Students' Performances by Ma'am Reneè

08/02/2026

Good morning, gentle readers 🌻
{PS}

08/02/2026

This quote is about how big, world-changing ideas never start off feeling reasonable or safe. To do something everyone says can't be done, you first have to let yourself consider the idea that everyone says is crazy. That "crazy" idea is the spark. It's what wakes up your imagination and pushes it to start working on a solution.

08/02/2026

This quote says that money acts like a moral mirror for a society. It shows what the people in that society truly value and reward. If most wealth is earned through honest work, creating useful things, and fair trade, then the reflection is good. It means the society values virtues like productivity and responsibility. The money itself is just a tool that proves these good qualities can lead to success.

However, if most wealth is gained through lying, stealing, or using political power to take from others, then the reflection is corrupt. It shows the society rewards bad behavior instead of good. Therefore, the way a society earns its money is the best indicator of its real moral character. The quote argues that money does not cause corruption or virtue, but it clearly reveals which one is present.

08/02/2026

In 1961, C.S. Lewis, famed author of 'The Chronicles of Narnia' and close friend of J.R.R. Tolkien, nominated Tolkien for the Nobel Prize in Literature. At the time, Tolkien had already published 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings', works that would later become cornerstones of modern fantasy literature. Lewis’s nomination was a gesture of deep respect, recognizing Tolkien’s imaginative scope, linguistic invention, and mythic depth.

However, the Nobel committee rejected the nomination, stating that Tolkien’s storytelling lacked the literary quality required for the prize. Their internal notes, later made public, criticized 'The Lord of the Rings' as “not comparable to works of the highest quality.” This dismissal reflected the literary establishment’s skepticism toward genre fiction, especially fantasy, which was often seen as escapist or juvenile rather than serious literature.

Ironically, Tolkien’s influence only grew in the decades that followed. His work reshaped global storytelling, inspired generations of writers, and became a cultural phenomenon through adaptations, scholarship, and fandom.

{PS}

26/09/2024

26/09/2024

19/09/2023

“Have more than you show, speak less than you know.”
— William Shakespeare

01/03/2023

These words, written by Marcus Aurelius nearly two millennia ago, cut to the core of what it means to live a good life – it isn’t what we say that defines our character, it’s what we do.​​​​​​​​
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Today, in a society obsessed with content, outrage, and drama, it’s easy to get lost in the echo chamber of the debate of what’s “better.” We can have endless discussions about what’s right and wrong. What’s a‘man?’ What does it mean to be a feminist? What should we do in this hypothetical situation or that one?​​​​​​​​
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How can we encourage other people to be better? Of course, this is all a distraction. A blog comment takes a lot less work–and means a lot less–than living those ideas to the best of one’s ability.​​​​​​​​
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If you want to try to make world a slightly better place, there’s a lot you do. Only one guarantees an impact.​​​​​​​​
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To lead by example is what Aurelius was trying hard to remind himself when he wrote these words in Meditations, originally intended only for his own reflection. Centuries later, we could all use more ways to remind ourselves of this universal truth. ​​​​​​​​
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“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius