(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