iMedia: Kent State University

In the 1970's Vietnam was still hot and heavy in the jungles. People were upset, and many people tried to protest the war. I guess it is safe to say that you can call these people hippies, because to me, in a way everyone wants to have peace and forget about the turmoil. I personally choose only to take aggressive action when my immediate safety is threatened.

If you go back and take a look at the peace riots at Kent State University, you will find it true that the protestors were not beng violent. Honestly if they are the type of people I think they were, then I would believe them to be hippies as docile as someone like Ghandi. Of course there will always be a certain tension between "The Man" and well yes the hippies. In 1970, the tension seemed to be too much for the authorities to handle and it ended horribly.

No person knows the exact truth about what caused this riot to start, but it is said that students began throwing rocks and other harmful objects at the police officers, who were containing the protestors around the university. The officers then without warning, fired shots into the crowd, killing multiple students.

The picture above shows a female student above a fallen protestor, who was shot and killed in the hail of fire from the police. The sheer look of terror on her face shows me the true emotions of not only the war in Vietnam, but the war we still have at home. The whole Kent State University shooting is really just a huge shock to me because the protestors were not really angry, they just want peace. The worst party is that when they were protesting for peace, they really got a war, and this really saddens me.

I think the Kent State University massacre has not really had the effect it should on our culture today. I hoped that since we now know the horror we can see with all the people protesting whatever the cause, and we definately know what can happen if we let it get too much out of hand, people would maybe realize to let the people do what they want to more freely, because all the unnecessary bloodshed is just flat out uncalled for.

I feel that the American culture needs to relax its 'tense' grip on the American people because by not allowing the citizens to show the true way they feel, this kind of occurance could happen more commonly. No body wants riots. It is most certain that no body wants death. The Kent State massacre is a good way to show how NOT to act, and I feel it should open the eyes of our government for them to realize that "free speech" should really mean: Free Speech.

Best of Week: Born Into Brothels

This past week on Wednesday and Friday, we watched a shocking documentary about children who's mothers and fathers are prostitutes and drug addicts. This was a big eye opener to me, and im sure the other students in the class felt the same exact way as me.

before watching this movie, I knew that there was a problem about prostitution in the world; however I had no idea of the extent of the problems in third world countries.

My favorite part of the movie was basically just how optimistic the children were in the brothels. It actually made me happy to see that even though their parents were not the best influence, and they actually were acting like a tyrant towards their own children, but they still had the mind set to try to be a good functioning member of society. Since te parents of these children are not the best influence, I assumed that the kids were going to be the same way, which was bratty and frankly just little whores. Sorry, but thats the way I feel.

I think Wednesday and Friday were the best days of the week because by watching the movie, my eyes were opened to the world. I feel thankful for the life that I have because honestly I dont know what I would do if I were to live in a area as horrible as that. I am happy we watched this movie and I am greatful for the opporatunity to learn about the way other people live around the world.

Metacognition: QE Essay

like many people, trying to write an essay with all the outside negative influences that make you wanna procrastinate can be tough. I have experienced this first hand and I know that other people in the class have too. With all these outside influences it seems like it almost impossible to get anything done. Multiple times I found myself playing games on the computer and kinda trying to just sneak around the class period.

I know that a lot of students try to save alot of things to the last minute especially when it comes to papers. I guess it is safe to say I am one of those people. For the QE essay, I knew it was not really the smartest idea in the world, but I decided to wait till three nights before to get started. When I feel a sort of pressure on trying to get things done, I seem to work more efficiently, I stay on task a lot better, and it seems like my stress is sort of relieved because im actually doing the assignment and not working my way around it.

Actually writing the paper is pretty fun for me, when comparing my feelings towards others who are dreading the task of it. Writing a paper like the QE essay is quite fun for me because I can relate my personal experiences with sources I use, and also its a fun challenge for me to integrate my own knowledge in with the facts about the subjects.

This QE essay was actually a fun experience for me because I chose a question that I could actually relate to. As an artist myself I know how much of a challenge trying to create something meaningful can be and I appreciate the amount of talent that all these artists have in their own creative ways.

As a student i know that being a procrastinator is not really the best thing to do, especially when trying to create a well written and thoughtful paper. If there were one thing that I could change about myself to fit more of an ideal student it would have to be that i were more productive with my time and that I wouldnt kill as much useful time that I have. If I could accomplish that, I think that I would perform better, and that it what I strive for.

Blogging Around: Jen and Stephanie

Out of the five blogs I have read, there are two entries in particular that I agree with. Jen Flaxman and Stephanie Slivka both had great entries in their blogs, one of which was about art, and the other about our Mindbooks.

Jen is a really artistic and down to earth girl who appreciates all types of art. One of her blogs was about how when she tries to make a piece she can think too hard about what she wants to do and she can get lost in her own mind. Myself being a artist too, I could totally relate to what she is saying and I know first hand how that feels. My comment on her blog is below:

"I know exactly what your talking about. Thinking about art is probably three times as hard as trying to make it. The same as you, I can get lost in my emotions while trying to create something and then that endless cycle keeps repeating itself and it takes me forever to create something new."

I believe that art is all about just going with the flow and not thinking too hard. If you try to think too much about how something looks or how something flows with another, you'll never get anything done. Art can be described as a lot of different things, the best way to make it is to just do it. Just like Nike.

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Stephanie Slivka's post is a great find because it is so true. Like Mr. Allen says, a Mindbook is a guide to you and nobody else. It is SO TRUE. Stephanie's blog is about how everyone is accepting of others' work and that nobody can judge someone's work because its about themself. The comment I posted on her blog reads:

"What your saying is completely true. When someone presents their piece in the mindbook, there is not any judgment or prejudice. Everyone is pleased and intrigued about the person's drawing, and maybe even the person that created it. Everything you say about not judging people is so true and so real. Its almost a sense of respect."

When I make my Mindbook entries, it is almost a sense of relief that nobody can judge you. The only thing that can be judged is the ID which is only read by Mr. Allen. The Mindbook is a perfect way for a person to express themselves and their interests in ways that many people can learn to understand. When Stephanie said that everyone is fascinated by other peoples work and that they dont judge people by it, I was SO happy that someone feels the same way I do about the people in our class. I am really happy I found her Blog.