“What does it mean to be human?” This question is at the core of the curriculum of Humanities at Mass Academy. The class is taught by Mrs.Small and is a fusion of traditional highschool English and History classes. By examining historically significant texts and learning context to aspects of History that are often overlooked in History at the highschool level. Thought provoking discussions are a common occurrence in the class. Given that the class also serves as an English class, the curriculum also prioritizes analyzing and teaching effective use of rhetoric and literary devices.
I would like to highlight my work with Satire because I found the assignments from this section of the curriculum to be particularly enjoyable as satire can often be humorous. Below, is an example of an original satire created by my peer, Zoe Butzke, and I. The purpose of the satire was to highlight the common inhumane treatment of animals in zoos and aquariums. It is formatted as a pamphlet for parents looking to host their child’s birthday party at the zoo. This format is intended to be ironic in order to contrast with the purpose. The Original satire is to the right. (If the embedded pdf does not work, click here to see the pdf)
Next, I would like to highlight an essay of mine titled “Gender Inequity in the Entertainment Industry”. The paper analyzes the song Blank Space by Taylor Swift. For the larger part of the last decade Taylor’s music was heavily criticized for always being about love and heartbreak. The media had an obsession with her personal life, especially in terms of her romantic relationships. She was consistently referred to as a “serial dater” for supposedly dating too much, when her private life was never the business of the general public in the first place. Simply put, the song is a satire of the femme fatale caricature that the media had perpetuated. (If the embedded pdf does not work, click here to see the pdf)