Othello: Act 5

In life what goes around comes around. I stongly believe in karma. Whatever you do will come back 3 fold, or 3 times as bad. Karma played a big role in the end of the play. Although a lot of innocent people had to die, the person responsible got what they deserved.

I thought it was pretty ironic that Cassio was the one being set up and the one Iago was jealous of, and he's the only one who lived in the end. Not only that, but he gets to determine, and carry out Iago's death.

The ending of Othello kind of reminded me of Romeo and Juliette. After Othello kills Desdemona, and later finds out that she really was honest and faithful he then kills himself. He can not only not live without her, but he also couldn't live with the fact that he killed her. I was very shocked to see how many people died. I didn't expect Iago to kill Roderigo or his wife and I didn't think Othello would be the one to kill himself. It was a very dramatic but very good ending.

Othello: Act 4

The problem with every relationship in this play is the fact that their is no communication. If the characters would communicate with each other so many more things could be cleared up, and so many issues and problems would be unavoidable.

I can't believe that Desdemona just let Othello hit her without even asking for so much as an explanation. If my spouse hit me out of the blue, I would hit them back. Especially not knowing what caused it, or not having done anything to trigger it. I would then ask for an explanation for why they hit me. The best way to solve issues is to communicate. Without having communication you have nothing. I also would ask for an explanation to the accusations Othello is making towards Desdemona. If my spouse was calling me a whore I would ask them why they were calling me that and not leave without an explanation.

I'm thinking that in Act 5 a lot of people are going to be killed. Obviously Othello is going to die because it's the tragedy of Othello, but I think before he is killed that Desdemona and Cassio will be killed also. I'm very anxious to see who kills Othello, how they do it, and why.

7 Mentor Log: 2 hours

It took me about 2 hours to finish my product. At first I was going to do a clay model of a brain using different colors of clay to highlight the different parts of the brain that are affected by a mental disorder. But after me and my grandfather talk, we decided it would be best for me to make a model of a brain scan.

Depression is related to a low level of neurotransmitters in the brain. When the brain is scanned it highlights the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain. This is one way for doctors to diagnose patients with depression.

I made two clay brains. I molded them into the shape of a brain, but since it is a scan, I didn't have to make them look like one, just make them have the shape of one. I then waited for the clay to air dry. Then I used another color of clay to represent the neurotransmitters. The difference is more than obvious. it is plain and easy to see the difference between the scan of a normal brain and the scan of a depressed brain.

5 Mentor Log: 1 hour

I've realized that most counselors are firsthand experts in their profession. A lot of drug/alcohol abuse counselors are recovering addicts. Many counselors for patients with a death of a parent, also has dealt with the death of a parent at a young age. I talked to my grandfather about this.

My grandfather explained that he felt this was something he could really enjoy doing. He could get something out of helping others out. He was so thankful to be able to reach his sobriety he wanted to give back to society and help others out who are in a position he once was in.

A lot of people don't understand addicts. They don't understand how they could let something so simple affect their lives so drastically. How they could let "some drug" take over and control their lives. Well, my grandfather knows exactly how and why. He knows how to deal with addicts because he used to be one. He knows what they deal with, and their steps to recovery.

He found it easy to talk to them. Because he could personally relate. He didn't have to go by a book or a class, he could go by what he already knew from his head and experiences. He just wanted to help people get and keep their addiction under control. Although I don't completely understand it, or think I could ever do it, he doesn't ever regret his time counseling.

4 Mentor Log: 1 hour 30 mins

I sat down and talked with my grandfather Saturday Jan. 31st about his line of work. He is retired now, but it wasn't long ago that he was counseling patient suffering from addiction. I decided to start with his past and why he got into counseling.

My grandfather used to be a heavy alcoholic. He is now 27 years sober. He got into other drugs, but alcohol was his main drug of choice. Addiction, like most mental disorders, is hereditary. It doesn't always have to be with alcohol, it can be cigarettes or addictive behaviors like always needing a cup of coffee to start your day. Almost everyone in my grandfathers side of the family smokes cigarettes, and most of them are recovering alcoholics. Even his sister was addicted to drugs.

My grandfather had a wife and took in her daughter, my mom, as his own. He is also a type 1 diabetic, which is the more severe of the 2. His health is already in danger just because of his diabetes and the alcohol didn't help. Regardless of this, and the fact he had a family he still continued to drink. It just goes to show that addiction truly is a mental disorder and once started cannot be easily stopped. It takes serious intervention and big support to help change an addiction patient. My grandfather finally realized there are more important things than alcohol and is proud to say he is 27 years sober, and many more years to come. He now wants to help other people reach their sobriety and can relate to them firsthand.

3 Mentor Log: 30 mins

My grandfather used to be a counselor, and although it wasn't with patients with mental disorders, he was still a counselor. He dealt with people suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and addiction is considered a mental disorder. I sat down and talked to him about my project and what was required. I told him about my idea for my product and he gave me some ideas on where to go for my materials. He was very excited to be helping me.

2 Mentor Log: 1 hour

I went to see my therapist again Friday, Jan. 23. I think this time is valuable mentor hours because I can also step out and take a look at the job of a psychologist. I know first hand what therapy is like and how it works.

For me therapy just seems like a game of 21 questions. Not to say therapy isn't affective for alot of people, or even for myself, but in the beginning it's just question after question. They have to get to know you and your characteristics before they can get to the root of your problems and help you.

I suffer from bipolar II disorder, which causes me to have hypomanic and depressive episodes. In my depressive episodes I would cut, it was my only way of dealing with pain. So in therapy my psychologist got to the root of why, how it started and ways to stop it. Now it is no longer an issue in my life. Therapy can really help with people who have mental disorders. With the combination of therapy and medicine I have been able to go about life normally. Some people may have to be in therapy for years or even for life, while others can grow from the process and go on. In my therapy sessions we tend to loose things to talk about because my progress has gone so well. So my psychologist now starts to set my sessions farther and farther apart and I will eventually be done altogether. When done right, therapy and therapist are great solutions to a mental disorder and to help patient who are suffering live a normal and healthy life.