tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332981632011-09-06T12:23:43.963-05:00Things to KnowCindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.comBlogger241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-12948003168299241302009-04-30T18:57:00.002-05:002009-04-30T19:06:20.986-05:00

by Chloe HeymansAs I stumbled into Mary Jo’s office in the groggy hours of the early morning, I did not know what to expect when interrogating her about poetry. I sat down across from her and began to ask the most personal, somewhat intimidating question that is often asked of the faculty in April, National Poetry Month. Before the words escaped my mouth, she began to recite an endearing string

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-48190679069031516612009-04-27T11:53:00.002-05:002009-04-27T11:59:08.602-05:00

by Rachel ZumwaldeMrs. Ehr, an algebra I and II teacher here at St. John’s Preparatory School found a way to incorporate poetry into her love for math. Although she doesn’t consider herself a poetry enthusiast, a particular poem stuck out in her mind when I asked about her favorite poem: The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. When I asked for her reasoning she replied laughing, “Honestly, because he

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-45532730229015305632009-04-23T13:17:00.003-05:002009-04-23T13:23:17.853-05:00

by Rose GaidaMr. Schlueter is a man of character who really enjoys poetry. He says, “I think poetry is as necessary as anything else for leading a full life, whether you find poetry in school or on the streets, at home or in the church, or if it finds you.”Mr. Schlueter’s favorite poem is “A Blessing from My Sixteen Years’ Son.” It was written by Mary Karr and published in New Yorker Magazine.

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-29193649231283707092009-04-22T12:02:00.008-05:002009-04-22T12:21:06.923-05:00

by Pokuan HoThe Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore by Joan Lowery Nixon is a story about a 16- year-old girl, Christina Lattimore, who gets into a fight with her family and is taken away by a stranger. After a long time struggling in a basement, she is finally set free. She thinks everything is over until she finds out everyone thinks she orchestrated the whole kidnapping. Christina is desperate

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-85003569537023966062009-04-20T14:11:00.003-05:002009-04-20T14:30:48.872-05:00

by Tahira NarothNorth Dakotan born literary enthusiast Mr. Erickson has an evident view of poetry; he teaches it in his classroom, reads and enjoys it in his spare time, and also encourages his students to take part. He says “I love not only the beauty of poetry, but also the density. Each word can carry enormous weight and ambiguity, often allowing for constant interpretation”.Erickson’s

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-48045874121162769942009-04-16T12:29:00.010-05:002009-04-16T13:30:37.269-05:00

by Chloe Heymans “Memories will always create pain and longing,” explains Senor Dwyer, leaning forward across the desk, hands folded contemplatively as he tells me about his favorite poem. “Poem 20” by Pablo Neruda is a piece that Dwyer encountered at the age of nineteen when he was at Indiana University, and he fell in love with Neruda’s vivid imagery and crisp language. As time went on, the

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-80061104518019329402008-04-30T12:46:00.003-05:002008-04-30T12:56:25.551-05:00

It has been a great month of poetry here at the prep school! Thank you to everybody who shared their favorite poems with us, and thanks to the LOGOS program for bringing visiting poet W.S. Merwin to SJP last week for a wonderful day of readings and workshops.I would like to close National Poetry Month with Mr. Nydeen’s favorite poem. Lord Alfred Tennyson, the author of the poem, was the most

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-7551367827639137282008-04-28T11:32:00.005-05:002008-04-28T12:15:57.258-05:00

Mrs. Doom, former middle school English teacher and previous academic dean, has decided to throw her hat into the poetry ring this month and share her favorite poem with us: "PA," by Leo Dangel. The poet lives in rural Minnesota and his down-home poems reflect the perfect image of southwestern Minnesota and eastern South Dakota. Mrs. Doom likes the poem because it has powerful imagery. As for

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-59072382868748552312008-04-23T12:06:00.003-05:002008-04-23T12:13:45.591-05:00

William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-on-Avon. Although famous for writing over 30 plays, he also composed 154 sonnets. And let’s not forget the impact he had on the English language! Shakespeare invented thousands of words and common everyday phrases. His impressive expansion of the English language, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, includes such words as

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-7318734803592468322008-04-17T14:50:00.006-05:002008-04-17T15:21:25.317-05:00

What do Robert Frost and Mr. Ellenbecker have in common besides their first names? A love of teaching, football, and the great outdoors, of course! Mr. Ellenbecker’s favorite poem also happens to be Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” because of the peaceful feeling it evokes. “The poem encourages us to take time to stop and smell the roses,” he says. Stopping by Woods on a

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-62158965305718212982008-04-16T10:19:00.005-05:002008-04-16T11:09:35.331-05:00

It was hard for school counselor, Ms. Sondra Lawrence, to choose just one favorite poem, but after some thought she decided to share a poem that is very special to her: "Looking for Each Other." This Buddhist poem "speaks to me, to my own journey, and my ultimate sourcing of God within myself and within my connectedness to all," she says. This poem is from the book, Call me by my True Names by

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-72597073391740530632008-04-10T10:31:00.004-05:002008-04-10T10:38:51.021-05:00

The poem for today is a riddle. There are nine lines, nine syllables in each line, and nine letters in the title. Can you guess what the poem is about? Here’s your hint: Mrs. Bergmann, this poem is dedicated to you. May you have a happy and healthy baby!MetaphorsBy Sylvia PlathI'm a riddle in nine syllables,An elephant, a ponderous house,A melon strolling on two tendrils.O red fruit, ivory, fine

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-38933544509616629912008-04-09T10:03:00.006-05:002008-04-09T11:27:19.609-05:00

When I asked former English teacher, and now headmaster, Fr. Timothy Backous about his favorite poem, he talked about Walt Whitman's "I Sing the Body Electric," because "it speaks of hope and possibilities for the human race." But then the playful side of Fr. Timo emerged and he admitted that his real favorite poem is "Introduction to Poetry," by Billy Collins. He recalled the message Collins

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-22079009157343803152008-04-07T10:02:00.006-05:002008-04-07T20:55:56.802-05:00

Mrs. Kelly is not the typical literature teacher. She loves poetry now, but admits that she didn’t know much about it until she had to teach it to her students in Alaska. Once she started reading and analyzing poetry, she realized how much fun it is. Her favorite poem is Edgar Allen Poe’s Annabel Lee because of its musical qualities. “It’s a great poem for teaching because it contains most of the

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-32098203541775787882008-04-03T11:25:00.007-05:002008-04-03T13:32:21.493-05:00

When I asked Mr. Miller, physics instructor, about his favorite poem he enthusiastically told me that it was Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” In fact, when Mr. Miller was assigned to read the poem for his Brit Lit class, he was the only one who read the whole thing. Why? Because he was already familiar with the poem from a song done by heavy metal band, Iron Maiden, in

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-83233950727370950832008-04-02T09:06:00.014-05:002008-04-02T13:27:37.205-05:00

It's that time of year again when the snow melts, the birds return, and baseball season begins. To kick off spring, Mr. Bryan Backes, Director of Admissions, let me in on a little secret: his favorite poem. "This poem is a nice reflection of athletics all wrapped up in a simple little package," he said. So for Poetry @ Prep's first poem of the month, we celebrate baseball. Casey at the Bat by

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-80411293331218988012007-06-20T08:18:00.000-05:002007-06-20T08:24:29.080-05:00

So it’s been awhile since I’ve blogged in here and I have a couple new things to report. I have been keeping myself busy with a variety of things: WoW (of course), lifeguard training, drivers ed and a little bit of Magic the Gathering on the side. Something I’ve come to realize is how restricted being 15 is. We can take drivers ed and lifeguard training, but we can’t get our licenses or find work

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-61707713556663644152007-06-04T22:36:00.001-05:002008-04-02T10:17:49.585-05:00

by Roberto BorgertMy first week of summer has gone very well. Staying up until three in the morning, hanging out with friends, and playing World of Warcraft incessantly for 7 days has given me a preview of what the rest of this summer will be like. I’ve talked to some people who, unlike me, have a rather bleak view of summer fun time. My advice to you is that summer is basically what you make it

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-9060045647041452262007-04-18T13:28:00.000-05:002007-04-18T14:54:13.496-05:00

by Johanna ArmstrongTrends are fickle, temporary, and change like the leaves in autumn. If you were to evaluate the differences between the 60’s and the 90’s, you would have quite a long list. This is because trends define generations, and they mutate over time. A modern example of this virus-like characteristic is ‘Emo’. What started as a genre of music and a way to cope, has evolved into a

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-27476083776423898502007-04-03T09:01:00.000-05:002007-04-03T09:23:20.951-05:00

by Roberto BorgertIf you were in St.Johns Preparatory School at all last week it is very likely that you heard some talk of the famous Billy Collins. Sponsored by the LOGOS program, the prep school was able to bring one of the most well known and respected poets in the United States to our humble abode here in Collegeville, Minnesota. During Mr. Collins’ stay he spoke to the AP English class, at

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-36409537877576368502007-03-27T08:59:00.000-05:002007-04-18T14:11:11.243-05:00

by Johanna Armstrong“Teenage” has recently appeared to have acquired a negative connotation. Where, before, adolescent years seemed to hold a sort of promise of love, victory, maturity, and happiness, it now forebodes pressures, depression, isolation, and danger. Wally Cleaver ideals have mutated into Kurt Cobain idols, The Beatles become The Killers, and Valium has replaced pot as the drug of

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-10537199905311918022007-03-20T09:49:00.000-05:002007-03-20T10:37:31.320-05:00

A review by Roberto BorgertBye Bye Birdie can be described in one word: corny. Just take a look at the character of Harvey Johnson, played wonderfully by Daniel Larson. Harvey Johnson is your typical fifties white kid: bowtie, glasses that could pick up television signals, a cracking high pitched voice and pants worn so high that your grandparents would be ashamed to look at him. In the midst of

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-17555388797026476742007-03-11T01:24:00.000-06:002007-04-18T14:12:56.832-05:00

Music review by Johanna ArmstrongWith a bizarre electronic synthesizer opening song, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn could at first probably be mistaken for some reject Kid A track, but it’s not completely out of the Bright Eyes style. Putting bizarre or tedious openings in order to weed out “casual listeners” has almost become a trademark of the band’s ring-leader, Conor Oberst, present in every

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33298163.post-20698806542606909012007-02-23T11:19:00.000-06:002007-04-10T17:25:29.909-05:00

by Roberto BorgertAbout a month-and-a-half before Saint Johns prep students go on their Christmas break there begins an extracurricular activity that never fails to draw participants. It is not boys' basketball--it isn’t even the spring musical--it is an activity that forces students young and old to think on their feet and battle wits with peers from different schools. If you are thinking that

Cindy L. Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10754316138838039929noreply@blogger.com