(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.”