I have really enjoyed reading about the media and the roles of media in your lives. Media is around us all day long, every where we go. People are trying to reach us with any method they can, newspaper, TV , internet, magazines etc. There is really no way of escaping the media and the news. The media plays an important role in our society. The news influences the way we view situations and the world. Although the news is not always enjoyable I believe people need to know what’s going on around them.

The media's effect on a teen's body image

When we were asked to vote on the topic we wanted to write about this essay, I was immediately interested in the topic of media. There are so many types of media around us, especially as the technology around us continues to boom. I feel that there are many approaches that I can take on this essay, but one subject that has particularly caught my attention, through a little research, is the effect that the media has on a teenager's body image. The media is constantly displaying beautiful and thin models, actors and actresses Even the news anchors are generally good looking people. The female models that we see in magazines today generally weigh 23% less than the average woman. The average height and weight for a model is 5'10" and 110 lbs, and the height and weight for the average woman is 5'4" and 145 lbs. These images portray to young girls, and boys as well, that being thin is being beautiful. Because of the skewed images that teens are viewing, in the media all around them, they seem to think that unless they look like these models do, they won't be good enough. Not only are the models thinner than is healthy to begin with, their photos are also airbrushed to make them appear perfect. I feel that the media is having a very negative impact on the body image of teen-agers and is driving teens to take very extreme actions in order to achieve the "perfect" body. Every day, more and more people develop eating disorders. In order to prevent these actions and negative body images amongst teens, I think that the media needs to portray more realistic pictures, rather than favor the impossible. The images that teens see every day are having an effect on both genders. Although females more commonly develop eating disorders, males develop them as well when they think that in order to be attractive they must me lean and muscular. Nobody is perfect, but sometimes it is hard to remember this when all you see are thin, beautiful people in front of you.

Final review

The childhood essay was a great opportunity. I enjoyed having the freedom to edit and make changes to my paper. Having the chance to make revisions helped me understand the simple mistakes I was making. Removing prepositional phrases and be verbs helped be realize and understand how much I truly rely on them. Having to replace these words made the content and the overall paper better. In the future I will keep a close account of the words I am using.

Spring Sports

Spring sports start in eleven days and I am so excited. The softball team has been having the batting cages open for a couple of weeks now and I am happy to see that a lot of people are showing up. In the past years, to my disappointment, only a few girls have dedicated the time to practicing before the season started. This year, however, I am seeing new faces every day. Although we are going to have a young team this year with 6 spots open on varsity, I think the girls are really showing potential. The incoming freshmen, as well as the returning sophomores have already made a strong impression with me, as well as the coaches. I am hoping that if they are this dedicated before the season even starts, then the energy and good work habits will last until the end of the season.
In the past years, there have always been people that play more for the social side of softball than for the sport its self. This has always bothered me because even though some of us really want to do well, we can't without the total efforts of the entire team. This year, I have a feeling that everybody is going to be more dedicated, and not only play for fun, but also to win. I want to do well this year. Rather than only have a strong first half of the season, I want our team to keep fighting until the end. We can do it; we just have to work hard.
Finally, I hope this year that along with spring sports comes Spring. For once, it would be awesome to go a whole season without snow and hail. It would be nice to play games on the day they are scheduled for, rather than two weeks later due to rain. Actually, it would just be nice to be warm again.

The Power of Your Voice

I recently checked up on the site statistics. I found that we have returning readers from all over the country. I also discovered that we have been refrenced on more than one occasion.
California teacher Dan McDowell taught on the use of blogging in education. In his powerpoint, he refrences our site.
With this tool, you have the power to reach a wide audience. Continue to value this opportunity to express something of who you are. I am proud of what you all have done so far. The fact that someone else recognizes what you have done here, should make you proud as well.
Take the time to check out his site.

Cast Your Vote

Your final drafts for the Childhood essay are due on Thursday. Use this week to perfect your drafts.
Here is your chance to vote on our next topic. Please leave a comment with your choice.

Options:
1. Femininity and Masculinity: We find ourselves confronting a fork in the road.
2. Communities: We find ourselves in a place we call home.
3. Insiders and Outsiders: We find ourselves dislodged and excluded.
4. Nature and Civilization: We find ourselves among the beasts.
5. Progress and its Price: We find ourselves in our work and works.
6. Media: We find ourselves in a hall of mirrors.
7. Understanding: We find ourselves in our findings.

Just a Friendly Reminder

When you post, or when you comment, please keep personally identifying information out of your work. This also goes for when you refrence other individuals in the class. Thank you.
I look forward to your latest drafts on Monday!

How does our childhood impact the rest of our lives?

Growing up, I was the only girl in a neighborhood of older boys. Although I adored my baby dolls, I never passed up the opportunity to join in a game of kickball, explore in the nearby forest, or climb trees along with the rest of the kids. Not wanting to be left behind, I always raced to keep up with everyone else. When the older kids started to ride bikes, so did I. Because I didn't want to be the baby of the group, my training wheels were removed at the young age of two and a half years old. Whatever my big brother, and the rest of the boys, was up to, I could be found right alongside them, not missing a minute of the action. These experiences led to my love of sports and have indeed had a great impact on my life. As much as I enjoy getting all dressed up for special occasions, such as formals, I have never been know as a girly-girl. When I get out on the softball field, you will constantly see me on the ground, for I go all out and dive when necessary. Mud and bloody knees will never bother me, when I am in the middle of a game all I care about is putting out the most effort possible. To this day, I cannot stand stupid girls who have nothing better to say than "omigod" and "like, totally!" Given the option of playing sports or cheerleading, I would rather play sports in a heartbeat. The person that I have become has been very much affected by my childhood. If I had grown up playing Barbies and sipping tea at my imaginary tea parties, I probably would have turned out very differently. However, I chose to spend my childhood covered in mud and playing football, which explains my personality today. Anyone who doesn't believe that their childhood has an impact on their life needs to step back for a moment and reanalyze that thought, for I am proof that it does.

young girls

I believe the world and the media have a lot to do with the way young girls dress. These girls are looking to celebrities and adults for what to wear and how to act. The problem with this is that these people are much older then them in most cases! So if a ten-year-old puts on a low cut shirt she may be perceived as a "slut," Where on the model, etc., it was appropriate and complemented that person. The problem is when young girls try to grow up to fast, by looking to older women. They are wishing their lives away without even knowing it. I believe young girls need to dress in a way that is respectable to themselves, and the people around them. When they can accomplish this they will have more confidence in themselves.


Sorry its late!

DON'T Give Children the Vote

Although Vita Wallace brings up some good points in her essay, she is far from convincing me that children should have the right to vote. Children have not had enough education or life experience to be capable of casting a knowledgeable vote. Just as there are reasons that children aren't allowed to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol, there are also reasons for them not to vote. Wallace says that children need the right to vote in order to protect their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, I disagree. The children of today are already being pushed to grow up prematurely, simply because of the expectations held by society. If we give children the right to vote, we will be causing them to grow up and make important decisions even sooner than they do now. Childhood is an important phase of life, and there is no reason to rush into adulthood. It is the duty of a parent to make sure that their children aren't robbed of their rights. As soon as a person turns eighteen, they can take these matters into their own hands; until then, parents can handle it for them.
If children receive the right to vote, many other things would also have to change in our society. For example: if a child who holds the right to vote commits a crime, they should be charged in court as an adult, not as a minor. They should have to pay taxes, and they shouldn't be dependant upon their parents. None of these are logical advancements for our society. However, Wallace feels that she should have been voting since she was eight or nine years old. Eight year-old are simply incapable of making a vote that would benefit our society, even if they were "naturally curious and mostly interested in the electoral process."
As far as I am concerned, Vita Wallace is attempting to change the world, yet she isn't ready to do so. She is a standard sixteen year-old who wishes to be treated as an adult. Although I don't think she is yet ready to change the world, perhaps in two years, when she can legally vote, she will be. Her idea of allowing children to “grow into their right to vote at whatever rate suits them individually” sounds good in theory, but it would never work out in the real world.

The semester is over!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited finals are over and the new semester is starting! For as long as I can remember I have loved school! Last year I didn't miss one of Therrel’s lectures! If there was school I was here. This year is completely the opposite! This semester seems longer then any other. I am hoping that next semester will be more entertaining and my love for school will be refreshed!

Perfection isn't possible... at least not for me.

Throughout all of my school years, I have striven to be perfect. Perfect grades, perfect attendance, perfect assignments, perfect employee, I wanted to do everything (that I was in control of) perfectly. I have never settled for less because I have always felt that if I am not doing things the right way, then I am not doing them good enough and I will let somebody. This has always come pretty easily for me; I have always done well in school and I have very few absences and I always turn my work in. With the exception of a few hard classes, I haven't had to push myself all that hard in order to achieve my goals. They just came naturally. However, things have started to change. Last year in Mr. Verver's class, I had an A- throughout most of first semester. It had me a little bit concerned, but there was never a doubt in my mind that I would be able to pull it up. Before the semester came to an end, I did just that and I was proud of the A that I had worked so hard to earn. This year in calculus has been my second struggle in school. It is by far the hardest class that I have ever taken. I have spent hours upon hours studying for that class, yet this time I wasn't able to pull it out in the end. As of today, perfection is no longer possible for me. The 4.0 that I have worked so hard to maintain is down the drain. Perhaps later on this will be a good thing, for it will probably give me a more realistic view on life. For now, though, I am simply disappointed.

Sorry Les, you can no longer make the comment "Sara has a 4.0." You will have to think of something else to say.

What the heck!

Friday During fourth period I did my post, but for some reason it didn't publish. I logged on today because I was bored and saw that my post wasn't on their so I am rewriting it now. Mcnamor, I hope you will still grade this as on time!
I found out over the weekend that a lot of my friends do have myspace. I have never had one of these or knew my friends even had them. Personally I think myspace is kind of stupid, but if they help kids feel like they are more popular by braging about parties and talking bad about other people then whatever. I think it is a wast of time.
Do people really think they need a web page about themselfs? I think people just make them because theirs nothing else to do because it's always raining.

Revenge

Revenge is and always will be a choice. A choice to take the higher road and not return a wrong that has been done to you. By taking revenge you are making the problem larger. I am not saying that’s its easy. No it is extremely hard sometimes. It takes a commitment to not let your emotions get the better of you. Revenge will never right a wrong.

The nerves set in...

Although this semester seems to have gone by rather fast, it seems like a lifetime ago that I started working on my senior project. I have everything at standard and I am prepared to present; I have done everything that I can to make tomorrow run smoothly. Now, however, I just want to be done with it all. My only hope is that tomorrow goes a little more smoothly than today. This morning I went to the classroom in which I will be presenting; lucky me, I am in the math building where they really don't use the Infocus machines. I take the time to go there and make sure all of the equipment works for tomorrow, but just my luck: nothing is set up. I ask the teacher if she has an Infocus and my response is "Yes, right here in the closet." Now that is definitely a useful place for it to be; I will be sure to project my presentation onto the closet door. When I ask if it will be set up tomorrow, "I am sure someone will set it up" is my answer. Nothing in this classroom seems to be organized for presentation and this simply adds to my stress. What if something doesn't work? I wasn't able to check things out for myself, so I can only hope that by the time I present tomorrow night things will be ready to go. Is it really that hard for teachers to take the time to cooperate and set a few things up? This is graduation we are talking about, and the nonchalance that I faced today wasn't very encouraging. All I can do, however, is sit back and hope that someone took the time to be concerned about this graduation requirement that is set upon us. I know that tomorrow night; I will feel a flood of relief. So, good luck to everyone who is presenting tomorrow, and I hope things go smoothly. And to everyone presenting next semester, well now you know what you get to look forward to. Have fun with that.

The Tempest

When we first started the Tempest I was skeptical, I was truly not looking foreword to another one of Shakespeare’s play. But what I have found is that reading the book in class has helped with understanding the context of the play and what is really going on. The characters that Shakespeare develops in this play are far more interesting then the characters of Othello. I find it interesting how Prospero is on an island and he has been planning his revenge for twelve years.

A perfect world

I would love to live in a perfect world! If everthing was perfect, then we wouldn't have to worry about anything. Everyone would be the same and have the same amount of money, we wouldn't even know the difference between perfect and imperfect world. Everyone says that if they had a choice between a perfect or imperfect world then would have the world stay imperfect, and I disagree. If everyone was perfect we wouldn't even know the difference so the world would be perfect and eveeryone would be happy.

Intrigued by something that I would never have read on my own.

Although I have never been a big fan of Shakespeare’s work in the past, I am slowly warming up to the Tempest. In the beginning of this play, as we dove into Act I, I was bored, as is usual for me when I read Shakespeare. For a literary piece to interest me, I have to be sucked into the plot right away, or my attention will be drawn elsewhere. If I am able to relate to the actions of the characters in a novel, or in this case a play, then I am much more likely to enjoy what I read. Normally, I like literature that is realistic. I enjoy reading about (or seeing) something that could in a way relate to my life. The Tempest, however, forces us to use our imaginations, because some of the ideas within the play are a step out of reality. Although this play is nothing like what I would pick on my own to read, and goes against all of my normal standards, I am still finding myself actually paying attention and following the plot closely. Even though this isn’t something that I would normally enjoy, the different characters that make up this play intrigue me. Prospero, to me, is very interesting. It seems that all he wants is to get revenge upon Alonso and Antonio for stealing his title of Duke of Milan. However, I don’t understand why he isn’t happy with the fact that he now has his own island to rule where he has absolute power. Caliban is also very interesting because he is so content with being a servant. He is no longer happy with serving Prospero, but he is begging to serve Stefano and Trinculo. All of the characters contribute to the effect of the play and make it more enjoyable for me to read. So, it seems, I can no longer say that I dislike all of Shakespeare’s work. Instead, I am finding that, when it comes to the Tempest anyway, that I have been drawn in.

Life in a perfect world would be boring! Living is about making mistakes and learning from your mistakes. Perfection can only be defined by one person and that perfection is limited to themselves and their ideas. With out diversity and other people’s ideas we would be stuck in the same place and the world and are ideas would be immature. For example if I was to define my perfect world when I was five I would no longer be satisfied. The world of dolls, pink clothes, ice cream, and waterslides has no appeal to me any more! It would be an endless cycle to always try for perfection, perfection can never be met because perfection is always changing and the standards are always rising.

The Tempest

I thought this book The Tempest, was going to be as boring as Othello but it turns out it's not that bad. I think this play is a little more interesting than any other shakespear play that I have read. The text is really hard to read for me and, I have the read every sentence about 3 times to understand it but, I think I might enjoy the rest of the play.