(HW 58) parenting 102

Part 3
I thought it would be interesting to talk to parents that have been parenting a long time,a short time or age wise young and old. I spoke to my mom about parenting skills and I already knew the outcome. My mom is all for the "pow pows".If you called her name or tapped her while she was talking she would give you the eyebrow and you knew that when you got home it was on. Yet, my mother was very loving and supportive of everything I did. But her way of parenting was discipline. Another person I interviewed was my friend who just recently had a baby. She said she wants to be the "cool" mom and let her kid experience it for himself but in reality i think it will be the opposite once the baby gets older. Most parents before having kids say what they want to be but when it gets to that point you switch your parenting skills.

Part 4
I really enjoyed this unit on parenting. I look forward to the day I get married and have kids. I just want to be the parent that goes on strolls in the park and take there kids to all there games,or practices. Because I grew up in a large family with tons of cousins and working with children in summer camps all my life I have grown a love for children. As for my insights on parenting, I know i am going to be just like my mother with her parenting skills. I am all for "pow pows" and teaching them and learning with them. Not to sound cocky but I think my mom installed and parented me right as to me knowing right from wrong. But since I'm 18 now my mom knows that all she can go is let me go and hope that I follow all i have been taught and do right.

(HW 57) parenting 101

Part 1
hmm...parenting. As we all try to tackle this assignment I feel like we cant really say how kids should be parented because we only see how we were parented and try to rebel against it. But i will tackle this. I think kids should be showed love all the time but tough love. Growing up my parent were and still are very supportive yet when I was i guess bad i would get punished for it. At the time of being punished I saw it as hell but now i realize that it only helped me to learn from that so when im older it would show growth. My mom was the type to give us the eyebrow or pow pow when we did something wrong such as jump on the couch or call her name out. In the future when I have kids I think I will use the same approach. I feel like I came out fine and i think that is because the way I was parented. The only thing I would want to do differently is take alot of pictures and make a scrapbook for my children so they can look back. My mom was a single mom for a few years and she took pictures but just kept it in an album. I want to make a nice scrapbook of different shots so they can look back and when they have kids show them. I think parenting comes naturally but some do seek advice from others. I feel like it is great to hear from others but at the same time take it and make it your own.

Part 2
Attachment parenting:
I agree with some of the points others I'm like WHAT. I think that when a baby is first born it is good to bond and spend time with the baby but sometimes too much bonding can become spoiled. Kids that are bonded all the way through to they are about 2 start to become spoiled and for any little thing they want to be in your arms. Perosnally I wouldnt breast feed because I wouldnt want that feeling but i hear that breast milk is the best milk for the baby.

Feber Method
I do not agree with this method at all. When the baby cries it is in need of something. So you cant just live the baby to cry all night. If the baby could talk and tell you want he/she wanted it would. I don't see how parents could let their child cry. As a parent it would bother to hear them cry.

(HW 56) interviews and survey questions

Questions
when meeting new people what is your approach?
what are some qualities of a good friendship?
what are some expectations of a friendship?

Chris
When meeting new people what is your approach?
meeting new people it always depends on if its a guy or girl. Guys I can be friends with. Girls I like to remain discrete.

What are some qualities of a good friendship?
Qualities of a good friendship are those that are visible. A bad friendship is obvious to everyone. One you can overlook means there are no flaws within it. There's too many factors that co-exist with a "good friendship".

What are some expectations of a friendship?
Some expectations are an opposite or same that you can rely on or trust. Constant sharing.

Elias
When meeting new people what is your approach?
Be friendly and give off a good first impression.

What are some qualities of a good friendship?
Being able to trust each other and look out for one another.

What are some expectations of a friendship?
No bs

Lauren
When meeting new people what is your approach?
friendly but holding back until you get to know each other

What are some qualities of a good friendship?
Trustworthy, honest, caring

What are some expectations of a friendship?
i can go to them whenever i need them and they can do likewise

I noticed that Chris went in depth as to answering my questions as opposed to Elias. Mainly like everyone else would say "trust, honest". But really when we meet people do we dwell on what type of person they are, or if they really are true? I think most friendships are based of common qualities. I think a phrase to describe meeting people or how friendships start would be friendship hook ups. Where you meet someone with the same taste as you that you can connect to and then carry it to another level.

How often are your friendships based off of "friendship hookups"?

(HW 55)

Part 1
I stole Andy's question for now!
Is marriage counseling an effective remedy, in most cases, for the primary causes of divorce, and if so, how?"

Part 2
CHLOE! my love!

I like your questions for friendships. Maybe if you explain or go into better explaination of the history of friendship. I feel that friendships are not what they used to be. Im not sure if Im making sense lol :)

STEPHY BABY da da daaaa da da! I really like your question because there are many ways you can go with it. Maybe go in depth saying your opinion and talk about the relationships. But overall it is a solid question. :D

Part 3
"Divorce Rate." N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2010. .
Simply the divorce rates broken down into age groups, with children or if married more than once. Incorporating this in my paper will help when I talk about divorce and how many seek counseling.

"Marriage Counselors." N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2010. .
This article states how they can fix a marriage no matter what. So this should be interesting because how sure are these counselors that they can fix the worst divorce ever?

(HW 54)

Part 1
The point of the Myer Briggs survey is to find out your qualities of your personality and best fit you to career or explain the type of person you are. Before taking this test, I kind of knew what I would get because I have done a similar test like this in business class. Even though this was more questions than the other test I have taken I knew my results would be around the same. My results told me that I was outgoing, responsible and some careers were a teacher, nurse etc. My results weren't a surprise except that being a nurse. I have always wanted to be a pre-k teacher but lately I have been thinking about becoming a nurse. I don't know where this came from but it has been on my mind. This is the second time that a test have told be a career in nursing so now I'm looking into it.

Part 2
Some conclusions that I have drawn from this Myer Briggs test is that I am an extrovert but can still be to myself like introverts. Based off this test I figure that my closest friends will have around the same results as me because if you think about it most relationships are based of the common qualities. For example, Aja was an extrovert just like me which is a common quality that we have. Results to test similar to this is how we pick our friends. When you get to know someone that is basically your survey. With that you find out what differences and similarities you have with that person.

(HW 53)

Part 2
Taking this survey made me feel a little uncomfortable. I know the survey was anonymous but it still made me think about my family and what goes on. There were questions such as do you have face to face time? do you talk to your parents about your sexuality? Personally, either way if it was or wasn't anonymous it half way through i didn't want to take it knowing that I had to think about the past. Some of the questions I rushed through because I knew the answer about my family of how they treat me.

Part 3
When looking over the survey scores I knew from the start that people wouldn't be as honest because either they didn't want to be part of a certain percentage of just couldn't accept what they do. Questions such as "do you use illegal drugs" the percentage was high for the answer no. We all know at SOF that people use illegal drugs all the time. Its right in front of your face at SOF you cant avoid it. I think what would have made a difference is if a teacher didn't make the survey and rather a student did. I think students would have been more honest because they can relate more.

(HW 52) human relationships...

Human Relationships is a topic that has never been touched before or introduced to me. I never really take the time to actually think about relationships, what we do, or why we even do that. Never, not once have i dwelled on what can be aspects of how we choose our relationships.

Friendship
When looking for friendship people look for honesty, trust, someone who's there for you etc. For me, I would say that what people determine friends now would be what you call an acquittance. Meeting someone at a party doesn't mean that's your friend. A friend to me is person who has been there for me through thick and thin, knows me inside and out, and just great to be around. My best friend since 6th grade is the true meaning of friendship. One would say what is the true meaning of friendship but there are different definitions.

Family
Family is top priority on my list. Family comes first before everything. For me, my family is very supported as to school, my job and more. They support me no matter what. During class Andy had asked what about step parents. What is that to you?. I have a step dad but I don't consider him to be my "Step" dad. He has been there since i was 3 so he is my dad. He does everthing my real father should have done so he is my dad. I dont treat or love anyone more or less but of course my mom comes first because i look up to her.

Love
I really dont know what to write on this topic other than some people find it and others dont. Love can mean many different things but for me love is knowing that person means the world to you and the feeling you have never gets old. You know when its love when you go through highs and lows and no matter what still want to be with that person in the end. I cant connect this to my life because i am not in love and never was but when love comes around you know it. Do you believe in love at first sight?

(HW 51)

This school unit has taught me some things and also has made think deeper about school. All of us are taught to go to school, finish,go to college and get a great job but what if we weren't made for school? What if school for some people was hell while other enjoyed it? Some questions I wondered about coming into this unit...
-Why is our life consumed with school? (meaning why Monday-Friday from 8:30 until 3:10)
- Will everything I am being taught benefit me in the future? Do we really need to know the Pythagorean theorem?

We go to school from pre-k until 12th grade then on to college for another 4 years of school and maybe another few years for masters. At this point I am tired of school and I wonder what is the point of all this schooling when we might not need some of it in the long run. A lot of people go to school just for the fun and sports. For me, my best school experience would have to be sports . All the friends I hang out with play a sport. As for a school experience I look forward to playing these sports because it helps me just not think about anything else other than winning. In volleyball I often use it as a time to relieve stress by hitting the ball hard. I feel like I am "cool" with everyone in the grade because our grade is close as a whole but yet I still separate myself by being with people who play sports. What I'm trying to get at is that their is one main category that we all have in common but within that there are many sub categories that spilt us up into our own groups.

When I interviewed some of my friends at SOF, i asked what they liked and disliked about school. they commented saying that we don't do anything here but when we go home we have a lot of work to do. Arianna commented and said she dislikes that we get out so late meanwhile other seniors get out early.

I don't consider school to be a prison but I feel like it has some qualities. We are over crowed and confined in one area doing things we don't want to do but that we do anyway.

(HW 50)

Against School
This article caught my eye because of the idea of boredom. In this article, Gatto talks about how students are bored with classes and when asked why they are bored they give the same answers such as "the work is stupid" or "already know this". Students want to do real things as apposed to just "sitting around". Gatto continues to talk about boredom and states that teachers are just as bored as the students. Teachers talk about the students in the lounge with low energy.

The introduction was written well to catch the reader but then it started to get boring like how he was explaining it. I somewhat agree with this article but then I also disagree with it. I agree that there are teachers that can be bored like the students but there are teachers that are not bored. Teachers such as Mr. Zitolo and Mr. Manley give of that vibe that they are excited about teaching as well as showing us how passionate they are about it. Gatto stated that his grandfather told him never to say he was bored around him because it was his fault and not anyone else's. That makes a great point because it is up to us to make the best for ourselves and its up to our parents to give us the support we need to do it.

Six Lessons
This article gives 6 rules or as told lessons about his teachings. He talks about what his expectations are but with a low energy vibe. I feel like he teaches just to do it because that is what he is certified in rather than him being passionate about it. He explains what type of students do what. The bad students will resist what he teaches by letting it go through one ear and out the other while the good ones will take it in.

I agree somewhat with this author. I feel like yes the teacher is the higher authority but at the end the students have the last say. Teachers as well have the last say because they have the power but the students make what they can of themselves and ultimately control there grades and life in general. The teachers can only do so much for the students and the students chose either to take it or not.

(HW 49)

My contribution
Since our class is irresponsible we lost our film so no contribution. -_-

Analysis
By watching Section A's film, I see that the students and teacher are on the same level. At first the teacher tries to instill knowledge into them by teaching even though the class is out of hand. The teacher continues to try as well as hear the students out. The next day the teacher dies to self and just waits on the kids. The teacher eventually starts to get back at the students and goes around to each "clique" i guess and points out what they do. Such as the "prom girls" only knowing stuff about prom.

Compare and Contrast
Freedom Writers and The teacher film have many differences. In Freedom Writers the teacher never gave in to the kids rather kept trying no matter the circumstances. But in the teacher he gave up in a sense as to not teach the next day rather bash on the kids for what they are doing. The teacher film was more of a try but fail on the teacher and student part where Freedom Writers began as a try fail but turned out to be a win win situation.

Some thoughts....
I fee school is what you make out of it rather than all the pressure on the teachers. Yes, there has to be some type of pressure on the teacher but they can only give so much. I think that any level of school is pretty much the same but when you are younger it is more the teachers job and as you get older it is more of your job. With age comes responsibility so it becomes you more than the teacher.

Extra Credit.... The Class

Summary
The movie "The Class" is the typical movie such as that of Freedom Writers where the teacher has class full of children who are behind and disrespectful but in the end go away with something. This movie gave both sides of the story. The side where the teacher is struggling and the side where they show the students and cliques. There always one really troubled student that teachers always talk about and try to reason what they can do to "save" him.

The movie begins where the teacher are greeting each other and welcoming the new year. As each teacher speaks about themselves and how long they have been there they as well say what they teach. One teacher said he teaches algebra to the advanced placement students while the other one said he teaches 2+2 and maybe some multiplication. It didn't catch my attention that these students are doing 2+2 but they are in Junior High school. From the beginning you can tell that these kids are struggling and have no interest in school from the way they act.

To address question number two, if the teacher should be held responsible for the damage done to Souleymane my answer would be no. I don't think Mr.Martin is responsible. There is only so much that a teacher can do for you that at a certain point when you are not meeting them halfway enough is enough. In this case, I feel like Mr. Martin could have handled the situation better or used a different approach. Mr. Martin was quick to jump in there face which should not be tolerated and his not tolerated at SOF.

Some comparisons I can make to the movie is when the principal was at the front door greeting the students as they walked in. It reminded me of Mr. Marks and how everyday people walked in but no one payed him any mind. They way the students walk in the classroom would resemble any other classroom not only at SOF. In the movie, the teachers compared the students to i believe Wei. Without hesitation I thought of Kinory and how he compared SOF to Beacon saying that we cant top Beacon.

There were many contradictions in this movie such as Esmaralda and another girl being class respresativies. I thought that in order to represent your class you would have to be a leader. Esmaralda is a leader in the sense that her classmates follow her. But she does not respect Mr. Martin

In conclusion, there was no savior in this movie rather showed the viewer how the students act up and how a teacher can react on the same level. This movie had no affect on me because in the end Souleymane was the one getting expelled. I believe in second chances not to say that a second chance would have changed Souleymane but it would be worth a try. In the end and in my opinion no teacher should be held responsible for a students behavior rather the parent should be more involved with there child to help them better themselves.

(HW 48) treatment...

School is a wide range of things. I feel like at School of the Future we have a lot to be grateful for. Compared to many schools i would say we are top at safety. I thought that we should do the opposite of SOF and get our "bad side out". I thought of doing a mock of the movies we have seen such as Freedom Writers except make it a twist where higher authorities would get involved and it would be chaos. Then Andy (or teacher) would save one person from becoming what they were going to be before the "savior". I think everyone should play roles they normally dont. So Victor could be a gang member and so on. I think it would be a nice turn around.

(HW 47) Class Film...

Just some ideas...
Setting- of course in school duh! but a mixture of different "cool" places. The hallways, maybe after school outside or at lunch, and in classrooms. We can have where the class does what the teacher wants him or her to do but there is one child who does the opposite or can not be reached.

Plot- the one kid that is sort of an outcast or cant be reached will eventually give in and become apart of his grade.

Character- we will all be in it or those who want to be. To make this more fun we can have people play the opposite role of what they are now.

Theme- trying to reach that one kid who finally gives in and wants to feel and be apart of the grade.

Lastly, we can have cool music playing in the background during certain scenes.

(HW 42) research and thinking...

Part A:
Arata, Catalina. "Highschool drinking and its consequences." Health Care Industry (2003): n. pag. Web. 16 Mar 2010. .

I thought this topic would be intresting due to freshman being stupid and following the crowd. Highschool or teen drinking is very common in todays society. Whether you are at a party, a friends house and now as crazy as it sounds SCHOOL! what in the right mind of these teens would think that it is okay to drink in school? Some parents are even okay with there teenagers drinking as long as they are "responisble". But how can you be responsible when you are under the influence?Many teens due to drinking get involved in sexual activities, driving, arguments, and dont even remember what happened that night. When I went away to Spain I was surprised what I saw teenagers doing. The legal age for drinking in Spain is 16. Most if not all teens drink. They even drink wine at the dinner table with the family. What's the rush to drink other than that yourt friends do it? and in Spain it's legal?

(HW 41) research on schooling...

Who, Alan. "How to be cool." 20 things you need to know about being cool (2009): n. pag. Web. 8 Mar 2010. .

This article gives a list of 20 things someone would need to know in order to be cool. Personally, this list is basura. The first "rule" doesn't even give any hint as to cool. It states that whatever people think is "invalid". But if i follow this rule what if what the way i talk, what i wear, or act like doesn't fit in? This list doesn't show exactly what cool is. It gives a general list from one person perspective of cool.

Hernandez, Fabiola. "High School Sterotypes." (2007): n. pag. Web. 9 Mar 2010. .

I thought outside of SOF what highschool upstate would be like. I thought able highschool sterotypes and how it can affect us. This article goes through different types of people. I feel like this is only seen in the movies not in real life. When it comes to jocks at SOF i feel like we just know whos condsider "nice" in a sport. But rather in a big school they are the "star" quarterback yada yada. I feel like there are different perspectives depending the school.

Benavides, Idalia. (2007): n. pag. Web. 9 Mar 2010. .

After reading this article, I thought back on my college process and how much of a drain it was and still is. The counselors get you started in Junior year stressing about college essays, choices, and more. But why so early. I have two different views. One I feel like it was great to start early because by the time my Senior year came I knew where I was applying and what I needed. So by starting in my Junior year helped me to be ahead of the game. But i also feel like it made me stress to much about college and made me think about the desions i was making when college wasnt near.

(HW 40) school interviews...

Mia Janae- What aspect of school do you like and dislike?
Honestly, I look forward to seeing my friends at school. School is pretty light now I get out at 12:30 everyday.

Arianna- What aspect of school do you like and dislike?
I don't like that we are seniors and we get out at 3:10 but I like that we don't have to take regents.

Kati- I dislike everything.No, I'm kidding.I like that we can be outspoken and that we do exhibitions which will help us in college.

Lauren- Right now i dislike that we have exhibitions because I am behind. School is a drag most of the time because Ive been here so long I want to leave. But I enjoy that I can come to school and see friends.

Jessica- I don't know I like that i get to see my friends. But i dislike that we have a lot of work. We are in school all day, don't do anything but when we go home we have a lot of work.

(HW 39) 2 kool 4 skewl...

Part A:
Questions:
-Why is our life consumed with school? (meaning why Monday-Friday from 8:30 until 3:10)
- Will everything I am being taught benefit me in the future? Do we really need to know the Pythagorean theorem?
- Who thought of the idea of school? How and who determines the budget for each school? Why are we so "low budget"?

Ideas:
-In my opinion, I like going to school because we learn new things. But at this point in my life I am getting a little annoyed and frustrated with it. I have been in school since pre-k, i think it is time for a break. But I realize that being college bound I do not want to take a break because some people don't go back.
-Everyone acts different ways depending the setting they are in. In this case, in school their are people who make a scene to get attention, wear certain clothing to reveal their "great" bodies, and even stick their nose into other peoples problems just to know the business. We encounter one of those roles in one way or another.

Part B:

For me, sports is a big or major role in my school experience. All the friends I hang out with play a sport. As for a school experience I look forward to playing these sports because it helps me just not think about anything else other than winning. In volleyball I often use it as a time to relieve stress by hitting the ball hard. I feel like I am "cool" with everyone in the grade because our grade is close as a whole but yet I still separate myself by being with people who play sports. What I'm trying to get at is that their is one main category that we all have in common but within that there are many sub categories that spilt us up into our own groups.

(HW 38) video response...

Here is our video :) villa is THEE MAN!

Untitled from Cloe on Vimeo.

We wanted to show cool in our perspective. So we showed Anias playing basketball with his boys, then Chloe sitting and looking around then having an interaction with Lauren and Esther. Followed by myself playing volleyball with Esther and also going against Villa and his team. Then lastly, Granit playing ping pong and talking to Marco. I also think along with Chloe that Anias part is the "coolest". He was able to capture himself playing basketball with one hand, as well as talk to his boys and make little comments. I hope people will realize that no matter what group of friends we are from that we are all connected through something we think is cool or like. For example, the boys play basketball and sometimes use their skills to show off to the girls or their friends. If you watch the video you will notice the little details people do to seem cool such as arguing with one another over a call or like Wexler trying to mediate and being given the chance to use his whistle for once. :)

The process for making this video was fairly easy except it was hard to capture our perspective without so much movement. As a group we decided that we wanted to use the gym to show how we and others try to be cool or do what is the cool "norm". It was a group project but we used my camera to shoot it and Chloe edited it.

Yes, I think that making art is cool to me. I enjoy making videos and watching others videos. I think art can be cool to everyone because its your art you make it how you want. It how you feel expressed in a different way. It could be videos, pictures, painting and so on but it captures your thoughts.

(HW 37) final paper...

What is the definition of cool? How does it differ from now?
Cool: laid back, relaxed, not freaked out, knows what's going on, never goes out of style (urban dictionary) socially adept, not excited; calm; composed; under control. All these definitions, have been true one time or another. We use cool in different ways. Cool can be relaxing and calm but also cool can be someone who knows whats going on and never goes out of style. Today cool is used as in popularity. Your not "cool" if you don't have the latest clothes, sneakers or electronics. If an ipod came out 2 months ago and now there is a new one that one is "cooler" than the other one meanwhile the other one is fairly new. I think teenagers now think its cool to drink, smoke and have the latest gear. I feel like no one can say they don't care about what others think or don't care if they are cool or not because the way you present yourself or even dress can separate you from being cool or not. This relates back to how digital and society shape who we are because they feed us with all the magazine ads making us want it more to make us feel "cool". In one way or another we have tried to be "cool" without noticing. We are quick to read magazines and follow up on celebrities to see the new "cool" trend but then we say we are unique.

On a walking class trip, Andy told us to interview strangers and ask them what is cool to them etc. Chloe and I interviewed a lady that was at seven11 making a cup of coffee. She told us her definition of cool was President Obama because he is multiracial, he's really into politics and for a black president to be in the highest office which is cool.


Back to your high school days what was cool defined as?
The latest actor or actress was cool. If someone was popular like influenced by the media they were cool.
What is the coolest part of your outfit?
Well I'm dressed old fashion but for the younger ones its whatever the trend is. If plaid is in that what they wear. Personally, I don't like plaid so I wouldn't wear it.

Random man next to seven 11 smoking a cigarette.
Who is the coolest person to you and why?
I would say my boyfriend because he is successful at what he does and he dresses nice.
What is the coolest trend to you and why?
**Farm to table restaurants** because it is fresh food and locally sustainable.
What would you say the latest fashion trend is?
Vintage and fur looks really nice and is practical.

Now as for family, we love to shop so when we see something we like its an automatic buy it even though we don't necessarily need it which is a bad habit. One person I would say I like her style would be my older cousin. Shes young and vibrant and expresses herself through clothes and accessories. She puts a lot of outfits together that look stunning yet they are so cheap. She really knows how to dress. My family calls her a model for her looks. I have shopped in the past with her and i must say it was the longest day of my life. From rack to rack she looks until every shelve and rack is covered which I guess is why she gets the bargains.

These interviews made me realize how much fashion, friends and family is a priority and accessory to being cool. Without us knowing we try to be cool so that we can be better than the next person. It is simply a competition an race to be the coolest person. What can I have that another person wont or just make it my own. Why is the main necessity to be cool in most of our lives even though it comes and goes?

Cool changes ever so often. I remember when having short hair was in. Personally, I cut my hair mid way into the spring because it starts to get warmer and short hair is the best. But when short hair came in style it was way before spring yet I still did it. Not once did I think that it wouldn't be cool later on. I was fixated on NOW and being cool that moment, I didn't think about months later. There were videos that andy posted on cool which tried to grasp cool and what are so aspects of cool. While watching the videos all I could think of was the memories of the baggy pants, big chains and how it was "in".

After watching the videos posted I realized that a few things in the video have changed. The main aspect of cool in the videos were targeting teenagers and showing what "cool" was. In the video they had a boys group and the boys were explaining what cool was and wasn't. I feel like depending on the person cool is different to others. Of course there are common things that are cool between different people but in general cool is whatever you think it is. The media affects us and shows us what "cool" is and I think that is where most of us get the ideas of what to wear and or buy. We look and listen to the media whether we think we do or not. Everyone is affected by the media and advertisements which shape our cool definitions. If these videos were recent you would be able to see the difference from back in the day and now. As for brittany spears and the media it can be bad for the younger girls who watch and listen to her. But these girls have a choice and so do there parents. They don't have to watch and follow every moment of what she is doing. I think they are like this because they don't support at home or are not monitored. In conclusion, there is still no solid definition of cool. Cool changes like the weather changes.

Within trying to be cool their can be a period of time where you feel an emptiness. In my option, the emptiness can be perceived feel good and bad sometimes. There is an emptiness where you are drained from everything around you, and don't have the energy to go on. But then there is emptiness where you are no longer connected to certain things which are bad for you. This emptiness or void people feel is always trying to be filled. People look left and right for things that can get rid of the emptiness but sometimes after they have found that "thing" the emptiness still remains. In connection to my personal life, from the time I was born until I was about 3 years of age (that's when my mom got married) she was a single parent. My dad wasn't apart of the family. It wasn't until I became old enough to understand it all and started feeling this emptiness. I thought finding different things would make me whole but it didn't. Do still feel the emptiness? No not necessarily, but I feel that my emptiness has transformed to animosity toward my dad.

In this day and age, emptiness for teens is filled with the party scene. Teens look for the new "cool" or "it" thing to fill what they are missing. They look towards the drinking, smoking, sex and more to fill there emptiness. But that's not all teens. There are some teens that don't take part in the party scene and actually want something for there life. Kudos to them. I think it is more than emptiness but that plays a major role. Just trying to fit in by getting or doing certain things gives you that emptiness.

I believe that a feeling of emptiness can be longing for something. A desire to get this certain " thing" because you think it will fill the void or emptiness. But in reality we will all have some type of emptiness because of our history. Lastly, and I leave you with this quote by Helen Keller "When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”

I wanted to go deeper to find more about cool and what is one thing that's cool to them and why they do it. I find it that guys work out to impress the girls, girls dress up to impress the guys and other girls around them, and so on. So i decided to ask my friend Timothy why he works out so much and how did it all start. He told me that as a young kid he was overweight and didn't want to be like that when he was older. I see him now an he works out everyday and is losing weight. He wants to be able to show off at the beach. In connection, I recently went to a store in Soho called hollister where the guys and girls are wearing close to nothing. Some of the guys are even shirtless. I feel as if my friend wants to work out so he can gain confidence in himself. I asked him what was the purpose in doing this. He responded "I always liked this girl and she would never give me the time of day. So I figured, ill start working out and she will notice I'm serious." I couldn't help but giggle because I know this is TRUE. Our friend Emily didn't pay any attention to him. Timothy is buff now and is dating Emily. No one would have ever guessed. In my opinion, some people try to change themselves in anyway they can to be and feel accepted. We are influenced by the media, people around us, magazines and even family. My grandmother tells me all the time, you need to lose weight, she even calls me butter ball sometimes. Since people have told me that it sticks in my head so when I see that model in a magazine you think about what people have told you.

Honestly I still aggrandize myself by buying certain clothes, getting my nails done a certain color and so on. I look at magazines often. My favorite part is in the back were they show you what's in style or "cool". They show you everything from clothes, makeup,nail color, accessories and electronics. The next appointment I make at the nail salon, the color I pick is the one I saw in the magazine. Clothes are a way people aggrandize themselves. They sometimes try to cover it up like "I buy this because its my style and I'm unique". When the really answer is that we are influenced and like to show off to others to be ranked at the top. Like Andy was talking about in class, within your crew at school you would rank yourself high but from the outside your not really that.

Another aspect of cool is tattoos and piercings. Growing up and at the moment, many of my friends have both. I was never into either because I'm satisfied with the two piercings i have now. I don't understand why people get them when they are so painful. Expressing ourselves through significant tattoos or spare of the moment piercings. One way or another we have caught or even went the whole way in getting a tattoo or a piercing. Some say "well i got this because its unique and I had someone draw it for me, so no one else has this tattoo." To be honest, I have thought about what could be the reason in why we want them. The pain, the thought, and the process all go through our minds yet we still do it. But why? When Mr. Fanning spoke about his tattoos, I wondered what parents thought of him being the new principal and having this appearance. As Fanning began to go into detail about some tattoos, I realized that these tattoos were more than just ink on his arm. Symbolizing a very serious surgery I found it very significant. People are quick to judge others on tattoos but don't know what exactly is behind it. I was quick to judge my brother on his tattoos because I felt they were dumb and insignificant but to him "they mean a lot". He has tattoos all over. One says "East Harlem" another says our Grandmothers name. I could not grasp the concept of having East Harlem tattoo on your arms nor having your grandmothers name when she is still ALIVE. I feel like my brother is one of the many people who get tattoos and what they call a meaning behind them but to us its meaningless.

In conclusion, we strive to become or continue to try and be cool through what we wear, who we hangout with, the gadgets we have and so on. I am one of the suckers that are sucked into this coolness and journey into being cool. We turn to so many things to be cool and then call it our own, when in reality it came out years before or someone had it before us. When will we notice that trying or being cool is not really cool anymore?

(HW 36) triangle partners....

Michelle,
By reading your draft, I can tell that your paper is mainly about the roles we play in order to be cool and who affects it such as family and friends. Without us realizing, we play certain roles which are not our own or "unique". We dwell on how we can be better than others around us just to gain that respect of cool. We might even change our roles depending on our day or the group we are hanging out with. Overall, good start to a paper, my only suggestion would be more evidence other than your family. It seems as if your limited. :)

Larche,
Your draft was good. It transitioned well. I see where your going with this and i have no doubt that this will defiently be a great final paper. As Jin said you can clear and sharpen your thesis a little more an even add to it. Overall great draft :D

(HW 35) first draft COOL paper...

What is the definition of cool? How does it differ from now?
Cool: laid back, relaxed, not freaked out, knows what's going on, never goes out of style (urban dictionary) socially adept, not excited; calm; composed; under control. All these definitions, have been true one time or another. We use cool in different ways. Cool can be relaxing and calm but also cool can be someone who knows whats going on and never goes out of style. Today cool is used as in popularity. Your not "cool" if you don't have the latest clothes, sneakers or electronics. If an ipod came out 2 months ago and now there is a new one that one is "cooler" than the other one meanwhile the other one is fairly new. I think teenagers now think its cool to drink, smoke and have the latest gear. I feel like no one can say they don't care about what others think or don't care if they are cool or not because the way you present yourself or even dress can separate you from being cool or not. This relates back to how digital and society shape who we are because they feed us with all the magazine ads making us want it more to make us feel "cool". In one way or another we have tried to be "cool" without noticing. We are quick to read magazines and follow up on celebrities to see the new "cool" trend but then we say we are unique.

On a walking class trip, Andy told us to interview strangers and ask them what is cool to them etc. Chloe and I interviewed a lady that was at seven11 making a cup of coffee. She told us her definition of cool was President Obama because he is multiracial, he's really into politics and for a black president to be in the highest office which is cool.


Back to your high school days what was cool defined as?
The latest actor or actress was cool. If someone was popular like influenced by the media they were cool.
What is the coolest part of your outfit?
Well I'm dressed old fashion but for the younger ones its whatever the trend is. If plaid is in that what they wear. Personally, I don't like plaid so I wouldn't wear it.

Random man next to seven 11 smoking a cigarette.
Who is the coolest person to you and why?
I would say my boyfriend because he is successful at what he does and he dresses nice.
What is the coolest trend to you and why?
**Farm to table restaurants** because it is fresh food and locally sustainable.
What would you say the latest fashion trend is?
Vintage and fur looks really nice and is practical.

Now as for family, we love to shop so when we see something we like its an automatic buy it even though we don't necessarily need it which is a bad habit. One person I would say I like her style would be my older cousin. Shes young and vibrant and expresses herself through clothes and accessories. She puts a lot of outfits together that look stunning yet they are so cheap. She really knows how to dress. My family calls her a model for her looks. I have shopped in the past with her and i must say it was the longest day of my life. From rack to rack she looks until every shelve and rack is covered which I guess is why she gets the bargains.

These interviews made me realize how much fashion, friends and family is a priority and accessory to being cool. Without us knowing we try to be cool so that we can be better than the next person. It is simply a competition an race to be the coolest person. What can I have that another person wont or just make it my own. Why is the main necessity to be cool in most of our lives even though it comes and goes?

Cool changes ever so often. I remember when having short hair was in. Personally, I cut my hair mid way into the spring because it starts to get warmer and short hair is the best. But when short hair came in style it was way before spring yet I still did it. Not once did I think that it wouldn't be cool later on. I was fixated on NOW and being cool that moment, I didn't think about months later. There were videos that andy posted on cool which tried to grasp cool and what are so aspects of cool. While watching the videos all I could think of was the memories of the baggy pants, big chains and how it was "in".

After watching the videos posted I realized that a few things in the video have changed. The main aspect of cool in the videos were targeting teenagers and showing what "cool" was. In the video they had a boys group and the boys were explaining what cool was and wasn't. I feel like depending on the person cool is different to others. Of course there are common things that are cool between different people but in general cool is whatever you think it is. The media affects us and shows us what "cool" is and I think that is where most of us get the ideas of what to wear and or buy. We look and listen to the media whether we think we do or not. Everyone is affected by the media and advertisements which shape our cool definitions. If these videos were recent you would be able to see the difference from back in the day and now. As for brittany spears and the media it can be bad for the younger girls who watch and listen to her. But these girls have a choice and so do there parents. They don't have to watch and follow every moment of what she is doing. I think they are like this because they don't support at home or are not monitored. In conclusion, there is still no solid definition of cool. Cool changes like the weather changes.

Within trying to be cool their can be a period of time where....

(HW 34) Cool pose...

Go to school, sports, after school activities, hangout with friends, go to college, and be successful are one of the many maps that have been placed in front of us to follow but why do so many take detours? We try to follow our maps to the best of our ability but then theres that one time that you want to be a rebel. But because of curiosity you can steer off the map that was placed right in front of you. There are alot of stereotypical maps that people give different races but that doesn't mean they cant be the opposite of what they were perceived to be.

I think our maps are made from our parents and what they did as they got older. I spoke to a person once that said he wanted to drop out of school because it just wasn't him. His reasoning being that his parents didn't go to college and one didn't graduate high school so what can they say. I think that should give you more of a reason to want to stay in school and graduate to better yourself.

Our cool pose can sometimes determine who is around us or what are other peoples "cool pose". I notice that people change there cool pose depending on others. An example, is I have a friend that likes to take others people ideas. Such as, if you talk to her about getting another pair of boots, she will show up with them next week. I have learned from past experiences not to talk to her about stuff like that or give her little to no detail about shopping because she will end up trying to get it even if it is not in her budget. This is an example of someone trying to copy and follow the cool poses all around them.

In conclusion, I think everyone follows another cool pose and says its there own. We all try to be unique meanwhile there is anohter person that has those shoes. "oh but its the way I wear them which makes me unique". Honestly, doesn't matter, we all have the same cool pose just tweeked to make it our "own". Life is like dice, we roll them but cant determine how they fall.

(HW 33) Super freaking COOL outline :)

Thesis: Society has place an impact on us by shaping who we are or want to be by our clothes, media, tattoos and piercing, or what we see everyday. Instead of focusing ourselves we tend to watch others and fix ourselves to be cool.

Argument 1: The media shapes us into what they think is "cool" and from there we take over.
Evidence: celebrities, magazines, television etc.

Argument 2: Trying to be "cool" by the way we act, dress, or what we do.
Evidence: clothes, tattoos and peircing, hair. Mr. Fanning etc.

Argument 3: Whether we know it or not we try and impress others by our actions and try to fit in.
Evidence: school etc.

(HW 32) Tattoos...

Expressing ourselves through significant tattoos or spare of the moment piercings. One way or another we have caught or even went the whole way in getting a tattoo or a piercing. Some say "well i got this because its unique and I had someone draw it for me, so no one else has this tattoo." To be honest, I have thought about what could be the reason in why we want them. The pain, the thought, and the process all go through our minds yet we still do it. But why? When Mr. Fanning spoke about his tattoos, I wondered what parents thought of him being the new principal and having this appearance. As Fanning began to go into detail about some tattoos, I realized that these tattoos were more than just ink on his arm. Symbolizing a very serious surgery I found it very significant. People are quick to judge others on tattoos but don't know what exactly is behind it. I was quick to judge my brother on his tattoos because I felt they were dumb and insignificant but to him "they mean a lot". He has tattoos all over. One says "East Harlem" another says our Grandmothers name. I could not grasp the concept of having East Harlem tattoo on your arms nor having your grandmothers name when she is still ALIVE. I feel like my brother is one of the many people who get tattoos and what they call a meaning behind them but to us its meaningless.

(HW 31) exploring methods...

Part A: I thought about someone I could ask that wouldn't get offended. I asked my friend Timothy why he works out so much and how did it all start. He told me that as a young kid he was overweight and didn't want to be like that when he was older. I see him now an he works out everyday and is losing weight. He wants to be able to show off at the beach. In connection, I recently went to a store in Soho called hollister where the guys and girls are wearing close to nothing. Some of the guys are even shirtless. I feel as if my friend wants to work out so he can gain confidence in himself. I asked him what was the purpose in doing this. He responded "I always liked this girl and she would never give me the time of day. So I figured, ill start working out and she will notice im serious." I couldnt help but giggle because I know this is TRUE. Our friend Emily didnt pay any attention to him. Timothy is buff now and is dating Emily. No one would have ever guessed. In my opinion, some people try to change themselves in anyway they can to be and feel accepted. We are influenced by the media, people around us, magazines and even family. My grandmother tells me all the time, you need to lose weight, she even calls me butter ball sometimes. Since people have told me that it sticks in my head so when I see that model in a magazine you think about what people have told you.

Part B: Honestly I still aggrandize myself by buying certain clothes, getting my nails done a certain color and so on. I look at magazines often. My favorite part is in the back were they show you what's in style or "cool". They show you everything from clothes, makeup,nail color, accesories and electronics. The next appointment I make at the nail salon, the color I pick is the one I saw in the magazine. Clothes are a way people aggrandize themselfs. They sometimes try to cover it up like "I buy this because its my style and Im unique". When the really answer is that we are influenced and like to show off to others to be ranked at the top. Like andy was talking about in class, within your crew at school you would rank yourself high but from the outside your not really that.

(HW 30) theorizing cool...

How does this emptiness feel?
When reading this blog post, I knew right away which question I wanted to answer and find out information on. In my option, the emptiness can be perceived feel good and bad sometimes. There is an emptiness where you are drained from everything around you, and don't have the energy to go on. But then there is emptiness where you are no longer connected to certain things which are bad for you. This emptiness or void people feel is always trying to be filled. People look left and right for things that can get rid of the emptiness but sometimes after they have found that "thing" the emptiness still remains. In connection to my personal life, from the time I was born until I was about 3 years of age (that's when my mom got married) she was a single parent. My dad wasn't apart of the family. It wasn't until I became old enough to understand it all and started feeling this emptiness. I thought finding different things would make me whole but it didn't. Do still feel the emptiness? No not necessarily, but I feel that my emptiness has transformed to animosity toward my dad.

In this day and age, emptiness for teens is filled with the party scene. Teens look for the new "cool" or "it" thing to fill what they are missing. They look towards the drinking, smoking, sex and more to fill there emptiness. But that's not all teens. There are some teens that don't take part in the party scene and actually want something for there life. Kudos to them. I think it is more than emptiness but that plays a major role. Just trying to fit in by getting or doing certain things gives you that emptiness.

In conclusion, I believe that a feeling of emptiness can be longing for something. A desire to get this certain " thing" because you think it will fill the void or emptiness. But in reality we will all have some type of emptiness because of our history. Lastly, and I leave you with this quote by Helen Keller "When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”