CARIBBEAN ADVANCED PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION

COMMUNICATION STUDIES INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

Candidate Name: Chantelle Seenauth

Candidate Number:
School: Saint Rose's High School
Centre number: 090046
Territory: Guyana
Year of Examination: 2022
Teacher’s Name: Miss.Welch
 Acknowledgement

The student would like to thank God Almighty for life, health, strength, wisdom, knowledge and
understanding given to pursue this assessment. Special thanks is also extended to my teachers for
aiding with guidelines, internet sources, books and news articles for the information retrieved
relating to the theme and my fellow colleagues and peers who shared their opinions and general
knowledge which was crucial for the reflection aspect of this assessment.
 Table of Content

Page
Title page………………………………………………………………. 1
General Introduction………………………………. …………………...2
Preface…………………………………………………..................................3
Reflective piece………………………………………...................................4-5
Analysis…………………………………………………………………6
Conclusion………………………………………………………………7
Bibliography…………………………………………………………….8
 Title Page
Theme: Drugs
Thesis Statement: To investigate the impacts of drugs on teens and adolescents..

1
 General Introduction

This portfolio centralizes the theme "Drugs,” it consists of an exposition which is used to assess
the effects of drug legality in society, a preface detailing the original piece written, a reflection
which is the original piece titled “A devious romance” and an analysis that is used to assess the
language registers and attitudes towards language used in the original piece. The dictionary
defines drug as "a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or
otherwise introduced into the body.” The student chose this theme to shed some light on a topic
that has only been addressed on a one sided point of view. The term 'drug' is bounded by vague
contexts. "Don't do drugs kids!" Or "I need some drugs for the pain." The portfolio's purpose is
to provide neutrality to the reader on the term 'drugs' as well as to explore and learn more about
the topic. Since, I am inexperienced, choosing the most unprecedented route was most intriguing,
trying to unravel untouched knowledge about the issue. As a student with knowledge of
biochemistry and intending to work in pharmaceuticals I need to fully understand the role drugs
play in our everyday lives.

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 Preface

The poem titled "A devious romance" depicts the factors which influence excessive use of illicit
drugs amongst teenagers that are a part of a school body. The original piece comprises the effects
of drugs on individuals in different social environments. The writer’s targeted audience are the
youths of this generation since drug abuse is common and challenging to battle among teens and
adolescents. Mortality, illiteracy and domestic violence sky rockets in society present day. These
issues are born from the youths of the future due to many reasons that are still unknown and
unjustified. Society segregate the different classes and social backgrounds and the piece portrays
the right and will of an individual despite his or her point of origination and everyone is
subjected to substance abuse. The writer intends to appeal to the audience’s sense of belief and
obtain more views on the subject hoping for one day we find a permanent resolution to the
difficulty faced.

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 Reflective Piece

A Devious Romance
Written by: Chantelle Seenauth

They say wake up and smell the roses but I wake up and smell the aroma of Mary Jane. I hear
my buddies say “Yo! Pass me a five dollah quick.”
Unfortunately mommy's with us no more and I’ve never seen daddy a day in my life. I step off
the sofa two inches from the ground and pull my cloth door.
There I see him standing, glistening unlike any guy I’ve ever seen before. His face look dignified
and the school he attended was of prestige.
Nothing more than shock came over me when I saw him anxiously outstretch his hand awaiting
his parcel.
Toni my elder brother did nothing but kept our family surviving as much as he could. “Wam?
Yuh kno’ he lil sis?” Toni asked, since my actions wasn’t even the slightest thing he usually
questions.
“We in de same class.” Maybe that was the timeliest response I’ve ever given my big bro’. I
mean, why wouldn’t I?
Joel Persaud is our class prefect, he’s nothing more than the living example of perfection, well
until now. Why did ‘The Joel Persaud’ crave any sense of euphoria?
I rushed to the window where I watched him leave in his Audi A3. I was appalled by what I saw
but was I angry? No, how could I be?
For as long as I could remember I’ve seen brown paper resembling parchment or cookie paper
and hands rolling big ‘spliffs’ that only reaped the foggiest smoke with the flick of a lighter.
So no, I’m accustomed to seeing a life that has no light because of the fog that surrounds it.
Sheer disbelief could not change the fact that 8.30 has struck and a cold shower awaits me
because of my will to fan the fog that clouds my light that tries to hinder the future I envision
shining so bright.
“She always deh pon stupidness bai,” “why is she always this early?” “Like she deh on cloud
nine.” Hearing them as I cruise the hallways murmuring and sharing the wit among themselves. I
show up as if I were an uninvited guest to a convention of knowledge where the general public
think I don’t belong.
How could I be on cloud nine when I can’t even get pass a stratus cloud? I look up and he's in
front like nothing bothers him .He’s using that stuff with no financial burden or whatsoever at
all.
When mom passed everyday I saw her in the stars, with each dose she shined brighter than ever
before. With this power it gave me command to see a lady who has already left this land. Frankly
I risked it all, it was a great demand.
Liz was not sleeping, Liz was not eating, Liz was certainly not reading, Liz was definitely
dreaming.

4
It has been four months since I was freed from the clutches of MDMA and nose candy. My heart
throbbed, squeezed, it felt like a pin cushion filled with needles.
Eyes weary and teary, life felt so dreary. No unconditional love just overwhelming pain that even
Mary Jane couldn’t manage to take away.
Only the white dust showed me sentiment and the clear crystals showed me remorse. My hero
left zero. If only my darling could say “hey baby, mama’s comin’ home.” I took a road wanting
to follow her more likely a path that made me hollow.
I’m sure ‘Mr. Good grades’ or ‘Mr. Nice life’ has no reason to do drugs this time of season.
Dad’s wide awake, mom’s doing her best with raising the family she has made. You’re the main
attention, you win the palpitating hearts of everyone. Good or bad. I guess you’re always on top.
Clout calls your name and you reply to her request.
So Fight! Do what is right!
You are the shimmering light, I fan the smoke screen of fog as hard as I can. Leaning in the
corner of some corridor, what a handsome chimney you are. The poison Ives nest swarms around
your presence just to supply the venom to break you.
Their unjust jurisdiction and unworthy praises keeps the smiles on their faces and that’s all that
matters. The good stuff that makes you look battered.
But to realize I have been beaten, broken, battered and even shattered. All but left to scatter and
free from that wretched world of psychological twirls and spirals. Me? The twisted girl? You
prance around until there is a bitter end to your sweet romance. All I will say is“You guh lang,
enjoy de dance.”

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 Analysis

The writer utilizes attitudes towards language and language registers to devise the original piece.
The poetic piece is written in Standard English more particularly Caribbean Standard English.
The speaker has the ability to code switch, notably switching from one register to another and
this is an attitude towards language. The piece gives hints about the speaker being a student of a
prestige school and she lives in a low status environment. Describing her experience, she’s uses a
formal register which involves the use of Standard English giving the reader the advantage of
grasping the concept vividly and indicating the setting portrayed. Since formal registers as
regarded as an Academic register it is used in times of intellectual pursuit, such as class
environments and communication between strangers, like public speaking and seminars. When
quoting someone she is acquainted with, for instance her brother, she uses an informal register.
Native Creole is illustrated and this perceives the level of comfort she feels with the person being
communicated with and the type of setting, which can be interpreted as casual or non-formal
such as the home. The type of creole promoted in the piece is Guyanese creole since the writer is
a Guyanese.

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 Conclusion

On completion of this assessment, the researcher had the opportunity to gain knowledge and
apply the theories thought from the theme being investigated. Expertise was also gained due to
the use and sharpening of analytical and communicative skills of the researcher which was
beneficial since the subject being studied is communication studies.

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 Bibliography

 David Shurtleff, Ph.D., Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need to
Know, https://www.nccih.nih.gov//, 2019.

 History.com editors, Marijuana, History, May 31, 2017.

 Kimberly Holland, A Quick Take on Cannabis and Its Effects, www.healthline.com, July
23, 2020.

 Paul Frysh, How Pot Affects Your Mind and Body, https://www.webmd.com/, December
19, 2021.

 Alvin Powell (Harvard Staff Writer) ,What we know and don’t know about pot,
https://news.harvard.edu/, February 24, 2020.