Dear College Board, I'm Really Not That Interesting But...

After spending half of my weekend touring St. Olaf College, I realized how much work college is.

Understandably, high school is a lot of work (depending on which classes you take). College is hard (depending on which classes you take). Actually getting into college? That's another matter entirely.

Now, the common app is supposed to be easy. Less work with a broad spectrum of colleges that use the app. True? Yes. Any less work? In theory. Thank you to whomever created the common app, but I still have A LOT of work to do.

For instance, it took three phone calls to figure out a) what my social security number is and b) what teaching degree my father received. Three phone calls for 2/29324628374629384729 parts of that app. Almost there! Maybe by the time I've turned eighty this gosh dang application will be finished.

And then there's the family section. How many siblings do you have? First name, middle initial, last name? Are they still living? What grade are they in? How old are they? I ran into a problem at the point where I put down two of my three siblings as deceased...when they are quite alive.

Have you ever been convicted of a felony? You answer either yes or no, but you are not required to explain what that felony was. Doesn't that seem a little odd? Apparently a felony is a felony, so don't bother applying for college if you have been convicted. I almost wanted to click the little "yes" button just to see what would happen :)

Then you add in academics, extracurriculars, awards, jobs held, supplements, and the world is ready to explode. Errrm, my brain, that is. Oh and do not forget the essay! My mother has been riding my back about getting the essay done for the past month and a half. All I need is a topic. The last choice on the essay section: topic of your own choice. Oh college board, thank you for being so considerate. Now I'll spend the next two weeks trying to think of a topic of my choice.

Ten bucks says the topic of my choice isn't all that interesting. What would you like me to write about?
How about I tell you about reading books. No? Okay umm...dancing? Singing? Working a job? I'm really not that interesting. Rather boring really. Someone should create a website of all the interesting things one could ever write about for a college app essay. My sanity would appreciate it.

And being a white chick from the middle of Minnesota doesn't really help; there are no scholarships for being a white girl. If I happened to be an "Alaskan Native" the tables will have turned, but alas, I am not.

Long story short? Jump on your college apps. They're going to take you longer than that TV show you put them off for. Oh, and be interesting. If you come from an interesting country or have an ethnic heritage different from that of the rest of us, congrats. You're officially pretty cool in the eyes of the college board. For the rest of us, we'll just spend our time trying to come up with a creative essay topic.

Happy app-ing.

Make 'em Laugh, Make 'em Laugh...

...everybody just wants to laugh :)

In order to get the full effect, both videos need to be posted, and you must have SOME idea of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind (or at least the movie version!). If you don't know of Gone With the Wind, you are culturally deprived and probably won't understand this in the least.

These videos are clearly parodies of Gone With the Wind. The title, "Went With the Wind," should tell you that much! What makes the humor work? The easiest answer would be Carol Burnett. Everything she does is hilarious, but in this episode of her show, she works directly off of main ideas found in Gone With the Wind.

• Sissy's annoying voice. Sissy has a ridiculously shrill voice in Gone With the Wind, and it follows through to this parody. Carol Burnett's character, Scarlett O'Hara, proceeds to slap Sissy across the face to shut her up. This doesn't happen in Gone With the Wind, but is found throughout the parody: when Scarlett runs upstairs to make her famous curtain dress, Sissy doesn't know how to keep Rhett busy. She inevitably slaps herself across the face to settle down.
• The ditziness of Melody Hamilton. Scarlett says, "In the meantime Melody, why don't you just stick your head in the punch bowl. I'm sure it could use a little more sugar," and Melody willingly complies. Not in the original movie, but it makes the point!
• The dress made out of curtains. A much-remembered moment from Gone With the Wind turns the audience into hyenas as Carol Burnett leaves the metal pole from the curtains attached to the fabric. If you hadn't caught it by now, this is a parody, ladies and gentlemen!
• Melody's death. Could it be more dramatic? Probably not, but that was the point! Pushing Scarlett back down the stairs was a twist on Melody's overly-peaceful character.
• Scarlett's famous line: "As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat, or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again." Sissy singing opera in the background helps dramatize the poignant moment in Scarlett's life...making it into a joke as Sissy wails and Melody gives birth.
• The most famous line of the movie: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." Rhett doesn't even say it in this version! Sissy exclaims the famous words shortly after slapping Scarlett across the face (Remember all the slapping from before? Now it's reversed roles!).

Melody's cool, calm, and collected character provides a stark contrast to Scarlett's obnoxious, hilarious, and harsh character. Carol Burnett's overreactions to the circumstances and overacting of Scarlett's character make this parody hilarious. This version of Gone With the Wind is far funnier than the actual movie as Carol Burnett puts spins on the events of the actual movie, adding in more modern language and other references. "Dixie's Land," by Daniel Decatur Emmett is mentioned, as is "A Streetcar Named Desire." These references make the parody even funnier, providing Sissy with sassy comments for Rhett, and a connection to the audience members as they see how the references fit in with the "content" of the parody.

Oh, Steinbeck. I adore you.

John Steinbeck on falling in love...

New York
November 10, 1958

Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second — There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply — of course it isn’t puppy love.

But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it — and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone — there is no possible harm in saying so — only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another — but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,

Fa

You could say I adore Steinbeck.


 From: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/01/12/john-steinbeck-on-love-1958/

Observations from the Stadium Bleachers: A Story of My Friday Night

This was the first football game where I was actually involved with my grade; I was situated right smack-dab in the middle of the seniors, trying to strategically see my way around the tall boys and keep warm at the same time.

It's interesting to just watch people. Even without trying, I jump to conclusions far too quickly. But for the record, sometimes I'm right.

The girl in front of me arrives later than the rest of us, pushing through the masses of energetic high schoolers. She doesn't seem to have a destination in mind, but stops a row down from me and to my right. It's odd - usually girls flock together and travel in packs, but she arrives by herself. Think typical Wayzata girl; tight yoga pants (probably Lululemon) sticking to her slightly orange body, a decent amount of makeup. Observing her letter jacket, it's clear she's been a part of the soccer team for quite a while. You'd think she'd be surrounded by friends and teammates; the soccer team is extremely close, but she's at the opposite end of the bleachers from her teammates. The boys greet her when she joins the group, playfully pushing her as she makes snarky comments. She comes off as aggressive, with strong, loud opinions and an attitude to back them up. As soon as the boys start playing rough, she pushes them back and the first six rows of bleachers turn into a shoving match, the soccer chick right in the middle of it all. I question her personality. She seems guarded, hastily throwing out comments while the other girls laugh and the boys play along. Are her teammates mad at her? I'd want to be with my friends at the game, but maybe she's past the point of caring what others think of her. She's in the middle of the boys, but maybe that's where she wants to be. Her arrival time indicates that it really doesn't matter to her where she sits; the girls up front don't really want her with them, but she knows she'll find someone to talk to her...the boys always do. What is it like to be her? Stereotypical Wayzata girl, separated from her friends by choice, chatting up the boys with sassy, controversial comments. I'd like to say I think there's more to her than that, but I'm not sure that's true.

The boy to my right is high as a kite. I've never been around someone that high - I'd say it's impressive, but that would give the wrong connotation (I'm not extremely impressed by stoners). But at the same time, I know him. We've had a class or two together, but he's always been relatively quiet yet entertaining enough to be known by the class. He's friendly when I see him in the bleachers, and he's grounded enough to know my name. Looking at him, I wouldn't initially think he's a stoner, even though he admits it approximately ten minutes after appearing on the bleachers. Maybe it's just that I try to think the best of people, or maybe the fact that I'm oblivious to life. He appears to be having a good time, alternating between screaming at the top of his lungs and staring off into space. What on earth is he seeing? I'm not sure I want to know. His friends are sketchy, but I realize that I've never really seen him with people outside of the classes I've had with him. I'm predisposed to not judge him based on his current level of sanity because I'm acquainted with him. He comes off as looking for a good time, carefree, and a tiny bit scary. His carefree nature allows him to openly discuss plans for the night, describing how much fun he is planning on having. Even though I know of him, I see him as a stranger at this point; he's impossible to predict, and we do all that we can to keep him satisfied with our company. In my head I urge him to be safe tonight, but it's probably too late for that.

The girls situated behind me have on matching sunglasses, hiding their eyes as they observe the crowd. They match in their clothing choices, but not like the rest of us did in middle school; it isn't the matching shirts and glitter, but rather a cool attitude that makes them appear more similar than they are. Both have dark hair, one leaner and shorter than the other, but they are clearly best friends. I feel their gazes on me as I turn around to talk to my best friend, feeling judged as we discuss the stoned state of the boy. Are they observing me as I am observing them? From one glance I feel judged, and become defensive, judging them in turn. They appear relatively cold-hearted, sticking to talking to one another while the rest of us converse with the people around us. They do not move the entire game or even crack a smile. They think they are better than the rest of us; my group of friends is inevitably awkward and far from cool, especially by their standards. I recognize them from my grade, but I couldn't name either girl if my life depended on it. A million dollars said they couldn't name any of us. They aren't the most popular people in our grade - the popular girls are located at the very bottom of the bleachers, leading the cheers and taking pictures. Instead, these girls are up here, strategically separated from the popular girls; a hundred dollars says these girls do not like the ones at the bottom of the bleachers and want nothing to do with them. A cat fight wouldn't be impossible. Hopefully they're satisfied with themselves, because they won't be bonding with other people any time soon.

Observing is fun :) I love to watch people in places like amusement parks, foreign countries, mini golf courses, pretty much anywhere. My sister and I try to figure out how people are related and what their relationships are; human beings are interesting, for a lack of other wording.

Ohhh...is that why we're dumb?

Apparently we only use ten percent of our brains. Most people find this to be true, blaming the fact that we aren't all savants on the inability to tap into that other 90%. Even Albert Einstein believed we only use ten percent of our brains. Sorry, Al, but you're wrong.

While it would make sense that we only use 10% of the brain while at rest or when thinking, the rest of the brain isn't sitting there twiddling its thumbs and waiting for the active parts to take a nap. We use 100% of our brains all the time; different parts do different things. The other parts are subconsciously keeping you alive. You don't consciously think to yourself One, two, three, BREATHE! but that doesn't mean it isn't happening; coordination of movement and balance, breathing, and heart rate are all unconscious functions performed by the brain. The brain is constantly making sense of the millions of pieces of data that are sent to it from the neurons all over the body. We have self-awareness and understanding of our environment because the brain's regions are active.

If we really didn't use the other 90% of our brains, brain damage would not be an issue but rather a mere inconvenience. Instead, there is no area of the brain that can be damaged without the loss of abilities.

In the years of mapping the brain, there have been no areas found that do not have a function.

The brain requires up to 20% of the energy that our bodies have, especially in terms of oxygen and nutrient consumption. If we didn't need that "extra" 90%, then there would be a huge advantage for humans with smaller, more efficient brains - it would help them survive. If this was true, natural selection would have gotten rid of the inefficient brains.


Inevitably, here we are, brains running at 100 miles per hour to stay up to date. Every part of our brains are active, keeping us alive and functioning. Sorry, Albert Einstein. At least you still have the theory of relativity and E = mc^2.

Hearne vs. Singer - Animal Rights

You would think animal rights would be a topic that most people could agree on; everyone believes animals have the right to a good life. But the authors of the two essays we read had different takes on what really defines the words, "animal rights."

According to Vicki Hearne:

Relationship with mutual trust between animal and owner  – suffering + happiness = Animal Rights

Hearne believes that animal rights are not created to prevent unnecessary suffering; they are created to create the possibility of happiness for animals. Happiness is a right, according to Jefferson: "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," and all animals have this right and need.

According to Peter Singer:

Treating animals like we treat humans = Animal Rights

Singer argues that we think we are allowed to treat members of different species in a way that is considered unacceptable to treat members of our own species. This is called "speciesism." Abuse of children and other humans is looked down upon, but animals are also abused. People have the right to not be abused, as do animals. 

Singer relates "speciesism" to racism and sexism, pointing out that it is no different.

Long story short? Animals rights aren't as cut-and-dried for everyone as you'd think they are. Some people (Hearne) believe that we need to understand the feelings of our animals, giving them a sense of personal achievement by allowing them room to grow and explore. Sounds like kids, right? She also feels that animal rights pertain to achieving happiness, not just ending suffering. Singer, on the other hand, believes that we need to stop the suffering of animals. We treat them in ways that would be considered cruel and unjust if humans were treated that way, and animals suffer like humans. But regardless of their different opinions on animal rights, Hearne and Singer both agree that animal rights are a problem.

Emotions Over Logic - Oh, the Problems We Humans Have!

In theory, it would be best if our brains always focused on the logical aspects of life. But in truth, our brains are easily distracted by emotions.

Imagery is one of those magical tools of writing. Change the way you phrase a sentence, add some sights, smells, and tastes, and presto! you have yourself an emotional connector. Good, strong, descriptive imagery evokes emotions that change the way we think. Take this situation, for instance:

The car drove toward the cat, unaware that it was not moving out of the road.

versus

The ginormous truck hurtled through the night, passengers bouncing up and down as the vehicle passed over deep potholes and crevices in the road. The riders stared out the window in oblivion, considering the night's events with distaste. How had a night that was supposed to be fun gone so wrong? In the meantime, a kitty was sprawled in the road, mewling for its mother as it shivered in the cold night air. The poor animal had gotten in a fight with another cat and was now unable to walk, laying mutilated and fragile in the road. It cried out in pain and desperation as a vehicle appeared out of the dark, charging toward the helpless animal as a bull toward a red cape. There was nothing the kitty could do as the truck barreled nearer...

Which one makes you feel worse? As sadistic as that sounds, the second piece was far more moving than the first. Under which circumstance would you be more likely to help the poor creature? The second one, of course!

This situation proves that emotion can change the way you think. Most of the time it is a subconscious alteration of your comprehension of the situation. Nobody consciously thinks, Wow, that detailed description of the kitty really made me feel its pain. Now I'm going to consider helping it more than I was before. Nobody does that. Try as we might, this is something happening inside of our brains that we cannot control. There are special people in the world whom are capable of setting aside their emotions in order to be logical, but those people are few and far between. And most of them are male.

When faced with imagery that shocks us to the core, gripping our hearts, turning out stomachs inside out, and making us want to cry, we can try to remain in the logical mindset. But boy is it difficult! Imagery strikes us in our weakest part - the heart. Emotions are far more persuasive than logic, easily dragging us away from rational ground, out into the deep sea of emotions, only to be swept back onto rational ground with the tide. I believe that if imagery is intense enough to change your mindset, you should follow your heart. Not the I think I will have Oreos for dinner because that commercial was convincing aspect, but rather the I think it would be better for me to spend my time elsewhere aspect of following your heart. As human beings we are fragile, especially when it comes to emotions, but usually our hearts know what is right.

Just Write.

Lots of authors write about writing, which seems kind of weird. Then again, people write about dancing, about teaching, about anything and everything. So why not write about writing? I'm not going to take the academic approach on this subject; I believe that's far too boring for a blog post. I'm not even going to think about what I'm writing. I'm just going to write.

When I go to write, sometimes it is one heck of a struggle. I can't get into it, my writing is boring, nothing makes sense, and it's turning into an epic fail one sentence at a time. Delightful, right? It takes a while for me to get into the flow of writing. It's like going back to dance after a summer of laying on the beach reading books - it's rough to say the least! Who knows how long it will take me to get into writing today? For all I know this blog won't make sense until the last sentence, but hopefully not. With luck, I can start making sense right about now :)

I love free writing on Fridays, even though we've only done it once. Sure, I don't really write about interesting things except for the daily events of my life, but there is something intriguing about writing. You can't think too much or you're going to stop writing, breaking one of the rules of free write Fridays. There's something about letting your pen flow over the paper until your hand aches and the teacher calls time; it's refreshing, invigorating, exciting, and well...painful.

I've decided that too much thinking is bad for you. As a girl, I naturally over-think EVERYTHING. Should I have worn the other shirt? Did she try to ignore me, or didn't she hear me? Is he smiling at me just to smile, or does it mean something?  It's a bad habit, to say the least. As much as teachers may argue that thinking is good for you, too much thinking is bad. Too much of everything is bad; too much food makes you sick, too much love makes you wary and/or feeling suffocated, and too much sleep makes you tired. See my point? The same goes for writing. You can't think too much.

There comes a point when the pen and your mind become one. As a dancer, I know that thinking while dancing can be helpful, but it can also be detrimental to the performance. Teachers and judges alike can tell when you are thinking about the steps instead of enjoying the process. It's in the eyes of the dancer; when your eyes and face do not express the pure joy that should come from dancing, it's clear that your mind is still back at rehearsal, running through the steps at top speed as to not forget them. But there comes a time when the dancer, the movement, and the music fuse as one. The movements flow out of the dancer, in time with the music, and the dancer no longer needs to focus on engaging her abs during the triple en dehors or making sure her bottom foot stays turned out during the dèveloppé. It happens automatically and the dance truly becomes a dance.

It works the same way for writing. Eventually the writer, the words, and the pen become one. The words flow out of the pen and onto the paper without any work. Of course you need to think when you write, otherwise you will end up rambling (much like this!) and your work won't make sense. You should at least appear semi-coherent when you write. The best way I've found to write is to put it all down, then come back and look it over. That way, the ideas are all on the page and you can focus on revising and fixing semantics of. I believe the writing process works this way because you need to do one thing in order to successfully write - free your mind. Let it happen. Don't think. Let the writing come to you as it wants to; do not force the words out of your mind, into the pen, and onto the paper. Just write.

Here we go...

This, right here, is the first blog post I will ever create.

Hopefully I won't bore the world to death.

A decent amount of my friends have blogs, but I've never had one. Same goes for Twitter but I'm not jumping on that bandwagon as fast as I am for blogging. It's the second day of senior year and I'm already pumped to be here. I'm not that one kid that lives is social Siberia because he/she loves going back to school, but this year is going to be different. It's senior year!

This year is about having fun, enjoying life, and prepping for college. It's weird to be on top of the school and be the big kids, but boy are we ready. Well...most of us are. It's strange to think that a year from now I'll be off at college, maybe even blogging from there? To be determined; first I have to live through the college application process and MoPro.

Until then, hang on me. This is going to be an interesting ride :)

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