Life: The Book

1. What are you most proud of in your Life: The Book writing? Try to describe this is detail!
One of the things that I am most proud of is the fact that I was able to finish this project on time. I started a bit late since I was having trouble gathering information from credible sources, but I was eventually able to find a few that had accurate and detailed information which helped me start my article.

2. What are some changes or new ideas that you have developed in your writing through the course of this semester?
There isn't anything that I've thought of myself that I've incorporated into my writing, but I have taken all of our writing tips and put them in all of my pieces, even those that aren't required by the class.

3. If you had a little more time to work on your writing for LifE: The Book, what would you do differently? What would you change about your writing?
I would probably expand my article and the plot, I really liked the story I had and there was some of it that I wanted to put into my article, but unfortunately I didn't have the time.

4. How has the additional element of publication in a book affected the way you approach writing?
Honestly, it really didn't change the way I wrote my article. I have written pieces that were published before, and I decided to keep it mostly the same, with the exception with the class requirements.

Dying for Dixie

What was/were the root cause(s) of Michael Westerman's death?
Seems to me, that it was simply the fact that Westerman's killer was always told in some way that he needed to hate what the Rebel flag stood for. He clearly states that he doesn't know the complete history of the flag, all he knows is that he hates it, even in Westerman's case, it's apparent that he doesn't fully understand what the confederate flag means "The flag was a symbol of him. He was a rebel, a darefevil, outspoken. He'd do anything." So the end result is a dead rebel, and a confused black youth. Westerman and his killer are the ones that created the incident, the German desk clerk is a helpful perspective from the outside. While the author is also an outside perspective, he is required as a journalist to keep an unbiased and open mind.

Challenge: In a natural and thoughtful manner, connect the dots between this reading and the readings/topics that we have covered in the past month (for example, we have already seen that Madison's concept of representatives in Fed. 10 is present in the middle school meeting).
If I had to guess, I'd say that it boils down to the fact that people, as an individual or a whole, aren't able to make a completely unbiased opinion/decision. Which is why we have a combination of group collaboration and individual opinions for the house of Representatives, while still "unfair" to a certain degree, offers the least amount of bias in a decision involving a large group.

Embed a video clip, news article, podcast, example of photojournalism or other form of media that shows what you believe the lasting effects of the American Civil War are.... today!

Below your embedded media (or quotes from an article), explain why you choose this example, what specific effects it highlights, and in general, your broad beliefs about what the Civil War might mean nowadays.

I couldn't embed the video but I still found this.

I chose this example because it shows another way that citizens of our country still argue and bicker with each other about what's right and what's wrong. Honestly, I love that we have the freedom to do that. I love how someone on one side of the street can cheer for the Saints while the house across can cheer for the 49ers. I don't like, however, that people feel it's necessary to go and offend someone's religion because the feel it's "correct." I guess it all depends on what you believe in, but freedom of speech can only go so far.

Texas University shooting.

Find & link to at least one specific news article (although it doesn't have to be "new") that addresses at least one specific part of the Constitution that interests you.
This happened today (September 28th, 2010) University of Texas Shooting
Then....

1. Summarize the article, and include relevant quotes.
2. Explain what Constitutional concepts are relevant. Some may be obvious, but others maybe more subtly related. Explain the Constitutional connection in your own words, but also reference the specific Article & Section or Amendment(s).
3. Explain what interests you about this article and/or the Constitutional connections you found.

A sophmore at the University of Texas walked into a library with an AK-47, and began to fire randomly. No one was hurt, but the shooter eventually aimed the gun at himself and took his own life. Since this article is so recent, all the information that is being released is simply what people think happened: "I got off the bus and I heard a gunshot..." "... I looked out my window and saw 10-15 police cars in front of the library." As far as the public knows, there was no motive, no accomplices, nothing but what can be seen.

Since people began criticizing our government and the founding fathers' choices of rights, there has been speculation about whether or not the right to bear arms (the 2nd Amendment) is a necessary right for people. While at times, it does allow things like this to happen, it also helps in preventing such incidents.

This article interests me for a few different reasons. One and most obvious is the fact that there is speculation of our 2nd amendment rights, rights which I exercise regularly and will fight to uphold. Another is the fact that the shooter simply shot randomly, he wasn't trying to hurt anyone, he was trying to scare them. He wanted to scare them, so that in his mind, he was the master. He wanted people to look at him, he wanted their attention, to see what they have driven him to do. This is my personal opinion.

The Year So Far.

What stands out to you in your learning?
The subtle rules that are required when working on something. Such as Randy's writing tips, or the meticulous adjustments we need for working on photoshop and the like. I enjoy how much "OCDness" is required for our work.

What is working well in this class?
I enjoy how each instruction is explained to us before we actually start working. I've always needed a complete set of instructions before I feel ready to start working, so I find it particularly easy to work when Randy explains it to us.

What can you do to build upon your successes?
Maybe start applying this layout of instructions to everything that I do on my own. I could analyze the work that I have to do and set it up in a complete list of instructions before I start working. This would also help me with actually starting my work.

What very specific, concrete & manageable steps can you take to make the most of your opportunities to learn in this class?
People take notes by writing down the big ideas of what the teacher says as a whole. I have trouble with that, so, why not write down the main ideas of each statement? I've tried this to an extent, and I've seen that it works for me.

What are your goals for the next few weeks in class?
I've noticed that while I show an extreme interest in the writing that we've had, I see that I lack interest in US History. I would like to keep this from getting in the way of my work, however, I'm not completely sure how I would go about doing this.

American Icon

My Playground
The princess was on another planet, but I didn’t know that. All I knew was that I had to make my way to the top of this mountain without dying… again. I had played through this level at least ten times now, each with just a fraction of progress. I was getting mad, but I didn’t want to put down the controller because I was afraid that there wouldn’t be a princess left to save.
I didn’t think about it at the time, but I had played through this game at least a thousand times, and I never got tired of it. I would walk away from this game thinking to myself what it would be like if I could actually travel through space with a robot, and save an intergalactic princess who was taken by a brain in a television set. I would run around in my white helmet throwing around these little cartoon bombs that would make enemies shatter into a hundred pieces. As I grew older, I found that memories were fewer and fewer apart with other games; perhaps it was just a sense of maturity that took over?
Later on I always caught myself reminiscing those days where I would sit in my room, lost in the world that these people had created. I remember wishing that I could go back to that time just so I could be so absorbed in it the way I used to be. Eventually, I started writing. I wrote stories that were mixed with reality of people and emotions, but exaggerated like the games I used to play. I found that it wasn’t working; the two genres were just too different for one story. I decided that if I was going to be a successful writer, then I would have to stick with a single theme. So I tried my hand at writing a dramatic story about a boy and a girl, I wasn’t expecting anything big since this kind of story is so overused, but I found it to be one of the best pieces that I wrote.
This is an excerpt from that story: As they sat from each other, worlds apart, they could both feel the power of the other. Making all conversation absolutely pointless, they could feel each others emotions just by examining the other, along with every thought they've ever had, every memory they remembered, every hope and dream they've had and will have. All could be seen, just by the bond they shared.
I remember one of my original stories was about a boy that woke up one day to see that he had super powers. There was a point where one of my friends had asked me one day “When are you going to write more chapters to your story?” Until that day, I hadn’t thought that anyone was actually following what I wrote. I had always thought that people were reading it leisurely, as I always did with writing. I never continued the series that my friend mentioned, but instead started a new series that wasn’t so typically written. It wasn’t about a boy in high school getting superpowers; it was about a killer who wanted revenge. Understandably, this isn’t entirely original either, but I was much more proud of it than I was the first story that I had written.
The longer I wrote, the more I thought. I thought more and more about how I was trying to connect my readers to the characters in the story. I always sort of compared my writing to the little movies I had in my head when I would play a game, and when I realized that, I realized that what I wanted to do, was inspire. I wanted to inspire someone to dream with my writing, just like I did when I played that game so long ago. I wanted people to see my work, and think to themselves: “Wow, I wish I could be in a world like that.” I want people to put themselves in the place of my character and change the story to their liking, I want activate people’s imaginations and let it run wild in my playground. I want people to think that they were the ones saving the princess, not me. I want others to enjoy the childhood they have, whether they’re still a child or not.

American Icon Artist Statement

1. What aspect of the American Icons artist statement has been most successful for you? Why?
Conveying the feeling that I get from viewing a story (like when I play a game or watch a movie). I've seen that people can understand, and even relate in some cases, to the feeling of putting yourself in the story. I honestly don't have a specific reason that this worked as well is it did, but I suppose it would have to come down to the level of writing I'm at. (I swear I'm not bragging!)

2. What writing tip(s) have been the most helpful? Why?
A classmate told me that I should try and show people the amount of emotion that I put into my writings, they continued that because they know me personally that they can easily understand what it was that I was trying to say, but others wouldn't. So that lead to an excerpt of one my stories being in the artist statement, which I think helps convey the connection I feel even more.

3. What aspect of the artist statement has been most challenging? Why?
It would have to be explaining the thoughts that are in my head. The way my mind works, is that I can think things without them actually registering for me to explain to others. When I was writing the part in my statement that explained the thoughts in my head during the game, I found it extremely challenging to explain it without confusing myself and others. Eventually I was able to put it simply as "Imagine that you're the main character, what would you differently?" This not only helped me explain it, but it actually opened new doors for me to explore with my writing, especially with the artist statement.

4. What writing tip is most challenging? Why?
"Expand it," or "Make it longer," or "Explain this better, it doesn't make sense." THIS DOESN'T TELL ME ANYTHING I DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW. I try to only go to specific people when I ask for critiques, mostly because everyone else will tell me the same thing over and over. The most effective thing that I try to do is ask other people that write regularly like I do, since they will always find a way to specifically and dramatically improve my writing.

5. Post a section of your writing that you are currently working on. List at least three questions that, if answered, would help you improve your work.
1. Should I perhaps expand on the plot of the story? So that I can convey my actions if placed as the protagonist?
2. I feel I've overwritten in some places, what should I get rid of?
3. Is there anything in there that still doesn't make sense?

The princess was on another planet, but I didn’t know that. All I knew was that I had to make my way to the top of this mountain without dying… again. I had played through this level at least ten times now, each with just a fraction of progress. I was getting mad, but I didn’t want to put down the controller because I was afraid that there wouldn’t be a princess left to save, or at the least, that she would be even on yet a different planet when I came back.

The longer I wrote, the more I thought. The more I thought, the more I realized that I didn’t want to write a story, I didn’t want to write a poem, or a book or a song or anything. What I wanted to do, was inspire. I wanted to inspire someone to dream, just like I did when I played that game so long ago. I wanted people to see my work, and think to themselves: “Wow, I wish I could be in a world like that.” I want people to put themselves in the place of my character and change the story to their liking, I want activate people’s imaginations and let it run wild in my playground. I want others, to enjoy the childhood they have, whether they’re still a child or not.

1. Explain why you chose this opening/closing combo.
I chose this combination because I start with a little story of how absorbed I became in the game and that's ultimately what I want when people read my stories, I want people to say that they could imagine themselves in my world doing just as the focus character would.

2. How does it tie together your big ideas?
Imagining more to a world that was created for you is probably the most enjoyable thing that a person can do. Have you ever watched a movie and thought to yourself, "What if I was in this movie? What would I do differently from the protagonist? I always thought about what it'd be like if I were the protagonist and how I would fight and what I'd do differently. I wrap it up by expressing the fact that I want people to feel the same way when they read my pieces.

3. Explain the types of thoughts that you hope your reader has when they are done reading your work.
I hope that the reader will start experimenting, if you will, with the way I see movies, games and stories. I hope that people will begin to think, "Hey, what if I was the protagonist instead of them? What would I do in their situation?

American Icons pt. 3

Part 1: Icons

Bomberman and Princess Millian
These two are connected in probably the most typical way possible. Bomberman, our protagonist, must venture off of his home planet to save Princess Millian from an evil brain in a robot body. Bomberman represents something that his admirers can look up to, people like me want to be the kind of person that would be able to go places they can't even imagine and conquer all obstacles that lie in their way. Princess Millian represents the goal that people share, although very common, is still something worth accomplishing. Bomberman, gives people a hero to be. Princess Millian, gives a nice girl for the protagonist to save. The two put together gives players a story that they can only dream of, and they get to be the focus of it.

Part 2: Resources

The only source I really used for my artist statement was the game itself, which I played hundreds of times since I bought it back when I was around eight years old. Here's a video to help others get an idea of what the game is like.

Honestly, if I didn't have this source I probably wouldn't be able to base my project around this game (if I didn't have it, I would never have played it, if I never played it, this wouldn't be here).

To clarify, my "resources" are simply childhood experiences playing this game and letting my mind run wild with it.

American Icon

Idea 1 for American Icon
Bomberman from the Bomberman series

Here's the intro to Bomberman Hero
1. For me, this icon represents the freedom of childhood. In the game that I had, you were Bomberman (this character) and you traveled to different planets searching for a princess. I understand that the plot wasn't completely original, but it was the one game that stuck with me my entire life, and I will never forget the enjoyment that I felt while playing through this game

3. This character made a fairly large impact on the American culture through the series of videogames that were created under the name Bomberman. The game was original, with a mixture of puzzle and action play where you had to escape from a room with now description (if you think about it, you basically had to blow up walls to escape from work). The game went on in thousands of different directions later on, most memorable for me in Bomberman Hero, which was mixed platformer/action game where you tossed around cartoon bombs at enemies that literally shattered upon impact.

5. To me, this icon inspired an imagination that was limitless. This was the dream that every kid had, to go out into space, fight a bunch of aliens and monsters, and rescue the damsel in distress. You even got a ride on a giant green rabbit in some places! This character inspired me to do the impossible, while flying into space and throwing bombs at everything is impractical, I can at least take it as far as they did and help inspire someone else to dream big.


Idea 2 for American Icon
Peppy Hare of the Starfox Series

An intro to Star Fox 64
1. Infamous for the "Do a barrel roll!" fad, this character was the Obi-wan Kenobi of the Starfox games. Peppy worked with Fox McCloud, the appropriately named character led a fleet of furry pilots to find an evil space-dictator known as Andross. The most popular reason for the continued fighting between these characters is to find answers to the disappearance of Fox's father. The story goes that Peppy was the right hand man of James McCloud and still-living veteran of the Starfox fleet. Throughout the game, Peppy gives you tons of helpful (and not so helpful) pieces of advice so that you don't crash your plane into the ground. I always saw him as the mentor of the series.

3. This character became famous mostly for his role in the game Starfox 64, and with the improvement of the internet his line "Do a barrel roll!" I doubt that many other people saw Peppy Hare the way I did, but I know that everyone agrees that he was an important part of the game.

5. For me, this character inspired me to try and help others, whether that was giving them advice and helping them out of their low points, or giving them a nonsensical line to try and cheer them up. Peppy Hare helped me start helping others.


Idea 3 for American Icon
Link from The Legend of Zelda

An intro to Majora's Mask
1. The best game for me was Majora's Mask, where you were given three magical masks that could transform you into three different types of "monsters" one that has an unbreakable bond with nature (for being made of wood), one with respectable and unimaginable power, and one with an eternal connection to its ocean home. I've always wanted to see what it was like to be someone else since I played this game, unfortunately, playing was the only way I could really see what it was like not being me.

2. The most important thing to this character was always saving the world. Whether it was from an evil king with magic powers, or a misguided child controlled by a dark force. Link always went out of his way to help others and save everyone (whether they knew it or not), much like him, I eventually felt a need to try and "save the world."

3. Link became important to the American culture through his debut game: The Legend of Zelda. Despite the completely unoriginal plot, it was made with completely original gameplay, with a massive world to explore that contained doors to even more worlds that just kept the gamer coming back to have explored it all.

Semester Start

1. Please outline your hopes for your upcoming junior year. What are your overall hopes, dreams, wishes and goals for the year?
I am very interested to see the different projects that we'll be doing this year, I've seen some of the other ones and I just can't wait to get started. I expect to be able to get as creative as possible with these different projects and still use the skills we are learning.

2. Let's get a little more specific. Tell us about what you hope to accomplish or learn from your experiences in this Humanities class.
I really want to see how we're going to put together both the skills that we're learning and the subjects to make our final product (I'm really interested in this American Icons project)

3. What is something that you do in your life that naturally try to do well (Are you seriously good at video games? cooking? Are you an athlete?)? How do you naturally develop this talent within yourself?
I always try to write well. I've been told a few times that I am a very strong writer, but I always try to improve on my skill. I think I made that evident with today's show and tell session, I felt that I made it very clear what I do (writing), when I do it (almost all the time), and that I want write even better. (I am also very good at video games).