Best of Miami Portfolios 2001 - Units.muohio.edu

More documents

Recommendations

Info

all of the qualities represented in these examples. However, the authors whose works we have included use the particular elements described above very effectively and with finesse. For more examples of essays in this genre, read the Complete Portfolios included in this collection. 18
A Short Story or Narrative—Nicole DiNardo Beautiful Muddle Sometimes, when I lie on my back in the solitude of my room and the carpet bristles my skin, the ridges in the ceiling spread like daddy-long-legs in port-o-potties. Sometimes, when I lie in bed in the hush of the night and the moon is precisely angled outside my window, the global light streaks across my pillowcase like tadpoles in silver ponds. Sometimes, when my mind wanders… I’m fearless and flawless. And sometimes, at these dreamy times, I am not an eighteen-year-old prom junkie standing in the middle of my floor, facing my mirror, and whispering to the butter-fairies in my stomach to buzz someplace else. I am not spending thirty agonizing minutes shaping one frizzed curl with half a bottle of Green Tea Styling Gel or obsessing over which shade of plum lip gloss best accents my eyes. I am not, as my ex-boyfriend used to say, “acting like a girl.” Instead, I am already twirling on the dance floor, my auburn-fried hair bouncing with charming confidence as I transcend all muddied doubts of myself. I am effortlessly and naturally beautiful. I am— “Don’t forget to pluck the hair from between your eyebrows,” my mom’s brassy voice of reality plummets me back to my Mary-Kay dungeon of anxiety. “Mom, pl-ea-se stop. I do not need you telling me what to do.” I innocently crank up the volume two notches on my stereo in hope that River Cuomo’s electric guitar can silence her motherly concerns and rattle away my “I don’t want to go anymores.” While the beat vibrates and I lather my legs with freshly scented cucumber lotion, I begin to sway with forced excitement. “I’m going to have fun tonight,” I tell my stuffed dog, Douglass. But his vacant eyes seem as convinced as my crackling voice. However, when I slip into my olive chenille dress and brush my hands down the velvety material, I am contentedly satisfied. Turning sideways and forward and sideways again in front of the mirror above my dresser, I hunt for flaws, but my dress, an exact fit, complements my figure. Yet just when my jitters begin to fizzle away, my mom hollers from the bottom of the stairs, “Nicole, did you remember to put mints in your purse?” I don’t respond. Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone. “Nicole, did you— “Yes, mother. I filled the gray box with wintergreen Altoids ten minutes ago,” I croon sarcastically while gracefully stomping down the steps in my bronze high heels. Well, I wouldn’t quite call them high heels. I didn’t want to tower over my date. “You look gorgeous,” my mom breathes as I approach the last step. Intently searching her eyes, I recognize her sincere love, and my muscles immediately relax. She is impossible to stay angry at for an extended amount of time. I ask a mental prayer of forgiveness—she never deserves the venom of my frustrations. My younger brother breezes by us with an amused, self-assured smirk, his silver bracelet tinkling as he flips a sports coat over his shoulders. I open the refrigerator and pull out the standard cream-colored boutonniere from Dandy’s Flowers and turn to practice pinning the roses on my brother’s lapel. My mom has always done the 19
Page 1: Miami University Best of Portfolios
Page 4 and 5: Acknowledgements In 1990, Miami Uni
Page 6 and 7: The Best of Miami University’s Po
Page 8 and 9: All four of these reflective letter
Page 10 and 11: Your gurgling stomach now seems les
Page 12 and 13: one must prohibit the words from be
Page 14 and 15: And as the result of many enjoyably
Page 16 and 17: would remain viable in the new mill
Page 20 and 21: honors for past dances, but I figur
Page 22 and 23: in this Mac (I pointed to the Power
Page 24 and 25: There was only one person in the wo
Page 26 and 27: over 500 men sleeping on the dirty
Page 28 and 29: An Explanatory, Exploratory, or Per
Page 30 and 31: decrease will not allow the schools
Page 38 and 39: to make a greater quantity of tires
Page 40 and 41: Response to a Text—Jessica Keel R
Page 42 and 43: the entire novel, but she remains b
Page 44 and 45: “my little squirrel” (2). Torva
Page 46 and 47: status. The Ranevskaya family is on
Page 48 and 49: A Response to a Text—Stephanie Wo
Page 50 and 51: life, showing her growth as a perso
Page 52 and 53: Scott Gruenbaum—Reflective Letter
Page 54 and 55: Scott Gruenbaum—A Narrative or Sh
Page 56 and 57: Scott Gruenbaum—An Explanatory, E
Page 58 and 59: another creature for survival is in
Page 60 and 61: Scott Gruenbaum—A Response to a T
Page 62 and 63: Complete Portfolio—Camilla Hilema
Page 64 and 65: Camilla Hileman—A Narrative or Sh
Page 66 and 67: Camilla Hileman—An Explanatory, E
Page 68 and 69:
Camilla Hileman—A Response To A T
Page 70 and 71:
Complete Portfolio—Pamela Spellma
Page 72 and 73:
Pamela Spellman—A Narrative or Sh
Page 74 and 75:
Pamela Spellman—An Explanatory, E
Page 76 and 77:
Pamela Spellman—Response to a Tex
Page 78 and 79:
2001 Scoring Guide for Portfolios A
Page 80 and 81:
Guidelines for Using Non-Sexist Lan
Page 82 and 83:
Advice from Portfolio Scorers Each
Page 84 and 85:
5. Be creative: Don’t be afraid t
Page 86 and 87:
What’s the difference between a
Page 88 and 89:
2002 Portfolio Information 88
Page 90 and 91:
Essential Instructions Papers writt
Page 92 and 93:
Supervising Teachers 2001 Kristen C
Page 94 and 95:
Julie R. Hagerty Mount Notre Dame H
Page 96 and 97:
Craig E. Potter Perry Meridian High
show all

Best of Miami Portfolios 2001 - Units.muohio.edu

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?