The power of music

I went to the Kanye West concert this past saturday and i was truly blown away. Millions of people sink hundreds of dollars to go to concerts and buy cds. Music runs this world, the majority of ads and propoganda involve music. Many times, bands are used as a funraiser for help in stuggling areas. An effective fundraiser, music is a huge part of everyones life. Hidden messages are imbedded in music. So much of our lives are wired through music and we dont even know it. Sometimes it makes me wonder if any type of brainwashing is occuring. How much impact does music really have on a person?

AIS

As our year winds down and finals are approaching, ive begun to look back at the year as a whole and think about what ive learned and the impact AIS has had on me. I did EH freshman year, and loved the integration of history and english, i thought it created a very fair and beneficial learning environment. AIS isnt for everyone, but i think if anyone was to sit in on a class this year they wouldnt be scared away by any means. Using discussion and critical thinking as a basis for learning instead of memorization and test taking, AIS succesfully conquered every topic and provided every student with effective lectures and thoughts.

Times change

I think that us relating class from today to the time when The Great Gatsby took place doesnt even make sense. The decades in between the two time periods have soo much change in them its unreal. I think that the value of money and the habits of people in both times are so significantly different that argueing and relating class values between the two doesnt make sense. Along with this, i think that even analyzing colors and certain words doesnt coerrelate with today. I think that sometimes it can, sometimes secret meanings and hidden messages in books that are more than 50 years old mean the same thing they do today, but a lot of times the author of that time period meant somehting completely different. Similar to things being lost in translation, i think things can be just as easily lost in time and the way books are analyzed and what is considered right and wrong has to do with the time period and nothing else.

Tutors

All of this talk about tutors and if they are truly beneficial really got me thinking. I also started relating schoool tutors to sport tutors(private lessons). I've been taking private lessons for baseball for 3 years now, sinking thousands of dollars into it. I think that just like school tutors, your performance can be improved in some cases, but not everyone truly needs the extra help. I also think that totors in both categories tell you what you want to hear and do what will make you happy instead of criticizing you and really making you work. No one wants to pay 100 dollars a lesson to get ripped on. Because of this i believe these tutors/coaches are helping themselves more than they are helping us. Its a money scheme in my opinion for the most part.

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is about a time period thats not always seen in movies or read about. So far, the lifestyle and parties are intriguing and different from todays. After the first three chapters, im very excited to read on. But what im confused about is how this man is viewed as such a celebrity. I think that because of the less amount of celebrities and famous athletes as they are viewed today, that typical men can make a celebrity out of themeselves by their actions aswell as their stature. Gatsby is obviously very wealthy, but the way he walks and talks seem to be what draws the envy from the narrator. It was interesting to me how Jordan was so honored to talk to Gatsby, and how everyone is so honored by him.

Gang Signs:final thoughts

With the dreaded Junior theme over with, i cant help but say that it was actually much more enjoyable and educational than i could have ever imagined. I think that because of that fact we got to choose our topic, a lot of people got really into their papers and benefitted from that. Its so interesting to learn how people from different backgrounds grow up. My project focusing on gangs, i read about how youth accross the country struggle with drugs sex and violence every day. Gangs being something New Trier's communities dont really have to deal with, it was obviuosly a huge learning experience. Also, i think that the interview was extremely beneficial, and enjoyable in the same sense that i got to talk to someone i would have otherwise never encountered about a topic that i find extremely interesting. Once agian, i think that because we got to choose our own topics, most if not all students learned way more than they otherwise would have and enjoyed the paper a lot more than they would an assigned topic. The Bolos/Oconner junior theme compared to my friends with other teachers is what a research paper should be like. Taking the emphasis of off mass text reading and focusing it on true learning and understanding of your topic was awesome.

Gangs

My AIS topic covers gangs. Im nearing the end of my book and i just wanted to comment on how different the lives of many Americans(an extreme being a mexican immigrant living in poverty like the book im reading) are compared to ours. Sex drugs and violence are the norm for a 10-13 year old growing up in east L.A. Shooting heroin and loosing your virginity at the age of 12 is hard to grasp for many of us living on the North Shore. Hopefully my interviewee will be the author of this autobiography, Luis J. Rodriguez. His chilling stories and gresuome experiences are exploited in this book for everyone to get a feeling for. A interview with Rodriguez would be extremely moving and knowledgable.

Junior Theme so far

My junior theme is on gangs, and how they effect society and how the precautions set up to lessen gang violence(jails) actually has very little impact on gangs, and accomplishing very little in lessening gang violence and growth. Im reading the book "Always Running" its about a young man who moves to L.A. from Mexico when he is 2 years old. His families struggles and his rough childhood are obvious signs of potential necessity to join a gang. This book so far illustrates the vulnerability of poor children subjected to violence and abuse on a daily basis, and the importance of good education in a community and extracarricular activities to keep kids off the streets.

When is enough enough?

Over spring break, i was in beatiful Carbondale Illinois for a baseball tournament, while there i cant name one meal that wasnt either McDonalds or buerger king. I have no problem with Mcdonalds or Buerger king, in fact, i like both of them a lot in terms of taste. But what i kept noticing was that every mile or so, another Mcdonalds would be right there packed as ever. And i kept wondering if that extra Mcdonalds in between other Mcdonalds in a 3 mile stretch was really worth it. A lot of times America's problem with obesity is linked to fast food chains. Simply cutting down the restaurants a little would make a difference. Its hard for people to make "smart" choices when all their choices are the same thing, when all they ever see as the next food option while on the road is the golden arches.

ACT

As all of us are experiencing the torture of studying and preparing for the ACT i deceded to look back and consult my parents to see if the strain and importance of the ACT nowadays is what is was 30 years ago. To my surprise, my mom informed me that her ACT score had little to do with her getting accepted as compared with todays standards. And it got me thinking and wondering how such a everlasting test that remains the same relatively can fluctuate conerning importance and weight over the years. I also began thinking about whether or not a exam based on effieciency can really have such a weight on a students acceptance into colleges. Should a student who can hypothetically find a cure for cancer over the span of 20 years but not be able to complete an essay in 30 minutes be punished for their slow writing capabilities and banisehd from the top levels of education based on a test to further be limited in their oppurtunites?

Hannah Montana

Alright, everyone knows that hannah monatana is huge now, and that every teenage girl wants to be her(exxageration) I just wanted to try and figure out other peoples input on this girl. A studio takes this girl, dresses her up, puts on make up, computerizes her voice...and boom, superstar. I walked through a Walmart the other day and she was on everything from shoes to shirts. I even went to an auto show, and there was a autographed picutre of her for sale. The extremely fast rise of Hannah Montana is something to acknowledge but also makes you wonder if this girl is actually talented or has an american icon been created instead of born.

War on Iraq

I was at my uncles house today to see the last of him ill see until he returns back to America in August. Given a two week break, our extended family has had many gatherings to welcome him home for his short stay. When he was in Iraq, he took a lot of pictures and showed us. What i was seeing mostly was Americans inhabited in Iraqi palaces, and in their hotels. Just looking at those photos i began to wonder why we are even still there. A war that was promised to be brief seems to never end. I also took note of the impact our culture and inhabitance can have as far negatively. One of the pictures had an American flag posted over a decorative bird covering an entire wall of a palace. It just seems as if we are a super power using/abusing our strength unecessarily. It hard for us to comprehend the importance/relevance of the war since its being faught all the way in Iraq, and none of our daily lives are changed. But when i was visiting my uncle, i was thinking how hes setting off for 5 more months of duty, and for what?

Brainwash

I thikn the media, book, music, and influence of others have such an extreme impact on people they dont even realize anything has happened. Advertising and repetition istill ideas in peoples minds that subconsiously affect them most of the time. Nazi Germany was forged on the ideas of Mein Kompf, the extrememist views were repeated and seen everywhere. An entire nation was manipulated to beleive such horrific and insane things. Its not surpise advertising is seen EVERYWHERE to sell products and promote politicians. Concerning the upcomming elections, its no surprise entire commercial breaks have been political advertisements only. I just wanted to comment on how rediculous and pushy amounts of ads for certain things could be and how a lot of times people dont even realize its affecting them.

Women

A few minutes ago i was watching "True Carribbean Pirates" on the history channel which documented the impact and actions of pirates in the 17th and 18th century. I was looking out for relations to what were learing about and i found one. The pirate society consisted of thousands of pirates, but when two women "enlisted" as pirates, the entire community errupted. Questions of that specific fleet of pirates was questioned based on the fact that merely two out of thousands of pirates were women. They were looked down upon and laughed at for trying to act like the men. Its obvious how this relates and just gives evidence to how the scrutenization of women has always beena around.

is our country ready?

Were learning about womens roles in society and hows its changed so much over the last couple hundred years and continues to change. This years run for president introduces the first serious feale candidate as far as actually becoming president goes..and wiht that you have to wonder how the nation and how the world would respond. The suitibility Clinton possesses is not whats in question, but the ancient stereotypes and assumptions could interfere. Emotional strength could be the stereotype for certain setbacks if Clinton messed up not to mention any type of screw up could lead to the destruction of the idea of a female president for the future. On the other hand, Clinton could set the bar for a women president and let it be known women are capable of holding such a position to those who refuse to believe it.

Women and children

Our new theme is women and children and all the class discussion on this topic is very interesting to me. The question of if the term women and children has the same relevance today as it did 50 years ago is a complex one. I believe that no matter what the idea of male superiority will always be around just like racism will always be around no matter what people say. Sure women can get the same jobs as men and are equal to men in mostly eerything nowadays but the past is the past and just as slavery will always be in the minds of blacks, male superiority will always be in the minds of men and world leaders. The question of if the term still means the same thing..i think that no it doesnt, today it would be wrong for a man to openly say women and children are weaker hence making that statement ok to use. But, i also think that it will always be in the back of peoples minds that men have been unrightfully superior to women in the past and that the term women and children will always subconsciously be around and viewed the same way it was years ago.

Citizen soldier

Listening to this song, and watching the video was a powerful experience. It was obviously gloriying war, and leaving out the gruesome, unforgetable, horrible things that occur. But, besides that, its a necessary advertisement. In class all people were saying how it is a bad video because it doesnt show the reality of war, but its supposed to promote the national guard, obviously it doesnt show what could happen to you. I just stated that its a necessary advertisement, and by that i mean Americans need a posotive visual of war. Becuase of Iraq, our armed forces need all the support they can get, a video like this is definietly a start.

overview:ais

I just wanted to send a shout out to mr b and the doc about how positively this class impacts me. I can honestly say that i learn so much more in this class than any other. Critical thinking and just expanding ones mind is needed in the classroom. Memorization and weekly quizzes are irrelevant and non-existant yet i walk out everyday with more useful information and insight than i do in any other class. I hope others feel the same and back up my statement that AIS was a solid choice, one that will consistantly help me throughout the rest of my academic career, unlike my other classes.