it can be accompanied with other passions, and, well, a normal life.

Let’s look at this rationally, especially pertaining to athletics and overall physical shape. In the world of stereotypes, athletics and academics don’t go hand in hand—thus the “dumb jock” and “weakling nerd” labels. However, these narrow views do not mirror even the semblance of truth. A large-scale study of Division I colleges came to the conclusion that, “Fear of failure and the relative commitment to athletics was found to play important roles in the academic motivation of both revenue and nonrevenue student athletes” (Covington, Simons, and Van Rheenen). Alexis Butler, a junior in high school and a member of National Beta Club, asserts that her academic performance improves during her sports season because she “manage[s] [her] time better.” Kirsti Ference, also a high-achieving junior, agrees, stating that, “During the athletic season I am more motivated to get my work done in a timely fashion, and more focused in order to do so.” As for me, there is nothing

like that much-needed burst of endorphins to get me settled down after my workout, willing and ready to begin work.

Athletics do not only tend to improve academic performance; those who are already doing well in school tend to be drawn to sports—for many reasons. A big motivator is the college application. Colleges tend to be drawn towards “well-rounded” students, those who not only score straight A’s, but can also hit a home run or make it to States. Therefore, high-achievers, eager to be accepted into an intellectually challenging, selective school, set their eye on a sports team early in their high school career, if not earlier. Also, once practicing a sport, an academic high-achiever is one step ahead of the others. In order to do well in school, one must “work hard, be self-disciplined, exhibit perseverance and determination, be able to concentrate, [and] stay focused” (Covington, Simons, and Van Rheenen). These qualities transfer effortlessly to the sports field.

Still, however, despite all the evidence and common knowledge that contradicts the uncoordinated, pitifully out-of-shape idea of the “nerd,” people don’t seem to catch on. When I worked as a counselor at a camp last summer, where I rode, ran and swum my way through the days, showing only my active, fit side, my campers were taken aback when I received a call about the next year’s school schedule. They wandered over as I sat quietly on my bed, contemplating AP classes and weighing my options. I still remember what one of them said. She was a sweet girl, and didn’t know better, but her words weigh on me still today: “You take those classes? But I thought you were all into swimming.” It is the same with those who only know my performance at school. They are surprised when they learn that I am on Varsity, go to States, or perform well athletically in any fashion. Of course, they assume that all I do is study. And the girl at camp assumed that all I did was swim. And it is not their fault. They are influenced by a set stereotype that originated far before they entered the first grade. Yet I am glad when they learn of my and other “overacheiver’s” duality, of our many dimensions rather than only the one we show at school. I believe, I hope, that someday we can turn this stereotype around and show people the truth—one nerd at a time.

Works Cited

Butler, Alexis. Personal Interview. 11 April 2008.

Ference, Kirsti. Personal Interview. 11 April 2008.

Simons, Herbert, Derek Van Rheenen, and Martin Covington,. “Academic Motivation and the Student

            Athlete.” Journal of College Student Development (1999) 1. 12 Apr 2008

            <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3752/is_199903/ai_n8830434/pg_1>.

The warm sand tickled my legs gently as I sat down on the shore. The sunset was extravagant, a chorus of purples and blues harmonizing with a symphony of yellows and oranges, with a resounding crimson note holding above the rest. The salt of the ocean made my taste buds stand on end as I gazed out into the peaceful water. Faintly, I caught the whiff of tart seaweed and chalky white shells. A mound of wobbling foam left by a reckless current quivered dangerously, and broke away in a burst of wind, flying haphazardly through the air, a few pieces colliding with my outstretched leg. As I felt the small, cool specks hit, I lay back into the golden sand, and gazed at the soaring pelicans above, dipping and rising in the carefree breeze, dancing their way into the sea. The cyclic waves rushed against my ears, and I could hear nothing else. And finally, the myriad of colors above wavered, and then disappeared altogether as I closed my eyes and was swept up into the dark warmth of sleep.

What I focused on when revising was, basically, cleaning it all up. When I write fast, I tend to leave out the “fluff,” or, transitions and clinchers. I also had a few past vs. present tense mishaps, and awkward wording.

Doing this revision helped me realize how rushed my writing is during timed essays. I tend to jump rapidly from topic to topic, ignoring niceties altogether. However, I usually end up with time left over in class. Therefore, I want to focus more on slowing down and letting ideas flow out in an organized manner in my timed essays, instead of allowing all my thoughts to splat out haphazardly onto the paper all at once.

In the Time of the Dark Romantics: An Analysis of The Scarlet Letter and its Relation to American Romanticism

The literary movement of Romanticism began in the nineteenth century in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. It demonstrated a casting off of urban society and an appreciation for spontaneous feelings, intuition, and untainted nature. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, reflects the ideals of American Romanticism by the use of Dark Romanticism, the evident appreciation of nature and innocent youth, and the rejection of the standard rules of society and the influence of England, answering instead to a higher moral code.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, a well-know Dark Romantic, employs the issues prevalent in this literary style in his novel The Scarlet Letter. These include the concepts of guilt and sin, good and evil, and madness in the human psyche. Guilt and sin are heavily addressed in the novel, focusing on Hester’s outward versus Dimmesdale’s hidden guilt, and the sins committed by the adulterous couple and the revenge-driven Roger Chillingworth. The idea of a “line” between good and evil is likewise toyed with. For example, the reader is led to question if Hester was right in not revealing Dimmesdale, and in turn if both Dimmesdale and Chillingworth were correct in hiding their secrets (respectively, committing adultery and hiding his identity as Hester’s husband). Madness in the human psyche can be portrayed by Chillingworth’s disturbing transformation from a kind, caring man into a madman driven solely by revenge. Also, Dimmesdale shows a touch of madness when he starves and tortures himself as punishment for his sin. These more “extreme” concepts, which before this time were mainly avoided in literature, run rampant in Hawthorne’s novel.

There is a strong belief in the wisdom of a young innocent mind shown in The Scarlet Letter. Also, there is a prevalent appreciation and reverence of the untainted American nature throughout the book. These are examples of the Romantic belief that wisdom and truth can be found in those things not yet influenced by the corruption of urban society. Pearl, Hester’s young daughter, has a very strong intuition, seeing the “black man” around Dimmesdale, and rightfully questioning why the minister would only show his affections for her and her mother when there was no one else to witness it. She speaks the truth no matter what the situation. Another untainted “figure” in the novel is the forest, which serves as an “escape” from modern society. Hester and Dimmesdale are able to talk to one another and be their true selves while there. They speak of escape from the town and passage to England, something they could never discuss in town. Also, the forest accepts Pearl as one of its own, letting its animals be unafraid of her and offering her its best foliage to play with. This shows their connection as pure, wise entities.

Following in suit with most Romantics, Hawthorne emphasizes the importance of breaking away from the standard rules of society derived from English and Puritanical doctrines in The Scarlet Letter. Although she broke a serious law, Hester is still viewed, if not as a protagonist, then at least with sympathy and understanding in the novel. She is portrayed as a kind, charitable, godly person who has repented for her sin. She, like many Romantic “heroes,” answers to her own, higher moral code. Likewise, Dimmesdale is breaking the law by keeping his secret. However, the reader is swayed to forgive him because he is able to do much more good in his office than he would have been able to do had he been discharged, and he also repents ardently. Defying written legal code, Dimmesdale decides for himself what he thinks is right. One example of a strict, Puritanical, English-influenced man is the Governor Bellingham. Although he is perhaps the most law-abiding character in the novel, Bellingham is viewed with more distaste than Hester or Dimmesdale. This is an example of the rejection of written law, and can be illustrated by the fact that Bellingham trys to remove Pearl from Hester Prynne (a scene in which he is portrayed as overly rigid and even cold-hearted), and the fact that he strongly urges Hester to give up her adultering partner’s name. This is a scene in which the reader can clearly see the higher moral code Hester is answering too, and can easily accept the rejection of Bellingham’s appeals.

Through the use of Dark Romantic concepts, the belief in the wisdom and refuge that can be found in untainted people and places, and the rejection of traditional law in favor of a moral code of honor, Nathaniel Hawthorne embeds many Romantic ideals into the pages of The Scarlet Letter. As a result, this novel embodies the restlessness, imagination, and ingenuity of this group of writers in the nineteenth century. It is comforting to know that somewhere in those smog-ridden cities, overtaken by countless impersonal factories, a precious spark of artistic ability not only survived, but flourished, producing outstanding pieces would be read for decades to come.

In the Time of the Dark Romantics: An Analysis of The Scarlet Letter and its Relation to American Romanticism

            The writing form of Romanticism began in the nineteenth century in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. It demonstrated a casting off of human society and an appreciation for spontaneous feelings, intuition, and untainted nature. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, reflects the ideals of American Romanticism by the use of the concept of Dark Romanticism, the evident appreciation of nature and innocent children, and the rejection of the standard rules of society and the influence of England, instead, answering to a higher moral code.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, a well-know Dark Romantic, employs the issues prevalent in Dark Romanticism in his novel The Scarlet Letter. These include the concepts of: guilt and sin, good and evil, and madness in the human psyche. Guilt and sin are heavily addressed in the novel, focusing on Hester’s outward versus Dimmesdale’s hidden guilt, and the sins committed by the adulterous couple and the revenge-driven Roger Chillingworth. The idea of what good and evil are is questioned in the novel. For example, the reader is led to question if Hester was right in not revealing Dimmesdale, and in turn if both Dimmesdale and Chillingworth were correct in hiding their secrets (respectively, committing adultery and hiding his identity as Hester’s husband). Madness in the human psyche can be portrayed by Chillingworth’s disturbing transformation from a kind, caring man to a madman driven solely by revenge. Also, Dimmesdale shows a touch of madness when he starves and tortures himself as punishment for his sin.

            There is a strong belief in the wisdom of a young innocent mind shown in The Scarlet Letter. Also, there is a prevalent appreciation and reverence of the untainted American nature throughout the book. These are examples of the Romantic belief that wisdom and truth can be found in those things not yet influenced by the corruption of urban society. Pearl, Hester’s young daughter, had a very strong intuition, seeing the “black man” around Dimmesdale, and rightfully questioning why the minister would only show his affections for her and her mother when there was no one else to witness it. She would speak the truth no matter what the situation. The forest is an example of an untainted “escape” from society. Hester and Dimmesdale were able to talk to one another, be their true selves (without the scarlet letter or Dimmesdale’s hidden secret), and break away from society in the forest. They were able to speak of escape from the town and passage to England, something they never could have discussed in town. Also, the forest accepted Pearl as one of its own, letting its animals be unafraid of her, offering her its best foliage to play with, and recognizing her wisdom and purity. This shows their connection as pure, wise entities.

            Following in suit with most Romantics, Hawthorne emphasized the importance of breaking away from the standard rules of society derived from English and Puritanical doctrines in The Scarlet Letter. Although she broke a serious law, Hester is still viewed, if not as a protagonist, then at least with sympathy and understanding in the novel. She is portrayed as a kind, charitable, godly person who has repented for her sin. She, like many Romantic “heroes,” answers to her own, higher moral code. Likewise, Dimmesdale is breaking the law by keeping his secret. However, the reader is swayed to forgive him because he is able to do much more good in his office than he would have been able to do had he been discharged, and he also repents ardently. Defying written legal code, Dimmesdale decides for himself what is truly right. One example of a very strict, Puritanical, English-influenced man is the Governor Bellingham. Although he is perhaps the most law-abiding character in the novel, Bellingham is viewed with more distaste than the characters of Hester or Dimmesdale. This is an example of the rejection of written law, and can be illustrated by the fact that Bellingham tried to remove Pearl from Hester Prynne (a scene in which he is viewed as overly rigid and even cold-hearted), and the fact that he strongly urged Hester to give up her adultering partner’s name (a scene in which the reader can clearly see the higher moral code Hester is answering too, and can easily accept the rejection of Bellingham’s appeals).

            Through the use of Dark Romantic concepts, the belief in the wisdom and refuge that can be found in untainted people and places, and the rejection of traditional law in favor of a moral code of honor, Nathaniel Hawthorne embeds many Romantic ideals into the pages of The Scarlet Letter. As a result, this novel embodies the restlessness, imagination, and ingenuity of this group of writers in the nineteenth century. It is comforting to know that somewhere in those smog-ridden cities, overtaken by countless impersonal factories, a precious spark of artistic ability not only survived, but thrived, producing outstanding pieces would be read for decades to come.

                                                                                                                                 Nelson 1

Maggie Nelson

Ms. J. Robinson

Honors English 3

11 December 2007

 “That Takes Stamina”: An Analysis into the Inner Workings of the Life of a Neurosurgeon

It is four in the morning and a medical student cranes her head and squints in the scanty dorm room light, tracing diagrams endlessly, mouthing out intricate terminology as she reads. Two years later, the same woman is standing in the OR as an intern, on a twenty-four hour shift, writing notes frantically beside the attending and staying awake using nothing but willpower. Five years later this intern is in the midst of her residency, running to the operating table from the on-call room for the tenth time that night, positioning her hand carefully onto a probe in a man’s brain and forcing herself to keep from shaking with exhaustion—which would inevitably kill the patient. Ten years pass, and this woman is a confident, fully-certified physician, apologizing to her husband for leaving their night out once again to go save a life. This is neurosurgery. This is what that medical student all those years ago was aspiring to. But was it all worth it? I believe so. Although it is an extremely arduous profession to attain and uphold, neurosurgery would be a rewarding and advantageous career for me.

Neurosurgeons are not “brain surgeons,” as the majority of the population believes. In fact, professionals of this field can be found operating on brains only a minority of the time. Eighty percent of neurosurgery operations are done on spines, a

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vital part of the neurological system, which neurosurgeons study intensively during their seven-year residency. This training is necessary because neurosurgeons are not only held responsible as experts of the brain, but they also receive the most spinal surgery training out of all specialties, and are the only doctors who treat the entire spinal cord. Neurosurgery is a highly specialized field; however, it is split even further into specific subspecialties if a physician wishes to be more than a general neurosurgeon. These areas include pediatrics, skull base, vascular/endovascular, spine, peripheral nerve, tumor (the most popular subspecialty), and functional. Skull base surgery is possibly the most complicated that exists. Few neurosurgeons in the world are qualified and trained enough to perform this sort of complicated procedure on the cranial nerves, located in the recesses of the brain. Functional neurosurgery is an intriguing field, working closely with neurophysiologic monitoring and locating abnormal brain functions in order to study and treat epilepsy and disorders such as Parkinson’s. The Spine and Nerve Center of Massachusetts General Hospital explains that peripheral nerve neurosurgeons apply “the surgical therapy of nerve entrapment such as carpal tunnel syndrome” (Spine and Nerve Center). The aspect of all specialties of neurosurgery (especially those related to the brain) that I find most appealing is the fact that they reside on the cutting edge of research. Neurological disorders—above all—are constantly being investigated in the hopes of finding minimally invasive and possibly non-surgical treatments. After all, physicians (and surely the patients) do not favor drilling open a skull unless absolutely necessary. This research has led to a boom of new technology and techniques such as radiosurgery, shunts, stents, lasers, and focused radiation. This new avenue of research,

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accompanied by the fact that the brain is the only true organ of “mystery” left to the scientific world, enchants many surgeons. Dr. Louw explains this captivation when he states, “Everything that’s interesting about humans, from a Bhram’s symphony to weapons of mass destruction, is a function of the brain. To delve in, to try and dissect the complexities of the mind without having a higher intelligence than we have, that’s formidable[…] Can you conceive of anything more fulfilling than trying to crack the code of the final frontier?” (Louw).

For every 66,000 people in the country, there is one neurosurgeon. This fact seems unrealistic, even ridiculous, but it is true. And it is not surprising. After eight years of college, less than one percent of fourth-year medical students go into neurosurgery. The field is challenging and formidable, not to mention the constant shortage of

internship program spots available to applicants, leading to intense competition between students, especially in the over-achieving activities, such as “off-the-clock” research and

publication. Dr. Katrina Firlick describes this frustration when she states that “savvy medical students do all they can to bolster the research side of their résumés[…]often to the detriment of their already tenuous social lives. Fear, in addition to savvy, is a factor here, too, as there are always more applicants than spots, similar to musical chairs. Neurosurgeons were those kids who always managed to grab hold of a chair” (34). If a medical student is lucky enough to be accepted into an internship program and survive the year of intense training, the real work begins. A five to seven year-long residency awaits, with challenges to overcome at every turn. The American Board of Neurological Surgery mandates that training physicians need to complete the following requirements in

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their residency in order to become certified: a year obtaining fundamental skills, sixty months in the neurological sciences (twelve of which must be spent as chief resident), three months in clinical neurology, six months in neurology training, and twenty-one to twenty-four months in other neurology-related specialties (such as neuroradiology, extra neurosurgery, or neuropathology). The ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) supervises this process and regulates it, enforcing its many rules (such as that requiring eighty hour work weeks for the entire length of the residency). For the few who survive this hellish training period, the work slackens slightly in the traditional areas, but increases by a large percent in others, ruining the notion that one is able to “get your life back” after residency. A neurosurgery attending on a reputable student-doctor network website states that “Neurosurgery is not an easy life. […] Who do you think the resident calls at 2am for an emergency crani? Who will have to staff the OR at 7am, regardless of what you were doing at 3am? Who has to round on patients on the floor or the unit EVERYDAY when they are on service? […] Weekends and holidays, the hospital must be staffed by an attending, period. That means somebody who is already out of residency and ‘living their life’ is tied to that pager and must be ready to come into the hospital if the need arises. Toss in the research requirements of an academic neurosurgeon and you’ve got a serious 100 hour week until you retire” (Lifestyle of a Neurosurgeon). Neurosurgery is not just a job; it is a lifestyle. And a student must love and understand this lifestyle before they even consider the prospect of living it.

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Neurosurgery is living proof of how hard work pays off—literally. After fourteen years of extreme working conditions and pay averaging around that of a waiter’s, the earnings are impressive. In 2006, a survey of in-practice neurosurgeons around the country revealed an average salary of $541,000—with the lowest reported being $354,000, and the highest at $936,000. This might seem disproportionably high, considering that the average salary of a general surgeon was found to be $291,000, and that of a family practice doctor only $204,000. However, one must take into account the malpractice insurance of neurosurgeons ($25,000 per year, compared to the family doctor’s $5,000), the actual pay per hour neurosurgeons receive (considering that they have the most demanding schedules out of all specialties), and the extra years a neurosurgeon must train as a resident, thus delaying their full pay (those in family practice only need a residency of three years). Once these factors are added into the equation, the difference between specialties considerably shrinks, leaving neurosurgeons still with a small advantage. This can be accredited to the shortage of medical students entering the field today—WIN states that, “The total number of residents in the United States is about 785” (What is Neurosurgery?) — and the greater cost to the patient for a neurological surgery compared to a regular “check-up” at the family doctor.

Neurosurgery is the most male-dominated medical specialty in the United States today. Only 5% of certified US neurosurgeons are female, a sizable improvement— considering only eight women encompassed the founding membership of Women in

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Neurosurgery in 1989. Nevertheless, the statistics are startling. As shown in Fig. 1, in the medical field—where female doctors have become a norm—female neurosurgeons remain a novelty, with only

180 currently certified. There is however, a rational explanation for this conundrum.

Neurosurgery has always been a very challenging field in the amount of time which must be spent at the hospital. In the past, females have been viewed as the homemakers of the family, and thus would be inclined to choose careers more suited to spending time at home. Thus, men filled up the neurosurgery boards and organizations, becoming accustomed to their one-gender field. This led to a “glass ceiling” in the specialty in recent years, when women have become more interested in the field. Bonnie Darves, in her article for the New England Journal of Medicine, explains, “Although women physicians are far more common in the OR and the ER than they once were, they are still a minority — if a visible one — in the boardroom, the executive suite, and the upper echelons of academia” (Darves). Although this problem results partly from notorious, impenetrable “men’s clubs” in the higher levels of the medical hierarchy, it also can be attributed to the short number of years women have spent in the field. Many of the female neurosurgeons today are known for being the first female graduate of their

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college’s neurosurgery program; perhaps it is up to the next generation to break through the higher barriers. We are progressing, slowly but surely.

What kind of people become neurosurgeons? This is a question skirted around on many informational websites. They go in depth into the intense training, the long hours, and the wealth of knowledge and earnings that result, but few address what many contemplative medical students must be asking themselves: “Could I be a neurosurgeon?

Am I truly cut out for this career?” Ultimately, it seems, the answer lies in the hard facts. The road to neurosurgery contains the following obstacles: training spanning at least fourteen years, operating for hours on end, making decisions and standing by them in life-or-death situations, working eighty hours a week, keeping up with the most cutting-edge medicine throughout your career, sacrificing social and family time constantly, communicating effectively with patients concerning complex surgical procedures, and dealing with the stress and challenges of overseeing critically and commonly fatally ill patients. The organization Women in Neurosurgery (WIN), calls for students with “intellectual curiosity and ability,” “personal and physical stamina,” and “a strong desire to be an interventionist” (Who Should Become a Neurosurgeon?). But what does this mean? Beyond being the top of their class, the best of the best, what is a neurosurgeon’s personality like? What sort of person can take on this profession? My best answer can be found in an interview with certified neurosurgeon, Dr. Louw, when he states, “It’s not just about scholarship. People don’t realize the strenuous physical demands of the job. It’s common to put in long hours in the OR, standing very still, performing delicate technical tasks with every ounce of dexterity you can muster. That takes stamina” (Louw). So there

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is the key. Neurosurgeons do not only have to be intellectually gifted, but they also must pull strength from within, and allow themselves to face these grievances of the job

straight on. They rise to the challenge, and they overcome. There are few who are able to achieve this. But I believe I can.

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Works Cited

Arkins, Audrey. “The Brains Behind the Brain Surgery.” Salary.com. 2005. 10 Dec 2007

<http://www.salary.com/careers/layouthtmls/crel_display_Cat10_Ser131_Par231.

html>.

 “Congress of neurological surgeons – neurosurgical training.” Congress of Neurological  

Surgeons 2007. Congress of Neurological Surgeons. 27 November 2007.

<http://www.cns.org/public/whatIs/nTraining.asp>.

 “Congress of neurological surgeons – the role of a neurosurgeon.” Congress of  

Neurological Surgeons 2007. Congress of Neurological Surgeons. 27 November

2007. <http://www.cns.org/public/whatIs/role.asp>

 Darves, Bonnie. “Women in Medicine Force Change in Workforce Dynamics.” The New  

England Journal of Medicine. April 2005. 10 Dec 2007

<http://www.nejmjobs.org/career-resources/women-in-medicine.aspx>.

Ellenbogen, Richard. “So, you want to be a neurosurgeon?.” Women in Neurosurgery

            2007. 27 November 2007. <http://www.neurosurgerywins.org/career/index.html>.

Firlik, Katrina. Another Day in the Frontal Lobe. New York City: Random House, 2006

“What is neurosurgery?.” So, You Want to Be a Neurosurgeon? 2007. Women in

Neurosurgery. 27 November 2007.

<http://www.neurosurgerywins.org/career/whatis.html>.

“Lifestyle of a Neurosurgeon” Online posting. 27 October 2003. Student Doctor Network Forums: GasForums. 09 Dec 2007. <http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=83852>.

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“Skull-Base Surgery.” Tri-State Neurosurgical Associates-UPMC . 12 March 2003. 17 Dec 2007 <http://www.josephmaroon.com/base.htm>.

“Spine and Nerve Center.” Neurosurgical Service. 2006. Massachusetts General Hospital. 17 Dec 2007 <http://neurosurgery.mgh.harvard.edu/spine/default.htm#PeripheralSurgeons>.

“Who should become a neurosurgeon?.” So, You Want to Be a Neurosurgeon? 2007.

Women in Neurosurgery. 27 November 2007.

            <http://www.neurosurgerywins.org/career/whoshould.html>.

“Women in neurosurgey.” So, You Want to Be a Neurosurgeon? 2007. Women in

            Neurosurgery. 27 November 2007.

            <http://www.neurosurgerywins.org/career/neurological_training.html>.

 Oh, goodness. The first essay of the year.

I compared and contrasted accusers and the accused in the play, The Crucible.

                                                                                                                                 Nelson 1

Maggie Nelson

Ms. J. Robinson

Honors English 3

3 October 2007

“Hard Proof”: Similarities between Accusers and the Accused in The Crucible

During an initial reading of The Crucible, the accusing and accused characters can easily be separated into two distinct groups, opposing and worlds apart in all spectrums of thought. However, after further scrutiny, these two factions appear to be much closer than they seem: in attitude, feeling, position, and even motives. Although there are a considerable amount of differences between the accusers and the accused in the play The Crucible, there are also a surprising number of similarities.

            Both the plaintiff and the defendant in The Crucible are in a position of being trapped, although in rather different ways. The accusing girls were thought of as people with a special gift, with which they could spot those working for the devil. They wound this tale themselves, but once the thread was spun, there was not an easy way to break it. After denouncing his or her ways and not naming any more witches, one would not only be accused of witchery themselves, but others still hanging onto their lie would turn against that one person to keep it  safe. Mary Warren knows well of the repercussions on a finally truthful accuser when John Proctor goads her to go to the court and rectify this lie told by her and her friends. She answers “I cannot, they’ll turn on me-” (38). As for the accused citizens, the court lays their trap. The choices are either to confess and spoil your name, or hang.

            The Salem witch trials are almost unbelievable. How could noted government officials believe with such fierceness in witchcraft and the allegations of young girls? Why did

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seemingly ordinary citizens admit to committing supernatural crimes, and in some cases believe in their confession? The answer lies in a concept of mass hysteria, something that everyone involved-the court officials, the defendants, and especially the plaintiffs-got caught up in. Perhaps the accusers in court started this display to get attention, respect, or a few people’s names spoiled. But then the accused were confessing, and the accusers were fainting, shrieking, and terrorizing the court with their visions. And as the judges believed these things, the pretenders started to also. They must have pondered over the idea that maybe they hadn’t been faking their illusions, and this truly was real. Mary Warren illustrates this feeling when she tries to explain to Danforth why she could faint on demand in court but not at that moment: “I-I heard all the other girls screaming, and you, Your Honor, you seemed to believe them, and I-It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but the whole world cried spirits, spirits, and I-I promise you, Mr. Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not” (47). The defendants in these cases were equally affected. At the beginning, they knew they were not witches. But so many were confessing (people they knew, maybe even respected), that it began to seem like the right thing to do. They no longer felt alone in this ridiculous accusation. Others were coming clean, and these defendants might have thought that they should too, that perhaps they did have dealings with the devil, they just had not been completely aware of it. This effect of mass hysteria is shown by Tituba’s turn-around from a “good Christian woman” to someone crying out for the Devil to take her home. In this journey, she brought the same thoughts upon Sarah Good, her cell mate. Showing her transformation, Tituba tells her plans to Herrick, explaining, “We goin’ to Barbados, soon as the Devil gits here with the feathers and the wings” (54).

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            The court not only created hysteria throughout the masses; it also was very effective in bending both the accusers and accused to its will. The accusers were praised by the court for doing God’s work. They dined with the noteworthy men in town, and thus became rather full of themselves, believing that it was them that worked to crush all evil out of the town, and therefore that they deserved respect. Most of all, this attention prodded them to accuse even more. Mary Warren, described at the beginning of the screenplay as “a subservient, naïve, lonely girl” (13), was greatly affected by this honor of the court, and let it go to her head, talking back to her employers and scolding them for treating her as their servant. After proclaiming that she saved Elizabeth’s life, she said, “I only hope you’ll not be so sarcastical no more. Four judges and the King’s deputy sat to dinner with us but an hour ago. I-I would have you speak civilly to me, from this out” (30). The accusers were also tempted with salvation by the court. They were told that they could be saved, and go back to God, and the court could help them. They need only confess and name names. Tituba falls under this very pressure when it is threatened that she will hang for witching the children. She goes from protesting, “No, no, sir, I don’t; truck with no Devil” (23), to saying that she had conversed with the Devil, and finally gives in to accusing others by insisting, “And I look-and there was Goody Good” (24).

            Even though differences between the accused and accusers in The Crucible abound, there are also a considerable amount of similarities between the two groups. These parallels can be found through the characters’ motives, lack of choices in the court, and transformations through mass hysteria. They were trapped in the court, caught up by the madness, and goaded by promised salvation. And yet both groups were still known for their pride, walking tall whether it be to the jury booth or the stocks.

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Works Cited

1. Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2005.

And, yes, I did actually sit under a tree and contemplate life.

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Maggie Nelson

Ms. J. Robinson

Honors English 3

15 October 2007

Stopping and Sitting Under Trees: Fly vs. Human in the Walk of Life

I’m not good at stopping. I’m just not that person who can nestle up under a welcoming oak on a brisk autumn day, gaze placidly up at the whipped cream clouds and dream. I have trouble justifying it to myself I guess, giving up those moments I could be doing something “useful.” Yet here I was, lying on my stomach under an old wooden statue in my yard, tiny bugs buzzing through the air as carefree as eight year-olds skipping to a playground, the faint smell of salty ocean playing across my face, my feet in the air, my hands clenching a notebook and pen, and my brain racking itself for something, anything, useful to write. After another futile attempt at describing the profoundness of a small and pointy blade of grass, I sighed frustratedly and rested back against the cool wood. Irritated, I rolled my eyes and suddenly caught something in the corner of my vision. It was a tiny pinprick of a fly, zooming recklessly through the breeze, rising and falling, surfing the current, spiraling wildly through the air. The smallest trace of a smile came across my face as I watched this amazing specimen, speculating that perhaps it was a newly hatched fly, just free of its young form, trying out its wings for the very first time. Its mother would have been proud, I thought, of this small, strapping, daring youngster, speeding across the sky—and then barreling into the side of something solid like a moped crashing into the Great Wall of China.

The first thing I saw was the sparkle. I realized that it was the opaque gleam of a shakily constructed web. My eyes gravitated instinctively to the center, where a hulking spider lurked, creeping on its varicolored, bristling legs to the moments ago carefree and glorious little fly. I turned away.

Mere seconds ago that fly had been young, with a whole life, an expansive future, ahead of it. But now…Now what?

Now it was over.

For anyone it could be over, any second, just like that fly. (But at least we, the people, I thought, we have an advantage. We know the consequences, we are aware of dangers, we can prevent things.) But can we? Are we truly aware of every single shadowy, lurking arachnid in our path? Of course, we may protest, we are not simple-minded insects, with no sense of what lies in their future, no way of knowing what waits in our path. And yet, no matter how hard we humans try for the opposite, it is the exact same for us. There are no one hundred percent predictions, no complete assuredness in life. But the difference is that we know this, and the flies don’t.

They live their lives fully (for a fly), doing as they wish, going where they wish, existing as they wish.

And I live cowering in the wake of the ever-present yet never pinpointed shadow in my future. Knowing it is there, wishing it wasn’t, and doing all I can to prevent it from coming.

And that, I realized, is why I do not stop and sit under trees. And that is exactly why flies do. Per say.

So, I guess it comes down to which you want to be.

The human, or the fly?

Maggie Nelson

Ms. J. Robinson

Honors English 3

15 November 2007

“Wine is a grand thing…It makes you forget all the bad.” : An Analysis of the Twisted Relationship Between Alcohol and its Star Struck Lover, Frederic Henry

It is late winter in Lausanne, Switzerland, and a couple can be found residing in a medium-sized hotel room. The man, Frederic Henry, lays on the bed, enjoying a glass of whiskey, while his very pregnant girlfriend, Catherine Barkley, moves about the room, unpacking and fussing with various decorations. The woman notices a warmth cross her boyfriend’s face, and looks up curiously. Maybe he is contemplating our future, and our marriage soon to come, she might speculate. Perhaps he is wondering about the baby. “What are you thinking, darling?” (310) she asks tenderly. Frederick replies without a thought: “About whiskey…about how nice it is” (310). Although this may seem a startling reply from a father-to-be with so many other, more important things to ponder, alcohol is a common theme in Frederic’s train of thought. Frederic Henry’s blatant addiction to alcohol can be attributed to three influencing factors: the dependence he has upon it to lighten his mood and comfort him, the pressure he receives from his peers to drink, and the mental distance from his relationships and the war he is able to achieve by drinking.

Alcohol is important, even vital, to Henry’s daily mood and outlook on life. When Henry bets happily and blindly on a racehorse with Catherine, and they enjoy themselves even though they won nothing, he has been drinking whiskey and soda. When he goes

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sailing with the barman and exchanges fishing tips, they both enjoy a few glasses of vermouth. When he plays pool with Count Greffi and discusses books, Henry downs a whole bottle of champagne—half during the game, and half afterwards. He mentions this wine when he says, “…the wine was very pleasant and finally the wine made us all feel very well” (258). Many people may enjoy the cheerful buzz they receive after a drink, but Henry relies on it. There is not one mention in the novel of a cheerful time that was spent without alcohol. Not with army friends, Catherine, or even simply by himself. He has used it so many times to brighten himself up on these occasions that now it seems he does not comprehend how to enjoy himself without it.

In addition to improving one’s mood, alcohol is also able to assist people in mentally distancing themselves as they slip into their own, drunken world. This effect is one that seems very appealing to a man like Henry, who has such a large number of issues from which to distance himself. First and foremost, the war is exceptionally taxing on Henry. In addition to having the usual anxieties of a soldier (hoping that his fellow men will survive, wondering where the enemy will attack next, and worrying over the constant threat of defeat), Henry has all the stresses of being a commanding officer, and the ambivalence of fighting a fight that is not technically his own. As someone with that many apprehensions in daily life, it is no wonder that Henry craves to escape and forget. And for this service, Henry chooses alcohol. He enjoys this getaway as one of the only free parts of his life, and expresses his joy in it when he describes his first leave: “…nights in bed, drunk, when you knew that that was all there was, and the strange excitement of waking and not knowing who it was with you, and the world all unreal in the dark and so exciting

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that you must resume again unknowing and not caring in the night…” (13). Even when Henry is on convalescent leave, and once he has left the war, he still can only read about it with a drink in hand. It is too painful for him to hear about such horrendousness without a barrier, a separation, something to ease his mental pain. On one occasion, Henry describes reading about the war when he explains to the reader that, “I sat in the corner with a heavy mug of dark beer and an opened glazed-paper package of pretzels and ate the pretzels for the salty flavor and the good way they made the beer taste and read about disaster” (292). Frederic’s experiences on the battlefield were so traumatizing, that the memories and the constant presence of the atrocity he has come to hate have driven him again towards the drink that will make him forget it all.

Henry employs alcohol to mentally distance himself from other spheres of his life in addition to the war, the most prevalent being that of his relationship with Catherine, and her ordeal with the baby—resulting in both her and its untimely deaths. At the beginning of Catherine and Henry’s relationship, they are merely playing a game, pretending to love one another. Alcohol only adds to the confusion, a problem Henry addresses one night when he is barred from a visit with Catherine: “I had treated seeing Catherine very lightly, I had gotten somewhat drunk and had nearly forgotten to come but when I could not see her there I was feeling lonely and hollow” (41). This is the first time Henry expresses regret in his overuse of alcohol to mentally separate himself from a situation. Perhaps he is realizing that his relationship does not require drinking to hold it together. However, this notion does not stay long, and has completely disintegrated by the time Catherine is having

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their baby. As she starts into the first hours of labor, Henry can be found at the zinc bar down the street, ordering several white wines for his breakfast.

            Although the decision to drink is truly a one-person choice, and Henry should be held responsible for each glass he swallowed, his addiction was derived partly out of pressure from his fellow soldiers. Alcohol is ever-present at Henry’s barracks, mentioned in almost every meal. The captain drunkenly taunts the priest, Henry participates in red wine-drinking contests with his fellow soldiers, and Rinaldi damns the whole business of war after drinking a few too many, “his eyes flat, his face pale” (174). Henry explains away his drinking before a meeting with Catherine by reasoning that, “I drank wine because tonight we were not all brothers unless I drank a little…” (38). Drinking is a social sport of fellowship and meant to be participated in by all. And unless you are the priest, there is no acceptable excuse for sitting on the bench.

            The source of the most pressure on Henry to drink is unquestionably Catherine. She understands Henry’s dependence, and plays it right into her hands, to serve her own self-interests. This is a very powerful weapon she possesses. By using it to her advantage, she is able to change his mood or outlook on a topic in mere minutes. After telling him about her pregnancy, for example, she quickly changes the subject, asking, “Wouldn’t you like a drink, darling? I know a drink always makes you cheerful” (138). After a minute or so of uncertainty, Henry speedily relents and consumes a large share of cognac. Catherine then promptly sets off, once she accomplished her mission, leaving Henry to contemplate the idea of offspring on a merrier, drunken stomach. By the end of their relationship, Catherine even brings the welfare of their baby into her inducements, stating, “Let’s go some place

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and have beer instead of tea. It’s very good for young Catherine. It keeps her small” (293). By this time, however, Henry is not surprised by Catherine’s many requests for him to drink. Instead, he states that if his baby is a small boy, he might be able to become a jockey, and the couple rests easy with this carefree notion. Ultimately, one is left to wonder if it was in fact the influence of alcohol which caused the tragic complications with the baby’s birth.       

In conclusion, it is overall obvious that Henry drinks excessively for three main reasons: to comfort himself and improve his mood, to satisfy the social pressures of his life, and to distance himself from his many dysfunctional relationships. This is just another manifestation of Henry’s central, twisted ideology which he maintains throughout the entire novel: avoiding confrontation and the truth, distancing himself from every entangling relationship, and not caring if he lies or is dishonest. Frederick Henry’s life is anything but auspicious. He is fighting for a country that is not even his own, he is not certain if his relationship with Catherine is a complete fraud, and his rapport with his family is tense and weak. To add to the misery, Henry has no hobby, sport, or anything of the sort to resort to when his misfortune takes a turn for the worst. What he does have is alcohol. When he and Catherine are in their hotel soon before the baby is due, Henry tells the reader his thoughts on this intoxicating drink when he states, “Good whiskey was very pleasant. It was one of the pleasant parts of life” (310). Alcohol is Henry’s hobby. It is his sport. It shapes his life.

            When, in the course of educational events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of schooling to assume among the people of the classes a position different from that which they have hitherto occupied, but one to which the laws of practicality and saneness entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of other requires that they should declare the causes that impel them to such a course.

            The history of education is a history of repeated injuries and usurping on the part of the AP class toward student. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid classroom.

They incur hours of studying for each class a night.

They place an immeasurable amount of pressure on each student.

They surprise with unannounced quizzes and essays.

They acknowledge no other commitment, whether it be another class, or an extracurricular activity.

They have made students, in the eye of the community, socially dead.

These facts, and more that have gone unmentioned, have deprived students of even the basic rights: a life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

            I, therefore, the representative of Maggie Nelson, do in name, and by the authority of the good people of Croatan reject and renounce all allegiance and subjection to APs, and all others who may hereafter claim said position.

This Declaration thus signed on the twenty-first of September 2007, was engrossed on parchment, and signed again on the twenty-first of September 2007.