Frame 3

You wanna know my thing?

If I really have it solid for a girl,

I'll ride by her house on my bike.

I'll do it, like, a hundred times in a day.

It's really... it's intense.

Frame 4
Do you ever park?

I'm kind of a drive-by kind of guy.

Do you want a drink?

Frame 5

- Yeah!

- Yeah.

- Coke.

- Coke? OK.

Frame 7

Give me your address.

I'll put you on my round.

OK, you're gonna have to help me out here.

You know, some day that girl's gonna realise just what she missed.



  

                  

Come on, don't stop! Gimme more!
               
Frame 8
- Hi!

- Hi.

- Prince Charming wimp out?

- No. No, he's at the bar.

Frame 9
Duckie.                   

He's sulking.              

He's not gonna ride his bike past your house any more.                   

Duckie, you're being a real jerk.

How'd he get in here, anyway?

- I said he was my kid.

- How come you're here?                

I've been trying to figure that out all night.

- Hi.

- There you go.                  

Frame 10
- You met lona, didn't you?

- Not formally. Hi. Blane.                

And that's Duckie Dale over there behind the glasses.

- Hi, Duckie.

- Phillip F Dale to you, scumwad.
                  
So where have you guys been?

- A friend of mine was having a party.

Frame 11
- How adorable!            

- Yeah. It was a little intense.

- You had an intense party?

Frame 12
- No, it was a friend of mine's, I said.

- Duckie, shut up.
                  
- What's the problem?

- This is a classic piece of work here.

- Duckie, please!

- Phil.

Phil, I think you're making Andie uncomfortable. Just knock it off.



  

                  
Frame 13
I devoted my life to the girl and he comes along and thinks he knows her.

You should call David Letterman. He'd book you in a minute.
                  
Frame 14
Phil, would you like us to leave?

Yes, very perceptive.

Come on.

Look at the manners on this guy!

This was a treat!

You're a great couple of kids, really.

I can't believe I actually felt bad

for you tonight, retarded little dwarf!

See you.

Nice meeting you. See ya later.

- Sorry.

- No problem.

- No problem.

- Asshole.

Blow me, buttwad. From you, I'd take it as a compliment.
                  
Frame 15
Andie! Yo!             

You've been replaced.

I'm sorry.

Frame 16

Well, what now?

I gotta get up early. Why don't we just forget it?

What, home?

- Hey, you wanna go to my house?

- No, thanks.

- You wanna eat?

- No.

What do you wanna do? Anything.                  

Why don't you just drop me off at Trax...

- Trax?

- It's real close to home.                

- It's late. I'll just drop you home.

- I have something I have to do there.                   

Now? It's late.

You wanna go home, I'll drop you home.

- I don't want you to take me home.

- OK, let's go out. Anything you want.

- I don't wanna go out.

- And you don't wanna go home.

- What do you wanna do?

- I don't want you to take me home.

Frame 17
I'm missing something. I don't understand… Wait a minute. Don't walk away.

- Don't! I just don't want… Don't you understand?

- No, I don't.

Frame 18
Listen to me.

I don't want you to take me home.

OK. Why? What is the problem?

Because I don't want you to see where I live, OK?

- What?

Frame 20
- I'm sorry. Forget it.

Jesus Christ.

Pretty in Pink & Noir

Our conversion takes a scene from the glamorous 80’s classic, Pretty in Pink, and transforms it into a film noir style scene. We used the scene where Andie takes Blane to the club that she and her friends go to. The set of the club will be changed to include older wood furniture, brown leather couches, chandeliers. Basically, the color scheme of the set will change from blue, black, and pink to brown, yellow, and red tones to give it more of the 1940’s design appeal that reminds us of film noir. However, it should not be as Hollywood-esque or classy as other sets in film noir movies because the club represents Andie’s lower income class in contrast to Blane’s high-class nature. The color scheme of the lighting will also change from blues pinks and reds to normal white and yellow toned light. The bar will be filled with smoke to make it the classic “smokey night club” of noir. The costumes of the actors and actresses will be dressed in 1940’s dresses and suits. Andie will of course still be wearing pink and Iona will still be wearing a bold dress and a similar hairstyle. Blane will wear a full suit and fedora with his hair slicked back. Blane will play more of the main character/detective role in a film noir and have Andie as his femme fatale. To show the class difference between himself and Blane, Duckie will be wearing a casual 1940’s men’s dress shirt and high waisted pants.

As for the cinematography of the scene, the scene is to be shot in black and white as most noir films are. It will open with the band on stage in suits playing the main title from Body Heat by John Barry to replace the rock music with noir jazz for ambiance. The club consists of low-key lighting and uses deep focus on the setting which are both staples in film noir. Duckie’s dialect throughout the scene will change so that he talks slower, and so that he is less whiny and dramatic and more nervous until Andie and Blane arrive and he sounds more confident. When Blane and Andie enter the bar the light from the open door will form harsher silhouettes than in the original to utilize harsh shadows as in film noirs. When Andie arrives at the table they will all be slightly side lit from the back of the shot to use shadows and back light that are popular in film noir. We will also be cutting the section of the scene where Blane bumps into a man at the bar since it does not seem fitting in the noir style and is not necessary. The camera will also move a lot less in this scene to slow down the pacing. The camera will only move for a couple close ups on Andie’s reactions and switching from medium shots of Andie and Blane to Duckie and Iona. Since Duckie will be talking slower and with more pauses, his insults to Blane and Andie during their argument become snappy comebacks. Everyone except for Andie will also be smoking during the scene to add the classic mystery of film noir. When Andie and Blane leave the bar and go outside, it is raining and they are dark silhouettes which are interrupted by the bright headlights of passing cars which embodies the juxtaposition of light used in noir. When they talk, Andie and Blane will speak slower and won’t raise their voices so the conversation seems less frantic and more serious. The scene will also use a two shot and softer lit close-ups of Andy that focus on her eyes to make them glisten like a femme fatale. These changes in the setting and cinematography serve to fit the calm, mysterious, classy, and slow paced themes of film noir that distinguish from all other genres of film.

Gloria Steinem is known as one of the prevalent figures in the midst of the Women's Civil Rights movements. Born March 25, 1934 in Toledo, Ohio, grew around her encounters of the discrimination of women. On the brink of Steinem's birth, her mother, Ruth Steinem, went through the motions of a "nervous breakdown".  Long after the birth of her daughter, Ruth never reverted to her old personality becoming unstable for actions as great as carrying a job. Throughout her childhood Steinem observed the mistreatment of women through experiences with her mentally ill mother.  After the great amounts of travel Steinem experienced as a child, the divorce of her parents, at age ten, ended the chaotic cycle of life for her. Gloria and her mother settled down in Toledo where she finished out the last six years of her schooling prior to college.

After graduating from high school, Gloria attended Smith College, pursuing studies in government. She completed her degree in 1956, graduating at the top of her class.  Aside from graduation, Gloria dealt with an illegal abortion after learning she was pregnant.  Upon finishing school, Steinem delved into the field of journalism. Throughout the 1960’s she aided in the creation of the New York magazine where she wrote a column on politics.  Surrounded by the atmosphere of journalism it came to Steinem’s attention that there was a bias towards women in the workforce.  However she continued on with journalism, going undercover as a “bunny” at the New York City Playboy Club in 1963.  This project resulted in the publishing of an expose on her experiences as a “bunny”  in Show magazine.

Steinem’s interest in the feminist movement did not fully develop until 1969 when covering a story on abortion hearings presented the feminist group Redstockings.  At this time she realized that all of her experiences of discrimination and harassment were not isolated incidents; women everywhere were experiencing the same nature of mistreatment and hardship. At this point Steinem began writing essays expressing her feminist views with various titles such as, “After Black Power, Women’s Liberation”.  Then in 1971 she joined fellow feminists to form the National Women’s Political Caucus,  “a pro-choice, multicultural, intergenerational, and multi-issue grassroots organization dedicated to increasing women’s participation in the political process and creating a true women’s political power base to achieve equality for all women.”

In ‘71 Steinem took it upon herself to pursue the launch of a feminist magazine, making a first step with the publish of an insert in New York magazine.  The following year the first independent issue of Ms. magazine was released, with Steinem as a co-founder.  The magazine gained popularity, continuing to be a resource for women today.  Steinem continued with her spread of feminist agenda making appearances to deliver speeches and continuing on to progressively publish new writings from the early 80’s to the 90’s.  In 1986 Steinem was diagnosed with breast cancer, yet had a brief treatment process which eliminated the illness.  As of 2000 she married the late David Bale, a feat she swore since her younger years that she would never comply to.

Gloria Steinem is 82 years old today and still sharing words on feminism and equality through interview and writing.

Sources

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/28/us/gloria-steinem-fast-facts/

http://www.biography.com/people/gloria-steinem-9493491

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Steinem#cite_note-OutrageousActs-20

http://www.nwpc.org/about/

http://saltedscarletry.com/2013/11/21/gloria-steinem-awarded-medal-freedom-entire-womens-movement/

Timeline

• 1934, Born in Toledo, Ohio

• 1956, Graduated from Smith College

• 1963, Writes expose for Show magazine on the New York City Playboy Club

• 1969, Reported on abortion hearings conducted by Redstockings, a feminist organization. This lead to her increase of involvement in the feminist movement

• 1971, Formed the National Women’s Political Caucus

• 1972, First independent issue of Ms. Magazine is launched

• 1983, Published “Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions”

• 1986, Diagnosed with breast cancer

• 1993, Inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame

• 2000, Steinem married David Bale

• 2013, Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Upon beginning this paper I had a very set idea for what I wanted to write about, the war within oneself. Yet, during the peer editing process I determined that I would need to narrow my thesis in order to stray from sounding vague. My final thesis involved the consideration of PTSD acting as a war in a veterans mind long after they have exited the battlefield. I must admit that at first I felt very uninspired concerning the general topics of this paper. However, the more research I did, the more engaged I became. The development of my larger idea was not done in a premeditated fashion, it developed over the course of my writing. This was most satisfying to me, the fact that I didn’t have to search for a larger idea, on the contrary it came to me.

Picture this, a black and white image depicting a close up of an older man. His face is the focus in the image. Crinkles surround tightly shut eyes. His mouth seems to be pursed due to creases, yet it is hard to tell because of his white beard, which traces across his upper lip and down to his chin, crawling up either side of his face. The eyebrows of the old man are knit together, forming an indentation in the space between. The old man appears to be recalling something in his mind unknown to the viewer. The memory does not appear to be a pleasant one due to his expression, the mixture of a wince and a grimace. This man is a veteran. When veterans come home from war there are many issues a previous soldier can face: problems with the VA, homelessness, yet those who never served in the army fail to consider the war that wages beyond the battlefield long after the battle is over.

In PBS’s interview Moral Wounds of War, a soldier's experience is referenced as following “For some, unless they get called back the war is over. For others, it’s only begun.” This so called war which is referenced throughout the article is otherwise known as PTSD. PTSD is the main cause for much of the trouble that follows a vet. Violent outbreaks, a symptom of this disorder, can land many in jail.  Other futures for vets with PTSD hold homelessness, prosecution, and suicide. Many have guilt in relation to events which occurred during combat. The absence of god is another aspect that many question.  This source held many bits of statistical evidence to support my topic, as well as a relevance that opened doors to new perspectives.

When a soldier exits the battlefield it is expected that the war is finally over. However PTSD is an ongoing, raging battle that can affect many veterans long after the war is over. Mike from the veteran panel is an example of this effect. It was not necessarily that he came right out and said “I have PTSD”, it was more like the underlying tone he carried when referring to himself.  Whenever Mike mentioned his skill it was never in the light of benefit or value but in the sense of spastic failures. To be at war with yourself doesn’t mean you have ever had to experience the likes of war. It is more of a state of being.  Having low-self esteem, something that leaves people with the emotions of being a consistent failure and carrying a lot of guilt due to that whether there is truth to it or not.  

“I like to talk about the moral emotions of war, and they include wounds, but they’re the hard, bad feelings that may erode at your character.” Said professor Nancy Sherman from Georgetown University. War is not only physical but mental too and it is something that needs to be realized.

Introduction

My objective in writing this paper was to come to an understanding of where my place is in the discussion of race, the reason being that I have a great passion for the subject.  While brainstorming I was hesitant to carry on with this idea because of the controversy of the topic.  Yet I concluded that my best writing would be produced from a topic I was most passionate about.  Along the way I got lost in finding the larger idea for there are so many areas to explore within the topic of race.  In the end I came to a conclusion about what I wanted my message to be.  I am proud that I carried through with my primary idea instead of backing down in fear of the controversy that the topic may hold. As I continue to write I would like to analyze sources to a greater extent.

Final Draft

Ever since I was a child my mom would exclaim over how delicate and fair my skin is.  Not until I grew older did I comprehend what being white truly meant. Those who are born with white skin are gifted with privilege.  Because of this some of us live in a world of ignorant bliss, a “white bubble”.  In the Jose Antonio Vargas documentary White People these statistics are mentioned in relation to the “white bubble”, “the typical white American lives in a town that is more than ¾ white (77%, as described in the documentary) and the average white person’s group of friends is more than ninety percent white (91% to be exact). “White bubble” or not, as a race we have not been forced to come to grips with how the color of our skin impacts us as people of color have.  Yet when discussing race, it is unavoidable and people get uncomfortable very quickly.  As a fellow white person, I am very passionate about the issue of race and though I have never experienced racism and do not have the ability to do so, race is something that deeply impacts me. When attempting to discuss race I myself feel a pressure as if I will cross a boundary and violate everyone in the conversation.  These feelings of discomfort raise the question of what it is that gives our race such discomfort on the topic. One man in A Conversation With White People on Race, a video By Blair Foster and Michele Stephenson provided courtesy of The New York Times, touched on a plausible answer, “I think in part it comes from a sense of shame and guilt about what racism has done and kind of how racism was built by white people.”

In the book Learning to be White: Money, Race, and God in America educator Henry Giroux is quoted stating this, “Race increasingly matters as a defining principle of identity and culture as much for white students in the 1990's as for youth of color in the 1970's and 1980's. Race significantly frames how white youth experience themselves and their relationships to a variety of public spaces marked by the presence of people of color.” Though this book was published in 1999, this quote is still relevant today. This statement is not an invitation to praise white people as a race, but to raise awareness in their minds as to how being white effects themselves as well as others in a public setting.  Some white people would like to describe themselves as “color blind”.  According to the documentary White People “¾ young, white Americans say that society would be better off if we never acknowledged race.” While some white Americans think this is a solution to racism, they are further burying their heads in the sand. Though it is nice to entertain the idea that everyone is equal in a society, the truth is we aren’t. There is racial profiling that occurs every day and white civilians reap the benefits because of their skin color regardless of their opinion on the matter.  Pretending that there is no issue will not bring us closer to solving the problem of racism at hand.

In A Conversation With White People on Race one white woman reflects that “I really did not know that I had a racial identity. I knew I was white. I had no idea what that meant, how that had shaped my outlook on life, how that had shaped my sense of optimism, sense of belonging, sense of safety, sense of feeling entitled to go help children that I thought were part of a community that couldn’t figure out how to help themselves.”  As white people in the 21st century it is imperative that we realize that each of us has a racial identity. Considering racial identity, as well as the “white bubble” and “color blindness” the white community seems to be invited into the conversation of race.  However these are conclusion which are coming from a white female in today's society based off of her own research, so take this as you will.  There is still much gray area to be covered.

Introduction:

The main focus of my essay is the lack of creativity encouraged in writing.  I touch upon the way writing is taught to students in the academic atmosphere and what the outcome of these teachings leads to.  My introductory paragraph created a strong opening for my topic which was very satisfactory to me.  However, as a writer I must improve my ability to build evidence and develop my larger idea.  

I am a literary impostor.  Of course I know how to write a traditional academic essay, I am not discounting this skill.  Yet I struggle with the ability to insert individuality into my writing.  This is why I feel that I am not truly a literary for one aspect of being a writer is to project personal thoughts.  I feel that this struggle is mutual among my classmates, whether they recognize it or not.  At my previous school the students obtaining honor roll could produce a mediocre essay including a vocabulary pull from the seventh grade and thematic cliches, but with the use of the traditional academic format, thrill the teachers and gain an A.  When students are praised for this type of product time and time again, their writing will never evolve since personal exploration is never encouraged.  In this way students of the 21st century are being raised as literary robots, defeating a fundamental objective of writing.

Reflecting on my literary education, I have concluded it to be very simplistic and sparse.  In elementary school the format of a paragraph was first introduced to me through the “hamburger paragraph”, a diagram that illustrates a paragraph’s construction.  As elementary school progressed, we worked on strengthening our skills in creating paragraphs using other systems such as TAGS.  Up to that point I was successfully advancing with the curriculum.  However, the change of school in fifth grade took a toll on my growth in literacy.  Throughout middle school writing was treated by the teachers as a minor aspect, as if it were self explanatory.  I remember constructing paragraphs for assignments to be a very step-oriented process.  Upon beginning high school I carried with me that process, it being the only thing I knew.  Every paper I produced seemed to be comparable to the previous, just shedding light on a different topic.  No teacher came to the rescue for it appeared that since I knew the traditional academic formatting all was well.  Yet I felt worn from the repetition of spewing the same ideas with no distinction from one to the next.

The bud of the problem is that when the format of a paragraph is taught, there is no elaboration on content and construction.  With no guidance students may assume that the format of a paragraph is the basic knowledge needed to complete an essay, unintentionally disregarding the composition.  These circumstances could result in a plethora of identical essays.  When students are not taught to imply individuality, the same set of ideas tend to be recycled throughout their paper without any progression. This can create an exhausting and mundane atmosphere for the writer, causing them to lose interest in their topic.  In his book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire stated that “it is the people themselves who are filed away through the lack of creativity, transformation, and knowledge in this (at best) misguided system. For apart from inquiry, apart from the praxis, individuals cannot be truly human. Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.”   Freire’s statement is similar to mine in which he touches upon the detachment people have developed through education, which includes literacy in relation to their creativity.  With the absence of creativity there is hardly any chance at inserting individuality, giving the produced writing more of mechanical quality with no personal essence.

I sit in front of my computer willing my fingers to type, yet they won’t budge.  For an hour and a half I have been staring at a blank page, chasing tantalizing thoughts that dissolve before I can manage to type out a coherent sentence.  Another year of tenth grade would not have prepared me for the writing assignment given on the first day of school, for I have never been given such loose guidelines.  Teachers were always so exact about what they wanted.   Now for the first time I am given the control to have creative ownership over my work, something I have longed for greatly and there is an emptiness.  My ideas are missing in action.  So I turn to my alternative, using the guidelines given and applying the basic paragraph format.  The instance I describe is not a past dilemma, this conflict occurs daily.  The fact that I share this problem with fellow students is alarming for the reason that many are unaware.  Even more alarming is the fact that some educators deem it acceptable to not expand past the basic paragraph formatting. Writing is an art that captures opinion, personality, and soul propelled by the creativity and individuality of the mind as well as source of analytical text.  If writing is further encouraged in this way, new ideas will cease to be produced, and the art of writing will become a myth.

Citation(s)

Freire, Paulo. "Philosophy of Education -- Chapter 2: Pedagogy of the Oppressed." N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2015. <http://faculty.webster.edu/corbetre/philosophy/education/freire/freire-2.html>.

They say I hit like a girl.  This is true, I am a girl

When I begun writing my advanced essay my goal was to develop the idea of community.  Writing my first memory piece I was clueless as to what my larger idea was.  Yet once I finished my second and third memory piece I realized I had produced something that had potential.  From there on out it was easy for me to convert my ideas into fluid writing.  I feel like up to that point in the process I was very successful.  Developing my larger idea was difficult.  In the end I had an epiphany but I still feel like I could contribute more to the conclusion.

Being the new kid is overwhelming.  Regardless of the many times I have begun at a new school, it is still difficult for me to comfortably adapt.  The thing is, it’s impossible to magically fit the mold of a new group; I’ve concluded that there will always be an adjustment period, no matter how big or small.  I myself tend to asses the new situation I am entering, occasionally for longer intervals of time. Currently observing the people around me I notice how harmonious they appear, leaving me longing for community. 

When I was asked to think of a memory piece, something interesting, my mind kept circling back to a meaningful moment I experienced last year with my peers from my previous school.  I was in my 7th period class, Theater, and my classmates and I were discussing the events of the day.  My head snaps to the front of the room when the door opens, all conversation ceasing.  Ms.MA calmly walks in and starts collecting her belongings, her face set in determination.  I sit, momentarily dumbfounded, trying to comprehend why my teacher is preparing to go an hour before school ends.  Then Jade asks “Ms.MA, are you ok?” “I’m fine, just everybody grab your stuff you need to leave for the day.” she says in a steady voice.  As I slowly start to pack up, I feel my heartbeat quicken.  What had been said in the meeting she had just arrived from?  Feeling frantic at the scenario coming to mind, I scurry to shove the rest of my books in my bag.  A few minutes later I stand at the head of the room with my classmates, all of us sharing the same expression of concern, whispering quietly.  “Was she fired?” India asks, broadcasting the fear running through my mind.  Before we have time to further discuss Ms.MA cuts off all conversation, “Do we have everyone?” she asks.  I feel myself nod, and we shuffle out the door. The elevator ride is quiet.  Then I notice tears are silently rolling down my teacher’s cheeks.  We crowd around, wrapping her into a big hug.  Choruses of “Are you ok?” and “We will beat up whoever did this!” fill the elevator but she is quiet, muffled by our embrace.   

The emotion of that day lives on in my mind, with the recognition that everything was intensified with my classmates there.  I come to find that I am mourning the community I lost when I transferred.  Yet I must remind myself that though I think of my past family of classmates fondly, the community was not perfect.   There were times prior when I was not proud to be a part of that society.  Being included in a huge community does not make it a healthy community and you can’t always choose the people you wind up with.  However when the right individuals come together to form a group it can be a miracle.  I experienced this kind of connection on a friday in an earlier week of June.  It was about 5:40 when I got out of the car, my stomach in a twist.  Hearing the driver door slam, I turn.  “I’m coming in with you.” my mom says.  I groan but don’t argue seeing as she has already made her way around the car and is holding the gym door open for me.  Hesitantly, I take a step in.  “Come on!” mom says herding me past the threshold. As we make our way further into the gym, I see a few girls using the exercise machines and my nerves heighten.  “I just need to finalize some details with the instructor and then I’ll be out.” my mom is saying as a blonde woman exits a room just ahead, stopping in her tracks when she spots us.  “You must be Anastasia!” she exclaims, delighted.  “That's me.” I manage anxiously, stepping out from behind my mom. “I’m Erin, come on in!” she gestures leading us back into the room from which she had just exited.  While Erin explains some ground rules multiple girls file in and out of the room, introducing themselves as they go and I begin to relax.  Erin is finishing up introductions when a new girl enters the room.  “Ah, here’s Sheila, she’s new as well!” she exclaims.  I face Sheila as Erin goes to greet her mom. “Hi, I’m Anastasia, this is my first time here too.” I offer with a smile. “I’m Sheila” she says shyly, returning the gesture. “I’m going to go.” my mom says, turning toward the door. “Ok, bye.” I say, “I’ll be fine.” And once I say it, I know it’s true.

Connecting the way I did made me realize that the people which you are surrounded by truly make an impact on how you feel about a situation.  Upon joining Kickboxing the people I met were open and welcoming, allowing me to feel comfortable to be myself.  Situations in new communities are not always as rewarding.  When people think of a community, most often they relate the word to a huge group of people.  In actuality a community can be a family of two, a relative, a best friend, a cat or a friendly acquaintance.  Entering a new community it’s hard not to have huge expectations about creating a huge family of friends, but sometimes it can take one companion for someone to feel support and that is all that matters.