Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
fire.
I am not musically talented whatsoever. Like at all. Zero. Nothing..
I can barely keep a beat, can't come up with my own lyrics or improvise, and my singing is reserved for in my car (when I'm alone..) and my shower (when I'm also alone). I dance, but I don't think that dancing to music makes me musically talented at all. For some reason, at some point I became hopelessly obsessed with music.
Like every other kid, I spent my entire adolescence going through phases. These weren't the typical girly, tomboy, angsty, preppy, nerdy types of phases though. I had music phases. There were points in time when I was into just instrumentals, rap, indie, heavy metal, classic rock, pop, electro, and pretty much everything else under the sun.
It took me until around tenth grade to find a solid, static music genre interest to really stick to. I find this curious because that's the point in my life where I also kind of "found myself". Yes, it sounds stupid, but for me, my music choices have really reflected points in my life through lyrics and artists as well as the instruments themselves (piano, violin, and acoustic guitar are my favorites).
Certain artists and songs will remind me of specific instances in my life. For example, the band Keane reminds me of freshman year because I had a phase where I would only listen to their Under the Iron Sea album. Blue October reminds me of freshman year as well because I had a phase with them too. Music brings me back and helps me relive points in my life, whether they be pleasant or unhappy ones.
There are people that are lyrics people, and their are others that just listen to the back beats to determine whether or not they like an artist or a song. I'm personally more of a lyrics kind of person and that is ultimately what I listen for first in a song.
Ever since sophomore year, I have pretty much stuck to the same kind of music. I currently listen to rock bands such as Three Days Grace, but also really enjoy folk bands like Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes. I know, the two don't really make sense together, but these are the types of music that really get through to me. Last Christmas, I got a record player and am absolutely obsessed with it. I love how the sound quality is sort of scratchy and distorted, it gives songs character and texture. I usually listen to the folk and indie stuff on there, but also have a bunch of old vinyls from bands like Aerosmith and U2.
There are a lot of people who would assume that I just listen to KDWB and that my playlists consist of the Black Eyed Peas and Demi Lovato. I surprise them when they jump in my car and see that I've been listening to 93x or The Current.
Music has helped me sort out a lot of situations in my life and I think it has been a really profound influence in how I have grown up and turned out. I think a person's music choice says a lot about who they are as a person as well as their beliefs. You can tell a lot about someone by flipping through their music once or twice.
Fire by Noah Gundersen (my current obsession.)
Sunday, December 4, 2011
on pity and fear.
Pity. It is clearly etched into those grey-blue eyes along with a hint of something else. Fear, perhaps. I won't ever know. Traveling down from her eyes I find a small, pointed nose, slightly too-thin lips, a canopy of blonde curls, a dainty string of pearls peeking out from under a pale, woven scarf, purple button-down coat and tiny, white mittens gripping the metal bar to a stroller. The baby inside did not fear me. There was no pity in it's eyes, no apprehension in its stare. It did not grow uncomfortable with my lingering gaze, as its mother had. It was the first time in a long time I hadn't been looked at like a walking, living piece of the streets. The first time in a long time I had been looked at like a human. A somewhat wild movement from above the child's head caused me to look up at the woman again. The green paper rectangle waved at me from within her little mittens, begging me to take it and get lost. By now, I know better than to think it was a gift of kindness, but rather a plea for me to not taint her New York stroll any more than I already had. I do not want to think that only small children can truly be compassionate. I do not want to think that incentive and personal-gain is all that motivates adults toward charitable acts. But the streets of New York are discouraging. Compassion is rarely found in the striking green against a white mitten. That is not what I am looking for, but who am I to reject this gift, regardless of her intentions? Taking one last look at the small child who is still unscathed by society, I extend my hand and slide the green bill out of the white mittens and turn away silently.
Monday, November 28, 2011
did you succeed?
1. definition
2. classification
3. compare and contrast
4. cause and effect
5. narration
6. example
Saturday, November 26, 2011
the elusive definition of success.
1. Success is different in many cultures and morphs and changes from time period to time period. In the United States during the 50's, success was measured in having the right car, the right husband, the perfect family, and being the ideal house wife. Now, most women in the United States would gag and be insulted by this measure of success. Success is perceived differently by each individual depending on what they value most and shifts throughout the years to adapt to social norms.
2. There are many types of success. Success might the measured in social status. So one might be successful in a particular social circle, but not elsewhere. The most successful people are those who are known in all social circles such as celebrities or sports stars. Success also might be measured in rank or position. So, those who are higher ranking in the workplace are clearly more successful than those of a lower ranking. Lastly, success can be measured in wealth. The one with the least amount of money is clearly the least successful, right? Trying to categorize and define success is almost ridiculous because success is something that is defined differently by everyone.
3. Success must not be mistaken for wealth. Success is subjective and can be defined differently by different individuals, whereas wealth can be measured as a great amount of money or property. A wealthy person may not the same thing as a successful person, depending on what your perception of success is. Success can also mean the attainment of wealth in certain situations, so it really depends on what your view of success is. One might argue money is success, but others would disagree.
4. Success is defined differently by each individual, but what happens after success is obtained? If someone becomes successful, it is possible for them to use this success in either a positive or negative way. Success usually results in influence, influence may be perceived as power. Because someone is successful, this means he or she has the power to change how others act and think and this provides as much danger as it does good as a result.
5. It was all for success. When I was younger that A meant everything to me. And so my success in school is accredited to my blatant lack of a social life, nights spent studying alone with diet coke and coffee spilled on my keyboard, and the awkward scrunchies my mom bought me to keep my hair out of my eyes during tests. Success was measured in grade point average, or so I thought.
6. Many would say that Steve Jobs was a successful man. He, along with a few other people, founded Apple computer in the garage of his parents' home. By 2010, he was worth 8.3 billion dollars according to Forbes. But was he successful just because of his wealth or was he successful because he made a name for himself and because of the relationships he formed due to his creation of Apple?
2. There are many types of success. Success might the measured in social status. So one might be successful in a particular social circle, but not elsewhere. The most successful people are those who are known in all social circles such as celebrities or sports stars. Success also might be measured in rank or position. So, those who are higher ranking in the workplace are clearly more successful than those of a lower ranking. Lastly, success can be measured in wealth. The one with the least amount of money is clearly the least successful, right? Trying to categorize and define success is almost ridiculous because success is something that is defined differently by everyone.
3. Success must not be mistaken for wealth. Success is subjective and can be defined differently by different individuals, whereas wealth can be measured as a great amount of money or property. A wealthy person may not the same thing as a successful person, depending on what your perception of success is. Success can also mean the attainment of wealth in certain situations, so it really depends on what your view of success is. One might argue money is success, but others would disagree.
4. Success is defined differently by each individual, but what happens after success is obtained? If someone becomes successful, it is possible for them to use this success in either a positive or negative way. Success usually results in influence, influence may be perceived as power. Because someone is successful, this means he or she has the power to change how others act and think and this provides as much danger as it does good as a result.
5. It was all for success. When I was younger that A meant everything to me. And so my success in school is accredited to my blatant lack of a social life, nights spent studying alone with diet coke and coffee spilled on my keyboard, and the awkward scrunchies my mom bought me to keep my hair out of my eyes during tests. Success was measured in grade point average, or so I thought.
6. Many would say that Steve Jobs was a successful man. He, along with a few other people, founded Apple computer in the garage of his parents' home. By 2010, he was worth 8.3 billion dollars according to Forbes. But was he successful just because of his wealth or was he successful because he made a name for himself and because of the relationships he formed due to his creation of Apple?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
what about us.
Mia Michaels: the most intimidating human being I have ever met.
Her name might not mean much to everyone else, but she is huge in the dance world. You could say she has won a couple Emmy awards.. She was also a judge and choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance. Anyway, I am taking part in Jump, which is a huge dance convention. Dancers from all over travel to take classes with master teachers, such as Mia.
What surprised me the most about her is that she wasn't stuck up and annoyed about having to spend her weekend with teenage kids. She was committed and seemed to genuinely care about us and what we wanted to get out of her class. She taught us a dance to the song "What About Us" by ATB. The song was really interesting and different and the choreography was amazingly difficult and rewarding. In the middle of class, Mia stopped everyone and gave a speech. Usually inspirational speeches just don't do anything for me, but for some reason hers really got through to me. She talked about having an intention behind everything we do as humans. She didn't say anything cheesy like "everything happens for a reason" but that is kind of the message that she got across. We only had an hour and a half to learn an entire routine with her and she kept reminding us that we only had that small chunk of time. At first I didn't understand why, but by the end of the practice I got that she was pretty much trying to say live in the present and commit fully to whatever it is you're doing. She also used some analogy about a mountain and that feeling of anxiety we get before completing a difficult task. For a person with a lot of trouble with anxiety, this was really relatable for me and it is going to change the way that I approach daunting, strenuous situations.
Tomorrow I have to wake up and go back to the convention for another 9 hours, which is example number one of a daunting, strenuous situation.
In addition to Mia Michaels, the convention hosted master teachers such as Bobby Newberry who has more sass in his left pinky fingernail than I have in my entire body. He taught us a jazz routine that I am going to post a video of underneath this along with a video of some of Mia's work.
Her name might not mean much to everyone else, but she is huge in the dance world. You could say she has won a couple Emmy awards.. She was also a judge and choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance. Anyway, I am taking part in Jump, which is a huge dance convention. Dancers from all over travel to take classes with master teachers, such as Mia.
What surprised me the most about her is that she wasn't stuck up and annoyed about having to spend her weekend with teenage kids. She was committed and seemed to genuinely care about us and what we wanted to get out of her class. She taught us a dance to the song "What About Us" by ATB. The song was really interesting and different and the choreography was amazingly difficult and rewarding. In the middle of class, Mia stopped everyone and gave a speech. Usually inspirational speeches just don't do anything for me, but for some reason hers really got through to me. She talked about having an intention behind everything we do as humans. She didn't say anything cheesy like "everything happens for a reason" but that is kind of the message that she got across. We only had an hour and a half to learn an entire routine with her and she kept reminding us that we only had that small chunk of time. At first I didn't understand why, but by the end of the practice I got that she was pretty much trying to say live in the present and commit fully to whatever it is you're doing. She also used some analogy about a mountain and that feeling of anxiety we get before completing a difficult task. For a person with a lot of trouble with anxiety, this was really relatable for me and it is going to change the way that I approach daunting, strenuous situations.
Tomorrow I have to wake up and go back to the convention for another 9 hours, which is example number one of a daunting, strenuous situation.
In addition to Mia Michaels, the convention hosted master teachers such as Bobby Newberry who has more sass in his left pinky fingernail than I have in my entire body. He taught us a jazz routine that I am going to post a video of underneath this along with a video of some of Mia's work.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
sick, man.
page 133.
Slang. It has always been part of the English language, and it is here to stay. The phrases we use might become outdated or "lame", but slang is something that will always be around. In fact, if you type "the history of English slang" into google, it will give you many websites filled with the awkward words we have used throughout the years like "gee-wiz!" and "gnarly".
My friend moved to Arizona last year and I decided to ask him about any weird slang differences that he found between his new home and Minnesota. The one that stuck out to me the most was that they say "ew" instead of using the ever popular "sick" that teenagers have integrated into their vocabulary.
This inspired me to look through a website that provides "A Historical Dictionary of American Slang" to find slang words that are still used today, and also to just find some funny ones that died out over the years.
Some of these phrases are easy to understand and others left me scratching my head. Thank God the Historical Dictionary of American slang provided me with example sentences to sort them all out.
Some phrases have survived, but have just changed meaning. For example, "swag" in the 1700's meant stolen goods or money. Now, "swag" means appearance or the way in which a person presents his or herself.
Some say that slang is damaging to the English language and that it shouldn't be used, but I personally don't think it is harming anyone. Phrases come and go generation after generation and it gives each one a chance to describe the world in their own way. That being said, there is also a time and a place for slang. When writing essays for college admissions, it probably wouldn't be appropriate to say, "So dude, you should let me in your college because that'd be sick and out of sight. I'd have mad swag on campus, plus if I don't get in, I will be in deep doo-doo with the rents. Peace out, man." Slang isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there is a time and a place in which it is appropriate to use it.
Slang. It has always been part of the English language, and it is here to stay. The phrases we use might become outdated or "lame", but slang is something that will always be around. In fact, if you type "the history of English slang" into google, it will give you many websites filled with the awkward words we have used throughout the years like "gee-wiz!" and "gnarly".
My friend moved to Arizona last year and I decided to ask him about any weird slang differences that he found between his new home and Minnesota. The one that stuck out to me the most was that they say "ew" instead of using the ever popular "sick" that teenagers have integrated into their vocabulary.
This inspired me to look through a website that provides "A Historical Dictionary of American Slang" to find slang words that are still used today, and also to just find some funny ones that died out over the years.
- 1930's: "go bananas". Even though this might not be used very often anymore, it is still pretty easily understood.
- 1970's: gave us the highly intellectual slang phrase, "in deep doo-doo" Classic. This decade also produced "siko" which is still used and understood to describe the creepy neighbor boys.
- 1960's: "out of sight"... what?
- 1860's: "swot". Apparently this means to study very hard.
- 1950's: "wedgy".. Nice.
- 1990's: "da bomb". I have nothing to say about that one.
Some of these phrases are easy to understand and others left me scratching my head. Thank God the Historical Dictionary of American slang provided me with example sentences to sort them all out.
Some phrases have survived, but have just changed meaning. For example, "swag" in the 1700's meant stolen goods or money. Now, "swag" means appearance or the way in which a person presents his or herself.
Some say that slang is damaging to the English language and that it shouldn't be used, but I personally don't think it is harming anyone. Phrases come and go generation after generation and it gives each one a chance to describe the world in their own way. That being said, there is also a time and a place for slang. When writing essays for college admissions, it probably wouldn't be appropriate to say, "So dude, you should let me in your college because that'd be sick and out of sight. I'd have mad swag on campus, plus if I don't get in, I will be in deep doo-doo with the rents. Peace out, man." Slang isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there is a time and a place in which it is appropriate to use it.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
in a place that makes me happy.
My pre-writing rituals differ based on which type of writing I am going to be doing. For me, there is a really big difference between writing papers for school and just writing for myself.
When writing school papers, I tend to stare at a blank computer screen for almost an hour before actually writing something. Then I will write my name and the date.. and stare at the computer screen for another an hour. When I finally realize that I'm not going to get anything done anyway, I pretty much sprint down the stairs to make myself a cup of hazelnut coffee with the new single-cup coffee maker my mom just bought.. I might have an addiction to it. After coffee, I decide that I need to get some fresh air. I will either take a long walk or a run because for some reason this gets me really motivated to get a lot done. My favorite time of year to run is during the fall because all of the leaves are changing on the trees by the farms around my house. Running always puts me in a great mood and being in a good mood is essential for me to be able to do my best work. When I finally drag myself up the stairs and into my room to write again, I realize writing an outline would probably be helpful. Once I have planned out my paper, there is no stopping me. I don't let myself edit anything on my first draft because I am really critical of my own work and I would probably keep myself from making any progress. After I finish my first draft, I let myself pick it apart and completely rework it. By the time I turn in a paper, it looks and sounds nothing like the original draft.
Writing for myself is a completely different situation with a completely different set of rituals leading up to it. Some people might call it journaling, but I honestly would just describe it as me keeping a record of my life. I'm that girl who just wants new felt-tip pens and fancy notebooks for her birthday. Last year, I got four new notebooks and almost 20 new pens for my birthday.. It might take me a while to use all of that. To write for myself, I always drive out to one of two of my favorite spots. They are both on the same lake, but I won't tell you which one because I want to keep them my little secret. I take my shoes off, sit down in the grass or the sand, and dip my toes in the lake (unless it is winter). Then I write. Sometimes for hours, with breaks of course. One of my writing spots has a patch of grass right near the water and two trees that trunks cross each other to form canopy above my head with their leaves. I go there when I need peace, calm, and quiet and sometimes, inspiration. My personal writing has a completely different kind of ritual than my routine for writing papers.
Here is a picture of one of my favorite writing spots on the 4th of July last summer.
When writing school papers, I tend to stare at a blank computer screen for almost an hour before actually writing something. Then I will write my name and the date.. and stare at the computer screen for another an hour. When I finally realize that I'm not going to get anything done anyway, I pretty much sprint down the stairs to make myself a cup of hazelnut coffee with the new single-cup coffee maker my mom just bought.. I might have an addiction to it. After coffee, I decide that I need to get some fresh air. I will either take a long walk or a run because for some reason this gets me really motivated to get a lot done. My favorite time of year to run is during the fall because all of the leaves are changing on the trees by the farms around my house. Running always puts me in a great mood and being in a good mood is essential for me to be able to do my best work. When I finally drag myself up the stairs and into my room to write again, I realize writing an outline would probably be helpful. Once I have planned out my paper, there is no stopping me. I don't let myself edit anything on my first draft because I am really critical of my own work and I would probably keep myself from making any progress. After I finish my first draft, I let myself pick it apart and completely rework it. By the time I turn in a paper, it looks and sounds nothing like the original draft.
Writing for myself is a completely different situation with a completely different set of rituals leading up to it. Some people might call it journaling, but I honestly would just describe it as me keeping a record of my life. I'm that girl who just wants new felt-tip pens and fancy notebooks for her birthday. Last year, I got four new notebooks and almost 20 new pens for my birthday.. It might take me a while to use all of that. To write for myself, I always drive out to one of two of my favorite spots. They are both on the same lake, but I won't tell you which one because I want to keep them my little secret. I take my shoes off, sit down in the grass or the sand, and dip my toes in the lake (unless it is winter). Then I write. Sometimes for hours, with breaks of course. One of my writing spots has a patch of grass right near the water and two trees that trunks cross each other to form canopy above my head with their leaves. I go there when I need peace, calm, and quiet and sometimes, inspiration. My personal writing has a completely different kind of ritual than my routine for writing papers.
Here is a picture of one of my favorite writing spots on the 4th of July last summer.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
extreme makeover.
Have you ever seen one of those shows like Extreme Makeover or Biggest Loser? I think I witnessed one of those kinds of transformations over MEA. Last year, my grandpa was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and they told him he had a slim chance of living much longer. When they began operating on him, they found that if they removed one of his kidneys as well as a large portion of his pancreas and gall bladder, he might have a better chance of surviving. He now has to take pills before he eats anything because his body can't digest food on its own anymore. I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to be so sick. My entire dad's side of the family lives in New Jersey, so I didn't have a chance to see him until I went down to the shore house there this summer. My sister had been living with my grandparents and interning at our family law firm over the summer, and she had told me stories about how different the surgery had made my grandfather. He was irritable, angry, and had lost a lot of weight. He struggled with the fact that he had prepared himself to die, and was no longer going to. This is probably the hardest part for me to understand. We have a loud, huge Italian family and we always greet each other with kisses and hugs, but when I saw him this summer, he wouldn't touch any of us. He was too timid and afraid of getting sick because his immune system was so fragile. It was very difficult to see him like this, because he is usually such an animated, engaging person. When I left New Jersey, he was still very distant. Over MEA weekend, I visited schools on the east coast. My dad, my friend, and I stayed with my grandparents for two nights while we were there. When I walked through the door, it was like I was seeing a completely different man. He was welcoming and in very good spirits. In three months, he had gained twenty pounds and looked much more like his old self. It is amazing how a sickness like cancer can affect a person so much. I am happy to have him back and am planning on getting really involved with programs like Relay for Life this year. I never really thought it was my problem until I was affected by it. This is my family's own little Extreme Makeover story.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
so, why are you applying for college then?
"I hate high school."
"Honestly, my teacher hates me. Have you seen this homework load?"
"I'm way too busy for all of this work."
Okay, how many times have we all heard this from our classmates? Way too many. If you hate school so much, why are you sitting there applying to 15 colleges? We blame our teachers, our parents, our stuck-up bosses, our siblings, our addictions to Facebook, and our extracurriculars for unfinished homework. But who actually takes the time to get past all of those distractions and realize the real problem is themselves? We work hard for the teachers that we like, and the ones we don't are automatically labeled as evil and out to get us. I admit it, I have classes that I just breeze through and don't try as hard in as I should because I don't connect to the teacher well. And when I get back that ugly, little B from that teacher, I automatically think, "Well, that's because they didn't teach this material well." By the way, this occurs most often in math. I learned that complaining to my parents gets me absolutely nowhere. They want me to get a good education, but they don't believe it is their responsibility to get me to try my best in school. Believe me, I complain, whine, and even stomp a foot or two every once in a while over a homework load, but I never would ask my parents to approach my teachers and demand a better grade. I have seen my friends get their parents to practically attack a teacher when they receive bad grades. This makes me feel almost embarrassed for my generation because none of that would fly 20 years ago. What changed? Why are we suddenly called the "lost generation"? Are we lazy as a whole? Maybe. Is every single high school student lazy? No. The article, For Once Blame the Students makes an excellent point, but there are still some of us who realize that the teachers aren't the problem all of the time, but the students are.
As for the film, Two Million Minutes, it kind of made me want to give our generation a friendly "wake up, we are reverting back to cavemen" slap across the face. This was honestly one of the most frustrating films to watch because I feel like I don't even have enough time to breathe in a day during the school week, so I don't understand how I could possibly increase my hours of studying and school performance. The only way I can see this happening is if I cut out all of my extracurriculars. I have an unhealthy obsession with sports and clubs at our school, so this would be way too difficult for me. I feel as though the film was really slanted toward a particular view on American education and it made a lot of generalizations. It basically said American students are all lazy, obsessed with video games and T.V., and that we don't know how to study. Obviously showing the Indian and Chinese students with sleek desks piled with homework, violins, sheet music, and math competition medals is going to make us look bad. Yes, maybe the academic standards set for American students has been lowered, but it doesn't mean that motivated students have become extinct.
This is shown through Mike Rose's writing, "I Just Wanna Be Average". He makes the argument that teachers do not expect enough out of students. This was interesting to read in contrast to "For Once Blame the Students" by Patrick Welsh because Rose is placing the blame on teachers while Welsh places the blame on the students. Who really deserves the blame? Honestly, if we are acting as adults here and are still playing the blame game, I think we are all at fault a little. There has to be a good balance between teacher and student effort. Both teachers and students must be motivated to give all they can to each subject, even if math is a terrible, impossible one. Both of the articles and the film both make huge generalizations about groups of people. Yes, some of it may be based on fact. But we must consider those students and teachers who expect a lot from each other and have the motivation to learn.
I wish I could keep blogging, but I have so much homework.. my teachers honestly hate me... and I have college apps to work on so I can go to more school and get more homework and complain more..
"Honestly, my teacher hates me. Have you seen this homework load?"
"I'm way too busy for all of this work."
Okay, how many times have we all heard this from our classmates? Way too many. If you hate school so much, why are you sitting there applying to 15 colleges? We blame our teachers, our parents, our stuck-up bosses, our siblings, our addictions to Facebook, and our extracurriculars for unfinished homework. But who actually takes the time to get past all of those distractions and realize the real problem is themselves? We work hard for the teachers that we like, and the ones we don't are automatically labeled as evil and out to get us. I admit it, I have classes that I just breeze through and don't try as hard in as I should because I don't connect to the teacher well. And when I get back that ugly, little B from that teacher, I automatically think, "Well, that's because they didn't teach this material well." By the way, this occurs most often in math. I learned that complaining to my parents gets me absolutely nowhere. They want me to get a good education, but they don't believe it is their responsibility to get me to try my best in school. Believe me, I complain, whine, and even stomp a foot or two every once in a while over a homework load, but I never would ask my parents to approach my teachers and demand a better grade. I have seen my friends get their parents to practically attack a teacher when they receive bad grades. This makes me feel almost embarrassed for my generation because none of that would fly 20 years ago. What changed? Why are we suddenly called the "lost generation"? Are we lazy as a whole? Maybe. Is every single high school student lazy? No. The article, For Once Blame the Students makes an excellent point, but there are still some of us who realize that the teachers aren't the problem all of the time, but the students are.
As for the film, Two Million Minutes, it kind of made me want to give our generation a friendly "wake up, we are reverting back to cavemen" slap across the face. This was honestly one of the most frustrating films to watch because I feel like I don't even have enough time to breathe in a day during the school week, so I don't understand how I could possibly increase my hours of studying and school performance. The only way I can see this happening is if I cut out all of my extracurriculars. I have an unhealthy obsession with sports and clubs at our school, so this would be way too difficult for me. I feel as though the film was really slanted toward a particular view on American education and it made a lot of generalizations. It basically said American students are all lazy, obsessed with video games and T.V., and that we don't know how to study. Obviously showing the Indian and Chinese students with sleek desks piled with homework, violins, sheet music, and math competition medals is going to make us look bad. Yes, maybe the academic standards set for American students has been lowered, but it doesn't mean that motivated students have become extinct.
This is shown through Mike Rose's writing, "I Just Wanna Be Average". He makes the argument that teachers do not expect enough out of students. This was interesting to read in contrast to "For Once Blame the Students" by Patrick Welsh because Rose is placing the blame on teachers while Welsh places the blame on the students. Who really deserves the blame? Honestly, if we are acting as adults here and are still playing the blame game, I think we are all at fault a little. There has to be a good balance between teacher and student effort. Both teachers and students must be motivated to give all they can to each subject, even if math is a terrible, impossible one. Both of the articles and the film both make huge generalizations about groups of people. Yes, some of it may be based on fact. But we must consider those students and teachers who expect a lot from each other and have the motivation to learn.
I wish I could keep blogging, but I have so much homework.. my teachers honestly hate me... and I have college apps to work on so I can go to more school and get more homework and complain more..
Honestly, this sarcasm symbol is so useful.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
on vision and genius.
This weekend I spent around fifteen hours at my dance studio working with one woman on one piece of choreography. Her name is Keri LeGrand and she is a master teacher from California. I have done pieces with her before, but this is my favorite of them all so far. I wish I knew what the song was called, but I don't. I'm not going to sit here and make you read about everything we did, how many times I fell on my face, or even how many new bruises and tears in my skin that I have now...
At the beginning of our work yesterday, Keri sat us down to talk about fully committing to our choreography every time we tried it and then began talking about how everything in life should be like that. That each time we attempt something, we shouldn't hold back at all and should not be afraid of falling. I'm used to getting these kinds of "inspirational talks" from master teachers, but this one that Keri gave us is going to stick with me for a while. The reason for this is because she connected it to a personal story. Five years ago, Keri was dancing with a company out in Georgia. On November 5th, 2006, she was dropped by her partner and crashed to the floor. This fall broke her neck. The break was 4 millimeters away from paralyzing her from the neck down and she could have very easily died. Now she is back to choreographing for studios and workshops. Keri kept talking about how life was way too short to not preform to your best ability all of the time, especially when people are counting on you to be there for them.
It might sound cheesy, and the story might not impact you as much as it did me, but I just thought it was such an awesome story that I needed to share it. It was such an honor to work with her this weekend. I posted a link to one of her pieces that she choreographed for a studio below.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
you dog, you.
If you have not done so already, go watch President Obama's back-to-school speech. Yes, these play every year and we are sometimes forced by our teachers to watch it, but this year's was actually intriguing and relatable. It was nice to be able to watch, rewind, and analyze specific parts of his speech because there is a lot of good advice and arguments included within it. Besides the fact that I really enjoyed this speech, it was also full of material for me to rhetorically analyze. That means that this assignment was actually more enjoyable than I had expected it to be.
Obama's tone throughout his speech was not condescending at all. In fact, he speaks to the students as equals. I believe this is to establish his credibility (ethos). He obviously is trying to appeal to his audience, students, by speaking to them as if they are adults and their opinions matter, because that is what every child and teenager wants.
Much of Obama's speech included rising intonation. This usually built up to an important point that he was trying to emphasize to his audience. Falling intonation usually was used during his transitions, as they did not need to be as emphasized as his main points were.
He uses rolling cadences generally when his most important points are discussed. The most important words and phrases are said with more power and volume to emphasize their significance and importance. This reminds me of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. The phrases which he wished to be most remembered had the most oomph behind them.
Obama does not seem rigid in his stance, but rather relaxed and formal at the same time. He makes sure to turn his body from side to side, I assume to let the audience know that he is speaking to all of them instead of talking at one object above their heads. He is not fidgeting, but is keeping his composure physically. Obama stands up straight, and uses hand gestures when appropriate.
As the president, Obama is expected to be well dressed, especially when delivering an important speech such as the one on education you have just watched. He lives up to this expectation by wearing a suit and tie. He makes sure to make up for his formal appearance by connecting with the audience within the first couple lines of his speech, making him much more personable.
Obama appeals to the students by saying he understands the pressures and difficulties of high school and that big tests, responsibilities at home, sports, and projects are hard to balance and deal with all at the same time. This increases his credibility (ethos) and appeals to the student's interests. He also appeals to the audience by treating them as adults and recognizing that they are not just kids, but are the future of America and that their opinion matters. this is important to every teenager, so including this in the speech was clearly to appeal to the students.
Obama's primary argument is to not take the easy route in high school just to maintain a high GPA, but rather to take classes that interest and challenge you as a student. He also argues that we students are the future of the United States and we should not take this responsibility lightly. Obama also takes the time to recognize teachers and their importance and dedication.
The diction Obama uses is clearly chosen so that it will be understood by the main audience, students. Obama's word choice is easy to understand for children of all ages, so it expands his audience and the reach of his message. This is done intentionally so that the speech has an impact on as many people as possible.
Now that I have heard Obama's speech on education, I have decided not to drop out of school and try my very hardest.. just kidding, but I actually really enjoyed his message and they way the speech was delivered. Oh Obama, you dog, you.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
was this real life?
Okay, so can we just talk about how there are about four thousand laws included in these Jim Crow Laws that put restrictions on marriage and cohabitation of Caucasian and African American people? I'm not saying the rest of these laws are unjustified and absolutely ridiculous, but I think laws restricting marriage of people of two different racial groups is obscene. I don't want to be all lovey and gooey, but the government should not have the right to say which groups of people may live together and which can't.
Who takes the time to think of these laws anyway? "Restaurants: It shall be unlawful to conduct a restaurant or other place for the serving of food in the city, at which white and colored people are served in the same room, unless such white and colored persons are effectively separated by a solid partition extending from the floor upward to a distance of seven feet or higher, and unless a separate entrance from the street is provided for each compartment." Seriously? So if my solid partition is only 6 feet tall, I am breaking the law? And would black and white people walking through the same door really hurt anyone? Maybe because I do not live in the same time period, I can not see the reasoning behind a lot of these laws, but they honestly just seem crazy, ridiculous, and unnecessary to me.
These laws include everything from child custody to circuses. Separate but equal seems like such a primitive idea to me. It's almost as if they were pretending to give African Americans rights, but did so in a way in which they would still be inferior. These laws are all cleverly designed to keep whites and blacks separated so that progress would not be possible between the two groups.
My journalism teacher, Mr. Motes was actually just talking about Brown v. Board of Education the other day. Brown v. Board of Education resulted in the desegregation of schools, which meant that all of the schools openly welcomed black students, right? Wrong. Mr. Motes lived in Virginia at the time and said that when the decision was made to make the schools equally available to both black and white students, the board of education as well as teachers, walked out and formed their own private schools. They made these schools almost impossible for black students to get into and for a long time, there were no public schools for seven years in Motes' hometown. I think hearing that story gave me an idea of just how unwilling so many people were to have the United States desegregated.
I am almost ashamed when I look back at these laws and how our country was run regarding these issues. The worst part is, this wasn't even that long ago. I feel like this is such a primitive topic and that these disputes and even the Jim Crow Laws should have taken place hundreds of years ago.
"Woah, dude, that's crazy!"
Who takes the time to think of these laws anyway? "Restaurants: It shall be unlawful to conduct a restaurant or other place for the serving of food in the city, at which white and colored people are served in the same room, unless such white and colored persons are effectively separated by a solid partition extending from the floor upward to a distance of seven feet or higher, and unless a separate entrance from the street is provided for each compartment." Seriously? So if my solid partition is only 6 feet tall, I am breaking the law? And would black and white people walking through the same door really hurt anyone? Maybe because I do not live in the same time period, I can not see the reasoning behind a lot of these laws, but they honestly just seem crazy, ridiculous, and unnecessary to me.
These laws include everything from child custody to circuses. Separate but equal seems like such a primitive idea to me. It's almost as if they were pretending to give African Americans rights, but did so in a way in which they would still be inferior. These laws are all cleverly designed to keep whites and blacks separated so that progress would not be possible between the two groups.
My journalism teacher, Mr. Motes was actually just talking about Brown v. Board of Education the other day. Brown v. Board of Education resulted in the desegregation of schools, which meant that all of the schools openly welcomed black students, right? Wrong. Mr. Motes lived in Virginia at the time and said that when the decision was made to make the schools equally available to both black and white students, the board of education as well as teachers, walked out and formed their own private schools. They made these schools almost impossible for black students to get into and for a long time, there were no public schools for seven years in Motes' hometown. I think hearing that story gave me an idea of just how unwilling so many people were to have the United States desegregated.
I am almost ashamed when I look back at these laws and how our country was run regarding these issues. The worst part is, this wasn't even that long ago. I feel like this is such a primitive topic and that these disputes and even the Jim Crow Laws should have taken place hundreds of years ago.
"Woah, dude, that's crazy!"
Sunday, September 18, 2011
"i have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany."
How these authors are able to portray such detailed, unique experiences in such a small amount of words is amazing to me. I feel as though I have to type a thousand sentences to get my point across sometimes, and for them, it seems so easy. I have to remember that these professional writers started out in the same place that I did, learning the abc's, so that I do not lose hope. There are a few pieces in the packet of readings we were assigned that really caught my attention and made me want to read more. Maurice Sendak's piece about how he began writing was really easy to relate to for me.
Sendak describes the illustrations and stories he wrote as a child, and as he does this, it makes me think of the dozens of handcrafted books I still have packed in a box in my closet. I think this essay made the biggest impact out of all of them because of a couple really powerful sentences. Sendak says, "So, it seems that as a small boy, I pasted and clipped my bits of books together and hoped only for a life that would permit me to earn my bread by pasting and clipping more bits of books. And here I am, all grown-up, at least physically, and still in the same old business." These two sentences really hit me in a way that writing usually doesn't. I don't want to sound all cheesy and say something along the lines of, "this inspired me to believe I can actually accomplish something with my writing," but that is exactly how it made me feel.
I was also able to really relate to Sendak's love for books themselves. He spoke about the pages, the smell, and texture. I am the kind of person who walks around Barnes & Noble just so I can smell new books... which sounds creepy, but who cares? This reminds me of the Anchorman quote, "I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany." I have been in love with books since the minute I learned to read. This might account for my lack of a really great social life... but hey, at least I have my books. Just kidding, kind of. Part of the reason I really appreciated Sendak's love for books themselves is because this whole business about online books, Kindles, and iPad libraries drives me bonkers. I need to flip the pages of a book. I like marking my place in the story with a bookmark to see my progress. I love that feeling of reaching the back cover of a book and knowing it is time to jump in the car and go buy the sequel to whatever I'm reading at the time. People say books, newspapers, and magazines are dying and that everything being online is great. Call me old fashioned, but I would rather "have many leather-bound books" than stare at my laptop screen all day.
Sendak describes the illustrations and stories he wrote as a child, and as he does this, it makes me think of the dozens of handcrafted books I still have packed in a box in my closet. I think this essay made the biggest impact out of all of them because of a couple really powerful sentences. Sendak says, "So, it seems that as a small boy, I pasted and clipped my bits of books together and hoped only for a life that would permit me to earn my bread by pasting and clipping more bits of books. And here I am, all grown-up, at least physically, and still in the same old business." These two sentences really hit me in a way that writing usually doesn't. I don't want to sound all cheesy and say something along the lines of, "this inspired me to believe I can actually accomplish something with my writing," but that is exactly how it made me feel.
I was also able to really relate to Sendak's love for books themselves. He spoke about the pages, the smell, and texture. I am the kind of person who walks around Barnes & Noble just so I can smell new books... which sounds creepy, but who cares? This reminds me of the Anchorman quote, "I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany." I have been in love with books since the minute I learned to read. This might account for my lack of a really great social life... but hey, at least I have my books. Just kidding, kind of. Part of the reason I really appreciated Sendak's love for books themselves is because this whole business about online books, Kindles, and iPad libraries drives me bonkers. I need to flip the pages of a book. I like marking my place in the story with a bookmark to see my progress. I love that feeling of reaching the back cover of a book and knowing it is time to jump in the car and go buy the sequel to whatever I'm reading at the time. People say books, newspapers, and magazines are dying and that everything being online is great. Call me old fashioned, but I would rather "have many leather-bound books" than stare at my laptop screen all day.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Why I Write
I have never really stopped to think about why I write, I have always just kind of done it. I used to write because it was required of me, but now it is less of a chore and more of a source of enjoyment and release. For my birthday, I don't ask for clothes or shoes. I ask for notebooks and shiny, new pens. I write because I love to read and to be able to have material to read, someone must write. For me, writing is a way for me to release all of the thoughts playing in loops in my head. I write because I always have, but more importantly, I write because I love to.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Bob's First Blog.
I failed miserably to come up with a clever name for my blog. So, Bob the Blog it is. I have never done this sort of thing before, but I think that with time, I might actually grow to really like it. I can't compete with Quinn's expertise blogging skills, although I can try to stay in a close 2nd... or 3rd.
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